Upacitra, Upacitrā: 13 definitions
Introduction:
Upacitra means something in 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Upachitra.
In Hinduism
Chandas (prosody, study of Sanskrit metres)
Source: Shodhganga: a concise history of Sanskrit Chanda literature1) Upacitrā (उपचित्रा) is a type of mātrāvṛtta (quantitative verse) described in the Mātrāsamakaprakaraṇa section of the second chapter of Kedārabhaṭṭa’s Vṛttaratnākara. The Vṛttaratnākara is considered as most popular work in Sanskrit prosody, because of its rich and number of commentaries. Kedārabhaṭṭa (C. 950-1050 C.E.) was a celebrated author in Sanskrit prosody.
2) Upacitrā (उपचित्रा) is the name of a Sanskrit metre (chandas) to which Hemacandra (1088-1173 C.E.) assigned the alternative name of Dodhaka in his auto-commentary on the second chapter of the Chandonuśāsana. Hemacandra gives these alternative names for the metres by other authorities (like Bharata), even though the number of gaṇas or letters do not differ.
3) Upacitrā (उपचित्रा) refers to one of the thirty mātrāvṛtta (quantitative verse) mentioned in the 331st chapter of the Agnipurāṇa. The Agnipurāṇa deals with various subjects viz. literature, poetics, grammar, architecture in its 383 chapters and deals with the entire science of prosody (e.g., the upacitrā metre) in 8 chapters (328-335) in 101 verses in total.
Source: Journal of the University of Bombay Volume V: Apabhramsa metres (2)Upacitrā (उपचित्रा) is the name of a catuṣpadi metre (as popularly employed by the Apabhraṃśa bards), as discussed in books such as the Chandonuśāsana, Kavidarpaṇa, Vṛttajātisamuccaya and Svayambhūchandas.—Upacitrā has 16 mātrās in each of their four lines, whose 9th and 10th mātrās together are represented by a long letter.
Chandas (छन्दस्) refers to Sanskrit prosody and represents one of the six Vedangas (auxiliary disciplines belonging to the study of the Vedas). The science of prosody (chandas-shastra) focusses on the study of the poetic meters such as the commonly known twenty-six metres mentioned by Pingalas.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Puranic EncyclopediaUpacitra (उपचित्र).—A son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra. (Mahābhārata Ādi Parva, Chapter 67, Stanza 95). In the Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva, Chapter 136 Stanza 22 it is mentioned that he was killed by Bhīmasena.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index1) Upacitra (उपचित्र).—A son of Vasudeva and Madirā.*
- * Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 71. 172.
2) Upacitrā (उपचित्रा).—A daughter of Madirā.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 96. 170.
Upacitra (उपचित्र) is a name mentioned in the Mahābhārata (cf. I.108.4) and represents one of the many proper names used for people and places. Note: The Mahābhārata (mentioning Upacitra) is a Sanskrit epic poem consisting of 100,000 ślokas (metrical verses) and is over 2000 years old.
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.
General definition (in Hinduism)
Source: WikiPedia: HinduismUpacitra (उपचित्र): One of King Dhritarashtra's sons who perished in the war.
Languages of India and abroad
Sanskrit dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryUpacitra (उपचित्र).—a. Variegated, Coloured.
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Upacitrā (उपचित्रा).—
1) Name of a tree (citrā) Salvinia Cucullata (Mar. undīrakānī, thoradāntī); also उपचित्रका (upacitrakā).
2) Name of a lunar mansion स्वाति (svāti); also हस्त (hasta).
3) A particular metre.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryUpacitra (उपचित्र) or Upacitraka.—adj. (in Sanskrit °tra only as name of a meter), (somewhat) variegated: citropacitro Mahāvastu i.363.18 (of the deer-king); citropacitrāṇi pratyāstaraṇāni Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya ii.90.8. The [compound] seems to be intensive. Also, citropacitrako vatso Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya iv.196.15.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryUpacitrā (उपचित्रा).—f.
(-trā) A plant, (Salvinia cucullata, Rox.) See mūṣikaparṇī. E. upa much, citra variegated.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Upacitra (उपचित्र):—[=upa-citra] mfn. variegated, coloured
2) [v.s. ...] m. Name of a man, [Mahābhārata]
3) Upacitrā (उपचित्रा):—[=upa-citrā] [from upa-citra] f. Name of particular metres (viz. 1. a variety of Mātrāsamaka, consisting of four lines of sixteen instants each; 2. a metre of four lines of eleven instants each; in two varieties)
4) [v.s. ...] the plants Salvinia Cucullata and Croton Polyandrum, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryUpacitrā (उपचित्रा):—[upa-citrā] (trā) 1. f. A plant, (Salvinia cucullata.)
[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.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Upacitraka.
Ends with: Rupacitra.
Full-text: Upacitraka, Citropacitra, Matravritta, Dodhaka.
Relevant text
Search found 9 books and stories containing Upacitra, Upacitrā, Upa-citra, Upa-citrā; (plurals include: Upacitras, Upacitrās, citras, citrās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Flora (10): Roots < [Chapter 5 - Aspects of Nature]
Charaka Samhita (English translation) (by Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society)
Chapter 12a - The Pharmaceutics of the Physic nut [danti-dravanti-kalpa] < [Kalpasthana (Kalpa Sthana) — Section on Pharmaceutics]
Mahabharata (English) (by Kisari Mohan Ganguli)
The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
List of Mahabharata people and places (by Laxman Burdak)
Puranic encyclopaedia (by Vettam Mani)