cetana
See CONSCIOUSNESS.chandas
Verses, metres, one of the six VEDÄŒGAS.chandoga
A priest or chanter of the Sämaveda
(VEDAof melodies).Chändogya Upani•ad
One of the oldest and largest UPANIÆADS,
belonging to the Sämaveda. It is the
most frequently referred to text in
Bädaräyaæa’s BRAHMA-SÜTRAS.chäyä (1) (‘shade’, ‘shadow’)
Mythical handmaid of the SUN.chäyä (2)
Term used to designate an aid in under-
standing a text.child marriage
See MARRIAGE.children
To have children, especially sons, was
the purpose of Hindu MARRIAGEfrom
early on. An often-used marriage ritu-
al closes with the blessing of the bride:
‘May you be the mother of a hundred
sons.’ Children were important not
only for the continuation of the fami-
ly lineage but also for the perfor-
mance of the last rites for their
parents (besides being expected to
contribute to the maintenance of their
parents in old age). Limiting the
number of children or practising birth
control (especially abortion) has been
condemned by classical Hindu
ŸÄSTRASas well as by contemporary
Hindu leaders.Chinmoy (1931– )
Kumar Ghosh, a disciple of AUROBINDO
GHOSE. He called himself ‘Made of
Mind’, settled in the USA in 1964 and
has formed meditation groups at the UN
in New York. The main technique is inte-
riorization of the GURUby the disciple.Chinnama•flä (‘the beheaded’)
A form of DURGÄ, carrying her own
decapitated head under her right arm;
one of ten tantrik DAŸA VIDYÄS.Chitragupta
YAMA’s secretary in the netherworlds,
recording the good and evil deeds of
people. (See alsoAFTERLIFE, PÄTÄLA.)choti (‘small’)
See ŸIKHA.chronology
It has always been extremely difficult to
establish a chronology of Hinduism
before the time of the Buddha (sixth
century BCE). Widely accepted
chronologies devised in the late 19th
century, assuming an invasion of the
Vedic ÄRYANSaround 1500 BCEand the
development of the Veda between 1200
and 600 BCE, have been challenged and
are no longer tenable. The ‘new
chronology’, supported by astro-archae-
ology, satellite photography and
archaeo-climatology, rejecting the
‘Äryan invasion theory’, sets the begin-
ning of the Vedic age at around 4000
BCEand its end at around 2000 BCE.churning of the ocean
(samudra manthana)
An ancient story, often depicted in Indian
art, concerning the attempt made by
DEVASand DAITYASat the beginning of
time to obtain AMØTA, the nectar of
immortality. They used Mount MAŒDARA
as a churning stick, put it upon the49 churning of the oceanEncyclo - Letter C 10/2/03 9:38 am Page 49