Upastha, Upasthā: 20 definitions
Introduction:
Upastha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit, 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 Upasth.
In Hinduism
Yoga (school of philosophy)
Upastha (उपस्थ) is a Sanskrit word referring to the “genitals”. It is one of the fourteen Adhyātma (pertaining to the body) mentioned in the Subālopaniṣad (fifth section). The corresponding Ādhibhūta (pertaining to the elements) is called ānandayitavya (that which is enjoyed, secretion) and the corresponding Adhidaivata (presiding deity) is prajāpati. Accordingly, “the nādis form their bond (or connect them). He who moves in the genitals (upastha), in ānandayitavya, in prajāpati, in the nādis, in prāṇa, in vijñāna, in ānanda, in the ākāśa of the heart and within all else—That is Ātman. It is that which should be worshipped. It is without old age, death, fear, sorrow or end.”
Upastha (उपस्थ) refers to one of the ten Niyamas (restraint) prescribed for forest dwelling, as mentioned in the Vaikhānasasmārtasūtra.—The Mānasollāsa verse 9.21-24ab lists thirty Yamas and Niyamas. The Vaikhānasasmārtasūtra (8.4), whose date has been estimated between the fourth and eighth centuries, is the earliest source for a list of twenty Yamas and Niyamas [e.g., upastha]. These were prescribed to a sage at the forest dwelling (vanāśrama) stage of life.
Yoga is originally considered a branch of Hindu philosophy (astika), but both ancient and modern Yoga combine the physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga teaches various physical techniques also known as āsanas (postures), used for various purposes (eg., meditation, contemplation, relaxation).
Ayurveda (science of life)
Upastha (उपस्थ):—[upasthaḥ] Male or female external genital organs.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
Vedanta (school of philosophy)
Upastha (उपस्थ) refers to “(sordid) sexual objects”, according to the Aṣṭāvakragītā (5th century BC), an ancient text on spirituality dealing with Advaita-Vedānta topics.—Accordingly, [as Aṣṭavakra says to Janaka]: “Knowing yourself as truly one and indestructible, how could a wise man possessing self-knowledge like you feel any pleasure in acquiring wealth? [...] After hearing of oneself as pure consciousness and the supremely beautiful, is one to go on lusting after sordid sexual objects (upastha)? [upasthe'tyantasaṃsakto mālinyamadhigacchati] When the sage has realized that he himself is in all beings, and all beings are in him, it is astonishing that the sense of individuality should be able to continue. [...]”
Vedanta (वेदान्त, vedānta) refers to a school of orthodox Hindu philosophy (astika), drawing its subject-matter from the Upanishads. There are a number of sub-schools of Vedanta, however all of them expound on the basic teaching of the ultimate reality (brahman) and liberation (moksha) of the individual soul (atman).
General definition (in Hinduism)
The term upastha means sexual organs, 'the part which is under' or lap. Upastha-tattva means the power of procreation and sexual enjoyment, or the generative organ.
In Jainism
General definition (in Jainism)
Upastha (उपस्थ) refers to the “genitals”, according to the 11th century Jñānārṇava, a treatise on Jain Yoga in roughly 2200 Sanskrit verses composed by Śubhacandra.—Accordingly, “Also the unconsidered and pleasing teachings, which are vile, of those who are bad are practised by people who are controlled by [their] tongue and genitals (upastha), etc. (jihvopasthādidaṇḍitaiḥ). The jewel of enlightenment is not easily obtained again for men in the ocean of life like a jewel of great value that has fallen from the hand into a great ocean”.
Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
upastha (उपस्थ).—m n (S) The male or female organs of generation. 2 The recess of a car or vehicle where the driver sits.
upastha (उपस्थ).—m n The male or female organs of generation.
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
Upasthā (उपस्था).—1 U. (cf. P.I.3.25-6. and Vārt.1)
1) To stand near; fall to one's share; नादत्तमुपतिष्ठति (nādattamupatiṣṭhati) Pañcatantra (Bombay) 2. 127 remain; विष्टभ्य पादावुपतिष्ठते श्रीः (viṣṭabhya pādāvupatiṣṭhate śrīḥ) Mu.4.13.
2) To come near, approach; मामुपतिष्ठस्व (māmupatiṣṭhasva) Mu.1 come to me; रामं मुनिरुपस्थितः (rāmaṃ munirupasthitaḥ) R.15.76; Kumārasambhava 2.64; Pañcatantra (Bombay) 1. राजद्वारम् (rājadvāram) Uttararāmacarita 1; R.1.45,87;2.39,15.15.
