Malla, aka: Mallā, Mālla; 14 Definition(s)

Introduction

Malla means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi. 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

Ayurveda (science of life)

Mallā (मल्ला) is another name for Mallikā (Jasminum sambac “Sambac jasmine”), from the Oleaceae family of flowering plants. The term is used throughout Āyurvedic literature such as the Carakasaṃhitā.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Dharmashastra (religious law)

Malla (मल्ल) refers to a “wrestler”. The word is used throughout Dharmaśāstra literature such as the Manusmṛti.

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Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.

Purana

Malla (मल्ल, “wrestler”) refers to one of the sub-castes that once existed in ancient Kashmir (Kaśmīra) as mentioned in the Nīlamatapurāṇa.

1a) Malla (मल्ल).—Candraketu, a son of Lakṣmaṇa styled thus or his country?^*

• * Vāyu-purāṇa 88. 188.

1b) The Lord of Rājagṛha, vanquished by Kṛṣṇa.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 73. 100.

1c) A tribe and an eastern kingdom.^*

• * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 16. 55; Matsya-purāṇa 163. 67.

context information

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.

Arthashastra (politics and welfare)

Malla (मल्ल, “wrestler”) is an official title designating one of the seventy-two officers (niyoga) of the Bāhattaraniyogādhipati circle, according to the Inscriptional glossary of Andhra Pradesh (Śāsana-śabdakośāmu). The bāhattaraniyoga-adhipati is the highest executive officer of this circle (including a Malla). For example: During the reign of Gaṇapatideva, the area extending between Pānagal to Mārjavāḍi was entrusted to Gaṇḍapeṇḍāru Gangayasāhiṇi as Bāhattaraniyogādhipati. Later on, this office was entrusted to Kāyastha Jannigadeva.

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Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.

Itihasa (narrative history)

Malla (मल्ल) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. II.27.3, II.27.11, IV.1.9, VI.10.45) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Malla) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.

In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

The name of a people and their country.

The country is included in the sixteen Mahajanapadas of the Buddhas time. The kingdom, at that time, was divided into two parts, having their respective capitals in Pava and Kusinara. The Mallas of Pava were called Paveyyaka Malla, those of Kusinara, Kosinaraka. That these were separate kingdoms is shown by the fact that after the Buddhas death at Kusinara, the Mallas of Pava sent messengers to claim their share of the Buddhas relics (D.ii.165). Each had their Mote Hall.

In the Sangiti Sutta we are told that the Buddha, in the course of one of his journeys, came with five hundred followers to Pava and stayed in the Ambavana of Cunda the smith. A new Mote Hall, called Ubbhataka, had just been completed for the Mallas of Pava, and the Buddha was invited to be the first to occupy it that it might be consecrated thereby. The Buddha accepted the invitation, and preached in the Hall far into the night. It was also at Pava that the Buddha took his last meal, of Sukaramaddava, at the house of Cunda (D.ii.126f). From there he went to Kusinara, and there, as he lay dying, he sent Ananda to the Mallas of Kusinara, who were assembled in their Mote Hall to announce his approaching death. The Mallas thereupon came to the Upavattana Sala grove where the Buddha was, in order to pay him their last respects. Ananda made them stand in groups according to family, and then presented them to the Buddha, announcing the name of each family. After the Buddhas death, they met together once more in the Mote Hall, and made arrangements to pay him all the honour due to a Cakkavatti. They cremated the Buddhas body at the Makutabandhana cetiya, and then collected the relics, which they deposited in their Mote Hall, surrounding them with a lattice work of spears and a rampart of bows till they were distributed among the various claimants by Dona (D.ii.166). The Mallas, both of Pava and Kusinara, erected thupas over their respective shares of the relics and held feasts in their honour (D.ii.167).

The Malla capital of Kujsinara was, in the Buddhas day, a place of small importance. Ananda contemptuously refers to it as a little wattle and daub town in the midst of a jungle, a branch township, quite unworthy of being the scene of the Buddhas Parinibbana. But the Buddha informs Ananda that it was once Kusavati (q.v.), the mighty capital of Kusa and Mahasudassana. This shows that the Mallas had, at first, a monarchical constitution, but in the sixth century B.C. they were regarded, together with the Vajjis, as a typical example of a republic (sangha, gana) (M.i.231). The chief Mallas administered the state in turn. Those who were free from such duties engaged in trade, sometimes undertaking long caravan journeys (DA.ii.569).

