09/12/1998 - 2208

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami's Line of Siksa and Diksa

Editorial (VNN) - by Sundarananda das

Many Gaudiya Vaishnavas who belong to the traditional Gaudiya Vaisnava Guru-paramparas fail to understand the conception of the Bhagavata-parampara, as explained by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami.

The critics say that there is no diksa-parampara in Gaudiya Math. The reasoning behind this criticism is as follows:

"Because Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati didn't pass on and make known the guru-parampara of his diksa-guru, Srila Gaurkisor das Babaji (who was initiated into the line of Srila Advaita Acaryya by a Gosvami belonging to the Advaita-vamsa), this proves that he didn't accept the line of diksa he was initiated into. This further means that Bhaktisiddhanta's connection to the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya was broken, due to his disregarding and rejecting the parampara."

This reasoning is faulty.
Many Gaudiya lineages at the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had created a monopoly on mantra-diksa. Initiation, diksa, had become a formality in many cases, and the siksa, or teaching, was not stressed so much. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta stressed the teaching or siksa, while he also gave his disciples diksa-mantras that had been received through the Advaita-vamsa, which descends directly from Srila Advaita Acaryya. This line, Advaita-vamsa or Advaita-parivara, is the Diksa-parampara of Gaudiya Math and ISKCON.

 Thus Srila Sarasvati Thakur gave mantra-diksa and preached the Bhagavata-parampara, a line of great Bhagavatas, whom had made very important contributions to the Gaudiya Vaisnava line.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta could not have disregarded the parampara of Srila Gaurkisor das Babaji, because if he had, the initiation would have been meaningless. (Since according to sastra, mantras not received in a Vaisnava sampradaya are fruitless, and they are received through the process of diksa.)

There is no evidence that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta did not respect the line of diksa that his Guru belonged to, but the fact that he did accept his diksa-guru implies that he also must have accepted the rest of the diksa line. There are Gaudiya Math devotees who claim that Srila Sarasvati Thakur rejected his parama-guru, Srila Nandakisor Gosvami of Advaita-vamsa, but there is no evidence in support of this view.

Comments about this short article are most welcome. Write me:

sundarananda@hotmail.com