Pracara, Pracāra, Prācāra: 18 definitions
Introduction:
Pracara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Prachara.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Natyashastra (theatrics and dramaturgy)
Source: Wisdom Library: Nāṭya-śāstraPracāra (प्रचार) refers to a set of three rules used in the playing of drums (puṣkara) [with reference to Mṛdaṅga, Paṇava and Dardura] according to the Nāṭyaśāstra chapter 33.
The following are the three pracāras:
- Sama-pracāra,
- Viṣama-pracāra,
- Samaviṣama-pracāra.
Natyashastra (नाट्यशास्त्र, nāṭyaśāstra) refers to both the ancient Indian tradition (shastra) of performing arts, (natya—theatrics, drama, dance, music), as well as the name of a Sanskrit work dealing with these subjects. It also teaches the rules for composing Dramatic plays (nataka), construction and performance of Theater, and Poetic works (kavya).
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): (Advaita Vedanta)Pracāra (प्रचार) refers to the “mode” (of mind or no-mind), according to the Māṇḍūkyopaniṣatkārikā 3.37.—Accordingly, while discussing the no-mind state: “The mode (pracāra) of [this no-mind] mind which is restrained, free of thought and intelligent should be known. The other [mode of mind] in deep sleep is not the same as that”.
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Source: ORA: Amanaska (king of all yogas): A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation by Jason BirchPracāra (प्रचार) refers to the “movement (of the breath)”, according to the Yogatārāvalī: a short Yoga text of twenty-nine verses presenting Haṭhayoga as the means to Rājayoga (i.e., Samādhi).—Accordingly, while describing the no-mind state: “When the movement of the breath (śvāsa-pracāra) is quashed through the prolonged restraint of the mind and senses, the bodies of the best Yogins become still like a lamp in a windless place and their minds are immersed in the no-mind [state]”.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Source: academia.edu: A Study and Translation of the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā1) Pracāra (प्रचार) (Cf. Apracāra) refers to “activity”, according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “Son of good family, the morality of the Boddhisatvas becomes purified by these eight qualities. [...] Further, as for the purity of morality, [...] open space has no distinguished marks, and no distinguished marks is also that the morality; open space has no activity (apracāra-gagana—apracāraṃ gaganaṃ), and no activity is also that morality; open space is beyond discursive thinking, and the beyond discursive thinking is also that morality; [...]”.
2) Pracāra (अप्रचार) refers to “[mental] activity” (as opposed to Apracāra—‘without [mental] activity’), according to the Gaganagañjaparipṛcchā: the eighth chapter of the Mahāsaṃnipāta (a collection of Mahāyāna Buddhist Sūtras).—Accordingly, “What then, son of good family, is the recollection of renunciation (tyāga-anusmṛti), which is authorized by the Lord for the sake of the Bodhisattvas? What we called renunciation (tyāga) is to abandon and renounce any material thing. Why is that? [...] That which is without haughtiness is without apprehending. That which is without apprehending is without [mental] activity (apracāra). That which is without [mental] activity is without information by thinking. [...]”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionarypracāra (प्रचार).—m (S) Prevalence, currency, general use or adoption.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishpracāra (प्रचार).—m Prevalence, currency, general use.
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 dictionaryPracara (प्रचर).—
1) A road, path, way.
2) A custom, usage.
Derivable forms: pracaraḥ (प्रचरः).
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Pracāra (प्रचार).—1 Going forth, ranging, walking about, wandering; शान्तमृगप्रचारम् (śāntamṛgapracāram) (kānanam) Kumārasambhava 3.42.
3) Appearance, coming in, manifestation; Uttararāmacarita 1; Mu.1.
4) Currency, prevalence, use, being used or applied; विलोक्य तैरप्यधुना प्रचारम् (vilokya tairapyadhunā pracāram) Trik.
5) Conduct, behaviour; Mahābhārata (Bombay) 12.171.15; cf. अध्यक्षप्रचारः (adhyakṣapracāraḥ) (a title of the second book of Arthaśāstra.)
6) Custom, usage.
7) A playground, place of exercise.
8) A pasture-ground, pasturage; गवां प्रचारेष्वासीनम् (gavāṃ pracāreṣvāsīnam) Mahābhārata (Bombay) 1.4.17; ग्राम्येच्छया गोप्रचारो भूमी राजवशेन वा (grāmyecchayā gopracāro bhūmī rājavaśena vā) Y.2.166.
9) A passage, path; योगक्षेमं प्रचारं च न विभाज्यं प्रचक्षते (yogakṣemaṃ pracāraṃ ca na vibhājyaṃ pracakṣate) Manusmṛti 9.219.
1) Proclamation in public; प्रचारे चापघोषयेत् (pracāre cāpaghoṣayet)... Kau. A.2.8.26.
11) Movement, activity (saṃcāra); प्रचारं स तु संगृह्य (pracāraṃ sa tu saṃgṛhya) Rām.7.35.49.
Derivable forms: pracāraḥ (प्रचारः).
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Prācāra (प्राचार).—a. Contrary to ordinary institutes and observances.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryPracara (प्रचर).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. A road, a path. 2. Usage, custom, currency. 3. Going well or widely. E. pra before, car to go, aff. ap; also with ghañ aff. pracāra .
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Pracāra (प्रचार).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. Going, proceeding. 2. Custom, usage, 3. Conduct. 4. Currency. 5. Appearance, manifestation. 6. A Pasture-ground. 7. A play-ground. 8. A path, a foot-path. E. pra before, car to go, ghañ aff.
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Prācāra (प्राचार).—mfn.
