Tanmatra, Tanmātra, Tad-matra: 25 definitions
Introduction:
Tanmatra means something in Buddhism, Pali, 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.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Kashmiri Overseas Association: The Nīlamata Purāṇa(tanmatra) The subtle physical essence.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexTanmātra (तन्मात्र).—‘rudimentary, undifferentiated, subtle elements from which a gross element is produced.’*
- * Matsya-purāṇa 3. 22-26; Vāyu-purāṇa 4. 52.
Tanmātra (तन्मात्र) refers to the “the potential conditions of qualities”, according to the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—The tanmātras are the potential conditions of qualities. Thus ākāśa has sound potential while vāyu has two qualities sound and touch, teja has three qualities śabda, sparśa and rūpa, water has four qualities—śabda, sparśa, rūpa and rasa while pṛthivī has five qualities—śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa and gandha.
Mahat, Ahaṃkāra and the five Tanmātras are in themselves unable to produce the orderly universe which is effected through the superintendence of the Puruṣa (puruṣā dhiṣṭhitatvācca) and by the help of Avyakta (avyaktānugraheṇa). As the universe grows up, they form into an egg which gradually expands from within like a water-bubble, and this is called the materialistic body of the Lord.
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: GlossaryTanmātra (तन्मात्र).—The five qualities of the mahā-bhūtas that subtly manifest in the mind as sound, touch, form, taste and smell.
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’).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of termsTanmātrā (तन्मात्रा):—Subtle and pre-rudimentary state of mahabhutas
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.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramTanmātra (तन्मात्र) refers to the “subtle essence”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “[...] (8) In the middle of it is the form of light (bhārūpa) which is the power (bala) in the subtle essence (tanmātra) of the Point. One should contemplate that, the Half Moon. It is the illuminator (bhāskara) of the knowledge of the fragment of the moon (khaṇḍendu). ***? Pure, it should be perceived above the Point. [...] (Perfect) contemplation (samādhi) is with (these) sixteen aspects and is (attained) within the form of the sixfold deposition (ṣoḍhānyāsa). He who knows this is (a veritable) Lord of Yogis, the others (who do not) are (just) quoting from books. Once attained the plane that is Void and Non-void, the yogi is freed from bondage”.
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.
Samkhya (school of philosophy)
Source: archive.org: Complete Works Of Swami Abhedananda (sankya)Tanmatra of the Sankhya corresponds also to tathata of the Buddhists.—The Buddhists differ in many respects from the Sankhyan philosophers, but they agree also in many things, as advanced by the Sankhya.—Tanmatra of the Sankhya corresponds also to tathata of the Buddhists and their rupa-tathata has also been used for the Sankhyan rupa-tanmatra. Thus we find that the Buddhists incorporated some of the substance or matter as well as terminology of the Sankhya philosophy in the later days.
Samkhya (सांख्य, Sāṃkhya) is a dualistic school of Hindu philosophy (astika) and is closeley related to the Yoga school. Samkhya philosophy accepts three pramanas (‘proofs’) only as valid means of gaining knowledge. Another important concept is their theory of evolution, revolving around prakriti (matter) and purusha (consciousness).
Shaiva philosophy
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (philosophy)Tanmātra (तन्मात्र) refers to the “subtle sensory object”, according to the Īśvarapratyabhijñāvivṛtivimarśinī 1.93.—Accordingly, “[...] It is also this [set of six elements] that is manifest in cognitions that arise from hypothetical inferences or scripture [and not only in perceptions; and] anything else is nothing but a mere combination [of these elements]. For example, [the property of] consisting in the subtle sensory object (tanmātra) of smell lies in the [element (dhātu) of earth]—that same earth that may possess various smells, some pleasant, others unpleasant, etc.—insofar as [earth] is devoid of particularities and subtle”.
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General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: archive.org: A History of Indian PhilosophyThe tanmātras are the potential conditions of qualities.
Source: Oxford Index: Hinduismtanmātra(s) (‘ subtle element(s)’): According to Sāṃkhya ontology, the five ‘subtle material elements’ (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) evolve from prakṛti
Source: Red Zambala: Yoga SutrasThe five tanmatras, which are the subtle inner essences of sound, feelings, aspect, flavour and odour.
Source: Veda (wikidot): HinduismThe Five Primary Sensations (Tanmatra):
- sabdha-tattva: sound
- sparsha-tattva: feel/palpation
- rupa-tattva: form
- rasa-tattva: taste
- gandha-tattva: odor
Sound, Touch, Colour, Flavour and Odour constitute the Soul's sense data that together form his external experiences.
In Buddhism
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Google Books: Buddhist Tantra: A Philosophical Reflection and Religious InvestigationAmong the vibrational manifestation of transcendental reality sound is the first and the subtlest. It is known as Tanmātra. The sonic Tanmātra is the first stage of manifestation. According to Sāṃkhya, Tanmātra is beyond the reach of an ordinary person. Only a Yogi can have the perception of Tanmātra.
India history and geography
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryTanmātra.—(IE 7-1-2), ‘five’. Note: tanmātra is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, 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 Dictionarytanmātra (तन्मात्र).—n S An archetype or subtil rudiment of any of the five forms of elementary matter: as gandha is of pṛthvī, rasa of udaka &c. See under pañcamahā- bhūtēṃ.
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tanmātra (तन्मात्र).—ad S Merely that.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishtanmātra (तन्मात्र).—n A subtle rudiment of any of the five forms of elementary matter. ad Merely that.
