Avahana, Āvahana, Āvāhana, Avāhana: 16 definitions

Introduction

Introduction
Image gallery
In Hinduism
Languages
1. Pali
2. Marathi
3. Sanskrit
See also

Avahana means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Pali, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Images (photo gallery)

In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Isvara Samhita Vol 5

Āvāhana (आवाहन) or Āvāhanamudrā is the name of a mudrā described in the Īśvarasaṃhitā 66.—Accordingly, “the right hand shall be slightly bent in the direction of the heart. The two thumbs shall be held apart and be more visible. This is the mudrā for invocation”. Mūdra (eg., Āvāha-mudrā) is so called as it gives joy to the tattvas in the form of karman for those who offer spotless worship, drive out the defects which move about within and without and sealing up of what is done.

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.

Shilpashastra (iconography)

Source: Shodhganga: The significance of the mūla-beras (śilpa)

Āvāhana (आवाहन) and Utsavana refers to rituals involving dhruvaberas (consecrated images installed within the garbhagṛha of the temple).—The tirumañjanam (holy adoration) with oil, milk, and ghee is not performed for the dhruva-bera every day. Instead, the energies of the presiding deity are consecrated into another image called kautuka which is made out of metal and placed nearby. This ritual is called āvāhana. The energies that are transferred from the dhruva-bera to the kautuka every morning are again anchored back into the main deity every night. This is known as utsavana. Thus, the two rituals āvāhana and utsavana are carried out to the dhruva-bera every day.

context information

Shilpashastra (शिल्पशास्त्र, śilpaśāstra) represents the ancient Indian science (shastra) of creative arts (shilpa) such as sculpture, iconography and painting. Closely related to Vastushastra (architecture), they often share the same literature.

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English Translation

Āvāhana (आवाहन, “invocation”) refers to one of the sixteen upacāra, or “sixteen types of homage and services”, as described while explaining the mode of worshipping the phallic form (liṅga) of Śiva in the Śivapurāṇa 1.11. Accordingly, “[...] the devotee shall worship the mobile emblem with the sixteen types of homage and services (upacāra) as prescribed. It accords the region of Śiva gradually. The sixteen types of service are [for example, invocation (āvāhana)] [...] Or he shall perform all the sixteen rites in the phallic emblem of human, saintly or godly origin, or in one naturally risen up (svayambhū) or in one of very extraordinary nature installed duly”.

Āvāhana (invocation) is mentioned in the Śivapurāṇa 1.20 while explaining the mode of worshipping an earthen phallic image (pārthiva-liṅga) according to the Vedic rites:—“[...] the invocation (āvāhana) shall be performed with the mantra “Mā no mahāntam” etc. The seating (upaveśana) shall be performed with the mantra “Yā te rudreṇa”.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Shodhganga: Temple management in the Āgamas

Āvāhana (आवाहन) refers to certain a ceremony to be performed during pūjā (ritualistic worship), according to the Arcanāvidhipaṭala of Kāmikāgama.—After Sadāśivadhyāna [meditating on the form of Sadāśiva], the Ācārya performs mantranyāsa just as he did it on his own self. He creates a śaktiśarīra and invokes Śiva in that śarīra using the mūlamantra. He then meditates on that matchless, eternal Paraśiva who is sat-cit-ānanda-svarūpa, who is beyond measure, who is beyond reach of word and thought, who pervades through the universe just as word and its meaning, who pervades all the tattvas and who has manifested in the liṅga to bestow grace. The Aādhaka (Ācārya) then keeps chanting the prāsādamantra with bhakti while offering puṣpāñjali. He meditates on the Niṣkala-Śiva and visualizes his energy pervading the levels of nāda and bindu. Thus he performs āvāhana.

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.

General definition (in Hinduism)

Source: ACHC: Smarta Puja

Āvāhana (आवाहन) refers to “invocation”, representing one of the various services (upacāra) of a pūjā (ritualistic worship of a deity) which aim at the purification of the devotee.—The pūjā begins with the invocation (āvāhana), for which the first mantra of the Puruṣa-sūkta is employed. Āvāhana is not done: 1. in case of Viṣṇu being worshipped in the śālagrāma stone or Śiva being worshipped in the bāṇa-liṅga, or 2. in case of icons which have been permanently established in temples.

In case of temporarily worshipped icons of clay etc. the āvāhana follows the rite of prāṇa-pratiṣṭha by which the deity is made to be present in the icon. Modern informants interpret āvāhana in that case as a request to the deity to be ready to accept the pūjā which is being offered.

