Śrīla Prabhupāda dictated all his books on a Dictaphone and those original unaltered tapes can no longer be found. Visitors to our website should know that everything that is read below that is quoted by Swamiji is 100% supported and validated by all the ancient Vedic scriptures of India.
GURŪ NIRNAYA DĪPIKĀ
THE SCRIPTURAL DECISION ON WHO CAN BECOME GURŪ AND WHO CANNOT
Chapter Four
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
(These questions and answers were taken from letters and a discussion between guests and followers of Bhāgavat Dharma Samāj, and His Divine Grace Mahant Śrī Kṛṣṇa Balaram Swami Mahārāj on the grounds of The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA, in May of 1993).
Guest--I do not quite understand what is a Gurū; can you please speak a little on the subject?
Swamiji--A Gurū is a perfect devotee of God who helps opens the spiritual vision of a conditioned soul by rewarding transcendental knowledge selflessly. He must be in an unbroken chain of succession descending from God, and an expert in the knowledge and etiquettes of Vedic civilization.
Guest--What are the symptoms of a real Gurū and how should one surrender unto him if he is found?
Swamiji--
saṁsāra tāpa vistāra kāraṅārtha pravodhakaḥ,
gurūr loke sa vijñeyo na anyaś cāturya vodhakaḥ
"A personality who is filled with vast knowledge of scriptures and vividly able to explain about the cause of the living entity's entanglement into this material world, and the way to get out of it, is accepted as the Spiritual Master, but not a person who shows only his cleverness, manipulation and external features."
As Śrīmad Bhāgavatam says:
gurū śuśrūṣayā bhaktyā labdhārpaṇena ca
"Whatever one has or achieves in this life should be offered unto his/her qualified and authentic Spiritual Master to receive his blessings."
Although a qualified Spiritual Master is not interested to receive anything in exchange for teaching or initiating his disciples, still the duty of a real disciple is to offer everything he or she has. This is the Vedic injunction.
Student--All teachers say that what they speak is correct and is the exact Vedic standard, so how do we know that what you speak is the correct Vedic standard?
Swamiji--On the spiritual platform whatever we read, listen to or speak should be confirmed by Gurū, Sādhū, and Śāstras. This means the original Spiritual Master, the original saints and the original Vedic literatures must fully coincide with the statements made. The original Spiritual Master is Lord Kṛṣṇa who agreed that the Brāhmaṇa should be the Gurū for all the social and spiritual orders on earth. And all the original teachers state in their commentaries on the Vedic scriptures that only a qualified Brāhmaṇa born devotee can function as the Spiritual Master of the whole world. We follow the Lord and the previous great teachers without adding or subtracting anything.
Spiritual life is for everyone. But to guide one on the spiritual path one must find a perfect Spiritual Master in the chain of disciplic succession and serve God through him. As Lord Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā prāptam , one Gurū can guide many people to the spiritual world if properly followed. This is God's direction to keep people from being misled by imposters. Lord Kṛṣṇa also says in the Chapter Four of the Gītā:
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninās tattva-dar śinaḥ
"To receive this knowledge one should approach a qualified Spiritual Master with sublime inquiries and render service unto him. Such self realized souls will impart knowledge unto you because they know the truth perfectly."
Take to spiritual life rightly before it becomes too late.
Guest--How can I identify a real Gurū from an imposter?
Swamiji--You can know who is Gurū and who is not by seeing if he has the following scriptural qualifications, the proper traditional birth succession, sound knowledge of Vedic scriptures, initiation in the traditional succession, and full dedication to the Lord.
Guest--I have read your Gurū's books where this succession of birth is criticized. I personally think that this high birth was written into the scriptures to keep others from taking the upper classes respected positions in society. Can you please explain this?
Swamiji--By being born in a Brāhmaṇa family and being spiritually trained to the scriptural standard identifies the past spiritual life of a person. As Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Sixth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā, a spiritualist who did not finish his spiritual training in that life, takes his next birth in a qualified Brāhmaṇa's family where he learns all the spiritual rules and etiquettes properly. It is understood in Vedic civilization that children born in the house of such an Āchārya are also addressed as Gurūs from their birth. It is the duty of all parents to teach their children how to be liberated from this world. Parents without the exact knowledge to guide their children to liberation must at least guide them to the correct spiritual authorities. But those born in the learned Brāhmaṇa's house are very fortunate as they are born into the Gurū-disciple environment.
You say you have read my Gurū's books. My Gurū only wrote the First Canto of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, which he brought from India.
Our Spiritual Master recorded the information for his books on the Dictaphone, not on paper. I suggest you listen to his dictated tapes on the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and Chaitanya Charitāmṛta. These books were printed very quickly without referring back with our Gurū to relay the proper message. English was his second language, and to understand his exact meaning one would have to refer back with him. The message given in these books is altered because of this lack of communication between the author and the editors.
The law of Kali Yuga makes the poor envious of the rich, the sick envious of the healthy, and the ignorant envious of the learned.
Devotee--There are many examples in the Teachings of Lord Chaitanya that many non-Brāhmaṇa born devotees initiated disciples. What about them?
Swamiji--There are not many, but very few, and they were all the Lord's eternal associates. Anyone who accompanies the Lord in his pastimes is foretold in the Gaura-Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā. As Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura sings, "gaurāṅgera saṅgī-gaṇe nitya siddha-karī māne, It is evident that Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's associates were all eternally liberated souls." W ho is such a quality devotee now? If we claim to be Vaiṣṇavas , how is it that we must fight for something that the scriptures state is unauthorized?
Devotee--What about Lord Śrī Chaitanya's statement to Rāmānanda Roy:
kibā vipra kibā nyāsi śūdra kene naya,
yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei gurū haya
(Chaitanya Charitāmṛta Madhya 8.128)
"Whether one is a Brāhmaṇa , a Sanyāsī , or a Śūdra -- regardless of what he is he can become a Gurū if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa."
Swamiji--This quote is written in Bengālī. Sanskrit is the timeless, changeless, language of God. Nowhere in Sanskrit literatures is such a statement written pertaining to the initiating Gurū. Knowing this, how can one think this statement refers to the initiating Gurū and not the instructing Gurū? In Bengālī , every category of teacher is called Gurū. Here Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Goswami is referring to a teacher and not an initiating Gurū. Rāmānanda Roy is not initiating Lord Chaitanya Mahāprabhū, but he is teaching the Lord by His order. Even though Rāmānanda Roy was Arjuna, still he did not initiate anyone. In the same literature prior to the verse that you are referring to, Lord Chaitanya ordered Kūrma Brāhmaṇa to initiate everyone.
yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa,
āmāra ājñāya gurū hañā tāra ei deśa
(Chaitanya Charitāmṛta Madhya 7.128)
"By My order be a Spiritual Master and initiate whomever you meet in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and liberate the people of this land."
The words used here in these Bengālī verses, "tattva-vettā " and "kṛṣṇa-upadeśa ", are Sanskrit words that are very significant. Using the help of a Sanskrit dictionary we can see grammatically that "tattva-vettā " means one who speaks the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness or one who knows the science of Kṛṣṇa in truth, and "kṛṣṇa-upadeśa " means giving Kṛṣṇa Mantra initiation or to initiate in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There is a difference between suggesting something and giving an order. Lord Chaitanya made a statement to Rāmānanda Roy, whereas He ordered Kūrma Brāhmaṇa to initiate.
The translations and purports of my Gurū Mahārāja were dictated on a Dictaphone, unless the tapes are produced, we must believe that the purports have been altered making it look as if anyone can become Gurū. My Gurū did not want to start an Upa-Sampradāya or a cult, but wanted to continue the age-old spiritual tradition that dates back to Lord Kṛṣṇa, unchanged.
Lord Chaitanya instructed Śrīla Rūpa Goswami, His direct disciple to write books on devotional service. Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Goswami the great grand-disciple of Lord Chaitanya also wrote books on devotional service. How could Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Kavirāja Goswami have meant that the statement "Whether one is a Brāhmaṇa , a Sanyāsī , or a Śūdra-- regardless of what he is he can become a Gurū if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa", refers to the Diksa Gurū when Śrīla Rūpa Goswami, under the direct guidance of Lord Chaytanya wrote in his Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu (Nectar of Devotion):
durjātir eva savanāyogyatve kāraṇaṁ matam
durjāty ārambhakaṁ pāpaṁ yat syāt prārabdham eva tat
(Bhakti-Rasāmṛta-Sindhu 1.1.22)
"The only reason to remain unauthorized to initiate, install deities, or perform any sacrifices is a devotee's taking a low birth. This low birth is the symptom of his past acquired sinful deeds."???
Letter--Swamiji, you always quote scriptures, therefore you know of the verse, "janmanā jāyate śūdrā saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ veda-pāṭhī bhaved vipra brahman jānāti iti brāhmaṇaḥ, this means that everyone is a Śūdra by birth, only by purificatory processes one becomes twice born, and when he progresses further by studying the Vedas he becomes Vipra. Then ultimately one who understands Brahman is called a Brāhmaṇa." How can you deny this?
Swamiji--Your translation of the Sanskrit verse is incorrect, nowhere in this verse does it state that everyone is born a Śūdra. The correct translation is when a Brāhmaṇa is born; he is equal to a Śūdra. When he accepts the sacred thread ceremony he is called Dvija, or twice born. I am not one of those ignorant people who believe what you say; I am a Sanskrit scholar who cannot be fooled by your incorrect Sanskrit translation. This verse is found in the Sārva-Bhauma-Dharma, a book of codes on how to act piously in the world. If you read it completely you would understand that this verse indeed refers to the Brāhmaṇa boy, not just anyone. Even now only the Brāhmaṇa is authorized to study the Vedas, so even if a Śūdra preformed a Brāhmaṇa's duty of studying the Vedas, he would be breaking God's law. If you break the law you do not get rewarded, you are punished. For example, there is a history in the Bhaviṣya-Uttara-Purāṇa that in Satyayuga under the rule of King Māndhātā a Śūdra performed Tapasyā, Aṅgirā Rishi advised the king to kill him, but he did not, the punishment was that not a single drop of rain fell in the kingdom for three years. In the Vālmiki-Rāmāyaṇa it is stated that in Tretāyuga a Śūdra performed Tapasyā under the rule of Lord Rāma and no rain fell until Lord Rāma found and killed the Śūdra. In no ancient scripture is it stated that other than for spiritual initiation, any other Samskāra (purifacatory ceremony) is preformed for a Śūdra. A Śūdra can become a devotee and be respected as a Brāhmaṇa , but cannot become a Brāhmaṇa. Why are you helping to destroy the age old Sanātana Dharma ? Samskāras are only for the upper classes, not for the Śūdra.
Letter--It is written in Śrīla Prabhupada's books that anyone can become Gurū; therefore you are speaking against your own Gurū.
Swamiji--No real Āchārya never conflicts with the established rules of spiritual tradition. My Gurū Mahārāja did not contradict the previous teachers. This is his culture, how could he differ with all the previous great authorities? The proof of my Gurū's true message lies in the tapes he dictated his books on. Find these tapes and you will find that my Gurū did not deviate from the previous Āchāryas. I have tried to get these tapes, they are either being hidden, or they must have been destroyed. What rules we see in Śrīla Prabhupada's books are the desire of those who wanted to become Gurū after his departure. We are faithfully trying to serve our Gurūdeva, but we want to let people know who has distorted the principles of Sanātana Dharma and my Spiritual Master.
Devotee--I think because you are born in a Brāhmaṇa family you think that no one else should initiate.
Swamiji--It is not that I am born in a Brāhmaṇa family and you are born in a family of a different caste that the scriptural laws should be compromised, this would be unjust. Even in the Vedic schools of civilization the Brāhmaṇas were appointed to teach. For example, teachers of the Vedic military arts were Parasurām , Droṇāchārya and Kripāchārya who were all Brāhmaṇas . The teachers Gargamuni and Sandīpani Muni were also Brāhmaṇas . If ordinary Vedic teachings (military arts) were done by Brāhmaṇas , how can you think that spiritual teaching would not be done by a Brāhmaṇa ? Please do not be envious of me teaching the real Vedic standard, I am not manufacturing these laws, but the scriptures dictate this. Try to follow the real thing and get real results. A non-Brāhmaṇa devotee, if he seriously follows the spiritual path, can become a pure devotee, but as per Vedic rules he cannot initiate in any circumstance.
Guest--It looks to me that you are caste conscious?
Swamiji--No I am not caste conscious. Vedic civilization does not permit this. Previously every social order, the Brāhmaṇas , Kṣatriyas , Vaiśyas , and the Śūdras performed their prescribed duties and did not become envious of one another. I am neither promoting caste consciousness, nor do I claim to be superior to the other orders. I am simply following the Vedic standard. Your question is like asking a person to eat, and when he starts eating through his mouth you say, "Oh! You are mouth conscious." There is no question of caste consciousness because we are propagating the exact Vedic standard as it has been followed since time immemorial. We follow the Vedic scriptures and the previous great teachers. If you believe they are right, you must follow their teachings also.
Letter--What about you taking initiation from your Gurū who was not Brāhmaṇa born? Why have you not taken initiation from a Brāhmaṇa born Guru? I know you have no answer for this.
Swamiji--You say I have no answer for this, but the previous Āchāryas do. Our Gurū Mahārāja appeared in the chain of the Brahma-Kāyastha family in the Dalabhya dynasty. I know this after learning of his father's last name and Gotra. In Vedic civilization the Brahma-Kāyastha caste is equal to Brāhmaṇa in every way. There is a great history at the time of Lord Parasurām clarifying this point.
The wife of King Chandrasena was impregnated by the Brāhmaṇa , Dālabhya Muni. She latter came to visit Dālabhya Muni at his Āshrama. At the same time, Lord Parasurām arrived at the ashram on his mission to rid the world of all Kṣatriyas. In fear of his son's life, Dālabhya Muni requested Parasurām not to kill the unborn child, although conceived in the womb of a Kṣatriya woman. Dālabhya Muni also requested Parasurām not to give bad intelligence to his child. Lord Parasurām agreed, but stated the child is forbidden to act as a Ksatriya. Such children will always have the Dālabhya Gotra (blood dynasty) and will always perform purifying fire sacrifices and worship Lord Harī. Another history found in the same literature, the Ādya Padya Vyākṣā 36, states that Chitragupta, a Brahma-Kāyastha was married to a Brahma-Kāyastha girl. She was the child of the Brāhmaṇa , Dhrama Sharmā, and a Kṣatriya woman. Chitragupta had eight sons born through her; latter Māṇḍavya Muni cursed four of them to engage in eating meat and drinking wine. From this history the Kāyastha dynasty is divided into two, the Brahma-Kāyastha , and the Śūdra-kāyastha .
It is written in the Padma Purāṇa that when Dharmarāja (Yamarāj) was appointed to his position in Yamaloka he was given a secretary named Chitragupta. It was questioned what caste Chitragupta belonged to, there it is stated: "drug gocarobhūd atha chitraguptaḥ kāyastha uccair guṇa etadīyaḥ, because he sees through the eyes of everyone he is named Chitragupta, and belonging to the Brahma-Kāyastha caste he is equal to the Brāhmaṇa ." Furthermore the Padma Purāṇa states that Chitragupta produced eight sons, four acted as Brahma-Kāyasthas , and four acted as Śūdra-Kāyasthas . It is found in the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa, "Chitragupta is accepted equal to a Brāhmaṇa ."
The history of Śrīla Vyāsadeva's birth from the high quality Brāhmaṇa , Parāśara Muni, and a boatman's daughter is written in the Mahābhārat. Parāśara Muni, wanting to cross a river came upon a boat man's daughter named Satyavatī. She agreed to take him across the river, but while crossing Parāśara Muni got attracted to the woman. She resisted saying you come from a high birth and I am Śūdra born, this will not work. Parāśara Muni told the woman not to worry as a child coming from a high class Brāhmaṇa man will be a high class Brahma-Kāyastha . They agreed and Vyāsadeva was conceived on the boat. Parāśara Muni's statement to the woman assuring her that the child will be of high birth can be likened to a mango tree. Wherever the mango seed is planted, only a mango tree will grow.
Śrīla Sūta Goswami was born from the sacrificial arena, agni-kuṇḍa samudbhūta sūta nirmala mānase. but some say that Sūta Goswami was born in the mixed order i.e. from a Brāhmaṇa father and a Kṣatriya mother. The learned sage Romaharṣaṇa Sūta was also born from a Brāhmaṇa father and a Kṣatriya mother. When Lord Balarām killed Romaharṣaṇa Sūta, He performed the Brahma-hatyā atonement, or the process of atonement for killing a Brāhmaṇa. The history is explained in the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Also the Yajñavalkya-Smrutī says, tatra sūta śabda prayogās tu sūtaḥ paurāṇikā matāḥ , the word Sūta refers to the order who expertly knows and speaks the ancient scriptures. These quality Sūtas were given a special caste by the ancient sages naming them the Kāyastha Dynasty which is prevalent in India today. They are considered to be equal to the Brāhmaṇas and qualified to perform purificatory ceremonies. Here the previous Āchārya's prove my Gurū Mahārāja is qualified to be Gurū and an eternally perfect devotee.
No one but a Brāhmaṇa born person, or one sanctioned by God and the previous authorities can act as the initiating Spiritual Master of all the social and spiritual orders. One cannot claim to be a Vaiṣṇava if he or she rejects any part of Vedic instruction. When the bonafide biography of Śrīla Prabhupada is written, he will be proven to be an Āchārya through the eyes of the scriptures. To present an Āchārya to be an ordinary devotee is very offensive.
Letter--A son born in the Brāhmaṇa family is not a Brāhmaṇa , just as a son of a doctor is not called a doctor unless he has been trained. If anyone studies and gets his degree, he becomes a doctor. How is it that a faithful follower on the spiritual path who is scripturally learned cannot become a Gurū?
Swamiji--Actually the son of a Brāhmaṇa has to have the qualifications of scriptural knowledge and etiquettes to become Gurū. Others can become good quality devotees and achieve liberation, but cannot become Gurūs.
There is the example of a Brāhmaṇa named Bīrabal and the emperor Akbar of India. Upon seeing all the honor the Brāhmaṇa was given by all, the emperor asked, "Bīrabal! I want to become a Hindu." Bīrabal replied, "I am sorry it is not possible for you to become a Hindu, you are not sincere." Akbar then asked, "Why is it not possible?" Bīrabal replied, "I shall answer you tomorrow." The next morning Bīrabal took a donkey, many new towels, soaps, oils and perfumes to the holy river Yamunā to change the donkey into a bull by giving him a nice bath. He and the donkey entered the Yamunā River where he began giving the donkey a bath. Half the day had passed and Bīrabal did not return to the assembly. Akbar sent some messengers to find the whereabouts of Bīrabal. They found him inside the river bathing a donkey. The messengers told Bīrabal the Emperor requested his company. Bīrabal replied, "Please tell the Emperor I am busy with my mission. Until I finish, I shall not move." The messengers relayed the news to the Emperor. The Emperor then proceeded to the Yamunā river where he found Bīrabal and asked of the importance of his mission and why he failed to accompany him in the assembly. Bīrabal replied, "I am attempting to change this donkey into a bull. I have spent so much time, used many soaps, oils, and perfumes, but still no signs of this donkey changing into a bull." Hearing this, Akbar replied, "You fool! How can a donkey turn into a bull, it is not possible?" Upon hearing this Bīrabal said, "Sir, if this donkey cannot be turned into a bull, how can you expect to become a Hindu?" Akbar was satisfied and agreed with Bīrabal of not becoming a Hindu and together left to the palace .
The idea is everyone can participate in serving the Lord, and become pure, but to become Gurū one has to follow the scriptural standard that only the sincere Brāhmaṇa can become Gurū.
Devotee--I am already initiated by a non-Brāhmaṇa born Gurū, what is my position?
Swamiji--According to one's fortune a Spiritual Master is received by a seeker. If one is fortunate he or she will wait for a perfect master to come to initiate. If some one cannot become Gurū, then where is the question of your being initiated?
Devotee--Śrīla Prabhupada wrote in a letter authorizing some of his disciples to initiate disciples and also spoke about this in some of his lectures.
Swamiji--Śrīla Prabhupada wrote a letter to Hansaduta on December 12th 1968 saying that everyone should read his books, they are not only meant for outsiders. He encouraged his disciples just as a father does by saying, eat your vegetables and you will become big and strong like me. He was simply motivating his disciples by telling them they could have titles like 'Bhaktivedanta' and allowing them to initiate disciples by 1975. Such titles must come from your superiors, but none of this happened. Śrīla Prabhupada did only what the scriptures allow him to do. He may have said many things to motivate his disciples to fulfill his mission to spread Lord Kṛṣṇa's name to every town and village, but he did only what was authorized by the scriptures. Nowhere will we find any written or verifiable proof that Śrīla Prabhupada gave any highly respected titles or made anyone a Gurū within his lifetime. Why didn't Śrīla Prabhupada give any respectable titles like 'Bhaktivedanta', or make any Gurus in 1975 as he said he would? The truth is none of the leading people were scripturally authorized to accept any of these positions.
Devotee--Some say that you are just a Hindu preacher.
Swamiji--If they call me a Hindu, that it is a complement as it is another name of Sanātana Dharma. This Sanātana Dharma was named as the Hindu religion by the Persians when they invaded India. At least I am speaking the exact Vedic system without changing anything. I should be encouraged to continue. If the Vedic system of Sanātana Dharma is led by a converted devotee then chaos will arise in due course. Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "svadharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ para-dharmo bhayāvaḥ , it is better to discharge one's prescribed duty imperfectly than to perform another's duty perfectly."
Devotee--Why did you take Sanyāsa from a western Gurū?
Swamiji-- (Swamiji laughs) No, I only made it look as if I took Sanyāsa from a western Gurū. They may have been present, but I took Sanyāsa initiation from my Gurū at his Samādhī (tomb) in Vrindāban. Many of the great Vrajavāsī devotees were present. Thank you. Jai Śrī Rādhe.
Thus ends the fourth chapter of the
GURŪ NIRNAYA DĪPIKĀ.
Hari Om Tat Sat
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mahant Śrī Kṛṣṇa Balaram Swami appeared in a family of enlightened Gauḍa-Brāhmaṇa Vaiṣṇavas who scrutinize the Yajurveda, one of the four highly recognized ancient Vedas. He appeared in Śrī Vrindāban Dhāma, the most holy place in India on July 1, 1956. His birth dynasty dates directly back to Kasyapa Muni (one of the seven mentally conceived sons of the first created being, Lord Brahmā).
Swamiji's father, Śrī Hare Krishna Pāṇḍeya, a highly respected Spiritual Master of many in the Vrindāban area began tutoring his son at the tender age of four, at their home in Vrindāban. At the age of eight, Swamiji's father enrolled him in Vrindāban's renowned Nimbārka Sanskrit Mahāvidyālaya College where he lived in the dorm and studied continually for eight years. There he became fluent in understanding Sanskrit perfectly. As a brilliant student, he was then transferred to an English college where he learned to translate the ancient Vedas into English.
Swamiji's dynasty is famous as Khajiri since the time of his ancestors. One of his ancestors daily blessed the king. One day, due to an overload of managerial duties the day before, the king was absent from the palace where the blessing would take place. Understanding that the king was not going to attend the blessing that day, the Paṇḍit (Swamiji's ancestor), not wanting to waste the religious paraphernalia and auspicious moments, left the palace. Outside the palace, he came upon an old dried up Khajura tree (date tree) on which he preformed the blessing. The next day the king awoke on time and was awaiting the Pandit's arrival when he saw the Khajura tree fresh and green with vigorous life. He asked his servant, "How this had come about." The servant replied, "As you did not awake yesterday for the blessing, the Paṇḍit blessed the tree instead, thereby the tree has flourished." Since that time Swamiji's dynasty is famous as the Khajiri.
After receiving initiation from his Spiritual Master, Swamiji preached the unchanged, age old science of God around the world. He then wrote many books in Sanskrit and English for a foundation to further spread the science of God. In 1990 he registered the Bhāgavat Dharma Samāj, a society dedicated to enlighten the illusioned people of the world. Recognized as a genuine authority on Vedic knowledge, the title, Mahant (High Priest) was awarded to Swamiji in 1991 by the four Vaiṣṇava Sampradāyas (traditional spiritual schools).
Śrīla Visvanātha Chakravartī Ṭhākura, a recognized authority on Gauḍiyā Vaiṣṇavism says that if you want to learn spiritual life perfectly, you should go to Vrindāban and learn from the Vṛjavāsīs, the local residents. Swamiji being born in Vrindāban is a Vṛjavāsī and knows the science of God perfectly. One of Lord Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabu's favorite disciples, Śrīla Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura states the following in his Śrī Vrindāban Mahimāmṛtam:
varṇānāṁ brāhmaṇo guruḥ brāhmaṇānāṁ guru sanyāsī
sanyāsīnāṁ guruḥ avināsī avināsīnāṁ guruḥ vṛjavāsī
"The Brāhmaṇa is the Gurū of the four social orders (Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatria, Vaiśya, and Śūdra ), the Sanyāsī is the Gurū of the Brāhmaṇas , the perfected being is the Gurū of the Sanyāsīs , and the Vṛjavāsī is the Gurū of the perfected beings."
Swamiji is currently writing Śrīmad Bhāgavatam with Vṛjavāsī Commentaries which we hope will enlighten the readers on the transcendental path.
By Dr. Deepak Seth M.D.
REFERENCES
We are following the same path as the famous devotee Śrīla Rūpa Goswami. We understand his referencing the Brahma Yamala, that any statement or action that is not sanctioned by the age-old scriptures is a disturbance to society. Even according to the logic given in the Vedānta Sūtra, "Śāstrayonitvāt , every act must be sanctioned by the ancient scriptures, " helps to illustrate the importance of following the scriptures word for word. We have similarly quoted the scriptures and Vedic authorities to establish the age-old scriptural Gurū system.
Ādya Padya Vyākṣā Śatakam
Āgama Sāstra
Agastya Saṁhitā
Agnī Purāṇa
Āpastambha
Bhakti Sandarbha
Bhakti Rasāmṛta Sindhu
Bhartṛ Harī
Bhāvārtha Dīpikā
Bhavisya Purāṇa
Bhavisya Uttara Purāṇa
Brahma Purāṇa
Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa
Brhmāṇḍa Purāṇa
Chaitanya Charitāmṛta
Chāṇḍogya Upanisad
Chārvāk Saṁhitā
Digdarsinī
Dīpikā Prakāśa
Durgama Sṅgamanī
Durghaṭa Bhāva Dīpikā
Garuḍa Purāṇa
Gaura Gaṇoddeśa Dīpikā
Gautama Rishi
Gurvāṣṭakam
Harī Bhakti Vilāsa
Harī Bhakti Rasāyana
Harī Charyā Dīpikā
Hitopadeśa
Kabira Dāsa
Kauśika Saṁhitā
Krama Sandarbha
Kulārṇava Taṅtra
Kulārṇava Rahasya
Mahābhārata
Manu Smruti
Merū Taṅtra
Mukunda Dāsa
Muṇḍāka Upanisad
Nārada Pañcharātra
Narottama Dāsa Ṭākura
Nitī Śāstra
Nyāya Śāstra
Purāṇāntara
Saṁskāra Paddhatī
Padma Purāṇa
Pulastya Saṁhitā
Saṁskāra Chūḍāmaṇī
Samskrit Vyākaraṇa
Sanat Kumāra Saṁhitā
Sanātana Goswami
Sārva Bhauma Dharma
Sārārtha Daśinī
Sārārtha Pradarśinī
Siddhānta Darpaṇa
Siddhānta Sarasvatī
Skanda Purāṇa
Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
Śrīmad Bhāgavad Gītā
Śrīmad Vīra Rāghavācārya
Śrīpād Madhvācārya
Śrīpād Rāmānujācārya
Śrīpād Śrīdhara Swami
Śrīpād Madhusūdana Sarasvatī
Śrīpād Ballabhācārya
Śrīpād Śaṅkarācārya
Śrīla Rūpa Goswami
Śrīla Sanātana Goswami
Śrīla Jīva Goswami
Śrīla Vaṁśīdhara Goswami
Śrīla Visvanātha Chakravarti-Ṭhākura
Śrīla Valadeva
Śrīla Prabhupāda
Vāyu Purāṇa
Viṣṇu Purāṇa
Viṣṇu Sahaśra Nāma
Viṣṇu Yamala
Visvāmitrīya Saṁhitā
Vrindāban Mahimāmṛtam
Vyāsa Gītā
Yajña Sūtra
Yajurveda
Yājñavalkya Smrutī
Śrīla Prabodhānanda-Sarasvatī
Sūtrārṇava
Śvetaśvatara Upanisad
Tatva Sāgara
Vaiṣṇava Kaṇṭha Hāra
Varāha Purāṇa
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa
Endorsement
We are given this human birth mainly to obtain liberation. It is because Indian philosophy is the oldest and the purest it shows the path to liberation very clearly, but it must be learned after accepting and following a qualified Spiritual Master. The Guru must be born in the pure dynasty, perfectly learned in the scriptures, and must be in an unbroken chain of disciplic succession. Indian religion must be learned from an Indian. If any Indian breaks this law of spiritual life and accepts some other person for a Guru, and worships him, he is certainly hurting his nation, religion, and going against the age-old Vedic scriptural laws. Therefore a sincere seeker must very carefully practice his religious duties in this age of Kali.]
- Mahant Laxmana Dasaji Maharaj Chhattavale, Ramanuja Sampradayi Sri Vrindavan Dhama, India