Srila Prabhupada – “I am not speaking of the loafer class, but those who are recognized ācāryas”
Room Conversation with Indian Guests — March 13, 1975, Tehran: Prabhupāda: So do that. Don’t approach the cheater guru, bluffer guru, and be cheated. Stop this business. This has spoiled the whole spiritual atmosphere of the world. Take guru, the supreme guru, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, when in Mahābhārata when Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira performed rājasūya yajña, in the rājasūya yajña one person is elected the chief guest. So in that yajña many big, big demigods were present, and Bhīṣmadeva was present, Vyāsadeva was present, and many, many other saintly person, brāhmaṇa, from the whole universe were present. And Kṛṣṇa was decided to be accepted as the… Everyone agreed to accept Him as the chief guest. And the Śiśupāla, he protested. Then everyone was angry to kill him. So Kṛṣṇa is accepted the guru by everyone. By our ācāryas, recent ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya… I am not speaking of the loafer class, but those who are recognized ācāryas, Śaṅkarācārya… They accepted Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guru. Caitanya Mahāprabhu. So accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme guru and follow His instruction and try to convince others. “Others” means even your family members. That is success of life. Saṁsiddhiḥ hari-toṣaṇam. Why should you lead your life blindly? This human life is meant for enlightenment, supreme enlightenment, and this is supreme enlightenment, to understand the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā and preach it as far as you can. If not, you can preach amongst your family members. This is perfection of life. What is that verse? Ya imaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati. That is the desire of Kṛṣṇa.
Subject: re: Sri Raghunandana Thakura Tirobhava tithi (disappearance) Sri Vamsivadana Bbabaji Tirobhava tithi [disappearance]
Thursday, August 12, 2021 [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time]
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Raghunandan Thakur bequeathed the service of his Gaura-Gopal Deity to his son Kanai Thakur and then left this world on the fourth day of the waxing moon in the month of Shravan. (In the image: Gaura Gopala and Gopinath of Raghunandana Thakur, Shrikhand).
Subject: Sri Raghunandana Thakura Tirobhava (disappearance)
Srila Prabhupada and Sri Krsna dasa Kaviraja describe the exalted position and glories of Sri Raghunandana Thakura. Tuesday, August 14, 2018 (Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi India time ) compiled by Narasimha dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa
kāśīte lekhaka śūdra-śrīcandraśekharatāṅra ghare rahilā prabhu svatantra īśvaraSYNONYMS kāśīte—in Vārāṇasī; lekhaka—writer; śūdra—born of a śūdra family; śrī-candraśekhara—of the name Candraśekhara; tāṅra ghare—in his house; rahilā—remained; prabhu—the Lord; svatantra—independent; īśvara—the supreme controller. TRANSLATION This time Lord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, although he was regarded as a śūdra or kāyastha, for the Lord, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is completely independent. PURPORTLord Caitanya stayed at the house of Candraśekhara, a clerk, although a sannyāsī is not supposed to reside in a śūdra’s house. Five hundred years ago, especially in Bengal, it was the system that persons who were born in the families of brāhmaṇas were accepted as brāhmaṇas, and all those who took birth in other families-even the higher castes, namely, the kṣatriyas and vaiśyas-were considered śūdra non-brāhmaṇas. Therefore although Śrī Candraśekhara was a clerk from a kāyastha family in upper India, he was considered a śūdra. Similarly, vaiśyas, especially those of the suvarṇa-vaṇik community, were accepted as śūdras in Bengal, and even the vaidyas, who were generally physicians, were also considered śūdras. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, however, did not accept this artificial principle, which was introduced in society by self-interested men, and later the kāyasthas, vaidyas and vaṇiks all began to accept the sacred thread, despite objections from the so-called brāhmaṇas.Before the time of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the suvarṇa-vaṇik class was condemned by Ballal Sen, who was then the King of Bengal, due to a personal grudge. In Bengal the suvarṇa-vaṇik class are always very rich, for they are bankers and dealers in gold and silver. Therefore, Ballal Sen used to borrow money from a suvarṇa-vaṇik banker. Ballal Sen’s bankruptcy later obliged the suvarṇa-vaṇik banker to stop advancing money to him, and thus he became angry and condemned the entire suvarṇa-vaṇik society as belonging to the śūdra community. Ballal Sen tried to induce the brāhmaṇas not to accept the suvarṇa-vaṇiks as followers of the instructions of the Vedas under the brahminical directions, but although some brāhmaṇas approved of Ballal Sen’s actions, others did not. Thus the brāhmaṇas also became divided amongst themselves, and those who supported the suvarṇa-vaṇik class were rejected from the brāhmaṇa community. At the present day the same biases are still being followed.There are many Vaiṣṇava families in Bengal whose members, although not actually born brāhmaṇas, act as ācāryas by initiating disciples and offering the sacred thread as enjoined in the Vaiṣṇava tantras. For example, in the families of Ṭhākura Raghunandana Ācārya, Ṭhākura Kṛṣṇadāsa, Navanī Hoḍa and Rasikānanda-deva (a disciple of Śyāmānanda Prabhu), the sacred thread ceremony is performed, as it is for the caste Gosvāmīs, and this system has continued for the past three to four hundred years. Accepting disciples born in brāhmaṇa families, they are bona fide spiritual masters who have the facility to worship the śālagrāma-śilā, which is worshiped with the Deity. As of this writing, śālagrāma-śilā worship has not yet been introduced in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, but soon it will be introduced in all our temples as an essential function of arcana-mārga (Deity worship). Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.45
khaṇḍavāsī mukunda-dāsa, śrī-raghunandananarahari-dāsa, cirañjīva, sulocanaei saba mahāśākhā–caitanya-kṛpādhāmaprema-phala-phula kare yāhāṅ tāhāṅ dāna SYNONYMS khaṇḍa-vāsī mukunda-dāsa—of the name Mukunda dāsa; śrī-raghunandana—of the name Raghunandana; narahari-dāsa—of the name Narahari dāsa; cirañjīva—of the name Cirañjīva; sulocana—of the name Sulocana; eisaba—all of them; mahā-śākhā—great branches; caitanya-kṛpā-dhāma—of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the reservoir of mercy; prema—love of God; phala—fruit; phula—flower; kare—does; yāhāṅ—anywhere; tāhāṅ—everywhere; dāna—distribution. TRANSLATION Śrī Khaṇḍavāsī Mukunda and his son Raghunandana were the thirty-ninth branch of the tree, Narahari was the fortieth, Cirañjīva the forty-first and Sulocana the forty-second. They were all big branches of the all-merciful tree of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. They distributed the fruits and flowers of love of Godhead anywhere and everywhere. PURPORTŚrī Mukunda dāsa was the son of Nārāyaṇa dāsa and eldest brother of Narahari Sarakāra. His second brother’s name was Mādhava dāsa, and his son was named Raghunandana dāsa. Descendants of Raghunandana dāsa still live four miles west of Katwa in the village named Śrīkhaṇḍa, where Raghunandana dāsa used to live. Raghunandana had one son named Kānāi, who had two sons-Madana Rāya, who was a disciple of Narahari Ṭhākura, and Vaṁśīvadana. It is estimated that at least four hundred men descended in this dynasty. All their names are recorded in the village known as Śrīkhaṇḍa. In the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, verse 175, it is stated that the gopī whose name was Vṛndādevī became Mukunda dāsa, lived in Śrīkhaṇḍa village and was very dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. His wonderful devotion and love for Kṛṣṇa are described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta,Madhya-līlā, Chapter Fifteen. It is stated in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Eighth Wave), that Raghunandana used to serve a Deity of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.Narahari dāsa Sarakāra was a very famous devotee. Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, the celebrated author of ŚrīCaitanya-maṅgala, was his disciple. In the Caitanya-maṅgala it is stated that Śrī Gadādhara dāsa and Narahari Sarakāra were extremely dear to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but there is no specific statement regarding the inhabitants of the village of Śrīkhaṇḍa.Cirañjīva and Sulocana were both residents of Śrīkhaṇḍa, where their descendants are still living. Of Cirañjīva’s two sons, the elder, Rāmacandra Kavirāja, was a disciple of Śrīnivāsācārya and an intimate associate of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. The younger son was Govinda dāsa Kavirāja, the famous Vaiṣṇava poet. Cirañjīva’s wife was Sunandā, and his father-in-law was Dāmodara Sena Kavirāja. Cirañjīva previously lived on the bank of the Ganges River in the village of Kumāranagara. The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, verse 207, states that he was formerly Candrikā in Vṛndāvana. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.78-79
bhāgavatācārya, cirañjīva śrī-raghunandanamādhavācārya, kamalākānta, śrī-yadunandana SYNONYMS bhāgavatācārya—of the name Bhāgavatācārya; cirañjīva—of the name Cirañjīva; śrī-raghunandana—of the name Śrī Raghunandana;mādhavācārya—of the name Mādhavācārya; kamalākānta—of the name Kamalākānta; śrī-yadunandana—of the name Śrī Yadunandana. TRANSLATION Bhāgavatācārya, Cirañjīva, Śrī Raghunandana, Mādhavācārya, Kamalākānta and Śrī Yadunandana were all among the branches of the Caitanya tree. PURPORTŚrī Mādhavācārya was the husband of Lord Nityānanda’s daughter, Gaṅgādevī. He took initiation from Puruṣottama, a branch of Nityānanda Prabhu. It is said that when Nityānanda Prabhu’s daughter married Mādhavācārya, the Lord gave him the village named Pāṅjinagara as a dowry. Mādhavācārya’s temple is situated near the Jīrāṭ railway station on the eastern railway. According to the Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (169) Śrī Mādhavācārya was formerly the gopī named Mādhavī. Kamalākānta belonged to the branch of Śrī Advaita Prabhu. His full name was Kamalākānta Viśvāsa. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 10: The Trunk, Branches and Subbranches of the Caitanya Tree : Adi 10.119 :
khaṇḍera sampradāya kare anyatra kīrtananarahari nāce tāhāṅ śrī-raghunandana SYNONYMS khaṇḍera—of the place named Khaṇḍa; sampradāya—party; kare—performs; anyatra—in a different place; kīrtana—chanting; narahari—Narahari; nāce—dances; tāhāṅ—there; śrī-raghunandana—Raghunandana. TRANSLATION Another party was formed by the people of Khaṇḍa. These people were singing in a different place. In that group, Narahari Prabhu and Raghunandana were dancing. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 13: The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yatra : Madhya 13.46 :
The wonderful exchange between Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Mukunda das regarding the exalted position of Sri Raghunandana
khaṇḍera mukunda-dāsa, śrī-raghunandanaśrī-narahari,–ei mukhya tina jana SYNONYMS khaṇḍera—of the place known as Khaṇḍa; mukunda-dāsa—Mukunda dāsa; śrī-raghunandana—Śrī Raghunandana; śrī-narahari—Śrī Narahari; ei—these; mukhya—chief; tina—three; jana—persons. TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then turned His attention to three persons-Mukunda dāsa, Raghunandana and Śrī Narahari-inhabitants of the place called Khaṇḍa. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 15: The Lord Accepts Prasada at the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya : Madhya 15.112 : T
mukunda dāsere puche śacīra nandana’tumi–pitā, putra tomāra–śrī-raghunandana?SYNONYMSmukundadāsere—unto Mukunda dāsa; puche—inquired; śacīra nandana—the son of mother Śacī; tumi—you; pitā—father; putra—son; tomāra—your; śrī-raghunandana—Śrī Raghunandana. TRANSLATION Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the son of mother Śacī, next asked Mukunda dāsa, “You are the father, and your son is Raghunandana. Is that so? Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 15: The Lord Accepts Prasada at the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya : Madhya 15.113
kibā—or; raghunandana—Raghunandana; pitā—father; tumi—you; tāra—his; tanaya—son; niścaya kariyā—making certain; kaha—just speak; yāuka saṁśaya—let My doubts be dissipated.
TRANSLATION
“Or is Śrīla Raghunandana your father whereas you are his son? Please let Me know the facts so that My doubts will go away.”
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 15: The Lord Accepts Prasada at the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya : Madhya 15.114 :
mukunda kahe,–raghunandana mora ‘pitā’ hayaāmi tāra ‘putra’,–ei āmāra niścayaSYNONYMS mukundakahe—Mukunda dāsa replied; raghunandana—my son Raghunandana; mora—my; pitā—father; haya—is; āmi—I; tāra—his; putra—son; ei—this; āmāra—my; niścaya—decision. TRANSLATION Mukunda replied,”Raghunandana is my father, and I am his son. This is my decision. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 15: The Lord Accepts Prasada at the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya : Madhya 15.115
āmā sabāra kṛṣṇa-bhakti raghunandana haiteataeva pitā–raghunandana āmāra niścite SYNONYMS āmā sabāra—of all of us; kṛṣṇa-bhakti—devotion to Kṛṣṇa; raghunandana haite—because of Raghunandana; ataeva—therefore; pitā—father; raghunandana—Raghunandana; āmāra niścite—my decision. TRANSLATION “All of us have attained devotion to Kṛṣṇa due to Raghunandana. Therefore in my mind he is my father.”
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 15: The Lord Accepts Prasada at the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya : Madhya 15.116
raghunandana sevā kare kṛṣṇera mandiredvāre puṣkariṇī, tāra ghāṭera uparekadambera eka vṛkṣe phuṭe bāra-māsenitya dui phula haya kṛṣṇa-avataṁse
SYNONYMS
raghunandana—Raghunandana; sevā kare—serves; kṛṣṇera mandire—in the temple of Lord Kṛṣṇa; dvāre—near the door; puṣkariṇī—a lake; tāra—of it; ghāṭera upare—on the bank; kadambera—of kadamba flowers; eka vṛkṣe—on one tree; phuṭe—blossom; bāra-māse—all year around; nitya—daily; dui phala—two flowers; haya—become; kṛṣṇa-avataṁse—decoration for Lord Kṛṣṇa.
TRANSLATION
“Raghunandana is constantly engaged in serving the temple of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Beside the entrance of the temple is a lake, and on its banks is a kadamba tree, which daily delivers two flowers to be used for Kṛṣṇa’s service.”
Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 15: The Lord Accepts Prasada at the House of Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya : Madhya 15.128-12-___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Some people said, �Anyone who is dear to Raghunandan will win Mahaprabhu�s mercy for life after life.� Others said, �Raghunandan is so merciful that he gives life to the most humble and fallen.� Some said, �What humility! There is no one who is his equal.� And others, �He is as beautiful as Kandarpa himself!�, etc. (Bhakti-ratnakara 9.660 ff.)
vyuhas tritiyah pradyumnah priya-narma-sakho�bhavat cakre lila-sahayam yo radha-madhavayor vraje shri-caitanyadvaita-tanuh sa eva raghunandanah
The third member of the catur-vyuha, Pradyumna, took part in Radha Madhava�s lila in Vraja as Krishna�s intimate friend or priya-narma-sakha. He has now appeared as Raghunandan, whose body is not different from that of Chaitanya. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 70)9
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Sri Vamsi dasa Babaji
VAMSIDAS BABAJI Excerpts from OBL Kapoor’s “The Saints of Bengal” (Srila Prabhupada’s Godbros’)
Vamsidasa Babaji was a siddha-mahatma in the disciplic succession of Sri Narottama Thakura. The name of his diksa-guru was Harilal Vrajavasi and the name of his vesa-guru was Ramananda Vrajavasi. But it was difficult to know that he was siddha, because he lived far away from the world in a solitary place on the bank of Ganga near Baral Ghata in Navadvipa, as if he was renounced by the world, as an idiotic and worthless destitute. But the fact is that it is not the world that had renounced him, but he, who had renounced the world as worthless. He hardly had any worldly possessions. His only possessions were an old kaupina, karanga and kantha. Once Sripada Haridasa Gosvami asked him why he did not wear bahirvasa. He replied, “I live only with ka, which means kaupina, karanga and kantha. I have nothing to do with ba”, which means bahirvasa or outer garment. Bahirvasa brings relationship with the outer world and the people, who are bahiranga, that is those, who are attached to the outer world. My Gaura has asked me not to wear bahirvasa and mix with people who are bahiranga.”
Vamsidasa Babaji lived in a world of his own. His world centered round his deities-Gaura-Gadadhara, Nitai, Radha-Krishna and Gopala. For the service of these deities he had two brass pots, some earthen pots, one plate, one glass, some small cups, panca patra, bell and conch-shell and nothing else. Baba passed day and night in the service of the deities and in sweet talks with Them. Early in the morning he went out from his kuti to collect flowers. Then he went for bhiksa. He returned to the kuti about noon and made garlands from the flowers for each of the six deities. After that he started cutting vegetables. He washed each vegetable a number of times. Then he cleaned rice. He examined each grain of rice. If he found any grain from which the husk was not removed, he removed it with his own hand. He did everything slowly, contemplating all the time the lila of Radha-Krishna or Gaura-Nitai, and singing or talking to Them. It was only late in the evening that he could cook and offer bhoga to the deities. He had no consciousness of time. Morning and evening, day and night had no meaning for him. Almost the whole night he kept awake, talking and singing.
Once Sripada Haridasa Gosvami was surprised to see him cooking for the deities at about 9 a.m. He said to him, “Baba! It would be fine, if you prepare bhoga for the deities like this in the morning everyday.” He replied, “I do not know morning or evening. Am I their father’s servant so to feed them at appointed hours? If They want to eat like that, let Them make Their own arrangements for cooking. Let Gadadhara cook for Gaura. Nitai is avadhuta. He has no caste. He can go and eat anywhere. I do not worry about my Gopala. A milch-cow comes here everyday and gives Him milk. He can live on that. I have to worry about Radha-Krishna. For Them I will have to cook a little rice and vegetables. If I don’t, They will go to Vmdavana and do madhukari. “
Vamsidas Baba never locked the door of his kuti when he went out for bhiksa or to bathe in the Gariga. If someone asked him why he did not lock the kuti, he said, “If the owner of the house Himself does not keep a watch and has a soft corner for the thief, what is the use of locking the house? I do not even keep the keys of the lock with me. The lock has three keys. All the three are with the three boys. One is with Gaura, one with Nitai and one with Gadadhara.” After entrusting the lock and the keys to the three boys, Baba used to be free from anxiety. If while he was out a cow entered the kuti and turned everything topsy turvy, he would be angry with the boys. If some one stole something from the kuti he would say, “Gaura has a soft corner for Nadiyavasis, the residents of His own Dhama. Therefore He gives things away to them. I am after all an outsider.” Once a gold necklace, given by someone to Gaura, was stolen, when he had gone out for bhiksa. On returning to the kuti he kept on scolding Gaura and asking Him whom He had given away the necklace, for about two hours. Towards the evening he got a hint. He then went to the house of the theif and asked him for the necklace. The thief pushed him down the verandah of his house. He was hurt. But he did not say anything. But how could Gaura tolerate this? The thief soon died as well as all the other members of his family.
Once Baba had to punish Gaura-Nitai for Their connivance in a theft. The two brass-pots, in which Baba’ used to cook for Gaura-Nitai were stolen. How could this happen without the connivance of Gaura-Nitai? So They were punished. Baba scolded Them and did not give Them anything to eat that day. The punishment had its effect The next day someone came quietly and delivered one of those pots. Baba said, “This small pot is Nitai’s. He will be fed today. If Gaura wants to eat, He must also bring His pot.” Baba always did what he said. He cooked and offered bhoga to Nitai. Gaura drew a long face as He kept looking at Nitai eating. In the meantime another man came and delivered the other pot. Baba then cooked in that pot and offered bhoga to Gaura. When Gaura also had eaten, he said with tears in his eyes, “Do I ever want to punish You? But both of You are so naughty that You must always tease me. You do not know that I have now become old and cannot bear it all. What can I do?”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura also received the blessings of Srila Vamsidas Babaji Maharaja in Navadwip. Seeing Srila Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Varmsidasa Babaji Mahasaya would say, “Someone very close to my Gaura has come to me.”
Vamsivat Babaji was a Gaudiya sadhu who lived at Swarupa Gunj during the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati’s mission. He was respected by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, and he used to see to it that Vamsivat Babaji was provided with grains and so on by Gaudiya Matha brahmacaris, whom he’d send to Swarupa Gunj from the Yoga Pitha Mandir.
One day, a lady selling fish approached Vamsidasa Babaji, offering him some choice from the type of catch. Somehow or other, Babaji’s mind got attracted to taste the fish. But he immediately checked himself, and became very angry. He first of all shouted at the woman to get away. Then he was shouting, “How could this happen? How could this happen? I’ve surrendered my life to Radha Krishna, I’m under They’re protection, and still this happens! Why You are not protecting me?”
He went storming into his bhajan kutir. People gathered while he fussed and fumed at his Deities inside. Then he came out, bringing the Deities tied by rope, and threw Them into the Ganga. He kept the end of the rope under his foot. When one man inquired why he was doing this, the Baba threw a rock at him.
When this news reached the Gaudiya Matha Mandir, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta called his brahmacaris together and forbade them from visiting this baba again, save for one who would just deliver supplies. After a few days, he again called them together and said, “Some of you think I’ve stopped you from visiting babaji maharaja because he is in maya. That is not so. But you are not able to understand this bhava. So stay away.”
Later, when that one brahmacari visited, Vamsidas babaji maharaj threw a stone at him and told, “If you want to please me, then never return here again!”
Previously his reception had always been unpredictable. Sometimes the Baba would welcome him. Sometimes he would accept the gifts without saying a word. Sometimes he would just sit and stare. Sometimes he would take the gifts and angrily throw them in the river.
It is difficult to understand what bhava Vamsidasa Baba had towards Gaura. It sometimes appeared to be sakhya (friendly), sometimes vatsalya (parental) and sometimes madhura, like that of a Nadiya-nagari (lady of Nadiya) towards Gaurariga as Nadiya-nagara (an attractive citizen of Nadiya). If it was basically madhura, it is easy to understand that he sometimes exhibited vatsalya-bhava towards Him and sometimes sakhya, because madhura-bhava includes all other bhavas. According to Haridasa Gosvami his bhava was of Nadiyanagari type, because he used to compose songs of this bhava and sing. He has quoted some of these songs. Two of them are reproduced below: kena giya chilama ganga-tire o nagari | nyana kataksa bane gaura kaila mana churi || ami ekhana ki kari o nagari ki kari ||
“O Nagari! How I repent having gone to the bank of Ganga. Gaura cast a side long glance at me and stole my heart What shall I do now, O Nagari! What shall I do?”
bala go nagari gaura kallena ki || grha gela kula gela mana kela curi | sajani! ekhana ami ki kari || nayana kone, kane kane gaura kallena ki | ami je prana mari gaura kallena ki ||“Tell me O Nagari what Gaura has done to me, He winked and whispered and did, I do not know what to me. O Sakhi! Now I know not what to do, Life is running out of me. O! What has Gaura done to me?”
Towards the end of his life Baba once went to his birth place Majitpur in district Maymansinha. He carried the deities with him. On the way he neither ate, nor slept, nor passed stool or urine. On reaching Majitpur he stayed in a dilapidated temple. After that he went to Vrndavana and Puri. In Vrndavana he stayed on the bank of Yamuna, in Puri on the bank of Narendra Sarovara. He never went inside a temple for darsana. During these travels the sadhus of the Gaudiya Matha rendered great service to him.
Nothing is known about Baba’s life as a householder, except that he was married at an early age and his son Haracandra was nine or ten years old when he renounced the world. He went to Navadvipa about the year 1906. The author once tried to see him in 1932, but could not, because the door of his kuti was closed, though he could hear him talking to the deities in Maymansinha dialect. He left the world in 1944.
(Excerpts from OBL Kapoor’s “The Saints of Bengal”)
Disappearance Day on Caturthi
Vamsi das Babaji: “You must weep for Krishna!”
The following is an excerpt from the chapter “What is Bhakti?” in the book “A Taste of Transcendence” by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj. For more information about this book, click here.https://www.gokul.org/weep/weep.html
The great Vaisnava saint, Vamsi dasa Babaji Maharaja, was no ordinary sadhu. Outwardly, he had his advent in what is now known as Bangladesh, in Majidpur Village, Maimansingh district, near Jamalpur. But later, he came to Navadvipa-dhama, accepted the babaji order and performed his bhajana under a tree. The order of sannyasa is given for preaching, but a babaji will perform bhajana in a holy, secluded place. A babaji will not go outside for pracara (preaching). Many people would come to Babaji Maharaja and offer to build him a cottage, but he chose to remain always beneath a banyan tree. He would not move from there. He was surcharged with krsna-prema. He was a very tall figure. He never shaved, but remained like a madman. Many people would offer him various things, but he would pay them no attention. Whatever he might receive, he would distribute to others. He was an anchorite. Nobody could understand his behavior. He had only two big cloth bags—he had no temple. In one cloth bag was Gaura-Nitai and, in the other, Radha-Krsna. Sometimes, he would take the Deities out and perform puja. So, is his bhakti less because he had just small Deities, and ours greater because we have a big temple? Gaura-Nityananda were most satisfied by his service. Our Parampujyapada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to bow down to him from a distance. He prohibited his disciples from visiting Babaji Maharaja. His disciples asked, “Shall we not have darsana of the sadhus?” But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura replied, “You will not be able to understand his behavior and you will commit offenses. He is not within this world, but is moving in the transcendental realm. If I commit an offense, it will be anti-devotional. For this reason, I am bowing down to him from a distance. Only a suddha bhakta can understand his wonderful behavior. An ordinary novice of bhajana will be unable to understand, so he should not go there. Babaji Maharaja is always surcharged with krsna-prema!”
There was a person from Navadvipa-dhama who used to come to Babaji Maharaja. One day, he thought, “I have the desire to obtain the Supreme Lord. How can I get Bhagavan?” He was only murmuring, speaking to himself, so Babaji Maharaja did not reply. This person came back repeatedly to see Babaji Maharaja. Finally, one day, he approached Maharaja directly.
“What do you want?” Babaji Maharaja asked him.
“I want to see Bhagavan,” the man said.
Babaji Maharaja replied with only one word: “Weep!”
We might supply so much scriptural evidence to try to explain, in so many ways, how to obtain the Supreme Lord, but what did Vamsi dasa Babaji Maharaja say? “Weep for Him!” If you can weep for Him, then you can get Him. If there is want for Him, then He will come. We are uttering His Names, but we do not want Him. So, we are uttering the Names of Krsna—“hare krsna, hare krsna, krsna krsna, hare hare, krsna rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare”—and Krsna appears before us. He says to us, “Come along!”
We say to Him, “No, I cannot go now. Right now I require a million dollars to save my business. I have my children. I have just bought a building. I cannot go now.”
“So, why have you called Me?” Krsna asks.
“I have called you to give me a million dollars,” we reply. “Remove my difficulties. I do not have time to go now.”
From where are we uttering the Name? Not from the heart! We are chanting, “hare krsna” but, if Krsna were to come, we would be unable to go.
A certain Svamiji gave an illustration. It is an illustration involving the ordinary day-to-day life of a householder but, nonetheless, there is something very impressive about this illustration. In a town in Bengal, there was a man who worked in an office. He lived with his wife and two children. One of the children was only three or four months old and the other was seven years old. One day, the man told his wife, “You will have to prepare breakfast early today because I have to go into the office early. After I eat, I shall leave right away.” When the wife went to cook, she first put the baby on the bed and then went into the kitchen. But, whenever she would enter the kitchen, the child would cry. She thought, “With the child in my lap, how will I be able to cook? It is very difficult.” She was thinking what she should do. Then she thought of a way she could manage. She called the seven-year-old child.
“Darling, come here!” she called. “Do you know that red toy in the shop?”
“Yes, I know it,” the child answered.
“Go and buy that toy, but be sure that it makes a nice jingling sound.”
The child took some money and went off to buy the toy. He brought it home and gave it to the mother. The mother laid the baby down on the bed and hung the red-colored toy with the jingling sound above him, at the end of a rope. The baby saw the toy and immediately started to play with it, hitting it from side to side. The child was most delighted as he continued to slap the toy and hear the jingling sound. For one hour he played like that, and the mother went to do her cooking. After that, the child started to feel hungry. For the entire time that the child was playing, he did not remember his mother. But, now that he felt hungry, he thought, “Oh, where is my mother?” But his mother did not come. Then, he started crying, signifying, “I am hungry! Come!” He could not speak, so he beckoned his mother by crying. “Come to me and suckle me! I am hungry!” His mother, however, was busy cooking. “No,” she thought, “let the child cry.”
After some time, the child stopped crying and went back to playing with the toy—jingle, jingle, jingle. After playing like that for a while, the pangs of hunger returned. His hunger increased and increased and he became more and more unhappy. He began to cry for his mother even more loudly than before.
His mother heard the crying of the baby, but thought that she should first finish her cooking.
Finally, the hunger became unbearable for the child. The child thought, “I don’t want toys!” All he could think about was his mother. His crying became louder and louder until he was screaming. He started to throw his arms about and kick his legs, in a tantrum.
Then the mother thought, “Oh, I cannot stay away any longer!” The mother ran toward the child, embraced him and suckled him.
Like this, the Supreme Lord has given us toys—the toy of a wife or husband, toys of children, toys of buildings, toys of radios, toys of videos, toys of computers. Seeing this, Krsna thinks, “They are absorbed in their toys! I have no worries. I am engaged in My pastimes in the transcendental realm. They do not want this. They want those things instead. Here, take this computer! Take that video! Take this! Take that!”
Upon the awakening of his real self (atma), a man feels the want of the sweetest affection of the Supreme Lord. He cries, “Oh Supreme Lord! In this world, nothing gives me happiness. Everything is temporary. Everyone is selfish. You are my most beloved! Where are You? I have forgotten You! Come! Come! I am in a furnace! Come! Come!” Weeping, he calls, but Krsna does not come. “I am engaged in My pastimes,” Krsna says. For some time, the man then becomes absorbed in the affairs of his family and relatives, and forgets Krsna. Time passes and he cries again, “Where is My beloved Supreme Lord? Where is He?” Crying, crying. But, the Supreme Lord still does not come. Ultimately, he shouts, “I do not want a house! I do not want anything! Nobody is mine—You are mine! Oh beloved Supreme Lord! Come! Come! Come!” He cries and weeps, tossing his arms and legs about. Then Krsna cries, “Oh!” and comes to him. This sort of perturbation of the heart, extreme eagerness for getting Bhagavan, must be there.
Vamsi dasa Babaji Maharaja said only one word: “Weep!” But that single word has great significance. When we associate with the suddha bhakta who is crying for Krsna, then the eternal nature of atma will be awakened. You have love for God. Love is there in your soul. It exists, but it is presently enveloped by the external potency of the Supreme Lord and you have become averse to Sri Krsna. Passing through different species, our minds have become enveloped by so many evil desires…
“…This is paramparā system. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says,ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās tā-sabāra pada-reṇu mora pañca-grās
This is paramparā system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the paramparā system. You have to approach through your spiritual master to the Gosvāmīs, and through the Gosvāmīs you will have to approach Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu you have to approach Kṛṣṇa. This is the way. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, ei chay gosāi jār-tār mui dās.
We are servant of servant. That is Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s instruction = gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. The more you become servant of the servant, the more you are perfect. And if you all of a sudden want to become master, then you go to hell. That’s all. Don’t do that. This is the teaching of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. If you go through the servant, servant, servant, then you are advanced. And if you think that you have now become master, then you are going to hell. This is the process. Dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ. Caitanya Mahāprabhu said. So servant, servant, servant, a hundred times servant now, that means he is advanced. He is advanced. And one who is becoming directly master, then he is in the hell..”
—-Śrī Guru-Tattva and the Secret of Dīkṣā (By: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda)
Hare Krishna. Please find attached the above mentioned article.
“Great scholars who are expert in spiritual science call the process by which divine knowledge is given and sins are eliminated as diksa.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.7) (Page 21)
Important points:Rajen Babu: If one does not accept spiritual initiation, is it possible to be aware of any type of spiritual truth (tattva)? Prabhupada: There will be no sravana, and the opposite result of such beneficial things will be attained instead. The duty of light is to remove darkness. If one remains in the midst of darkness, how will it be possible to attain light by allowing darkness to prevail?Acaryatrika Prabhu: A mundane guru considers the mantra only as shabda (sound) and not as sabdi (He who is known by sound) Prabhupada: The mantra is non-different from the sabdi. There is no difference between the aprakrta-sabda (transcendental sound) and sabdi. Sri Guru Tattva and the Secret of Diksa (Part 3) Rajen Babu: Isn’t the kanistha-adhikari qualified to give initiation into the mantra? Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada: Where is the kanishtha-adhikari coming from? Who gave him the adhikara? A kanishtha-adhikari can never become a guru. Rajen Babu: Can a madhyama-adhikari give diksa? Prabhupada: He can only perform the initial duties of diksa. It is the uttamaadhikari maha-bhagavata Vaisnava who is actually the diksa-guru. There are two types of Vaisnavas – the ragatmika and the raganuga. Those who are from the eternal realm offer service to Sri Krsna directly. These ragatmikas serve Sri Varshabhanavi and Her direct expansions. Those who perform direct service to the ragatmikas and take shelter in them through the performance of smarana are raganugas. These are spiritual gurus.(Page 15) Rajen Babu: Can’t a kanistha Vaisnava become a guru? Prabhupada: Kanistha, madhyama and uttama are the gradations amongst Vaisnavas. In the kanistha stage of Vaisnavism, only non-Vaisnavism is absent– this I shall explain in detail a little later. How can we deliberate upon adhikara and define who is a Vaisnava without taking shelter of a sad-guru? Only Gurudeva can explain adhikara. How can one who has never entered the domain of a devotee, who cannot himself understand anything, explain such things to others? If a non-Vaisnava sits on the seat of the guru, it amounts to sheer contempt of gurutattva. guror apy avaliptasya – kāryākāryam ajānataḥ utpatha-pratipannasya – parityāgo vidhīyate If the guru becomes attached to sense gratification, loses his sense of duty, and follows a degraded path, a path other than devotional service to the Lord, he should be rejected. (Mahabharata, Udyoga Parva 179.25)(Page 6) Sri Guru-Tattva and the Secret of Diksa (Part 2) Srila Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada: A materialistic Smarta who is opposed to devotion to Krsna should never be considered as a guru. Only one who is most dear to Krsna – krsna-prestha (beloved of Krsna), can be Gurudeva. Externally it may seem to be the same as being under the influence of a mundane guru (laukika) or hereditary guru (kaulika), but in actuality one is never deceived when he seeks refuge at the lotus feet of the guru who is krsna-prestha. (Page 8)
Rajen Babu: Can we not listen to another Vaisnava? Prabhupada: He should be respected if he is actually a disciple of a real guru. One may listen to those who have heard from a genuine spiritual preceptor. But wherever it is found that there is a conflict in opinion between him and my guru, then to see him as a ‘Vaisnava’ is a sure path leading to hell. mannathah sri jagannathah mad-guruh sri jagad-guruh “My Lord is Sri Jagannatha and my guru is the universal teacher.” It is not proper to associate with a person who has deviated even minutely from the suddha-bhakti-siddhanta preached by my Guru-Pada-Padma.The basis of hearing from him is that he himself has heard from Sri Nityananda Prabhu. (Pages 18-19)Rajen Babu: Can we fall down even after having taken diksa? Prabhupada: Yes, if we become indolent. Rajen Babu: After diksa, will I notice that the tendency to enjoy material pleasures has decreased? Prabhupada: Of course. divyaṁ jñānaṁ yato dadyāt – kuryāt pāpasya saṅkṣayam tasmād dīkṣeti sā proktā – deśikais tattva-kovidaiḥ “Great scholars who are expert in spiritual science call the process by which divine knowledge is given and sins are eliminated as diksa.” (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 2.7) This diksa never ends.There is also no end to the attacks of bad association. It is not simply a question of receiving the mantra in the ear: viśrambheṇa guroḥ sevā sādhu-vartmānuvartanam “One must serve the spiritual master with intimacy and affection and follow the path of the sadhus.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.74) (Pages 20-21)
In the link above, Iskcon has compiled a few documents to convince others to accept their bogus Gurus as good as God if any newcomer gets a doubt on their qualifications.The book Kali Chelas was written by some fiskcon followers to spread falsehoods against Ritvik.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HVwK…
Added to this, they have made a video too where they make their same defenses. But they don’t say how they have destroyed the movement for over 40 years by kicking out devotees, child abuse, book changes, misinterpretation, mayavadi associations, philanthropic consciousness, money making etc. https://youtu.be/_M1iEtSn-2Q (Check out the comments section to see how people who had doubted the authority of ISKCON Gurus have now been brainwashed after they see such false videos thinking that their deviations are bonafide.) This is another link where they protect those who poisoned Srila Prabhupada.https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JXZnVuFQqvApj3Ab358JKYC0t0ng4di1?usp=sharing In one of their nonsense files “100 deviations of Ritvikism”, they are trying to justify their Guru fall downs by misrepresenting Srila Prabhuapda’s teachings.
GBC: A spiritual master may sometimes fall down and become demoniac.
SPS:“There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…”–“The bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession since time immemorial.” (See below references 6 and 18) 1980 Pyramid House talks– https://harekrsna.org/topanga-canyon-pyramid-house-talks-1980-classic/
Tamala Krishna Maharaja: “I’ve had a certain realization a few days ago.(…) There are obviously so many statements by Srila Prabhupada that his Guru Maharaja did not appoint any successors.(…) Even in Srila Prabhupada’s books he says guru means by qualification.(…)
[Tamal Krishna talks about Srila Prabhupada’s Ritvik instructionIn late 1980 Tamal Krishna Goswami and Hansadutta Swami were traveling around ISKCON, having been suspended as gurus and GBC’s by the GBC body for activities unacceptable to them, such as demanding that his godbrothers must approach Srila Prabhupada through him. They had been relieved of their zones. TKG called for an open discussion at Nrsinghananda’s Pyramid House in Topanga Canyon, CA. on December 3, 1980. Hansadutta, Dhira Krishna, Kirtiraja, Jayadwaita and others were present, and the talk was recorded. ]https://harekrishnasociety.org/?p=32239(SRILA PRABHUPADA SPEAKS – “IF YOU ADULTERATE NONSENSICALLY LIKE A RASCAL, THEN YOU CANNOT BECOME A SPIRITUAL MASTER. IF YOU SIMPLY FOLLOW WHAT KRSNA HAS SPOKEN, THEN YOU BECOME SPIRITUAL MASTER. VERY SIMPLE THING.””)
Refutations:
GBC:The spiritual master may be a self-made guru who is nominated by his peers or followers and sanctioned by the GBC, an ecclesiastical board. There is no need for a direct, specific order from Srila Prabhupada to become a diksa-guru in Iskcon.
Srila Prabhupada’s siddhanta: “A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (See below references 1, 2 and 10.)
GBC:Srila Prabhupada authorized the GBC to sanction and dismiss diksa-gurus in ISKCON.
SPS: “Mundane votes have no jurisdiction the elect a Vaisnava acharya. A Vaisnava acharya is self-effulgent, and there is no need of any court judgment.”Prabhupada authorized the GBC to select (or dismiss) representatives (ritviks), who initiate on His behalf.No one can be guru without the direct order of Krishna or His perfect devotee. (See below references 1, 2, 10 and 15.)
GBC: Lord Caitanya gave a blanket order for every devotee to initiate his own disciples.
SPS: Lord Caitanya ordered His followers to become “gurus” by asking everyone they meet to chant Hare Krishna. He never ordered all devotees to initiate their own disciples. Even Lord Caitanya’s eternal associates, like Sri Gadadhara Pandita, refused to initiate disciples without a direct order from Lord Caitanya. Many great devotees never initiated their own disciples. (References 2 and 3.)
GBC:Persons who are not self-realized souls or topmost Vaisnavas can be diksa-gurus if the GBC approves.
SPS: “Only a topmost devotee, a maha-bhagavata, is eligible to occupy the post of guru.” (See below reference 4.)
GBC:Spiritual masters must be sanctioned, overseen, regulated and, if necessary, disciplined by the GBC.
SPS: The genuine spiritual master is never to be regulated or disciplined by ecclesiastical boards. (See below reference 5.)
GBC: A spiritual master may sometimes fall down and become demoniac.
SPS:“There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…”–“The bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession since time immemorial.” (See below references 6 and 18.)
GBC: One may ignore, neglect, or reject his spiritual master who falls from grace with the GBC.
SPS: A genuine disciple never rejects his spiritual master. (See reference 7.)
GBC: A student of Krishna consciousness may select any spiritual master, according his or her personal tastes and the ecclesiastical conventions current in Iskcon.
SPS: “Srila Jiva Goswami advised that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.” (See below reference 8.)
GBC: There are dozens of gurus in Iskcon and each is entitled to his or her own ideas and opinions.
SPS: “Guru is one. He has no independent ideas or opinions.” (See reference 9.)
GBC: Iskcon gurus who have fallen down, if rectified, may be reinstated by the GBC.
SPS: “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord.” (See below reference 10.)
GBC: There are various levels of spiritual masters, or diksa-gurus, and not all are uttama-adhikaris.
SPS: “The spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Radharani or a manifested representation of Sri Nityananda.”Only such a Vaisnava can impart transcendental knowledge into the heart of a disciple. (See below references 4, 7 and 11.)
GBC: The bona fide spiritual master dies, like all mortal men, and thus becomes useless in the matter of initiating and guiding students of Krishna consciousness.
SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal…” — “He lives forever through his divine instructions, and his follower lives with him.” — “He reasons ill who tells that Vaisnavas die!” (See reference 12.)
GBC: One must accept as one’s diksa-guru a man or woman who is living. A posthumous spiritual master, one dead and gone, cannot offer diksa and impart transcendental knowledge.
SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal.” —“Although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master. Vibration—what we have heard from the spiritual master—that is living.” (See references 10 and 12.)
GBC: Students of Krishna consciousness whose spiritual masters have fallen from grace with the GBC may shop around for another Iskcon guru and accept “re-initiation” as many times as required for them to find an “Iskcon guru” who is steady.
SPS: “A devotee must have only one initiating spiritual master because in the scriptures acceptance of more than one is always forbidden.” (Cc. Madhya, 22.71, Purport)
GBC: Every senior Iskcon devotee, even a dependent woman or neophyte with no ability to preach, is eligible to initiate his or her own disciples. Srila Prabhupada, however, is ineligible because he cannot posthumously offer diksa. One needs a guru who is alive. A fully transcendental guru with a spiritual body is useless in the matter of initiating devotees after he is dead (posthumous).
SPS: “The spiritual master is eternal.”He is not limited by material considerations of time and space. “A perfect Vaisnava is all-powerful, just like the Supreme Lord.” (See references 7, 12 and 13.)
GBC: Not all of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and orders are to be accepted literally or permanently. Some may be interpreted, altered, edited–or rejected as being outdated. For instance, his final order on initiations (July 9th, 1977), which he ordered sent to all ISKCON leaders and temples, is now obsolete and must therefore be rejected in favor of the current system for initiations created by the GBC.
SPS: A genuine disciple of the spiritual master always accepts his instructions wholeheartedly. He never tries to dodge, ignore or subvert his instructions. (References 7, 12, 13, 14.)
GBC: At the time of his demise, Srila Prabhupada’s instructions and ideas regarding the future of initiations in ISKCON were vague or contradictory. He left it to the GBC to sort out the details.
SPS: Prabhupada specifically responded to the question of how initiations would be continued in ISKCON after his departure by dictating, reviewing and signing an official directive establishing ritvik initiations. He ordered that this directive be sent to all leaders and GBC members in ISKCON. Ritvik initiations were nothing new for ISKCON. The ritvik system of initiations and all standards had been current in ISKCON for several years prior. Nonetheless, through this official directive and numerous conversations thereafter, Srila Prabhupada clarified it in detail and institutionalized the procedure to operate without his personal supervision. For sincere disciples, there is nothing vague or contradictory in His numerous instructions. (See below reference 15.)
GBC:Iskcon is meant for recruiting disciples for living Iskcon gurus. Those who claim to be direct disciples or aspiring direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada are deviant upstarts if they accepted initiation or joined Iskcon after 1977. In the history of Vedic culture posthumous ritvik initiations have never been seen.
SPS: In Srimad-Bhagavatam and other Puranas there are many stories of ritvik priests conducting Vedic sacrifices under the auspices of a great rishis who were not present on the same planet. There are no injunctions barring so-called “posthumous” ritvik initiations. Prabhupada clearly stated that all ISKCON leaders and trustees now and in the future must be “my initiated disciples”. (See Prabhupada’s “Final Order on Initiations”, July 9th, 1977, Srila Prabhupada’s “Final Will” and “Directions for Management” and Conversation, May 28, 1977
GBC: Post-1977 Iskcon devotees may accept Prabhupada as their instructing guru and param-guru, but they need to take initiation from a living guru to get Prabhupada’s blessings and mercy.
SPS: Srila Prabhupada is both the diksa-guru and siksa-guru for all serious students of Krishna consciousness. Advanced disciples may also act as “instructing guru” by teaching devotees to accept Srila Prabhupada and follow his instructions. (See below references 8, 15 and 16.)
GBC: Vaisnava gurus are ordinary men who sometimes make common mistakes, and even great devotees sometimes become degraded under the Lord’s external maya-shakti.
SPS: “One should consider the Acharya to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In spite of these instructions, if one considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being, one is doomed. His study of the Vedas and his austerities and penances for enlightenment are useless, like the bathing of an elephant.” (See below reference 17 and 18.)
GBC: Although Prabhupada accepted what he had at the time, his books had many errors. Although hundreds of senior devotees have chanted these verses and translations in Prabhupada’s presence and afterwards for many years, these sayings needed several revisions done by expert pundits.
SPS: “Mistakes, illusions, cheating, and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of authoritative sages.” (See below references 14 and 17.)
GBC: Unless the GBC sanctions diksa-gurus, the disciplic succession cannot continue. Srila Prabhupada is dead; he cannot order anyone to become guru.
SPS: The disciplic succession is continued not by the manipulations of blind clerics but by genuine disciples.“The Supreme Lord said, My dear Arjuna, because you are never envious of Me, I shall impart to you the most secret wisdom, knowing which you shall be relieved of the miseries of material existence.” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 9.1) When repeatedly asked who would be His successor, Srila Prabhupada replied, “My success is always there. Yes. Just like the sun is there always. It may come before your vision or not—the sun is there. But if you are fortunate you come before the sun… The sun is open to everyone.” (Conversation, February 12, 1975, Mexico City) – “Only Lord Caitanya can take my place. He will take care of the movement.” (Conv., Nov. 2, 1977, Vrindaban.) (See reference 7.)
References:
1. “Mundane votes have no jurisdiction the elect a Vaisnava acharya. A Vaisnava acharya is self-effulgent, and there is no need of any court judgment.” (Cc. Madhya 1.220, Purport)
2. “A guru can become guru when he is ordered by his guru. That’s all. Otherwise nobody can become guru.” (Conversation, Oct. 28, 1975, Nairobi)
3. “Vallabha Bhaṭṭa wanted to be initiated by Gadādhara Paṇḍita, but Gadādhara Paṇḍita refused, saying, ‘The work of acting as a spiritual master is not possible for me. I am completely dependent. My Lord is Gauracandra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I cannot do anything independently, without His order.’ ” (Cc. Antya 7.150,151)
4.“When one has attained the topmost position of maha-bhagavata, he is to be accepted as guru and worshiped exactly like Hari, the personality of Godhead. Only such a person is eligible to occupy the post of guru.” (Cc. Madhya, 24.330, Purport, citing Padma Purana.)”
5. “The spiritual master is never to be an object of disciplinary action…”
6. “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord…” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, Purport.)
7. “He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.” (Sri Guru Vandana, Verse 3)
8. “Srila Jiva Goswami advised that one not accept a spiritual master in terms of hereditary or customary social and ecclesiastical conventions. One should simply try to find a genuinely qualified spiritual master for actual advancement in spiritual understanding.” (Cc. Adi, 1.35, Purport) — “One should take initiation from a bona fide spiritual master coming in disciplic succession who is authorized by his predecessor spiritual master. This is called diksa-vidhana. (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.8.54, Purport)
9. “Guru is one. He has no independent ideas or opinions.”
10. “A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord…” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 4.42, Purport)
11. “The spiritual master is always considered either one of the confidential associates of Radharani or a manifested representation of Sri Nityananda.” (Cc. Adi. 1.46, Purport)
12. “The spiritual master is not the question of [‘living’ or ‘dead’]… The spiritual master is eternal–the spiritual master is eternal.” (Lecture, Oct. 2, 1968, Seattle, WA) — “I will never die. I shall live from my books, and you will utilize.” (Interview, July 16, 1975, Berkeley, CA) — “Although a physical body is not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master. Vibration—what we have heard from the spiritual master—that is living.” (Lecture, Jan. 13, 1969, LA, CA) –“One should consider the Acharya to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In spite of these instructions, if one considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being, one is doomed. His study of the Vedas and his austerities and penances for enlightenment are useless, like the bathing of an elephant.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.26, Purport)
13. “Regarding the disciplic succession, there is nothing to wonder for big gaps. We have to pick up from the prominent acarya and follow from him.” (Letter, April 12, 1968.) — “…one has to associate with the liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic…” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.31, Purport.) — “Although the physical body in not present, the vibration should be accepted as the presence of the spiritual master. Vibration–what we have heard from the spiritual master –that is ‘living’.” (Lecture, January 13, 1969, Los Angeles.)
14.“So we follow that ‘No Change Policy’. Not that because I think I have become now advanced, I change this to that. That means I am not advanced. My knowledge is imperfect. Therefore I am changing.”
15. “They did even consider with common sense—that if Guru Maharaja wanted to appoint somebody as acarya, why he did not say? He said so many things, and this point he missed? The real point? And they insisted upon it. The declared some unfit person to become acarya. And then another—‘Acarya!’ Another—‘Acarya!’ So better to remain a foolish [simple] person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. That is perfection. And as soon as he [the upstart] learns that Guru Maharaja is dead, ‘Now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and I become guru.’ Then he’s finished.” (Conv. Aug. 16, 1976, Bombay) — “If everyone just initiates, then there will only be contradictory results. As long as it goes on there will only be failure.” (From Phalguna Krishna Pancami, 1961.) — “I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas. Ritvik. Yes.” (Conv. May 28, 1977, Vrindaban.) — “So, deputies… These initiations –I have deputed my disciples. Is it clear or not?” (Conv. Oct. 18, 1977, Vrindaban.) Prabhupada’s “Final Order on Initiations”, July 9th, 1977
16. “I am the initiator guru, and you should be the instructor guru by teaching what I am teaching and doing what I am doing. This is not a title, but you should actually come to this platform. This I want. “ (Letter, August 4, 1975.)
17. bhrama pramada viralipsa karanapatava, arsa-vijna-vakye nahi dosa ei saba:
“Mistakes, illusions, cheating, and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of authoritative sages.” (Cc. Adi 2.86)
18. “There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall down…” (Cc. Madhya 22.71, Purport)
PADA: In 1976, “Nitai dasa” said that vaishnava acharyas may fall down. He cited the alleged example of Lord Brahma’s fall down (which took place before he had heard the Bhagavatam Verses), and which is not appropriate to cite as an excuse for bogus cheaters posing as acharyas in the first place. Anyway, Srila Prabhupada said Nitai is a rascal, poisonous, and he banned Nitai from ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada says in his “who is that rascal?” conversation, that those who think the acharyas do not have to be a pure devotees are rascals. This would seem to indicate many prominent current leaders of both ISKCON and the Gaudiya Matha?
In fact, this bogus “falling acharya” idea has become the centerpiece of the GBC’s post 1977 guru siddhanta. The GBC follows Nitai dasa. We find that this siddhanta was also given in the Gaudiya Matha: that acharyas fall down (as is also found in Sridhara Maharaja’s book “Sri Guru And His Grace”): “So, deviation and partiality, these two things can take down the acharya.” SGAHG p.78
Naturally, Srila Prabhupada says the direct opposite, acharyas like Narada Muni cannot ever be brought to the material plane, and it is an offence to think that they can. “Narada muni, Haridasa thakura, and similar acharyas especially empowered to broadcast the glories of the Lord CANNOT BE BROUGHT DOWN to the material platform. Therefore one is strictly forbidden to think that the acharya is an ordinary human being (gurusuh narah matih naraka sah). (SB 7.7.14)
In a portion of a book penned by Narayan Maharaja’s group included below, we find that they still think that the (homosexual) Ananta Vasudeva was the appointed acharya for the Gaudiya Matha. I was very much shocked to see, despite my pointing out this (homosexual guru) to you, in person, nearly twenty times in a direct conversation, you skipped over it as not even barely worthy of a reply, and instead you went forward telling me that Vasudeva was a great scholar and so on. You are like the mother of a bank robber, “Oh, Charles is robbing banks, true, but he always ate his potatoes nicely.” Fine. But then he started robbing banks? You have missed the point?
Indeed, you are missing the whole point: a person with unresolved homosexual anarthas might be a great scholar, agreed, but he is not and was not the acharya. Nor was he ever appointed as the acharya by His Divine Grace BHAKTISIDDHANTA SARASWATI THAKURA PRABHUPADA. Therefore Sridhara Maharaja and his associates –deviated– by making Vasudeva the acharya. That point you are not even answering: the real point in question? I hate to say this, but you sounded very much like the ISKCON GBC sector.
I have been saying to them, for years together: “You have homosexual pedophiles in your guru parampara.” And their reply is almost always, “So what, why are you objecting? Children are getting molested, agreed. And dissidents are getting killed, agreed. And the media is practically vomiting in disgust, agreed. STILL we are not to be questioned, since we’ll get our sidewalk goondas to threaten you”? In sum, both
you and they are EVADING a direct reply, although I have to admit your approach is very much higher class in comparison.
Of course, the Gaudiya Matha’s false gurus evaded the same question from Srila Prabhupada: “… I have also read specifically your articles on the matter of acaryas, wherein on the 14th paragraph I see that the acarya shall be entitled to nominate in writing his successive acarya. But we do not find any record [in the 1930s Gaudiya Matha] where our Srila Prabhupada nominated any acharya after him. Different persons have interpreted this point and every one of our God brothers are acting as acharyas…” (SPL August 21, 1969)
Worse, you tell me that Sridhara Maharaja’s solution (to his Frankenstein mad guru concoction) was to leave the Gaudiya Matha and start his own independent institution. In sum, “I started the Gaudiya Matha’s house on fire, as a result, innocent citizens are now being banned, beaten and killed. So, to help my fellow citizens, those who are suffering death threats and so on from my creation, I am formally leaving the burning down house. I personally poured gasoline on that house for years, so ‘too bad suckers,’ I am moving to another house. Bye bye!
Or suppose that the ship’s captain foolishly places the big ocean liner on the rocks in a 90 mph gale, with 2000 passengers, and he slips off in his private yacht and drinks soda on the banks of shore, while the passengers are horrified and in danger? That is your idea of helping? How does that help?
Yes, how did that help? That ONLY made matters VASTLY worse for the suffering souls aligned with the Gaudiya Matha. In sum, Sridhara Maharaja created the very dangerous cult imbroglio, and instead of clearing up his own creation, he instead said, the best thing to do is to –leave the mission, and feed my poor God brothers to the sharks that I empowered, and forget all about it? How did this help? You TOTALLY lost me here?
Both Sridhara Maharaja and later Narayana Maharaja’s book further says that there were eleven GBC gurus? What? No, there never were eleven gurus? Where is there any evidence of this? We have been asking for evidence of this for over 20 years? Are we ALL not aware, by now, that these eleven were only appointed as ritviks? Why are we saying there are eleven gurus, and some of them fell down as Narayana Maharaja’s book says?
No. There were eleven imitators. End of story. And they were fallen WAY before they even spent one second on a vyasasana, because they were already thinking they could imitate the acharya. This is always forbidden everywhere in shastra. And then along comes Sridhara Maharaja in 1978 and encourages these cheaters, “wear the acharya’s uniform and it will show you what to do” (i.e. cheat others by posing as acharya, as he had encouraged in the Gaudiya Matha). Just like he told Vasudeva to do in the 1930s?
Sridhara Maharaja should have said, “gurus were not appointed in ISKCON because your Srila Prabhupada opposed –appointing gurus– for forty years. And where is the specific proof that you were appointed? Why was this not released earlier? And besides, you are not qualified to be acharyas, and so on, and so on, and so forth.]
TD: It is precisely for this reason that Srila Madhvacarya does not accept Brahma-vimohana lila & so many other portion of 10th canto. This also one of the reasons Mahaprabhu felt Himself in some ways closer philosophically to the Ramanujas than to the Madhva camp Now your dealing with more substantial issues than who’s in charge at New Dvaraka. You say the Gaudiya Math has similar guru problems.[PADA: We don’t say anything independently. The fact is that there are hundreds of quotes from Srila Prabhupada about the Gaudiya Matha’s post-1930s guru debacles which included: false guru appointments; homosexual gurus; murders and beating of dissenters; bad publicity; an “acharya’s” child not only being abused but murdered; and in sum: ditto of what has occurred in post-1977 ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada said: “Another man comes, another man comes (by vote) to be guru.” (Room Conversation, August 14, 1976 Bombay, India)
TD: There are over 20 Gaudiya Math branches because most of Srila Sarasvati Thakur’s sannyas-sisyas eventually opened up their own branch, not to defy the others but to increase the flow of nectar of Mahaprabhu’s sankirtan parties.[PADA: That is the deviation exactly. Srila Prabhupada said in 1959 in his Vaisistha – astakam offering that this “many branches” is due to the tigress of name and fame. They were not supposed to start a big imbroglio of fighting guru camps, many separated guru branches, rather they were supposed to unite under one acharya, namely Srila Sarasvati Thakura, and form a GBC and work cooperatively. They did not do that. They have still have not done that.
Besides, the main parties were called “usurpers,” not “bona fide brances” as you imply: “…Regarding the section 92 case against the Gaudiya Matha, I don’t think there is any possibility of compromise. Both the Bagh Bazaar party [Sridhara Maharaja’s group] and the Mayapura party [Tirtha Maharaja’s group] have UNLAWFULLY usurped the missionary institution of Srila Prabhupada…” (SPL September 5, 1969)]
And these “bona fide branches” were simply a headache for Krishna and his pure devotees: “All along my [Gaudiya Matha “guru”] Godbrothers have gave me ONLY depression, repression, compression, but I continued strong in my duty.” (SPL August 4, 1972)
TD: Any normal tree will eventually branch. That is not deviation; that is a sign of health & growth. We all have to become qualified gurus. Meanwhile we cannot tolerate that our gurudev’s mission is being led deviants & cheaters. I support you until you blame senior vaisnavas outside of ISKCON such as Srila Sridhar Maharaja & Srila Narayan Maharaja. There’s a saying among Christians: you’re never defeated till you blame others. SSM never even kept any Vyasasan in his own Math for himself! What to speak of him being responsible for the size & altitude of asanas in ISKCON. Hoping this meets you in good health & protected by Sri Guru & Gauranga. Your god brother, servant & friend, Tarun[PADA: This is fact finding not fault finding. Srila Prabhupada is the authority, and he has proven that by his books, his preaching and his accomplishments. And he severely criticized the Gaudiya Matha’s false gurus.
For example, Srila Prabhupada called some of these so-called branches the “cockroach guru” branches: “That [extensively preaching] is the duty of a [guru] acharya. Not that three dozen [guru] acharyas in Mayapura. [The Gaudiya Matha] Each one has a temple and a few dozen, not few dozen, one dozen disciples. Collecting some money, taking [pilgrims] to the holy place. They [artificial gurus] say “whatever is in our capacity we are doing”. That capacity means when they are speaking that “cockroach is as good a bird as Garuda. Cockroach is also a bird and Garuda is also a bird.” How can the cockroach say “I am also as good as Garuda?” Tamala Krishna: “That is called insanity. (RC April 10, 1977. Bombay, India)
Anyway, Sridhara Maharaja said on numerous occasions that these eleven GBC were not ritviks –but gurus. The point is, you should not dare to question Srila Prabhupada’s judgement on the Gaudiya Matha’s deviation: “…If you are serious to be an important assistant in our society …do NOT mix yourself with my SO-CALLED [Gaudiya Matha] Godbrothers. As there are some residents, like monkeys and hogs, in Vrindavana, similarly there are many RASCALS in the name of Vaishnavas, be careful of them. And do not DARE to question impudently before your spiritual master… ” (SPL November 21, 1972)
Narayana Maharaja also claims that the GBC were gurus in defiance of the order for them to be ritviks. Yet, there is no evidence anywhere that these people were ever qualified to acquire the title of acharya? This is the same false propaganda that caused the reactions (and responses from Srila Prabhupada) as mentioned above –in the Gaudiya Matha. These Gaudiya Matha folks have never proven their first point: that either Ananta Vasudeva or later our eleven were EVER appointed as gurus?
Yet they dare to challenge the acharya on this point, even in the book just now penned by Narayan Maharaja (see analysis below) –at their and our peril. “We haven’t got to manufacture. To manufacture ideas is troublesome. Why should we take the trouble? And as soon as you want to manufacture something to my…., that is DANGEROUS. Guru mukha padma vakya cittete kariya aikya ara na kariha mane asa. This is …You are singing every day, “What our guru has said, that is our life and soul. We do not want”. Ara na kariha mane …As soon as this POISON will come-suppress guru and I become Brahman-everything FINISHED. Spiritual life is finished. Gaudiya Matha finished, that, …VIOLATED the orders of Guru Maharaja.” (RC April 20, 1977 Bombay, India)]
FROM NARAYANA MAHARAJA’s book “Guru Tattva” (herein as “GT”)
GT: You wrote that your Prabhupada’s instructions to you are open and direct, but by what you have written it seems to be the complete opposite. I will give you an example to clarify this point. Your Prabhupada had said that the “Gaudiya Matha had failed,” but in your writings you say that “Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada radically reformed the Gaudiya tradition transforming it into a global preaching mission in the modern world.” Now what is the name of that mission? It is the Gaudiya Matha.
And who were its members that dedicated themselves to that mission? You must learn to appreciate their position, but unfortunately you are busy publishing books that make false propaganda against these exalted devotees.[PADA: Srila Prabhupada said that his guru did wonderful things. However, his so called successors caused havoc. The above text mixes the success of the acharya with the failures of the false successor system. This would be like saying: “Jesus is wonderful, therefore, his (false) Medieval Papal successors are wonderful.” Not really?]
GT: If it is not against your GBC rule I strongly request you to read the book entitled Saraswati Thakura published by Mandala Media and in that way get lots of real information about the global successful preaching mission, because according to your writings the Gaudiya Math is unsuccessful. Again you have quoted a room conversation in Bombay [August 16, 1976] wherein your Prabhupada wanted to nourish the very soft faith of the newly initiated (those who were less than ten years or so) and you think this is exactly the fact.[PADA: Srila Prabhupada said that the post-1930s Gaudiya Matha’s philosophy was “as soon as he learns that guru maharaja is dead, then I kill guru and become guru. Then he is finished.” (Room Conversation, Bombay INDIA, August 16, 1976)
So, this was not just to effect a few people with soft faith, Srila Prabhupada honestly believed that his guru was betrayed. The 1976 quote is merely one of hundreds of similar quotes critical of the Gaudiya Matha’s post 1930s guru system. For example, Srila Prabhupada: “…These [artificial claims to be a guru] are weapons. That was the only endeavor, how he [Tirtha Maharaja] could legally occupy the bricks and stones of the Gaudiya Matha. That’s all. He has no other ambition …It was simply show. But real purpose was to occupy, how to take the whole property. BUSINESS.” (Srila Prabhupada conversation January 13, 1977)]
GT: Before the passing away of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he gave orders that there would only be one guru and the rest should work in a very harmonizing way as to be able to preach the message of Rupa Raghunatha.[PADA: False. Srila Prabhupada says that some prominent Gaudiya Matha leaders, such as Sridhara Maharaja, deviated because they thought there was supposed to be one acharya. Srila Prabhupada: “…So SRIDHARA MAHARAJA and his associate gentlemen unauthorizedly selected one acharya and later it proved to be a failure. The result is that now EVERYONE is claiming to be acharya…in some camps the acharya is being CHANGED three times a year. Therefore amongst my Godbrothers NO ONE IS QUALIFIED to become acharya. So it is better NOT TO MIX with my Godbrothers very intimately, because instead of inspiring our students they may sometimes POLLUTE them. This attempt was made by them previously, especially MADHAVA Maharaja and TIRTHA Maharaja and BON Maharaja, but somehow I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be careful about them AND NOT MIX WITH THEM. This is my instruction to YOU ALL. They CANNOT HELP us in our movement, but they are very competent to HARM our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them…” (SPL April 28, 1974).
In sum, Sridhara Maharaja and Madhava Maharaja deviated from the order of their guru. “They unauthorizedly selected one acharya.” That means they engaged in
mental speculation and they had no faith in their acharya’s words: to form a Governing Body and not a false guru successor project. This “living guru” idea is very much akin to the smartas, the medieval Papal system, and similar other appointed, elected, and/or rubber stamped guru systems: ALL OF WHICH are eternally damned and condemned by our Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada said this man (Vasudeva) was not appointed as the acharya, so why are we still saying he was or could have been the acharya?]
GT: He also said that Ananta Vasudeva will preach the message of Rupa-Raghunatha and Kunja-bihari Vidyabhusana (later on Srila Bhakti Vilasa Tirtha Maharaja) will do the managing for as long as he lived and must be respected by all. A few years earlier he had written, vasudevananta dasye thakiya ta sada laha nama -always remain in the service of Ananta Vasudeva and chant the holy name.[PADA: Apparently, Srila Saraswati Thakura wrote a few encouraging letters to some of his followers and it merely inflated their egos. A teacher may say to a 10 year old student, “Oh, your writing is wonderful.” That is called encouraging. However, Srila Prabhupada says that both parties mentioned above are severe offenders, usurpers, and one was even the ferocious snake’s party, etc. So, the final word has to be accepted and it is: condemnation by the acharya. “…And as soon as you manufacture, fall down. This manufacturing idea is very, very dangerous in spiritual life. …Our mission is to serve bhakta visesa and live with devotees. NOT THAT YOU TAKE THE PLACE OF GURU. THAT IS NONSENSE, VERY DANGEROUS. Then everything will be spoiled. As soon as you become AMBITIOUS to TAKE THE PLACE of GURU, gurusuh nara matih. That is MATERIAL DISEASE…” (RC April 20, 1977 Bombay, India )]
GT: In his presence it was said that Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted all of the members of the Gaudiya Matha to stay under the guidance of Ananta Vasudeva Prabhu and chant the holy name.[PADA: It was said? Who said it was said? It might have been said? Who said it might have been said? Somebody was alleged to have said? What kind of evidence is this? It was known to have been said? Known by whom? No. That Vasudeva was supposed to be the prominent acharya, either de facto or actual acharya, after the departure of Srila Saraswati thakura, was never said. Ever. What was said was: that you make a mangerial body, a GBC. Many of these same Gaudiya Matha people now say that eleven gurus were appointed in 1977, because “it was said.” No, it never was said. Speculation. Srila Prabhupada says, Vasudeva was never appointed as the acharya. The eleven were never appointed as acharyas.
Here is what is really said: Srila Prabhupada: “…People complained against [a GBC for trying to appear as a guru]. ..No, no. You become guru, but you must be QUALIFIED FIRST of all. THEN you become. Tamala Krishna: Oh that kind of complaint was there. Srila Prabhupada: Did you know that? Tamala Krishna: Yeah, I heard that, yeah. Srila Prabhupada: What is the use of producing some RASCAL GURU?” Tamala Krishna: “Well, I have studied myself and all of your disciples, and it’s clear fact that we are ALL CONDITIONED SOULS, so we CANNOT BE gurus. MAYBE someday it may be possible…”
Srila Prabhupada: “Hm.” [agrees] Tamala Krishna: “…but not now”. Srila Prabhupada: “Yes. I shall choose some guru. I shall say ” Now you become acarya. You become authorized.’ I retire completely. But the training must be COMPLETE.” Tamala Krishna: “The process of purification must be there. Srila Prabhupada: O Yes, must be there, Caitanya Mahaprabhu wants that. Amara ajnaya guru hana. “You become guru.” (laughs) But be qualified. Little thing, strictly follower… Tamala Krishna: Not rubber stamp. Srila Prabhupada: Then you’ll not be effective.You can cheat, but it will not be effective. Just see our Gaudiya Matha. Everyone wanted to become guru, and a small temple and “guru.” What kind of guru?” No publication, no preaching, simply bring some foodstuff… My Guru Maharaja, “joint mess” a place for eating and sleeping amar amar ara takana: Joint mess. He said this. (RC April 22, 1977. Bombay, India.)]
GT: On that basis he had been selected as the acharya of the Gaudiya Matha and no one had been fighting for that post.[PADA: False on two counts. It was ONLY on the basis of some extrapolated mental speculation that Vasudeva was “selected” as the acharya, and this is not described accurately herein. This is why Srila Prabhupada says that the acharya is empowered (selected?) by Krishna, not by the votes of mental speculators. Next point, that there was “no fighting” for the post of acharya is also false, since Srila Prabhupada says they were fighting for forty years over the post of acharya. “Both of them (the two Gaudiya Matha parties) are severe offenders.” April 24, 1977
There were also severe politics FROM SQUARE ONE to make and keep Vasudeva as the acharya. The fighting started IMMEDIATLEY. And that is because there were already plots, schemes and politics afoot, against Srila Saraswati Thakura WHILE HE WAS physically present. Just like our current poisoning investigation?]
GT: Your Gurudeva was also part of the Gaudiya Matha and he also did not object at that time.[PADA: People who objected openly were sometimes getting beaten or killed. Krishna may have directed Srila Prabhupada not to object, and thus not to get killed, because Krishna had another plan, and to thus wait for a better time when the violent cult madness subsided. Of course, we also know that Srila Prabhupada did make numerous objections to their system way before he started ISKCON.]
GT: They did not create an artificial acarya.[PADA: Srila Prabhupada says they had no authority, having disobeyed the order of their spiritual master. And, Srila Prabhupada says that they DID make an artificial acharya. So, Narayana Maharaja’s book is now saying that Srila Prabhupada does not know what he is talking about? Narayana Maharaja’s group has become the superior of our Srila Prabhupada?
Srila Prabhupada: “He, [Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, founder of the Gaudiya Matha] before passing away, He gave them all direction – and he NEVER
said that this man [Vasudeva] should be the next [guru] acharya. But these people, just after he passed away, they began to fight, ‘Who shall be the next acharya?… “That is the failure. They never thought, ‘Guru Maharaja gave us instruction on so many things, why did he not say, “This man should be the next acharya?”‘ They wanted to create somebody ARTIFICIALLY as acharya and EVERYTHING FAILED.
“They did not even consider common sense that if guru maharaja had wanted to APPOINT somebody as acharya, why he did not say? He said so many things and this point he missed? The main point? And they insisted on it. They declared, ‘Come on unfit persons to become acharya,’ then another man comes, then another, then another. So better to remain a foolish person perpetually to be directed by Guru Maharaja. So that is perfection. And as soon as it was announced that, ‘Guru maharaja is dead, now I am so advanced that I can kill my guru and become [guru]’…then he is finished.” (Srila Prabhupada conversation August 15 1976)
Srila Prabhupada says “artificial” guru and they say he is wrong? Of course the above is also a perfect description of the post-1977 ISKCON GBC. First of all, they artificially claimed that Srila Prabhupada had appointed them to be his “successor acharyas.” Doubters were excommunicated, some even killed. As they become more exposed, they appointed “another and another man” to become guru. The current status in ISKCON is so much degraded that persons who have been openly exposed as having sex with ISKCON’s children are still considered as “persons who are components of the bona fide parampara.” Worse, such deviant persons authorized the current wave by their “rubber stamp.” The GBC insists on it. Yet Srila Prabhupada called all of this “killing the guru.”
Anyway, how can Narayana Maharaja’s group make a public challenge to our Srila Prabhupada’s words and call them false? Who do these people think they are: challenging the words of the acharya? Well, nevermind, we know already why they challenge. Deviants challenged the GBC idea in the 1930s and made artificial achayas. They have a long history of challenging the acharyas. Narayana Maharaja indeed thinks the three worst deviants of the Gaudiy Matha are acharyas as well.]
GT: Srila Ananta Vasudeva Prabhu was a brahmacari (in white dress, according to Gaudiya Matha tradition only when a brahmacari accepted the vow to maintain a life-long celibacy, the acarya will offer him the saffron cloth) at that time, and afterwards when his Godbrothers saw some flaws in his behaviour they left his association.[PADA: Why are we calling this bogus imitator: “Srila”? And they call Srila Prabhupada “swami maharaja”? A KNOWN homosexual debauch is “Srila,” but our guru is merely swami maharaja? What is this nonsense? And since when are there flaws in the acharya? This is the “acharyas fail” –Nitai vada, which Srila Prabhupada condemns.]
GT: Srila Audulomi Maharaja was then selected as the following acarya of the Gaudiya Mission and Srila Ananta Vasudeva Prabhu accepted the life of a Vaisnava grhastha and stopped giving initiations.[PADA: This is the exact bogus system Srila Prabhupada condemns: another man comes, then another man comes, then another and another to be guru. And this is called “kill guru and become guru” by Srila Prabhupada. And we are endorsing this as something good? Killing guru to become guru? “Selected” is also a euphemism
which really means: elected. This is the “guru by appointment,” “guru by votes” system, that Srila Prabhupada condemned for a solid forty years. Ananta Vasudeva also did not just take to “grhastha life,” he also engaged in homosexuality. In sum, he became a total debauched person due to imitation of the acharya.]
GT: After the disappearance of Srila Audolomi Maharaja, Srila Bhagavata Maharaja was appointed as the next acarya and when he disappeared Sripad Parivrajaka Maharaja was the next. There is nothing wrong with this.[PADA: Everything is wrong with this. This system was never approved of. Vasudeva is a debauched person, not an acharya. His successor(s) were “appointed” by the same deviants who had appointed Vasudeva. Of course, the guru is not rubber stamped and appointed in the first place, but nevermind these minor details.]
(“THEY HAD NO AUTHORITY HAVING DISOBEYED THE ORDER OF THE SPIRITUAL MASTER…” Caitanya Caritamrta Adi Lila 12. purport)
GT: If you say that this is not enough proof that Frabhupada wanted Srila Ananta Vasudeva Prabhu to be the acarya, one may ask, “Did Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura want to appoint Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja as his successor acarya?”[PADA: This book misses the whole point. The guru is not appointed by some ecclessiastical rubber stamp and vote system –in the first place. The guru is self realized, he sees Krishna at every moment, thus, he needs NO RUBBER STAMP FROM ANYONE. Although yes, we could say, in one abstract sense: Srila Prabhupada was “appointed” (?) by Srila Saraswati Thakura, BUT! –through the heart– by spiritual vision, not some paper diploma or show of hands vote from known deviants! These people have forgot the whole process of internal realization of the acharya. This is why Haridasa Thakura was not recognized by many also, they thought he was not a brahmana etc. NONSENSE! Were Arjuna, Madhavacarya, Lord Caitanya, Haridasa thakura, the Goswamis, or etc. ever “appointed”?
