Parampara

Parampara (Sanskrit: ???????, parampar?) denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Vedic culture and Indian religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is also known as guru–shishya tradition ("succession from guru to disciple"). Each parampara belongs to a specific sampradaya, and may have own akharas and gurukulas.

The Sanskrit word literally means an uninterrupted row or series, order, succession, continuation, mediation, tradition. In the traditional residential form of education, the shishya remains with his or her guru as a family member and gets the education as a true learner.

In some traditions there is never more than one active master at the same time in the same guruparamaparya (lineage).

In the parampar? system, knowledge (in any field) is passed down (undiluted) through successive generations. For example, division of Veda and its transfer through paramparas describes Bhagavata Purana. Other fields of knowledge taught may include spiritual, artistic (music or dance), or educational.

Three types of parampara: Deva, Rsi and Manav

The current Acaryas, the heads of the ma?has, trace their authority back to the four main disciples of Shankara, and each of the heads of these four ma?has takes the title of Shankaracharya ("the learned Shankara") after Adi Shankara.

The Advaita guru-parampar? (Lineage of Gurus in Non-dualism) begins with the mythological time of the Daiva-parampar?, followed by the vedic seers of the ??i-parampar?, and the M?nava-parampar? of historical times and personalities:^{[note 1]}

Daiva-parampar?

N?r?ya?a
Sada Shiva
Padmabhuva (Brahm?)

??i-parampar?

Va?i??ha
?akti
Par??ara
Vy?sa^{[note 2]}
?uka

M?nava-parampar?

Gau?ap?da
Govinda bhagavatp?da
?ankara bhagavatp?da, and then Shankara's four disciples
- Padmap?da
- Hast?malaka
- To?aka
- V?rtikak?ra (Sure?vara) and others

Titles of gurus

In paramapara, not only is the immediate guru revered, the three preceding gurus are also worshipped or revered. These are known variously as the kala-guru or as the "four gurus" and are designated as follows:^[8]

Guru – the immediate guru
Parama-guru – the guru of the Parampara or specific tradition (e.g. for the ?ankaracharyas this is Adi ?ankara)
Par?tpara-guru – the guru who is the source of knowledge for many traditions (e.g. for the ?ankaracharya's this is Vedavy?sa)
Parame??hi-guru – the highest guru, who has the power to bestow mok?a (usually depicted as Lord ?iva, being the highest guru)