Caura, Caūra, Caurā: 22 definitions
Introduction:
Caura means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi. 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 Chaura.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Caura (चौर) refers to “theft”, which is considered as having evil influences (vyasana), according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.1.17. Accordingly, “[...] who is he that is not broken up by the evil influences (vyasana) of hunting (mṛgayā), wine (madya), slander (paiśunya), untruth (anṛta), theft (caura), gambling (durodara) and prostitutes (vāradāra)? The wicked fellow (Guṇanidhi) used to lay his hands on whatever he could see in the house, a cloth, a base metal etc. and take it to the gambling den, there to lose the same to his brother gamblers (dyūtakāra)”.
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.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Caura (चौर) refers to “thieves”, according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 4), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “If the Moon (candra) should be eclipsed by Ketu she will destroy prosperity, health and plenty. Artisans will perish and thieves [i.e., caura] will suffer greatly. If while the moon is eclipsed, she be crossed by the fall of a meteor, that prince will die in the star of whose nativity the moon then happens to be”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
1) Caura (चौर) refers to “thieves”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, “These excellent sacrificial paps (caruka) should not be given to Tāntrikas. O Śambhu, it should always be kept hidden, like riches from thieves (caura—caurebhyo dravinaṃ [draviṇaṃ?] yathā). Otherwise, there is no success and no tradition”.
2) Caura (चौर) refers to “stealing (knowledge)”, according to the Kubjikāmata-tantra, the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “If the teachers who are in the world have little knowledge how can (authentic spiritual) knowledge be protected (from corruption)? (Indeed, such teachers) steal knowledge away (jñāna-caura). If a disciple disrespects (his) teacher (thinking to himself) ‘I have acquired the essence of (his) knowledge, (it is time to) leave’ (and does so) without saying (that he is leaving), the goddesses will block (his development) and make (him) more foolish. [...]”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
Shyanika-shastra (the science of Hawking and Hunting)
Caura (चौर) refers to “thieves”, 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, “Hunting on horseback (āśvina) represents one of the eight subdivisions of Hunting (mṛgayā). [...] It leads to the acquisition of religious merit, by killing ferocious animals such as wolves and tigers, by the protection of standing crop, by the slaughter of stags and other animals, by an inspection of the forest, which serves so many useful purposes, by frightening the thieves (caura), and by conciliating forest tribes. [...]”.
Shyanika-shastra (श्यैनिकशास्त्र, śyainikaśāstra) deals with ancient Indian skill of hawking/falconry (one of the ways of hunting) which were laid down in a systematic manner in various Sanskrit treatises. It also explains the philosophy behind how the pleasures derived from sense-experience could lead the way to liberation.
Ayurveda (science of life)
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Caura (चौर) refers to “robbers” (to be exterminated with certain elephants), according to the 15th century Mātaṅgalīlā composed by Nīlakaṇṭha in 263 Sanskrit verses, dealing with elephantology in ancient India, focusing on the science of management and treatment of elephants.—[Cf. chapter 8, “on marks of character”]: “17. Elephants having the character of a Gandharva, serpent, or Yakṣa are (all) military, but a Kṣatriya is particularly (to be used) as a military elephant; the Brahmans and gods, in sacrificial and other ritual performances; the Vaiśya class is useful in all labors, and the others in fighting, killing, carrying merchandise, etc., slaying robbers (caura-hanana), and annihilating tigers and other (wild beasts)”.
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.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Caura (चौर) refers to a “thief” (who, when touching certain vessels, pollutes them), according to the Pātravidhi—a manual of the Lakulīśa Pāśupata school of Śaivism dealing with purification of the initiate’s vessel (pātra) and other concerned issues.—Accordingly, “One should abandon altogether vessels made of clay, wood and fruit, which have come into contact with phlegm, tears, pus, stools, urine, liquor, sperm and blood. One should abandon altogether a vessel which is touched by a thief (caura), an outcast, one who has lost his status by committing a crime, a dog, a man of Bhilla or some other [wild tribes], and also [a vessel which has come into contact] with a crow’s faeces and similar [polluting] things. A vessel very much spoiled [by impure substance] should be broken and floated in water. (44–46ab)”.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Caura (चौर) refers to “(the outer suffering of) the wicked thief”, as mentioned in the 2nd century Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra chapter XXXI in the section called “four foundations of mindfulness (smṛtyupasthāna)”.—Accordingly:—“[...] there are two kinds of suffering (duḥkha): inner suffering and outer suffering. [...] Outer suffering (bāhyaduḥkha) is of two types: i) the king (rājan), the victorious enemy (vijetṛ), the wicked thief (caura), the lion (siṃha), tiger (vyāghra), wolf (vṛka), snake (sarpa) and other nuisances (viheṭhana); ii) the wind (vāta), rain (vṛṣṭi), cold (śīta), heat (uṣna), thunder (meghagarjita), lightning (vidyut), thunderbolts, etc: these two kinds of suffering are outer suffering”.
