Mahasamjna, Mahāsaṃjñā, Maha-samjna: 6 definitions

Introduction:

Mahasamjna means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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.

In Hinduism

Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)

[«previous next»] — Mahasamjna in Vyakarana glossary
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammar

Mahāsaṃjñā (महासंज्ञा).—A long term, as contrasted with the very short terms टि, घु, भ, इत् (ṭi, ghu, bha, it) and others introduced by Panini in his grammar for the sake of brevity. These long terms such as सर्वनाम, अब्यय, परस्मैपद, आत्मनेपद (sarvanāma, abyaya, parasmaipada, ātmanepada), and many others were widely in use at the time of Panini and hence he could not but pick them up in his grammar in spite of his strenuous attempts at brevity. The commentators, however, find out a motive for his doing this viz. that appropriate words only could be understood by those terms and not others; cf. महासंज्ञाकरणेन तदनुगुणानामेव अत्र संनिवेशात् । (mahāsaṃjñākaraṇena tadanuguṇānāmeva atra saṃniveśāt |) S.K. on सर्वादीने सर्वनामानि (sarvādīne sarvanāmāni) P. I.1.27.

Vyakarana book cover
context information

Vyakarana (व्याकरण, vyākaraṇa) refers to Sanskrit grammar and represents one of the six additional sciences (vedanga) to be studied along with the Vedas. Vyakarana concerns itself with the rules of Sanskrit grammar and linguistic analysis in order to establish the correct context of words and sentences.

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In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Mahasamjna in Buddhism glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Buddhism

Mahāsaṃjñā (महासंज्ञा) is the forty-seventh of sixty digits (decimal place) in an special enumeration system mentioned by Vasubandhu in his Abhidharmakośa (“treasury of knowledge”). The explanations of the measure of years, eons, and so forth must be comprehended through calculation based on a numerical system. Enumeration begins from one and increases by a factor of ten for each shift in decimal place. The sixtieth number in this series is called “countless”.

Among these decimal positions (e.g., mahāsaṃjñā), the first nine positions from one to one hundred million are called ‘single set enumeration’. From a billion up to, but not including countless is “the enumeration of the great companion” and is called the ‘recurring enumeration’.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Mahasamjna in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Mahāsaṃjñā (महासंज्ञा).—a high number: Mahāvyutpatti 8035. Cf. saṃjñā (7).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāsaṃjñā (महासंज्ञा):—[=mahā-saṃjñā] [from mahā > mah] f. a [particular] high number, [Buddhist literature]

[Sanskrit to German]

Mahasamjna in German

context information

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.

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