Mahatman, Mahātmā, Mahātman, Mahatma, Maha-atman: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Mahatman means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, 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.
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In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
1) Mahātman (महात्मन्) is an epithet of Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.15. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] On arrival there, after paying respects to the lord [Śiva] with great excitement we lauded Him with various hymns with palms joined in reverence. The Devas said: [...] Obeisance to Thee, O lord, from whom the mobile and the immobile beings have originated. Obeisance to the great Puruṣa, Maheśa, the supreme Īśa and the great Ātman [viz., Mahātman]”.
2) Mahātman (महात्मन्) refers to “one of noble soul” and is used to describe Kāma, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.17 (“The dialogue between Indra and Kāmadeva”).—Accordingly, as Śiva described Pārvatī: “Is this your face or the moon? Are these your eyes or lotus petals? These two eyebrows are the bows of Kāma of noble soul [i.e., Mahātman]. Is this your lower lip or Bimba fruit? Is this your nose or the beak of a parrot? Do I hear your voice or the cooing of the cuckoo? Is this your slender waist or the sacrificial altar? How can her gait be described? How can her comely appearance be described? How can the flowers be described? How can the clothes be described? [...]”.
3) Mahātman (महात्मन्) refers to “noble-souled” and is used to described Himavat (Himālaya), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.21 (“Nārada instructs Pārvatī”).—Accordingly, as Brahmā said to Nārada: “[...] O celestial sage, O intelligent one, employed by Indra, the slayer of Bala, you came to Himalaya mountain roaming here and there as you pleased. You were then worshipped by the noble-souled mountain [i.e., mahātman—bhūdhareṇa mahātmanā]. You enquired of his health and happiness and you were seated in a noble seat. Then the lord of the mountains told you the story of his daughter from her service to Śiva to the burning of Kāma by Him. [...]”.
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)
Mahātmā (महात्मा) refers to “magnanimous person, or great soul. It is a title of respect offered to those elevated in spiritual consciousness”. (cf. Glossary page from Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā).
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’).
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
1) Mahātman (महात्मन्) refers to “possessing a noble nature” and is used to describe Sūrya, according to the Netratantra of Kṣemarāja: a Śaiva text from the 9th century in which Śiva (Bhairava) teaches Pārvatī topics such as metaphysics, cosmology, and soteriology.—Accordingly, [verse 13.17-25ab, while describing the appearance and worship of Sūrya]—“Now, I explain that which consists of light [i.e., Sūrya]. He manifests the siddhi of man. [Sūrya] resembles a red flower, has equal splendor with red juice. [He is] the color of a heap of vermillion, as beautiful as a ruby, appears as the color of safflower . [He] looks like the flower of a pomegranate [and] resembles Soma at the end of time. [Sūrya has] one face, three eyes, four arms, possess a noble nature (mahātman—mahātmānaṃ), and [holds his] hands in the shape of the wish-granting and protection [mudrās]. [...]”.
2) Mahātman (महात्मन्) or “noble nature” is also used to describe Rudra.—Accordingly, [verse 13.29-36, while describing the appearance and worship of Rudra]—“[...] [Rudra] has noble nature (mahātman) [and holds] a spike for safety. Carrying a citrus tree, mighty Deva [also] has a rosary. Now, [the Mantrin] should think [so that] Deva appears, his many arms posed in a dance [position]. [The Mantrin meditates on Rudra] who holds Umā at [his] side. Or [the Mantrin visualizes Rudra] as half of Viṣṇu. [Or finally, the Mantrin visualizes Rudra as] taking a bride. [The Mantrin] worships him nearby”.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
1) Mahātma (महात्म) refers to “great-souled ones”, according to the Śārṅgadharapaddhati 4350.—Accordingly, “Mastered by Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana and others, it was called Laya by [such] great-souled ones (mahātma) who had accomplished absorption in the nine cakras”.
2) Mahātman (महात्मन्) refers to “one who is great” and is used to describe Śiva, according to the Brahmayāmala-tantra (or Picumata), an early 6th century Śaiva text consisting of twelve-thousand verses.—Accordingly: while describing the aspectless Śiva (which is beyond the mind): “[Śiva], the agent of grace for all, has the form of the supreme effulgence, and is pervasive, with form unmanifest, beyond mind, and great (mahātman)”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Mahātman (महात्मन्) refers to “great-souled persons”, according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth? [...] Seeing this world as pure illusion, and devoid of any interest in it, how should the strong-minded person, feel fear, even at the approach of death? Who is to be compared to the great souled person (mahātman) whose mind is free of desire even in disappointment [niḥspṛhaṃ mānasaṃ yasya nairāśye'pi mahātmanaḥ], and who has found satisfaction in self-knowledge? [...]”
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
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Mahātmā (महात्मा) refers to the “magnanimous one” and is used to describe the Garuḍa Lord, 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, “Now the Bhagavān was residing in the abode of Brahmā. [...] [There was] the Garuḍa Lord, the Great King, the one with golden wings, the one with a Vajra Beak, the magnanimous one (mahātmā), the one with a blazing body, the wrathful one, the one of frightful power. He was adorned with various wonderful gems, pearls and gold. [...]”.
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.
India history and geography
Mahātman.—(CII 1), a person of high rank; a rich man; explained in some cases as ‘a magistrate’ (cf. Select Inscriptions, p. 248, note 6). Note: mahātman is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Mahātmā (महात्मा).—a (S Of a great spirit.) Magnanimous, nobleminded, large-hearted, generous, bold.
Mahātmā (महात्मा).—a Magnanimous, generous.
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
Mahātman (महात्मन्).—a.
1) high-souled, high-minded, magnanimous, noble; अयं दुरात्मा अथवा महात्मा कौटिल्यः (ayaṃ durātmā athavā mahātmā kauṭilyaḥ) Mu.7; द्विषन्ति मन्दाश्चरितं महात्मनाम् (dviṣanti mandāścaritaṃ mahātmanām) Kumārasambhava 5.75; Uttararāmacarita 1.49; प्रकृतिसिद्धमिदं हि महात्मनाम् (prakṛtisiddhamidaṃ hi mahātmanām) Bhartṛhari 1.63.
2) illustrious, distinguished, exalted, eminent; किमाचाराः किमाहाराः क्व च वासो महात्मनाम् (kimācārāḥ kimāhārāḥ kva ca vāso mahātmanām) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 3. 1.4.
3) mighty (mahābala); अथायमस्यां कृतवान् महात्मा लङ्केश्वरः कष्टमनार्यकर्म (athāyamasyāṃ kṛtavān mahātmā laṅkeśvaraḥ kaṣṭamanāryakarma) Rām.5.9.74. (-m.)
1) the Supreme Spirit; युगपत्तु प्रलीयन्ते यदा तस्मिन् महात्मनि (yugapattu pralīyante yadā tasmin mahātmani) Manusmṛti 1.54.
2) the great principle, i. e. intellect of the Sāṅkhyas. (mahātmavat means the same as mahātman).
Mahātman is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and ātman (आत्मन्).
Mahātman (महात्मन्).—mfn. (-tmā-tmā-tma) Liberal, lofty-minded, magnanimous. E. mahā great, ātman self, soul.
Mahātman (महात्मन्).—adj. magnanimous, [Pañcatantra] ii. [distich] 153.
Mahātman is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mahā and ātman (आत्मन्).
Mahātman (महात्मन्).—1. [masculine] the supreme spirit, the intellect (ph.).
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Mahātman (महात्मन्).—2. [adjective] large-minded, magnanimous, generous, noble, eminent.
1) Mahātman (महात्मन्):—[from mahā > mah] mfn. (hāt) ‘high-souled’, magnanimous, having a gr° or noble nature, high-minded, noble, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.
2) [=mahā-tman] [from mahātman > mahā > mah] highly gifted, exceedingly wise, [Pañcatantra]
3) [v.s. ...] eminent, mighty, powerful, distinguished, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Pañcatantra; Suśruta]
4) [v.s. ...] m. the Supreme Spirit, gr° soul of the universe, [Maitrī-upaniṣad; Manu-smṛti]
5) [v.s. ...] the gr° principle id est. Intellect, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa]
6) [v.s. ...] ([scilicet] gaṇa), Name of a class of deceased ancestors, [Mārkaṇḍeya-purāṇa]
7) [v.s. ...] of a son of Dhī-mat, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]
Mahātman (महात्मन्):—[mahā-tman] (tmā-tma) a. Liberal; heroic.
Mahātman (महात्मन्):—1. (mahā + ā) m. der grosse Geist, die Weltseele: kālaḥ pacati bhūtāni sarvāṇyeva mahātmani (= īśvare [Scholiast]) [MAITRYUP. 6, 15.] [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 1, 54] (= paramātman [Kullūka]). der Intellect (= mahattattva [Scholiast]) [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 9, 7, 24.]
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Mahātman (महात्मन्):—2. (wie eben)
1) adj. a) eine grosse d. i. edle Natur habend, edel, hochherzig [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 367.] [Halāyudha 2, 201.] Beiname von Göttern und Menschen [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 1, 4. 41. 61. 5, 1.] [Sundopasundopākhyāna 3, 30.] [Brāhmaṇavilāpa 1, 29.] [Nalopākhyāna 2, 11. 12. 3, 17. 4, 6. 8, 17. 11, 18.] [Mahābhārata 1, 6017. 5, 6011.] [Rāmāyaṇa 1, 1, 76. 3, 8. 8, 1. 51, 25. 60, 33. 2, 45, 1.] [Spr. 305. 364. 1336. 1735. 2107] (Gegens. durātman) . [?2146. 2825. 5010. KĀM. NĪTIS. 3, 11. 36. Kathāsaritsāgara 28, 34 (voc.). 65, 84. 66, 168 (voc.). Brahmapurāṇa in Lassen’s Anthologie 53, 5. 56, 4. Sāhityadarpana 2, 15. Hitopadeśa I, 8. WEBER, Rāmatāpanīya Upaniṣad 354. Śiva Mahābhārata 13, 1149.] sūrya [Rāmāyaṇa 4, 40, 62.] — b) einen grossen Geist habend so v. a. hochbegabt, überaus klug: buddhirmahātmanām [Spr. 584.] — c) hochstehend, mächtig, gewaltig: kāla [Spr. 2186.] sa bhūmipālāya vidhātumauṣadhaṃ mahātmanāṃ cārhati sūrisattamaḥ [Suśruta 1, 248, 9.] mahāpadma (ein Weltelephant) [Rāmāyaṇa Gorresio 1, 42, 16.] pṛthivī sarvā khanyate sagarātmajaiḥ . bahavaśca mahātmāno (= siddhagandharvādayaḥ Schol.) vadhyante jalacāriṇaḥ .. [Rāmāyaṇa ed. Bomb. 1, 39, 25.] kula hochstehend, vornehm [Spr. 3817.] Gegens. kṛpaṇa [Pañcatantra 24, 4.] —
2) m. (sc. gaṇa) Bez. einer Klasse von Manen [Mārkāṇḍeyapurāṇa 96, 46.] — Vgl. māhātmya .
Mahātman (महात्मन्):—1. m. —
1) die Weltseele. —
2) der Intellect.
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Mahātman (महात्मन्):—2. —
1) Adj. — a) eine edle Natur habend , edel , hochherzig. — b) hochbegabt , überaus klug. — c) hochstehend , mächtig , gewaltig , vornehm Geschlecht ). —
2) m. — a) (sc. gaṇa) eine best. Klasse von Manen. — b) Nomen proprium eines Sohnes des Dhīmant [Wilson's Uebersetzung des Viṣṇupurāṇa 2,107.]
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
Mahātmā (महात्मा):—(a and nm) a saint, sage, saintly (person), noble / enlightened soul; hence ~[pana] (nm).
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Mahātma (ಮಹಾತ್ಮ):—
1) [noun] a man of greatness, having no petty qualities as narrow-mindedness, selfishness, partisan view,etc.; a great-soul (used as an adjectival appelation).
2) [noun] the Supreme Soul.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Mahātmā (महात्मा):—n. 1. a great sage; saint; 2. a noble, high-souled person; 3. a great personality;
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): Tman, The, The, Mahatman, Maha, Te, Atman.
Starts with (+0): Mahatmaprabha.
Full-text (+44): Amahatman, Sumahatman, Mahatmavat, Mahatmika, Sheng xiong, Mahatmya, Makattuma, Gamde, Mahatmaprabha, Mohateja, Da zi xing, Mahatuma, Mahatmaka, Mahanu, Methunasadda, Mahantaggahana, Mahimsakarattha, Mahisasakumara, Vamshakushala, Mahanca.
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Search found 163 books and stories containing Mahatman, Mahā-ātman, Maha-atman, Mahā-tman, Maha-tman, Mahātmā, Mahatma, Mahātma, Mahātman, Mahatmas, The mahatma, The mahatmas; (plurals include: Mahatmans, ātmans, atmans, tmans, Mahātmās, Mahatmas, Mahātmas, Mahātmans, Mahatmases, The mahatmas, The mahatmases). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
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Chapter 2 - On questions put by Śaunaka and other Rsis < [Book 1]
Chapter 3 - On praising the Purāṇas and on each Vyāsa of every Dvāpara Yuga < [Book 1]
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Bhagavad-gita (with Vaishnava commentaries) (by Narayana Gosvami)
Verse 9.14 < [Chapter 9 - Rāja-guhya-yoga (Yoga through the most Confidential Knowledge)]
Verse 11.37 < [Chapter 11 - Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga (beholding the Lord’s Universal Form)]
Verse 11.20 < [Chapter 11 - Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga (beholding the Lord’s Universal Form)]
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Page 565 < [Sanskrit words in the Southeast Asian Languages]
Page 318 < [Sanskrit words in the Southeast Asian Languages]
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Part 12: Bāhubali becomes a sādhu and attains omniscience < [Chapter V]
Part 14: Death of Puṇḍarīka with a crore of sādhus < [Chapter VI]
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Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)