navel. Although this claim is not attested
in other literature on the Shakti Pithas,
the site itself is believed to be very old.
One of the oldest names for the
Haridwar region is Mayapur, the “city of
Maya.” See also pitha.
Mayapur
City in West Bengalon the western side
of the Hugli River across from the holy
city of Navadvip, about sixty-five miles
north of Calcutta. Although both cities
claim to be the birthplace of the Bengali
saint Chaitanya, Navadvip’s claim is
older. However, the claim that Mayapur
was the birthplace of Chaitanya is sup-
ported by the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), more
popularly known as the Hare Krishnas,
who have built a magnificent temple
complex at Mayapur as the headquar-
ters of the organization. For extensive
information about this site, see E. Alan
Morinis, Pilgrimage in the Hindu
Tradition, 1984.
Mayashiva
(“illusionary Shiva”) In Hindu mythology,
a demon named Jalandhara assumes
the form of the god Shiva in an attempt
to trick Parvati, the goddess, into having
sexual relations with him. Jalandhara
has been unable to conquer Shiva on the
battlefield, so he hopes that he can
diminish Shiva’s power by compromis-
ing the faithfulness of his wife.
Jalandhara comes to Parvati in Shiva’s
form, but she is so suspicious that
Jalandhara is unable to fulfill his desires.
Jalandhara’s power is eventually broken
in the same way, when Vishnu(in the
form of Jalandhara) manages to seduce
Jalandhara’s wife, Vrnda.
Meat Eating
An accepted part of the diet for most
Hindus. A 1996 poll of urban Hindus
found that only a quarter of the respon-
dents were vegetarians. However, this
figure may be higher in villages, where
people tend to be more traditional and
conservative. As the product of a dead
animal, meat is seen as impure, and
those who are concerned about reli-
gious purity(particularly brahmins)
will generally avoid it for that reason.
Even nonvegetarians recognize a hierar-
chy of animal foods. Some people will
eat only eggs; others will also eat chicken
and/or fish, whereas others will also eat
mutton. Pork is generally avoided by all
but the lowest-status people; pigs are
considered scavengers and deemed
unclean. Beef is taboo for religious
reasons, except for a very small Hindu
community in southern India. Even
those who eat meat generally do not eat
it in large quantities. Because of its
relatively high cost, it is generally
prepared as one dish among many,
rather than the central part of the meal.Medhatithi
(mid-9th c.) Author of the most authori-
tative commentary on the Manu Smrti,
also known as the “Laws ofManu.”
Medhatithi was schooled in the tech-
niques of textual interpretation devel-
oped by the Purva Mimamsa school,
one of the six schoolsof Hindu philoso-
phy. Due to his interpretive abilities, his
commentary quickly became the
accepted standard.Medicine
See ayurveda, Charaka Samhita, and
Sushruta Samhita.Megasthenes
(3rd c. B.C.E.) Ambassador sent to the
court of Chandragupta Maurya by
Seleucus Nicator, a general in Alexander
the Great’s army who ruled the eastern
part of the empire after Alexander’s
death. Megasthenes lived for many
years in the Mauryan capital,
Pataliputra. His reports of life there are
the first European accounts of India. His
original account no longer exists, but
the fact of its existence is attested to
by the many references to it in the
works of later Greek writers; theseMayapur