Pancharatra Tradition
The Pancharatra Tradition can be found in the vast Pancharatra Literature called the Pancharatra Agamas. The Pancharatra Agamas are a continuation of Vedic Tradition. Sri Madhvacharya has given Pancharatra the status of being one of the Sadagamas. Some thinkers claim that only portions of Pancharata are valid and not the entire text. But, Sri Madhvacharya, in his works, has categorically stated that the entire Pancharatra Literature is valid as it has been told by the Supreme God Narayana Himself - pa~ncarAtrasya kR^itsnasya vaktA nArAyanaH svayam.h |
In the Pancharatra Agamas, the doctrine of Bhakti has been given a prominent place. The concept of God is expounded in these texts. The vyuha forms of Vasudeva are also introduced. The Pancharatra literature is very important for the fact that any kind of worship or dharma currently practiced by us is based on or derived from the Pancharatras. According to the 21st chapter of Isvara Samhita, the Pancharatra Samhita got its name as Supreme God in His Vasudeva form has discourced this text to 5 nights to the following five Rishis.
The Pancharatra Literature is very vast. But very few are available in printed format. We can find some rare works in Oriental Libraries. Many works have been lost for posterity. We come to know about them by their names mentioned in other works. Sri Madhvacharya quotes several of such works like prakASha saMhita. Many modern scholars charged that Sri Madhvacharya has fabricated such unknown granthas. But their allegetaions were proved false after some of the rare and genuine works he quoted very found in some international libraries.
The dictates of the Pancharatra literature are followed in most South Indian Vaishnava temples.
Some of the Pancharatra Agama texts known to us are
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