(-raḥ-rā-raṃ) Contrary to rectitude, deviating from the ordinary institutions and observances. E. pra reverse and ācāra ordinance.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryPracara (प्रचर).—[pra-car + a], m. 1. A road. 2. pl. The name of a people, [Rāmāyaṇa] 4, 44 12 (v. r.).
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Pracāra (प्रचार).—i. e. pra-car + a, m. 1. Proceeding, [Rāmāyaṇa] 5, 32, 8. 2. Going, [Pañcatantra] 31, 3. 3. Pasture ground, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 9, 219. 4. Conduct, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 7, 153. 5. Appearance, [Prabodhacandrodaya, (ed. Brockhaus.)] 10, 8.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English DictionaryPracāra (प्रचार).—[masculine] going forth, coming off, appearing; occurrence, existence; proceeding, behaviour, conduct; use, employment; playor pasture-ground.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Pracara (प्रचर):—[=pra-cara] [from pra-car] m. a road, way, path, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
2) [v.s. ...] usage, custom, currency, [Horace H. Wilson]
3) [v.s. ...] going well or widely, [ib.]
4) [v.s. ...] [plural] Name of a people, [Rāmāyaṇa] ([varia lectio] praccara and pra-stara).
5) Pracāra (प्रचार):—[=pra-cāra] [from pra-car] m. roaming, wandering, [Harivaṃśa] (cf. bhikṣā-)
6) [v.s. ...] coming forth, showing one’s self, manifestation, appearance, occurrence, existence, [Mahābhārata; Kāvya literature] etc.
7) [v.s. ...] application, employment, use, [ib.]
8) [v.s. ...] conduct, behaviour, [Manu-smṛti; Mahābhārata] etc.
9) [v.s. ...] prevalence, currency, custom, usage, [Horace H. Wilson]
10) [v.s. ...] a playground, place of exercise, [Harivaṃśa]
11) [v.s. ...] pasture-ground, pasturage, [Manu-smṛti ix, 219] (= [Viṣṇu-smṛti, viṣṇu-sūtra, vaiṣṇava-dharma-śāstra xviii, 44], where [Scholiast or Commentator] ‘a way or road leading from or to a house’), [Yājñavalkya; Mahābhārata; Harivaṃśa; Rāmāyaṇa]
12) Prācāra (प्राचार):—mfn. (pra-ācāra) contrary to or deviating from ordinary institutes and observances, [Horace H. Wilson]
13) m. a winged ant, [Harivaṃśa] ([varia lectio])
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Pracara (प्रचर):—[pra-cara] (raḥ) 1. m. A road, a path; usage, currency; going far.
2) Pracāra (प्रचार):—[pra-cāra] (raḥ) 1. m. Going; proclaiming; custom; conduct; currency; pasture ground.
3) Prācāra (प्राचार):—[prā+cāra] (raḥ-rā-raṃ) a. Contrary to rectitude, or institutions.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Pracāra (प्रचार) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Pacāra, Payāra.
[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 dictionaryPracāra (प्रचार) [Also spelled prachar]:—(nm) propaganda; publicity; currency; prevalence; ~[ka/~karttā] propagator; propagandist; publicist; —[javābī] counter-propaganda; hence ~[ṇa] (nm); —[yuga] age of publicity/propaganda; —[lekha] write-up; —[saṃkhyā] circulation.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusPracara (ಪ್ರಚರ):—
1) [noun] the act of going; departure.
2) [noun] a living being (as dif. from non-living beings).
3) [noun] the act or practice of observing or keeping, a law, duty, custom, rule, etc.
4) [noun] a way, path, course.
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Pracāra (ಪ್ರಚಾರ):—
1) [noun] the quality of fact of being everywhere or almost at all places.
2) [noun] a proclaiming or being proclaimed in public; proclamation.
3) [noun] general acceptance; vogue.
4) [noun] a continual passing from hand to hand, as of a medium of exchange; circulation; currency.
5) [noun] a long-established custom or practice that has the effect of an unwritten law; tradition.
6) [noun] the way a person behaves or acts; conduct; manners; behaviour.
7) [noun] the act or an instance of walking, roaming; a wandering.
8) [noun] that what is canvassed; the act of canvassing.
9) [noun] a spreading, as of ideas, customs, religious tenets, etc.; propagation.
10) [noun] the ideas, customs, etc. which are so spread.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryPracāra (प्रचार):—n. publication; publicity; usage; coming in manifestation; spreading;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Pracaragolisu, Pracaraka, Pracarakarya, Pracaraki, Pracaramadhyama, Pracarana, Pracarani, Pracaraniya, Pracaraprasara, Pracarasadhana, Pracarat, Pracarate.
Full-text (+29): Gopracara, Nishpracara, Dharmapracara, Kaumudipracara, Sarakaravirodhi-pracara, Pracarasadhana, Antahpurapracara, Pracarita, Adhyaksha-pracara, Supracara, Mantrapracara, Go-pracara-bhumi, Pracaramadhyama, Prachar, Pracarakarya, Tandapracara, Shvasapracara, Pacara, Prachaaran, Pracarana.
Relevant text
Search found 40 books and stories containing Pracara, Pra-cara, Pra-cāra, Pracāra, Prācāra; (plurals include: Pracaras, caras, cāras, Pracāras, Prācāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Musical Instruments in Sanskrit Literature (by S. Karthick Raj KMoundinya)
Musical Instruments—Drum making < [Chapter 2 - Origin and evolution of Music and Musical instruments]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Education (8): Knowledge of Metres and Figures of speech < [Chapter 4 - Cultural Aspects]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 9.219 < [Section XXIX - Impartible Property]
Verse 7.155 < [Section XII - Daily Routine of Work]
Verse 7.154 < [Section XII - Daily Routine of Work]
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)