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
27 (of 57)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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with the qualities of knowledge etc鹿. Then, in that case, there is no need for the three deities, as they are not discriminated from Vasudeva.虏 To this, the followers of Visi峁ａ弓膩dvaita contend that this is only a divine descent (avat膩ra) of the Supreme out of His free will and serve a definite purpose. The four vyuha forms (c膩tur膩turya) are to be worshipped虏 by certain aspirants. The Brahmas奴tra viprati峁dh膩cca [II.ii.42], does not mean, as Sankara holds, that the P膩帽car膩tra system is denied validity. It is because, according to Visi峁ａ弓膩dvaita, the birth of 1. 莫艣var膩 evaite sarve j帽膩nai艣varya艣aktibalaviryatejobhir ai艣varai岣� dharmai岣� anvit膩 abhs膩bhyupagamyante vasudeva eva. BSB. II.ii.44 2. Vide SBh p.331,5-7 and BS2.2.41 : vasudev膩khya峁� para峁� brahmaiv膩艣ritavatsala峁� sv膩艣ritasam膩艣raya峁噄yatv膩ya svecchay膩 caturdh膩vati峁ａ弓hata iti hi tatprakriya. Yath膩 pauskarasa峁僪it膩y膩m kartavyatvena vai yatra c膩turatmyamup膩syate. Yamuna offers three explanations for the s奴tral "vij帽膩n膩dibh膩ve v膩 tadaprati峁dh膩t ". See 膧gama pr膩m膩峁噛a pp. 118-121. 27 U
