Mada ( sa, मद) is a term used in both

Hindu theology Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

. It is one of the

Arishadvargas In Hindu theology, Arishadvarga or Shadripu/Shada Ripu ( sa, षड्रिपु; meaning the six enemies) are the six enemies of the mind, which are: '' Kama'' (desire), '' krodha'' (anger), '' lobha'' (greed), '' Mada'' (arrogance), '' moha' ...

. It refers to one of the six enemy of the mind or a vice according to the

Hindu scriptures Hindu texts are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. A few of these texts are shared across these traditions and they are broadly considered Hindu scriptures. These ...

. It is the

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

equivalent of

Pride Pride is defined by Merriam-Webster as "reasonable self-esteem" or "confidence and satisfaction in oneself". A healthy amount of pride is good, however, pride sometimes is used interchangeably with "conceit" or "arrogance" (among other words) w ...

from the

seven deadly sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices or cardinal sins, is a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Although they are not directly mentioned in the Bible, there are parallels with the seven things ...

from the Christian Theology.

Hindu theology

According to the Hindu theology, it signifies negative attributes such as "arrogance, excessive pride, obstinacy, stubborn mindedness".Shankarcharyara Granthabali, Basumati publication (Kolkata: 1995) volume 3 It is seen as a major obstacle to attaining

moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

, or salvation. If one bears ''mada'' towards another person, they cannot attain

. The presence of ''Mada'' in a person leads to ignorance which in turn leads to the corruption of the mind. According to Hindu scriptures, mada is often manifested due to a variety of reasons.

Hindu mythology

In Hindu mythology, Mada is a gigantic

Rakshasa Rakshasas ( sa, राक्षस, IAST: : Pali: ''rakkhaso'') lit. 'preservers' are a race of usually malevolent demigods prominently featured in Hindu mythology. According to the Brahmanda Purana, the rakshasas were created by Brahma wh ...

(demon or monster) from the

text,

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...

. It is created by sage

Chyavana Chyavana () was a sage (rishi) in Hinduism. He was a son of Bhrigu, also known as Bhrigu Varuni in the Upanishads, and is known for his rejuvenation through a special herbal paste or tonic known as '' chyavanaprasham'', which was prepared by t ...

in response to the

Aswins The Ashvins ( sa, अश्विन्, Aśvin, horse possessors), also known as Ashwini Kumara and Asvinau,, §1.42. are Hindu twin gods associated with medicine, health, dawn and sciences. In the ''Rigveda'', they are described as youthful div ...

returning his youth and vision. Mada's name (मद) means the ''intoxicator'', his strength being feared by the king of devas, Indra. It has the ability to change its size, able to grow big enough to swallow the entire

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. ...

in one gulp. When the Aswins wished to become completely immortal by drinking

Soma Soma may refer to: Businesses and brands * SOMA (architects), a New York–based firm of architects * Soma (company), a company that designs eco-friendly water filtration systems * SOMA Fabrications, a builder of bicycle frames and other bicycle ...

(the elixir of immortality), they were insulted to discover that Indra had not invited them to his party at Svarga. The twins rushed to speak with Indra, who refused both Soma and access to Svagra, on the basis that they associated with mortals and changed form too freely. Following this, they sought the assistance of the great sage Chyavana. Chyavana started to prepare a sacrifice in the name of the Aswins. This enraged Indra, who planned to attack Chyavan with a mountain in one hand and a thunderbolt in the other, refusing to acknowledge the twins as worthy. Upon discovering this, Chyavan retaliated by creating the monster, Mada. Mada was said to have two sets of gigantic teeth and jaws, so enormous that one could engulf the earth while the other swallowed the heavens. Realising Mada was going to swallow the entire universe (including the gods), Indra surrendered and asked the sage to call off the beast. Chyavan agreed, under the condition that the devas allowed the Aswins to participate in his feast at Svarga, and so gain their rightful place among the devas.

References

External links

MahaBharat in Sacred Text.com
Book 3 section 124 & book 14 section 9. Asura {{hindu-myth-stub

Hindu theology

Hindu mythology

See also

References

External links