Mauna: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Mauna means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Maun.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Mauna (मौन) or Maunatapasya refers to the “penance of silence”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.5. Accordingly, as Nārada instructed Sandhyā:—“[...] the whole penance (tapasya) begins with silence (mauna). I shall explain it. Listen. [...]”.
Mauna (मौन).—Eleven of them ruled as kings, (18 kings, Vāyu-purāṇa.); for three centuries, while the total reign of Ābhīras, Gardabhins, Kankas, Yavanas, Turuṣkas and Guruṇḍas amounted to 1099 (1009 Viṣṇu-purāṇa) years. Thereafter came the Maunas.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa XII. 1. 30-32; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 74. 173-7; Vāyu-purāṇa 99. 360; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 24. 53-54.
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Mauna (मौन) or Maunavrata refers to the “vow of silence”, according to the Ambāmatasaṃhitā verse 18-119-12.—Accordingly, “Washing first (his) food with water, he should eat it with the left hand. Maintaining the vow of purity and silence [i.e., mauna-vrata], (he should remains) concentrated and content. All the food he has earned is the sacrificial pap (caruka) he eats. The pervasion (vyāpti) (of the deity) and success in the repetition of mantra (japasiddhi) arise due to that. This should be done in one's own home or in a secluded place where there are no other people. Otherwise, the householder should not do it”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Mauna (मौन) refers to one of the ten Niyamas (restraint) prescribed for forest dwelling, as mentioned in the Vaikhānasasmārtasūtra.—The Mānasollāsa verse 9.21-24ab lists thirty Yamas and Niyamas. The Vaikhānasasmārtasūtra (8.4), whose date has been estimated between the fourth and eighth centuries, is the earliest source for a list of twenty Yamas and Niyamas [e.g., mauna]. These were prescribed to a sage at the forest dwelling (vanāśrama) stage of life.
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).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Mauna (मौन) refers to “silence”, according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 1, “on the origin of elephants”]: “[...] 9. Now Gautama and the other sages who were there saw this illustrious hermit [=Pālakāpya] who was spending his time in silence (mauna) in the midst of the elephant herd ; and so they asked him: ‘Why do you anoint their wounds? What made you take compassion on the elephant herd?’ Though the sages questioned him thus he made no reply. [...]”.
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.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Mauna (मौन) refers to “silence”, according to the Vajratuṇḍasamayakalparāja, an ancient Buddhist ritual manual on agriculture from the 5th-century (or earlier), containing various instructions for the Sangha to provide agriculture-related services to laypeople including rain-making, weather control and crop protection.—Accordingly, [as Agastya-Ṛṣi taught the offering manual] “O Bhagavān, having recited the Great Ṛṣi heart[-mantra] spell into a water-pot 108 times facing east, one should scatter [the water] in the four directions with Ṛṣi-silence (mauna). [...] One should recite thus seven times. Upon reciting this all hostile Nāgas become inflamed [...]”.
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.
India history and geography
Mouna refers to one of the Siddhars (Siddhas) and Rishis mentioned by Rangarasa Desiga Swamigal in his Siddhargal Potri Thoguppu. Each name in the list starts with prefix ‘Om’ followed by the Siddhar’s names and ends with refrain ‘Thiruvadigal Potri’. For example for Mouna: ஓம் மௌனசித்தர் திருவடிகள் போற்றி [ōm mauṉacittar tiruvaṭikaḷ pōṟṟi].—These Siddhas experienced union with the ultimate reality and witnessed a spiritual transformation of their intellectual, mental, vital and ultimately, physical bodies.
Mouna is also known as: Mauṉa, Mauṉacittar, Mouna Siddhar.
[For more information regarding Mouna and other Maha-Siddhas, see the following sources: (1): the Pamphlet ‘Siddhargal Thiruvadi Potri’ issued by the Arulmighu Kalaikkōṭṭuar Sanmarga Sangam, Thanjavur; (2) List of Siddhas Compiled by Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of the Sri Agathiyar Sri Thava Murugan Gnana Peedam Thirukovil; (3) A list of 203 Sages compiled by Agathiyan production house; (4) The 12th-century Abhidhana-Chintamani lexicon by Hemachandra]
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, 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
Marathi-English dictionary
māūna (माऊन).—n A purgative drug, Mana.
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mauna (मौन).—n (S) Silence. 2 Taciturnity.
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mauna (मौन).—a S Dumb or silent.
mauna (मौन).—a Silent or dumb.
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mauna (मौन).—n Silence; taciturnity.
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 dictionary
Mauna (मौन).—[munerbhāvaḥ aṇ]
1) Silence, taciturnity; विभूषणं मौनमपण्डितानाम् (vibhūṣaṇaṃ maunamapaṇḍitānām) Bhartṛhari 2.7; मौनं सर्वार्थसाधनम् (maunaṃ sarvārthasādhanam) 'open your lips'; मौनं समाचर (maunaṃ samācara) 'hold your tongue'.
