Caru, Cāru: 17 definitions
Introduction
Caru means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Buddhism, Pali, the history of ancient India, 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 Charu.
In Hinduism
Vastushastra (architecture)
Source: Wisdom Library: Vāstu-śāstraCāru (चारु) refers to a type of temple (prāsāda) classified under the group named Maṇika, according to Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra chapter 49. The Maṇika group contains ten out of a sixty-four total prāsādas (temples) classified under five prime vimānas (aerial car/palace), which were created by Brahmā for as many gods (including himself). This group represents temples (eg. Cāru) that are to be globular and oblong in shape. The prāsādas, or ‘temples’, represent the dwelling place of God and are to be built in towns. The Samarāṅgaṇasūtradhāra is an 11th-century encyclopedia dealing with various topics from the Vāstuśāstra.
Vastushastra (वास्तुशास्त्र, vāstuśāstra) refers to the ancient Indian science (shastra) of architecture (vastu), dealing with topics such architecture, sculpture, town-building, fort building and various other constructions. Vastu also deals with the philosophy of the architectural relation with the cosmic universe.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Nilamata Purana: a cultural and literary studyCaru (चरु) refers to a “preparation of all grains”, forming part of a common diet in ancient Kashmir (Kaśmīra) as mentioned in the Nīlamatapurāṇa.—Caru is a preparation of all grains, recommended as a gift for the Brāhmaṇas and the relatives (v. 502). Most of the references to the articles of diet occur in the Nīlamata in connection with the offerings made to the gods but it is not difficult to infer from them the food and drink of the common people because “what a man eats his gods eat”.
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaCāru (चारु).—(CĀRUCITRA). A son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, killed in war by Bhīmasena. (Mahābhārata Droṇa Parva, Chapter 136).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1) Caru (चरु).—By a manipulation of Raudra-Vaiṣṇava offerings of Rāka, Jamadagni was born from Vaiṣṇavāgni;1 a ceremonial oblation.2
2) Cāru (चारु).—A son of Rukmiṇi. Went out to play and saw a huge lizard with his brothers and reported to Kṛṣṇa.*
- * Bhāgavata-purāṇa X. 61. 9; 64. 1-4; Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 246. Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 237. Viṣṇu-purāṇa V. 28. 2.
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.
Dharmashastra (religious law)
Source: Sacred Texts: The Grihya Sutras, Part 2 (SBE30)Caru (चरु) or Karu refers to “pulse”, mentioned as an example of a gift used in a Yajña (sacrifice), in the Āpastamba-yajña-paribhāṣā-sūtras 1.—“yajña [viz., iṣṭi], sacrifice, is an act by which we surrender something for the sake of the gods. Such an act must rest on a sacred authority (āgama), and serve for man’s salvation (śreyortha). The nature of the gift is of less importance. It may be puroḍāśa, cake; karu [viz., caru], pulse; sāṃnāyya, mixed milk; paśu, an animal; soma, the juice of the Soma-plant, &c.; nay, the smallest offerings of butter, flour, and milk may serve for the purpose of a sacrifice”.
Puroḍāśa is a cake made of meal (‘pakvaḥ piṣṭapiṇḍaḥ’), different from karu (caru), which is more of a pulse consisting of grains of rice or barley, and clarified butter (‘‘ghṛtataṇḍulobhayātmakam’). This puroḍāśa cake has to be divided for presentation to different deities. If there are more than two deities, the plural vyāvartadhvam, separate, has to be used.
Dharmashastra (धर्मशास्त्र, dharmaśāstra) contains the instructions (shastra) regarding religious conduct of livelihood (dharma), ceremonies, jurisprudence (study of law) and more. It is categorized as smriti, an important and authoritative selection of books dealing with the Hindu lifestyle.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: Een Kritische Studie Van Svayambhūdeva’s PaümacariuCāru (चारु) participated in the war between Rāma and Rāvaṇa, on the side of the latter, as mentioned in Svayambhūdeva’s Paumacariu (Padmacarita, Paumacariya or Rāmāyaṇapurāṇa) chapter 57ff. Svayambhū or Svayambhūdeva (8th or 9th century) was a Jain householder who probably lived in Karnataka. His work recounts the popular Rāma story as known from the older work Rāmāyaṇa (written by Vālmīki). Various chapters [mentioning Cāru] are dedicated to the humongous battle whose armies (known as akṣauhiṇīs) consisted of millions of soldiers, horses and elephants, etc.
Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
India history and geogprahy
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical GlossaryCaru.—(EI 10, 22, 23; CII 3, 4), an offering to the manes; one of the five mahāyajñas. Note: caru is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as 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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionarycāru : (adj.) charming; beautiful; pleasant.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryCāru, (adj.) (Vedic cāru & cāyu to *qe — *qā, as in kāma, Lat. carus, etc., see under kāma) charming, desirable, pleasant, beautiful J. VI, 481; Miln. 201; Sdhp. 428, 512; VvA. 36 (=vaggu), sucāru S. I, 181; Pv. II, 1212 (=suṭṭhumanorama).
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 Dictionarycaru (चरु).—m S Boiled rice. Ex. kiṃ hōmaśāḷēntūna śvāna || jāya carumātra ghēūna ||.
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cāru (चारु).—a S Beautiful, elegant, handsome--persons or things.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishcaru (चरु).—m Boiled rice.
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cāru (चारु).—a Beautiful, handsome. cārugātra a Of elegant or handsome limbs.
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 dictionaryCaru (चरु).—[car un]
1) An oblation of rice or barley boiled for presentation to the gods and the manes; अनवस्रावी निरुष्मपक्व ओदनश्चरुरिति याज्ञिकाः ओदनेऽपि चरुशब्दः प्रयुज्यते (anavasrāvī niruṣmapakva odanaścaruriti yājñikāḥ odane'pi caruśabdaḥ prayujyate) | ŚB. on MS.1.1.36. (It is often boiled in milk and is called payaścaru; cf. R.1.51,54,56; or sprinkled over with butter or ghee); वन्यैश्चरुपुरोडाशैः (vanyaiścarupuroḍāśaiḥ) Bhāg.11.18.7.
2) A kind of vessel in which an oblation is prepared. प्रसिद्धश्च स्थाल्यां चरुशब्दः आ च हिमवतः आ च कुमारीभ्यः प्रयुज्य- मानो दृष्टः (prasiddhaśca sthālyāṃ caruśabdaḥ ā ca himavataḥ ā ca kumārībhyaḥ prayujya- māno dṛṣṭaḥ) | ŚB. on MS.1.1.35.
3) A cloud.
Derivable forms: caruḥ (चरुः).
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Cāru (चारु).—a. (-ru or -rvī f.) [चरति चित्ते चर् उण् (carati citte car uṇ) cf. Uṇ.1.3.]
1) Agreeable, welcome, beloved, esteemed, dear (with dat. or loc.); वरुणाय (varuṇāya) or वरुणे चारुः (varuṇe cāruḥ).
2) Pleasing, lovely, beautiful, elegant, pretty; प्रिये चारुशीले मुञ्च मयि मानमनि- दानम् (priye cāruśīle muñca mayi mānamani- dānam) Gīt.1; सर्वं प्रिये चारुतरं वसन्ते (sarvaṃ priye cārutaraṃ vasante) Ṛs.6.2; चकासतं चारु चमूरुचर्मणा (cakāsataṃ cāru camūrucarmaṇā) Śi.1.8;4.49.
-ruḥ An epithet of Bṛhaspati.
-ru n. Saffron.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryCāru (चारु).—name of a cakravartin king: Mahāvyutpatti 3559. Seems to correspond to Pali Cara, or Caraka Mahāv. ii.2. Cf. Upacāru.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaru (चरु).—m.
(-ruḥ) 1. An oblation of rice barley, and pulse, boiled with butter and milk for presentation to the gods or manes. 2. The vessel in which such an oblation is prepared. E. car to eat, uṇ Unadi affix, what the gods feed upon.
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Cāru (चारु).—mfn. (-ruḥ-rvī-ru) 1. An agreeable, welcome, dear. 2. Beautiful, elegant. m.
(-ruḥ) A name of Vrihaspati, regent of Jupiter, and preceptor of the gods. E. car to go, Unadi affix uṇ.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaru (चरु).—m. 1. A caldron, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 5, 117. 2. An oblation to the gods, chiefly of milk and butter, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 6, 11.
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Cāru (चारु).— (akin to car in carv, cf. cūrṇa, properly: Delicate, cf. ), adj., f. rvī. 1. Agreeable, [Pañcatantra] 256, 14. 2. Beautiful, [Rāmāyaṇa] 1, 63, 6.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Caru (चरु):—m. ([gana] bhīmādi) a kind of vessel (in which a particular oblation is prepared), saucepan, pot, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa xiii; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra; Kauśika-sūtra; Manu-smṛti; Yājñavalkya]
2) a cloud (cf. [Ṛg-veda i, 7, 6]), [Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska i, 10]
3) an oblation (of rice, barley and pulse) boiled with butter and milk for presentation to the gods or manes, [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā xxix. 6; Taittirīya-saṃhitā i; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Aitareya-brāhmaṇa i, 1 & 7; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra] etc. ([plural] [Yājñavalkya i, 298]).
4) Cāru (चारु):—mf(us)n. (√2. can) agreeable, approved, esteemed, beloved, endeared, ([Latin]) carus, dear (with [dative case] or [locative case] of the person), [Ṛg-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā xxxv, 17; Taittirīya-saṃhitā iii; Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa iii, 1, 1, 9; Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra i, 5, 9]
5) pleasing, lovely, beautiful, pretty, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Mahābhārata] etc.
6) ind. so as to please, agreeably (with [dative case]), [Ṛg-veda ix, 72, 7 and 86, 21; Atharva-veda vii, xii, xiv]
7) beautifully, [Harivaṃśa; Caurapañcāśikā]
8) m. (in music) a particular vāsaka
9) Name of Bṛhaspati, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
10) of a son of Kṛṣṇa, [Harivaṃśa 6699; Bhāgavata-purāṇa x, 61, 9]
11) of a Cakra-vartin, [Buddhist literature]
12) n. ([varia lectio] for vara) saffron, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc. [Scholiast or Commentator]]
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 (+72): Cari, Carubahu, Carubhadra, Carubhanu, Carucandra, Carucarana, Carucarya, Carucchada, Carucelin, Caruchada, Carucitra, Carucitrangada, Carudanta, Carudarshana, Carudaru, Carudassana, Carudatta, Carudeha, Carudeshna, Carudhama.
Ends with: Acaru, Bhadracaru, Dugdhacaru, Kucaru, Mocaru, Pranitacaru, Sacaru, Saptacaru, Sarvacaru, Sucaru, Upacaru, Vicaru.
Full-text (+133): Carulocana, Carusthali, Caruphala, Caruvardhana, Carudhara, Carushrapana, Caruvrana, Carugarbha, Caruhasin, Carubahu, Caruputa, Carurava, Carumat, Carushila, Caruvrata, Carvangi, Caruka, Caruhoma, Caravya, Carucitrangada.
Relevant text
Search found 36 books and stories containing Caru, Cāru; (plurals include: Carus, Cārus). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Apastamba-yajna-paribhasa-sutras (by Hermann Oldenberg)
The Brahmanda Purana (by G.V. Tagare)
Chapter 66 - Description of Amāvasu dynasty (vaṃśa) < [Section 3 - Upodghāta-pāda]
Chapter 1 - Birth of seven sages (saptarṣi): Race of Bhṛgu and Aṅgiras < [Section 3 - Upodghāta-pāda]
Chapter 28 - Meeting of Purūravas and Pitṛs < [Section 2 - Anuṣaṅga-pāda]
The Brahma Purana (by G. P. Bhatt)
The Gospel of Buddha (by Paul Carus)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 12 - Uninterrupted Ekādaśī Vow < [Section 5 - Mārgaśīrṣa-māhātmya]
Chapter 37 - King Śveta Attains Salvation < [Section 2 - Puruṣottama-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Chapter 44 - Description of the Jyeṣṭhapañcaka Vrata < [Section 2 - Puruṣottama-kṣetra-māhātmya]
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī)
Verse 2.2.49 < [Chapter 2 - Jñāna: Knowledge]
Verse 2.3.77 < [Chapter 3 - Bhajana: Worship]
Verse 2.7.25 < [Chapter 7 - Jagad-ānanda: The Bliss of the Worlds]