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Sannyāsa Re-initiation

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by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja

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By Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja Published On: March 24, 2023 Tags: Guru-tattva, Philosophical Deviation, Varṇāśrama 5.4 min read

Bhakti-tattva (16)
Overview Dhāma-tattva (14)
Gaura-tattva (38)
‘Sannyāsa Re-initiation’ was first published on VNN on January 13th, 1999. In this open letter, Swami B.G. Narasingha explains the Guru-tattva (68)
circumstances of his change of name, answering the question whether or not he was ‘re-initiated’ by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja. History (13)
Jīva-tattva (6)
Kṛṣṇa-tattva (20)
(Narasiṅgha Mahārāja replies to a letter from Kṛṣṇa Dāsa) Nāma-tattva (10)
Philosophical Deviation (62)
Kṛṣṇa Dāsa’s Letter
Rasa-tattva (13)
Dear Mahārāja, PAMHO! AGTSP! Religion (8)
Sādhana (27)
Please can you inform me where it is authorized in śāstra that sannyāsa once received from a pure devotee can be annulled and then remade by
Śakti-tattva (17)
another sannyāsa initiation from another pure devotee? I am referring to your annulment of the sannyāsa initiation as Jagat-Guru Swami from
Śāstra (16)
Śrīla Prabhupāda and then taking sannyāsa initiation again from Śrīdhara Mahārāja as B.G. Narasiṅgha Swami.
Science (4)
Songs and Prayers (12)
Is there any example from the previous ācāryas that one can have two different sannyāsa gurus. I have discussed this point with Loka Sāraṅga
Vaiṣṇava History (21)
Mahārāja also hopefully your knowledge of śāstra will clear my doubts.
Varṇāśrama (12)
Your servant,
Kṛṣṇa Dāsa
Trending
******* A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Grow More Food!
Narasiṅgha Maharaja’s Response
This short article, “Grow More Food” by Śrīla

Dear Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Prabhu, A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda was

first published in Back To Godhead magazine,
Vol. 3, Issue 6, on May 20th 1956. Śrila
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Prabhupāda discusses agricultural endeavours
by the materialists and states that the main
You ask whether “sannyāsa once received from a pure devotee can be annulled and then remade by another sannyāsa initiation from another
factor for growing more food is not more
pure devotee.” The answer is ‘No,’ and never has such a thing ever happened in the history of our sampradāya. machinery, but the divine will, or ‘daiva.’

It is not a game we are playing (simply jumping from one pure devotee to another), nor is it wise of us to attempt to judge other Vaiṣṇavas. Kṛṣṇa
Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
is the Supreme Knower, and He knows ‘what is what and who is who.’ On the other hand, we the conditioned living entities are in a perpetual The Worship of Gaura-
state of illusion, so how will we judge the activities of senior Vaiṣṇavas? I am not saying that I am a Vaiṣṇava, but as you have indicated above, Gadādhara
Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja was indeed a ‘pure devotee.’ Therefore, we should consider that Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja (a pure devotee) would not do ‘The Worship of Gaura-Gadādhara’ was written
anything against the śāstra, such as giving me and others sannyāsa titles (or so-called re-initiation). by Swami B.G. Narasingha on May 21st 2005.
Swami Narasingha explores the importance of

