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 wor ing on !isvanatha "a ravartin#s Krsna-bhavanamrta, a delightf$l poem embodying ragan$ga bha ti% &he very first verse of the te't contains the word parampara, which, among other things, may be translated disciplic s$ccession% &he verse reads li e this in my translation( I s$rrender to the rain)clo$d *rsna "aitanya, who instantly destroys the world of dar ness and refreshes the whole world thro$gh the s$ccessions of showers of his bea$ty li e the bea$ty of millions of gods of love% +Krsnabhavanamrta, 1%1, It is a nice image% "aitanya is li e a rain clo$d po$ring down his bea$ty li e rain on a thirsty world% Imposed on this rather 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$r soa ing a partic$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$t critici0ing that worthless little boo is not the point of this essay% &he a$thor, however, claims that 1ha tisiddhanta Sarasvati had received di sa +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 1ha tisiddhanta 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 $p% It seemed li e a different s$n and the world I saw was a strange, frightening one% 3or wee s I had no idea what I was going to do% &he man who bro e the news to me was Dr% *apoor, elder savant of the "aitanya !aisnava tradition and former member of the 2a$diya Math% .e himself had fo$nd gen$ine initiation o$tside the organi0ation of 1ha tisiddhanta% 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$nd the co$rse led to the same $nbelievable concl$sion% 1ha tisiddhanta had been ref$sed initiation by 2a$ra *isora Das 1abaji and he had ins$lted his father#s g$r$, 1ipin 1ihari 2oswami% .is enormo$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 Rama rsna Das 1aba, who was $niversally respected and honored by !aisnavas of all sampradayas, he t$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$nctioning of 2a$diya Math 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 1ha tisiddhanta Sarasvati was never initiated6 &his was almost $niversally the reason e')members of the 2a$diya Math gave for their own depart$res from that organi0ation% I had always been told that after the death of 1ha tisiddhanta, the 2a$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 1ha tisiddhanta#s initiation% &he man who began the fract$re of the 2M was 5$ri Das 2oswami, the leader of the 2M pic ed by 1ha tisiddhanta himself, and his reason was precisely his own discovery of the flaw in the parampara% .e called the members together, especially the sannyasis, and informed them that their efforts were in vain% /itho$t the proper initiation of their teacher, the mantras he gave them were

$seless% .e advised them to go home and get married% &heir p$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 $tir7mandira of 2a$ra *ishora Das 1abaji and spo e with the p$jari there% I as ed him if he new whether 2a$ra *ishora Das 1abaji had any initiated disciples% .is answer, after cons$lting with some of the other elders of the compo$nd, was that, as far as he new, there were only fo$r, a married co$ple of modest means and two others, agric$lt$ralists, none of whom were 1ha tisiddhanta% .ow he new this and how reliable his testimony is, I don#t now% It may be worthless, b$t in conj$nction with the other evidence it lends s$pport to the thesis that all that 1ha tisiddhanta got from 2a$ra *ishora Das 1abaji was a little d$st sprin led on his head% &he third bit of evidence comes from an eye witness acco$nt% &rip$rari claims that there were witnesses to 1ha tisiddhanta#s initiation +p% 89,% .e doesn#t mention who they were or even how he nows there were witnesses% /e are e'pected, I s$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 heard were eyewitness to 1ha tisiddhanta#s admission before 5andita Rama rsna Das 1aba that he had not received initiation from 2a$ra *ishora Das 1abaji% 1ha tisiddhanta was in the habit of visiting 5andita 1abaji d$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 1ha tisiddhanta was highly praising 2a$ra *ishora Das in 5andita 1aba#s presence% 5andita 1aba as ed him if he had received initiation from him% 1ha tisiddhanta said he had received it in a dream% 5andita 1abaji said that that was fine, b$t he sho$ld receive it in the flesh since that is the only type of initiation accepted in the "aitanya tradition% 1ha tisiddhanta said he wo$ld and ended the visit% < few years later Siddhanta ret$rned to !rindaban, now the acharya of the 2a$diya Math, a famo$s man% .e visited 5andita 1abaji and was as ed again if he had gotten initiation from 2a$ra *ishora Das 1aba% .is answer was the same, at which point 5andita 1aba got e'tremely angry with him for ma ing disciples witho$t proper initiation% 5andita 1abaji threw him o$t of the ashrama and 1ha tisiddhanta, fearing damage 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 <dvaita Das 1aba +I#m $ns$re if this is the correct name of this baba after all these years, in 2ovardhan who said he was witness to the admission% <dvaita Das 1aba, then =$ite old and once the si sa disciple of the great smarana teacher Manohar Das 1aba of 2ovardhan, ass$red me that I had nothing to fear from the anger of 1ha tivedanta which I new I wo$ld inc$r if I left IS*"-N and so$ght shelter at the feet of *ishori ishorananda Das 1aba% .is e'act words were >s$ch anger is powerless>% I too my leap of faith shortly thereafter and have never loo ed bac with any regret% Does all this prove that 1ha tisiddhanta did not receive initiation6 I thin not, not concl$sively, at any rate% It does however shrowd the whole affair in s$spicion and do$bt and with initiation, s$ch an important step in one#s ret$rn to *rsna, one needs certainty% My advice to IS*"-N)men and women and to e')IS*"-N)men and women and to non) IS*"-N)men and women is this( get yo$rselves properly initiated% &here are several members of !aisnava parampara aro$nd whose lineages are $ndisp$ted% /e are compiling a list of s$ch !aisnava on this site along with contact information when available% <ppeal to them for an a$thentic taste of the bea$ty of Sri *rsna "aitanya% Ne't month( &he second part of the arg$ment( phenomenological evidence that IS*"-N has no a$thentic initiation% .as it really been s$ccessf$l6 .as anyone become advanced6 /hat role does the holy name play in the society6 Is all of this consistent with the idea that the inner door is bolted closed6 Reflections on Initiation Part 2 by Nitai Das May 8;, 1999

?ast month +well give or ta e a few wee s@ sorryA, I promised to t$rn my reflections on initiation in the direction of IS*"-N and its s$ccess, offering >phenomenological> evidence that it has no a$thentic initiation% In this installment we will have to grapple with the =$estion of the >s$ccess> of IS*"-N% IS*"-N)men will often cite the s$ccess of

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 mother organi0ation 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$ccess@ conversely it is possible to raise it so high that nothing can be considered s$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$ccess( si0e and wealth of the organi0ation, level of advancement of its members, and effect of the organi0ation or its teachings on the awareness or conscio$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% <ccording to several so$rces, IS*"-N had at its pea +mid)199;s 6, less than B,;;; f$ll)time members in the Cnited States +Melton, 19D:,, a n$mber which has dropped to abo$t 8,;;; today% &he c$rrent list of centers provided on IS*"-N#s own home page has aro$nd 9B entries for the Cnited States% <ccording to an independent so$rce, IS*"-N c$rrently has abo$t a million followers in the world with abo$t D,;;; f$ll)time followers among them +"hryssides, 1999,% <nother independent so$rce claims that there are 8,;;; core members and abo$t :B;,;;; >lay> members in the Cnited States +New Religio$s Movements, Cniversity of !irginia, 199D,% &his might at first seem =$ite impressive, b$t how does this stac $p with some of the other :;th cent$ry religio$s gro$ps in the Cnited States6 Independent so$rces place the n$mber of followers of the Cnification "h$rch, which was fo$nded in 19BE by Rev% S$n My$ng Moon, at between one to three million aro$nd the world +"hryssides, 1999, with some 1;,;;; f$ll)time members in the /est +1ishop, 19D9,% Scientology has according to their own acco$nt eight million followers, b$t it t$rns o$t that the Scientologists claim as a member anyone who has ever availed themselves of their services +a$diting, etc, since the fo$nding of the "h$rch of Scientology in 19BE% Dissident former members, however, claim that there are less than 9;;,;;; in the Cnited States% Somewhere between those two e'tremes lies the act$al fig$re% &he most recent estimate places the n$mber of members at B%F million worldwide +"hryssides, 1999,, b$t this again is dependent on ch$rch p$blications% -f those, there are aro$nd 11,89; f$ll)time members according to the same estimate% &he n$mbers for &ranscendental Meditation vary from aro$nd B;,;;; in the world +Melton, 1998, to one million in the Cnited States and three million in the world +-cchiogrosso, 199F,% -bvio$sly, it is hard to find reliable tallies of any of these gro$ps% Nevertheless, ass$ming that these fig$res bear some resemblance to reality, IS*"-N when compared with its peers has not t$rned in an overwhelmingly strong performance% In fact, it seems to have lagged somewhat behind@ all of the other religio$s gro$ps cited here appear to have done better than IS*"-N% -r, if one e'ercises a m$ch warranted for s epticism over the fig$res available, IS*"-N has at least done as well b$t certainly no better% It m$st be pointed o$t, however, that the Cnification "h$rch and Scientology have been in e'istence for at least ten years longer than IS*"-N and that the former, at least, still has its leader% &his hardly amo$nts to the flooding of the world with preman predicted in the "aitanya)caritamrta% Nor is it a st$nning display of the s$periority of 5rabh$pada#s potency and a$thenticity% -n the basis of the evidence s$ch as it is, one wo$ld have to claim at least as m$ch potency and a$thenticity for the Rev% Moon, ?% Ron .$bbard, and the Maharshi% 5erhaps this is not the way to recogni0e IS*"-N#s s$ccess, then% 3ollowers, centers, and wealth co$ld be merely a manifestation of good organi0ational s ills and so$nd b$siness sense, not empowerment% ?et $s consider the advancement of the followers of IS*"-N, then% 5erhaps this is where the secret of IS*"-N#s s$ccess lies% 1$t we are wandering into the middle of a very slippery =$agmire here% .ow can one tell how advanced a devotee is6 &he bha ti script$res give e'amples of symptoms to loo for in advanced devotees, b$t do any of the IS*"-Ners manifest s$ch symptoms and if so, are they gen$ine6 &hese are diffic$lt =$estions to answer% I remember how reass$ring it was bac when I was a member of IS*"-N to thin that someone in the society had really made visible advancement% /e all believed that Gam$na Devi Dasi had reached the level of bhava and some even claimed that 5rabh$pada had said she had% I at least stood in awe of her when I finally met her in 1rindaban% /hat a mind blowing e'perience then when one day d$ring his daily massage 5rabh$pada t$rned to me and as ed if I new Gam$na Devi Dasi% I said that I did and waited e'pectantly for 5rabh$pada to praise her for how highly developed and saintly she was% Instead he said( >She has spoiled many brahmacari)s and sannyasi)sA> /hat an earth=$a eA I felt li e the ceiling had fallen down on my head% So m$ch for past greatness@ is there any greatness among the c$rrent followers of IS*"-N6 I am certainly in no position to say since I have p$rposef$lly removed myself from the IS*"-N association% D$ring the si' years I spent as a member of the organi0ation I met no one who I tho$ght had advanced very far and worried a great deal abo$t my own lac of advancement% I remember the l$dicro$s spectacle of a 1rahmananda stealing money, r$nning off to whore ho$ses for a few months, and then crawling bac on his hands and nees to 5rabh$pada#s feet begging for forgiveness% I need only mention the names *irtanananda and 1havananda to provide other st$nning e'amples of fail$re% I s$spect that not m$ch has changed, that there are still no devotees who have advanced beyond the even the lowest r$ngs of sadhana)bha ti% &his, if tr$e, is very sad thing and a very strange% -ne wo$ld thin that someone in the last thirty years

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$diya Math% -ne remembers Sri *rsnacarana Das 1aba who co$ld no longer attend readings of wor s 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 ta e more notice of him than 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 $di 1aba#s +*isori isorananda 1aba, room when I first joined him and wa ing early in the morning to hear him la$ghing and tal ing enth$siastically in his room with someone% /hen I pee ed in I saw that he was alone% &hose aro$nd him told me that he often did that and that he was tal ing with Radha and *rsna and the other gopi% &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$s points seen all of the eight sattvi a vi ara appear in his body% Cnfort$nately, my 1engali 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$ld sense that something powerf$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 glad to learn of it% IS*"-N doesn#t even recogni0e s$ch things as achievements, tho$gh% &o IS*"-N)men selling more boo s, b$ilding more temples, ma ing more money, ma ing more disciples are the signs of advancement% &his is all 5rabh$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$se the path inside is bloc ed for IS*"-Ners and this is beca$se it has no gen$ine initiation% Initiation opens $p the inner door and as &in $di 1aba once said connects one with the powerho$se, *rsna% If that inner path is bloc ed by worthless mantras, if that inner door is loc ed sh$t one#s attention is forced o$tside and one has to j$dge one#s s$ccess on the basis of some e'ternal meas$res% <s 1aladeva !idyabh$sana has said in his 5rameya) ratnavali, =$oting the 5adma 5$rana( yad)$ tam padma)p$rane sampradaya)vihina ye mantraste viphala matah ><s it is said in the 5adma 5$rana( mantras that have no comm$nity of transmission +sampradaya, are considered fr$itless> "omm$nity of transmission here means disciplic s$ccession% Mantras that are not received thro$gh disciplic s$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 li e me% &h$s, neither from the point of view of material s$ccess nor from the 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$sness of the /est6 .as not IS*"-N had a profo$nd effect in transforming /estern c$lt$re6 5erhaps it is too early to draw any concl$sions on this iss$e, b$t at present it loo s li e IS*"-N and indeed several of the other religio$s movements of the latter twentieth cent$ry are destined to be mere footnotes to the religio$s life of the cent$ry% I have increasingly noticed how, in the classes I teach, fewer and fewer of the st$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 $sed to harass people in the airports and city streets, forcing boo s and incense on them and alleviating them of their poc et cash% &his is IS*"-N#s real legacy% -lder people associate IS*"-N with the idnapping of ids and scandalo$s m$rder cases% 5enetrating st$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% /hile m$ch of this hype is based on a mis$nderstanding of what IS*"-N stands for and a corresponding ref$sal to recogni0e that similar psychological wea nesses can be fo$nd in people who become members of the mainstream religions, it nevertheless contrib$tes to the overall c$lt$ral perception of IS*"-N% &h$s, IS*"-N and the other gro$ps li e it have become manifestations of the feared >other>% !ery few <mericans today wo$ld consider it an honor if their sons and da$ghters became members of IS*"-N% -n the positive side, it can be said that gro$ps li e IS*"-N have served to strengthen and to no$rish the pl$ralism that e'ists today in <merican religion and indeed increasingly in religion in other parts of the world% &h$s, it can be said that IS*"-N has had an effect of the conscio$sness of the world, b$t perhaps not the one it hoped to have% &he process may not have ended yet% &he c$rrent rise in f$ndamentalisms is a reaction to the increased strength of pl$ralism, to which IS*"-N contrib$ted, and may bring abo$t the $ltimate demise of pl$ralism% /ho can g$ess what repressive order may replace it6 &he absence of a gen$ine initiation may acco$nt for the absence of power in IS*"-N, b$t what abo$t the power of the holy name6 S$rely that is a factor that wo$ld contrib$te to IS*"-N#s s$ccess% &he holy name re=$ires no initiation, nows no r$les or limitations% &he holy name and the holy named are one and the same% Since IS*"-N practices and promotes the chanting of the holy name it m$st thereby have some connection with the powerho$se% If IS*"-N has had only moderate s$ccess, why hasn#t the holy name changed that6 &his is indeed an interesting =$estion and will be the one I tac le ne't month%

Select Bibliography "hryssides, 2eorge% 4'ploring New Religions% ?ondon, C%*%( "assells +1999,% Melton, H% 2ordon I Robert ?% Moore% &he "$lt 4'perience( Responding to the New Religio$s 5l$ralism% New Gor ( &he 5ilgrim 5ress +19DE J8rd printing@ 1st printing 19D:K,% Melton, H% 2ordon, 4ncyclopedia of <merican Religions% Eth ed% Detroit( 2ale Research Inc% +1998,% New Religio$s Movements +Cniversity of !irginia, +199D, +web site( http(77cti%itc%virginia%ed$7Lj hD'7soc:B97nrms7,% -cchiogrosso, 5eter( &he Hoy of Sects( < Spirited 2$ide to the /orld#s Religio$s &raditions% New Gor ( Do$bleday +199F,%

Reflections on Initiation Part 3 Nitai Das H$ly 19, 1999

?ast month I arg$ed that if one e'amines the empirical evidence, there is no s$pport for the contention that IS*"-N and its mother organi0ations, the 2a$diya Math and its sisters, are empowered as one wo$ld e'pect them to be if they tr$ly possessed a gen$ine line of initiation% I $sed three criteria( material wealth and followers, prod$ction of advanced followers, and infl$ence on the conscio$sness of the time% -ne needs only to loo at the beginnings of the "aitanya movement to see what empowerment loo s li e% !ast n$mbers of people became followers, temples were b$ilt to ho$se the movement#s many deities, n$mero$s followers showed signs of advancement on the path of bha ti, and conscio$sness was profo$ndly transformed% <s an e'ample of the last criterion, one need only recall the h$ge n$mbers of songs and poems written in Sans rit, 1engali, and 1raj)bhasha abo$t the love of Radha and *rsna% So profo$nd and lasting was this transformation of conscio$sness that cent$ries later it infl$enced the great 1engali poet Rabindranath &agore who, $sing +maybe the words adopting, adapting, or stealing wo$ld be better, the fig$res and moods of the bha ti poetry in his 2itanjali, won recognition from the world as India#s first and only Nobel pri0e winner% 5erhaps that pri0e really belongs to Mahaprabh$ and his poet followers% Since the >big bang> of those beginnings, however, not m$ch of that magnit$de has happened% &he $niverse has contin$ed to e'pand at a steady rate, b$t the only major milestone in the last five cent$ries seems to have been the e'pansion of the movement beyond the bo$ndaries of India to the rest of the world% "redit for that seems to lie clearly at the feet of 5rabh$pada% -ther representatives of the "aitanya tradition came /est before him, learned and charismatic devotees li e 5remananda 1harati and Mahanamabrata 1rahmacari preceded him by over a half a cent$ry% Get, they appear to have had little s$ccess at spreading the faith% 4ven the 2a$diya Math sent representatives li e Swami 1on to try to establish the movement in 4$rope and again with very moderate s$ccess% 5rabh$pada s$cceeded where they apparently failed% .ow can one acco$nt for this6 3or a long while I held the idea that perhaps over the cent$ries the movement became too complacent, too self)satisfied with the rich inner world it had access to% .aving been given the eys to the inner door in initiation, it became very hard to resist $sing those eys to enter into the eternal inner world of lila% /hy indeed wo$ld one want to resist s$ch a thing6 &herefore, perhaps 1ha tisiddhanta Saraswati and 1ha tivedanta Swami are to be seen as instr$ments in the hands of Mahaprabh$, instr$ments capable of doing things for the spread of the movement that d$ly initiated members wo$ld find very diffic$lt to do% If the inner door is closed and loc ed, one is forced to live and wor among the e'ternals, amidst the money, the followers, the p$blic relations, the p$blications, the land deals, the laws$its and the temples% &h$s, IS*"-N and its parent organi0ations are something li e lo$d noise ma ers, attracting the attention of the people of the world and drawing them nearer to the world of "aitanya !aisnavism% -nce those people are in orbit aro$nd Mahaprabh$ it wo$ld be easy for some small percentage of them to ma e the transition into association with Mahaprabh$#s a$thentic followers% If this thesis is correct, then ma ing this transition, tho$gh important for some, is not for everybody% Some m$st remain loc ed o$t in the o$ter realm, at least for a few more lifetimes, in order that the process may go on, the siren may contin$e% &his seems to be what has happened and is contin$ing to happen%

Maybe something li e 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$diya Math% .e himself had ta en re)initiation already from 2a$ranga Das 1aba and I recall =$ite clearly his emotional description of the day on which he met his initiating g$r$ +1aba,% .e and his wife were overwhelmed by tears of joy% &hey were literally drenched by their own 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 ta e 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 $di 1aba as the most advanced of the bha tas in 1raj at the time and as the most li ely candidate for my initiating g$r$% +.e also spo e highly of *rsnacarana Das 1aba, &hat was when I began to visit &in $di 1aba, meeting him for the first time at Manasasarovar in 2ovardhan% 1$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$r over a plan I had devised to create an accredited g$r$) $la and that in front of most if not all of the 21"% I can still see the smir s on their greasy, self)ind$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 a scholar and a devotee and, =$ite fran ly, I still don#t% I felt, therefore, o$t of place in IS*"-N and I considered it somewhat hypocritical to ta e initiation secretly from someone else and then pretend still to be 5rabh$pada#s disciple% I began from that time to plan my depart$re, loo ing for an opport$nity to slip away =$ietly and $nnoticed into the mists of 1raj% 1$t that too is a story for another time% ?oo ing bac at that time from the present I am convinced I did the right thing% S$re, I co$ld have secretly corrected IS*"-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 first gayatri given in a gen$ine initiation wo$ld have helped me g$ide IS*"-N on more wholesome paths% Still, there is a horrible flaw and obstacle at wor in IS*"-N and its parents that nothing short of complete separation can correct and this is also why I do$bt that the 2a$diya Math and IS*"-N are parts of Mahaprabh$#s plan% It is to that flaw that we m$st now t$rn% <part from IS*"-N#s impotence d$e to lac of initiation, the flaw that it s$ffers from is that of serio$s offense to the holy name% Repeating the holy name re=$ires no initiation and has no limits in terms of proper place, time, or practitioner% <nyone can $tter or repeat the holy name and reap the benefit of being in the presence of the holy named, *rsna% &he only obstacle that can interr$pt this positive infl$ence is an offense to the holy name% &hat is precisely what has infected the 2a$diya Math and its offshoots +IS*"-N,% &his offense began with 1ha tisiddhanta Saraswati himself and is inherited by everyone who co$nts himself a follower of his% &here is, of co$rse, the obvio$s offense to the holy name, the first on the traditional list of ten, that arises from blasphemy of the saintly +sadh$)ninda,% &his began in the 2a$diya Math after 1ha tisiddhanta was severely critici0ed by 5andita Ram*rishna Das 1aba for not act$ally being initiated by 2a$ra ishor Das 1aba +see the my first essay,% Saraswati#s egotistic response was to blast the 1abas one and all and why not throw in the caste 2oswamis, too% &his practice became part of the very instit$tion of the 2a$diya Math and its offshoots% /e heard it often eno$gh from 5rabh$pada in person and in his writings% It became the basis of the instr$ction to avoid anyone claiming to be a !aisnava o$tside of IS*"-N, even 5rabh$pada#s own god)brothers% I $nderstand that 5rabh$pada reali0ed the serio$sness of this offense on his death bed, for I heard that he called leading members of the !rindaban !aisnava comm$nity together, his god)brothers and caste 2oswamis ali e, and as ed for their forgiveness% If only it were so easy% &he really serio$s offense to the holy name, however, comes from neglect of the g$r$ +gurv-ava na,, the third offense% Not to ta e proper initiation is to commit the offense of neglecting the g$r$ and that is a powerf$l obstacle to the holy name% &he great commentator !isvanatha "a ravartin gave an interesting characteri0ation of the way this offense wor s in his commentary on the Bhagavata Purana F%:%9)1;% .e says( >Some people are always engaging their senses in the sense objects li e cows and asses and don#t now, even in their dreams, #who is 2od, what is devotion, who is the g$r$%# S$ch inoffensive persons are saved even witho$t a g$r$ by repeating the holy name in the manner of #semblance of holy name# +namabhasa, li e <jamila and others% -thers, however, have the discriminating nowledge( #.ari is to be worshipped, worship is the way to attain him, the g$r$ is the instr$ctor of that, people of the past have attained .ari by means of the devotion ta$ght by the g$r$,# and yet, on the basis of claims that #initiation, good practice, and e'piation are not needed@ the mere to$ch of this mantra, composed of the name of *rsna, on the tong$e brings the res$lts# and on the basis of the e'ample of <jamila and others, thin #why sho$ld I go to the tro$ble of finding a g$r$6 1y irtana of the holy name alone I will get the lord%# &hey, beca$se of this great offense of neglecting the g$r$, will not attain the lord% In that lifetime itself, or in another lifetime when that offense becomes eliminated, they too will find shelter at the feet of a g$r$ and reach the lord%> 3rom this it appears that it is better not to now abo$t the importance of the g$r$ than it is to now abo$t the g$r$ and not to ta e shelter of one% I conject$re that this is e'actly what 1ha tisiddhanta did% It is also e'actly the same offense that those now who believe he was not properly initiated, or at least honestly do$bt that he was

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$se by the neglect of proper initiation and second that neglect is offensive to the holy name impeding even the holy name from acting to p$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 was given the position of head p$jari of the *rsna 1alarama &emple in !rindaban% I decided it wo$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$res often recommend% I never made it to three lacs a day, b$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 $di 1aba, far away from anything IS*"-N, and he made it my sole responsibility to chant three lacs a day, e'traordinary things began to happen% &he holy name became effective again% I had not received initiation from 1aba yet, b$t the holy name was having an overpowering effect on me% &hat effect or change of heart was indeed what 1aba was waiting for before giving me initiation% 5revio$sly, when I was in IS*"-N I g$ess I was g$ilty by association and the holy name ref$sed to 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% 1efore 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 other hand 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 $s who have left those organi0ations and fo$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 the more 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 who sincerely 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 book Nitai 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% recall t!at it #as one of t!e stimuli t!at starte$ t!is series of essa%s of mine0 1ne 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$0 3!% I m%self am e4en cite$ in t!e te5t6 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$0 To tr% an$ e5amine all of t!e failin"s of t!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$$!a2pranali, t!e question of t!e siksa2parampara, an$ t!e m%t! of t!e fall of t!e 8au$i%a )aisna4a tra$ition in t!e 1 t! centur%0 9et's be"in #it! t!e question of t!e si$$!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 e5pansion of t!e mantra $iksa0 In some of m% pre4ious #ritin"s I ma% !a4e "i4en t!e impression t!at it is a separate rite apart from t!e primar% rite of initiation0 :or t!at I apolo"i;e0 T!e sin"le most important rite in 8au$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% important because 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$i%a tra$ition one is "i4en t!eir names in a list like t!e one on t!is #eb2site0 1ne 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

In t!e 8au$i%a )aisna4a tra$ition outsi$e of IS<C1N one recei4es si5teen mantra an$ "a%atri0 T!ese are t!e "uru2 mantra an$ "a%atri, caitan%a2mantra an$ "a%atri, nit%anan$a2mantra an$ "a%atri, a$4aitacar%a2mantra an$ "a%atri, "opala2mantra an$ kama2"a%atri, ra$!a2mantra an$ "a%atri, "a$a$!ara2mantra an$ "a%atri, an$ sri4asa2mantra an$ "a%atri0 T!ere ma% be some 4ariations in t!ese mantra in t!e $ifferent lines of t!e tra$ition, but t!ese are t!e mantra I recei4e$ from Tinku$i /aba an$ t!e ones ot!ers sai$ t!e% too recei4e$0 =ac! mantra an$ "a%atri of course is prece$e$ b% t!e one s%llable see$ appropriate to t!at mantra or "a%atri0 3it!out t!ese mantra an$ "a%atri one is not qualifie$ to $o an% !i"!er ser4ice like pu&a, arati, or smarana0 Note t!at t!ere is no sur%a2"a%atri 'aka bra!ma2"a%atri: om b!ur b!u4a! s4ar tat sa4itur 00( *s far as I kno# t!is mantra !as not!in" to $o #it! 8au$i%a )aisna4ism or #it! t!e #ors!ip of Ra$!a2<rsna0 It is t!e mantra "i4en to bra!min bo%s $urin" t!e upana%ana initiation #!ic! marks t!eir entr% into t!e stu$% of t!e )e$a0 Its intro$uction into t!e mantra $iksa appears to be one of t!e man% fabrications of /!aktisi$$anta an$ #e #ill return to some of t!ose later0 C!antin" t!e +ol% Name of course $oes not $epen$ on proper initiation0 T!ere is no require$ initiation rite for t!e +ol% Name in t!is tra$ition0 1ne is transforme$ $urin" t!e mantra initiation from a pra4artaka 'be"inner( to a sa$!aka 'practitioner(0 *s a practitioner one !as a number of c!oices open to one for $e4otional ser4ice most of #!ic! $o not require t!e si$$!a2 pranali0 If one !as a stron" $esire to $o ra"anu"a sa$!ana2b!akti, !o#e4er, an$ t!at $esire is t!e c!ief qualification for suc! a practice, one nee$s t!e si$$!a2pranali0 T!e si$$!a2pranali is not!in" more t!an t!e si$$!a or man&ari names an$ $escriptions of t!at same line of "urus t!at one recei4e$ at initiation0 =ac! is belie4e$ to be a participant in t!e eternal sport of 8o4in$a0 1ne learns one's o#n si$$!a name, color, ser4ice, an$ so fort! as #ell as t!e "urus's from t!e "uru at t!at time as #ell0 1ne can t!en use t!at information to 4isuali;e one's self as a man&ari assistant to t!e "uru2man&ari an$ !is "uru2man&aris as t!e% ser4e Ra$!a an$ <rsna0 T!is 4isuali;ation is at t!e core of t!e practice calle$ >rememberin" t!e sports of Ra$!a an$ <rsna $urin" t!e ei"!t perio$s of t!e $a% 'asta2kali%a2lila2smarana(>0 If one $oes not !a4e t!e $esire to $o t!is form of mental ser4ice, an$ man% $on't, one $oes not nee$ t!e si$$!a2pranali0 T!us, it is not a separate $iksa an$ for man% it is not strictl% speakin" necessar%0 3!at one cannot $o #it!out, t!ou"!, is t!e mantra $iksa an$ t!e "uru2parampara0 T!us, #!en TM sa%s: >*ll opposition to /!aktisi$$!anta conten$s t!at !e $i$ not recei4e t!e si$$!a2 pranali initiation to t!e esoteric #ors!ip of Ra$!a an$ <rsna from eit!er /!akti4ino$a or 8aura <isora 'p0 ?(>, !e is simpl% #ron"0 T!e contention is t!at /!aktisi$$!anta $i$ not "et mantra $iksa an$ "uru2parampara0 3it!out mantra $iksa an$ "uru2parampara t!ere is no question of recei4in" a si$$!a2pranali0 3!en I left IS<C1N it #as not because I #ante$ some si$$!a2pranali2$iksa, it #as because I became con4ince$ 'an$ I am e4en more con4ince$ to$a%( t!at /!aktisi$$!anta $i$ not recei4e mantra $iksa an$ "uru2parampara from an%bo$%0 To return to an earlier analo"%, I became con4ince$ t!at t!e c!ain or rope t!at I #as !ol$in" onto in !ope of bein" pulle$ out of t!e ocean of >becomin"> #as tie$ to absolutel% not!in"0 TM tacitl% reco"ni;es t!is #!en !e sa%s >/!aktisi$$!anta $i$ not teac! !is follo#ers to #ors!ip t!e $iksa "uru of 8aura <isora Das /aba&i 00 'p0 ?(>0 T!e reason /!aktisi$$!anta $i$n't #as t!at !e $i$n't kno# #!o t!e $iksa "uru of 8aura <isora Das /aba&i #as0 Neit!er $oes TM or an%one in t!e 8au$i%a Mat! an$ IS<C1N0 M% contention is 'base$ on an e%e2#itness account of !is o#n a$mission before ,an$it Ramakrsna Das /aba( t!at /!aktisi$$!anta $i$n't kno# #!o !is parama2"uru #as because !e ne4er recei4e$ $iksa an$ "uru2parampara from 8aura <isora Das /aba&i0 1n t!e ot!er !an$, 8aura <isora Das /aba&i #as notoriousl% $ifficult to "et initiation from '!e once accuse$ an initiation !opeful quite cru$el% of #antin" to butt2fuck !im( an$ e4en #!en one of !is $isciples aske$ about "uru2parampara !e #as, accor$in" to +ari$as Das's account, tremen$ousl% e4asi4e tellin" !im instea$ to c!ant t!e +ol% Name0 +e emp!asi;e$ t!e +ol% Name o4er e4er%t!in" an$ $i$ not recommen$ lila2smarana0 Ne4ert!eless, it is !i"!l% unlikel% t!at 8aura <isora Das /aba&i, #!o #as not a bra!min an$ #!o care$ not!in" for t!e caste s%stem, #oul$ !a4e "i4en /!aktisi$$!anta t!e sur%a2"a%atri in initiation0 'See 8aura <isora Das /aba&'s &i4ani in Sri Sri 8au$i%a )aisna4a @i4ana, $4iti%a k!an$a, b% +ari$as Das0 ? r$ printin", 8aurab$a A- B1 C5D, pp0 ? 25E0 +ari$as Das's account of 8aura <isora Das /aba is quite interestin"0 3!at is most interestin" about it, t!ou"!, is t!at t!ere is no mention of /!aktisi$$!anta at all0 /!akti4ino$a is mentione$, but mostl% in t!e conte5t of 8aura <isora's pleasure at !a4in" elu$e$ !im b% !i$in" out in a #!ore !ouse0 I $on't t!ink t!at t!ere #as an% "reat enmit% bet#een +ari$as Das an$ eit!er /!akti4ino$a or /!aktisi$$!anta, apart from t!e usual $issatisfaction Na4a$4ipa )aisna4as felt to#ar$ t!em for claimin" Ma%apura #as on t!e ot!er si$e of t!e ri4er0 It is stran"e t!at an important person like /!aktisi$$!anta #oul$ not be mentione$, t!ou"!0 ,er!aps t!e $iksa2seeker #!om 8aura <isora Das /aba&i accuse$ of #antin" to butt2fuck !im an$ later beat up #it! an umbrella #as /!aktisi$$!anta0 In +ari$as Das's account, t!at person is ne4er name$, but #as from a place calle$ Noak!ali0 I !a4e no i$ea #!ere t!at place is0 8aura <isora Das /aba, !o#e4er, en$s b% "i4in" t!at person t!e +ol% Name an$ tells !im if !e c!ants for one %ear #it!out fail !e #ill meet t!e 9or$ an$ if not !e s!oul$ come back to 8aura <isora Das /aba&i0 If t!is is /!aktisi$$anta, per!aps !is name #as not mentione$ out of re"ar$ for !is reputation an$ t!e feelin"s of !is follo#ers0( 3!at I recei4e$ from Tinku$i /aba '#!o li4e$ out in lonel% places like ,rema2saro4ara, not Ra$!akun$a as TM claims( #as mantra $iksa an$ "uru2parampara an$, because I aske$ for it, t!inkin" I #oul$ like to practice lila2smarana at some point, !e also "a4e me t!e si$$!a2pranali0 I !a4e not as of %et be"un t!e practice of lila2smarana, but it is comfortin" to kno# t!at I coul$ if I #ante$ to0 *n$ I ma% %et #ant to0 No#, !o#e4er, I am certain t!at t!e rope I clin" to #!en I sit to

