# चैतन्य (caitanya)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/chaitanya

चैतन्य (caitanya) is a Sanskrit word meaning consciousness, intelligence, sensation, Soul, Spirit, a reformer of the Vaishnava faith. Its 13 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (the person), Cognitive and Spiritual Aspects (General), Soul, Spirit, and Metaphysical Essence.

- **Etymology:** E. चेतन intellect, and ण्यत् aff — E. cetana intellect, and ṇyat aff
- **SLP1:** `cEtanya`  **IAST:** caitanya  **Devanagari:** चैतन्य
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaitanya_%28consciousness%29
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/chaitanya/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (the person) (6 definitions)
- A reformer of the Vaishnava faith  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) m. N. of a reformer of the Vaiṣṇava faith (born about 1485 A.D. Religious Thought and Life in India, also called ’Brāhmanism and Hindūism,’ by Sir M. Monier-Williams (Title) 138 ). [ ID=75020 ]
- 1. Consciousness, intellect, mind, or soul. 2. Name of a prophet born in 1484 AD.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 096-1 ] चैतन्य (caitanya) caitan-ya, n. consciousness, intellect, mind, soul; m. N. of a prophet born in 1484 A. D. : -candra‿udaya, m. T. of a play (moonrise of Caitanya). [ ID=7682 ]
- 1. Soul, spirit, or the divine essence of all being. 2. Sense or consciousness. 3. A modern reformer of the Vaishnava faith, viewed in Bengal as an avatar of Krishna.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 331 ] चैतन्य (caitanya) n. ( - न्यं (-nyaṃ) ) Soul, spirit, the deity considered as the essence of all being. 2 Sense, consciousness. m. ( - न्यः (-nyaḥ) ) A modern reformer of the Vaiṣṇava faith, considered in Bengal as an Avatāra of KṚṢṆA. E. चेतन (cetana) intellect, and ण्यत् (ṇyat) aff. [ ID=15451 ]
- 1. Soul, spirit, or sense. 2. The sage Chaitanya.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 291-a ] चैतन्य (caitanya) ( न्यं ) ((nyaṃ)) 1. n. Soul, spirit; sense. m. The sage Chaitanya. [ ID=14911 ]
- 1. Soul, spirit, or the supreme deity. 2. Sense or consciousness. 3. A modern reformer of the Vaishnava faith, viewed in Bengal as an incarnation of Krishna.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 274-a ] चैतन्य (caitanya) n. ( - न्यं (-nyaṃ) ) 1. Soul, spirit, the deity considered as the essence of all being. 2. Sense, consciousness. m. ( - न्यः (-nyaḥ) ) A modern reformer of the Vaishnava faith, considered in Bengal as an Avatara of KRISHNA. E. चेतन (cetana) intellect, and ष्यञ् (ṣyañ) aff. चेतन (cetana) ः एव चेतन (cetana) स्य भावः वा (cetanaḥ eva cetanasya bhāvaḥ vā) — (—) ष्यञ् (ṣyañ) । (ṣyañ.) [ ID=15445 ]
- intelligence, consciousness, soul, spirit, the deity considered as the essence of all being and source of all sensation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > [Printed book page 0330-a ] चैतन्य (caitanya) caitanya, am, n. (fr. cetana ), intel- ligence, mental perception, feeling, consciousness, sense, sensation, soul, spirit, the deity considered as the essence of all being and source of all sensation; ( as ), m., N. of a modern reformer of the Vaiṣṇava faith, who is regarded in Bengal as an Ava-tāra of Kṛṣṇa; he was born about 1484 A. D., and his life is described by Kṛṣṇa-dāsa in a work named Caitanya-caraṇāmṛta or Caitanya-caritāmṛta. —Cai- tanya-candrodaya (°ra-ud°), am, n. ‘the moon- rise of Caitanya,’ title of a play. —Caitanya-yukta, as, ā, am, endowed with consciousness, sentient. —Caitanyāmṛta (°ya-am°), am, n. title of a grammar. [ ID=18901 ]

### Cognitive and Spiritual Aspects (General) (3 definitions)
- 1. Intelligence. 2. Sensation. 3. Soul. 4. Spirit.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > intelligence, sensation, soul, spirit, Kapila’sSāṃkhya-pravacana (Title) iii, 20; Sāṃkhyakārikā (Title) &c. [ ID=75018 ]
- 1. Intellect. 2. Consciousness. 3. Soul or spirit.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 0311-b ] चैतन्य (caitanya) caitanya, i. e. cetana + ya, n. 1. Intellect. Yājñ. 3, 81. 2. Con- Page0312-a+ 41 sciousness, Vedāntas. in Chr. 204, 18. 3. Soul, spirit, MBh. 14, 529. [ ID=5108 ]
- consciousness, intelligence, mind, soul  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 175 ] चैतन्य (caitanya) n. consciousness, intelligence, mind, soul. [ ID=10695 ]

### Soul, Spirit, and Metaphysical Essence (2 definitions)
- the Universal Soul or Spirit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the Universal Soul or Spirit [ ID=75019 ]
- 1. Spirit, life, or vitality. 2. The supreme spirit considered as the essence of all being and source of all sensation.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 277-23 ] चैतन्य (caitanya) n. 1. Spirit, life, vitality; 2. the supreme spirit considered as the essence of all being and source of all sensation (in Vedānta phil.). [ ID=13930 ]

### Consciousness and Mental Faculties (1 definition)
- consciousness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 402,2] चैतन्य (caitanya) n. ( fr. चेतन (cetana) ) consciousness, Mahābhārata (Title) xiv, 529; Suśruta (Title) i, 21, 24. &c. [ ID=75017 ]

### Cross-references and Etymological Notes (1 definition)
- See the main entry  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > चैतन्य (caitanya) [Printed book page 0325-b ] Caitanya, &c. See s. v. [ ID=18605 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872); Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546