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
15 (of 57)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Nārāyaṇa revealed this under the name Sankarṣaṇa at the end of Dvāpara yuga and at the beginning of Kali yuga (3107 B.C) 1. In his Aṣṭādhyāyi, Pāṇini² (800 B.C) mentions Vasudeva to be the name of god in the sense of the Bhagavān of Pāñcarātra and is not the name of a kṣatriya. There are certain inscriptions, which refer to the shrines where Vasudeva's imageswere erected. They are: 1.6 IN SCRIPTIONS ON VASUDEVA'S IMAGE 1. The Besnagar inscription dated second century B.C. mentions Vāsudeva who is identified with Kṛṣṇa. The column with the figure of Garuda at the top was erected by Heliodoros, a Bhāgavata. An inscription dated first century B.C. is found at Ghosundi in Rajasthan. The stone enclosure is stated here as constructed for the image of Vāsudeva and Sankarṣaṇa. 1. From the SS ch I-II the sacred teachings were revealed to Saṃkarṣaṇa by Nārāyaṇa. (St 1-18). 2. Astādhyayi - IV.i.114 15
