Pancharatras-Vedic or Avedic ?

 Śaktism and Pañcarātras 

● What are Pañcarātras?

● Are Pañcarātras Vedic ( Vedas Supported) or Non-vedic ( Vedas Rejected) Śāstras ? 

● Are Pañcarātras usable in Śaktism ?

● Why Pañcarātras were created ? 

Introduction:- 

Now a days, some Vaiṣṇavas are using Pañcarātra texts to insult Śākta or Śaiva deities and their traditions. They want to show Śiva and Śakti to be dominated under lord Viṣṇu . Sometimes, Śākta masked Smārta or hidden Vaiṣṇavas are trying to create propagandas by using the Pañcarātras. Example:- They are trying to proof Mahālakṣmī Caṇdī of Durgā Saptaśatī as Viṣṇupriyā Lakṣmī's form. Here is our answer to them. 

Answers:- 

● 1) What are Pañcarātras? 

Pañcarātras are Vaiṣṇava Śāstras. These are also called as Vaiṣṇava Āgamas or Vaiṣṇava Tantras.  The Pañcarātra movement created numerous literary treatises in Sanskrit called the Pañcarātra Saṃhitās, and these have been influential Śaiva or Śākta Āgamic texts within the theistic Vaiṣṇava movements. 

Agastya-saṃhitā, Anantākhya-saṃhitā, Aniruddha-saṃhitā, Ahirbudhnya-saṃhitā , Ānanda-saṃhitāĪśvara-saṃhitā, Īśvara-saṃhitā (Nṛsiṃhakalpa), Upendra-saṃhitā, Umā-saṃhitā, Aupagāyana-saṃhitā, Kaṇva-saṃhitā, Kapiñjala-saṃhitā, Kapila-saṃhitā, Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa Saṃhitā, Lakṣmī Tantra, Siddhiyāmala Tantra, Kṛṣṇa Tantra, KṛṣṇaYāmala Tantra.  Etc are the examples of Pañcarātras or Vaiṣṇava Tantras. 

●2) Are Pañcarātras Vedic ( Vedas Supported) or Non-vedic ( Vedas Rejected) Śāstras ? 

Let's see some Purāṇas and other Śāstras which are talking out Vaiṣṇava Āgamas or Pañcarātras. 

पाञ्चरात्रादिमार्गाणां वेदमूलत्वमास्तिके ॥१५ ॥ नहि स्वतन्त्रास्ते तेन भ्रान्तिमूला निरूपणे। तथाहपि योंहशो मार्गाणां वेदेन न विरुध्यते ॥१६॥ 

[तथ्यसूत्र :- स्कन्दमहापुराण/ सूतसंहिता/ मुक्तिखण्ड/४ ]

Reference:- Skanda Mahāpurāṇa/ Sūta Saṃhitā/ Mukti Khaṇḍa/ 4 

The path of Pañcarātra Āgamas aren't Vedic. Pañcarātras were declared as authentic by itself. Pañcarātra is separated from all Vedic paths. Pañcarātra doesn't follow vedas but it was opposed by vedas. 

3) ● Are Pañcarātras usable in Śaktism ? 

Answer:- 

गौतम ऋष्युवाच ( Sage Gautama Uvāca) :- 

कापालिकमतासक्ता वौद्धशास्त्ररताः सदा। पाषण्डाचारनिरता भवत ब्राह्मणाधमाः ॥७२ पाञ्चरात्रे कामशास्त्रे तथा कापालिके मते। वौद्धे श्रद्धायुता यूयं भवत ब्राह्मणाधमा ॥७५ शिवोत्सवदिदृक्षायां शिवभक्तस्य पूजने। रुद्राक्षे बिल्वपत्रे च तथा शुद्धे च भस्मानि। भवतानुम्मुखा यूयं सर्वदा ब्राह्मणाधमाः ॥६४..॥६५

[तथ्यसूत्र: देवीभागवतपुराण/१२ स्कन्ध/९ अध्याय]

Ref :- Devī Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa/12th Skandha/9th Chapter 

 Those Kāpālika Śāstras which will follow Buddhist rituals or those Buddhist affected Kāpālika texts*, will be known as heresy. Vile Brahmins will respect lower Śāstras like Pañcarātras, Kāmaśāstras( sexual texts), Kāpālika (Buddhist effected), Buddhist texts in the Kaliyuga. Those vile Brahmins will be diverted from the worshipping of Lord Śiva, the worshipping of the devotees of Śiva, wearing Rudrākṣa, Bilvapatra, holy ashes. 

पाञ्चरात्रिकं भागवतं तथा वैखानसाभिधम्।

अनृतमेतत्कथितं श्रुतिवाह्यं तथैव तत्॥   

[तथ्यसूत्र:- त्वरिताभुजगावली २३.५२]

Reference:- Tvaritābhūjagāvalī 23.52

Pañcarātras, Vaiṣṇava Bhāgavata texts, Vaikhānasa Āgamas are not supported by Śruti or vedas.

So, Śākta Texts prohibited using of Pañcarātra in Śaktism.  

*Here Vajrayāna Śāstras are addressed as "Buddhist Kāpālika". Real Kāpālikas don't belong to Buddhism. They are a brunch of Kaulism (Śaiva+Śākta). 

4) ● Why Pañcarātras were created ? 

Answer :- Lord Viṣṇu created Pañcarātras . But why he composed those Māyāvī texts ? He replied in the Kūrma Mahāpurāṇa. 

विष्णुरुवाच (Lord Viṣṇu says) :- 

कापिलं पाञ्चरात्रञ्च डामरं मोहनात्मकम् । एवंविधानि चान्यानि मोहनार्थानि तानि तु ॥२५८॥ ये कुशास्त्राभियोगेन मोहन्त ह मानवानु।मया सृष्टानि शास्त्राणि मोहायैयां भवान्तरे ॥२५९॥

[तथ्यसूत्र: कूर्ममहापुराण/पूर्वभाग/अध्याय १२]

Reference:- Kūrma Mahāpurāṇa/ Pūrvabhāga/Chapter 12

Kapila, Pañcarātras, Dāmaras( Tāmasika Dāmaras dedicated to evil spirits) are  infatuated Śāstras. These Śāstras make people diverted. The Śāstras composed by me will confuse people. 

Conclusion:- 

From the perspective of Śākta Texts, Pañcarātras are avedic. So those so called Śākta, people who are using Pañcarātras for their own satisfaction, are disobeying Śākta Śāstras . They are none other than those vile persons of Kaliyuga mentioned in Devī Bhāgavata Mahāpurāṇa.  

Śrī Mātre Namah 🌺