You assume that my sannyāsa status was nullified when I received the sannyāsa title ‘Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha,’ replacing my brahmacārī the worship of Gaura-Gadādhara in our
sampradāya and especially in the line of
name ‘Jagat-Guru.’ I am happy to inform you that you are mistaken. I was not re-initiated. Formerly, my brahmacārī name was ‘Jagat-Guru,’ and
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
when I received sannyāsa in 1976, my sannyāsa name was given by Śrīla Prabhupāda as ‘Swami.’ This is also Śrīla Prabhupāda’s sannyāsa name,
‘Swami.’ Our system in ISKCON at the time was that all sannyāsīs retained their brahmacārī names, and ‘Swami’ was added. This was even true of
Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja
gṛhasthas, who also retained their gṛhastha names and ‘Gosvāmī’ was added. (There are 108 authorised names for tridaṇḍi sannyāsīs given in The Appearance of Śrīla
Gauḍīya Kaṇṭhahāra, compiled by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and the names Swami and Gosvāmī are included). Gadādhara Paṇḍita
The following is from the book, ‘Follow the
You might be interested to know that in 1953, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s name changed from ‘Abhaya Caraṇarāvinda Dāsa’ to ‘Bhaktivedānta.’ This Angels’ as well as from recorded conversations
‘name change’ was made by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and thus Śrīla Prabhupāda became know as Bhaktivedānta Prabhu. Śrīla wherein Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī

Prabhupāda held his new name very dear to his heart throughout his life, especially with regard to his ‘Bhaktivedānta Purports.’ Yet please take Mahārāja discusses the unique position of Śrīla
Gadādhara Paṇḍita.
note that the name ‘Bhaktivedānta’ was not given to Śrīla Prabhupāda by his guru (dīkṣā-guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura). Of
course, someone might try to find fault with Śrīla Prabhupāda for accepting this ‘name change,’ but that is simply Māyā’s trick to keep the living
Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja
entity in eternal bondage.
Paṇḍita Śrī Gadādhara
Gosvāmī
It is also a fact that Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja was the śikṣā-guru of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and the two were intimately connected before you or I were
In this article, "Paṇḍita Śrī Gadādhara
even born. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja later also became the param-sannyāsa-guru of Śrīla Prabhupāda, when Śrīla Prabhupāda took sannyāsa from
Gosvāmī" Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja explains the
Śrīla Keśava Mahārāja. Śrīdhara Mahārāja had given sannyāsa-mantra to Keśava Mahārāja, and he (Keśava Maharaja) in turn gave sannyāsa- unique position of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita in
mantra to Śrīla Prabhupāda. That makes Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja the param-sannyāsa-guru of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Sridhara Mahārāja directly relation to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. This

heard sannyāsa-mantra from Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. That is our sannyāsa-paramparā. article was originally written in Bengali and
published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśana Vol.2,
Number 1, 12th August 1956. It was translated
It is also a fact that the sannyāsa-mantra is the rāga-mantra of our sampradāya, and its importance and line of disciplic succession cannot be
into English by Swami B.V. Giri and Sanātana
minimised. Neglect of this transcendental understanding has indeed been the cause of fall down for many ISKCON sannyāsīs, for one can not Dāsa.
maintain his Kṛṣṇa consciousness in sannyāsa-āśrama if he is offensive to his sannyāsa-guru-paramparā.

Kalki Dasa
Had I again received the sannyāsa-mantra from Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja, you could say that I had been re-initiated, but I did not. However, Śrīla Zarathustra and The De-
Śrīdhara Mahārāja being the śikṣā-guru and param-sannyāsa-guru of Śrīla Prabhupāda, I feel especially fortunate that His Divine Grace would evolution of Theism
show even a single drop of mercy upon my fallen soul by bestowing upon me a sannyāsa title. In 'Zarathustra and The De-evolution of Theism'
Kalki Dāsa narrates the ancient Purāṇika story
I also accepted Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja as my śikṣā-guru, and our dealings and relationship are exactly in accordance with our Vaiṣṇava of Jaraśastra of India and how he brought
tradition. Please note my signature – I am ‘Swami’ first and ‘B.G. Narasiṅgha’ second. It is quite inaccurate to suggest that I was ‘re-initiated.’ monotheism to the west through his new
religion which became known as

However, ‘A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.’ So, if you have already decided in your mind that I was ‘re-initiated’ Zoroastrianism. Kalki also shows correlations
between Zoroastrianism and the other
because I was given a sannyāsa title byŚrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja , then no amount of explanation on my part will convince you otherwise.
Abrahamic religions.

