Matangi, Mataṅgī, Mātaṅgī, Mātangī, Matamgi: 15 definitions
Introduction:
Matangi means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. 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
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Wisdom Library: ŚāktismMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी, “the elephant”):—The ninth of the ten Mahāvidyās. She represents the Power of Domination. She appears as reassuring sunlight (after the night), establishing peace, calmness and prosperity. She is associated with “left-overs” and pollution.
The ten Mahāvidyās are the emanations of Mahākālī, the Goddess of time and death. She is depicted as a fearful laughing goddess with four arms entwined with poisonous snakes in her hair. She has three red eyes, a wagging tongue and feaful teeth. Her left foot is standing on a corpse
Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram1) Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) is the name of a Goddess, according to Tantric texts such as the Kubjikāmata-tantra, the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “To the north of (lake) Nīla is the excellent seat of Mātaṅgī. Both supreme (transcendent) and inferior (immanent), it is the sacred seat of the wheel (cakrapīṭha) in the forest of Mahocchuṣma. Having placed Mātaṅgī in authority (and made her) the leader of the sacred seat (pīṭhanāyikā), that Great Goddess said: ‘O Mātaṅgī, listen to my words. Your lord will be the great Siddha Mātaṅgīśa. Along with him you should protect the transmission (kulakrama). You will have nine sons and nine daughters. (There will also be) five guardians who known all the teaching (artha) completely. [...]’”.
2) Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) refers to a “(female) sweeper” and is identified with the sacred site of Prayāga and the Mātṛkā named Brahmāṇī, according to the Mādhavakula and the Devyāyāmala (both Kālī Tantras that prescribe the worship of Kālasaṃkarṣaṇī as the supreme form of Kālī).—According to the Kubjikā Tantras, the eight major Kaula sacred sites each have a house occupied by a woman of low caste who is identified with a Mother (Mātṛkā).—[...] Prayāga is identified with (a) the class of prostitute (veśyā) [or sweeper (mātaṅgī)], (b) the Mātṛkā or ‘mother’ named Brahmāṇī, and (c) with the location of ‘navel’.
3) Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) is the Goddess associated with Tisra (Trisrota), one of the sacred seats (pīṭha), according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Note: We observe that the Goddess in each seat is a Śavarī and the god a Śavara. The Śavaras are one of a number of tribes who are commonly associated with the deities, major and minor, in many Tantric traditions of this sort, both Śaiva and Buddhist. Implicit in these associations is that these deities [i.e., Mātaṅgī], in this case those of the sacred seats, are related to tribal ones.
4) Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) refers to one of the eight Kaula consort (dūtī-aṣṭaka) associated with Avyaktapīṭha (i.e., ‘the unmanifest seat’ representing the act of churning—manthāna), according to the Manthānabhairavatantra.—[...] The eight Kaula consort (dūtyaṣṭaka): Brahmāṇī, Vaiṣṇavī, Raudrī, Mātaṅgī, Carcikeśvarī, Vārāhī, Nārasiṃhī, Śivādūtī.
Source: WikiPedia: ShaktismMatangi is one of the Mahavidyas, ten Tantric goddesses and a ferocious aspect of Devi, the Hindu Divine Mother. She is considered to be the Tantric form of Sarasvati, the goddess of music and learning. Like Sarasvati, Matangi governs speech, music, knowledge and the arts. Her worship is prescribed to acquire supernatural powers, especially gaining control over enemies, attracting people to oneself, acquiring mastery over the arts and gaining supreme knowledge.
Matangi is often associated with pollution, inauspiciousness and the periphery of Hindu society, which is embodied in her most popular form, known as Ucchishta-Chandalini or Ucchishta-Matangini. She is described as an outcaste (Chandalini) and offered left-over or partially eaten food (Ucchishta) with unwashed hands or food after eating, both of which are considered to be impure in classical Hinduism.
Matangi is often represented as emerald green in colour. While Ucchishta-Matangini carries a noose, sword, goad, and club, her other well-known form, Raja-Matangi, plays the veena and is often pictured with a parrot.
