A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

Meykaæõa(deva) 118
Meykaæõa(deva)
(13th century)
Religious name of Ÿvetabana, a Ÿaiva
philosopher, author of the Ÿivajñanabodha,
an important source for
ŸAIVA SIDDHÄNTA, often commented
upon by Tamil authors in later centuries.
milk
Hindus consider COW’s milk the perfect
FOOD and drink, the most sattvik (pure)
of all. Milk from a kapila (brownish) cow
was reserved for brahmins and for
worship. Bathing an IMAGE in milk is a
particularly solemn form of PÜJÄ. Advanced
YOGIS subsist often on milk alone.
Mïmäƒsä (‘disquisition’)
This usually refers to the short form of
Pürva Mïmäƒsä (‘earlier disquisition’)
over against Uttara Mïmäƒsä (‘later
disquisition’, or Vedänta). It is one of
the six orthodox (systems) (darÿanas),
devoted to the exegesis of the karmakända
(the part dealing with ritual) of
the Veda, focusing on the injunctions
contained in them.
The earliest text is the Mïmäƒsä Sütra,
ascribed to JAIMINI. It is a collection of
aphorisms analysing the elements of Vedic
commands in connection with rituals. The
Mïmäƒsä Sütras were extensively commented
on by ŸABARA in the so-called
Ÿäbarabhä•ya, which received many subcommentaries
by later writers such as
KUMÄRILA BHAfifiA and Pärthasärathi
Miÿra (14th century).
The Mïmäƒsakas held the Veda to
be apauru•eya, i.e. not composed by a
person, either divine or human, but selfexistent
and eternal. That gave it
supreme authority, and its WORD is the
ultimate proof of the truth of a statement.
They also insisted that only those
portions of the Veda are ÿruti (revealed
and therefore authoritative scripture)
that contain an injunction; the rest
(such as Upani•ads) are mere eulogy,
because they do not prescribe actions to
be performed but only describe already
existing entities.
In addition to explaining the meaning
of certain Vedic injunctions, the
Mïmäƒsakas analysed the nature and
structure of LANGUAGE. They developed
principles of interpretation which found
application in the practice of Hindu law
up to our own times. (See also ŸABDA.)
Mïnäk•ï (‘the fish-eyed one’)
Title of the Goddess (DEVÏ) as worshipped
in the main shrine of MADURAI
in Tamilnäõü. There is an ancient belief
that fish feed their young by just looking
at them; the Goddess is expected to
give support to her devotees through
her mere glance.
mind
The English word ‘mind’ is the translation
of two Sanskrit terms with very different
meanings and connotation in
Hindu thought: (1) manas (which etymologically
is close to Latin mens and
English ‘mind’) is classified as the highest
among the sense organs, the
medieval sensus communis; (2) ‘higher
mind’, i.e. spirit, consciousness, is rendered
by terms such as cit, caitanya,
buddhi etc.
Mïräbäï (1547–1614)
Räjasthani princess, an early and ardent
devotee of Kø•æa, she was married into
a ŸAKTI-worshipping Räjput household
at Chitor. She refused to worship the
Goddess (DEVÏ), saying she was wedded
to Kø•æa. She was forced to leave
Chitor, and fled to VØNDÄVANA.
Reconciled with her husband, she
moved back to Chitor, but after his
death she was mistreated by her in-laws
and left again for Vøndävana.
According to a local tradition she was
absorbed into a Kø•æa image while worshipping
there. Her beautiful poems and
songs are still recited by Kø•æa BHAKTAS