As a deity name
Name 735 of the Rama Sahasranāma — Padma Purana / Skanda Purana, as taught by Lord Shiva to Goddess Parvati
Name 677 of the Vishnu Sahasranāma — Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva), as taught by Bhishma to Yudhishthira on his deathbed
As a Hindi name
महायज्ञ · noun · masculine
हिंदू धर्मशास्त्र के अनुसार नित्य किए जानेवाले कर्म जो मुख्यतः पाँच हैं—(क) ब्रह्मयज्ञ = संध्योपासन, (२) देवयज्ञ = हवन्, (३) पितृयज्ञ = तर्पण, (४) भूतयज्ञ = बलि और (५) नृयज्ञ = अतिथिसत्कार · महान् कार्य । ऐसा कार्य जिसका लक्ष्य अत्यंत ऊँचा हो — Śabdasāgara
As a Sanskrit word
Meaning
a great sacrifice or offering, a principal act of devotion (of these there are 5 accord. to -, viz. brahma-, deva-, pitṛ-, manuṣya-, and bhūta-yajña; cf. &c.; ), &c. &c.
Scripturally attested Verified derivationMultiple readings (6)Why this matches what you typed
The spelling you confirmed, महायज्ञ, is itself a dictionary headword — no grammatical transformation stands between what you typed and the meaning above.
Dictionary citations
mahā—yajña m. a great sacrifice or offering, a principal act of devotion (of these there are 5 accord. to Mn. iii, 69-71, viz. brahma-, deva-, pitṛ-, manuṣya-, and bhūta-yajña; cf. IW. 194 &c.; RTL. 411), ŚBr. &c. &c.
N. of Viṣṇu, MBh.
pl. (with pañca) N. of wk.
mahāyajña m. (-jñaḥ) An essential sacrifice, a sacrament of the Hindu religion; five acts are enumerated of this description, severally considered as due to the Vedas, to the gods, to man, to the manes, and to all created beings; they are respectively, study of scripture, offering of sacrifice to the gods, hospitable treatment of guests, libation of water, &c. to deceased progenitors, and the casting of food on the ground or in water as an offering to the gods, to spirits, &c. E. mahā great, and yajña sacrifice or act of worship.
Alternative readings
More than one analysis survives full verification. That ambiguity is real, so we show every reading rather than pick one silently.
Caveats
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