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 Shankha-Chakra-Urdhvapundra of the Nimbarka Sampradaya | |
| Founder | |
|---|---|
| Nimbarka | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| India •Nepal | |
| Scriptures | |
| Sacred Scriptures: Vedas •Puranas •Smritis •PancharatraSampradayaic Scriptures: Vedanta Parijata Saurabha,Vedanta Kamadhenu Dashashloki, Siddhānta Jahnavi, Mantrarahasyaṣoḍaśī, Prapannakalpavallī, Kramadīpikā, Tattva-prakāśikā, Viṣṇusahasranāmaṭīkā, Taittriya-prakāśikā, Yugalaśataka, Mahāvāṇī, Parshuram Sagar, Swyambhuram Sagar | |
| Languages | |
Braj Bhasha •Hindi |
TheNimbarka Sampradaya (IAST:Nimbārka Sampradāya,Sanskrit निम्बार्क सम्प्रदाय), also known as theKumāra Sampradāya,Hamsa Sampradāya, andSanakādi Sampradāya (सनकादि सम्प्रदाय), is the oldest Vaiṣṇava sect.[1] It was founded byNimbarka,[2][1][3] aTelugu Brahmin yogi and philosopher. It propounds theVaishnavaBhedabheda theology ofDvaitadvaita (dvaita-advaita) ordualistic non-dualism.[4][5][6]Dvaitadvaita states that humans are both different and non-different fromIsvara, God or Supreme Being. Specifically, this Sampradaya is a part ofKrishnaism—Krishna-centric traditions.[7]
Nimbarka Sampradaya is also known as Kumāra Sampradāya, Hamsa Sampradāya, and Sanakādi Sampradāya. According to tradition, theNimbarka Sampradaya Dvaita-advaita philosophy was revealed byŚrī Hansa Bhagavān toSri Sanakadi Bhagawan, one of the Four Kumaras; who passed it toSri Narada Muni; and then on toNimbarka. TheFour Kumaras: Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana, and Sanat Kumāra, are traditionally regarded as the four mind-born sons of LordBrahmā. They were created by Brahmā in order to advance creation, but chose to undertake lifelong vows of celibacy (brahmacarya), becoming renownedyogis, who requested from Brahma the boon of remaining perpetually five years old.[8]Śrī Sanat Kumāra Samhitā, a treatise on the worship ofŚrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa, is attributed to the brothers, just like theŚrī Sanat Kumāra Tantra, which is part of thePancarātra literature.[9]
In the creation of this universe as narrated by thePaurāṇika literature, ŚrīNārada Muni is the younger brother of the Four Kumāras, who took initiation from his olderbrothers. Their discussions asguru and disciple are recorded in theUpaniṣads with a famous conversation in theChāndogya Upaniṣad, and in the Śrī NāradaPurāṇa and the Pañcarātra literature.
