Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara

[Guest guest]

The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara

(INTRODUCTION)

 

by Swami B. G. Narasingha

 

The words 'Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara' indicate the disciplic

succession (parampara) which was handed down from the time of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu to that of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. This

parampara is a disciplic succession of divine knowledge (divya jnanam) also

known as the 'Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya' or the

'Bhagavata-parampara'.

 

'Brahma-Madhva' indicates the preceptors from Lord Brahma to Madhvacarya who

carried the parampara in ancient times. The use of the term

'Bhagavata-parampara' indicates the preceptorial line of the principles

contained in Srimad-Bhagavatam. The Bhagavata-parampara itself began at the

outset of this universe wherein Sri Krsna spoke the Srimad-Bhagavatam in

four nutshell verses to Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma then spoke those four

essential verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam to his disciple Narada who in turn

taught those verses to Vedavyasa who in turn, upon his mature realization,

compiled the Srimad-Bhagavatam (in twelve cantos) as we know it today.

Vyasa's disciple was Sri Madhvacarya. From Madhvacarya the disciplic

succession came to Sri Madhavendra Puri the fifteenth preceptor in the line.

Madhavendra Puri's disciple was Sri Isvara Puri who became glorious as the

spiritual master of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

It is indeed the Srimad-Bhagavatam and its principles therein which figure

most prominently in the Bhagavata-parampara. The Vedas have been compared to

a kalpa-taru (desire tree) and the mature fruit of that tree is

Srimad-Bhagavatam.

 

nigama-kalpa-taror galitam phalam

suka-mukhad amrta-drava-samyutam

pibata bhagavatam rasam alayam

muhur aho rasika bhuvi bhavuka

 

O expert and thoughtful men, relish Srimad-Bhagavatam, the mature fruit of

the desire tree of Vedic literatures. It emanated from the lips of Sri

Sukadeva Goswami. Therefore this fruit has become even more tasteful,

although its nectarean juice was already relishable for all, including

liberated souls. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.3)

 

The Srimad-Bhagavatam contains ten divisions of principles regarding the

Absolute Truth.

 

atra sargo visargas ca sthanam posanam utaya

manvantaresanukatha nirodha muktir asraya

 

In Srimad-Bhagavatam there are ten divisions of statements regarding the

following: the creation of the universe, subcreation, planetary systems,

protection by the Lord, the creative impetus, the change of Manus, the

science of God, returning back to Godhead, liberation, and the summum bonum

(asraya).

 

The summum bonum of Srimad-Bhagavatam is found in the tenth canto wherein

the transcendental pastimes of Sri Krsna with the Vraja gopis are described.

This section is the foremost asraya-tattva of the Bhagavatam.

 

Prior to the advent of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu all ten principles of the

Srimad-Bhagavatam were explained by previous acaryas like Madhvacarya. The

conception of these acaryas however was that Narayana is the asraya-tattva.

The revelation that Sri Krsna is the asraya-tattva had remained undisclosed

to any acarya since the advent of the Srimad-Bhagavatam--waiting for the

reappearance of Krsna in the form of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to become fully

manifest. Indeed it was this conclusive truth that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

came to distribute that which had never been distributed before.

 

anarpita-carim cirat karunayavatirna kalau

samarpayitum unnatojjvala-rasam sva-bhakti-sriyam

hari purata-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sandipita

sada hrdaya-kandare sphuratu va saci-nandana

 

May that Lord, who is known as the son of Srimati Sacidevi, be

transcendentually situated in the innermost core of your heart. Resplendent

with the radiance of molten gold, He has descended in the age of Kali by His

causeless mercy to bestow what no incarnation has ever offered before-the

most elevated mellow of devotional service, the mellow of conjugal love."

(C.c. Adi-lila 1.1.4)

 

namo maha-vadanyaya krsna-prema-pradaya te

krsnaya-krsna-caitanya namne gaura-tvise nama

 

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Gaurangadeva, whose divine

complexion is a radiant golden hue and who possesses the qualities of the

most benevolent incarnation because He distributes what no incarnation ever

distributed before, pure love for Krsna (krsna-prema). He is none other than

Vrajendra-nandana Krsna known in Kali-yuga as Sri Krsna Caitanya

Mahaprabhu."

 

One might argue that pure love for Krsna being the purport of

Srimad-Bhagavatam was surely realized to some extent by previous acaryas but

that such love reaches its highest and fullest expression in the personality

of Srimati Radharani is clearly only revealed through the parampara after

the appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

and His followers such as Sri Rupa and Raghunatha dasa Goswamis who

announced that Srimati Radharani is the supreme shelter (asrayah) of all

living entities. This is the 'asrayah' of which the Srimad-Bhagavatam

ultimately speaks. This conception of Srimati Radharani as the supreme

asraya-tattva was unknown to any Vaisnava parampara prior to Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's appearance and such a conception is still only accessable

through His bona fide succession.

 

Based on the instruction of Srimad-Bhagavatam Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

introduced the sankirtana movement (the chanting of the holy names of God)

as the prime benediction for humanity at large-for by such chanting the

living entities can be delivered from the darkness of material ignorance.

 

nama-sankirtanam yasya

sarva-papa-pranasanam

pranamo dukha-samanas

tam namami harim param

 

Krsna's holy name can relieve us from all undesirable sinfulness, all filthy

characteristics, and all miseries. Let us all bow down to him." (Bhag.

12.13.23)

 

Similary, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught the esoteric principles of the

Srimad-Bhagavatam (asraya-tattva) to His most confidential devotees, thus

enabling them to enter into the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord

in spontenous love of God.

 

>From Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu the parampara came through Swarupa Damodara

Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Raghunatha dasa Goswami, Jiva

Goswami, and Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami to Narottama dasa Thakura, to

Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, to Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, to Srila

Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, to Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

 

However, after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu from the eyes of

this mortal world many deviant paramparas (sahajiyas) immediately began to

manifest. In numerous ways the sahajiyas attempted to monopolize the

treasure chest of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's gift of divine love, thus

causing a great confusion in the minds of innocent people. By the end of the

19th century the line of divinity established by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had

almost disappeared from sight. The situation was dismal--rascals and

cheaters had destroyed the pure principles of the Bhagavata-parampara and in

turn they propagated the lowest standard of sinful behavior in the name of

pure spontaneous love, raganuga-bhakti.

 

For a long time the sahajiyas had continuously misrepresented the principles

of pure devotional service under the false practices of raganuga-bhakti and

that for which the Srimad-Bhagavatam stood became tarnished and eventually

covered. These sahajiya communities are described by Bhaktivinoda Thakura as

the Aula, Baula, Kartabhaja, Neda, Daravesa, Sani-sahajiya, Sakhibheki,

Smarta, Jata-gosani, Ativadi, Cudadhari and Gauranga-nagari. They had became

so degraded that the very word 'Vaisnava' was spoiled in Bengal. Without

going into detail it will suffice at this point to say that under the

patronage of the above mentioned sahajiya communities 'Vaisnavaism' had

become known as a religion or occupation of women hunters, drunkards and

beggars. Seeing this situation was intolerable for the pure hearted devotees

of the Supreme Lord.

 

At that time the Supreme Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent two of His most

confidential servants to take birth in this world. These two confidential

servants were Swarupa Damodara and Gadadhara Pandita who appeared as Gaura

Kisora dasa Babaji and Bhaktivinoda Thakura respectively. These two great

personalities became the shelter of all sincere followers of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu during their time. (See chapter seventeen of The Authorized Sri

Caitanya Saraswata Parampara for a detailed explanation).

 

The intimate disciple of both Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Gaura

Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura.

Saraswati Thakura appeared in this world as the fourth son of Bhaktivinoda

and from his childhood to his old age he dedicated his entire life to

removing the clouds of misconception that covered the pure religion of the

followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

Once our spiritual master, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was

asked by a young devotee to say something about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Saraswati Thakura. In reply he said, "What can I say to you--he was a

Vaikuntha man." Here the meaning of 'Vaikuntha' must be taken in its most

fundamental sense, as indicating beyond material conception. Indeed, in a

word, this is a most fitting description of Srila Saraswati Thakura, beyond

material conception-beyond the reaches of our material calculations. He was

cent per cent a man of the upper world whose eternal associates are none

other than the Supreme Lords own dearmost servants. Saraswati Thakura

descended to this world from the inner circle of the Lord's domain and his

philosophical conceptions (siddhanta) were wholly that of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu-one could not trace mundanity in him at any time in his career.

Saraswati Thakura appeared in this world on the prayer of Srila Bhaktivinoda

Thakura with a mission to remove the misconceptions that covered the living

entities pure consciousness and to illuminate the path of pure devotional

service.

 

nikhila-bhuvana-maya-chinnavicchinna-karttri

vibubha-bahula-mrgya-mukti-mohanta-dhattri

sithilita-vidhi-raga-radhya-radhesa-dhani

vilastu hrdi nityam bhaktisiddhanta-vani

 

