Caturangabala, Caturaṅgabala, Caturanga-bala, Caturamgabala: 13 definitions
Introduction:
Caturangabala means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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 Chaturangabala.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल) refers to the “four sorts of fighting groups”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.5.16 (“The battle of the gods”).—Accordingly, after Jalandhara commanded the Asuras: “Thus the Asuras clever and efficient in battle, commanded by Jalandhara on the one hand and gods equipped with the four sorts of fighting groups (caturaṅgabala-anvita) on the other fought one another with maces, arrows, javelins, spears etc. They hit one another with axes and spears. [...] Thus the fight between the gods and the Asuras was terrific. It was very fierce frightening the sages and the Siddhas”.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana IndexCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल).—The fourfold forces, of Śūra; see Caturangini.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 26. 7; 45. 1; 46. 18; Matsya-purāṇa 240. 19-21.
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.
Arthashastra (politics and welfare)
Source: Shodhganga: A socio-cultural study on Bhāsa’s dramas (artha)Caturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल).—According to Kauṭilya (Arthaśāstra II.30-33), a state should have a four-fold army (caturaṅgabala), viz., infantry, cavalry, elephant and charioteers and each of these parts also should have one capable and concerned adhyakṣa. he army of Bhāsa’s period consisted of four types (caturaṅgabala), viz., infantry, cavalry, elephant and charioteers. These huge armies were led by the army-general in war. Kings were war-loving and a war was like a festival for them. They used to fight for the sake of their own pride and a means of their conquest. Beating of war-drum was an interesting thing in battle.
Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Source: Shodhganga: Elements of Art and Architecture in the Trtiyakhanda of the Visnudharmottarapurana (shilpa)caturaṅgabala (१) refers to a “complete section of army” (consisting of elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry), according to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, an ancient Sanskrit text which (being encyclopedic in nature) deals with a variety of cultural topics such as arts, architecture, music, grammar and astronomy.—According to the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa, the picture of battle field should have caturaṅgabala i.e., a complete section of army consisting of elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry. Moreover, the ground of the battle field should be filled with scattered dead bodies smeared with blood.
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesAn officer of state of Jambudipa; an author. Gv.67.
Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita SastraCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल) refers to the “suffering of armies” and represents one of the various “outer torments”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter XV).—Accordingly, “There are two kinds of torments (alpābādatā), those having an external cause and those having an internal cause. The external torments are cold (śīta), heat (uṣṇa), hunger (kṣudh), thirst (pipāsā), armies (caturaṅgabala), swords (asi), knives (śastra), clubs (daṇḍa), catastrophes (patana), ruins (avamardana); all these external accidents of this kind are called torments (ādādha). The inner torments are the 404 illnesses (vyādhi) that come from improper food or irregular sleep; all the sicknesses of this kind are called inner sicknesses. Corporeal beings (dehin) all have to suffer from these two kinds of illnesses. This is why Ratnakāra asks Śākyamuni if he has but little torments and suffering”.
Source: archive.org: The MahavastuCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल) is the name of a king according to the Mahavāstu chapter I.11. Accordingly, “The span of man’s life was then eighty-four thousand years. Now there was at that time a king named Caturaṅgabala, who was beloved and popular. This guardian of earth built forty koṭis of palaces made of many precious stones, and one palace besides of preeminent beauty. The king also caused to be made an abundance of couches and seats of faultless workmanship, and prepared the requisites of food and medicines befitting seers”.
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the GaganagañjaparipṛcchāCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल) or simply Caturaṅga refers to “four kinds of troops”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, after the exposition of the dharma, ‘A Chapter of the Collection of Dharma’ (dharmasaṃgraha), was taught: “[...] When this teaching was taught and verses were accomplished, the wicked Māra, having magically created four kinds of troops (caturaṅgabala-kāya), came to the courtyard where the Lord stayed with them, stationed them on the outside of the courtyard, disguised himself as a householder, went in front of the Lord, and bowed down at his feet, saying: ‘[...]’”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Source: TLB: MañjuśrīvikrīḍitasūtraCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल) refers to “armed forces of four classes” according to the Mañjuśrīvikrīḍita-sūtra chapter 6. Accordingly, “The king Ajātaśatru – surrounded by his retinue of women, with his armed forces of four classes (caturaṅgabala), with great royal richness and great royal might (mahārājānubhava) – also went to where the princely Mañjuśrī stayed...”.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल).—name of an ancient king: Mahāvastu i.117.3.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल).—n.
(-laṃ) An entire army: see the last. E. caturaṅga, and bala an army.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaturaṅgabala (चतुरङ्गबल):—[=catur-aṅga-bala] [from catur-aṅga > catur > catasṛ] n. an entire army (comprising elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry), [Mahābhārata iii, 660; Rāmāyaṇa; Kathāsaritsāgara iii, 76]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusCaturaṃgabala (ಚತುರಂಗಬಲ):—[noun] = ಚತುರಂಗ - [caturamga -] 2.
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Cāturaṃgabala (ಚಾತುರಂಗಬಲ):—[noun] = ಚಾತುರಂಗ [caturamga]1.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Bala, Caturanga.
Starts with: Caturangabaladhipatya, Caturangabaladhyaksha.
Full-text: Caturanga, Shastra, Danda, Patana, Battle-field, Dehin, Army, Asi, Pipasa, Vyadhi, Avamardana, Kshudh, Kaya.
Relevant text
Search found 7 books and stories containing Caturangabala, Caturaṅgabala, Caturanga-bala, Caturaṅga-bala, Caturamgabala, Caturaṃgabala, Cāturaṃgabala, Cāturaṅgabala, Cāturaṅga-bala; (plurals include: Caturangabalas, Caturaṅgabalas, balas, Caturamgabalas, Caturaṃgabalas, Cāturaṃgabalas, Cāturaṅgabalas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Vishnudharmottara Purana (Art and Architecture) (by Bhagyashree Sarma)
7(d): Portrait of Different Places in Painting < [Chapter 5 - Painting and Image Making]
Kautilya Arthashastra (by R. Shamasastry)
Chapter 33 - Chariots, Infantry and the Duties of the Commander-in-Chief < [Book 2 - The duties of Government Superintendents]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Act 9.7: Samantaraśmi starts his journey to the Sahā universe < [Chapter XV - The Arrival of the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions]
Act 10.2: Samantaraśmi greets the Buddha Śākyamuni < [Chapter XV - The Arrival of the Bodhisattvas of the Ten Directions]
Bhūmi 8: the unshakeable ground (acalā) < [Chapter XX - (2nd series): Setting out on the Mahāyāna]
The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)
Chapter 19b - The Buddha’s Second Vassa < [Volume 3]
Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana (by Chaitali Kadia)
War and Weapons in the Matsya Purāṇa < [Chapter 5 - Cultural history in the Matsya-Purāṇa]
Vastu-shastra (2): Town Planning (by D. N. Shukla)