Nārada Muni is recorded as main teacher in all four of theVaiṣṇavaSampradāyas. According to tradition, he initiatedŚrī Nimbārkācārya into the sacred 18-syllabledŚrī gopala mamtra (should be given by a guru), and introduced him to the philosophy of theYugala upāsana, the devotional worship of the divine coupleŚrī Rādhā Kṛṣṇa. According to tradition, this was the first time that Śrī RādhāKṛṣṇa were worshipped together by anyone on earth other than theGopis ofVṛndāvana. Śrī Nārada Muni then taught Nimbarka the essence of devotional service in theŚrī Nārada Bhakti Sūtras.[10] Śrī Nimbārkācārya already knew theVedas,Upaniṣads and the rest of the scriptures, but perfection was found in the teachings of Śrī Nārada Muni.[11]
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Nimbarka is conventionally dated at the 7th or 11th century, but this dating has been questioned, suggesting that Nimbarka lived somewhat earlier than Shankara, in the 6th or 7th century CE. According to Roma Bose, Nimbarka lived in the 13th century, on the presupposition that Śrī Nimbārkāchārya was the author of the workMadhvamukhamardana.[12][note 1] Meanwhile, Vijay Ramnarace concluded that the work Madhvamukhamardana has been wrongly attributed to Nimbarkacharya.[13] This view is also supported by traditional scholars, who hold a similar perspective.[14] Bhandarkar has placed him after Ramanuja, suggesting 1162 AD as the date of his demise.[15]S.N. Dasgupta, on the other hand, dates Nimbārka to the mid-14th century.[16] Dasgupta bases this dating on the absence of Nimbārka's mention in theSarvadarśanasaṅgraha, a doxography by 14th-century authorMādhava Vidyāraṇya.[17] However, it is important to note that none of the Bhedābhedins—whether Bhartṛprapañca, Nimbārka,Bhāskara, orYādavaprakāśa—are referenced in theSarvadarśanasaṅgraha.[18] while S. A. A. Rizvi assigns a date of c. 1130–1200 AD.[19]
According to Satyanand, Bose's dating of the 13th century is an erroneous attribution.[20] Malkovsky, following Satyanand, notes that in Bhandarkar's own work it is clearly stated that his dating of Nimbarka was an approximation based on an extremely flimsy calculation; yet most scholars chose to honour his suggested date, even until modern times.[2] According to Malkovsky, Satyanand has convincingly demonstrated that Nimbarka and his immediate discipleSrinivasacharya flourished well beforeRamanuja (1017–1137 CE), arguing thatSrinivasacharya was a contemporary, or just afterSankaracarya (early 8th century).[2] According to Ramnarace, summarising the available research, Nimbarka must be dated in the 7th century CE.[3]
According to theBhavishya Purana, and his eponymous tradition, the Nimbārka Sampradāya, Śrī Nimbārkāchārya appeared in the year 3096 BCE, when the grandson ofArjuna was on the throne. According to tradition, Nimbārka was born in Vaidūryapattanam, the present-day Mungi Village,Paithan in EastMaharashtra.[citation needed] His parents were Aruṇa Ṛṣi and Jayantī Devī. Together, they migrated to Mathurā and settled at what is now known as Nimbagrāma (Neemgaon), situated between Barsānā and Govardhan.
TheNimbarka Sampradaya follows the doctrine of Svābhāvika Bhedabheda also known as dvaitādvaita. The doctrine of Svābhāvika Bhedābheda is primarily elaborated in the works ofNimbārka andSrinivasacharya, particularly Nimbarka'sVedānta pārijāta saurabha andVedānta Kaustubha, commentaries on the Brahma Sūtras.
Svābhāvika Bhedābheda discern three foundational elements of reality:
Svābhāvika Bhedābheda holds that the individual soul (jīva) and the non-sentientuniverse (jagat) are both distinct from and identical to Brahman, the ultimate reality, depending on the perspective. Brahman alone issvatantra tattva (independent reality), while the activities and existence of the other two realities depend on Brahman are regarded asparatantra tattva (dependent reality).[23]
In this approach the relation between Atman and Brahman is "svābhāvika or natural, not brought about by any external agency, and therefore it cannot be dispensed with. An adventitious relation can be finished away by removing the cause or agency which has brought it, but what is inherent or more appropriately natural cannot be taken away."[24][25]
Brahman pervades the entire universe and is immanent in all beings, yet they retain their individuality.[26] The non-sentient universe is not considered an illusion (māyā), but a real manifestation of Brahman's power.[27]The philosophy draws on metaphors like the sun and its rays, fire and its sparks, to demonstrate the natural, inherent connection betweenBrahman and its manifestations.
