Kaula: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Kaula means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, Marathi, Hindi, 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
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramKaula (कौल) or Kaulagranthi refers to the “Knot of Kaula” and represents one of the “sixteen knots” (granthi), according to the Ṣaṭsāhasrasaṃhitā, an expansion of the Kubjikāmatatantra: the earliest popular and most authoritative Tantra of the Kubjikā cult.—Accordingly, “(1) The Knot called Ananta, which is HAṂSA, should be placed (on the body). It is at the middle toe of the sixteen parts (of the body).The Knot of Time is below the ankle. [...] (6) The Kaula Knot is in the foundation of the anus. [...]”.
The sixteen Knots [i.e., kaula-granthi] are parts of the goddess’s body. Accordingly, they are projected into the adept’s body to transform it into the Triple Fort, that is, the triangular body of the goddess replete with the energies of the sacred seats. She is both with form, consisting of the letters and mantras, and without form as the Transmental (manonmanī) energy of the god.
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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: nathi.ru: The Amanaska YogaKaula (कौल):—The Kaula school of Tantrism, founded by Matsyendranāth, perhaps in the tenth century AD, incorporated and developed Haṭha Yoga and Alchemical techniques.
Source: New World Encyclopedia: HinduismKaula or Kula (Sanskrit: meaning "Family" or "Clan") is a type of Hindu Tantrism likely derived from Kapalika or "cremation ground" asceticism, which is associated with the worship of the ascetic god Shiva who is covered in the ash of the dead. Kaula practices are closely related to the siddha and Nātha traditions of Hinduism as well as Shaktism. Kaula may be classified into northern, eastern, southern and western schools across the Indian subcontinent although it sometimes more simply divided into two main branches, Purva Kaula and Uttara Kaula. Philosophically, Kaula is said to represent a unifying connectedness, beneath the various objects, processes and living entities of this world, which may be identified with aspects of the supreme deity, or in some regions the god Shiva.
Another meaning of the term kaula is that of a "group of people" engaged together in the practice of spiritual discipline.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Source: archive.org: TrisastisalakapurusacaritraKaula (कौल) refers to a “follower of left-hand Śākta”, as mentioned in chapter 1.1 [ādīśvara-caritra] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.—Accordingly,“[...] the king [Kurucandra] was a Kaula with great enterprises that caused injury and great possessions, foremost in ignoble acts, pitiless like Kṛtānta. Even though wicked and cruel, he enjoyed the kingdom for a long time”.
Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Biology (plants and animals)
Source: Wisdom Library: Local Names of Plants and DrugsKaula [कौला] in the Marathi language is the name of a plant identified with Prunus ceylanica (Wight) Miq. from the Rosaceae (Rose) family having the following synonyms: Pygeum zeylanicum, Pygeum cochinchinense, Polydontia ceylanica. For the possible medicinal usage of kaula, 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.
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.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarykaūla (कऊल).—&c. For words beginning with kau & kaū see under kau.
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kaula (कौल).—n A tile. kaula rāhūṃ na dēṇēṃ (gharāvara) To ruin utterly (a family &c.); to eject or to extirpate.
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kaula (कौल).—m ( A) A writing of assurance, agreement, or engagement, as granted by Government to the cultivator of the soil. 2 Safeguard or warrant to pass (as granted to an enemy). 3 The rice, betelnuts &c. stuck upon an idol when it is consulted.
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kaulā (कौला).—m A particular esculent vegetable. 2 ( H) A large sort of orange.
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kauḷā (कौळा).—& kauḷī See kavaḷā & kavaḷī.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishkaula (कउल).—See under kau.
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kaula (कौल).—n A tile. kaula rāhūṃ na dēṇēṃ (gharāvara) To ruin utterly (a family &c.). To eject or to extirpate. m The rice, betelnuts, &c., stuck upon an idol when it is consult- ed, also its response. A writing of as- surance, agreement or engagement, as granted by government to the cultivator of the soil. Safeguard or warrant to pass (as granted to an enemy).
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kaulā (कौला).—m A particular esculent vegetable.
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 dictionaryKaula (कौल).—a. (-lī f.) [कुले भवः अण् (kule bhavaḥ aṇ) cf. P.IV.2.96]
1) Relating to a family, राज्यं प्राप्तं यशश्चैव कौली श्रीरभिवर्धिता (rājyaṃ prāptaṃ yaśaścaiva kaulī śrīrabhivardhitā); Rām.4.29.9.
2) ancestral, hereditary; Bhāgavata 12.3.36.
3) Of a noble family, well-born.
-laḥ A worshipper of शक्ति (śakti) according to the left hand ritual.
-lam The doctrine and practices of the left hand Śāktas (for a short description of kauladharma see Karpūr. I, speech of bhairavānanda).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryKaula (कौल).—m. (var. kola, q.v.), boat, raft: Mahāvyutpatti 6514 = Tibetan gziṅs. Mironov also kaulaḥ, without v.l.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryKaula (कौल).—mfn.
