Karkataka, Karkaṭaka: 14 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Ayurveda
2. Purana
In Buddhism
1. Tibetan Buddhism
Languages
1. Sanskrit
2. Kannada
See also

Introduction:

Karkataka 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.

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: Wisdom Library: Āyurveda and botany

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक) is a Sanskrit word referring to the animal “crab”. The meat of this animal is part of the māṃsavarga (‘group of flesh’), which is used throughout Ayurvedic literature. The animal Karkaṭaka is part of the sub-group named Vāriśaya, refering to animals “living in waters”. It was classified by Caraka in his Carakasaṃhitā sūtrasthāna (chapter 27), a classical Ayurvedic work. Caraka defined such groups (vargas) based on the dietic properties of the substance.

Source: archive.org: Sushruta samhita, Volume I

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक)—Sanskrit word for an animal “crab”. This animal is from the group called Pādin (‘those which have feet’). Pādin itself is a sub-group of the group of animals known as Ānupa (those that frequent marshy places).

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.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

1a) Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक).—A commander of Bhaṇḍa.^*

* Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa IV. 21. 78.

1b) Cancer; when the sun enters this it is Dakṣiṇāyana.^*

* Viṣṇu-purāṇa II. 8. 31.

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.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक) is the name of a Rāśi (zodiac sign) mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Karkaṭaka).

context information

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

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक).—1 A crab. कर्कटकसधर्माणो हि जनकभक्षाः राजपुत्राः (karkaṭakasadharmāṇo hi janakabhakṣāḥ rājaputrāḥ) Kau. A.1.17.

2) Cancer, the fourth sign of the zodiac.

3) Compass, circuit.

4) A kind of sugarcane.

5) A hook.

-kī A female crab.

-kam 1 A poisonous root.

2) A particular fracture of the bones.

Derivable forms: karkaṭakaḥ (कर्कटकः).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक).—(m. or nt.; compare karkaṭa, actually °ṭakāṅ-ghri, a moulding, a kind of joinery resembling the crab's leg, Acharya, Dict. Hindu Arch. 115), (1) a kind of moulding on a toraṇa (°ṇā): Mahāvastu iii.178.16 tasya nirdhāvantasya [Page170-a+ 71] toraṇāye karkaṭakasmiṃ makuṭaṃ lagnaṃ, and 20 (uttamāṅgato makuṭaṃ toraṇāgrāto) karkaṭakena utkṣip- taṃ; (2) in Divyāvadāna 274.23 (and 281.2) °kena, defined Index as hook, but rather tongs, a meaning found in Sanskrit; (3) °ṭikā, f., heart of a flower: Mahāvyutpatti 6239 = Tibetan sñiṅ po, which also renders karṇikā 6238; also in indranīla-kark° 6244; of a lotus, Gaṇḍavyūha 434.14 mahāratnarājapadma-karkaṭikāyām; ifc. [bahuvrīhi] 434.13 (paṅktivairocana)maṇirāja-karkaṭikaṃ; (4) °ṭaka (= Pali Kakkaṭa), name of an upāsaka in Nādikā: MPS 9.12.

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

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक).—m.

(-kaḥ) A crab. E. kan added to the preceding.

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

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक).—[karkaṭa + ka], I. m. 1. A crab, [Pañcatantra] 1, 237. 2. The name of a plant, [Suśruta] 2, 527, 4. 3. The name of a Nāga, [Rāmāyaṇa] 5, 78, 9. Ii. f. kī, A female crab, [Draupadīpramātha] 5, 9. Iii. n. A poisonous bulbous plant, [Suśruta] 2, 252, 7.

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

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक).—[masculine] a crab; the sign Cancer.

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

1) Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक):—[from karka] m. a crab, [Suśruta; Pañcatantra] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] the sign Cancer, [Varāha-mihira’s Bṛhat-saṃhitā]

3) [v.s. ...] a pair of tongs, [Daśakumāra-carita]

4) [v.s. ...] a pair of compasses (cf. karkaṭa)

5) [v.s. ...] a kind of plant, [Suśruta]

6) [v.s. ...] a particular position of the hands

7) [v.s. ...] Name of a Nāga, [Rāmāyaṇa]

8) [from karka] n. a kind of poisonous root, [Suśruta]

9) [v.s. ...] a particular fracture of the bones, [Suśruta i, 301, 5.]

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

Karkaṭaka (कर्कटक):—(kaḥ) 1. m. A crab.

[Sanskrit to German]

Karkataka 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.

Kannada-English dictionary

Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpus

Karkaṭaka (ಕರ್ಕಟಕ):—

1) [noun] = ಕರ್ಕ [karka]3 - 1 & 6; 3) a variety in sugar cane.

2) [noun] a curved metal piece; a hook.

--- OR ---

Karkāṭaka (ಕರ್ಕಾಟಕ):—

1) [noun] any of numerous decapod crustaceans of the section Brachyura, which have the first pair of legs modified into pincers and can move in any direction, including sideways and backwards; a crab.

2) [noun] the vine Momordica cochinchinensis (= Muricia cochinchinensis) of Cucurbitaceae family.

3) [noun] the fourth sign of the zodiac, entered by the sun about June 21; the Cancer.

context information

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

Relevant text

Search found 17 books and stories containing Karkataka, Karkaṭaka, Karkāṭaka; (plurals include: Karkatakas, Karkaṭakas, Karkāṭakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Story of Māsa

Story of Dvādaśāditya

Story of Jyotiṣa

+ 3 more chapters / show preview

18. Other Campus bearing on Kerala history < [Chapter 5 - Sanskrit Dramas and Campus bearing on Kerala History]

show preview

Verse 37 [Bindu and Visarga] < [Chapter 2 - Second Vimarśa]

show preview

Temples in Avarani (Abaranadani) < [Chapter XII - Temples of Kulottunga III’s Time]

Temples in Tirundu-devangudi < [Chapter II - Temples of Kulottunga I’s Time]

show preview

Chapter CXCI - The Nidanam of fractures < [Dhanvantari Samhita]