mayura: (Sanskrit) "Peacock."

The vahana, or mount, of Lord Karttikeya, symbolizing effulgent beauty and religion in full glory. The peacock is able to control powerful snakes, such as the cobra, symbolizing the soulful domination of the instinctive elements - or control of the kundalini, which is yoga.

See: Karttikeya, vahana.

(See also: Mayura, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

mahamandapa: (Sanskrit) "Great hall."

Main, outer assembly hall in the temple where devotees gather for ceremony.

See: mandapa, temple.

(See also: Mahamandapa, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

mahapralaya: (Sanskrit) "Great dissolution."

Total annihilation of the universe at the end of a mahakalpa. It is the absorption of all existence, including time, space and individual consciousness, all the lokas and their inhabitants into God Siva, as the water of a river returns to its source, the sea. Then Siva alone exists in His three perfections, until He again issues forth creation. During this incredibly vast period there are many partial dissolutions, pralayas, when either the Bhuloka or the Bhuloka and the Antarloka are destroyed.

See: cosmic cycle, pralaya.

(See also: Mahapralaya, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

mahapralaya: (Sanskrit) "Great dissolution."

Total annihilation of the universe at the end of a mahakalpa. It is the absorption of all existence, including time, space and individual consciousness, all the lokas and their inhabitants into God Siva, as the water of a river returns to its source, the sea. Then Siva alone exists in His three perfections, until He again issues forth creation. During this incredibly vast period there are many partial dissolutions, pralayas, when either the Bhuloka or the Bhuloka and the Antarloka are destroyed.

See: cosmic cycle, pralaya.

(See also: Mahapralaya, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

mahaprasthana: (Sanskrit) "Great departure." Death.

See: death, transition.

(See also: Mahaprasthana, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

maharaja: (Sanskrit) "Great king."

Indian monarch. Title of respect for political or (in modern times) spiritual leaders.

(See also: Maharaja, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Maharashtra: (Sanskrit) Central state of modern India whose capital is Mumbai. Area 118,717 square miles, population 63 million.

(See also: Maharashtra, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

maharishi (maharshi): (Sanskrit) "Great seer." Title for the greatest and most influential of siddhas.

(See also: Maharishi, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Maharloka: (Sanskrit) "Plane of greatness."

From mahas, "greatness, might, power, glory." Also called the Devaloka, this fourth highest of the seven upper worlds is the mental plane, realm of anahata chakra.

See: loka.

(See also: Maharloka, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

macrocosm: "Great world or universe."

See: microcosmmacrocosm, pinda, three worlds.

(See also: Macrocosm, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Madhumateya: (Sanskrit) A Saiva Siddhanta monastic order founded by Pavanasiva, preceptor of the Kalachuri kings of Central India.

(See also: Madhumateya, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Madhva: (Sanskrit) South Indian Vaishnava saint (11971278) who expounded a purely dualistic (pluralistic) Vedanta in which there is an essential and eternal distinction between God, soul and world, and between all beings and things. He is also one of the few Hindus to have taught the existence of an eternal hell where lost souls would be condemned to suffer forever.

See: dvaitaadvaita, Vedanta.

(See also: Madhva, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

maha: (Sanskrit) An adjective or prefix meaning "great."

(See also: Maha, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahabharata: (Sanskrit) "Great Epic of India."

The world's longest epic poem. It revolves around the conflict between two royal families, the Pandavas and Kauravas, and their great battle of Kurukshetra near modern Delhi in approximately 1424 bce. Woven through the plot are countless discourses on philosophy, religion, astronomy, cosmology, polity, economics and many stories illustrative of simple truths and ethical principles. The Bhagavad Gita is one section of the work. The Mahabharata is revered as scripture by Vaishnavites and Smartas.

See: Bhagavad Gita, Itihasa.

(See also: Mahabharata, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahadeva: (Sanskrit) "Great shining one; God."

Referring either to God Siva or any of the highly evolved beings who live in the Sivaloka in their natural, effulgent soul bodies. God Siva in His perfection as Primal Soul is one of the Mahadevas, yet He is unique and incomparable in that He alone is uncreated, the Father-Mother and Destiny of all other Mahadevas. He is called Parameshvara, "Supreme God." He is the Primal Soul, whereas the other Gods are individual souls. It is said in scripture that there are 330 million Gods.

See: Gods, monotheism, Parameshvara, Siva.

(See also: Mahadeva, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahakala: (Sanskrit) "Great time," or "dissolver of time."

One of the names and forms of Siva. Mahakala is Time beyond time, who devours all things and forms and, by so doing, helps the soul transcend all dualities. Mystically, time devours itself and thus the timeless state is achieved.

See: tattva.

(See also: Mahakala, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

mahakutumba: (Sanskrit) "Great or extended family."

See: extended family.

(See also: Mahakutumba, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

mahasamadhi: (Sanskrit) "Great enstasy."

The death, or dropping off of the physical body, of a great soul, an event occasioned by tremendous blessings. Also names the shrine in which the remains of a great soul are entombed.

(See also: Mahasamadhi, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Mahasivaratri: (Sanskrit) "Siva's great night."

Saivism's foremost festival, celebrated on the night before the new moon in February-March. Fasting and an all-night vigil are observed as well as other disciplines: chanting, praying, meditating and worshiping Siva as the Source and Self of all that exists.

See: festival.

(See also: Mahasivaratri, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)