In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Isvara Samhita Vol 5

Kāravallī (कारवल्ली) is the name of a plant, the leaves of which is considered a vegetable fit for use in oblation offerings, according to verse 25.128b-134 of the 8th-century Īśvarasaṃhitā. Accordingly, “... they [eg., kāravallī] are to be cut with a knife or sickle uttering vīryanantra, shall notice the (presence of the worms), insects and wash them (vegetables) many times, with water. They are to be kept as before, in cooking vessels, either alone or mixed up with each other with salt, pepper, mustards, jīraka, leaves of śrīparṇī, water, waters of the coconut, their fruits and grinded with honey mixed up with ghee, together with pulses, black gram, neem and varieties of green gram with soups. Kinds of green gram and others without soup but with salt and others”.

Kāravallī (कारवल्ली), also refers to the “areca nut” fruits as used in oblation offerings, according to verse 25.137-141a of the 8th-century Īśvarasaṃhitā. Accordingly, “... they [eg., kāravallī] are already cooked, filling the cooking vessels (sthālī) and dishes (śarāva) are to be kept in all broad frying vessels (ambarīṣa). They are to be placed on vessels (pātra) smeared with (within) ghee (ghṛta), are hot and are to be spread out there. They which are heated and made greasy with powdered peppers, jīraka and ghee are to be stirred again and again with ladle. They are to be kept in vessels covered with clothes etc”.

context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

Ayurveda (science of life)

Nighantu (Synonyms and Characteristics of Drugs and technical terms)

Source: WorldCat: Rāj nighaṇṭu

Kāravallī (कारवल्ली) is the Sanskrit name for a medicinal plant identified with Momordica charantia (bitter melon or bitter gourd) from the Cucurbitaceae or “gourd family” of flowering plants, according to verse 3.124-125 of the 13th-century Raj Nighantu or Rājanighaṇṭu. Kāravallī is known in the Hindi as Karelā or Karelī; in Bangali as Ucche-karela; in Marathi as Pagel or Kārle; in Tamil as Pāvakkacedī; and in Telugu as Kakar.

Kāravallī is mentioned as having eight synonyms: Kāṇḍīra, Kāṇḍakaṭukā, Nāsāsaṃvedana, Paṭu, Ugrakāṇḍa, Toyavallī, Kāṇḍavallī and Sukāṇḍaka.

Properties and characteristics: “Kāravallī is bitter (tikta) and pungent (kaṭu) laxative (sara) and relieves pain of old and chronic wounds. It cures the poison of spider, gulma (false abdominal lumps due to wind), affections of abdomen, spleen, colics, and loss of appetite”.

Dietetics and Culinary Art (such as household cooking)

Source: Shodhganga: Dietetics and culinary art in ancient and medieval India

Kāravallī (कारवल्ली) refers to “bitter gourd” which is prescribed for dried vegetables (karcarī), according to the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.—There is another section namely Karcarī-prakaraṇa deal with the properties of dried vegetables. Cirbhiṭa (cucumber), kāravallī (bitter gourd) bṛhatī and śuṣkavārtāka (brinjal) are the vegetables that are prescribed for this.

Kāravallī or “bitter gourd” is mentioned in a list of potential causes for indigestion.—A complete section in Bhojanakutūhala is devoted for the description of agents that cause indigestion [viz., kāravallī (bitter gourd)]. These agents consumed on a large scale can cause indigestion for certain people. The remedies [viz., siddhārthaka (mustard) or brahmataru kṣārodaka] for these types of indigestions are also explained therewith.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1) Karavallī (करवल्ली):—[=kara-vallī] [from kara] f. a kind of plant, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

2) Kāravallī (कारवल्ली):—f. Momordica Charantia, [Caraka] (cf. kāravella and kāṇḍīra.)

[Sanskrit to German]

Karavalli in German

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Tamil dictionary

Source: DDSA: University of Madras: Tamil Lexicon

Kāravalli (காரவல்லி) noun < kāra-vallī. Balsam-pear. See பாகல். (சூடாமணிநிகண்டு) [pagal. (sudamaninigandu)]

context information

Tamil is an ancient language of India from the Dravidian family spoken by roughly 250 million people mainly in southern India and Sri Lanka.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Valli, Kara.

Starts with: Karavalli-lata.

Ends with: Ankaravalli, Ekaravalli, Sukaravalli.

Full-text (+6): Ekaravalli, Sukshmavalli, Karavalli-lata, Kandira, Sukandaka, Toyavalli, Kandakatuka, Patu, Ugrakanda, Nasasamvedana, Karcari, Shushkavartaka, Cirbhita, Kareli, Brihati, Karela, Karle, Pagel, Ucche-karela, Pavakkacedi.

Relevant text

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