Parampara
Parampara (Sanskrit: परम्परा, paramparā) denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and Indian religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is also known as guru-shishya paramparā ("succession from guru to disciple").
The Sanskrit word literally means an uninterrupted row or series, order, succession, continuation, mediation, tradition.[1] In the traditional residential form of education, the shishya remains with his or her guru as a family member and gets the education as a true learner.[2]
In some traditions there is never more than one active master at the same time in the same guruparamaparya (lineage).[3]
In the paramparā system, knowledge (in any field) is passed down (undiluted) through successive generations. E.g. division of Veda and its transfer through paramparas describes Bhagavata Purana.[4]
The fields of knowledge taught may include, for example, spiritual, artistic (music or dance) or educational.
[edit] Titles of Gurus in Parampara
In paramapara, not only is the immediate guru revered, the three preceding gurus are also worshipped or revered. These are known variously as the kala-guru or as the "four gurus" and are designated as follows:[5]
- Guru - the immediate guru
- Parama-guru - the Guru's guru
- Parapara-guru - the Parama-guru's guru
- Parameshti-guru - the Parapara-guru's guru
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ A Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Sir Monier Monier-Williams (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1899), ISBN 0-19-864308-X. Page 587, column a.
- ^ Srimad Bhagavatam 7.12.1, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, 1976, ISBN-10: 0912776870
- ^ Padoux, André. "The Tantric Guru" in White, David Gordon (ed. 2000). Tantra in Practice, p. 44. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
- ^ 12.6.47-60
- ^ Mahanirvana Tantra