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.
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Caurā (चौरा) is another name for Caurimā—one of the “Fifty-eight Wrathful Deities” (Tibetan: khro bo lha nga brgyad) according to various sources such as the Guhyagarbha Tantra and the Tibetan Book of the Dead.—They feature in Tantric teachings and practices which focus on purifying elements of the body and mind. These deities [e.g., Caurā] form part part of the the Hundred Peaceful and Wrathful Deities who manifest to a deceased person following the dissolution of the body and consciousness whilst they are in the intermediate state (bardo) between death and rebirth. Caurimā is part of the “eight wrathful females” and is also known as Caurī, Caurā, Tsaurima. She is known in Tibetan as (1) tso'u ri (2) chom rkun ma.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
caūra (चऊर) [or चऊरगोंडा, caūragōṇḍā].—m Better written cavara.
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caūra (चऊर).—m (Better cāhūra q. v.) A measure of land.
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cāūra (चाऊर).—m See cāvara & cāhūra.
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caura (चौर).—m (Better cāhūra q. v.) A measure of land.
caūra (चऊर).—m (Better cāhūra) A measure of land.
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caura (चौर).—m A measure of land.
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
Caura (चौर).—
1) A thief, robber; सकलं चोर गतं त्वया गृहीतम् (sakalaṃ cora gataṃ tvayā gṛhītam) V.4.16. इन्दीवरदलप्रभाचोरं चक्षुः (indīvaradalaprabhācoraṃ cakṣuḥ) Bhartṛhari 3.67.
2) Any dishonest dealer.
2) One that steals or captivates the heart.
Derivable forms: cauraḥ (चौरः).
See also (synonyms): cora.
Caura (चौर).—mf. (-raḥ-rī) 1. A thief, a robber, a pilferer. 2. A plant: see corapuṣpī 3. A perfume. f. (-rī) Stealing, theft. E. cora a thief, affix aṇ.
Caura (चौर).—i. e. curā, Theft ([Grammarians.]) + a, m. 1. A thief, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 4, 118. 2. The robber of a heart; in the title, caura-pañcāśikā, The fifty strophes of a robber of a heart.
Caura (चौर).—[masculine] ī [feminine] thief, robber.
1) Caura (चौर):—mfn. (√cur) thievish, [Hemacandra’s Pariśiṣṭaparvan ii, 170] (= cora [gana] prajñādi; [gana] chattrādi) a thief. robber, [Manu-smṛti iv, viii, xi] (ifc.), [Harivaṃśa] etc.
2) a dishonest or unfair dealer, usurper, [Pañcatantra i, 8, 11/12 and 18/19] (also in [compound] translatable as [adjective (cf. [masculine, feminine and neuter; or adjective])])
3) (ifc. e.g. kavi-, ‘a plagiarist’), [Gaṇaratna-mahodadhi 114]
4) a (heart-) captivator, [Harivaṃśa 7125; 9981 and 9994]
5) the perfume Coraka, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
6) ‘plagiarist’, Name of a poet (cf. cora), [Śārṅgadhara-paddhati]
7) [plural] Name of a family, [Pravara texts i, 7] ([Kātyāyana] and, [Viśvanātha daivajña])
Caura (चौर):—[(raḥ-rī)] 1. m. 3. f. A thief. f. Theft; a grass; a perfume.
Caura (चौर):—(von curā) m.
1) Dieb, Räuber gaṇa chattrādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 4, 62.] [Vopadeva’s Grammatik 7, 19. 22.] [Amarakoṣa 2, 10, 25.] [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 2, 10, 7.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 381.] [Hārāvalī 45.] caurairupaplute grāme [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 4, 118. 8, 29. 34. 40 u.s.w.] caurasenā [Harivaṃśa 10248.] [Hitopadeśa I, 175] (cauratas). [Geschichte des Vidūṣaka 39.] [Vetālapañcaviṃśati 22, 10. 25, 5.] [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 4, 14, 38. 40.] suvarṇa [Manu’s Gesetzbuch 11, 49.] dhānya [50.] gagane tava gātrāṇāṃ varṇacaurānivotthitān (meghān) [Harivaṃśa 3570.] [Meghadūta 47.] acaurābhūttathā bhūmiḥ [Rājataraṅgiṇī 6, 7.] caurasyakulam (nur ein Accent) Diebesbande [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 6, 3, 21,] [Scholiast] Uneig. ein mit der Hinterlist eines Diebes zu Werke gehender Mensch [Harivaṃśa 15163.] Usurpator, Jmd der sich unrechtmässiger Weise eine Stellung, einen Titel aneignet: caurarūpī sa bhāsurakaḥ [Pañcatantra 55, 21.] caurasiṃha [56, 2. 21.] Herzensdieb [Harivaṃśa 7125. 9981. 9994]; vgl. ratitaskara [9995] und caurapañcāśikā . Am Ende eines comp. als Ausdruck des Tadels [GAṆARATN.] zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 2, 1, 53.] —
2) Name einer Pflanze (s. corapuṣpikā) [Medinīkoṣa] zur Bereitung eines Wohlgeruchs benutzt [Varāhamihira’s Bṛhajjātaka S. 76, 20.] —
3) ein best. Parfum [Hemacandra’s Anekārthasaṃgraha] — Nach gaṇa prajñādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 5, 4, 38] vom gleichbedeutenden cora .
