By Swami Harshananda
Upādhyāya literally means ‘teacher of Vedas’.</ref>
An upādhyāya is a Vedic teacher who teaches the Veda or a part of it, for remuneration. He is also called adhyāpaka. An upādhyāyā is the common name used for lady teacher as well. The wife of an upādhyāya is known as upādhyāyānī or upādhyāyī.
Synonyms of Upādhyāya[edit]
Other words of similar purport are:
- Śrotriya or chāndasa - scholar well-versed in the Vedas
- Ācārya - one who teaches the Vedas along with their meaning
- Guru - who performs the sanskāras or the sacraments
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore