PTS Pali-English dictionary - The Pali Text Society's Pali-English dictionary
Upādāna,(nt.) [fr.upa + ā + dā] -- (lit.that (material) substratum by means of which an active process is kept alive or going),fuel,supply,provision; adj.(-°) supported by,drawing one’s existence from S.I,69; II 85 (aggikkhandho °assa pariyādānā by means of taking up fuel); V,284 (vāt°); J.III,342 sa-upādāna (adj.) provided with fuel S.IV,399; anupādāna without fuel DhA.II,163.‹-› 2.(appld.) “drawing upon”,grasping,holding on,grip,attachment; adj.(-°) finding one’s support by or in,clinging to,taking up,nourished by.See on term Dhs.trsln. 323 & Cpd.171.They are classified as 4 upādānāni or four Graspings viz.kām°,diṭṭh°,sīlabbat°,attavād° or the graspings arising from sense-desires,speculation,belief in rites,belief in the soul-theory D.II,58; III,230; M.I,51,66; S.II,3; V 59; Dhs.1213; Ps.I,129; II,46,47; Vbh.375; Nett 48; Vism.569.-- For upādāna in var.connections see the foll.passages:D.I,25; II,31,33,56; III,278; M.I,66,136 (attavād°) 266; S.II,14,17,30,85; III,10,13 sq.,101,135,167,191; IV,32,87 sq.,102 (tannissitaṁ viññāṇaṁ tadupādānaṁ),390,400 (= taṇhā); A.IV,69; V,111 (upāy°); Sn.170,358,546; Ps.I,51 sq.,193; II,45 sq,113; Vbh.18,30,67,79,119,132; Dhs.1059,1136,1213,1536 sq.; Nett 28 sq.,41 sq.,114 sq.; DhA.IV,194.-- sa° full of attachment (to life) M.I,65; Vin.III,111; S.IV,102; an° unattached,not showing attachment to existence S.IV,399; Vin.III,111; Th.1,840; Miln.32; DA.I,98.
--kkhandha,usually as pañc’upādāna-kkhandhā the factors of the “fivefold clinging to existence” [cp.BSk.pañc’u°-skandhāḥ Av.Ś II.1681 & note] D.II,35,301 sq.; III,223,286; M.I,61,144,185; III,15,30,114,295; Ps.II,109 sq.; Vbh.101; Vism.505 (khandha-pañcaka).See for detail khandha II.B 2.--kkhaya extinction or disappearance of attachment S.II,54; A.III,376 sq.; Sn.475,743; It.75.--nidāna the ground of upādāna; adj.founded on or caused by attachment Ps.II,111; Vbh.135 sq.--nirodha destruction of “grasping” Vin.I,1 (in formula of paṭicca-samuppāda); S.II,7; III,14; A.I,177.--paccaya = °nidāna S.II,5; III 94; Sn.507,742.(Page 149)
Concise Pali-English Dictionary by A.P. Buddhadatta Mahathera
upādāna:[nt.] grasping; attachment; fuel.
Buddhist Dictionary by NYANATILOKA MAHATHERA
upādāna:'clinging',according to Vis.M.XVII,is an intensified degree of craving (taṇhā,q.v.).The 4 kinds of clinging are:sensuous clinging (kāmupādāna),clinging to views (diṭṭhupādāna),clinging to mere rules and ritual (sīlabbatupādāna),clinging to the personaljty-belief (atta-vādupādāna).
(1) "What now is the sensuous clinging? Whatever with regard to sensuous objects there exists of sensuous lust,sensuous desire,sensuous attachment,sensuous passion,sensuous deludedness,sensuous fetters:this is called sensuous clinging.
(2) "What is the clinging to views? 'Alms and offerings are useless; there is no fruit and result for good and bad deeds:all such view and wrong conceptions are called the clinging to views.
(3) "What is the clinging to mere rules and ritual? The holding firmly to the view that through mere rules and ritual one may reach purification:this is called the clinging to mere rules and ritual.
(4) "What is the clinging to the personality-belief? The 20 kinds of ego-views with regard to the groups of existence (s.sakkāya-diṭṭhi):these are called the clinging to the personality-belief" (Dhs.1214-17).
This traditional fourfold division of clinging is not quite satisfactory.Besides kamupādāna we should expect either rūpupādāna and arūpupādāna,or simply bhavupādāna.Though the Anāgāmī is entirely free from the traditional 4 kinds of upādāna,he is not freed from rebirth,as he still possesses bhavupādāna.The Com.to Vis.M.XVII,in trying to get out of this dilemma,explains kāmupādāna as including here all the remaining kinds of clinging.
"Clinging' is the common rendering for u.,though 'grasping' would come closer to the literal meaning of it,which is 'uptake'; s.Three Cardinal Discourses (WHEEL 17),p.19.