Upachara: Difference between revisions

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In Hinduism, upachara (Sanskrit: उपचार; service or courtesy)^[1] refers to the offerings and services made to a deity as part of worship.

List

Krishnananda Agamavagisha states in the Brihat Tantrasara^[2] that the main worship is conducted with 5, 10, 16 or 18 articles. These are

Panchopachara

This is the most basic mode. It includes

Gandha : Frangrant items like agarwood, musk & sandalwood
Pushpa : Flowers & leaves
Dhupa : Incense
Dipa
Naivedya : Food consisting of uncooked(like fruits & milk) & cooked(like payasam, boiled rice, vegetables, curry & dal) dishes

Dashopachara

Alongside the 5 articles mentioned above, it also includes 5 additional items which are

Padya : Water for washing feet
Arghya : An offering consisting of water, durva, flowers & raw rice grains given in the hands of a guest in ancient times as a sign of reception & respect
Achamaniya : Water for rinsing lips for achamana
Madhuparka : An offering of honey mixed with curd, ghee, milk & sugar in specific quantities given before starting any ceremony as a sign of reception
Punarachamaniya : Water for achamana to be offered after giving madhuparka

Shodashopachara

This is most prevalent mode. Apart from the articles mentioned in the previous list (except Madhuparka), it includes 7 additional items which are

Snaniya : Water offered for bathing
Vastra : New, unstitched, clean, unused clothes for wearing. For male deities, it is dhoti & uttariya while for female deities it is sari.
Alamkara : Traditional jewellery
Tambula : Offering of paan after naivedya
Tarpana : Offering libations of water for satisfaction of disembodied & divine beings. In practice it is substituted with offerings of drinks like drinking water & sharbat alongside naivedya.
Stotra : Recitation of hymns & eulogies of the deity who is worshipped.
Namaskara : Bowing down or prostrating before the deity with folded hands in reverence.

Astadashopachara

It includes all articles mentioned in the previous list except Punarachamaniya, Tambula & Stotra, it includes 5 additional items which are

Asana : Offering a seat in the form of a mat for sitting on ground or low stool made of wood or metals like gold & silver.
Svagata : Greetings of reception given by the host(the priest in this case) to the guest( the deity in this case).
Malya : Garlands made of flowers & leaves.
Anulepana : Unguents like sandalwood for anointing the body.
Upavita : Offering sacred thread

Some texts include all abovementioned articles(without omitting any) alongside additional articles like shayya(bedding) & chhatra(umbrella). Additional items offered in case of female deities include lac, collyrium & vermilion. Some deities are offered articles which aren't offered to other deities. For example, alcohol is offered to Kali.

References

↑ Apte, Vaman Shivram (1957). "उपचारः". The practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Poona: Prasad Prakashan.
↑ "বৃহৎ তন্ত্রসার at www.archive. org". 19 June 2021.

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[Apte-1] Apte, Vaman Shivram (1957). "उपचारः". The practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Poona: Prasad Prakashan.

