TF31 - Pancharatra Vaishnavism - Vaishnava Tantra
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- Pancharatra Vaishnavism - Vaishnava Tantra | Tantra Fundamentals - Part 31
This video summarizes the fundaments of Pancharatra Vaishnavism, Key Concepts, Sub Schools, Important Masters and Major Texts.
#Vaishnavism #Pancharatra #VaishnavaTantra
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Thanks for all the work to bring us this overview of Vaishnava Tantra. Watched it carefully twice, frequently pausing and backtracking because most of the information was new to me.
OMG, never knew Ma Sati’s hair fell in Vrndavan! Sure enough, Google Pandit says: Katyayani Shakti Peeth.
Apart from ISKCON and its offshoots, I’ve only had personal exposure to one other form of Vaishnavism. This was via Sant Keshavadas, who initiated me in Gayatri. His Temple of Cosmic Religion was very broad in its views, but Sant-ji had a particular devotion for Vitthala Panduranga, so we were introduced to figures like Dnyaneshwara, Namdev, Eknath, and Tukaram.
I wonder if that stream of Vaishnavism fits in the four main schools you mention. Not that I’ve ever studied the matter, but somehow I have the impression that the Varkari stream might be less institutionalized than some of the other Vaishnava streams. (Dnyaneshwara, for example, had been initiated into Nath sampradaya…)
Definitely looking forward to the next video on Vaishnava Tantra philosophy.
@PavaniGanga thank you so much for your comment. Those sects you mentioned are not directly under the four main ones, but usually have indirect relationship such as few I mentioned Ramanandi, SwamiNarayana etc.
You mentioned the word Sant, usually it means a holy person, so there is Sant Sampradaya in which several sants are grouped under that umbrella; though each one has different views, which includes Warkari (under that Vitthala there), Ramanandi and famous Sant Kabir fall into.
Probably about half a dozen major Sants are there in that group. Then rest of the others are roughly dozens sub/school name including Sahajiya, SwamiNarayana, Valmiki etc. have their own identity, can be categorized as individual tradition.
@@VishwaYoga Thank you! It has been noticeable, and somewhat confusing to me, how the term “Sant” appears in different contexts--sometimes clearly Vaishnava, sometimes associated with nirguna conceptions, sometimes in Sikh Dharma, sometimes associated with “sound current”, etc.
You point out that there have been a number of different “takes” on the four main schools of Vaishnavism. And it seems that these different “takes” further diversified--much more than I had ever imagined. You mention “dozens” of schools!
Well… it seems there was the concurrent influence of egalitarian social movements. With the result that spiritual authority was more de-centralized-having the snowball effect of ongoing diversification. Also, bhakti in itself can lead to a certain disregard of social hierarchy and established institutions. Then there was the matter of adaptation to the enforced presence of Islam. So, more than enough to account for all the diversity that developed.
PS: On further reading, I found this interesting sentence: " The Sant tradition was essentially a synthesis of four principal dissenting movements, a compound of elements drawn from (1)the Mahayanism of the Siddhas, (2)Vaisnava bhakti, (3) Hathayoga of the Nathyogins and with (4) a marginal contribution from Sufism.
Your last paragraph sums up, yes it is true that Sant like Kabir poems are great teaching and synthesis, some of his lines openly made comments practices ppl did across different religion, which did not make sense
@@VishwaYoga Back to Ma Sati's hair in Vrndavan. Pauranika lore, even though I regard it critically, definitely has its effect on me, playing in my memory, imagination, and relationship to God. So I was grateful to get that information. For one thing, it refreshed the story of the unmarried gopis performing Katyayani Vrat. Which means that Shakta tradition must have been well-established in Vraj Bhumi prior to the advent of Sri Krishna. Plus, Sri Krishna's sister, none other than Mahashakti herself, was actually born in Vraj at the same time that her brother was born in Mathura. I do relish stories that illustrate positive, respectful connections of the Big Three--Devi, Shiva, and Narayana.
