Sampradaya

In Hinduism, a sampradaya (IAST "IAST|sampradāya") can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does.citation
author = Gupta, R.
year = 2002
title = Sampradaya in Eighteenth Century Caitanya Vaisnavism
publisher = ICJ
url = http://iskcon.com/icj/11/04-gupta.html] It relates to a disciplic succession serving as a spiritual channel and providing adelicate network of relationships that lends stability of religious identity being clarified precisely when that network becomes unstable. In the contrast with it a particular guru lineages are called "parampara" and by receiving an initiation "(diksha)" into a "parampara" of a living guru, one belongs to its proper "sampradaya". The concept of "sampradaya" therefore is closely tied to the concrete reality of guru-parampara — the lineage of spiritual masters who are both carries and transmitters of the tradition. Initiation diksa is a means by which one can become a member of a "sampradaya", it is a ritual procedure, or to an individual in the "parampara", is one of the primary functions of "sampradaya"; one cannot become a member by birth, as is the case with "gotra", a seminal, or hereditary, dynasty. "Sampradaya" is a body of practice, views and attitudes, which are transmitted, redefined and reviewed by each successive generation of followers. Participation in "sampradaya" forces continuity with the past, or tradition, but at the same time provides a platform for change from within the community of practitioners of this particular traditional group.

There are four Vaishnava "sampradayas" according to Padma Purana quoted in Böthlingk Sanskrit-Sanskrit dictionary, entry "Sampradaya",cite book
author = Apte, V.S.
year = 1965
title = The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary: containing appendices on Sanskrit prosody and important literary and geographical names of ancient India
publisher = Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
isbn = ]

Four Vaisnava disciplic successions, inaugurated by Sri, Lord Brahma, Lord Rudra, and Sanaka, one of the four Kumaras, according to the scriptural source, appear in the holy place of Jaganatha Puri, and purify the entire earth during the Kali yuga (believed to be the current age in Hinduism). Sri chooses Ramanuja to represent her disciplic succession. In the same way Lord Brahma chose Madhvacharya in Brahma sampradaya, Rudra chose Visnuswami in Rudra Sampradaya, and the four Kumaras chose Nimbaditya (Nimbarka Sampradaya)."Number of traditions due to assumption of the god-like status of their founder, rejected the parent "sampradaya" in favour of the new, as would be an example with Ramanandis, Vallabhacharya and Swaminarayan. [William R. Pinch, "Remembering Ramanand". p. 37:"purged from the institutional memory of the Ramanandi sampraday, and Ramanand was declared to have acted independently in originating Vaishnavism in the north."]

Thus concept and basic beliefs may be shared between different "sampradaya" faiths, as is often the case in traditions worshiping Radha Krishna or in more generic terms following Krishnaism, while adoration of the founding leader may obviously differ.

Beside wildly known Vaishnava "sampradayas" there are also Shaivite "sampradayas", for example, the Nath and Nandinatha Sampradayas.

For followers of Advaita tradition, Adi Sankara sampradya proceeds in this disciplinic succession: Vyasa--- Suka---Gaudapada--- Govindapada----Adi Sankara. [Swami Tapasyananda, Bhakti Schools of Vedanta, p. xviii]

Functions and Challenges

Functions or roles sampradaya plays in the formation, transmission, and perpetuation of communal religious identity are multi-faceted; it naturally becomes subjected to many challenges to that identity. These challenges become resulting places to look at for the constituents of religious identity and definition of the core as compared with external. However for most observers, controversies regarding sampradaya usually mean controversies of succession, as would be the case for example of succession of Swaminarayan Faith. These are usually controversies at the human end of the parampara, over the basic question of control or 'who is the legitimate representative of a particular line, or . . . whose “level of divine realization” is superior’. [Jarow, E. H. Rick. (1999) ‘Karna and Controversy in the Mahabharata.’ in Journal of Vaisnava Studies 8.1 p.60] One must taken in the context of the fact that "the institutional memory implicit to parampara defined the contours of sampraday for every individual" participating in it. [William R. Pinch, "Remembering Ramanand". p. 40]

Necessity

Membership in a "sampradaya" not only lends a level of authority to one’s claims on truth in Hindu traditional context, but also allows one to make those claims in the first place. An often quoted verse from the Padma Purana states, "sampradayavihina ye mantras te nisphala matah": "Mantras which are not received in "sampradaya" are considered fruitless.""Unless one is initiated by a bona-fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession, the mantra he might have received is without any effect." [The original Sanskrit text found in "Sabda-Kalpa-Druma" Sanskrit-Sanskrit dictionary and "Prameya-ratnavali" 1.5-6 by Baladeva Vidyabhushana states:"sampradaya vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah"
:"atah kalau bhavisyanti catvarah sampradayinah"
"sri-brahma-rudra-sanaka vaisnavah ksiti-pavanah"
"catvaras te kalau bhavya hy utkale purusottamat"
:"ramanujam sri svicakre madhvacaryam caturmukhah"
"sri visnusvaminam rudro nimbadityam catuhsanah"] As Wright and Wright put it, ‘If one cannot prove natal legitimacy, one may be cast out as a bastard. The same social standard applies to religious organizations. If a religious group cannot prove its descent from one of the recognised traditions, it risks being dismissed as illegitimate.’ [Wright, Michael and Nancy Wright. (1993) ‘Baladeva Vidyabhusana: The Gaudiya Vedantist.’ Journal of Vaisnava Studies. 1.2 p. 162)]

References

See also

* Gaudiya Vaishnava
* Schools of Hinduism
* Nath Sampradaya
* Nandinatha Sampradaya
* Gotra

External links

* [http://www.bhagavad-gita.org/DiscipleSuccession/ Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya]