Introduction

In Hinduism

Vaishnavism (Vaishava dharma)

Source: Pure Bhakti: Bhagavad-gita (4th edition)

Upāsaka (उपासक) refers to “worshipper”. (cf. Glossary page from Śrīmad-Bhagavad-Gītā).

Source: Pure Bhakti: Brhad Bhagavatamrtam

Upāsaka (उपासक) refers to:—Worshipers or devotees. (cf. Glossary page from Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta).

context information

Vaishnava (वैष्णव, vaiṣṇava) or vaishnavism (vaiṣṇavism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshipping Vishnu as the supreme Lord. Similar to the Shaktism and Shaivism traditions, Vaishnavism also developed as an individual movement, famous for its exposition of the dashavatara (‘ten avatars of Vishnu’).

In Buddhism

Theravada (major branch of Buddhism)

Source: Access to Insight: A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist TermsA male/female lay follower of the Buddha. Compare parisa.Source: Dhamma Dana: Pali English Glossary

M Person who supports and respects the "triple gem": Buddha, dhamma and sangha.

Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines

lit. 'sitting close by', i.e. a 'lay adherent', is any lay follower who is filled with faith and has taken refuge in the Buddha, his doctrine and his community of noble disciples (A.VIII.25).

His virtue is regarded as pure if he observes the 5 Precepts (pañca-sīla; s. sikkhāpada).

He should avoid the following wrong ways of livelihood:

• trading in arms,

• trading in living beings,

• trading in meat,

• trading in alcohol

• trading in poison (A.V.177).

See also A.VIII.75.

-- or --

'female adherent'; s. upāsaka.

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).

General definition (in Buddhism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Buddhism

Upasaka was a man who has gone to the Three Refuges is called in Pali an upasaka, and a woman an upasika. Being an upasaka or upasika amounts to doing a good deed that will send you to the deva worlds.

India history and geography

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Indian Epigraphical Glossary

Upāsaka.—(EI 3, 8, 27; CII 3), a Buddhist lay worshipper; a lay follower of the Buddha; cf. Upāsikā. (SII 13), a temple servant. Note: upāsaka is defined in the “Indian epigraphical glossary” as it can be found on ancient inscriptions commonly written in Sanskrit, Prakrit or Dravidian languages.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Languages of India and abroad

Pali-English dictionary

Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary

upāsaka : (m.) a lay devotee; one who comes near.

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

Upāsaka, (fr. upa + ās, cp. upāsati) a devout or faithful layman, a lay devotee Vin. I, 4, 16 (tevāciko u.), 37, 139, 195 sq.; II, 125; III, 6, 92; IV, 14, 109; D. I, 85; II, 105, 113; III, 134, 148, 153, 168, 172 sq. , 264; M. I, 29, 467, 490; S. V, 395, 410; A. I, 56 sq.; II, 132 (°parisā); III 206 (°caṇḍāla, °ratana); IV, 220 sq. (kittāvatā hoti); Sn. 376, 384; J. I, 83; Pv I 10⁴; Vbh. 248 (°sikkhā); DA. I, 234; PvA. 36, 38, 54, 61, 207.—f. upāsikā Vin. I, 18, 141, 216; III, 39; IV, 21, 79; D. III, 124, 148, 172, 264; M. I, 29, 467, 491; S. II, 235 sq.; A. I, 88; II, 132; V, 287 sq.; Miln. 383; PvA. 151, 160. (Page 150)

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

upāsaka (उपासक).—a (S) That serves, honors, worships.

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

upāsaka (उपासक).—a That serves, honours, worships.

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 dictionary

Source: DDSA: The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary

Upāsaka (उपासक).—

1) One who waits upon, a worshipper.

2) A servant, follower.

3) A Śūdra, a low fellow.

4) A worshipper of Buddha as distinguished from the Bhikṣu.

Derivable forms: upāsakaḥ (उपासकः).

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

Upāsaka (उपासक).—m., °sikā, once °sikī, f., lay-disciple (of the Buddha), passim: m. Mahāvyutpatti 8724; Divyāvadāna 618.13, 17; Avadāna-śataka i.338.4 ff., and often; in Mahāvastu iii.268.13, description of Rāhula's ordination, acceptance of the first five śikṣāpada makes him an upāsaka, and the further requirements for making him a monk are then stated; f. °sikā Mahāvyutpatti 8725; Divyāvadāna 618.13; Bhikṣuṇī-karmavācanā 9a.2; °sikī Divyāvadāna 618.18 (no v.l.).

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

Upāsaka (उपासक).—mfn.

(-kaḥ-kā-kaṃ) 1. Worshipping, a worshipper. 2. Serving, a servant. 3. A Sudra. E. upa before as to be, vun aff.

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

Upāsaka (उपासक).—i. e. upa-ās + aka, m. 1. A servant, [Kathāsaritsāgara, (ed. Brockhaus.)] 19, 78. 2. A worshipper, [Mṛcchakaṭikā, (ed. Stenzler.)] 113, 11.

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

Upāsaka (उपासक).—[adjective] serving, intent upon (—°); [masculine] a servant or follower, [especially] of Buddha ([feminine] sikā).

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

1) Upaśāka (उपशाक):—[=upa-śāka] [from upa-śak] m. a helper, companion, [Ṛg-veda i, 33, 4.]

