continually immersed in contemplation
of the Supreme Brahman.
The word Paramahamsa has a more
specialized meaning among the
Dashanami Sanyasis, ascetic devotees
(bhakta) of the god Shivawhose organi-
zation is divided into ten sections, each
designated by a particular name. Here
the name Paramahamsa refers to an
ascetic who comes from one of the
three twice-born (dvija) varnas—that
is, who is a brahmin, kshatriya, or
vaishya, the three social groups with
higher symbolic status—and who has
been initiated as a Sanyasiin one of
the six divisions that will accept non-
brahmins. Paramahamsas have higher
status in these divisions than the Naga
or fighting ascetics, who will initiate
shudras, but lower status than the
Dandis, who are invariably brahmins.
Paramatman
(“the highest self”) Term generally used
as a synonym for Brahman, the unqual-
ified and undifferentiated reality that is
seen as the source of all things, and the
sole true power in the universe. This
name, through its inclusion of the Self
(atman) as part of the term, also empha-
sizes the identity in kind between
Brahman and atman, between Supreme
Reality and the individual Self.
Parampara
(“succession”) The general term for
the spiritual lineage maintained by
the transmission of knowledge
and power from guru to disciple.
Such lineages form the basis for
tracing spiritual descent within
religious communities, particularly
in secret traditions such as tantra.
In a religious context, one’s spiritual
lineage is an important factor in
establishing an identity and connec-
tions with others in the school, in the
same way a biological lineage places one
within a family.
Parashara
In Hindu mythology, a legendary sage
who is the grandson of the sage
Vasishtha. He is credited with authoring
the Parashara Smrti, an important and
early work in the dharma literature.
Parashara is best known as the father of
the sage Vyasa, whom he begets through
a maiden named Satyavati. Satyavati
makes her living ferrying people across
the GangesRiver, and although she is a
beautiful young woman, she always
smells of fish because her mother is a
celestial nymph who has been cursed to
live as a fish in the Ganges. Struck by
Satyavati’s beauty while she is ferrying
him across the river, Parashara creates
an artificial fog to give them the privacy
to have sexual intercourse. As a reward,
he gives her the boon that, from that day
onward, she will smell of musk instead
of fish.Parashara Smrti
One of the smrtisor “remembered”
texts, a class of literature deemed impor-
tant but less authoritative than the other
textual category, the shrutis, or “heard”
texts. This smrti is ascribed to the sage
Parashara, and is an example of one of
the Dharma Shastras, which were man-
uals prescribing rules for correct human
behavior and ideal social life. Unlike the
Dharma Sutras, which are ascribed to
recognizable individuals, the Dharma
Shastras are usually ascribed to mythic
sages as a strategy to reinforce the
authority of these texts. At 592 verses,
the Parashara Smrtiis relatively short,
and it treats only two themes, religious
custom (achara) and expiation
(prayashchitta). The text is estimated
to have been written between the
first and fifth centuries, but in the four-
teenth century it received an extensive
commentary by Madhava, and the
resulting work, known as the
Parasharamadhava, has continued to
be influential since then.Parashara Smrti