208 MEDINI-MIĪMĀNSA-DARSANA. MEDINI, MEDINI - KOSHA. vocabulary. There are printed editions. A well-known Sanskrit MEGHA-DŪTA. 'Cloud messenger.' A celebrated poem by Kali-dāsa, in which a banished Yaksha implores a cloud to convey tidings of him to his wife. It has been translated into English verse by Wilson, and there are versions in French and German. The text has been printed with a vocabulary by Johnson. MEGHA-NADA. A son of Rāvana. See Indra-jit. MEKALA. Name of a mountain from which the Narmada river is said to rise, and from which it is called Mekala and Mekala-kanya, 'daughter of Mekala.' There was a people of this name, who probably lived in the vicinity of this mountain. Their kings were also called Mekalas, and there appears to have been a city Mekalā. ΜΕΝΑ, ΜΕΝΑΚΑ. 1. In the Rig-veda, a daughter of Vrishan-aswa. A Brahmana tells a strange story of Indra having assumed the form of Mena and then fallen in love with her. In the Puranas, wife of Himavat and mother of Umā and Ganga, and of a son named Maināka. 2. An Apsaras sent to seduce the sage Viswamitra from his devotions, and succeeding in this object, she became the mother of the nymph Sakuntalā. MERU. A fabulous mountain in the navel or centre of the earth, on which is situated Swarga, the heaven of Indra, containing the cities of the gods and the habitations of celestial spirits. The Olympus of the Hindus. Regarded as a terrestrial object, it would seem to be some mountain north of the Himalayas. It is also Su-meru, Hemādri, 'golden mountain;' Ratnasānu, jewel peak;' Karnikachala, lotus mountain;' and Amarādri and Deva-parvata, mountain of the gods.' MERU-SAVARNAS. The ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth Manus, said to be the "mind-engendered sons of a daughter of Daksha by himself and the three gods Brahma, Dharma, and Rudra, to whom he presented her on Mount Meru." The signification of the appellation Meru is obvious; that of Savarna or Savarni signifies that they were all of one caste (varna). MĪMĀNSĀ. A school of philosophy. See Darsana. MĪMĀNSĂ-DARSANA. A work on the Mīmānsā philosophy. Printed in the Bibliotheca Indica. MIMĀNSĂ-VĀRTTIKA—MRICHCHHAKATĪ. 209 MĪMĀNSĀ-VĀRTTIKA. A work on the Mimānsã philosophy by Kumārila Bhatta. MINJIKA (mas.) and MINJIKĀ (fem.). Two beings who, according to the Maha-bharata, sprang from the seed of Rudra, which was spilt upon a mountain. They are to be worshipped by those who desire the welfare of children. MITĀKSHARĀ. A commentary by Vijnaneswara on the Smriti or text-book of Yajnawalkya. The authority of this book is admitted all over India, with the exception of Bengal proper. The portion on inheritance has been translated by Colebrooke, and into French by Orianne. The text has been printed in India. MITHILA. A city, the capital of Videha or North Bihar, which corresponds to the modern Tirhut and Puraniya, between the Gandaki and Kosi rivers. It has given its name to one of the five northern nations of Brahmans (see Brahman), and to a school of law. It was the country of King Janaka, and the name of his capital, Janaka-pura, still survives in "Janakpoor," on the northern frontier. MITRA. Probably connected with the Persian Mithra. A form of the sun. In the Vedas he is generally associated with Varuna, he being the ruler of the day and Varuna the ruler of the night. They together uphold and rule the earth and sky, guard the world, encourage religion, and chastise sin. He is one of the Adityas or sons of Aditi. MITRA-SAHA. A king called also Kalmasha-pāda (q.v.). MLECHHAS. Foreigners, barbarians, people not of Aryan race. MOHA-MUDGARA. 'Hammers for ignorance.' A poem in explanation of the Vedanta philosophy. It has been printed and translated by Nève. MRICHCHHAKATI. The toy-cart.' A drama in ten acts by King Südraka, supposed to be the oldest Sanskrit drama extant, and to have been written in the first or second century A.D. The country over which Sudraka reigned is not known. This play, says Wilson, its translator, "is a curious and interesting picture of national manners . . . free from all exterior influence or adulteration. It is a portrait purely Indian. It represents a state of society sufficiently advanced in civilisation to be luxurious and corrupt, and is certainly very far from 210 MRIGĀNKA-LEKHA-MUDGALA. offering a flattering similitude, although not without some attractive features." Williams observes, "The dexterity with which the plot is arranged, the ingenuity with which the incidents are connected, the skill with which the characters are delineated and contrasted, the boldness and felicity of the diction, are scarcely unworthy of our own great dramatists." There are translations in French and several editions of the text. MRIGĀNKA-LEKHĀ. A play in four acts, written by Viswa-natha at Benares. The piece takes its name from the heroine, a princess of Kamarupa. It is a comparatively modern work. MRITYU. 