06/16/98 - 1871

Bhagavat Parampara

A Few Words on Bhagavat-parampara from Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

Mahaprabhu's two closest disciples, Raya Ramananda and Svarupa Damodar were also His very nearest and dearest friends. These two confidential devotees were not disciples of Caitanya Mahaprabhu by any "guru parampara", which means connection to a parampara via a formal initiation ceremony. Rather, they had become Lord Caitanya's disciples in the line of bhagavat parampara instead. A disciple in bhagavat parampara is one who has fully accepted his guru's moods and teachings in his heart.

One may be connected to guru by formal initiation ceremony, but that does not necessarily mean that he has really understood his guru's heart. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Prabhupada both accepted many disciples formally, but very few of them were qualified. The real connection with guru is through bhagavat parampara, even if one is not initiated by them in guru parampara. Such a qualified disciple has understood his guru's mood. Rupa Gosvami accepted Caitanya Mahaprabhu as His siksa guru in this way, and so did Haridas Thakura. Nevertheless, it may also be that one's diksa guru becomes one's siksa guru too.

Jiva Gosvami was the siksa guru of Syamananda, Narottama das Thakura and Srinivasa, and they considered him as superior to their diksa gurus. However, those who are not so highly qualified should follow the system of formal initiation. But for those who have samskara, past impressions, emphasis will not be put on formal ceremonies, but rather they will give their hearts to guru. Svarupa Damodara and Raya Ramananda were both siksa disciples of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and, in turn, Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami were both their siksa disciples. How much greater was this than formal initiation.

Another example is that of Srila Visvanath Cakravarti, who was following in the footsteps of Srila Narottama dasa Thakura. However, their disciplic connection was separated by at least four generations of intermediate gurus.

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti wrote three most important books. They are bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu, ujjvala nilamani kiran and brhat bhagavatamrta kana. Without knowing these books, one cannot advance in bhakti. In India there is an instrument for measuring how much water there is in milk, a lactometre. So in the same way, these books are a scale for measuring the level of a devotee's advancement. If you follow them, then you'll never give up bhakti. "Oh, I have been following for two years now, but still no disciples or money. I'm troubled by so many mental difficulties, so let me give up..." No.

Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana wanted to leave home and take initiation from Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura. However, when he asked him, Srila Visvanath Cakravarti told him that he should get permission from his wife first. Hearing this, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana returned home, and spent the entire night hearing Hari katha. When it was morning, he approached his wife, and begged her for permission. Weeping, she gave her consent, begging him to never forget her.

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura was teaching the conception of parakiya bhava in Vrndavan, though unfortunately hardly anyone could appreciate it. The practice of svakiya is recommended in sastra. We see that Krsna is married to Rukmini, in svakiya-bhava, whereas He is not married to the gopis. However, even a maidservant of the gopis is superior to Rukmini. It is this line of parakiya-bhava, love and affection which was accepted and preached by Caitanya Mahaprabhu. At the time of Srila Visvanath Cakravarti, some of the followers of Ramanujacarya, who consider parakiya to be illicit, approached the King of Jaipura. They told him that because Srimati Radhika is not married to Krsna, that Their relationship was irreligious, and that therefore Radha should not be worshiped anymore. Since the king was a Gaudiya Vaisnava himself, he invited the Gaudiya Vaisnavas to come and defeat the statements of the followers of Ramanujacarya. At that time, Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura was more than 80 years old, and did not want to leave Vrndavan. Therefore he sent two of his disciples, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana and one other, to go and meet the challenge. Together, they established Srimati Radharani's supreme position as the hladini sakti and svarupa sakti of Krsna.

She is always with Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana, it is not possible to separate the potent and the potency. In a svakiya relationship, the husband and wife's love for each other is originally undivided. However, as children come, that love becomes divided. It even becomes extended to the dogs, cows,, clothing, ornaments, cosmetics, items in the house ultimately into hundreds and hundreds of parts. But Radha's love for Krsna is not divided in this way. She loves only Him. Therefore He becomes completely controlled by her pure love and affection and that of the gopis, and it is this mood which Caitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give.

Although the followers of Ramanujacarya were beaten by the arguments of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, they next challenged him about the fact that his sampradaya did not have a commentary on the Vedanta sutra. Although the Srimad Bhagavatam is a natural commentary on the Vedanta sutra, they would not accept this.

The Vedanta Sutra is a condensed form in 550 sutras of all the knowledge contained in the Upanisads. Who is Krsna, who is jiva, what is maya, why are we suffering, and how we are supposed to act in the material world, all this knowledge is within. Without knowing what is vaidhi bhakti, our bhakti will have no substance. We see now that some are not following it. But it must be done.

All of the sampradayas have written their own commentaries on Vedanta sutra. The Sankara line also have their Sariraka bhasya. But because the Goudiya Vaisnavas had not written their own, the oposing party would not accept them as a bonafide sampradaya. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana prayed to Govinda to manifest within his heart, and that night the Lord spoke a whole commentary to him. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana wrote it all down, and it came to more than one hundred pages. The next day he presented it to the assembly, and it was accepted by all. Thus Srimati Radharani was never taken from the left side of Govinda.

Many people were very opposed to Srila Visvanath Cakravarti because he was preaching parakiya bhava. Every morning he would perform a parikrama of Govardhana, and one day some of those who were against him decided to kill him. Hiding themselves in some dense bushes one morning, they waited for Srila Visvanath Cakravarti to come by. Soon enough, the old sadhu arrived, but it appeared to the murderers that as quickly as he had come, he seemed to have disappeared. Looking for him everywhere, they were puzzled to see that instead there were two or three beautiful young cowherd girls aged twelve and half or so who were picking flowers and laughing together. Seeing this, the murderers approached them, asking them whether he had seen an old sadhu. Unknown to them, having become so absorbed in Radha and Krsna's lila, Srila Visvanath Cakravarti had now assumed his manjari svarupa. In this form, in a very sweet voice, he replied "I saw that babaji, but I don't know where he has gone now. Radharani is in Yavat, and we are her sakhis". Having spoken these words, Srila Visvanath Cakravarti again manifested his sadhu form. With great astonishment, the men fell flat before him, and he forgave them. He was a maha siddha purusa, an incarnation of Srila Rupa Gosvami. Like Rupa Gosvami he wrote many books, and, if he had not, then the teachings of Caitanya Mahaprabhu would have been lost. Another dark age came upon Gaudiya Vaisnavism some years after, and Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada came and saved the world from it. So we should all try to remain united, we are all brothers and sisters in Gaura's family.