One supreme manifests in different forms, but each tradition emphasize on one, though these traditions are very ancient and interlinked
Absolutely excellent video, so detailed. I noticed a copy of both Radha Tantra and Laxmi Tantra in English (both on Amazon) and think I will purchase them to look into these traditions further. You do excellent work, sir. Thank you so much for all the time and effort.
I need to read Lakshmi tantra. I’m really interested in doing puja, nyasa and Vaishnava meditation.
I can only recommend, in regard to nyasa, mantras and meditation - all these practices were extremely helpful for my own sadhana. The Laksmi Tantra is very elaborate and has sooo many details, everytime i read i find completely new things i did not notice before. I love nyasa because it combines sound, visual and somatic expirience, it really helped me growing more into myself.
The most elaborate explanations are regarding pranava, the tara bija (hrim) relating to aisvarya and the sudarsana bija and mantras, relating to (kriya-) shakti. All these come with samjna and pada mantras, but even more interesting is how the vyuha state basically manifests these different energies (especially with pranava and sudarsana). Sudarsana is very elaborately explained, from pinda, bija, samjna to pada mantras etc. other bijas and matrkas in general are of course also explained, relating either to iccha (hrim), jnana (pranava), or kriyashakti (sudarsana bija) which is extremely effective!
How the vyuha state of sudarsana-sakti (kriya) is related to the three famous mantras of gayatri, purusah, and mrtyunjaya (spoiler), as well as the given mantras and how they are linked, have really empowered my sadhana! Takes some time to put it together in your brain xD It really improoved my sadhana, would be interested to hear what you have to say.
Radhe Radhe 🙏
Thank you for this excelent video. I would like to know more about the Vaishnava Yoga and the methods of meditation. Also it could be interesting to know more about the Ramanandi sect that is more Yogic than devotional or at least it was in the past and there is too little information on the Internet. Thank you.
I notice that the Tyagi subsect of the Ramanandi Sampradaya is very Hatha Yoga focused, with things like Kechari Mudra. James Mallinson has a documentary on youtube about the Kumba Mela, and he has a book called Roots of Yoga. Despite being a Ramanandi initiated devotee, he explores very little Pancaratra Agama in his academic work and in the Kumba Mela documentary which he is featured in.
@@MrMikkyn Thanks a lot for this information, I didn't know anything about him and his work, it's excelent!
This is so detailed and confusing as well....
Thank you Vishwa ji. The video contains so much information.
You have mentioned that in Sri Jagannath Puri temple, Pancharatra system is followed but as far as I know this temple falls under Char Dham which are connected with Adi Shankara's 4 monasteries belonging to Advaita Vedanta. Govardhan matha has main administrative power in case of rituals and worship of deities there. So, I think Adi Shankara's Panchayatana system of worship is employed there, in which the main deity is kept in the centre and other 4 deities are kept around the central deity. The temple also contains small temples of other deities inside it's premises, encircling the central structure. I am not sure. Do you know about it?
The information I got it I shared it. But you can verify. Most temples have idols of other deities.
There is a also a story about Ramanujachara who were after 300yrs of Shankaracharya, he came to Puri to influence the temple priests to stop tantra based rituals in temple but he could not.
@@VishwaYoga I have read that Sri Ramanujacharya came to Puri to establish Pancharatra system of worship instead of local method of worship employed by Puri temple priests. Ramanujacharya established Pancharatra system of worship in Vishistadvaita philosophy. So why would he want to reject it?
I had a typo, I meant to say Ramanuja tried to change the practice in the temple but he could NOT but on his request another temple of Lakshmi was built within premises of Jagannath temple which follows his system.
Thank You.
Can you make a special video only on Vijnanalalita and Pratishthasara tantra schools?
Thanks for you enthusiasm; I have responded you on this question in the FB group.
