2. Qualification of a Preceptor (Acarya)

The Acarya who is qualified to teach and initiate a pupil plays a vital role in the process of diksa. A preceptor ever required to serve this purpose, is known as 'guru'. The preceptor shoud be endowed with 1 Sattvata-samhita XIX 171-174 2 Ibid bhaktanamadhivasartham ksaparigrahamacaret Sattvata-samhita XVIII 4 Sattvata-samhita XIX 4 3 Ibid 179. 4 Jayakhya-samhita XVI-4b-bl 68

all characteristics expected of his kind. He should be a person of spiritual birth, well versed in Vedas, performing the six duties prescribed for the five different times in a day. He must be pure in nature, thought word and deed. As for the Acharya of Pancaratra system is concerned he must have mastered the knowledge concerning the significances of that system. He must follow the austerity of silence and must have worked hard constantly in mastering and in the repetition of the syllables constituting the mantras. The Ahirbhudhnya Samhita expects the preceptor as to have known the realities, as treatead in the Veda and Vedanta. He must know the methods of selecting the matter², devoted to good deeds, 1. They are abhigamana, upadana, ijya, aradhana, svadhyaya and yoga see appendix for more detail. 2. See Ahirbudhnya-samhita XX.1-7: vedavedantatattvajno vidyasthanavicaksanah | uhapohavidhanajno daivapitryakriyaparah || 1 avakta capavadanam akarta papakarmanam amatsari parotkarse paraduhkhe ghrnaparah ||2 dayavan sarvabhutesu hrstah parasugyodaye | punyesu muditayukta upeksavan kuvuddhisu ||3 tapahsamtosasaucaddhyo yogasvadhyayatatparah pancaratravidhanajnas tantrantaravicaksanah ||4 tantranam antarajnas ca mantranam krtyatattvavit | padavakyapramanajno hetuvadavicaksanah ||5 samanyasyapavadasya vetta yantravicaksanah kundamandalabhedajnah kriyakaravicksanah|| 6 adhyatmajnanakusalah santo danto jitendriyah sadanvavayasambhuta acaryo nama vaisnavah ||7 69

especially relating to God and the ancestors. He must be away from blaming others and should not commit sinful deeds. He must be free from envy at others. He must have eminence and be compassionate towards all in distress. He should be fully engrossed Contended and pure, he in the prescribed religious observances. Contended and must be devoted to meditation. He should have studied the vedas, and knowledgeable in the rules of Pancaratra. He should also know the practical side of the tantras. He must be well versed in grammar, mimamsa and nyaya. He must be well trained in argument and skilled in knowing the principle of the general rules with exceptions. He must be trained in making yantras, and be aware of the differences between fire, pitcher' and mandala². He must be conversant with the factors leading to acts and their training, and skilled in the revival of the soul. He must be calm, and have self control. He must have born in a good family and a staunch vaisnava³. 1. Pitcher, a vessel made of earthware for holding or pouring liquid. 2. Mandala - Lit. 'circle', a design motif used to concentrate the divine power during worship, a seat or instructional device used in diksa, used in constructing mantras, a large design used to plot out a tract of land or part of these to determine the exact location of the deity's placement. H. Daniel Smith. 3. Ahirbudhnya-samhita Ch.XX 1-7 70 70

Further, he should be skilled in applying sixteen nyasas' and knows different siddhantas². He should be straight-forward, sympathetic, true in speech, and should be of good countenance. He must be serving elders, teaching all beings alike and should do mental worship and free from all calumny. He must have undergone diksa in chakrabjamandala³. He may be a brahmacarin, grhastha, vanaprastha. He may be a brahmin vatu (youth) or old man³. vatu* It is a different kind of brahmacarya celibacy found in the Sanatkumarasamhita" which enumerates what an acarya should not do. It advises the deeds in which he shall indulge and those he has to avoid. He shall not do any despicable act. He shall not misappropriate the temple funds. He shall not eat nirmalya'. 1. & 2 see Appendix. 3. See Appendix 25 and 31 See Diagram IV 4. One who is below sixteen years is called vatu. 5. Pad ksiya XXIV - 1-17 6. Sanatkumara-samhita-ch IX - 7. Food flowers, garland, sandal paste which are offered to gods on the previous day. 71