[Tantra-2] "বৃহৎ তন্ত্রসার at www.archive. org". 19 June 2021.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 In [[Hinduism]], '''''upachara''''' ([[Sanskrit]]: उपचार; service or courtesy)<ref name=Apte>{{cite book|last1=Apte|first1=Vaman Shivram|title=The practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary|date=1957|publisher=Prasad Prakashan|location=Poona|chapter-url=http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.1:1:4010.apte|chapter=उपचारः}}</ref> refers to the offerings and services made to a [[Hindu deity|deity]] as part of [[Puja (Hinduism)|worship]].
+==List==
+[[Krishnananda Agamavagisha]] states in the [[Brihat Tantrasara]]<ref name=Tantra>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.338822/mode/2up|title=বৃহৎ তন্ত্রসার at www.archive. org|date=19 June 2021}}</ref> that the main worship is conducted with 5, 10, 16 or 18 articles. These are
+===Panchopachara===
+This is the most basic mode. It includes{{div col begin}}
+#''Gandha'' : Frangrant items like [[agarwood]], [[musk]] & [[sandalwood]]
+#''Pushpa'' : Flowers & leaves
+#''Dhupa'' : [[Incense]]
+#''[[Diya (lamp)|Dipa]]''
+#''Naivedya'' : Food consisting of uncooked(like fruits & milk) & cooked(like [[payasam]], boiled rice, vegetables, [[curry]] & [[dal]]) dishes
+===Dashopachara===
+Alongside the 5 articles mentioned above, it also includes 5 additional items which are
+#''Padya'' : Water for washing feet
+#''Arghya'' : An offering consisting of water, [[durva]], flowers & raw rice grains given in the hands of a guest in ancient times as a sign of reception & respect
+#''Achamaniya'' : Water for rinsing lips for [[achamana]]
+#''Madhuparka'' : An offering of honey mixed with curd, ghee, milk & sugar in specific quantities given before starting any ceremony as a sign of reception
+#''Punarachamaniya'' : Water for [[achamana]] to be offered after giving ''madhuparka''
+===Shodashopachara===
+This is most prevalent mode. Apart from the articles mentioned in the previous list (except ''Madhuparka''), it includes 7 additional items which are
+#''Snaniya'' : Water offered for bathing
+#''Vastra'' : New, unstitched, clean, unused clothes for wearing. For male deities, it is [[dhoti]] & [[uttariya]] while for female deities it is [[sari]].
+# ''Alamkara'' :  Traditional jewellery
+#''Tambula'' : Offering of [[paan]] after ''naivedya''
+#''Tarpana'' : Offering libations of water for satisfaction of disembodied & divine beings. In practice it is substituted with offerings of drinks like drinking water & [[sharbat]] alongside ''naivedya''.
+#''Stotra'' : Recitation of hymns & eulogies of the deity who is worshipped.
+#''Namaskara'' : Bowing down or prostrating before the deity with folded hands in reverence.
+===Astadashopachara===
+It includes all articles mentioned  in the previous list except ''Punarachamaniya'', ''Tambula'' & ''Stotra'', it includes 5 additional items which are
+#''Asana'' : Offering a seat in the form of a mat for sitting on ground or low [[Stool (seat)|stool]] made of wood or metals like gold & silver.
+#''Svagata'' : Greetings of reception given by the host(the priest in this case) to the guest( the deity in this case).
+#''Malya'' : Garlands made of flowers & leaves.
+#''Anulepana'' : Unguents like [[sandalwood]] for anointing the body.
+#''Upavita'' : Offering [[janeu|sacred thread]]
-Although the ''upcharas'' differ according to the form of the prayer, a typical list of 16, which parallels the process of welcoming an honoured guest, is as follows:<ref>{{Citation|last=Fuller|first=C. J.|year=2004|title=The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India |place=Princeton, NJ |publisher= Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-12048-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=To6XSeBUW3oC&pg=FA67& |pages=67}}</ref><ref name=Ency>{{cite book|last1=Lochtefeld|first1=James G.|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z|date=2002|publisher=Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=9780823931804|page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/720 720]|url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch|url-access=registration}}</ref>
+Some texts include all abovementioned articles(without omitting any) alongside additional articles like ''shayya''(bedding) & ''chhatra''(umbrella). Additional items offered  in case of female deities include lac, collyrium & vermilion. Some deities are offered articles which aren't offered to other deities. For example, alcohol is offered to [[Kali]].
-# ''Ahvahana'': Invocation of the deity
-# ''[[Asana]]'': Offering a seat to the deity
-# ''Padya'': Offering water to wash the feet
-# ''Arghya'': Offering water to wash hands
-# ''Achamaniya'': Offering water to drink
-# ''Snana'' or ''[[Abhisheka|abhisekha]]'': Bathing
-# ''Vastra'': Clothing or offering a garment
-# ''Yagnopavit'' or ''[[Mangalsutra]]'': Putting on the sacred thread
-# ''Anulepana'' or ''gandha'': Sprinkling with perfume
-# ''[[Pushpanjali|Pushpa]]'': Offering flowers
-# ''[[Dhupa]]'': Burning  [[incense]]
-# ''[[Diya (lamp)|Dipa]]'' or ''[[Aarti]]'': Waving of an oil lamp in front of the deity
-# ''[[Naivedya]]'': Offering food
-# ''[[Namaskara]]'' or ''[[pranam]]a'': Reverential prostration or salutation
-# ''[[Parikrama]]'' or ''[[Pradakshina]]''. [[Circumambulation]]
-# ''[[Visarjana]]'': Taking leave.
-== 5 Upacharas ==
-Panchopacharas are the five services offered in a simple puja.
-# ''Gandham''
-# ''[[Pushpanjali|Pushpam]]''
-# ''[[Dhupa|Dhupam]]''
-# ''[[Diya (lamp)|Dipam]]''
-# ''[[Naivedyam]]''
-== 10 Upacharas ==
-Dasopacharas are the ten services offered in a puja.
-# ''Padyam''
-# ''Arghyam''
-# ''Achamanam''
-# ''Vastram'' (Madhuparkam)
-# ''Achamaniyam''
-# ''Gandham''
-# ''[[Pushpanjali|Pushpam]]''
-# ''[[Dhupa|Dhupam]]''
-# ''[[Diya (lamp)|Dipam]]''
-# ''[[Naivedyam]]''
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}