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The Pañcarātra
[CH.
sect even women and Śūdras. According to the Aśvalāyana-smṛti, no one but an outcast would therefore accept the marks recommended by the Pancaratras. In the fourth chapter of the Vrhan-nāradīyapurāņa it is said that even for conversing with the Pañcarātrins one would have to go to the Raurava hell. The same prohibition of conversing with the Pañcarātrins is found in the Kurma-purāṇa, and it is there held that they should not be invited on occasions of funeral ceremonies. Hemadri, quoting from the l'ayu purāṇa, say's that, if a Brahman is converted into the Pañcarātra religion, he thereby loses all his Vedic rites. The Linga-purāṇa also regards them as being excommunicated from all religion (sarva-dharmavahişkṛta). The Aditya and the Agni-purāņas are also extremely strong against those who associate themselves in any way with the Pañcarātrins. The l'iṣṇu, Šātātapa, Hārita, Bodhāyana and the Yama samhitās also are equally strong against the Pañcarātrins and those who associate with them in any way. The Pañcarātrins, however, seem to be more conciliatory to the members of the orthodox Vedic sects. They therefore appear to be a minority sect, which had always to be on the defensive and did not dare revile the orthodox Vedic people. There are some Purāņas, however, like the Mahābharata, Bhāgavata and the Fiṣṇu-purāṇa, which are strongly in favour of the Pañcarātrins. It is curious, however, to notice that, while some sections of the Purāņas approve of them, others are fanatically against them. The Purāņas that are specially favourable to the Pañcarātrins are the lisņu, Naradiya, Bhāgavata, Garuda, Padma and Varaha, which are called the Sattvika purāņus1. So among the smrtis, the Vasistha, Hārita, Vyāsa, Pārāśara and Kasyapa are regarded as the best2. The Pramāṇa-samgraha takes up some of the most important doctrines of the Pañcaratrins and tries to prove their authoritativeness by a reference to the above Purānas and smṛtis, and also to the Mahabharata, the Gītā, Visnudharmottara, Prājāpatya-smrti, Itihāsasamuccaya, Harivamsa, Vṛddha-manu, Sandilya-smrti, and the Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa.
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1 Thus the Pramana-samgraha says:
vaiṣṇavam nāradiyam ca tatha bhāgavatam śubham garuḍam ca tathā pādmam vārāham subha-darśane sättvikāni purāṇāni vijñeyāni ca satprthak.
2 Ibid. p. 14.
Tattva-kaustubha, MS. p. 13.
