Meda, Medā: 18 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Meda means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botanyMedā (मेदा):—Another name for Mahāmedā (Polygonatum verticillatum), a species of medicinal plant and used in the treatment of fever (jvara), as described in the Jvaracikitsā (or “the treatment of fever”) which is part of the 7th-century Mādhavacikitsā, a Sanskrit classical work on Āyurveda.
Source: Shodhganga: Edition translation and critical study of yogasarasamgrahaMedā (मेदा) refers to the medicinal plant known as “Polygonatum Verticillatum Ali” and is dealt with in the 15th-century Yogasārasaṅgraha (Yogasara-saṅgraha) by Vāsudeva: an unpublished Keralite work representing an Ayurvedic compendium of medicinal recipes. The Yogasārasaṃgraha [mentioning medā] deals with entire recipes in the route of administration, and thus deals with the knowledge of pharmacy (bhaiṣajya-kalpanā) which is a branch of pharmacology (dravyaguṇa).
Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭuMedā (मेदा) is the Sanskrit name for an unidentified medicinal plant, according to verse 5.22-24 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. Notes: Also see Mahāmedā. Th. B.S. et al. report that the elongated tuberous roots of (i) Polygonatum verticillatum All. are sold in the market by the name of Medā/Mahāmedā, Uniyāl also proposes (ii) Polygonatum cirrhifolium Royle. and S.M. considers (iii) Orchis mascula Linn/ (Sālab-miśrī) or Orchis latifolia Linn. Muñjātaka.—[...] The tuber of Medā is of white colour and has a thick exudate-like medodhātu (liquid fat).
Medā is mentioned as having eighteen synonyms: Vasā, Maṇicchidrā, Jīvanī, Śalyaparṇikā, Nakhacchedyā, Himā, Raṅgā, Medasārā, Snehavatī, Medinī, Madhurā, Varā, Snigdhā, Medodravā, Sādhvī, Śalyadā, Bahurandhrikā and Puruṣadantikā.
Properties and characteristics: “Medā is sweet (madhura) and cooling (śīta). It alleviates pitta-doṣa, burning sensation, pain and cough. It is also indicated in tuberculosis and fevers. It aggravates vāta. [From synonym one = Medā (or Vasā?) through eight = Raṅgā (or Medasārā?) grows in central part of the country]”.

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 EncyclopediaMeda (मेद).—A serpent of the clan of Airāvata. This serpent was burnt to death at the Sarpasatra of Janamejaya. (Śloka 11, Chapter 57, Ādi Parva).

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.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraMeda (मेद) is Pali for “fat” (Sanskrit Medas) refers to one of the thirty-substances of the human body according to the Visuddhimagga, as mentioned in an appendix of the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter 32-34. The Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra mentions thirty-six substances [viz., meda]; the Sanskrit sources of both the Lesser and the Greater Vehicles, physical substances are 26 in number while the Pāli suttas list thirty-once substances.

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.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarymeda : (m.) the fat.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryMeda, (Vedic medas (nt.) fr. mid, see etym. under mada) fat S. I, 124; Sn. 196; J. III, 484 (ajakaraṃ medaṃ=ajakara-medaṃ C.); Kh III, (explained at Vism. 262 as “thīnasineha” thick or coagulated fluid or gelatine); Vism. 361; VbhA. 66, 225, 245, 249.