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 dictionaryTanmātra (तन्मात्र).—
1) merely that, only a trifle, a very small quantity; तन्मात्रादेव कुपितो राजा (tanmātrādeva kupito rājā) Kathāsaritsāgara 6.15.
2) (in phil.) a subtle and primary element (such as śabda, sparśa, rūpa, rasa and gandha) तन्मात्राण्यविशेषाः (tanmātrāṇyaviśeṣāḥ) Sān. K.38; गणस्तन्मात्रपञ्चकश्चैव (gaṇastanmātrapañcakaścaiva) Sān. K.24; Bhāgavata 11.24.7.
Derivable forms: tanmātram (तन्मात्रम्).
Tanmātra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms tad and mātra (मात्र).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryTanmātra (तन्मात्र).—n. sub.
(-traṃ) The archetype or subtile rudiment of elementary matter. adv. Merely that. E. tat, and mātra only, or element. tadeva evārthe mātrac sā mātrā yasya vā .
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryTanmātra (तन्मात्र).—i. e. tad-mātra, I. n. 1. That only, [Pañcatantra] i. [distich] 284. 2. An atom, or rudimentary element, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in
Tanmātra (तन्मात्र).—[adjective] only so much or little. [neuter] a trifle; atom, elementary matter (ph.).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Tanmātra (तन्मात्र):—[=tan-mātra] [from tan > tat] mfn. = traka, [Mahābhārata ix, 1806; Pañcatantra]
2) [v.s. ...] = trika, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa iii, 10, 15]
3) [v.s. ...] n. merely that, only a trifle, [Kathāsaritsāgara v, 15]
4) [v.s. ...] [lxiii, 60; Rājataraṅgiṇī vi, 1]
5) [v.s. ...] a rudimentary or subtle element (5 in number, viz. śabda-, sparśa-, rūpa-, rasa-, gandha-, from which the 5 Mahā-bhūtas or grosser elements are produced cf. [Religious Thought and Life in India p.31 and 33]), [Yājñavalkya iii, 179; Mahābhārata i, xiii; Sāṃkhyakārikā; Kapila’s Sāṃkhya-pravacana] etc.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryTanmātra (तन्मात्र):—[ta-nmātra] (traṃ) 1. n. Simple matter. adv. Merely that.
[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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusTanmātra (ತನ್ಮಾತ್ರ):—[noun] (phil.) the five subtle and primary elements (sound, taste, physical feeling, vision and smell) that are the essence of five basic elements.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Tad, The, Taan, Matra, Tan, Tanmatra, Te, Ta.
Starts with: Tamatraka, Tanmatrasarga, Tanmatrata, Tanmatratva.
Full-text (+54): Pancatanmatra, Rasatanmatra, Sparshatanmatra, Shabdatanmatra, Tanmatrata, Bhutatanmatra, Tanmatratva, Tanmatrasarga, Tanmatrika, Gandhatanmatra, Amudha, Bhutasukshma, Avishesha, Rupatanmatra, Sukshmabhuta, Bhutamatra, Five sense-object, Tanmatre, Tathata, Rasamatra.
Relevant text
Search found 117 books and stories containing Tanmatra, Ta-nmatra, Ta-nmātra, Tad-matra, Tad-mātra, Tan-matra, Tan-mātra, Tanmātra, Tanmātrā, The tanmatras; (plurals include: Tanmatras, nmatras, nmātras, matras, mātras, Tanmātras, Tanmātrās, The tanmatrases). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 3 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 5 - Acit or Primeval Matter: the Prakṛti and its modifications < [Chapter XIX - The Philosophy of Yāmunācārya]
Part 14 - The Ontological categories of the Rāmānuja School according to Veṅkaṭanātha < [Chapter XX - Philosophy of the Rāmānuja School of Thought]
Chapter XXIII - Philosophical Speculations of Some of the Selected Purāṇas
Devala-smriti (critical study) (by Mukund Lalji Wadekar)
3.6. The Tanmatras, known to the Tantras of Sankhyayoga < [Chapter 10 - Philosophical aspect of the Devalasmriti]
6.1. The threefold bondage < [Chapter 10 - Philosophical aspect of the Devalasmriti]
References to section [A] < [Chapter 10 - Philosophical aspect of the Devalasmriti]
The concept of Creation in the Major Upanisads (by C. Poulose)
9. Concept of Creation in the Sankhya System < [Chapter 3 - Concept of Creation]
2. The Subtle Elements (sukshma-bhutas) < [Chapter 4 - Concept of Creation in the Major Upanishads]
12. The Causal body < [Chapter 4 - Concept of Creation in the Major Upanishads]
Yoga Vasistha [English], Volume 1-4 (by Vihari-Lala Mitra)
Chapter XII - The idealistic theo-cosmogony of vedanta < [Book III - Utpatti khanda (utpatti khanda)]
Chapter XVIII - The incarnation of the living spirit < [Book IV - Sthiti prakarana (sthiti prakarana)]
Chapter XXIV - Investigation of the living principle < [Book VI - Nirvana prakarana part 1 (nirvana prakarana)]
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 2 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 6 - Nature of Agency (Kartṛtva) and the Illusion of World Creation < [Chapter XII - The Philosophy of the Yogavāsiṣṭha]
Part 3 - Origination < [Chapter XII - The Philosophy of the Yogavāsiṣṭha]
Part 5 - Avyakta and Brahman < [Chapter XIV - The Philosophy of the Bhagavad-gītā]
Contribution of Vachaspati-Mishra to Samkhya System (by Sasikumar. B)
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