Mayura, Mayūra, Māyūra: 23 definitions
Introduction
Mayura 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.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: archive.org: The mirror of gesture (abhinaya-darpana)One of the Twenty-eight Single Hands (hasta):—Mayura (peacock): the third finger of the Kartarī-mukha hand is joined to the thumb, the other fingers extended. Usage: the peacock’s beak, a creeper, bird of omen (śakuna), vomiting,forehead, stroking the hair, forehead, brow-spot, wiping away tears, argument according to law (śāstra), renown.
Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (śāstra) of performing arts, (nāṭya, e.g., 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) and poetic works (kavya).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: archive.org: Sushruta samhita, Volume IMayūra (मयूर)—Sanskrit word for a bird, corresponding to “peacock”. This animal is from the group called Viṣkira (which scatter). Viṣkira itself is a sub-group of the group of animals known as Jāṅghala (living in high ground and in a jungle).
The flesh of the Mayura is astringent and saline in taste, and is beneficial to the skin, helps the growth of hair, improves the voice, intellect, appetite and relish for food, and imparts strength and vigour to the organs of sight and hearing.
Source: Shodhganga: Dietetics and culinary art in ancient and medieval IndiaMayūra (मयूर) refers to the “peacock” 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.—Mayūra 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 Mayūra (peacock) is defined as: “hṛṣyet (delights at the sight of poison and this will reduce the valour of poison)”.
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.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: Red Zambala: Hindu Icons and Symbols | Inner Circle IVMurugan’s vehicle is the Mayūra — peacock which represents pride, arrogance and notions of superiority which need to be controlled in order to cultivate skilful means.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaMayūra (मयूर).—An asura who fought against Subrahmaṇya. Skanda Purāṇa, Vīramahendra Kāṇḍa describes the terrible battle between Mayūra and Subrahmaṇya. Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapter 65 says that after death, Mayūra was reborn in the world as a King named Viśva.
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationMayūra (मयूर) refers to [peacock] birds that exhibit “various gestures of pleasing eagerness”, and were employed by Kāma (god of love) in an attempt to charm Śiva, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.9. Accordingly as Kāma related to Brahmā:—“[...] Many pairs of deer and birds, playing about in front of the great lord Śiva, indeed exhibited many gestures of love to excite Him. Pairs of peacocks exhibited various gestures of pleasing eagerness with their gambolling tricks at His sides and in front of Him”.
Mayūra (“peacocks”), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. “[...] the peacocks are delighted at the sound of the cloud over the Mandara mountain. Their gleeful cackles and out-stretched tails indicate the incessant pleasure of their heart. [...] See the wickedness perpetrated by the clouds on my body. They are pelting it with hailstones. But they cover and protect the peacocks (Mayūra) and Cātakas who are their followers”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Mayūra (मयूर).—The riding animal of Kārttikeya; several on the Himālayas;1 a banner of Skanda presented to Vāyu.2
- 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 25. 16, 27; III. 10. 47. Matsya-purāṇa 160. 21. Vāyu-purāṇa 36. 2; 54. 19.
- 2) Ib. 72. 46.
1b) A peak on the Varāha hill.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 42. 70.
Mayūra (मयूर) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.61.33) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Mayūra) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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 textsMayūra (मयूर) or Śikhi refers to the bird “Peacock” (Pavo cristatus).—Birds have been described in several ancient Sanskrit texts that they have been treated elaborately by eminent scholars. These birds [viz., Mayūra] are enumerated in almost several Smṛtis in context of specifying the expiations for killing them and their flesh being used as a dietary article to give satisfaction to the manes (Pitṛs) in Śrāddha rites. These are elaborated especially in the Manusmṛti, Parāśarasmṛti [chapter VI], Gautamasmṛti [chapter 23], Śātātapasmṛti [II.54-56], Uśānasmṛti [IX.10-IX.12], Yājñavalkyasmṛti [I.172-I.175], Viṣṇusmṛti [51.28-51.29], Uttarāṅgirasasmṛti [X.16].
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
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesOne of the three palaces of Vidhurapandita. J.vi.289.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: Een Kritische Studie Van Svayambhūdeva’s PaümacariuMayūra (मयूर) 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 Mayūra] are dedicated to the humongous battle whose armies (known as akṣauhiṇīs) consisted of millions of soldiers, horses and elephants, etc.
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
Source: archive.org: Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptionsMayura is another name for Māyāpura: a place name ending in pura mentioned in the Gupta inscriptions. Māyāpura is transformed into Mayura in the way that pura is changed to ur.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryMayūra.—(CII 1), a peacock; a bird in general. Note: mayūra is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
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
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarymayūra : (m.) peacock.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryMayūra, (Vedic mayūra) a peacock D. III, 201; S. II, 279; Th. 1, 1113; J. II, 144, 150 (°gīva)=DhA. I, 144; J. IV, 211 (°nacca); V, 304; VI, 172, 272, 483; Vv 111, 358 (=sikhaṇḍin VvA. 163); VvA. 27 (°gīva-vaṇṇa); Sdhp. 92. ‹-› The form mayūra occurs nearly always in the Gāthās and is the older form of the two m. and mora. The latter contracted form is found in Prose only and is often used to explain the old form, e, g. at VvA. 57. See also mora. (Page 524)
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
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarymayūra (मयूर).—m (S) A peacock. 2 A flower, Cock's comb.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishmayūra (मयूर).—m A peacock. A flower, cockscomb.
