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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.

Conclusion

Page:

19 (of 32)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


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In the transformation process to get sakti the help of a teacher is required. The ideal teacher is to be considered as immortal. The teacher is to initiate the pupil in the spiritual life. The dikṣ� makes the pupil realise his identity of himself with the guru, mantra and the deity. He becomes the self of siva. The guru has to explain the principle as comprising of the three tattvas and represent Brahmā, Viṣnu and Siva. The guru shall teach that Praṇava as subtle form of the sacred formula; also called ajapāmantra. Pranava alsocontains bindu and sakti. There are six cakras in the human body. They are Müladhāra Svadhiṣṭhāna, Manipura (in the spinal cord), Anāhata (breast) Viśuddha (in the throat) and ādāna (the junction of the eyebrows). These represent earth, water, fire air and ether, and psychic vision. Piercing these the body is purified. This would enable the aspirant to get mastery over the six adhvans. Unlike pāñcarātra the śakti antra divides kala with nivṛtti, pravṛtti, pratiṣṭhā, vidyā,śānti,and säntyätita. However it tantra do not prescribe ritualistic must be said here that this processes in getting initiation. 179

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