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The importance of a sampradaya
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To: alt-hindu@uunet.uu.net
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Subject: The importance of a sampradaya
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From: nparker@crl.com (Nathan Parker)
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Date: 24 Mar 1995 11:46:22 -0800
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From nparker@crl.com Fri Mar 24 14: 38:48 1995
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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
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Organization: CRL Dialup Internet Access (415) 705-6060 [Login: guest]
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Srila Prabhupada speaks out: The Importance of a Sampradaya
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In the disciplic succession we simply find repetition of the same
subject as they were spoken by Krsna. In the Bhagavad Gita (9.34) Sri
Krsna says:
man mana bhava mad bhakto
madyaji man namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat parayanah
"Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee,
offer obeisances, and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely
you will come to Me." These very instructions were reiterated by all the
acaryas, such as Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (SSR
- Who is a Guru)
Just as a king gives protection to his citizens, these devotees,
following the principles of devotional service, will give protection to
all the people of the world. The people of the world are very much
harassed by so-called religious-principled svami s, yogis, karmis and
jnanis, but none of these can show the right way to become elevated to the
spiritual platform. There are primarily four parties spreading devotional
service all over the universe. These are the Ramanuja-sampradaya, the
Madhva-sampra daya, the Visnusvami-sampradaya and the Nimbarka-sampradaya.
The Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya in particular comes from Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. All these devotees are spreading this Krsna consciousness
movement very widely and giving protection to innoce nt people who are
being so much embarrassed by pseudo-avataras, -svamis, -yogis and others.
(SB 4.28.32)
In the Padma Purana it is also said, sampradaya-vihina ye mantras
te nisphala matah. There are four sampradayas, or disciplic successions,
namely the Brahma-sampradaya, the Rudra-sampradaya, the Sri-sampradaya and
the Kumara-sampradaya. If one wants to advance in spiritual power, one
must receive his mantras from one of these bona fide sampradayas;
otherwise he will never successfully advance in spiritual life.
(SB 6.8.42)
The devotees of Orissa are called Udiyas, the devotees of Bengal
are called Gaudiyas, and the devotees of southern India are known as
Dravidi devotees. As there are five provinces in Aryavarta, so
Daksinatya, southern India, is also divided into five pr ovinces, which
are called Panca-dravida. The four Vaisnava acaryas who are the great
authorities of the four Vaisnava disciplic successions, as well as Sripada
Sankaracarya of the Mayavada school, appeared in the Panca-dravida
provences. Among the four Vaisnava acaryas, who are all accepted by the
Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Sri Ramanuja Acarya appeared in the southern part of
Andhra Pradesh at Mahabhutapuri, Sri Madhva Acarya appeared at Pajakam
(near Vimanagiri) in the district of Myangalore, Sri Visnusvami ap peared
at Pandya, and Sri Nimbarka appeared at Mungera-patana in the extreme
south.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the chain of disciplic succession
from Madhva Acarya, but the Vaisnavas in His line do not accept the
tattva-vadis, who also claim to belong to the Madhva-sampradaya. To
distinguish themselves clearly from the tattva-vad i branch of Madhvas
descendants, the Vaisnavas of Bengal prefer to call themselves Gaudiya
Vaisnavas. Sri Madhva Acarya is also known as Sri Gaudapurnananda, and
therefore the name Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya is quite suitable for the
disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Our spiritual master, Om
Visnupada Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, accepted
initiation in the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya.
(Cc. Adi, 1.19)
As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2): evam parampara praptam imam
rajarsayo vidhu: "This supreme science was thus received through the chain
disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way."
This parampara system extends from Manu t o Iksvaku and from Iksvaku to
his sons and grandsons. The rulers of the world in the line of hierarchy
execute the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the parampara
system. Anyone interested in peaceful life must participate in this
parampara s ystem and perform yajnas. As Gaudiya Vaisnavas in the
parampara system of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we must perform sankirtana
yajna all over the world (yajnai sankirtana prayair yajanti hi
sumedhasasah).
(SB 8.14.6)
arthasrayatvam sabdasya
drastur lingatvam eva ca
tanmatratvam ca nabhaso
laksanaam kavayo viduh
Translation: Persons who are learned and who have knowledge define
sound as that which conveys the idea of an object, indicates the presence
of a speaker screened from our view and constitutes the subtle form of
ether.
Purport: ...because vedic knowledge was imparted by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is transcendental to material creation, it is
pefect. If we receive that Vedic knowledge from Brahma in disciplic
succession, then we receive perfect knowledge.
..mental speculators or so called philosophers who are researching
what is actually God will never understand the nature of God. The science
of God has to be understood in disciplic succession from Brahma, who was
first instructed about knowledge of God by God Himself.
(SB 3.26.33)
