Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c10.s1.10

c10.s1.10

The first qualification that a man requires for becoming a Vaiṣṇava is Mantra-Dīkṣā or Initiation for the purpose of receiving the proper devotional formula of the sect from the qualified Guru or Preceptor. For the acquirement of Bhakti to Kṛṣṇa, which is regarded as the highest object of life, a worthy preceptor is of the greatest importance, for without resorting to the feet of the preceptor, people become overwhelmed by hundreds of perils, like merchants without a pilot in the sea. A long list of the characteristics of a good preceptor, such as good descent, purity, worthy conduct, continence, vast learning, clean dress, young age, physical beauty, knowledge of ritualistic practices (prayoga-vid), skill in worship (arcāsu kṛta-dhiḥ) etc., is compiled from such works as Mantra-muktāvalī, Agastya-saṃhitā and Viṣṇu-smṛti. The Guru is to be preferably a householder (gṛhastha). He should be versed in Tāntric lore, capable of Mantroddhāra and Mantra-saṃhāra, must have a deep knowledge of mystic diagrams and spells, and should know how to perform Puraścaraṇa and Homa. A Brahman preceptor who can impart the Mantra to all castes is highly desirable. In his absence, worthy people of the Kṣatriya and Vaiśya castes may act as preceptors to men of their own or lower castes respectively, while a Śūdra preceptor can initiate only a man of his own caste. Thus, Anuloma initiation is permitted, but Pratiloma initiation is expressly prohibited (prātilomyaṃ na dīkṣayet) on the authority of a text cited from the Nārada-pañcarātra. In other words, a man of a higher caste can never accept initiation from a man of a lower caste In expressing this view, the author of the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa recognises the implications of the Varṇāśrama-Dharma, although his attitude is liberal enough to permit persons other than Brahmans to act as preceptors to men of his own or lower castes.¹ The author, however, is clear in stating that in no case, even a Brahman, who is not a Vaiṣṇava, should be accepted as a preceptor. On the authority of the Padma-purāṇa a Vaiṣṇava is defined as one who has taken the initiation relating to Viṣṇu (Viṣṇu-dīkṣā) and who is devoted to the worship of Viṣṇu. Here, as well as in what follows, our author is somewhat singular in emphasising devotion to Viṣṇu, which form of the deity is apparently exalted even over that of Kṛṣṇa. This fact is noteworthy, because the other Gosvāmins and followers of Caitanya regard the form of Viṣṇu to be a lower manifestation than that of Kṛṣṇa, who in its fundamental creed is the exclusively highest deity and the only object of worship. This partiality for Viṣṇu, which is distinct throughout this work, is presumably due to the lingering influence of the Southern Vaiṣṇavism of the Śrīvaiṣṇava sect, to which Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, hailing from the South, is said to have originally belonged. If this surmise is correct, then the authorship of this work can hardly be ascribed to Sanātana, whose attitude towards Viṣṇu does not agree with what is expressed here so distinctly.