Maharshi, Maharishi, Mahaṛṣi, Maharṣi, Mahārṣi, Mahshi, Mahṣi: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Maharshi means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit terms Mahaṛṣi and Maharṣi and Mahārṣi and Mahṣi can be transliterated into English as Maharsi or Maharishi or Maharshi or Mahsi or Mahshi, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Mahaṛṣi (महऋषि).—Mind-born sons of Brahmā, seven in number, like Bhṛgu, Marīci, and Angiras;1 ety. from root ṛṣi gatau—meaning knowledge; great jñānins;2 their role in creation.3
- 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 32. 89, 97; Matsya-purāṇa 145. 85; 247. 10.
- 2) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 6. 71; Vāyu-purāṇa 7. 74; 59. 82 and 89.
- 3) Ib. 7. 75-6.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to “seer of the Truth. He has seen the worshipable deity of one’s mantra”. (cf. Glossary page from Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā).
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to:—A great sage. (cf. Glossary page from Bhajana-Rahasya).
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to:—(also spelled Mahaṛṣi) Great sage. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).
Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to the “great sages”, according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “[...] When was that age or time of life when the dualism of extremes did not exist for men? Abandoning them, a person who is happy to take whatever comes attains perfection. Who does not end up with indifference to such things and attain peace when he has seen the differences of opinions among the great sages (maharṣi), saints and yogis? [nānā mataṃ maharṣīṇāṃ sādhūnāṃ yogināṃ tathā] [...]”.
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to a “great sage”, according to Mādhavavidyāraṇya’s Śaṅkaradigvijaya 5.97.—Accordingly, “I [Śaṅkara] desire to know the basis of Brahman from the great sage (maharṣi) Gauḍapāda, [who was] the student of the son of Vyāsa. Because of my devotion to [this] one aim, I have found you [my guru, Govinda,] who is full of all good qualities, who has obtained the supreme truth and whose greatness extends [throughout the land]”.
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Mahārṣi (महार्षि) refers to a group of deities summoned by the Yamāntaka-mantra and mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Mahārṣi).
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to a “great Ṛṣi” and is used to describe Agastya, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, “Then Agastya, the Great Ṛṣi (maharṣi), sitting not too far from the Bhagavān, having heard this dhāraṇī, arose from his seat and falling at the feet of the Bhagavān addressed the Bhagavān, ‘O Bhagavān, I will make a beak-sealing for pests of all sorts, malevolent and hostile, poison-holders, destroyers of crops, flowers, fruits, leaves and the best roots; [...]’”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Maharṣi (महर्षि) refers to “great seers”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Connections with pleasing sense objects, whose impressions are full of deceit like dreams, perish immediately. Families, armies, empires, decorations and wealth are asserted by the great seers (maharṣi) as acting like a series of clouds”.
Synonyms: Manīṣi.
Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
maharṣi (महर्षि).—m S A ṛṣi or saint of a high order. Ex. tujhā vhāvayā sākṣātkāra || ma0 yajiti thōra thōra ||.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Mahṣi (मह्षि).—
1) a great sage or saint; यस्मादृषिः परत्वेन महांस्त- स्मान्महर्षयः (yasmādṛṣiḥ paratvena mahāṃsta- smānmaharṣayaḥ); (the term is applied in Manusmṛti 1.34 to the ten Prajāpatis or patriarchs of mankind, but it is also used in the general sense of 'a great sage').
2) Name of Sacute;iva.
3) of Buddha.
Derivable forms: mahṣiḥ (मह्षिः).
Mahṣi is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and ṛṣi (ऋषि).
Maharṣi (महर्षि).—m.
(-rṣiḥ) A Rishi or saint of a particular order, including Vyasa and others. E. maha for mahat great, and ṛṣi saint: see rājarṣi .
Maharṣi (महर्षि).—i. e. mahā-ṛṣi, m. A sage of a pre-eminent class, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 1, 34.
Maharṣi (महर्षि).—[masculine] great Ṛṣi.
Maharṣi (महर्षि) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—poet. [Subhāshitāvali by Vallabhadeva]
1) Maharṣi (महर्षि):—[=maha-ṛṣi] [from maha > mah] m. = -rṣi, [Atharva-veda]
2) [=maha-rṣi] [from maha > mah] m. a great Ṛṣi, any great sage or saint ([according to] to [Manu-smṛti i, 34] ten Maharṣis were created by Manu Svāyambhuva, viz. Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Pracetas, Vasiṣṭha, Bhṛgu, Nārada, also called the 10 Prajāpatis, q.v.; some restrict the number to 7, and some add Dakṣa, Dharma, Gautama, Kaṇva, Vālmīki, Vyāsa, Manu, Vibhāṇḍaka etc.), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc. ([Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams 206 n. 1])
3) [v.s. ...] Name of Śiva, [Śivagītā, ascribed to the padma-purāṇa]
4) [v.s. ...] of Buddha, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] of a poet, [Catalogue(s)]
Maharṣi (महर्षि):—(rṣiḥ) 2. m. A great sage.
Maharṣi (महर्षि):—[(mahā + ṛṣi)] m.
