The Sanskrit term Śāstrāvatāra can be transliterated into English as Sastravatara or Shastravatara, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Pancaratra (worship of Nārāyaṇa)

Source: archive.org: Catalogue of Pancaratra Agama Texts

1) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) or “the transmission of the teaching” is the name of the first chapter of the Agastyasaṃhitā (agastya-suīkṣṇa-saṃvāda edition), an ancient Pāñcarātra Āgama text dealing with the worship of Rāma, Sītā, Lakṣmaṇa and Hanumān.

Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatara]: “(Sūta narrates:) The scene is Sutīkṣṇa’s hermitage on the banks of the Godavari River. There the divine sage Agastya comes, and Sutīkṣṇa takes the opportunity to ask how—despite all the efforts he has made by means of penances, sacrifices and gifts to no avail—he can cross over the ocean of saṃsāra. Agastya offers to tell the secret that Lord Śiva once told his wife when she asked him how mankind could escape delusion, sin and rebirth. Śiva’s ‘secret’ begins by saying that his tamas-infused way is a way of violence and destruction; those who follow him lead violent lives and are destroyed only to be reborn. Brahmā and Viṣṇu, however, being true to their dominating—rajoguna and sattvaguṇa respectively, are in charge of creative and productive activities”.

2) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the lineage of the teaching”) is the name of the first chapter of the Ahirbudhnyasaṃhitā, a Pāñcarātra work in 60 chapters dealing with topics such as Viṣṇu’s discus-power, the processes of creation and esoteric practices related to Sudarśana (such as mantras and yantras).

Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: The scene is on the banks of the celestial Ganges, where Bharadvāja, speaking to Durvāsas asks (in a tone remeniscent of the Atharva Veda) to know all about Sudarśana and his powers, the world and its creation, and what the role of Sudarśana is in all this. Having seen scattered references to these matters in the various Śāstras, he wants a consolidated and unified picture to clarify doubts that have arisen in his mind now (1-14). Durvāsas says that even so great a one as Nārada himself once had the same questions (24-68a), and to get a similar consolidated view on those matters he approached Śiva. Since Durvāsas happened also to be there at the time, he heard Śiva’s clarification on these matters to Nārada. This teaching was called Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā and, though it once consisted of 240 chapters, and was later abridged to 120 chapters, what Durvāsas now will relate is a 60-chapter version authorised by the great Vyāsa, compiler of holy books (15-23, 68b-74).

3) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the transmission of the teaching”) is the name of the first chapter of the Īśvarasaṃhitā (printed edition), a Pāñcarātra work in 8200 verses and 24 chapters dealing with topics such as routines of temple worship, major and minor festivals, temple-building and initiation.

Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: Nārāyaṇa delegates Nārada to instruct some sages (Pauṣkara, et. al) who have come to the Badari Ashram in search of the means of salvation (1-17a). Nārada commences by explaining that what he is about to impart to them has extraordinary merits. He tells them that it is a teaching which derives from the sāttvata-śāstra, the “root of all Vedas,” that it has been passed down undefiled through the ages, and that, although it is a demanding way, it none the less has the potential to lead to mokṣa even in the present age (17-43), The saving power of this holy teaching is made more accessible in these dark days by the fact that it is now also passed along in the popular anuṣṭup-metre—just as are also the Pauṣkara, the Jayākhya and the Sāttvata-saṃhitās. The teaching is, furthermore, couched in a language that is not only direct and clear [sātvika] but also has explanations when necessary [rājasa], as is common in other present-day Pāñcarātra and Vaikhanāsa works. He concludes his introduction by saying that of all the saṃhitās, the present Īśvara-Saṃhitā is the best because, coming from Īśvara Himself, it has preserved its purity (44-72a )

4) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) is the name of the first chapter of the Paramapuruṣasaṃhitā.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: The work opens with a prayer to Viṣṇu (1-3). The narrative commences by setting the scene. On the banks of the Ganges [bhāgīrathītīra] Nārada comes upon a band of gathered Ṛṣis (4-7). He discovers from them that, although they already know to some extent about, and worship according to, the Ekāyana-Veda, they still have certain doubts which, they say, only he can clear up for them (8-20). He says that what they want to know is, in essence, what his father, Brahmā, heard in five nights of instruction from the Lord Himself, This teaching will lead any one who knows it to Viṣṇu’s feet ( 21-26). The Ṛṣis prevail upon Nārada to tell them this teaching (27-30a).

5) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the transmission of the (pāñcarātra) teaching”) is the name of chapter 1 (Jñānapāda) of the Padmasaṃhitā.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: The setting is Kaṇva’s hermitage where sages, who have already mastered the Vedas and allied literatures, have gathered to ask what they must do to gain admission to paradise [kaivalya]. There, they are told to listen to Saṃvarta, who relates to them the technique of worship which leads to kaivalya. Saṃvarta’s teaching, the Padma-saṃhitā which follows is a condensed version of the teaching related in 10,000 ślokas to Saṃvarta by Padma in the nether world [pātāla]; Padma’s teaching was, in turn, a condensation from 100,000 ślokas he received from Kapila, whose teaching was also a condensation from 500,000 ślokas he got from Brahmā, itself a condensation from an original 1,500,000 ślokas which Brahmā received from Keśava (=Nārāyaṇa = Śrībhagavān) (1-34). Then Saṃvarta begins to relate the conversation between Brahmā and Śrībhagavān which confirms that the teaching is—above all others promulgated in the world—the best technique by which to reach heaven and to be born no more (35-55). [...]

6) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the transmission of the teaching”) is the name of chapter 1 (Jñānakāṇḍa) of the Pārameśvarasaṃhitā.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: The setting is Totādri [southern region of Western Ghats] where Sanaka is performing penance to Vāsudeva. Bhagavān appears and tells Sanaka to meet Śāṇḍilya, who as a master of many fields of knowledge will teach him the rahasyāmnāya or the esoteric levels of the Veda. This teaching, composed in the anuṣṭubh-meter has as foremost among its expositions the Sāttvata, Pauṣkara and Jayākhya (1-19). Moreover, Śāṇḍilya is a recognized master of the practice of the pañcakālas and Bhagavān tells Sanaka that he may also learn from him how to follow these observances as well as how to live according to devout ways of the bhāgavata-dharma (20-21). At Śāṇḍilya’s hermitage Sanaka is instructed first of all on how the śāstra (or yoga or yogadharma: 36) was transmitted from Ananta to Aniruddha, to Ikṣvāku, to mankind during the kṛtayuga-era; it was then also, he adds, that Nara and Nārāyaṇa [the “twin sages”] taught 5 sages Sumantu, Jaimini, Bhṛgu, Aupagāyana and Mauñjyāyana in the badarikāśrama the same information (22-73). By following this teaching and having a clear idea about it, says Śāṇḍilya, one can have a vision of Viṣṇu—as he has had and as was so often the case in the old days of kṛtayuga-times (74-834).

7) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the transmission of the teaching”) is the name of chapter 1 of the Lakṣmītantra.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: Atri (3-9) is requested by his wife, Anasūyā, to tell of the greatness of the goddess Lakṣmī (10-16). In his reply, he says that Nārada once gave (17-54) this same instruction to the sages on Malaya mountain of the Western Ghats-the sage Nārada quoting what the penitential Indra was once told by Śrī Herself (55-61). [...]

8) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the handing over of the teaching”) is the name of chapter 1 of the Viṣṇutilakasaṃhitā.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: A group of sages—Bṛhaspati, Gautama, Bharadvāja, Indra, Atri, Cyavana, Kauśika, Śāṇḍilya, Vasiṣṭha and Agastya along with Devatās, et al. approaches Brahmā. They complain that in their studies of the Vedas they have found no assurance for any one particular way of worship to follow; further they seek to know about the Creator, about who directed his activities, about the source and the destiny of the world, etc. At this, Brahmā smiles, then turns to Śiva seated at his side and asks him to relate to the assembly what he had already told him about these matters. Śiva does so (poorly? inaccurately?) and Brahmā thereupon promises to clarify all the points for his questioners (1-17a).

9) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) or Śāstrāvatāravidhi (lit. “concerning the lineage of the teaching”) is the name of chapter 1 of the Puruṣottamasaṃhitā.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra-vidhi]: A number of Ṛṣis have gathered to seek knowledge from Vasiṣṭha of the ways and means to attain liberation. Vasistha says that what he is about to tell them deals with devotion to the Lord [bhagavadbhakti] as is taught in the Pāñcarātra school [śāstra]. This teaching was revealed by Viṣṇu to Brahmā in 1½ crores of granthas to remove rājasaguṇa-defects and it was a teaching given over a period of five nights (1-7a). [...]

10) Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) (lit. “the lineage of the teaching”) is the name of chapter 1 of the Ādikāṇḍa of the Hayaśīrṣasaṃhitā.—Description of the chapter [śāstrāvatāra]: Mārkaṇḍeya asks Bhṛgu why Viṣṇu appeared as an horse-faced creature; as well, he asks to know about the Pāñcarātra teachings that came to him from Brahmā by way of Śiva (1-3a). Bhṛgu turns first to the Pāñcarātra, which he says is very old. He agrees to tell Mārkaṇḍeya about it since the latter is a devotee of Hayaśīrṣa, Who is but another Form of Viṣṇu (3b-4). He (Bhṛgu) then relates how Śiva and Gaurī asked Brahmā to tell them about the doctrines revealed to him (Brahmā) by Hayagrīva. [...]

Source: eScholarship: Chapters 1-14 of the Hayasirsa Pancaratra

Śāstrāvatāra (शास्त्रावतार) translates to “the descent of the śāstra (scripture or text)” and refers to the portion of the 9th century Hayaśīrṣa-pañcarātra (Ādikāṇḍa verse 1.1).—“Homage to Vighneśvāra. Mārkaṇḍeya said: For what reason did the mighty Viṣṇu previously become manifest as Hayaśīrāḥ and what was the reason that the Lord of the Gods assumed a radiant body? [...]”.

context information

Pancaratra (पाञ्चरात्र, pāñcarātra) represents a tradition of Hinduism where Narayana is revered and worshipped. Closeley related to Vaishnavism, the Pancaratra literature includes various Agamas and tantras incorporating many Vaishnava philosophies.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Shastra, Avatara.

Starts with: Shastravatarana, Shastravataravidhi.

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Full-text (+20): Shastravataravidhi, Hayashiras, Shastravatarana, Anasuya, Avatara, Atri, Hayagriva, Tira, Agama, Hayashira, Mulaveda, Tantra, Kaivalya, Amnaya, Jaimini, Sumantu, Bhagavadbhakti, Maunjyayana, Bhrigu, Totadri.

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Search found 1 books and stories containing Shastravatara, Śāstra-avatāra, Sastra-avatara, Śāstrāvatāra, Sastravatara, Shastra-avatara; (plurals include: Shastravataras, avatāras, avataras, Śāstrāvatāras, Sastravataras). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)

Page 114 < [Volume 12 (1898)]

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