Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Magadha 108

MAYA, the master architect of the

ASURAS, who built mighty palaces and

also excelled in magic, is supposed to

have belonged to the Magas. They are

believed to be the founders of

MAGADHA.

Magadha

One of the most ancient kingdoms of

northern India, occupying part of mod-

ern Bengal, Bihär and Orissa. In the

Øgveda it is associated with the (hereti-

cal) VRÄTYAS. Later Vedic literature

refers to it as a land where only degrad-

ed brahmins live. It became the main

staging area for Buddhism and Jainism

in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE.

King Bimbisära and his son Ajätaÿatru

were supporters of Gautama BUDDHA.

The capital, Pataliputra (Patna), was the

place where the first Buddhist Council

was held. Magadha was successively

ruled by the Nandas (364–22 BCE), the

MAURYAS (322–183 BCE), the Ÿuögas

(183–72 BCE) and the Käövas (72–28

BCE). Until about the fifth century CE

Magadha remained the cultural heart-

land of Buddhism. Only with the rise of

the imperial GUPTAS did Hinduism

reassert itself.

Mägha Melä

A yearly gathering of SÄDHUSat the

Triveni in Präyäga during the month of

MÄGHA(January/February).

Mahabalipura

(‘the city of Mahä-Bali’)

A place near Cennai (Madras), famous

for its architectural monuments (rathas

from the seventh century, the large relief

of the descent of the Gaögä and the

shore temple).

Mahä-bhärata

(‘the great [war of the] Bhäratas’)

The longest epic ever written, it consti-

tutes a veritable encyclopedia of

Hinduism. Its authorship is ascribed to

Kø•æa Dvaipayana or VYÄSA, the

‘arranger’ of the Vedas. The narrative of

the Great War, which provided its title,

makes up less than a fifth of the entire

work. The rest consists of lengthy sto-

ries about the main characters of the

work, the Päæõavas and the Kauravas,

ethical discourses and descriptions of

large parts of northern India. It contains

a number of fairly independent philo-

sophical/theological treatises, such as

the Bhagavadgïtä, the Aæugïtä and oth-

ers. It is divided into 18 parvas whose

names are somewhat indicative of their

contents: Ädiparva (introductory book);

Sabhäparva(assembly book); Vana- or

Äraæyaparva (forest book); Viräflaparva

(Viräta’s book); Udyogaparva (effort

book); Bhï•maparva (Bhï•ma’s book);

Droæaparva (Droæa’s book); Ÿalya-

parva (Ÿalya’s book); Sauptika-parva

(night book); Strïparva (women’s

book); Ÿäntiparva (peace book);

Anuÿäsanaparva (rule book); Aÿva-

The temple at Madurai.

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