Mandra, Mamdra, Māndrā: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Mandra means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
In Hinduism
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstra1) Mandra (मन्द्र, “grave”) refers to one of six “ornaments”, or ‘figures of speech’ (alaṃkāra). According to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 19, these six ornaments are part of the ‘vocal representation’ (vācika), which is used in communicating the meaning of the drama and calling forth the sentiment (rasa). The term is used throughout nāṭyaśāstra literature. These ornaments dictate the type of recitation, eg. mandra and vilambita should be used in words expressing sharpness and roughness.
Uses of mandra: “the grave note proceed from the chest register and is to be used in despondency, weakness, anxiety, impatience, low-spiritedness, sickness, deep wound from weapons, fainting, intoxication, communicating secret words and the like”.
2) Mandra (मन्द्र, “low”) refers to “low pitches” and is one of the ten characteristics (gati) of the jāti (melodic class), according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 28. It is also known as mandragati or mandrasvara. Jāti refers to a recognized melody-type and can be seen as a precursor to rāgas which replaced them.
According to the Nāṭyaśāstra 28.93-94, “three kinds of the low pitch movement (mandra-gati): that depending on the aṃśa, on the nyāsa, and on the apanyāsa. There is no pitch lower than that of the aṃśa notes (svara); in the nyāsa such a pitch will be separated by two notes, and when the gāndhāra is the graha and the nyāsa, ṛṣabha and dhaivata are seen to bear a low pitch”.
Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: archive.org: Illustrations of Indian Music and Dance in Western Indian StyleMandra (मन्द्र, “low”).—Illustration of mandra-grāma (lowest group of tones) according to 15th century art.—The colour of the body of mandra-grāma is white. He holds a vīṇā (Indian lute) with both hands. The colour of the scarf is rosy and the colour of the lower garment is green and yellow. He is well-dressed and wears beautiful ornaments with a crown on the head.
The illustrations (of, for example Mandra) are found scattered throughout ancient Jain manuscripts from Gujarat. The descriptions of these illustrations of this citrāvalī are based on the ślokas of Vācanācārya Gaṇi Sudhākalaśa’s Saṅgītopaniṣatsāroddhāra (14th century) and Śārṅgadeva’s Saṅgītaratnākara (13th century).
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar)
Source: Wikisource: A dictionary of Sanskrit grammarMandra (मन्द्र).—One of the three places of the origination of articulate speech which is described as situated in the throat; cf. त्रीणि मन्द्रं मध्यममुत्तमं च । तेषु मन्द्रमुरसि वर्तते (trīṇi mandraṃ madhyamamuttamaṃ ca | teṣu mandramurasi vartate) Uvvaṭa on R. Pr. XIII. 17; cf. also मन्द्रमध्यमताराणि स्थानानि भवन्ति । (mandramadhyamatārāṇi sthānāni bhavanti |) T.Pr.XXII.11.
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.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Sacred Texts: The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30)Mandra (मन्द्र) refers to a type of tone (coming from the chest), which is used in chanting hyms.—Another [commentator] distinguishes three high tones, the kruṣṭa (also called tāra or krauñca), the madhyama, and the mandra, and assigns the madhyama to the Sāmidhenī hymns. The mandra notes come from the chest, the madhyama notes from the throat, the uttama notes from the head.
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.
Gitashastra (science of music)
Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (gita)Mandra (मन्द्र) refers to a “low pitch” (in music), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—In Indian Music, the word saptaka is used to denote the scale or octave of Music. Actually the scale of seven notes is called as saptaka. According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, three kinds of scales or octaves viz., mandra i.e., low pitch, madhya i.e., medium pitch and tāra i.e., high pitch are there in Music and these three kinds of octaves occur from the three respective sthānas viz., chest, throat and head. The mandra-saptaka is basically the amalgamation of low notes which come out from the deep of the heart. The madhya i.e., medium notes come from the throat and the tāra i.e., high notes come from the head. To practise classical Music, the singers are generally seen to adopt the madhya-saptaka i.e., middle scale.
Gitashastra (गीतशास्त्र, gītaśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science of Music (gita or samgita), which is traditionally divided in Vocal music, Instrumental music and Dance (under the jurisdiction of music). The different elements and technical terms are explained in a wide range of (often Sanskrit) literature.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryMandra (मन्द्र).—a. [mand rak Uṇādi-sūtra 2.13] Low, deep, grave hollow, rumbling (as sound); पयोदमन्द्रध्वनिना धरित्री (payodamandradhvaninā dharitrī) Kirātārjunīya 16.3;7.22; Meghadūta 11; R.6.56.
