Upahara, Upahāra: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Upahara means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Hindi. 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.
Alternative spellings of this word include Upahar.
Images (photo gallery)
In Hinduism
Kavya (poetry)
Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions (kavya)Upahāra (उपहार) refers to an “offering”, according to Bāṇa’s Kādambarī (p. 225-226).—Accordingly, while describing the shire of the Goddess Caṇḍikā, “[Then follows the image of the Goddess Caṇḍikā, which matches the conception of Kālarātri in the passage from the Mahābhārata:] [...] she was adorned in garlands of bilva-leaves furnished with gleaming fruits and buds anointed with red sandalwood, that were like hanging garlands of infant-heads; she expressed cruelty with limbs worshipped with clusters of kadamba flowers ruddy with blood, which horripilated, it seemed, at the thrill of the flavour of the keen roar of drums during the animal-offering (paśu-upahāra); [...]”.
Kavya (काव्य, kavya) refers to Sanskrit poetry, a popular ancient Indian tradition of literature. There have been many Sanskrit poets over the ages, hailing from ancient India and beyond. This topic includes mahakavya, or ‘epic poetry’ and natya, or ‘dramatic poetry’.
Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)
Source: Google Books: ManthanabhairavatantramUpahāra (उपहार) refers to “(divine) offerings”, according to the Kularatnoddyota verse 2.12-20.—Accordingly, “O one of good vows, I have talked about Ādinātha and the goddess who originates from his body. When he had enacted this most excellent union with her and externalized all the Kramamaṇḍala from his body, the lord of the gods worshipped it. (He did so) along with the mantras and Vidyās and (their) limbs with heaps of the aforementioned sacrificial substances as divine offerings (upahāra—upahāravarair divyaiḥ pūrvoktair dravyasañcayaiḥ) and with lamps of many forms fed by the Great Clarified Butter (made from human fat). (He also made) food offerings born from the energy of his will, (with many kinds of) human flesh, divine offerings of flowers and tasty food, (each offered) separately”.
Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Source: MDPI Books: The Ocean of HeroesUpahāra (उपहार) refers to “offerings” (of various pledge articles), according to the 10th-century Ḍākārṇava-tantra: one of the last Tibetan Tantric scriptures belonging to the Buddhist Saṃvara tradition consisting of 51 chapters.—Accordingly: “[...] Adorned with mantras and seals, a great yoga practitioner should make bali offering. The great accomplishment is [attained] through the recitation [of mantras] ten million times, also a hundred thousand times and below. If he makes offering (upahāra) of various pledge [articles] according to rule, afterwards, yogic accomplishment can be attained, [and] he can wander for pleasure anywhere. [...]”.
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
Pali-English dictionary
Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionaryupahāra : (m.) a gift; bringing forward.
Source: Sutta: The Pali Text Society's Pali-English DictionaryUpahāra, (fr. upa + hṛ) bringing forward, present, offering, gift Vin. III, 136 (āhār°) A. II, 87; III, 33; V, 66 (mett°); J. I, 47; IV, 455; VI, 117; DA. I, 97. (Page 148)
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 Dictionaryupahāra (उपहार).—m S A complimentary present. 2 (Corr. from upāhāra) A slight refreshment.
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upāhāra (उपाहार).—m (S) A slight refreshment (of fruits, sweetmeats &c.) service.
Source: DDSA: The Aryabhusan school dictionary, Marathi-Englishupahāra (उपहार).—m A slight refreshment.
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upāhāra (उपाहार).—m A slight refreshment of fruits, &c.
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 dictionaryUpahāra (उपहार).—
1) An oblation.
2) A gift, present (In general); रत्नपुष्पोपहारेण छायामानर्च पादयोः (ratnapuṣpopahāreṇa chāyāmānarca pādayoḥ) R.4.84; नृत्योपहारः (nṛtyopahāraḥ) Meghadūta 34; K.17,41,13,183.
3) A victim, sacrifice, an offering to a deity; सपर्यां सपशूपहाराम् (saparyāṃ sapaśūpahārām) R.16.39; Māl. 1; उपहारीकृतास्मि (upahārīkṛtāsmi) Mālatīmādhava (Bombay) 2; Ve.4.7.
4) A complimentary gift, present to a superior &c.
