Evidence for guru-related-problems during Lord Caitanya's times

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> A VAISNAVA GURU IN GOOD STANDING EARLIER CAN ALSO FALL DOWN - MORE PROOF

> WITH ORIGINAL BENGALI FROM JAIVA DHARMA FROM DANAVIR MAHARAJ'S ARTICLE:

>

> Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains in the Jaiva Dharma, Chapter 20, page

> 213, the second instance in which one should reject his spiritual master.

 

<snip>

 

I wonder what the Desai-anugas would speculate on the above posting since

they imagine that a bona fide guru is beyond any chance of falldown. Thank

you, Nayana Ranjana Prabhu for the posting!

 

The Krsna Bhajanamrta says that there were many instances of problems with

gurus during the time of Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But none of them

came up with such an anti-Vedic speculation as post-samadhi rtvik proponents

have done.

 

Here is the exact statement:

 

evam tu drsta bahavah sri-krsna-caitanyavatare (67)

 

evam--thus; tu--indeed; drstah--have been seen; bahavah--many

(cases); sri-krsna-caitanya-avatare--during the appearance of

Lord Caitanya. (67)

 

During the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu many

examples of this were seen. (67)

 

In order to understand the exact context of this statement of Srila Narahari

Sarakara, I am supplying the entire section of Krsna Bhajanamrta dealing

with gurus having problems or falling down. After explaining what to do in

such cases, Srila Narahari says the above statement.

 

Please note the words drstah bahavah. Bahavah means "many" and so we can

understand that there were MANY instances of rectification, etc. as

described the previous section of the Bhajanamrta (which I am quoting

below).

 

Note:

 

(1) The word meanings and translation is by Srila Hridayananda Goswami

Maharaja.

(2) Sri Krsna Bhajanamrta was published by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

Therefore it is very important for practicing Vaisnavas in the Krsna

consciousness movement.

 

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Krsna Bhajanamrta advising us what to do when Vaisnava gurus have problems:

===========================================================================

 

kintu yadi gurur asamanjasam karoti tarhi yukti-siddhaih

siddhantais tasya rahasi dandah karaniyo na tu tyajyah (59)

 

kintu--however; yadi--if; guruh--the guru; asamanjasa--a wrongful

act; karoti--commits; tarhi--thereupon; yukti--with logic and

reason; siddhaih--made perfect; siddhantaih--with the conclusions

of scriptures; tasya--of him; rahasi--privately; dandah--reprimand,

restraining; karaniyah--is to be done; na--not; tu--but; tyajyah--

to be given up. (59)

 

If a spiritual master commits a wrongful act, one should

privately confront him for his rectification, using

logically presented conclusions from sastra, but one is not

to give him up. (59)

 

guror danda iti cen na

guror apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanatah

utpatha-pratipannasya nyayo dando vidhiyate (60)

 

guroh--of the guru; dandah--reprimand; iti--thus; cet--if; na--

(one considers should) not (be done); guror api--even of a guru;

avaliptasya--proud and contaminated; karya-akaryam--what is to be

done and what is not to be done; ajanatah--who does not know;

utpatha--the wrong path; pratipannasya--who has taken to; nyayah--

reason; dandah--reprimand, restraining; vidhiyate--is enjoined.

(60)

 

If one thinks one shouldn't reprimand a spiritual master,

one should consider this statement: "If the guru becomes

attached to sense gratification, loses his sense of duty,

and follows a degraded path, a path other than devotional

service to the Lord, he should be restrained or reprimanded

with logical arguments." (60)

 

anena sarvam susobhanam iti (61)

 

anena--with this (understanding); sarvam--everything; susobhanam--

(becomes) very beautiful, auspicious; iti--thus. (61)

 

With this understanding, everything becomes auspicious. (61)

 

svabhava eva vaisnavanam krsnasraya eva mulam tad-guna-gana-

yaso-varnana-vilasa-vinoda-prakhyapanam jivanam (62)

 

svabhavah--the nature; eva--certainly; vaisnavanam--of devotees;

krsna-asrayah--to take shelter of Lord Sri Krsna; eva--alone;

mulam--the foundation, basis; tad-guna--this (Lord Krsna's)

qualities; gana--singing; yasah--glories; varnana--describing;

vilasa--of the pastimes; vinoda-prakhyapanam--spreading the

news; jivanam--the very life. (62)

 

