mahārāja(n) (11838)

mahārāja(n)
Entry 11838, Page 425, Col. 1

(mahArAja, mahArAja(n)
mahārāja(n)¦, (= Pali id.), (1) one of the four guardians of the cardinal directions, corresponding to Skt. lokapāla, and called by this name Dharmas 7, MSV i.255.17, and Mvy 3145 as sometimes in Pali, but usually mahārāja(n) in both Pali and BHS: catvāro (°raś ca) mahārājāno or °rājā LV 202.13; 366.11; Divy 218.9; Av i.67.10; ii.104.2, 12; instr. Mv i.230.12; often, as in some of the above, included in lists of other gods; mahārāja-sthānam SP 264.12, the position of world-guardian, as one of five states [Page425-b+ 71] which a woman cannot attain. Pali and BHS differ from Skt. in the names assigned to the four individuals, except that Kuvera (Kubera), oftener called Vaiśravaṇa (Pali Vessavaṇa), sometimes Dhanada or other synonyms, is the guardian of the north, as usually in Skt. The other three (in Skt. normally Indra, Yama, and Varuṇa) are Dhṛtarāṣṭra (east), Virūḍhaka (rarely Virūḍha; south), and Virūpākṣa (west; Pali Dhataraṭṭha, Virūḷha(ka), and Virūpakkha). These four are named, Dharmas 7 (as loka- pāla); Mvy 3146--9 (as prec., lokapālaḥ 3145); SP 4.6--7; LV 217.16, 20; 218.4, 9; Suv 64.2--3; LV 382.19 ff. (names 384.6, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 21; 385.3); LV 388.3, 389.1, 21, 390.19 = Mv iii.306.9, 307.13, 308.13, 309.13; Mmk 654.21; the four are mentioned as devādhipatayaḥ among the kāmāvacara gods whom Māra perceives as favoring the Bodhisattva, LV 302.5--6; and elsewhere in lists of other gods, e.g. Mv i.245.8--9 where Vaiśravaṇa is separated in the list of gods from the other three; sometimes not all are named, thus only Virūḍhaka, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kubera (with other gods) Mmk 434.27--435.1; only Vaiśravaṇa and Virūḍhaka, both styled mahārājo, SP 398.8, 399.5; only Virūḍhaka Mv iii.72.3 (mahārājo), and 84.1, 6; Indro Virūḍhakādyāś ca (-ādya including the other three?) Laṅk 367.14; in some of the above the fact is mentioned that Vaiśravaṇa is lord of the yakṣas, Dhṛtarāṣṭra of gandharvas, Virūḍhaka of kumbhāṇḍas, and Virūpākṣa of nāgas; these functions, rather than their position as mahārāja (lokapāla), are exclusively noted in Mvy 3367 (Vaiśr°, first of yakṣas), 3381 (Dhṛt°, of gandharvas), 3437 (Virūḍhaka, of kumbhāṇḍas; no similar statement in Mvy about Virūp°); and, in longer lists of gods, also in Divy 126.6--8; 148.18--19; Av i.108.8--9; Gv 249.24--250.2. The forms of the names Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Virūpākṣa never vary; Virūḍha without final -ka (also recorded in Pali) has been noted only Av i.108.9 and Mmk 654.21 (here vs, perhaps m.c.); Vaiśravaṇa (see also °ramaṇa) is the regular form, for which Kuvera or Kub° is found Dharmas 7; LV 218.9; 390.19 = Mv iii.309.13; Mmk 435.1; Dhanada Divy 126.8; 148.19; Av i.108.9; yakṣarāṭ Mmk 654.21 (vs). In MSV i.258.2 ff. Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Virūḍhaka are said to be Aryans (ārya-jātīya), Virūpākṣa and Vaiśravaṇa Dasyus; the Buddha resolves to convert them using āryā vāc and dasyu-vāc respectively; he then preaches to the first two in normal BHS, to the others (259.2, 7) using what appear to be meaningless groups of sounds. (2) n. of a former Buddha: °jaḥ Mv i.138.14.