Submitted by: Yasoda nandana Dasa
Editorial: Sixteen Points to Consider
Regarding the Ṛtvik Issue
By Pratyatoṣa Dāsa (ACBSP), August 30, 1998 (Appearance Day of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī) (Updated: March 2, 2014)
Dear Prabhus, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Concerning the “ṛtvik issue” (initiation on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s behalf by a ṛtvik representative of the Ācārya), please consider the following sixteen points:
1. Follow the Latest Order From a lecture by Śrīla Prabhupāda on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Hyderabad, India, April 15, 1975:
I may say many things to you, but when I say something directly, “Do it”, your first duty is to do that. You cannot argue, “Sir, you said me like this before.” No, that is not your duty. What I say now, you do it. That is obedience.
If the captain of the ship says “5° starboard” and the first mate replies, “But captain, before you told me ‘10° port,’” then it can be understood that the first mate has gone insane.
2. The July 9th Letter (https://pratyatosa.com/?P=25) Letter by Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī to all GBC’s and temple presidents, Vṛndāvana, India, July 9, 1977:
To All G.B.C. and Temple Presidents
Dear Mahārājas and Prabhus,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your feet. Recently when all of the GBC members were with His Divine Grace in Vṛndāvana, Śrīla Prabhupāda indicated that soon He would appoint some of His senior disciples to act as ritvik – representative of the ācārya, for the purpose of performing initiations, both first initiation and second initiation. His Divine Grace has so far given a list of eleven disciples who will act in that capacity:
His Holiness Kīrtanānanda Swami
His Holiness Satsvarūpa dāsa Gosvāmī
His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami
His Holiness Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī
His Holiness Hṛdayānanda Gosvāmī
His Holiness Bhavānanda Gosvāmī
His Holiness Haṁsadūta Swami
His Holiness Rāmeśvara Swami
His Holiness Harikeśa Swami
His Grace Bhagavān dāsa Adhikārī
His Grace Jayatīrtha dāsa Adhikārī
In the past Temple Presidents have written to Śrīla Prabhupāda recommending a particular devotee’s initiation. Now that Śrīla Prabhupāda has named these representatives, temple presidents may henceforward send recommendation for first and second initiation to whichever of these eleven representatives are nearest their temple. After considering the recommendation, these representatives may accept the devotee as an initiated disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda by giving a spiritual name, or in the case of second initiation, by chanting on the Gāyatrī thread, just as Śrīla Prabhupāda has done. The newly initiated devotees are disciples of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the above eleven senior devotees acting as his representative. After the temple president receives a letter from these representatives giving the spiritual name or the thread, he can perform the fire yajña in the temple as was being done before. The name of a newly initiated disciple should be sent by the representative who has accepted him or her to Śrīla Prabhupāda, to be included in His Divine Grace’s “Initiated Disciples” book.
Approved: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami [signed]
Please note that the above is the last formal instruction that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave on initiations within his beloved ISKCON before his physical departure on November 14, 1977. If someone quotes Śrīla Prabhupāda as having said, “My disciples should become gurus.,” then this obviously does not mean diksha (initiating) gurus within ISKCON, because his last instruction (See point #1 above) for ISKCON was to have ṛtviks (priests) initiate on his behalf “henceforward.” If you search the Vedabase for “henceforward,” you will see that Śrīla Prabhupāda always meant “from this time forth; from now on,” which, according to the dictionary, is the only literal meaning that the word “henceforward” can have. 3. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Testifies Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī, one of the 11 original, ṛtvik – representatives of the ācārya (See point #2 above) said on December 3, 1980 (Transcribed from a tape recording of the actual conversation): Actually Prabhupāda never appointed any gurus. He appointed eleven ritviks. He never appointed them gurus. Myself and the other GBC have done the greatest disservice to this movement the last three years because we [falsely] interpreted the appointment of ritviks as the appointment of gurus.
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