Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Bengal, from Sanskrit and Bengali Sources c10.s1.25

c10.s1.25

On the day of the Dīkṣā the Guru should, again, worship the pitcher, his own Guru and various deities (such Gaṇeśa, Viṣvaksena, etc.) ; and, after performing Homa and Saṃhāra-mudrā,¹ he should sprinkle and consecrate (abhiṣeka) his disciple, and purify his body by Bhūta-śuddhi and by various ceremonies, Nyāsas and Mantras. Then, solicited by the disciple, the preceptor should dedicate the disciple to Kṛṣṇa, place sectarian marks, garlands etc. on his body, whisper the Mūla-Mantra thrice in his right ear, and infuse his own power into the disciple. The preceptor should then offer to the disciple the Mahāprasāda or food consecrated to the deity, and bless him. The disciple should repeat the Mantra imparted to him one hundred and eight times, and receive from the preceptor instructions with regard to his conduct and the conventions (Samaya) to be followed. The instructions are inviolable. Among them, secrecy regarding the Mantra, reverence to the Guru and to all Vaiṣṇavas, painting of sectarian Tilaka marks on the body, avoidance of all kinds of unclean food (such as fish and flesh), observance of the Ekādaśī and other fasts, daily reading of or listening to the Purāṇas, performance of such rites as Tāntriki Saṃdhyā, Bhūta-śuddhi and various kinds of Nyāsas, avoidance of all acts concerning deities other than Viṣṇu, as well as of such Tāntric Abhicāra acts as Uccāṭana, Vaśīkaraṇa, etc. are noteworthy. A list of 104 duties is compiled from the Viṣṇu-yāmala in this connexion. The Dīkṣā is completed with the disciple doing obeisance by falling prostrate (Daṇḍavat Praṇāma) at the feet of the preceptor, with offer of money and things as fee (Dakṣiṇā) to the preceptor and with feeding of Brahmans and friends.