-- or --

. See Tela.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Malla (मल्ल) participated in the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, on the side of the latter, as mentioned in Svayambhūdeva’s Paumacariu (Padmacarita, Paumacariya or Rāmāyaṇapurāṇa) chapter 57ff. Svayambhū or Svayambhūdeva (8th or 9th century) was a Jain householder who probably lived in Karnataka. His work recounts the popular Rāma story as known from the older work Rāmāyaṇa (written by Vālmīki). Various chapters [mentioning Malla] are dedicated to the humongous battle whose armies (known as akṣauhiṇīs) consisted of millions of soldiers, horses and elephants, etc.

context information

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.

India history and geogprahy

Malla (मल्ल) refers to one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas of the Majjhimadesa (Middle Country) of ancient India, as recorded in the Pāli Buddhist texts (detailing the geography of ancient India as it was known in to Early Buddhism).—The Mallaraṭṭha or Mallārāṣṭra has been mentioned in the Aṅguttara Nikāya as one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas. The kingdom was divided into two parts which had for their capitals the cities of Kusāvati or Kusīnārā and Pāvā identical probably with Kasia (on the smaller Gondak and in the east of the Gorakhpur district) and a village named Padaraona (12 miles to the north-east of Kasia) respectively.

The Mallas had at first a monarchical constitution when their capital city had been known as Kusāvatī. But later on, in the time of the Buddha, when the monarchy came to he replaced by a republican constitution, the name of the city was changed to Kusīnārā. Besides Kusīnārā, the Mallas had other important cities namely, Bhoganagara, Anupiya and Uruvelakappa in the neighbourhood of which there existed a wide forest called Mahāvana.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as 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

Pali-English dictionary

malla : (m.) a wrestler; a man of the Malla clan.

Malla, (cp. Sk. malla, perhaps a local term, cp. Cānura) a wrestler Vin. II, 105 (°muṭṭhika) J. IV, 81 (two, named Cānura and Muṭṭhika “fister”); Vism. 31 (muṭṭhika+, i.e. boxing & wrestling as amusements: see mada 1). Perhaps as “porter” Bdhgh on CV V, 29. 5 (see Vin. II, 319). At Miln. 191 the mallā are mentioned as a group or company; their designation might here refer to the Mallas, a tribe, as other tribes are given at the same passage (e.g. Atoṇā, Pisācā). Cp. Bhallaka.

—gaṇa troop of professional wrestlers Miln. 331. —muṭṭhika boxer Vin. II, 105. —yuddha wrestling contest Miln. 232; DhA. II, 154; DA. I, 85. —yuddhaka a professional wrestler J. IV, 81. (Page 525)

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Marathi-English dictionary

malla (मल्ल).—m (S) An athlete or wrestler; also a pugilist or boxer, esp. as professional. 2 fig. An athletic person.

malla (मल्ल).—m A wrestler. Fig. An athletic person.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Malla (मल्ल).—a. [mall-ac]

1) Strong, athletic, robust; Ki. 18.8.

2) Good, excellent.

-llaḥ 1 A strong man.

2) An athlete, a boxer, wrestler; प्रभुर्मल्लो मल्लाय (prabhurmallo mallāya) Mbh.

3) A drinking-vessel, cup.

4) The remnants of an oblation.

5) The cheek and temple.

6) Name of a mixed tribe (wrestlers) born of an outcast Kṣatriya by a Kṣatriya woman; झल्लो मल्लश्च राजन्याद् व्रात्यान्निच्छिविरेव च (jhallo mallaśca rājanyād vrātyānnicchivireva ca) Ms. 1.22;12.45.

7) Name of a country.

-mallā 1 A woman.

2) The Arabian jasmine.

3) Ornamenting the person with cosmetics or coloured unguents.

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Mālla (माल्ल).—Name of a particular mixed tribe.

Derivable forms: māllaḥ (माल्लः).

See also (synonyms): mālu.

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