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The samashrayana (Sanskrit: समाश्रयणम्, romanized: Samāśrayaṇam) or the panchasamskara (Sanskrit: पञ्चसंस्कार, romanized: Pañcasaṃskāra) is a Hindu sacrament generally associated with the Sri Vaishnava tradition. It consists of five rites of initiation performed by a shishya (disciple) to be formally initiated into the tradition by an acharya (preceptor).

Etymology

Samāśrayaṇam is Sanskrit for, "taking refuge with God".

Description

The samashryana consists of the five rites according to Sri Vaishnava tradition:

1. Tapa - The embossing of the impression of Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra (discus) on the right shoulder of the initiate and the Panchajanya (conch) on the left shoulder of the initiate.
2. Puṇḍra - The application of the Vaishnava tilaka, the urdhva pundra, on twelve sacred locations of the body associated with Vishnu.
3. Nāma - The introduction of the suffix dasan (servant) to the initiate's new name, offered by the preceptor.
4. Mantra - The teaching of the Ashtakshara mantra and other sacred Vaishnava incantations.
5. Yajña - The instruction of the proper method of worshipping God.

References

1. Flood, Gavin (2005-06-10). The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism. John Wiley & Sons. p. 249. ISBN 978-1-4051-3251-0.
2. Bulletin of the Anthropological Survey of India. Director, Anthropological Survey of India, Indian Museum. 1971. p. 109.
3. Williams, Raymond Brady (2017-11-28). Williams on South Asian Religions and Immigration: Collected Works. Routledge. p. 114. ISBN 978-1-351-14310-3.
4. Narayanan, Vasudha (1994). The Vernacular Veda: Revelation, Recitation, and Ritual. Univ of South Carolina Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0-87249-965-2.
5. Williams, Raymond Brady (2017-11-28). Williams on South Asian Religions and Immigration: Collected Works. Routledge. pp. 115–117. ISBN 978-1-351-14310-3.
6. Hudson, D. Dennis (2008-09-25). The Body of God: An Emperor's Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century Kanchipuram. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 569. ISBN 978-0-19-536922-9.

• Vaishnavism
• Hindu philosophical concepts
• Sri Vaishnavism