Mahākāla

Mahākāla (Sanskrit) is a protector deity known as a dharmapala in Vajrayana Buddhism, particularly most Tibetan traditions, in Tangmi (East Asian Esoteric Buddhism) and in Shingon (Japanese Esoteric Buddhism). He is known as Dàhēitiān (大黑天) in Chinese and Daikokuten (大黒天) in Japanese.

In Hinduism, Mahākāla is a name of Shiva, as, for example, at the temple in Ujjain, which is mentioned more than once by Kālidāsa. Mahakala is also a name of one of Shiva's principal attendants (Sanskrit: gaṇa), along with Nandi, Shiva's mount, and so is often represented outside the main doorway of early Hindu temples.

In Sikhism, Mahākāla is referred to as Kal, who is the governor of Maya.

Name

Mahākāla is a Sanskrit bahuvrihi of mahā (महत्; "great") and kāla (काल; "time/death"), which means "beyond time" or death. The literal Tibetan translation is "Nagpo Chenpo" (Tibetan: ནག་པོ་ཆེན་པོ། ), although when referring to this deity, Tibetans usually use the word Gönpo (Tibetan: མགོན་པོ།, Wylie: mgon po ). The Sanskrit word nātha means "lord" or "protector".

Mahakala (dinosaur)

Mahakala (from Sanskrit, named for Mahakala, one of eight protector deities (dharmapalas) in Tibetan Buddhism) is a genus of basal dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Campanian-age (about 80 million years ago) Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Ömnögov, Mongolia. It is based on a partial skeleton found in the Gobi Desert. Mahakala was a small dromaeosaurid (approximately 70 centimeters long (28 in)), and its skeleton shows features that are also found in early troodontids and avialans. Despite its late appearance, it is among the most basal dromaeosaurids. Its small size, and the small size of other basal deinonychosaurians, suggests that small size appeared before flight capability in birds.

Description

Mahakala is based on IGM 100/1033, a partial skeleton including skull bones, vertebrae, limb bones, and portions of the pelvis and shoulder girdle. Although this individual was small, comparable in size to Archaeopteryx, Caudipteryx, and Mei, it was close to adulthood. This genus can be distinguished from other paravians (dromaeosaurids, troodontids, and birds) by details of the ulna, thighbone, ilium, and tail vertebrae. Like Archaeopteryx and derived dromaeosaurids, but unlike basal troodontids and other dromaeosaurids, the middle (third) metatarsal was not compressed, suggesting that the uncompressed version was the basal version. It had a typical dromaeosaurid form of the second toe, with an expanded claw.Mahakala also had very short forelimbs compared to other Dromaeosaurids.

List of minor planets: 10001–11000