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.
Appendix: Glossary of Pancaratra terms
12 (of 14)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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conch are heated in the holy fire which is proper text by offering of ghee. They are then used to mark the pointed The right shoulder. position forms near the shoulder with them. shoulder with heated emblem of the diseases and the left thrist of the couch. The sacrament pundra which means ornamental marks. This is to be applied in twelve purified parts of the body and hence it is called dv膩da艣a 奴rdhva pu峁囜笉ra meaning vertical. Two parallel lines are to be drawn vertically from the end of the eye brows at hose, right upto the root of the hair in the forehead, with with a horizontal lines with the same measurement with white colour. The middle, vertical line. between the two white line shall be drawn with yellow or red colour (SS VI-161). The number of pundra is of twelve in some text (SS VII 62a). It seems that idol with the pundra was marked with several part before Ramanga's time. 1800 1 The use of the white mud for the purpose comes into practise from Ramanya's time. The next there are the name, nama worship and mantra. 204