Source: Red Zambala: The 10 Great Wisdom GoddessesMātaṅgī is associated with “left-overs” and indeed prefers pollution. Those who perform sādhana of Mātaṅgī must offer her left-over food and worship her after eating without washing. Even the highly “polluting” menstrual state is said to please this goddess.
After the terror of the night appears the reassuring sunlight. The demons are defeated; Mātaṅgī, the Elephant power, establishes the rule of peace, of calm, of prosperity. The day is, however, a dream, a mirage that appears in the eternal night. As a form of night, Mātaṅgī is therefore the Night-of-Delusion (Moha-Rātri).
Source: Kamakoti Mandali: The Yoginis of Narasimha VyuhaMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) is the name of a Mātṛkā-Śakti created by Mahārudra in order to control the plague of demons created by Andhakāsura.—Accordingly, Andhaka-Asura tried to kidnap Umā (Devī Pārvatī), and was fiercely attacked by Mahārudra who shot arrows at him from his mahāpināka. when the arrows pierced the body of Andhakāsura, drops of blood fell to earth and from those drops, thousands of Andhakas arose. To control this plague of demons, Mahārudra created Mātṛkā-Śaktis [viz., Mātaṅgī] and ordered them to drink the blood of the demons and drain them dry.
Source: Kamakoti Mandali: Nrisimha matrika-mandalaMātangī (मातन्गी) refers to one of the various Mātṛkā-Śaktis created by Rudra in order to destroy the clones that spawned from Andhaka’s body.—Accordingly, [...] Andhakāsura attempted to abduct Girājanandinī (Pārvatī) and thus ensued a fierce battle between Andhakāsura and the great Rudra, the Lord of Umā. Like raktabīja, every drop of blood that fell from the body of Andhaka created another Asura like him and in no time, the entire world was filled with Andhakas. To destroy the growing number of Andhakas, Rudra created innumerable Mātṛkā-Śaktis [viz., Mātangī]. These Śaktis of immense power at once began to drink every drop of blood that flowed from the body of Andhaka, but they could still not effectively contain the emergence of more and more demons.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: The Matsya-purāṇaMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) is the name of a mind-born ‘divine mother’ (mātṛ), created for the purpose of drinking the blood of the Andhaka demons, according to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.8. The Andhaka demons spawned out of every drop of blood spilled from the original Andhakāsura (Andhaka-demon). According to the Matsya-purāṇa 179.35, “Most terrible they (e.g., Mātaṅgī) all drank the blood of those Andhakas and become exceedingly satiated.”
The Matsyapurāṇa is categorised as a Mahāpurāṇa, and was originally composed of 20,000 metrical verses, dating from the 1st-millennium BCE. The narrator is Matsya, one of the ten major avatars of Viṣṇu.
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी).—The great grandmother of the elephants. Mātaṅgī was the daughter of Krodhavaśā, daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Kaśyapaprajāpati. Mātaṅgī had nine sisters. Elephants were born of Mātaṅgī. (Sarga 14, Araṇya Kāṇḍa; Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी).—A mind-born mother; is Laghuśyāmā.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 19. 80; 31. 104; Matsya-purāṇa 179. 27.
Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) refers to the name of a Lady mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. ). Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Mātaṅgī) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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.
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: SaṅgītaśiromaṇiMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) refers to a “female elephant” and is the presiding deity of vicitra (‘diverse’), according to the Saṅgītaśiromaṇi 67-84. Vicitra represents one of the sixteen words that together make up the elā musical composition (prabandha). Elā is an important subgenre of song and was regarded as an auspicious and important prabandha (composition) in ancient Indian music (gāndharva). According to nirukta analysis, the etymological meaning of elā can be explained as follows: a represents Viṣṇu, i represents Kāmadeva, la represents Lakṣmī.
Mātaṅgī is one of the sixteen deities presiding over the corresponding sixteen words of the elā-prabandha, all of which are defined in the Saṅgītaśiromaṇi (“crest-jewel of music”): a 15th-century Sanskrit work on Indian musicology (gāndharvaśāstra).
Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Wisdom Library: HinduismMatangi is the goddess of Speech. Her Bīja mantra is as follows: “oṃ aiṃ hrīṃ śrīṃ mātaṅgyai svāhā”
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: TrisastisalakapurusacaritraMātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) or Mātaṅgīvidyā refers to one of the sixteen Vidyās from which are derived the respective classes of Vidyādharas (in this case, Mātaṅga), according to chapter 1.3 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.
Accordingly,
“[...] After making [the two rows of Vidyādhara-cities], many villages and suburbs, they established communities [viz., the Mātaṅgas] according to the suitability of place. [...] Dharaṇendra instructed them about the law as follows: ‘If any insolent persons show disrespect or do injury to the Jinas, or the Jinas’ shrines, or to those who will attain mokṣa in this birth, or to any ascetics engaged in pratimā, the Vidyās [viz., Mātaṅgīs] will abandon them at once, just as wealth abandons lazy people. Whoever kills a man with his wife, or enjoys women against their will, the Vidyās will abandon him at once’.”
Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Mātaṅgī (मातङ्गी) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Māyaṃgī.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusMataṃgi (ಮತಂಗಿ):—[noun] one of the names of Pārvati, the constort of Śiva.
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Mātaṃgi (ಮಾತಂಗಿ):—
1) [noun] a woman of caṇdāla cste.
2) [noun] a woman of hunter caste.
3) [noun] name of a petty goddess.
4) [noun] Durge, a form of Pārvati.
5) [noun] an accomplishment of a partiular supernatural power.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Matamgihullu, Matangidandaka, Matangidipadanavidhana, Matangikarnatakakatha, Matangikavaca, Matangikrama, Matangimantrapaddhati, Matangin, Matangini, Matanginipaddhati, Matangirahasya, Matangisahasranamastotra, Matangisha, Matangistotra, Matangitantra.
Ends with: Malamatamgi, Maralumatamgi, Marla matangi, Marula-matangi, Marulamatangi, Rajamatamgi, Ucchishtamatangi.
Full-text (+27): Mahavidya, Matanga, Marula-matangi, Marla matangi, Brahmani, Mayamgi, Laghushyama, Ucchishtacandalini, Bhadramata, Yogini, Ucchishta, Matanki, Vidyanushasana, Uttaramnaya, Matangividya, Mrigas, Narasimhi, Carcikeshvari, Gandharvi, Natanga.
Relevant text
Search found 22 books and stories containing Matangi, Maatangi, Matamgi, Mataṃgi, Mātaṃgi, Mataṅgī, Mātaṅgī, Mātangī, Mataṅgi, Mātaṅgi, Mātangi; (plurals include: Matangis, Maatangis, Matamgis, Mataṃgis, Mātaṃgis, Mataṅgīs, Mātaṅgīs, Mātangīs, Mataṅgis, Mātaṅgis, Mātangis). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 18 - The Story of Mātaṅgī and Karṇāṭaka < [Section 2 - Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa]
Chapter 22 - Installation of the Deities < [Section 2 - Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa]
Chapter 62 - The Practice of Mahāvidyā < [Section 2 - Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa]
Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana (by Chaitali Kadia)
Lineages of Kaśyapa < [Chapter 6 - Human history in the Matsya-Purāṇa]
Animal Kingdom (Tiryak) in Epics (by Saranya P.S)
Chapter 2.4 - The genesis of animals and birds in Ramayana
Ramayana of Valmiki (by Hari Prasad Shastri)
Chapter 14 - Jatayu reveals his Lineage to Rama < [Book 3 - Aranya-kanda]
List of Mahabharata people and places (by Laxman Burdak)
Diaspora of Bhuta (Daiva) worshipping cult—India and Indonesia (by Shilpa V. Sonawane)
Part 6.5 - Tantric Deities (Shaktism) < [Chapter 4 - Inter-Disciplinary Analysis]
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