Kambu, Kambū: 19 definitions

Introduction:

Kambu means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, biology. 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.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)

Source: Shodhganga: Portrayal of Animal Kingdom (Tiryaks) in Epics An Analytical study

Kambu (कम्बु) (lit. “one who has three lines or marks in neck”) is a synonym (another name) for the Elephant (Gaja), according to scientific texts such as the Mṛgapakṣiśāstra (Mriga-pakshi-shastra) or “the ancient Indian science of animals and birds” by Hamsadeva, containing the varieties and descriptions of the animals and birds seen in the Sanskrit Epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Ayurveda book cover
context information

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.

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Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Kambu (कम्बु) (Cf. Śaṅkha) refers to a “conch” and represents one of the attributes of Goddess Mālinī, according to the Śrīmatottara-tantra, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, while describing the Mūrti (visualized iconic form) of the goddess Mālinī: “She is like the rising sun and is blissful with wine. Very beautiful, she has five faces and is radiant with five time three eyes. She is adorned with beautiful earrings and shines with diadem and crown. She has ten arms adorned with many ornaments. O beloved, (she holds) a bow, javelin, conch [i.e., kambu], makes the gesture of fearlessness and holds a mirror. (Such) is the divine weapon in her left hands. (She holds) a thunderbolt, arrow, snake, makes a boon bestowing gesture and holds a rosary. O goddess, such is the divine weapon (held) by (her) right (hands)”.

Shaktism book cover
context information

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.

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Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Kambu (कम्बु) refers to a “conch-shell”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.12.—Accordingly, after Himācala (i.e., Himālaya) brought his daughter (Pārvatī) before Śiva: “Then Śiva looked at her in the first flush of her youth. Her complexion resembled the full blown blue lotus petals. Her face appeared as the full moon. Her auspicious dress and features were the repositories of all graceful charms. Her neck had the shape of the conch-shell [i.e., kambu-grīvā]. Her eyes were wide and her ears shone exquisitely. On either side, her long-rounded arms resembling a lotus-stalk shone beautifully. [...]”.

Purana book cover
context information

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.

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Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Wisdom Library: Local Names of Plants and Drugs

Kambu [ಕಂಬು] in the Kannada language is the name of a plant identified with Cenchrus americanus (L.) Morrone from the Poaceae (Grass) family having the following synonyms: Pennisetum glaucum, Panicum indicum. For the possible medicinal usage of kambu, you can check this page for potential sources and references, although be aware that any some or none of the side-effects may not be mentioned here, wether they be harmful or beneficial to health.

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

1) Kambu in India is the name of a plant defined with Pennisetum glaucum in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Panicum compressum Biv. (among others).

2) Kambu is also identified with Bauhinia vahlii It has the synonym Phanera vahlii (Wight & Arn.) Benth. (etc.).

3) Kambu in Nigeria is also identified with Vetiveria nigritana It has the synonym Andropogon squarrosus var. chrysopogonoides Hack. (etc.).

4) Kambu in Papua New Guinea is also identified with Alstonia scholaris It has the synonym Beluttakaka malabarica (Lam.) Kuntze (etc.).

5) Kambu in Tanzania is also identified with Rumex usambarensis It has the synonym Rumex usambarensis Dammer ex Peter (etc.).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Plantae Junghuhnianae (1852)
· J. Cytol. Genet. (1980)
· Grasses of Burma (1960)
· World Checklist of Seed Plants. (1995)
· Bot. Zeit. (1853)
· J. Cytol. Genet. (1990)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Kambu, for example health benefits, pregnancy safety, chemical composition, extract dosage, diet and recipes, side effects, have a look at these references.

Biology book cover
context information

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

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Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

kambu : (m.; nt.) gold; a conch-shell.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Kambu, (cp. Sk. kambu, Halāyudha=śaṅkha; Dhtp. saṃvaraṇe) 1. a conch, a shell: saṇha-kambu-r-iva ... sobhate su gīvā Th. 2, 262 (for kampurī’va); s. cpds.—2. a ring or bracelet (made of shells or perhaps gold: see Kern. Toev. s. v.) J. IV, 18, 466 (+kāyūra); Pv. II, 127, III, 93 (=PvA. 157, saṅkhavalaya) Vv 362 (=VvA. 167 hatth’âlaṅkāra), worn on the wrist, while the kāyūra is worn on the upper part of the arm (bhujâlaṅkāra ibid.);— 3. a golden ring, given as second meaning at VvA. 167, so also expl. at J. IV, 18, 130; J. V, 400.