3) To wait or attend upon, serve; नाटकेनोपस्थातव्यमस्माभिः (nāṭakenopasthātavyamasmābhiḥ) Ś.1. We must wait upon (serve) (the audience) with a play; Manusmṛti 2.48,3.189; पुरा शक्रमुपस्थाय (purā śakramupasthāya) R.1.75,14.24; Uttararāmacarita 1.
4) To approach with prayers, worship (said to be Ātm. only in this sense); ये सूर्यमुपतिष्ठन्ते मन्त्रैः (ye sūryamupatiṣṭhante mantraiḥ) Bhaṭṭikāvya 8.13; न त्र्यम्बकादन्यमुपस्थि- तासौ (na tryambakādanyamupasthi- tāsau) 1.3; Kumārasambhava 2.3; R.4.6,1.63,17.1,18.22; Māl.; Uttararāmacarita 2,3,7; सख्येन मामुपतिष्ठते (sakhyena māmupatiṣṭhate) treats me as a friend.
5) To be or remain near, stay with.
6) To go to with the desire of getting (P. or Ā.); प्रभुमुपतिष्ठति-ते (prabhumupatiṣṭhati-te) Sk.
7) To approach for intercourse; कं रहस्युपतिष्ठसे (kaṃ rahasyupatiṣṭhase) Bhaṭṭikāvya 5.68; पतिमुपतिष्ठते नारी (patimupatiṣṭhate nārī) Vop.
8) To meet, join (as a river) (Ā.); गङ्गा यमुनामुपतिष्ठते (gaṅgā yamunāmupatiṣṭhate) Sk.
9) To form friendship with, make a friend of; रथिकानुपतिष्ठते (rathikānupatiṣṭhate) Sk.; उपस्थितैवमुक्ते तं सखायं राघवः पितुः (upasthitaivamukte taṃ sakhāyaṃ rāghavaḥ pituḥ) Bhaṭṭikāvya 6.42; सन्तमुपतिष्ठते साधुः (santamupatiṣṭhate sādhuḥ) Vop.
1) To approach with hostile intentions.
11) To lead to, go to or reach (Ā.) (as a way); पन्थाः स्रुघ्नमुपतिष्ठते (panthāḥ srughnamupatiṣṭhate) Sk. (prāpnoti); Manusmṛti 3.76.
12) To pass over to, devolve upon, fall to the share of; मूलपुरुषावसाने संपदः परमुपतिष्ठन्ति (mūlapuruṣāvasāne saṃpadaḥ paramupatiṣṭhanti) Ś.6; Kirātārjunīya 13.69; वीरसूरिति शब्दोऽयं तनयात्त्वामुपस्थितः (vīrasūriti śabdo'yaṃ tanayāttvāmupasthitaḥ) M.5. 16, applies to you; R.8.2; विपदुत्पत्तिमतामुपस्थिता (vipadutpattimatāmupasthitā) 8.83 awaits or falls to the lot of.
13) To occur, arise; be got; अहोऽस्माकं भोजनमुपस्थितम् (aho'smākaṃ bhojanamupasthitam) H.1.
14) To be present (Ā.); स्मृत्युपस्थितौ श्लोकौ (smṛtyupasthitau ślokau) Uttararāmacarita 6; भोजनकाले उपतिष्ठते (bhojanakāle upatiṣṭhate) Sk.
15) To stand under for support.
16) To resort to; वेशमुपतिष्ठन्ति (veśamupatiṣṭhanti) Daśakumāracarita 6.
17) To conciliate. -Caus. (-sthāpa- yati)
1) To provide, present with, furnish with; to get ready, prepare; अस्खलितसुखसंपातं रथमुपस्थापय (askhalitasukhasaṃpātaṃ rathamupasthāpaya) Uttararāmacarita 1; सबाणासनं रथम् (sabāṇāsanaṃ ratham) Ś.2.
2) To place upon or near.
3) To produce.
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Upastha (उपस्थ).—a. Near, approximate.
-sthaḥ 1 The lap; उपस्थं कृ (upasthaṃ kṛ) to make a lap; °स्थे कृ (sthe kṛ) to take on the lap.
2) The middle part in general. तस्मिन्निर्मनुजेऽरण्ये पिप्पलोपस्थ आस्थितः (tasminnirmanuje'raṇye pippalopastha āsthitaḥ) Bhāgavata 1.6.16.
-sthaḥ, -stham 1 The organ of generation (of men and women, particularly of the latter); स्नानं मौनोपवासेज्यास्वाध्यायोपस्थनिग्रहाः (snānaṃ maunopavāsejyāsvādhyāyopasthanigrahāḥ) Y.3.313 (male); स्थूलोपस्थस्थलीषु (sthūlopasthasthalīṣu) Bhartṛhari 1.37 (female); हस्तौ पायु- रुपस्थश्च (hastau pāyu- rupasthaśca) Y.3.92 (where the word is used in both senses).
