Mangalacharana

A mangalacharana (Sanskrit: मङ्गलाचरणम्, romanized: maṅgalācaraṇam)^[1] or a mangalashloka^[2] is a benedictory verse traditionally featured in the beginning of a Hindu text.^[3] Composed in the form of an encomium, a mangalacharana serves both as an invocation and a panegyric to an author's favoured deity, teacher, or patron, intended to induce auspiciousness (maṅgalam).^[4] The verse may also be in the form of a divine supplication for the removal of obstacles that might obstruct the completion of the work.^[5]

The mangalacharana is a common convention in works of Hindu philosophy, beginning and sometimes also ending with the invocation of a deity.^[6] It is sometimes regarded to contain the essence of a given text to which it belongs.^[7]

^ Jacobsen, Knut A.; Aktor, Mikael; Myrvold, Kristina (2014-08-27). Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions: Forms, Practices and Meanings. Routledge. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-317-67594-5.
^ Stainton, Hamsa (2019). Poetry As Prayer in the Sanskrit Hymns of Kashmir. Oxford University Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-19-088981-4.
^ Morgan, Les B. (2011). Croaking Frogs: A Guide to Sanskrit Metrics and Figures of Speech. Les Morgan. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-4637-2562-4.
^ Patel, Deven M. (2014-01-07). Text to Tradition: The Naisadhiyacarita and Literary Community in South Asia. Columbia University Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-231-16680-5.
^ Misra, Anuj (2022-09-01). Learning With Spheres: The golādhyāya in Nityānanda's Sarvasiddhāntarāja. Taylor & Francis. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-429-01506-9.
^ Halbfass, Wilhelm. Philology and Confrontation: Paul Hacker on Traditional and Modern Vedanta. State University of New York Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-4384-0545-2.
^ Biernacki, Loriliai; Clayton, Philip (2014). Panentheism Across the World's Traditions. Oxford University Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-19-998990-4.

[1] Jacobsen, Knut A.; Aktor, Mikael; Myrvold, Kristina (2014-08-27). Objects of Worship in South Asian Religions: Forms, Practices and Meanings. Routledge. p. 131. ISBN 978-1-317-67594-5.

[2] Stainton, Hamsa (2019). Poetry As Prayer in the Sanskrit Hymns of Kashmir. Oxford University Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-19-088981-4.

[3] Morgan, Les B. (2011). Croaking Frogs: A Guide to Sanskrit Metrics and Figures of Speech. Les Morgan. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-4637-2562-4.

[4] Patel, Deven M. (2014-01-07). Text to Tradition: The Naisadhiyacarita and Literary Community in South Asia. Columbia University Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-231-16680-5.

[5] Misra, Anuj (2022-09-01). Learning With Spheres: The golādhyāya in Nityānanda's Sarvasiddhāntarāja. Taylor & Francis. p. 189. ISBN 978-0-429-01506-9.

[6] Halbfass, Wilhelm. Philology and Confrontation: Paul Hacker on Traditional and Modern Vedanta. State University of New York Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-4384-0545-2.

[7] Biernacki, Loriliai; Clayton, Philip (2014). Panentheism Across the World's Traditions. Oxford University Press. p. 165. ISBN 978-0-19-998990-4.

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