Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's Sannyasi Initiation

[Guest guest]

> 2) Srila Bhaktisiddhanta took his sannyaasa initation before a

> picture of his guru-mahaaraaja, even though ordinarly one becomes

> ordained in the physical presence of his guru. Therefore,

> Bhaktisiddhaanta's sannyaasa inititation is also not genuine

> according to Vedic or Gaudiiya principles.

 

I am not one to condone reckless abandonment of Vedic regulations.

However, it should be pointed out that actual sannyaasa refers to

giving up of material activites, and not merely a formal ritual after

which one dresses a particular way.

 

kaamyaanaa.m karmaNaa.m nyaasa.m sannyaasa.m kavayo viduH || giitaa

17.2 ||

 

The giving up of activites that are based on material desire is what

great learned men call the renounced order of life [sannyaasa].

(bhagavad-giitaa 17.2)

 

Now is there any question of Shriila Bhaktisiddhaanta's renunciation

in this regard? Note that I am looking for hard evidence, not low-

class accusations based on hearsay.

 

I am not arguing here that we can all just take sannyaasa in a

whimsical way, pretending to be more renounced than we actually are.

My point is that exceptional spiritual leaders may sometimes do

things which don't superficially tally with regulations when it

serves a higher purpose. There is a clear historic precedent for

this. Lord Chaitanya took sannyaasi initiation form Keshava-Bhaarati,

a maayaavaadi sannyaasi. If it is wrong to take sannyaasi initation

before the picture of a Vaishnava guru, why is it not even more wrong

to take sannyaasi initiation before the physical presence of an

offender to Lord Krishna? Like Lord Chaitanya, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

took up the renounced order of life under unconventional

circumstances for the higher purpose of propagating Krishna-

consciousness. As a result of his preaching, Vaishnavism has for the

first time become widely recognized as a distinct religious tradition

rather than a subsect of impersonal "Hinduism." In the end, it

obviously boils down to a character issue, but the proof here is in

the tasting.

 

It is interesting to note that these kinds of criticisms (about Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta's unconventional sannyaasi initiation), at least in

my experience, don't seem to be coming from the shruti paramparaas,

who do rigidly follow shaastric regulations. I have yet to see

leaders of the Maadhva and Shrii Vaishnava sampradaayas make an issue

out of something like this, and I doubt anyone in the current

Gaudiiya tradition can rival them in the area of shruti scholarship.

So I don't see the basis for any Gaudiiya Vaishnavas to criticize

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta on this point.

 

yours,

 

- K

[Guest guest]

achintya, Sanjay Dadlani <dark_knight_9>

wrote:

 

> >> Lord Chaitanya took sannyaasi initiation form

> Keshava-Bhaarati, a maayaavaadi sannyaasi. If it is

> wrong to take sannyaasi initation before the picture

> of a Vaishnava guru, why is it not even more wrong

> to take sannyaasi initiation before the physical

> presence of an offender to Lord Krishna? <<

 

> It is interesting to note that the "mayavadadi

> sannyasi" who gave sannyasa initiation to Lord

> Chaitanya was none other than the reincarnation of

> Sandipani Muni. This is noted in the famous

> Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika.

 

 

Almost all of Lord Chaitanya's associates are said to be incarnations

of various devotees. I do not know if the other Gaudiiyas outside our

line accept this or not. But the point remains that, as far as

material calculation is concerned, Keshava Bhaaratii was for all

intents and purposes a maayaavaadii sannyaasii. Yes I am aware of his

presumed identity, but I think the point here remains one of

following regulative principles. Obviously, if it is wrong to take

sannyaasii initiation before the picture of one's Vaishnava guru, it

must be wrong to take sannyaasii initiation before a maayaavaadii -

their whole concept of sannyaaasa is different from the Vaishnava one.

 

This of course makes me wonder why Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's sannyaasi

initiation is even a point of discussion.

 

- K