Urdhvagra, Ūrdhvāgra: 3 definitions

Introduction:

Urdhvagra means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit. 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

Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)

[«previous next»] — Urdhvagra in Mahayana glossary
Source: Wisdom Library: Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra

Ūrdhvāgra (ऊर्ध्वाग्र) refers to “(the marks consisting of hair) standing up”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 19).—Accordingly, “Furthermore, some say that generosity is the cause and condition (hetupratyaya) for obtaining the thirty-two marks. Why is that? [...] When one gives, one says: “May I be useful”, and the generous disposition (dānacitta) increases; this is why one obtains the marks consisting of having a high instep (utsaṅgacaraṇa) and hair standing up (ūrdhvāgra-roma). [...]”.

Mahayana book cover
context information

Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.

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Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

[«previous next»] — Urdhvagra in Sanskrit glossary
Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Edgerton Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Dictionary

Ūrdhvāgra (ऊर्ध्वाग्र).—(°-) (ūrdhvāṅga-, ūrdhvaṃga-, ūrdhvaga-; also written ūrdhā° without v, see ūrdha-; for other variants see below) -roma(n), adj. (= Pali uddhagga- loma), having (body-)hair standing up, lit. with upright tips, one of the 32 lakṣaṇa, q.v. The form ūrdh(v)āgra-, sup- ported by Pali, is probably orig. (so Burnouf, Lotus, 571); it is found in Dharmasaṃgraha 83; Mahāvastu i.226.18 (mss. kṛtvāgra); ii.305.15 (mss. ūrddhāgraromarājino or uddhā°); but in ii.30.2 mss. ūrddhaṃga, urddhaṃ ca (Senart ūrdhvāgra). Mahāvyutpatti 257 has ūrdhva-ga-romaḥ, but Mironov ūrdhvaṃga° (both going upward; compare mss. in Mahāvastu ii.30.2); and Bodhisattvabhūmi 375.17; 381.24 also ūrdhvaṃga-(romā, adj.; romatā, subst.). In Bodhisattvabhūmi 379.10 the ms. has the further change to ūr- dhvāṅga-(romatāṃ; ed. em. ūrdhvaṃga), as if ūrdhva- aṅga-roma-; so Gaṇḍavyūha 402.9—10 ūrdhvāṅgaromā ([bahuvrīhi]); Lalitavistara 429.15 ūrdhvāṅga-(dakṣiṇāvarta-)-romakūpa(ḥ). Finally in Lalitavistara 105.21 there is great confusion; Lefm. (only with B mss.) ūrdhāgrā(bhipradakṣiṇāvarta)-romāḥ (read °mā, [bahuvrīhi]); other mss. u(d)dhāṃgā°, uccāśā° (ucca-āśā); Tibetan obscure, yan lag gi spu gyas phyogs nas gyen du ḥkhyil ba, lit. hair of member(s), from (after) right direction (gen- erally = diś or āśā), upward twist (generally = āvarta). As Burnouf points out, Foucaux's translation(s) is inaccurate. The expression (abhi-pra-)dakṣiṇāvarta is inserted here in the epithet only in Lalitavistara (both passages); it is attached to the lakṣaṇa ekaikaroma(n) in Mahāvyutpatti 256 and Dharmasaṃgraha 83, and in the commentarial expansion of the latter Gaṇḍavyūha 402.9; but Pali commentarial expansions of uddhaggaloma have a corresponding term, Burnouf, Lotus, 571.

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

Ūrdhvāgra (ऊर्ध्वाग्र):—[=ūr-dhvāgra] [from ūrdhva] mf(ā)n. with the point upwards, [Hir.] (-romatā, f. having the hairs of the body erect [one of this 32 signs of perfection], [Dharmasaṃgraha 83]).

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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