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 dictionaryMayūra (मयूर).—[mī ūran Uṇ 1.67]
1) A peacock; स्मरति गिरिमयूर एष देव्याः (smarati girimayūra eṣa devyāḥ) U.3.2; फणी मयूरस्य तले निषीदति (phaṇī mayūrasya tale niṣīdati) Ṛs. 1.13.
2) A kind of flower.
3) Name of a poet (author of the sūryaśataka); यस्याश्चोरश्चिकुरनिकरः कर्णपूरो मयूरः (yasyāścoraścikuranikaraḥ karṇapūro mayūraḥ) P. R.1. 22.
4) A kind of instrument for measuring time.
5) (In music) A kind of gait.
-rī A pea-hen; (Proverb :- varaṃ tatkālopanatā tittirī na punardivasāntaritā mayūrī Vb.1., or varamadya kapoto na śvo mayūraḥ 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush').
-ram A particular posture in sitting.
Derivable forms: mayūraḥ (मयूरः).
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Māyūra (मायूर).—a. (-rī f.) [मयूर-अण् (mayūra-aṇ)]
1) Belonging to or arising from a peacock; मायूरी मदयति मार्जना मनांसि (māyūrī madayati mārjanā manāṃsi) M.1. 21; Rām.2.91.7.
2) Made of the feathers of a peacock.
3) Drawn by a peacock (as a car).
4) Dear to a peacock.
-ram A flock of peacocks.
-rī Name of a plant (ajamodā).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryMayūra (मयूर).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. A peacock. 2. A flower, the coxcomb, (Celosia cristata.) 3. A plant, (Achyranthes aspera.) f. (-rī) 1. A pea-hen. 2. A potherb, (Basella rubra, &c.) E. mi to scatter, Unadi aff. ūran; or mahī the earth in the seventh case, mahyāṃ, ru to cry, ḍa aff. and the formation irr.
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Māyūra (मायूर).—mfn.
(-raḥ-rī-raṃ) Belonging to a peacock, made of its feathers, &c. n.
(-raṃ) A flock of peacocks. E. mayūra a peacock, and aṇ aff. of multitude, &c.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryMayūra (मयूर).—[masculine] ī [feminine] peacock or hen; [abstract] tā† [feminine], tva† [neuter]
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Māyūra (मायूर).—[feminine] ī a peacock’[substantive]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Mayūra (मयूर) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—father of Śaṅkuka. Śp. p. 90.
2) Mayūra (मयूर):—Padacandrikā lex.
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 (+47): Mayura-parivena, Mayuracataka, Mayurachataka, Mayurachitra, Mayurachuda, Mayuracitra, Mayuracitraka, Mayuracuda, Mayuradhvaja, Mayuragati, Mayuraghrita, Mayuragriva, Mayuragrivaka, Mayurahasta, Mayurahastaka, Mayuraja, Mayuraka, Mayuraketu, Mayurakhandi, Mayuraksha.
Ends with: Citramayura, Grihamayura, Kridamayura, Mahamayura, Mattamayura, Shrutimayura, Tilamayura, Vanamayura.
Full-text (+111): Mayuracuda, Mattamayura, Mahamayura, Mayuraketu, Mayuracataka, Mayuraghrita, Mayuragrivaka, Mayuratuttha, Mayuraratha, Mora-parivena, Mayurari, Mayurapadaka, Mayurollasaka, Mayurasana, Tilamayura, Mayuraka, Mayuravratin, Sindhuvara, Mayuraroman, Mayurapicchamaya.
Relevant text
Search found 35 books and stories containing Mayura, Mayūra, Māyūra; (plurals include: Mayuras, Mayūras, Māyūras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya (by Śrī Gunaraja Khan)
Chapter 11 - Lord Kṛṣṇa and His Associates in the Spiritual World of Vṛndāvana (Śri-rāga)
The Mirror of Gesture (abhinaya-darpana) (by Ananda Coomaraswamy)
Plate VII - Hands of Images < [Plates]
Chapter 16 - Hands denoting Relationships
List of Mahabharata people and places (by Laxman Burdak)
Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 4.3.51 < [Part 3 - Chivalry (vīrya-rasa)]
Later Chola Temples (by S. R. Balasubrahmanyam)
Temples in Mayuram < [Chapter XII - Temples of Kulottunga III’s Time]
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.5.252 < [Chapter 5 - Prema: Love of God]
Verse 2.7.108 < [Chapter 7 - Jagad-ānanda: The Bliss of the Worlds]