# कौतुक (kautuka)

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

कौतुक (kautuka) is a Sanskrit word meaning curiosity, eagerness, or vehement desire, anything causing curiosity or wonder, festivity, gaiety, or festival, the marriage-thread or necklace, pleasure, happiness, prosperity, nine particular substances. Its 23 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them Comprehensive Definitions Listing Multiple Senses, Entertainment, Sport, or Public Spectacle, Curiosity, Eagerness, or Strong Desire.

- **Etymology:** E. कुतुक, and अण् aff — E. kutuka, and aṇ aff
- **SLP1:** `kOtuka`  **IAST:** kautuka  **Devanagari:** कौतुक
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kautuka
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kautuka/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Comprehensive Definitions Listing Multiple Senses (8 definitions)
- 1. Curiosity, eagerness, or interest. 2. A curious or interesting spectacle. 3. An entertaining story. 4. A festival. 5. Wedding investiture or the nuptial cord. 6. Happiness or bliss.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 075-2 ] कौतुक (kautuka) kautuka, n. curiosity, interest, eagerness ( w. lc. or —° ); curious, strange or interesting spectacle; entertaining story; festival; wedding investiture with the nuptial cord; nuptial cord; happiness; bliss; -kriyā, f. wedding festival; -gṛha, n. wedding-house; -pura, n. N. of a city; -bhṛt, a. wearing the nuptial cord; -maṅgala, n. solemn ceremony, festival; -maya, a. interesting; charming; -āgāra, m. n. wedding chamber. [ ID=6377 ]
- 1. Eagerness or impatience. 2. Joy or happiness. 3. Sport or pastime. 4. A festival. 5. A wish or inclination. 6. Curiosity. 7. A friendly greeting. 8. The marriage thread or ring. 9. The enjoyment of public diversions. 10. A song, dance, or spectacle. 11. A season of enjoyment.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 253 ] कौतुक (kautuka) n. ( - कं (-kaṃ) ) 1 Eagerness, vehemence, impatience. 2 Joy, pleasure, happiness. 3 Sport, pastime. 4 A festival, festivity. 5 Wish, inclination. 6 Curiosity. 7 Kind or friendly greeting, civility, salutation. 8 The marriage thread or ring. 9 The enjoyment of public diversions. 10 Song, dance, shew or spectacle. 11 Season of enjoyment. E. कुतुक (kutuka), and अण् (aṇ) aff. [ ID=11844 ]
- 1. Eagerness, joy, sport, wish, festival, or curiosity. 2. Salutation. 3. Marriage ring. 4. Dance.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 217-b ] कौतुक (kautuka) ( कं ) ((kaṃ)) 1. n. Eagerness, joy, sport, wish, festival, curiosity; salutation; marriage ring; dance. [ ID=11296 ]
- 1. Desire or curiosity. 2. Eagerness or vehemence. 3. A wonder. 4. Festivity or gaiety. 5. A marriage thread worn on the wrist. 6. The marriage thread ceremony. 7. Joy, pleasure, or happiness. 8. A joke or fun. 9. A song, dance, or show. 10. A friendly greeting.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 212-07 ] कौतुक (kautuka) n. 1. Desire, curiosity; 2. eagerness, vehemence; 3. anything creating curiosity, a wonder; 4. festivity, gaiety; 5. marriage thread worn on the wrist, R. viii.1; 6. the ceremony with the marriage thread preceding a marriage; 7. joy, pleasure, happiness; 8. joke, fun; 9. song, dance, show; 10. friendly greeting, salutation. [ ID=10549 ]
- 1. Eagerness, impatience, or curiosity. 2. Joy, pleasure, or happiness. 3. Sport, pastime, or public diversion. 4. A festivity or season of enjoyment. 5. A wish or inclination. 6. A friendly greeting or salutation. 7. The marriage thread or ring. 8. A song, dance, or spectacle.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 208-b ] कौतुक (kautuka) n. ( - कं (-kaṃ) ) 1. Eagerness, vehemence, impatience. 2. Joy, pleasure, happiness. 3. Sport, pastime. 4. A festivity. 5. Wish, inclination. 6. Curiosity. 7. Kind or friendly greeting, civility, salutation. 8. The marriage thread or ring. 9. The enjoyment of public diversions. 10. Song, dance, shew or spectacle. 11. Season of enjoyment. E. कुतुक, (kutuka,) and अण् (aṇ) aff. [ ID=11838 ]
- 1. Eagerness or desire. 2. Pleasure. 3. Happiness. 4. An interesting spectacle. 5. A festival. 6. Marriage. 7. The marriage string.  
  *Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 0222-b ] कौतुक (kautuka) kautuka, i. e. kutuka + a, n. 1. Eagerness, Rājat. 5, 359; desire, Pañc. 128, 18. 2. Pleasure, Lass. 43, 11. 3. Happiness, Pañc. iv. d. 35. 4. An interesting spectacle, Kathās. 6, 65. 5. A festival, Bhartṛ. 3, 15; Mālav. 64, 6. 6. Marriage, Bhāg. P. 4, 3, 13. 7. The marriage string. Daśak. in Chr. 201, 4. — Comp. Krīḍā-, n. feigned Page0223-a+ 41 curiosity, Kathās. 18, 135. Vi-, adj. incurious, indifferent. [ ID=3866 ]
- 1. Curiosity, eagerness, or strong desire. 2. A spectacle or festival. 3. The marriage ceremony or the marriage thread itself. 4. Blessing or happiness.  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 134 ] कौतुक (kautuka) n. curiosity, interest, eagerness, vehement desire or longing for ( loc. or —°), anything curious or interesting, show, festival, ceremony, esp. the marriage-thread ceremony, also the marriage-thread itself; blessing, happiness. [ ID=8538 ]
- 1. Curiosity, eagerness, or strong desire. 2. A wonder or surprising object. 3. A festival, festivity, or solemn ceremony. 4. The marriage thread or ring. 5. Joy, pleasure, or happiness. 6. Sport, pastime, or public diversion. 7. Song, dance, or spectacle. 8. A greeting or civility.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 0257-b ] कौतुक (kautuka) kautuka, am, n. (fr. kutuka ), curi- osity, interest in anything, vehement desire for, wish, inclination; eagerness, vehemence, impatience; any- thing causing curiosity, admiration or interest, any singular or surprising object, a wonder; festivity, gaiety, a festival, a show, a solemn ceremony, espe- cially the ceremony with the marriage-thread or ring preceding a marriage; the marriage-thread or ring; Page0257-c+ 71 joy, pleasure, happiness, enjoyment; sport, pastime; public diversion; song, dance, show or spectacle; season of enjoyment; kind or friendly greeting, civility, salutation. —Kautuka-kriyā, f. a solemn ceremony, a marriage ceremony. —Kautuka-gṛha, am, n. the house in which a marriage takes place. —Kautuka-toraṇa, as, am, m. n. a triumphal arch erected at certain festivals. —Kautuka-maṅ- gala, am, n. a solemn ceremony. —Kautukāgāra ( °ka-ag°, or āg° ), as, am, m. n. a room for festivity, a room in which a marriage ceremony takes place. [ ID=15999 ]

### Entertainment, Sport, or Public Spectacle (4 definitions)
- sport or pastime  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > sport, pastime, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=57102 ]
- public diversion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > public diversion, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=57103 ]
- song, dance, show, spectacle  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > song, dance, show, spectacle, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=57104 ]
- for amusement, as a relaxation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > for amusement, as a relaxation, Horace H. Wilson, author of first Sanskrit-English dictionary in 1819 (Author) [ ID=57108 ]

### Curiosity, Eagerness, or Strong Desire (3 definitions)
- curiosity, eagerness, or vehement desire  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1) [Printed book page 316,1] कौतुक (kautuka) n. ( fr. कुत् (kut) ° (°); g. युवा (yuvā) दि (di) ), curiosity, interest in anything, vehement desire for ( loc. or in comp. ), eagerness, vehemence impatience, Pañcatantra (Title); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) ( ifc. f( आ (ā) ). ) &c. [ ID=57096 ]
- out of curiosity or interest  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H1C) [Printed book page 316,1] कौतुकात् (kautukāt) ind. abl. out of curiosity or interest, Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Hitopadeśa (Title) [ ID=57107 ]
- curiosity, eagerness  
  *Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary*
  > कौतुक (kautuka) [Printed book page 145-a ] kautuka, n. curiosity, eagerness; -āt, adv. [ 1114b ], eagerly. [ ID=1229 ]

### Festival, Ceremony, or Celebration (2 definitions)
- 1. Festivity, gaiety, or festival. 2. A show or solemn ceremony, especially the ceremony with the marriage thread or necklace preceding a marriage.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > festivity, gaiety, festival, show, solemn ceremony ( esp. the ceremony with the marriage-thread or necklace preceding a marriage), Kumāra-sambhava (Title); Daśakumāra-carita (Title); Bhartṛhari (Author); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) &c. [ ID=57098 ]
- the place for a particular nuptial ceremony  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > [Printed book page 1325,2] the place for a partic. nuptial ceremony, Mānava-gṛhya-sūtra (Title) [ ID=57106.1 ]

### Joy, Pleasure, or Happiness (2 definitions)
- pleasure, happiness, prosperity  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pleasure, happiness, prosperity, Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) i, 17, 26 [ ID=57100 ]
- season of enjoyment  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > season of enjoyment, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=57105 ]

### A Specific Set of Nine Substances (1 definition)
- nine particular substances  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of nine particular substances, Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi (Title) i, 110, 19; ii, 49, 10 [ ID=57101 ]

### Friendly Greeting or Salutation (1 definition)
- friendly greeting or civility  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > kind or friendly greeting, civility, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=57106 ]

### Marriage Thread or Auspicious Wedding Object (1 definition)
- the marriage-thread or necklace  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > the marriage-thread or necklace, Kathāsaritsāgara (Title) li, 223 [ ID=57099 ]

### Wonder, Marvel, or Curious Object/Sight (1 definition)
- anything causing curiosity or wonder  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > anything causing curiosity or admiration or interest, any singular or surprising object, wonder, Pañcatantra (Title); Kathāsaritsāgara (Title); Vetāla-pañcaviṃśatikā (Title) [ ID=57097 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary; 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.

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