Worse, some Gaudiya Matha leaders are also directly or indirectly described as “disciples of Kali-yuga.” “Unfortunately in this age of Kali there are many mundane persons in the dress of Vaishnavas, and Srila Bhativinoda Thakura has described them as disciples of Kali. He says, kali-cela. He indicates that there is another Vaishnava, a pseudo-Vaishnava with tilaka on his nose and kunti beads around his neck. Such a pseudo-Vaishnava associates with money and women and is jealous of successful Vaishnavas. Although passing for a Vaishnava, his only business is earning money in the dress of a Vaishnava. Bhaktivinoda Thakura, therefore says that such a pseudo Vaishnava is not a Vaishnava at all but a disciple of Kali-Yuga. A disciple of kali cannot become an acarya by the decision of some high court. Mundane votes have no jurisdiction to elect a Vaishnava acarya. A Vaishnava acarya is self-effulgent and there is no need for any high court judgement. A false acarya may try to override a Vaisnava by a high court decision, but Bhaktivinoda Thakura says that he is nothing but a disciple of Kali-Yuga…” Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta Madhya-Lila 1.220]
In sum, Srila Prabhupada called the system of establishing false acharyas in the Gaudiya Matha: Kali chelas. How can Narayana Maharaja and our GBC say (as they did in 1990) that Tirtha is an acharya, when Srila Prabhupada says he is a Kali chela?
Also, Srila Prabhupada pulls the carpet out of the “voting for guru” system: “mundane votes have no juristiction to elect a Vaishnava acharya.”
GT: If not, did he try to become more than his guru?[PADA: Just see the impudence of this upstart challenge to the bona fide acharya! This is an offensive mentality. Anyway, why does our guru need any visible rubber stamp that they can see? He is authorized by his guru, by his purity, by his spiritual realization. He wrote more books than ALL of them put together. Yet, we can even utter the above idea in public? No. Srila Prabhupada says that the Gaudiya Matha deviants are the ones who overstepped their guru.
Just who are you people to even pose the question “did he try to become more than his guru,” of the greatest maha bhagavata in recent history, and raise such doubts about his authority in public? RATHER, Srila Prabhupada says that your Gaudiya Matha’s “voted in guru” system is what is an impudent and foolish attempt to become “more than guru.”
And why? We know why. Because Our Guru (and thus we as his followers): do not ever accept your HOMOSEXUAL APPOINTED GURU(s) and/or your similar deviations –from square one! You dare challenge us (on Srila Prabhupada’s authority) because we do not accept your 1930s and 1970s homosexual and bogus guru appointment(s) history and endorsements? We will NEVER accept this. No. You are deviants!!! And our Srila Prabhupada says so, over and over.
And now we see why! Tamal Krishna placed a known homosexual pedophile on our Srila Prabhupada’s seat, and had us beaten and killed for not accepting, and you are giving this extreme deviant “gopi gita” classes? Rasika classes? And you think those of us who want to worship the acharya are ritvik deviants? And you have recommended the worship, as gurus, of the worst deviants in Vaishnava history? Homosexual gurus and their founders in the post-1930s? Pedophile gurus and their founders in the post-1970s? And you still think Vasudeva was appointed as acharya? And this is all some rasika teachings? Srila Prabhupada says: “As soon as this (guru imitation) poison enters –Gaudiya Matha finished.”]
GT: All of these are your questions, can you answer them?[PADA: You answered your own questions very nicely. You think that Ananta Vasudeva was appointed as an acharya, which means that according to Srila Prabhupada you are deviants. Your party also thought: there are eleven GBC gurus too. More deviation on top of deviation.]
GT: You may say that Srila Swami Maharaja inspired so many people to come to Krishna consciousness and that proves that he was the successor of his guru. In that argument one may say that H.H. Narayana Maharaja is also inspiring so many of your Godbrothers and Godsisters to follow him, which proves that he is a self-revealed successor.[PADA: Not if Narayan Maharaja writes books like the above. Apparently Narayan Maharaja has not read, or understood, or accepted Srila Prabhupada’s instructions in regards to the GAUDIYA MATHA, its leaders, and its history of deviation from the
order of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Nor has he understood or accepted the unfortunate results of their so-called living guru necessity. Narayana Maharaja is introducing an idea of a so-called successor acharya, which was never ordered and desired by Srila Prabhupada for ISKCON.
GT: Before the passing away of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he gave orders that there would be only one guru (successor?) and the rest should work in a very harmonizing way as to be able to preach the message of Rupa-Raghunatha. He also said that Ananta Vasudeva will preach the message of Rupa-Raghunatha and and Kunja-bihari Vidhyabusana (later on Srila Bhakti Vilasa Titha Maharaja) will do the managing for as long as he lived and be respected by all. A few years earlier he had written, “vasudevananta dasye thakiya ta sada laha nama” — always remain in the service of Ananta Vasudeva and chant the holy name.[PADA: Srila Prabhupada did not agree that either “Ananta Vasudeva” or “Bhakti Vilas Titha” had become acharyas. Instead, Srila Prabhupada said that they were usurpers, severe offenders, and so on. It is possible that Srila Saraswati thakura had wrote some letters of encouragement regarding these people at one time, but he had never said that they were acharyas.]
“…On that basis he (Ananta Vasudeva) had been selected as the acharya of the Gaudiya Matha.”[PADA: UTTER NONSENSE! As for Tirtha Maharaja: “…Regarding GAUDIYA MATHA books being circulated there, who is distributing? Who is sending these books? The Gaudiya Matha does not sell OUR books, why should we sell their books? Who has introduced these books? Let me know. These books should NOT AT ALL be circulated in OUR society . . . Bhakti Vilas Tirtha is very much ANTAGONISTIC to our society and he has no clear conception of devotional service. He is contaminated. Anyway, who has introduced these books? You say that you would read only one book if that is all I had written, so you TEACH OTHERS to do like that . . . ” (SPL December 17, 1973)
Yet in their March, 1990 “ISKCON Journal,” both the GBC and Narayan Maharaja exalted this Tirtha Maharaja to the same status as Srila Prabhupada. Meanwhile, some of the other very elderly and senior Gaudiya Matha members now agree that the current GBC has done what Tirtha Maharaja had done: the GBC gurus have made “a commercial business” of ISKCON or Srila Prabhupada’s movement.
Srila Prabhupada: “Our mission is to serve, bhakta vishesha, and live with devotees. NOT THAT YOU TAKE THE PLACE OF GURU. That is all nonsense. Very DANGEROUS, then everything will be SPOILED. As soon as you become ambitious to take the place of guru-gurusu narah matih. That is material disease…” (April, 21 1977)
Srila Prabhupada also indirectly compares the “guru” Tirtha Maharaja to the demon Ravana in his Srimad-Bhagavatam. (SB 5.18.22) “We have seen that one of the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to enjoy the property of his spiritual master, and the spiritual master being merciful toward him, gave him the temporary property, but not the power to preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world. That special mercy of the power to preach is given to a devotee who does not want anything material from his spiritual master but wants only to serve him. The story of the demon Ravana illustrates this point!…” Yet the GBC and
Narayan Maharaja issued a joint statement in 1990 that this Ravana was a guru like Srila Prabhupada?
The Gaudiya Matha “acharyas” generally are called “self-interested fools” in the Caitanya Caritamrita. (CC Adi-Lila 2.76) “… Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami, at the time of his passing away, ordered all of his disciples to work conjointly to preach the mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu all over the world. Later, however, some self-interested, foolish disciples disobeyed his orders. Each one of them wanted to become head of the mission and they fought in the courts, neglecting the order of the spiritual master, and the entire mission was defeated. We are not proud of this, but the truth must be explained. We believed in the words of our spiritual master and started in a humble way- in a helpless way- but due to the spiritual force of the order of the supreme authority, this movement has become successful…” Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta Adi-Lila 7.95-96
This is merely a sampling, there are hundreds of similar quotes. Many important points are made. Here are a few: The Gaudiya Matha deviants and the GBC have a tendency to replace spontaneous Krishna Consciousness with “legal” formulas,” as the Gaudiya Matha did in fact. The GBC has a tendency not to openly discuss their insidious plans with the general devotees, which fully ripened with their concocted guru appointment. The GBC had a tendency to enact legislation and money manipulations without following established guidelines or obtaining Srila Prabhupada’s approval.
We should carefully deliberate on this because Narayana Maharaja’s explanation and Srila Prabhupada’s explantions of the so-called acharyas of the post 1937 Gaudiya Matha and their so-called successors were never authorized by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the current bona fide acharya of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya and the foremost disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada. “NO ONE SHOULD BE WILLING TO HEAR ONE WHO DOES NOT REPRESENT THE ORIGINAL ACHARYA.” S.B. Purport First Canto Chapter 4, text 1.
Exposing the offensive philosophy of Narayan Maharaj Lecture given on September 19th, 1994:-“Those who are not rasika Vaisnavas, they don’t know tattva, they have not gone to association with any Vaisnava…they think that to preach whole world…the name of Krishna…and to give Gita sandesha…is the whole thing. So I want to say that your Prabhupada has given these things…only these things…and not beyond these things. Then he was only the servant of Mahavisnu, not of Krishna. A strange thing… for them who are ignorant. But those who are wise and have done initiation from any rasika vaisnava, bhava bhakta of Caitanya Mahaprabhu,… Those who have given their heart to them and have realized anything…very little…they can realize these things.. . .” “Just like my Guru Mahārāja did not travel all over the world, so I have got double energy than him. So you must triple energy, four times energy than me. Then actually disciple. My Godbrothers are envious because they could not do. They could not do even half of Guru Mahārāja’s work, and I am doing ten times. So therefore they are envious.” (Room Conversation — April 2, 1972, Sydney) “Enviousness is immediately disqualification of Vaiṣṇava, immediate. He is not a human being.” (Room Conversation with Reporter of The Star — October 16, 1975, Johannesburg) Jan 24 1977 BhuvanesvaraPrabhupāda: My Guru Mahārāja used to say, “When our men will be sahajiyā, he will be more dangerous.”Satsvarūpa: Our own men.Prabhupāda: Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he said that “When our men will be sahajiyā,oh, they’ll be more dangerous.” So our men are becoming, some of them, sahajiyās. This very word he said, that “When our men will be sahajiyās he’ll be more dangerous.” https://www.iskconirm.com/docs/webpages/real_teachings_of_his_holinessNM.htm
The real teachings of His His Holiness Narayana MaharajaAutumn 2004. To many people both inside and outside the Movement, ISKCON’s current Guru system is a complete farce. Perhaps predictably, all the scandal, falldowns and endless self-contradiction amongst Srila Prabhupada’s wannabe successors (the 80 competing ISKCON ‘Gurus’) has opened the way for yet another personality, this time from outside ISKCON, with designs on Srila Prabhupada’s legacy.www.iskconirm.com
The real teachings of His Holiness Narayana Maharaja
Autumn 2004
To many people both inside and outside the Movement, ISKCON’s current Guru system is a complete farce. Perhaps predictably, all the scandal, falldowns and endless self-contradiction amongst Srila Prabhupada’s wannabe successors (the 80 competing ISKCON ‘Gurus’) has opened the way for yet another personality, this time from outside ISKCON, with designs on Srila Prabhupada’s legacy.
The GBC have preached for many years that everyone must have a “living, physically present Guru” (or anyone but Srila Prabhupada), and now they are reaping their reward. His Holiness Narayana Maharaja a disciple of Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrother, His Holiness Kesava Maharaja has had considerable success in attracting both ex and current members of ISKCON to his camp, by promoting his qualification as a “living, physically present Guru”, who is bona fide and won’t fall down, unlike the ISKCON Gurus. Narayana Maharaja likes to portray himself as a mere humble servant of Srila Prabhupada, who simply wants to bring everyone to Srila Prabhupada through a deeper appreciation of his mission and teachings:
“You should know who your Prabhupada is. You should know. Then you can glorify him, otherwise you cannot.” (Narayana Maharaja, Los Angeles, May 31st, 2000)
In this article we shall use Narayana Maharaja’s own words to see if he is bringing us closer to Srila Prabhupada.
Narayana Maharaja Claims To Be Srila Prabhupada’s Successor
Narayana Maharaja makes it clear that he is here not to bring people TO Srila Prabhupada, but to actually REPLACE Srila Prabhupada as his SUCCESSOR:
“I am the real successor of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, and there is no other.” (Narayana Maharaja, Murwillumbah, Australia, February 18th, 2002)
Above, Narayana Maharaja boldly stakes out his pitch in direct competition with all the ISKCON Gurus who also want to succeed and replace, not complement, supplement or assist Srila Prabhupada.
Narayana Maharaja Competes Directly With Srila Prabhupada
In pursuance of the above stated aim to replace Srila Prabhupada, Narayana Maharaja has urged his followers to distribute HIS books in preference to those of Srila Prabhupada:
“Now Srila Gurudeva (Narayana Maharaja) has requested that we start what he calls ‘a second revolution’ in preaching and book distribution. He wants his books distributed in the same volume, ‘not less than Swamiji (Srila Prabhupada).'” (Gaudiya Courier, Issue 15, July 1st, 2004)
Clearly the above goal of trying to match Srila Prabhupada can only be achieved if Narayana Maharaja’s books alone are being distributed by his followers, and that is generally what is happening.
Narayana Maharaja Claims Srila Prabhupada Only Gave The “Basement”
To create the demand for his services, Narayana Maharaja claims that there is much spiritual knowledge that Srila Prabhupada failed to give, so that he can claim he has come to fill this gap:
“So Swamiji has at first cleared the atmosphere. Prepared the ground…by preaching name and the sandesh of Gita… he prepared. So very important work … so he has done this task and it was so necessary for that world…for all world…he has done but he has not done everything by doing that. It was only basement.[…] But…we are deprived of that… he could not complete his work.” (Lecture given by Narayana Maharaja on September 19th, 1994)
Narayana Maharaja Claims Srila Prabhupada Gave Everything
That the above statement is not actually true, can again be proven by the words of Narayana Maharaja himself, who said the following 17 years earlier to Srila Prabhupada himself:
“All of your duties are completed. You have fulfilled everything in your lifetime. There is no need to worry for anything.[…] Yes, you have done everything. Nothing is left unfinished.” (Translation of Bengali conversation between Narayana Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada from October 1977, provided by Narayana Maharaja’s own camp)
That Narayana Maharaja would go onto say the complete opposite of what he himself claimed 17 years earlier, demonstrates opportunism of the highest order.
