| YouTube Channel

चतुरिका (caturikA)

 
Spoken Sanskrit
English
चतुरिका caturikA
f.
 quadrangular courtyard
Monier Williams Cologne
English
1. चतुरिका
f.
 (= °तुष्क) a quadrangular courtyard (used for guests),
Pañcad.
 iv, 76
v, 45.
2. चतुरिका (See चतुरक)
f.
N.
 of a woman,
Śak.
 vi, 8/9 (in Prākṛt) and 13/14
Kathās.
 vi, 53
ciii, 20.
Wordnet
Sanskrit
Synonyms:
 चतुरिका
noun
एका महिला ।
"चतुरिकायाः उल्लेखः अभिज्ञानशाकुन्तले वर्तते"
पुराणम्
English
चतुरिका / CATURIKĀ. A harlot about whom the following story is told in kathāsaritsāgara.
Once a poor Brahmin got a piece of gold as Pratigraha (fee or dakṣiṇā for performing a religious rite). While he was perplexed not knowing what to do with the gold, a Viṭa advised him to go on tour with the money got by selling the gold. The poor Brahmin did not even know how to go on tour. Then the Viṭa advised him to visit a harlot called caturikā, who lived close by and who, the Vita said, would teach him how to go on tour.
Brahmin:--What shall I do first after going to the harlot's house?
Viṭa:--caturikā will become friendly if you would give her the gold. Then you should use sweet and charming words, and that is all.
The Brahmin went immediately to Caturikā's house and he was received honourably by her. Then giving the gold to her he requested her to instruct him about going on tour. This request of his evoked laughter from people around him. Then the Brahmin who was versed in the Śrutis began reciting the Sāman with his palm formed in the shape of the ears of the cow. All those who were present there wildly laughed at him, and somehow or other he escaped from the none too pleasant scene, and reported his experience at the harlot's to the Viṭa. He very easily understood that the reason for the Brahmin being ridiculed was that misreading his advice to use ‘sāma’ (sweet words) the Brahmin recited the sāmaveda. He took the brahmin back to caturikā and asked her to return the ‘grass’ (gold given her by the brahmin) to ‘the cow’, the Brahmin who was as simple as the cow. Laughingly caturikā returned the gold to him. (kathāsaritsāgara, Kathāpīṭha Laṁbakam, Taraṅga 6).