ENCYCLOPEDIA

CHAITANYA-CHANDRODAYA `The rise of the moon of Chaitanya.’ A drama in ten acts by Kavi-karna-pura. It is published in the Bibliotheca Indica. Chaitanya was a modern Vaishnava reformer, accounted an incarnation of Krishna.

CHAITRA-RATHA The grove or forest of Kuvera on Mandara, one of the spurs of Meru; it is so called from its being cultivated by the gandharva Chitra-ratha.

CHAKORA A kind of partride. A fabulous bird, supposed to live upon the beams of the moon.

CHAKRA-VARTI A universal emperor, described by the Vishnu Purana as one who is born with the mark of Vishnu’s discuss visible in his hand; but, Wilson observes, “the grammatical etymologyis, `He who abides in or rules over an extensive territory called a Chakra.’”

CHAKSHUSHA The sixth Manu. See Manu. 

CHAMPA Son of Prithu-laksha, a descendant of Yayati, through his fourth son, Anu, and founder of the city of Champa. 

CHAMPA, CHAMPAVATI, CHAMPA-MALINI, CHAMPA-PURI

The capital city of the country of Anga. Traces of it still remain in the neighbourhood of Bhagalpur. It was also called Malini, from its being surrounded with champaka trees as with a garland (mala). It is said to have derived its name from Champa, its founder, but the abundant champaka trees may assert a claim to its designation.

CHAMUNDA An emanation of the goddess Durga, sent forth from her forehead to encounter the demons Chanda and Munda. She is thus described in the Markandeya Purana:-

“From the forehead of Ambika (Durga), contracted with wrathful frowns, sprang swiftly forth a goddess of black and formidable aspect, armed with a scimitar and noose, bearing a ponderous mace, decorated with a garland of dead corpses, robed in the hide of an elephant, dry and withered and hideous, with yawning mouth, and lolling tongue, and bloodshot eyes, and filling the regions with her shouts.” When she had killed the two demons, she bore their heads to Durga, who told her that she should henceforth be known, by a contraction of their names, as Chamunda.

CHANAKYA A celebrated Brahman, who took a leading part in the destruction of the Nandaas, and in the elevation of Chandra-gupta to their throne. He was a great master of finesse and artifice, and has been called the Machiavelli of India. A work upon morals and polity called Chanakya Sutra is ascribed to him. He is the chief character in the drama called Mudra-rakshasa, and is known also by the names Vishnu-gupta and Kautilya. His maxims have been translated by Weber.

CHANDA, CHANDI The goddess Durga, especially in the form she assumed for the destruction of the Asura called Mahisha.

CHANDI-MAHATMYA, CHANDIKA-MAHATMYA The same as the Chandipatha. 

CHANDIPAT, CHANDIPATHA A poem of 700 verses, forming an episode of the Markandeya Purana. It celebrates Durga’s victories over the Asuras, and is read daily in the temples of that goddess. The work is also called Devi-mahatmya. It has been translated by Poley and by Burnouf. 

CHANDRA The moon, either as a planet or a deity. See Soma. 

CHANDRA-GUPTA This name was identified by Sir W. Jones with the Sandracottus or Sandrocyptus mentioned by Arrian and the other classical historians of Alexander’s campaign; and somewhat later on as having entered into a treaty with Seleucus Nicator through the ambassador Megasthenea. The identification has been contested, but the chief writers on Indian antiquities have admitted it as an established fact, and have added confirmatory evidence from various sources, so that the identity admits of no reasonable doubt. This identification is of the utmost importance to Indian chronology; it is the only link by which Indian history is connected with that of Greece, and everything in Indian chronology depends upon the date of Chandra-gupta as ascertained from that assigned to Sandracottus by the classical writers. His date, as thus discovered, shows that he began to reign in 315 B.C., and as he reigned twenty-four years, his reign ended in 291 B.C. Chandra-gupta is a prominent name in both Brahmanical and Buddhist writings, and his accession to the throne is the subject of the drama Mudra-rakshasa.

When Alexander was in India, he learned that a king named Xandrames reigned over the Prasii (Prachyas) at the city of Palibothra, situated at the confluence of the Ganges and another river called Erranaboas (the Sone). At this time, Sandracottus was young, but he waged war against Alexander’s captains, and he raised bands of robbers, with whose help he succeeded in establishing freedom in India.

