References to panca-sakha

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The following text has diacritics and thus hard to read but the attached zip

file should be easier to read. Also note that it has footnotes and a very

extensive bibliography that would enhance teh research of anyone who wanted

to know more about the panca-sakhas. Boldface references are better.

 

Shyama

 

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Païcasakhä or nirguëé links

The Païcasakhäs were a group of Oriya bhaktas who were influenced by

Caitanya, with whom they were contemporary. They are somewhat comparable to

the Sahajiyäs of Bengal, in that they mixed elements of tantric Buddhism

with Vaiñëava worship of Jagannätha (Däsa, P. 1988: 175). They regarded

"mahäçünya" ("the great void") as their highest goal, and the terms niräkära

and nirguëa figure prominently in their ideology (Däsa, P. 1988: 189).

However, they identify this impersonal truth with Jagannätha, whom they

regard as the source of all avatäras, just as they regard his abode

Néläcala as the source of all other sacred places, including Våndävana,

Mathurä, and Dvärakä (Tripathi 1978: 482-483). They are said to have taken

part in Caitanya's kértana (public chanting processions) at Puré. In his

Çünya-saàhitä, Acyutänanda glorifies Caitanya (Mukherjee 1978: 314) more

explicitly than has Mädhavadäsa. This in itself suggests that the

atmosphere was such that a wide variety of bhaktas could be associated with

Caitanya.