Caturdanta, Catur-danta, Caturdamta: 11 definitions
Introduction:
Caturdanta means something in 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 Chaturdanta.
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: Wisdom Library: Skanda-puranaCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त, “four-tusked”) refers to one of the fifty-six vināyakas located at Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), and forms part of a sacred pilgrimage (yātrā), described in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa (Skanda-purāṇa 4.2.57). He is also known as Caturdantavināyaka, Caturdantagaṇeśa and Caturdantavighneśa. These fifty-six vināyakas are positioned at the eight cardinal points in seven concentric circles (8x7). They center around a deity named Ḍhuṇḍhirāja (or Ḍhuṇḍhi-vināyaka) positioned near the Viśvanātha temple, which lies at the heart of Kāśī, near the Gaṅges. This arrangement symbolises the interconnecting relationship of the macrocosmos, the mesocosmos and the microcosmos.
Caturdanta is positioned in the South-Western corner of the fifth circle of the kāśī-maṇḍala. According to Rana Singh (source), his shrine is located at “Nai Sarak, Sanatandharm School, D 49/ 10”. Worshippers of Caturdanta will benefit from his quality, which is defined as “the destroyer of obstacles by glimpse”. His coordinates are: Lat. 25.18627, Lon. 83.00308 (or, 25°11'10.6"N, 83°00'11.1"E) (Google maps)
Caturdanta, and the other vināyakas, are described in the Skandapurāṇa (the largest of the eighteen mahāpurāṇas). This book narrates the details and legends surrounding numerous holy pilgrimages (tīrtha-māhātmya) throughout India. It is composed of over 81,000 metrical verses with the core text dating from the before the 4th-century CE.
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त) refers to “four-tusked (elephants)”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.38 (“Description of the dais or maṇḍapa”).—Accordingly, as Himavat prepared the wedding of Menā and Śiva: “[...] On the left side there were two huge saffron coloured elephants with four tusks (caturdanta) and appearing to be of sixty years in age. They shone lustrously. There were two horses too, brilliant like the sun. They were bedecked in divine ornaments and other necessary embellishments. The guardians of the quarters were shown as adorned with great gems. All the gods were portrayed by Viśvakarman realistically. [...]”.
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.
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Wisdom Library: KathāsaritsāgaraCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त) is the name of an elephant-leader (gaja-yūthapa), according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 62. Accordingly, “... now, once on a time, a leader of a herd of elephants, named Caturdanta, came there [to lake Candrasaras] to drink water, because all the other reservoirs of water were dried up in the drought that prevailed. Then many of the hares [śaśaka], who were the subjects of that king [Śilīmukha], were trampled to death by Caturdanta’s herd, while entering the lake”.
The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Caturdanta, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.
Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त).—an epithet of Airāvata, the elephant of Indra.
Derivable forms: caturdantaḥ (चतुर्दन्तः).
Caturdanta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms catur and danta (दन्त).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त).—m.
(-ntaḥ) Indra'S elephant. E. catur four, and danta a tooth.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त).—m. the name of an elephant, [Pañcatantra] 159, 13.
Caturdanta is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms catur and danta (दन्त).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Caturdanta (चतुर्दन्त):—[=catur-danta] [from catur > catasṛ] mfn. ‘having 4 tusks’, Indra’s elephant Airāvata, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] Name of an elephant, [Pañcatantra iii, 1, 0/1; Kathāsaritsāgara lxii, 30.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryCaturdanta (चतुर्दन्त):—[catur-danta] (ntaḥ) 1. m. Indra's elephant.
[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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusCaturdaṃta (ಚತುರ್ದಂತ):—[noun] Airāvata, the celestial elephant used as a vehicle by Indra, the chief of gods.
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Cāturdaṃta (ಚಾತುರ್ದಂತ):—[noun] Airāvata, the mythological elephant of Indra, the chief of gods, that has four tusks.
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Cāturdaṃta (ಚಾತುರ್ದಂತ):—[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: Danta, Catur.
Starts with: Caturdanta-samara, Caturdantaganesha, Caturdantavighnesha, Caturdantavinayaka.
Full-text: Caturdanta-samara, Ghotaka-vigraha, Caturdantaganesha, Caturdantavinayaka, Caturdantavighnesha, Danta, Shilimukha, Candrasaras, Vinayaka, Vijaya.
Relevant text
Search found 3 books and stories containing Caturdanta, Catur-danta, Caturdamta, Caturdaṃta, Cāturdaṃta, Cāturdanta; (plurals include: Caturdantas, dantas, Caturdamtas, Caturdaṃtas, Cāturdaṃtas, Cāturdantas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Matangalila and Hastyayurveda (study) (by Chandrima Das)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 57 - Manifestation of Dhuṇḍhi Vināyaka and Fifty-six Vināyakas < [Section 2 - Uttarārdha]
Kathasaritsagara (the Ocean of Story) (by Somadeva)
Chapter LXII < [Book X - Śaktiyaśas]