Upali, Upāli: 11 definitions

Introduction:

Upali means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, biology. 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.

In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names

1. Upali Thera - One of the most eminent of the Buddhas immediate disciples. He belonged to a barbers family in Kapilavatthu and entered the service of the Sakiyan princes. When Anuruddha and his cousins left the world and sought ordination from the Buddha at Anupiya Grove, Upali accompanied them. They gave him all their valuable ornaments, but, on further consideration, he refused to accept them and wished to become a monk with them. The reason given for his refusal is that he knew the Sakyans were hot headed, and feared that the kinsmen of the princes might suspect him of having murdered the young men for the sake of their belongings.

At the request of the Sakiyan youths, the Buddha ordained Upali before them all, so that their pride might be humbled. (Vin.ii.182; DhA.i.116f; see also Bu.i.61; but see BuA.44; the Tibetan sources give a slightly different version, see Rockhill, op. cit., pp. 55-6; according to the Mahavastu iii.179, Upali was the Buddhas barber, too).

Upalis upajjhaya was Kappitaka (Vin.iv.308). When Upali went to the Buddha for an exercise for meditation, he asked that he might be allowed to dwell in the forest. But the Buddha would not agree, for if Upali went into the forest he would learn only meditation, while, if he remained amongst men, he would have knowledge both of meditation and of the word of the Dhamma. Upali accepted the Buddhas advice and, practising insight, in due course won arahantship. The Buddha himself taught Upali the whole of the Vinaya Pitaka (ThagA.i.360f, 370; AA.i.172).

In the assembly of the Sangha, the Buddha declared him to be the most proficient of those who were learned in the Vinaya (vinayadharanam) (A.i.24; see also Vin.iv.142, where the Buddha is mentioned as speaking Upalis praises). He is often spoken of as having reached the pinnacle of the Vinaya, or as being its chief repository (Vinaye agganikkhitto), (E.g., Dpv.iv.3, 5; v.7, 9) and three particular cases - those of Ajjuka (Vin.iii.66f), the Bharukacchaka monk (Vin.iii.39) and Kumara Kassapa (AA.i.158; MA.i.336; J.i.148; DhA.iii.145) - are frequently mentioned in this connection as instances where Upalis decisions on Vinaya rules earned the special commendation of the Buddha. In the Rajagaha Council, Upali took a leading part, deciding all the questions relative to the Vinaya, in the same way as Ananda decided questions regarding the Dhamma (Vin.ii.286f; DA.i.11f; Mhv.iii.30).

In accordance with this tradition, ascribing to Upali especial authority regarding the rules of the Order, various instances are given of Upali questioning the Buddha about the Vinaya regulations. Thus we find him consulting the Buddha as to the legality or otherwise of a complete congregation performing, in the absence of an accused monk, an act at which his presence is required (Vin.i.325f). Again,

context information

Theravāda is a major branch of Buddhism having the the Pali canon (tipitaka) as their canonical literature, which includes the vinaya-pitaka (monastic rules), the sutta-pitaka (Buddhist sermons) and the abhidhamma-pitaka (philosophy and psychology).

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Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Tibetan Buddhism

Upāli (उपालि) is the name of a Śrāvaka mentioned as attending the teachings in the 6th century Mañjuśrīmūlakalpa: one of the largest Kriyā Tantras devoted to Mañjuśrī (the Bodhisattva of wisdom) representing an encyclopedia of knowledge primarily concerned with ritualistic elements in Buddhism. The teachings in this text originate from Mañjuśrī and were taught to and by Buddha Śākyamuni in the presence of a large audience (including Upāli).

Tibetan Buddhism book cover
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.

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Biology (plants and animals)

Source: Google Books: CRC World Dictionary (Regional names)

1) Upali in India is the name of a plant defined with Avicennia officinalis in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Avicennia germinans (L.) L. (among others).

2) Upali is also identified with Taxillus tomentosus It has the synonym Loranthus tomentosus Heyne ex Roth (etc.).

Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):

· Flora de Filipinas, ed. 2 (1845)
· Novae Plantarum Species praesertim Indiae Orientalis (1821)
· Bulletin de la Société Botanique de France (1895)
· Species Plantarum, ed. 3 (1764)
· Kew Bulletin (1958)
· Nova Genera et Species Plantarum seu Prodromus (1847)

If you are looking for specific details regarding Upali, for example pregnancy safety, side effects, chemical composition, health benefits, diet and recipes, extract dosage, have a look at these references.

Biology book cover
context information

This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.

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Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

Source: DDSA: The Molesworth Marathi and English Dictionary

upaḷī (उपळी).—f (upaḷa) A rill or streamlet trickling down hills, or oozing from the ground (in rainy weather).

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upāḷī (उपाळी).—f unc Jeering, deriding, ridiculing.

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

upaḷī (उपळी).—f A rill trickling downhill (in rainy weather).

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.

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Sanskrit dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Upalī (उपली).—4 Ā. To lie close to, cling to; Mahābhārata (Bombay) 8.

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Upāli (उपालि).—Name of one of the Buddha's most eminent pupils; he was formerly a barber.

Derivable forms: upāliḥ (उपालिः).

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Upāli (उपालि).—or °lin (= Pali id.), name of one of Buddha's leading disciples, a barber by caste and profession; story of his ordination, Mahāvastu iii.179.6 ff. Forms implying stem Upāli in Mahāvyutpatti 1062 °liḥ, nom.; Avadāna-śataka ii.112.5 °lir, 112.9; 113.7 °leḥ, gen.; 113.7 °liṃ, acc.; 113.2 °li-kalpako (ms.; Speyer em. °liḥ k°); Śikṣāsamuccaya 148.16 °lir; 164.9 ff. °le, voc.; stem Upālin, Divyāvadāna 21.21; 197.18 °lī, nom.; 197.21, 24 °lin, voc.; Upāli Sūtra, Hoernle [Manuscript Remains of Buddhist literature found in Eastern Turkestan] 29 passim °lī, nom.; non-Sanskrit form, Divyāvadāna 21.24 °li, voc.; in Mahāvastu the forms are mixed, as often in [Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit]: nom. °lir, °liḥ, °lis, iii.179.6; 180.10; 197.1; °li 179.10 (v.l. °lī), 11, 14, 18 (twice); 180.18 (v.l. °lī); 181.10, 16 (v.l. °lim, before vowel), 19; acc. °liṃ i.75.1; °li iii.180.12 (? or stem in composition?); 181.18 (mss.; Senart em. °liṃ); voc. °li iii.180.5, 13; gen. °lino i.178.2; °lisya iii.179.10, 17; 180.2, 4, 7, 16; 181.11, 13, 15; 182.1, 4, 6, 7. See next items. Written Udālin in Mūla-Sarvāstivāda-Vinaya i.248.11, 14; ii.91.10 (here Tibetan cited ñe bar ḥkhor = Upāli); 108.8; 113.14, etc.

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

1) Upalī (उपली):—[=upa-√lī] [Ātmanepada] -līyate, to lie close to, cling to, [Mahābhārata viii.]

2) Upāli (उपालि):—m. Name of one of Buddha’s most eminent pupils (mentioned as the first propounder of the Buddhist law and as having been formerly a barber).

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Upalī (उपली) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Uvalli.

[Sanskrit to German]

Upali 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.

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