Mrinala, Mṛṇāla: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Mrinala means something in 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.
The Sanskrit term Mṛṇāla can be transliterated into English as Mrnala or Mrinala, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Mranal.
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Dietetics and Culinary Art (such as household cooking)
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) refers to “lotus fibres”, and is mentioned in a list of potential causes for indigestion 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.—A complete section in Bhojanakutūhala is devoted for the description of agents that cause indigestion [viz., mṛṇāla (lotus fibres)]. These agents consumed on a large scale can cause indigestion for certain people. The remedies [viz., bhadramusta (a kind of cyperus)] for these types of indigestions are also explained therewith.
Kalpa (Formulas, Drug prescriptions and other Medicinal preparations)
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) [or Mṛṇāḷa] is another name for “Padma” and is dealt with in the 15th-century Yogasārasaṅgraha (Yogasara-saṅgraha) by Vāsudeva: an unpublished Keralite work representing an Ayurvedic compendium of medicinal recipes.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 mṛṇāla] 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).
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) refers to “stalks of lotuses” (used as distractions on elephant-traps), 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 10, “on the catching of elephants”]: “13. Placing thereon stalks of lotuses (mṛṇāla), bamboo, plantain trees, white sugar cane, etc., and tying those ropes also to a stout tree, then clever herdsmen lying in wait in concealment shall quickly catch the elephants while they are engrossed in eating, throwing them down by drawing the ropes taut. This is the kind of catching known as ‘assault’”.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) is a Sanskrit word referring to the leaf-stalk of a water-lily (a species of plant from the Nymphaeaceae family of flowering plants). It is used throughout Ayurvedic literature such as the Caraka-saṃhitā and the Suśruta-saṃhitā. The official botanical name is Nymphaea stellata (synonym: Nymphaea nouchali) and is commonly referred to in English as the “blue lotus” or the “blue star water lily” among others. It is also referred to as the “celestial lotus”.
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) refers to “lotus-fibres”, mentioned in verse 3.34-36 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “[...] In groves in which the hot-rayed one is darkened by cloud-grazing huge Sal trees and Palmyra palms, [...] (and which is) covered with the shoots and fruit-pendants of mango-trees; (or) on a couch (which is) prepared from tender banana-leaves, white nymphaeas, lotus-fibres [mṛṇāla], nelumbos, and blue nymphaeas, (and) in which (are found) opening buds and sprouts: (there) one shall sleep at noon when pained by the heat of the sun; or in a bath-house”.

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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) or Mṛṇālahāra refers to the “stem of the lotus”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 4), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “If the disc of the moon that regularly waxes and wanes should appear white resembling the colour of the Kumuda flower or that of the stem of the lotus [i.e., mṛṇāla-hāra] or if the moon’s course or disc or rays should suffer no irregular change there will be prosperity in the land. During the waxing moon, the Brāhmins, the Kṣatriyas and mankind at large will prosper; and during the waning moon, they will suffer miseries. The increase of prosperity will commence after the new-moon and of adversity after the full moon”.

Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) refers to a “lotus-stalk”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.12.—Accordingly, after Himācala (i.e., Himālaya) brought his daughter (Pārvatī) before Śiva: “Then Śiva looked at her in the first flush of her youth. Her complexion resembled the full blown blue lotus petals. Her face appeared as the full moon. Her auspicious dress and features were the repositories of all graceful charms. Her neck had the shape of the conch-shell. Her eyes were wide and her ears shone exquisitely. On either side, her long-rounded arms resembling a lotus-stalk [i.e., mṛṇāla] shone beautifully. [...]”.

