Guru-Parampara – the disciplic succession

Spiritual  knowledge descends through the disciplic succession from Krishna. The representatives of the disciplic succession can not change anything, add anything or subtract anything. Otherwise the disciplic succession will be broken and their preaching will have no potency. Many times in the history this disciplic succession has been broken because the representatives of the disciplic succession did not correctly pass on the knowledge to their students.

We can understand how perfect knowledge can be received. This information is given to us by Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the Bhagavad Gita, particularly in Chapter 4 Text 1 and Text 2

1) Kṛṣṇa, 2) Brahmā, 3) Nārada; 4) Vyāsa, 5) Madhva, 6) Padmanābha, 7) Nṛhari, 8) Mādhava, 9) Akṣobhya, 10) Jayatīrtha, 11) Jñānasindhu, 12) Dayānidhi, 13) Vidyānidhi, 14) Rājendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16) Puruṣottama, 17) Brahmaṇyatīrtha, 18) Vyāsatīrtha, 19) Lakṣmīpati, 20) Mādhavendra Purī, 21) Īśvara Purī, (Nityānanda, Advaita), 22) Lord Caitanya, 23) Rūpa (Svarūpa, Sanātana), 24) Raghunātha, Jīva, 25) Kṛṣṇadāsa, 26) Narottama, 27) Viśvanātha, 28) (Baladeva) Jagannātha, 29) Bhaktivinode, 30) Gaurakiśora, 31) Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, 32) His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. (Introduction to “Bhagavad-gita As It Is”)

Parampara Means to Accept The Prominent Acarya

Bhakta Mark – NY US:
There are those who claim that if we continue to follow the Founder Acarya’s order and initiate new disciples on his behalf after his disappearance, there will be a break in the Parampara (disciplic succession) because a person needs a physically present Diksa (Initiating) Guru in order for the Parampara to continue.

Srila Prabhupada’s direct teachings show us otherwise.  Explicitly.

First note the names found commonly on the official list of our disciplic succession.

Next, note the amount of rarified, advanced, pure devotees who also faithfully perpetuated the disciplic succession.

Reading the above quotes we find that some very influential acaryas are not mentioned in the common, official list of the disciplic succession of the Brahma Sampradaya, which we belong to.  There are full branches off some of the main trunks, and even important trunks that are not listed.  Why?

The Prominent Acarya whose name gets mentioned in the list is one who had to make adjustments due to a break in the disciplic succcession.  He had to give teachings according to time place and circumstance that would point back to the Essence of the giver of the seed of Bhakti, Lord Caitanya.  There are many trunks, branches and sub-branches of disciples of disciples, but only the name of the PROMINENT ACARYA who starts a NEW main trunk is listed in our list of disciplic succession, and he is the important one to pick up from, Srila Prabhupada confirms this word for word in this next quote.

So there are MANY ways to come under the disciplic succession, but the ONE COMMON POINT is that an authorized Acarya starts the particular trunk or branch.  He is the prominent acarya who’s orders must be followed if a disciple is to continue the branch.  If that disciple instructs differently than his acarya, the branch dries up.

Sri Advaita Acarya approached Lord Caitanya who was the most prominent acarya despite the fact that HIS initiating spiritual master was Madhavendra puri.  It is a fact that Madhavendra Puri is listed PREVIOUS to Lord Caitanya on the Parampara list of prominent acaryas.  Advaita acarya picked up from the Prominent Acarya, who was the current link who introduced something NEW to be followed by everyone, superseding the orders of the acaryas previous to him.  He strictly followed the teachings of that prominent acarya.

The current link is the disciple who is following the Prominent Acarya’s orders, cent per cent. As the previous letter to Kirtananda (1/25/69) showed, such a link might “only” be an instructing spiritual master! He does not need to be an initiating spiritual master. It is right there in black and white.

Currently”, the only acaryas I recognize are those who follow the instructions of the Founder-acarya of our trunk of the devotional tree.  He told us to become instructor gurus, but he would remain the initiating Guru.

