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 3 - The preliminary rites of Diksha
14 (of 18)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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(buddhi). The Ac膩rya shall think to have drawn a lotus with the six petals and place the deities Vi艣varupa, Vag墨sa, Khag膩na Narasimha, s膩yin and Varah膩 one in each of this six petals. They shall be worshipped separately. The Ac膩rya shall then take the pupil near the fire. The pupil shall hold the right foot of the Ac膩rya and shall sit in the seat made of darbha. The preceptor shall touch the pupil's head with the sruva filled with ghee and do homa at the level of of j帽膩na. This is called Samp膩ta homa. 3.4 THE PROCESS The preceptor shall then take a red string and fold it number of times. It shall be stretched from the head of the pupil upto the little toe.It shall be thought of having control of the internal parts of the body of the pupil. It is thus the Ac膩rya, creates a body made of a string. Then he shall behold the seven deities beginning from N膩r膩ya峁嘺 with the P膩th膩la sayana in the earth, in water, in air, seven from Lokanatha in fire, seven from Narasimha, six from Krod膩tman is ak膩艣a, three from sakti in 112
