Cina, aka: Cīna, Cīnā; 7 Definition(s)
Introduction
Cina means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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 China.
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Cīna (चीन) is a Sanskrit word for a variety of rice (ṣaṣṭika) which is said to have a superior quality, according to Caraka in his Carakasaṃhitā sūtrasthāna (chapter 27), a classical Āyurvedic work. The literal translation of the word is “thread” or “banner”. The plant Cīna is part of the Śūkadhānyavarga group of medicinal plants, referring to the “group of awned grains”. Caraka defined such groups (vargas) based on the dietic value of the plant. Cīna is said to be cold, unctuous, non-heavy, promoting the stability of and alleviates the three doṣas.
(Source): Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botany
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
Cīna (चीन).—(c) a northern kingdom;1 unfit for śrāddha;2 people of.3
- 1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa II. 16. 7; 18. 46; 31. 83.
- 2) Matsya-purāṇa 16. 16.
- 3) Vāyu-purāṇa 47. 42; 58. 83.
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.
Itihasa (narrative history)
Cīnā (चीना) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. II.47.19, II.47.22, III.48.21, III.174.12, V.19.15, V.72.14, VI.10.65) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Cīnā) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
(Source): JatLand: List of Mahabharata people and placesItihasa (इतिहास, itihāsa) refers to ‘epic history’ and represents a branch of Sanskrit literature which popularly includes 1) the eighteen major Puranas, 2) the Mahabharata and 3) the Ramayana. It is a branch of Vedic Hinduism categorised as smriti literature (‘that which is remembered’) as opposed to shruti literature (‘that which is transmitted verbally’).
In Buddhism
Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)
The Pali name of China. It is several times mentioned in the Milindapanha (121, 327), once as a place where ships congregate (359). Nagasena speaks (121) of a contemporary Cinaraja who could charm the ocean by an Act of Truth and could enter the ocean to a distance of one league in his chariot drawn by lions, the waves rolling back at his approach.
The Apadana (ii.359) speaks of the Cinarattha in a list of countries and tribes.
The Commentaries (E.g., VibbA.159) speak of the softness of Chinese silk (Cinapata).
(Source): Pali Kanon: Pali Proper NamesTheravāda 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).
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
cīṇa (चीण).—f ( P) The ruffle or plaits of a garment. 2 A crack or an opening (as in a wall or floor). 3 C (ciṇaṇēṃ) A well-beaten terrace or floor.
--- OR ---
cīna (चीन).—m n The root of cinī (a variety of yam). 2 m f ( P) The ruffle or plaits of a garment. 3 f (Better cīṇa) A crack or fissure. 4 n or cīna- rēśīma n An inferior kind of silk.
(Source): DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarycīṇa (चीण).—f The ruffle of a garment. A crack. A well-beaten floor.
(Source): DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-EnglishMarathi 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
Cīna (चीन).—[ci-nak pṛṣo ° dīrghaḥ]
1) Name of a country, the modern China.
2) A kind of deer.
3) A sort of cloth.
4) A thread.
-nāḥ m. (pl.) The rulers or people of China.
-nam 1 A banner.
2) A kind of bandage for the corners of the eyes.
3) Lead.
Derivable forms: cīnaḥ (चीनः).
(Source): DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionarySanskrit, 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.
Relevant definitions
Search found 15 related definition(s) that might help you understand this better. Below you will find the 15 most relevant articles:
| Cinamshuka | Cīnāṃśuka (चीनांशुक) is used for silk imported from China and was once commonly used by craftsm... | |
| Cina-tungabhadra | Cina-tuṅgabhadra is the name of a major historic river of Āndhradeśa (Andhra country).—The evol... | |
| Cinavasu | Cīnavasu (चीनवसु).—lead.Derivable forms: cīnavasum (चीनवसुम्).Cīnavasu is a Sanskrit compound c... | |
| Cinapatta | Cīnapaṭṭa (चीनपट्ट).—1) lead. 2) China silk; Kau. A.2.11. Derivable forms: cīnapaṭṭam (चीनपट्टम... | |
| Cinaja | Cīnaja (चीनज).—steel. Derivable forms: cīnajam (चीनजम्).Cīnaja is a Sanskrit compound consistin... | |
| Cinavasas | Cīnavāsas (चीनवासस्).—n. China-cloth, silk, silken cloth; चीनांशुक- मिव केतोः प्रतिवातं नीयमानस... | |
| Cinai | cināī (चिनाई).—a Relating to China. | |
| Asikni | 1) Asikni (असिक्नि).—A river flowing through the Punjab in India. This is called Candrabhāgā an... | |
| Cinaka | Cīnaka (चीनक) or Cīnāka (चीनाक).—1) A kind of camphor.2) Name of a very small grain, fennel.Der... | |
| Vidyunmala | 1) Vidyunmālā (विद्युन्माला), daughter of king Suroha, was captivated by love at the sight of S... | |
| Shashtika | Ṣaṣṭika (षष्टिक).—a. Bought with sixty.-kaḥ, -kā A kind of rice of quick growth; घृतक्षीरसमायुक... | |
| Citala | citaḷa (चितळ).—mn The spotted antelope. | |
| Shukadhanyavarga |
Śūkadhānyavarga (शूकधान्यवर्ग) is the Sanskrit name for a group of medicinal plants, classif... | |
| Sukhadhana | Sukhadhana (सुखधन) is the name of a merchant as mentioned in the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 43. ... | |
| Suroha | Suroha (सुरोह) is the name of an ancient king of Cīna (China), whose daughter, Vidyunmālā, was ... |
Relevant text
Search found 6 books and stories containing Cina, Cīna or Cīnā. You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
List of Mahabharata tribes (by Laxman Burdak)
List of Mahabharata people and places (by Laxman Burdak)
Brihat Samhita (by N. Chidambaram Iyer)
Chapter 16 - On the planets (graha-bhaktiyoga)
Apadana commentary (Atthakatha) (by U Lu Pe Win)
Commentary on the Biography of Buddha (Buddha-apadāna-vaṇṇanā) < [Chapter 1 - Buddhavagga (Buddha section)]
A Dictionary Of Chinese Buddhist Terms (by William Edward Soothill)
The Markandeya Purana (by Frederick Eden Pargiter)