Talk:Mara (Hindu goddess)

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I can find no evidence that belief in such a deity actually exists. Does anyone have any corroborating sources? Flutterman (talk) 17:49, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

Flutterman is correct. There is no such goddess in Hinduism. Mara literally means 'the killer'. But in literature it is used as a synonym for love, Kamadeva, lover or husband. --Syam Kumar (talk) 07:52, 4 February 2010 (UTC)

Volume VII of the Mahabharata does include a passage on the creation of a female entity(Goddess?) by Brahma named only "Death" in the English translations and given the task of bringing about death to all living things. The text seems to claim that originally all beings were immortal and that it was at this point that Brahma initiated the cycle of birth and death. Excerpt here: "And while the Supreme Deity exterminated that fire born of his wrath, there came out from the doors of his diverse senses a female who was dark and red and tawny, whose tongue and face and eyes were red, and who was decked with two brilliant ear-rings and diverse other brilliant ornaments. Issuing out of his body, she smilingly looked at those two lords of the universe and then set out for the southern quarter, Then Brahma, that controller of the creation and destruction of the worlds, called after her by the name of Death. And Brahma, O king, said unto her, 'Slay these creatures of mine! Thou hast been born of that wrath of mine which I cherished for the destruction (of the universe). By doing this, kill all creatures including idiots and seers at my command. By doing this, thou wilt be benefited.' Thou lotus-lady, called Death, thus addressed by him reflected deeply, and then helplessly wept aloud in melodious accents. The Grandsire then caught the tears she had shed, with his two hands, for the benefit of all creatures, and began to implore her."

Is this female deity "Death" Mara? If not what is her name? In this English passage she is only identified as "Death" Davidmcbride (talk) 22:00, 26 October 2011 (UTC)

Definitions

Here are definitions of two Sanskrit words that are often confused, one for the other. From Turner, R. L. (Ralph Lilley), Sir. A comparative dictionary of Indo-Aryan languages. London: Oxford University Press, 1962-1966. Includes three supplements, published 1969-1985.

--page578--

• māra 10063 māra m. ʻ death ʼ VarBr̥S., ʻ killing ʼ Rājat., °rī -- f. ʻ killing, pestilence ʼ BhP., °raka -- m. ʻ plague ʼ lex., °rikā -- f. BhP. [NIA. words meaning ʻ striking, blow ʼ are associated with verbal forms < māráyati rather than directly derived < māra -- . -- √mr̥] Pa. māra -- m. ʻ death (usu. personified) ʼ; Pk. māra<-> m. ʻ death, striking ʼ, māri -- f. ʻ killing, plague ʼ; Gy. pal. mar ʻ slaughter ʼ; Wg. mara ʻ god of death ʼ (as ʻ death ʼ < mará -- ?), Kt. mŕōr (with ŕ from the god's other name imrō < yamarāja -- ); Pr. māra, māro ʻ name of a god ʼ (māro lüšt = Yum -- dīˊ ʻ Yama's daughters ʼ NTS xv 283); Kal.rumb. mīr -- māˊra ʻ god of death ʼ (mīr -- , as in Kt. mīrɔ̄˜ malik, ← Pers. amīr?); K. mār m. ʻ slaughter ʼ, S. māra f. ʻ beating ʼ; L. mār f. ʻ blow, beating, distance of a shot or throw ʼ; P. mār m.f. ʻ beating ʼ; N. mār ʻ blow ʼ, māri ʻ killing ʼ, mārā -- mār ʻ general slaughter ʼ; A. māri ʻ plague ʼ; B. mār, māri, māir ʻ a beating ʼ; Or. māri ʻ plague ʼ; Mth. mārā -- māri ʻ fight ʼ, (NETirhut) mārā ʻ disease in rice which withers the plants ʼ; Bhoj. māri ʻ fight ʼ; H. mārā m. ʻ beating, blow ʼ, mārā -- mār(ī) f. ʻ mutual beating ʼ; G. mār m. ʻ beating ʼ, mārɔ m. ʻ attack ʼ, mārī f. ʻ cholera ʼ; M. mār m. ʻ beating ʼ, mārā m. ʻ attack (on a fort &c.) ʼ; Si. maru -- vā ʻ death personified ʼ. -- A. māur ʻ cholera ʼ rather < māˊruka -- Addenda: māra -- : Md. maru ʻ death ʼ (mārāmārī ʻ assault ʼ ← G.).

• māyāˊ 10060 māyāˊ f. ʻ supernatural power, skill ʼ RV., ʻ illusion ʼ ŚBr., ʻ fraud, compassion ʼ lex. Pa. Pk. māyā -- f. ʻ illusion, trick, fraud ʼ; OB. māa ʻ illusion ʼ; M. māv f. ʻ fraud, sorcery ʼ; Si. mā ʻ deceit, illusion, jugglery ʼ. -- K. māy f. ʻ love, affection ʼ perh. rather, like N. māyā ʻ sexual love ʼ, ← late Sk. māyín -- . māyāphala -- , māyikā -- see māyú -- .

--Pawyilee (talk) 10:50, 17 September 2010 (UTC)

AFAIK, māra/mārā is masculine in Indic languages, hence the Buddhist demon, the mantra referring to a carcass etc. Mārai / Māri is the feminine form, the guardian of graveyards and goddess of ailments such as smallpox and cholera. <ref> http://books.google.com/books?id=PiQmAQAAIAAJ <ref> <ref> books.google.com/books?id=yvNWAAAAMAAJ <ref>

--User:Maradox466 (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 04:09, 16 March 2013 (UTC)