Introduction

In Hinduism

Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭu

1) Kaṭu (कटु) is another name for Kaṭvī, a medicinal plant possibly identified with Picrorhiza kurroa (kutki) from the Plantaginaceae or “plantain” family of flowering plants, according to verse 3.139-140 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. The third chapter (guḍūcyādi-varga) of this book contains climbers and creepers (vīrudh). Vaidyaka Śabda Sindhu identifies Kaṭvī with Kaṭukī (Picrorhiza kurroa), which on account of its laxative role does not tally with the Kaṭvī of the Raj Nighantu. Together with the names Kaṭu and Kaṭvī, there are a total of eight Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

2) Kaṭu (कटु) is also mentioned as a synonym for Apāmārga, a medicinal plant identified with Achyranthes aspera Linn. (“prickly chaff-flower”) from the Amaranthaceae or “amaranth” family of flowering plants, according to verse 4.88-91. The fourth chapter (śatāhvādi-varga) of this book enumerates eighty varieties of small plants (pṛthu-kṣupa). Together with the names Kaṭu and Apāmārga, there are a total of twenty-three Sanskrit synonyms identified for this plant.

Source: Shodhganga: Dietetics and culinary art in ancient and medieval India

Kaṭu (कटु) refers to “pungent substances” and is mentioned in a list of remedies for indigestion in the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.—A complete section in Bhojanakutūhala is devoted for the description of agents that cause indigestion [viz., puṣkarataila (oil extracted from puṣkara)]. These agents consumed on a large scale can cause indigestion for certain people. The remedies [viz., kaṭu (pungent substances)] for these types of indigestions are also explained therewith.

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.

In Buddhism

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Dharma-samgraha

Kaṭu (कटु, “acidic”) refers to one of the “six kinds of tastes” (rasa) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 36). The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit (e.g., kaṭu). The work is attributed to Nagarjuna who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

kaṭu (कटु).—a (S) Pungent, sharp, acrid. 2 Sharply bitter. 3 fig. Offensive, keen, cutting--speech. 4 fig. Fierce or fiery: also impetuous, vehement, ardent, smart.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

kaṭu (कटु).—a Pungent, sharp, acrid. Sharply bitter.

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.

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Kaṭu (कटु).—a. [(ṭu or ṭvī] f.)

1) Pungent, acrid; (said of a rasa or flavour; the rasas are six; madhura, kaṭu, amla, tikta, kaṣāya, and lavaṇa); कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः । आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकाभयप्रदाः (kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ | āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokābhayapradāḥ) || Bg.17.9.

2) Fragrant, exhaling strong odour; सप्तच्छदक्षीरकटुप्रवाहम् (saptacchadakṣīrakaṭupravāham) R.5.48.

3) Ill-smelling, having a bad smell.

4) (a) Bitter. This sense is found qiven to the words कटु (kaṭu) and कटुक (kaṭuka) in Prākrit and later sanskrit works; cf. अतिकटुः कारवेल्लादिः अतितीक्ष्णो मरिचादिः (atikaṭuḥ kāravellādiḥ atitīkṣṇo maricādiḥ); अमृततरङ्गिणी (amṛtataraṅgiṇī) on Bg.17.9,-नीलकण्ठ (nīlakaṇṭha) gives the same sense.

5) caustic (words); Y.3.142. (b) Disagreeable, unpleasant; श्रवणकटु नृपाणामेकवाक्यं विवव्रुः (śravaṇakaṭu nṛpāṇāmekavākyaṃ vivavruḥ) R.6.85.

6) Envious.

7) Hot, impetuous.

-ṭuḥ 1 Pungency, acerbity (one of the six flavours).

2) Name of several plants.

-ṭuḥ f. A medical plant (kaṭurohiṇī).

-ṭu n.

1) An improper action.

2) Blaming, reviling, scandal.

--- OR ---

Kātu (कातु).—A well.

Derivable forms: kātuḥ (कातुः).

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

Kaṭu (कटु).—mfn. (-ṭuḥ-ṭuḥ or -ṭvī-ṭu) 1. Pungent. 2. Envious. 3. Fierce, impetuous, hot. 4. Fragrant. 5. Bad scented, ill smelling. 6. Displeasing, disagreeable. m.

(-ṭuḥ) 1. Pungency or a pungent taste. 2. A flower, (Michelia champaca.) 3. Champhor. 4. A sort of gourd, (Trichosanthes.) n. (-ṭu) 1. An improper action, an act which ought not to have been done. 2. Blaming, reviling, scandal. f.

(-ṭuḥ) 1. The name of a medicinal plant; also kaṭukā and kaṭukī. 2. A plant which bears a fragrant seed: see priyaṅgu. 3. Mustard. E. kaṭ to go, &c. and u Unadi aff.

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

Kaṭu (कटु).— (for kartu, i. e. kṛt + u), adj., f. ṭu or ṭvī, Sharp, pungent; of taste, [Pañcatantra] 61, 11; of smell, Mahābhārata 14, 1408; of the wind, [Rāmāyaṇa] 3, 22, 11; of words, [Pañcatantra] i. [distich] 191.

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

Kaṭu (कटु).—[adjective] pungent, biting, sharp, bitter; [abstract] tā [feminine], tva [neuter]

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

1) Kaṭu (कटु):—[from kaṭ] mf(vī and us)n. ([Uṇādi-sūtra i, 9]; cf. √2. kṛt) pungent, acrid, sharp (one of the six kinds of flavour, rasa q.v.), [Mahābhārata; Suśruta; Bhagavad-gītā] etc.

2) [v.s. ...] pungent, stimulating (as smell), strong-scented, ill-smelling, [Mahābhārata xiv; Raghuvaṃśa v, 48; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.

3) [v.s. ...] bitter, caustic (as words) displeasing, disagreeable (as sounds)

4) [v.s. ...] fierce, impetuous, hot, envious, [Raghuvaṃśa vi, 85; Pañcatantra] etc.

5) [v.s. ...] m. (us) pungency, acerbity (as of a flavour), [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.];

6) [v.s. ...] cf. [Lithuanian] kartus, ‘bitter’

7) [v.s. ...] Trichosanthes Dioeca, [Suśruta]

8) [v.s. ...] Michelia Campaka, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

9) [v.s. ...] Name of several other plants, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

10) [v.s. ...] a kind of camphor, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

11) [v.s. ...] f(us and vī). Name of several plants

12) [v.s. ...] n. (u) an improper action, an act which ought not to have been done

13) [v.s. ...] blaming, reviling, scandal, [Horace H. Wilson]

14) Kātu (कातु):—m. = kūpa, [Naighaṇṭuka, commented on by Yāska iii, 23] (cf. kāṭa.)

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Query error!

Query error!

Query error!

Relevant text

Query error!