Essay name: Diksha (initiation) in Pancharatra
Author:
Shanta Srinivasan
Affiliation: University of Madras / Department of Sanskrit
This English essay studies Diksha in Pancharatra with reference to important texts. Diksha refers to initiation ceremonies into a particular esoteric tradition which is given, for example, by the teacher (Guru) to the student (Shishya). Pancharatra refers to an ancient school of Vaishnavism based on ancient Tantra-like texts called Agamas which were commonly written in Sanskrit verse.
Chapter 1 - Introduction
14 (of 57)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Vedānta Deśika (1300 A.D) must have been written in the South. Parama Samhita which Yāmuna and Rāmānuja quote, was available in South India before 900 A.D 1.5 THE PERIOD OF PAÑCARĀTRA Words like pāñcarātra, pañcakāla, parāyaṇa and pāñcarātrika occur in the pañcarātra texts. There they are used without any introduction. This indicates that these words must have been in vogue before these texts were composed. People were well aware of what these words denote. The Mahābhārata mention's that there prevailed ekāntidharma at the beginning of the kṛtayuga and that it disappeared eight times and was revived by Lord Nārāyaṇa under the name sattvata. This sattvatadharma forms the subject of the Pañcarātra texts. 1. Vide MBh: Ch.358 (Mokṣa Dharma) Säntiparva. 14