The natural behavior of Vaisnava devotees is to take

complete refuge of Lord Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality

of Godhead, accepting Him as their real and principal

shelter. Their very life is to sing His glories, describe

and expand His fame, and discuss the nectar of His

transcendental pastimes. (62)

 

vaisnavah sarve tad anusaram eva guru-mukhat va sva-buddhya va

vyavaharanti iti kramah (63)

 

vaisnavah--the devotees; sarve--all; tad-anusaram--following this

(nature); eva--only; guru-mukhat--from the mouth of the guru; va--

either; sva-buddhya--by one's own intelligence; va--or;

vyavaharanti--perform the regular (devotional) activities; iti--thus;

kramah--the process. (63)

 

Therefore, following this devotional nature, all devotees

continue their regular devotional service. Guided by the

bona fide instructions of the guru or by one's own

intelligence, in all cases one should continue in one's

devotional service. This is the authorized course. (63)

 

tatra gurur yadi vi-sadrsa-kari isvare bhrantah krsna-yaso-vimukho

vilasa-vinodam na angikaroti svayam va durabhimani loka-stavaih

krsnatvam prapnoti tarhi tyajya eva. (64)

 

tatra--in this matter; guruh--the guru; yadi--if; vi-sadrsa--

improprieties; kari--commits; isvare--about the Lord; bhrantah--

bewildered; krsna-yasah--the glories of Sri Krsna; vimukhah--against;

vilasa--pastimes (of Krsna); vinodam--relishing; na--does not; angi-

karoti--accept; svayam--personally; va--or;

durabhimani--terribly conceited; loka-stavaih--by the praises and

flattery of the public; krsnatvam--darkness; prapnoti--comes to;

tarhi--then; tyajyah--to be rejected; eva--simply. (64)

 

But if the spiritual master commits improprieties, is

bewildered about the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is

averse to expanding Lord Krsna's glories, personally refuses

to hear or chant about the pastimes of the Lord, or has

become utterly puffed up by the false praises of ignorant

persons and thus falls into darkness, then the spiritual

master is simply to be rejected. (64)

 

katham eva gurus tyajya iti no, krsna-bhava-lobhat krsna-praptaye

guror asrayah krtas tad-anantaram yadi tasmin gurau asuri-bhavas

tarhi kim kartavyam asura-gurum tyaktva sri-krsna-bhaktimantam

gurum anyam bhajet. (65)

 

katham--how (is it possible); eva--indeed; guruh--the guru;

tyajyah--is to be rejected; iti--thus; no--(if one thinks) not;

krsna-bhava-lobhat--out of eagerness for Sri Krsna's

transcendental nature; krsna-praptaye--to achieve Sri Krsna;

guroh--of a guru; asrayah krtah--one took shelter; tad-anantaram--

after that; yadi--if; tasmin gurau--in that guru; asuri-bhavah--

the demonic nature; tarhi--then; kim kartavyam--what is to be

done; asura-gurum--the asura guru; tyaktva--rejecting; sri krsna-

bhaktimantam--full of devotion for Sri Krsna; gurum--guru; anyam--

another; bhajet--one should accept and worship. (65)

 

Under those circumstances one should not think, "How can I

give up my spiritual master?" With a strong desire to

achieve spontaneous devotional service and attain the lotus

feet of Lord Krsna, a devotee accepts the shelter of a

spiritual master. But if after that the spiritual master

takes on a demonic mentality, what is to be done? Rejecting

such a demonic guru, in his place one should accept a Krsna

conscious spiritual master and worship him. (65)

 

tasya krsna-balad asurasya guror balam mardaniyam iti vaisnava-

bhajana-vicarah (66)

 

tasya--his; krsna-balat--by strength derived from Lord Krsna;

asurasya guroh--of the asura guru; balam--the strength,

influence; mardaniyam--is to be smashed, destroyed; iti--thus;

vaisnava-bhajana--(the way of) serving and accepting Vaisnavas;

vicarah--the correct analysis of. (66)

 

By the strength of the devotional service of the Krsna

conscious spiritual master, the ill effects of the demonic

spiritual master are destroyed. This is the authorized way

of Vaisnava devotional service. (66)

 

evam tu drsta bahavah sri-krsna-caitanyavatare (67)

 

evam--thus; tu--indeed; drstah--have been seen; bahavah--many

(cases); sri-krsna-caitanya-avatare--during the appearance of

Lord Caitanya. (67)

 

During the appearance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu many

examples of this were seen. (67)

 

YS

VGD