108QA 004 Second - Initiation

108 Q &A
Founder Acraya From: Center for BHAKTI Studies

Om Vishnupada Sri Srimad
Bhaktivedanta Narayana And Sri Ranganatha Gaudiya Matha
Goswami Maharaja
Question 3: Please explain the importance of first initiation and need for
second initiation.
Answer compiled by Bhaktivedanta Vishnu Daivata Maharaj.

For more info email Maharaj at vishnudaivata@gmail.com
First initiation and need for second initiation
One must receive Hare Krishna mantra from a pure devotee and chant it to become free from all the
problems
This is also explained by Narottama däsa Öhäkura: golokera prema-dhana, harinäma-saìkértana, rati
nä janmila kene täya. Narottama däsa Öhäkura regretted that he did not pursue his attraction for the
transcendental vibration of the Hare Kåñëa mantra. The conclusion is that all persons in this material
world are suffering from material pains, and if one wants to get rid of them, he must associate with
saintly persons, pure devotees of the Lord, and chant the mahä-mantra, Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa
Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. That is the only auspicious way for
materialistic persons.
(SB 4.22.15)
One must chant 16 rounds minimum of Mahä-mantra to keep away from Mäyä
“One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a neophyte, but by gradually following the process, he
will rise to the platform of a first-class devotee.” Everyone begins his devotional life from the neophyte
stage, but if one properly finishes chanting the prescribed number of rounds of harinäma, he is
elevated step by step to the highest platform, uttama-adhikäré. The Kåñëa consciousness movement
www.bhaktistudies.com Page 1 of 81
Importance of first initiation and need for second initiation
prescribes sixteen rounds daily because people in the Western countries cannot concentrate for long
periods while chanting on beads. Therefore the minimum number of rounds is prescribed. However,
Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura used to say that unless one chants at least sixty-four rounds of
japa (one hundred thousand names), he is considered fallen (patita). According to his calculation,
practically every one of us is fallen, but because we are trying to serve the Supreme Lord with all
seriousness and without duplicity, we can expect the mercy of Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, who is
famous as patita-pävana, the deliverer of the fallen. (NoI Verse 5)
One must receive Hare Krishna and other mantras from a genuine spiritual master who belongs to
the authorized disciplic succession
As King Påthu has illustrated, one who is serious about receiving transcendental Vedic knowledge
must accept a guru, or spiritual master, in one of these four disciplic successions. It is said that unless
one accepts a mantra from one of these sampradäyas, the so-called mantra will not act in Kali-yuga.
Many sampradäyas have sprung up without authority, and they are misleading the people by giving
unauthorized mantras. The rascals of these so-called sampradäyas do not observe the Vedic rules and
regulations. Although they are addicted to all kinds of sinful activities, they still offer the people
mantras and thus mislead them. Intelligent persons, however, know that such mantras will never be
successful, and as such they never patronize such upstart spiritual groups. People should be very
careful of these nonsensical sampradäyas. To get some facility for sense gratification, unfortunate
people in this age receive mantras from these so-called sampradäyas. Påthu Mahäräja, however,
showed by his example that one should receive knowledge from a bona fide sampradäya. Therefore
Mahäräja Påthu accepted Sanat-kumära as his spiritual master.
(SB 4.17.5)
One must receive the seed of Hare Krishna mantra from a pure devotee and chant that mantra in
their divine association
The great saint Jaòa Bharata described both the miserable condition and the means to get out. The only
way out of it is association with devotees, and this association is very easy. Although unfortunate
people also get this opportunity, due to their great misfortune they cannot take shelter of pure
devotees, and consequently they continuously suffer. Nonetheless, this Kåñëa consciousness
movement insists that everyone take to this path by adopting the chanting of the Hare Kåñëa mahä-
mantra. The preachers of Kåñëa consciousness go from door to door to inform people how they can be
relieved from the miserable conditions of material life. As stated by Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, guru-
kåñëa-prasäde päya bhakti-latä-béja: by the mercy of Kåñëa and guru, one can get the seed of devotional
service. If one is a little intelligent he can cultivate Kåñëa consciousness and be freed from the
miserable conditions of material life. (SB 5.14.39)
Diksa (Second Initiation) gives the disciple a new spiritual birth
The term dvija, or “twice-born,” here indicates the three superior classes, namely brähmaëas, kñatriyas
and vaiçyas, who all receive the Gäyatré mantra, which signifies their second birth through spiritual
initiation. One’s first birth is biological, or seminal, and does not necessarily indicate that one is
intelligent or enlightened. A young brähmaëa boy, if qualified, may be initiated with Gäyatré mantra at
the age of twelve, and kñatriyas and vaiçyas a few years later. In order to become enlightened with
spiritual knowledge, the boy resides within the guru-kula, or äçrama of the spiritual master. The
International Society for Krishna Consciousness has established similar guru-kulas all over the world
and is issuing a great call to civilized human beings to arrange for the proper education of their
children. Every young boy and girl should learn to be self-controlled and should become enlightened
through study of authorized Vedic literatures. In this way, unlike ordinary animals, insects, fish and
birds, etc., an enlightened human being may take birth twice and thus become perfect in the
knowledge that leads to ultimate liberation. The word änupürvyät in this verse indicates the system of
saàskäras, or purificatory rites, beginning with garbhädhäna-saàskära, or the purification of the
sexual act. Generally, çüdras and those who do not follow the Vedic system are not attracted to such
purificatory ceremonies; therefore they remain ignorant of spiritual life and envious of the bona fide
spiritual master. Those whose character has been civilized by a systematic cleansing process give up
the tendency to be argumentative and whimsical and instead become submissive and eager to learn in
the presence of a bona fide spiritual master. (11.17.22)
Second Initiation bestows twice-born status on all
The Garbhädhäna-saàskära is followed by other purificatory processes, out of which the sacred
thread ceremony is one. This is performed at the time of spiritual initiation. After this particular
saàskära, one is rightly called twice-born. One birth is calculated during the seed-giving saàskära,
and the second birth is calculated at the time of spiritual initiation. One who has been able to undergo
such important saàskäras can be called a bona fide twice-born. (SB 1.4.25)
Spiritual Master is the spiritual father and Vedic literature is the spiritual mother (Veda-mätä) and
from them one receives the second (spiritual birth)
Anyone can join the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and be initiated to become twice-
born. As recommended by Sanätana Gosvämé, by the process of initiation and authorized training, any
man can become twice-born. The first birth is made possible by the parents, and the second birth is
made possible by the spiritual father and Vedic knowledge. Unless one is twice-born one cannot
understand the transcendental characteristics of the Lord and His devotees. Study of the Vedas is
therefore forbidden for çüdras. Simply by academic qualifications a çüdra cannot understand the
transcendental science. At the present moment, throughout the entire world the educational system is
geared to produce çüdras. A big technologist is no more than a big çüdra. Kalau çüdra-sambhavaù: in
the age of Kali, everyone is a çüdra. Because the whole population of the world consists only of çüdras,
there is a decline of spiritual knowledge, and people are unhappy. The Kåñëa consciousness movement
has been started especially to create qualified brähmaëas to broadcast spiritual knowledge all over the
world, for thus people may become very happy. (SB 4.12.48)
A civilized human being has three kinds of births.
A civilized human being has three kinds of births. The first birth is by a pure father and mother, and
this birth is called birth by semen. The next birth takes place when one is initiated by the spiritual
master, and this birth is called sävitra. The third birth, called yäjïika, takes place when one is given the
opportunity to worship Lord Viñëu. Despite the opportunities for attaining such births, even if one
gets the life-span of a demigod, if one does not actually engage in the service of the Lord, everything is
useless. Similarly, one’s activities may be mundane or spiritual, but they are useless if they are not
meant for satisfying the Lord. (SB 4.31.10)
PURPORT
The word çaukra janma means “taking birth by seminal discharge.” Animals can take their birth in this
way too. However, a human being can be reformed from the çaukra janma, as recommended in the
Vedic civilization. Before the birth takes place, or before father and mother unite, there is a ceremony
called garbhädhäna-saàskära, which must be adopted. This garbhädhäna-saàskära is especially
recommended for higher castes, especially the brähmaëa caste. It is said in the çästras that if the
garbhädhäna-saàskära is not practiced among the higher castes, the entire family becomes çüdra. It is
also stated that in this age of Kali, everyone is çüdra due to the absence of the garbhädhäna-saàskära.
This is the Vedic system. According to the päïcarätrika system, however, even though everyone is a
çüdra due to the absence of the garbhädhäna-saàskära, if a person has but a little tendency to become
Kåñëa conscious, he should be given the chance to elevate himself to the transcendental platform of
devotional service. Our Kåñëa consciousness movement adopts this päïcarätrika-vidhi, as advised by
Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé, who says:
yathä käïcanatäà yäti
käàsyaà rasa-vidhänataù
tathä dékñä-vidhänena
dvijatvaà jäyate nåëäm
“As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is transformed to gold, a person, even though not golden
pure, can be transformed into a brähmaëa, or dvija, simply by the initiation process.” (Hari-bhakti-
viläsa 2.12) Thus if one is initiated by a proper person, he can be accepted as twice-born immediately.
In our Kåñëa consciousness movement, we therefore offer the student his first initiation and allow him
to chant the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra. By chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra regularly and
following the regulative principles, one becomes qualified to be initiated as a brähmaëa, because unless
one is a qualified brähmaëa he cannot be allowed to worship Lord Viñëu. This is called yäjïika janma.
In our Kåñëa consciousness society, unless one is twice initiated—first by chanting Hare Kåñëa and
second by the Gäyatré mantra—he is not allowed to enter the kitchen or Deity room to execute duties.
However, when one is elevated to the platform on which he can worship the Deity, his previous birth
does not matter.
caëòälo ’pi dvija-çreñöho
hari-bhakti-paräyaëaù
hari-bhakti-vihénaç ca
dvijo ’pi çvapacädhamaù
“Even if one is born in the family of a caëòäla, if one engages in the devotional service of the Lord, he
becomes the best of brähmaëas. But even a brähmaëa who is devoid of devotional service is on the
level of the lowest dog-eater.” If a person is advanced in devotional service, it does not matter whether
he was born in a caëòäla family. He becomes purified. As Çré Prahläda Mahäräja said:
vipräd dviñaò-guëa-yutäd aravinda-näbha-
pädäravinda-vimukhäc chvapacaà variñöham
(Bhäg. 7.9.10)
Even if one is a brähmaëa and is qualified with all the brahminical qualifications, he is considered
degraded if he is averse to worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead. But if a person is attached
to the service of the Lord, he becomes glorified even if he is born in a caëòäla family. Indeed, such a
caëòäla can deliver not only himself but all his family predecessors. Without devotional service, even a
proud brähmaëa cannot deliver himself, and what to speak of his family. In many instances in the
çästras it is seen that even a brähmaëa has become a kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra, mleccha or non-brähmaëa.
And there are many instances of one’s being born a kñatriya or vaiçya or even lower and, in the
eighteenth year, attaining elevation to the brahminical platform by the process of initiation. Therefore
Närada Muni says:
yasya yal lakñaëaà proktaà
puàso varëäbhivyaïjakam
yad anyaträpi dåçyeta
tat tenaiva vinirdiçet
(Bhäg. 7.11.35)
It is not a fact that because one is born in a brähmaëa family he is automatically a brähmaëa. He has a
better chance to become a brähmaëa, but unless he meets all the brahminical qualifications, he cannot
be accepted as such. On the other hand, if the brahminical qualifications are found in the person of a
çüdra, he should immediately be accepted as a brähmaëa. To substantiate this there are many
quotations from Bhägavatam, Mahäbhärata, Bharadväja-saàhitä and the païcarätra, as well as many
other scriptures. (SB 4.31.10)
Chanting the holy name received from a bona fide spiritual master even purifies a dog-eater
To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person face to face, even
a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately becomes eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he
once utters the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about
His pastimes, offers Him obeisances or even remembers Him. (SB 3.33.6)
PURPORT
Herein the spiritual potency of chanting, hearing or remembering the holy name of the Supreme Lord
is greatly stressed. Rüpa Gosvämé has discussed the sequence of sinful activities of the conditioned
soul, and he has established, in Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu, that those who engage in devotional service
become freed from the reactions of all sinful activities. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gétä. The
Lord says that He takes charge of one who surrenders unto Him, and He makes him immune to all
reactions to sinful activities. If by chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead one
becomes so swiftly cleared of all reactions to sinful activities, then what is to be said of those persons
who see Him face to face?
Another consideration here is that persons who are purified by the process of chanting and hearing
become immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices. Generally, only a person who is born in a
family of brähmaëas, who has been reformed by the ten kinds of purificatory processes and who is
learned in Vedic literature is allowed to perform the Vedic sacrifices. But here the word sadyaù,
“immediately,” is used, and Çrédhara Svämé also remarks that one can immediately become eligible to
perform Vedic sacrifices. A person born in a family of the low caste which is accustomed to eat dogs is
so positioned due to his past sinful activities, but by chanting or hearing once in pureness, or in an
offenseless manner, he is immediately relieved of the sinful reaction. Not only is he relieved of the
sinful reaction, but he immediately achieves the result of all purificatory processes. Taking birth in the
family of a brähmaëa is certainly due to pious activities in one’s past life. But still a child who is born
in a family of a brähmaëa depends for his further reformation upon initiation into acceptance of a
sacred thread and many other reformatory processes. But a person who chants the holy name of the
Lord, even if born in a family of caëòälas, dog-eaters, does not need reformation. Simply by chanting
Hare Kåñëa, he immediately becomes purified and becomes as good as the most learned brähmaëa.
Çrédhara Svämé especially remarks in this connection, anena püjyatvaà lakñyate. Some caste
brähmaëas remark that by chanting Hare Kåñëa, purification begins. Of course, that depends on the
individual process of chanting, but this remark of Çrédhara Svämé’s is completely applicable if one
chants the holy name of the Lord without offense, for he immediately becomes more than a brähmaëa.
As Çrédhara Svämé says, püjyatvam: he immediately becomes as respectable as a most learned
brähmaëa and can be allowed to perform Vedic sacrifices. If simply by chanting the holy name of the
Lord one becomes sanctified instantly, then what can be said of those persons who see the Supreme
Lord face to face and who understand the descent of the Lord, as Devahüti understands Kapiladeva.
Usually, initiation depends on the bona fide spiritual master, who directs the disciple. If he sees that a
disciple has become competent and purified by the process of chanting, he offers the sacred thread to
the disciple just so that he will be recognized as one-hundred-percent equal with a brähmaëa. This is
also confirmed in the Hari-bhakti-viläsa by Çré Sanätana Gosvämé: “As a base metal like bell metal can
be changed into gold by a chemical process, any person can similarly be changed into a brähmaëa by
dékñä-vidhäna, the initiation process”.
It is sometimes remarked that by the chanting process one begins to purify himself and can take birth
in his next life in a brähmaëa family and then be reformed. But at this present moment, even those
who are born in the best brähmaëa families are not reformed, nor is there any certainty that they are
actually born of brähmaëa fathers. Formerly the garbhädhäna reformatory system was prevalent, but at
the present moment there is no such garbhädhäna, or seed-giving ceremony. Under these
circumstances, no one knows if a man is factually born of a brähmaëa father. Whether one has
acquired the qualification of a brähmaëa depends on the judgment of the bona fide spiritual master.
He bestows upon the disciple the position of a brähmaëa by his own judgment. When one is accepted
as a brähmaëa in the sacred thread ceremony under the päïcarätrika system, then he is dvija, twice-
born. That is confirmed by Sanätana Gosvämé: dvijatvaà jäyate. By the process of initiation by the
spiritual master, a person is accepted as a brähmaëa in his purified state of chanting the holy name of
the Lord. He then makes further progress to become a qualified Vaiñëava, which means that the
brahminical qualification is already acquired. (SB 3.33.6)
The holy name of Kåñëa can purify even the most abominable people
TEXT 7
aho bata çva-paco ’to garéyän
yaj-jihvägre vartate näma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuù sasnur äryä
brahmänücur näma gåëanti ye te
SYNONYMS
aho bata—oh, how glorious; çva-pacaù—a dog-eater; ataù—hence; garéyän—worshipable; yat—of

whom; jihvä-agre—on the tip of the tongue; vartate—is; näma—the holy name; tubhyam—unto You;
tepuù tapaù—practiced austerities; te—they; juhuvuù—executed fire sacrifices; sasnuù—took bath in
the sacred rivers; äryäù—Äryans; brahma anücuù—studied the Vedas; näma—the holy name; gåëanti
—accept; ye—they who; te—Your.
TRANSLATION
Oh, how glorious are they whose tongues are chanting Your holy name! Even if born in the families of
dog-eaters, such persons are worshipable. Persons who chant the holy name of Your Lordship must
have executed all kinds of austerities and fire sacrifices and achieved all the good manners of the
Äryans. To be chanting the holy name of Your Lordship, they must have bathed at holy places of
pilgrimage, studied the Vedas and fulfilled everything required.
PURPORT
As it is stated in the previous verse, a person who has once offenselessly chanted the holy name of God
becomes immediately eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices. One should not be astonished by this
statement of Çrémad-Bhägavatam. One should not disbelieve or think, “How by chanting the holy
name of the Lord can one become a holy man to be compared to the most elevated brähmaëa?” To
eradicate such doubts in the minds of unbelievers, this verse affirms that the stage of chanting of the
holy name of the Lord is not sudden, but that the chanters have already performed all kinds of Vedic
rituals and sacrifices. It is not very astounding, for no one in this life can chant the holy name of the
Lord unless he has passed all lower stages, such as performing the Vedic ritualistic sacrifices, studying
the Vedas and practicing good behavior like that of the Äryans. All this must first have been done. Just
as a student in a law class is to be understood to have already graduated from general education,
anyone who is engaged in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord—Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa
Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare—must have already passed all
lower stages. It is said that those who simply chant the holy name with the tip of the tongue are
glorious. One does not even have to chant the holy name and understand the whole procedure, namely
the offensive stage, offenseless stage and pure stage; if the holy name is sounded on the tip of the
tongue, that is also sufficient. It is said herein that näma, a singular number, one name, Kåñëa or Räma,
is sufficient. It is not that one has to chant all the holy names of the Lord. The holy names of the Lord
are innumerable, and one does not have to chant all the names to prove that he has already undergone
all the processes of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies. If one chants once only, it is to be understood that he
has already passed all the examinations, not to speak of those who are chanting always, twenty-four
hours a day. It is specifically said here, tubhyam: “unto You only.” One must chant God’s name, not, as
the Mäyävädé philosophers say, any name, such as a demigod’s name or the names of God’s energies.
Only the holy name of the Supreme Lord will be effective. Anyone who compares the holy name of the
Supreme Lord to the names of the demigods is called päñaëòé, or an offender.
The holy name has to be chanted to please the Supreme Lord, and not for any sense gratification or
professional purpose. If this pure mentality is there, then even though a person is born of a low family,
such as a dog-eater’s, he is so glorious that not only has he purified himself, but he is quite competent
to deliver others. He is competent to speak on the importance of the transcendental name, just as
Öhäkura Haridäsa did. He was apparently born in a family of Muhammadans, but because he was
chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord offenselessly, Lord Caitanya empowered him to become
the authority, or äcärya, of spreading the name. It did not matter that he was born in a family which
was not following the Vedic rules and regulations. Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Advaita Prabhu accepted
him as an authority because he was offenselessly chanting the name of the Lord. Authorities like
Advaita Prabhu and Lord Caitanya immediately accepted that he had already performed all kinds of
austerities, studied the Vedas and performed all sacrifices. That is automatically understood. There is a
hereditary class of brähmaëas called the smärta-brähmaëas, however, who are of the opinion that even
if such persons who are chanting the holy name of the Lord are accepted as purified, they still have to
perform the Vedic rites or await their next birth in a family of brähmaëas so that they can perform the
Vedic rituals. But actually that is not the case. Such a man does not need to wait for the next birth to
become purified. He is at once purified. It is understood that he has already performed all sorts of rites.
It is the so-called brähmaëas who actually have to undergo different kinds of austerities before
reaching that point of purification. There are many other Vedic performances which are not described
here. All such Vedic rituals have been already performed by the chanters of the holy name.
The word juhuvuù means that the chanters of the holy name have already performed all kinds of
sacrifices. Sasnuù means that they have already traveled to all the holy places of pilgrimage and taken
part in purificatory activities at those places. They are called äryäù because they have already finished
all these requirements, and therefore they must be among the Äryans or those who have qualified
themselves to become Äryans. “Äryan” refers to those who are civilized, whose manners are regulated
according to the Vedic rituals. Any devotee who is chanting the holy name of the Lord is the best kind
of Äryan. Unless one studies the Vedas, one cannot become an Äryan, but it is automatically
understood that the chanters have already studied all the Vedic literature. The specific word used here
is anücuù, which means that because they have already completed all those recommended acts, they
have become qualified to be spiritual masters.
The very word gåëanti, which is used in this verse, means to be already established in the perfectional
stage of ritualistic performances. If one is seated on the bench of a high court and is giving judgment
on cases, it means that he has already passed all legal exams and is better than those who are engaged
in the study of law or those expecting to study law in the future. In a similar way, persons who are
chanting the holy name are transcendental to those who are factually performing the Vedic rituals and
those who expect to be qualified (or, in other words, those who are born in families of brähmaëas but
have not yet undergone the reformatory processes and who therefore expect to study the Vedic rituals
and perform the sacrifices in the future).
There are many Vedic statements in different places saying that anyone who chants the holy name of
the Lord becomes immediately freed from conditional life and that anyone who hears the holy name of
the Lord, even though born of a family of dog-eaters, also becomes liberated from the clutches of
material entanglement. (SB 3.37.7)
Any low-born person can be purified by the mercy of a pure devotee
Generally, a man is born as an ordinary being, and by the purificatory processes he is born for the
second time. When he sees a new light and seeks direction for spiritual progress, he approaches a
spiritual master for instruction in the Vedas. The spiritual master accepts only the sincere inquirer as
his disciple and gives him the sacred thread. In this way a man becomes twice-born, or a dvija. After
qualifying as a dvija one may study the Vedas, and after becoming well versed in the Vedas one
becomes a vipra. A vipra, or a qualified brähmaëa, thus realizes the Absolute and makes further
progress in spiritual life until he reaches the Vaiñëava stage. The Vaiñëava stage is the postgraduate
status of a brähmaëa. A progressive brähmaëa must necessarily become a Vaiñëava, for a Vaiñëava is a
self-realized, learned brähmaëa.
Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was a Vaiñëava from the beginning; therefore, there was no need for him to
undergo all the processes of the varëäçrama institution. Ultimately the aim of varëäçrama-dharma is to
turn a crude man into a pure devotee of the Lord, or a Vaiñëava. Anyone, therefore, who becomes a
Vaiñëava accepted by the first-class Vaiñëava, or uttama-adhikäré Vaiñëava, is already considered a
brähmaëa, regardless of his birth or past deeds. Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu accepted this principle and
recognized Çréla Haridäsa Öhäkura as the äcärya of the holy name, although Öhäkura Haridäsa
appeared in a Mohammedan family. In conclusion, Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was born a Vaiñëava, and,
therefore, brahminism was included in him. He did not have to undergo any ceremonies. Any lowborn
person-be he a Kiräta, Hüëa, Ändhra, Pulinda, Pulkaça, Äbhéra, Çumbha, Yavana, Khasa or even lower-can
be delivered to the highest transcendental position by the mercy of Vaiñëavas. Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé was
the spiritual master of Çré Süta Gosvämé, who therefore offers his respectful obeisances unto Çréla Çukadeva
Gosvämé before he begins his answers to the questions of the sages at Naimiñäraëya. (SB 1.2.2)
Second initiation from a bona fide äcärya is a must
Lord Çré Kåñëa was invited by Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira to look into the supervision of the performances
of yajïa, and the Lord, to abide by the orders of His elderly cousin, caused the performance of yajïas
by learned twice-born brähmaëas. Simply taking birth in the family of a brähmaëa does not make one
qualified to perform yajïas. One must be twice-born by proper training and initiation from the bona
fide äcärya. The once-born scions of brähmaëa families are equal with the once-born çüdras, and such
brahma-bandhus, or unqualified once-born scions, must be rejected for any purpose of religious or
Vedic function. Lord Çré Kåñëa was entrusted to look after this arrangement, and perfect as He is, He
caused the yajïas to be performed by the bona fide twice-born brähmaëas for successful execution.
(1.12.35)
Any person can attain twice-born status by following proper process of second initiation
Thus by pure consciousness due to constant devotional remembrance, they attained the spiritual sky,
which is ruled over by the Supreme Näräyaëa, Lord Kåñëa. This is attained only by those who meditate
upon the one Supreme Lord without deviation. This abode of the Lord Çré Kåñëa, known as Goloka
Våndävana, cannot be attained by persons who are absorbed in the material conception of life. But the
Päëòavas, being completely washed of all material contamination, attained that abode in their very
same bodies. (SB 1.15.47-48)
PURPORT
According to Çréla Jéva Gosvämé, a person freed from the three modes of material qualities, namely
goodness, passion and ignorance, and situated in transcendence can reach the highest perfection of life
without change of body. Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé in his Hari-bhakti-viläsa says that a person, whatever
he may be, can attain the perfection of a twice-born brähmaëa by undergoing the spiritual disciplinary
actions under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, exactly as a chemist can turn gun metal into
gold by chemical manipulation. It is therefore the actual guidance that matters in the process of
becoming a brähmaëa, even without change of body, or in going back to Godhead without change of
body. Çréla Jéva Gosvämé remarks that the word "hi" used in this connection positively affirms this
truth, and there is no doubt about this factual position. The Bhagavad-gétä (14.26) also affirms this
statement of Çréla Jéva Gosvämé when the Lord says that anyone who executes devotional service
systematically without deviation can attain the perfection of Brahman by surpassing the contamination
of the three modes of material nature, and when the Brahman perfection is still more advanced by the
selfsame execution of devotional service, there is no doubt at all that one can attain the supreme
spiritual planet, Goloka Våndävana, without change of body, as we have already discussed in
connection with the Lord's returning to His abode without a change of body. (SB 1.15.47-48)
Second Initiated Vaiñëavas can protect the world nicely under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual
master
The brähmaëas, kñatriyas and vaiçyas are called twice-born because for these higher classes of men
there is one birth by parental conjugation and there is another birth of cultural rejuvenation by
spiritual initiation from the bona fide äcärya, or spiritual master. So a kñatriya is also twice-born like a
brähmaëa, and his duty is to give protection to the helpless. The kñatriya king is considered to be the
representative of God to give protection to the helpless and chastise the miscreants. Whenever there
are anomalies in this routine work by the administrators, there is an incarnation of the Lord to
reestablish the principles of a godly kingdom. In the age of Kali, the poor helpless animals, especially
the cows, which are meant to receive all sorts of protection from the administrative heads, are killed
without restriction. Thus the administrative heads under whose noses such things happen are
representatives of God in name only. Such powerful administrators are rulers of the poor citizens by
dress or office, but factually they are worthless, lower-class men without the cultural assets of the
twice-born. No one can expect justice or equality of treatment from once-born (spiritually uncultured)
lower-class men. Therefore in the age of Kali everyone is unhappy due to the maladministration of the
state. The modern human society is not twice-born by spiritual culture. Therefore the people's
government, by the people who are not twice-born, must be a government of Kali in which everyone is
unhappy. (SB 1.17.5)
It is foretold in the Twelfth Canto of the Bhägavatam that in this age of Kali married life will be
accepted on the consideration of sex only; when the boy and girl are pleased in sex, they get married,
and when there is deficiency in sex, they separate. That is not actual marriage, but a combination of
men and women like cats and dogs. Therefore, the children produced in the modern age are not
exactly human beings. Human beings must be twice-born. A child is first born of a good father and
mother, and then he is born again of the spiritual master and the Vedas. The first mother and father
bring about his birth into the world; then the spiritual master and the Vedas become his second father
and mother. According to the Vedic system of marriage for producing children, every man and woman
was enlightened in spiritual knowledge, and at the time of their combination to produce a child,
everything was scrutinizingly and scientifically done. (SB 1.17.5)
The Absolute Necessity Of Second Initiation
Hilo, Hawaii: January 13, 2003
Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
[Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja spent the week of January 11-17 in Hilo, Hawaii, enlightening
his audience of two hundred fifty on the topics of guru-tattva and the gradual development of devotion
for Sri Krsna. Meanwhile, as sometimes occurs, certain individuals, in an attempt to disinterest others
from attending Srila Narayana Maharaja's classes, were engaged in passing out copies of a paper. This
time the paper was written on the subject of the relative necessity of harinama initiation (first
initiation) and diksa (second initiation). The paper tried its level best to prove that Srila Prabhupada
Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja have a different view on
the subject than Srila Narayana Maharaja. If this were true, it would place Srila Narayana Maharaja
outside the disciplic line of his predecessor acaryas. When Srila Narayana Maharaja became aware of
this attempt to show a difference between them, he gave the following class and clearly showed that
the three above-mentioned acaryas are exactly in the same line. They are all saying, in fact, that the
acceptance of the diksa mantras is essential.]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] In my classes I have been explaining the meaning of bhakti and I have
explained how we can gradually achieve it, beginning from the smallest fraction of bhakti called
sraddha. We discussed many points, among which was the necessity for guru-padasraya and diksa. In
the meantime, a topic has arisen that I want to clarify. You should very carefully and seriously hear
this very important subject matter. First Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja will present the argument and
then I will reply it.
[Sripad Padmanabha Maharaja:] There is a question concerning the relationship between gayatri-
mantra (diksa) and harinama initiation. Some persons have presented quotes from Srila Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada and Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja in order to present the idea, based
upon their own understanding, that harinama is complete and sufficient in itself for the conditioned
soul, and that initiation into the gayatri mantra is not actually required for him. I will read their
quotations, and then Srila Maharaja will explain the conclusive philosophical understandings. First of
all they quote Srila Prabhupada in a room conversation in 1973 in Paris, where he says, "Chanting the
Hare-Krsna maha-mantra. Then, as he practices, he becomes more purified. Then second initiation –
gayatri mantra. The first initiation, according to Jiva Gosvami, that is sufficient. Chanting the Hare
Krsna mantra, that is sufficient. But still, to purify them more, the second initiation, gayatri, is given."
That is one quote.
Then they quote Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja in his book Sri Guru and his Grace. There he
says, "We accept the mantra only to help the nama bhajana, the worship of the holy name. Otherwise
it may not be necessary at all. It has been judged in such a way. The name alone can do everything for
a person; it is full and complete. The gayatri mantra helps us to do away with the aparadhas (offenses)
and the abhasa or hazy conception. The gayatri mantra comes to help us only so far."
With these two quotations these persons have attempted to support their statement that it is not
actually completely essential or necessary for us conditioned souls to accept the gayatri mantra – diksa
– because harinama is sufficient. They have also suggested that Srila Narayana Maharaja is saying
something contrary to Srila Prabhupada and Srila Sridhar Maharaja. I am also reading the two
statements they have quoted from Srila Narayana Maharaja. The first is from his book, Going Beyond
Vaikuntha: "Without the gopala-mantra and the kama-gayatri, will our sadhana be complete with only
the nama-sankirtana? No, because by nama-sankirtana alone we will not be able to chant suddha-
nama, the pure name of Krsna." The second quotation they cited is from a lecture given by Srila
Narayana Maharaja on the topic of Sri Bhajana Rahasya: "Everything is there, but don't think that we
can realize all this by chanting krsna-nama alone. We must chant harinama and gayatri-mantra as well.
If we want full understanding and realization of what is in the Hare Krsna mantra, we must also chant
the gayatri mantras.
I want to request Srila Narayana Maharaja to kindly give the proper philosophical conclusions, so that
everyone can understand clearly the position of gayatri-mantra initiation and harinama initiation, and
their relationship.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] I think you have all understood the argument; now you should try very
carefully to understand the reply so that you can reconcile all the statements. Someone has presented
the idea that the acceptance of diksa is not essential, and he has indirectly indicated the verse:
diksa-purascarya-vidhi apeksa na kare

jihva-sparse a-candala sabare uddhare
["One does not have to undergo initiation or execute the activities required before initiation. One
simply has to vibrate the holy name with his lips. Thus, even a man in the lowest class [candala] can
be delivered."]
The holy name is sufficient. The holy name is very powerful and can fulfill all desires. The name will
even give vraja-prema. What, then, is the need of taking initiation? The paper has quoted my
statement, along with the statement of Prapujya-carana Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja and Srila
Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja; so I want to reconcile all statements.
It is true that diksa-purascarya (initiation and the purificatory activities performed before initiation) is
not needed in all circumstances; but we should know something about the actual meaning of this
verse. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada has written a book of rules and regulations
in deity worship called Arcana Dipika, and there he has explained that harinama is bhagavata-svarupa,
the actual form of Krsna and Radha, and for this reason it is stated in Sri Siksastakam, "Param vijayate
sri krsna-sankirtana." By chanting and remembering Krsna's names, all kinds of perfection — like
vraja-prema and even radha-dasya (becoming a maid servant of Srimati Radhika) — can be attained. In
the first stage, however, when a devotee is uttering the holy name he is full with many aparadhas, and
also anarthas such as laya (sleep), viksepa (distraction), apratipatti (indifference or disinterest in
spiritual topics), and so on. It is guaranteed that such a person cannot utter the pure name. Rather, his
chanting will be nama-aparadha. Chanting the pure name is only possible after the diksa-samskara.
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains diksa in his Bhakti-sandarbha (283):
divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayam

tasmat dikseti sa prokta desikais tattva-kovidaih
["Diksa is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all
reactions caused by sinful activity. A person expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this
process as diksa." (quoted in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Madhya 15. 108 purport)]
The gayatri-mantra gives all kinds of divya-jnana, transcendental knowledge, including the knowledge
of krsna-tattva and jiva-tattva, and it also gives a relationship with Krsna. Nama alone will not give this
relation to the person filled with anarthas. All of our acaryas, from top to bottom, have stated that in
order to purify us from our sinful actions and to clear offenses (anartha-nrvrtti) so that we can develop
the ability to chant the pure name, we must accept diksa-vidhana (the process of initiation). Di — ksa.
Di means divya-jnana, or realized knowledge of our relationship with Krsna. Ksa is the washing away
of all sins, aparadhas, and other impurities. For this, diksa-vidhana is essential. Without diksa-
samskara, one's relationship with Krsna (sambandha-jnana) cannot manifest and one cannot chant
suddha-nama. It is essential to accept diksa.
yatha kancanatam yati

kamsyam rasa-vidhanatah
tatha diksa-vidhanena
dvijatvam jayate nrnam
["As bell metal (a mixture of copper and tin) becomes gold by mixing with mercury, similarly, by the
process of diksa, initiation, a person becomes a brahmana."( Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa)]
Bell metal turns into gold by the help of the element mercury in an al-chemical process. Similarly, by
this element, the process of diksa, our chanting of the holy name will become pure; otherwise it is not
possible.
If there is no necessity to accept diksa-mantra, why did Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
Prabhupada take second initiation from Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and why did he give
diksa initiation to all of his disciples? Parama-pujyapada Srila Sridhara Gosvami Maharaja also took
diksa from him. If there is no necessity, why did Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura
give diksa initiation, and why did his disciples accept it?
Not only that, Brahma received kama-gayatri and Gopal-mantra from Krsna Himself. Brahma then gave
the diksa-mantra to Sri Narada Rsi, and Narada gave it to so many disciples. Narada not only gave
harinama to Dhruva Maharaja; he gave him diksa by the mantra: om namo bhagavate vasudevaya. Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu took initiation from Sri Isvara Puripada, who first gave Him harinama, and to
purify that chanting of nama, he gave Him Gopal-mantra. Gopal-mantra is transcendental and ever-
existing, and it gives a relationship with Krsna as Gopijana-vallabha. We should consider all this
evidence.
All the acaryas in our guru-parampara have accepted second initiation from a bona fide guru. Can
those who say that harinama is sufficient for conditioned souls name any acarya in our guru-
parampara who has not taken diksa initiation? Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and the Six Gosvamis took second
initiation, and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada took it. Why did they take diksa initiation if it is
not essential? You should know the gravity of this truth. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda
Prabhu, Sri Advaita Acarya, Sri Gadadhara Pandita, Sri Isvara Puri, and Sri Madhavendra Puri have all
taken diksa. Why, then, should we not take it? Why is it not essential? If it is not essential, then why
did Sri Sanatana Gosvami write about it in his Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa? Why did Sri Gopal Bhatta
Gosvami also write about it? Did he say it was useless? Those who say that diksa is not essential will
not be able to answer these questions in hundreds and millions of years.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took initiation even though he is the Lord of lords — Radha and Krsna
combined — and yet He went to Gaya and took initiation. He vividly explained this fact in a gathering
of sannyasis in Kasi when those sannyasis asked Him, "O, You are a very young and qualified sannyasi.
Why do you not hear Vedanta? Why do you engage in singing and dancing and rolling on the ground?
A sannyasi should not dance and do all these things." Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied by telling them
of the order of His guru, Sri Isvara Puripada:
Mahaprabhu said, "Guru mora murkha dekhi — My Guru Maharaja told me that because I am foolish
and unintelligent, I am not qualified to study Vedanta. He said that instead I should always chant Hare
Krsna and I should remember this verse:
harer nama harer nama

harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
(Caitanya Caritamrta Adi-lila 17.21)
["In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than
chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari."]
But Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu not only took harinama from His gurudeva; He also took second
initiation through the Gopal-mantra. In our parampara, in order to purify one's chanting and to and
give the chanter a relationship with Krsna who has kindly taken the form of His holy name, the Gopal-
mantra is given along with harinama. Up until Caitanya Mahaprabhu's manifested pastimes only the
Gopal-mantra was given. Later, Srila Dhyanacandra Gosvami and Srila Gopal-guru Gosvami gave the
regulations we now follow. They gave brahma-gayatri, guru-mantra, guru-gayatri, gaura-mantra,
gaura-gayatri, krsna-mantra (Gopal-mantra) and finally kama-gayatri. This is the process followed in
our sampradaya as begun by Srila Gopal-guru Gosvami, who is a disciple of Vakresvara Pandita, who is
an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu quoted His gurudeva saying, "Krsna-mantra japa sada — ei mantra-sara. You
must always chant the holy name of Krsna. This is the essence of all mantras, or Vedic hymns."
krsna-mantra haite habe samsara-mocana
krsna-nama haite pabe krsnera carana
["Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed,
simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord."]
The offenseless chanting of the holy name does not depend on the initiation process. But that name
must be the pure name, and how will it become so? It can only become pure through that diksa
process; otherwise it is not possible. It is not that the holy name is not pure, but if a person is not a
pure devotee he cannot chant the pure name. He can only chant syllables that sound like the name. He
can only chant offenses to the name (nama-aparadha) or a shadow of the name (nama-abhasa). Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu chanted the pure name, and therefore He was able to tell His gurudeva:
kiba mantra dila, gosani, kiba tara bala

japite japite mantra karila pagala
["'My dear lord, what kind of mantra have you given Me? I have become mad simply by chanting this
maha-mantra!'"(Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 7.81)]
Caitanya Mahaprabhu told the sannyasis, "You ask why I dance and sing and roll on the ground. Here
is the reason: When My gurudeva initiated me, he gave me both the harinama mantra and the gopal
mantra." Then He said, "japite japite mantra." If He had only received harinama, the maha-mantra, He
would not have said the word "mantra"? Mantra especially refers to Gopal-mantra and kama-gayatri.
He first received harinama and then gopal-mantra. "Japite japite mantra karila pagala — and this made
Me mad. Krsna nama mantra — meaning gopal and maha mantra made Him "like a madman".
For those who always remember and meditate on the gopal-mantra and kama-gayatri, by the power of
the mantra, rati (bhava-bhakti) will at once enter their hearts. It has been written in Caitanya-
caritamrta: Antya-lila 4.192:
diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana

sei-kale krsna tare kare atma-sama
["At the time of initiation, when a devotee fully surrenders unto the service of the Lord, Krsna accepts
him to be as good as Himself."]
First initiation is called harinama initiation only, and the second initiation is called diksa. Atma
samarpana — at the time of diksa the disciple totally surrenders unto the feet of his gurudeva. Sei-kale.
At that time Krsna gives the shelter of His lotus feet, and He makes that disciple atma-sama, very near
and dear to Him.
According to the Vaisnava regulative principles, one must be initiated as a brahmana. As quoted in the
Hari-bhakti-vilasa (2.6) from the Visnu-yamala, Lord Sankara says to his wife Parvati:
adiksitasya vamoru krtam sarvam nirarthakam

pasu-yonim avapnoti diksa-virahito janah
"O Vamaru — O beautiful Parvati. Regarding those who have not taken diksa, all their devotional
activities, such as sadhana, bhajana, and puja, have all gone in vain. They are all useless. Such persons
who are not properly initiated must again enter the many animals species."
In addition, it has been told that nama can give everything, including Krsna-prema, simply by
touching the tongue. It is stated in Padyavali, a book compiled by Srila Rupa Gosvami:
akrstih krta-cetasam su-manasam uccatanam camhasam

acandalam amuka-loka-sulabho vasyas ca mukti-sriyah
no diksam na ca sat-kriyam na ca purascaryam manag iksate
mantro 'yam rasana-sprg eva phalati sri-krsna-namatmakah
["'The holy name of Lord Krsna is an attractive feature for many saintly, liberal people. It is the
annihilator of all sinful reactions and is so powerful that, save for the dumb who cannot chant it, it is
readily available to everyone, including the lowest type of man, the candala. The holy name of Krsna is
the controller of the opulence of liberation, and it is identical with Krsna. When a person simply
chants the holy name with his tongue, immediate effects are produced. Chanting the holy name does
not depend on initiation, pious activities or the purascarya regulative principles generally observed
before initiation. The holy name does not wait for any of these activities. It is self-sufficient.'"(quoted
in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 15.110]
Can this occur if one's chanting is not pure? This is the question that has been raised here. Can this
occur without diksa? In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (17.4-5, 7) it is stated:
vina yena na siddhah syan mantro varsa-satair api

krtena yena labhate sadhako vanchitam phalam
purascarana-sampanno mantro hi phala-dhayakah
atah puraskriyam kuryat mantra-vit siddhi-kanksaya
puraskriya hi mantranam pradhanam viryam ucyate
virya-hino yatha dehi sarva-karmasu na ksamah
purascarana-hino hi tatha mantrah prakirtitah
["Without performing the purascarya activities, one cannot become perfect even by chanting this
mantra for hundreds of years. But one who has undergone the purascarya-vidhi process can attain
success very easily. If one wishes to perfect his initiation, he must first undergo the purascarya
activities. The purascarya process is the life force by which one is successful in chanting the mantra.
Without the life force, one cannot do anything; similarly, without the life force of purascarya-vidhi, no
mantra can be perfected." (quoted in Srila Prabhupada's purport to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya
15.108)]
Srila Jiva Gosvami has quoted a verse, in order to further dissolve any misunderstanding in this regard.
In his Bhakti-sandarbha (283-84), Srila Jiva Gosvami describes the importance of Deity worship and
initiation (diksa) as follows:
avasyakatvam nasti, tad vinapi saranapattyadinam ekatarenapi purusartha-siddher abhihitatvat, tathapi

sri-naradadi-vartmanusaradbhih sri-bhagavata saha sambandha-visesam diksa-vidhanena sri-guru-
carana-sampaditam cikirsadbhih krtayam diksayam arcanam avasyam kriyetaiva.
yadyapi svarupato nasti, tathapi prayah svabhavato dehadi-sambandhena kadarya-silanam viksipta-

cittanam jananam tat-tat-sankoci-karanaya srimad-rsi-prabhrtibhir atrarcana-marge kvacit kvacit kacit
kacin maryada sthapitasti.
["It is Srimad-Bhagavatam's opinion that the process of Deity worship is not actually necessary, just as
the specific prescriptions of the Pancaratra and other scriptures do not have to be followed. The
Bhagavatam enjoins that even without practicing Deity worship one can achieve the complete success
of human life by any of the other devotional processes, such as simply offering oneself at the Lord's
feet for His protection. Nonetheless Vaisnavas, following the path of Sri Narada and his successors,
endeavor to establish a personal relationship with the Lord by receiving the grace of a bona fide
spiritual master through initiation, and in this tradition the devotees are obliged at the time of
initiation to begin engaging in Deity worship.
"Although Deity worship is not essential, the material conditioning of most candidates for devotional
service requires that they engage in this activity. When we consider their bodily and mental
conditions, we find that the character of such candidates is impure and their minds are agitated.
Therefore, to rectify this material conditioning the great sage Narada and others have at different times
recommended various kinds of regulations for Deity worship." (quoted in Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya
15.108 purport)]
Simply by the tongue touching the Krsna-mantra, that holy name gives all kinds of perfection,
including krsna-dasya and radha dasya. But Srila Jiva Gosvami has written a very clear commentary to
this verse, and you should note this down in your heart for continual remembrance. In his Bhakti-
sandarbha (283) he has written:
dvijanam anupetanam svakarmadhyayanadisu

yathadhikaro nastiha syac copanayanad anu
tathatradiksitanam tu mantra-devarcanadisu
nadhikaro 'sty atah kuryad atmanam siva-samstutam
["Even though born in a brahmana family, one cannot engage in Vedic rituals without being initiated
and having a sacred thread. Although born in a brahmana family, one becomes a brahmana only after
initiation and the sacred thread ceremony. Unless one is initiated as a brahmana, one cannot worship
the holy name properly." (quoted in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 15.108)] [See Endnote]
It is true that simply by touching the tongue krsna-nama can give everything, but the material tongue,
the tongue of the conditioned soul cannot touch the transcendental holy name.
atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah
["With the material senses one cannot understand the transcendental holy name of the Lord or His
form, activities and pastimes. But when one actually engages in devotional service, utilizing the
tongue, the Lord is revealed." Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)]
Sri Narada Muni, and other previous acaryas like Brahma, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanat
Kumar, have all taken diksa. One receives diksa and then he performs his sadhana bhajana and
worships his istadeva (worshipful deity), Radha and Krsna. Srila Jiva Gosvami has written that without
diksa there will be no relationship with Krsna — neither, dasya, sakya, vatsalya nor madhurya. It will
never be possible without diksa. In our sampradaya, sambandha-jnana comes only by uttering
"gopijana-vallabhaya"; otherwise it cannot come.
Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has written an explanation of this same verse, and therein he
vividly explains that one may have given up all kinds of sadhana and pious activities. He may be
chanting and remembering the holy names of Bhagavan and he may have determined that his Istadeva
is Krsna. Still, if he has not taken initiation from a Vaisnava guru, thinking that it is not essential, he
can never achieve Krsna. The only good result he achieves is that he will not go to hell. He cannot
achieve the lotus feet of Krsna, in any life, until he is properly initiated. In a future life, by the fruit of
his previous activities of bhajana, he will take birth in a very religious family and there he will have
sadhu-sanga, guru padasraya, and then diksa. At that time he will make solid advancement in bhakti.
This is the only way.
Also, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has written in the first verse of his Sri Manah-Siksa:
Gurau gosthe gostalayisu sujane bhusura-gane

sva-mantre sri -namni vraja-nava-yuva-dvandva-sarane
sada dambham hitva kuru ratim apurvam atitara-
maye svantar bhratas catubhir abhiyace dhrta-padah
["O my dear brother my foolish mind! Taking hold of your feet, I humbly pray to you with sweet
words. Please give up all pride and quickly develop sublime and incessant rati for Sri Gurudeva, Sri
Vraja-dhama, the residents of Vraja, the Vaisnavas, the brahmanas, my diksa-mantras, the holy names
of the Supreme Lord, and the shelter of Kisora-Kisori, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, the eternally youthful
divine couple of Vraja."]
Why has he said "mantra" if diksa initiation is not necessary? Why he has not said only "Sri namni"?
What is sva-mantra? There is some difference between mantra and harinama, and that is why he has
told his mind, "You should develop sublime and unprecedented attachment for both. Take shelter of
nama and mantra, and then your life will be successful." So there are two things – not one. Srila
Raghunatha has written, '"Sada dambham hitva kuru ratim apurvam – O mind, you should give up
your false pride and try to develop sublime and unprecedented attachment for both." His guru gave
him mantra, and that is diksa.
We should now reconcile all these things.
[Endnote: The quote of Srila Prabhupada speaking in Paris in 1973, as quoted by Sripad Padmanabha
Maharaja in the beginning of this lecture, refers to this verse of Srila Jiva Gosvami.]
Offering to the Deities should be made with the proper mantras
Srila Narayana Maharaja: I want to clarify this for you. If you are doing arati of Krsna and Radha, what
is the use of singing to Nrsmhadeva? You should chant the kirtana by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, by
Dina Krsnadasa, and others. Srila Narottama has written, Jaya jaya radha-krsna jugala-milana, and we
should chant that. Suppose your gurudeva wants you to give him some mahaprasadam preparation,
and instead you pour cold water on his hand. What is this? It is nonsense.
Prabhupada gave some concession for the beginners. Now, if you are performing arcana and arati of
Radha and Krsna, then you should sing the song of that very Radha-Krsna arati. If you are performing
the arati of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Jaya jaya gauracandra, at that time why should you chant to
Nrsmhadeva? If you are offering bhoga, then why chant namo maha-vadanyaya or namo brahmanya
devaya? What is the need of those slokas? You should simply pray, "I am offering this bhoga to You.
Please accept it. There are so many mantras and so many procedures. At first, for beginners, and for
those who had not received second initiation, he said, "Oh, chant namo maha-vadanyaya, and He will
accept your offering. But now, in developing further, you must utter the proper mantras and slokas.
When performing arati of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, do not sing samsara davanala lidha loka to gurudeva.
You should chant that before arati, and while arati is being performed, you should chant, Jaya jaya
gauracandra or Jaya jaya Radha-Krsna jugala-milana. This arati should be sung.
When you are making a bhoga offering, then you should pray srim klim radha- krsnabhyam.or etat
nivedyam klim gauraya svaha. This is the method adopted by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and before that,
by Narada, Vyasa, Sukadeva Gosvami, Isvara Puri, and Madhavendra Puri. This was also accepted by
Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, Rupa Gosvami, and especially by Sanatana Gosvami in Hari
Bhakti Vilas. He has given all these rules and regulations.
Your Prabhupada was so kind, and therefore he made some concessions. He did not want to disturb
anyone. He considered, "Somehow they should chant, Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna." After that, however,
he said, "You should not commit any offense while chanting." After that he told them, "You should
chant with a sense of relationship with Krsna." After that there were so many other things he wanted
to tell you. He has written it all in his books, but so many were not intelligent to accept all his
teachings. They neglected his words. They never honored the mood of their gurudeva, and thus they
very quickly fell down. If those who appear to be in good standing are committing offenses, it is
understood that they are also falling. They must be fallen. Those who are sincere grhastha-bhaktas or
renunciates will be okay. We should therefore try to know the real deep meaning of what Srila Swami
Maharaja has written. If they had followed his orders, I think they would never have fallen down. We
must go deeply into his teachings.
Do not offer food to Krsna with the gopäla-mantra
[Question:] Can I offer food to Krsna without the gopala-mantra?
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] We should not offer foodstuffs by the gopala-mantra. There are particular
offering mantras, and they are written on the paper devotees receive when they take second initiation.
We offer bhoga (unoffered foodstuffs) by the mantra "etat naivedyam sa tulasi paniya jalam, klim
gauraya svaha, srim klim radha-krsnabhyam namah".
[Question:] If I do not have diksa or gopala-mantra, what should I do?
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] You will have to wait. Go on practicing what I have taught you. Meditate
on Sri Gurudeva, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
[question:] If I am making an offering in a home or a hospital, where there is no installed Deity, do I

still say the mantra that you just said?
How to make an offering to the Lord
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Anywhere, if you give maha-prasada to Thakura, (the Deity) then say, “etat
naivedyam.” You should give an asana (seat), offer puspanjali (flowers) and then svagatam (welcome
Them). Call Them like this: “Please come, please come, please come. Svagatam, Svagatam, Svagatam.”
Welcome Sri Krsna and Srimati Radhika, or Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and invite Then to sit down.
Then utter, “etat naivedyam klim gauraya svaha” and so on.
We are offering this to Gurudeva to offer on our behalf, then guru-sakhi is giving it to Radhika, and
Radhika is giving it to Krsna. You should offer bhoga by using these mantras. The mantra you were
using before is a pranama-mantra, not an offering mantra. Proper mantras are, “Etat nivedyam sa tulasi
paniya jalam klim gauraya svaha, shrim klim radha-krsnabhyam namah", “Esah puspanjalih klim
gauraya svah.”, "Etat snaniya-jalam klim gauraya svaha, srim klim radha-krsnabhyahm namah. These
are offering mantras for those who have received second initiation. We utter the mantras, but we
should think that our Gurudeva is making the offering.
Offer proper respect to the bonafied Vaisnavas
krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta

diksasti cet pranatibhis ca bhajantam isam
susrusaya bhajana-vijnam ananyam anya-
nindadi-sunya-hrdam ipsita-sanga-labdhya
["One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Krsna, one should offer
humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation [diksa] and is engaged in
worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that pure devotee who is
advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to
criticize others." (Upadesamrta, verse 5)
It is stated here that there are four kinds of Vaisnavas, and we should respect them properly according
to their stage.
First you should come from the stage of kanistha-adhikari to the stage of madhyama-adhikari. Then, in
madhyama-adhikari, you will be able to do this. You will be able to recognize who is a pure Vaisnava
and who is not a Vaisnava. If you cannot realize this it means you are still a kanistha. If you are in the
stage of kanistha-adhikari there is nothing to tell you. Gradually, by sadhu-sanga, you will know all
these things. A kanistha-adhikari is ignorant, and some ignorance can be tolerated.
However, a madhyama-adhikari should be very careful. He should know the proper etiquette in
serving and glorifying Vaisnavas. If someone has not taken diksa, who is not initiated and is not a pure
Vaisnava but time to time chants Hare Krsna or Krsna-Radhe, a madhyama-adhikari should honor him
by mind but not by body and offering pranama. If one is kanistha he should be asat-sanga tyagi. He
should not mix with mayavadis, sense enjoyers, lusty persons or the opposite sex. If he is chanting the
holy name, whether he is initiated or not, properly honor him by your mind. You can think, "He is
svajatiya (like-minded). He is like our brother, but ignorant." When diksa initiation has been given
and the devotee has a relationship with Krsna, and makes his offerings to Krsna with that relationship
and chants and remembers Krsna in that special relationship, then you should honor him by your
words, body and mind. He is chanting nama-abhasa, and after some time his chanting will change to
pure nama.
Do not give respect to anyone and everyone, just because they wear tulsi-mala and big tilaka. If
someone puts tilaka and big japa-mala one a donkey, will you do pranama to that donkey? No.
Similarly, someone may be like an animal internally, but externally puts on long tilaka and carries
four-kilo chanting beads. That does not make him a pure Vaisnava. Try to realize this. Don't give
respect or offer pranamas to such a person – even if he is chanting.
What If Guru Is Not Pure?
Murwillumbah, Australia: December 3, 2002 (Evening - Part 2)
1 Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
Suppose a person unfortunately took initiation from an unqualified guru who was not on the stage of a
mahabhagavat. That guru was not realized in the established truths.
tasmad gurum prapadyeta

jijnasuh sreya uttamam
sabde pare ca nisnatam
brahmany upasamasrayam
["Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and
take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the
conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such
great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material
considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters." (Srimad Bhagavatam
11.3.21).]
The word sabde means sastras, like the Vedas, Upanisads, and so on. It also means the holy name.
Pare means Krsna. Suppose that guru had no realization of Krsna or His names or His glories, as told
in sastra, and he was only on the level of kanistha-adhikari – and still he thought he was guru. He had
many worldly desires, such as the the desire for name, fame, and wealth, and someone unfortunately
took harinama and diksa from him. *[See Endnote 1]
Do the verses that glorify the qualifications of guru apply to that guru or not? Should the disciple obey
that guru with the attitude of surrender ordered by all the sastras? Should he follow that guru totally
or not? Can a person acquire pure cow milk from a male donkey? Can a person get sweet mangos
from a thorn tree? What is the disciple's duty towards that kind of guru?
[Syamarani dasi:] Srila Gurudeva has ordered me to reply this question: sastra speaks about the glories
of guru and how one must surrender to guru. Should one surrender to a guru who is not pure and who
does not have the qualities of a sad-guru?
The three main qualifications of the bona fide guru are given in the verse beginning tasmad gurum
prapadyeta. The guru must have three qualities. He must have heard sabda-brahma, the transcendental
sound, the holy names and the words of sastra, from his bona fide guru, and he must have realized it.
He will be realizing, directly experiencing, the truths written in the sastra, and he will be realizing the
holy name. He will not be chanting nama-aparadha or nama-abhasa. He will be chanting suddha-nama,
and that means he will be a suddha-bhakta.
He will be learned in all the sastras. The three types of devotees are kanistha-adhikari, madhyama-
adhikari, and uttama-adhikari. Even the madhyama-adhikari bhakta does not fully understand all the
sastras. He knows something, but he does not know all the sastras thoroughly. Therefore, it is not he
who is explained when that sad-guru is explained in this verse. One must be in full knowledge of the
science of Krsna.
In the eleventh canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that the devotee who is one hundred percent
fixed in the knowledge of sastra and can convince others is an uttama adhikari, and he is qualified to
be sad-guru. * [See Endnote] It is also stated in Caitanya-caritamrta:
kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya

yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya
["Whether one is a brahmana, a sannyasi or a sudra—regardless of what he is—he can become a

spiritual master if he knows the science of Krsna" (Caitanya Caritamrta, Madhya-lila 8.128)]
One who is bound cannot untie the ropes of someone else who is bound. He himself must be
unbound. He must be fully liberated. He will not only know sastra, but he must be fully detached from
material life. This is the third symptom of guru described in the verse. He will have no anxieties and
no desire for material happiness. He is called a vimala Vaisnava. Guru means vimala, or suddha (pure)
Vaisnava. Only by the mercy of a suddha Vaisnava is all perfection in bhakti possible, and therefore, in
his own prayers to Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura teaches us how to pray for that
mercy. In his song "Vimala Vaisnava", he prays, "kandiya kandiya – Living in this Godruma forest I am
simply weeping. O Bhagavan, O Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I am only living to get this mercy from you."
What mercy does he want?
hari hari kabe more ha'be hena dina, vimala vaisnave,