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Caura (चौर):—
1) f. ī Diebin: manaścaurī [Kathāsaritsāgara 95, 54.] citta [104, 168.] —
4) Nomen proprium eines Dichters (Plagiator) [Oxforder Handschriften 123,b,44. fg.]
Caura (चौर):——
1) m. — a) Dieb , Räuber , In Comp. mit dem gestohlenen Gute. caurasyakulam (ein Wort) Diebesbande. tara m. ein grosser Dieb [Naiṣadhacarita 8,59.] — b) Usurpator , Jmd der sich unrechtmässiger Weise eine Stellung oder einen Titel aneignen. Geht im Comp. voran ( caurasiṃha). — c) Chrysopogon aciculatus. — d) *ein best. Parfum , = coraka [Madanapāla’s Madanavinoda 44,55.] — e) Nomen proprium eines Dichters. —
2) f. ī — a) Diebin. — b) *Dieberei , Diebstahl.
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
Caurā (चौरा) [Also spelled chaura]:—(nm) an altar; a raised platform forming part of a religious or ritualistic installation.
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Prakrit-English dictionary
Caura (चौर) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Catura.
Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.
Kannada-English dictionary
Caura (ಚೌರ):—
1) [noun] the act of cutting, dressing, shaving or trimming of the hair of the head or beards.
2) [noun] (fig.) a losing of money (by way of unnecessary or wasteful expenditure).
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Caura (ಚೌರ):—
1) [noun] a fan made of the long hair of yak (Bos grunniens).
2) [noun] the profession of fanning in a royal court.
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Caurā (ಚೌರಾ):—[noun] the middle-sized tree Erinocarpus nimmoanus of Tiliaceae family, with yellow flowers and fibrous bark.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
1) Caura (चौर):—n. 1. a grassland; meadow; 2. a land;
2) Caura (चौर):—n. meadow; an open grassy space;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+12): Caura-carata, Caura-varjam, Caurabhavani, Caurabhaya, Caurabombala, Cauracanam, Cauracarya, Cauradhvajabaddhaka, Cauradika, Cauradravya, Cauragata, Caurage, Caurahanana, Caurahrita, Cauraka, Caurakarman, Caurakilbisha, Caurakilvisha, Cauramacam, Cauramanam.
Full-text (+155): Caurasa, Caurapahrita, Kavyacaura, Bhitticaura, Stricaura, Prasahyacaura, Cauramkaram, Caurakarman, Suvarnacaura, Karucaura, Caurapancashika, Caurahrita, Caurapushpaushadhi, Nikcaura, Caurabhavani, Dhanyacaura, Cauratas, Namacaura, Vandicaura, Cauram.
Relevant text
Search found 40 books and stories containing Caura, Cāūra, Caūra, Caurā; (plurals include: Cauras, Cāūras, Caūras, Caurās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Srila Gurudeva (The Supreme Treasure) (by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja)
A Thief of Hearts < [Chapter 1.1 - Śrī Guru Tattva and Śrī Guru Sevaka]
Abhijnana Sakuntalam (with translation and notes) (by Bidhubhusan Goswami)
Chapter 6: Translation and notes < [Abhijnana Sakuntalam, text and notes]
Chapter 1 - Prathama-anka (prathamo'nkah) < [Abhijnana Sakuntalam, text and notes]
Garga Samhita (English) (by Danavir Goswami)
Verse 1.18.1 < [Chapter 18 - Vision of the Universal Form]
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 9.270 < [Section XXXVIII - Treatment of Criminals and their Punishment]
Yajnavalkya-smriti (Vyavaharadhyaya)—Critical study (by Kalita Nabanita)
Chapter 4.7 - Existence of the Autonomous Bodies or Groups < [Chapter 4 - The Political Aspect Reflected in the Vyavahārādhyāya]
Chapter 3.2a - Positions of the Brāhmaṇas and the Śūdras < [Chapter 3 - The Social Aspect Depicted in the Vyavahārādhyāya]