Hindu and Buddhist writers are entirely silent as to Alexander’s appearance in India, but they show that Chandra-gupta overthrew the dynasty of the Nandas, which reigned over Magadha, and “established freedom in India by the help of bands of robbers.” He established himself at Patali-putra, the capital of the Nandas, which is identical with the Greek Palibothra, and this has been shown to be the modern Patna. That town does not now stand at the confluence of two rivers, but the rivers in the alluvial plains of Bengal frequently change their courses, and a change in the channel of the Sone has been established by direct geographical evidence. There is a difficulty about Xandrames. This is no doubt the Sanskrit Chandramas, which some consider to be only a shorter form of the name Chandra-gupta, while others point out that the Greek references indicate that Xandrames was the predecessor of Sandracottus, rather than Sandracottus himself.

The dynasty of the Nandas that reigned over Magadha are frequently spoken of as the “nine Nandas,” meaning apparently nine descents; but according to some authorities the last Nanda, named Maha-padma, and his eight sons, are intended. Maha-padma Nanda was the son of a Sudra, and so by law he was a Sudra himself. He was powerful and ambitious, cruel and avaricious. His people were disaffected; but his fall is represented as having been brought about by the Brahman Chanakya Chandra-gupta was then raised to the throne and founded the Mauryan dynasty, the third king of which was the great Asoka, grandson of Chandra-gupta. The Brahmans and Buddhists are widely at variance as to the origin of the Maurya family. The drama Mudra-rakshasa represents Chandra-gupta as being related to Maha-padma Nanda, and the commentator on the Vishnu Purana says that he was a son of Nanda by a woman of low caste named Mura, wherefore he and his descendants were called Mauryas. This looks very like an etymological invention, and is inconsistent with the representation that the low caste of Nanda was one cause of his deposition; for were it true, the low-caste king would have been supplanted by one of still lower degree. On the other hand, the Buddhists contend that the Mauryas belonged to the same family as Buddha, who was of the royal family of the Sakyas. The question of the identification of Sandracottus and Chandra-gupta has been discussed at length by Wilson in the preface to the Mudra-rakshasa in his Hindu Theatre, and in the Vishnu Purana, vol. Iv. P. 185; also by Max Muller in his History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature. 

CHANDRA-HASA A prince of the south, who lost his parents soon after his birth, and fell into a state of destitution, but after going through a variety of adventures came to the throne. See Wheeler, vol. i. p. 522. 

CHANRA-KANTA `The moon-stone.’ A gem or stone supposed to be formed by the congelation of the rays of the moon; a crystal is perhaps meant. It is supposed to exercise a cooling influence. So in the Megha-duta –

“The moon’s white rays the smiling night illume,And on the moon-gem concentrated fall,That hangs in woven nets in every hall; Whence cooling dews upon the fair descend,And life renewed to languid nature lend.”It is also called Mani-chaka. 

CHANDRA-KETU 1. A son of Lakshmana. 2. A king of the city of Chakora. 3. A country near the Himalayas. 

CHANDRA-VANSA The Lunar race. The lineage or race which claims descent from the moon. It is divided into two great branches, the Yadavas and Pauravas, respectively descended from Yadu and Puru. Krishna belonged to the line of Yadu, and Dushyanta with the Kuru and Pandu princes to the line of Puru. The following is a list of the Lunar race as given in the Vishnu Purana, but the authorities vary:-

THE LUNAR RACE.

Atri, the Rishi.

Soma, the Moon.

Buddha, Mercury.

Pururavas.

Ayu, Ayus.

Nahusha (and 3 others).

Yayati (and 5 others).

Yadavas.                     Pauravas.                    Kings of Kasi.

Yadu, eldest.                  Puru, youngest (and 3   Kshatravriddha.

Kroshtu (and 3 others).    Others).                     

Vrijinivat.                       Janamejaya.                Suhotra.

Swahi.                           Prachinvat.                  Kasa.

Rushadgu.                      Pravira.                       Kasiraja.

Chitraratha.                    Manasyu.                    Dirghatamas.

Sasabindu.                     Abhayada.

