Pancharatra was a religious
movement in Hinduism that originated in late 1st millennium BCE around the
ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities.
The movement later merged with the ancient Bhagavata tradition and contributed
to the development of Vaishnavism. The Pancharatra movement created numerous
literary treatises in Sanskrit called the Pancharatra
Samhitas, and these have been influential Agamic texts within the theistic Vaishnava movements.
Literally meaning five nights (panca:
five, ratra: nights), the term Pancharatra has been variously interpreted. The
term has been attributed to a sage Narayana who performed a sacrifice for five
nights and became a transcendent being and one with all beings. The Pancharatra
Agamas constitute some of the most important texts of many Vaishnava
philosophies including the Dvaita Vedanta of Madhvacharya and the Srivaishnava
Sampradaya of Ramanuja. The Pancharatra Agamas are composed of more than 200
texts; likely composed between 600 AD to 850 AD.
The Shandilya Sutras (~100 CE) is the earliest known text that
systematized the devotional Bhakti pancharatra doctrine and 2nd-century CE
inscriptions in South India suggest Pancharatra doctrines were known there by
then. The Pancharatra theology is a source of the primary and secondary
avatar-related doctrines in traditions of Hinduism.
History
Pancharatra has likely roots in
3rd-century BCE, as a religious movement around the ideas of a sage Narayana who
is an avatar of Vishnu. The earliest use of the word Pancharatra is found in
the Taittiriya Samhita, a Vedic text. The section describes a person going
through a Pancharatra ritual to become a master of rhetorics.
In the Pancharatra system, the
soul is one with the Supreme, but is also an individual. Even in a state of
salvation it retains the individuality, to realize the bliss of union with the
Supreme.
To worship Lord in temples- The
ancient civilization systematically developed cities, towns and villages
according to the scriptures written with Vedic knowledge and build temples to
consecrate the Idol of lord and prescribed the rules to worship, offering, to
do festivals by bring people together from all walks of life with all civic
sense.
Practices
The Pancharatra tradition has taught Panchakala or five observances every day called Abhigamana, Upadana, Ijya, Svadhyaya and Yoga and meditation.