History of Indian Philosophy

SR No.: 007593
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Surendranath Dasgupta
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication Year: 1922
Total Pages: 2517
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 125 MB

Page 1203

The Paricarătra
[CH.
The Position of the Pañcarātra Literature.
Yāmuna, in his Agama-prāmānya, discusses the position of the Pañcarätras as follows. It is said that any instruction conveyed through language can be valid either by itself or through the strength of the validity of some other proofs. So instruction of any ordinary person can be valid by itself. The special ritualistic processes associated with the Pancarātra cannot be known by perception or by inference. Only God, whose powers of perception extend to all objects of the world and which are without any limitation, can instil the special injunctions of the Pañcarätra. The opponents, however, hold that a perception which has all things within its sphere can hardly be called perception. Moreover, the fact that some things may be bigger than other things does not prove that anything which is liable to be greater and less could necessarily be conceived to extend to a limitless extent!. Even if it be conceived that there is a person whose perception is limitless, there is nothing to suggest that he should be able to instruct infallibly about the rituals, such as those enjoined in the Pancarātra. There are also no ūgamas which prescribe the Pancarátra rites. It cannot be ascertained whether the authors of the Pancarātra works based them on the teachings of the Vedas or gave their own views and passed them on as being founded on the l'edas. If it is argued that the fact that the Pancarátra, like other texts of Smrti of Vanu, etc., exist proves that they must have a common origin in the l'edas, that is contradicted by the fact that the Pancarätra doctrines are repudiated in the smrti texts founded on the Vedas. If it is said that those who follow the Pancarātra rites are as good Brahmins as other Brahmins, and follow the l'edic rites, the opponents assert that this is not so, since the Pancarātrins may have all the external marks and appearance of Brahmins, but yet they are not so regarded in society. At a social dinner the Brahmins do not sit in the same line with the Bhāgatatas or the followers of the Pancarātra.
i atha ekasmin sātišave kenūpyanyena niratiśayena bhavitat'yam iti āhustit samāna-jūtīyena'nyena nir-atiśayu-dasām adhirūdhe nu bhavitat'vam iti:
na tātad agrimah kalpaḥ kalpvate nupalambhatah na hi dystam sarātādi t'y'umeta präpta-t'uibharam.
Igama-pramunya, p. 3.