महाभारतmahābhārata

महाभारत (mahābhārata) is a Sanskrit word meaning the great war of the Bharatas, the great narrative of the war of the Bharatas, the epic poem composed by Vyasa, compiled by Vyasa Krishnadvaipayana, the moon of, arose from Vyasa. Its 7 recorded definitions are grouped into 3 contexts, among them Mahābhārata as the Epic Poem, Mahābhārata as the Great War, Mahābhārata: The War and The Epic.

Definitions: 7

View Declension Tables , 48 forms

Meanings by context

Mahābhārata as the Epic Poem

5 definitions

the great epic poem describing the acts and contests of the descendants of Bharata

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

name of the great epic detailing the history of the descendants of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, consisting of eighteen parvans and attributed to Vyasa

— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Name of the great epic detailing the history of the descendants of Dhritarashtra and Pandu.

— Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

The epic poem composed by Vyasa.

महाभारत (mahābhārata) [Printed book page 453-2]
Mahābhārata, the poem of Vyāsa. § 1 (Anukram.): I, 1,

11 (°saṃśritāḥ kathāḥ). The M. had been composed by Vyāsa

and was originally recited by Vaiśampāyana to Janamejaya,

afterwards by Ugraśravas to Śaunaka).—§ 7 (do.): I, 1,

265, 266 (etymology).—§ 11 (Parvasaṅgr.): I, 2, 656

(°m ākhyāya), 657 (do.).—§ 70 (Ādivaṃśāvatāraṇap.): I,

59, 2203 (ākhyānaṃ, recited at the sacrifice of Janamejaya);

2206 (recited by Sauti, i.e. Ugraśravas).—§ 72 (do.): I, 62,

2283 (ākhyānaṃ), 2319 (°ākhyānaṃ), 2320 (etymology),

2322, 2333 (tribhir varṣair…Kṛṣṇa-Dvaipāyane…

M°m ākhyānaṃ kṛtavān).—§ 78 (Vyāsa): I, 63, 2418

(Vyāsa taught his disciples Vedān M°pañcamān).—§ 717b

(Nārāyaṇīya): XII, 341, 13027 (do. do.); 347, 13438

(°kṛt, i.e. Vyāsa).—§ 795c (Svargārohaṇap.): Sauti said:

“The race of the Bharatas is the topic [of the M.]. Therefore

Page454-a+ 63

it is called Bhārata, and on account of this and of its greatness

it is called M. (v. 192); this history is called Jaya, it should

be heard by everyone who desires emancipation,” etc.

Blessing to the reader. Vyāsa made an abstract of the Bhārata

from love of righteousness; he made another compilation

(saṃhitāṃ) of six millions of verses; three millions of these

verses are placed in Devaloka, 1,500,000 among the Pitṛs,

1,400,000 among the Yakṣas, and 100,000 among men.

Nārada recited it to the gods, Asita Devala to the Pitṛs,

Śuka to the Rākṣasas and Yakṣas; Vaiśampāyana to men;

it is equal to the Vedas; blessing to the reader; the Sāvitrī

of the Bhārata (i.e. vv. 203b—207) is quoted; “what need

has that man of a sprinkling of the waters of Puṣkara who

attentively listens to this Bhārata…?” (v. 211 + one

verse in B.) (XVII, 5)—Asked by Janamejaya according

to what rites one should listen to the Bhārata, etc., Vaiśam-

pāyana expounded what gods, etc., are found in the Mahā-

bhārata (ξ); śrāddha offerings should be made after the

hearing of it, likewise gifts to the brahmans (specification);

one should appoint as reciter one who is pure, etc.; the

reciter, seated at his ease, free from all bodily complaints,

with rapt attention should recite the text without too much

slowness, etc.; (ο) the merit won at the conclusion of each

pāraṇa (π); the gifts that should be made at the conclusion

of each parvan (ρ), its topic (σ) and fruits (τ) (XVIII, 6):

XVIII, 5, 190, 191, 192 (etymology); 6, 299 (°ākhyanaṃ).

Cf. Bhārata¹⁸, Jaya¹⁴.

[ID=6721]

— Index to the Names in the Mahabharata

1. Compiled by Vyasa Krishnadvaipayana. 2. The moon of, arose from Vyasa.

— The Purana Index

Mahābhārata as the Great War

1 definition

the great war of the Bharatas

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Mahābhārata: The War and The Epic

1 definition

1. The great war of the Bharatas. 2. The great narrative of the war of the Bharatas.

— Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

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Definitions on this page come from 6 works: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary, The Purana Index, Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.