Mahanta

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The term mahanta in itself refers to a respectable math leader but Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati is speaking sarcastically in the same way our

Srila Prabhupada would sometimes speak of the caste goswamis and their

temples:

 

"...one claims to become acharya on the principle of being born of a Brahmin

father. They may be called sukaracharya, or acharya or preacher not by

disciplic succession, but on the right of heredity. In India there are still

superstitions that one should be initiated by such sukaracharya family. They

are called generally as the jatigosain. Jatigosain means the caste spiritual

master. All over India, especially in Bengal, this jatigosain spiritual

mastership is very prevalent. But really goswami means one who is master of

the influence of different senses, namely the influence of tongue, the

influence of mind, the influence of anger, the influence of belly, the

influence of genital, and the influence of talking. So one who is master of

these influential webs of sense gratification, he is called goswami. Goswami

is not by hereditary chart. So Sukaracharya posed himself as such goswami

spiritual master. He had many mystic powers, therefore he was considered to

be very influential spiritual master..."

(letter to Sasvarupa, Jul 3, '68)

 

And another example:

 

>

Prabhup€da: Yes. If by the dress of sanny€s…, you take some money and eat

and sleep, then it is transcendental fraud. (SP laughs) (Hindi) Just like

others are toiling, and we are getting money by some dress. That’s all.

They are getting money by laboring hard, and we are getting money... In

India, mostly the sanny€s…s, they do that. The priests also, they do that.

This is our profession, just... My Guru Mah€r€ja said that ˜h€kura dekhiye

p€ya rasta karache, rastaye ’yandiya j…vika badram karam bhari (?).

Instead of earning livelihood by showing the Deity in the temple, it is

better to take the profession of a sweeper in the street and live

honestly. He said like that. The sweeper is working hard toiling and

getting some money and living. This is honest living. But just like in

Vnd€vana, all the Goswamis. They have got their Deity. People are coming,

contributing. Typical example, Gaurac€nda Goswami. ˜h€kura dekhiye paisa

rasta. (?) All the sevaites, they are meant for... Our Kunja Babu also

planned like that. He thought, “By cheating all the God-brothers, I have

got now Caitanya Maöha. And people will come to see Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s

birthplace, and I will get good income. And it will be distributed amongst

my brothers and sons and myself. That’s all.”

(Conversation, Sept. 21. '73, Bombay)

 

Actual devotees are devotees of pure devotees of Krishna... not those who

claim to be devotees direct. This is declared by the Lord Himself. He

doesn't accept those who worship Him directly as His devotees:

ye me bhakta-jan€ƒ p€rtha / na me bhakt€ ca te jan

mad-bhakt€n€ƒ ca ye bhakt€s / te me bhakta-tam€ mat€ƒ

"Lord KŠa told Arjuna, 'Those who are My direct devotees are actually not

My devotees, but those who are the devotees of My servant are factually My

devotees.'" - CC Madhya 11.28 quoting Adi Purana...

 

The mahabhagavata devotee is not "some individual". Krishna says "€c€ryaƒ

m€ˆ vij€n…y€n"... "know the acarya to be My very self". (The verse appears

about thirty times in Folio, for which the majority of the translations are

like this. A minority say "'as good as' My Self" or the like.) There are

many verses and places in sastras in which the Lord declares worship of His

pure devotee more pleasing to Him than worship of Himself. (e.g.:

mad-bhakta-p™j€bhyadhik€ / sarva-bh™teu man-matiƒ ...Translation as given

in Caitanya Bhagavat Adi 1.9: "Worshipping My devotees is better than

directly worshipping me." Purport in Srimad Bhagavatam: "The words

mad-bhakta-p™j€bhyadhik€ are significant in this verse. Abhyadhik€ indicates

"superior quality." The Lord is extremely satisfied with those who offer

worship to His pure devotees, and He rewards them accordingly. Because of

the Lord's generous appraisal of His pure devotees, worship of the pure

devotees is described as superior to worship of the Lord Himself."

(SB 1.19.21)

 

...."Mad-bhakta-p™j€ abhyadhik€. To worship Vy€sadeva, worship the bona fide

spiritual master and worship the Lord, they are the same. Rather, KŠa says

that if you worship His bona fide representative, that worship is better

than directly worshiping." (SB Lecture, 1.7.5 Purport, Sept 4 '76)

 

...."A devotee should be offered respect on the level of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, and sometimes even more respect. Indeed, Lord R€ma,

the Personality of Godhead Himself, sometimes worshiped Lord iva. If a

devotee is worshiped by the Lord, why should a devotee not be worshiped by

other devotees on the same level with the Lord?" (SB 4.24.30 P)

 

....amara bhaktera p™j€—€m€ haite baa

sei prabhu vede-bhagavate kail€daha

"That same Supreme Personality of Godhead has declared in the Vedas and

rimad Bh€gavtam, "Worship of My devotee is superior to worshipping me.

(Caitanya Bhagavat, Adi 1.8)

 

Those neglecting worship of pure devotees are nothing but victims of false

pride: arcayitv€ tu govindam / tad…yaƒ n€rcayet tu yaƒ

na sa bhagavato jñeyaƒ / kevalaƒ d€mbhikaƒ smtaƒ

"One who performs worship of Govinda but fails to worship His devotees

should be understood to be not a devotee of the Lord but simply a victim of

false pride." - Padma Purana, Uttara-kandha

 

The pure devotee spiritual master is the worshipable deity and life and soul

of the devotee. (...budha €bhajet taƒ / bhaktyaikayeaƒ guru-devat€tm€ñ

"...bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable

deity and as his very life and soul".) "...an intelligent person should

engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under

the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his

worshipable deity and as his very life and soul." (SB 11.2.37)

...."Unless one accepts a bona fide spiritual master in the authorized

parampar€ as one’s worshipable deity and life and soul, there is no question

of overcoming the duality of material life." (SB 11.2.38 Purp)

 

Not only is worship of and advancing the fame of the bona fide spiritual

master ^recommended^ as the above references indicate, but Srila

Bhaktisiddhata Saraswati strongly indicates in his song Nirjana Anartha that

it is ^essential^ to our spiritual lives: vaiŠavi pratisth€, t€'te karu

nisth€ / t€h€ n€ bhajile albhibe raurava... "Be dedicated to the fame of a

Vaisnava. If you do not worship that, you will go to hell (raurava)."

(quoted in A Ray of Visnu)

 

The greatness of ISKCON is in how its founder acarya is worshipped or as he

is enjoined to be worshipped according to ISKCON law. Those that are not

inclined to accept this have a serious anartha and those temples and zones

where his proper worship is not done are places full of unhappy devotees...

trying to squeeze happiness out of things wherin it is not found... things

like their own fame, power and possessions.

 

Your servant,

 

Rasananda das