Mahavedha, Maha-vedha: 5 definitions

Introduction:

Mahavedha means something in 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

Yoga (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Mahavedha in Yoga glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Yoga

From the Haṭha Yogha Pradīpikā (chapter III): “Sitting with Mahā Bandha, the Yogī should fill in the air and keep his mind collected. The movements of the Vāyus (Prāṇa and Apāna) should be stopped by closing the throat.).” (śl. 26) and “Resting both the hands equally on the ground, he should raise himself a little and strike his buttocks against the ground gently. The air, leaving both the passages (Idā and Pingalā), starts into the middle one.” (śl. 27) and “The union of the Idā and the Pingalā is effected, in order to bring about immortality. When the air becomes as it were dead (by leaving its course through the Idā and the Pingalā) (i.e., when it has been kept confined), then it should be expelled.” (śl. 28)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (yoga)

Mahāvedha (महावेध) refers to one of the methods of manipulating the constituents of the yogic body, according to the Amṛtasiddhi, a 12th-century text belonging to the Haṭhayoga textual tradition.—The text of the Amṛtasiddhi consists of 303 verses divided into 35 short vivekas. The first ten vivekas teach the constituents of the yogic body. Vivekas 11–13 teach three methods of manipulating those constituents (e.g., mahāvedha) and viveka 14 teaches the practice, i.e. how the three methods are to be used together. Vivekas 15–18 teach the four grades of aspirant, 19–33 the four states of yoga, and 34–35 the final transformation of the body leading up to nirvāṇa.

Yoga book cover
context information

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).

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Mahavedha in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mahāvedha (महावेध):—[=mahā-vedha] [from mahā > mah] m. a [particular] position of the hands or feet (in the practice of Yoga), [Catalogue(s)]

[Sanskrit to German]

Mahavedha 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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