1 Anything that is offered to God shall not be given to him who is not a diksita. He shall not violate the principles of worship nor can become a sanyasin. He shall not take food from another's house nor touched by others. There are certain prohibited places where he shall not live. Ever he shall have the mark of the weapons of Visnu. He should avoid sleep during daytime. Those who are spiritually born alone shall be the Acarya for all classes. If a member of the higher birth is not available, then he who is next in the descending order, shall be chosen¹. 2.7 ACARYA The Pancaratra tradition does not classify the Acarya like the disciple. The case of the disciple is not the same. Those who are admitted into studentship under an Acarya are bound to be of varying degrees of calibre. They have to ascend to the position of Acarya through stages. 1. Food, flowers, garland, sandal paste which are used or offered to god Sanatkumara-samhita 48b to 49 a. See Sanatkumara-samhita Indra ratra IX. 13. 72

An Acarya is different from his name sake who is to train his pupils. A Sadhaka becomes an Acharya by the potency of the mantras and also by the grace of his Guru. After the abhiseka he becomes an Acarya. He should spend the quarter of the money. He should honour his Guru by doing puja to him and also to God. He should see that his guru is satisfied with devotion and puja. When the puja is completed all the materials which are left over of the yaga must be offered to Agni. He has to learn all his duties from his Guru and should feel responsile for everything. The doubts of the devotees should be cleared by an Acarya according to the sastras. He must not be selfish and be greedy. He should not use his influences on others, must do what they request, whoever comes for help and advice in the same manner as he does to others. He must be one who is afraid, or obedient or loving. He must do the yaga to all according to sastras knowing their wants. 73

W People knowingly or unknowingly commit mistakes. To avoid this, a homa should be performed. If a person has done injustice to someone and regrets it, Prayascitta homa should be performed. He should not discriminate between male and female in imparting certain instructions, he should teach the Vaikhanasa vaisnava too. The puja is done to free ourselves from this world and reach God. The Acharya must tell as how to prepare the fire altar and mandala, the weapons of God like, conch, discus, mace and an idol made out of metal or clay. The disciple must be taught all these things and the preceptor should teach him diagrammatically, so that he can understand. God is installed in temple with the help of mantras. Semi-divine beings are also installed. All types of people can visit the temple. In order to make them Vaisnavaite all arrangements must be made. To do this act one must follow the guru's advice and help with devotees. Pitr homa should be performed so that people are happy. The Sisyas must be treated well so that they become happy. He must advice people who are ignorant of sastras. He must explain and satisfy all. 74

Abhiseka for all the four pupils is not mentioned in any Pancaratra except in the Jayakhya. He cites a passage from tantra in support of his interpretation. The commentator observes that these may be gradation of Abhiseka for each one according to the Jayakhya. The following texts treat topic of Acharya 1. Ahirbudhnya Samhita ch. 20, 1-7 Acarya-laksana 2. Aniruddha Samhita ch. 3 Acharya-laksana 3. Kapinjala Samhita ch. I; 33, ch II: 1-8 4. Paramesvara Samhita n 5. Padma Samhita caryapada ch. 7 mandaladhabsacaryabhiseka 6. Parasara Samhita ch VII 22-23 7. Purusottama Samhita ch II, 4-8, XXII: 5, 69 8. Markandeya Samhita XII: 1-14, Laks XXI 30-36 9. Laksmi Tantra ch. 21 gurusisyalaksana 10. Sandilysamhita 1. VI: 69-70, ii ii : 272; 11. Sanatkumarasamhita indraratra ch. 9 Acaryalaksana 12. Hayasirsa Samhita "Ad" 11, 12-18, 111; 1-17 (comp) IV: 1.9 75