With his first step, he cut to pieces the whole plane of exploitation, and

with his second, he crushed the speculation of scholars of salvation and

liberation. With his third, he softened vaidhi-bhakti with a touch of divine

love (raga-marga). Taking us beyond Vaikuntha, he has introduced us to the

highest worship of Sri Radha and Govinda. With the softness of Vrndavana

within, and the hardness of a devastator without, he created havoc in the

world-fighting with one and all. Single-handedly fighting against the whole

world, and cutting everything to pieces--that was his external attitude. And

his second attitude was to stop the boasting research of the scholars and

doctors of different schools of thought; the third, to minimize and slacken

the grandeur of the worship of Narayana, and establish the service of

Radha-Govinda as the highest attainment. He caused the domain of love to

descend into this plane, with the service of Radha-Govinda, establishing the

flow of divine love from the heart as all in all. That was his history-the

real existence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura. May his divine

teachings, Bhaktisiddhanta vani, dance eternally within the core of our

hearts." ( Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja)

 

The Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara is indeed a bona fide disciplic

succession of pure devotees of the Supreme Lord which has existed since the

most ancient times yet in modern times the eternal flow of the divine

knowledge of that parampara was obstructed by unqualified persons.

Unqualified persons posing as spiritual masters had made a mockery of the

esoteric principles of the Srimad-Bhagavatam by a cheap show of imitating

the higher sentiments of divine love. At that very peak of degradation in

Gaudiya Vaisnavaism Srila Saraswati Thakura appeared and recovered the

principles of the Srimad-Bhagavatam from the hands of the rogues and

resurrected the path of the Bhagavata-parampara.

 

Unlike many so-called paramparas of his day the parampara of Saraswati

Thakura was not simply the succession of bodies wherein dead mantras are

passed on from guru to disciple despite their obvious disqualification. Nor

was the parampara of Saraswati Thakura the disciplic succession of merchants

who make a trade of mantras in exchange for money. Nor was the parampara of

Saraswati Thakura a disciplic succession of cheaters who compromise the

regulative principles of purity by keeping illicit connection with women

claiming that such is not a disturbance to the performance of ones bhajana.

The parampara of Saraswati Thakura was however the descent of the highest

principles of the Srimad-Bhagavatam exhibited in both deed and concept.

 

Srila Saraswati Thakura appeared in this world at a time when the storehouse

of the proper conception regarding Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's nectarine

teachings had been sealed tight by pseudo-Vaisnavas. Saraswati Thakura

reopened that storehouse and showed the way of bona-fide access to the

highest plane of divinity by his personal example. Saraswati Thakura

preached strongly against the abominable practices and concepts of the

sahajiyas (imitationists). Within his own movement as well he kept a

vigilant eye out against any potential for imitation of pure devotion. His

language was strong and he made it clear to his disciples and followers that

real devotion was not a cheap sentiment. Devotion he said means submission

to Sri-guru, self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and wholehearted effort to

render devotional service. Saraswati Thakura stressed that without going

through all the stages of regulated practice (vaidhi bhakti) one cannot come

to the platform of spontaneous love (raganuga bhakti).

 

The dress associated with the eternal associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

(babaji-vesa) had become identified with the lowest men in society. To save

the dignity of the highest order of Vaisnavas (paramahamsas) Saraswati

Thakura introduced the saffron colored cloth and the triple staff belonging

to the ancient order of renunciates known as Tridandi sannyasa. This of

course raised considerable controversy at the time and many dishonest

persons criticized Saraswati Thakura for concocting unauthorized means of

devotional service. However, Saraswati Thakura had not actually concocted

any practices of devotional service--indeed he had reestablished the

authorized practices attaining of the lotus feet of Krsna, as authorized by

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Seeing this illuminating personality

standing in the midst of many dark clouds, the honest and sincere Vaisnavas

of the time gathered in support of Saraswati Thakura and assisted him in

carrying forth the purely theistic principles of the Bhagavata-parampara.

 

The tenth canto of the Srimad-Bhagavatam is the proyojana-tattva (the

highest truth) through which one can taste the eternal nectar of divine

love. As such the sahajiyas are extremely fond of hearing the tenth canto

although they consistantly neglect the first nine cantos. It is the first

nine cantos of the Srimad-Bhagavatam which qualify the bona fide candidate

for actually entering into the transcendental pastimes of the Supreme Lord.

Yet the sahajiyas prefer to jump over the first nine cantos to the tenth

canto in the name of 'getting the nectar.' In the opinion of Saraswati

Thakura a neophyte devotee should never have access to such topics as the

intimate pastimes of the Lord because if one prematurely enters the realm of

Krsna's pastimes that will bring more harm than good. If one is not situated

above the propensity for sense gratification yet indulges in hearing or

meditating on the intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna one's enjoying

spirit will only increase. One must be fully aware of the Lord's

transcendental nature before entering into discussions or meditations on the

Lord's divine pastimes with His hladini-sakti. Saraswati Thakura did not

encourage newcomers to read the tenth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. He also

disapproved of indiscriminate displays of paintings of Radha-Krsna lila. His

standards were high because the goal was high-he did not allow a mockery of

the highest conception to be made at any time.

 

To establish the principles of pure devotional service Saraswati Thakura

wrote many articles in The Harmonist magazine, the Gaudiya magazine and the

Nadiya Prakash newspaper exposing the false practices of the imitationists.

Following in the footsteps of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Saraswati

Thakura established a printing press which he called the 'Brhad-mrdanga.' In

the transcendental vision of Saraswati Thakura the printing press belonged

to the category of raganuga-bhakti and he stressed book distribution and

preaching in the same light. A logo for the Gaudiya Math was designed by

Saraswati Thakura in which a circle was drawn and various symbols

representing the bona fide processes of devotional service were depicted

within that circle. The circle was naturally divided into two sections. On

the left side the symbols representing vaidhi-bhakti were placed-such as the

Pancaratric literature and Laksmi-Narayana representing worship in the mood

of awe and reverence according to regulative principles. On the right side

of the circle were placed the symbols representing raganuga-bhakti--such as

the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Sri Radha-Krsna indicating worship in

spontaneous love (raga-marga). The symbols of the mrdanga and printing press

were also placed in the raga-marga section.

 

In the beginning of the book Sri Caitanya Mangala by Locana dasa Thakura it

is mentioned that in the future there will appear a sena-pati (a great

general) who would cause an inundation of Krsna consciousness throughout the

world. Greatly learned scholars and pure devotees of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

who know the purport of the scriptures have understood the 'sena-pati' to

have been Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura--who between 1918 and 1936

caused a wave of preaching Krsna consciousness to swell up in Bengal that

would indeed inundate the whole world. The sound of the kirtana raised by

Saraswati Thakura conquered in all ten directions silencing the atheist

non-believers, the impersonalist speculators, and the imitationists,

sahajiya sections of pseudo-Vaisnavas.

 

Saraswati Thakura orchestrated a great preaching movement for eighteen

years, awarding the triple staff of renunciation to his disciples and then

sending these sannyasis to preach throughout India and eventually to western

countries. Before passing away from this world Saraswati Thakura commented

that he desired to spend at least ten years preaching Krsna consciousness in

the western countries--this Saraswati Thakura was unable to do before his

disappearance in 1936. However, through his intimate disciple Srila A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada we see that Saraswati Thakura's last desire

for preaching Krsna consciousness in the west was fulfilled. Hence the work

of the sena-pati foretold by Locana dasa Thakura was continued by Srila A.C.

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the same continues up to the present day

in the form of Saraswati Thakura's numerous disciples and grand disciples.

 

In the presence of Saraswati Thakura the anti-parties were either silenced

or defeated, but now six decades later the anti-parties are again making

their propaganda against the Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara. This time,

however, the anti-parties have a plan to establish their deviant practices

in the western world. By the blessings of Srila Saraswati Thakura the road

to the western countries for preaching Vaisnavaism was gloriously opened by

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada but now many anti-party spokesmen

are also traversing on that road. The anti-parties all claim a monopoly on

the process of pure devotional service based on bodily successions and caste

consciousness. Rather than following the processes established by Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu for the attainment of love of God the anti-parties

prefer a 'short cut to perfection' via the process of concocted initiations

and mental speculations. Such 'short cuts to perfection' are a dead end in

spiritual life. Indeed the anti-parties are misrepresenting the teachings of

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and are again making a mockery of the sentiments of

divine love.

 

Part One of this book "The Authorized Sri Caitanya Saraswata Parampara,"

entitled "Refuting the Anti-party," deals with the false propaganda that the

parampara of Saraswati Thakura is not a bona fide disciplic succession. This

misconception is strongly refuted in the opening five chapters with

historical and scriptural evidences, which were originally written and

published on the internet in response to direct anti-party criticism of

Srila Bhaktivinoda and Srila Saraswati Thakura. Part Two, "The Practice of

Pure Devotional Service," presents the bona fide practice of pure devotional

service in spontaneous love of Krsna, raganuga-bhakti. These articles have

been written according to the opinion of previous acaryas and supported by

scriptural evidences. In Part Three, "A Few Words of Guidance," some

relevant instruction by Srila B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja and Srila

B.P. Puri Goswami Maharaja are given to protect the bona fide devotees from

falling prey to imitation of the highest divine mellows of love of God. In

particular Srila Sridhara Maharaja, in the fifteenth chapter, cautions that

if one is negligent to protect one's self against the imitation tendency one

will regrettably be given the inspiration to live in a 'fools paradise'

thinking that he has now achieved the higher standard of devotion.

 

Our readers are requested to make a careful study of this book with a view

to establish the principles of pure devotional service throughout the world

and to crush the numerous anti-party misconceptions, which if allowed to

prosper will eventually spoil the sankirtana movement of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu. Indeed that would be an intolerable loss for the whole of

humanity.

 

 

_______________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp