# महाभूत (mahābhūta)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/mahabhuta

महाभूत (mahābhūta) is a Sanskrit word meaning being great, a great creature or being, a primary element, a gross element, the elements, five elemental substances. Its 13 recorded definitions are grouped into 4 contexts, among them The Great/Gross/Primary Elements, A Great Creature/Being, Comprehensive Entries Listing Multiple Meanings.

- **Etymology:** E. महा principal, and भूत element — E. mahā principal, and bhūta element
- **SLP1:** `mahABUta`  **IAST:** mahābhūta  **Devanagari:** महाभूत
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mah%C4%81bh%C5%ABta
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/mahabhuta/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### The Great/Gross/Primary Elements (8 definitions)
- a great gross element, of which five are ether, air, fire, water, and earth  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > महा (mahā) — भूत (—bhūta) n. a great element, gross el° (of which 5 are reckoned, viz. ether, air, fire, water, earth, Up.; Nir.; Mn. &c. [ cf. Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 83, 221 ], as distinguished from the subtle el° or Tanmātra, q.v. ), Indian Wisdom, by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 221 [ ID=160274 ]
- A primary element, such as air, fire, water, earth, or ether.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > महा (mahā) भूत (bhūta) (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 650 ] महा (mahā) भूत (bhūta) (mahābhūta) n. ( - तं (-taṃ) ) A primary element: as air, fire, water, earth, and Ākāśa or ether. E. महा (mahā) principal, and भूत (bhūta) element. [ ID=29905 ]
- A primary element  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 583-b ] महा - भूत (mahā-bhūta) ( तं ) ((taṃ)) 1. n. A primary element. [ ID=29435 ]
- a primary element  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > महा - भूत (bhūta) (mahā-bhūta) (II) n. a primary element; (See under भूत (bhūta) ), तं वेधा विदधे नूनं महाभूत (bhūta) समाधिना (taṃ vedhā vidadhe nūnaṃ mahābhūtasamādhinā) R. i.26. [ ID=29598 ]
- A gross element such as earth, air, fire, or water.  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 214-b ] mahā-bhūta, n. grosser element, i. e. earth, air, fire, water, or other (as distinguished from a subtile element or rudimentary atoms). [ ID=3188 ]
- the elements  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 454-2 ] *mahābhūta, pl. ( °āni ) (“the elements”): III, 13913 ( °ātmakaṃ Brahma ), 13914 (enumerated), 13921 ( pañca, do.); VI, 178 (do., do.), 182 ( pañcasu ), 1327; XII, 6821, 6823, 7071, 7072, 7073 ( pañca ), 7077, 7525 (enumerated), 7725, 8739, 8976 (do.), 8979 ( pañca ), 9877 (do.); XIII, 7074; XIV, 983 ( pañca ), 1092 (do., enumerated); XV, 924. Cf. Bhūta, pl. [ ID=6729 ]
- five elemental substances  
  *The Purana Index*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 2-659 ] Mahābhūtas — five in number. Vā. 101. 345. [ ID=10406 ]
- gross elements, including earth, water, fire, air, and ether  
  *The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 2-141 ] Mahā-bhūta in the Nirukta (xiv. 5, 10) and the Aitareya Upaniṣad (iii. 2, 3) denotes the ‘gross elements’ (earth, water, fire, air, ether). [ ID=2405 ]

### A Great Creature/Being (2 definitions)
- a great creature or being  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > महा (mahā) — भूत (—bhūta) m. a gr° creature or being, ib. [ ID=160273 ]
- a great creature  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 560-08 ] महा - भूत (mahā-bhūta) (I) m. a great creature. [ ID=29597 ]

### Comprehensive Entries Listing Multiple Meanings (2 definitions)
- 1. A primary element such as air, fire, water, earth, or ether. 2. A great creature.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > महा (mahā) भूत (bhūta) (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 558-a ] महा (mahā) भूत (bhūta) (mahābhūta) n. ( - तं (-taṃ) ) 1. A primary element; as air, fire, water, earth, and Ākās or æther. 2. A great creature. E. महा (mahā) principal, भूत (bhūta) element. [ ID=30960 ]
- 1. Being great. 2. A great creature or being. 3. A gross element.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > महाभूत (mahābhūta) [Printed book page 402 ] महाभूत (mahābhūta) a. (being) great; m. great creature or being; n. grosser element (ph.). [ ID=24282 ]

### Adjective: Being Great / Mighty (1 definition)
- being great  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 798,2] महा (mahā) — भूत (—bhūta) mfn. being great, gr°, MBh. [ ID=160272 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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