rati upajibe, vasana haibe ksina
["O Hari! O Mahaprabhu! When will the fortunate day come when rati, deep love and attachment, will
come in my heart for the lotus feet of the pure-hearted Vaisnavas? At that time I will honor and serve
them, and thus all my material desires and anarthas, especially lust and anger, will go." (Vimala
Vaisnava, first verse).]
Please give me the mercy so that I will develop rati, strong love and attachment for vimala Vaisnava.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is praying to have love for that type of guru. Suppose one accepts a guru
who is sincere but not self-realized, and then later on one meets a pure devotee and realizes that the
guru from whom he took diksa is not pure and does not have all the qualities of sad guru. He will then
go to his non self-realized guru and say, "I have found a pure devotee. Will you bless me that I can
have his association?" If that guru replies, "Yes, go, and I will follow right behind you," then that
disciple can honor him and at the same time go to that first class guru for complete shelter. On the
other hand, if that guru says, "No, only follow me," then he should at once be rejected. In Bhakti-
sandarbha (Anuccheda 238), Srila Jiva Gosvami has given the injunction that if one's guru is envious
of an exalted Vaisnava one should immediately reject that guru and find a maha-bhagavat Vaisnava
guru.
If the guru is a vimala Vaisnava, then "vasana haibe ksina" – by having affection for that suddha-
bhakta, that vimala Vaisnava, all my material desires and all my anarthas will disappear. There are four
kinds of anarthas – misconceptions, offences, thirst for material enjoyment, and weakness of heart in
the form of envy, desire for name and fame, and evil-mindedness. This disappearance of anarthas
occurs only by the mercy of that vimala Vaisnava, and only by having love and affection for him – by
guru-devatatma – seeing him as more dear than our very atmas. Then what will take place?
antare-bahire, sama vyavahara amani manada ha'bo
krsna-sankirtane, sri-krsna-smarane, satata majiya ra'bo
["With a heart free from duplicity, my outer behavior will correspond to my inner feelings and
thoughts. Seeing myself as completely insignificant, I will give all respect to others, seeking no honor
in return. Always dancing and singing the holy names, I will remain constantly absorbed in
remembering Sri Krsna's beautiful pastimes." (Vimala Vaisnava verse 2)]
When sastra orders one to be free of association of visayis, this does not only mean karmis or yogis. It
also means devotees who are materialistic. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is instructing us to give up even
that association and take shelter of the vimala Vaisnava. By that, we will be able to discriminate
between different levels of devotees and respect them according to their capacity in bhakti. We will
respect them without desiring any respect for ourselves. My bodily activities will then go on as a
matter of habit and I will then be able to remember Krsna. While chanting Krsna's holy names, His
pastimes will continuously come in my heart like a waterfall or a steady stream of honey poured from a
jar.
In this verse, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is teaching us how to pray, and what to pray for. He says, "I
am only living for that. By having love and affection for such a guru, I will automatically know what to
give up and what to accept. I will automatically accept the right things and I will automatically give up
that which is bad for me. Then at the time of death, I will leave this body very happily remembering
Krsna." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura concludes this song by saying, "O Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I am
living only so that you will give me this mercy – that I can have love for such a vimala Vaisnava."
bhakativinoda, ei asa kori, bosiya godruma-bane

prabhu-krpa lagi, vyakula antare, sada kande sangopane
["Residing alone in the forest of Godruma and continuously weeping, Bhaktivinoda anxiously prays, 'I
am living only with the hope that Mahaprabhu will bestow his mercy on me.'" (Vimala Vaisnava, verse
5)]
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] But we must consider that the presence of uttama-adhikari
(mahabhagavata), madhyama-uttama-adhikari (those approaching the stage of bhava), and even
madhyama-madhyama-adhikari (those at the stage of asakti) devotees are very rare in this world. It is
very rare, therefore, to have a guru of this caliber. What should we do under these circumstances? We
will have to take a guru. If a guru is not "sabde pare ca nisnatam", if he has not realized the established
truths delineated in the Vedas, Upanisads and other sastras, but he has very strong faith in his pure
guru and is sincerely following him, then, even if he is a madhyama-adhikari – or even kanistha-
madhyama – do not reject that guru. If he is always serving his own mahabhagavat guru and is
obedient both internally and externally to him, then do not reject him. We can give up our guru only
with the consideration given by Srila Sanatana Gosvami in his Hari-bhakti-vilasa:
avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam

sravanam naiva kartavyam sarpocchistam yatha payah
["One should not hear anything about Krsna from a non-vaisnava. Milk touched by the lips of a
serpent has poisonous effects; similarly, talks about Krsna given by a non-vaisnava are also
poisonous."]
If a guru is not serving his own gurudeva, he has left the process given by him, and his guru is not
satisfied by his behavior – only in that case can we reject him. However, if the guru is a madhyama-
adhikari and sincere, if he is very obedient and following the footsteps of his guru, then he will
gradually become uttama-adhikari. So we should not reject him. At the same time, if he is not perfect
and thus cannot remove all our doubts about Krsna Consciousness, what should we do?
We should offer pranama to him and ask his permission to have the association of a mahabhagavata
devotee: A disciple may ask, "May I go to Srila Jiva Gosvami"? or "May I go to Srila Rupa Gosvami?"
or, "May I go to a high class of Vaisnava?" If the guru says, "No, you cannot go," you should give him
up. On the other hand, if he says, "Certainly you can go, and I will also come," then he is a real guru.
In fact, a guru who sends his disciple to a superior guru for instruction may also be an uttama-
mahabhagavata, as there are various stages of mahabhagavata, and that guru is certainly not to be
rejected. For example, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura was a disciple of Srila Lokanatha dasa Gosvami,
but he took permission from him to take shelter of Srila Jiva Gosvami; and Srila Syamananda prabhu
also took permission from Srila Hrdaya-caitanya dasa Gosvami for that same shelter of Srila Jiva
Gosvami.
There are three levels of devotees who can act as sad-guru, and they are: 1) bhagavat-parsada-deha-
prapt, 2) nirdhuta-kasaya, and 3) murcchita kasaya.* [See Endnote 3] This human life is so rare, so do
not waste your time in this regard.
labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante

manusyam arthadam anityam apiha dhirah
turnam yateta na pated anumrtyu yavan
nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat
["After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although
temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being
should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject
to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most
abominable species of life, whereas Krsna consciousness is possible only for a human being." (Srimad
Bhagavatam 11.9.29)]
Try to follow all these principles, and gradually you will develop your Krsna consciousness.
Gaura Premanande
Editorial advisors: Pujypad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa
Editor: Syamarani dasi
Transcriber and typist: Basanti devi dasi
[* Endnote 1 – "That religious undertaking which bestows divya-jnana or transcendental knowledge

and destroys papa (sin), papa-bija (the seed of sin), and avidya (ignorance) to the root is called diksa
by learned authorities in the absolute truth." (Hari-bhakti-vilasa, 2.9) Di means transcendental
realization of ones relationship with Krsna, and ksa means destruction of the abovementioned
obstacles. Therefore, unless one gets initiated from a mahabhavat devotee, he is not receiving diksa in
the real sense.]
[*Endnote 2 – "It should be understood that a madhyama-adhikari, a second-class devotee, is fully

convinced of Krsna consciousness but cannot support his convictions with sastric reference. A
neophyte may fall down by associating with non-devotees because he is not firmly convinced and
strongly situated. The second-class devotee, even though he cannot support his position with sastric
reference, can gradually become a first-class devotee by studying the sastras and associating with a
first-class devotee. However, if the second-class devotee does not advance himself by associating with a
first-class devotee, he makes no progress. There is no possibility that a first-class devotee will fall
down, even though he may mix with non-devotees to preach. Conviction and faith gradually increase
to make one an uttama-adhikari, a first-class devotee."(Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 22.71 purp.)]
[*Endnote 3 – "Bhagavat-parsada-deha-prapta – After giving up the gross material body, those who
have perfected themselves through the practice of bhakti obtain sac-cit-ananda spiritual forms which
are just suitable for the service of the Lord as associates (parsadas). Such persons are the best of all
uttama-bhagavatas.
"Nirdhuta-kasaya – Those who, although still residing within the gross material body made of five
elements, have no trace of material desire (vasana) nor any material impressions (samskaras) within
their hearts are called nirdhuta-kasaya (who have thrown off all material impurities). They belong to
the intermediate class of uttama-bhagavatas.
"Murcchita-kasaya – Those siddha-mahapurusas pursuing the path of bhakti in whose hearts there
remains a trace of desire (vasana) and impressions (samskaras) based on the material mode of
goodness are known as murcchita-kasaya. Due to influence of their bhakti-yoga, these vasanas and
samskaras remain in a dormant or unconscious state. As soon as there is a favorable opportunity, their
worshipful object, Sri Bhagavan, somehow causes their desire to be consumed and attracts them to His
lotus feet. Such elevated souls belong to the preliminary stage (kanistha) of uttama-bhagavatas. (Sri
Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu)]
When Can You Change Your Diksa-Guru?
Murwillumbah, Australia: Feb. 15, 2002 (Evening, Part 1)
Tridandi Gosvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja
1 Come with me, and give me your full attention. We are going again to Navadvipa, to Godruma-kunja
on the bank of Ganges. That place is very enchanting, full of beautiful creepers and flowers. Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura, the associate of Mahaprabhu, is seated there, and he is now instructing us
about what he has seen in his trance. He is explaining how Sannyasi Thakura came from Kasi,
Varanasi, to Premadasa Babaji Maharaja, took shelter at his lotus feet, and told him, "I want to be with
you, serving you, for my whole life." Premadasa Babaji became very happy and replied, "You are a
qualified devotee. I want you to be with me for the rest of your life."
Some days later, Premadasa Babaji Maharaja told Sannyasi Thakura, "I'm going to see my siksa-guru.
He is very near here, across the Alakananda River (one of the branches of the Ganges) in Nrsimhapali."
You should come with me today." If you have been with me in Gaura Mandala parikrama, you have
seen that place. If not, you can come with me this year, and it will be very beautiful. Over twenty
thousand devotees will be with me, and they will do nagara-sankirtana on the bank of Ganges in two,
three, or four-mile long lines. We will all go to Nrsimhapali on our first day.
When they arrived, Paramahamsa Premadasa Babaji saw his Gurudeva sitting at a very far distance.
Calling out, "Jaya Gurudeva," he offered his sastanga pranama, falling down like a stick, with his
hands, head, knees, and feet on the ground. And his Gurudeva at once stood up, came forward, and
embraced him. This is the behavior of qualified disciples and gurus. Although Pradyumna Brahmacari
is the guru and so superior, he picked up his disciple and embraced him as one would his own child.
The guru and disciple then began to glorify Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda, and they
sometimes wept bitterly. Their conversation was reminiscent of that of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila
Sanatana Gosvami. There was no need at all of asking, "How you are?" and no need to chatter. The
guru asked only, "How is your bhajana?" If ones bhajana is okay, then everything will be okay. If ones
bhajana is not okay, then nothing is okay.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja sees a devotee getting up to leave:] Don't go from here now. Everyone
should remain here. Where are you going?
[Devotee:] My next-door neighbors have just arrived. I am getting a seat for them.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] Don't lose this time. This time is mine. No one may go without my
permission. Your guests should come in and kindly be seated. Please come in and sit down. Someone
there can give them chairs. Try to hear very patiently and attentively, otherwise you cannot understand
these topics.
That former mayavadi sannyasi watched this exemplary behavior of the guru and disciple. In the
mayavada cult there is no offering of pranama like this, because the mayavadis misunderstand that
everyone is brahma. Who will offer pranama to others? Thinking each other to be Narayana, they only
utter, "Namo Narayana, namo Narayana." Here, on the other hand, the disciple thinks himself very
wretched, more so than a straw, and he considers that his gurudeva is saksad-hari, a manifestation of
the Supreme Lord Himself.
This is the proper behavior. This mood of the Vaisnava remains not only for one or two days, and it is
not only external, but internal as well.
After one hour, when their discussion was over, Pradyumna Brahmacari asked Premadasa Babaji,
"Who is he?" Sannyasi Thakura then offered sastanga pranama to his paramguru, just as his Gurudeva
Premadasa Babaji had done. He had now learned how to properly behave with a guru, how to do
pranama in the correct way, and how to discuss with him. He told him, "I am a disciple of Premadasa
Babaji Maharaja." Pradyumna Brahmacari became very happy and said, "You are very fortunate to have
a guru like Premadasa Babaji Maharaja." He then told him:
kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya

yei krsna-tatva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya
["Whether one is a brahmana, a sannyasi or a sudra regardless of what he is he can become a spiritual
master if he knows the science of Krsna." (Cc Madhya 8.128)]
Guru is he who is krsna-tattva-vetta. He knows the science of Krsna consciousness. It does not matter
whether one is initiating others or not. Still he can be guru. If he gives initiation, that is okay, and if
not, he may be giving siksa. Even if he does not give siksa, others will benefit simply by seeing his
behavior. You should take the darsana of that high class of devotee-bhagavata and hear from him. Even
if he does not speak, still, something will come from his body as rays of sunlight emanate from the
sun. If you keep kerosene oil, you will be overpowered by its scent.
Similarly, if you go to any high class of devotee, some rays, some fragrance, some power will enter
your heart. Whether you can see this or not, whether you can realize this or not, it comes and affects
you. Fire never speaks, but its rays and heat come automatically. And, Vaisnavas are still more
powerful, for they can control the whole world with their energy.
Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja came, and his fragrance emanated everywhere in a couple
of years. He created so many changes; he created miracles.
In this way, Pradyumna Brahmacari was explaining, "Kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya." Even if
one is born in a low-class family, there is no harm. As long as he knows krsna-tattva, maya-tattva, jiva-
tattva, prema-tattva, and bhakti-tattva, he is guru. On the other hand, a very learned person who
knows Sanskrit as well as Veda, Upanisads, and Brahma-sutra, and has memorized and can recite them
all, is not guru if he has no realization of krsna-tattva.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura is writing here that a sisya should go to a guru who is bona fide in krsna-
tattva, who has realized it, who is always chanting the holy name, always detached from worldly
desires and sense gratification, and who is greatly attached in Krsna. In the beginning the aspiring
disciple should have some sraddha, not full sraddha, but a part of sraddha, by hearing. Then, he
should do padasraya; he should take shelter at the lotus feet of that bona fide guru.
Thakura Bhaktivinoda writes that there are two kinds of guru, namely diksa-guru and siksa-guru. One
should take diksa from the diksa-guru, and under such a guru's direction he should first do arcana.
Cooking is also within the category of the practice of arcana. If you are not pure, you cannot perform
any arcana. Purity must be first. You are not fit to do anything if you are contaminated. [Some persons
may hold their plate with their left hand and then use that left hand to touch clean articles. They may
put their shoes in the same bag as their bead-bag, and they put money or keys in their bead-bag. They
may touch their shoes and then, without washing their hands, offer something to their gurudeva.]
Especially, your heart should be pure. If you have bad desires in your heart, especially lust and anger,
you are not qualified to do arcana. You are neither qualified to cook, nor to serve your gurudeva, nor
even to touch his feet. First be pure, and then you can perform these activities.
Otherwise, you will begin to see faults in guru. You will even see faults in Krsna, just as Duryodhana
saw faults in Him. There can only be one diksa-guru, although there may be so many siksa-gurus, and
both types of gurus should be self-realized. Later in Jaiva Dharma, in chapter 20, Vijaya Kumara asked
the question, "Sastra states that the diksa-guru should not be changed or not given up. If one has taken
diksa from a guru who is not qualified to give krsna-tattva or krsna-bhakti, what should he do? If the
guru cannot help the disciple, what should that disciple do?
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains through the reply of Paramahamsa Premadasa Babaji who quoted
the verses:
yo vyaktir nyaya-rahitam anyayena srinoti yah

tav ubhau narakam ghoram vrajatah kalam aksayam
"He who poses as an acarya, but gives false instructions that are opposed to the sattvata-sastras, will
reside in a terrible hell for an unlimited period of time, and so will the misguided disciple who
mistakenly listens to such a false guru." Hari-bhakti-vilasa (1.62)
guror apy avaliptasya karyakaryam ajanatah utpatha-pratipannasya parityago vidhiyate
It is one’s duty to give up a guru who cannot teach the disciple what he should do and what he should
not do, and who takes the wrong path, either because of bad association or because he is opposed to
Vaisnavas."
Mahabharata Udyoga-parva (179.25) and Narada-pancaratra (1.10.20)
avaisnavopadistena mantrena nirayam vrajet

punas ca vidhina samyag grahayed vaisnavad guroh
"One goes to hell if he accepts mantras from an avaisnava-guru, that is, one who is associating with
women, and who is devoid of krisna-bhakti.
Therefore, according to the rules of sastra, one should take mantras again from a Vaisnava guru." Hari-
bhakti-vilasa (4.144)
Premadasa Babaji explained, "When you first select a guru, you should try to do pariksya. You should
examine him to see whether or not he can give you krsna-bhakti, whether or not he will fall down,
whether or not he is practicing bhakti-yoga properly, and whether or not he is actually following his
gurudeva or not? Is he chanting one lakh of nama or not? Is he doing arcana or not? Does he have all
the symptoms given by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in Gurvastakam? 'Saksad haritvena' means
that all the qualities of Hari should be in him. If one has not examined and does not know the answer
to these queries, and somehow he took initiation but afterwards he saw that this guru is not qualified
in the abovementioned areas, he can give up that guru who is not actually bona fide.
One can change or give up that guru under two conditions or circumstances. At the time of selecting a
guru and taking diksa, the sisya may not have examined him. He may have become overwhelmed and
taken initiation at once, and afterward he may have heard so many things, from books like Srimad-
Bhagavatam and from superiors, that this guru cannot actually help him. He may now think, "I took
diksa fifteen years ago but there has been no advancement." He can quickly give up that guru. I know
so many gurus who never chant. They say to others, "You should chant," but they have no time to
chant. They are always talking on telephones, with one phone on each ear.
They are absorbed in management, and they attend many meetings that bring no solution to anyone's
problems. If the disciple later on understands this, he should give up that guru, and Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura has quoted so many slokas in this regard.
The second parastiti (condition) is as follows: Suppose at the time of taking diksa, one's gurudeva was
really following the Vaisnava line, he was a madhyama-adhikari, and he knew many tattvas like krsna-
tattva, and maya-tattva. Then, after some time, he began to take the association of a mayavadi, sahajiya,
or materialist. He stopped chanting, and after that he began to criticize Vaisnavas, no longer accepting
the guru-parampara. The sisya should at once give him up, as one passes stool. When one gives up
stool, he becomes very happy and he feels fresh. Similarly, upon giving up all these 'kan-gurus', the
aspiring devotee will be extremely happy.
On the other hand, if the guru is following all the principles of bhakti, if he is in the line of his
gurudeva, if he is chanting and remembering but he is not learned enough to give you krsna-tattva,
then don't give him up. With honor for him, take his permission, and go with his permission to
associate with exalted Vaisnavas. And, if he does not give permission, you can consider that he is also
among the kan-gurus meant for being given up. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has explained all this in
chapter 20 of Jaiva Dharma, and I request you all to read this right away.
Sannyasi Thakura's character was extremely high. He knew brahma-tattva, which means he could
discriminate between the transcendental and the material, this ability is called brahma-nistha.
Bhagavad-gita states:
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
["One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully
joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity.
In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me." (Bg 18.54)]
What is the meaning of brahma-bhutah prasannatma?
[Sripad Pundarika dasa:] In this verse, Krsna is telling us that the person who has attained this high
level is actually the proper candidate to receive or enter into the realm of para-bhakti: mad-bhaktim
labhate param. He gets the opportunity to enter into the realm of devotion if he gets the association of
highly advanced bona fide Vaisnavas. If he does not get such opportunity, there is all chance that he
can lean towards impersonalism and go in a completely opposite direction. It is very important that at
this point he seeks association of bona fide sadhus.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] What is the meaning of na socati? If anything has gone wrong, if one has
lost his position, wealth, reputation, and everything else, such a person does not lament. If he one day
finds himself homeless, he becomes very happy and thinks, "Now I am okay." If his wife divorces him,
he thinks, "Very good; very good. I wanted this. She has done well." In either case he will not be
unhappy. Na kanksati. He never has any worldly desire. He only and always wants the association of
that high class of Vaisnavas. He wants to serve them, and he especially wants to serve the words
coming from their lotus mouths.
tasmin mahan-mukharita madhubhic-caritra-