$o m% mantra is attac!e$ 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's passin", for some reason t!e %ear 1 A1 sticks in m% memor%, ,uri Ma!ara&a an$ Sun$aranan$a )i$%a4ino$a left t!e 8au$i%a Mat!, but not alone0 * number of follo#ers left #it! t!em an$ 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!en ,uri 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 !is o#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$aban !e #as "i4en s!elter b% )is!4amb!ar 8os#ami, one of t!e Ra$!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% <rsna(0 T!e $eparture of ,uri Ma!ara&a strikes me as an incre$ibl% coura"eous an$ !onest t!in" to $o0 +ere ,uri Ma!ara&a #as in t!e !i"!est seat of po#er in t!e 8au$i%a Mat!, appointe$ b% t!e foun$in" acar%a !imself an$ !imself t!erefore t!e acar%a of t!e institution at t!e time0 +e coul$ 4er% #ell !a4e co4ere$ up t!e fla# an$ carrie$ on0 Instea$, at "reat risk to !imself an$ at "reat loss, !e informe$ !is "o$2brot!ers an$ set out to put !imself back on t!e correct pat!0 Man% of !is "o$2brot!ers, !o#e4er, split off into t!eir o#n factions, stru""lin" for control of t!e institution or to establis! t!eir o#n institutions, an$ trie$ to co4er up t!e trut!, labellin" ,uri Ma!ara&a as fallen an$ claimin" t!at !e ran off #it! a #oman0 T!e% fou"!t eac! ot!er for %ears for pieces of t!e &uic% 8au$i%a Mat! pie0 *fter t!at time t!e 8au$i%a Mat! an$ its offs!oots #ere firml% foun$e$ on "ree$ an$ $eceit0 T!e books t!e Mat! an$ its famil% pro$uce$ after#ar$s #ere #it! fe# e5ceptions poorl% e$ite$ an$ fille$ #it! errors0 None of t!em matc! up to an%t!in" like t!e qualit% of t!e #ork pro$uce$ b% eit!er ,uri Dasa 'no lon"er a sann%asi( or Sun$aranan$a )i$%a4ino$a after t!e% left t!e Mat!0 3ell, !ere I am at t!e en$ of an installment !a4in" sai$ muc! an$ %et #it! so muc! more to sa%0 =5perience$ #riters kno# 'not t!at I am one( t!at t!e% can ne4er quite tell #!ere t!e% #ill en$ up #!en t!e% sit $o#n to #rite0 I !a4e onl% scratc!e$ t!e surface of one of t!e t!ree issues t!at I #is!e$ to $iscuss in t!is essa% an$ I am afrai$ I !a4e also let "enerosit% slip out t!e $oor0 +a4en't I &ust calle$ t!e lea$ers of 8au$i%a Mat! after ,uri Ma!ara&a "ree$% an$ $eceitfulG 9et me tr% an$ us!er some "enerosit% back in b% pointin" out t!at t!ou"! t!e lea$ers of t!e Mat! ma% !a4e been crooke$ an$ $eceitful, t!e rank an$ file members probabl% !a$ no i$ea of #!at #as "oin" on0 ,rab!upa$a, #!o #as still bein" a c!emist in *lla!aba$, probabl% onl% !ear$ t!at ,uri Ma!ara&a !a$ fallen $o#n #it! a #oman, s!ru""e$, an$ turne$ back to sellin" s!a4in" cream an$ toot!paste0 T!e follo#ers no $oubt remaine$ sincere0 3e nee$ to $i" more $eepl% into t!e si$$!a2pranali question0 3!ere $i$ t!e practice come fromG 3!o ori"inate$ itG 3!% is it important to t!e 8au$i%a tra$itionG 3!o s!oul$ practice it an$ #!enG T!ese are all important issues as are t!e relate$ questions of t!e siksa2parampara an$ t!e suppose$ fall of t!e 8au$i%a tra$ition in t!e 1 t! centur%0 I #ill turn to t!ese t!in"s in t!e ne5t installment0 9ook for t!at in a fe# $a%s rat!er t!an a mont!, since I am burstin" #it! i$eas0

More Reflections on Initiation: Critique of Tripurari's little tan boo Part 2 Nitai Das -ctober :1, 1999

&hro$gho$t my life it seems I have repeatedly fo$nd myself in the position of the critic% It is not a role that I partic$larly love, since it is invariably $npleasant to critici0e another#s wor , b$t a role that seems to be constantly thr$st $pon me%

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$st cannot resist lancing it li e the infected boil it is% My friend +I haven#t critici0ed him yet, yo$ see, Mina etana Rama Das forwarded a piece of a conversation between 5rabh$pada and some of his devotees abo$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$ri( &hat was one thing that Nit<i p$t in his letter, that the teachings of IS*"-N are completely opposite or contradictory to what is act$ally in the 0<stra% 5rabh$p<da( Now he has become tiger% .e wants to ill that philosophy% /hen he did not now anything he came to $s% Now he has become learned, he wants to critici0e% &he same philosophy% >Go$ have made me tiger, now I can see yo$ are my eatable%> +la$ghs, .e co$ld not find o$t any other eatable% >I shall eat yo$%> &he rascal% /hat can be done6 +end,

+RoarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrA &ime for a little l$nchA, /hat I said years ago in my parting letter to 5rabh$pada is $nfort$nately still tr$e today% IS*"-N has got it e'actly bac wards, co$ld not possibly get it more bac wards than it has and &rip$rari#s little boo is a s$perb e'ample of that% <n e'ample of what I shall call >the ass)bac wards principle> is fo$nd on page D of &M#s boo where, =$oting 1ha tisiddhanta, he says >3irst maranam +ego death, then smaranam%> Not only is this completely contrary to script$re, this is straight from the mo$th of the big bird himself% No wonder the 2a$diya Math and IS*"-N went astray% Smarana of which siddha)pranali is an important part is a variety of sadhana bha ti, that is to say practical bha ti that is a means to attaining the goal of preman% It is not sadhya bha ti, that is bha ti as the final res$lt or goal% It is not the end res$lt of practice, b$t the means towards achieving that end res$lt% R$pa 2oswami describes smarana as part of ragan$ga bha ti in the second wave of the eastern division of his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu in which he is concerned e'cl$sively with sadhana% 1hava)bha ti and prema)bha ti ma e $p the third and fo$rth waves of the eastern division respectively% &hose are the res$lts of sadhana% In the section on bhava)bha ti R$pa describes the arising of rsna)rati, love of *rsna, and in the chapter on prema)bha ti he describes that love when it becomes more condensed and is e'perienced or relished by the devotee% &o p$t it more clearly in the words $sed here( >smaranam leads to maranam, not maranam to smaranam%> Maranam is the goal and smaranam is the means to that goal% 1ha tisiddhanta +shall I call him 1S for short 6, has it ass) bac wards% ?et $s place this disc$ssion in the conte't of R$pa#s nine stages in the development of bha ti% &hose nine stages are, as everyone nows( faith +sraddha,, association with the good +sadh$)sanga,, activity of worship +bhajana) riya,, stopping of harmf$l things +anartha)nivrti,, steadiness +nistha,, taste +r$ci,, attachment +asa ti,, feeling +bhava,, and love +preman, +1rs% 1%E%1B)1F,% /here does smarana fit in this scheme6 Smarana is an activity of worship as are all types of sadhana% It therefore is ta en $p in the third stage, activity of worship, before the stage of stopping of harmf$l or $nhealthy things% &here is an implied ca$sality operating in this process% &hro$gh one#s faith one associates with the good% 3rom the good one learns how to e'ec$te the practice% <s a res$lt of practice one#s $nwanted habits are grad$ally stopped% /hen one#s $nwanted habits cease one becomes $nsha able in one#s practice% 1eing $nsha able or $nfailing in practice leads to a taste for things related to *rsna% &aste leads to developing a stronger attachment% &hat strong attachment leads to the feeling of love for *rsna and the presence of that love for *rsna leads to the e'perience of bha ti)rasa or what I call >sacred rapt$re> which is also called preman% &his is indergartner st$ff% -n the stage of bhajana) riya there is a for in the path% Some choose vaidhi)bha ti as their bhajana) riya, others choose ragan$ga as their bhajana) riya +see 1rs% 1%8%:F9 and 1%8%:9:)8,% R$pa ma es it clear that these are two separate, b$t parallel paths when he disting$ishes between the res$lts of each in his chapter on bhava)bha ti% &hose who follow the path of vaidhi develop one ind of bhava +see 1rs% 1%8%9, 1%8%9 for an e'ample of vaidhi)ja bhava, and those who follow ragan$ga)bha ti develop another +see 1rs% 1%8%1E for an e'ample of ragan$ga)ja bhava,% Different e'amples of preman are given in the chapter on prema)bha ti, too +see 1rs% 1%E%F)9,% &his view is consistent with the position of the Bhagavata Purana on the intimate sports of *rsna% <t the end of the five chapters on *rsna#s Rasa lila with the gopi, the Purana tells $s(

anugrahaya bhutanam manusam dehamasritah bha ate tadrsih krida yah srutva tat-paro bhavet +1hag% 1;%88%8F, .e +*rsna, has ta en this h$man form to show compassion to all beings and he engages in s$ch sports, the hearing of which ma es one intent on him% <nd how does one benefit from hearing these intimate sports6 &he Bhagavata says two verses later(

vikriditam vra avadhubhir idanca visnoh sraddhanvito !nusrnuyad atha varnayed yah " bhaktim param bhagavati pratilabhya kamam hrdrogam asvapahinotyacirena dhirah "" +1hag% 1;%88%89, -ne who with faith hears abo$t this sport of !isn$#s with the gopi and who describes it =$ic ly attains the highest devotion to the ?ord and easily destroys that disease of the heart, l$st% &hese intimate sports of the lord with the gopi are a ind of medicine to c$re the disease of l$st% /hoever heard of waiting to ta e a medicine for a disease $ntil the disease is c$red6 If one has a serio$s disease and has a medicine, b$t ref$ses to ta e it, the disease is never c$red and one dies% &his is the brilliant co$rse 1ha tisiddhanta has la$nched 2a$diya Math and IS*"-N on% &his is ass)bac wards% &here may be more to this than mere b$ffoonery, however% &here may be a more malicio$s dimension to it all% If *rsna has come into this world in order to attract the lost and s$ffering living beings bac to him by p$lling $p the c$rtain and revealing the sweetness of his eternal activities and if someone else is trying to cover them bac $p and hide them away, disco$nt them, then that person is act$ally interfering with and hindering the lord#s redemptive visit to the world% &hat person is $ndermining the wor not only of *rsna and "aitanya Mahaprabh$, b$t also of those who originated and promoted one of the most powerf$l and important practices in the "aitanya tradition, the practice of smarana7siddha)pranali, which is nothing more than remembering the sports of *rsna and Mahaprabh$ thro$gho$t the day and night% /ho are those originators6 1efore we e'plore that =$estion, tho$gh, let me comment on a few of the pieces of s$pport that &M r$stles $p for his position% .e, for instance, notes that Radha rsna 2oswami +19th cent%, recommends ren$nciation of ho$sehold life as a prere=$isite for smarana +p% D,% /hat Radha rsna 2oswami act$ally recommends is celibacy +brahmacarya, as a =$alification for the practice of ragan$ga)bha ti, which means essentially lila)smarana +Sd% 9%:9,% <s evidence 2oswami cites a verse from R$pa 2oswami#s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu +1rs 1%E%9,(

na patim kamayet kamcit brahmacaryasthita sada " tam eva murtim dhyayanti candrakantir varanana "" #Padma Purana $% 1ea$tif$l faced "andra anti, meditating on that form alone, ever sit$ated in celibacy, wo$ld not desire any h$sband% So far this loo s good@ this yo$ng lady is definitely practicing celibacy% 1$t waitA /here did yo$ say that verse came from6 &hat#s from the fourth wave of the eastern division where R$pa is describing preman, the $ltimate res$lt of practicing ragan$ga bha ti% &hat is the end res$lt of the practice, not the =$alification for starting the practice% It is abs$rd to demand that one already have achieved the res$lt of a practice before one even begins it% &his is ass) bac wards% In this case it is the fa$lt of Radha rsna 2oswami% /hy wo$ld he have made s$ch a mista e6 .is nowledge of script$re is far more vast than mine% Still, it is a mista e and, whatever ca$sed the good 2oswami to ma e it, it m$st not be ta en as binding% Instead, the verse and R$pa#s $se of the verse in his wor s$pport the point that I have been trying to ma e here% Smarana7siddha)pranali is a practice that leads one toward perfection and cannot therefore re=$ire perfection as a prere=$isite% Moreover, since it has as one of its res$lts the overcoming of se'$al desire, it can be, and in fact sho$ld be $nderta en by those who have not yet con=$ered se'$al desire% Radha rsna 2oswami +9%:9, points o$t one caveat in the practice of smarana of the confidential sports of Radha and *rsna, citing a passage from Hiva 2oswami#s Bhakti-sandarbha +para% 88D,% &his passage was s$rprisingly missed by &M in his vain attempt to shore $p his ass)bac ward position% .e might have been able to twist this into some semblance of s$pport for his point of view% &M, of co$rse, can#t read any of these te'ts $nless someone translates it for him% .e is as illiterate and as helpless as a baby% <ny way, Hiva 2oswami =$otes the passage of the Bhagavata I cited

above #vikriditam %%, and gives the following commentary on it( >one =$ic ly gives $p the disease of the heart, l$st and so forth that are not prone to sin +6,% /hile the s$periority Jof those sports with the gopiK is established in general, among them the worship +bhajana, of him sporting with his most dear lover Radha is the highest of all% &hat is self)evident% 1$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$se that is contrary to their own moods% Sometimes the confidentiality is partial Jas with their issing and embracing, etc%K and sometimes complete Jas with their se'$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 whose responsibility 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 sadha a identity into that siddha identity% &o approach it in 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 1ha tivinoda &ha $ra who in his &aiva-dharma traces it bac to Mahaprabh$ himself +p% 9,% Mahaprabh$ gave it to !a resvara 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 another important side of the practice% !a resvara 5andita, 2opalag$r$, and Dhyanacandra are relatively less well nown members of the "aitanya tradition% &his gives the mista en impression that the practice of smarana7siddha)pranali developed among a peripheral gro$p of followers and is not central to the "aitanya !aisnava enterprise% &he first time we hear of the idea of a siddha)deha which is at the core of the siddha)pranali in any "aitanya !aisnava te't is in R$pa 2oswami#s Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, in the famo$s seva sadhaka-rupena verse +1rs% 1%:%:9B,% &he first time we hear of the manjari is perhaps in Ragh$natha Dasa#s 'ilapa-kusuman ali #tvam rupaman ari sakhi %%%, verse 1, or perhaps in *avi arnap$ra#s Gauraganoddesadipika% It is diffic$lt to determine the relative age of these wor s% 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 disappearance of !a resvara 5andita and *avi *arnap$ra also retired to !rndavana% In fact, Ragh$natha Dasa#s address to R$pamanjari at the beginning of his 'ilapa-kusuman ali may well indicate that R$pa 2oswami was already involved in 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$ding those on the siddha deha, as having all been given to Sanatana by Mahaprabh$ +"c% Madhya, chaps% :;):E,% Sanatana in t$rn passes them on to his brother R$pa who records them in his boo s% Sanatana#s own first boo , Krsnalilastava, is an interesting 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;D acts of obeisance spread thro$gho$t it% In addition, in the chapter in Sanatana#s Brhad-bhagavatamrta called ><bhista)labha> +:%F, in which 2opa $mara visits 2olo a, he presents *rsna#s lila in a form that resembles to a high degree the form that the daily sports will ta e in the hands of *rsnadasa *aviraja and !isvanatha "a ravartin% <nother !rndavana insider, tho$gh one somewhat more removed than *rsnadasa *aviraja, o$r Radha rsna 2oswami in his (asa-sloki-bhasya records the tradition that it was R$pa himself who revealed the practice primarily in the seva sadha a)r$pena verse and in vario$s of his stotras, b$t beca$se of its confidential nat$re he confined it to his own followers and never wrote abo$t it in an ordered, detailed way% /hen his followers enco$raged him to do so, he was already very old and close to death% -ne the verge of death he ta$ght it to *rsnadasa *aviraja in detail and as ed him to p$blish it% *rsnadasa *aviraja honoring R$pa#s re=$est wrote abo$t it in great detail in the enormo$s Govindalilamrta +(asa-sloki-bhasya pp% D)9, .aridasa Sastri#s edition,% &he seed of the daily sports of Radha and *rsna is contained in the )stakaliya-lila-smarana-mangala-stotra which is often attrib$ted to R$pa 2oswami% &his practice of smarana7siddha)pranali is therefore one of the core practices of the !rndavana 2oswami, =$ite probably conceived by them and certainly e'panded and e'po$nded by them% <s s$ch it has fo$nd a place of centrality in all sectors of the "aitanya !aisnava tradition, e'cept in IS*"-N, which as decided to place the cart before the horse instead of the other way aro$nd% 5erhaps nobody says it better the Sri R$pa himself in his *padesamrta, verse D(

< 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 the philosophy 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 li e &M and the rest of the saffron mafia% /hat abo$t this idea of si sa)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$e of +itai-,ine% I deeply apologi0e for this% -ther projects have been absorbing my attention and will probably contin$e to do so for some time% Nevertheless, I hope to contin$e this e)0ine on a more or less reg$lar basis for some time and hopef$lly in a somewhat e'panded form% /ith this iss$e, some new >col$mns> have been added( one that will contain translations of essays by great !aisnavas of more or less recent times +generally translations from 1engali, and a second that will contain translations of more ancient wor s +generally translations from Sans rit,% &his iss$e feat$res, in addition to my critical essay on the moronic idea of si sa)parampara invented by the 2a$diya Math +2M, and on the profo$nd offensiveness of 2M and IS*"-N@ an essay by Dr% Radhagovinda Nath on sannyasa, translated from 1engali@ and part of first chapter of the bea$tif$l lila-smarana te't by *avi *arnap$ra, the Krsnahnika-kaumudi +Moonlight of the Daily <cts of *rsna, along with the beginnings of an introd$ction to that wor % I have also added another col$mn that will reg$larly present translations of some of the bea$tif$l songs that have been of central importance in Sri "aitanya#s tradition% &hose songs capt$red and preserved m$ch of the emotional spirit of the tradition and were the vehicles by which it was spread to ordinary people% /itho$t s$ch enchanting and $plifting songs it is do$btf$l that the tradition wo$ld have spread and flo$rished the way it did% < col$mn that I wo$ld li e to add in the f$t$re wo$ld foc$s on the potential of 2a$ya !aisnava tho$ght to benefit from and contrib$te to some of the intellect$al c$rrents of the present day% &his col$mn wo$ld see to establish some ind of dialog between the 2a$diya tradition and the leading modern thin ers, thin ers li ely to infl$ence the direction of modern tho$ght% If the 2a$diya tradition is going to s$rvive into the f$t$re as anything more, in the eyes of the mainstream c$lt$re, than a gro$p of fringe fanatics with archaic ideas or a wic ed little c$lt that worships a dar devil and val$es cow $rine, it will have to place itself somewhere on the map of modern tho$ght% It m$st reveal itself as a respectable perspective that is not hopelessly s$perseded by a ?evinas or a Mi0e or by modern scientific discovery and theory% &his is a challenging tas , b$t an important one% Moreover, and this is an implication of the arg$ment of the critical essay, it is impossible to now where siksa, instr$ction, will come from ne't% If 1ilvamangala can be enlightened by the whore "intamani, why is it not possible for the g$r$ to spea to $s from other $ne'pected and seemingly $nli ely so$rces6 3inally, I have added a letters col$mn feat$ring letters to me or the 0ine as ing =$estions or raising iss$es or objections to the positions presented in the 0ine along with responses from the editor and7or other readers% <ll of this is a tall order, specially for one lone, d$ll)witted person, whose hands are f$ll of other projects, to achieve% -nce again I as if there are any among yo$ readers of this 0ine who wish to contrib$te to or participate in the wor of this 0ine in some way% &his co$ld involve the occasional g$est col$mn or ta ing on the responsibility of writing +or translating, for one of the reg$lar col$mns% 2raphics +photographs or pict$res of holy sites, temples, deities, or Radha and *rsna lila, and m$sic +mp8)s or ra)s of irtan, are also welcomed% &he vis$al and the a$ral dimensions of the tradition are some of its most powerf$l and bea$tif$l aspects% Some of yo$ have responded before and I have failed to follow $p on those responses%

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 3 Did Go$ Say Si sa)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 1ha tisiddhanta 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% N$ite fran ly, the line of tho$ght and literat$re created by those organi0ations is so offensive to real !aisnavas that even reading their wor s to criti=$e them is disr$ptive of and harmf$l to the c$ltivation of bha ti% <t the end of this essay I will s$ggest a co$ple of possible remedies to this problem, b$t I consider it highly $nli ely that those remedies will ever be applied% Instead of dwelling on the flaws of those pse$do)!aisnava instit$tions, I want to foc$s f$t$re essays on my own e'periences at the feet of Sri &in $di 1aba, the !aisnava siddha with whom I fo$nd shelter after leaving IS*"-N who was both a baba and a hereditary gosvamin% I wish to begin my disc$ssion of si sa)parampara by pointing o$t that if those opposed to the idea of a siddha-pranali wish to cast do$bt on it as a gen$ine instit$tion of the 2a$diya !aisnava tradition beca$se it appears only with the second or third generation of followers of "aitanya and even then among relatively minor members of the !rndavana circle li e 2oplag$r$ 2osvamin, !a resvara 5andita, and Dhyanacandra 2osvamin, how m$ch more sho$ld one do$bt the a$thenticity of the instit$tion of si sa)parampara which only appeared the other day and again among an even more minor !aisnava comm$nity% Moreover, if one wishes to arg$e that there is no script$ral s$pport for the instit$tion of siddha)pranali the arg$ment applies with even greater force to si sa)parampara for which there is absol$tely no script$ral s$pport anywhere in the vast ocean of 2a$diya te'ts, not even in the wor s of 1ha tivinoda &ha $ra, the father of 1ha tisiddhanta% It is p$re invention, the invention of 1ha tisiddhanta comparable to his invention of a 2a$diya form of sannyasa +see the accompanying article, >2a$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 bha ti in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu +1%:%:9E)9F, and in Hiva 2osvamin#s disc$ssion of initiation in the Bhakti-sandarbha +:D8, where it is said, =$oting <gama, that initiation +diksa, bestows divine nowledge% Hiva points o$t that divine nowledge is nowledge of the tr$e nat$re of the ?ord in the mantra and of one#s specific +visesa, relationship to .im% &his specific relationship is, of co$rse, one#s tr$e identity in relationship to the ?ord, or in other words, one#s siddhadeha +there being no difference in the spirit$al realm between one#s self and one#s body,% .ere is where the nonsense of a si sa)parampara begins to $nravel% /hat is comm$nicated at the core of initiation is nowledge% It is not j$st the giving of mantra% In addition, this nowledge is not any nowledge( the n$mber of planet systems there are in the $niverse or the n$mber of ocean rings there are or how many sections of the spirit$al realm there are or whether living beings were once in 2olo a or not% It is the most essential nowledge, nowledge of who one really is in relationship to the ?ord% &h$s, initiation or di sa IS si sa, the most essential and indispensable si sa one can receive% -ne can certainly get by witho$t the rest of what co$nts as si sa, b$t one cannot get by witho$t this si sa if one ever wishes to play $nder the s ies of 2olo a% &o replace the g$r$)parampara with a si sa)parampara obsc$res and derails this f$ndamental f$nction of initiation% 1$t this is only the first of several idiocies that mi' together to form the idea of si sa)parampara% &he second idiocy comes with the word parampara% < parampara is a lineage or s$ccession and is meant to specify a list or a s$ccession of sing$lar things or people% &h$s, it applies =$ite well to the sit$ation of the initiating g$r$ beca$se a member of the tradition is only s$pposed to have one initiating or mantra g$r$% &hat Hiva 2osvamin says =$ite clearly in his Bhakti-sandarbha +:;9,% <fter all, one only has one identity in relationship to the ?ord and that is learned from the mantra g$r$% Hiva says in the previo$s section of the same wor +:;F,, however, that there can be many si sa g$r$s% &hey teach the methods of worship or the f$ndamentals of the philosophy or the meanings of the vario$s sacred te'ts%

