Mahashunyata, Mahāśūnyatā, Maha-shunyata: 5 definitions
Introduction:
Mahashunyata 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.
The Sanskrit term Mahāśūnyatā can be transliterated into English as Mahasunyata or Mahashunyata, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraMahāśūnyatā (महाशून्यता) or simply Mahā refers to “great emptiness”, representing one of the sixteen or eighteen emptinesses (śūnyatā), according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XLVIII. Accordingly, “what is great emptiness (mahāśūnyatā)? The region of the east is empty of the region of the east, the region of the south is empty of the region of the south, the region of the west is empty of the region of the west, the region of the north is empty of the region of the north, the region of the nadir is empty of the region of the nadir, the region of the zenith is empty of the region of the zenith, the intermediary regions are empty of the intermediary regions because the regions are neither eternal nor transitory. Why? Because such is their nature. That is called: great emptiness (mahā-śūnyatā)”.
Great emptiness (mahāśūnyatā).—In the Śrāvaka system, it is the emptiness of dharmas (dharmaśūnyatā) that is the great emptiness (mahāśūnyatā).—Thus it is said in the Mahāśūnyatāsūtra of the Saṃyuktāgama: ”It is said that old age and death has birth (jātipratyayaṃ jarāmaraṇam) as condition. In this regard, if somebody said: ‘This is old age and death’ or ‘Old age and death belong to this man’, the two statements together would be wrong views (mithyādṛṣṭi). Actually, the man to whom old age and death belongs is empty of being (sattvaśūnyatā) and old age and death is empty of dharma (dharmaśūnyatā)”. On the other hand, the Mahāyānasūtras say that the ten directions (diś) are empty of characteristics of the ten directions and that that is the great emptiness (mahāśūnyatā).
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.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgrahaMahāśūnyatā (महाशून्यता) refers to “great emptiness” one of the “twenty emptinesses” (śūnyatā) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 41). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., mahā-śūnyatā). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryMahāśūnyatā (महाशून्यता):—[=mahā-śūnya-tā] [from mahā-śūnya > mahā > mah] f. (with Buddhists) ‘gr° void’, Name of one of the 18 vacuities or vacancies, [Dharmasaṃgraha 41]
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Mahashunya, Shunyata, Maha, Ta.
Full-text: Shunyata, Shodashashunyata.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Mahashunyata, Mahāśūnyatā, Maha-shunyata, Mahā-śūnyatā, Mahasunyata, Maha-sunyata, Mahashunya-ta, Mahāśūnya-tā, Mahasunya-ta; (plurals include: Mahashunyatas, Mahāśūnyatās, shunyatas, śūnyatās, Mahasunyatas, sunyatas, tas, tās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
IV. The emptinesses (śūnyatā) in the great Prajñāpāramitā-sūtras < [Note on emptiness (śūnyatā)]
Emptiness 5: Great emptiness or emptiness of the ten directions < [Chapter XLVIII - The Eighteen Emptinesses]
Appendix 4 - Notes on the Mahāśūnyatā-sūtra < [Chapter XXX - The Characteristics of Prajñā]
The gods of northern Buddhism (by Alice Getty)
Lankavatara Sutra (by Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki)