Tamil Version will be posted tomorrow.

Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,755

Date uploaded in London –18 May 2026

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Maitreyi

Maitreyī (मैत्रेयी).—Wife of the sage Yājñavalkya. She was one of the most learned and virtuous women in ancient India. There are innumerable references to her in the Purāṇa.

This shows the status of women in Vedic days. About 3000 years ago, they competed with men in attaining spiritual glory. Gargi Vachaknavi was her contemporary. She questioned Yajnavalkya in the Philosophers conference.

Maitreyi and Yajnavalkya are significant characters from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad who engage in a philosophical dialogue. Maitreyi questions Yajnavalkya about the nature of immortality, prompting a profound exchange about the Self and reality. Their conversation highlights key teachings on love and renunciation, illustrating the depth of Vedantic philosophy. This interaction not only emphasizes the quest for knowledge but also the importance of understanding the essence of existence and the relationship between love and spiritual enlightenment.

Maitreyi and Katyayani, the two wives of Yajnavalkya, are significant figures in Vedanta and Dharmashastra. Maitreyi is renowned for her philosophical discussions about Brahman, embodying a deep intellectual engagement, while Katyayani represents a more traditional and feminine perspective. Together, they illustrate the dual aspects of Yajnavalkya’s life, blending his domestic responsibilities with profound philosophical inquiry, showcasing the complementary roles women play in both personal and spiritual realms.

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Malayadwaja Pandya / Meenakshi

Malayadhvaja Pandya (Tamil: மலயத்வஜ பாண்டியன் n), is a legendary king of Madurai and ruler of the Pandya Empire. He is mentioned in the Hindu epic Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana. His queen consort is Kanchanamalai. He is the father of the goddess and queen of Madurai, Meenakshi. Tiruvilaiyatal Puranam written by two different authors give his full story.

According to a legend found in the Tamil text Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam, the childless Malayadhvaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamala perform ninety-nine ashvamedha yajnas to propitiate the gods, seeking a son for the succession. However, a three-year-old girl emerged from the yajna fire, bearing three breasts, upon the lap of the queen.

A heavenly voice stated that the royal couple should treat her like a son, and that she would lose the third middle breast when she met her future husband. The girl is named Taḍātakai, and she is renamed Meenakshi by Sage Agastya during her ascension of the throne. She won many kings in the battles and at last when she met Sundareswarar (Lord Shiva), Meenakshi’s third breast disapered, and she recognised him as her groom. Returning to Madurai, Meenakshi married Shiva, who adopted the title of Sundara Pandya, with Vishnu offering her hand in marriage.

During the Kurukshetra War, Malayadhvaja Pandya sided with the Pandavas and was killed by Ashwatthama .

Meenakshi’s Tamil name is Ankayarkanni (translation of Sanskrit Meena+ Akshi= Fish like eyes). The name is used by Tiru Gnana Sambandar who visited Madurai 1400 years ago.

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Malavikagnimitram

Kalidasa,the celebrated Sanskrit poet and dramatist, wrote three plays – Abhigyana Shakuntalam, Vikramovarshiyam and  Malavikagnimitram.

Malvikagnimitram is a 5 Act play about the love-story of King Agnimitra of Vidisha and Malavika, who is the maid to the chief Queen Dharini. He falls in love with her when he sees her portrait. His childhood friend Gautam (Vidushak – court entertainer) is his partner who helps him to get her. Gautam and Malavika’s friend, a fellow handmaiden Bakulavalika, help the couple avert the wrath of the queens Dharini and Iravati.

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Manas

English word Mind is derived from this Sanskrit word. Tamils used it from earliest times.

Manas (मनस्).—n. [manyate’nena man karaṇe asun]

1) The mind, heart, understanding, perception, intelligence; as in सुमनस्, दुमर्नस् (sumanas, dumarnas) &c.

2) (In phil.) The mind or internal organ of perception and cognition, the instrument by which objects of sense affect the soul; (in Nyāya phil. manas is regarded as a Dravya or substance, and is distinct from ātman or the soul); 

3) Conscience, the faculty of discrimination or judgment.

4) Thought, idea, fancy, imagination, conception; पश्यन्न- दूरान्मनसाप्यधृष्यम् (paśyanna- dūrānmanasāpyadhṛṣyam) Kumārasambhava 3.51; R.2.27; कायेन वाचा मनसापि शश्वत् (kāyena vācā manasāpi śaśvat) 5.5; 

5) Design, purpose, intention.

6) Will, wish, desire, inclination; in this sense मनस् (manas) is frequently used with the infinitive form with the final म् (m) dropped, and forms adjectives;  5.4; cf. काम (kāma).

7) Reflection (dhyāna); मनसा जपैः प्रणतिभिः प्रयतः समुपेयिवानधिपतिं स दिवः (manasā japaiḥ praṇatibhiḥ prayataḥ samupeyivānadhipatiṃ sa divaḥ) Kirātārjunīya 6.22.

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Mandilam/ mandalam

Maṇḍala (मण्डल).— Round, circular;  circular array of troops.

A division of the Ṛgveda (the whole collection being divided into 10 Maṇḍalas or eight Aṣṭakas). The halo round the sun or moon.

Timeor Period: While 41 days is standard, the duration can sometimes range from 40 to 48 days, depending on the specific tradition or astrological calculations. It is most famously observed as Mandala Vratham by devotees of Lord Ayyappa preparing for their pilgrimage to Sabarimala. Devotees observing a fasting period (Deeksha) for the Kanaka Durga Temple in Vijayawada typically undertake a highly auspicious 41-day or 45-day yatra. This penance is generally performed in the lead-up to the grand Dasara (Navaratri) festival

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Mandhata

2000 year old Sangam Tamil literature says Choza kings were descendants of Sibi of Solar Dynasty. Later inscriptions clearly mentioned Mandata and Muchukunda.

King Mandhata (Sanskrit: Māndhātṛ) is a legendary Chakravarti emperor of the Solar Dynasty (Suryavamsa) and a direct ancestor of Lord Rama. Revered in Puranas like the Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata Purana, he is celebrated for conquering the entire world and his unwavering devotion to Dharma.

The Puranas and the epic Mahabharata detail several fascinating legends about his extraordinary life and lineage: Miraculous Birth: His father, King Yuvanashva, was childless. After mistakenly drinking a magic potion meant to make his queen pregnant, Yuvanashva himself gave birth to the child through his side. Because the father had no milk, Lord Indra offered his thumb for the baby to suckle. The gods named him Mandhata, meaning “He shall suck me”. He married Bindumati, the daughter of the Yadava king Shashabindu. They had three famous sons—Purukutsa, Ambarisha, and Muchukunda—and fifty daughters who all married the sage Saubhari.  Muchukunda story is in Mahabarata.

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Mangaladevi/Kannaki Temple

The Mangaladevi Temple, located within the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Idukki, Kerala, opens to devotees once a year for the Chitra Pournami celebrations in April or May. This 1,000-year-old temple, built from granite and situated at an altitude of 1,337 meters, honours the deity Mangaladevi, also known as Kannaki.

Mangaladevi, the heroine of the Tamil epic Silapathikaram, symbolizes moral power and justice. The temple was established by the ancient Tamil king Cheran Chenguttuvan in her honour, commemorating her legendary act of burning the city of Madurai to avenge her husband’s wrongful death.

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Mangala sutra

The auspicious strig worn by the bride at her wedding. In the south it is called Thaali.  A married woman prizes it more than any other ornament and is divested of it only on the death of her husband.

Tamil women also had it according to Sangam Tamil literature. It is called Seyizai or Aniyizai in Tamil.

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Mangalyadharana

Wearing of the Mangala Sutra or maangalya suutra  during the marriage ceremony .

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Manipallavam

Identified with an island in Sri Lanka. Nainativu (Tamil: நயினாதீவு ) is a small but notable island off the coast of the Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. The name of the island alludes to the inhabitants, the Naga people. It is home to the Hindu Nagapooshani Amman Temple.

Historians note the island is mentioned in the ancient Tamil epic Manimekalai where it was mentioned as Manipallavam (Tamil: மணிபல்லவம்). Ptolemy, a Greek cartographer, described the islands around the Jaffna Peninsula Nagadiba (Naga Dwipa) in the first century CE.

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Manisapanchakam

Manisha Panchakam is a set of five profound verses composed by the Hindu philosopher Adi Shankaracharya. It distils the core principles of Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism)—teaching that the same divine consciousness exists in all beings, regardless of social standing, caste, or creed.

While walking to the Vishwanatha temple, in Kasi/Varanasi, Shankaracharya—who strictly upheld traditional caste structures at the time—asked a passing chandala (an outcast/sweeper) to move out of his path. The outcaste responded by profoundly questioning Shankaracharya: How can one physical body tell another to move away when the same universal consciousness resides equally in both? Stung and awakened by this wisdom, Shankaracharya realized the sweeper was Lord Shiva in disguise. He bowedto the outcaste and composed these five verses in response.

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Manmatha / Madana/ Maran

1) Cupid, the god of love; मन्मथो मां मथ्नन्निजनाम सान्वयं करोति (manmatho māṃ mathnannijanāma sānvayaṃ karoti) Daśakumāracarita 1; Meghadūta 75;

2) Love, passion; प्रबोध्यते सुप्त इवाद्य मान्मथः (prabodhyate supta ivādya mānmathaḥ) Ṛtusaṃhāra 1.8; so परोक्षमन्मथः जनः (parokṣamanmathaḥ janaḥ) Ś.2.19.

Long ago an Asura named Tāraka, who was proud of his invincible might, was causing much havoc and terror in the whole world. Even the gods were afraid of him because he had received a boon that Śiva’s son alone was capable of killing him. It was the time when Pārvatī, the daughter of Himavān, was performing a penance praying that Parameśvara should become her husband. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Indra sent Kāma to rouse the passion of love in Śiva’s mind. Kāma reached Śiva’s seat and tried to stir up his passions. Śiva who was enraged at this, opened his third eye blazing with fire. Kāma was. burnt to ashes in that fire. The place where Kāma’s body (Aṅga) fell, came to be called “Aṅgarājya”. Since he lost his body, Kāmadeva got another name “Anaṅga”. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa. Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 23).

His wife was Rathi and his flag was Makaradwaja. Ancient Tamil literature also mentioned him. Other names- Makaraketanan, Makatradwajan, Maran

Also,Manmatha (मन्मथ) refers to the twenty-ninth of the sixty-year cycle of Jupiter, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 8).

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Mantra

A mantra is a sacred sound, word, or phrase repeated to aid concentration in meditation, calm the mind, or shift your mindset. The word originates from Sanskrit, combining manas (mind) and tra (tool)—literally translating to a “tool for the mind”.

Sacred sounds or phrases (like the Hindu syllable Om) believed to carry spiritual power and vibrational energy. Words repeated to boost motivation or shift mental states (e.g., “I am capable,” “This too shall pass”).

Most Popular mantra found in all the four Vedas is Gayatri Mantra.

Modern usage: A core principle, watchword, or phrase frequently repeated by organizations or individuals (e.g., “Quality first”)

Jaggi Vasudev explains: Mantra means a sound. Today, modern science sees the whole existence as a vibration. Where there is a vibration, there is bound to be a sound. So that means, the whole existence is a kind of sound, or a complex amalgamation of sounds – the whole existence is an amalgamation of multiple mantras. Of these, a few mantras or a few sounds have been identified, which could be like keys. If you use them in a certain way, they become a key to open up a different dimension of life and experience within you.

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Mantra Akshata

Unbroken rice grains that are imbued with the power of mantras are called Mantraaksata. Such rice grains mixed with turmeric powder and kunkuma are received with the blessings of Vedic scholars to the chanting of mantras.

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Mantra pushpa

There are sixteen different constituents in the worship of any deity: these are called sodosopacara. The fifteenth upacara is Mantra pushpa. In this, flowers are offered to the God with the chanting of Mantras. There is also a mantra pushpa associated with the honouring of an ascetic.

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Mantravadin/ Mantrika

One who recites mantras; one who tries to cure diseases with the chanting of mantras; an exorcist or a sorcerer. Maantrika means the same

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Manvantara

The regnal period of a Manu.

Manvantara (मन्वन्तर).—Kalpa, Manvantara and Caturyuga. The Prapañca (universe) is perishable. At one time, it takes its origin, at another time it perishes. Brahmā, the creator of the universe has birth and death. The period between the birth and death of a Brahmā is known as a “Mahākalpa”. The flood that comes at the death of a Brahmā is called “Mahāpralaya”. One day of Brahmā is called Kalpakāla. In the Purāṇas one Kalpa or one day of Brahmā is divided into fourteen parts. The master or ruler of each of these divisions is a Manu. There are fourteen Manus. The life span of each Manu is called a “Manvantaram”.

One thousand Mahayuga constitute the regnal period of the 14 Manus put together.

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Manu

Manu (मनु) refers to:—Universal rulers, lawgivers, and progenitors. Fourteen Manus appear in each day of Brahmā. The present Manu is Vaivasvata Manu. 

A generic name for any of the fourteen universal rulers also known as Manvantara-avataras, who appear in each day of Lord Brahmā.

Their names are

1.     Svāyambhuva;

2.     Svārociṣa;

3.     Uttama;

4.     Tāmasa;

5.     Raivata;

6.     Cākṣusa;

7.     Vaivasvata;

8.     Savarṇi;

9.     Dakṣasāvarṇi;

10.Brahmasāvarṇi;

11.Dharmasāvarṇi;

12.Rudrasāvarṇi;

13.Devasāvarni;

14.Indrasāvarṇi.

We have lot of references to Manu from the Rig Vedic times. It is no the name of a single individual.

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Manu Smriti

The Manusmriti contains exactly 2,684 verses (slokas) distributed across 12 chapters.

Manusmṛti (मनुस्मृति).is a  code of conduct written by Manu; he was the father of man-kind . The book contains twelve chapters. The first chapter deals with the origin of the Smṛti and the origin of the world. No other

Certain historians believe it to have been written down around 200 C.E. under the reign of Pushymitra Sunga of Sangha clan.

Over fifty manuscripts of the Manusmriti are now known, but the earliest discovered, most translated, and presumed authentic version since the 18th century is the Calcutta manuscript with Kulluka Bhatta commentary”.Modern scholarship states this presumed authenticity is false, and that the various manuscripts of Manusmriti discovered in India are inconsistent with each other. The smriti praises women sky-high. It says if a woman is made to cry the whole family will be rooted out by God. It also adds brothers must buy them jewels and dress. It adds women must always be protected by father, brother or husband. Anti Shudra slokas were interpolations that were added during Sunga period.

To be continued……………………………….

Tags- Maitreyi , Manu, Manu Smriti, Status of Women, Mangaladevi, Kannaki, HINDU DICTIONARY IN ENGLISH AND TAMIL 63; இந்து மத கலைச்சொல் அகராதி-63