In the Iskcon trunk of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s Tree of Bhakti, there is one “Founder-acarya” and initiating spiritual master, who authorized all his disciples to represent him as priests for initiations, and to act as Siksa Gurus or Acaryas. He also said that only strictly obedient disciples can come to that platform of Siksa Guru.  Simple logic dictates that among those posing as Diksa Gurus within Iskcon, there is not ONE who meets this criteria of obedience.  Thus, sad to say, they themselves have produced dried up branches that cannot perpetuate the bonafide disciplic succession.

Om tat sat.
All glories to the Prominent Link Srila Prabhupada and his current links who follow his ritvik system!
Hare Krsna

———–

Gaps in the Disciplic Succession

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha manur ikṣvākave ‘bravīt

The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku. (Bg 4.1)

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison — September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst:

Prabhupāda: This science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness was understood by disciplic succession. Paramparā-prāptam. Imaṁ vivasvavate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: “My dear Arjuna, don’t think that this Kṛṣṇa consciousness science I am speaking to you is something new. No.” Imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ proktavān aham avyayam: (BG 4.1) “It is eternal, and first I spoke to sun-god.” Vivasvate. Vivasvān manave prāhuḥ: “And Vivasvān said to his son, Manu.” Manur ikṣvākave ‘bravīt: “And Manu also transferred this knowledge to his son, Ikṣvāku.” Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam: (BG 4.2) “In this way, by disciplic succession, it is coming on.”

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. (Bg 4.2)

Prabhupāda: The succession was broken. So similarly, Christ says something. So if that commandment is received by succession, then it goes nicely. But if you break it according to your necessity, then where is the authority?

Prabhupāda: The Vedic knowledge was thus imparted unto the heart of Brahmā, the first living being in the material creation. It was Brahmā who related this knowledge to the sage Nārada Muni. Similarly, the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken by the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, to Vivasvān, the presiding deity of the sun, and when the aural chain of disciplic succession was broken, Lord Kṛṣṇa repeated the Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. At that time, Arjuna took the role of disciple and student in order to receive transcendental knowledge from Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In order to drive out all misgivings which the gross materialists of the world may have, Arjuna asked all relevant questions, and the answers were given by Kṛṣṇa so that any layman can understand them. Only those who are captivated by the glamour of the material world cannot accept the authority of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. One has to become thoroughly clean in habit and heart before one can understand the details of the antimaterial world. Bhakti-yoga is a detailed scientific transcendental activity that both the neophyte and the perfect yogī can practice. (Easy journey to other Planets).

Letter to: Dayananda — San Francisco 12 April, 1968 : 68-04-12 :
Regarding parampara system: there is nothing to wonder for big gaps. Just like we belong to the Brahma Sampradaya, so we accept it from Krishna to Brahma, Brahma to Narada, Narada to Vyasadeva, Vyasadeva to Madhva, and between Vyasadeva and Madhva there is a big gap. But it is sometimes said that Vyasadeva is still living, and Madhva was fortunate enough to meet him directly. In a similar way, we find in the Bhagavad-gita that the Gita was taught to the sungod, some millions of years ago, but Krishna has mentioned only three names in this parampara system—namely, Vivasvan, Manu, and Iksvaku; and so these gaps do not hamper from understanding the parampara system. We have to pick up the prominent acaryas, and follow from him. There are many branches also from the parampara system, and it is not possible to record all the branches and sub-branches in the disciplic succession. We have to pick up from the authority of the acharya in whatever sampradaya we belong to

Letter to: Rupanuga — Hawaii 14 March, 1969 : 69-03-14 :
Regarding your third question—”Why are there apparent time-gaps in the line of disciplic succession as listed in the Bhagavad-gita? Is Arjuna an instructor Spiritual Master and not an initiator Spiritual Master and therefore not listed?” The time gap mentioned by you is inevitable, because the disciplic succession sometimes becomes disconnected, as we find from the Bhagavad-gita. This is the influence of material energy, and to link it up again, it takes some time. That some time may appear to our calculation a big gap, but in relation with the eternal time, it is not even as instant. So this big gap or small gap of time is relative. Just like our 24 hours and Brahma’s 24 hours, there is much difference. Our 24 hours is not even a fraction of his second.

