The Body of Vasudeva and Visualization in the Panacaratra: Journal of Vaishnava Studies

Abstract

The Pancarata tradition, which developed in India in the early medevial period, was regarded by some thinkers of the uttaramimamsa to be beyond the pale of orthodoxy, yet it has had considerable and sometimes underestimated influence upon the orthodox Vaisnava traditions, particularly the Sri Vaisnavas. This is clearly demostrated by Yamuna's defense of the Pancaratra revelation-the samhitasand tantras -in his Agama- pramanya in which he refers to it as a branch of the Veda, and in Ramanuja's use of Pancaratra technology and his and Vedantadesika's reference to Pancaratra samhitas.