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 2 - Aspects of Diksa
12 (of 41)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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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 Acarya of Pāncarātra 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 Vedānta. He must know the methods of selecting the matter², devoted to good deeds, 1. They are abhigamana, upādāna, ijya, ārādhana, svādhyāya and yoga see appendix for more detail. 2. See AhS XX.1-7: vedavedāntatattvajño vidyāsthānavicakṣaṇah | ūhāpohavidhānajño daivapitryakriyāparah || 1 avaktā cāpavādānām akartā pāpakarmaṇām amatsari parotkarṣe paraduḥkhe ghṛṇāparah ||2 dayavān sarvabhūtesu ḥrṣṭah parasugyodaye | punyeṣu muditāyukta upeksāvān kuvuddhiṣu ||3 tapahsamtosasaucāḍḍhyo yogasvādhyāyatatparah pāñcarātravidhānajñas tantrāntaravicakṣaṇa� ||4 tantrānām antarajñaś ca mantrāṇām kṛtyatattvavit | padavākyapramāṇajño hetuvādavicakṣaṇa� ||5 sāmānyasyāpavādasya vettä yantravicaksanah kundamandalabhedajña� kriyākāravickṣaṇaḥ|| 6 adhyātmajñānakusala� śānto dānto jitendriya� sadanvavayasambhūta ācāryo nāma vaiṣṇavah ||7 69
