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> > Prabhuji, this is all very nice; no one in ISKCON can deny/argue with

> > it.

> >

> > Except for your last sentence; regarding what "diksha" actually means.

> >

> > Yes, "transcendental knowledge" is indeed the essence of diksha.

> >

> > However, kindly note that there is a formal ceremony "conferring" that

> > knowledge in form of the "panchangas"; i.e. 1. "nama", the Holy name, 2.

> > "pundra", the tilak marks of a vaishnava, 3. "mantra" - the gayatri

> > mantra, 4. "homa" - the fire sacrifice & 5. "tapa" - administration of

> > the marks of shankha & chakra.

>

> But are these necessary for Krsna consciousness?

 

If they were not, Srila Prabhupada & the previous acharyas would have

neglected them, no? But SP "taught by example". He introduced these

"rituals" which are considered "efficacious" in vaishnavism. Why would he

have wasted his time & our's if they were "unnecessary"?

 

> When Srila Prabhupada

> opened the Krsna-Balarama temple he hired smarta-brahmanas to perform the

> Vedic rituals from the Pancharatrika-vidhi, though he did it only to

> satisfy the locals. He said sankirtana alone would have been sufficient

> and he would have preferred it to the rituals. He said the rituals are for

> those attached to such flowery Vedic things and thus facility can be made

> like Deity worship.

 

At the same time he wanted devotees to learn the pancharatrika vidhi in

order to worship the Deities according to the method laid down in agama

(pancharatra) shastras. That includes Deity worship & Deity installation.

 

> Its not really Bhagavat philosophy though, is it? The Srimad Bhagavatam

> has no mention of Pancharatrika. Why didn't Srila Prabhupada translate

> Pancharatrika-vidhi?

 

Prabhuji, you may not be aware, but Srila Prabhupada had desires to

translate many vedic literatures. And he's given directions in his books,

etc., for us to study those literatures. Please do a little research on

this in your SP Folio (mine's no accesable now as I'm out of town.)

 

> > Simply by referring to the "gift" of "transcendental knowledge" by the

> > guru to the disciple, nor by quoting 100 or 1000 places where SP talks

> > about " transcendental knowledge", you cannot cancel this "pancharatrika

> > vidhi" of "panchanga diksha". Those who do so....

>

> I am not saying we can't ot shouldn't do it. But it should be minor

> consideration. Siksa from Srila Prabhupada is, ultimately, all that is

> necessary to go back home. Isn't it? It worked for Visvanatha Cakravarti

> Thakur. Why not us?

 

Maybe... provided we imbibe the shiksha "cent per cent". Pancharatrika

vidhi is an aid to KC recommended by Lord Vishnu Himself, who set down the

pancharatra. This is conclusively proved by Sri Yaamunaachaayara of the Sri

Sampradaya in his "Agamapramanyam". And this is accepted by our acharyas

too!

 

> > Therefore I again most humbly request you to please search again in the

> > SP Folio using the word(s) "pancaratrika" & "pancaratriki" & satisfy

> > yourself in this regard.

>

> Sorry, I do not have folio. I have all of Srila Prabhupada's original

> books and I have read them all twice or more, but my retention is very

> poor. I'll keep reading.

 

Oh, sorry about that. You can use the indexs in the back of the books to

reference SP's statements about Pancharatra. It won't take long to do so!

 

dasanudas,

 

Basu Ghosh Das