Different teachers may be e'pert in different aspects of the tradition% /hat sense does eeping trac of a parampara ma e in that circ$mstance% < person may have three or fo$r si sa g$r$s and each of those may have had three or fo$r si sa g$r$s% -ne =$ic ly loses the thread of the s$ccession% In fact, it is impossible to constr$ct a s$ccession in s$ch a circ$mstance% <n older si sa g$r$ may ta e si sa from the disciple of a disciple if that disciple has mastered some s$bject from yet another si sa g$r$% &hen one#s s$ccession becomes an endless loop% &he idea, therefore, of a si sa) parampara is sheer nonsense% < third idiocy arises from what is implied by the imposition of a si sa)parampara% &a e for instance what is implied by an early version of the si sa)parampara ta en from Han 1r0e0ins i#s e'cellent, b$t somewhat narrowly conceived +since when does 2a$diya !aisnavism refer only or even primarily to the 2a$diya Math and IS*"-N, essay on this s$bject called >&he 5arampara Instit$tion in 2a$diya !aisnavism> +&ournal of 'aisnava Studies, vol% B, no% 1,% &he list is as follows +p% 1B:,( "aitanya +d% 1B8E, Svar$pa Damodara +d% 1BE;, Sanatana 2osvamin +d% 1BBF, R$pa 2osvamin +d% 1BBF, Ragh$natha Dasa 2osvamin +1BDF, *rsnadasa *aviraja +1F1:, Narottama Dasa &ha $ra +ca% 1FB;, !isvanatha "a ravartin +ca% 191;, 1aladeva !idyabh$sana +ca% 19:B, Hagannatha Dasa 1aba +ca% 1911, 1ha tivinoda &ha $ra +ca% 1919, 2a$ra isora Dasa 1aba +191B, 1ha tisiddhanta Sarasvati +1989, 1ha tivedanta Svami +1999,

&his is the list fo$nd in 5rabh$pada#s Bhagavad-gita )s -t -s +199:, and in the introd$ction to 1ha tisiddhanta#s )nubhasya on the .aitanya-caritamrta +19BF,% /here is Hiva 2osvamin6 /here is 2opala 1hatta 2osvamin6 /here is *avi *arnap$ra6 Han#s fifth note on this list mentions that even 1aladeva was not incl$ded in 1ha tisiddhanta#s list +fn% p% 1B:,% /hat abo$t Ramananda Raya, Srinivasacarya, 5rabodhananda, Radha rsna 2osvamin6 .ow abo$t !rndavana Dasa, ?ocana Dasa, and M$rari 2$pta6 <re none of these great !aisnavas worthy of giving si sa6 <re the tradition#s greatest theologian, greatest rit$alist, and greatest !edantin not worthy of being si sa g$r$s6 Did those not on the list contrib$te nothing worthwhile to the enrichment of the 2a$diya !aisnava tradition6 &his is patently ridic$lo$s% -n the other hand, if the s$ccession list is not meant to be e'cl$sive, then what on earth is it for6 .ere are those we sho$ld learn from, who have ta$ght $s something@ the rest have not% &he idea of a si sa parampara is a worthless concoction and one that implies something offensive% &he fact is, anyone can be a so$rce of si sa% &he e'amples of this abo$nd% < famo$s one is, of co$rse, the case of 1ilvamangala#s being instr$cted by a prostit$te named "intamani, b$t *rsna can and does teach thro$gh anyone%

%au$iya &aisna'a (har"a an$ Sannyasa by Dr% Radhagovinda Nath +3rom the <ppendi' to his edition of the "aitanya)caritamrta of *rsnadasa *aviraja, translation by Neal Delmonico +Nitai Das,

Some people as abo$t the place of the instit$tion of sannyasa +formal ren$nciation, in the religio$s tradition of 2a$diya !aisnavism% &herefore, a little reflection on this topic will be done here%

In what condition is ta ing sannyasa appropriate6 &hat is the first thing that sho$ld be considered% &he /aitreyi *panisad says( yada manasi vairgyam jatam sarves$ 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 O sannyased $bhaya)bhrastah sa m$ 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 the f$t$re and does not deserve liberation%> 1$t Mahaprabh$ himself has said that in the <ge of *ali there is no prescription for sannyasa citing as evidence the Brahma-vaivarta Purana( asvamedham gavlambham sannyasam palapaitri am O devarena s$totpattim ala$ paPca vivarjayet OO +1%19%9, >&he asvamedha sacrifice, cow) illing +in the Madh$par a rite,, ren$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 <ge of *ali%> 3rom this it is $nderstood that even for one who has the =$alification specified in the sruti cited above sannyasa is not recommended in the <ge of *ali% In !aranasa, after listening to the primary meaning of the 'edanta-sutra from Mahaprabh$ at the ho$se of the Maharastrian brahmana, one of 5ra asnanda Sarasvati#s chief disciples sitting in the ashram thin ing abo$t the ?ord#s e'planation of !edanta said( >I consider the statements of Sri *rsnacaitanya to be completely tr$e% In the <ge of *ali we do not overcome the cycle of rebirth by sannyasa%> +"%c%, Madhya, :B%:9, 3rom this, too, it is $nderstood that in the <ge of *ali sannyasa is witho$t $tility% /hat has been said above, however, is only the general r$le% ?et $s see whether there is any specific r$le mentioned in the statements of Mahaprabh$ or not% In !aranasi, in the conte't of describing >that which is to be conveyed> + abhidheya-tattva, ie% bha ti, to Sanatana 2osvamin, on the topic the behavior of !aisnavas, Sri Mahaprabh$ said( 2iving $p association with the $nholy, this is the practice of !aisnavas% -ne who associates with women is one@ the other is the $nholy non)devotee of *rsna% Rejecting all these and varnasrama-dharma, witho$t possessions one sho$ld find one#s only shelter in *rsna% +"%c%, Madhya, ::%E9)B;,

&his instr$ction of Mahaprabh$ is abo$t the rejection of varnasrama-dharma for !aisnavas% 'arnasramadharma means the caste system and system of stages of life% In script$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$rth stage of life% 3or those who practice the path of bha ti, Mahaprabh$ 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 bha ti as means +sadhana-bhakti,, the ?ord has not given any instr$ction for sannyasa% Instead he has said( > nowledge and ren$nciation are never parts of bha ti%> +"%c%, Madhya, ::%D:, &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$blished boo s, s$ch as the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu showing the path of worship% In their boo s, an instr$ction for the practice of sannyasa is not fo$nd anywhere% <lso, none of them too sannyasa% &hey only wore the cloth of those witho$t possessions +niski0cana,% Sri Sanatana 2osvamin received one piece of an old cloth from &apana Misra at !aranasi and with that made a a$pin and o$ter cloth% &his is the dress of one witho$t possessions% /hen Sri Hagadananda went to !rindaban, he one day invited Sanatana 2osvamin for food% < sannyasi by the name of M$ $nda Sarasvati gave Sanatana an o$ter cloth% Sanatana tied that o$ter cloth on his head and went to eep Hagadananda#s invitation% &hen( Seeing the reddish cloth, the 5andita became overwhelmed with love% &hin ing it the remnant of Mahaprabh$, he =$estioned him( >/here did yo$ get this reddish cloth6> >M$ $nda Sarasvati gave it,> replied Sanatana% .earing that, sadness arose in the 5andita#s mind% &a ing $p the rice pot, he came to hit him% +"%c%, <ntya%18%B1)B8, Sanatana was embarrassed% Seeing that, Hagadananda 5andita placed the pot on the stove and said to Sanatana( Go$ are the chief of the associates of Mahaprabh$@ &here is no other as dear to Mahaprabh$ as yo$% Go$ wear another sannyasi#s cloth on yo$r head% /hen something li e this happens, how can one tolerate it6 +"%c%, <ntya, 18%BB)F, &hen Sanatana said( RightA 5andita MahasayaA No one is as dear to "aitanya as yo$% &his ind of $nwavering faith in "aitanya is s$itable in yo$% If yo$ did not show me, how wo$ld I learn this6 &o see that, this cloth was tied on my head@ Cnprecedented love have I seen before my very eyes% It is not fitting for a !aisnava to wear reddish cloth% I will give it to some visitor@ what need have I with it6 +"%c%, <ntya, 18% B9)F;, .ere Sanatana has said( >It is not fitting for a !aisnava to wear reddish cloth%> .ere this is not a reddened cloth or a red) colored cloth% &his is the color of cloth that Mahaprabh$ $sed as an o$ter cloth +saffron,, beca$se Hagadananda 5andita mistoo it for a remnant of Mahaprabh$% &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#s statement it is $nderstood that far from ta ing sannyasa, !aisnavas sho$ld not even wear cloth colored li e that of

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$nity of practitioners is in accordance with attainment of that comm$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 +bha ana,% 3or this comm$nity( -bstacles to *rsna)bha ti are all a$spicio$s and ina$spicio$s wor s% &hat is one living being#s trait of the dar ness of ignorance% +"%c%, <di, 1%B:, &he dar ness of ignorance is called the fra$d$lent +kaitava,( <ll desire for piety, wealth, sens$ality, liberation, and so forth% +"%c, <di, 1%B;, &he Bhagavata#s >highest religion free from fra$d> is the religion to be practiced by the 2a$diya comm$nity% &he observance of varnasrama-dharma is favorable to the attainment of the liberations headed by sharing a world% 3or this reason, those who desire liberation observe varnasrama-dharma% &he &attvavadi teacher who followed Sri Madhvacarya said to Mahaprabh$ in connection with his comm$nity#s means and goal(