Source: Shodhganga: Temples and cult of Sri Rama in Tamilnadu (h)

Avahana refers to “invoking presence of the God” and represents one of the various daily ceremonies performed during puja (worship).—Offering of water and food or tirtham and prasadam to the deities on the different occasions or specified hours of the day is an important item in the daily pujas. [...] While for the daily routine, only ordinary plain rice was offered, special food preparations were offered often on festival days. [...] The daily routine includes a number of ceremonies [viz., Avahana] that are repeated.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

āvahana : (nt.) (in cpds.), bringing; bearing; conducive. || āvāhana (nt.) taking in marriage; wedding.

Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Āvāhana, (nt.) (ā + vshana, of vah) — 1. = āvāha, i.e. marriage, taking a wife D. I, 11 (= āvāha-karaṇa DA. I, 96).—2. “getting up, bringing together”, i.e. a mass, a group or formation, in senā° a contingent of an army J. IV, 91. (Page 112)

— or —

Āvahana, (adj) (-°) (= āvaha) bringing, causing Th. 1, 519; Sn. 256. (Page 112)

context information

Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

āvāhana (आवाहन).—n S Summoning or invoking (a divinity to occupy an image just prepared to receive him, or to enter into any object, when, for the due performance of some rite or ceremony, his presence is required). 2 Summoning or calling.

Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-English

āvāhana (आवाहन).—n Invoking; calling.

context information

Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.

Sanskrit-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Avāhana (अवाहन).—a. Having no carriage, not driving in a carriage.

--- OR ---

Āvahana (आवहन).—Bringing near, producing.

Derivable forms: āvahanam (आवहनम्).

--- OR ---

Āvāhana (आवाहन).—

1) Sending for, inviting, calling.

2) Invoking a deity (to be present) (opp. visarjana); आवाहने विनियोगः, आवाहनं न जानामि न जानामि तवार्चनम् (āvāhane viniyogaḥ, āvāhanaṃ na jānāmi na jānāmi tavārcanam) Pūjā Mantra.

3) Offering oblations to fire; आवाहनाग्नौकरणरहितं ह्यपसव्यवत् (āvāhanāgnaukaraṇarahitaṃ hyapasavyavat) Y.1.251.

-nī A particular position of the hands at the time of invoking a deity; हस्ताभ्यामञ्जलिं बद्ध्वाऽनामिका- मूलपर्वणोः । अङ्गुष्ठौ निक्षिपेत्सेयं मुद्रा त्वावाहनी स्मृता (hastābhyāmañjaliṃ baddhvā'nāmikā- mūlaparvaṇoḥ | aṅguṣṭhau nikṣipetseyaṃ mudrā tvāvāhanī smṛtā) || Śabdak.

Derivable forms: āvāhanam (आवाहनम्).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āvāhana (आवाहन).—n.

(-naṃ) 1. Calling. 2. Inviting. 3. Offering oblations with fire. f. (-nī) A particular position of the hands or the palms put together, and the thumbs put at the root of the ring finger. E. āṅ before vah to bear, causal form, lyuṭ aff.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āvāhana (आवाहन).—i. e. ā-vah + ana, n. Invitation.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Āvahana (आवहन).—[neuter] bringing near.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Āvāhana (आवाहन) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—śr. Oudh. Xvi, 2. 4. Xix, 40.

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family. 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.

Relevant text

Search found 12 books and stories containing Avahana, Āvahana, Āvāhana, Avāhana, A-vahana, A-vāhana, Ā-vahana, Ā-vāhana; (plurals include: Avahanas, Āvahanas, Āvāhanas, Avāhanas, vahanas, vāhanas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Adhyāya IV, Khaṇḍa 4

Adhyāya IV, Khaṇḍa 2

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Verse 2.4.211 < [Chapter 4 - Vaikuṇṭha: The Spiritual Kingdom]

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Canto XXX - Madālasā’s Exhortation (continued)

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Chapter 25 - On the method of worship of Tulasī Devī < [Book 9]

Chapter 40 - The External Worship of the Devī < [Book 7]

Chapter 7 - On the Dīkṣā vidhi or on the rules of Initiation < [Book 12]

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Chapter 26 - Dialogue between King Cola and Viṣṇudāsa < [Section 4 - Kārttikamāsa-māhātmya]