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
26 (of 57)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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On the other hand the Kathopanisad mentions that the self is never born nor does it die鹿. The word j膩yate which is used by Sankara in the sense intended by him cannot be admitted for, the word jnani means manifestation or emanation. A passage from the Vedas where this root must be taken to mean manifestation reads thus. "It (Brahman) which is not born is manifested" 2. The second objection is that the statement mind and ego are born of Sankarsana and Pradyumna is not correct, for these are the instruments and are stated to have come out of Brahman鲁. Nowhere it is observed that an instrument (kara峁嘺), evolves out of an agent (kart膩). The third objection is that Sankar峁帽a, Anirudda and Pradyumna are Vasudeva himself and all the three are associated 1. 鈥渘a j膩yate, mriyate v膩鈥� ka峁環oup Ch. II. 18 2. "aj膩yam膩no bahudh膩 vijayate" T膧 III. xiii. 1 3. etasm膩jj膩yate pr膩峁嘺 manassarvendriyanica - Munda.up.III.i 3 26
