In Hinduism

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

Ūrdhvakara (ऊर्ध्वकर) refers to an “upraised hand”, according to the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, [while desribing the Bhairava of the Northern Tradition] “[...] Endowed with the Great Rule, he is light red and has beautiful eyes. His bodily form is large and fierce and he is the embodiment of the bliss of wine. In his upraised hand (ūrdhvakara), he holds a piece of human flesh and is adorned with eight skulls. He is angry and has ten arms. [...]”.

context information

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.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

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

Ūrdhvakara (ऊर्ध्वकर).—[adjective] with lifted hands or rising rays.

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

1) Ūrdhvakara (ऊर्ध्वकर):—[=ūrdhva-kara] [from ūrdhva] m. an upper hand (of Viṣṇu), [Hemādri’s Caturvarga-cintāmaṇi]

2) [v.s. ...] mfn. having the hands raised upwards (and also casting rays of light upwards), [Ratnāvalī]

[Sanskrit to German]

Urdhvakara 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.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Urdhva, Kara.

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