Pali book cover
context information

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.

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Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

kambu (कंबु).—m S A conch.

context information

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Kambu (कम्बु).—a. (-mbu or -mbū f.) Spotted, variegated.

-mbuḥ -mbu (m., n.) A conch-shell; स्मरस्य कम्बुः किमयं चकास्ति दिवि त्रिलोकीजयवादनीयः (smarasya kambuḥ kimayaṃ cakāsti divi trilokījayavādanīyaḥ) N.22.22; Śiśupālavadha 18.54.

-mbuḥ 1 An elephant.

2) The neck.

3) The variegated colour.

4) A vein of the body.

5) A bracelet; कम्बुकेयूरधारिण्यः (kambukeyūradhāriṇyaḥ) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 3.233.46.

6) A tube-shaped bone.

--- OR ---

Kambū (कम्बू).—a. Stealing. -m.

1) A thief, plunderer.

2) A bracelet; cf. Uṇādi-sūtra 1.93.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Kambu (कम्बु).—mfn. (-mbuḥ-mbūḥ-mbu) Speckled, variegated. mn. (-mbuḥ-mbu) 1. A conch, a shell. m.

(-mbuḥ) 1. A bracelet, a ring. 2. A bivalve shell. 3. An elephant. 4. The neck. 5. A vein or tubular vessel of the body, &c. E. kamb to go, u affix, or kam to desire; the form is irr.

--- OR ---

Kambū (कम्बू).—mfn. (-mbūḥ-mbūḥ-mbu) A thief, a plunderer. m.

(-mbūḥ) A bracelet. E. kam to desire, ū Unadi affix, and buk inserted.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Kambu (कम्बु).—m. and n. 1. A shell, [Bhāgavata-Purāṇa, (ed. Burnouf.)] 4, 7, 20. 2. A bracelet (made of shells, Mahābhārata 2, 2067), Mahābhārata 4, 54.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Kambu (कम्बु).—[masculine] a shell or a bracelet made of shells.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Kambu (कम्बु):—m. (u n., [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]) a conch

2) a shell, [Mahābhārata iv, 255; Bhāgavata-purāṇa; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc.

3) a bracelet or ring made of shells, [Mahābhārata]

4) a bracelet in general, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

5) three lines or marks in the neck (indicative of good fortune), [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

6) the neck, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

7) an elephant, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

8) a tube-shaped bone, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

9) a vein or tubular vessel of the body, [Horace H. Wilson]

10) a sort of Curcuma, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

11) Kambū (कम्बू):—[from kambu] m. (√kam, [Uṇādi-sūtra i, 95]), a thief. plunderer

12) [v.s. ...] a bracelet, [Horace H. Wilson]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Kambu (कम्बु):—(mbuḥ) 2. m. n. A conch. m. A bracelet; a bivalve shell; an elephant; the neck; a vein. a. Variegated.

2) Kambū (कम्बू):—(mbūḥ) 1. m. A bracelet. m. f. A thief, a plunderer.

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Kambu (कम्बु) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Kaṃbu.

[Sanskrit to German]

Kambu in German

context information

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.

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Prakrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary

Kaṃbu (कंबु) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Kambu.

context information

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.

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Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Kaṃbu (ಕಂಬು):—

1) [noun] a thick heavy spiral shell, occasionally bearing long projections, of various marine gastropod molluscs of the family Strombidae; a conch.

2) [noun] an ornamental band, hoop or chain worn on the wrist; a bracelet.

3) [noun] an elephant.

4) [noun] water.

5) [noun] the white colour.

6) [noun] that part of a human joining the head to the body; the neck.

7) [noun] the grass Pennisetum typhoides (= Holcus spicata, = Panicum spicatum) of Poaceae family.

8) [noun] its grain; spiked millet.

context information

Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.

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