2) The unblooming state (apraphullībhāva); गुञ्जति मञ्जु मिलिन्दे मा मालति मौनमुपयासीः (guñjati mañju milinde mā mālati maunamupayāsīḥ) Bv.1.19.
Derivable forms: maunam (मौनम्).
Mauna (मौन).—[, read maula, q.v., Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra 16.14.]
Mauna (मौन).—n.
(-naṃ) Silence, taciturnity. E. muni a sage, (who practises,) aṇ aff.
Mauna (मौन).—i. e. muni + a, n. Silence, taciturnity, [Hitopadeśa] i. [distich] 134, M.M.; [Pañcatantra] iv. [distich] 51.
Mauna (मौन).—[neuter] the condition of a Muni or holy sage; silence.
1) Mauna (मौन):—m. ([from] muni) a [patronymic] [Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra]
2) [plural] Name of a dynasty, [Viṣṇu-purāṇa]
3) n. the office or position of a Muni or holy sage, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Mahābhārata]
4) silence, taciturnity, [Chāndogya-upaniṣad; Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata etc.] (maunaṃ with √kṛ, or vi-√dhā or sam-ā-√car, to observe silence, hold one’s tongue).
Mauna (मौन):—(naṃ) 1. n. Silence.
[Sanskrit to German]
Mauna (मौन) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Mūṇa, Moṇa.
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
Mauna (मौन) [Also spelled maun]:—(a) mum, quiet, quiescent, silent, speechless, mute; tacit; (nm) silence, quiescence; —[bhaṃga] breaking the spell of silence; speaking out; —[mudrā] quiescence, adoption of silence; —[vrata] a vow to keep quiet, to adopt silence; ~[vrata/vratadhārī] one who has taken a vow for silence; —[sammati] tacit concurrence; [maunaṃ sammati lakṣaṇam] quiescence reflects tacit concurrence, silence is half-consent; —[toḍanā] to break a (prolonged) spell of silence, to break one’s silence; —[lenā/-sādhanā] to observe silence, to take a vow to keep silence.
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Kannada-English dictionary
Mauna (ಮೌನ):—
1) [noun] the state or fact of keeping silent; a refraining from speech or from making noise.
2) [noun] the period during which one refrains from talking as a religious vow.
3) [noun] absence of sound; silence.
4) [noun] speechlessness caused by the agony of being separated from one’s lover.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
1) Mauna (मौन):—n. 1. silence; taciturnity; 2. vow of silence;
2) Mauna (मौन):—adj. silent; quiet; still;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+8): Mauna bhatta, Mauna-dharana, Mauna-julusa, Mauna-pathana, Mauna-vacana, Maunacamiyar, Maunaccittar, Maunadharin, Maunagauri, Maunagol, Maunagopala, Maunaikadashi, Maunakalaha, Maunakapata, Maunamantiram, Maunamantravabodha, Maunamudra, Maunamudre, Maunasammati, Maunasampanna.
Full-text (+114): Maunavrata, Mauna bhatta, Maunamantravabodha, Vimuktamaunam, Amauna, Maunin, Maunavritti, Maunagopala, Maunamudra, Hamsamauna, Maunya, Baddhamauna, Maunam, Maunaviratam, Maunadharin, Maunacamiyar, Maunasutra, Maunavratin, Maunamantiram, Vimauna.
Relevant text
Search found 85 books and stories containing Mauna, Māūna, Mauṉa; (plurals include: Maunas, Māūnas, Mauṉas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Tirumantiram by Tirumular (English translation)
Verse 1896: Mauna is Stillness of Both Thought and Speech < [Tantra Seven (elam tantiram) (verses 1704-2121)]
Verse 1948: Conserve Bindu and Attain Siddhis < [Tantra Seven (elam tantiram) (verses 1704-2121)]
Verse 1611: Mauna's Emanations < [Tantra Six (aram tantiram) (verses 1573-1703)]
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 4.89 < [Chapter 4 - First-rate Poetry]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 75 < [Hindi-Assamese-English Volume 1]
Page 513 < [Tamil-Hindi-English, Volume 2]
Page 266 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
Bhagavad-gita (with Vaishnava commentaries) (by Narayana Gosvami)
Verse 10.38 < [Chapter 10 - Vibhūti-yoga (appreciating the opulences of the Supreme Lord)]
Verse 17.16 < [Chapter 17 - Śraddhā-traya-vibhāga-yoga]
Verse 9.11 < [Chapter 9 - Rāja-guhya-yoga (Yoga through the most Confidential Knowledge)]
Bhagavata Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 1 - Dynasties of the Kali Age < [Book 12 - Twelfth Skandha]
The concept of Yoga in Yoga Upanishads (by Philomina T.L)
17. The Means of Yoga or the Yogāṅgas < [Chapter 4 - The contents of the Yogopaniṣads]
Chapter 6.6 - Observations and Findings
1. Introduction—The contents of the Yogopaniṣads < [Chapter 4 - The contents of the Yogopaniṣads]