'Death.' A name of Yama, the god of the dead. MUCHUKUNDA. In the Purānas, son of Mandhātri, and called 'king of men.' He rendered assistance to the gods in their wars with the Asuras or demons, and he asked and obtained as a reward the boon of a long uninterrupted sleep. Whosoever disturbed him was to be burnt to ashes by fire issuing from his body. Kala-yavana was lured into his cave. by Krishna and woke the sleeper, who cast a fiery glance upon the intruder which destroyed him. Muchukunda then paid laud and honour to Krishna, who gave him power to go to whatever celestial region he wished, and to enjoy all heavenly pleasures. Muchukunda left his cave and went to Gandhamadana to perform penance. The Maha-bharata says he was reproved by Kuvera for trusting to his priest more than to his own prowess for success in war, but he replied that the religious aid of Brahmans was as necessary as the warlike powers of Kshatriyas. MUDGALA. A Vedic Rishi from whom the Maudgalya Brahmans sprang. There were several other Brahmans named Mudgala. A sage of this name is recorded in the Maha-bharata to have "lived a life of poverty, piety, and self-restraint, offering hospitality to thousands of Brahmans, according to his humble means, with the grain which he gleaned like a pigeon, and which (like the widow of Zarephath's oil) never underwent diminution, or rather increased again, when it was required." The choleric sage Dur-vāsas went to test the patience of Mudgala, and six times devoured all the food which his host possessed without ruffling his temper. Dur-vāsas in his admiration de MUDRA-RAKSHASA-MUNDAKA. 211 clared that Mudgala would go bodily to heaven, and the messenger of the gods arrived with his heavenly car. The sage, before accepting the invitation, desired to be informed of the joys and ills of heaven. After hearing a full explanation, he found that the enjoyments of heaven must come to a close, so he declared that he "had no desire for heaven, and would seek only that eternal abode where there is no sorrow, nor distress, nor change.' He dismissed the messenger of the gods, and began to practise ascetic virtues, becoming indifferent to praise and blame, regarding clods, gold, stones, and gold as alike. Pure knowledge led to fixed contemplation; and that again imparted strength and complete comprehension, whereby he obtained supreme eternal perfection in the nature of quietude (nirvāna). MUDRA-RAKSHASA. The signet of the minister.' A drama by Visakha-datta. This play has an historical interest, for Chandra-gupta, the Sandracottus of Greek writers, is a leading character in it. The date of its production is apparently the eleventh or twelfth century A.D. It is one of the dramas translated by Wilson, who says, "The author was not a poet of the sphere of Bhava-bhūti or Kāli-dāsa. His imagination rises not to their level, and there is scarcely a brilliant or beautiful thought in the play. As some equivalent for the want of imagination, he has a vigorous perception of character and a manly strain of sentiment, that are inferior only to elevated conception and delicate feeling. He is the Massinger of the Hindus. The language of the original partakes of the general character of the play; it is rarely beautiful or delicate, but always vigorous, and occasionally splendid." MUGDHA-BODHA. A standard Grammar by Vopadeva, written towards the end of the thirteenth century. It has been edited by Böhtlingk, and there are several Indian editions. MŪKA. A Dānava, son of Upasunda. He assumed the form of a wild boar in order to kill Arjuna, but was himself killed by Siva in his form of the Kirata or mountaineer. MUKHĀGNL Fiery-faced.' Spirits or goblins with faces of fire, perhaps meteors. MUNDA. Bald.' An appellation of Ketu. Name of a demon slain by Durgā. MUNDAKA. Name of a Upanishad (q.v.) translated by 212 MUNI-NACHIKETAS. Dr. Roer in the Bibliotheca Indica and by Rammohun Roy. There are several editions of the text. MUNI. "A holy sage, a pious and learned person, endowed with more or less of a divine nature, or having attained to it by rigid abstraction and mortification. The title is applied to the Rishis, and to a great number of persons distinguished for their writings considered as inspired, as Panini, Vyāsa." Their superhuman powers over gods and men have been often displayed in blessings, but more frequently in curses. sons. MURA, MURU. A great demon who had seven thousand He was an ally of the demon Naraka, who ruled over Prag-jyotisha, and assisted him in the defence of that city against Krishna. He placed in the environs of the city "nooses the edges of which were as sharp as razors," but Krishna cut them to pieces with his discus, slew Muru, "and burnt his seven thousand sons like moths with the flame of the edge of his discus.” MURARI. The foe of Mura.' An appellation of Krishna. MURĀRĪ MISRA. Author of the drama Murāri Nataka or Anargha Raghava (q.v.). MUSALA. The pestle-shaped club carried by Bala-rāma. It was named Saunanda. MUSALA - DHARA, MUSALAYUDHA, MUSALIN. 'Armed with a pestle.' An appellation of Bala-rāma. MUSHTIKA. A celebrated boxer in the service of Kansa, who directed him to kill Krishna or Bala-rama in a public encounter, but Bala-rama overthrew him and killed him. NĀBHĀGADISHTA, NĀBHĀGANEDISHTHA, NĀBHĀNEDISH THA. A son of Manu, who, while he was living as a Brahmachari, was deprived of his inheritance, by his father according to the Yajur-veda, by his brothers according to the Aitareya Brahmana. He subsequently acquired wealth by imparting spiritual knowledge. NACHIKETAS. The story of Nachiketas is told in the Taittiriya Brahmana and Katha Upanishad. Vāja-sravasa or Aruni, the father of Nachiketas, desirous of attaining heaven, performed great sacrifices, and was profuse in his gifts to the priests. The son told him that he had not given all, for that he, his son, was left, and said, "To whom shall I be given?" On repeating the question, the father angrily replied, "To death." So the son departed to the abodes of death, and, after staying |