Diksha

February 2, 2008

Diksha

Diksha is the ritual of initiation into the worship of some deity by

a guru (diksha guru) who bestows mantra(s) and takes the karma of the

initiate - at least in case of Vaishnava diksha, as per Hari Bhakti

Vilasa 1.70:

raji catmatyaja dosah patni-papam sva-bhartari tatha sisyartjitam

papam guruh prapnoti niscita

" The faults of the counselor fall on the king, and the sins of a wife

fall on her husband. In the same way a spiritual master attains the

sins of his disciple. That is certain. "

Diksha primarily means a transfer of spiritual knowledge. Vishnu

Yamala (tantra) says:

divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayam tasmad dikseti sa

prokta desikais tattva-kovidaih

" The process that bestows divyam jnanam (transcendental, spiritual

knowledge) and destroys sin (papa), the seed of sin and ignorance, is

called diksha by the spiritual persons who have seen the Truth

(desikais tattva-kovidaih). "

Vaishnava pancaratrika system requires a sadhaka to undergo the

process known as pancha samskara consisting of pancha (five) stages

of samskara (purification):

tapah pundram tatha nama mantro yagas ca pancamah ami hi panca-

samskarah paramaikanti-hetavah

" Tapah, pundra, nama, mantra, and yaga; these five items comprise

pancha samskara. They are the cause of intense devotion to Lord Hari. "

yatha kancanatam yati kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah tatha diksa-vidhanena

dvijatvam jayate nrnam

" As bell metal is turned to gold when mixed with mercury in an

alchemical process, so one who is properly trained and initiated by a

bona fide spiritual master becomes a brahmana immediately. " (Tattva-

sagara, quoted in Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.12)

Other sampradayas use different procedures.

Another type of diksha, into a monastic order, involves a vow of

celibacy, renunciation of all personal possessions and of all worldly

duties, including family ties. Diksha has the same meaning in

Jainism. Diksha is also called Charitra or Mahanibhiskraman in

Jainism.

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