In Buddhism

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Mūrdhāta (मूर्धात) or Māndhātṛ is the name of a king belonging to the ‘sun-king lineage’ into which Buddha was previously born, mentioned in order to demonstrate the fearlessness of the Buddha according to the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XL.1.4. Accordingly, “The Buddha himself from the very beginning has always taken birth in the lineage of noble cakravartin kings. He was born into the families of the lineage of ‘sun kings’: king Ting-cheng (Māndhātṛ or Mūrdhāta), etc. This is why he has no fear”.

context information

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.

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Buddhism

Mūrdhāta (मूर्धात) or Māndhātṛ is the name of an ancient king from the Solar dynasty (sūryavaṃśa) and a descendant of Mahāsaṃmata, according to the Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra, an encyclopedic work on Buddhism written by Nāgārjuna.

Mūrdhāta is known as Māndhāta according to the Mahāvastu of the Mahāsaṃghikas (and the Lokottaravāda school). Māndhāta can also be spelled as Māndhātā, according to the Dulva (the Tibetan translation of the Vinaya of the Sarvāstivādins).

Mūrdhāta is known as Mandhātar according to the Dīpavaṃśa and the Mahāvaṃśa.

Mūrdhāta is known as Mandhātu according to the Mahābuddhavaṃsa or Maha Buddhavamsa (the great chronicle of Buddhas) Anudīpanī chapter 1, compiled by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Mūrdhata (मूर्धत).—[, Mahāvyutpatti 3557, see Mūrdhāta.]

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Mūrdhāta (मूर्धात) or Māndhāta.—q.v.: Divyāvadāna 210.19 ff., where (as in Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya below) the identity is explicitly stated; read °ātaḥ for Mūrdhataḥ, n. sg., in Mahāvyutpatti 3557, where Mironov Mūrdhagataḥ, but most of his mss. Mūrdhātaḥ; with [etymology] explanation (mūrdhni jātaḥ) Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.67.10—11; 93.7—8.

context information

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: Murdhatailika, Murdhataka, Murdhatas.

Full-text: Murdhatas, Mandhatri, Mandhata, Samanuvishtavan, Cintaka, Mandhatar, Mandhatu, Gupti, Murdhan.

Relevant text

Search found 1 books and stories containing Murdhata, Mūrdhāta, Mūrdhata; (plurals include: Murdhatas, Mūrdhātas, Mūrdhatas). 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)

IV. How do we know that the Buddha is fearless? < [Part 1 - The four fearlessnesses of the Buddha according to the Abhidharma]

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