(-laḥ-lī-laṃ) Of a good family, well-born. m.
(-laḥ) A worshipper of Sakti according to the left hand ritual, n.
(-laṃ). The doctrine and practices of the left hand Saktas. E. kula a family, and añ aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryKaula (कौल).—i. e. kula + a, adj., f. lī, Peculiar to a tribe, [Rāmāyaṇa] 4, 28, 9.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryKaula (कौल).—[feminine] ī relating to a family, ancestral, hereditary; [masculine] a cert. sect.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Kaula (कौल):—mf(ī)n. ([from] kula), relating or belonging to a family, extending over a whole family or race, [Rāmāyaṇa iv, 28, 9]
2) heritable in a family, [Bhāgavata-purāṇa xii, 3, 36]
3) sprung from a noble family, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
4) belonging or particular to the Kaulas, [Kulārṇava-tantra]
5) m. a worshipper of Śakti [according to] to the left-hand ritual, [ib.]
6) a kind of weight (kola), [Demetrius Galanos’s Lexiko: sanskritikes, anglikes, hellenikes]
7) (also) a boat, raft (cf. kola), [Mahā-vyutpatti]
8) n. the doctrine and practices of the left-hand Śāktas, [Kulārṇava-tantra]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryKaula (कौल):—[(laḥ-lā-laṃ) a.] Of a good family.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Kaula (कौल) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Kaula, Kola.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionaryKaula (कौल) [Also spelled kaul]:—(nm) promise; agreement; contract; statement, dictum; —[karāra] mutual promise; —[kā pakkā] true to one’s word; —[denā] to make a firm promise; —[hāranā] to pledge (one’s) word (to).
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Prakrit-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionaryKaula (कौल) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Kaula.
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusKaula (ಕೌಲ):—
1) [noun] the doctrine and practice of a Śaiva sect, that believe in necromancy, as the art of prediction by supposed communication with the dead, black magic, enchantment, conjuration, etc.
2) [noun] a member of this sect.
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Kauḷa (ಕೌಳ):—
1) [noun] the doctrine and practice of a Śaiva sect, that believe in necromancy, as the art of prediction by supposed communication with the dead, black magic, enchantment, conjuration, etc.
2) [noun] a member of this sect.
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)
Starts with (+49): Kaula Lasalashita, Kaula-karara, Kaulaba, Kaulacara, Kauladarsha, Kauladarshana, Kauladarshatantra, Kauladipika, Kaulagajamardana, Kaulagiri, Kaulagranthi, Kaulagrihika, Kaulajna, Kaulajnana, Kaulajnananirnaya, Kaulaka, Kaulakam, Kaulakarara, Kaulakarnava, Kaulakathi.
Ends with: Aṅkaulha, Bakaula, Hinakaula, Katkaula, Kulakaula, Mahakaula, Nalidara Kaula, Navakaula, Panali Kaula, Panhalikaula, Phakaphakaula, Sahib Kaul, Sakakaula, Takaviyatakaula, Thapikaula, Tiru-anai-kaula, Uttarakaula.
Full-text (+1026): Kulamarga, Kulavartman, Kaunciki, Kaulamarga, Kaularahasya, Nalidara Kaula, Kuladharma, Niradhara, Navakaula, Anatha, Advaita, Mokshavivarjita, Navatmavarjita, Nihsvabhava, Citsvabhavaka, Citsvabhava, Kaula Lasalashita, Shuddha, Bandhavivarjita, Sunirmala.
Relevant text
Search found 20 books and stories containing Kaula, Kaūla, Kaulā, Kauḷā, Kauḷa; (plurals include: Kaulas, Kaūlas, Kaulās, Kauḷās, Kauḷas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Cidgaganacandrika (study) (by S. Mahalakshmi)
Verse 262 [Kāli’s greatness revealed] < [Chapter 4 - Fourth Vimarśa]
Hindu Pluralism (by Elaine M. Fisher)
Ardhanārīśvara Dīkṣita and the Birth of Samayin Śrīvidyā < [Chapter 2 - The Making of the Smārta-Śaiva Community of South India]
Śrīvidyā and society in Nīlakaṇṭha Dīkṣita’s Saubhāgyacandrātapa < [Chapter 2 - The Making of the Smārta-Śaiva Community of South India]
Vaidika and Śaiva < [Chapter 1 - Hindu Sectarianism: Difference in Unity]
Shakti and Shakta (by John Woodroffe)
Chapter VI - Śakti and Śākta < [Section 1 - Introductory]
Chapter VIII - Cīnācāra (Vasiṣṭha and Buddha) < [Section 1 - Introductory]
Chapter III - What are the Tantras and their significance? < [Section 1 - Introductory]
Varahi Tantra (English Study) (by Roberta Pamio)
Chapter 16 - Paścimāmnaya (Western Tradition) < [Summary of the Vārāhī Tantra]
Diaspora of Bhuta (Daiva) worshipping cult—India and Indonesia (by Shilpa V. Sonawane)
Part 9 - Srikula: Family of Sri < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]
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