piyusa-sesa-saritah paritah sravanti
ta ye pibanty avitrso nrpa gadha-karnais
tan na sprsanty asana-trd-bhaya-soka-mohah
["My dear King, in the place where pure devotees live, following the rules and regulations and thus
purely conscious and engaged with great eagerness in hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, in that place if one gets a chance to hear their constant flow of nectar, which
is exactly like the waves of a river, one will forget the necessities of life—namely hunger and thirst—
and become immune to all kinds of fear, lamentation and illusion." (SB 4.39-40)]
There is always a continuously flowing river of nectar from the mouth of pure devotees. There is no
end; no end at all. Nectar ever-increasingly flows from his lotus mouth, and if anyone takes bath in
that river of nectar, he will be purified. All kinds of unhappiness, difficulties, sorrows, and problems of
life will leave him forever. He will come to this position of na socati na kanksati samah sarvesu
bhutesu, and then he will enter into the realm of pure prema-bhakti.
Sannyasi Thakura was already accomplished in this nistha, because he had considered that all were
brahma. Now, however, upon meeting Premadasa Babaji, he was becoming situated in krsna-prema
pastimes, or lila-nistha.
Now he wanted to know who is Krsna, how He plays in Vrndavana, how beautiful He is, and how He
attracts all. This nistha took place by association of a high-class Vaisnava. If one is always in the
association of a Vaisnava, he will never fall down or desire to be married. He will never be lusty. If
such desires manifest, it will be because he is offending that Vaisnava and not actually associating.
Something positive must certainly come from that real guru, who is extremely powerful, and the desire
to serve Krsna was now coming to Sannyasi Thakura.
Holy name is very powerful, however one must associate with Sadhu
The doctors will also have to experience this. Doctors are highly respected because they are dedicated
to discovering illnesses and finding cures for their patients. They are taking the burden of care for that
patient, thinking day and night, "How is he now? How can I take care of him?" The doctor thinks of
how he will cure the patient, but he doesn't think of God – he has no time for God. One day, death will
quickly come and will not give him a moment to think of anything. Even if we realize these facts and
have thus left our houses, position, wealth and all attachments, and even if we have followed and taken
initiation from a bona fide guru, if we have no taste in chanting and remembering Krsna's pastimes,
our position is very critical.
This time is very critical for all devotees, as shown by the example of ISKCON after the departure of
Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. All the devotees became weak because they had not developed
real taste for bhakti. They had given up their jobs, wealth and everything else, but they did not develop
a taste for bhakti, nor did they even have nistha, the determination of mind to do bhajana. To develop
these qualities, a high class of association (sadhu-sanga) is needed.
The qualification of a sadhu is that he has realized the meaning of the scriptures. Simply knowing the
scriptures will not do; he should be realized by practicing bhakti-yoga. One who can tolerate all
difficult situations and can reconcile all the conflict and confusion in this world, who is not attached to
sense gratification and worldly things, is really a sadhu devotee. If one associates with such a sadhu he
may be saved – otherwise not. That is why it is stated in Caitanya-caritamrta:
sadhu-sanga, sadhu-sanga sarva-sastre kaya

lava-matra sadhu-sange sarva-siddhi haya.
["The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment's association with a pure devotee, one
can attain all success." (Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta 22.54)]
If we associate with a pure sadhu, we can realize something about bhakti. We can then be like Sri
Prahlada Maharaja, Srila Haridasa Thakura, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Santana Gosvami and your
Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. Srila Swami Maharaja was really a sadhu. He preached
throughout the entire world and he also sent me to do the same. He told me, "My devotees are in
trouble and many problems are coming. They are becoming weak and lifeless; so you should go and
help them."
I have come only for this purpose – not for wealth, reputation or any other material gain. At the old
age of 84 I have traveled around the world about 16 times and all those who meet with me are
attracted, especially sincere, senior devotees of Srila Swami Maharaja. Even those who have left the
sannyasa order are now coming to me. Srila Swami Maharaja requested me at the time of his departure
to help. He requested me to come to his bedside in Vrndavana, and when I approached him there he
took my hands into his and began to weep. He requested me to please help his devotees. He told me
that he had collected so many devotees, more than 10,000, but he had no more time to train them. He
also told me in Bengali that he had collected so many monkeys but could not fully train them, so he
wanted me to help them realize who he really was and what was his mission in this world.
The process to become happy is quite easy, but we must try to follow it. The Supreme Lord has created
this world. Who is the Supreme Lord? The Lord is one without a second. There are not different gods
for Americans, Indians, Christians, Hindus and Muslims – there is only one. The names are different,
but they have similar meanings. What is the meaning of God? G – generator, O – operator and D –
destroyer. In both the Sanskrit and Arabic language, God has the same meaning. Within a second He
can create, demolish, and again create entire worlds and universes. He is very powerful and merciful,
and He also has some form, although it is not worldly or material.
His form is transcendental. In the Bible it has been told that God created man in His own image. What
is the meaning? God has a transcendental form, and the human entity has a similar form. If God had
no form, from where would the forms of this world come? How would God bestow His mercy? This is
why the Bible says that man is created in the image of God.
Muslims also cannot deny that God has a form. In their Koran it has been written that Allah has a
form, so how can they deny this? God has a transcendental form and He is very merciful. Sometimes
He will manifest that transcendental form to those who serve and pray to Him.
I know from scriptures that Jesus went to India as a young man, and when he was there he traveled to
various holy places. He went to South India and Jagannatha Puri, where he saw the deities of Krsna.
There, all the devotees called Him Krsna, but the Oriyan pronunciation sounds like Krooshna. We call
Him Krsna and they call Him Krooshna. Then, in Western countries, Jesus wanted to tell of Krsna or
Krooshna, but His pronunciation sounded like Christos. Krishna – Krooshna – Christos – and then
Christ. So God is one.
What is the process to receive the Lord's mercy? That Supreme Lord has invested all His unlimited
powers and complete mercy in His holy names, and you can chant any of these holy names: Christ,
Krooshna, Krsna, Allah, Hoodah or God.
If Jesus is the son of the Supreme Lord, then the Father must be like His son or His son should be like
his Father. Like father like son, like son like father. If Jesus has a human form, then his Father must
have a human form – not the form of a cat, a dog, or a pig, and not formless. He must have a beautiful
form. We pray to His beautiful form and nature with such powerful names of God as: Hare Krsna Hare
Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. If you chant this even
one time in your life, you will gradually develop honor for Krsna and after that you will have
transcendental realization.
There was a dacoit named Valmiki, and he used to kill everyone who passed through his forest and
steal all their possessions. He killed countless people. One day, a great realized sage named Narada Rsi
came and asked him why he is doing such sinful things. Valmiki answered, "To protect and maintain
my life and family members."
At first, Valmiki had also wanted to kill Narada Rsi, but Narada had said, “Stop!” By Narada's mystic
powers Valmiki had to stop just by hearing that word. After that, Narada asked Valmiki whether the
family members for whom he killed so many persons were prepared to share his sinful reactions
among themselves, and Valmiki insisted that they would certainly do so. Narada then requested him to
go to his home and ask his family members for verification. He went home and asked his wife. She told
him that according to Vedic culture it is the husband's duty to maintain his wife and children. It is up
to the husband how he will do that, and he has to accept the reactions to his own deeds. The wife is
called dharma-patni, the religious partner, and she thus shares in his religious merits – not in his sinful
demerits. He then went to his parents and they told him that they had nourished him and maintained
him since he was born, and now that they were very old it was his duty to maintain them. It was not
their duty to share his sins. They told him that they could not do that.
Valmiki then realized something about material life and returned to Narada, and Narada then took
some water and threw it on Valmiki's head. Valmiki began to see in trance that all the animals and
people whom he had killed were in endless lines, holding their weapons and ready to kill him. Narada
again sprinkled water on him, Valmiki regained his external consciousness, and he fell flat on the
ground and prayed to Narada, "Please save me."
The great sage Narada replied, "I will save you, but first you should break your bow and repeat after
me, 'Rama, Rama.'" This is the name of God, who is everywhere. He is called Rama because He gives
pleasure to the hearts of all devotees." Narada told Valmiki to call "Rama" and he would thus become
liberated and transcendentally happy. Valmiki could not utter the name Rama Narada Rsi then asked
him if he could say "mara mara", and Valmiki said he could easily say this. Mara means "to kill." So he
chanted "Maramaramara", which became "Rama Rama Rama," and he was thus liberated.
If we chant with love and affection, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, or any name of God such as Krsna Krsna,
Radhe Radhe, Rama Rama, God or Hoodah, that Supreme Lord will come and manifest His
transcendental form. He will take you with Him and you will be happy forever. Why? There is a
reason.
In this world we see that if you take a piece of stone or iron from the ground and throw it into the air,
it will fall back to the earth. This is the law of gravitation. We see that all things made from earth will
fall back to their source. On the other hand, if you release a gas balloon, it will float free of the earth
into the air and you cannot imagine where it will go. Where do the flames of a fire go? They are
attracted in the direction of the sun and rise up through the air. The theory is that parts of the whole
are naturally attracted to their source. Similarly, when we, parts of the whole, eternal servants of God,
meet together with Him, only then can we be happy.
I have explained that although we are conditioned souls and suffering so much, we are not realizing
our soul and are not thinking about our spiritual responsibilities. But we can very easily be happy in
our life. We can have some realization of this, and that will come by chanting the holy name.
How can those who have so many responsibilities have time for chanting? We look to the gopis of
Vrndavana who are the highest personifications of love. God is love and love is God. What is the
meaning of love? This worldly sense gratification is not really love. Transcendental love is a
phenomenon beyond this world. It is an exchange between the soul and the Supersoul, not between
one material body and another. That is material sense gratification, whereas gopi-prema, love for Krsna
in the mood of the gopis, is the highest example of love of God. The gopis remember God all the time,
even in their householder life. They used to chant and sing all day: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti
Govinda Damodara Madhaveti." They would chant the names of the Supreme Lord.
While sweeping their houses, they would sing: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda Damodara
Madhaveti."
While they were milking the cows they would sing: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda
Damodara Madhaveti."
When putting their babies to sleep, they would sing to them: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda
All the gopis would wake early in the morning, at 4:00 am, and while churning yogurt and doing other
household work they would sing: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda Damodara Madhaveti."
There is no need to constantly chant on beads. While driving in your car, you can sing: "Govinda
Damodara Madhaveti Govinda Damodara Madhaveti."
Even if you are a doctor and giving injections, you can sing: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda
If you are a university student, give up thinking bad things and sing: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti
Govinda Damodara Madhaveti."
There is no need to do exercises like repeatedly sitting down and standing up during prayer, as we see
in some religions. Just sing: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti, Govinda Damodara Madhaveti."
Nor are we like the yogis – sitting straight and still. Nowadays, in towns and cities around the world,
especially in Japan and Thailand, I have seen thousands of persons doing "yoga". This is not yoga.
Yoga means to connect the soul to the Supersoul. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja came to preach
this mission of bhakti-yoga. You should try to connect your soul to the Supersoul. This is a very easy
process – simply chanting: "Govinda Damodara Madhaveti Govinda Damodara Madhaveti," and "Hare
Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare."
This is the easiest method during this lifetime, and also after we leave this world. The soul has a
transcendental form, otherwise how could it be captured in this physical body? A time will come when
the soul will give up this body, and then this very dear body will be put in a grave, burned to ashes, or
eaten by worms and turned to stool. This is the transformation of this body.
We should try to somehow maintain our lives and also help others, but we should know who we really
are, how we can be happy, and what is the process of chanting the holy names. I have not come to
make you Hindu or to change your religion. I have come to tell you that you do not have to give up
your religion, home, job and family. Just chant and remember the Supreme Lord. This is the only
method – chanting the holy name. Without the holy name, nobody can save you. When you die, you
cannot take any wealth from this world. Even a penny or a single hair on your head cannot be taken
from here. Then why are you working so hard to enjoy this temporary body? You should maintain
your body, but only to realize the soul and the Supersoul so that you can be happy forever.
Your purpose is not to be in this world. When you die, you will have to give up your father, property
and all your possessions – and you will not know your destination. But by the practice of chanting you
can know all these things very easily. The problems of this world will not be able to touch you, and if
problems do arise you will be able to place your feet on the head of all those problems and be happy.
I request all of you, whether you are engineers, doctors, wealthy or poor, ladies or gentlemen,
politicians, presidents, prime ministers, or anything in this world: just chant and remember Krsna, and
help others by nagara-sankirtana – loud congregational chanting. If a yogi is in trance and hears some
ordinary sound, he will be disturbed. But if you are chanting "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna
Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare," then all your senses will be controlled
automatically. There will be no need to try to control them separately. This is the highest process, so
you must try to follow it.
Gaura premanande.
Destination of the chanter
Lady devotee: We recently had a member of our family pass away. She was initiated by Srila
Prabhupada. She had dedicated her whole life to serving Krishna. She had very few possessions. She
was a very humble devotee. I'm wondering, when a devotee very suddenly passes away before old age,
due to poor health or some circumstance, is that person going to be with Krishna? Are they taking
birth immediately again in another body? Or, is there a subtle body that stays until the gross body is
cremated? I'm not knowing what happens.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Continue what you are saying.
Brajanatha Prabhu: She's asking, is the process not complete until the ashes are given to the Ganges?
Or, will that soul reach her destination before or after the ashes of the gross body are offered to the
Ganges or Yamuna? Or, what is the destination?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: It depends on the devotee. It depends on whether she has really taken
initiation or not - in the real, true sense. It depends on whether one is chanting krsna-nama properly
and purely or not. Was she realizing her position or not? Has she attained nistha (the stage of
steadiness in bhakti) or not? Has she attained the last fraction of bhakti - sraddha? If one actually has
sraddha, he will think, "Even if anyone will cut me in so many pieces, I cannot give up harinama. Was
there even a transcendental sraddha? Was there some desire to serve Krishna in the real sense?
Perhaps she died without this. She was a pious person, and doing some sukrti. Perhaps she wanted to
always have good association. She was doing so much book distribution, and making money and
giving it to Srila Swami Maharaja out of duty, but she never had a high class of association. Perhaps her
sraddha was still weak. In that case, whether her body was burned or put in a grave, there is no harm.
She may then take birth anywhere, in an ordinary devotee's house. Do you understand? In the home of
a general devotee. There she may hear from childhood that only by serving Krishna can anyone be
happy. Otherwise one can never be happy. In this next birth, she is chanting from the very beginning,
but not purely. There are so many worldly desires and her heart is still not pure. So many anarthas,
unwanted things, are there. Yet, gradually, she will come in the association of a somewhat higher
devotee. There she will understand what is sraddha. From the beginning she will have a better chance
to attain nistha. In her past life she had never attained nistha. Do you know what is nistha? I know you
don't know.
Lady devotee: I don't remember.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Nistha (steadiness in bhakti). By intelligence one will determine, "I must
chant, because there is no other way for success." At this stage one is not realized, but still there is a
very strong determination. He will not think, "Should I marry; should I not marry? Narada never
married, but the father of Sukadeva, Vyasadeva, did. What should I do?" In sastra it has been written
that this world is like a well. What is that well? To marry and to be very attached to one's family. If one
is attached to Krishna, will he be attached to this world? Without such attachment to Krishna, one is
in dilemna about what to do: "Should I remain in my house with my father, mother, wife and children,
or should I give up all these things and go to high-class association, always chanting, hearing, and
developing my faith?" He's now in a dilemna. This is not nistha-bhakti.
Do you understand? Nistha will come, but it is not there yet. If one dies in this stage, what will
happen? He was without nistha. Rather, he was in dilemna about what to do. In that case, in his next
birth he will seek a higher class of association, and now he may have nistha. Now he has determined,
"Oh, I should be in worldly life and, like the Pandavas, like the gopis, I will do bhajana." Or, he will
determine, "I will be like Sukadeva Gosvami, I will not marry." He has decided; he has come to a
conclusion: "And I will always serve Vaisnavas." In his second birth Bharata Maharaja decided, "I will
never go to worldly desires, or anything which can cause attachment and make me give up attachment
to Krishna." He has decided this.
Suppose a taste has come for chanting and remembering hari-katha. Ruci, a taste has come, and
suppose that he dies in the stage of ruci. What will become of him? Now he has come in the standard
of bhakti. If he dies at this stage Krishna will manage that he will go to any high class of guru. There,
serving him and always hearing from him, asakti, attachment for Krishna, may come.
If he dies in the stage of asakti, what will become of him? Oh, he will surely take birth in the house of
a very exalted Vaisnava. In Gita it has been told, "Sucinam srimatam gehe." From there he will practice
his sadhana only for attaining bhava-bhakti. From that stage it may be that in one birth, two births, a
hundred births, or a thousand births, he may attain suddha-prema, suddha-sattva, and that is rati
(bhava).
If anyone dies in the stage of rati, he has nothing to do. Surely he will become like Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami, Sri Narada Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Srila Sanatana Gosvami. From the beginning
he will start his suddha-sattva bhakti, his rati or bhava. Then, if he is qualified in rati, matured in rati,
what will happen? At once, when he leaves his body, Yogamaya at once manages that his soul should
go to Mahaprabhu. He will go to the planet and place where the lila, pastimes, of Mahaprabhu are
going on. There he will chant and remember with a high class of rati, in the association of Sri Rupa
Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Svarupa Damodara and Sri Raya Ramananda.
If he gives up his body after he has matured in this rati, Yogamaya will take him where Krishna's
pastimes are going on, and he will come in the womb of any gopi -according to his taste, or in other
words, according to his specific relationship with Krishna. If he is in a relationship of friendship, he
will come like a brother of Sridama, Subala, Madhumangala, and others like them. If he is in the
relationship of vatsalya, parental affection, then he will come like Nanda Baba and Yasoda. For
perfecting any of these relationships he will have to come through the womb of any gopi. And, if he is
seriously following Srila Rupa Gosvami - if he is not only raganuga, but especially rupanuga, then he
will come in the womb of a special gopi. When he (she) grows up she will be married anywhere,
especially in Yavat, and she will be associated with a high class of kayavuha (a gopi who is a bodily
expansion) of Srimati Radhika. If that association is closed to her, then the door of her home will be
closed, or locked, and she will give up her life and meet Krishna by her separation mood. And, if she is
associated with nitya-siddha, gopis, then she will meet Him very quickly. If there is a trace of
unwanted things, if there are any children, one cannot join rasa by that body, not even if one has come
by the womb of a gopi. Never. Her husband will check her, and she will give up this body. Of course it
is not that one can give up the body; there is no death there. So she gives up that mood that, "He is my
child and he is my husband." At that time all obstacles will go away, and Yogamaya will then take her
to rasa, and take her to serve the gopis.
There are so many laws, as in court; so many laws or rulings for different aparadhas. Suppose you take
a gun and play with it, and by chance a man is shot and dies. If you can prove that you had no wish to
kill him, that it happened by chance, by accident, you may be given very little punishment - not death.
However, if you have a motive to kill anyone, and if you have aimed your gun at him and shot it, but
the person was not shot, still you will have to go to court and be punished severely. There are so many
laws, and all these laws have come from these transcendental laws. This is the shadow of that.
If anyone is chanting three lakhs of names, always reading books and serving so much, and he also has
some worldly motivation, what will be the result? His whole bhakti is poisoned. He is performing
those activities for himself. However, suppose anyone appears like a Queen, not doing anything, not
chanting much harinama - like Srila Rupa Gosvami, and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. He is simply
calling out, "O Krishna". Fainting, he cannot chant. Even in one entire day it may be that he cannot
chant even 16 rounds. Even by chanting one Krishna name, he faints for the whole day and night, and
he is serving Krishna internally. Tears are always coming. He is always weeping, weeping, his bodily
hairs are standing on end, and all sattvika-bhavas are coming. So he cannot chant, though he wants to.
What will be the result? He will become more than Haridas Thakura. Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila
Raghunatha dasa Gosvami wanted to chant but they could not. Sankya purvaka.They were calling out,
"He radhe vrajadevi-ke. "O Krishna, where are you?" They went to Giriraja Govardhana and there they
were weeping still more. Then they went to Nandagaon, Varsana, and here and there. They were
always lamenting. When they will count their names?
Mahaprabhu was at the Ratha Yatra festival - for the whole day. What was He doing? He was calling
out, "Se ta prananatha paina. My beloved, I have now met you", and He became faint. For the whole
day he was doing this, here and there. Has He completed his rounds? After the festival, when He went
to Gambira, He was lamenting with Sri Raya Ramananda, "Where is my Krishna?" "Oh, Krishna is in
your heart". Then He became very happy. He wanted to see Krishna. He was lamenting like this until
morning. When will He complete His chanting? This is also true for Sri Svarupa Damodara, who was
always pacifying Mahaprabhu. When will He have time to chant? Actually, this is more than chanting.
Oh, this is the fruit of chanting. Do you understand somewhat? I have told this in so much detail, so it
may be that you cannot understand.
Lady devotee: In my understanding, depending on the person's level of faith.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Oh, don't try to take your understanding. Always try to understand the
understandings of our guru-parampara. Otherwise you cannot understand. Your intelligence always
fails. Always fails. Try to forget your understanding and try to accept the understanding of our guru-
parampara. Especially Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, and more recently, in the very simple words of
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. His words are very simple.
And follow also Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, but in a real sense. If all the devotees, sannyasis
and so many brahmacaris with saffron cloth were serving him and following him, then why did they
leave the institution? Why all this? Why did they leave and become weak? Why? It means that they
are not aware of what Srila Swami Maharaja wanted. They were not following so much. They were
following like this: They were making money even by selling ganja pan. They thought, "No harm. We
should make money for Prabhupada." But your Prabhupada has never, never told them to do that.
So we should try to give up our understanding, and try to fulfill our hearts by our guru-parampara. Do
you understand? If so, then you can realize, you'll have a taste in chanting and remembering, and there
will be no doubts.
Lady devotee: What I wonder is, if our goal is to serve Krishna, and to serve guru, then why is there so
much arguing amongst each other? "I belong to this group, I follow this person, I belong to that
group."
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Because our goal is not fixed. What is your goal? Do you know? I know that
you have a goal to serve, but in what way? We should serve the devotees.
Vanamali dasi: Of course.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Of course? Can you serve all the devotees as you are serving your husband?
Lady devotee: I can try.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: I know you cannot. You cannot tell, or not tell. But I can tell. You cannot
serve. Service requires a special relation. Now our goal is not fixed. What is our goal? "I should serve
Krishna. I am an eternal servant of Krishna". But what kind of servant are you? This goal must be
fixed, and it will come if you are initiated in the true sense; not only by fire sacrifice or when the guru
changes your name. Simply that will not do. Srila Vyasadeva initiated Srila Sukadeva Gosvami. Narada
initiated Vyasadeva. Brahma initiated Sri Narada. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhju initiated Rupa. Who is the
guru of Srila Rupa Gosvami? Caitanya Mahaprabhu is his guru. But we see there was no fire sacrifice
performed. Mahaprabhu never directly gave any mantra. Still, Srila Rupa Goswami always thinks that
Mahaprabhu is his Guru.
This is called transcendental initiation. And ours - although with fire sacrifice -after some days we
become weak and give up everything. Again we take fish, eggs and so on. This 'initiation' is really for
kanistha adhikaris, to fix in their minds that, "Oh, I am initiated." You must follow the rules. By this
you are admitted in the class, or the school of initiation. When you will be matured, you will realize
your special relation with Krishna. What is the relation? Krishna is my friend or son, or Krishna is my
beloved. What kind of beloved? There are so many things to be learned. When that learning will be
completed, then you will realize this special relation with Krishna, and all your unwanted things will
go. Diksa: Di--divya jnana, and ksa - all unwanted things will go. Then it is really diksa. Otherwise
diksa is not completed. I think it is very rare in this world that the goal is achieved. At this time one is
really a devotee.
Gaura-premanande!
After Diksa one can enter the realm of bhajana
Now we will speak about Madhurya Kadambini. If an aspiring sadhaka (spiritual practitioner) comes
to the lotus feet of Guru and takes diksa and siksa (initiation and relevant spiritual instructions), he
can then enter into the realm of bhajana (devotional activities).
There are two types of bhajana – nisthita-bhakti and anisthita-bhakti. The first type is nisthita – steady
devotional service. In this stage, the disciple will not be weak in his bhajana. He continues his bhajana
without any fear of falling down. The second type is anisthita bhakti – unsteady devotional service. In
this stage the disciple is plagued by many material desires coming in his heart. Srimad Bhagavatam has
described this:
nasta prayesu abhadresu

nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttama-sloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki
[“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee,
all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the
Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable
fact.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18)]
This is anisthita bhakti (unsteady devotional service). Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura explains
that anisthita bhakti is of six types: utsaha-mayi, ghana-tarala, vyudha-vikalpa, visaya-sangara,
niyamaksama and taranga-rangini. I will explain them, one by one.
The first type of unsteady bhakti is utsaha-mayi. Utsaha means enthusiasm. When the student starts
his studies, the teacher will encourage him by saying, “Oh, you are so good, so good. You are doing
very nicely.” After a few days the student thinks, “Oh, now I'm such a big scholar. I know everything.”
He is now so enthusiastic. Previously he was afraid to go to school, and now he takes his books and
runs to school with great enthusiasm. In the same way, when the aspiring sadhaka first comes to the
path of bhakti, he approaches Gurudeva and accepts harinama. Gurudeva says, “Oh, you cannot chant
64 rounds? No problem. Just do as many as you want. If somehow you can do 16 rounds, your
material attachments will be destroyed and very quickly you will attain love for the lotus feet of
Krsna.” The disciple then becomes very enthusiastic and happy with his chanting and other duties,
and he thinks, “Yes, I have started to do bhajana.”
We are just like this. Even in our present stage we think, “I'm really doing bhajana now – fully.”
Somebody may be chanting one lakh of harinama (100,000 names or 64 rounds), but when the Guru
instructs or chastises him, pointing his finger and telling him what he is doing wrong, his eyes open up
in surprise. Gurudeva tells him, “Oh, you have so many desires and so much anger in your heart. You
should follow the first verse of Upadesamrta – vaco vegam manasa krodha vegam. You should control
your mind and your senses, your tongue, belly and genitals. And you should follow the second sloka –
atyaharah prayasas ca. Don't over-eat, don't over-collect and don't over-endeavor for material things.”
Then the disciple thinks, “Oh my God, I'm not doing any bhajana at all. I haven't even started,” He
understands his position for some time, but later he thinks, “I am a great scholar, so I don't need to go
to Guru. I will just do bhajana on my own. There is no need to go to Guru.” And he takes off. In this
way, the new devotee is enthusiastic in the beginning, and later he becomes discouraged and his
enthusiasm weakens. In the stage of bhajana-kriya, this is the type of unsteady bhakti called utsaha-
mayi.
The second type is called ghana-tarala. A new student will start to study the Vedic scriptures. When he
understands something he is enthusiastic, but when he doesn't understand because the subject matter
is too difficult, he loses his enthusiasm and becomes upset. In the same way, in this stage the new
devotee may sometimes practice the limbs of bhakti very enthusiastically – his practice is very 'thick'.
And sometimes, if he meets some obstacles, he experiences weakness and his practice of bhakti
becomes very 'thin'.
You should realize this fact.
Sometimes the study of many scriptures, the endeavor to remember all of the subjects therein, and the
endeavor to learn many verses also become obstacles in bhakti. For example, someone who remembers
many, many verses from scriptures, and also knows so many things from reading and hearing the
scriptures, may be plagued by lust, anger and pride. Have his material desires left him or not? Does he
have pride or not? Is he greedy for association with women? Is he still anxious for his own name and
fame?
We will have to consider whether or not we have acquired the four symptoms of:
trnad api sunicena

taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
[“One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the
straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and
ready to offer all respects to others. ln such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord
constantly.” (Siksastaka 3)]
Are you giving respect to all others? Are you demanding respect for yourself? You will have to look at
all these things. You may have read many, many books and may have memorized so many verses, but
if lust and anger do not go from your heart, how can suddha bhakti (pure bhakti) come? How can we
enter into the verses? And how can we understand the scriptures?
We have to follow Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. Srila Raghunatha dasa
Gosvami has stated in Manah-siksa:
pratisthasa dhrsta svapaca-ramani me hrdi natet

katham sadhuh-prema sprsati sucir etan nanu manah
sada tvam sevasva prabhu-dayita-samantam atulam
yatha tam niskasya tvaritam iha tam vesayati sah
[“O mind! How can pure divine love appear in my heart as long as the shameless dog-eating outcaste
woman of the desire for prestige is audaciously dancing there? Therefore, always remember and serve
the immeasurably powerful commanders of the army of Krsna, the beloved devotees of the Lord. They
will at once banish this outcaste woman and initiate the flow of immaculate vraja-prema in your
heart.” (Manah-siksa, verse 7)]
That pratistha, desire for name and fame, is like a dog-eating prostitute dancing in the heart, and
mukti-vyaghra, the desire for impersonal liberation, is like a tigress.
So consider how much bhakti you actually have. When women see men, does lust come? When men
see women, do they feel lust? You must consider, “When my name and fame is checked by someone,
do I become angry with that person? Do I have pride?” You must look at yourself and think about this.
If you have these faults, how can bhakti come? Yours is then only a shadow of bhakti. Hearing about
all these considerations, you must examine your heart and think, “Oh, I don't have bhakti.”
If we consider all these things, we become hopeless – this is our nature. So think about this. You have
been hearing so much hari-katha and have lived for so many years with your Guru. Why do you still
have so many material desires? How is it possible that the desire to marry is still in your heart? You
should already know scripture and you must have attained some renunciation.
vasudeve bhagavati
bhakti-yogah prayojitah
janayaty asu vairagyam
jnanam ca yad ahaitukam
[“By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately
acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.7)]
When pure (suddha) bhakti enters the heart, one automatically attains jnana – knowledge of krsna-
tattva, and vairagya – detachment from material enjoyment. When we are still beset by lust, anger and
pride, we must ask ourselves, “Where am I? What is my position? Oh, I feel hopeless.”
Twenty to twenty-five years have already passed, and still this anger and lust and desire for fame have
not left you? These things must be dispelled.
When we consider our position we become a little hopeless. In this regard, Srila Rupa Gosvami has
written in Stava Mala:
pracinanam bhajanam atulam duskaram srnvato me

nairyasena jvalati hrdayam bhakti-lesalasasya
visva-dricim aghahara tavakarnya karunya-vicim
asa-binduksitam idam upety antare hanta saityam
[“I am very weak and lazy to do even the smallest devotional service. Therefore, when I hear of the
peerless and difficult-to-perform services performed by the great devotees in ancient times, my heart
burns with despair. On the other hand, O Lord, O killer of Aghasura, when I hear that Your waves of
mercy splash everyone, from the demigod Brahma down to the most insignificant creature, and even to
the demon Aghasura who was the embodiment of sin, then my heart becomes sprinkled with a cooling
drop of hope.”]
The meaning of this prayer is as follows: “Alas! Seeing the sadhana of the previous great practitioners
of bhakti, I have become hopeless.” We have only one hope. What is that? The mercy of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu is flowing everywhere, and even one drop can drown us. Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji
Maharaja and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami performed astonishing austerity. The detachment of
Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji was very severe. Before him there were many devotees performing austerities
for thousands upon thousands of years – and look at us in comparison.
Think about this. What are you doing? Now it is the month of Kartika and we are eating so many
delicious foods, up to our neck and even more; and we take rest and drink and enjoy in many ways.
We are hearing beautiful kirtanas. Where is the severe sadhana? Where? Therefore think, brothers and
sisters. Leave your pride, try to gain victory over your lust, and try to do bhajana of Krsna. There is no
other way to achieve this most elevated bhakti.
Therefore, stay with the Vaisnavas; never leave them. In their association you will be disciplined and
protected. Study our books. Listen carefully and take these words in your heart. Following the
Vaisnavas you should lament, “Oh, my pride and lust have not left me. Fie on me, fie on me!” You
should think like this. Look at yourself and lament for your condition. Only in this way can you give
up all these bad qualities. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura wrote all this, and now I'm just
repeating a shadow of what he wrote.
The third type of unsteady bhakti is called vyudha-vikalpa, oscillation of the mind. A person accepts
diksa and siksa from Guru and starts his bhajana. At that time so many contrary ideas run through his
mind. He thinks, “Why should I do bhajana alone? After all, I have my family. My Gurudeva will give
Vaisnava diksa to my father, mother, wife and children. I will build a small temple in my home, and
there we will serve God together. I will do bhajana and my family members will also do bhajana.”
But then he reconsiders, “Hold on, this is not a good idea. After all, there were many great devotees
like Sri Narada Rsi, Srila Rupa and Sanatana Gosvamis, Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami and others who
left their homes and went to live in Vrndavana, Navadvipa, Jagannatha Puri or any of Lord Sri Krsna's
other pastime places. If I stay with my family members, my material desires will continue to plague
me. Better I leave my family and go to live in Vrndavana. I don't want to live in Western countries, or
anywhere other than Vrndavana. Where will I live there? I will build a room by the side of Seva Kunja,
and from my room I will be able to look out at Seva Kunja. Living like this, my life will be successful.”
Both men and ladies think in this way.
And then, when he thinks about leaving home, his mind oscillates again. He thinks, “Oh, how can I
leave them? After all, I still haven't fulfilled all my material desires. To leave in an immature state is not
good. Therefore, to fulfill all my material desires I will continue to live with my family. When I am
satisfied fully, my mind will automatically give up these attachments and then I will leave home. Why
should I go now? When I'm old, then everything material will automatically no longer interest me.”
He thinks like this, and then again he wonders, “Should I leave now and take sannyasa, or should I
wait a few days? Actually, it will be good if I stay for a little while longer.”
Lord Kapiladeva has warned, “Beware! Maya was created by the Lord Himself and has come to you in
the form of a young woman, under the pretext of serving you. She is beautiful and seems to be very
sweet, and she serves a lot. But you should understand that actually she is pulling you to your death.”
She is like a blind well covered with grass. A blind well looks very nice on top, but inside it is full of
suffering. She is like an oil well that has caught on fire. There are many oil wells in and here in .
Kerosene and petrol oil come from there, and if there is fire, as soon as it touches the oil it spreads
everywhere. Women should understand this is for men, and men should understand it for women.
By nature ladies are very sweet, but after some time they become ferocious, like Durga. In a second, a
lady can plunder your wealth and cut off your head. And men are the same. Of course, this does not
apply to the Vaisnavis who are absorbed in bhajana, like Sita Thakurani, Malini Devi and Gangamata
Gosvamini. The entire world worships them. Think about all these things.
When we hear about these examples from sastra, we should have faith that family life is like a blind
well covered with grass. Understand that it is a mirage, a false impression. There is no happiness in
that association. Even if there is any so-called enjoyment, then diseases like TB or cancer also come.
People drink wine to be happy, but when one drinks too much, he gets cancer of the liver and dies or
goes mad. We must have strong faith and understanding that this tendency to enjoy material
happiness is the cause of all miseries and sufferings.
Srimad-Bhagavatam tells the history of Bharata Maharaja. We should think like him. He ruled the
entire Earth and enjoyed material opulence for many thousands of years. He was still in his youth
when he left his kingdom, beautiful wife and affectionate children to do bhajana. He left them as we
leave stool after passing. It was very difficult to renounce them, but he left everything.
Listening to such examples, the aspiring sadhaka thinks again and tries to leave household life. He
decides, “Oh, I will not live in this world.” Ladies think the same, “I will not stay in worldly life.” But
then again they consider other examples from scripture, “Oh, alas! Alas! I want to leave home, but it is
such a great sin to leave my old parents all alone. Who will take care of them? And now I have small
children and a beautiful wife. What will happen if I leave them? They will all be helpless. If my father
dies in grief, this sin will come on my head. It will be my fault. My wife is very innocent and does not
know anything of worldly matters. My children are very young – who will look after their education
and maintain them? They will become orphans with no one to protect them. How will they live
without me?”
Thinking like this, the aspiring sadhaka's mind oscillates. First he decides to leave the house, but now
his previous determination to renounce everything is destroyed. He thinks, “Oh, it is so unfair to leave
old parents and small children. It's not right.” Then his mind changes again: “Oh, I will go. My parents
and my children and wife will somehow live without me. They won't die.” Then he reconsiders, “Oh,
it is alright if I stay. My mind is still full of material desires. It is not only because of my old parents,
wife, and children. I have just started a new business with many new shops, and if I leave them they
will fail and I will become a beggar. I will have to go on the street begging alms, simply living as a
beggar.”
In this way, the mind of a householder, who cannot decide what to do, oscillates back and forth. Lord
Kapiladeva explains that because the householder is always attached to the objects of the senses –
house, wife, children and wealth – his mind is always disturbed.
What to speak of householders, even those who entered the renounced order, accepting sannyasa and
saffron cloth, cannot keep their vows. I know so many people who left their homes and were
previously doing dandavat parikrama, wearing only one cloth in the winter and walking in wooden
sandals – and today, where are they? They have left bhakti completely, and have no connection with
bhajana, or with Guru and Vaisnavas. They have returned to their houses and have married again. I
have seen thousands of people come and go like this.
This is called vyudha-vikalpa, indecision or oscillation of the mind. I will tell more, later. Oh, my
brothers and sisters; don't be angry with me. The words I am speaking may pinch, but these are not my
own words. I am just speaking what Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has written.
This Very, Very Critical Time
San Francisco, California: May 3, 2001

