Shodashopacara, Ṣōḍaśōpacāra, Ṣoḍaśopacāra, Shodashan-upacara: 9 definitions
Introduction:
Shodashopacara means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, 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.
The Sanskrit terms Ṣōḍaśōpacāra and Ṣoḍaśopacāra can be transliterated into English as Sodasopacara or Shodashopacara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
Alternative spellings of this word include Shodashopachara.
In Hinduism
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Source: Shodhganga: Temple management in the ĀgamasṢoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार) refer to the performance of sixteen steps (upacāra) in ritual worship (pūjā), and are defined as follows: After Bali, Homa, Tāmbūla, the Ācārya entertains the Lord with the sounding of the pañcamahāśābda and offers darpaṇa (mirror), chattra (umbrella), cāmara (fly-whisk), geya (song), nṛtta (dance), japa (mantra chanting) and stotra (hymns). [...] [In Ṣoḍaṣa-Upacāra], the Ācārya entertains the Lord with the sounding of the pañcamahāśābda and offers darpaṇa (mirror), chattra (umbrella), cāmara (fly-whisk), geya (song), nṛtta (dance), japa (mantra chanting) and stotra (hymns).
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.
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Source: archive.org: Shiva Purana - English TranslationṢoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार) refers to the “sixteen means of service and homage”, which was previously performed by Hari while worshippeing Brahmā (due to trickery), according to the Śivapurāṇa 1.7. Note: The ṣoḍaśopacāra (sixteen acts of homage to a deity) are mentioned in Śiva-purāṇa II.25-29. They are differently enumerated elsewhere [...]. Tantrasāra enumerates 64 upacāras.
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.
Ganapatya (worship of Ganesha)
Source: Google Books: Ganapati: Song of the SelfṢoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार).—Of the various types of pūjās, the one with sixteen (ṣoḍaśa) items or offerings (upacāra) is very common. This type of ritual consists of preliminary acts including rites for the purification of the devotee and the implements used in the pūjā, removal of obstacles and declaration (saṃkalpa) to perform the worship. Then a series of sixteen main services is offered, beginning with the invocation of the deity and so on. Each offering is accompanied by the recitation of a stanza from the Ṛgveda Puruṣasūkta. These Vedic mantras are the most important mantras used in the worship, though Purāṇic mantras are also employed.
Although the number of services is always counted as sixteen (ṣoḍaśopacāra), their kind and sequence varies from source to source. One such list is:
- invocation/welcome (āvāhana),
- seat (āsana),
- water for washing the feet (pādya),
- water for washing the hands (ācamanīya),
- bath (snāna),
- clothes: upper and lower garments (vastra),
- sacred thread (yajñopavīta),
- fragrant paste (gandha/candana),
- flowers, garlands offered with mantras (arcāna),
- incense (dhūpa),
- light/lamp (dīpa),
- food (naivedya),
- betal leaves and betal nuts (tāmbūla),
- prostration and circumambulation (namaskāra, pradakṣiṇā),
- offering flowers and mantras (mantrapuṣpāñjali).
After the image has been infused with life (pranapratistha),the above sixteen ways of service (or whatever the number one plans to perform) are performed. In this regards one should note the following points. The lamp (preferably an oil lamp), bell, cup, spoon, kuṃkuma/bhasma/turmeric/incense holder, and tray should all preferably be made out of silver. Copper is also acceptable, but the general rule is to use the finest and purest materials when making an offering to the Divine. The foods that are offered should be pure (sattva), that is, fruits, milk, and milk products, modakas, various leaves, betel nuts.
Ganapatya (गाणपत्य, gāṇapatya) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Ganesha is revered and worshipped as the prime deity (ishta-devata). Being a minor though influential movement, Ganapatya evovled, llike Shaktism and Shaivism, as a separate movement leaving behind a large body of literature.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionaryṣōḍaśōpacāra (षोडशोपचार).—m (S) The performance of sixteen points in idol-worship; viz. āvāhana, āsana, pādya, ardhya, ācamana, snāna, vastra, yajñōpavīta, gandha, puṣpa, dhūpa, dīpa, naivēdya, dakṣiṇā, pradakṣiṇā, mantrapuṣpa. 2 The sixteen points performed.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishṣōḍaśōpacāra (षोडशोपचार).—m The performance of 16 points in idol-worship.
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 dictionary
Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionaryṢoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार).—m. pl. the sixteen ways of doing homage to a deity &c.; they are thus enumerated; आसनं स्वगतं पाद्यमर्ध्यमाचमनीयकम् । मधुपर्काचमस्नानं वसनाभरणानि च । गन्ध- पुष्पे धूपदीपौ नैवेद्यं वन्दनं तथा (āsanaṃ svagataṃ pādyamardhyamācamanīyakam | madhuparkācamasnānaṃ vasanābharaṇāni ca | gandha- puṣpe dhūpadīpau naivedyaṃ vandanaṃ tathā) ||
Ṣoḍaśopacāra is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms ṣoḍaśan and upacāra (उपचार).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryṢoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार).—m. plu.
(-raḥ) The sixteen ways of doing homage; they are:—“āsanaṃ svāgataṃ pādyamarghamācamanīyakam . [phage742-a+ 60] madhuparkācamasnānaṃ vasanābharaṇāni ca . gandhapuṣpe dhūpadīpau naivedyaṃ vandanaṃ tathā ..”
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English DictionaryṢoḍaśopacāra (षोडशोपचार):—[from ṣoḍaśa > ṣaṣ] m. [plural] 16 acts of homage See, [Religious Thought and Life in India 414, 415.]
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.
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusṢōḍaśōpacāra (ಷೋಡಶೋಪಚಾರ):—
1) [noun] (pl.) sixteen acts of homage.
2) [noun] (fig.) all kinds of service to a person, esp. to please him or her.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Upacara, Shodasha.
Starts with: Shodashopacarane, Shodashopacarapuja, Shodashopacarapujana, Shodashopacarapujapaddhati, Shodashopacarapujavidhi, Shodashopacarashloka, Shodashopacaravidhi.
Full-text: Upacara, Shodashopacarane, Shodashopacarya, Saumyopacara, Shodasha, Payahsnana, Ghritasnana, Dadhisnana, Gandhodakasnana, Madhusnana, Sharkarasnana, Snana, Mantrapushpanjali, Pranapratishtha, Prarthana.
Relevant text
Search found 7 books and stories containing Shodashopacara, Ṣōḍaśōpacāra, Ṣoḍaśopacāra, Shodashan-upacara, Sodasopacara, Ṣoḍaśan-upacāra, Sodasan-upacara, Ṣōḍaśopacāra; (plurals include: Shodashopacaras, Ṣōḍaśōpacāras, Ṣoḍaśopacāras, upacaras, Sodasopacaras, upacāras, Ṣōḍaśopacāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Lord Hayagriva in Sanskrit Literature (by Anindita Adhikari)
Mode of worship at present < [Chapter 6]
Worship (with and without form of image) < [Chapter 6]
Atithi or Guest Reception (study) (by Sarika. P.)
Part 5 - How to appease an Atithi? < [Chapter 9 - Atithi-saparyā in Dharmaśāstra Literature]
The Padma Purana (by N.A. Deshpande)
Chapter 82 - The Greatness of Viṣṇu’s Devotees < [Section 6 - Uttara-Khaṇḍa (Concluding Section)]
The Shiva Purana (by J. L. Shastri)
Chapter 7 - Śiva manifests himself as a column of fire in the battlefield < [Section 1 - Vidyeśvara-saṃhitā]
The Devi Bhagavata Purana (by Swami Vijñanananda)
The Skanda Purana (by G. V. Tagare)
Chapter 30 - The Greatness of Pañcatīrtha < [Section 2 - Puruṣottama-kṣetra-māhātmya]
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