They regard Brahman as the universal soul, both transcendent and immanent, referred to by various names such asŚrī Kṛṣṇa,Viṣnu,Vāsudeva,Purushottama,Nārāyaņa,Paramatman,Bhagawan and so on.[28][29][30][31] Similarly,Nimbārkācārya, in hisVedanta Kamadhenu Daśaślokī, refers to Śrī Kṛṣṇa alongside his consort Rādhā.[32][33][34]
Brahman is the supreme being, the source of all auspicious qualities, and possesses unfathomable attributes. It isomnipresent,omniscient, the lord of all, and greater than all.[35] None can be equal to or superior to Brahman. He is the creator, cause of creation, maintenance and destruction of the universe.[28][36]
In Dvaitādvaita, Brahman issaguṇa (with qualities). Therefore, they interprets scriptural passages that describe Brahman asnirguṇa (without qualities) differently as they argues thatnirguṇa, when applied to Brahman, signifies the absence of inauspicious qualities, rather than the complete negation of all attributes.[37] Similarly, terms likenirākāra (formless) are understood to denote the absence of an undesirable or inauspicious form. It upheld the view that Śrī Kṛṣṇa possesses all auspicious attributes and that relative qualities such as virtue and vice, or auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, do not affect him.[38][39][40]
Sri Nimbarkacharya, on the worship of the divine couple, inDasha Shloki (verse 5):[3]
aṅge tu vāme vṛṣabhānujāṁ mudā virājamānām
anurūpasaubhagām ।
sakhīsahasraiḥ parisevitāṁ sadā smarema devīṁ sakaleṣṭakāmadām
I reflect on the daughter of Vrsabhānu (Radhikā), who shines with a corresponding beauty on the left side (of Krsna), is attended on by thousands of female friends, and who always confers objects.[31]
Jivatman is different fromphysical body,sense organs,mind,prāṇa andBuddhi, all of these are dependent on Individual soul and serve as instrument in such actions as seeing, hearing and so on. Individual soul (Jivātman) is eternal, being of the nature of Knowledge, and knower (possesses the attribute of knowledge).[41][42]The attribute of knowledge extends beyond the soul, i.e. its occupying a larger space. As in the case of smell, just like smell occupying a larger space than the flower which occupies a smaller space.[43][41]
The basic practice consists of the worship ofSri Radha Madhav, withSri Radha being personified as the inseparable part ofSri Krishna. Nimbarka Sampradaya became the firstKrishnaite tradition in late medieval time.[7] Nimbarka refers to five methods to salvation, namelykarma (ritual action);vidya (knowledge);upasana ordhyana (meditation);prapatti (surrender to the Lord/devotion); Gurupasatti (devotion and self-surrender to God as Shri Radha Krsna).
Performed conscientiously in a proper spirit, with one's varna and asrama (phase of life) thereby giving rise to knowledge which is a means to salvation).
Not as a subordinate factor of karma but also not as an independent means for everyone; only for those inclined to spending vast lengths of time in scriptural study and reflection on deeper meanings.
It is of three types. First is meditation on the Lord as one's self, i.e. meditation on the Lord as the Inner Controller of the sentient. Second is meditation on the Lord as the Inner Controller of the non-sentient. Final one is meditation on Lord Himself, as different from the sentient and non-sentient. This is again not an independent means to Salvation for all, as only those qualified to perform the upasana (with Yajnopavitam) can perform this Sadhana.
Śaraṇāgati is the complete entrusting of one's own self to the infinitely merciful Lord through the means recommended by the good, when one is convinced of one's incapacity for resorting to other sādhanas like knowledge and the rest.[44] In this tradition there are six constituent elements of Śaraṇāgati (total surrender) in Vedāntaratnamañjūṣā:
The literature of the Nimbarka Sampradaya reflects its theological, philosophical, and devotional aspects.
