Jīva Gosvāmī has got six sandarbhas, theses: Bhagavat-sandarbha, Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, Tattva-sandarbha, Prīti-sandarbha, like that. So these books are... I don't think it is published in English. So these sandarbhas are so philosophically discussed that throughout the whole world, there is not a single philosopher who can defy these Jīva Gosvāmī's six sandarbhas. Our, this Gauḍīya-sampradāya... We belong to Gauḍīya-sampradāya—Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, from the disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We have got immense literature to understand God. One who wants to understand God through philosophy, science, argument, logic, so to supply them material, we have got immense literature, Vedic literature. So one of them is mentioned here, Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha, what is Kṛṣṇa.
Disciplic succession (Lectures, SB)
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Our process is to take knowledge from the authority. We don't bother whether Brahma-saṁhitā was actually written by Brahmā or not. The so-called scholars and anthropologists and... What is called? Archaeologists, they may go on talking, but we have got a very nice process, to receive knowledge through paramparā system, Vedic succession, disciplic succession.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He was traveling in the southern part of India, south India, Ādikeśava Mandira, there was a temple. Still that temple is there. He found out this Brahma-saṁhitā in handwritten. Formerly, there was no printing press. So any important Vedic literature was being copied. Suppose you have got some copy. I want it, so I borrow from you the book, and I copy in my handwriting or I engage somebody who has got good handwriting. In this way, in Vṛndāvana, still there are so many handmade, handwritten literatures. They have opened one association, one society. They are collecting all this handwritten literature.
"There was a chunk, and it burst out, and then planets came out." Like that. (laughter) And wherefrom this chunk came, you nonsense? So this is going on.
So if you actually want knowledge, then you have to take knowledge by this disciplic succession, because you cannot speculate. By speculation, you can never arrive to the Absolute Truth. That is not possible.
- athāpi te deva padāmbuja-dvayaṁ
- prasāda-leśānugṛhīta eva hi
- jānāti tattvaṁ bhagavan-mahimno
- na cānya eko 'pi ciraṁ vicinvan
- (SB 10.14.29)
Ciraṁ vicinvan. Ciram means perpetually you can speculate, but you cannot understand what is God. That is not possible. You have to know God from a person who knows God or God personally. Just like Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is mentioned in the Bhāgavata..., Brahma-saṁhitā. That means Brahmā knew Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: Where is Revatī-nandana? What does he say? What is his question?
Revatī-nandana: The question is that are there lines of disciplic succession on planets all over the universe or only on these middle planets, like Earth?
Prabhupāda: All over the universe. Nārada is moving all over the universe and creating disciples.
Guest (2): Kṛṣṇa has exhibited His pastimes on every planet in the universe?(?)
Prabhupāda: Yes. He is lord of universe. Sarva-loka-maheśvaram (BG 5.29). "I am the master of all universes."
Revatī-nandana: But His pastimes in His original form... He asked if Lord Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are displayed on planets all over the universe. So far the original form of Kṛṣṇa, that is only on one planet in one day of Brahmā. Is that correct? In one universe? I think I read somewhere that the Lord appears in His original form only once during the day of Brahmā in each universe, and that was on this planet just five thousand years ago.
The subject matter is so presented through the lips of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī that any sincere listener that hears submissively can at once relish transcendental tastes which are distinct from the perverted tastes of the material world. The ripened fruit is not dropped all of a sudden from the highest planet of Kṛṣṇaloka. Rather, it has come down carefully through the chain of disciplic succession without change or disturbance. Foolish people who are not in the transcendental disciplic succession commit great blunders by trying to understand the highest transcendental rasa known as the rāsa dance without following in the footsteps of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who presents this fruit very carefully by stages of transcendental realization. One should be intelligent to know the position of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by considering personalities like Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who deals with the subject so carefully. This process of disciplic succession of the Bhāgavata school suggests that in the future also Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has to be understood from a person who is factually a representative of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī.
Pradyumna: "They have no desire to follow in the footsteps of Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī. One should conclude, therefore, that the serious student of the rasa should receive the message of Bhāgavatam in the chain of disciplic succession from Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who describes the Bhāgavatam from its very beginning and not whimsically to satisfy the mundaner who has very little knowledge in transcendental science. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is so carefully presented that a sincere and serious person can at once enjoy the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge simply by drinking the nectarean juice through the mouth of Śukadeva Gosvāmī or his bona fide representative."
Prabhupāda: That's all. Now have kīrtana.
So because Vyāsadeva knew that "Later on this Vedānta-sūtra will be misinterpreted by so many rascals," therefore he left the comment on the Vedānta-sūtra in the form of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Therefore if we hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Śukadeva Gosvāmī and his disciplic succession, then we shall enjoy life even after liberation. Rasam ālayam. Ālayam. Ālayam means liberation, means this material life completely finished, spiritual life. In the spiritual life also, you will enjoy Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But for whom it is meant? That is said here, muhur aho rasikā bhuvi bhāvukāḥ. Those who are very thoughtful and rasika, humorous, transcendentally humorous, they can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and enjoy it. That's all right. Now any question?
Pradyumna: "And all other prec... Vyāsadeva is the original spiritual preceptor for all men, and all other preceptors are considered to be his representatives. A representative is one who can exactly present the viewpoint of Śrī Vyāsadeva. Śrī Vyāsadeva impregnated the message of Bhāgavatam unto Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī, and Śrī Sūta Gosvāmī heard it from him (Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī). All bona fide representatives of Śrī Vyāsadeva in the chain of disciplic succession are to be understood to be gosvāmīs. These gosvāmīs restrain all their senses, and they stick to the path made by the previous ācāryas."
Prabhupāda: Yes, gosvāmī or svāmī, the same meaning. One who has been able to control his senses... Generally, everyone is controlled by the senses. When one becomes controller of the senses, then he's gosvāmī. So generally, we give this designation to the sannyāsīs because sannyāsa means who has fully control of the senses. One should not accept sannyāsa whimsically. One must know about himself, how far he can control the senses. Therefore, generally, sannyāsa is not accepted until one is sixty years old. But in this age there is no guarantee whether we are going to live up to sixty years old age. So sometimes younger generation also offered sannyāsa. Because Caitanya Mahāprabhu accepted at the age of twenty-four years. We are not, of course, imitating Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
What is the message of Lord Caitanya? Lord Caitanya's message is that you go and speak everyone about Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's message. This is called paramparā system. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as disciple of Īśvara Purī, He is preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And similarly, in the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Gosvāmīs, ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla-bhaṭṭa, Dāsa Raghunātha. Vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau.
We begin from our first disciplic succession. Vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca. Vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalam. "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my guru, spiritual master." Vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāṁś ca. And then, his guru, his guru, his guru, they're all Vaiṣṇavas.
That is very dangerous. That is very dangerous. Bhagavad-gītā should be read, should be understood as prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, in the Fourth Chapter, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). The Bhagavad-gītā should be understood by the line of disciplic succession of authorized ācāryas. Fortunately, in your South India all the great ācāryas appeared-Śaṅkarācārya, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, all of them. So you are very fortunate, and the ācārya commentary is also there. Rāmānujācārya commentary is there, Madhvācārya commentary is there. So you take advantage and read them very nicely. That is our request, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And try to understand Kṛṣṇa. If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, then the result will be, janma karma me divyam yo jānāti tattvataḥ, in truth, if fact, which you can do only if you follow the ācāryas, not these rascals. Don't follow any rascal. You follow the ācārya, you get the benefit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is our request.
"How I am cheating the other party." Especially amongst businessmen, when there is conference, so each one is trying, "Now how much I have cheated him." So this cheating, vipralipsā, is one of the qualification of the conditioned soul. Bhrama pramāda vipralipsā karaṇāpāṭava. So a person, authorized person in the line of disciplic succession, he does not speak by his own authority. Immediately he'll quote from the Vedic literature to support his proposition. So Vṛndāvana Dāsa Ṭhākura says bhāgavata kahe. He doesn't say that, "I say" or "In my opinion." No. Bhāgavata kahe taha pari purṇa chole.
That is their philosophy. So these nonsense things are going on. Narādhama. Therefore they're narādhamas. Don't follow these narādhamas. Be faithful. Try to understand, those who are actually followers of God. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). So you take to this line of disciplic succession from Kṛṣṇa and try to understand what is Absolute Truth, what is your relationship with you, how you can get out of the threefold miserable condition of life. This is possible. That is called brahma-jijñāsā, tattva-jijñāsā, athāto brahma jijñāsā.
The Bhāgavata also says, jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā.
So this śraddadhānāḥ, if we have got little faith that... Just like people come here with little faith. That faith is the little spark of fire. Now you have to fan it, fan it, so that fire may increase.
He said that each and every one of you, whoever met Lord Caitanya, or whoever is in the chain of disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya, he's advised by the Lord that "You become a spiritual master." How? "Under My order. I give you order that you become a spiritual master." And, then... "I am a fool." "No. You are not fool. You have simply to say kṛṣṇa-kathā."
These two kṛṣṇa-kathā—you have nothing to manufacture. You haven't got to tax your brain by meditation, by speculation. Everything is there. You have simply to place, submit, "Here is kṛṣṇa-kathā. Here is Bhagavad-gītā and here is Bhāgavata. Just please hear." That is your business. You need not become a very learned speculator. Just like there are so many books simply full of speculation. You haven't got to do that. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is giving very simple formula. Yāre dekha tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa means instruction of Kṛṣṇa-instruction given by Kṛṣṇa or instructions spoken about Lord Kṛṣṇa. If you do this then you become a spiritual master.
Kṛṣṇa is speaking Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. Don't malinterpret. Simply hear as Arjuna heard it. Sometimes some rascals say that "Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna heard directly, but we do not find now Kṛṣṇa. So how we can hear?" His words are there. Kṛṣṇa is not different from His words. He's absolute. If you read Bhagavad-gītā as it is through the disciplic succession, then you are as good as Arjuna, hearing directly from Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference. But if you ras..., play rascaldom, "This word means this, this word means that, this word means..." This is rascaldom. If you play rascaldom, then you'll remain a rascal. You'll not improve. But if you hear exactly like Arjuna...
As Arjuna said, sarvam etad ṛtaṁ manye (BG 10.14), "My dear Kṛṣṇa, whatever You are saying, that is all right, in toto. I don't misinterpret." Param, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). This is understanding of... You understand Bhagavad-gītā as it is in devotion, bhakto 'si. Kṛṣṇa instructed Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna.
One cannot marry in the same family. He must pick up another family. Otherwise one could marry his own sister. No. That is not possible.
So these family descendants... Still there is gotra. Gotra means in which family one is coming. Everyone must say his gotra and family title. Gotra means the guru, disciplic succession. Acyuta-gotra. We Vaiṣṇava, our gotra is acyuta-gotra, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Acyuta. Because we give up our other family gotra. We accept. Actually, originally everyone is coming from Kṛṣṇa. From Kṛṣṇa the Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Kāraṇārṇavaśāyī Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. From Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Brahmā. From Brahmā, the sages, the Manus. In this way, everyone is descended from Kṛṣṇa.
Written? Nothing was written. Vedas was also not written. They were heard from disciplic succession. The first writing business was done by Vyāsadeva. Before that, there was nothing in writing. All Vedic scriptures, they were learned by simply hearing. That's all. The brahmacārīs will live in the direction of the spiritual master and hear the class, and they will learn. That's all, no written book, neither there was notebook. Everything was heard by students. There was no need of writing. Therefore this whole Vedic literature is called śruti. Śruti means simply hearing. There was... Even in recent years there was a learned paṇḍita in Calcutta. There were some... In the British days there was some quarrel between two Britishers, and one of them complained to the magistrate, and the magistrate inquired, "Who is your witness?"
One who has taken shelter of the Supreme Lord, upaśama, finishing all, I mean to say, material desires... Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ (BG 7.19). "Vāsudeva is everything." Sa mahātmā. So we have to search out a mahātmā, a person who is simply a surrendered soul to Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva, and we have to surrender unto him. This is called disciplic succession. Then our problems will be solved. Otherwise, even a personality like Vyāsadeva, he has problems. Even a personality like Arjuna, he has problems. So antaś-caro vāyur ivātma-sākṣī parāvare brahmaṇi dharmato vrataiḥ. Vrataiḥ. Dṛḍha-vrata. Yeṣām anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām. Any person who has simply acted piety, janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇāṁ te, such person, bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ.
Therefore it is said samādhinā, means "Don't manufacture your meditation." Samādhi, this trance by meditation, cannot be attained by something manufacturing. Anu: "Just follow the great predecessor ācārya." Samādhinā anusmara tad-viceṣṭitam. Tat means the acyuta, acyuta, the activities of the Lord. Therefore we have to learn Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the disciplic succession. Our, this sampradāya, the Gauḍīya-sampradāya, is also in the same line-Nārada, Vyāsadeva. Nārada is the disciple of Brahmā. It is, therefore, called, this sampradāya... This party is called Brahma-sampradāya. Brahma-madhva-gauḍīya-brahma-sampradāya. Originally from Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada. You'll find in the Bhāgavata. Brahmā is instructing Nārada. Now you see Nārada is instructing Vyāsadeva. Similarly, Vyāsadeva instructed Madhva Muni. Now, Madhva Muni, by disciplic succession, Mādhavendra Purī. Now, Mādhavendra Purī instructed Īśvara Purī. Īśvara Purī instructed Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya instructed the six Gosvāmīs.
Now, Mādhavendra Purī instructed Īśvara Purī. Īśvara Purī instructed Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya instructed the six Gosvāmīs. The six Gosvāmīs instructed Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. Kṛṣṇadāsa instructed Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī. Viśvanātha Cakravartī, Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī. In this way, there is a clear line of disciplic succession.
So that is recommended here, that samādhinā. Samādhinā, meditation, anusmara: "Don't manufacture your meditation." Just like there are so many meditators. They have manufactured their own way of meditation. That is not recommended, anusmara. Anu means "Follow. You become thoughtful, you think, but taking the instruction from higher authority." Just like Arjuna is taking instruction from Kṛṣṇa. He is thinking, "Whether I shall fight or not fight?" So you become thoughtful. That's very nice. But don't be thoughtful without accepting a spiritual master.
So here is the expert physician, Nārada Muni. And he is advising his disciple to make him expert. This is called paramparā system. In the same way, we are coming from the same disciplic succession. As Nārada Muni was expert physician for curing this material disease, similarly, he made Vyāsadeva expert physician; Vyāsadeva made Madhvācārya expert physician. So one has to come down in that disciplic succession and become expert physician, or bona fide spiritual master. Here, as we require to go to a physician, to a medical man, for curing our material, I mean, bodily diseases, similarly, to cure our material disease, one has to approach an expert spiritual, bona fide spiritual master. Otherwise it is not possible. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is the injunction of the Vedas. Tad-vijñānārtham. If you want to know what is your healthy life, normal life, spiritual life.
So this is the philosophy taught by Nārada Muni to Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva taught to Madhvācārya. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is on that authority and Kṛṣṇa also. Kṛṣṇa taught Brahmā, Brahmā taught Nārada, Nārada taught Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva taught... In this way, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). In the Fourth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is said, "By this disciplic succession..." So our business is not to make any research work, not to invent something, not to write voluminous books, something mental concoction. We have got everything ready, given by this, received through the paramparā system. Everything, real fact, real goods, not bogus things. So we have to simply accept. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa, yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that "Every one of you just become... Each and every one of you become a spiritual master under My order." "Oh, so what is Your order?"
What we are doing? We are also asking people, "Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa," the same thing. There is no difference. Therefore one has to accept the real thing from the paramparā system, serious devotee. Then... Because a serious devotee will speak the same thing as Kṛṣṇa says. There is no invention.
So Nārada Muni says... Because Nārada Muni is our previous ācārya, disciplic succession from Brahmā to Nārada, Nārada to Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva to others. So Nārada Muni's instructing his disciple that tyaktvā sva-dharmam: "If somebody gives, gives up his occupational duty..." Just like sometimes we are taken as some crazy fellows. We have no concern with any political movement or social movement. We have taken simply Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. So they may think that "This is a society of crazy fellows. They have given up everything, simply chanting: Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." But Nārada Muni confirms, it is the first-class thing. He says that "If somebody, giving up everything, simply takes to Kṛṣṇa..."
And still, we are also following Nārada Muni's path, Nārada-pañcarātra. Our method is Nārada-pañcarātra.
So Nārada Muni is the original spiritual master of Vyāsadeva, and from Vyāsadeva our disciplic succession is coming. Therefore guru is representative of Vyāsadeva. On his birthday the ceremony is offered as Vyāsa-pūjā. This is the disciplic succession. So we should try to follow Nārada Muni. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). There are twelve mahājanas, great authorities, of whom, out of the twelve, Nārada Muni is one of them. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ, yes. Is not that the verse? Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ. So Nārada's name is there, the, one of the mahājanas. So Nārada Muni is mahājana, and he became mahājana on account of his austerity and following the principles. So anyone who follows Nārada, he also becomes mahājana.
So Nārada Muni is the original spiritual master of Vyāsadeva, and from Vyāsadeva our disciplic succession is coming. Therefore guru is representative of Vyāsadeva. On his birthday the ceremony is offered as Vyāsa-pūjā. This is the disciplic succession. So we should try to follow Nārada Muni. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). There are twelve mahājanas, great authorities, of whom, out of the twelve, Nārada Muni is one of them. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ, yes. Is not that the verse? Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kapilaḥ kumāro manuḥ. So Nārada's name is there, the, one of the mahājanas. So Nārada Muni is mahājana, and he became mahājana on account of his austerity and following the principles. So anyone who follows Nārada, he also becomes mahājana. This is the disciplic succession.
It has no value. Here we get the knowledge, that originally the Vedic knowledge was given to Lord Brahmā, and from Lord Brahmā, Nārada received the knowledge, and from Nārada Vyāsadeva received the knowledge. And from Vyāsadeva, by paramparā disciplic succession, we have received this knowledge. The knowledge is the same. There is no alteration. Because it is coming through the paramparā system there is no breakage. Just like from a very top height, if you give something, but if it is given hand to hand it does not break. But if you drop anything from very high place it will be spoiled. Therefore it comes through the paramparā. Take for example one fruit, ripened fruit. This Bhāgavatam is accepted as the ripened fruit of the Vedic desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam (SB 1.1.3). It is the ripened fruit of all Vedic knowledge. Because Vedic knowledge means to understand God. That is Vedic knowledge.
Before taking sannyāsa, what was your identification?" So to take sannyāsa means to become in the family of Acyuta. Acyuta-gotra. Gotra means family. In Indian system there are gotras of big, big ṛṣis' name: gautama-gotra, kaśyapa-gotra, vasiṣṭha-gotra. Like that. So they are coming in disciplic succession, or family. All of them were gṛhasthas. Some of them are coming from the family, and some of them are coming from disciplic succession, but both of them are of the same gotra. So therefore it is understood, acyuta-gotra. Those who are renounced order of life, they are called acyuta-gotra.
So the guru and the guru's family, they do not require to be chastised or punished. It has been misused in so many ways. In Bengal... Just like they say nityānanda-vaṁśa. Coming from Nityānanda. So Nityānanda had one son, Vīrabhadra. But Vīrabhadra did not marry. So there is no dynasty by semina. By nityānanda-vaṁśa means by disciplic succession. So sometimes extra advantage was taken as nityānanda-vaṁśa. But people have got respect for such thing, dynasty. So not only it is now, from time immemorial, guru, guru's dynasty... Even in Mohammedan religion there is such sentiment, Mohammed and his dynasty, Hussain, they are taken very respectfully. So considering all points, the guru's respect must be maintained. This is the sum and substance of the instruction. But there is other opposite instruction also.
Don't think that when this body will be destroyed that living entity will be destroyed. No, it will continue.
So our scientist friend was asking that "What is the proof of eternity?" The proof is there. Kṛṣṇa says, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). That is the proof. Śruti. This is hearing, disciplic succession hearing from the Supreme. This is one proof. One proof is by logic, nyāya-pramāṇa. You can get your knowledge by logic, argument, philosophical research. This is all right also. But another, śruti, by hearing from the authorities. That is also knowledge. And smṛti. Smṛti means statement derived from śruti. Just like Bhagavad-gītā is called smṛti, the Purāṇas are called smṛti. But Upaniṣad is called śruti, and Vedānta is called nyāya. So three ways, nyāya-pramāṇa, śruti-pramāṇa and smṛti-pramāṇa. So of all these, the śruti-pramāṇa, or the evidence by the śruti, is very important. Pratyakṣa, anumāna and śruti. Pratyakṣa: direct perception. Direct perception has no value because our senses are all imperfect.
He is Viṣṇu. He has come as dwarf to take everything from you." Then Bali Mahārāja found that "This is a foolish man." This Śukrācārya, Śukrācārya means jāta-gosāi, by semina they become ācārya. The semina. That is the, in India, guru-vaṁśa. Guru-vaṁśa, guru means spiritual master. The spiritual master, vaṁśa. That is disciplic succession. Evaṁ paramparā, that is guru-vaṁśa, not by semina. That is going on. The Śukrācārya: "This is my guru's family." Guru's family... "He has begotten a child, so something must be given. His credit is he's begotten child. Therefore something must be given." So this is going on, Śukrācārya. So Śukrācārya was rejected by Bali Mahārāja, Śukrācārya. "No, this family guru or the jāta-gosāi, no." Real guru. So why rejected? When Śukrācārya was thinking that "This man Bali is going to give everything to Viṣṇu. Here is Vāmana. Then how I shall live? Because I get something from this man, and I live. So if he's going to give everything to Viṣṇu, then what is our position? We shall starve."
You become a spiritual master under my order, under His order. Don't manufacture yourself. Under the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. That is called paramparā system, one who is following in disciplic succession the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. And what is the order of Caitanya Mahāprabhu? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Don't (be) advising your rascaldom. Kṛṣṇa-upadeśa, what Kṛṣṇa has said, you just tell him. You become spiritual master. That's all. It does not become very difficult to become spiritual master. The rascals, they fail, because they do not say anything which Kṛṣṇa says. He manufactures something. He wants to take the place of Kṛṣṇa. This rascaldom will never make you happy. You have to follow as Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Then you become guru. To become guru is not at all difficult, provided you follow the right instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Then everyone can become, expand, expand. You have learned something about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, now you rightly distribute them, then you will increase your group.
This is going on.
So how can we not be cheated? That is mahātmabhiḥ. You have to follow the previous great ācāryas, mahātmabhiḥ. Just like Kṛṣṇa is accepted. Kṛṣṇa said He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Arjuna accepted, "Yes, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12)," after hearing from Him. Paraṁ brahma. And then, after Arjuna, disciplic succession. Lord Caitanya accepted. All the ācāryas, Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, accepted Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality. Śāstra says, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). So we have to follow these mahājana. Otherwise we cannot get the right knowledge. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to follow great authorities. So who are authorities?
When Kṛṣṇa inquired, "What is your decision?" he said, "Yes, even though I do not like to fight, still, because it is Your order, I must fight." Kariṣye vacanaṁ tava (BG 18.73).
So devotee hasn't got any personal decision. That is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We should decide by the order of Kṛṣṇa through the disciplic succession, via media, the spiritual master. That is required. A devotee cannot decide personally. If Kṛṣṇa desires... If somebody says that "We cannot see Kṛṣṇa personally," then you have to decide by Kṛṣṇa's representative. If your spiritual master, guru, says that "You do this," that is Kṛṣṇa's order. That is Kṛṣṇa's order. Therefore it is said, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ **. By satisfying the spiritual master, you satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is very natural. Just like when you go to your work, the immediate person who is in charge of your work, he must be satisfied. You don't jump up to the proprietor. The proprietor will be automatically satisfied.
We have to follow great superior personalities, just like ṣaḍ-gosvāmī. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, ei chay gosāñi jāṅr mui tāṅr dāsa: "I become servant, servant or disciple, of such a person who follows the footprints of the six Gosvāmīs." Otherwise one becomes guru, anyone, just like nowadays they become. They are manufacturing guru. Guru is not manufactured. Guru is in the disciplic succession, one who is strictly follows the footsteps of the ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs. Ei chay gosāñi jāṅr. Anyone who is following the footsteps of the gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī... Rūpa Gosvāmī gives his Upadeśāmṛta instruction:
- vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
- jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
- etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
- sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
- (NOI 1)
This is the injunction given by Rūpa Gosvāmī. Vāco vegam. Vāco vegam means the force of talking, vegam. What is the meaning, vegam?
Just like without being red hot, you cannot burn any other thing. Similarly, without being fully spiritualized, you cannot make others spiritualized. Therefore we have to follow the paramparā system. The disciplic succession, as we get the knowledge, as we get the power, as we get the instruction, so we have to follow. That will help me to spiritualize myself. And when you are spiritualized... You'll have to wait for that time. Then, wherever you will preach, the result will be there.
So by the grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Śukadeva Gosvāmī has reached Parīkṣit Mahārāja. Therefore at the verge of Mahārāja Parīkṣit's death, Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sent to help him in the process of self-realization. Without spiritual master's help, nobody can become self-realized. Our Vaiṣṇava philosophy does not allow that you shall become self-realized by your own endeavor.
So perhaps you know. Gargamuni knows. So I rejected it, that "No, this cannot be published. There are so many anomalies." And so his daughter is here in Los Angeles. So she came with her husband and took back. So we do not publish anything which is not approved by the ācāryas. We are not like ordinary press, that anything and anything will come and we shall publish. No. That is not our business. It must be approved, as we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, no mental concoction. We don't allow any mental concoction. It must be approved by the ācārya, disciplic succession. Then it is nice.
So the next verse... All right. This much today. We shall discuss tomorrow. Again. Thank you. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Chant.
We don't make any adulteration or alteration or addition. No. We accept, as it is. That is our process. And if you accept, then our time is saved and we can make progress very quickly.
So that we should do. That is our system. Ācārya upāsanam. We receive the knowledge throughout the disciplic succession of ācāryas, and we accept it and we follow it, and practically you see the result. That is our request. Ante nārāyaṇa smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6). Bhagavad-gītā also confirms this version: yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante, at the end of life, kalevaram Kalevaram means this body, within this body. This is another problem. Generally people, they do not understand that after giving up this body we enter another body. But this is the first instruction of self-realization in the Bhagavad-gītā. And that is actually we are experiencing.
So Vaiṣṇava, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, is learned and poet. So these are the qualifications of Vaiṣṇava. As you know, there are twenty-six qualifications mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and one of the qualifications is kavi, poet. Every Vaiṣṇava in our disciplic succession, all the Vaiṣṇavas... In the later ages, within 200 years... During Caitanya Mahāprabhu's time, there were Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura, Vaiṣṇava, Locana dāsa Ṭhākura, Kavi-karṇapūra. They were all big poets. Later on, Vidyāpati, Caṇḍīdāsa. No, Caṇḍīdāsa before Lord Caitanya. Jayadeva. He also, before Lord Caitanya. All big, big kavis. The Jayadeva kavi's, this pralaya-payodhi-jale dhṛtavān asi vedam **. So a Vaiṣṇava devotee of the Lord is expected to have all good qualities. The more you become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all the good qualities that were covered by the cloud of māyā will come out. Good qualities are already there.
The stage of pure devotion is attained by sincerely serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The first condition of devotional service to the Lord is therefore to be a servant of a pure devotee, and this condition is fulfilled by the statement "reception of the dust of the lotus feet of a pure devotee who has also served another pure devotee." That is the way of pure disciplic succession, or devotional paramparā.
Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa inquired from the great saint Jaḍa Bharata as to how he had attained such a liberated stage of a paramahaṁsa, and in answer the great saint replied as follows (SB 5.12.12):
- rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
- na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
- na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
- vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam
"O King Rahūgaṇa, the perfectional stage of devotional service, or the paramahaṁsa stage of life, cannot be attained unless one is blessed by the dust of the feet of great devotees.
So those who are not following the authorized instructions, they are simply creating disturbance, and by such process one cannot be happy, neither perfect, and what to speak of going back to home, back to Godhead? We do not therefore accept anything which is not authorized by the disciplic succession. We reject immediately. There is example that in India there is a tree, sāgu, sāgu(?) tree. I do not know whether it is in your country. That, that tree has a very, I mean to say, thick trunk. But a little jerking, it will break. A little jerking. Sāgu. And there is another tree which is called tamarind tree. So even a fingerlike stem, you cannot break. It is so strong. So our policy should be that when we are falling down, we must take shelter of this tamarind tree, not that sāgu tree. The tamarind tree is Vedic instruction, infallible, without any mistake.
So ātma-tattva, self realization, this is required. So we have to approach a person like Vaiyāsaki, Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Niścayam. Vacas tattva-niścayam. If you want to know positively, niścayam, without any mistake, then you have to approach a person like Śukadeva Gosvāmī or the paramparā system, who is coming in disciplic succession of paramparā system. The paramparā system means... Just like we claim paramparā system from Kṛṣṇa. So whatever Kṛṣṇa says or He said 5,000 years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called paramparā system. Not that "The world has changed. Scientific advancement is very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way." This is all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niścayam ātmanaḥ.
So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa said this, and then Brahmā said the same thing, then Nārada said the same thing, Vyāsadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvācārya, Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmī, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, Śrīnivāsa Ācārya, Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. In this way. Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī. Then we are speaking. The same thing. Not that "Because we are modernized... Your modern science has changed." Nothing has changed.
Pradyumna: "The Lord's order descends in disciplic succession through the bona fide spiritual master, and thus execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is factual control of the senses. Such execution of penance in full faith and sincerity made Brahmājī so powerful that he became the creator of the universe. And because he was able to attain such power, he is called the best amongst all the tapasvīs."
Prabhupāda: Nārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "If you cannot approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then what is the value of your tapasya?" Ārādhito yadi haris tapasā tataḥ kim: "And if someway or other, if you approach Kṛṣṇa, there is no more necessity of tapasya." You have already got all the results of tapasya.
The Lord is within every living entity as the Supersoul, and he initiated Brahmā because Brahmā was willing to receive the initiation. The Lord can similarly initiate everyone who is inclined to have it. As already stated, Brahmā is the original spiritual master for the universe. And since he was initiated by the Lord Himself, the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is coming down by disciplic succession. And in order to receive the real message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one should approach the current link or spiritual master in the chain of disciplic succession. After being initiated by the proper spiritual master in that chain of succession, one should engage himself in discharge of tapasya in the execution of devotional service. One should not, however, think himself on the level of Brahmā, to be initiated directly from the Lord by the Lord from inside, because in the present age no one can be accepted to be as pure as Brahmā. The post of Brahmā, to officiate in the creation of the universe, is offered to the most pure living being. And unless one is so qualified..."
Tasmāt, "Therefore one must approach guru." The here, in the Upaniṣad also gives definition who is guru. Guru means śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), "one who has received knowledge by hearing Vedas," śrotriyam. Because Vedas are called śruti.
So those who are in the line of hearing from the preceptorial succession, disciplic succession... As it is said in the Bhagavad-gītā, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). Not, I mean to say, upstart knowledge. Standard knowledge. Standard knowledge is received from the paramparā system, disciplic succession. Therefore it is said, śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means "who has heard from the paramparā system." Śrotriyam... And the result is brahma-niṣṭham: "He is firmly fixed up in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Brahma-niṣṭham. He has no other business. This is two qualifications. He must have heard the Vedic knowledge through the disciplic succession. It does not require that he is very learned scholar. No.
Who is Maitreya? Dvaipāyana-sakha. He's the friend. That means he has association with Vyāsadeva. Just like friend and friend, the one friend knows the other friend, what is his position, what is his knowledge. So Maitreya was friend of Vyāsadeva. That means he knows what Vyāsadeva knows. So we have to approach such spiritual master or instructor who is in disciplic succession of Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva. Everyone claims that "We are also following Vyāsadeva." But not superficially. Actually following Vyāsadeva. Just like Vyāsadeva accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Arjuna said, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12), he accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Parabrahman, the Supreme Person. So one may say that "Arjuna was friend of Kṛṣṇa; he might have accepted like that." No. He gave evidence that "Vyāsadeva also accepts You. Vyāsadeva also accepts You, 'You are the Parabrahman.' " Vyāsadeva begins the comments on Vedānta-sūtra: oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Anyway she has learned, that is jñāna. But that is a fact. I may not know to analyze what is fire, but my father has said, "This is fire. Don't touch it. It will burn." So that's all right. He may be child, but he has got the real knowledge. Similarly, by hearing process, śruta-paramparā... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). If you go through the process of disciplic succession, hearing from the authorities, you may be fool, I may be fool, but because I am hearing from the authority, my knowledge is perfect. My knowledge is perfect. Just like I may be imperfect. I don't say that I am perfect. But I am speaking to the whole world, "Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." The same thing. As the child says, as the boys says, I am also saying the same thing. But it is becoming effective because this is the fact. This is the fact. I don't make any miracles or create any gold or this or that. No. These boys and girls, they are captivated to me not by miracles, but by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Because this is the fact.
Nitāi: "Śrī Maitreya said: After hearing the statement of His mother, Kapila could understand her purpose, and He became compassionate towards her because of being born of her body. He described the Sāṅkhya system of philosophy, which is a combination of devotional service and mystic realization and is received by disciplic succession."
Prabhupāda:
- viditvārthaṁ kapilo mātur itthaṁ
- jāta-sneho yatra tanvābhijātaḥ
- tattvāmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyaṁ
- provāca vai bhakti-vitāna-yogam
- (SB 3.25.31)
So Kapiladeva is the propounder of Sāṅkhya philosophy. This is original Kapiladeva. Later on, there was another Kapiladeva, so he is called the atheist Kapila. And this Kapiladeva is known as Devahūti-putra, "the son of Devahūti" Kapila. So sāṅkhya-yoga, the later atheist Kapila's sāṅkhya-yoga, is different from this sāṅkhya-yoga. The atheist Kapila's sāṅkhya-yoga is analysis of the material elements. So this analysis of material elements by the atheist Kapila is very much liked by the Western philosophers. And the sāṅkhya-yoga explained, propounded, by Devahūti-putra Kapila is practically unknown.
So this Kapila, Devahūti, son of Devahūti Kapila, His sāṅkhya-yoga means bhakti-vitāna-yogam, how bhakti, devotional service to the Lord, is expanded. That is sāṅkhya-yoga. And how it is received, that is also stated here, tattva āmnāyaṁ yad pravadanti sāṅkhyam. Āmnāyam, by disciplic succession. No philosophical speculation, but as it is received by predecessor, by tradition, āmnāyam. Tattva āmnāyam. We cannot manufacture tattva. That is improper way of understanding the truth. Generally, the Western philosophers, they try to understand the Absolute Truth by the ascending process. There are two processes of understanding the Absolute Truth. One is called ascending process, or inductive logic, and another process is descending process, or deductive logic. So ascending process is based on speculation, and descending process is based on fact.
There are so many things about Kṛṣṇa we can hear. Even if we are not educated, we can hear from a person who can speak rightly. But that person must be selected, not ordinary person, not professional person, but here it is said, tattva āmnāyam. Āmnāyam means by disciplic succession. We have to accept a positive party.
Just like in political activities you accept some party, Congress party or this party or that party. That is the system, even in politics. Similarly, you have to accept a party of devotee. There are not different parties; they are of the same party. Just like the political parties may be different, but their aim is how to improve the condition of the country or the people. The aim is the same, but they may be a little different in their ways. Similarly, there are four āmnāya party. Āmnāya means disciplic succession. One party is coming from Lord Brahmā, and one party is coming from Lakṣmī, goddess of fortune, or the consort of Nārāyaṇa, Viṣṇu.
There are four sampradāyas of Viṣṇu, er, Vaiṣṇava. So Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya, and Kumāra-sampradāya—they are called āmnāya. If you want to know the truth, then you have to accept. Tattva āmnāyam. Tattva āmnāyaṁ yat pravadanti sāṅkhyam. This is Sāṅkhya philosophy. You try to understand the Absolute Truth through the disciplic succession of āmnāya, āmnāya.
So in the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya these four sampradāya, this Brahmā is Brahma-sampradāya and Śrī-sampradāya. The Brahma-sampradāya is, at the present moment, is represented by the Madhva-sampradāya. Just like we are belonging to the Madhva-gauḍīya-sampradāya, our original sampradāya from the Madhvācārya. So in that sampradāya, disciplic succession, there was Mādhavendra Purī. From Mādhavendra Purī his disciple is Īśvara Purī, and Īśvara Purī's disciple is Lord Caitanya. And we are coming through the disciplic succession of Lord Caitanya.
You cannot make your own comment. But that is not also good. So many commentaries which have been made without this āmnāya, Sāṅkhya process, they are useless. There is no effect. This is very essential. Therefore Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says in the Fourth Chapter, evaṁ paramparā prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). That is required, paramparā, āmnāya, disciplic succession. Otherwise it will be useless. This is the secret of success. You have to accept the same philosophy as it was contemplated by Brahmā, by Nārada, by Brahmācārya, er, Madhvācārya, by Mādhavendra Purī, by Īśvara Purī, by... You cannot make any new thing beyond the scope of the āmnāya Sāṅkhya philosophy system. That is called āmnāya. Because we are imperfect. We must first of all know that we are all imperfect. However great scholar I may be, because my senses are imperfect, therefore, whatever conclusion I make by my so-called scholarship, that is imperfect.
He does not think that "I am a rascal. I have no value of my opinion." He thinks that he is something very big. No. Because our senses are imperfect, whatever knowledge we have gathered by our sense speculation, that is imperfect. That cannot be perfect. Therefore we have discussed already, tattva āmnāyam. We have to receive knowledge from disciplic succession, tattva. Then we will understand the truth. Tattvāmnāyam. This subject matter we have discussed already, āmnāyam, evaṁ paramparā, that we should not manufacture knowledge. We should take knowledge from the perfect. Just like here it is said, bhagavān uvāca. In the Bhagavad-gītā also, bhagavān uvāca. If we follow this āmnāya system, then we become guru.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said who is guru. He asked everyone to become guru. His mission is that people are suffering all over the world for want of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or God consciousness. That's a fact.
"Actually, I am not happy. I am suffering." That is intelligence. That is intelligence, when one comes to the understanding that "I am not happy actually. I am simply suffering." The Sanātana Gosvāmī, he was the finance minister in the government of Nawab Hussain Shah. So he is our guru in the disciplic succession. He inquired this question from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that "I have come to You to ask that people call me, I am very learned man." Grāmya-vyavahāre paṇḍita, tāi satya māni. "By this ordinary relationship, they call me, I am very learned man. But I am such a learned man that I do not know what I am..., why I am suffering." This is intelligence. So we should know how to... Ātyantika-duḥkha-nivṛttiḥ. Everyone is suffering. Temporary, superficially, one may think that he is very happy, or I may think that "He is happy; I am not happy," but nobody is happy in this material world, because the four things is inevitable for everyone, the prime minister or the man in the street, everyone:
Will you go to the exchange market or in the other market? No. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Sa gurum evābhigacchet. That is the injunction of the Vedas, that you must find out guru. Samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. Guru means brahma-niṣṭham. Brahma-niṣṭham. That is the guru's qualification. And śrotriyam, one who has heard from the disciplic succession, he is guru, not anyone, magician, no. Guru, as Kṛṣṇa said...
Kṛṣṇa is the original guru. He is Brahmā's guru. Then who can be better guru than Kṛṣṇa? Tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. He instructed Brahmā. Brahmā instructed Nārada, and Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva has given us so many literatures. This is called paramparā system. Vedavyāsa. Vyāsadeva has given us four Vedas: Sāma, Yajur, Ṛg, Atharva; then explained them in the 108 Purāṇas. Then again, he has summarized them in Vedānta-sūtra.
They have got special consciousness. They can raise their standard of understanding by these literatures, Vedic literatures given by God. Vyāsadeva is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, so he has given us the Vedic literature. Therefore his name is Vedavyāsa, incarnation of God, Vedavyāsa. Mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā paraiḥ. There is no need of speculating. Just follow Vyāsadeva in the disciplic succession. Vyāsadeva's disciple is Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni's disciple is Vyāsadeva. So in this paramparā system: if we receive knowledge, then that is perfect knowledge. So we have to accept it. Niścayātmikā.
Therefore Rūpa Gosvāmī says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsāha. Utsāhāt. Utsāha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Kṛṣṇa says."
Here is guru, Kapiladeva, or Kṛṣṇa, God. God is guru, original guru. God gave lessons to Brahmā. Brahmā gave lessons to Nārada. Nārada gave lessons to Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva gave lessons to us. This is Vyāsadeva's contribution. And if you follow this disciplic succession, then you get perfect knowledge. Otherwise, if you speculate, then you are in darkness, tamasi. What power you have got? All your senses are imperfect. How you can get perfect knowledge? That is not possible. Therefore the injunction is, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: (MU 1.2.12) "You must go to guru." And who is guru? This paramparā system. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).
So this is the process. If you want perfect knowledge, you must approach guru. And who is guru? Guru means the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit (SB 11.17.27).
A spiritual master means voluntarily accepting a great personality whose rules and regulations he must abide by. This is accepting of spiritual master, voluntarily accepting somebody, "Yes, sir. Whatever you say, I'll accept." Śiṣya. Śiṣya means who abides by the rules. That is called śiṣya. Or English, "discipline." From discipline, disciplic, disciplic succession. From the discipline. So either you take English or Sanskrit, the same meaning. Śiṣya means who accepts the ruling of his spiritual master; and disciple means also the same thing, who becomes disciplined by the spiritual master.
So tapasya means even at the inconvenience of my personal comforts, I must abide by the orders of my spiritual master. This is called tapasya. And who is spiritual master? He does not manufacture any rules and regulation. He refers to the śāstra. Therefore Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, tinete kariyā aikya.
We are discussing about the instruction of Lord Ṛṣabhadeva to His sons. Tad uktam upayinona bhāgavata upāsanam upadeśa upadekṣamana vairāgyaṁ vinā upadeṣṭo 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyak pratitiṣṭhati tad utpadaye kāmān nindati nāyam etad dvayam. This is a note given by Bhiraghavācārya. He belongs to the Rāmānuja sampradāya. We have got four disciplic succession: Madhvācārya's sampradāya or succession, Rāmānujācārya, Viṣṇu Svāmī, and..., what is the other? Nimbārka. So Bhiraghavācārya belongs to the Rāmānuja disciplic succession. He was a very famous man, ācārya. So he says that bhāgavata upāsanam upadekṣyamāna vairāgyaṁ vinā upadiṣṭo 'pi bhakti-yoga na samyak pratitiṣṭhati. We may give instruction for many years, but unless one practices vairāgya, renunciation, vairāgya vinā...
We Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, we are known as rūpānuga. Rūpānuga means the followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī. So why we should become followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī? Because śrī-caitanya-mano 'bhīṣṭaṁ sthāpitaṁ yena bhū-tale. He wanted to establish the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Mano 'bhīṣṭam. Śrī Caitanya, mano 'bhīṣṭam, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the same thing. This is called disciplic succession. Kṛṣṇa wanted that "Everyone be surrendered to Me." He personally therefore comes and He speaks Bhagavad-gītā aiming at Arjuna, who was perplexed in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and He explained karma, jñāna, yoga, so many things. But ultimately, He assured Arjuna, "My dear Arjuna, you are very dear friend to Me; therefore I am speaking to you the real purpose of life, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ... (BG 18.66). This is the real purpose of life." So Kṛṣṇa wanted that people should take shelter of His lotus feet, sarva-dharmān parityajya. But people misunderstood Him.
So Sanātana Gosvāmī recommends, tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām. Tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena. If dīkṣā-vidhāna, initiation process, is done nicely from the right person There are so many śāstric ref... Śuddhyanti yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ, kirāta-hūṇāndhra-pulinda-pulkaśā ābhīra-śumbhā yavanāḥ khasādayaḥ, ye 'nye ca pāpā yad-apāśrayāśrayāḥ śuddhyanti (SB 2.4.18). These things are there. So by the disciplic succession, by the instruction of the Gosvāmīs, everyone can be purified because they will properly train up. Avidyāyām antare vartamānam. They will not misguide. Dṛṣṭvā punas taṁ saghṛṇaḥ kubuddhim. Merciful: "Never mind." But there is no disqualification because one is low born and high born. Everyone can take. But he must follow the direction of the proper guide. Just like we say, "No meat-eating, no intoxication, no illicit sex." If he follows the rules and regulation and chants Hare Kṛṣṇa under the guidance of proper spiritual master, then everything will be all right. He is no more śūdra or caṇḍāla.
Not only the devotees; the Lord also, He is so compassionate He sends His son, His most confidential son, Jesus Christ. He comes Himself, He sends His incarnation, He sends His knowledge. Just like this Bhagavad-gītā is knowledge. He speaks Himself about this knowledge. His representatives are there by disciplic succession. So we can take advantage of all these things. Still, there is Kṛṣṇa. Still there is speaking Kṛṣṇa and His representative, and everything is there. Simply we have to take advantage. That's all. But the spell of māyā is so strong that it does not allow.
The last instruction is mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). Therefore you have to follow the footprints of authority. You can take anyone as you authority, as authority, but according to Bhāgavata there are twelve authorities. That is also mentioned. They are authorized persons from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they have got disciplic succession. The twelve authorities are Brahmā, Nārada, Lord Śiva and Kumāra, Manu and Lord Kapila, Bhīṣma and Prahlāda, Janaka and Yamarāja and this Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who is speaking the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Vaiyāsaki. Vaiyāsaki means "the son of Vyāsadeva." And they have got their disciplic succession. And if we receive that knowledge from disciplic succession, then we can get perfect knowledge. That is the process of Vedic way.
Vedic way is to receive knowledge from the authority, not to manufacture knowledge by mental speculation. Manufacturing..., your manufacturing process is very poor because you are imperfect.
So he thought that Nārada Muni was sending the attar, rice, dahl, and everything. So he became confident that he would not die because he is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. In this way he gradually became a perfect Vaiṣṇava because he was chanting under the instruction of the spiritual master and committing no sinful activities. So we being in the disciplic succession of Nārada Muni, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we are advising the same principle, that "Don't commit sinful activities, and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra."
So one day Nārada Muni asked his friend, Parvata Muni, "I have got a disciple. Let us go and see him." (to translator:) Parvata Muni, his friend. Yes. So when Nārada Muni and Parvata Muni was coming to the same hunter who had become now a Vaiṣṇava, so he was going to receive his spiritual master by going forward. So while he was going forward towards his spiritual master to receive him, on the way he was jumping in so many places.
Svayambhūḥ nāradaḥ śambhuḥ. Śambhu means Lord Śiva. So each of them, out of these twelve mahājana, four are very prominent, that is, Svayambhū means Brahmā, and then śambhuḥ, Lord Śiva, and then kumāraḥ. And there is another sampradāya, Śrī sampradāya, from Lakṣmījī. So we have to accept a spiritual master who are strictly in these four line of disciplic succession. Then we shall be gainer. If we accept a so-called guru, then it will not be possible. We have to accept guru in the disciplic succession. Therefore it is recommended here, tat-puruṣa-niṣevayā: we have to serve him faithfully and always honestly. Then our purpose will be served. And if you take to this line of action, dedicating life to Kṛṣṇa and always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa under the direction of tat-puruṣa—means who has no other business than to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness—then our life is successful. We become free from all sinful reaction, and without being purified... Because Kṛṣṇa, or God, is pure.
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that "I have to serve the gurus, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and live in the association of devotees." Tāṅdera caraṇa-sevi bhakta-sane vās. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura said, janame janame mora, ei abhilāṣ. Our... We are... Ambition should be how to serve Kṛṣṇa through the disciplic succession, guru, and live in the association of devotees. This is the process. So we are opening so many centers all over the world. This is the policy, that people may take chance of associating with devotees and the chance of serving the Vaiṣṇava. Then it will be successful.
Therefore here it is said, bhakti-yoga means not only dedicating life to Kṛṣṇa but also to serve the Vaiṣṇava, tat-puruṣa. Tat-puruṣa means to serve a person who has dedicate his life to Kṛṣṇa. Two things: dedication to Kṛṣṇa and dedication to the devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Vyāsadeva, Nārada, Asita, Devala, all the ācāryas, Nimbārka, then Madhvācārya, Rāmānujācārya, and our worshipable Deity, Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Everyone has accepted. So unless we are grand fool, we can't deny this. It is not possible. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). We have to take knowledge by the disciplic succession.
So let us get admission by Caitanya Mahāprabhu: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Caitanya Mahāprabhu's, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement propagana, what is this propaganda? He says that "Every one of you become guru." He wants not rascal imitation guru but real guru. That He wants. Because people are in darkness, we require many millions of gurus to enlighten them. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission is, He said, that "Every one of you become guru." Āmāra ājñāya guru haya tāra ei deśa. You haven't got to go foreign countries.
And there is another sampradāya coming from Lakṣmījī, Śrī-sampradāya, Rāmānuja. So we have to accept religious principles from the leaders of the sampradāyas. Otherwise it is useless. Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te viphalā matāḥ: "If you do not accept mantra initiation from the disciplic succession of the sampradāya, then it will be useless." Sampradāya-vihīnā ye. So people are manufacturing religion without any reference to these authorities.
So diśo vitimirālokāḥ kurvantaḥ svena tejasā. Svena: "By your own effulgence you are dissipating the darkness, all directions. You are so bright, brilliant." Kim arthaṁ dharma-pālasya: "Oh, we can understand that you are not ordinary living entities. You are coming from some exalted planet. What business you have got to interfere with our business?" Dharma-pālasya.
That is the information we get. And... So Brahmā instructed his sons. Then they got the knowledge. The sons instructed to the grandsons. In this way, Vedic knowledge is coming. Therefore it is called paramparā, disciplic succession. We don't manufacture. We receive the knowledge, the perfect knowledge by disciplic succession, beginning from Nārāyaṇa.
So whatever knowledge we are getting from the śāstras in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, it is not manufactured by man. It is not man-made knowledge. The knowledge was received by, through, knowledge was imparted or instructed by Nārāyaṇa or Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā received it, and from Brahma, Nārada received it. From Nārada, Vyāsadeva received it, and Vyāsadeva is writing this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Lokasyājānato vidvāṁś cakre sātvata-saṁhitām.
Simply he has to follow the dictation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That dictation comes through the paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa dictated Arjuna, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). If you follow Arjuna, then you (are) in directly contact with Kṛṣṇa. There is no difficulty. The dictation comes through disciplic succession. Now Kṛṣṇa is teaching to His disciple, Arjuna. Arjuna accepted, śiṣyas te 'ham: (BG 2.7) "Just now I become Your disciple." Śiṣya means one who voluntarily accepts the ruling of a spiritual master. He is called śiṣya. Nobody wants to follow the dictation of others—that is another independent nature of living entity—but when one voluntarily agrees to serve the dictation of the spiritual master..., means to follow the dictation of Kṛṣṇa... Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyāt. Kṛṣṇa says, "Ācārya is My self." Nāvamanyeta karhicit: "Never disobey."
Therefore he became gosvāmī, prabhupāda. He became prabhupāda. Prabhupāda means the title or the respect which is given to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is called... Prabhu means master and pāda means maryādā, or the respect or the distinction. So bhagavad-dūta, those who are strictly following the dictation of Kṛṣṇa under strict disciplinary chain of disciplic succession, he is Kṛṣṇa's representative and he should be given all the respect. Sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstraiḥ. That is the verdict of all śāstras.
And those who are actually Vaiṣṇava, they follow this instruction.
Just like there are entrusted bodies in every department, in every state, similarly, Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He has got also several very faithful or confidential, confidential authorities who can speak about religion. Therefore paramparā system is so necessary, disciplic succession. Kṛṣṇa has got direct confidential servants. They know what is religion. Therefore it is said, mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). If we are puzzled about the principles of religion, then we must follow the mahājanas. Mahājana. These mahājanas are described here. Who is mahājana? Svayambhū. Svayambhū means Brahmā. Svayambhū. He is called Svayambhū. Svayambhū means "one who is born by himself." Of course, he is not born by himself, but he is not ordinarily born. Just like a child is born by the sex intercourse of the father and the mother, Brahmā is not born like that. There was no sex intercourse to beget Brahmā. Therefore he is called Svayambhū. Svayambhū.
Therefore he is called Svayambhū. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Svayambhū and next, Nārada. Nārada is mahājana. Svayambhū is mahājana. Śambhu, Lord Śiva, is mahājana. Kumāra, the four Kumāras, Sanaka, Sanātana, they are also mahājanas. And these four, they have got their disciplic succession: from Brahmā, the Brahma-sampradāya; from Śambhu, Viṣṇu Svāmī-sampradāya; from Lakṣmī, Śrī-sampradāya; and from Kumāra, this Nimbārka-sampradāya. Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ. Unless one who comes through the sampradāya, their principles are not authorized. And Kṛṣṇa also says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). Paramparā, sampradāya. Kṛṣṇa also says. So this is very important. Unless one comes to the disciplic succession, anything he prescribes, that is null and void. It is not to be accepted. Svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ prahlādaḥ (SB 6.3.20). Prahlāda, Mahārāja Prahlāda, he is also.
What is that? Śrotriyam.
Śrotriyam means one who has perfectly heard the science of God from authoritative sources in disciplic succession. That is the qualification. Śrotriyam, and brahma-niṣṭham means not that simply he has heard, but the result is that he is firmly fixed up in God consciousness. These two qualifications. You have to find out that whether this man is coming from disciplic succession, śrotriyam... Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: (BG 4.2) "By this disciplic succession, this science of Bhagavad-gītā was learned." So you have to approach the spiritual master who is coming down from that disciplic succession. Then he is bona fide. Not only... He may be coming, but if he has not understood, then simply accepting will not do. Then the next symptom is śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12).
Boys and girls, today I shall explain to you the importance of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it was conceived by one of the greatest devotees in this disciplic succession. You know we are under disciplic succession. We do not manufacture anything by mental concoction. We do not approve that method. We receive knowledge from the authorities and out of such many ācāryas, or authorities, who have appeared and disappeared... We don't say born and died, no. (laughter) Appear and disappear. This is the actual explanation. None of us, either Kṛṣṇa or we or all living entities, they appear and disappear. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the battlefield, "My dear Arjuna, either you or Me or all the kings and soldiers who have assembled in this battlefield, don't think that they did not exist in the past and they'll not exist in the future." That means they existed in the past and they're existing at present and they would exist also in the future. That means eternal. Eternal, we are all eternal.
That you try to understand, that as because I cannot see, it does not mean I am dead. Similarly, because the senses of the body cannot function, that also does not mean that I am dead. It is to be understood with little intelligence and with cool head.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee, he's in the line of disciplic succession. He's considered one of the great ācāryas. An authority, ācārya. And who is ācārya? Ācārya means one who knows the intricacies of Vedic knowledge and he personally behaves in terms of that knowledge and teaches his disciple in terms of that knowledge. Ācārya means the person whose behavior is to be followed. Not that as we follow somebody according to our taste. Not like that. That ācārya comes in the standard disciplic succession. So ācārya. So this Prahlāda Mahārāja, we are discussing the instruction of Prahlāda Mahārāja because he happens to be one of the stalwart ācāryas.
So this is going on." So he's teaching his classfellows now. Kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha (SB 7.6.1).
Now, this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which is in this table, this book is a great, grand edition of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Each verse contains eight commentaries by great stalwart devotees. They represent different disciplic succession of devotee. They are... There are four authorized disciplic successions. As I have already mentioned that Brahmā is one of the authorities, similarly, he has got the disciplic succession from Brahmā. From Brahmā to Nārada, from Nārada to Vyāsadeva, from Vyāsadeva to Madhvācārya, from Madhvācārya to Mad... I am making shortcut. From Madhvācārya to Mādhavendra Purī, from Mādhavendra Purī to Īśvara Purī, from Īśvara Purī to Lord Caitanya, from Lord Caitanya to Svarūpa Dāmodara, from Svarūpa Dāmodara to six Gosvāmīs, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, from Gosvāmīs to Kṛṣṇadasa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, the author of Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and from him Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, and from Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, Viśvanātha Cakravartī, from Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura to Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, from Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī to Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, from Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura to Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, and from Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī my spiritual master, and then we are descended.
In this way, the disciplic succession is coming. And what is the specific condition or what is the significance of the disciplic succession? The disciplic succession, if you receive knowledge from the descendants of these authorities, or disciplic succession, then you get the perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge. Perfect knowledge is imparted by the supreme perfect, God. And it is received by Brahmā, and the same knowledge is handed over to Nārada. Nārada hands over to Vyāsadeva, Vyāsadeva hands over to... Just like a ripe fruit on the top of the tree, if it falls down all of a sudden, it is destroyed. But if it is handed over from up to down, down, down, then it comes as it is. As it is. Then you can enjoy the reality. And that is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.
That is, that's a long history. Now this, this paramparā system This Vivasvān handed over the knowledge to Manu, Manu handed over this knowledge to his son, Ikṣvāku.
And Kṛṣṇa says in the next verse, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). In this way, this knowledge was received by disciplic succession and all the rājarṣis... Rājarṣi means the monarch who is just like a sage. You'll get... In the history of Mahābhārata there were many kings. They were all sages. Simply they were, by name, they're monarch. But they were always thinking for the welfare of the citizens. Just like Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. So this is the Now Kṛṣṇa says, sa kāleneha yogaḥ naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. Now this paramparā system, or disciplic succession, has broken by the influence of time. Just imagine it was coming down from the sun planet, and It is, there is every possibility.
Devotee: Is Arjuna described in disciplic succession?(?) I mean...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Devotee: How come the other incarnations are (indistinct)?
Prabhupāda: Arjuna is disciple of Kṛṣṇa, that is known. Then what is your next question?
Devotee: Did Kṛṣṇa describe to Arjuna the disciplic succession?
Prabhupāda: Yes. He said that "I am speaking to you Bhagavad-gītā because you are My devotee, you are My confidential friend." That is the qualification to receive this from disciplic succession. That is the qualification. He, he, Arjuna did not go to instruct, yes, Kṛṣṇa did not like to instruct the confidential system of yoga to any so-called impersonalist or so-called Vedantist. Arjuna was ordinary householder. He was, of course, belonging to the royal family. He was a great warrior, that's all, but he did not belong to the brāhmaṇa family or any learned scholar. He was a military man. Then why Kṛṣṇa to discuss the mystery of Bhagavad-gītā to him?
My Guru Mahārāja used to say that one who is licking up the bottle of honey. He is thinking that "I am licking honey," but that is impossible(?). Similarly, the so-called scholars when they comment on Bhagavad-gītā, they are licking up the bottle of honey. The taste of honey is different. That taste one can get when the bottle is opened by (indistinct) person. Then he can taste the Bhagavad-gītā. Otherwise licking up the bottle, that's all. If one is satisfied by licking up the bottle of honey, without tasting it. Then is he not a fool? (laughter) The fools say "I have got the honey!" but it is not opened. Therefore in Bhagavad-gītā it is said rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam. Rahasyam, the transcendental secrecy(?) of Bhagavad-gītā. That secret will not be opened to a so-called scholar or academic educated. It must be taken from the (indistinct) authorized person. Evaṁ paramparā prāptam (BG 4.2). By disciplic succession.
That will not do. Just like we... Sometimes in the court we give some judgment from the other court and that is taken very seriously because it is authority. We cannot manufacture judgment. Similarly, ācāryopāsanaṁ, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is recommended. We have to go to the ācāryas. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: "One who has accepted ācārya in the disciplic succession, he knows the things." So all the ācāryas, they accept Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nārada, he accepts, Vyāsadeva, he accepts, and Arjuna also accepts, who personally listened to Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavad-gītā. And Lord Brahmā. Yesterday somebody questioned that "Whether there was the name of Kṛṣṇa before Dvāpara-yuga?" No, there was. In the śāstras there are Kṛṣṇa. In the Vedas, in Atharva Veda and others, Kṛṣṇa name is there. And in the Brahma-saṁhitā—Lord Brahmā, he wrote Brahma-saṁhitā—it is clearly explained there, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1), anādir ādiḥ.
Who is bona fide spiritual master? That is also mentioned. Samit-pāniḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. That spiritual master, there are two signs. What is that? Śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means he's coming in disciplic succession by hearing process. This is very important. One has to hear from the superior, not to manufacture. One must hear. Because the subject matter is transcendental, beyond our senses. Simply the same example: if you want to know something about India, and because I have come from India, you can ask me, "What is the Indian condition?" I can present perfectly. But you cannot imagine. Or you have to read some books of India.
So this is the process of knowledge. So in the Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). That paramparā, by disciplic succession. So guru means śrotriyam, who has heard nicely, perfectly from his spiritual master. And his spiritual master must have heard from his spiritual master. In this way, you go on, ultimately, Kṛṣṇa becomes the spiritual master.
These things are described there.
So you haven't got to labor very hard. If you simply follow mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), if you follow the footprints of great personalities like Arjuna, like Nārada, like Brahmā, like Śaṅkarācārya, like Rāmānujācārya, oh, they are there. Their precepts and their injunction is there. But you have to select a person, a bona fide spiritual master. You have to see that whether he's actually in that disciplic succession. And how you can test it? You'll test it that a bona fide spiritual master will instruct you the same thing as Kṛṣṇa instructed. How it is that? That Kṛṣṇa said that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (BG 18.66) "You give up all engagements and you just surrender unto Me," the spiritual master will say the same thing, that "You surrender to Kṛṣṇa." He'll not say, "Not to Kṛṣṇa, but to something else, nonsense." He's not a spiritual master. Just try to understand. This is paramparā system. There will be no difference between the instruction of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master.
So therefore you have to select. If you actually want to make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you have to select. It requires some labor, or it requires some intelligence. That's all. It is not very difficult. There are, there are still in this world direct disciplic succession. But you have got..., you must have got some intelligence. Then you can understand.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tatra, uh, guru-śuśrūṣayā. So you have to begin your spiritual, your Kṛṣṇa consciousness by accepting a bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession. And your first business will be guru-śuśrūṣā. Ṣuśrūṣā means to please the Supreme, this is spiritual master, by service, sevayā. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you have to adopt three processes in the beginning. You have to select one, a bona fide spiritual master. Then you have to surrender.
Ordinary jana, common man, and mahājana means authorized person. We cannot take lesson, instruction from unauthorized person. This authorization must come through the disciplic succession. If the spiritual master, authorized spiritual master says, "You do this," that we have to do. That we are singing daily,
- guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete koriyā-aikya
- āra nā koriho mane āśā **
This is the process. This is the process. And if I think that I am more intelligent than my guru... First of all guru must be bona fide, not a bogus guru. The guru, as specified by Caitanya Mahāprabhu, that is not very difficult, who is guru? Caitanya Mahāprabhu said,
- yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa
- āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra' ei deśa
- (CC Madhya 7.128)
He is guru. One who is strictly following the instruction of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and after following Him, he is just delivering the instruction as Kṛṣṇa has said, then you become guru. It is not difficult. Caitanya Mahāprabhu has ordered everyone. Therefore our process is to follow Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and then try to understand Kṛṣṇa's instruction. Just like here in our temple.
Spiritual master means who is strictly following the orders of his superior. He is spiritual master. Spiritual master does not mean that he has got four hands or eight legs or three heads. No. One who is strictly following the orders of his predecessor, he is spiritual master. Just like Arjuna was told by Kṛṣṇa that "This system, paramparā system, disciplic succession of spiritual masters, is now lost." Sa kālena yogo naṣṭaḥ: "That yoga, that system of yoga is now lost. Therefore I am making you again My disciple."
So if you follow the instruction, although you are not present before Kṛṣṇa, if you follow the instruction of Arjuna or a faithful servant of Kṛṣṇa, then you understand. What was spoken to Arjuna, you can also understand. It is not very difficult. Prahlāda Mahārāja also is speaking in that capacity because he is also a disciple of Nārada. So he is saying, bhaktyā tutoṣa bhagavān gaja-yūtha-pāya. These material acquisitions are no good for understanding Kṛṣṇa or God. Simply you become a devotee.
The same example, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, abhijana—"These are useless." So Rūpa Gosvāmī gave example, tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. Tucchavat: "Eh... It has no value, insignificant." Gave up. The same line... This is called disciplic succession. Many millions of years, the Prahlāda Mahārāja said that abhijana: "By these things you cannot achieve the platform of devotional service." And many, many millions of years after, so Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī also showed the same example. Tyaktvā tūrṇam aśeṣa-maṇḍala-pati-sreṇīṁ sadā tucchavat. This is called paramparā system. Not that "Millions of years ago Prahlāda Mahārāja, what he did, that is now gone. Now something new should be introduced." No, it cannot be changed even millions of years after. This is called paramparā system. Kṛṣṇa said, "Millions of years ago I spoke this Bhagavad-gītā yoga process to sun-god." Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham.
So we have to follow Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is our guru, pūrva-ācārya. Nārada is pūrva-ācārya. He is disciple of Nārada. Therefore he is ācārya, and his disciplic succession... There are sampradāyas: Brahma-sampradāya, Kaumāra-sampradāya... Anyone who is bona fide ācārya, he can create his own disciplic succession, but one disciplic succession and the other disciplic—they are not different. They are of the same conclusion. The Vaiṣṇava ācāryas, just like our Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, and Nimbārka, and who that? Rudra-sampradāya? Viṣṇu Svāmī. They are all of the same movement. Ārādhyo-bhagavān vrajeśa-tanayaḥ, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is their conclusion. There is no different conclusion. Although they have got varieties of methods—śuddhādvaita, dvaitādvaita, vaśiṣṭādvaita, like that—they present the same philosophy in clear way. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu presented the same philosophy, that acintya-bhedābheda.
Dayānanda: Translation: "O my Lord Nṛsiṁha, in this way, just being engaged in Your transcendental loving service, I shall be able to associate with devotees who are liberated souls, haṁsas, and thus being completely uncontaminated by the association of three modes of material nature, it will be possible for me to chant the glories of Your Lordship, who is so dear to me. I shall chant Your glories, fully following the footprints of Lord Brahmā and his disciplic succession. In this way it will be possible without any doubt that I shall cross over the ocean of nescience."
Prabhupāda:
- so 'haṁ priyasya suhṛdaḥ paradevatāyā
- līlā-kathās tava nṛsiṁha viriñca-gītāḥ
- añjas titarmy anugṛṇan guṇa-vipramukto
- durgāṇi te pada-yugālaya-haṁsa-saṅgaḥ
- (SB 7.9.18)
So in this verse two words are very important. One is viriñca-gīta. Viriñca means Lord Brahmā and the followers. Just like we, Gauḍīya-sampradāya, means we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Our sampradāya begins from Lord Brahmā. There are similarly other sampradāyas, just like Rudra-sampradāya, then Kumāra-sampradāya, and there is Lakṣmī-sampradāya, Rāmānuja-sampradāya. So there are four sampradāyas. Brahma-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya, Kumāra-sampradāya and Lakṣmī-sampradāya. And if we do not take either of these sampradāyas in disciplic succession, then our attempt to advance in spiritual life will be failure.
So he is in charge; therefore he was given the Vedic knowledge. And he got the Vedic knowledge, but at the same time, two demons known as Madhu-Kaiṭabha, they wanted to snatch away, take away the Vedic mantras from Brahmā. This is the attempt from the very beginning. The devotees following the disciplic succession of Brahmā... Just like we are. We belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. Several times I have explained. So our original guru is Brahmā, Svayambhū. Therefore he is one of the great personality, svayambhūr nāradaḥ śaṁbhuḥ kapilaḥ kaumāro manuḥ (SB 6.3.20). These are twelve mahājanas, men of authority. So Brahmā is man of authority, the demigod, the supreme demigod, the best of the demigods. So these Madhu-Kaiṭabha, Madhu-kaiṭabha, they took away. Rajas-tamaḥ. Why? They were full of rajas-tamas, and Brahmā is sattva-guṇa.
So sattva-guṇa and rajas-tamaḥ.
Anādi bahirmukha jīva kṛṣṇa bhuli gela, ataeva kṛṣṇa veda-purāṇa karilā. So Veda-Purāṇa is required. Why the Vedas are there for us? To revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And the gist of the Vedas, the śāstra, is Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-śāstra vinijya (?). So if we read Bhagavad-gītā carefully, spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and follow it according to the direction of the Brahmā and his disciplic succession, then Kṛṣṇa will give you all protection from the demons. There is no doubt. That is Kṛṣṇa's business. He said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glāniḥ means discrepancy in the matter of understanding Vedas. That is dharmasya glāniḥ.
He was defeated and then he became His disciple. Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had talks with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, another Māyāvādī sannyāsī scholar. So He also explained Vedānta-sūtra.
So it is not that this devotional line, disciplic succession, they are necessarily very poor in knowledge. They are full in knowledge. One many not be personally very learned, but because we follow the disciplic succession, the conclusion given by the learned scholars like Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Rūpa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī, therefore, we follow the conclusion, therefore we are also learned. Because we do not follow any other path, we follow mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186), we follow Jīva Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī. Therefore, we are called Rūpānuga Vaiṣṇava. Vaiṣṇava, who are followers strictly. My Guru Mahārāja is described, rūpānuga-viruddha-apasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṇe. Rūpānuga-viruddha.
Therefore you'll find the Brahmā's picture, he has got Vedas in his hand. Have you seen? Brahmā's picture, he has got Vedas. And in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is said, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye means he is the original learned man. And the disciplic succession comes from Brahmā. Brahmā was educated by Kṛṣṇa, and from Brahmā, his disciple Nārada, and Nārada's disciple Vyāsa, Vyāsa's disciple Madhvācārya. In the Madhvācārya, Lord Caitanya, in the line. From Lord Caitanya, others. In this way the disciplic succession is coming directly from Kṛṣṇa. And it is called Brahma-sampradāya. Brahma-sampradāya. So that knowledge... Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, this knowledge is received by this disciplic succession. That is perfect knowledge. No adulteration. Just like if you see water directly from the sky, it is pure water.
The authority is mother: "Here is your father." Accept it. There is no research. There is no trouble. And if you, "No, I want to find out my father by research," go on with your nonsense research. What research you can do? What knowledge you have got?
Therefore this knowledge is perfect. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2), by disciplic succession from authority. That knowledge is perfect. Our knowledge, most imperfect. Just like we are studying the moon. So many scientists were engaged to study the moon. Every day we read something about moon. And in Bhāgavata you see that the moon is very cold planet, and there people drink soma-rasa. And the other day I was reading in the paper, the temperature is 200 degrees less than zero. Just you can imagine how cold it is. So how we can go there? Cannot go to Canada because when it is below zero degree, you are you so unhappy. And it is, if we accept the statement of the scientists, it is 200 degrees below zero. So how you can go there?
| Page Title: | Disciplic succession (Lectures, SB) |
| Compiler: | Mayapur, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 01 of Oct, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=94, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 94 |