Udvāsana

Udvāsana · ud-vāsana, “sending forth, leave-taking”

Grammar: neuter noun, from ud (up, forth) and the causative of vas (to dwell): “causing to go forth”.

Meaning: the reverent leave-taking of the deity at the end of pūjā, when the devatā invoked into the mūrti, the kalaśa or the maṇḍala is asked to depart; the counterpart of āvāhana (invocation).

In the scriptures: the Agni Purāṇa speaks of udvāsana in these places.

  • The word that is said: in the pūjā of the single mūrti, which Nārada teaches the vipras, when the pūjā of Vishṇu and his aṅga-devatās is complete, one does japa, pradakshiṇa and stuti, offers arghya, meditates “I am Brahman, I am Hari”, and keeps him in the heart. At āvāhana one says āgaccha (“come”); at udvāsana one says kshamasva (“forgive”). One who does pūjā in this way with the Ashṭākshara and the other mantras gains mukti (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 23).
  • At the end of the agni-kārya: when the disciples have worshipped the guru’s feet and given gurudakshiṇā, Vishvaksena is worshipped, bearing the śaṅkha, cakra and gadā and raising his forefinger in warning. Then the udvāsana of Hari in the maṇḍala is done, and all the nirmālya of Vishṇu is given to Vishvaksena. The guru draws the fire of the kuṇḍa into himself and gives Vishvaksena leave. One who does this and desires bhogas obtains them all; one who desires moksha is absorbed in Hari (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 24).
  • Naivedya and nirmālya: in the Śāmbhavāyanīya vrata, Agnideva teaches that all that is offered to the deva before the udvāsana is naivedya; as soon as the udvāsana is said, all of it becomes nirmālya (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 196).

In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: teaching Uddhava the pūjā of himself, Śrī Kṛshṇa says that the pratimā is of two kinds, movable, such as the śālagrāma, and immovable, such as the mūrti in a mandira. In the pūjā of the immovable pratimā there is no āvāhana (invoking) and no udvāsana (sending away); for a movable pratimā they are optional; but for a pratimā made of sand both are compulsory. At the close of the pūjā the worshipper places the prasāda flower on his head as given by Śrī Kṛshṇa himself; then, if it is the time for udvāsana, he draws back by contemplation into his own heart the light that was placed in the pratimā by contemplation, and merges it there (Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 27).

Related terms: Āvāhana · Visarjana · Naivedya · Nirmālya · Pūjā · Vishvaksena

Sources

  • Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 23–24, 196
  • Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 11, Chapter 27