Muktakesha, Muktakeśa, Mukta-kesha, Muktakeśā: 9 definitions
Introduction:
Muktakesha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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 terms Muktakeśa and Muktakeśā can be transliterated into English as Muktakesa or Muktakesha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationMuktakeśa (मुक्तकेश) refers to “[beautiful] dishevelled hair” and is used to describe the Goddess (Devī), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.2.12. Accordingly as Brahmā narrated to Nārada:—“[...] on seeing the mother of the universe cosmic in form, Dakṣa the lord of the subjects considered himself well rewarded. With various sorts of prayer he eulogised and bowed to the Goddess (Devī) mother of the universe, Kālikā seated on a lion, dark-complexioned, with four arms and beautiful face, the bestower of the boon, the abode of safety, holding a blue lotus and the sword in her hands, comely with reddish eyes (āraktanayana) and with beautiful dishevelled hair (cāru-muktakeśa)”.
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)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramMuktakeśā (मुक्तकेशा) refers to “one having dishevelled hair”, according to the second recension of the Yogakhaṇḍa of the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “In the meantime, once the goddess had crossed over the most excellent Yoga and once the fifth night had passed, she emerged from the middle of the Liṅga. [...] The mass of radiance from (her) garland is associated with the letters (of the Mālinī alphabet) beginning with Na and ending with Pha and, endowed with the fifty rays (of the energies of the letters), she is marked with a garland of flames, has light brown, dishevelled hair [i.e., muktakeśā], and loves snakes. [...]”.
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.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: OSU Press: Cakrasamvara SamadhiMuktakeśā (मुक्तकेशा) refers to “(having) loosened hair” and is used to describe Vajravārāhī and Vajrayoginī, according to the Saṃvaramaṇḍala of Abhayākaragupta’s Niṣpannayogāvalī, p. 45 and n. 145; (Cf. Cakrasaṃvaratantra, Gray, David B., 2007).—Vajravārāhī appears both with Cakrasaṃvara, and on her own, both as Vajravārāhī and Vajrayoginī. [...] Vajravārāhī and Vajrayoginī are both red, nagnā, "naked", have muktakeśā, "loosened hair", one face and two arms, three eyes, holding a kartika in the right hand, and kapāla in the left, a garland of fifty dried human skulls, five bone ornaments, a crown of five skulls, and hold a khaṭvāṅga. With Cakrasaṃvara, Vajravārāhī has either one or both legs wrapped around her hero, copulating while menstruating. Both Vajravārāhī and Vajrayoginī have their own iconographic meanings with and without Cakrasaṃvara.
Note: Having muktakeśā, "loosened hair", symbolizes having untied the knot that binds things to their form (rūpa).
Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of HeroesMuktakeśā (मुक्तकेशा) refers to “having untied hair”, according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly, “[Vajravārāhī holds] an adamantine knife in the right [hand] and a skull bowl in the left hand; hugs the Blessed One (Heruka) around [his] hips with [her] two shanks and loves [him]; [has] one face; [has her] hair untied (muktakeśā); is naked; is red in color; wears a garland of hairless heads [as a necklace]; is adorned with sexually attractive ornaments; is crowned with a string of skulls on [her] head; [...]”.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryMuktakeśa (मुक्तकेश).—a. letting the hair hang down, having the hair dishevelled.
Muktakeśa is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms mukta and keśa (केश).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryMuktakeśa (मुक्तकेश).—[feminine] ā & ī having flowing or dishevelled hair.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryMuktakeśa (मुक्तकेश):—[=mukta-keśa] [from mukta > muc] mf(ā or ī)n. ‘loose-haired’, having the hair dishevelled or hanging down, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa etc.]
[Sanskrit to German]
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: Muktakeshava.
Ends with: Vimuktakesha.
Full-text: Vimuktakesha, Muktashikha, Muktamurdhaja, Kesa, Parada, Pratyalidhasana, Nagna, Vajrayogini, Vajravarahi.
Relevant text
Search found 6 books and stories containing Muktakesha, Mukta-keśa, Mukta-kesa, Mukta-keśā, Mukta-kesha, Muktakeśa, Muktakeśā, Muktakesa; (plurals include: Muktakeshas, keśas, kesas, keśās, keshas, Muktakeśas, Muktakeśās, Muktakesas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 8.13.103 < [Chapter 13 - A Thousand Names of Lord Balarāma]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 7.91 < [Section VIII - Duties in Battle (saṅgrāma)]
The Matsya Purana (critical study) (by Kushal Kalita)
Part 2.2 - Different names of Śiva < [Chapter 4 - Religious aspects of the Matsyapurāṇa]
The Linga Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 40 - Extent of four Yugas (caturyuga-parimāṇa) < [Section 1 - Uttarabhāga]
Chapter 65 - Thousand names of Śiva (Rudra-sahasranāma) < [Section 1 - Uttarabhāga]
The Brahma Purana (by G. P. Bhatt)
The Brahmanda Purana (by G.V. Tagare)
Chapter 72 - Praise of the Lord: Conclusion < [Section 3 - Upodghāta-pāda]