-ffering varnasrama-dharma to *rsna, this is the highest means for the devotee of *rsna% <ttaining the five inds of liberation and going to !ai $ntha, this is the highest objective according to script$re% +"%c%, Madhya, 9%:8D)9, Sri Raman$jacarya, too, in his commentary on the Brahma-sutra and on the Gita has tal ed abo$t the observance of varnasrama-dharma% 5revio$sly it was said that sannyasa is a part of varnasrama-dharma% Since the Raman$ja comm$nity and the Madhva comm$nity, both desiro$s of liberation, observe varnasrama-dharma, ta ing sannyasa is not prohibited for them% &his for them is a specific r$le% 1$t the 2a$diya comm$nity is not desiro$s of liberation@ varnasrama-dharma and the sannyasa that is incl$ded in it is not s$itable to their form of worship% &he sannyasa that is fo$nd in !edic script$res is the sannyasa of varnasrama-dharma% -ther forms of sannyasa are not fo$nd in !edic script$res% &he sannyasa that was started in the 1$ddhist comm$nity, which is inimical to the !edas, is not the sannyasa that is approved by the !edic script$res% &he comm$nity of sannyasi of ten names was started by Sri San aracarya, to many in imitation of the 1$ddhists% /hether the titles of the ten)named sannyasi, 2iri, 5$ri, !ana, 1harati, and so forth, were in $se among the sannyasi who followed the !edic script$res is not nown% In later times many accepted the form of sannyasa in imitation of Sri San ara, b$t did not ta e the titles of the San ara tradition% /hether their sannyasa is the sannyasa endorsed by the !edic script$res or not is a s$bject for the consideration of scholars% +&o be contin$ed,

Krsnahnika-kaumudi Moonlight of the (aily )cts of *rsna by *avi *arnap$ra

edited, translated, and annotated by Neal Delmonico +Nitai Das,

Intro$uction &he poem translated here is the wor of the one of the other great !aisnava poets in Sans rit belonging to the first generation of the followers of Sri "aitanya% .e had many names( 5aramananda Dasa, 5aramananda Sena, and *avi arnap$ra and was called 5$ridasa by "aitanya himself% .e was the third son of Sivananda Sena, one of "asitanya#s close devotees% <ccording to the .aitanya-caritamrta +"%c%, <ntya, 1F%FD)F9,, Sri "aitanya placed his toe in *arnap$ra#s mo$th when he was seven +perhaps this happened twice, once as an infant and once at the age of seven, and the yo$ng, $ned$cated boy recited a Sans rit verse in praise of *rsna +cited at "%c%, <ntya, 1F%FD,% *arnap$ra is tho$ght by some to have been born in 1B:E, abo$t nine years before the disappearance of "aitanya% *arnap$ra#s earliest wor , however, was an e'tended poem on the life of Sri "aitanya called the .aitanyacaritamrta-mahakavya% &his was written when he was 1F years old according the 1iman 1ihari Maj$mdar#s Sricaitanyacariter *padana +p% 99, and is dated 1BE: at the end of the wor itself, which wo$ld ma e his birth date 1B:F% /hatever the tr$th, he was apparently a talented poet from an early age and was thoro$ghly steeped in the c$lt$re of devotion to Sri "aitanya% .is most famo$s wor is the play on the life of Mahaprabh$ called the .aitanyacandrodaya-nataka% &his play, written in 1B91, foc$ses in greater detail on the later life of Mahaprabh$ than his earlier poem and is a more mat$re reflection on the meaning of the life and teaching of Sri "aitanya% .is other wor s incl$de( )lankara-kaustubha +on literary criticism,, )nanda-vrndavana-campu +on !rndavana lila,, )ryasataka +hymns in praise of *rsna,, Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika +on the associates of "aitanya,, and this wor , the Krsnahnika-kaumudi +Moonlight of the Daily <cts of *rsna,% &he date of the /oonlight is not nown% &ho$gh it may be one of the last of *arnap$ra#s wor s, it may, however, be the earliest of the wor s on lila-smarana, remembering the sports of Radha and *rsna% Remembering is the third among the nine types of bha ti recommended in the Bhagavata Purana for the c$ltivation of the highest goal of the "aitanya tradition, divine love or preman% Smarana is the recollection of a desired object in an $ninterr$pted flow li e the flow of a stream of oil% &he !rndavana 2osvamin $ndertoo a life)long effort for the p$rpose of developing this practice of smarana and spread in the world the s$bstance of their own e'periences% 3ollowing the logic of >!isn$ is always to be remembered> and R$pa#s >remembering *rsna %%%> +1%r%s, 1%:%:9E, and so that not even one moment of the eight periods of the day and night be wasted, they established the recollection of the sports of the eight periods and wrote boo s s$itable for that practice% /hat disting$ishes this te't is that there are eno$gh instances of difference between it and the wor s based $pon the Smarana-mangala-stotra, said to be written by R$pa 2osvamin, that it may have been written before R$pa#s treatment of the sports and th$s in ignorance of it% +<bove comments follow .aridasa Dasa in his avatarani a +introd$ction, to the Sri Sri Krsnahnika-kaumudi, p% i)ii, Some of those differences will be e'amined in introd$ctory comments to f$t$re installments of the translation of this te't%

!irst Ray

1% In the final period of the night, bea$tified by a few stars here and there, a gro$p of very sweet so$nding yellow) breasted blac birds +sarika, and parrots, thrilled by the ine'pressible order of !rnda, interr$pted the sleep of Radha and *rsna% :% 3irst an $ndist$rbed gro$p of blac birds repeatedly awa ened Radha with nectar)li e, fine words@ then a gro$p of parrots, giving great joy, free of ill$sion, and sometimes embraced by *rsna o$t of love, awa ened *rsna with

indescribably sweet words% 8% - Moon)facedA .ow is it yo$, made fearless from association with the lap of the son of the lord of !raja, are still sleeping deeply at the end of the night6 Don#t stay any later in this bower filled with dr$n en bees% <re yo$ not considering the $ndeserving reproach of yo$r elders6 E% Don#t lie here in the bower witho$t regard for yo$r family#s rep$tation% 2ive $p sleep, the iller of love)ma ing, and get $p =$ic lyA ?oo A &he end of night with its special signs has arrived% Don#t ca$se $nfitting torment among yo$r friends% B% ?oo , 2oddess, the eastern direction has become awash with deep red, imitating the color of yo$r lot$s feet% <nd this $nfort$nate r$ddy goose =$ic ly meets her lover whose separation from her is now ended% F% <lso, the moon, wishing to see the bea$ty of yo$r face, o$t of e'cessive longing, that desire $nf$lfilled, desires to give $p his own body% ?oo A .e has reached the highest pea of the final mo$ntain and is beginning to set% /ho can stop him now6 9% - 1ea$tif$l &eethA &he garland of dr$n en bees, having fo$nd the laps of the water)lilies and merged with them, reali0ing the time, is restless and moves toward this blossoming line of lot$ses% &ime alone is lord of decline and e'hileration% D% &he lovely circle of yo$r friends, that helped yo$ reach the bower of love)sport, JthenK f$ll of deep dar ness, in the flawless beginning of the night, is gathering from their own bower)ho$ses, thoro$ghly thrilled and with smiling lot$s) li e faces, - Sweet)faced one% 9% - Sweet)facedA 5$t aside yo$r sleep% 1rea the seal on yo$r eyes% ?oo at the faces of these friends whose comple'ions are li e that of lightening% &hey have gathered to serve yo$ whose ornaments are loosened, whose clothes are scattered here and there, and whose body is tossed abo$t by love)ma ing% 1;% 4ven tho$gh the s y with its few scattered stars, yo$r body with its cr$shed nec laces, and the bodies of the Sephali a trees with their fallen flowers, are now ali e and were also ali e Jin bea$tyK then Jat nightK, yo$r body JaloneK is still possessed of e'cellences% 11% H$st as yo$r pearl nec lace has become rent and the pearls fallen, these stars have become scattered, only a few remaining% It loo s as if chaste <r$ndhati, seeing yo$r long sleep here, has hidden +being embarrassed, in the croo ed circle of the seven sages% See for yo$rselfA 1:% ?oo , Moon)faced, that lovely bodied doe, that yo$ have fed with yo$r own hands, enters and comes close to yo$% "ompassionately give it a glance, however wavering, so that it, satisfied, may be able to please yo$% 18% &hin ing them new b$ds and by nat$re innocent hearted, - ?over of *rsna, she came forward =$ic ly to taste yo$r pin lot$s feet and receiving a slap from the lot$s hands of yo$r friends has ret$rned to her place% 1E% Moon)facedA &hrilled by the mere taste yo$r lip nectar, devoted solely to the joy of drin ing yo$r foot wash, yet saddened by the absence of yo$r glance, she waits only to catch a glimpse of the circle of yo$r moon)li e face% 1B% &he e'tremely c$rio$s .ari meas$res yo$r two eyes after meas$ring her two eyes, f$ll of deceitless love, and, moreover, abandoning do$bt and constantly comparing them with a chain of bright pearls, says something sweet abo$t them% 1F% .aving th$s spo en statements meant to awa en, filled with pleasing words and meanings, when the loving yellow breasted blac birds fell silent, the parrots filled with joy, drawing near the bower, offered obeisance to him% 19% &hen the gro$p of parrots, an'io$s to please *rsna, awa ened him who wanted more sleep with many sweet calls li e nectar that to the ears were gentle and pleasing and bea$tified with affectionate words and meanings% 1D% /hen they new what time it was some of them, profo$nd in the rasa of friendship, learned in charming words and meanings, with voices both low and very sweet, $nembarrassed by words of love, clever, and not conf$sed in a time for action, awa ened him%

