Swaminarayan~~~~Gaura-nagaris

[Nitaichandra]

I really don´t know much about Swaminarayan and the different splintergroups that separated themselves in history , only that what I´ve read here and in other places .

 

So , for example I have now learned about about a certain guru or acharya of a prominent Swaminanrayan-subgroup , whose followers seem to claim that Swaminarayan is supreme , and not Krishna .

 

If we look for something similar among the different gaudiya-traditions , we can find the Gaura-nagaris , who claim that Gauranga is supreme , and not Krishna ...

So these Gaura-nagaris seem not to be accepted as mainstream among the established gaudiya-lineages , but nevertheless they exist .

Whereas , among Swaminarayan-followers this tendency to give supremacy to their founder is more accepted , more mainstream .

 

What would have happened if the same had occurred within the gaudiya-universe , if so to say the Gaura-nagaris had become the prominent group of gaudiya vaishnavism ?

[Guest guest]

it should have eventually led to where we are now....Gauranga is the supreme....He is Krishna.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna.

 

As predicted, in Kali Yuga many bogus Gurus or their followers will claim to be God.

 

In the case of Swaminaryan, he himself clealry stated that Lord Krishna is the supreme, but his followers have now declared him as God. This is similar to the Christians saying Jesus is God, but Jesus himself clealry declared himself as a son of God, not God.

 

Only accept what the Vedic scriptures state.

 

Lord Brahma who is the first created living being states in Brahma Samhita:

 

“Krsna who is known as Govinda is the supreme godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and he is the prime cause of all causes.” (Brahma Samhita 5.1)

 

After Describing various incarnations of the Lord such as Rama, Balrama, Vamana, Nrsimha, and Vishnu, Sukadeva Goswami states:

 

“All of the above mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions of portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.28)

 

Lord Shiva in the Gita Mahatmya states:

 

“Only one God – Krishna, the son of Devaki (verse 7)

 

In the Padma Purana it is stated:

 

“By scrutinizingly reviewing all the revealed scriptures and judging them again and again, it is now concluded that Lord Narayana is the supreme absolute truth, and thus he alone should be worshipped”

 

In the Skanda Purana it states:

 

“In the material world, which is full of darkness and dangers, combined with birth and death and full of different anxieties, the only way to get out of the great entanglement is to accept loving transcendental devotional service to Lord Vasudeva.”

 

The position of Krishna as God is confirmed by great personalities like Narada, Asita, Devela, Parasara, Brahma, and Shiva.

 

 

[Nitaichandra]

There remains the question about the authorized connection to one of the four recognized sampradayas .

 

In the case of gaudiya vaishnavism , the gaudiyas claim to be connected to the Madhva-sampradaya . ( Although the traditional representatives of the Madhvaites in South India don´t accept that . For example the story in Chaitanya-Charitamrita about Gauranga defeating the Tattvavadis is not found in any historical records of today´s Tattvavadis , hence they don´t give the gaudiya scriptures any credibility . )

 

Now , for the Swaminarayan-followers , there exists somehow a connection to the Ramanuja-sampradaya , although there seem to be some theological differences between the two schools . ( The Swaminarayan-group became independent ).

 

 

But , ok , Gaudiyas might not be accepted by the traditional Madhvaites , but still they maintain Krishna as the highest divinity ( at least the orthodox Gaudiyas , except the Gaura-nagaris ) , which is accepted by the Nimbarka- and Vallabha-sampradayas . ( Madhvaites accept Narayan as supreme ) .

 

But the Swaminarayan-followers , on the other hand , want to establish their founder as the supreme . So , analyzing the facts in a sober manner , we can understand that they are cutting their bonds to the established sampradayas even more than the Gaudiyas ...