Mridanga, Mṛdaṅga: 22 definitions
Introduction
Introduction:
Mridanga means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
The Sanskrit term Mṛdaṅga can be transliterated into English as Mrdanga or Mridanga, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Google Books: Cultural History from the Vāyu PurānaMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग): a Musical Instrument.—It is not mentioned in the Ṛgveda. The Jātakas mention Mūtiṅgā probably the same as Mṛdaṅga. But Kauṭilya knows it well. The Rāmāyaṇa mentions Mṛdaṅga as also the Mahābhārata. In later literature we find the origin of this instrument atributed to Brahmā made to serve as an accompaniment to the dance of Śiva in honour of his victory over the three cities and that Gaṇeśa first played upon it.
The Vāyu-purāṇa associates this instrument with the Kurus who used it in their sports for entertainment. The information occurs not in the genealogical accounts but in the chapters on geography. Of the late story of its origin the Vāyu knows nothing. The Rāmāyaṇa tells us that it was also used in war but there is no such reference in the Vāyu.
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to a kind of drum (musical instrument), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.22. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] On the top of the mountain near the city of Himālaya (śailarājapura), Śiva sported about for a long time in the company of Satī. [...] Many kinds of semid-ivine beings the Aśvamukhas, the Siddhas, the Apsaras, the Guhyakas, etc. roamed there. Their women-folk, the Vidyādharīs, the Kinnarīs and the mountain lasses played about here and there. The celestial damsels played on their lutes, tabours and drums (mṛdaṅga) and danced with enthusiasm”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग).—A musical instrument.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 45. 40.
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: ISKCON Press: GlossaryMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग).—A two-headed clay drum used for kīrtana performances and congregational chanting.
Source: Pure Bhakti: Arcana-dipika - 3rd EditionMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to:—A clay drum, used traditionally by Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas during the performance of bhajana and kīrtana. muhūrta–forty-eight minutes. (cf. Glossary page from Arcana-dīpikā).
Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad BhagavatamrtamMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to:—A two-headed clay drum made for the saṅkīrtana of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).
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’).
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstraMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to one of the major types of drums (puṣkara) according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 33. Accordingly, “When the playing of Mṛdaṅgas follow a performance, it is Anuvādya. When the Mṛdaṅgas are played simultaneously with a performance, it is Samavādita”. Mṛdaṅga is a kind of earthen drum still in use in Bengal among the singers of Vaiṣṇava kīrtana.
According to verse 33.242-244.—“Three are the shapes of mṛdaṅgas. In shape they are like myrobalan, barley and cow’s tail. The mṛdaṅga and the āṅkika should be three tālas and a half long, and their face should be twelve fingers in diametre”.
And according to verse 33.272-274, “Mṛdaṅgas are so called because of being made of mṛt (earth)”
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).
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: academia.edu: The Yoga of the MālinīvijayottaratantraMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to one of the ten kinds of sounds (śabda) according to the Haṃsa-upaniṣad.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: Shodhganga: The significance of the mūla-beras (śilpa)Mṛdaṅga refers to a type of “drum”, representing one of the several “attributes” (āyudha) or “accessories” of a detiy commonly seen depicted in Hindu iconography, defined according to texts dealing with śilpa (arts and crafs), known as śilpaśāstras.—The śilpa texts have classified the various accessories under the broad heading of āyudha or karuvi (implement), including even flowers, animals, and musical instruments. The musical instruments held in the hands of deities are, for example, Mṛdaṅga.
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.
India history and geography
Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra (history)Mṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to the kind of Indian drum in most general use. It is barrel shaped with parchment covering on both ends. One end is moistened with a kind of black rice-paste which is left on permanently. The other end is covered with a white paste which is renewed each time.
Source: What is India: Inscriptions of the VākāṭakasMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग) refers to the “tabor” which was commonly seen during the reign of the Vākāṭakas (mid-3rd century CE).—Ajaṇṭā paintings give us a clear idea of the costume and jewellery worn by men and women in Vidarbha in the age of the Vākāṭakas. [...] Among musical instruments are noticed tabors (mṛdaṅgas), conches, symbals, flutes and lutes with one or more strings. The tabor, while being played upon, was suspended from the neck.
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
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarymṛdaṅga (मृदंग).—m (S) A sort of tabor. Pr. mṛdaṅgāsa māra dōhōkaḍūna.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishmṛdaṅga (मृदंग).—m A sort of tabor.
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 dictionaryMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग).—[mṛd-aṅgac kiñca]
1) A kind of drum or tabor; वीणावेणुमृदङ्गानि पुरं प्रविशति प्रभौ (vīṇāveṇumṛdaṅgāni puraṃ praviśati prabhau) Bhāg.1.5.38.
2) A bamboo-cane.
3) Noise.
Derivable forms: mṛdaṅgaḥ (मृदङ्गः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग).—m.
(-ṅgaḥ) 1. A tobour, a small drum. 2. A double drum. 3. A sound, a noise. 4. A bamboo-cane. E. mṛd to be trampled on, to be beat, Unadi aff. aṅgac; also with kan added mṛdaṅgaka .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग).—probably mṛd + a + m-ga, m. 1. A tabour, [Uttara Rāmacarita, 2. ed. Calc., 1862.] 154, 9; a small drum, [Pañcatantra] 20, 8. 2. A sound. 3. Bambu.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग).—[masculine] a kind of drum.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग):—etc. See mṛdaṃga, [column]2.
[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Sanskrit-Wörterbuch in kürzerer FassungMṛdaṅga (मृदङ्ग):——
1) m. — a) eine Art Trommel [Gautama's Dharmaśāstra] — b) Lärm , Geräusch. — c) Bambusrohr. —
2) f. ī eine best. Pflanze , = ghoṣātakī.
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: Mridangaka, Mridangaketu, Mridangapanava, Mridangaphala, Mridangaphalini.
Ends with: Alingimridanga, Ankimridanga, Kundamridanga, Mangalyamridanga, Urdhvakamridanga.
Full-text (+140): Mridangaphala, Mridangi, Gumatha, Ghadavashi, Anki, Chinnaviddha, Avakirna, Muraja, Anuviddha, Urdhvakamridanga, Mahalu, Dushkarakarana, Urdhvaka, Ankimridanga, Muradanga, Ekapudi, Dhumaca Puda, Alingi, Mridangaka, Marddangika.
Relevant text
Search found 27 books and stories containing Mridanga, Mṛdaṅga, Mrdanga; (plurals include: Mridangas, Mṛdaṅgas, Mrdangas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Shrimad Bhagavad-gita (by Narayana Gosvami)
Verse 1.13 < [Chapter 1 - Sainya-Darśana (Observing the Armies)]
The Natyashastra (by Bharata-muni)
Chapter XXXIII - On Covered Instruments (avanaddha)
Part 2 - The Ancient Indian Theory and Practice of Music < [Introduction, Part 2]
Śrī Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latikā (by Sarasvati Thkura)
Text 7 < [Second Stabaka]
The Ramayana of Valmiki (by Hari Prasad Shastri)
Chapter 77 - The Story of Svargin < [Book 7 - Uttara-kanda]
Chapter 3 - Lord Krishna journeys to Indraprastha City < [Sabha Parva]
Chapter 7 - Duryodhana Embarassed at the Palace of King Yudhisthira < [Sabha Parva]
Chapter 2 - King Yudhisthira Prepares for a Rajasuya Sacrifice < [Sabha Parva]
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 2.1.170 < [Chapter 1 - Vairāgya (renunciation)]