Upasana

Upasana (Sanskrit: उपासना upāsanā) literally means "worship" and "sitting near, attend to".^[1] It refers to the worship of, or meditation on, formless things, such as Absolute Self, the Holy, the Atman (Soul) Principle,^[2] distinguishing meditative reverence for an internalized and intellectual concept from earlier forms of physical worship, actual sacrifices and offerings to Vedic deities.^[3]^[4]

The term also refers to one of three khaṇḍa (खण्ड, parts) of Vedas, one that focuses on worship or meditation.^[5] The other two parts of Vedas are called Aranyakas and Upanishads, sometimes identified as karma-khaṇḍa (कर्म खण्ड, ritualistic sacrifice section) and jñāna-khaṇḍa (ज्ञान खण्ड, knowledge, spirituality section).^[6]^[7]

^ upasana Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
^ Cite error: The named reference Oldenburg_p4-6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Witz_p197 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Hara was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Classified by text types, the Upasanas are one of five, with other four being Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad; see A Bhattacharya (2006), Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology, ISBN 978-0595384556, pages 5-17
^ A Bhattacharya (2006), Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology, ISBN 978-0595384556, pages 8-14
^ Barbara A. Holdrege (1995), Veda and Torah: Transcending the Textuality of Scripture, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791416402, pages 351-357

[1] upasana Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany

[Oldenburg_p4-6-2] Cite error: The named reference Oldenburg_p4-6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Witz_p197-3] Cite error: The named reference Witz_p197 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Hara-4] Cite error: The named reference Hara was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[5] Classified by text types, the Upasanas are one of five, with other four being Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka and Upanishad; see A Bhattacharya (2006), Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology, ISBN 978-0595384556, pages 5-17

[ab-6] A Bhattacharya (2006), Hindu Dharma: Introduction to Scriptures and Theology, ISBN 978-0595384556, pages 8-14

[7] Barbara A. Holdrege (1995), Veda and Torah: Transcending the Textuality of Scripture, State University of New York Press, ISBN 978-0791416402, pages 351-357

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]