Narayana Maharaja Claims Srila Prabhupada Is Not The Founder-Acarya Of Iskcon
This opportunism is further displayed in Narayana Maharaja’s stating that Srila Prabhupada was not the Founder-Acarya of ISKCON. It is surely a redundant point that Lord Krishna (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) is the origin of all Krishna consciousness, so one wonders why Narayana Maharaja feels it so important to belittle Srila Prabhupada’s position and promote his own position by stating such an obvious point:
“Also you should know that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the founder of ISKCON. Swamiji, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja is one of the prominent acaryas in this line only. He is not founder…” (Narayana Maharaja 28th April 1999, morning speech, Caracas, Venezuela)
“Your Prabhupada, Srila Swami Maharaja, only changed the name into English. He is not the founder acarya of that eternal ISKCON… I am ISKCON. I’m not different from ISKCON. I am ‘Bhaktivedanta’ [Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja]. Like father, like son. I am the real successor of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, and there is no other. You should know this very openly. I am Bhaktivedanta and he is Bhaktivedanta, but he received this name after I did. I’m senior to him in this regard… I’m Bhaktivedanta, and I’m also ISKCON. Don’t think that I’m out of ISKCON.” (Narayana Maharaja, Murwillumbah, Australia, February 18th, 2002)
But according to Srila Prabhupada:
“I am the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.” (Srila Prabhupada letter to Dr. Bigelow, Allahabad, January 20th, 1971)
Narayana Maharaja Deviates From Srila Prabhupada 1
Although he claims to be a successor to Srila Prabhupada, and that Srila Prabhupada is somehow speaking through him, it should be noted that Narayana Maharaja’s teachings often seriously differ from Srila Prabhupada’s. This is what Narayana Maharaja has to say about Prahlada Maharaja, who is worshipped on every altar throughout ISKCON as a completely pure devotee of Krishna:
“Prahlada Maharaja was a very bona fide bhakta, and he never wanted anything worldly, but he could not serve Krsna. His bhakti was mixed with jnana, knowledge of the Lord’s opulence. If you have some worldly desire, or any desire, then your bhakti may be sanga-siddha bhakti or aropa-siddha bhakti, but not pure transcendental bhakti” (Narayana Maharaja, Hawaii, February 17th, 2001)
Yet Srila Prabhupada’s verdict is very different:
“Prahlada Maharaja is the topmost example of a Vaisnava” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.21.47, purport)
“So we see practically how Prahlada Maharaja immediately attained the state of prema… he first of all followed the instruction of Brahma, then immediately he got the favor of Lord Nrsimhadeva, and after getting that he got the prema state.” (Srila Prabhupada lecture, Mayapur, February 14th, 1976)
“Consequently, instead of accepting the results of karma and jnana, Prahlada Maharaja simply begged the Lord for engagement in the service of His servant.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 5.24.25)
Above we see Prahlada Maharaja described as a pure devotee who actually shunned the results of jnana (knowledge).
Narayana Mahara Deviates From Srila Prabhupada 2
Narayana Maharaja claims that Advaita Acarya (one of the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) was incapable of giving people Vraja-Bhakti (pure devotion to Krishna):
“Sri Advaita Acarya…He is a part of the part of the part of the part of Krishna. Being so far away, He can preach with kirtana, but He cannot give Vraja-bhakti. Never. He is not qualified for this. Only Krishna can do this.” (Narayana Maharaja, Los Angeles, California May 31, 2000)
Contrast the above with the following verse from the Sri Caitanya Charitamrta as presented by Srila Prabhupada:
“He (Advaita Acharya) delivered all living beings by offering the gift of Krishna-bhakti (pure devotion to Krishna). He explained Bhagavadgita and Srimad-Bhagavatam in the light of devotional service.” (Srila Prabhupada, Caitanya caritamrita, Adi-lila 6.28)
Thus Narayana Maharaja again disagrees with the siksa (instruction) given by Srila Prabhupada, even though he also rather immodestly claims to be his “dearmost siksa disciple”. (here are more examples of such contradictions ).
Narayana Maharaja:“I have not seen the word “ritvik” in our Vaisnava dictionary…We have seen no such word as “ritvik“…In our Gaudiya Vaisnava line there is no ritvik…” (Narayana Maharaja, p.23, ISKCON Journal 1990)
The word “ritvik” and its derivatives appear 32 times in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, the most important Purana for all Vaishnavas:
“Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has not mentioned that so many others will do acarya, yet they have done. This is the system… So Tirtha Maharaja, Madhav Maharaja, Sridhar Maharaja, our Gurudeva, Swamiji Swamiji Bhaktivedanta Swami they all became acaryas.” (Narayana Maharaja, p.23, ISKCON Journal 1990)
“Actually amongst my Godbrothers no one is qualified to become acarya.”
(Srila Prabhupada letter, 28.4.74)
Narayana Maharaja:“And for a newcomer, it is sure that he should be initiated by a living guru… In the parampara system living guru is essential.” (Narayana Maharaja, p.22, ISKCON Journal 1990)
“What we have heard from the Spiritual Master, that is living.” (Srila Prabhupada, lecture, 69/01/13)
“…one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life.” (Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam 3:31:48)
“So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association.” (Srila Prabhupada letter to Govinda Dasi, 18/8/69)
Narayana Maharaja Claims Srila Prabhupada Asked Him To Guide His Disciples
Narayana Maharaja has claimed that Srila Prabhupada ordered him to instruct Srila Prabhupada’s disciples:
“He ordered me, ‘Help my disciples’ […] You can get that cassette.[…] If anyone does not have belief in my statements, he can acquire and hear the cassette. At the time he spoke in Bengali so that others would not understand.” (Salt Spring Island, Canada, April 2001, pm)
This claim is based on Srila Prabhupada stating “you kindly instruct them on this matter” to Narayana Maharaja, during a Bengali conversation spoken between the two sometime in October-November 1977.
However, as will be seen from the full translation of this conversation provided by the Narayana Maharaja camp themselves, Srila Prabhupada does not say anything of the sort. Whilst reading the relevant portion of the conversation below, please pay special attention to whom the word “them” in the above sentence refers to; what was the “matter” on which Srila Prabhupada wanted Narayana Maharaja to give instruction; and “when” this instruction was meant to be given:
Srila Prabhupada:
Are any of my god-brothers in Vrindavana now?
Narayana Maharaja:
Yes.
Srila Prabhupada:
Who?
Narayana Maharaja:
Van Maharaja might be there, as well as Indupati Prabhu from Caitanya Gaudiya Matha.
Srila Prabhupada:
Any more?
Narayana Maharaja:
Only these two at the moment.
Srila Prabhupada:
Who is Indupati?
Narayana Maharaja:
He comes here often.
Bhakticaru Swami:
From Madhava Maharaja’s matha?
Narayana Maharaja:
Yes. No one else is here.
Srila Prabhupada:
Please call both of them. Van Maharaja and him.
Narayana Maharaja:
This is very good proposal by you.
Srila Prabhupada:
Please sit down. They will call them.
Narayana Maharaja:
All right.
Srila Prabhupada:
This cutting of arguments happens sometimes…
Narayana Maharaja:
These are insignificant matters in such a substantial worldwide mission. A little something here and there is of no consequence. You have done this wonderful preaching work for the benefit of the whole world. There was no self-interest. You did everything only in devotional service to Krsna for benefiting all people at large.
Srila Prabhupada:
It is all by your blessings.
Narayana Maharaja:
You have done a wonderful thing. It is necessary to care for and preserve this mission, and see that it is managed skilfully.
Srila Prabhupada:
You kindly instruct them on this matter. I’m unable to speak.
When we see the sentence in context, those three aspects become clarified:
1) The word “them” refers to Srila Prabhupada’s Godbrothers who were to arrive shortly, not to Srila Prabhupada’s disciples. The word “them” comes twice before the final sentence, and both times it refers to his Godbrothers, Indupati Prabhu and Van Maharaja.
2) The “matter” on which Srila Prabhupada wanted Narayana Maharaja to instruct his Godbrothers was that they forgive him for any “cutting of arguments” he may have done in the course of his preaching.
3) And “when” was this instruction to be given? There and then. Immediately after Srila Prabhupada asks Narayana Maharaja to give instruction he states: “I’m unable to speak”. This is the reason he is asking Narayana Maharaja to make these points to his Godbrothers on his behalf when they arrive.
So here we clearly see a false claim made by Narayana Maharaja to promote his agenda as being the “real successor” to Srila Prabhupada.
In conclusion, on the basis of all the above, it is clear from Narayana Maharaja’s OWN WORDS that he is not simply a “dearmost siksa disciple” of Srila Prabhupada whose aim is to help to bring us closer to Srila Prabhupada. Rather he is no different to the 80 wannabe “successor Gurus” of ISKCON, doing and saying whatever is necessary to jockey for Srila Prabhupada’s position.
Sunday, August 1, 2021 [Mayapura, West Bengal, Bharata Bhumi time] Subject: Sri Lokanatha Goswami Tirobhava Tithi [disappearance day] compiled by Narasimha dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa
Sri Lokanatha Goswami tirobhava [disappearance day]Tuesday, July 26,.2016 [Los Angeles, California time]Wednesday, July 27, 2016 [Mayapura, West Bengal time] compiled by Yasoda nandana dasa
Srila Prabhupada glorifies Sri Lokanatha Goswami Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 1: The Spiritual Masters : Adi 1.19 : PURPORT : Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu explained this mode of devotional service in three stages, and therefore these worshipable Deities were installed in Vṛndāvana by different Gosvāmīs. They are very dear to the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas there, who visit the temples at least once a day. Besides the temples of these three Deities, many other temples have been established in Vṛndāvana, such as the temple of Rādhā-Dāmodara of Jīva Gosvāmī, the temple of Śyāmasundara of Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī, the temple of Gokulānanda of Lokanātha Gosvāmī, and the temple of Rādhā-ramaṇa of Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī. There are seven principal temples over four hundred years old that are the most important of the five thousand temples now existing in Vṛndāvana. Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 7: Lord Caitanya in Five Features : Adi 7.164 : PURPORT : When Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Vṛndāvana, there was not a single temple, but by their preaching they were gradually able to construct various temples. Sanātana Gosvāmī constructed the Madana-mohana temple, and Rūpa Gosvāmī constructed the Govindajī temple. Similarly, their nephew Jīva Gosvāmī constructed the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī constructed the Rādhā-ramaṇa temple, Śrī Lokanātha Gosvāmī constructed the Gokulānanda temple, and Śyāmānanda Gosvāmī constructed the Śyāmasundara temple. In this way, many temples were gradually constructed. For preaching, construction of temples is also necessary. The Gosvāmīs not only engaged in writing books but also constructed temples because both are needed for preaching work. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted the cult of His saṅkīrtana movement to spread all over the world. Now that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has taken up this task of preaching the cult of Lord Caitanya, its members should not only construct temples in every town and village of the globe but also distribute books that have already been written and further increase the number of books. Both distribution of books and construction of temples must continue side by side in parallel lines. bhūgarbha gosāñi, āra bhāgavata-dāsayei dui āsi’ kaila vṛndāvane vāsa SYNONYMSbhūgarbhagosāñi—of the name BhūgarbhaGosāñi; āra—and; bhāgavata–dāsa—of the name Bhāgavatadāsa; yeidui—both of them; āsi‘-coming; kaila—did; vṛndāvanevāsa—residing in Vṛndāvana. TRANSLATIONThe eleventh branch of Gadādhara Gosvāmī was BhūgarbhaGosāñi, and the twelfth was Bhāgavatadāsa. Both of them went to Vṛndāvana and resided there for life. PURPORTBhūgarbhaGosāñi, formerly known as Prema–mañjarī, was a great friend of Lokanātha Gosvāmī, who constructed the temple of Gokulānanda, one of the seven important temples of Vṛndāvana-namely, Govinda, Gopīnātha, Madana–mohana, Rādhāramaṇa, Śyāmasundara, Rādhā–Dāmodara and Gokulānanda-that are authorized institutions of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas.Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 12: The Expansions of Advaita Acarya and Gadadhara Pandita : Adi 12.82 : Books : Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Adi-lila : Adi 12: The Expansions of Advaita Acarya and Gadadhara Pandita : Adi 12.88 : PURPORT : The Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā, verse 183, mentions that Śivānanda Cakravartī was formerly Lavaṅga-mañjarī. The Śākhā-nirṇaya, written by Yadunandana dāsa, also names other branches of Gadādhara Paṇḍita, as follows: (1) Mādhava Ācārya, (2) Gopāla dāsa, (3) Hṛdayānanda, (4) Vallabha Bhaṭṭa (the Vallabha-sampradāya, or Puṣṭimārga-sampradāya, is very famous), (5) Madhu Paṇḍita (this famous devotee lived near Khaḍadaha in the village known as Sāṅibonā-grāma, about two miles east of the Khaḍadaha station, and constructed the temple of Gopīnāthajī in Vṛndāvana), (6) Acyutānanda, (7) Candraśekhara, (8) Vakreśvara Paṇḍita, (9) Dāmodara, (10) Bhagavān Ācārya, (11) Ananta Ācāryavarya, (12) Kṛṣṇadāsa, (13) Paramānanda Bhaṭṭācārya, (14) Bhavānanda Gosvāmī, (15) Caitanya dāsa, (16) Lokanātha Bhaṭṭa (this devotee, who lived in the village of Tālakhaḍi in the district of Yaśohara and constructed the temple of Rādhāvinoda, was the spiritual master of Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura and a great friend of Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī), (17) Govinda Ācārya, (18) Akrūra Ṭhākura, (19) Saṅketa Ācārya, (20) Pratāpāditya, (21) Kamalākānta Ācārya, (22) Yādava Ācārya and (23) Nārāyaṇa Paḍihārī (a resident of Jagannātha Purī). saṅge gopāla-bhaṭṭa, dāsa-raghunātharaghunātha-bhaṭṭa-gosāñi, āra lokanātha SYNONYMSsaṅge—with Rūpa Gosvāmī; gopāla–bhaṭṭa—GopālaBhaṭṭa; dāsa–raghunātha—Raghunāthadāsa Gosvāmī; raghunātha–bhaṭṭa–gosāñi—RaghunāthaBhaṭṭa Gosvāmī; āra—and; lokanātha—Lokanāthadāsa Gosvāmī. TRANSLATIONWhen Rūpa Gosvāmī stayed at Mathurā, he was accompanied by GopālaBhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Raghunāthadāsa Gosvāmī, RaghunāthaBhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Lokanāthadāsa Gosvāmī. PURPORT Śrī Lokanātha Gosvāmī was a personal associate of Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Tālakhaḍi in the district of Yaśohara in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kācnāpāḍā. His father’s name was Padmanābha, and his only younger brother was Pragalbha. Following the orders of Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu, Śrī Lokanātha went to Vṛndāvana to live. He established a temple named Gokulānanda. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura selected Lokanāthadāsa Gosvāmī to be his spiritual master, and he was his only disciple. Because Lokanāthadāsa Gosvāmī did not want his name mentioned in Caitanya–caritāmṛta, we do not often see it in this celebrated book. On the E.B.R. Railroad, the Yaśohara station is located in Bangladesh. From the railway station one has to go by bus to the village of Sonākhāli and from there to Khejurā. From there one has to walk, or, during the rainy season, go by boat to the village of Tālakhaḍi. In this village there are still descendants of Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s younger brother.Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 18: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Visit to Sri Vrndavana : Madhya 18.49 n Bhakti-ratnākara (Sixth Wave), there is a list of many of the chief devotees who accompanied Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī. gosvāmī gopāla-bhaṭṭa ati dayāmaya bhūgarbha, śrī-lokanātha--guṇera ālayaśrī-mādhava, śrī-paramānanda-bhaṭṭācārya śrī-madhu-paṇḍita–yāṅra caritra āścaryapremī kṛṣṇadāsa kṛṣṇadāsa brahmacārī yādava ācārya, nārāyaṇa kṛpāvān śrī-puṇḍarīkākṣa-gosāñi, govinda, īśānaśrī-govinda vāṇī-kṛṣṇadāsa aty-udāra śrī-uddhava–madhye-madhye gauḍe gati yāṅradvija-haridāsa kṛṣṇadāsa kavirāja śrī-gopāla-dāsa yāṅra alaukika kāya śrī-gopāla, mādhavādi yateka vaiṣṇava”The following Vaiṣṇavas were present with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: the merciful GopālaBhaṭṭa Gosvāmī; Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī; Śrī Lokanāthadāsa Gosvāmī, a reservoir of good qualities; Śrī Mādhava; Śrī ParamānandaBhaṭṭācārya; Śrī MadhuPaṇḍita, whose characteristics are all wonderful; PremīKṛṣṇadāsa; KṛṣṇadāsaBrahmacārī; Yādava Ācārya; the merciful Nārāyaṇa; Śrī Puṇḍarīkākṣa Gosvāmī; Govinda; Īśāna; Śrī Govinda; the magnanimous VāṇīKṛṣṇadāsa; Śrī Uddhava, who occasionally visited Bengal; DvijaHaridāsa; KṛṣṇadāsaKavirāja; Śrī Gopāladāsa, whose body is completely spiritual; Śrī Gopāla; Mādhava; and many others.”Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition : Cc. Madhya-lila : Madhya 18: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Visit to Sri Vrndavana : Madhya 18.52_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ srimad-radha-vinodaika- seva-sampat-samanvitam padmanabhatmajam srimal- lokanatha prabhum bhaje“I worship the lotus feet of Srila Lokanatha Prabhu, the son of Sri Padmanabha. He is a storehouse of singleminded service to the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Vinoda.” Pranam mantra for Lokanatha Dasa Goswami written by Narottama Dasa Thakura.
