Vamachara

See also: vamachara

English

Noun

Vamachara (plural Vamacharas)

1. Alternative form of vamachara
   • 1970, Curran De Bruler, Nataraja Guru, Unitive Understanding, page 58:

     The Dravidians, mild inhabitants of India, worshipped Pitrus (forefathers) and other iconographic representations of deity, emphasizing the hierophantic side of worshipping idols, which included Vamacharas, left-hand practices of the Shakti cult, etc.

   • 1975, K. N. Dhar, Glimpses of Kashmiri Culture‎^[1], volume 3, page 67:

     "The initiated Bhatta (Kashmiri Brahmin) bent upon taking liquor, being addicted to Vamachara by which the pride of his own clan has been set at naught, with a plate of fish in his hand, approaches the house of his teacher […] ."

   • 1993, Binay Bhattacharya, Kamakhya Hills and Elsewhere‎^[2], page 9:

     The Aryanised socio-religious culture had degenerated into Vamachara Tantric practices, the cult of sex and palate.

2. (religion, tantric religion) A follower of the vamachara path.
   • 1967, K. Damodaran, Indian Thought: A Critical Survey‎^[3], page 235:

     The Dakshinacharas emphasised the male principle while the Vamacharas paid more attention to the female principle. But, both exalted sex to a religious principle.

   • 1993, Venkateswarier Subramaniam, Buddhist-Hindu Interactions: From Śakyamuni to Śankarācarya‎^[4], page 73:

     Above all, in the medley of Aryans, Mongols and aborigines, which it created, it unconsciously led the way to some of the hideous Vamacharas.

   • 2009, V. R. Parthasarathy, Indu Parthasarathy, Devi: goddesses in Indian art and literature, page 65:

     The Vamacharas follow texts like Kularnava, Kamika, and the Parasurama agamas among others.