5) (a) Offering of flowers &c.; flowery gifts; collection of flowers; म्लानपुष्पो- पहारः (mlānapuṣpo- pahāraḥ) R.5.74; Kumārasambhava 6.42. (b) Presents (to gods) of flowers &c.; materials of worship; गन्धैर्माल्यैः सुरभिभिर्बलि- भिर्धूपदीपकैः । उच्चावचैश्चोपहारैः प्रवालफलतण्डुलैः (gandhairmālyaiḥ surabhibhirbali- bhirdhūpadīpakaiḥ | uccāvacaiścopahāraiḥ pravālaphalataṇḍulaiḥ) || Bhāgavata 1.22.3. V.3; Śiśupālavadha 11.36.
6) Honour.
7) Indemnity, presents given as the price of peace; कपालसन्धिर्विज्ञेयः केवलं सम- सन्धितः । संप्रदानाद्भवति य उपहारः स उच्यते (kapālasandhirvijñeyaḥ kevalaṃ sama- sandhitaḥ | saṃpradānādbhavati ya upahāraḥ sa ucyate) || H.4.11.
8) Food distributed to guests.
9) Exultation, mirth (consisting of laughter, dance, singing &c.); कृतपुष्पोपहारा भूरधिकां पुष्यति श्रियम् (kṛtapuṣpopahārā bhūradhikāṃ puṣyati śriyam) Rām.5.11.2.
Derivable forms: upahāraḥ (उपहारः).
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Upāhāra (उपाहार).—Slight refreshment (fruits, sweetmeats &c.).
Derivable forms: upāhāraḥ (उपाहारः).
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit DictionaryUpahāra (उपहार).—m. (nt. once; = Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit id.), fun-damentally gift, (loving) present, in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit] as elsewhere; e.g. (with change of gender) Avadāna-śataka i.378.2 (prose) sarvopa- hārāṇi copaḍhaukitāni.In a Mahāvastu passage beginning i.177.13 used repeatedly in a somewhat peculiar way which misled Senart, who in two notes (i.518 f., 523 f.) offers three different interpretations, all wrong (the passage cited 519 from Saddharmapuṇḍarīka contains a false reading; the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka ed. 476.5—6 does not contain the word cited by Senart, not even as a v.l.). In this Mahāvastu passage, the word applies to various acts by which the Buddha miraculously intervenes to save some- one from an intended grievous sin or to convert him from a dangerously false heresy. It should be rendered by some- thing like (kindly or compassionate) favor, gift, beneficial service: Mahāvastu i.177.13—15 introduces the detailed stories of specific acts called upahāra thus: paropahārāṃś ca… upaharanti (they present beneficial favors to others) samyak- saṃbuddhāḥ sattvānām anugrahārthaṃ. tad yathā, kaliṅgarājñaḥ kusumāye devyā paropahāraṃ bhagavāṃ vṛttavāṃ, dhruvasya śreṣṭhino vacanopahāraṃ (a benefit by spoken words) bhagavāṃ vṛttavāṃ; the [compound] paropa° also 178.5; 180.12; vacanopa° also 178.2. Other occur- rences: 178.7—8 (verse) etāṃ sarvāṃ pravakṣyāmi upahārāṃ manoramāṃ, tasya sattvapradhānasya śṛṇu vikrīḍitaṃ śubhaṃ; 184.(17—)18 (verse) (koṭīyo dvādaśa muniḥ) mānu- ṣāṇāṃ vinayati, upahāro ayaṃ iti; 185.3 upahāro vidhā- tavyo (to prevent Dhruva from burning his parents); 188.(10—)11 (verse) (yat tasya parikarma tat…) tam āhur upahāro ti; 192.(10—)11 (verse) (ye tatra nirmitā bhiksūḥ na caite bhikṣuṇo matā,) upahāraṃ vadanty etaṃ jinā śāstraviśāradāḥ.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English DictionaryUpahāra (उपहार).—m.
(-raḥ) 1. A complimentary gift, a present to a superior, &c. 2. A victim, an offering to a deity. 3. Tribute, indemnification, presents as the price of peace. 4. Food distributed to guests, &c. E. upa before hṛ to convey, ghañ aff.
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Benfey Sanskrit-English DictionaryUpahāra (उपहार).—i. e. upa-hṛ + a, m. 1. A complimentary present to a superior, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in
Upahāra (उपहार).—[masculine] present, gift, offering; [abstract] tā [feminine] tva [neuter]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary1) Upahāra (उपहार):—[=upa-hāra] [from upa-hṛ] m. offering, oblation (to a deity)
2) [v.s. ...] complimentary gift, present (to a king or superior), [Mahābhārata; Meghadūta; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc.
3) [v.s. ...] (upahāraṃ vi-√dhā, to offer an oblation to a god [acc.], sacrifice to any one, [Kathāsaritsāgara])
4) [v.s. ...] a particular kind of alliance (purchased through a gift), [Kāmandakīya-nītisāra; Hitopadeśa] etc.
5) [v.s. ...] food (distributed to guests etc.)
6) [v.s. ...] (with the Pāśupatas) a kind of religious service (consisting of laughter, song, dance, muttering huḍuk, adoration and pious ejaculation), [Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha 77, 22.]
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Yates Sanskrit-English DictionaryUpahāra (उपहार):—[upa-hāra] (raḥ) 1. m. Additional gift.
Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)Upahāra (उपहार) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Uvahāra.
[Sanskrit to German]
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.
Hindi dictionary
Source: DDSA: A practical Hindi-English dictionary1) Upahāra (उपहार) [Also spelled upahar]:—(nm) a present, gift; ~[rī] one who presents (a gift).
2) Upāhāra (उपाहार) [Also spelled upahar]:—(nm) refreshment; -[kakṣa/gṛha] refreshment room/house.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Source: Alar: Kannada-English corpusUpahāra (ಉಪಹಾರ):—
1) [noun] (correctly, ಉಪಾಹಾರ [upahara]) 1. an offering of a sacrifice; an oblation.
2) [noun] an animal immolated as a sacrifice.
3) [noun] a gift; a complimentary present.
4) [noun] an offering of a gift in reverence to a superior.
5) [noun] a light meal.
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Upāhāra (ಉಪಾಹಾರ):—[noun] a light meal or refreshment.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Source: unoes: Nepali-English DictionaryUpahāra (उपहार):—n. 1. a gift; a present; a souvenir; 2. offering; 3. a prize; 4. derision;
Nepali is the primary language of the Nepalese people counting almost 20 million native speakers. The country of Nepal is situated in the Himalaya mountain range to the north of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with: Upaharagriha, Upaharaka, Upaharana, Upaharaniya, Upaharapashu, Upaharata, Upaharati, Upaharatva, Upaharavara, Upaharavarman, Upaharavat.
Ends with: Aharupahara, Balyupahara, Grama-upahara, Hupahara, Kusumopahara, Parasupahara, Pashupahara, Pratyupahara, Pushpopahara, Rupahara, Vikalpopahara.
Full-text (+9): Aupaharika, Upaharaka, Upaharata, Uvahara, Upaharapashu, Upaharavarman, Upaharatva, Pratyupahara, Grama-upahara, Sadupahararatnakara, Upaharin, Vikalpopahara, Upahar, Aharupahara, Uphaar, Grama-grasa, Vikalpa, Naityaka, Balyupahara, Upara.
Relevant text
Search found 16 books and stories containing Upahara, Upahāra, Upāhāra, Upa-hara, Upa-hāra; (plurals include: Upaharas, Upahāras, Upāhāras, haras, hāras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Brihad Bhagavatamrita (commentary) (by Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyana Gosvāmī Mahārāja)
Verse 2.2.20-21 < [Chapter 2 - Jñāna (knowledge)]
Chaitanya Bhagavata (by Bhumipati Dāsa)
Verse 2.8.289 < [Chapter 8 - The Manifestation of Opulences]
Verse 1.6.21-23 < [Chapter 6 - The Lord Begins Studying and His Childhood Mischief]
Verse 1.5.29-30 < [Chapter 5 - Eating the Mendicant Brāhmaṇa’s Offerings]
Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study) (by A. Yamuna Devi)
Politics and Administration (8): Social Evils < [Chapter 3 - Social Aspects]
Manusmriti with the Commentary of Medhatithi (by Ganganatha Jha)
Verse 7.162-163 < [Section XII - Daily Routine of Work]
The Mahavastu (great story) (by J. J. Jones)
Bhajana-Rahasya (by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahasaya)