Reflections on Initiation - Nitai Das

8/13/2019 Reflections on Initiation - Nitai Das

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Some reflections on Initiation

Nitai Das

March 19, 1999

Recently, among the many other projects I have started and not finished, I have been been woring on !isvanatha

"aravartin#sKrsna-bhavanamrta, a delightf$l poem embodying ragan$ga bhati% &he very first verse of the te'tcontains the word parampara, which, among other things, may be translated disciplic s$ccession% &he verse reads lie

this in my translation(

I s$rrender to the rain)clo$d *rsna "aitanya, who instantly destroys the world of darness and refreshes the whole

world thro$gh the s$ccessions of showers of his bea$ty lie the bea$ty of millions of gods of love% +Krsna-

bhavanamrta, 1%1

It is a nice image% "aitanya is lie a rain clo$d po$ring down his bea$ty lie rain on a thirsty world% Imposed on thisrather poetic, nat$ral view is the word s$ccession +parampara% It seems to spoil everything% Rain clo$ds rain

indiscriminately, b$t in !isvanatha#s verse he has left the nat$ral order and imposed the idea of s$ccession on the image%Since it doesn#t fit the image very easily, he m$st have had a very good reason for it% -r perhaps the image sho$ld be

one of lines or bands of rain moving across the landscape the way one sometimes sees them in the s$mmer, an intense,dar)bl$e downpo$r soaing a partic$lar area, b$t leaving the s$rro$nding areas dry% .owever one imagines it, the

meaning seems clear( "aitanya#s shower of bea$ty or light +anti is mediated thro$gh s$ccessions and for $s in the"aitanya comm$nity this means disciplic s$ccessions% &his verse reminded me of an insipid little boo that was sent to

me recently% /ritten by someone named &rip$rari +what ind of a !aisnava name is this, anyway, it was called Sri

Guru Parampara:Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, heir to the esoteric life of Kedarnatha

Bhaktivinoda% &he boo is f$ll of goofy errors, sophistry, and mis$nderstandings, b$t critici0ing that worthless littleboo is not the point of this essay% &he a$thor, however, claims that hatisiddhanta Sarasvati had received disa

+initiation in the 2a$diya sampradaya and this reminded me of my own parting of ways with IS*"-N%

&he main reason for my depart$re from IS*"-N was that I came to believe +and I still do that hatisiddhanta

Sarasvati had never received proper initiation into the sampradaya% &his revelation absol$tely shoo my world to pieces%I remember sitting on the roof of IS*"-N#s !rindaban g$est ho$se the following day sadly watching the s$n come $p%

It seemed lie a different s$n and the world I saw was a strange, frightening one% 3or wees I had no idea what I was

going to do% &he man who broe the news to me was Dr% *apoor, elder savant of the "aitanya !aisnava tradition andformer member of the 2a$diya Math% .e himself had fo$nd gen$ine initiation o$tside the organi0ation of

hatisiddhanta% 4ven tho$gh I greatly respected Dr% *apoor, I ref$sed to accept what seemed to me to be e'tremely

bad news on his word alone% I interviewed others and did my own researc, b$t every where I t$rned I fo$nd the co$rseled to the same $nbelievable concl$sion% hatisiddhanta had been ref$sed initiation by 2a$ra *isora Das abaji and

he had ins$lted his father#s g$r$, ipin ihari 2oswami% .is enormo$s ego and rather sharp tong$e closed the doors of*rsna#s realm to him and to those who have depended on him% /hen he was called on his lac of initiation by one of the

"aitanya tradition#s greatest scholar)practitioners of the cent$ry, 5andita Ramarsna Das aba, who was $niversallyrespected and honored by !aisnavas of all sampradayas, he t$rned his venom on the babas who were following the only

recogni0ed form of ren$nciation in the "aitanya tradition% &his has had a profo$nd effect on the f$nctioning of 2a$diyaMath and all its children, one among which is IS*"-N% More will be said abo$t this side of the problem in f$t$re

installments of this essay%

/hy did I come to believe that hatisiddhanta Sarasvati was never initiated6 &his was almost $niversally the reason

e')members of the 2a$diya Math gave for their own depart$res from that organi0ation% I had always been told that afterthe death of hatisiddhanta, the 2a$diya Math disintegrated as a res$lt of politics and greed% &he act$al impet$s I

learned was the discovery of the ina$thenticity of hatisiddhanta#s initiation% &he man who began the fract$re of the2M was 5$ri Das 2oswami, the leader of the 2M piced by hatisiddhanta himself, and his reason was precisely his

own discovery of the flaw in the parampara% .e called the members together, especially the sannyasis, and informedthem that their efforts were in vain% /itho$t the proper initiation of their teacher, the mantras he gave them were


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$seless% .e advised them to go home and get married% &heir p$rs$it of sannyasa was a waist of time% Most of all he

advised them that for their own spirit$al good they go get properly initiated% &his I heard from several aged !aisnavas in!rindaban and Nabadvip who new 5$ri Das and who left along with him or some time shortly afterwards%

In addition, I did a little research on my own% D$ring one of my visits to Nabadwip I visited the bhajana $tir7mandiraof 2a$ra *ishora Das abaji and spoe with the p$jari there% I ased him if he new whether 2a$ra *ishora Das abaji

had any initiated disciples% .is answer, after cons$lting with some of the other elders of the compo$nd, was that, as faras he new, there were only fo$r, a married co$ple of modest means and two others, agric$lt$ralists, none of whom

were hatisiddhanta% .ow he new this and how reliable his testimony is, I don#t now% It may be worthless, b$t inconj$nction with the other evidence it lends s$pport to the thesis that all that hatisiddhanta got from 2a$ra *ishora

Das abaji was a little d$st sprinled on his head%

&he third bit of evidence comes from an eye witness acco$nt% &rip$rari claims that there were witnesses to

hatisiddhanta#s initiation +p% 8% .e doesn#t mention who they were or even how he nows there were witnesses% /eare e'pected, I s$ppose, to accept it on his a$thority% .is a$thority is $seless, however, and $nless he has some

evidence, we can treat the witness claim with the do$bt it deserves% &he eyewitnesses I now of and from whom I heardwere eyewitness to hatisiddhanta#s admission before 5andita Ramarsna Das aba that he had not received initiation

from 2a$ra *ishora Das abaji% hatisiddhanta was in the habit of visiting 5andita abaji d$ring his visits to!rindaban since he was witho$t a do$bt the most respected of the "aitanya !aishnavas of the 19:;s and 198;s% -n one

occasion hatisiddhanta was highly praising 2a$ra *ishora Das in 5andita aba#s presence% 5andita aba ased him ifhe had received initiation from him% hatisiddhanta said he had received it in a dream% 5andita abaji said that that

was fine, b$t he sho$ld receive it in the flesh since that is the only type of initiation accepted in the "aitanya tradition%hatisiddhanta said he wo$ld and ended the visit% < few years later Siddhanta ret$rned to !rindaban, now the acharya

of the 2a$diya Math, a famo$s man% .e visited 5andita abaji and was ased again if he had gotten initiation from2a$ra *ishora Das aba% .is answer was the same, at which point 5andita aba got e'tremely angry with him for

maing disciples witho$t proper initiation% 5andita abaji threw him o$t of the ashrama and hatisiddhanta, fearingdamage to his rep$tation, began his cal$mny of the !rindaban babas and forbade his disciples from associating with

them% &his acco$nt was given to me by phenomenological> evidence that it has no a$thentic initiation% In this installment wewill have to grapple with the =$estion of the >s$ccess> of IS*"-N% IS*"-N)men will often cite the s$ccess of


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IS*"-N as proof of the power and a$thenticity of Srila 5rabh$pada% !iewed objectively, however, a strong arg$ment

can be made that IS*"-N has not been all that s$ccessf$l and one might e'tend that arg$ment to its motherorgani0ation in India, the 2a$diya Math% < lot, of co$rse, hinges on what is considered s$ccess% It is possible to lower

the thresh)hold of s$ccess so low that anything can be considered s$ccess@ conversely it is possible to raise it so highthat nothing can be considered s$ccessf$l% -bvio$sly, however, some more or less objective standards are needed to

eval$ate s$ccess% I will try to find and apply s$ch standards in three areas that are $s$ally associated with s$ccess( si0e

and wealth of the organi0ation, level of advancement of its members, and effect of the organi0ation or its teachings onthe awareness or conscio$sness of the /est%

If si0e and wealth are to be considered evidence of s$ccess, then IS*"-N will have diffic$lty demonstrating its

s$ccess% "ompared to many other religio$s organi0ations, IS*"-N has done no better and in several cases worse%


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wo$ld have made some advancement% &he only devotees I have ever seen who were on high levels of development

were o$tside of both IS*"-N and the 2a$diya Math% -ne remembers Sri *rsnacarana Das aba who co$ld no longerattend readings of wors on *rsna)lila beca$se tears wo$ld start s=$irting from his eyes $ncontrollably, his hair wo$ld

stand on end and slobber wo$ld r$n down his chin% &he other members of the a$dience wo$ld tae more notice of himthan of the te't being read% I never saw this happen to him, b$t this is how Dr% *apoor described him to me% I also recall

sleeping o$tside of &in$di aba#s +*isoriisorananda aba room when I first joined him and waing early in the

morning to hear him la$ghing and taling enth$siastically in his room with someone% /hen I peeed in I saw that hewas alone% &hose aro$nd him told me that he often did that and that he was taling with Radha and *rsna and the othergopi% &hey in addition claimed that Radha and *rsna were act$ally there with him% &hose aro$nd him also claimed that

they had at vario$s points seen all of the eight sattvia viara appear in his body% Cnfort$nately, my engali was too

poor at that time to $nderstand what he said there in his room% 4ven in my profo$ndly covered state, however, I co$ldsense that something powerf$l was going on within and aro$nd him%

"an IS*"-N boast s$ch advanced devotees6 I do$bt it% If there are some similarly advanced devotees I wo$ld be gladto learn of it% IS*"-N doesn#t even recogni0e s$ch things as achievements, tho$gh% &o IS*"-N)men selling more

boos, b$ilding more temples, maing more money, maing more disciples are the signs of advancement% &his is all5rabh$pada $sed to tal abo$t% &he wealth of the heart doesn#t co$nt for m$ch% IS*"-N#s f$ll attention is directed

o$tside% My thesis is that this is beca$se the path inside is bloced for IS*"-Ners and this is beca$se it has no gen$ineinitiation% Initiation opens $p the inner door and as &in$di aba once said connects one with the powerho$se, *rsna% If

that inner path is bloced by worthless mantras, if that inner door is loced sh$t one#s attention is forced o$tside and onehas to j$dge one#s s$ccess on the basis of some e'ternal meas$res% "omm$nity of transmission here means disciplic s$ccession% Mantras that are not received thro$gh disciplics$ccession are powerless% IS*"-N#s mantras are proving $seless in transforming the hearts of its initiates% &hat is

anyway how it appears to o$tside observers lie me% &h$s, neither from the point of view of material s$ccess nor fromthe point of view of advancement of followers does IS*"-N appear to be empowered%

/hat abo$t IS*"-N#s infl$ence in transforming the conscio$sness of the /est6 .as not IS*"-N had a profo$ndeffect in transforming /estern c$lt$re6 5erhaps it is too early to draw any concl$sions on this iss$e, b$t at present it

loos lie IS*"-N and indeed several of the other religio$s movements of the latter twentieth cent$ry are destined to

be mere footnotes to the religio$s life of the cent$ry% I have increasingly noticed how, in the classes I teach, fewer andfewer of the st$dents have ever heard of the .are *rishna movement% &hose who have heard of the movement now

ne't to nothing abo$t its teachings and practices% If a st$dent does now something it is that the .are *rishnas $sed toharass people in the airports and city streets, forcing boos and incense on them and alleviating them of their pocet

cash% &his is IS*"-N#s real legacy% -lder people associate IS*"-N with the idnapping of ids and scandalo$sm$rder cases% 5enetrating st$dies have been done on the psychological profiles of people who join s$ch >fringe> gro$ps

as IS*"-N, with the objective of getting s$ch people help so that they will not do s$ch things in the f$t$re% /hilem$ch of this hype is based on a mis$nderstanding of what IS*"-N stands for and a corresponding ref$sal to recogni0e

that similar psychological weanesses can be fo$nd in people who become members of the mainstream religions, itnevertheless contrib$tes to the overall c$lt$ral perception of IS*"-N% &h$s, IS*"-N and the other gro$ps lie it have

become manifestations of the feared >other>% !ery few


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Select Bibliography

"hryssides, 2eorge% 4'ploring New Religions% ?ondon, C%*%( "assells +1999%

Melton, H% 2ordon Robert ?% Moore% &he "$lt 4'perience( Responding to the New Religio$s 5l$ralism% New Gor(

&he 5ilgrim 5ress +19E J8rd printing@ 1st printing 19:K%

Melton, H% 2ordon, 4ncyclopedia of


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Maybe something lie the $nderstanding o$tlined above was in Dr% *apoor#s mind when he shattered my safe little

IS*"-N world by informing me of the absence of initiation in IS*"-N and the 2a$diya Math% .e himself had taenre)initiation already from 2a$ranga Das aba and I recall =$ite clearly his emotional description of the day on which he

met his initiating g$r$ +aba% .e and his wife were overwhelmed by tears of joy% &hey were literally drenched by theirown tears% &hey recogni0ed him immediately as their g$r$ at their first meeting and he them% Dr% *apoor#s s$ggestion

for me was that I tae initiation secretly and remain within IS*"-N% &his was apparently what he had done, since he

had ept $p his relationships with his old 2a$diya Math god)brothers% .e even recommended &in$di aba as the mostadvanced of the bhatas in raj at the time and as the most liely candidate for my initiating g$r$% +.e also spoehighly of *rsnacarana Das aba &hat was when I began to visit &in$di aba, meeting him for the first time at

Manasasarovar in 2ovardhan% $t that story is for another installment% Somehow Dr% *apoor#s advice didn#t sit very

well with me, however% I had j$st had my head chewed off a month before by 5rabh$pada in Mayap$r over a plan I haddevised to create an accredited g$r$)$la and that in front of most if not all of the 2"% I can still see the smirs on

their greasy, self)ind$lgent faces, so many swine swaddled in saffron% .is words still ring in my ears, too( >Do yo$ thin

the world needs more scholars6A NoA It needs more devoteesA> I never co$ld accept the idea that one co$ld not be both ascholar and a devotee and, =$ite franly, I still don#t% I felt, therefore, o$t of place in IS*"-N and I considered it

somewhat hypocritical to tae initiation secretly from someone else and then pretend still to be 5rabh$pada#s disciple% Ibegan from that time to plan my depart$re, looing for an opport$nity to slip away =$ietly and $nnoticed into the mists

of raj% $t that too is a story for another time%

?ooing bac at that time from the present I am convinced I did the right thing% S$re, I co$ld have secretly correctedIS*"-N#s impotence by bringing in an a$thentic initiation line% My own disciples, if ever I had any, wo$ld have been

benefitted no do$bt and perhaps the worship of that heart)g$r$ +caitya-guru accomplished in the first mantra and firstgayatri given in a gen$ine initiation wo$ld have helped me g$ide IS*"-N on more wholesome paths% Still, there is ahorrible flaw and obstacle at wor in IS*"-N and its parents that nothing short of complete separation can correct and

this is also why I do$bt that the 2a$diya Math and IS*"-N are parts of Mahaprabh$#s plan% It is to that flaw that wem$st now t$rn%

Some people are always engaging their senses inthe sense objects lie cows and asses and don#t now, even in their dreams, #who is 2od, what is devotion, who is the

g$r$%# S$ch inoffensive persons are saved even witho$t a g$r$ by repeating the holy name in the manner of #semblanceof holy name# +namabhasa lie


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properly initiated, and who yet are rel$ctant to get themselves properly initiated s$ffer from% &he res$lt is the same( one

doesn#t get *rsna $ntil after the offense is destroyed and $ntil after one has fo$nd shelter with an a$thentic g$r$%

In concl$ding where do we find o$rselves6 &wo res$lts have been arrived at concerning the 2a$diya Math and

IS*"-N( first, they are c$t off from the powerho$se by the neglect of proper initiation and second that neglect isoffensive to the holy name impeding even the holy name from acting to p$rify and perfect their followers% I noticed this

second phenomenon =$ite dramatically toward the end of my stay in IS*"-N% D$ring my last days in IS*"-N I wasgiven the position of head p$jari of the *rsna alarama &emple in !rindaban% I decided it wo$ld be a good opport$nity

to do more ro$nds of japa% I specifically wanted to try to chant three lacs a day as the script$res often recommend% Inever made it to three lacs a day, b$t I did brea the one lac barrier% &he res$lt was s$rprisingly $nimpressive, however%

I still had high hopes, b$t I didn#t feel that power and that presence% ?ater, after I too shelter of &in$di aba, far awayfrom anything IS*"-N, and he made it my sole responsibility to chant three lacs a day, e'traordinary things began to

happen% &he holy name became effective again% I had not received initiation from aba yet, b$t the holy name washaving an overpowering effect on me% &hat effect or change of heart was indeed what aba was waiting for before

giving me initiation% 5revio$sly, when I was in IS*"-N I g$ess I was g$ilty by association and the holy name ref$sedto approach me% -nly after I left did I begin to feel its great power% I will describe this in more detail in the one of the

ne't installments%

efore signing off this month, I have to raise the =$estion once more of whether IS*"-N and the 2a$diya Math are

instr$ments of Mahaprabh$% &here are a n$mber of reasons for answering this =$estion in the affirmative% -n the otherhand there are many good reasons to thin that if they are instr$ments they are profo$ndly flawed, flawed almost the the

degree of being $seless to Mahaprabh$% It appears that if anything good is to come from the sit$ation those of $s whohave left those organi0ations and fo$nd gen$ine initiation elsewhere m$st be ready to offer o$r s$pport to those still in

them or still infl$enced by them in their search for the dimly etched way to the inner bower% Somehow o$t of all themore highly =$alified, more gifted, more intelligent, more motivated devotees, we few have fo$nd the way s$ccessf$lly%

/e owe it to those who showed $s great compassion when we needed it and in no way deserved it and to those whosincerely wish to follow to mar the path clearly and offer assistance along the way% "ontact those of $s listed on this

web site and we will do o$r best to g$ide yo$ home%

More Reflections on Initiation:

Critique of Tripurari's little tan bookNitai Das

September 15, 1

T!is mont! I t!ou"!t t!at I #oul$ take a look at some of t!e issues raise$ in t!e little tan book b% Tripurari Ma!ara&

TM( calle$ Sri Guru-parampara Mill )alle%, C*: +armonist ublis!ers, 1-. no IS/N(0 Some of %ou ma% recallt!at it #as one of t!e stimuli t!at starte$ t!is series of essa%s of mine0 ne senses t!at TM trie$ in t!is book to take an

open2min$e$ an$ accommo$atin" approac! to t!e topic an$ for t!at !e is to be con"ratulate$0 3!% I m%self am e4encite$ in t!e tet6 T!at is "enerosit% in$ee$0 I #ill tr% in #!at follo#s to maintain t!at atmosp!ere of "enerosit%0

7nfortunatel%, t!e un$erstan$in" presente$ in t!e book is profoun$l% fla#e$0 To tr% an$ eamine all of t!e failin"s oft!e book #oul$ require anot!er book of equal or "reater len"t! an$ t!at is #a% be%on$ m% intentions0 T!erefore, I #ant

to focus on onl% t!ree ma&or issues: t!e question of t!e si$$!a2pranali, t!e question of t!e siksa2parampara, an$ t!e

m%t! of t!e fall of t!e 8au$i%a )aisna4a tra$ition in t!e 1t!centur%0

9et's be"in #it! t!e question of t!e si$$!a2pranali0 TM unfortunatel% misun$erstan$s #!at t!e si$$!a2pranali is an$ I

am afrai$ t!at I mi"!t be at least partiall% to blame for t!at0 In t!e first place, t!e si$$!a2pranali is not a separate rite or$iksa t!at is recei4e$ later t!an t!e mantra $iksa0 It is an epansion of t!e mantra $iksa0 In some of m% pre4ious

#ritin"s I ma% !a4e "i4en t!e impression t!at it is a separate rite apart from t!e primar% rite of initiation0 or t!at Iapolo"i;e0 T!e sin"le most important rite in 8au$i%a )aisna4ism is mantra $iksa0 *t t!at time one is accepte$ into a line

of "urus "oin" back to Sri Caitan%a or !is imme$iate follo#ers0 T!is is calle$ t!e "uru2parampara an$ is 4er% importantbecause it is t!e c!annel t!rou"! #!ic! Ma!aprab!u's merc% comes to one0 T!e mantras one recei4es t!en are

empo#ere$ b% e4er% member of t!at line an$ kno#in" #!o t!e% are is 4er% important0 T!at is #!% in t!e 8au$i%atra$ition one is "i4en t!eir names in a list like t!e one on t!is #eb2site0 ne s!oul$ offer obeisance to e4er% member of

t!at c!ain eac! $a% an$ before $oin" an% $e4otional practice0 It is b% t!eir "race t!at one succee$s0 Not $oin" so #oul$be like sittin" out on t!e en$ of a branc! of a tree #!ile sa#in" it off at t!e trunk0 T!at is t!e c!ain t!at one !as to catc!

!ol$ of if one #is!es to be pulle$ out of t!e ocean of repeate$ birt! an$ $eat! an$ eac! link is important0


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In t!e 8au$i%a )aisna4a tra$ition outsi$e of IS*ll opposition to /!aktisi$$!anta conten$s t!at !e $i$ not recei4e t!e si$$!a2

pranali initiation to t!e esoteric #ors!ip of Ra$!a an$ #as tie$ to absolutel% not!in"0 TM tacitl% reco"ni;es t!is #!en !e sa%s>/!aktisi$$!anta $i$ not teac! !is follo#ers to #ors!ip t!e $iksa "uru of 8aura 0 T!e reason/!aktisi$$!anta $i$n't #as t!at !e $i$n't kno# #!o t!e $iksa "uru of 8aura


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$o m% mantra is attac!e$ firml% to t!e ocean2liner of Sri Caitan%a an$ t!at I am bein" $ra""e$, for t!e most part

un#illin"l% I must a$mit, to#ar$ t!e $istant s!ore of 8oloka0

It is interestin" to note t!at TM mentions *nanta )asu$e4a an$ Sun$aranan$a )i$%a4ino$a in !is book #it!out clearl%sa%in" #!o t!e% #ere0 *nanta )asu$e4a #as also kno#n as uri Ma!ara&a an$ #as not onl% learne$, but #as t!e man

c!osen b% /!aktisi$$!anta to replace !im after !is $eat!0 Sun$aranan$a )i$%a4ino$a #as one of t!e lea$in" #riters an$

t!inkers of t!e 8au$i%a Mat! an$ t!e e$itor of t!e Mat!'s mont!l% &ournal for %ears0 * fe# %ears after /!aktisi$$!anta'spassin", for some reason t!e %ear 1A1 sticks in m% memor%, uri Ma!ara&a an$ Sun$aranan$a )i$%a4ino$a left t!e8au$i%a Mat!, but not alone0 * number of follo#ers left #it! t!em an$ settle$ in 4arious places aroun$ )ra&a to $o

b!a&ana, i0e0 !ari2nama an$ lila2smarana0 I !ear$ t!e follo#in" from one of t!em, t!en an ol$ baba in 8o4ar$!an0 3!enuri Ma!ara&a $isco4ere$ t!e lack of initiation in t!e 8au$i%a Mat! linea"e, !e calle$ all of t!e lea$in" sann%asi in t!e

Mat! or"ani;ation to"et!er an$ informe$ t!em of !is $isco4er%0 +e a$4ise$ t!em: >Fou all ma% as #ell "o !ome an$"et marrie$0 Continuin" t!is c!ara$e is useless>0 It !as ne4er been clear to me #!at c!ara$e uri Ma!ara& !a$ in min$,

t!e )aisna4a c!ara$e or t!e sann%asa c!ara$e0 @u$"in" from !is later actions !e probabl% meant bot!( +e t!en took !iso#n a$4ice takin" off !is saffron robe an$ !ea$in" to )rin$aban #!ere !e at first !i$ from t!e an"er of !is former "o$2

brot!ers t!is part soun$s quite familiar to me(0 3!en !e arri4e$ in )rin$aban !e #as "i4en s!elter b% )is!4amb!ar8os#ami, one of t!e Ra$!araman 8os#amis0 S!ortl% t!ereafter !e publicl% renounce$ t!e 8au$i%a Mat! an$

apolo"i;e$ for all of t!e offenses !e committe$ as a prominent member an$ lea$er of it0 +e later marrie$ an$ settle$ in

)rin$aban pro$ucin" o4er t!e %ears one of t!e finest collections more t!an fift% 4olumes( of 8au$i%a scripture e4er to

be pro$uce$0 T!is !ar$l% soun$s like someone #!o !a$ lost !is sakti2sancara empo#erment b%


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Indeed, over the years I have lost a n$mber of friends beca$se of it% It seems to be my sad fate to be the gadfly% &here

seems to be nothing I can do abo$t, however, beca$se it still irritates me when I see st$pidity passed off as wisdom%&rip$rari#s boo is b$rsting at the seams with st$pidity and I j$st cannot resist lancing it lie the infected boil it is% My

friend +I haven#t critici0ed him yet, yo$ see Minaetana Rama Das forwarded a piece of a conversation between5rabh$pada and some of his devotees abo$t me after I left IS*"-N% Since it gets straight to the point of this essay I

want to cite a bit of it here(

.ari)0a$ri( &hat was one thing that Nitsacred rapt$re> which is also called preman% &his is indergartner st$ff%

-n the stage of bhajana)riya there is a for in the path% Some choose vaidhi)bhati as their bhajana)riya, otherschoose ragan$ga as their bhajana)riya +see rs% 1%8%:F9 and 1%8%:9:)8% R$pa maes it clear that these are two separate,

b$t parallel paths when he disting$ishes between the res$lts of each in his chapter on bhava)bhati% &hose who followthe path of vaidhi develop one ind of bhava +see rs% 1%8%, 1%8%9 for an e'ample of vaidhi)ja bhava and those who

follow ragan$ga)bhati develop another +see rs% 1%8%1E for an e'ample of ragan$ga)ja bhava% Different e'amples ofpreman are given in the chapter on prema)bhati, too +see rs% 1%E%F)%

&his view is consistent with the position of the Bhagavata Puranaon the intimate sports of *rsna%


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anugrahaya bhutanam manusam dehamasritah

bhaate tadrsih krida yah srutva tat-paro bhavet +hag% 1;%88%8F

.e +*rsna has taen this h$man form to show compassion to all beings and he engages in s$ch sports, the hearing ofwhich maes one intent on him%


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above #vikriditam%% and gives the following commentary on it(

>one =$icly gives $p the disease of the heart, l$st and so forth that are not prone to sin +6% /hile the s$periority Jofthose sports with the gopiK is established in general, among them the worship +bhajana of him sporting with his most

dear lover Radha is the highest of all% &hat is self)evident% $t that confidential sport is not to be worshiped by those

whose senses possess h$man +or manly transformations +i%e% penile erection or other forms of aro$sal and by those

whose feelings are those of the parents, sons, or servants beca$se that is contrary to their own moods% Sometimes theconfidentiality is partial Jas with their issing and embracing, etc%K and sometimes complete Jas with their se'$al$nionK%>

In other words one sho$ld not practice smarana of Radha and *rsna#s confidential sports if one gets se'$ally aro$sed by

them% If one approaches those sports sincerely from the siddha identity of a manjari servant of Radha whoseresponsibility it is to facilitate their pleas$re, not one#s own, one can generally avoid this problem% &his is in fact at the

very core of the practice@ one learns grad$ally to morph one#s sadhaa identity into that siddha identity% &o approach itin any other way is to collapse into voye$rism% If one is not able to remember the confidential sports of Radha and

*rsna witho$t getting aro$sed then perhaps one sho$ld not do the practice $ntil one can%

?et $s now ret$rn to the =$estion of who were the originators of the practice of smarana7siddha)pranali% &M =$otes

hativinoda &ha$ra who in his &aiva-dharmatraces it bac to Mahaprabh$ himself +p% % Mahaprabh$ gave it to!aresvara 5andita, his irtana partner, who passed it on to 2opalag$r$ 2oswami and 2opalag$r$ to his disciple

Dhyanacandra 2oswami% &he later two wrote >methods> +paddhati on it% &his may well be tr$e, b$t it ignores anotherimportant side of the practice% !aresvara 5andita, 2opalag$r$, and Dhyanacandra are relatively less well nownmembers of the "aitanya tradition% &his gives the mistaen impression that the practice of smarana7siddha)pranali

developed among a peripheral gro$p of followers and is not central to the "aitanya !aisnava enterprise% &he first timewe hear of the idea of a siddha)deha which is at the core of the siddha)pranali in any "aitanya !aisnava te't is in R$pa

2oswami#s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, in the famo$s seva sadhaka-rupenaverse +rs% 1%:%:9B% &he first time we

hear of the manjari is perhaps in Ragh$natha Dasa#s 'ilapa-kusumanali#tvam rupamanari sakhi%%%, verse 1 or

perhaps in *aviarnap$ra#s Gauraganoddesadipika% It is diffic$lt to determine the relative age of these wors%Nevertheless, it seems clear that the practice developed in the !rndavana circle of Mahaprabh$#s followers and was

partic$larly well s$ited to the simple and sparse life of !raja% 2opalag$r$ settled in !rndavana after the disappearanceof !aresvara 5andita and *avi *arnap$ra also retired to !rndavana% In fact, Ragh$natha Dasa#s address to

R$pamanjari at the beginning of his 'ilapa-kusumanalimay well indicate that R$pa 2oswami was already involvedin the practice at the time%

R$pa was profo$ndly indebted to his elder brother whom he regarded as his teacher% 5erhaps Sanatana had a hand in the

development of the practice as well% !rndavana insider *rsnadasa *aviraja presents the teachings, incl$ding those onthe siddha deha, as having all been given to Sanatana by Mahaprabh$ +"c% Madhya, chaps% :;):E% Sanatana in t$rn

passes them on to his brother R$pa who records them in his boos% Sanatana#s own first boo, Krsnalilastava, is aninteresting prec$rsor to the practice% It combines the holy names of *rsna s$itable for the reco$nting of the first forty)

five chapters of the &enth "anto of the Bhagavata% &h$s it is has both nama)irtana and lila)smarana combined with

1; acts of obeisance spread thro$gho$t it% In addition, in the chapter in Sanatana#s Brhad-bhagavatamrtacalled> +:%F in which 2opa$mara visits 2oloa, he presents *rsna#s lila in a form that resembles to a highdegree the form that the daily sports will tae in the hands of *rsnadasa *aviraja and !isvanatha "aravartin%


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< follower of someone

who is passionate for .im,sho$ld pass one#s time

living in !raja,grad$ally applying the mind and the tong$e

to the remembering and chanting

of .is names, forms, acts,&his is the essence of instr$ction%

&his is the essence of instr$ction and it involves both remembering and chanting, both smarana and irtana, not one or

the other% &hose who pretend to be followers of R$pa +rupanuga sho$ld pay more attention to this teaching%

In concl$ding this rather long installment, I m$st admit that I am rather to$ched that 5rabh$pada referred to me as a

tiger, which is not $nflattering, and that he also called me learned% I am of co$rse neither, nor do I want to ill thephilosophy or eat anybody% I am after all these years still a vegetarian% I merely what to see the philosophy gotten right,

which it will not be if it is left in the hands of illiterates lie &M and the rest of the saffron mafia% /hat abo$t this ideaof sisa)parampara6 &hat will have to wait $ntil we meet again% Cntil then( Radhe ShyamA

!ro" the Screen of the #$itor

It has been a very long time since the last iss$e of +itai-ine% I deeply apologi0e for this% -ther projects have beenabsorbing my attention and will probably contin$e to do so for some time% Nevertheless, I hope to contin$e this e)0ineon a more or less reg$lar basis for some time and hopef$lly in a somewhat e'panded form% /ith this iss$e, some new

>col$mns> have been added( one that will contain translations of essays by great !aisnavas of more or less recent times+generally translations from engali and a second that will contain translations of more ancient wors +generally

translations from Sansrit% &his iss$e feat$res, in addition to my critical essay on the moronic idea of sisa)paramparainvented by the 2a$diya Math +2M and on the profo$nd offensiveness of 2M and IS*"-N@ an essay by Dr%

Radhagovinda Nath on sannyasa, translated from engali@ and part of first chapter of the bea$tif$llila-smaranate't

by *avi *arnap$ra, the Krsnahnika-kaumudi+Moonlight of the Daily


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5lease respond again and I g$arantee that I will not fail to respond this time% 5lease contact me at the e)mail address

below% 3or now, I hope yo$ enjoy and benefit from the c$rrent iss$e%

ND

More Reflections on Initiation:Critique of Tripurari's little tan boo

Part 3Did Go$ Say Sisa)parampara6

Nitai Das

March 1E, :;;;

/ay bac in -ctober I promised that the ne't essay in this series wo$ld e'amine the =$estion of siksa-parampara,the phony s$bstit$te for a real g$r$)parampara invented by hatisiddhanta to camo$flage the fact that he had no real

g$r$)parampara% -opsA &hat j$st slipped o$tA -h well% &his I hope will be my last essay on &M#s little boo or on

anything else relating to the 2a$diya Math or IS*"-N% $ite franly, the line of tho$ght and literat$re created by thoseorgani0ations is so offensive to real !aisnavas that even reading their wors to criti=$e them is disr$ptive of and

harmf$l to the c$ltivation of bhati% 2a$diya !aisnava Dharma and Sannyasa> by Dr%

Radhagovinda Nath% &he siddha)pranali at least has some s$pport in R$pa 2osvamin#s disc$ssion of ragan$ga bhati in

the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu+1%:%:9E)9F and in Hiva 2osvamin#s disc$ssion of initiation in the Bhakti-sandarbha

+:8 where it is said, =$oting


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Different teachers may be e'pert in different aspects of the tradition% /hat sense does eeping trac of a parampara

mae in that circ$mstance% < person may have three or fo$r sisa g$r$s and each of those may have had three or fo$rsisa g$r$s% -ne =$icly loses the thread of the s$ccession% In fact, it is impossible to constr$ct a s$ccession in s$ch a

circ$mstance%


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In what condition is taing sannyasa appropriate6 &hat is the first thing that sho$ld be considered% &he /aitreyi

*panisadsays(

yada manasi vairgyam jatam sarves$ vast$s$ O

tadaiva sannyased vidvan anyatha patito bhaved OO+:%19

>/hen detachment to all things is born in the mind, then one sho$ld reno$nce% -therwise one wo$ld become fallen%>

&hat Cpanisad also says(

dravyartham anna)vastrrtham yah pratiharthameva va Osannyased $bhaya)bhrastah sa m$tim napt$m arhati OO +:%:;

>3or things, for food and clothing, or for power, one who reno$nces for any of those things is fallen both now and in thef$t$re and does not deserve liberation%>

$t Mahaprabh$ himself has said that in the &he asvamedha sacrifice, cow)illing +in the Madh$para rite, ren$nciation, offering meat to the forefathers +6,

begetting sons by means of the h$sband#s yo$nger brother@ these five are to be rejected in the

3rom this it is $nderstood that even for one who has the =$alification specified in the sruticited above sannyasa is notrecommended in the I consider the statements

of Sri *rsnacaitanyato be completely tr$e%

In the +"%c%, Madhya, :B%:3rom this, too, it is $nderstood that in the


17/23

&his instr$ction of Mahaprabh$ is abo$t the rejection of varnasrama-dharmafor !aisnavas% 'arnasrama-

dharmameans the caste system and system of stages of life% In script$re is fo$nd the prescription for fo$r stages of life) the st$dent stage of celibacy, the ho$seholder stage of marriage, the stage of the hermit, and the stage of ren$nciation+sannyasa% Ren$nciation is the fo$rth stage of life% 3or those who practice the path of bhati, Mahaprabh$ has said that

this +sannyasa is also to be rejected% Rejection of the system of castes and stages is co$nted as one of the practices of

!aisnavas%

In the conte't of the si'ty)fo$r limbs of bhati as means +sadhana-bhakti, the ?ord has not given any instr$ction forsannyasa% Instead he has said( >nowledge and ren$nciation are never parts of bhati%> +"%c%, Madhya, ::%:

&he 2osvamin headed by R$pa, who follow the footsteps of Sri Mahaprabh$, have established the e'ample of worship

in the !aisnava tradition and have p$blished boos, s$ch as the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhushowing the path ofworship% In their boos, an instr$ction for the practice of sannyasa is not fo$nd anywhere% /here did yo$ get this reddish cloth6>

>M$$nda Sarasvati gave it,> replied Sanatana%.earing that, sadness arose in the 5andita#s mind%

&aing $p the rice pot, he came to hit him% +"%c%, .ere this is not a reddened cloth or a red)

colored cloth% &his is the color of cloth that Mahaprabh$ $sed as an o$ter cloth +saffron, beca$se Hagadananda 5anditamistoo it for a remnant of Mahaprabh$% &his was the o$ter cloth of a sannyasi named M$$nda Sarasvati% &his was the

color of cloth that sannyasis $sed as o$ter cloths% Reddened +rakta means dyed or colored cloth% 3rom Sri Sanatana#sstatement it is $nderstood that far from taing sannyasa, !aisnavas sho$ld not even wear cloth colored lie that of


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sannyasis%

Someone is perhaps able to say that the Raman$ja Sampradya or the Madhva Sampradaya is !aisnava, b$t in these

comm$nities sannyasi are fo$nd% In answer to this it is said that the practices of each comm$nity of practitioners is inaccordance with attainment of that comm$nity#s desired goals% &he objective of the Raman$ja Sampradaya or of the

Madhva Sampradaya is not the same as that of the 2a$diya Sampradaya% &he object of worship of those two

comm$nities is the ?ord of the S$preme .eaven, Narayana@ the object of worship of the 2a$diya comm$nity is Sri*rsna, the son of leader of !raja in !raja% &he mood of those two comm$nities is the mood of godliness in !ai$ntha@the mood of the 2a$diya comm$nity is the mood of p$re sweetness free of nowledge of godliness in !raja% &he

desired objective of those two comm$nities is the liberations headed by sharing of a world +salokya, etc%@ the desired

objective of the 2a$diya comm$nity is service +seva whose p$rpose is only the happiness of *rsna in !raja% Desire for

liberation is contrary to the mood of the 2a$diya comm$nity, contrary to worship +bhaana% 3or this comm$nity(

-bstacles to *rsna)bhati

are all a$spicio$s and ina$spicio$s wors%&hat is one living being#s

trait of the darness of ignorance% +"%c%,


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edited, translated, and annotated

byNeal Delmonico +Nitai Das

Intro$uction

&he poem translated here is the wor of the one of the other great !aisnava poets in Sansrit belonging to the firstgeneration of the followers of Sri "aitanya% .e had many names( 5aramananda Dasa, 5aramananda Sena, and

*aviarnap$ra and was called 5$ridasa by "aitanya himself% .e was the third son of Sivananda Sena, one of

"asitanya#s close devotees% !isn$ isalways to be remembered> and R$pa#s >remembering *rsna %%%> +%r%s, 1%:%:9E and so that not even one moment of the

eight periods of the day and night be wasted, they established the recollection of the sports of the eight periods andwrote boos s$itable for that practice% /hat disting$ishes this te't is that there are eno$gh instances of difference

between it and the wors based $pon the Smarana-mangala-stotra,said to be written by R$pa 2osvamin, that itmay have been written before R$pa#s treatment of the sports and th$s in ignorance of it% +


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indescribably sweet words%

8% - Moon)facedA .ow is it yo$, made fearless from association with the lap of the son of the lord of !raja, are still

sleeping deeply at the end of the night6 Don#t stay any later in this bower filled with dr$nen bees%


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?etters

Dear Nitai,

I have some =$estions regarding points that are made in &rip$rari Maharaj#s boo which yo$ have debated on yo$r webpage and some points that are made on some recorded speeches of Satya Narayan on the iss$es of siddhanta and proper

parampara% Ramadasa dasa referred me to yo$ beca$se he co$ld not find all the answers I was looing for%

So onthe point of chanting 2opala mantra in conj$nction with *rsna nama, he says that this is the older method of self

reali0ation and that siddha pranali is not mentioned in the writings of the 2oswamis% /hat is yo$r reaction to thesestatements6


22/23

5rofessor 2rif

Dear 5rofessor 2rif,

I am glad to hear abo$t Satya Narayana% I had the good fort$ne of meeting him a few years ago in !rindaban% .e was

teaching at the 2$r$$la there at the time% I was very impressed with him and some what envio$s% .e was clearly verysmart and very good% .e had done what I always wanted to do( sit at the feet of Sri .aridasa Shastri and st$dy the

wors of the 2osvamin% Many years ago I did start the 1arinamamrta-vyakaranawith .aridas Shastri, b$t since Iwas part of 5rabh$pada#s >staff> and traveled with him I had to discontin$e it%

Nevertheless, I am glad to hear that Satya Narayana has left IS*"-N and taen f$ll shelter with .aridas Shastri% Itwo$ld be hard to find a more learned and e'emplary g$r$% /here is Satya Narayana now and what is he $p to6

Go$ are wise to tae yo$r time and as lots of =$estions before maing s$ch an important decision% Go$ m$st find a

g$r$ who is not only a$thentic +ie in a gen$ine disciplic s$ccession, b$t whom yo$ can love and respect for the rest ofyo$r days and beyond%


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ishiishan swore on his dying breath that he wo$ld get even with hativinoda and spoil his life#s wor%

Documents

Reflections on Initiation - Nitai Das