?etters

Dear Nitai, I have some =$estions regarding points that are made in &rip$rari Maharaj#s boo which yo$ have debated on yo$r web page and some points that are made on some recorded speeches of Satya Narayan on the iss$es of siddhanta and proper parampara% Ramadasa dasa referred me to yo$ beca$se he co$ld not find all the answers I was loo ing for% <bo$t myself, by the way, I have been viewing the siddha pranali threads on the vnn and have some do$bts abo$t the parampara of Saraswati &ha $r% So I am glad that there are some who are spea ing o$t boldly% I am intensely interested in gathering as m$ch $nderstanding abo$t the iss$e as possible before I go to India and try to meet someone in one of the disciplic lines that yo$ have mentioned on yo$r web site% I don#t want to j$mp forward witho$t properly $nderstanding all the iss$es s$rro$nding parampara so I wo$ld be highly gratef$l if yo$ co$ld ta e time to help me with my =$estions% In my opinion, all valid =$estions regarding parampara sho$ld be compiled and a boo let made for distrib$tion% I don#t now of any so$rce which answers all possible =$estions% I have so far had to approach different people in a scattered way to get all of my answers% If yo$ have plans for s$ch a project by chance, I wo$ld vol$nteer my help% In the tan boo let of &M, it is written that 1ha tivinoda &ha $r had entr$sted his preaching mission and charge of "haitanya janmasthan to 1ha tisidhanta rather to his elder son, ?alita 5rasad% <lso it is mentioned that beca$se of the disp$te 1ha tivinoda had with his g$r$, 1ipin 1ihari 2oswami, as to the birthsite of "haitanya Mahaprabh$, his g$r$ rejected him and th$s 1ha tivinoda too shelter of Haganath dasa 1abaji% It is a common view in Is con that 1ha tivinoda val$ed his connection with Haganath dasa 1abaji more than that of 1ipin 1ihari% It is also mentioned in the boo let that 1ha tisiddhanta was considered as a siddha)mahatma even by the followers of "aran dasa 1abaji% .ow m$ch is tr$e of these statements and if $ntr$e, where is the doc$mentation to ref$te it6 ?ater in the boo let, he mentions that >Hiva 2oswami mentions the eighteen syllable gopala mantra in relation to ragan$ga sadhana% In his 1ha ti Sandharba, Hiva 2oswami instr$cts that this mantra is chanted by advanced devotees, who when doing so envision the lila of *rsna, as well as by neophytes, who chant with a view to attain s$ch a vision%> .e f$rther =$otes *rsna) aranmrta, >"ommenting on the first verse of 1ilvamangala &ha $r, *aviraja 2oswami spea s of two methods of approach to ragan$ga practice( one in which the spirit$al identity is assigned and another in which it is awa ened +sph$rti, thro$gh spriti$al practice at the stage of bhava, witho$t the need of any forced meditation%> So on the point of chanting 2opala mantra in conj$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$r reaction to these statements6 <nd on the point of spirit$al identity being awa ened+ sph$rti, in the sadha a, this is something that Satya Narayan ref$tes in his lect$res% Satya Narayan says that this idea of the living entity being sat)cit)ananda is a myth% .e says we are sat b$t the cit sa ti m$st be implanted by the g$r$ at the time of di sha% So he says that 5rabh$pada#s preaching that prema lies dormant in the heart is false% .e says that before di sha, there is no =$estion of prema being c$ltivated% the notion that prema is l$st transformed into love is false% &he notion that se' feeling in h$man society is the perverted reflection of the love between *rishna and the gopis is also false% <lso he ref$tes 5rabh$pada#s translation of the first slo a of 1hagavatam where he says that the material $niverse appears fact$al altho$gh is $nreal% &his is his translation of the word >amrsa>% So Satya Narayan mentions that this is a Mayavadi#s $nderstanding of the nat$re of the world as is his $nderstanding of the origin of 5rema% I wo$ld li e to hear yo$r opinion on these claims of Satya Narayan% 5ersonally, his arg$ment so$nds good to me, b$t I am at a loss then if I try to discern what magic is occ$rring in the life of a sadha a when his feelings of l$st are grad$ally dissipated when performing devotional service+in the Is con sense,% &his Satya Narayan I spea of by the way, in case yo$ are not familiar with his name, was once a disciple of Hayatirtha and had ta$ght in the !rindavan g$r$ $la for years before he left Is con a few years ago% .e was eeping a si sa g$r$ by the name of .ari dasa Sastri for years $ntil he finally was as ed to leave% .e wrote the pop$lar boo , 4ven the ?eaves Don#t 3all from !ai $ntha% I pray yo$ can help me with some answers to my =$eries and I hope to eep some dialog with yo$% I loo forward to hearing from yo$% Sincerely,

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 very smart and very good% .e had done what I always wanted to do( sit at the feet of Sri .aridasa Shastri and st$dy the wor s of the 2osvamin% Many years ago I did start the 1arinamamrta-vyakarana with .aridas Shastri, b$t since I was part of 5rabh$pada#s >staff> and traveled with him I had to discontin$e it% <lso, my snea ing o$t of the *rsna) 1alarama mandir in the afternoons to st$dy with Shastriji was noticed and not appreciated by the #powers%> Nevertheless, I am glad to hear that Satya Narayana has left IS*"-N and ta en f$ll shelter with .aridas Shastri% It wo$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 ta e yo$r time and as lots of =$estions before ma ing 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 of yo$r days and beyond% <s I mention elsewhere, the siddha)pranali is strictly spea ing not necessary% It is only needed if yo$ want to do lila)smarana% ?ila)smarana is an intense and time cons$ming practice% Not everyone can do it% Not everyone need do it% .arinama is the practice of choice in this age% No initiation is needed and as long as one can avoid the offenses, or at least try to avoid the offenses, the .oly Name will ta e care of everything, incl$ding placing yo$ in the path of the g$r$ right for yo$ when the time is ripe% If someone can#t do .arinama, three la hs +8;;,;;; or FE QFEQFE ro$nds on japa mala, or at least one la h +FE ro$nds,, it is highly $nli ely that he can or sho$ld do lila)smarana% <s for the offenses, eep an eye o$t for the ne't section of Manindranath 2$ha#s Sriman-+amamrta-sindhu-bindu on my web site% It is a detailed disc$ssion of the offenses to the .oly Name% <lso, Sri Sanatana 2osvamin#s wor Sri Krsna-lila-stava, c$rrently being translated in the Daily section of the web site is a wonderf$l combination of the practices of .arinama and lila)smarana% &he entire wor is composed of the .oly Names of *rsna, b$t the names follow *rsna#s lila as reco$nted in the Bhagavata Purana% &he lilas are p$nct$ated by 1;D obeisances to *rsna% It is an entire co$rse of sadhana in itself% < very powerf$l te'tA I have no plans to come o$t with a boo on the parampara% My hands are f$ll of things now that I am $nable to ma e m$ch advancement with% I heartily enco$rage yo$ to p$t one together, tho$gh% Go$ may $se whatever I have written on the s$bject and I#m s$re Han wo$ldn#t mind yo$r $se of his articles% Mina etan Ramadas has a translation of part of the S$ndarananda !idyavinod boo on the g$r$ +'aisnava-siddhante Sri Guru-svarupa, that he might contrib$te% &hen of co$rse there is the 2M and IS*"-N position% 5$t all the materials together and let people ma e $p their own minds% If I can be of help, tho$gh, I wo$ld do so gladly% Go$ as so many good =$estions that it is hard to answer them all tho$ghtf$lly in one sitting% I thin I will concentrate on the ?alita 5rasad &ha $r =$estion in this letter% -f co$rse Han and 2adadhara 5ran, who received initiation from ?5&, are probably better informed on many of these matters and may even have some of the doc$ments I will refer to% I had the good fort$ne to visit ?5& in 1irnagar at 1ha tivinode#s family estate and temple sometime in 199B after I had left Is con and been at least partially initiated by &in *$di 1aba% 1y the way ?5& is the yo$nger brother of 1ha tisiddhanta, not older% It was awe)inspiring being in the presence of someone directly related to 1ha tivinoda, whose life and wor I have always been inspired by% ?5& was =$ite old then and basically spent his days in his room sitting or lying on his bed s$rro$nded by boo s and man$scripts, chanting the .oly Name% I believe he was chanting some five la hs of .arinama a day% &hat is B;;,;;;% <t my best I co$ld only do one and a half la hs a day and it too me all day% <ll of his needs were being seen to by a middle)aged woman who ran the asrama% She had his meals prepared and too care of everything% ?5& said that she was the reincarnation of his mother who had come bac specifically to care for him% .e always called her >Ma%> She seemed very peacef$l and very efficient% ?5& spo e to $s +I thin I was with a god)brother by the name of Hagadananda Das, at length on the first day of o$r visit% .is basic point was that 1ha tisiddhanta was a $s$rper% .is father, he said, had passed on the responsibility of spreading Mahaprabh$#s religio$s tradition to him, not 1ha tisiddhanta and he prod$ced a letter from 1ha tivinode to him stating something li e that% +/hether it was gen$ine or not I cannot say%, .e claimed that 1ha tisiddhanta made the claim of carrying on his father#s wor witho$t any a$thori0ation to do so% ?5& stated =$ite bl$ntly that he had received initiation from 1ha tivinoda, b$t that 1ha tivinoda ref$sed to give it to 1ha tisiddhanta% -ne has to wonder why% .e went on to tell a story abo$t 1ha tisiddhanta that blew my mind% .e said that 1ha tisiddhanta was act$ally the reincarnation of a fa e g$r$ by the name of 1ishi ishan who 1ha tivinoda had incarcerated when he was the dep$ty magistrate in 5$ri% 1ha tivinoda had this fellow, who was impersonating *rsna and dancing the rasa dance with yo$ng women, arrested and imprisoned and a few months later he died in prison +police br$tality6,% <ccording to ?5&,

1ishi ishan swore on his dying breath that he wo$ld get even with 1ha tivinoda and spoil his life#s wor % <ccording to ?5& he was born as 1ha tivinoda#s son, 1imala 5rasada% <t this point he prod$ced a letter written by 1ha tivinoda to him years later describing the horrible pains his mother e'perienced in giving birth to 15, far worse than ordinary birth pains, and there may have been a comment either by 1ha tivinoda or his wife +?5&#s mother, abo$t a great demon residing in her womb% &he rest according to ?5& fit this paradigm% 15 ins$lted 1ha tivinoda#s g$r$ 1ipin 1ihari by calling him a fart breather% .e went on to teach and play the g$r$ witho$t any initiation, too over the organi0ation that 1ha tivinoda had fo$nded and t$rned it into the 2a$diya Math% <ccording to ?5& 1ha tivinoda became so disg$sted that he retired to 5$ri early and went into secl$sion practicing the final astakaliya and harinama-bha ana with which he ended his life% <fter hearing this story, I remember wondering if this was merely the res$lt of sibling rivalry or something more s$bstantial% <t any rate, the doc$ments to s$pport ?5&#s view of the sit$ation were right there% &hat was one of the most tantali0ing parts of the visit% ?5& showed me a co$ple of almira filled with 1ha tivinod#s letters and man$scripts, some p$blished and some $np$blished% &here was a h$ge mass of literat$re there% I got the impression that what had been p$blished was only the tip of the iceberg, that there was so m$ch more of 1ha tivinoda#s reali0ations b$ried in those almira% I hope that someone is trying to protect it and p$blish it% <nother of ?5&#s claims was that those things of 1ha tivinoda that had been p$blished by the 2a$diya Math had been >edited and changed>% .e said that the tr$e position of 1ha tivinoda wo$ld not be nown $ntil the wor s were restored from the original man$scripts% <ll in all, it was an interesting co$ple of days% ?5& passed away a year or two later and I have no idea what has become of the mss or of the ancestral estate of 1ha tivinod since then% It does appear that 1ha tivinoda was rejected by 1ipin 1ihari for his advocacy of the Mayap$r birth site% &here is apparently a letter to that effect%1ha tivinoda did val$e Hagannatha Dasa 1aba#s association and 2a$ra isora#s too% 5erhaps they were not e=$ally enth$siastic for his, tho$gh% 2a$ra isora Dasa $sed to jo e abo$t how he avoided 1ha tivinoda by hiding o$t in a whore ho$se in Navadvipa% 1ha tivinoda#s given name was *edarnath Datta% .e received the title 1ha tivinoda from the 1aghna 5ara 2oswamis at the re=$est of 1ipin 1ihari 2oswami who was one of them% 1ha tivinod pro$dly retained that title $ntil his death which indicates that he still val$ed that recognition% .is boo s, too, are profo$ndly infl$enced by 1ipin 1ihari and the teachings of the 1aghna 5ara 2oswamis% 1ipin 1ihari#s presentation of the dasa-mula >ten Roots> in a wonderf$l boo called (asa-mula-rasam was echoed by 1ha tivinoda in his Sriman /ahaprabhur Siksa >&he &eachings of Sriman Mahaprabh$> and other wor s% <lso the form of man ari practice and astakaliya-lila-smarana +remembering of the lila of Radha and *rsna in the eight periods, that he advocated and practiced was that of the 1aghna 5ara 2oswamis% &he wor s and teachings of 1ipin 1ihari 2oswami were th$s massively infl$ential for 1ha tivinoda% &he other =$estions yo$ have as ed I will have to postpone answering for now% ?oo for another installment in a few days% <ll my best wishes, Nitai Das 5%S% &hat 1ha tisiddhanta was considered or more appropriately sometimes referred to as >siddha> by the followers of Sri Radharaman "arana Dasa sho$ld not conf$se yo$% .$mble !aisnavas will often refer to other !aisnavas or holy men of other traditions, even those they disagree with, as mahatma or siddha% It is merely !aisnava h$mility and eti=$ette% It doesn#t mean that the person so referred to is really a siddha% -nly in the 2a$diya Math and IS*"-N are s$ch practices entirely absent%