Vaisnava culture

Expressions researched:
"Vaisnava culture"

SB Canto 4

The Lord is described herein as the worshipable Deity for persons in brahminical and Vaiṣṇava culture.

SB 4.21.38, Purport: The Supreme Person is described herein as brahmaṇya-deva. Brahmaṇya refers to the brāhmaṇas, the Vaiṣṇavas or the brahminical culture, and deva means "worshipable Lord." Therefore unless one is on the transcendental platform of being a Vaiṣṇava or on the highest platform of material goodness (as a brāhmaṇa), he cannot appreciate the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the lower stages of ignorance and passion, it is difficult to appreciate or understand the Supreme Lord. Therefore the Lord is described herein as the worshipable Deity for persons in brahminical and Vaiṣṇava culture.

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

(Viṣṇu Purāṇa 1.19.65)

Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the prime protector of brahminical culture and the cow. Without knowing and respecting these, one cannot realize the science of God, and without this knowledge, any welfare activities or humanitarian propaganda cannot be successful.

The actual position of the Absolute Truth, as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is manifested in three features—namely impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā and, at last, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This knowledge is perfect from time immemorial, and the brahminical or Vaiṣṇava culture depends on this principle eternally.

SB 4.21.42, Purport: A genuine brāhmaṇa or Vaiṣṇava therefore depends eternally on the conclusion of the Vedas or Vedic versions presented by the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. Only from Vedic knowledge can we understand the actual position of the Absolute Truth, who, as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is manifested in three features—namely impersonal Brahman, localized Paramātmā and, at last, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This knowledge is perfect from time immemorial, and the brahminical or Vaiṣṇava culture depends on this principle eternally. One should therefore study the Vedas with faith, not only for one's personal knowledge, but for the sake of spreading this knowledge and these activities through real faith in the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Vedas.

Initiation Lectures

Automatically he is getting Vaiṣṇava culture, he is associating with the Vaiṣṇavas. So the son of a brāhmaṇa has the chance. A practical example, this boy: from the very beginning becoming a Vaiṣṇava, more than a brāhmaṇa, more than. Vaiṣṇava position is above the brāhmaṇas.

Brahmana Initiation Lecture -- New Vrindaban, May 25, 1969: So you are going to be brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa, this sacred thread ceremony; therefore you should follow all these principles, satyam, śaucam, cleanliness... Although in this age, not only in your country—you are completely out of Vedic culture—even in India, they are so-called. Nobody follows. But still, they claim, "I am brāhmaṇa. We are brāhmaṇas." So this is parapidam (?), simply a social standard without any qualification, without any... So you are going to take the responsibility of brahmanism. This system is introduced according to pāñcarātrikī system. Pāñcarātrikī system means formerly in the Vedic system, without being born by a brāhmaṇa, nobody was given this sacred thread ceremony. "Without being born by a brāhmaṇa" does not mean hereditary, but actually, one who is brāhmaṇa... Just like you are not being created as brāhmaṇa. So if your son is born, he has the first claim to become a brāhmaṇa because by the birth he gets the brahminical culture, sees the father, mother. Just like this boy. Automatically he is getting Vaiṣṇava culture, he is associating with the Vaiṣṇavas. So the son of a brāhmaṇa has the chance. A practical example, this boy: from the very beginning becoming a Vaiṣṇava, more than a brāhmaṇa, more than. Vaiṣṇava position is above the brāhmaṇas. Brahmā jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. But Vaiṣṇava, he penetrates the brahmajyoti. Just like you penetrate. If you are able to penetrate the sunshine and go to the sun and seek out the sun-god, if somebody is able, by going to the sun planet by sputnik, he is better than who is in the sunshine.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

As a result our this Vaiṣṇava culture installing the Supreme as Kṛṣṇa pronounced in the mantra to worship Him. (Hindi) The nāma... If he fulfills the propagation of this out of the nāma, and then more powerful... Means that he is the more loved. This kīrtana, and then this saṅkīrtana.

Conversations -- May 17, 1977, Vrndavana: The Prabhupāda's unfulfillment mission has been fulfilled by this Vedanta Prabhupāda. Śrīmad-Bhāgavata, all quotes, quotations, praising this all types of the power, all propagating the hari-nāma. And it is all-powerful... So there is a medium of literature, medium of professor, medium of the cinema, but still, medium of the personality who in (indistinct) presented it himself. And you, of all people, that attracted by transcendental personality. What with these social religions; there are many authorities and leaders have gone there, and social-religious reformers who practice the yoga, jñāna, karma, etcetera, etcetera. But the one person imbued and empowered fully, transcendental form, by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, and by his guru, Prabhupāda. It is not that... Nobody can empower. And as a result our this Vaiṣṇava culture installing the Supreme as Kṛṣṇa pronounced in the mantra to worship Him. (Hindi) The nāma... If he fulfills the propagation of this out of the nāma, and then more powerful... Means that he is the more loved. This kīrtana, and then this saṅkīrtana. These things themselves teach us, though in one word—kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana is one faith. But still it has the three aspects—Kṛṣṇa, then nāma, then kīrtana, then saṅkīrtana. So he has, by his mission, his translations, and in the world he has given this Kṛṣṇa. He has given this Kṛṣṇa. He has given the nāma. He has given the kīrtana, the saṅkīrtana which we have seen this morning, the saṅkīrtana, bahubhir militvā. Wonderful. In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta...

1970 Correspondence

Certified disciple of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, the missionary preacher of Vaisnava cult in the Western world, is strictly following the Vaisnava regulations. They are regularly initiated in Vaisnava culture.

Letter to P. Gangulee -- Tokyo 16 August, 1970: In this connection I may inform you that although there is no law by which the Temples can bar anyone's entry in India, still sometimes practically I have felt the difficulty in respect of my American and European disciples. Last time when I was in India one of my students, Harivilasa Brahmacari, felt the same difficulty when he was in the Temple of Jagannatha Puri. Similarly one disciple was refused entry in the Ranganatha Temple in Vrndavana.

So if you kindly issue a general letter, suggestively reading as follows:

"Certified disciple of Swami A.C. Bhaktivedanta, the missionary preacher of Vaisnava cult in the Western world, is strictly following the Vaisnava regulations. They are regularly initiated in Vaisnava culture. They have changed their names in the form of Krsna das or servant of God, and are following the regulative principles very strictly, worshiping the Lord in the Temple, and thus they are converted Vaisnavas in the strict sense of the term. No Temple authority of India should therefore restrict them in the matter of offering their respects to the Deities or chanting the Hare Krsna Mahamantra within the vicinity of the Temple.

1972 Correspondence

In every respect these western countries are the best field for our Vaisnava culture to spread and take effect, that has been demonstrated.

Letter to Puri Maharaj -- Sydney 8 April, 1972: Please accept my greetings. I beg to acknowledge your letter of 18/3/72, and I have noted the contents carefully. You will be happy to know that our centers in Australia are expanding very rapidly, and many many young boys and girls are surrendering their lives in rich country to Lord Krishna. Now I think I have got about 100 disciples in Melbourne, and Sydney, exactly like those you have observed with me in India. So there is very good scope here because we have opened up our preaching here less than two years back. The other day I was invited by some Christian monks to come to their very large monastery in the countryside near Melbourne, and they were so much appreciating our Krishna Consciousness philosophy of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and they read our Bhagavad Gita every night, and they are all very nice persons and have stopped eating meat. So practically they have become our allies, and with their co-operation there is immense work to be done. Then last night we had a meeting in the Melbourne Town Hall in the central part of the city, and there was very ecstatic kirtan with more than one thousand persons and many of them joined us by dancing on the stage. So in every respect these western countries are the best field for our Vaisnava culture to spread and take effect, that has been demonstrated.