2) The anus.
3) The haunch or hip.
4) A sheltered place, seat. एवमुक्त्वाऽर्जनः संख्ये रथोपस्थ उपाविशत् (evamuktvā'rjanaḥ saṃkhye rathopastha upāviśat) Bhagavadgītā (Bombay) 1.47.
5) Surface, ground; तं शयानं धरोपस्थे (taṃ śayānaṃ dharopasthe) Bhāgavata 7.13.12.
Upastha (उपस्थ).—mfn.
(-sthaḥ-sthā-sthaṃ) Near, proximate. m.
(-sthaḥ) 1. The male or female organs of generation. 2. The haunch or hip. 3. The anus. E. upa near, and stha what is or stays, ḍa aff. after sthā.
Upastha (उपस्थ).—[upa-stha] (vb. sthā), m. and n. 1. The lap (ved.). 2. The male or female organs of generation, [Vedāntasāra, (in my Chrestomathy.)] in
Upastha (उपस्थ).—[masculine] lap, groin; [masculine] [neuter] the sexual organs, [especially] of a woman.
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Upāsthā (उपास्था).—go to, have intercourse with ([accusative]); attend to, observe.
Upāsthā is a Sanskrit compound consisting of the terms upā and sthā (स्था).
1) Upasthā (उपस्था):—[=upa-√sthā] [Parasmaipada] [Ātmanepada] -tiṣṭhati, -te ([irregular] [Aorist] [Potential] 3. [plural] -stheṣus, [Atharva-veda xvi, 4, 7]) to stand or place one’s self near, be present ([Ātmanepada] if no object follows, [Pāṇini 1-3, 26]);
—to stand by the side of, place one’s self near, expose one’s self to (with [locative case] or [accusative]), [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra; Gobhila-śrāddha-kalpa; Mahābhārata; Manu-smṛti] etc.;
—to place one’s self before (in order to ask), approach, apply to, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra; Raghuvaṃśa] etc.;
—to come together or meet with, become friendly with, conciliate (only [Ātmanepada] [vArttika] on [Pāṇini 1-3, 25]);
—to lead towards (as a way, only [Ātmanepada] [ib.]);
—to go or betake one’s self to, [Pañcatantra; Rāmāyaṇa];
—to stand near in order to serve, attend, serve, [Mahābhārata; Kathāsaritsāgara] etc.;
—to attend on, worship (only [Ātmanepada] [Kātyāyana on Pāṇini 1-3, 25], e.g. arkam upatiṣṭhate, he worships the sun; but arkam upatiṣṭhati, he exposes himself to the sun, [Patañjali]), [Mahābhārata; Bhāgavata-purāṇa; Raghuvaṃśa] etc.;
—to serve with, be of service or serviceable by, attend on with prayers (e.g. aindryā gārhapatyam upatiṣṭhate, he attends on the Gārhapatya with a Ṛc addressed to Indra; but bhartāraṃ upatiṣṭhati yauvanena, (she) attends on her husband with youthfulness, [Kāśikā-vṛtti]), [Mahābhārata; Raghuvaṃśa; Daśakumāra-carita] etc.;
—to stand under (in order to support), approach for assistance, be near at hand or at the disposal of [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Taittirīya-saṃhitā; Mahābhārata; Śakuntalā] etc.;
—to fall to one’s share, come to the possession of [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa] etc.;
—to rise against, [Ṛg-veda vii, 83];
—to start, set out, [Harivaṃśa; Daśakumāra-carita] :
—[Causal] -sthāpayati, to cause to stand by the side of, place before, cause to lie down by the side of (e.g. a woman), [Aitareya-brāhmaṇa; Āśvalāyana-śrauta-sūtra; Kātyāyana-śrauta-sūtra] etc.;
—to cause to come near, bring near, procure, fetch, [Mahābhārata; Rāmāyaṇa; Śakuntalā] etc.;
— (in [grammar]) to add iti after a word (in the Pada-pāṭha), [Ṛgveda-prātiśākhya 842] (cf. upasthita).
2) Upastha (उपस्थ):—[=upa-stha] [from upa-sthā] 1. upa-stha m. ‘the part which is under’, lap, middle or inner part of anything, a well-surrounded or sheltered place, secure place, [Ṛg-veda; Atharva-veda; Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā; Aitareya-brāhmaṇa; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa] etc.
