Caitanya: 8 definitions
Introduction
Caitanya means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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
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 CaritamrtaCaitanya (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.
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’).
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: Wisdom Library: HinduismSanskrit for "pure consciousness".
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarycaitanya (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-Englishcaitanya (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-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryCaitanya (चैतन्य).—[cetanasya bhāvaḥ ṣyañ]
1) Spirit, life, intelligence, vitality, sensation.
2) Soul, spirit, mind; U.1.36.
3) Consciousness, feeling, sensation, sense; U.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 DictionaryCaitanya (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 .
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. 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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Caitanyabhairavi, Caitanyacandrashtaka, Caitanyanya, Caitanyasahasranama, Caitanyashtaka.
Ends with: Acaitanya, Avidyopahitacaitanya, Bhutacaitanya, Mantra-caitanya, Pratyekacaitanya, Purnacaitanya, Shuddhacaitanya.
Full-text (+77): Vijnanamaya-kosha, Mahavidya, Vishrama-ghata, Kamakoshthi, Dirgha-vishnu, Bhuteshvara, Svayambhu, Tirumala, Devasthana, Skandakshetra, Upahita, Tapasya, Shuddhacaitanya, Venkata, Bhutacaitanya, Radharasamanjari, Caitanyabhairavi, Shyamananda, Vaishnava, Tirupati.
Relevant text
Search found 32 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)
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī)
Verse 1.1.10 < [Chapter 1 - Bhauma: On the Earth]
Verse 1.1.3 < [Chapter 1 - Bhauma: On the Earth]
A History of Indian Philosophy Volume 4 (by Surendranath Dasgupta)
Part 5 - Some Companions of Caitanya < [Chapter XXXII - Caitanya and his Followers]
Part 2 - The Life of Caitanya < [Chapter XXXII - Caitanya and his Followers]
Part 1 - Caitanya’s Biographers < [Chapter XXXII - Caitanya and his Followers]
Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī)
Verse 1.1.2 < [Part 1 - Qualities of Pure Bhakti (bhagavad-bhakti-bheda)]
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-vijaya (by Śrī Gunaraja Khan)
The Tattvasangraha [with commentary] (by Ganganatha Jha)
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 252 < [Chapter 7 - Doctrine of the Self (ātman, ‘soul’)]