1) ein grosser Ṛṣi (s. u. ṛṣi) [Taittirīyāraṇyaka 1, 9, 6.] [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 1, 1. 4. 36. 3, 69.] maharṣipitṛdevānām [?4, 257. 5, 3. 6, 32. 8, 110. 11, 29 (= Mahābhārata 12, 6054). Bhagavadgītā 10, 2. 11, 21. Indralokāgamana 5, 25. Nalopākhyāna 5, 28. 9, 22. Rāmāyaṇa 1, 4, 17. 5, 21. 59, 3. 63, 17. Suśruta 2, 377, 11. Śākuntala 101, 7. Rgva tch’er rol pa ed. Calc. 251, 5. WEBER, Jyotiṣa 60.] patīnprajānāmasṛjaṃ maharṣīnādito daśa .. marīcimatryaṅgirasau pulastyaṃ pulahaṃ kratum . pracetasaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ ca bhṛguṃ nāradameva ca .. [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 1, 34. fg.] bhṛgurmarīciratriśca aṅgirāḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ . manurdakṣo vasiṣṭhaśca pulastyaśceti te daśa .. brahmaṇo mānasā hyete utpannāḥ svayamīśvarāḥ . paratvenarṣayastasmādbhūtāstasmānmaharṣayaḥ .. [MĀTSYA-Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 120 im Śabdakalpadruma] brahmaṇo mānasāḥ putrā viditāḥ ṣaṇmaharṣayaḥ . marīciratryaṅgirasau pulastyaḥ pulahaḥ kratuḥ .. [Mahābhārata 1, 2518. 2565.] prajānāṃ patayaḥ sapta sapta caiva maharṣayaḥ [Harivaṃśa 14146.] bhṛgu [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 3, 69.] maharṣīṇāṃ bhṛguraham (sagt Kṛṣṇa) [Bhagavadgītā 2, 25.] Vasiṣṭha [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 54, 4.] [Raghuvaṃśa 1, 48. 2, 45.] Nārada [Nalopākhyāna 14, 5.] Kaṇva [Śākuntala 7, 17. 28, 13.] vyāsādayaḥ [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 2, 7, 15.] Vālmīki [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 2, 43.] Vibhāṇḍaka [9, 28.] unter den Beiww. Śiva’s [Śivanāmasahasra] Buddha's [Vyutpatti oder Mahāvyutpatti 1.] —
2) Nomen proprium eines Mannes [Weber’s Verzeichniss No. 246.]
--- OR ---
Mahaṛṣi (महऋषि):—m. = maharṣi
1) [Atharvavedasaṃhitā 19, 9, 11.]
Mahaṛṣi (महऋषि):—m. = maharṣi 1)
--- OR ---
Maharṣi (महर्षि):—m. —
1) ein grosser Ṛsi. —
2) Beiname — a) Śiva's. — b) *Buddha's. —
3) Nomen proprium eines Mannes.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Maharṣi (महर्षि):—(nm) a great sage (seer).
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Maharṣi (ಮಹರ್ಷಿ):—[noun] a superior, respectable sage (often used to denote a sage of higher class).
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Maharṣi (महर्षि):—n. a great saint/sage;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches (+0): Maha, Rishi, Ri shen.
Starts with (+0): Maharshihridaya, Maharshika, Maharshisamgha.
Full-text (+436): Atharvabhuta, Maharshisamgha, Rishisharman maharshi, Bhrigumaharshi, Da xian, Acyutamanas, Acyutapajas, Shankaramaharshi, Jambumaharshi, Asuri, Maharshihridaya, Mahavalabhid, Rishi, Shushka, Brahmarshi, Pushkari, Angirajva, Bhringi, Sharabha, Urukshava.
Relevant text
Search found 139 books and stories containing Maharshi, Maha rishis, Maha-rishi, Maha-rshi, Mahā-ṛṣi, Maha-rsi, Maha-ṛṣi, Maha-rṣi, Maharishis, Mahaṛṣi, Maharṣi, Maharsi, Mahārṣi, Maharsis, Mahṣi, Mahsi; (plurals include: Maharshis, Maha rishises, rishis, rshis, ṛṣis, rsis, rṣis, Maharishises, Mahaṛṣis, Maharṣis, Maharsis, Mahārṣis, Maharsises, Mahṣis, Mahsis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Purana – Samhita < [October – December, 2004]
Triple Stream < [July – September, 1995]
Karnatic Music - Its Philosophy < [January-February, 1929]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 586 < [Hindi-Assamese-English Volume 2]
Page 252 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
Page 740 < [Malayalam-English-Kannada (1 volume)]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures (seven volumes) (by Satya Vrat Shastri)
4.3. Depiction of the Rishis by Kalidasa < [Volume 3 - Classical Sanskrit Literature]
1.4. Personality of Maharsi Valmiki—As the Ramayana reveals it < [Volume 2 - Epics and Puranas]
Preface < [Volume 1 - Grammer and Linguistics]
Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita (by Laxmi Maji)
Caraka (Āyurveda scholar) < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Introduction to Āyurveda < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
History of Āyurveda < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Ramayana of Valmiki (Shastri) (by Hari Prasad Shastri)
Chapter 23f - Ravana and the Maha-Purusha < [Book 7 - Uttara-kanda]
Chapter 56 - Hanuman’s takes leave of Sita < [Book 5 - Sundara-kanda]
Chapter 1 - The Departure of Hanuman < [Book 5 - Sundara-kanda]