Caitanya: 25 definitions
Introduction:
Caitanya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, Marathi, Hindi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
Alternative spellings of this word include Chaitanya.
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In Hinduism
Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)
Caitanya (चैतन्य) was the last of the Vaiṣṇava reformers who had succeeded Nimbārka and Vallabha. As a matter of fact, he was a junior contemporary of Vallabha. So far as he is known to us, he did not leave behind any work treating of his own philosophy, and all that we can know of it is from the writings of his contemporary and later admirers and biographers.
There lived in Navadvīpa Jagannātha Miśra and his wife Śacī. On a full-moon day in Spring (the month of Phālguna), when there was an eclipse of the moon, in śaka 1407 (a.d. 1485), Caitanya was born to them. Caitanya’s first wife, Lakṣmī Devī, daughter of Vallabha Miśra, died of snake-bite; he then married Viṣṇupriyā.
Caitanya wrote practically nothing, his instructions were few and we have no authentic record of the sort of discussions that he is said to have held. He gave but little instruction, his preaching practically consisted in the demonstration of his own mystic faith and love for Kṛṣṇa; yet the influence that he exerted on his contemporaries and also during some centuries after his death was enormous. Sanskrit and Bengali literature during this time received a new impetus, and Bengal became in a sense saturated with devotional lyrics.
Caitanya (चैतन्य).—Caitanya means “spiritual force”. All of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s activities were carried out on the platform of spiritual understanding; therefore only those who are on the spiritual platform are able to understand the activities of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to:—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; consciousness; the universal soul or spirit. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).
Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Caitanya (चैतन्य):—Consciousness: character of self
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
1) Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to “consciousness”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “Consciousness (caitanya) is said to be (of three kinds) gross, very subtle and Unstruck Sound. The Body made of these principles is the differentiated (aspect) whose form is the ghost (which is the goddess’s vehicle). Complete and made of the six parts (noted below), it is sustained by Pure Knowledge. Above it is the measure (called) Sound, which is just a straight (line). [...]”.
Note: The threefold consciousness (caitanya) is also mentioned as that of the Self (ātman), Power (śakti) and Śiva. The threefold consciousness abides in a state of invariable union.—(Cf. Haṃsa—‘seed-syllable’)
2) Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to the Vidyā associated with Nāda, one of the eight Sacred Seats (pīṭha), according to the Yogakhaṇḍa (chapter 14) of the Manthānabhairavatantra.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to “consciousness”, according to the Īśvarapratyabhijñāvimarśinī (KSTS vol. 65, 331).—Accordingly, “The state of turyātīta taught [above] with reference to that [blossoming of insight] is simply the [further] extension of the realization of the state called turya. But that state of turyātīta was taught there as a state of awareness in which Void etc. remain [as objective knowables], but is separated [from them]. This is the state referred to as ‘the pure Self,’ ‘the Formless,’ and ‘pure Consciousness’ (śuddha-caitanya) in the Saiddhāntika scriptures. It is taught with reference to those who know the Deity solely as [being] all-transcendent; so [Utpaladeva] indicates [in his Vivṛti]”.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to “(pure) consciousness” (and is used to describe one’s own self—Ātma), according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth? [...] After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness (śuddha-caitanya) and the supremely beautiful [śrutvāpi śuddhacaitanyamātmānamatisundaram], is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects? When the sage has realized that he himself is in all beings, and all beings are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able to continue. [...]”
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to “one’s awareness” (of the surrounding environment), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.23 (“Outraging the modesty of Vṛndā”).—Accordingly, as Sanatkumāra said to Vyāsa: “Unable to see Pārvatī, the king of Daityas returned to the battle ground. The groups of deceptive Gandharvas vanished. It was only then that the bull-bannered deity regained awareness (caitanya) of the surroundings. On seeing the illusion vanished, Śiva woke up. Following the way of the world, the annihilator became very furious. [...]”.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Sanskrit for "pure consciousness".
India history and geography
Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to the “consciousness” (of the temple priest), a fragment of which is transfused into the idol during the invocation of the deity.—Daily pūjā in Kerala includes several phases. [...] One worships the seat on which the icon sits and proceeds with the invocation of the deity onto it. This is done by transfusing a fragment of the priest’s consciousness (caitanya) into the idol. He takes flowers along with water from the conch in his joined hands positioned near mūlādhāra-cakra, where Kuṇḍalinī is believed to reside. Then, by reciting mantras, he imaginatively raises his consciousness (caitanya) through the central channel (suṣumnā) to the cakra of the heart and up to the sahasrāra-cakra above the head, where he joins the fragment of his consciousness (caitanya) with the supreme self that is situated there. [...]
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
caitanya (चैतन्य).—n (S) Life, spirit, essential motivity or activity; the Deity considered as the Source of life or the Essence of all being. 2 Intelligence, sentience, percipience.
caitanya (चैतन्य).—n Life, spirit. Intelligence, sen- tience.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Caitanya (चैतन्य).—[cetanasya bhāvaḥ ṣyañ]
1) Spirit, life, intelligence, vitality, sensation.
2) Soul, spirit, mind; Uttararāmacarita 1.36.
3) Consciousness, feeling, sensation, sense; Uttararāmacarita 1.48.
4) (In Vedānta phil.) The Supreme Spirit considered as the essence of all being and source of all sensation.
Derivable forms: caitanyam (चैतन्यम्).
Caitanya (चैतन्य).—n.
(-nyaṃ) 1. Soul, spirit, the deity considered as the essence of all being. 2. Sense, consciousness. m.
(-nyaḥ) A modern reformer of the Vaishnava faith, considered in Bengal as an Avatara of Krish- Na. E. cetana intellect, and ṣyañ aff. cetanaḥ eva cetanasya bhāvaḥ vā—ṣyañ .
Caitanya (चैतन्य).—i. e. cetana + ya, n. 1. Intellcet. [Yājñavalkya, (ed. Stenzler.)] 3, 81. 2. Consciousness, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in
Caitanya (चैतन्य).—[neuter] consciousness, intelligence, mind, soul.
1) Caitanya (चैतन्य) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—for caitanyadeva originally Viśvambhara, son of Jagannātha, brother of Nityānanda, born in 1484, died in 1527. See Kṛṣṇacaitanya: Gopālacaritra. L. 1118. Tattvasāra, vedānta. K. 120. Premāmṛta. L. 736. 928. Tu7b. 10.
2) Caitanya (चैतन्य):—Premāmṛta. delete L. 928.
3) Caitanya (चैतन्य):—Kṛṣṇakarṇāmṛtavyākhyā.
Caitanya has the following synonyms: Caitanyadeva.
1) Caitanya (चैतन्य):—[from caitaki] n. ([from] cetana) consciousness, [Mahābhārata xiv, 529; Suśruta i, 21, 24. etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] intelligence, sensation, soul, spirit, [Kapila’s Sāṃkhya-pravacana iii, 20; Sāṃkhyakārikā] etc.
3) [v.s. ...] the Universal Soul or Spirit
4) [v.s. ...] m. Name of a reformer of the Vaiṣṇava faith (born about 1485 A.D, [Religious Thought and Life in India 138]).
Caitanya (चैतन्य):—(nyaṃ) 1. n. Soul, spirit; sense. m. The sage Chaitanya.
Caitanya (चैतन्य):—(von cetana)
1) n. Intelligenz, Bewusstsein; Seele: der Fötus ist im 7ten Monate manaścaitanyayukta [Yājñavalkya’s Gesetzbuch 3, 81.] jīvaṃ paśyāmi vṛkṣāṇāmacaitanyaṃ na vidyate [Mahābhārata 12, 6837.] cetanāvatsu caitanyaṃ samaṃ bhūteṣu paśyati [14, 529.] [Suśruta 1, 81, 7.] āptaṃ lokena caitanyamivoṣṇaraśmeḥ [Raghuvaṃśa 5, 4.] na sāṃsiddhikaṃ caitanyam [Kapila 3, 20.] [] zu [ŚVETĀŚV.] [Upakośā 6, 16.] [Vedānta lecture No. 15. 25. 34. 35. 97.] [Scholiast] zu [Kapila 1, 100.] Sch. bei [Wilson’s Wörterbuch] [SĀṂKHYAK. S. 75.] [Frid 94, 1. 124, 3 v. u.] —
2) m. Nomen proprium eines im J. 1484 n. Chr. geborenen Propheten, der in Bengalen göttlich verehrt und für einen Avatāra von Kṛṣṇa angesehen wird. Sein Leben ist beschrieben in einem Werke, welches den Titel caitanyacaraṇāmṛta führt; vgl. [MACK. Coll. I, 92.]
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Caitanya (चैतन्य):—
1) [SARVADARŚANAS.2,7. 10.3,20. 85,7. 94,8.] [Oxforder Handschriften 250,b,12.] [Weber’s Indische Studien.9,141. 162.] mahā adj. [132.] Seele, Herz: amṛteneva vacasā tava siktamidaṃ mama . caitanyamabhūcchvasitam [Kathāsaritsāgara 117, 111.] —
2) vgl. [WILSON, Sel. Works 1, 152—173.]
Caitanya (चैतन्य):——
1) n. Bewusstsein [Śaṃkarācārya .zu.Bādarāyaṇa’s Brahmasūtra 2,1,4.] der Intellect , Geist , Seele. —
2) m. Nomen proprium eines 1484 n.Chr. geborenen Propheten.
Caitanya (चैतन्य) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Ceyaṇṇa, Ceyanna.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Caitanya (चैतन्य) [Also spelled chaitany]:—(a) conscious; sensitive; alert and awake; (nm) consciousness; spirit.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Caitanya (ಚೈತನ್ಯ):—
1) [noun] the life principle; the state or property of a living being that distinguishes it from inorganic matter or dead organisms.
2) [noun] consciousness a) the state of being conscious; awareness of one’s own feelings, what is happening around one, etc.; b) the totality of one’s thoughts, feelings, and impressions.
3) [noun] an entity which is regarded as being the immortal or spiritual part of the person and, though having no physical or material reality, which thinks, wills.
4) [noun] energetic action; liveliness; activity.
5) [noun] the state or quality of being strong or having power; vigour.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Caitanya (चैतन्य):—n. 1. consciousness; rationality; perception; 2. a conscious or sentient being; 3. Art. dynamism;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+12): Caitanyabhagavata, Caitanyabhairavi, Caitanyabhavi, Caitanyacandra, Caitanyacandramrita, Caitanyacandrashtaka, Caitanyacandrika, Caitanyacandrodaya, Caitanyacandrodayanataka, Caitanyacaranamrita, Caitanyacarita, Caitanyacaritamahakavya, Caitanyacaritamrita, Caitanyacaritra, Caitanyadayaka, Caitanyadeva, Caitanyakshara, Caitanyamangala, Caitanyananda, Caitanyanya.
Full-text (+403): Acaitanya, Caitanyacandrodaya, Shuddhacaitanya, Krishnacaitanya, Caitanyadeva, Caitanyabhairavi, Raghavacaitanya, Maghacaitanya, Caitanyacaritamrita, Caitanyamangala, Bhutacaitanya, Gauracandra, Caitanyacaranamrita, Gauranga, Caitanyacaritra, Mahacaitanya, Caitanyacandrika, Caitanyashtaka, Caitanyamrita, Caitanyayukta.
Relevant text
Search found 128 books and stories containing Caitanya; (plurals include: Caitanyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Shri Gaudiya Kanthahara (by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Liberation in early Advaita Vedanta (by Aleksandar Uskokov)
3. Sarvajñātman and the Preliminaries < [Chapter 10 - Sarvajñātman and the doctrine of Upaniṣadic Mahā-vākya]
5. The Categories of “That” and “You” < [Chapter 8 - Vedānta-Vākya and the Identity Statements]
4. Śaṅkara’s Psychology and the Human Condition < [Chapter 6 - General characteristics of Dharma and the Path of Engagement]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 661 < [Hindi-Assamese-English Volume 1]
Page 373 < [Malayalam-English-Kannada (1 volume)]
Page 301 < [Kannada-English-Malayalam (1 volume)]
Shat-cakra-nirupana (the six bodily centres) (by Arthur Avalon)
Cidgaganacandrika (study) (by S. Mahalakshmi)
Verse 63 [Eight-fold path] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]
Verse 57-58 [Ambā’s form of existence as Caitanya] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]
Verse 254-256 [Śakti as Nādarūpā] < [Chapter 4 - Fourth Vimarśa]
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