| Art History 207~~Fall 1998 |
| Terminology |
| "M" |
| Mahabharata |
One of the great epic poems originally written in Sanskrit,
by the late Vedic period; includes materials later reintegrated as the Bhagavad
Gita.
|
| Mahadevi |
Great Mother, sometimes identified with Parvati or with Shakti.
|
| mahal |
A palace.
|
| Mahayana |
'Great Vehicle,' the tradition of Buddhism which emerged during the Kushan period and which was centered on the concept of the Bodhisattva.
|
| Maitreya |
A Boddhisattva, also known as the Buddha of the Future; similar to a messiah figure.
|
| mandala |
Sacred cosmic diagram, referring to three-dimensional space.
|
| mandapa |
Columned fore-hall in a South Indian temple; corresponds to the jagamohan in the north.
|
| mandorla |
Nimbus behind a Buddhist figure.
|
| mantra |
Sacred chant.
|
| maya |
Illusion.
|
| mihrab |
The niche in the western wall of a mosque sanctuary which refers to the direction of Mecca.
|
| minar |
A 'pole' or tower, usually associated with a mosque, and representing the power of Islam.
|
| minaret |
A small tower, often an ornamental part of the design of Islamic architecture.
|
| mithuna |
Loving couples; probably originated in the folk tradition of yaksha and yakshi; refer to fertility, physical and hence spiritual well-being.
|
| moksha |
Release from the illusion of existence; the Fourth End to be striven for in Hindu doctrine.
|
| mudra |
Symbolic hand gestures; characteristic of all Buddhist and Hindu deities, as well as of Indian dance traditions.
|
| A | B-C | D-G | H-L | M | N-R | S | T-U | V-Z |
| Main Page | Study Questions |
| Monuments List | Terminology | Class Schedule |
Web site created and maintained by Stephanie Struble for Professor Esther Jacobson,
"History of Indian Art" (ArH 207), Fall 1998, Department of Art History, University of Oregon.
Please send any comments or questions to: strubles@aaa.uoregon.edu