Prithusravas (one of a      Sudyumna.                  Dhanwantari.

Million sons).                  Bahugava.                  

Tamas.                          Samyati.                     Ketumat.

Usanas.                         Ahamyati.                   Bhimaratha.

Siteyus.                         Raudraswa                  Divodasa.

Rukmakavacha Riteyu (and 9 others)

    or                             Rantinara.                   Pratardana.

Ruchaka                         Tansu                         Dyumat.

Paravrit.                         Anila.                         Satrujit,

Jyamagha.                      Dushyanta.                  Vatsa.

Vidharbha.                     Bharata.                     Ritadhwaja

Kratha.                          Bharadwaja

Kunti.                                 or          adopted         or

Vrishni.                          Vitatha.                      Kuvalayaswa.

Nivriti.                           Bhavanmanyu.             Alarka.

Dasarha.                        Brihatkshatra (and        Sannati

Vyoman.                        many others)                    or

Jimuta.                          Suhotra.                      Santati.

Vikriti.                           Hastin (of Hastinapur).

Bhimaratha.                   Ajamidha (and 2 others). 

Navaratha.                     Riksha (and others).     Sunitha.

Dasarata.                                                        Suketu.

Sakuni.                          Samvarana.                 Satyaketu.

Karambhi.                      Kuru.                         

Devarata.                       Jahnu (and many          Vibhu.

Devakshattra.                 others).

Madhu.                          Suratha.                      Suvibhu.

Anavaratha.                    Viduratha.

Kuruvatsa.                     Sarvabhauma.              Sukumara

Anuratha.                       Jayasena.

Puruhotra.                      Aravin.                        Dhrishtaketu.

Ansu.                            Ayutayus.                    Vainahotra.

Satwata.                        Akrodhana.                  Bharga.

Andhaka (and 6 others).   Devatithi.

Bhajamana.                    Riksha.                       Bharga-bhumi.

Viduratha.                      Dilipa.

Sura.                             Pratipa.

Samin.                           Santanu (and 2 others).

Pratikshattra.                 Pandu.               [*See Table under Maha-bharata.]

Swayambhoja.                Dhritarashtra.

Hridika.                          Yudhi-shthira.

Devamidhusha.               Parikshit.

Sura.                             Janamejaya.

Vasudeva (and 9 others). Satanika.

Krishna and Balarama.     Aswamedhadatta.

                                    Adhisimakrishna.

                                    Nichakru.

                                    Ushna.

                                    Chitraratha.

(Extinct.)                       Vrishnimat.

                                    Sushena.

                                    Sunitha.

                                    Richa.

                                    Nrichakshush.

                                    Sukhabala.

                                    Pariplava.

                                    Sunaya.

                                    Medhavin.

                                    Nripanjaya.

                                    Mridu.

                                    Tigma.

                                    Brihadratha.

                                    Vasudana.

                                    Satanika.

                                    Udayana.

                                    Ahinara.

                                    Khandapani.

                                    Niramitra.

                                    Kshemaka.

CHANURA A wrestler in the service of Kansa, who was killed by Krishna. 

CHARAKA A writer on medicine who lived in Vedic times. According to his own statement, he received the materials of his work from Agnivesa, to whom they were delivered by Atreya. A legend represents him as an incarnation of the serpent Sesha. The work was translated into Arabic before the end of the eighth century. The text has been printed in India. 

CHARAKA One of the chief schools of the Yajur-veda. 

CHARAKA-BRAHMANA A Brahmana of the Black Yajur-veda. 

CHARANA A Vedic school or society. It is explained by a commentator as “a number of men who are pledged to the reading of a certain Sakhi of the Veda, and who have in this manner become one body.” 

CHARANAS Panegyrists. The Panegyrists of the gods. 

CHARAMANVATI The river Chambal. 

CHARU, CHARU-DEHA, CHARU-DESHNA, CHARU-GUPTA Sons of Krishna and Rukmini. 

CHARU-DATTA The Brahman hero of the drama Mrichchhakati. 

CHARU HASINI `Sweet smiler.’ This epithet is used for Rukmini and for Lakshmana, and perhaps for other wives of Krishna. 

CHARU-MATI Daughter of Krishna and Rukmini.

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