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 Dictionarymēḍa (मेड).—f (Usually mēḍha q. v.) mēḍakā m A stake, esp. as bifurcated.
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mēda (मेद).—m S Marrow (whether of the bones or flesh). 2 A root resembling ginger. It is one of the eight principal medicaments. See aṣṭadravyēṃ. 3 Corpulency or obesity.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishmēḍa (मेड).—f mēḍakā m A stake, esp. as bifurcated.
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mēda (मेद).—m Marrow. A kind of root. Obesity
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
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryMeda (मेद).—
1) Fat.
2) A particular mixed tribe; cf. Ms. 1.36; Mb.13.22.22 (com. medā gomahiṣyādīnāṃ mṛtānāṃ māṃsamaśnantaḥ).
3) Name of a serpent-demon.
4) Name of a plant (alaṃbuṣā).
-dā A root resembling ginger (one of the eight principal medicines).
Derivable forms: medaḥ (मेदः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryMeda (मेद).—m.
(-daḥ) 1. Adeps, fat, the supposed proper seat of which is the abdomen. 2. One of the outcast tribes. f.
(-dā) A drug, described as a sort of root resembling ginger, brought from the Morung district; it is one of the eight principal medicaments, and is said to be of cooling and emollient properties, and of particular use in fever and consumption. E. mida to be greasy or unctuous, aff. ghañ; also medas .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryMeda (मेद).—m. 1. Adeps, fat. 2. The son of a Vaideha by a Kārāvara female, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 10, 36.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryMeda (मेद).—[masculine] = medas; a cert. mixed caste.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Meda (मेद):—[from med] 1. meda m. fat (= medas), [Rāmāyaṇa; Kāmandakīya-nītisāra]
2) [v.s. ...] a species of plant (= alambuṣā), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) [v.s. ...] a [particular] mixed caste (the son of a Vaideha and a Kārāvara or a Niṣāda female [according to] to some ‘any person who lives by degrading occupations’), [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
4) [v.s. ...] Name of a serpent-demon, [Mahābhārata]
5) Medā (मेदा):—[from meda > med] f. a root resembling ginger (said to be one of the 8 principal medicines), [Suśruta]
6) Meda (मेद):—[from med] 2. meda in [compound] for medas.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Meda (मेद):—(ña, ṛ) medati, te 1. c. To understand; to kill or injure.
2) (daḥ) 1. m. Adeps, fat; an outcast tribe. f. (dā) A drug like ginger.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger WörterbuchMeda (मेद):—gaṇa gaurādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 1, 41.]
1) m. a) = medas Fett [Śabdacandrikā im Śabdakalpadruma] medamāṃsāsthisaṃkulā [Rāmāyaṇa 4, 44, 65.] [KĀM. NĪTIS. 14, 25.] asthimedāmiṣa (asthimedomiṣa die neuere Ausg.; bei der ersten Lesart kann eine auch sonst vorkommende Contraction von medaā angenommen werden) [Harivaṃśa 13136.] medaccheda [Śākuntala 38, v. l.] wohl nur Druckfehler für medaścheda . — b) eine best. Pflanze, = alambuṣā [Rājanirghaṇṭa im Śabdakalpadruma] — c) eine best. Mischlingskaste [Jaṭādhara im Śabdakalpadruma] [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 10, 36.] medāndhracuñcumadgūnāmāraṇyapaśuhiṃsanam [48.] [Mahābhārata 13, 1552.] medā gomahiṣyādīnāṃ mṛtānāṃ māṃsamaśnantaḥ [Scholiast] [Colebrooke II, 184], wo medabhilla zu trennen ist; vgl. u. bhilla 1. medondhraḥ (als zwei Wörter medo ndhraḥ zu fassen) = varṇasaṃkarajātiviśeṣaḥ [Jaṭādhara im Śabdakalpadruma] — d) Nomen proprium eines Schlangendämons [Mahābhārata 1, 2152.] —
2) f. ā eine dem Ingwer ähnliche Wurzel [Ratnamālā im Śabdakalpadruma] [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha 3, 588.] [Medinīkoṣa Rāmāyaṇa 196.] [Suśruta 1, 140, 8. 2, 101, 9. 206, 12. 220, 14. 223, 9. 418, 11.] —
3) f. ī gaṇa gaurādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 1, 41.] — Vgl. arimeda, asi, go, daityamedaja, pūtimeda, mahāmeda, medā .
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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+35): Medabhilla, Medadhatu, Medaganthi, Medagi, Medagni, Medah, Medahkrit, Medahpinda, Medahpuccha, Medahpucchaka, Medahpuchchhaka, Medahsara, Medahuti, Medaja, Medaja Vriddhi, Medaka, Medakathalika, Medakcheda, Medakrit, Medakshaya.
Ends with: Ahimeda, Arimeda, Asimeda, Atimeda, Dhameda, Edameda, Gajakomeda, Girimeda, Gomeda, Irimeda, Mahameda, Mandavameda, Putimeda, Rimeda, Sammeda, Shakhadameda, Surameda, Umeda, Unmeda.
Full-text (+144): Medas, Mahameda, Manicchidra, Medini, Medahkrit, Medogranthi, Ashtavarga, Daityamedaja, Medoja, Asimeda, Medasvin, Medastejas, Medakrit, Medabhilla, Purushadantika, Medahpinda, Bahurandhrika, Girimeda, Shalyada, Medovaha.
Relevant text
Search found 23 books and stories containing Meda, Medā, Mēḍa, Meḍa, Mēda; (plurals include: Medas, Medās, Mēḍas, Meḍas, Mēdas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Appendix 3 - Thirty-two substances of the human body < [Chapter XXXII-XXXIV - The eight classes of supplementary dharmas]
Act 1.5: The Buddha lights up the trichiliocosm < [Chapter XIV - Emission of rays]
II. ‘Inexhaustible’ root < [Part 4 - Planting inexhaustible roots of good]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 10.36 < [Section II - Mixed Castes]
Verse 10.48 < [Section IV - Occupations of the Mixed Castes]
Verse 10.40 < [Section II - Mixed Castes]
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 4: Iatrochemistry (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)
Part 12 - Treatment of Piles (11): Arsha-binasha rasa < [Chapter V - Piles]
Part 3 - Visama-jvara (chronic fever) < [Chapter II - Fever (jvara)]
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)
The history of Andhra country (1000 AD - 1500 AD) (by Yashoda Devi)
Part 6 - Manmamanda III (A.D. 1135-1139) < [Chapter IV - The Kondapadumatis (A.D. 1100-1282)]
Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 5: Treatment of various afflictions (by Bhudeb Mookerjee)