2) Upāsaka (उपासक):—[from upās] mfn. serving, a servant, [Kauśika-sūtra; Kathāsaritsāgara]

3) [v.s. ...] worshipping, a worshipper, follower, [Mṛcchakaṭikā]

4) [v.s. ...] intent on, engaged or occupied with, [Kapila]

5) [v.s. ...] a Buddhist lay worshipper (as distinguished from the Bhikṣu q.v.), [Sarvadarśana-saṃgraha; Lalita-vistara; Prabodha-candrodaya] etc.

6) [v.s. ...] a Śūdra, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]

[Sanskrit to German] (Deutsch Wörterbuch)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Böhtlingk and Roth Grosses Petersburger Wörterbuch

Upāsaka (उपासक):—(von ās mit upa) adj. subst. (f. upāsikā)

1) dienend, Diener [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 92.] kamapyekaṃ rājaputramupāsakam [Kathāsaritsāgara 19, 78.] arhadupāsakāḥ [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 43.] m. f. ein Śūdra [Rājanirghaṇṭa im Śabdakalpadruma] —

2) Verehrer, Anhänger: buddhopāsaka [Mṛcchakaṭikā 113, 11.] tīrthikopāsaka [Burnouf 280.] bei den Buddhisten ein Anhänger von Buddha, oft im Gegens. zu bhikṣu einem buddh. Geistlichen, ebend. [?279. fgg. Rgva tch’er rol pa 94. 157. Prabodhacandrodaja 48, 9. 49, 7. 14. Lebensbeschreibung Śākyamuni’s, Lebensb. 248 (18).]

--- OR ---

Upaśāka (उपशाक):—

--- OR ---

Upāsaka (उपासक):—

2) [WEBER, Rāmatāpanīya Upaniṣad 287. 343.] [SARVADARŚANAS. 54, 17. 57, 9] [WASSILJEW 49. 156.] —

3) einer Sache obliegend: yajñopāsaka [Kapila 4, 21]

--- OR ---

Upāsaka (उपासक):—

2) [Hemacandra] [Yogaśāstra 2, 21.]

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Sanskrit-Wörterbuch in kürzerer Fassung

Upaśāka (उपशाक):—m. etwa Helfer.

--- OR ---

Upāsaka (उपासक):—Adj. Subst. —

1) dienend , Diener. —

2) Verehrer , Anhänger ; insbes. Buddha's. —

3) einer Sache obliegend. —

4) *ein Śūdra [Rājan 18,12.]

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: Shaka, Upa.

Starts with: Upasaka Vagga, Upasakacandala, Upasakadasha, Upasakaddhyana, Upasakara, Upasakari, Upasakatta.

Ends with: Ahangrahopasaka, Aupasaka, Buddhopasaka, Maha-upasaka, Parama-upasaka, Paryupasaka, Pashupashaka, Yajnopasaka.

Full-text (+61): Upasika, Upasakadasha, Nikata, Pancashila, Upasaka Vagga, Parama-upasaka, Udakaplotika, Shubhamkara, Catuparisa, Maha-upasaka, Fourfold Assembly, Yadhuyaskarin, Paryupasaka, Yajnopasaka, Nandika, Paripurnakarin, Buddhopasaka, Pradeshakarin, Pingala Buddharakkhita, Upasakatta.

Relevant text

Search found 55 books and stories containing Upasaka, Upāsaka, Upashaka, Upaśāka, Upa-shaka, Upa-śāka, Upa-saka; (plurals include: Upasakas, Upāsakas, Upashakas, Upaśākas, shakas, śākas, sakas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)

Part 2.2 - The taking of vows of the upāsaka < [Section II.1 - Morality of the lay person or avadātavasana]

Part 1.2 - Five kinds of upāsaka < [Section II.1 - Morality of the lay person or avadātavasana]

Part 1 - Superiority of the monastic vows over the lay vows < [Section II.2 - Morality of the monastic or pravrajita]

+ 38 more chapters / show preview

Shrimad Bhagavad-gita (by Narayana Gosvami)

Verse 9.15 < [Chapter 9 - Rāja-guhya-yoga (Yoga through the most Confidential Knowledge)]

Verse 9.20 < [Chapter 9 - Rāja-guhya-yoga (Yoga through the most Confidential Knowledge)]

Verse 9.22 < [Chapter 9 - Rāja-guhya-yoga (Yoga through the most Confidential Knowledge)]

+ 2 more chapters / show preview

The Great Chronicle of Buddhas (by Ven. Mingun Sayadaw)

Brahmacariya-Pañcama Sīla < [Chapter 6 - On Pāramitā]

Part 3 - Note on Upāsaka (Lay-devotee) < [Chapter 37 - Story of King Ajātasattu]

Part 1 - Preaching to the Sakyan Prince Mahānāma < [Chapter 33 - The Buddha’s Fifteenth Vassa at Kapilavatthu]

+ 3 more chapters / show preview

Guide to Tipitaka (by U Ko Lay)

Chapter VII - Anguttara Nikaya

show preview

A Discourse on Paticcasamuppada (by Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw)

Chapter 9 - The Story Of Mahadhammika Upasaka < [Part 2]

show preview

A Blessed Pilgrimage (by Dr. Yutang Lin)

Part 16 - The Padmasambhava Cave

show preview

 

Click here for all 55 books