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Calendar     see      Jyotish

Cereals
Ann.  Grains.

Chaandaal
(1) A very low caste of Indian society, such as . People do not like even to touch them - sometime back they were called "untouchables".
(2) Naarad Puraan tells three types of Chaandaal - (1) Who is born from a maiden, (2) Who is born from a Sa-Gotra girl in spite of being married, and (3) Who is born from a Shoodra man and a Braahman woman.
(Naarad Puraan, p 596)

Chaandraayan Vrat      see       Vrat and Fasts

Chaaturhotra
Sacrifice.  A Yagya has four people to complete it, and when a Yagya is completed by these four people, it is called Chaaturhotra - (1) Hotaa to chant Rig Ved, (2) Adhwaryu to chant Yajur Ved, (3) Udgaataa to chant Saam Ved, and (4) Brahmaa to chant Atharv Ved.

(Bhaagvat Puraan, 1/4)

Chaaturmaasya

Chakra

Chakra Vyooh
A circular maze of troops to trap the enemy.

Chakrapaani
Another name of Krishn.

Chakravartee
Sovereign of a vast empire.

Chamar
It is used to fly flies from the body. It is made with the hair of the tail of certain cow found in Himaalaya mountains. The hairs are tied to a stick. The person shakes the stick and those hairs help to move flies away from the person. Normally Chamar is used for kings, Bhagavaan's idols and great saints.

Chandaal    see    Chaandaal

Chandan
Sandal. Its wood is called sandalwood; and a paste is made by rubbing its wood piece on a stone and is applied to the idols of Bhagavaan and on one's forehead as Teekaa or Tilak. Chandan is of two types - white and red. It is because of the color of the sandalwood.

Chandee
Durgaa.

Chandra
Moon.

Chandra Grahan
Lunar eclipse.

Chandrahaas
The name of Divine sword given by Shiv to Raavan when Raavan shook Kailaash Parvat.

Chandramauli
Another name of Shiv. Chandra means Moon and Mauli means head; so Chandramauli
means on whose head Chandra (Moon) sits.

Chandrashekhar
Another name of Shiv.

Char
(1) Moving.  (2) Living beings. Its antonym is - A-Char.

Charanaamrit     see also     Panchaamrit
A compound word - Charan=feet, and Amrit=nectar. The water after washing feet. Whatever water or Panchaamrit is used to wash feet of God, is called Charanaamrit after the feet are washed. This water can be from washing of anybody's feet. People may drink it or sprinkle it in their houses after washing feet of even great people, then what to say of Bhagavaan. Normally Bhagavaan's idol is bathed with Panchaamrit; and great people's and saints' feet are washed with water when they come home. Panchaamrit becomes Charanaamrit after washing feet of Bhagavaan and is normally drunk in the right hand and then the hand is touched with the head. This Panchaamrit (water) is sometimes sprinkled all over the house when it is of very great saint. Panchaamrit and Charanaamrit are used alternatively in Bhagavaan's reference. But theoretically Panchaamrit is made of five things - milk, yogurt, honey, a little Ghee (clarified butter), and sugar. Normally Bhagavaan is bathed with Panchaamrit but sometimes water is also used.

Charanodak
Panchaamrit and Charanaamrit are also called Charanodak.

Chatur-bhuj    see also    Chaturbhuj Roop
(1) Rectangle.  (2) Four-armed.

Chatur-bhuj Roop
Bhagavaan Vishnu's well-known and most popular form in which He has four arms carrying Shankh (conch), Chakra (Divine disc), Gadaa (mace) and Padm (lotus flower). That form of His is called His Chaturbhuj Roop.

Chatur-Ved
The four Ved - Rig Ved, Yajur Ved, Atharv Ved, and Saam Ved.

Chatur-Yug
A 4-Yug period - Sat, Tretaa, Dwaapar and Kali - these four Yug combined are called a Chatur-Yug or Mahaa-Yug.

Chaturaanan
Another name of Brahmaa Jee

Chaturang
(1) Chaturanginee army (see below)  (2) A game of chess invented in Bhaarat (India) where the pieces represented elephants, chariots, cavalry and infantry. Persians took it and called it Shataranj.

Chaturanginee Army
Chatur means "of four types". Chaturanginee army means the army of four types. In olden times there were four types of soldiers in an army - (1) Foot soldiers or infantry who fought on foot; (2) Who fought on horse or cavalry; (3) who fought on elephants; and (4) who fought on chariots. Whichever army had all these four types of soldiers, was called Chaturanginee army.

Chaturthee
The 4th day of any
Paksh (fortnight) of Lunar Calendar.

Chaunkanaa
Shocked.

Chetanaa
Mind. In everyday use it means consciousness.

Chhandogya
One of the 18 main Upanishad.

Chhand

Chhatra
Umbrella. Used mostly for Bhagavaan's or King's umbrella.

Chid
(1) Wisdom.  (2) Consciousness.

Chintan
(1) Thinking.  (2) Reflecting.

Chiranjeevee  or  Chir-jeevee
Chir=for a very long time or for ever, and Jeevee=Live, so Chir-jeevee means "live forever". For some discussion on Chiranjeev see the following sites -- http://3ws.veda.harekrsna.cz/encyclopedia/general.htm. The Vishnu Puraan says that the next Ved Vyaas will be Drone's son Ashwatthaamaa. As you may know from the MBH, Ashwatthaamaa is immortal.  http://3ws.dharmakshetra.com/literature/puranas/VISHNU.htm Here, much material is there regarding Ashwatthaamaa:  http://3ws.factbites.com/topics/Ashwatthama Also see this, a good summarization of war chapters: http://3ws.warriormonks.com/kurukshetra/kurukshetra.html MBH will not tell Whys and Hows about these Chiranjeevee people. We have to search in related Puraan.
 

Chit
Pure knowledge or pure intellect. God is supposed to be "Sat Chit Aanand" - means who is "Absolute Truth", who is "Pure Intellect" and who is "Pure Joy".

Chitt
(1) Mind.  Mind. Chitta is general term used for mind, which includes Maanas (lower mind), Ahankaar (ego) and Buddhi (intellect). It is used for subconscious mind, the storehouse of all the subtle impressions of one's thoughts, speech and actions.  (2) Thought.

Choodaa
(1) Diadem, top of head.  (2) Braid.  Chotee.  In Tulasee's Maanas Seetaa gives Her Choodaa Mani to Hanumaan as the identification of Herself to be given to Raam. It was an ornament used to beautify hair or Teekaa worn by Indian women on their head.

Choodaa Mani     see     Choodaa

Chowk    see    Mandal

Chunnee
Ruby.  Laal.

Chyavan
(1) Moving.  (2) Name of Rishi who contributed some hymns to Ved

Cow
Five cows appeared from Saagar Manthan - Nandaa, Subhadraa, Surabhi, Sumanaa and Shobhanaavatee.
[Bhavishya Puraan, 1/21]

Creation
Creation is of two types - Sthaavar (immovable), called Udbhij also which are born bursting out the ground such as trees, mountains etc and Jangam (movable) creation. Jangam creation is of four types - (1) Swedaj - which are born from sweat, such as bedbugs etc, (2) Andaj - which are born from eggs, such as chicks, birds etc, and (3) Jaraayuj - which are born with Naal attached to them as a child, such as human beings, many animals etc, and (4) Udbhij - which are born by bursting out the earth, such as trees, mountains etc.

 

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Created and Maintained by Sushma Gupta
Created on 03/15/2006 and Updated on 01/06/2009
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