("five
nights," ambiguous meaning) The term refers to a certain group of
Vaishnavas (devotees of the god Vishnu).
Despite the fact that there is enough evidence that the
Pancharatra group is centuries old, nothing is known about its beginnings.
The Pancharatra society is contrasted negatively to another
group, the Bhagavatas, in the earliest Vaishnava sectarian scriptures, with the
former being portrayed as peripheral and the latter as "Vedic" and
respectable.
Despite this apparent disapproval, Pancharatras do not seem
to be theologically distinct from the Bhagavatas at first glance, however their
distinctions may have been due to diverse practices.
The Pancharatras are subsequently connected with an
intricate theory of creation, which was finalized during the sixth century and
is based on the advent of four divine emanations: Vishnu Narayana, Sankarshana,
Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, in that order.
The universe comes into existence as a result of the
sequential activity of these heavenly emanations, but each is also associated
with a certain aspect of spiritual life through which human beings might
reverse the process of creation and achieve emancipation.
The Pancharatra school is also known for its doctrine of
primary and secondary avatars, in which the latter may be any god image that
has been properly consecrated.
The belief of secondary avatars became a central concept in
the subsequent Shrivaishnava community, and Pancharatra principles have
continued to impact current Hindu culture via them.
