Panchratre Jayakhya Samhita

SR No.: 020424
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Embar Krishnamacharya
Publisher: Orental Institute
Publication Year: 1967
Total Pages: 588
Language: Sanskrit
Classification: Book_Devnagari
File Size: 23 MB

Page 11

FOREWORD
ORIGIN OF THE PANCARĀTRA.
It cannot be asserted very definitely from the materials available as to when this school of thought originated, but to a certain extent it may be said to have a very ancient history. The Pāñcarātra is traditionally believed to have been first taught by Nārāyaṇa--the supreme deity--to the sage Narada, who, in his turn, handed it over to the Rsis. While the Mahābhārata 1 calls the Šāstra as the Pañcarātra, the Îśvarasamhitā 2 designates it as the Sāttvata Sāstra though the information the two works give relates to the same topic of Nārāyaṇa being the originator of the Sāstra. The traditional works 3 of the Pāñcarātra School further assert that the literature originated with the Vedas and that its source is the Ekāyanaśākhā 4 affiliated to one of the Vedas. The word Ekāyana, however, appears for the first time in the Chāndogya Upani.
1. इदं महोपनिषदं चतुर्वेदसमन्वितम् ।
साजथयोगकृतं तेन पञ्चरात्रानुशब्दितम् ।। नारायणमुखोद्गीतं नारदोऽश्रावयत्पुनः ।
महाभारते-शान्तिपर्वणि मोक्षधर्मे. अ. ३४८. 51. 62-63. 2. एतेषां सात्त्वतं शास्त्रमुपदेष्टुं त्वमर्हसि । इत्युक्त्वाऽन्तर्दधे श्रीमानारायणमुनिस्तदा ॥
ईश्वरसंहिता I, I0. 3. वेदमेकायनं नाम वेदानां शिरसि स्थितम् ।
तदर्थकं पाञ्चरात्रं मोक्षदं तक्रियावताम् ॥ also
श्रीप्रश्नसंहिता. एष एकायनो वेदः प्रख्यातः सर्वतो भुवि ।
ईश्वरसंहिता I, 43. 4. It is noteworthy that Ekāyanaśāk kā has been indentified with the Kāņva Śābbā of the Suklayajurveda by Nāgesa--a recent author-in his work entitled Kanvasākhāinabimāsangraha, a Ms, copy of which is described in the Madras Government Oriental Library Triennial Catalogue III. 1. B on p. 3299.