In any event, I am happy to have replied to your question, because it has given me an opportunity to again remember the lotus feet of my Divine
Masters. Authors

I hope this meets you well.

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Your servant, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswatī Ṭhākura

Swami B.G. Narasiṅgha
Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda

Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Mahārāja

Related Articles & Books
Śrīla B.P. Purī Mahārāja
The Meaning of the Sannyāsa Āśrama (Book)
Tridaṇḍi by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Śrīla B.G. Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
The Colour for Sannyāsīs by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
Śrīla Bhakti Kiśora Āraṇya Mahārāja
Bābājī Sannyāsa by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja
Sannyāsa Re-initiation by Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja Dhīralalitā Dāsī
Is Sannyāsa Forbidden in Kali-yuga? Swami B.V. Giri
Swami B.V. Giri
Parātma-niṣṭhā by Swami B.V. Giri
Vairāgya (Renunciation) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Gaura Gopāla Dāsa
Bhek Dhāraṇa (Accepting the Dress of a Bābājī) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Brahmacārī Āśrama by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Kalki Dāsa

Mañjarī Devī Dāsī

Further Reading

Vairāgya (Renunciation) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura

Bhek Dhāraṇa (Accepting the Dress of a Bābājī) by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura Make a donation to the service at Rupanuga
Brahmacārī Āśrama by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura
Bhajan Ashram

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About the Author: Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja Last name*

Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja (Jagat Guru Swami) appeared on Annadā Ekādaśī at Corpus Christi, USA in 1946.
After studies in haṭha-yoga, he took initiation from his guru, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda in 1970 and preached
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in the African continent for 3 years before accepting sannyāsa in 1976. After Prabhupāda’s disappearance, Śrīla Narasiṅgha
Mahārāja took śīkṣā (spiritual instruction) from Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī and Śrīla B.P Purī Gosvāmī. Although he spent most of his
spiritual life preaching in India, Narasiṅgha Mahārāja also travelled to Europe, Mexico and the United States to spread the message of his
spiritual masters. He penned over 200 essays and 13 books delineating Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava siddhānta. He left this world in his āśrama in protected by reCAPTCHA
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South India in 2020.

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Grow More Food! Introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā

By Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Prabhupāda | April 21, 2023 | Tags: Varṇāśrama By Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī | April 14, 2023 | Tags: Śāstra

This short article, “Grow More Food” by Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedānta
Swami Prabhupāda was first published in Back To Godhead magazine,
Vol. 3, Issue 6, on May 20th 1956. Śrila Prabhupāda discusses
agricultural endeavours by the materialists and states that the main
factor for growing more food is not more machinery, but the divine
will, or ‘daiva.’
This introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī
was written for the Bengali edition of the Gītā published by Śrī
Caitanya Sārasvata Maṭha in 1961. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja expounds
the glories of the Gītā and explains how śaraṇāgatī (surrender) is its
ultimate message. This article was translated into English by Sanātana
Dāsa.

Hope For The Hopeless Sannyāsa Re-initiation

By Śrīla Bhakti Kiśora Āraṇya Mahārāja | April 7, 2023 | Tags: Guru-tattva By Śrīla Bhakti Gaurava Narasiṅgha Mahārāja | March 24, 2023 | Tags: Guru-tattva,
Philosophical Deviation, Varṇāśrama
The following is an informal discussion on September 29th 2022
‘Sannyāsa Re-initiation’ was first published on VNN on January 13th,
between devotees of the Rūpānuga Bhajana Āśrama, Vṛndāvana, on
1999. In this open letter, Swami B.G. Narasingha explains the
the appearance day of Śrīpāda Āraṇya Mahārāja. Āraṇya Mahārāja
circumstances of his change of name, answering the question whether
shows his gratitude to Śrīla Narasiṅgha Mahārāja and his gurus, and
or not he was ‘re-initiated’ by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja.
discusses our vision of guru-tattva and how it is our duty to instill
faith and hope in others.

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