Margashirsha, Mārgaśīrṣa, Marga-shirsha: 12 definitions

Introduction

Introduction
In Hinduism
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
See also

Margashirsha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.

The Sanskrit term Mārgaśīrṣa can be transliterated into English as Margasirsa or Margashirsha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: Wisdom Library: Raj Nighantu

Mārgaśirṣa (मार्गशिर्ष) is the first month of the “winter season” (hemanta) in the traditional Indian calendar, according to the second chapter (dharaṇyādi-varga) of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia). The physician (bhiṣaj) should pay attention to the seasonal (ṛtu) factor in the use of medicinal drugs. Accordingly, “the bulbous roots in winter season (viz., Mārgaśirṣa), other roots in cold season and flowers during spring season are supposed to contain better properties. The new leaves or shoots in summer and the drugs, which grow in mud, like Lotus etc., should be used in autumn season”.

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.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Nilamata Purana: a cultural and literary study

Mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष) or “Mārgaśīrṣa Paurṇamāsī” is the name of a festival that once existed in ancient Kashmir (Kaśmīra) as mentioned in the Nīlamatapurāṇa.—Mārgaśīrṣa Paurṇamāsī proceeds as follows: On this day, a fast to be broken at night after the worship of the moon with white garlands, grains, eatable offerings etc., and the worship of the Brāhmaṇas is prescribed. The Brāhmaṇa lady, the sister, the aunt and the wife of a friend, each is to be honoured with a pair of red clothes.

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.

Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhagavad-gita (4th edition)

Mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष) refers to “november–December; the best of months because grains are collected from the field at this time”. (cf. Glossary page from Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā).

Source: Pure Bhakti: Arcana-dipika - 3rd Edition

Mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष), corresponding to “November-December”, refers to one of the months (māsa) in the Vedic calendar.—There are twelve months in a Vedic lunar calendar, and approximately every three years, there is a thirteenth month. Each month has a predominating deity and approximately corresponds with the solar christian months. [...] In accordance with the month of the year, one would utter the Vedic month, for example, mārgaśīrṣa-māsi.

The presiding deity of Mārgaśīrṣa is Keśava.

context information

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’).

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Internation Vaishnavas Portal: Hinduism

During the month of Margasirsha, every day early in the morning the young daughters of the cowherds would take one another’s hands and, singing of Krishna’s transcendental qualities, go to the Yamuna to bathe. Desiring to obtain Krishna as their husband, they would then worship the goddess Katyayani with incense, flowers and other items.

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Grammatically, Mārgaśīrṣa means "of Mṛgaśira" or "related to Mṛgaśira". Mārgaśīrṣa is the name of the month related to Mṛgaśira, i.e., the month in which moon will be in conjuncture with the Mṛgaśira nakṣatra.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

mārgaśīrṣā (मार्गशीर्षा).—a Relating to the month mārgaśīrṣa.

--- OR ---

mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष).—m (S) pop. mārgaśīra or mārgēśvara m The ninth Hindu, month, November-December.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष) [-śīra, -शीर].—m The ninth Hindu month.

context information

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-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष).—m., [mārgaśīrṣaḥ] Name of the ninth month of the Hindu year (corresponding to NovemberDecember) in which the full moon is in the constellation मृगशिरस् (mṛgaśiras); शुक्ले मार्गशिरे पक्षे (śukle mārgaśire pakṣe) Bhāg.6.19.2; मासानां मार्गशीर्षोऽहम् (māsānāṃ mārgaśīrṣo'ham) Bg.1.35.

Derivable forms: mārgaśīrṣaḥ (मार्गशीर्षः).

See also (synonyms): mārgaśira, mārgaśiras.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष).—m.

(-rṣaḥ) The month Margaśirsha: see the last.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Mārgaśīrṣa (मार्गशीर्ष):—[=mārga-śīrṣa] [from mārga > mārg] mf(ī)n. born under the constellation Mṛga-śiras, [Pāṇini 4-3, 37 [Scholiast or Commentator]]

2) [v.s. ...] m. (also with māsa) Name of the month in which the full moon enters the const° Mṛga-śiras, the 10th or (in later times) the 1st month in the year = November-December, [Kauśika-sūtra; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] f(ī or ā). (with or without paurṇamāsī) the day on which the full moon enters the const° Mṛga-śiras, the 15th d° of the first half of the month Mārgaśīrṣa, [Gṛhya-sūtra; Mahābhārata]

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. 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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