2) Ved. Delightful, pleasing, pleasant; एवं ब्रुवाणे वैकुण्ठे भृगुस्तन्मन्द्रया गिरा (evaṃ bruvāṇe vaikuṇṭhe bhṛgustanmandrayā girā) Bhāgavata 1.89.13.
3) Praiseworthy.
-ndraḥ 1 A deep sound, low tone.
2) A kind of drum.
3) A kind of elephant; 'भद्रा मन्द्रा मृगाश्चेति विज्ञेयास्त्रिविधा गजाः (bhadrā mandrā mṛgāśceti vijñeyāstrividhā gajāḥ)'; cf. Rām.1.6.25.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryMandra (मन्द्र).—m.
(-ndraḥ) 1. A base or low tone, such as the grumbling of clouds, &c. 2. A sort of drum. 3. A species of elephant. f.
(-drā) Hollow, deep, rumbling. E. madi to please, Unadi aff. rak .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryMandra (मन्द्र).—m. 1. A deep, hollow, or low tone, or sound, [Meghadūta, (ed. Gildemeister.)] 97 (read mandra-); [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] 65, 11 (adj.?). 2. A sort of drum.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryMandra (मन्द्र).—[adjective] pleasant, charming, sweet, [especially] well sounding, pleasant to the ear, deep, hollow (voice or sounds i.[grammar]); [neuter] [adverb]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Mandra (मन्द्र):—[from mand] a mf(ā)n. pleasant, agreeable, charming, ([especially]) sounding or speaking pleasantly etc., [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā; Śāṅkhāyana-gṛhya-sūtra]
2) [v.s. ...] low, deep (of sound), hollow, rumbling (am ind.), [Brāhmaṇa] etc. etc.
3) [v.s. ...] m. a low tone, the low or base tone (sthāna) of the voice (as opp. to the middle or madhyama and the high or uttama), [Ṛgveda-prātiśākhya]
4) [v.s. ...] a kind of drum, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] a species of elephant, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) b etc. See p. 787, col. 3.
7) Māndra (मान्द्र):—[from mānda] mfn. ([from] mandra) [gana] chattrādi.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryMandra (मन्द्र):—(ndraḥ) 1. m. A base or low tone as the grumbling of clouds; a sort of drum.
[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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryMandra in Hindi refers in English to:—(nm) a deep note; the first note in the diatonic scale; (a) deep; delightful; hence ~[ta] (nf)..—mandra (मंद्र) is alternatively transliterated as Maṃdra.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusMaṃdra (ಮಂದ್ರ):—[adjective] low or deep in pitch.
--- OR ---
Maṃdra (ಮಂದ್ರ):—
1) [noun] a tone that is low or deep.
2) [noun] solemnity or sedateness of the tone.
3) [noun] mřdanga, a somewhat cylindrical percussion instrument, having longer diameter at the centre, having membrane spread tightly on both the sides, played by beating with the hand and fingers.
4) [noun] a class of elephants.
5) [noun] the octave just below the note C, in C major scale.
6) [noun] in any classical musical instrument the string tuned to the lowest pitch.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+4): Mandra-saptaka, Mandrabhadra, Mandrabhadralakshana, Mandrabhadramriga, Mandradhvana, Mandradhvani, Mandragrama, Mandrajani, Mandrajihva, Mandrakanthagarjita, Mandrakarshana, Mandrake, Mandram, Mandrasnigdha, Mandrasthana, Mandrasvana, Mandrasvara, Mandratama, Mandratara, Mandrataraprasanna.
Ends with: Amandra, Anumamdra, Bhadramandra, Bhavimandra, Mrigamandra, Northern comandra, Purumandra, Sumandra, Taramandra, Uttaramandra.
Full-text (+47): Amandra, Mandram, Mandrasvara, Mamdra, Mrigamandra, Chuvanna mandram, Tara, Mandratama, Mandrajihva, Mandratara, Mandrabhadramriga, Mandradhvana, Uttama, Mandradhvani, Mandrakarshana, Mandrasnigdha, Mandrabhadra, Mandrabhadralakshana, Mandrasvana, Mandrakanthagarjita.
Relevant text
Search found 19 books and stories containing Mandra, Māndra, Mamdra, Maṃdra, Māndrā; (plurals include: Mandras, Māndras, Mamdras, Maṃdras, Māndrās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Ramayana (by Manmatha Nath Dutt)
Chapter VI < [Book 1 - Bāla-kāṇḍa]
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.1.373 < [Part 1 - Ecstatic Excitants (vibhāva)]
Apastamba Yajna-paribhasa-sutras (by Hermann Oldenberg)
Some Geography < [Second Section]
Gobhila-grihya-sutra (by Hermann Oldenberg)
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