In the mangalaracana to the Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Sri Sanatana Goswami offers his respects to Lokanatha Goswami as follows: vrindavan priyan vande sri govinda padasritansrimad-kashishvaramlokanatam sri krishnadasakam “I offer my obeisances unto Sri Kashishvara Pandit, Sri Lokanatha Goswami and Sri Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami who are very dear to Sri Govinda in Vrindavana, having taken shelter at his lotus feet.” Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura Mahashaya prays as follows at the lotus feet of his gurudeva: ha ha prabhu lokanatha, rakha padadvandvekripadrishthye chaha yadi haiya anande manovancha siddhi habe hang purna trishna hethaya chaitanya mile setha radhakrishna tumi na karile daya ke kairbe ara manera vasana purna kara eibara ei tini samsare mora ara keho nai kripa kari nija padatale deha thai radhakrishna lilaguna gao ratri dine narottama vancha purna nahe tuwa vine “O Lokanatha, O gurudeva! If you are pleased with me, please keep me in the shelter of your lotus feet, and cast your merciful glance upon me. By your mercy I can find the perfection of inner fulfillment. And by your mercy I can someday meet Sri Caitanya and Radha-Krishna. If you are not merciful to me, then what shall I do? Please, just once, fulfill my heart’s desire. In the three worlds of birth and death no one is more in need of your mercy. Please give me your mercy and give me a place at your lotus feet. Day and night I sing the qualities and pastimes of Radha and Krishna. Still, the inner aspirations of Narottama for the service of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda and Caitanya Mahaprabhu can only be realized through your grace, o Lokanatha Goswami Prabhu.”
lokanathakhya-gosvami shri-lila-ma�jari pura\Lokanatha Goswami was known as Lila Manjari in Krishna lila. (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 187) shrimad-radha-vinodaika-seva-sampat-samanvitam padmanabhatmajam shrimal-lokanatha-prabhum bhaje I worship Lokanatha Prabhu, the son of Padmanabha, whose life revolved around the wealth of service he possessed in his deity Radhavinoda. (Bhakti-ratnakara 1.297) The descendants of Lokanatha�s brother, Pragalbha Bhattacharya are still living in Talakharii. Bhugarbha Goswami was Lokanatha�s closest friend and constant companion. He was Prema Manjari in Vraja (Gaura-ganoddesha-dipika 187).bhugarbha-thakkurasyasit purvakhya prema-ma�jari. According to the Sadhana-dipika, Bhugarbha was Lokanatha�s paternal uncle. The Shakha-nirnayamrita adds the following comments on Bhugarbha Goswami:gosvaminam ca bhugarbham bhugarbhottham suvishrutam sada mahashayam vande krishna-prema-pradam prabhum shrila-govinda-devasya seva-sukha-vilasinam dayalum premadam svaccham nityam ananda-vigraham I offer my reverence to the illustrious Bhugarbha Prabhu, who is said to have been born from the bowels of the earth. He bestows love of Krishna; he takes pleasure in the service of Govinda Deva, is compassionate, simple and always joyful.
Sri Sri Radha Vinoda – Deities of Lokanatha Goswami in Vrindavana
Samadhi of Sri Lokanatha Goswami
Original deities of Sri Radha Vinoda now in Jayapura, Rajasthan “I worship Shri Lokanath Prabhu, the son of Shri Padmanabh, who possesses great wealth of devotion to Shri Shri RadhaBinod and always engaged in Their service.” Shrila Lokanath Gosvami was born in the village of Talkhari, within the district of Jessore, Bangladesh, as the son of Shri Padmanabh Bhattacarja and his wife, Shri Sita debi. Talkhari can be reached from Sonakhali and Khejura. Shri Padmanabh was a devoted follower (most probably the initiated disciple) of Shri Adwaita Acarja, who was very fond of him. The younger brother of Lokanath was Pragalbha Bhattacarja. His descendants are still residing at Talkhari. From his childhood Lokanath was disinterested in worldly affairs. He decided to leave his home and came to Nabadwip to have darshan of Mahaprabhu. Shri Gaursundor very lovingly embraced Lokanath and instructed him to go to Brindaban as soon as possible.Lokanath could understand that Mahaprabhu would renounce His family life and accept sannyasa within a few days. When he considered how Prabhu’s near and dear ones would react to see His head shorn of its beautiful locks of curly hair, he felt very aggrieved and began to cry. Mahaprabhu consoled him and told him that they would meet again in Brindaban. With tears flowing from his eyes Lokanath offered his obeisances to Mahaprabhu, the all-omniscient Lord, Who lovingly embraced him. After explaining some hidden truths to him, He instructed him to go to Brindaban. Thus Lokanath, after surrendering his self at the lotus feet of Mahaprabhu, set out for Brindaban in the company of Bhugarbha.Lokanath never returned home. Being afflicted greatly by separation from the Lord, he set out to tour the holy places, and then finally came to Brindaban. Meanwhile, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu accepted sannyas and departed Nadiya for Nilacal. After some time, when Mahaprabhu set out on His tour of South India, Lokanath also journeyed there after having received this news. From the South Mahaprabhu came to Brindaban and Lokanath followed Him there. But by the time he reached Brajabhumi, Mahaprabhu had already left for Prayag. Lokanath was extremely sad. Again having missed darshan of his Prabhu, He decided to leave the next morning for Prayag. In a dream however, Prabhu came to console Lokanath and requested him to stay in Brindaban. Not wanting to neglect the order of Mahaprabhu, Lokanath remained at Brajadham. After some days he and Bhugarbha Gosvami met the dear disciples of Mahaprabhu, Shri Rupa, Shri Sanatan, Shri Gopal Bhatta and Subuddhi Ray amongst others. Only Subuddhi Ray had come to Brindaban before Lokanath and Bhugarbha. They were all very affectionate to one another; especially Bhugarbha had a very intimate relationship with Lokanath. Only there was some bodily difference between them, otherwise they were one. Amongst the Goswamis, Lokanath was the eldest. He had reached the outermost boundaries of the realm of renunciation and was thus always intensely absorbed in loving ecstatic mellows.In the mangalacaran of Shri Baisnab Toshani we find the following verse: “I worship Shrimat Kasisvar, Lokanath and Shri Krishnadas (Kabiraj), who have taken shelter at the lotus feet of Shri Gobinda and who are very dear to Shri Brindaban.” Similarly in the mangalacaran (invocation of auspiciousness) of Shri Hari Bhakti Vilas,” May Kasisvar, Shri Krishnadas and Lokanath continue to reside in Brindaban (Krishna ban) and attain to the full limits of beauty and splendour.” Lokanath Goswami used to visit the many places of Krishna’s pastimes within Brajadham and in this way he was always absorbed in intense ecstasy. Once Lokanath came to the banks of Kisori kund within the village of Umrao, by the side of Chatrabon, and remained there for a few days. He wanted very much to be able to worship the Deity form of the Lord, so Shri Krishna, Who is within the heart of everyone, accepted another form and arrived there with just such a suitable Deity in His possession. He presented the Deity to Lokanath, telling him, “This Deity’s name is RadhaBinod. Then Krishna went away. Lokanath received the Deity and looked up to see who had brought Him, but seeing no one present he began to reflect on the mystery of His appearance. Seeing Lokanath deep in thought, RadhaBinod laughed, “Who would have brought Me here! I have come Myself! I live here on the banks of Kisorikund and this is My village, Umrao. Now please give me some thing to eat.” Lokanath was beside himself with bliss. Immersed in that ecstasy, he prepared some foodstuffs and offered them to RadhaBinod. Then he made a bed of flowers and laid the Deity down to take rest. He fanned the Deity with some leaves and meditated on massaging the lotus feet of his Lord. Having surrendered his body, mind and very life itself, he was totally absorbed as though drinking a flow of honey-like nectar. Lokanath Goswami had no permanent abode. Some Brajabasi villagers wanted to build a little hut for him but he wasn’t interested. He preferred to take shelter under the trees. He made a cloth satchel for RadhaBinod which he kept around his neck. RadhaBinod were like a rare gem suspended on a necklace round the neck of Lokanath. His activities represented the crest jewel of asceticism and the other Goswamis managed to keep him in their company only by great endeavour. It is very difficult to describe the character of Lokanath Goswami, who was so dear to Mahaprabhu. When Mahaprabhu and some of the other Goswamis began their pastimes of disappearance, Lokanath maintained his life only due to the desire of Mahaprabhu.[Bhakti Ratna 1st Taranga] Lokanath Gosvami was quite adamant not to accept any disciples, since the worship they might offer him could be a disturbance to his mood of devotional service. ‘Raj Kumar’ Narottam however, had a similar determination to accept Lokanath as his guru . It is not possible to describe the care with which Narottam Thakur served his guru. In the early morning he would clean the place where his guru used to answer the calls of nature. Shri Lokanath Goswami finally conceded to initiate Narottam das Thakur Mahasoy with the divine mantra. There is no mention anywhere of any other disciple of his. Lokanath Goswami, having become quite advanced in years, entered into his eternal pastimes while residing at Khadir bon (Khoyra gram). On the banks of a large lake there, called Shri Jugalkund, his samadhi has been established.His worshipful Deities Shri Shri RadhaBinod are at present being worshipped in Jaipur, Rajasthan. His puspasamadhi is within the courtyard of Shri Gokulananda Mandir in Brindaban. It is said that Shrila Krishna das Kabiraj Goswami approached Lokanath Goswami for his blessings and any information that he might be able to provide for the compilation of Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita. At that time, Lokanath forbade Kabiraj Goswami to mention his name or describe anything about him. In order to honour the request of this great Baisnab, Kabiraj Gosvami therefore didn’t write anything about him. His identity in Braja lila is Lilamanjari. His disappearance is on the eighth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Srabon
Compilation of experiences of devotees feeling presence of Srila Prabhupada despite his physical absence Hare Krsna. All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. A compilation of devotees feeling the presence of Srila Prabhupada even in his physical absence is presented below, which proves that spiritual master is not a bodily concept unlike those who insult Srila Prabhupada saying he’s dead,etc. Never think that I am absent from you. Physical presence is not essential; presence by message (or hearing) is real touch. Lord Krishna is present by His message which was delivered 5,000 years ago. We feel always the presence of our past Acharyas simply by their immutable instructions. [Letter to Students written from Vrndavana, 2 August 1967]——————————————————————————————————- If you try to follow my instruction you will feel that my body is in your presence always. I know that you all devotees of San Francisco are very much anxious to get me back there and I am also trying to go back there as soon as possible, in the meantime go on with your chanting and hearing and everything will be all right by the grace of Krishna. I hope this will find you all right. [Letter to Ballabhi written from New York,May 05,1967]——————————————————————————————————- “I also do not feel separation from my Guru Maharaja. When I am engaged in his service, his pictures give me sufficient strength. To serve master’s word is more important than to serve him physically.”
[Letter to Syamasundara written from Los Angeles, July 7, 1970]——————————————————————————————————- TKG admits that all devotees feel presence of Srila Prabhupada through his booksSatsvarupa: He said that “There have been many commentaries on the Bhagavad-gita, including Ramanuja, Madhva and Sankara, and then,” he said, “Tilak and Gandhi, but of all of them the commentary by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami is the greatest commentary.” Punjab University. Then he said later that “In this suffering mankind, God has sent His Holiness A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.”
Tamala Krsna: He said greater than the other acaryas.
Satsvarupa: Yes. Greater than Ramanuja and Madhva.
Tamala Krsna: And he’s a big man.
Prabhupada: He is very big man. Respected. Very good scholar also. He goes outside for lecturing.
Tamala Krsna: Practically all the devotees feel your presence through these books.
Prabhupada: Yes.
Tamala Krsna: Their life is sustained with these books — these books and chanting and the Deity worship — sustaining all the devotees in the world and bringing new devotees. Everyone we ask who joins this movement, “Before you joined, did you get a book?” “Yes.” In every case I have seen that the first thing was the book.
Prabhupada: Hmm.[Conversation -Mayapur – February 15, 1977]——————————————————————————————————- Prabhupāda: Of course, if I die, there is nothing to be ruined. You are all participants. So organize this farm project, simple living. Human life is meant for God realization. Try to help them. This is my . . .
Paramānanda: We’re always feeling your presence very strongly, Śrīla Prabhupāda, simply by your teachings and your instructions. We’re always meditating on your instructions.
Prabhupāda: Thank you. That is the real presence. Physical presence is not important.
[Conversation B – Vrndavana- October 6,1977]
——————————————————————————————————-
Translator: She says she would like to help spiritually other people.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So first of all you realize yourself.
Translator: She says sometimes she calls you, and she can feel your presence, and she wants to know if you can feel her presence.
Prabhupāda: Yes, I’m ready to help—but spiritually.
[Conversation B – Mayapur- February 28,1977]
——————————————————————————————————- Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She wrote you a letter, very feelingful letter.
Prabhupāda: Hmm, hmm. She is very attached.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Want to hear the letter?
Prabhupāda: I’ll wait.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: All right.
Prabhupāda: Or you can read. No harm.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: She says, “Our most revered Guru Mahārāja, my crores of caraṇa and vandana at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and at the lotus feet of our revered Gurujī. When you were here we could not have your darśana due to your illness, and after that, you left Bombay and went to Vṛndāvana. We prayed to Lord Kṛṣṇa for your life, and our Lord Kṛṣṇa is so kind that He again heard our prayers, and now you are better. We are informed by the devotees that Guru Mahārāja is better. May Lord Kṛṣṇa give you a long life, happiness and good health and your stay with us for a few more years. We were in dark, and you have enlightened our life and taught us real religion. You shower your blessings on us. I always feel your presence near me always in the heart. We want you. Your life is very essential for us. Kindly, Guru Mahārāja, take care of your health. We believe in both prayer and medicines, so kindly do not neglect yourself. Your dream of Bombay ISKCON temple has come true. It is just like Kṛṣṇa’s palace in Dvārakā.” She says, “It is a top building, a jewel and . . . (indistinct) . . . Now I close my letter with my prayers for your good health. Your faithful devotee, Nirmala Singol.”
Prabhupāda: You reply that I am progressing little.[Conversation D – Vrndavana-July 01,1977]
From Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 10:16 AM Subject: article book changes
Glossary: editing – also known as the first editing, these are the edited versions of Srila Prabhupada’s dictation tapes transcripts reediting–going over an already printed book, second editing.