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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—n m S The stalk of the lotus. Ex. mṛṇā- lāsī tatvatā || bāndhīla kaisā airāvata ||.
mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—n m The stalk of the lotus.
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
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—[mṛṇa-kālan] The fibrous root of a lotus, a lotus-fibre; भङ्गेऽपि हि मृणालानामनुबध्नन्ति तन्तवः (bhaṅge'pi hi mṛṇālānāmanubadhnanti tantavaḥ) H.1.91; सूत्रं मृणालादिव राजहंसी (sūtraṃ mṛṇālādiva rājahaṃsī) V.1.19; Ṛtusaṃhāra 1.19; V.3.13.
-lam The root of a fragrant grass (vīraṇamūla).
Derivable forms: mṛṇālaḥ (मृणालः), mṛṇālam (मृणालम्).
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—name of a libertine, former incarnation of Śākyamuni: Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.213.13 ff.
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—mn.
(-laḥ-laṃ) The film or fibres attached to the stalk of a lotus. n.
(-laṃ) The root of a fragrant grass, (Andropogon muricatum.) “vīraṇamūle”. f. (-lī) A small fibre in the stalk of the water-lily. E. mṛṇ to hurt, Unadi aff. kālan .
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—I. m. and n. The stalk of a lotus, [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] [distich] 19. Ii. m., and f. lī, A small fibre of a lotus, [Vikramorvaśī, (ed. Bollensen.)] [distich] 54 (ºla); [Uttara Rāmacarita, 2. ed. Calc., 1862.] 15, 16 (ºlī).
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल).—[neuter] ī [feminine] lotus-root or fibre; poss. vant.
1) Mṛṇāla (मृणाल):—[from mṛṇ] n. (also m. [gana] ardharcādi; and f(ī). , [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa]; cf. [Uṇādi-sūtra i, 117 [Scholiast or Commentator]]) ‘liable to be crushed’, the edible fibrous root of some kinds of lotus (f. according to some ‘a smaller root’), a lotus-fibre, fibre attached to the stalk of a water-lily, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
2) [v.s. ...] n. the root of Andropogon Muricatus, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल):—[(la-laṃ)] 1. m. n. A fibre on the lotus stalk. f. (lī) A small one. n. Root of a fragrant grass.
[Sanskrit to German]
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Muṇāla.
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
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल) [Also spelled mranal]:—(nm) the root of a lotus plant; lotus-stalk.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Mṛṇāla (ಮೃಣಾಲ):—[noun] = ಮೃಣಾಳ [mrinala].
--- OR ---
Mṛṇāḷa (ಮೃಣಾಳ):—
1) [noun] the fibrous root of a lotus.
2) [noun] the film or fibres attached to the stalk of a lotus.
3) [noun] the hollow or tubular stalk of a lotus.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Mṛṇāla (मृणाल):—n. a lotus-stalk or fiber; the fibrous root of a lotus; a lotus-fiber;
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 (+2): Mrinalabhanga, Mrinalabhanjam, Mrinaladhavala, Mrinaladi, Mrinalagaura, Mrinalaghrita, Mrinalaguna, Mrinalahara, Mrinalaka, Mrinalakantha, Mrinalakomala, Mrinalalatika, Mrinalamaya, Mrinalangada, Mrinalapattra, Mrinalasava, Mrinalasutra, Mrinalavalaya, Mrinalavalli, Mrinalavant.
Full-text (+31): Amrinala, Mrinalakantha, Mrinalalatika, Mrinalasutra, Mrinalavalaya, Mrinalamaya, Mrinalabhanjam, Mrinalabhanga, Bisamrinala, Balamrinala, Mrinalahara, Mrinalavalli, Mrinalavat, Mrinalakomala, Mrinaladhavala, Mrinalapattra, Shithilitamrinala, Bhanjam, Vishanda, Mrinalaghrita.
Relevant text
Search found 35 books and stories containing Mrinala, Mṛṇāla, Mrnala, Mṛṇāḷa; (plurals include: Mrinalas, Mṛṇālas, Mrnalas, Mṛṇāḷas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Sahitya-kaumudi by Baladeva Vidyabhushana (by Gaurapada Dāsa)
Text 8.6 < [Chapter 8 - Literary Qualities]
Text 6.2 < [Chapter 6 - Third-rate Poetry and Super-excellent Poetry]
Text 10.113 < [Chapter 10 - Ornaments of Meaning]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 263 < [Hindi-English-Nepali (1 volume)]
Page 650 < [Hindi-Bengali-English Volume 2]
Page 151 < [Bengali-Hindi-English, Volume 2]
International Ayurvedic Medical Journal
Effect of chandana mrinala lepa in the management of kikkisa w s r to striae gravidarum- a clinical study < [2018, Issue VI, June]
Concept of antidotes v/s prativisha in ayurveda - a review article < [2021, Issue 10, October]
Single drugs and formulations mentioned in kamala w.s.r. to some selected keraliya ayurvedic books < [2022, Issue 11 November]
Hanuman Nataka (critical study) (by Nurima Yeasmin)
7. Information of Various Flora and Fauna < [Chapter 5]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Page 83 < [Volume 21 (1918)]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Flora (13): Grasses < [Chapter 5 - Aspects of Nature]
Related products