Letter to Kirtanananda, 25 January, 1969
“Narada was the Spiritual Master of Vyasadeva, and Arjuna was Vyasadeva’s disciple, not as initiated disciple but there was some blood relation between them. So there is connection in this way, and it is not possible to list all such relationships in the short description given in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Another point is that disciplic succession does not mean one has to be directly a disciple of a particular person. The conclusions which we have tried to explain in our Bhagavad-gita As It Is is the same as those conclusions of Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we also accept the same truth under the disciplic succession of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another. This is an axiomatic truth. So there is no difference of opinion of understanding Krishna between ourselves and Arjuna. Another example is that a tree has many branches, and you will find one leaf here and another leaf there. But if you take this leaf and the other leaf and you press them both, you will see that the taste is the same. The taste is the conclusion, and from the taste you can understand that both leaves are from the same tree…”

Letter to Dinesh 31 October, 1969
Regarding the disciplic succession coming from Arjuna, disciplic succession does not always mean that one has to be initiated officially. Disciplic succession means to accept the disciplic conclusion. Arjuna was a disciple of Krishna and Brahma was also a disciple of Krishna. Thus there is no disagreement between the conclusions of Brahma and Arjuna. Vyasadeva is in the disciplic succession of Brahma. The teachings to Arjuna was recorded by Vyasadeva verbatim. So according to the axiomatic truth, things equal to one another are equal to each other. We are not exactly directly from Vyasadeva, but our Gurudeva is a representative of Vyasadeva. Because Vyasadeva and Arjuna are of equal status, being students of Krishna, therefore we are in the disciplic succession of Arjuna. Things equal to the same thing are equal to one another….

Letter to Japanese brothers and sisters — Los Angeles 10 March, 1970:
But factually this Krishna Consciousness is coming down through a chain of disciplic succession from a time some millions of years ago because the first student of this cult was Vivasvan, the present predominating deity in the Sun-globe planet. Later on Vivasvan taught this philosophy to his son Manu, who again taught this philosophy to his son, King Iksvaku, who ruled over this earthly planet. The original ksatriya kings were all descendants from King Iksvaku, the father of the dynasty in which Lord Ramacandra appeared. That is a long history comprising a period covering not less than 40 million years according to Vedic scriptures. Lord Krishna also appeared in the same family a little more than 5000 years ago; and because the cult of Krishna Consciousness became broken in course of time, Lord Krishna again re-established the same formula by teaching His dear friend Arjuna for benefit of the entire human society.

Interview with Trans-India Magazine — July 17, 1976, New York:
Prabhupāda: Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, “My dear Arjuna, this Bhagavad-gītā philosophy or yoga system, first of all I spoke to the sun-god. And then he spoke to his son, Manu. Then Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku.” In this way the knowledge comes down from the spiritual master to the disciple or from the father to the son. So unless one comes in this disciplic succession, he cannot become guru. Therefore I do not know all of them. All the swamis and yogis who came here, they do not belong to this paramparā system, so therefore they are not bona fide guru. They are presenting themselves as guru, but they are not guru. Therefore people are misled. People are misled, and this is the first time that we presented India’s traditional philosophy and life as it is understood by the paramparā system.

New York, July 26, 1971 : 710726I2.NY :
So we are Brahmā sampradāya-our disciplic succession from Brahmā. Therefore we shall accept Brahmā’s statement and we worship ādi-puruṣam, Govindam. We may not know that ādi-puruṣa, but we follow the footsteps of ācāryas. Brahmā says this. Brahmā’s disciple, Nārada, says like that. Nārada’s disciple Vyāsa says like that. Vyāsa’s disciple, Madhvācārya, says like that. In this way, Īśvara Purī says like that. His disciple, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, says like that. His disciple, Gosvāmīs, Ṣaḍ-gosvāmīs, they say like that. In this way, we receive knowledge by paramparā, by step by step in the disciplic succession. Therefore our knowledge is perfect.