उपवीत

Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Etymology

    Past participle of उपव्ये (upavye, to wear the sacred thread).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    उप॑वीत • (úpavīta) stemn

    1. the sacred thread worn over the left shoulder and under the right arm by the three twice-born classes
      • c. 1200 BCE – 800 BCE, Kṛṣṇa-Yajurveda (Taittirīya Saṃhitā) II.5.11:
        निवीतम् मनुष्याणाम् प्राचीनावीतम् पितृणाम् उपवीतं देवानाम् उपव्ययते देवलक्ष्मम् एव तत् कुरुते
        nivītam manuṣyāṇām prācīnāvītam pitṛṇām upavītaṃ devānām upavyayate devalakṣmam eva tat kurute
        For the sake of people, he wears the thread around the neck, for [the sake of] the ancestors, he wears the thread over the right shoulder, for the sake of the gods, he wears the thread over the left shoulder; verily he makes the mark of the gods.
    2. the act of investing one with the sacred thread

    Declension

    Neuter a-stem declension of उप॑वीत
    singular dual plural
    nominative उप॑वीतम् (úpavītam) उप॑वीते (úpavīte) उप॑वीतानि (úpavītāni)
    उप॑वीता¹ (úpavītā¹)
    accusative उप॑वीतम् (úpavītam) उप॑वीते (úpavīte) उप॑वीतानि (úpavītāni)
    उप॑वीता¹ (úpavītā¹)
    instrumental उप॑वीतेन (úpavītena) उप॑वीताभ्याम् (úpavītābhyām) उप॑वीतैः (úpavītaiḥ)
    उप॑वीतेभिः¹ (úpavītebhiḥ¹)
    dative उप॑वीताय (úpavītāya) उप॑वीताभ्याम् (úpavītābhyām) उप॑वीतेभ्यः (úpavītebhyaḥ)
    ablative उप॑वीतात् (úpavītāt) उप॑वीताभ्याम् (úpavītābhyām) उप॑वीतेभ्यः (úpavītebhyaḥ)
    genitive उप॑वीतस्य (úpavītasya) उप॑वीतयोः (úpavītayoḥ) उप॑वीतानाम् (úpavītānām)
    locative उप॑वीते (úpavīte) उप॑वीतयोः (úpavītayoḥ) उप॑वीतेषु (úpavīteṣu)
    vocative उप॑वीत (úpavīta) उप॑वीते (úpavīte) उप॑वीतानि (úpavītāni)
    उप॑वीता¹ (úpavītā¹)
    • ¹Vedic

    Adjective

    उप॑वीत • (úpavīta) stem

    1. invested with the sacred thread

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    • Pali: upavīta (covered)
    • Prakrit: 𑀉𑀯𑀯𑀻𑀬 (uvavīya, the sacred thread)
      • Marathi: ओवी (ovī)