Upadhi: Difference between revisions

From Theosophy Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Upadhi''' (devanāgarī: उपाधि ''upādhi'') is a [[Sanskrit]] word used in [[Hinduism]]. It consists of ''upa'' and ''dha''.  ''Upa'' means "in the sense of" an ''dha'' means "to place".  Hence  upādhi means "that which places its own attributes to something that is nearby".<ref>[http://www.avgsatsang.org/hhsvs/pdf/Definitions_of_Vedantic_Terms.pdf# Definitions of Some Vedāntic Terms] by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.</ref> Thus the upādhi is a vehicle of expression for a true reality, both limiting and defining its expression. [[H. P. Blavatsky]] wrote it as follows:
'''Upadhi''' (devanāgarī: उपाधि ''upādhi'') is a [[Sanskrit]] word used in [[Hinduism]], which consists of ''upa'' and ''dha''.  ''Upa'' means "in the sense of" an ''dha'' means "to place".  Hence  upādhi means "that which places its own attributes to something that is nearby".<ref>[http://www.avgsatsang.org/hhsvs/pdf/Definitions_of_Vedantic_Terms.pdf# Definitions of Some Vedāntic Terms] by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.</ref> The word term is used with different meanings depending on the context, such as title, degree, quality, peculiarity, appearance, attribute, nickname, etc. In Vedanta philosophy, it is used for "conditioning," as in the case of an object that transfers its property onto something else by staying near, e.g., a crystal kept on a blue cloth appears blue.
 
In his book ''Atmabodha'' (v. 11) Shankaracharya says:
 
:Because of its association with different conditionings (''upādhi''-s), the idea of caste, color, position and so on, are superimposed upon the ''ātman'', just as flavor, color, and so on, are superimposed on water.
 
In Theosophical literature, ''upādhi'' is seen as a vehicle of expression for a higher reality on a lower plane, both limiting and defining its expression. [[H. P. Blavatsky]] wrote it as follows:


<blockquote>'''Upâdhi''' (Sk.). Basis; the vehicle, carrier or bearer of something less material than itself: as the human body is the upâdhi of its spirit, ether the upâdhi of light, etc., etc.; a mould; a defining or limiting substance.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 353.</ref></blockquote>
<blockquote>'''Upâdhi''' (Sk.). Basis; the vehicle, carrier or bearer of something less material than itself: as the human body is the upâdhi of its spirit, ether the upâdhi of light, etc., etc.; a mould; a defining or limiting substance.<ref>Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, ''The Theosophical Glossary'' (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 353.</ref></blockquote>


==Further reading==
==Online resources==
 
===Articles===
*[http://www.theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Up%C4%81dhi# Upādhi] at Theosopedia
*[http://www.theosophy.ph/encyclo/index.php?title=Up%C4%81dhi# Upādhi] at Theosopedia



Revision as of 18:36, 16 January 2020

Upadhi (devanāgarī: उपाधि upādhi) is a Sanskrit word used in Hinduism, which consists of upa and dha. Upa means "in the sense of" an dha means "to place". Hence upādhi means "that which places its own attributes to something that is nearby".[1] The word term is used with different meanings depending on the context, such as title, degree, quality, peculiarity, appearance, attribute, nickname, etc. In Vedanta philosophy, it is used for "conditioning," as in the case of an object that transfers its property onto something else by staying near, e.g., a crystal kept on a blue cloth appears blue.

In his book Atmabodha (v. 11) Shankaracharya says:

Because of its association with different conditionings (upādhi-s), the idea of caste, color, position and so on, are superimposed upon the ātman, just as flavor, color, and so on, are superimposed on water.

In Theosophical literature, upādhi is seen as a vehicle of expression for a higher reality on a lower plane, both limiting and defining its expression. H. P. Blavatsky wrote it as follows:

Upâdhi (Sk.). Basis; the vehicle, carrier or bearer of something less material than itself: as the human body is the upâdhi of its spirit, ether the upâdhi of light, etc., etc.; a mould; a defining or limiting substance.[2]

Online resources

Articles

Notes

  1. Definitions of Some Vedāntic Terms by Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.
  2. Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, The Theosophical Glossary (Krotona, CA: Theosophical Publishing House, 1973), 353.