The Brahmasūtras of Bādarāyaṇa have been extensively interpreted and commented upon by several distinguished scholars. Among the six primary commentaries are:
A small work of Nimbārkāchārya containing ten stanzas[55]TheDaśaślokī have been extensively commented upon by several scholars. Among them, the three primary commentaries[26] are:
As themes of Radha and Krishna gained popularity,Keshava Kashmiri's disciple Sribhatta in the 15th century, amplifiedNimbarka's insights and broughtRadha Krishna once more into the theological forefront through the medium of brajbhasha. A range of poets and theologians who flourished in the milieu of Vrindavana,Vallabha,Surdas, rest of Vallabha's disciples,Svami Haridas,Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and theSix Goswamis of Vrindavana were influenced in some manner by Sribhatta. The theological insights by this particular teacher were developed by his disciple Harivyasa, whose works reveal not only the theology of Radha Krisna and the sakhis the nitya nikunja lilas ofgoloka vrindavana, but also embody a fairly developed vedantic theory propagating the unique branch of Bhedabheda philosophy, ultimately the legacy of Nimbarka's original re-envisaging role of Radha.[57]
Harivyasa devacharya (c. 15th Century,[58][59] was an Indian philosopher, theologian and poet.[60] He was born in aGaud brahmin family.[61] He was the 35th āchārya of the Nimbārka Sampradāya.[62] He lived in Vrindavana. He was a disciple of Śrī Śrībhaṭṭa Devāchārya ji[61][48][63] and his nom-de-plume wasHari Priyā.[64][65][66] He also sent his twelve main disciples on missionary work throughout the India each of which founded their own sub-lineage, a few exists today.[67][68][62] The most famous are Svāmī Paraśurāma Devācārya (c. 1525–1610 CE) and Svāmī Svabhūrāma Devācārya (fl. 16th century).[69]
Svāmī Svabhūrāma Devācārya (fl. 16th century CE) was born in Budhiya Village, outsideJagadhri andYamunanagar nearKurukshetra in modernHaryana, India. He established over 52 temples in Punjab, Haryana and Vraja during his lifetime; his current followers are found mostly inVṛndāvana, Haryana, Punjab, Bengal, Rajasthan, Orissa, Assam, Sikkim, Bihar, other regions in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, also in significant numbers in Nepal.
In his sub-lineage, there are many branches. Notable saints of this sub-branch include:
The famous teacher and leaderSvāmī Haripriyā Śaraṇa Devācārya, founded the temple and monastery atBihari Ji Ka Bageecha,Vṛndāvana, sponsored by his disciple, the philanthropic Shri Hargulal Beriwala and the Beriwala Trust in the 19th century.
The predecessor of the current successor wasSvāmī Lalitā Śaraṇa Devācārya, who died in July 2005 at the age of 103. One of his other disciples is the world-renownedSvāmī Gopāla Śaraṇa Devācārya, who has founded the Monastery and temple known as the Shri Golok Dham Ashram in New Delhi andVṛndāvana. He has also helped ordinaryHindus who are notVaiṣṇava to establish temples overseas. Of note are the Glasgow Hindu Mandir, Scotland, UK: the Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Mandir, Bradford, UK; and the Valley Hindu Temple, Northridge, California. He has also facilitated major festivals at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton, Canada.
The 48th leader of the NimbārkaSampradāya is H.D.H. Jagadguru NimbārkācāryaSvāmī Śrī Rādhā Śarveshavara Śaraṇa Devācārya, known in reverence as Śrī Śrījī Māhārāja by his followers. His followers are mainly inRajasthan andVṛndāvana,Mathura. He established theMandir at the birth site of Śrī Nimbārkācārya in Mungi Village, Paithan, Maharashtra in 2005. In addition, he oversees the maintenance of thousands of temples, hundreds of monasteries, schools, hospitals, orphanages, cow-shelters, environmental projects, memorial shrines, etc., and arranges various scholarly conventions, religious conferences, medical camps and outreach, etc.
The 49th and current leader of the entire NimbārkaSampradāya is H.D.H. Jagadguru NimbārkācāryaSvāmī Śrī Shyām Śaraṇa Devācārya, known in reverence as Śrī Śrījī Māhārāja by his followers. He is based in Nimbārka TīrthaRajasthan, India. He is the current leader of the Sampradāya, who worships theśālagrāma deity known as Śrī Sarveśvara. His followers are mainly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Vrindavan andMathura.
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