History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.244

v7.c92.244

As stated above (notes 1810-11) a mantra had to be received from a guru after initiation (*dīkṣā*). Therefore, a few words must be said about *dīkṣā*. The Tāntrikas did not discover any new concept in *dīkṣā*. From very ancient Vedic times there was upanayana regarded as the beginning of the spiritual birth of a boy and the sacrificer had to undergo a purificatory ceremony before embarking on the performance of a sacrifice, but both were not so elaborate as the *dīkṣā* described in some of the Tāntrika works. Vide H. of Dh. vol. II. pp. 1135-1140 for Vedic *dīkṣā* (in Agniṣṭoma), the observances and references to the Brāhmaṇas and the Śrautasūtras. The Tai. S. (VI. I. 1-3 and VII. 4. 8) refers to *dīkṣā* and the Ait. Br. (I. 3) mentions the main items in Vedic *dīkṣā*, such as bath with sacred water on the sacrificer, smearing the face and other parts of the body with butter, applying collyrium to the eyes, purification of the sacrificer's body twice by the *adhvaryu* with three bunches of seven *darbhas* each above the navel and then below it with mantras, entering a pavilion specially prepared for the sacrificer, covering him with a garment that envelopes him as a sack envelopes an embryo, dark antelope skin as an upper garment. The Śat. Br. also refers to the details of *dīkṣā* and states that thereby the sacrificer becomes one among the gods for the time being (vide III. 1. 2. 10-21, III. 1. 3. 7-28) and for the idea that *dīkṣā* symbolizes a new birth for the sacrificer. The Atharvaveda says 'Great truth, formidable moral order, vows of initiation, austerities, prayer (or knowledge) and sacrifice support the earth.'¹⁸²⁴