In Hinduism

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Vetālasādhana (वेतालसाधन) refers to the “rite for the mastery of Vetālas”, according to the Brahmayāmala-tantra (or Picumata), an early 7th century Śaiva text consisting of twelve-thousand verses.—Attainment of direct, power-bestowing encounters (melaka) with the goddesses is one of the Brahmayāmala’s dominant ritual aims, as illustrated by the “rite for the mastery of vetālas” (vetālasādhana, ch. 15), “rite of the great churning” (mahāmanthāna, ch. 46), “pavilion of power” (siddhimaṇḍapikā, ch. 47), and “worship in the pit [of power]” (siddhigarttāyāga, ch. 48). These virtuoso and macabre performances may culminate with the goddesses manifesting bodily before the sādhaka and granting boons.

context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

In Buddhism

Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: De Gruyter: A Fragment of the Vajrāmṛtamahātantra

Vetālasādhana (वेतालसाधन) (=vetāla-sādhana) is the name of the tenth chapter of the Vajrāmṛtatantra or Vajrāmṛtamahātantra: one of the main and earliest Buddhist Yoginītantras, probably datable to between the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 10th century. Chapter 10 (vetālasādhana-nirdeśa) teaches how to resuscitate a vetāla. The practitioner should perform this ritual on the eighth day in the dark half of any month or on the fourteenth day of a lunar fortnight, in a field or a place in which (for a distance of five krośas) there is but one landmark, or alternatively in a place where four roads meet, where there is an isolated tree, in a cemetery, on a river bank or on a mountain.

The text lists the characteristics that should be possessed by the corpse and the ritual actions that the practitioner should perform on it; then it briefly describes the maṇḍala that is required for this ritual, the Wisdoms (Sotkaṭā, Vikaṭā, etc.), and the door-guardians (Gokarṇa, Hastikarṇa, Sumukhya, and Durmukha) that have to be drawn outside the maṇḍala. The following stanzas prescribe the way the maṇḍala should be worshipped.

context information

Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Vetālasādhana (वेतालसाधन).—securing (the favour of) a Vetāla.

Derivable forms: vetālasādhanam (वेतालसाधनम्).

Vetālasādhana is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms vetāla and sādhana (साधन).

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

Vetālasādhana (वेतालसाधन):—[=vetāla-sādhana] [from vetāla] n. winning or securing (the favour of) a Vetāla, [Kathāsaritsāgara]

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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Vetala, Sadhana.

Starts with: Vetalasadhananirdesha.

Ends with: Yakshinivetalasadhana.

Full-text: Yakshinivetalasadhana, Vetalasadhananirdesha, Mahamanthana, Siddhimandapika, Garttayaga, Mandapika, Siddhigarttayaga, Gartta, Vajramritatantra, Sadhana.

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