Upadhi

Upaadhi (Sanskrit: उपाधि) is a term in Hindu philosophy meaning "imposition" or "limitation". In Hindu logic, an upadhi is the condition which accompanies the major term and must be supplied to limit the too general middle term. For instance, "the mountain has smoke because it has fire" rests on the false premise that all fire is accompanied by smoke. To restrict the too general middle term here, 'damp fuel' should be added as the condition of smoky fire.

It can also be viewed as a disguise or vehicle for true reality, both defining something and limiting it. For example, the body of a man or animal is the upadhi of its spirit. Another example is that Brahm (Sanskrit: ब्रह्म) is a living being (Sanskrit: जीव) by the upadhi of Antahkaran (Sanskrit: अंतःकरण) and Ishwar (Sanskrit: ईश्वर) by the upadhi of Maya (Sanskrit: माया). Upadhi is one of many conditions of body and mind obscuring the true state of man or his self which Indian philosophies seek to remove for the attainment of moksha.