Manipura, Maṇipūra, Maṇipura, Mani-pura, Maṇippuṟā: 15 definitions

Introduction:

Manipura means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Tamil. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Yoga (school of philosophy)

[«previous next»] — Manipura in Yoga glossary
Source: Chakras: Hinduism

Mani = pearl; jewel Pūra = place, city. After we have passed through the levels of unconscious and subconscious – the Mūlādhāra Chakra and the Svādishthāna Chakra – our consciousness reaches the third level, the Manipūra Chakra. With the realisation of the Manipūra Chakra the aspirant has reached an important stage on the spiritual path. For once the consciousness has unfolded in the Manipūra Chakra there is a greater likelihood that – under the guidance of a Realised Master – one can attain the goal of Supreme Consciousness in this lifetime. At the Manipūra Chakra more than of half the journey towards realisation has already been completed.

The position of the Manipūra Chakra is in the middle of the abdomen behind the navel; this is why it is also known as the Navel Centre. More precisely speaking, its area of influence radiates out about 7cm above and below the navel. Its counterpart in the body is the Solar Plexus.

The Manipūra Chakra is the “City of Jewels” in which we find the pearls of clarity, wisdom, self-confidence and wellbeing. Their lustre radiates down to the lower Chakras as well as up to the Heart Centre (Anāhata Chakra). The feelings of love and happiness that we feel in our heart actually originate in the Manipūra Chakra and rise from there to the Anāhata Chakra. The positive radiance emanating from the Manipūra Chakra also purifies the Svādhishthāna and Mūlādhāra Chakras and their qualities.

Yoga book cover
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Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

[«previous next»] — Manipura in Purana glossary
Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Maṇipura (मणिपुर).—(manipur) The birth place of Citrāṅgadā wife of Arjuna. Arjuna during his pilgrimage came to this place and after marrying Citrāṅgadā stayed there for three years. Babhruvāhana was the son of Citrāṅgadā. (See under Citrāṅgadā).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Maṇipura (मणिपुर).—A city; Arjuna married the daughter of the king of Maṇipura.*

  • * Bhāgavata-purāṇa IX. 22. 32; Viṣṇu-purāṇa IV. 20. 50.
Purana book cover
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The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

1) Maṇipura (मणिपुर) refers to the “city of gems” (i.e., the cakra [wheel] above it located in the navel), according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “[...] One should think that by (means of) that the Self is flooded with that nectar. This is the supreme state (vṛtti). This is said to be the Supreme Principle. This is that Supreme Brahman, the mark of which is supreme bliss. That bliss, the supreme bliss, is said to be the ‘Abandonment of Power’ (śaktityāga). (Thus) the City of Gems (maṇipura) (the Wheel in the navel) has been revealed to you along with its secret”.

2) Maṇipūra (मणिपूर) [=Maṇipūraka?] or Maṇipūracakra refers one of the “sixteen stations of the ascent of kuṇḍalinī” according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “[...] (3) Above that, having abandoned Kuṇḍalī, one should think of the (Wheel) Full of Gems (maṇipūraka) (in the navel). It is a mass of radiant energy, like the Fire of Time. There, in the middle, one should place the excellent and auspicious Void of (all) four colours that manifests according to the nature (of each entity). [...] (Perfect) contemplation (samādhi) is with (these) sixteen aspects and is (attained) within the form of the sixfold deposition (ṣoḍhānyāsa). He who knows this is (a veritable) Lord of Yogis, the others (who do not) are (just) quoting from books. Once attained the plane that is Void and Non-void, the yogi is freed from bondage”.

Shaktism book cover
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Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

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General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism

Manipura, called "city of jewels", is the third primary chakra according to Hindu tradition.

Located in the area of the solar plexus, navel, and the digestive system, the fiery third chakra is called Manipura, the "resplendent gem." Associated with the color yellow, this chakra is involved in self-esteem, warrior energy, and the power of transformation; it also governs digestion and metabolism. A healthy spirited third chakra helps overcome inertia and jump-starts a "get-up-and-go" attitude so it is easier to take risks, assert one's will, and assume responsibility for one's life. This chakra is also the location of deep belly laughter, warmth, ease, and the vitality received from performing selfless service.

Manipura is represented by a downward pointing red triangle, the fire region, within a bright yellow circle, with 10 dark-blue or black petals like heavily laden rain clouds. The triangle has a t-shaped swastika on each of its sides. The fire region is represented by the god Vahni, who is shining red, has four arms, holds a rosary and a spear, and is making the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. He is seated on a ram, the animal that represents this chakra.

The seed mantra is the syllable 'ram'. Within the bindu or dot above this mantra resides the deity Rudra, who is red or white, with three eyes, of ancient aspect with a silver beard, and smeared with white ashes. He makes the gestures of granting boons and dispelling fear. He is either seated upon a tiger skin, or upon a bull. His Shakti is the goddess Lakini. She has a black or dark-blue vermillion color; three faces, each with three eyes; is four-armed; holds a thunderbolt, the arrow shot from the bow of Kama, fire; and makes the gesture of granting boons and dispelling fear. She is seated upon a red lotus.

The ten petals are dark-blue or black, like heavily laden rainclouds, with the syllables dda, ddha, nna, ta, tha, da, dha, na, pa, and pha upon them in a dark-blue colour. They correspond to the vrittis of spiritual ignorance, thirst, jealousy, treachery, shame, fear, disgust, delusion, foolishness and sadness.

The position of Manipura is stated as being either behind the navel or the solar plexus. Sometimes, when it is located at the navel, a secondary chakra called Surya (sun) chakra is located at the solar plexus, whose role is to absorb and assimilate prana from the sun. Being related to the sense of sight, it is associated with the eyes, and being associated with movement, it is associated with the feet. In the endocrine system, Manipura is said to be associated with the pancreas and the outer adrenal glands; the adrenal cortex. These glands create important hormones involved in digestion, converting food into energy for the body, in the same way that Manipura radiates prana throughout the body.

Manipura is considered the center of dynamism, energy, will power and achievement (Itcha shakti), which radiates prana throughout the entire human body. It is associated with the power of fire and digestion, as well as with the sense of sight and the action of movement. Manipura is "the center of etheric-psychic intuition: a vague or non-specific, sensual sense of knowing; a vague sense of size, shape, and intent of being."[2] As such, some psychics recommend "listening" to it since it may help in making better decisions in one's life on many different levels.

Through meditating on Manipura one is said to attain the siddhis power to create (save) or destroy the world.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

maṇipura (मणिपुर).—n A cakra or region in the poetical anatomy of the Hindus. Ex. ma0 nagara tēthēṃ āmhā rahivāsa ||.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Maṇipūra (मणिपूर).—

1) the navel,

2) a kind of bodice richly adorned with jewels. (-ram) 1 Name of a town in Kaliṅga.

2) the pit of the stomach, or a mystical circle on the navel (also maṇi- pūraka); तदूर्ध्वे नाभिदेशे तु मणिपूरं महाप्रभम् (tadūrdhve nābhideśe tu maṇipūraṃ mahāprabham) | ...... मणिवद् भिन्नं तत्पद्मं मणिपूरं तथोच्यते (maṇivad bhinnaṃ tatpadmaṃ maṇipūraṃ tathocyate) Yogagrantha. °पतिः (patiḥ) an epithet of Babhruvāhana.

Derivable forms: maṇipūraḥ (मणिपूरः).

Maṇipūra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms maṇi and pūra (पूर).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Maṇipūra (मणिपूर).—m.

(-raḥ) 1. The navel. 2. A sort of bodice worn by women, and often richly ornamented with. n.

(-raṃ) 1. The pit of the stomach, as one of the mystical Chakras of the body: see cakra. 2. Name of a town in Kalinga. E. maṇi a jewel, and pūra filling, full.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Maṇipūra (मणिपूर).—(or pura) [neuter] [Name] of a town.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Maṇipura (मणिपुर):—[=maṇi-pura] [from maṇi] n. Name of town (= -pūra n.), [Mahābhārata]

2) Maṇipūra (मणिपूर):—[=maṇi-pūra] [from maṇi] m. the navel, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

3) [v.s. ...] a sort of bodice (worn by women and richly adorned with jewels), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

4) [v.s. ...] n. a [particular] mystical circle on the navel, [Pañcarātra; Ānanda-laharī]

5) [v.s. ...] n. Name of a town in Kaliṅga situated on the sea-shore (also read -pura n.), [Mahābhārata; Rājataraṅgiṇī]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Maṇipūra (मणिपूर):—[maṇi-pūra] (raḥ) 1. m. The navel; bodice of a woman ornamented with jewels. n. Pit of the stomach.

[Sanskrit to German]

Manipura in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Maṇipūra (ಮಣಿಪೂರ):—

1) [noun] the region of the navel in humans.

2) [noun] the mystical circle in this region, one of the six such circles in humans.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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Tamil dictionary

[«previous next»] — Manipura in Tamil glossary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil Lexicon

Maṇippuṟā (மணிப்புறா) [maṇi-puṟā] noun < மணிமேகலை [manimegalai] +. Ring-dove, turtle-dove, spotted dove; புறாவகை. [puravagai.] (பதார்த்தகுண சிந்தாமணிமேகலை [patharthaguna sindamani] 906.)

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Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.

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