महावीर mahāvīr

Hindi is also shown in Latin characters, using an adapted form of ISO 15919 transliteration.

How to read the transliteration

This site uses transliteration based on ISO 15919, with a few adaptations to make reading easier: h is added after c, ś and ṣ, and i after the vowel r̥. These adaptations bring it closer to the Hunterian system used in India while retaining the distinctive marks of ISO 15919.

Adaptations used on this site
ISO 15919	On this site
c	ch
ś	śh
ṣ	ṣh
r̥	r̥i

A few reading pointers:

ā, ī, ū: the line above the letter indicates a long vowel.
ṭ, ḍ, ṇ: the dot below distinguishes retroflex consonants from t, d, n.
A tilde above a vowel indicates nasalisation.

sa · n. · m.

Earlier definition

Definition

Having tremendous valour, extremely valorous, extremely gallant.
A great hero.
Name of the last or twenty-fourth Arhat (the last and most celebrated Jain teacher of the present age; supposed to have flourished in the province of Behār in the sixth century before the Christian era).
(epithet) Hanuman.

Usual translation

Mahavir
Great Warrior

Origin of the definition

mahā-vīr, s.m. A great hero; — a lion; — an epithet of Vishṇu, and of Garuḍ (the bird and vehicle of Vishṇu); — fire, sacrificial fire; a sacrificial vessel; — the thunder-bolt of Indra; — a white horse; — name of the last or twenty-fourth Arhat (the last and most celebrated Jain teacher of the present age; supposed to have flourished in the province of Behār in the sixth century before the Christian era).

महान्, महा mahān, mahā (sanskrit)

(prefix) Great, illustrious.
Mighty, strong, big, large, ample, excessive, grievous.
Very, extremely, very much.

महावीर mahāvīra maha:vi:r (a) having tremendous valour, extremely valorous/gallant; (nm) Lord Mahavir; Lord Hanuman.

वीर vīr (sanskrit)

Heroic, brave, valiant, valorous, gallant.
A hero.