Karnavedha, Karṇavēdha, Karṇavedha, Karna-vedha: 12 definitions
Introduction:
Karnavedha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India, 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.
In Hinduism
Arthashastra (politics and welfare)
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध) refers to the ceremony of “ear piercing” and represents one of the sixteen saṃskāras, or “ceremonies” accompanying the individual during the Gṛhastha (householder) stage of the Āśrama way of life. These ceremonies (e.g., karṇavedha-saṃskāra) are community affairs and at each ceremony relations and friends gather for community eating.
Arthashastra (अर्थशास्त्र, arthaśāstra) literature concerns itself with the teachings (shastra) of economic prosperity (artha) statecraft, politics and military tactics. The term arthashastra refers to both the name of these scientific teachings, as well as the name of a Sanskrit work included in such literature. This book was written (3rd century BCE) by by Kautilya, who flourished in the 4th century BCE.
Shilpashastra (iconography)
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध) refers to the “ceremony of perforation of the ear”, as defined in treatises such as the Pāñcarātra, Pādmasaṃhitā and Vaikhānasa-āgamas, extensively dealing with the technical features of temple art, iconography and architecture in Vaishnavism.—Banerjea points out, “The custom of perforating the earlobes and ears for the insertion of various types of ornaments is very old in India... in ancient and medieval times it was common to both men and women. The ceremony of Karṇavedha (perforation of the ear) is one of the important saṃskāras in the life of a twice-born, and the wearing of kuṇḍalas was once regarded as one of the privileges of a brahmacārin (student initiate) and of a gṛhastha (bouse-holder)... The physical peculiarity of long and distended ears and earlobes, which was the direct outcome of the wearing of heavy and broad ear-ornaments, came to be regarded as a sign of beauty and greatness (cf. pṛthukarṇatā as one of the signs of greatness in men)”.
Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध) refers to one of the topics discussed in the Śiśuhitā, a Sanskrit manuscript collected in volume 1 of the catalogue “Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (first series)” by Rajendralal Mitra (1822–1891), who was one of the first English-writing historians dealing with Indian culture and heritage.— The Śiśuhitā manuscript authored by Kṛṣṇarāma represents a primer on astrology, giving rules for calculation of nativities and most of the topics usually treated of in Indian astrological. It contains 2,457 ślokas.—The catalogue includes the term—Karṇavedha in its ‘subject-matter list’ or Viṣaya (which lists topics, chapters and technical terms). The complete entry reads: karṇavedhaḥ.
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.
India history and geography
Karnavedha refers to one of those ceremonies of the Nambutiris performed after marriage, during pregnancy or during the birth of a child. Karnavedha is the occasion on which the ears are bored. The Nambutiri people form the socio-spiritual aristocracy of Malabar, and, as the traditional landlords of Parasu Rama’s land, they are everywhere held in great reverence.
The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
karṇavēdha (कर्णवेध).—m (S) The ceremony of boring the ear of a child.
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
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध).—piercing the ears to put ear-rings on; a religious ceremony (saṃskāra).
Derivable forms: karṇavedhaḥ (कर्णवेधः).
Karṇavedha is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms karṇa and vedha (वेध).
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध).—m.
(-dhaḥ) 1. Boaring the ears: as a religious ceremony it is performed where there are three sons, to prevent one of them from dying. 2. Piercing the ear in general. E. karṇa, and vedha piercing.
1) Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध):—[=karṇa-vedha] [from karṇa] m. ‘ear-boring’ (a religious ceremony sometimes performed as a saṃskāra or to prevent a woman from dying if the birth of a third son be expected), [Purāṇa-sarvasva]
2) [v.s. ...] piercing the ear to receive ear-rings.
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध):—[karṇa-vedha] (dhaḥ) 1. m. Boring the ears.
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध):—(karṇa + vedha) m. Durchbohrung der Ohren, eine religiöse Ceremonie, welche zur Abwendung eines Todesfalles vollzogen wird, wenn die Geburt eines dritten Sohnes erwartet wird, [Jyotiṣatattva im Śabdakalpadruma]
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Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध):—[Oxforder Handschriften 86,b,7.]
Karṇavedha (कर्णवेध):—m. Durchbohrung der Ohren (eine best. rel. Ceremonie).
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
Karṇavēdha (ಕರ್ಣವೇಧ):—[noun] the piercing of the ear; a making hole in the lobe of the ear.
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: Vedha, Karna.
Starts with: Karnavedhani, Karnavedhanika, Karnavedhaprayoga, Karnavedhavidhana.
Full-text: Karnavedhaprayoga, Shrutivedha, Samskara.
Relevant text
Search found 24 books and stories containing Karnavedha, Karṇavēdha, Karṇavedha, Karna-vedha, Karṇa-vedha; (plurals include: Karnavedhas, Karṇavēdhas, Karṇavedhas, vedhas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
History of Indian Medicine (and Ayurveda) (by Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society)
Chapter 1 - The Ceremonials observed in Childhood < [Part 4 - Some Aspects of Life in Caraka’s Times]
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 1.6.3 < [Chapter 6 - The Lord Begins Studying and His Childhood Mischief]
Verse 2.21.14 < [Chapter 21 - The Lord’s Chastisement of Devānanda]
Introduction to chapter 6 < [Chapter 6 - The Lord Begins Studying and His Childhood Mischief]
Devala-smriti (critical study) (by Mukund Lalji Wadekar)
7.5. Description of Karnavedha < [Chapter 9 - The distinctive features of the Devalasmriti]
9.2. Inclusion of sacrifices in 48 Samskaras < [Chapter 9 - The distinctive features of the Devalasmriti]
Chapter 8 - Devala-Smriti (a summary of the reconstructed text)
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 344 < [Hindi-Gujarati-English Volume 1]
Page 335 < [Hindi-Assamese-English Volume 1]
Page 533 < [Marathi-Hindi-English, Volume 1]
Festivals and Ceremonies of the Nepalese of Assam (by Monmi Kakati)
Part 1-2 - Introduction and the Sixteen Samskaras < [Chapter 4 - Ceremonies of the Nepalese of Assam]
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