Arca
अर्चा arcāThat which is worshipped; the worship-image. In Vaishnava theology the arca or archavatara is the image-descent, the form in which the Lord makes himself most accessible to devotees.
Where this term appears
- The Pāñcarātra Saṃhitās Lineages
The Pāñcarātra Saṃhitās are the Vaiṣṇava Āgama, the revealed scriptures governing much of Vishnu temple worship. The tradition counts 108 Saṃhitās, though more than…
- 'Idol worship' is a mistranslation Journal
Pratima , an image in the sense of a reflection or likeness. Arca , simply that which is worshipped, the object of honour.
- Meaning and the Measure of Time Treatise
It comes down in two short recensions, the Arca tied to the Rigveda with about thirty-six verses, and the Yajusha tied to the Yajurveda with about forty-three.