Marjara, Mārjāra: 17 definitions
Introduction
Marjara means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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.
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botanyMārjāra (मार्जार) is a Sanskrit word referring to the animal “cat”. The meat of this animal is part of the māṃsavarga (‘group of flesh’), which is used throughout Ayurvedic literature. The animal Mārjāra is part of the sub-group named prasaha, refering to animals “who take their food by snatching”. It was classified by Caraka in his Carakasaṃhitā sūtrasthāna (chapter 27), a classical Ayurvedic work. Caraka defined such groups (vargas) based on the dietic properties of the substance.
Source: archive.org: Sushruta samhita, Volume IMārjāra (मार्जार)—Sanskrit word for the animal “cat”. This animal is from the group called Guhāśaya (‘which have a lair’, or, ‘cave-dwelling mammals’). Guhāśaya itself is a sub-group of the group of animals known as Jāṅghala (living in high ground and in a jungle).
Source: Shodhganga: Dietetics and culinary art in ancient and medieval IndiaMārjāra (मार्जार) refers to the “cat” as described in the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.—Mārjāra is mentioned in a discusses regarding the reaction of certain insects and other living beings on consumption of poisionous food. The after-effect of intake of poison for Mārjāra (cat) is defined as: “udvegaṃ yāti (becomes anxious)”.
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: Puranic EncyclopediaMārjāra (मार्जार).—Son of Jāmbavān. It is said in Brahmapurāṇa that the mārjāras (cats) have their origin from this son of Jāmbavān.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Mārjāra (मार्जार).—A Vānara jāti; born of Hari and Pulaha.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 177. 305, 319; 51. 11.
1b) A son of Jāmbavān.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 7. 303.
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.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Prācyā: Animals and animal products as reflected in Smṛti textsMārjāra (मार्जार) refers to the animal “Domestic cat” (Felis domestica).—The Smṛtis mention several domestic as well as wild animals that are enumerated in context of specifying expiation for killing them, the flesh being used as a dietary article to give satisfaction to the Manes (Pitṛs) in Śrāddha rites, the law of transmigration due to various sins committed as well as in the context of specifying gifts to be given on various occasions. These animals [viz., Mārjāra] are chiefly mentioned in the Manusmṛti, Parāśarasmṛti [Chap.6], Gautamasmṛti [17.2 and 15.1], Śātātapasmṛti [II.45-54], Uśānasmṛti [IX.7-9; IX.12-13], Yājñavalkyasmṛti [I.170-171; I.175; I.258- 260], Viṣṇusmṛti [51.3;51.6;51.26;51.33;80.3-14], Uttarāṅgirasasmṛti [X.15-17], Prajāpatismṛti [Śrāddhatyājyavastuvarṇanam. 138-143], 9 Kāśyapasmṛti [Section on Prāyaścittavarṇanam], Vṛddha Hārītasmṛti [6.253-255] and Kātyāyanasmṛti [27.11].
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.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraMārjāra (मार्जार, “cat”) represents an incarnation destination of the tiryaggati (animal realm) according to the “world of transmigration” section in the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XXVII).—The Bodhisattva sees the animals (tiryak) undergoing all the torments: they are made to gallop by blows of the whip or stick; they are made to make long journeys carrying burdens; their harness is damaged; they are branded with hot iron. Guilty of evil desires (mithyārāga), hatred and jealousy (īrṣyā), they take the form of [for example], a cat (mārjāra).
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: The Structure and Meanings of the Heruka MaṇḍalaMārjāra (मार्जार) is the name of a Vīra (hero) who, together with the Ḍākinī named Mārjārikī forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Medinīcakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the medinīcakra refers to one of the three divisions of the dharma-puṭa (‘dharma layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs and Vīras [viz., Mārjāra] are yellow in color; the shapes of their faces are in accordance with their names; they have four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarymārjāra (मार्जार).—m S The common cat: also the wild or pole cat.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishmārjāra (मार्जार).—m A cat.
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 dictionaryMārjāra (मार्जार).—[mṛj-āran vā rasya laḥ]
1) A cat; कपाले मार्जारः पय इति कराँल्लेढि शशिनः (kapāle mārjāraḥ paya iti karāṃlleḍhi śaśinaḥ) K. P.1.
2) A pole-cat.
3) Name of some plants.
Derivable forms: mārjāraḥ (मार्जारः).
See also (synonyms): mārjāla.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryMārjara (मार्जर).—m. (compare Prakrit maṃjara; Sanskrit mārjāra), cat: Mahāvyutpatti 4790 (so also Mironov, with v.l. mārjāra).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryMārjāra (मार्जार).—mf. (-raḥ-rī) 1. The common cat. 2. The wild or pole-cat. f. (-rī) 1. A female cat. 2. Musk. E. mṛj to cleanse, (its skin and face,) āran aff., and the vowel made long; also read mārjjāla .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus CatalogorumMārjāra (मार्जार) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—poet. [Sūktikarṇāmṛta by Śrīdharadāsa]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Mārjāra (मार्जार):—[from mārj] m. a cat ([probably] so called from its habit of constantly cleaning itself), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] a wild cat, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Suśruta]
3) [v.s. ...] a civet-cat, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) [v.s. ...] Plumbago Rosea, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] Terminalia Katappa, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) [v.s. ...] Agati Grandiflora, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [v.s. ...] Name of a poet, [Catalogue(s)]
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Marjaragandhika, Marjaraka, Marjarakantha, Marjarakarana, Marjarakarni, Marjarakarnika, Marjaralingin, Marjaranyaya, Marjaravaktra, Marjaravisha, Marjarottanasana.
Ends with: Aranyamarjara, Gandhamarjara, Jakhamarjara, Jalamarjara, Lomashamarjara.
Full-text (+13): Jalamarjara, Marjala, Marjarakarnika, Marjarakantha, Marjaranyaya, Lomashamarjara, Gandhamarjara, Marjaralingin, Khavalya Manjara, Marjaravaktra, Marjjala, Marjjaraka, Gandhautu, Marjaraka, Gandhamriga, Majjharu, Marjjarakarnika, Aranyamarjara, Marjjaragandhika, Marjarakarni.
Relevant text
Search found 5 books and stories containing Marjara, Mārjāra, Mārjara; (plurals include: Marjaras, Mārjāras, Mārjaras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Gautami Mahatmya (by G. P. Bhatt)
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
The beings of the threefold world (traidhātuka) < [The world of transmigration]
The Religion and Philosophy of Tevaram (Thevaram) (by M. A. Dorai Rangaswamy)
Introduction < [Volume 3.5 - Pilgrim’s progress: to the North]
Introduction < [Volume 3.6 - Pilgrim’s progress: away from Otriyur and Cankili]
The Brahmanda Purana (by G.V. Tagare)
Chapter 7 - Different dynasties enumerated < [Section 3 - Upodghāta-pāda]
The Brahma Purana (by G. P. Bhatt)