Ram Mandir Ayodhya is being constructed based on Pancharatra Agama ?
yes
You said the Sahajiya school started in 15th century. Can you say who is the founder or who are the influential persons of this school? How it was started?
Thanks for your question. Two masters are known as Sahajiya school founders - Vidyapati and Chandidas.
@@VishwaYoga But Vidyapati and Chandidas are not considered Sahajiya by Gaudiya Vaishnavas.
Now you can understand why I did not mention their names :)
@@VishwaYoga But Gaudiya Vaishnavas don't practice left hand tantra like the Sahajiyas. They condemn Sahajiya practices. So why then Chaitanya mahaprabhu liked the works of Vidyapati and Chandidas?
Please keep in mind every sect has their opinion and Gaudiya sampradaya is one of the opinionated one. Even on Wikipedia you can find the info about these masters,
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishnava-Sahajiya
🙏🏻🤍.
Took me some time to understand how the vyuhas internally (svapna and susupti sthana) are differently colored than on jagrata state. Very few people know a lot about the chatur vyuha, other than very basic things. All i can say is, if one truly wants to understand lord Narayana/Krishna, the vyuhas sankarsana, pradyumna and aniruddha are the key to everything. Without developing them in you, some could say that one lacks substance - for the vaishnava they are the key to the treasure.
For example in all variations of the mantras relating to vishnu, the vyuhas are interlinked with the syllables - this is the case primarily for pranava, as well as the sudarsana mantra and bija. If you read all the available texts of pancaratras, you can understand the vyuha state, the lords immancence. The laksmi tantra explained a lot of that, but you have to read careful and put it together in your head - on a superficial glance one could miss the important details, like how in the course of pada, vishva state is suryashakti, taijasa agni, and prajna somashakti. Now if one would miss that (i missed this detail for 8 years of reading in pancaratras) you could miss, how the vyuhas make up the sudarshana bija (sa ha sra ra). Which would be a pity. Laksmi explains how these syllables are related to agni, soma, and surya - but how these energies, although called VYUHA, actually relate to the three, is left up for speculation, unless you read in the last pages of the text how they relate xD
There are further hints, like the mrtyunjaya mantra being linked to laksmis soma shakti - which makes it clear that she is talking about lord sankarsana - but it is indirect, and you could miss the detail. So as a spoiler, aniruddha controls surya shakti, and thus is related to the purusa sukta. Pradyumna the electrifier is related to agni shakti, and further to the savitri mantra. Sa is sankarsana, ha is aniruddha, ra pradyumna, and sra combines these, so it is vyuha vasudeva.And then you can put together the sudarshana shakti out of the vyuha state, but its explained much later. If you read laksmi tantra superficially, you will miss that and hence not realize where the vyuhas pop up - which at least indirectly, is everywhere. But without knowing that the sudarsana is only a fraction of the power.. And this is only the vyuhas creating the kriya shakti - what to speak of jnana, aisvarya and so on.. With pranava, the vyuhas are explained directly though.
I also love the naradiya pancaratra for its explanation of kamabija, gopala and radha mantras, and the undefeatable trailokya mangala kavacha, which is my favourite kavacha mantra, and which contains ALL THE COMBINATIONS OF THE GOPALA MANTRA, based on kamabija. Basically the krishna based stuff is nondual and based on the kamabija (consider the hamsa and rudra sampradaya are almost entirely nondualistic) whereas the Laksmi-Narayana based groups are more dualistic, and more related to pranava and anutara (laksmi bija).
In my own sadhana, i use mostly pranava, kamabija, sudarsana and tarika. Nyasa basically empowers the bija - the more nyasa (tantra), the more powerful bija becomes. Purascharana is also powerful, but without nyasa, mantra is not as much fun.
Thank you so much for your detailed information 🙏
Thanks for your videos.please do shorter videos if possible
Thank you for watching and feedback. I would like to do shorter one, but some topics can’t cover some important aspects in short period of time.