3) [v.s. ...] (upasthaṃ-√kṛ, to make a lap, sit down with the legs bent, [Aitareya-brāhmaṇa viii, 9, 5; Āśvalāyana-gṛhya-sūtra; Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra]; upasthe-√kṛ, to take on one’s lap, [Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa iii])
4) [v.s. ...] mn. the generative organs ([especially] of a woman), [Vājasaneyi-saṃhitā ix, 22; Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa; Mahābhārata; Manu-smṛti; Yājñavalkya] etc.
5) [v.s. ...] the haunch or hip
6) [v.s. ...] the anus, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
7) [=upa-stha] [from upa-sthā] 2. upa-stha mfn. standing upon, [Atharva-veda xii, 1, 62]
8) [v.s. ...] standing by the side of, being near at hand, near, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
9) Upāsthā (उपास्था):—[=upā-√sthā] [Ātmanepada] -tiṣṭhate, to betake one’s self to, approach, set about, devote one’s self to, [Śāṅkhāyana-śrauta-sūtra; Rāmāyaṇa];
—to approach (sexually), [Mahābhārata]
Upastha (उपस्थ):—[upa-stha] (sthaḥ) 1. m. The organs of generation; haunch; anus.
Upastha (उपस्थ):—
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Upasthā (उपस्था):—(von sthā mit upa) adj. auf Etwas stehend [Atharvavedasaṃhitā 12, 1, 62.] — Vgl. sūpasthā und upastha .
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Upastha (उपस्थ):—
1) tasyāḥ kumāramupastha ādadhyuḥ [GOBH. 2, 4, 7.] dakṣiṇottaramupasthaṃ kurute [Kauśika’s Sūtra zum Atuarvaveda 78.] aśūnyopasthā jīvatāmastu mātā so v. a. fruchtbaren Leibes [Weber’s Indische Studien 5, 315, 2.] pippalopasthe so v. a. im Schatten eines Feigenbaumes [Bhāgavatapurāṇa 1, 6, 16.] = aśvatthamūle Schol. vyasuḥ papātorvyupasthe so v. a. auf den Erdboden [10, 44, 25.] niṣasāda dharopasthe [11, 30, 27.]
Upastha (उपस्थ):——
1) m. (adj. Comp. f. ā) Schooss (eig. und übertr.) upasthaṃ kar so v.a. mit angezogenen Beinen sitzen. upasthakṛta ([Āśvalāyana’s Śrautasūtra 6,5,5]) und pāda ([Śāṅkhāyana’s Gṛhyasūtra 4,8]) Adj. so sitzend. pippalopasthe so v.a. im Schatten eines Feigenbaumes. urvyupasthe , dharopasthe auf dem Erdboden. —
2) m. n. die Geschlechtstheile , insbes. des Weibes. upasthanigraha m. Bezähmung des Geschlechtstriebes. —
3) m. Schooss (Fond) des Wagens. —
4) m. *anus. —
5) *Adj. dabeistehend , nahe.
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Upasthā (उपस्था):—Adj. auf Etwas stehend.
Upasthā (उपस्था) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit words: Uvaciṭṭha, Uvaṭṭha, Uvaṭṭhā.
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
Upastha (उपस्थ) [Also spelled upasth]:—(nm) buttock (s); male or female genitals.
...
Kannada-English dictionary
Upastha (ಉಪಸ್ಥ):—[adjective] lying or situated near.
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Upastha (ಉಪಸ್ಥ):—
1) [noun] he who lives very close by, chiefly, the Supreme soul that is close to every individual soul.
2) [noun] the reproduction or the sexual organs (either of a man or woman); the genital organ.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
Nepali dictionary
Upastha (उपस्थ):—n. 1. lower part/portion; 2. hind-quarters; 3. male/female genitals;
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 (+7): Upastam, Upastanam, Upasthaan, Upasthaapak, Upasthaapan, Upasthadaghna, Upasthadala, Upasthaka, Upasthakrita, Upasthana, Upasthanagriha, Upasthanakari, Upasthanamantrabhashya, Upasthanani, Upasthanasahasri, Upasthanashala, Upasthanigraha, Upasthaniya, Upasthapa, Upasthapada.
Full-text (+70): Samupastha, Upasthanigraha, Rathopastha, Upasthapada, Upasthadaghna, Upasthasad, Ashunyopastha, Upasthapattra, Upasthapatra, Aupasthya, Upasthakrita, Aupasthika, Upastam, Dharopastha, Uvattha, Rajacihnaka, Upasthana, Karmendriya, Upatthapeti, Daghna.
Relevant text
Search found 56 books and stories containing Upastha, Upasthā, Upāsthā, Upa-stha, Upā-sthā, Upa-sthā; (plurals include: Upasthas, Upasthās, Upāsthās, sthas, sthās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
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