Caraka, Cāraka, Cārāka: 24 definitions
Introduction:
Caraka means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi, Tamil. 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 Charaka.
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)
Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭuCaraka (चरक) is another name for Parpaṭa, a medicinal plant identified with various varieties and species, according to verse 5.8-10 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The fifth chapter (parpaṭādi-varga) of this book enumerates sixty varieties of smaller plants (kṣudra-kṣupa). Together with the names Caraka and Parpaṭa, there are a total of eighteen Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Source: Google Books: Essentials of AyurvedaCarakas (चरक), the wandering mendicants expert in medicine, contributed a lot to the evolution of Ayurvedic theories and practises. The greatest fundamental discovery of this age was the Law of the Uniformity of Nature (loka-puruṣa-sāmānya) (Puruṣo’yam lokasammitaḥ—Caraka-saṃhitā Śārīrasthāna, 5.3) which paved the way for observing the intimate relation between microcosm and macrocosm and for applying the physical laws governing gravitation, hydraulics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, motion etc. to the biological field. Moreover, minute observation of Nature and its phenomena led to postulation of many concepts.
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaCaraka (चरक).—Author of Carakasaṃhitā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1a) Caraka (चरक).—A Paulaha and one of the seven sages of the period of Tāmasa Manu.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 36. 48.
1b) See Carakādhvaryus.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 35. 13; Vāyu-purāṇa 61. 10.
1c) Disciples of Vajina.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 61. 23.
1d) Disciples of Yājñavalkya.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 61. 24.
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.
Sports, Arts and Entertainment (wordly enjoyments)
Source: archive.org: Syainika Sastra of Rudradeva with English Translation (art)Caraka (चरक) (also Carakh, Caragh, etc.) refers to the “Suker falcon” and represents one of the seven kinds of Black-Eyed Hawks (known as the Kṛṣṇākṣā division), according to the Śyainika-śāstra: a Sanskrit treatise dealing with the divisions and benefits of Hunting and Hawking, written by Rājā Rudradeva (or Candradeva) in possibly the 13th century.—Accordingly, [while discussing the training of hawks]: “The names of the various species of the two principal divisions are:—[e.g., Caraka]. The tiercels also have the same divisions. This completes the species of the ‘black-eyed’. This class can be tamed by much ‘watching’. It eats flesh and drinks water. If it bites the falconer’s hand, stones are to be presented to it”.
This section covers the skills and profiencies of the Kalas (“performing arts”) and Shastras (“sciences”) involving ancient Indian traditions of sports, games, arts, entertainment, love-making and other means of wordly enjoyments. Traditionally these topics were dealt with in Sanskrit treatises explaing the philosophy and the justification of enjoying the pleasures of the senses.
In Buddhism
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: BuddhismCaraka (चरक) is the name of an ancient king from the Solar dynasty (sūryavaṃśa) and a descendant of Mahāsaṃmata, according to the Dīpavaṃśa and the Mahāvaṃśa. Caraka is known as Kāru according to the Dulva (the Tibetan translation of the Vinaya of the Sarvāstivādins).
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarycaraka : one who walks or frequents; 2. a spy. || cāraka (adj.), one who causes to move or act. (m.) a prison.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryCaraka, 1. =cara2 (a messenger) J. VI, 369 (attha°); adj. walking through: sabbalokaṃ° J. V, 395.—2. any animal S. I, 106; PvA. 153 (vana°). (Page 263)
— or —
Cāraka, (cārika) (adj.) wandering about, living, going, behaving, always —°, like ākāsa°, niketa°, pure° (see pubbaṅgama), vana°, — f. cārikā journey, wandering, esp. as cārikaṃ carati to go on alms-pilgrimage (see carati Ib) Vin. I, 83; J. I, 82; II, 286; Dh. 326; Miln. 14, 22; °ñ pakkamati to set out wandering J. I, 87; Miln. 16. ‹-› S. I, 199; M. I, 117; A. III, 257; DA. I, 239 sq. (in detail on two cārikā); VvA. 165; EnA 295 (unchā°). (Page 265)
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarycaraka (चरक).—m ( P) A sugarcane-mill. 2 Cant. The teeth and jaws; the mill of the mouth. 3 A wheel or lathe (for turner's work, for polishing pots and pans, for seeding or cleaning cotton &c.) 4 A mill freely. Applied to a coffee-mill, pepper-mill, puraṇa vāṭāyācā caraka &c. 5 Wheeling fig., continual going on of any matter; as khāṇyācā- lihiṇyācā-saimpākācā-pāhuṇyācā-ca0 cālalā āhē. carakīṃ dharaṇēṃ To turn in the lathe. 2 fig. To keep hard at; to make stick to (as to a business or a study).
--- OR ---
caraka (चरक) [or ख, kha].—ad In amazement or bewilderment. Ex. mājhī buddhi or akkala ca0 jhālī or mī ca0 jhālōṃ.
--- OR ---
carakā (चरका).—m (cara! the sound in searing or singeing.) The sound or the sudden smart attendant upon a burn: also a burn, sear, brand. v basa. 2 The hiss or the sear of vegetables &c. upon which hot phōḍaṇī is poured; of water into which heated metal is plunged &c. v basa, dē. 3 A thrill or sudden pang (as affecting the mind).
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishcaraka (चरक).—m A sugarcane-mill. A wheel or lathe. carakī dharaṇēṃ To keep hard at; to make to stick to (as to a business or a study).
--- OR ---
caraka (चरक) [or kha, or ख].—ad In amazement or be- wilderment.
--- OR ---
carakā (चरका).—m A burn, sear, brand. A thrill or sudden pang (as affecting the mind).
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 dictionaryCaraka (चरक).—
1) A spy.
2) A wandering mendicant, a vagrant.
3) Name of a sage and physician supposed to be serpent-king Śeṣa come to the earth. [He composed a new book on medicine, based on other works of Agniveśa and other pupils of Ātreya].
4) Name of a lexicographer m. (pl.); cf. P.IV.3.17.
5) Name of a branch of the black Yajurveda.
Derivable forms: carakaḥ (चरकः).
--- OR ---
Cāraka (चारक).—a. [cārayati car-ṇic-ṇvul]
1) Acting, doing, proceeding; अपूर्वचारकः सौम्यो अनिकेतः समाहितः (apūrvacārakaḥ saumyo aniketaḥ samāhitaḥ) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 3.278.19.
-kaḥ 1 A spy.
2) A herdsman.
3) A leader, driver.
4) An associate.
5) A groom, cavalier.
6) A prison; निगडितचरणा चारके निरोद्धव्या (nigaḍitacaraṇā cārake niroddhavyā) Daśakumāracarita 32.
7) A bond, fetter.
8) Going, motion.
9) A wandering Brahmanical student.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryCaraka (चरक).—m. (not noted in Pali; rare in Sanskrit, see [Boehtlingk] s.v. 1 c; but recorded in AMg. as caraga-, [compound] with parivvāyaga, just as in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit]), one of a heretical sect of ascetics; regularly followed in composition by parivrājaka, the two possibly (as allegedly in AMg., above, see [Ardha-Māgadhī Dictionary]) denoting a single sect or class of persons, rather than two: usually preceded, immediately or otherwise, by anya- tīrthika (Lalitavistara 2.21; Mahāvastu iii.412.7) or anyatīrthya (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 276.2); caraka-parivrājaka- Lalitavistara 2.21; 380.12; Saddharmapuṇḍarīka 276.2; Mahāvastu iii.412.7; Śikṣāsamuccaya 331.11. The proper Tibetan translation seems to be spyod pa pa; so both Lalitavistara passages (Foucaux reads dpyod pa pa for 2.21, but my photostat of the Lib. of Congr. ed. spyod…) and Saddharmapuṇḍarīka; spyod = car-. But Jäschke (Tibetan-English Dictionary) defines this by Mīmāṃsaka, the correct term for which is dpyod pa pa (both terms are given for Mīmāṃsaka in Mahāvyutpatti 3517; Mahāvyutpatti seems to omit caraka); dpyod = examine (mīmāṃs-); Tibetan tradition has confused the two.
--- OR ---
Carakā (चरका).—name of a goddess: Mahāsamājasūtra, Waldschmidt, Kl. Sanskrit Texte 4, 185.17.
--- OR ---
Cāraka (चारक).—(-cāraka), m. (to cārayati, q.v., 2), dispenser, one who deals out (Tibetan ḥgrim pa, or ḥdrim pa, both for more usual ḥbrim pa), in yavāgū- Mahāvyutpatti 9058, khādyaka- 9059, phala- 9060, yatkiṃcic- 9061; all referring to officials or servants in a monastery.
--- OR ---
Cārakā (चारका) or Cārikā.—3, q.v., course, stream (of a river).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaraka (चरक).—m.
(-kaḥ) 1. The author of a treatise upon medicine: applied also to the work. 2. A spy or secret emissary, &c. E. cara to go, Unadi affix. svārthe ka saṃjñāyāṃ kan vā .
--- OR ---
Cāraka (चारक).—m.
(-kaḥ) 1. A groom, a horseman, a cavalier. 2. A binding, a fetter. 3. An associate, a companion. 4. A spy. 5. A herdsman E. car to go, in the causal form, and ṇic-ṇvul aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryCāraka (चारक).—i. e. car + aka, I. adj. Acting, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 66, 18. Ii. m. 1. A spy, Mahābhārata 2, 172. 2. A prison, [Daśakumāracarita] in
Caraka (चरक).—[masculine] wanderer, traveller, [especially] a religious student or a spy; [masculine] [Name] of an ancient physician, [plural] a branch of the Yajurveda.
--- OR ---
Cāraka (चारक).—[adjective] acting, proceeding, setting in motion (—°). [masculine] spy, scout.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum1) Caraka (चरक) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—grammarian. Quoted by Kṣīrasvāmin in Kṣīrataraṅgiṇī, and by Mohanadāsa Oxf. 143^a.
2) Caraka (चरक):—See Carakasaṃhitā.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Caraka (चरक):—[from car] m. a wanderer, wandering religious student, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiv; Pāṇini 5-1, 11; Lalita-vistara i, 28]
2) [v.s. ...] a spy, [Naiṣadha-carita iv, 116]
3) [v.s. ...] a kind of ascetic, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhajjātaka xv, 1]
4) [v.s. ...] a kind of medicinal plant, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
5) [v.s. ...] Name of a Muni and physician (the Serpent-king Śeṣa, who was the recipient of the Āyur-veda; once on visiting the earth and finding it full of sickness he became moved with pity and determined to become incarnate as the son of a Muni for alleviating disease; he was called Caraka because he had visited the earth as a kind of spy or cara; he then composed a new book on medicine, based on older works of Agni-veśa and other pupils of Ātreya, [Bhāvaprakāśa])
6) [v.s. ...] Name of a lexicographer
7) [v.s. ...] m. [plural] (cf. [Pāṇini 4-3, 107]) Name of a branch of the black Yajur-veda (the practises and rites-enjoined by which are different in some respects from those in [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa]), [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa iv; Lāṭyāyana v, 4, 20 [Scholiast or Commentator] on Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā] and, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Vāyu-purāṇa i, 61, 10]
8) Cāraka (चारक):—[from cāra] mfn. ifc. proceeding, [Rāmāyaṇa iii, 66, 18]
9) [v.s. ...] (√car, [Causal]) setting in motion, [Mahābhārata xiv, 42, 29]
10) [v.s. ...] composed by Caraka, [Pāṇini 4-3, 107; Kāśikā-vṛtti]
11) [v.s. ...] m. a spy, [Mahābhārata ii, 172] ([Pañcatantra ii]) and, [iv, 911]
12) [v.s. ...] (√car, [Causal] [Pāṇini 7-3, 34; Kāśikā-vṛtti]) a driver, herdsman (cf. go-), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
13) [v.s. ...] = bhojaka, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
14) [v.s. ...] an associate, companion (saṃcāraka), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
15) [v.s. ...] a fetter, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
16) [v.s. ...] a prison, [Lalita-vistara xv; Daśakumāra-carita vii]
17) [v.s. ...] Buchanania latifolia, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Caraka (चरक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. The author of a treatise upon medicine; a spy.
2) Cāraka (चारक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. A groom, a cavalier, a companion; a fetter.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Caraka (चरक) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Caraga, Cariya.
[Sanskrit to German]
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 dictionaryCarakā (चरका):—(nm) fraud, swindle, rigging; —[khānā] to be swindled/defrauded; —[denā] to defraud, to swindle; —[laganā] to be defrauded/swindled.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusCaraka (ಚರಕ):—
1) [noun] a man who keeps wandering; a wanderer.
2) [noun] a student who wanders from place to place for getting knowledge.
3) [noun] name an ancient celebrated sage and physician of India.
4) [noun] a treatise on medicine written by him.
--- OR ---
Caraka (ಚರಕ):—
1) [noun] a spinning wheel.
2) [noun] a press or mill used to extract juice from sugarcane or oil from oil seeds.
3) [noun] a wheel or disc.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Tamil dictionary
Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil LexiconCārāka (சாராக) adverb < சார்² [sar²] + ஆ-. [a-.] Benami; மலரனையாக. [malaranaiyaga.] Nāñ.
Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+13): Caraka-samhita, Carakabhashya, Carakacarya, Carakadhvaryu, Carakadhvaryubrahmana, Carakadhvaryusutra, Carakagrantha, Carakai, Carakalasha, Carakalpa, Carakam, Carakanda, Carakane, Carakanem, Carakantakam, Carakantam, Carakantapashanam, Carakaprayoga, Carakapuja, Carakasamdesha.
Ends with (+31): Abhicaraka, Acaraka, Anucaraka, Anuccaraka, Apacaraka, Aparicaraka, Asannaparicaraka, Atthacaraka, Avacaraka, Becaraka, Dharmapracaraka, Dushcaraka, Ekavacaraka, Gocaraka, Goracaraka, Guracaraka, Hatacaraka, Kacaraka, Kamavacaraka, Khadyakacaraka.
Full-text (+2792): Saraka, Carakadhvaryu, Gocaraka, Cariya, Varnacaraka, Carakatriratra, Carika, Sarakayana, Carakam, Paricaraka, Trisaraka, Abhicaraka, Trirasaka, Carakacarya, Yavagucaraka, Lohacaraka, Kakulimriga, Uddhvamsana, Curaka, Supasamskrita.
Relevant text
Search found 65 books and stories containing Caraka, Cāraka, Carakā, Cārakā, Cārāka, Charaga, Saaraaga, Saraga, Saraka; (plurals include: Carakas, Cārakas, Carakās, Cārakās, Cārākas, Charagas, Saaraagas, Saragas, Sarakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Stupas in Orissa (Study) (by Meenakshi Chauley)
Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita (by Nayana Sharma)
The identity of Caraka < [Chapter 1]
The Position of the Physician in Society < [Chapter 2]
Class and Gender (Introduction) < [Chapter 5]
Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita (by Laxmi Maji)
Caraka (Āyurveda scholar) < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Caraka-Saṃhitā (Āyurveda book) < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
Apasmāra (epilepsy) according to Caraka < [Chapter 4 - Diseases and Remedial measures (described in Caraka-saṃhitā)]
Formal Education System in Ancient India (by Sushmita Nath)
Tours or Travelling (as a method of teaching) < [Chapter 6 - Methods of Teaching and the Teacher–Student relationship]
Teacher-Student (Guru-Śiṣya) relationship < [Chapter 6 - Methods of Teaching and the Teacher–Student relationship]
History of Indian Medicine (and Ayurveda) (by Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society)
Chapter 6 - The Story of Caraka < [Part 1 - The History of Medicine in India]
Chapter 8 - Caraka Samhita—A Redacted Treatise < [Part 1 - The History of Medicine in India]
Chapter 7 - The Story of Dridhabala < [Part 1 - The History of Medicine in India]
The Brahmanda Purana (by G.V. Tagare)
Chapter 33 - Characteristics of Sages and of Mantras < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
Chapter 35 - The legend of Yājñavalkya’s receiving the Veda from the Sun-God < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
Chapter 7 - Knowledge about the world < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
Related products
