Caitanya: 21 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
Languages
1. Marathi
2. Sanskrit
3. Hindi
4. Kannada
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Introduction:

Caitanya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: gurumukhi.ru: Ayurveda glossary of terms

Caitanya (चैतन्य):—Consciousness: character of self

context information

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.

Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: archive.org: A History of Indian Philosophy (vaishnavism)

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.

Source: Prabhupada Books: Sri Caitanya Caritamrta

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.

Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam

Caitanya (चैतन्य) refers to:—Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; consciousness; the universal soul or spirit. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).

context information

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’).

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

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.

context information

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)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

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]”.

context information

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.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Hinduism

Sanskrit for "pure consciousness".

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and 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.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

caitanya (चैतन्य).—n Life, spirit. Intelligence, sen- tience.

context information

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

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English 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).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

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 .

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Caitanya (चैतन्य).—i. e. cetana + ya, n. 1. Intellcet. [Yājñavalkya, (ed. Stenzler.)] 3, 81. 2. Consciousness, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in Chr. 204, 18. 3. Soul, spirit, Mahābhārata 14, 529.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Caitanya (चैतन्य).—[neuter] consciousness, intelligence, mind, soul.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

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.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

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]).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Caitanya (चैतन्य):—(nyaṃ) 1. n. Soul, spirit; sense. m. The sage Chaitanya.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Caitanya (चैतन्य) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Ceyaṇṇa, Ceyanna.

[Sanskrit to German]

Caitanya in German

context information

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

Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary

Caitanya (चैतन्य) [Also spelled chaitany]:—(a) conscious; sensitive; alert and awake; (nm) consciousness; spirit.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

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.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

Relevant text

Search found 62 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:

Verse 47 < [Section 7]

Verse 51 < [Section 8]

Verses 10-11 < [Section 1]

+ 2 more chapters / show preview

Verse 222 (Mīmāṃsaka’s conception of the ‘Self’) < [Chapter 7 - Doctrine of the Self (ātman, ‘soul’)]

Verse 285-286 (the Sāṃkhya doctrine of the ‘Soul’ or Spirit) < [Chapter 7 - Doctrine of the Self (ātman, ‘soul’)]

Verse 301-302 < [Chapter 7 - Doctrine of the Self (ātman, ‘soul’)]

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Verse 63 [Eight-fold path] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]

Verse 57-58 [Ambā’s form of existence as Caitanya] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]

Verse 104 [Khecarī Śakti in Kramasṛṣṭi] < [Chapter 3 - Third Vimarśa]

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