I offer my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my transcendental guru, om visnupada Sri Srimad
Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and also unto the lotus feet of my siksa-guru, om visnupada
Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. By their mercy we are preaching in so many places, and
everywhere we go the devotees are so inspired. They are now always remembering their Srila
Prabhupada.
I have come for this purpose. My main objective is to increase the devotees' faith and to inspire them
in his teachings. My mood is this. My objective is this - to help the devotees as he ordered me to do so
in his last days. I want to inspire them again. A question is raised, and intelligent devotees should
think this over. Why did so many devotees leave Srila Swami Maharaja's line? Why did they become
weak? They took harinama initiation and diksa initiation, they rendered services to their gurudeva,
they remained with him in the brahmacarya asrama, and some even took sannyasa, the renounced
order. They were serving in many ways, distributing thousands of books and becoming the number
one or number two distributors in the whole world. They were also helping so much in the gurukulas,
opening many temples in different parts of the world, and bringing great amounts of money. Either by
hook, or by crook, they brought it.
Why did most of them become weak and leave? Why was it so? Why did they enter family life? Almost
all of the brahmacaris who were engaged in temple worship entered married life and gave up Krsna
Consciousness. They returned to material life, and some of them even became opposed to the line of
bhakti. Why is this? Why did this happen? We must think this over. I know that most of the senior
disciples of your Prabhupada, my siksa-guru, were brahmacaris. When they were with their guru they
were very energetic, and they were giving their entire energy to serve him. Why did they become
weak? Even those who took the sannyasa order have left. Why? We should try to understand why, and
in the future we should be very careful. This is the most important thing to think over. So many senior
Vaisnavas who have left the bhakti line are now present here in this class.
In this connection I want to tell you something. When we plant a seed of any big tree, like a mango
seed or other type of seed, first we should give it water. We must water it properly and protect it so
that grazing animals cannot eat it. Even when it has grown somewhat, still we give proper water and
proper care. Then, when the roots go deep and begin to take water from the earth, there is no longer a
need to give so much water. At that time, however, we will have to make a fence to protect the plant.
Otherwise, it can still be destroyed by animals. Even a mad elephant may come.
That mad elephant represents offenses, and the fence represents the association of pure devotees. We
must associate with gurudeva, and with the high class of devotees who have been taking water from
the ground and who are self-supported. They are now so big that no elephant can do any damage to
them. By associating with them, first nistha, steadiness in bhakti, will come, and after nistha, ruci will
come. Ruci means taste. In what? In chanting and hearing hari-katha. The taste will come for hearing
hari-katha - so much taste that if one hears that any high class of Vaisnava is speaking anywhere, that
person will come from a thousand miles away, giving up all his other jobs, duties and activities,
because he will want to be in such company.
There is a stage in which you have already taken harinama and diksa, you are chanting somewhat, you
have given up your worldly life, and you are helping with all the projects of your gurudeva. Anarthas
have not yet gone, however, and taste has not yet come. This stage is very critical; very, very critical. If
you are not very careful in fencing and watering at this time, your bhakti can be uprooted or it will be
very weak.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's personal servant, Kala Krsnadasa, went with Him to South India for about
four months. He did not have a taste for chanting, remembering, or hearing hari-katha, but he was
helping Mahaprabhu. He was very lucky, but he had no taste. What became of him? He was attracted
by the bhattatharis, gypsy girls, who were so beautiful that in a moment he gave up Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna Himself.
Mahaprabhu was chanting Hare Krsna Hare Krsna in all the temples there, making everyone
Vaisnavas, but what became of His servant? This fellow had no taste. He had never said to
Mahaprabhu, "O, I want to hear hari-katha." He never questioned Him and he never heard His
teachings. On the other hand, what did Raghunatha dasa Gosvami do? From the very beginning he
was in the association of Srila Haridasa Thakura and his gurudeva, Yadunandana Acarya. Restless, he
quickly came to Puri to be in the assembly of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates.
Mahaprabhu became very happy to see him and said, "Oh, you have come out from the ditch of stool.
Very good." Mahaprabhu then placed Raghunatha dasa Gosvami in the hands of Srila Svarupa
Damodara and told him, "From today you belong to Svarupa Damodara. You can know more by
hearing from him than from Me. Treat him like your teacher, your siksa-guru."
Raghunatha dasa gave up all worldly attachments and requirements and totally surrendered unto the
lotus feet of Svarupa Damodara. He was always hearing from him and he noted everything down in his
diary and in his heart also. He wanted to hear more and more from Caitanya Mahaprabhu, from Srila
Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sri Raya Ramananda, and all other
associates. He was hearing them very patiently, recording everything in his heart and totally following
them. What became of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami? After the disappearance of Caitanya Mahaprabhu,
Svarupa Damodara and Gadadhara Pandita, he could not tolerate their separation. He at once left that
place and he came to Vrndavana to die.
Weeping, and weeping he thought, "I cannot tolerate the separation from my gurudeva, all the
Vaisnavas, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They have left me and I am now alone." He came to Vrndavana
to give up his life by jumping in the Yamuna or by jumping from Govardhana, but he was now in the
association of Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, and all the Gosvamis. He stayed on the bank of
Radha-kunda twenty-four hours a day. What was he doing?
sankhya-purvaka- nama-gana- natibhih kalavasini-krtau

nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau catyanta-dinau ca yau
radha-krsna-guna-smrter madhurimanandena sammohitau
vande rupa sanatana raghu-yugau sri jiva gopalakau
["I worship the Six Gosvamis, who passed all their time in chanting the holy names, singing songs, and
offering dandavat pranama, thereby humbly fulfilling their vow to complete a fixed number daily. In
this way they utilized their valuable lives and conquered over eating and sleeping. Always meek and
humble and absorbed in the highest bliss, they were enchanted by remembering Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's
sweet qualities." (Sri Sad-Gosvami-astakam.)]
Raghunatha dasa was following these principles. You can see on one hand Kala Krsnadasa, and on the
other hand Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. Mahaprabhu also rejected one of His very high class of
devotees, Chota Haridasa. Chota Haridasa was always with Caitanya Mahaprabhu, but Mahaprabhu
saw that he had some connection with a lady - Sikhimahiti's sister, Madhavi devi. Although she was
very old, Chota Haridas used to think, "Oh, she is my dharma ma, my religious mother, my new
mother." He had given up his own mother, father, and everyone else, and now he was making a
relationship with her. He thought, "Oh, she is my mother." This is a very bad thing. Don't make
anyone your religious sister, mother, brother, or father. Don't. Your guru is your mother and father -
he is everything.
Why do you need these new relationships? You will be destroyed. Always be careful about this. We
should try to do as Raghunatha dasa Gosvami did. We should try to understand Sri Sukadeva Gosvami.
Though He was a nirvisesavadi, absorbed in the feature of the Supreme Truth that has no variety or
characteristics, in the association of his father, Dvaipayana Vyasadeva, he became attracted to Sri
Krsna. Vyasa was a very elevated devotee, and he was like Narayana. Narayana had invested His
bhakti-sakti in him. He was therefore like Narayana, but he was not Narayana. He was a saktyavesa-
avatara of Narayana. How qualified Vyasadeva was! He divided the Veda into four. He wrote Brahma
Sutra and all the Puranas, and still he was not satisfied. By the mercy of Srila Narada Rsi, his gurudeva,
he arose from his depression and Srimad Bhagavatam entered his heart. Srimad Bhagavatam is
transcendental. and Bhagavad-gita is transcendental. They are not like ordinary books which, if you
put them in a fire they will be burned. The Gita cannot be destroyed, but sometimes the teachings are
covered and sometimes they are manifest.
These teachings are sabda-brahma, transcendental sound, coming from Krsna, God Himself. They are
the vani, the words of Krsna. Sri Vyasadeva taught the entire Srimad Bhagavatam to Sukadeva Gosvami
who, in the assembly of Srila Pariksit Maharaja, repeated it. All those who heard his recitation became
high-class devotees.
So this stage is very critical. When a devotee has left his wealth, reputation, his wife, children, his
position and so on, but he has no taste - it is a very critical time. At this stage you should not give up
the association of high-class devotees. If you always try to be far away from high-class association, you
will become very weak, and after some time maya will come and attract you.
This was the case after Srila Swami Maharaja left this world and joined his Prabhu in conjugal service.
The devotees became very weak, and they could not understand what they should do. There were not
so many advanced devotees to save them, to tell them hari-katha, and therefore they became weaker
and weaker and weaker. They began to think, "What will happen in the future?" This was a problem
for them. They thought, "Previously we were in the institution of Krsna Consciousness. What will be
our future?" They had no faith in Krsna, no saranagati, surrender, and thus they became weaker and
weaker and left everything.
They began to depend on wealth - how to collect money and how to be materially happy. They were
very intelligent in this, because they had previously served their gurudeva in that way. By that, they
have now become so wealthy. They are thinking, "We are doing very well", but we are thinking they
are not doing well. Of what use is all this wealth if krsna-bhakti is not there? If krsna-bhakti is there,
and nothing else is there, it is very good. Even to be poor, to somehow maintain our life, is very good -
if bhakti is there.
Now we are in the iron-age of computers and all other technologies, and it is flourishing. We are
discovering so many ways in which to be happy - but no one is happy. Only two kinds of persons can
think themselves happy. One kind consists of those who really have some taste in Krsna's name and
hearing hari-katha. Those persons can be somewhat happy, and the other kind consists only of mad
persons. These mad persons are taking many drugs and falling down in a drain, and dogs come and
lick their faces. They are thinking, "We are the monarch of all. We are very happy." Only these two
can be happy. There is no third kind of person.
We should be very careful about this. One day, very soon, old age will be coming - running, running.
Now you are beautiful, but one day your faces will dry. So many problems will come very quickly, and
at the time of death you will not be able to take anything you are now collecting. Remember all these
things. Again you should be very inspired and try to chant more. If you are chanting and remembering
the pastimes of Krsna, you should have strong faith in the words of Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
["Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna, which can cleanse the
mirror of the heart and stop the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the
waxing moon that spreads the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities. It is the life and soul of
all education. The chanting of the holy name of Krsna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life.
It gives a cooling effect to everyone and enables one to taste full nectar at every step." (Antya-lila
20.12)]
You have forgotten this, and therefore you should again hear about it. We have so much faith in this.
Only by this can you be happy. Otherwise, you can never, never, never be happy. You should know
that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the Supreme Lord. He is very powerful - very,
very powerful. Even His manifestations can create thousands and thousands of universes in a second.
They can then destroy them, and again they can create them. At the same time, Krsna is very merciful,
He is very sweet, He is very beautiful, and He is the abode of all good qualities. In kali-yuga, all His
qualities, all His power, all His mercy - He has invested in these sixteen names. All the names are
Radha and Krsna Themselves. These names are very powerful - more than Radha and Krsna
Themselves. By chanting you can fulfill all your desires. If you can see Radha-Krsna, automatically all
your desires will be fulfilled. You should know, however, that Radha and Krsna will not come - we
cannot take Their darsana - without the help and mercy of name. These names are more powerful than
Radha and Krsna. Krsna has made it so, but we don't have so much faith. Srila Haridasa Thakura has
faith, Sri Prahlada Maharaja has faith, and all our acaryas, from top to bottom, have faith. Srila Swami
Maharaja and my Gurudeva also have faith. We also have faith, and therefore we don't want any
worldly things. We only want to have some love and affection in chanting the holy name. If you follow
this principle, you will not fall down.
At times you do not do kirtana, what to speak of sankirtana, and your heart becomes like the books
kept in a glass almirah bookcase. We have kept some books in this almirah which is covered by very
fine glass. You can see what books are there and you can read the names, but you cannot touch them
because they are under lock and key. If one is in high association, chanting with relation and giving up
all of their anyabhilasa, material desires, karma, jnana, yoga, tapasya, and attachment to worldly
things, what becomes of him? The mirror of his heart becomes clear, even if it is locked.
Sripad Aranya Maharaja: "When the conditioned soul, being in this world, begins his process of nama-
sankirtana and his heart becomes clear…"
Srila Narayana Maharaja: You can ask the question to Aranya Maharaja, "You are telling this to us, but
have you first realized it? We have been chanting the name for as long as twenty years with
Prabhupada, and we have heard so many things. You are like a very young boy, and yet you are
teaching us? Have you realized something of what you are speaking? Have you realized ceto-darpana-
marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam?" I can tell you that I have some realization - yes. Srila
Swami Maharaja has realization and I also have some realization. You can therefore believe in me and
chant the name.
You fell down because you have not chanted and heard in the real process, as we are doing. We are in
the real process. From the beginning of my life, and when I was a child, I used to chant, "Rama Rama.
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare." I don't know from where it came. I then came in the
association of my Gurudeva when I was about twenty-four or twenty-five years of age, and I was so
attracted! At that time I had a very good job as an officer. I had not been initiated, but I was chanting
one lakh of names - 64 rounds - without any fail, daily. You cannot imagine. Very soon I came in the
association of my Gurudeva. In 1946 I was initiated and had the association of Srila Bhaktivedanta
Swami Maharaja, your Gurudeva, Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja, Pujyapada Srauti Maharaja, Pujyapada
Vaikhanas Maharaja, Pujyapada Nemi Maharaja, and Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja. In due
process I used to chant and hear hari-katha and serve them. Quickly, all kinds of bhava-maha-davagni-
nirvapanam, all kinds of miseries felt in worldly life - disappeared.
I am very happy now. I have thousands and thousands of children, but I am not attached. I only want
their welfare. I want that they should be devotees. Srila Svami Maharaja was like this, as was my
Gurudeva, and I am following their line. I may therefore tell you that I have realized that all my
problems have gone. Bhava-maha-davagni nirvapanam. Also, sreya kairava-candrika. This has also
come. You can realize this if you can follow your Gurudeva. You can also follow me, because he Srila
Swami Maharaja has told me, "You should help my devotees." Sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam. All
the good qualities possessed by high-class devotees will manifest in that devotee who follows. Bhakti
has six leaves or six symptoms. If you are really chanting under the guidance of a bona fide guru, with
a sense of a relationship with Krsna and giving up all worldly desires, then all kinds of bad things will
easily disappear. All kinds of attachments will disappear at once, very quickly. No attachment for maya
will remain if you are chanting the names, hearing hari-katha, and serving gurudeva. However, if so
many worldly desires are there, and so much lust is there - what is the meaning? You are not following
the process in a good way. There is a loophole. You should try to repair it; otherwise all the water of
bhakti will drain out.
We read Srimad Bhagavatam so many times, and we become teacher and tell others about it. In India
there are so many professional Bhagavatam recitors. When such recitors explain Srimad Bhagavatam,
all are attracted and charmed, and all may weep. Their own eyes, however, are always on money.
They are always wondering how much money is coming. Such professional recitors are not pure
devotees, and they are not even devotees. They may be Sankara mayavadis. All their offenses and
attachments will remain. None will go.
The first symptom of bhakti is that all your worldly attachments will go. If they are not going, you can
know that there is a loophole, and you should try to repair it very carefully. If you do not do this, you
will go down and you are bound to be weak. We are seeing that seniors are very weak. They cannot
give up worldly attachments. Therefore, this should come first.
Second, all kinds of good qualities will come. We should be very careful to see that this is developing.
Then, vidya-vadhu-jivanam. What is vidya-vadhu-jivanam? Seven symptoms are the results of taking
harinama. If they are not coming, you should be very careful to search where your loopholes are - and
try to repair them.
Otherwise, you cannot realize anything:
trnad api sunicena

taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
["One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the
straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige and
ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind one can chant the holy name of the Lord
constantly." (Siksastaka 3)]
These four qualities will come. If they are not present, there is no pure name. So try to first be like this.
What is vidya? You should know that vidya is Srimati Radhika Herself. Her activities of love and
affection can control Krsna. She is actually transcendental vidya - learning. What is this learning? How
to serve Krsna and Radhika, and especially Krsna. Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Srimati Radhika's love goes up to sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava, modana,
and madana. Krsna does not have all these qualities. He has no madana. Srimati Radhika has madana,
and therefore She is really vidya - paravidya. Svarupa-sakti, hladini-sakti, is Radhika, and She is called
vadhu. Vadhu means beloved. If you are chanting the name in the correct process, then, after some
days, in the fifth stage, you will realize vidya vadhu-jivanam. You will realize that this name is the most
beloved, the life and soul, of Radhika. That is bhakti.
The sixth stage is anandambuddhi vardhanam. You should realize these things and from today begin
chanting the holy name like this. You will then very soon be able to realize what Caitanya Mahaprabhu
has taught.
Sripad Aranya Maharaja: At this time powerful bhakti will come in the heart and one will realize
practically how this nama is Krsna Himself and is the life and soul of Srimati Radhika. Those who have
eligibility and potential within their hearts can realize, "I am a palya dasi, a maidservant of Srimati
Radhika." What, then, will be the result as they go on chanting?
Mahaprabhu explains this here: anandambuddhi vardhanam, an ever-increasing ocean of bliss.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: At this stage Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to go to the temple of Jagannatha,
but He never saw Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra. What did He see? Vrajendra-nandana
Syamasundara. Sometimes, when He was in His external consciousness, He could see Jagannatha,
Baladeva, and Subhadra.
Usually, however, He used to see only Vrajendra-nandana Syamasundara with a flute in His hand.
Vrajendra-nandana vina pate mora. "My heart is going to break. Where is Krsna? Where is Krsna?"
When Mahaprabhu was going to Vrndavana through the dense Jarikhanda forest, so many elephants,
tigers, bears, snakes, and other very furious animals were there. Many elephants came when
Mahaprabhu was taking bath, and a very big miracle occurred. Mahaprabhu took some water and
sprinkled it on them, at which time all the mad elephants raised their trunks and went down on their
knees and began to chant, "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare."
This is the case at that stage. Mahaprabhu did not know who He was. He was only searching for Krsna,
"O Krsna, where are You, where are You? My beloved Krsna, where are You?" When this stage
manifests, even a little bit, your life is successful. Try to search for this Krsna - Sri Nandanandana with
Srimati Radhika - in this process. Very soon you will realize what you would not realize up to the age
of sixty or seventy. You will realize all these things very soon.
Sripad Aranya Maharaja: Here the devotee is chanting in ecstatic bliss:
anandambuddhi vardhanam prati-padam. There is blissfulness at pratipadam, every step, and this has a
very deep meaning. Pratipadam means that this Hare Krsna maha-mantra has eight sections, and in
these eight sections all the nitya-lila of Radha-Krsna are present. The first Hare Krsna is nisyanta-lila,
pre-dawn pastimes, the next Hare Krsna is morning pastimes, and then midday pastimes, afternoon
pastimes, and so on. When the devotee is chanting in the stage of anandambuddhi vardanam
pratipardam, he sees Radha and Krsna in every letter and syllable of the names.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: How will you realize all this? Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself is the example.
When He was in Kasi, Varanasi, He met with Prakasananda Sarasvati. Prakasananda asked, "You are in
a good disciplic line. Being a sannyasi, in the renounced order, why are You chanting, dancing and
singing? We don't do this. Why are You doing this?"
Mahaprabhu said, "I am very foolish. My Gurudeva told Me, 'You are not qualified to study Vedanta.
You should only remember one sloka:
harer nama harer nama

harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
["In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the
Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." (Adi 17.21)]
"'Only by chanting the name, chanting the name, and chanting the name. There is no other process.
You can never be happy by any other process.'" Mahaprabhu continued, "My Gurudeva gave Me the
holy name, Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, and he also gave Me the krsna-mantra. I began to chant these
mantras, and very quickly I became mad - totally mad. I could not understand why was I becoming so
mad.
"I saw a boy. These names became like a very beautiful teenaged syama-colored boy. I saw that He was
playing on a flute and smiling towards Me with side-long glances. At once I was charmed. I wanted to
follow Him. I quickly ran toward Him, but He was moving backwards. Oh, I ran very fast, but He
quickly moved here and there and I could not touch Him. When I came very near, just about to catch
Him, He at once disappeared. I then became mad and fell down, rolling on the earth and crying,
'Where is My Krsna, where is My Krsna?'
"I don't know how My heart realized all these things. When I chant the name, I see My beloved Krsna
and I cannot check Myself. Sometimes I chant and sing, sometimes dance, and sometimes roll down on
the earth and cry, 'Alas, Krsna! Alas, Krsna! Where are You?' I went to My Gurudeva and told him, 'O
Gurudeva, what kind of mantra have you given that has made Me so mad?' The whole world is telling
Me that I am mad, and I also realize that I have become mad, mad, and mad. Why did you give Me this
mantra?'
"Gurudeva then at once embraced Me and said, 'Your life is successful. This is the reality of chanting
harinama. I am so proud to have You as a disciple.'" We should try to be a disciple like this, so that
your guru will have great pride in you. If you do not this, you are going to hell and you are will be very
weak. Then, instead of being proud, he will be very worried for you. Perhaps he will have to come
again for you. Or, he will have to send any of his representatives and say, "Go and help him." He will
be very worried.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His Rupa Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami were always swimming
in the waves of anandambuddi vardanam, the ever-increasing, endless ocean of love and affection. In
separation from Krsna, Caitanya Mahaprabhu became totally mad and jumped in the sea. He was there
throughout the night, and, due to all His joints being separated by eight inches, He became very long.
He was like a dead person, but He was not dead. Svarupa Damodara went with his colleagues to search
for him, and they finally discovered Him on the seashore. Surrounding Him, they began to perform
sankirtana. Gradually Caitanya Mahaprabhu became conscious and began to dance and chant, "Hari
bol! Hari Bol!" How will you realize these stages? The wonderful, powerful devotees have written
about them in their books. Anandambuddhi vardanam. You cannot realize this now. Raghunatha dasa
Gosvami was at the bank of Radha kunda.
What was he doing? Always tears, always tears. You cannot imagine this at present. You can imagine it
if you are chanting in the real process. Otherwise it will never, never be possible.
Sripad Aranya Maharaja: Purnamrtasvadanam. The devotee tastes complete nectar. Krsna has four
qualities that are not present in any other incarnation of the Lord. They are His rupa-madhuri - the
sweetness of His form; venu-madhuri - the sweetness of His flute playing; lila-madhuri - the sweetness
of His pastimes; and prema-madhuri - the sweetness of the love He shares with His devotees. These are
four kinds of sweetness and they can be tasted at every step. Really, this is nectar, and this can be
tasted through the chanting of harinama when all the pastimes are coming in the heart.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: There was once a marriage party. The wedding was fixed to take place the
next day at the bank of the Ganges. The family decided that the party should go to the house of the
bride by boat. They hired a boatman, and so many family members of the bridegroom got into the
boat. They took with them wine, a prostitute to sing and dance, and also marijuana. They then went
inside the boat, downstairs, and they began to enjoy. The head of the groom's family gave money to
the boatman and told him that he should reach the place of marriage by the next morning - otherwise
the marriage could not take place. The auspicious time was the next morning at 4:00 am. The boatman
told him that he should also give him some money for marijuana and other drugs.
Everyone on the boat was enjoying, and at the same time the boatman's five, six, or eight rowers were
rowing - and perspiring. At four o'clock the next morning the father of the family came out to the deck
of the boat to see if they had reached their destination. He looked in wonder when he saw that they
were in the same place. The boat had not moved one inch. He became very angry at them and said,
"We are in the our own village. The same coconut palms are here, our houses are here, and the same
river bank is here." He called out, "I gave you so much money. I gave you what you wanted; so why is
our boat still here? How is this possible? We have missed the auspicious time for the marriage."
The boatman came forward and told him, "O master, you have given us all these things and we have
been rowing for the whole night, without taking any rest. We were rowing with great effort, and you
can see that we have not rested." When they looked around, they could see what was wrong. The
anchor was down, and it had been going deeper into the mud as they were rowing. The boat had only
been rocking back and forth all night. In the same way, if you are doing so much chanting, and at the
same time taking marijuana and other drugs, and at the same time being absorbed in your body, wife,
sister, and so on, it will be like rowing your boat with the anchor down. You will not be able to go
forward. If anyone has attraction to worldly things, he cannot advance.
Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore says:
namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktis

tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrsi tava krpa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrsam ihajani nanuragah
["My Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in Your holy name there is all good fortune for the
living entity, and therefore You have many names, such as Krsna and Govinda, by which You expand
Yourself. You have invested all Your potencies in those names, and there are no hard and fast rules for
remembering them. My dear Lord, although You bestow such mercy upon the fallen, conditioned
souls by liberally teaching Your holy names, I am so unfortunate that I commit offenses while chanting
the holy name, and therefore I do not achieve attachment for chanting." (Antya 20.17)]
First of all you should give up your bad association:
asat-sanga-tyaga, ei vaisnava-acara
stri-sangi eka asadhu, krsnabhakta ara
["A Vaisnava should always avoid the association of ordinary people. Common people are very much
materially attached, especially to women. Vaisnavas should also avoid the company of those who are
not devotees of Lord Krsna." (Madhya 22.88-90)]
What is the meaning of this sloka? If you are lusty, if you are weak, and if you have so many unwanted
habits - no harm. You should be sincere. What you are, you are. Don't hide anything. There is one
thing, however. You should give up the association of mayavadis. Mayavadi association is like a very
dangerous, ferocious tigress. Raghunatha das Gosvami and Mahaprabhu have told us, and Srimad
Bhagavatam has also told us - if you want to be happy and if you want to be a devotee, never associate
with persons who are mayavadis No harm if you are lusty. Lust may go away and all anarthas may also
go away, but if you are being devoured by this ferocious tigress of mayavadi sanga, no one can help
you. Even Krsna will not be able to help you, and no devotee will be able to help you. You should
therefore very carefully cut all connections with those who are mayavadis.
Even if those mayavadis are friends and relatives, they should be given up quickly for your whole life.
Secondly, the association of those who are attached to worldly lust, and those who are the friends of
lusty persons, should also be abandoned. It is better to die in a burning fire. If we embrace a fire, there
is relatively no harm in that. It is even better to enter the mouths of crocodiles and tigers than to
associate with these two types of persons, because that suffering is only for this life. In the next life we
can again be okay. For one who is associating with mayavadis - his devotion will go away for
thousands of lives, or forever.
My dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters: make up your minds If you are associating with any
friends who are mayavadis, promise that "I will not continue to do this." I am telling you this to save
you; otherwise you will go to hell. Not only will you go to hell, but your life will be ruined forever and
ever. Even in the future you will not be able to come in this line. So my dear friends, you should
remember these things. Don't mix with mayavadis. If they come to you, you should do pranama to
them with folded palms and say to them, "O prabhu, please remain far away."
Devotee: Maharaja, you have inspired fear in my heart. How do I recognize a mayavadi?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: You will know. He will tell you, "There is no God", or "God has no shape. I
am God, and you, yourself, are God. Aham brahmasmi. Sarvam kalvidam brahma." Such a person is
not chanting and remembering, and he is not coming to associate with any high-class devotee. You will
recognize him very easily.
The Meaning Of Diksa
(Auckland, New Zealand, January 15, 2001, am)

Srila Narayana Maharaja: If all material enjoyment is coming but the soul is not happy,
what does this mean? It means that the person cannot be happy. Never. This
association is for the soul's happiness.
Always try to honor all, even those who are criticizing me. Don't care, because they are
all like my children. I have promised Srila Svami Maharaja that I would help them.
Even if they will do like this. [Srila Narayana Maharaja moved his arm as though he
were hitting himself] no harm. They can even pass stool and urine on me; still, don't
try to quarrel.
Brajanatha Prabhu: I heard that someone recently said that the biggest mistake the
GBC made was to ban Srila Narayana Maharaja.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes. I told them, "This will the biggest problem for you.
Because of that I will have to travel here and there. No one will be able to bind me.
However, if you are on friendly terms, then, oh, I will be like a lion sleeping."
Dhrstadyumna Prabhu: Then you will be under the control of the GBC.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Yes, they will be able to control by love and affection.
Without this no one will be able. Srila Svami Maharaja controlled me so much by love
and affection, and I am still under his control. No one else can control me. Even
Krishna can never control me, because I am already under the control of Srimati
Radhika. Radhika is so powerful. If Krishna will be angry upon me, I will say, "Why
are You angry? You should not be angry. My Svamini is Radhika, you know." Then
Krishna will say, "Oh, your Svamini is Radhika. Then, namaskara to you."
Krishna Bhajana Prabhu: Gurudeva, many devotees who we are speaking to think that
Gaudiya Matha and yourself are different from Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: If they think that way, it means that they think Srila Svami
Maharaja was not following Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, Sri Narada Gosvami, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and all others like them. Because I am in their line, I must
be in the line of Srila Svami Maharaja. No one has any right to say otherwise. If my
Gurudeva tells me, "Oh, you are my transcendental disciple," and I am accepting that
he is my transcendental Guru, then even if the whole world is not accepting this, what
is the harm? There is no harm.
Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada has told me that, "Our relationship is

transcendental, and because of this you should give my samadhi and help my
devotees." And I am also accepting him as my siksa-guru. Therefore, even if everyone
in the whole world does not accept this, it means they are foolish. They are not
obeying their Gurudeva. They are outside of their Gurudeva's control, and they are
therefore guru-druhi [against one's guru]. Why are they not accepting this?
So I am not disturbed. Whether they are speaking favorably or unfavorably. I am the

same. My relationship with him is the same. I should obey him.
They have only been connected with Srila Svami Maharaja for some days. I have been
connected for a long time-from 1946 up till now. Only by his mercy I am going here
and there-and so many are accepting me.
Dhrstadyumna Prabhu: I was recently with an old friend, and after we performed
gurupuja to Prabhupada's murti I said, "If Prabhupada was physically present-we
know that he is accepting out pranamas, our kirtanas, our offerings of flowers, and we
are accepting that he is there-but for a moment if he was now physically here in this
temple and he saw me and said, 'Oh, Dhrstadyumna, where have you come from?' If I
say, 'I am with Srila Narayana Maharaja,' what would Prabhupada do? He would say,
'O my Narayana Maharaja, he should immediately come to my temple.' Wouldn't he?
He had to admit, 'Yes.'"
Srila Narayana Maharaja: Surely. If anyone is neglecting me there, then Srila Svami
Maharaja is not there. When he will hear, "Narayana Maharaja is here," at once he will
come or he will call me. And he is also calling me there [Maharaja pointed upwards,
indicating Goloka Vrindavana].
Dhrstadyumna Prabhu: But you can't go yet. Krishna called Prabhupada too soon. We
were still babies. We were not ready yet.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: This is natural. If Krishna and Radhika are coming here from
Goloka Vrindavana to shower mercy, why will Prabhupada not come to me?
Anywhere he may be, he will definitely come. I have this very strong faith. I have
served him so much. ISKCON leaders cannot serve him in this way.
Devotee: What is the relationship between diksa and siksa, and what is reinitiation?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: The word initiation actually has come from the word diksa.
A qualified, realized guru, who is detached from worldly things-he is really guru.
Because he has some realization, he can give diksa. But diksa is not completed in one
day or one moment, as it is going on nowadays. Diksa is a class, a course - a process.
In one day we cannot be BA, MA, or PHD. It will take some time. There is a regular
process.
In diksa there are two syllables, di and ksa. Di means that process by which one can
attain divya-jnana. What is divya-jnana? Transcendental knowledge. What is
transcendental knowledge? Realized knowledge of what is Krishna-tattva, what is
sakti-tattva, what is maya-tattva, what is prema-tattva, and especially what is bhakti-
tattva. By knowing all these, a thick relation with Krishna will come.
Devotee: What is our relationship with Krishna?
Srila Narayana Maharaja: This lady is your wife? What is the proof? [devotees point to
their son] Okay, but if she leaves you for another, with her child, then what is the
proof? Is there any proof?
Devotee: We have a certificate.
Srila Narayana Maharaja: As she is your wife-you have accepted, she has accepted, and
your whole group is accepting this-similarly you will realize a thick relationship with
Krishna: "I am Krishna's eternal servant." One will receive a very thick transcendental
relationship with Krishna by that process. I am an eternal servant; but what kind of
servant? Mother Yasoda is a servant, Nanda Baba is a servant, Upananda is a servant,
Baladeva is a servant, Krishna's friends are servants, all the gopis are servants, and
Radhika is also a servant of Krishna. Mother Yasoda is a servant, but in what way?
Mother. Krishna takes the foot-dust of Nanda Baba and Yasoda. This is their service.
As for Srimati Radhika and all the gopis, they are most beloved. So any relation will
come, as friend, or father, or mother. You will realize everything, and naturally
attachment will come. This is first thing-divya-jnana.
Then, second is ksa. As you will enter this process, all kinds of unwanted things,
namely nama-aparadha, vaisnava-aparadha, attachment to this world, intoxication and
sense gratification, will all truly go. This process is the real meaning of diksa. If you
have received diksa but no relationship, and all your unwanted things are still in your
heart, this is not really diksa. Even if you have performed a fire sacrifice or heard the
mantras, there will be no effect. The real process is to accept the shelter of those who
can give these powerful things. The process begins from sraddha (faith) and comes to
the mood of rati (bhava- bhakti). You'll realize what is rati. You will always be
thinking, "Krishna-Radhika." At that time, even if you want to give up such
remembrance, you will not be able to. Guru gives this-even if he has not given any
mantra-and this is called diksa. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami never gave any mantra to
Maharaja Pariksit. But what did Maharaja Pariksit achieve? He received the service of
the gopis, and he became attached to that service. And what did he tell to his mother?
Do you know his mother? Uttara. Maharaja Pariksit told her, "You are my mother, but
now I am dying, and at this last moment I am giving you this instruction. Don't see
Krishna as your father-in-law. What should you think? He is your beloved, as He was
the beloved of the gopis. Krishna is also your beloved and He is also my beloved.
Always keep this in your mind." This statement proves that Maharaja Pariksit was
connected with Krishna only through Sukadeva Gosvami. Therefore, Sukadeva
Gosvami is actually his diksa guru.
Sometimes the siksa-guru is much higher than the diksa-guru. Much, much higher.
Do you know who was the diksa-guru of Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami?
Yadunandana Acarya. But Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Svarupa Damodara were much
more qualified than him. Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami accepted them as siksa-
gurus, and therefore his siksa-gurus were more powerful than his diksa-guru. He
offers pranamas (obeisances) to Yadunandana Acarya, but he is much more obliged to
Sri Svarupa Damodara, Sri Raya Ramananda, Sri Rupa Gosvami, and Sri Sanatana
Gosvami. What has he prayed to Sanatana Gosvami? "Vairagya-yuga bhakti-rasam
prayatnair. I was unwilling to drink the nectar of bhakti-rasa enriched with
renunciation, but by his causeless mercy Sri Sanatana Gosvami induced me to do so."
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami has not prayed like this to Yadunandana Acarya. And
he has prayed still more than this to Sri Rupa Gosvami: "Sri rupa manjari karacit pada-
padma. O golden girl! When you are lying on the lap of the prince on Vraja with your
feet on the lap of Rupa Manjari, and she is massaging your feet. Will she, by the
corners of her eyes, give me her maha-prasada seva of gently messaging Your feet? She
will message one foot and I will message the other." The prayers in his Vilapa
Kusmanjali are all in relation to Srila Rupa Gosvami.
You should try to hear all these things and develop your Krishna consciousness. This
is the aim and object of life.
Suppose someone is abusing your guru and says, "Your gurudeva is a bogus person.
All his siddhantas are bogus." What will you do? If anyone says, "Your guru is a very
bogus person. He does not know anything, and he does this and that. He always takes
wine. Your gurudeva is always absorbed in sense gratification and does not obey his
gurudeva. He left his gurudeva." What you will do? What you will do? You don't
know? Will you hear more and more? Will this add to your bhakti? Or, should you
cut all his arguments? You should tell me. If you cannot tell, then you are not a real
disciple. You should cut all the arguments, and if someone else is helping to cut all the
arguments, you should accept their words. Then I will be happy.
- End of Document -
Proofreading/editing by: Janardan Prabhuji
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108QA 004 Second - Initiation

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108QA 004 Second - Initiation

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108 Q &A

Founder Acraya From: Center for BHAKTI Studies

Answer compiled by Bhaktivedanta Vishnu Daivata Maharaj.

First initiation and need for second initiation

Diksa (Second Initiation) gives the disciple a new spiritual birth

Second Initiation bestows twice-born status on all

A civilized human being has three kinds of births.

yathä käïcanatäà yäti

dvijatvaà jäyate nåëäm

caëòälo ’pi dvija-çreñöho

dvijo ’pi çvapacädhamaù

vipräd dviñaò-guëa-yutäd aravinda-näbha-

pädäravinda-vimukhäc chvapacaà variñöham

yasya yal lakñaëaà proktaà

tat tenaiva vinirdiçet

aho bata çva-paco ’to garéyän

yaj-jihvägre vartate näma tubhyam

tepus tapas te juhuvuù sasnur äryä

brahmänücur näma gåëanti ye te

aho bata—oh, how glorious; çva-pacaù—a dog-eater; ataù—hence; garéyän—worshipable; yat—of

Any low-born person can be purified by the mercy of a pure devotee

Second initiation from a bona fide äcärya is a must

The Absolute Necessity Of Second Initiation

Hilo, Hawaii: January 13, 2003

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

diksa-purascarya-vidhi apeksa na kare

Srila Jiva Gosvami explains diksa in his Bhakti-sandarbha (283):

divyam jnanam yato dadyat kuryat papasya sanksayam

yatha kancanatam yati

harer nama harer nama

krsna-mantra haite habe samsara-mocana

kiba mantra dila, gosani, kiba tara bala

diksa-kale bhakta kare atma-samarpana

adiksitasya vamoru krtam sarvam nirarthakam

akrstih krta-cetasam su-manasam uccatanam camhasam

vina yena na siddhah syan mantro varsa-satair api

avasyakatvam nasti, tad vinapi saranapattyadinam ekatarenapi purusartha-siddher abhihitatvat, tathapi

yadyapi svarupato nasti, tathapi prayah svabhavato dehadi-sambandhena kadarya-silanam viksipta-

dvijanam anupetanam svakarmadhyayanadisu

Gurau gosthe gostalayisu sujane bhusura-gane

We should now reconcile all these things.

Offering to the Deities should be made with the proper mantras

Do not offer food to Krsna with the gopäla-mantra

[Question:] Can I offer food to Krsna without the gopala-mantra?

[Question:] If I do not have diksa or gopala-mantra, what should I do?

[question:] If I am making an offering in a home or a hospital, where there is no installed Deity, do I

How to make an offering to the Lord

Offer proper respect to the bonafied Vaisnavas

krsneti yasya giri tam manasadriyeta

What If Guru Is Not Pure?

Murwillumbah, Australia: December 3, 2002 (Evening - Part 2)

tasmad gurum prapadyeta

kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya

["Whether one is a brahmana, a sannyasi or a sudra—regardless of what he is—he can become a

hari hari kabe more ha'be hena dina, vimala vaisnave,

antare-bahire, sama vyavahara amani manada ha'bo

bhakativinoda, ei asa kori, bosiya godruma-bane

avaisnava-mukhodgirnam putam hari-kathamrtam

labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante

[* Endnote 1 – "That religious undertaking which bestows divya-jnana or transcendental knowledge

[*Endnote 2 – "It should be understood that a madhyama-adhikari, a second-class devotee, is fully

Murwillumbah, Australia: Feb. 15, 2002 (Evening, Part 1)