Shastropadesha, Śāstropadeśa, Shastra-upadesha: 1 definition
Introduction:
Shastropadesha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit term Śāstropadeśa can be transliterated into English as Sastropadesa or Shastropadesha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)
Śāstropadeśa (शास्त्रोपदेश) (lit. “teaching of the doctrine”) is the name of chapter 2 of the Śrīpraśnasaṃhitā: a Pāñcarātra text comprising 5500 Sanskrit verses covering a number of subjects ranging from selecting a temple site through building and furnishing it to sanctifying and maintaining worship in the sacred complex.
Description of the chapter [śāstropadeśa]: [Note: chapter 54 says this work is called the “Śrīpraśna” because it contains Śrī’s questions to the Lord. The second chapter, without further introduction, turns to these questions and their answers. It is Śrī who now speaks:] Śrī begins by praising Viṣṇu and His attributes, and asks what is the real happiness and joy that exists beyond the seeming happiness of this world (1-12). Bhagavān replies that it is her compassion rather than her ignorance that prompts such a question for she knows all things as His companion in everything He does; hence His answer will be aimed also at the relief of suffering of worldly persons just as her own question had been inspired by this same motif. Thereupon the Lord recalls that the last age ended with brahmarātri, and all things returned to Him and the new age dawned only as Brahmā emerged from His navel on the Cosmic Lotus. Brahmā, then, wondering about his own origin and the meaning of the new creation of which he was a part, performed a 1000-year penance in order to penetrate the mysteries of his existence, whereupon the Lord Himself took the form of a haṃsa-swan and instructed Brahmā (13-25).
Brahmā, having been instructed, then is told to go to satyaloka, and there create, and then share, his knowledge with Marīci. When this had been done, Marīci and the others procreated many beings and passed on their learning to them in the form of the three Vedas. These three Vedas provided the karmakāṇḍa data by which created and procreated beings could achieve the aims of artha, dharma and kāma. But mankind longed—despite what he already had been given and even though Brahmā himself showed no interest—to know the means to achieve nivṛtti. This means [nivṛttimārga] is contained in the ekāyana portion of the Vedas—and the explanation and filling out of the ekāyana teachings is what constitutes the Pāñcarātra system (26-38).
Since this ekāyana system is the only way to follow leading to mokṣa, the Pāñcarātra explanation of and commentary on it is most essential to comprehend. What is Pāñcarātra? “Ratri” means ajñāna (40a); “Pañca” means the destroyer [from pañcatvam=death?] of this ajñāna (40a). Hence the science that deals with the destruction of ignorance is called “Pāñcarātra-śāstra” (40b). This Śāstra, very popular among the nityasūris, contains 1-1/2 crores of verses and, like the Vedas [vedavat], it is eternal [anādi]. In the Pāñcarātra-śāstra alone does one get the means to mokṣa, and these means include instruction in such matters as ālayanirmāṇa, bimbanirmāṇa, the characteristics [lakṣaṇa] of both temples and images, pratiṣṭhā, agnikārya, prāyaścitta, dīkṣā for pūjakas, yāga, utsava, the construction and uses of mantras, etc. (39-46a). And this Śāstra is designed to bring to the man longing after nivṛtti the truth of the Lord’s five-fold manifestations [para and vyūha, seen by nityasūris in Vaikuṇṭha; hārda (antaryāmin), seen by yogins; vibhava, avatāras recognised as such only by jñānins; arcā]. People in general see the last but fail to recognise and ignore it (46b-57).
Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Partial matches: Upadesha, Shastra.
Starts with: Shastropadeshakarta, Shastropadeshakrama.
Full-text: Shastropadeshakrama, Shastropadeshakarta, Harda, Vedavat, Pancaratra Shastra, Anatti, Brahmaratri, Nivrittimarga, Ekayana, Pancaratra.
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