A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism Klaus K Klostermaie

Umäpati 192
Umäpati
(‘lord of Umä’, ‘Uma’s husband’)
A frequent designation of Ÿiva.
unborn (aja)
An epithet of the ultimate, ÄTMAN and
BRAHMAN.
universe (jagat; viÿva)
The Hindu universe, as described in the
Puräæas, is geocentric: the earth is the
centre, but not the best part of it; it is
suitable only for ‘work’, for gaining liberation
from saƒsära. The universe as a
whole is encompassed by the shell of the
WORLD EGG, 500 million yojanas in
diameter. Inside this egg there are concentric
layers of firm continents surrounded
by oceans containing different
liquids. It contains the heavens of the
various deities as well as the netherworlds
and the hells. Most Hindu
schools of thought accept a periodic
creation and destruction of the universe
in a succession of world ages (kalpas)
and they also assume the simultaneous
existence of a multitude of parallel universes.
(See also COSMOLOGY; DVÏPA;
TIME, DIVISIONS OF.)
unreality (1)
In logic, abhäva (non-existence), accepted
by some schools as a separate entity.
unreality (2)
In Vedänta, asat(ya), the whole of finite
beings, in contrast to sat(ya) (reality)
which by definition must be unchanging,
eternal and conscious.
unrighteousness
See ADHARMA.
untouchability
See OUTCASTE.
untruth (anøta)
The opposite of ØTA, the right order of
things; it is seen as destructive and a
negative power.
upadeÿa (‘instruction’)
The teaching of a GURU.
Upa-deÿa-sahasrï
(‘thousand instructions’)
The title of a popular ADVAITA work,
attributed to ŸA¢KARA (2).
upadhyäya (‘teacher’)
Used today as the Indian equivalent of
the academic title ‘doctor’.
upamäna, also upamiti
Analogy. One of the acknowledged
PRAMÄŒAS.
upa-nayana
Initiation. Upanayana is given only to
members of the three upper CASTES (usually
only to boys). Its outward sign is
the JANËU (sacred thread). (See also
SAßSKÄRA.)
Upani•ads
Derived from upa (near), ni (down), sad
(sit), this is the designation of the fourth
and last part of the VEDAS (also called
VEDÄNTA) containing mystical teachings.
It is the basis of the jñänamärga and
Vedänta darÿana. The so-called ‘principal
Upani•ads’ are Bøhadäraæyaka, Chäöõogya,
Ïÿa, Kena, Aitareya, Taittirïyä,
Kauÿïtaki, Kaflha, Muæõaka, Ÿvetaÿvatara,
Praÿna, Maitri, and Mäæõukya.
The traditional number of Upani•ads is
108. Several hundred Upani•ads are
known, some of very recent origin such
as an Allah Upani•ad and a Khrist
Upani•ad. The Upani•ads belong to the
prasthäna-trayï, and every Vedänta