The Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya
Among Vaisnava sampradayas, the Gaudiya sampradaya originating from Lord
Brahma, stands highest for practicing and preaching the gist of scriptural
conclusions. It teaches us the true conception of guru-tattva and the true
conception of religion through the bona-fide disciplic succession. The
instructions of a Vaisnava guru are non-different than the scriptural
injunctions. The guru engages us in to the topmost path of purification of
bhakti to achieve the highest goal of human life - causeless and unconditioned
service unto the lotus feet of Radha-Govinda.
etavan eva loke'smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama grahanadibhih
"The highest duty of a human being in this world is to be engaged in the loving
service of the Personality of Godhead and to chant His Holy Names." (Bhag:
6.3.22)
It is said in the scriptures that the Holy Name is meant for counteracting the
contaminations of the illusory energy of this material nature in the age of
Kali. So it is recommended that every ritualistic activity should be performed
with the chanting of the Holy Name:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Otherwise ritualistic activities are incomplete without the Holy Name.
mantratas tantratas chidram desa-kalarha vastutah
sarvam karoti nischidram anusankirtanam tava
"There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the
regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to
time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when your Lordship's Name is chanted,
everything becomes faultless." (Bhag. 8.23.16)
Lord Krsna, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inaugurated the congregational chanting
of the Holy Name in this world about 500 years ago along with His associates Sri
Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Prabhu, Pandita Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivasa
Pandita Prabhu. Lord Krsna, descending on this earth as a pure devotee in the
form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, showed the example of a pure devotee and Sri
Guru to be followed by his successors.
ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah
"As all surrender unto Me I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path
in every respect." (Gita. 4.11)
The guru in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya is worshipped as the Lord Himself
because he is enlightened by the divine knowledge of the Lord. He represents the
Absolute Truth and distributes transcendental knowledge to deliver the jivas of
this world from the miseries of material energy.
Therefore, Sri Guru in the Gaudiya sampradaya, although the eternal servant of
Lord Caitanya, is always to be respected as much as the Lord Himself because the
spiritual master is the personality who exhibits the nature of Mahaprabhu. The
Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya accepts the spiritual master in terms of
acintya-bhedabheda-tattva - simultaneously one with and different from the
Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna
krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-nama-kirtanam,
rama-rama-gana-ramya-divya-chanda-nartanam
yatra-tatra-krsna-nama-dana-loka-nistaram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaurasundaram
"At roadsides, temples and sanctuaries He would chant in sweet tunes, 'Krsna,
krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna hey!' Sometimes carried away by some
indescribable divine exultation, He would sing 'Rama! Rama!' and dance sweetly
in ecstatic rhythm. He would deliver one and all, irrespective of time, place or
circumstances, by magnanimously inducing them to chant the Holy names of Lord
Krsna. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gauranga-sundara;
the divine abode of pure love." (Prema-dhama-deva Stotram 22)
Chanting loudly and dancing on the streets, Mahaprabhu and His associates,
distributed the Holy Name to this world as the yuga-dharma (the prescribed
religion of this age) to be eternally followed by His successors in the future.
He predicted that one day it would be spread to all the corners of the world.
The yuga-dharma which was inaugurated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is being carried
out through disciplic succession coming down from Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada and
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, who dedicated his whole life to fight against all
misconceptions to re-establish the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda as the
supreme, establishing Gaudiya Mathas all over India and engaging his disciples
in preaching the message of Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavatam extensively all around
the world.
His chief disciple, Jagad-guru A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada,
executing the order of his Gurudeva and empowered by Lord Nityananda Prabhu,
fulfilled the desire of Caitanya Mahaprabhu by miraculously spreading His
message throughout the world and distributing the Holy Name everywhere.
guruvajnam sirasi dharyam saktyavesa svarupine
hare krsneti mantrena pascatya-pracya-tarine
"Taking the word of his Guru upon his head, he became empowered by Lord
Nityananda Prabhu to act as a saktyavesa-avatara. He distributed the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra all over the eastern and western world delivering all fallen souls."
Brahma, stands highest for practicing and preaching the gist of scriptural
conclusions. It teaches us the true conception of guru-tattva and the true
conception of religion through the bona-fide disciplic succession. The
instructions of a Vaisnava guru are non-different than the scriptural
injunctions. The guru engages us in to the topmost path of purification of
bhakti to achieve the highest goal of human life - causeless and unconditioned
service unto the lotus feet of Radha-Govinda.
etavan eva loke'smin pumsam dharmah parah smrtah
bhakti-yogo bhagavati tan-nama grahanadibhih
"The highest duty of a human being in this world is to be engaged in the loving
service of the Personality of Godhead and to chant His Holy Names." (Bhag:
6.3.22)
It is said in the scriptures that the Holy Name is meant for counteracting the
contaminations of the illusory energy of this material nature in the age of
Kali. So it is recommended that every ritualistic activity should be performed
with the chanting of the Holy Name:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Otherwise ritualistic activities are incomplete without the Holy Name.
mantratas tantratas chidram desa-kalarha vastutah
sarvam karoti nischidram anusankirtanam tava
"There may be discrepancies in pronouncing the mantras and observing the
regulative principles, and, moreover, there may be discrepancies in regard to
time, place, person and paraphernalia. But when your Lordship's Name is chanted,
everything becomes faultless." (Bhag. 8.23.16)
Lord Krsna, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inaugurated the congregational chanting
of the Holy Name in this world about 500 years ago along with His associates Sri
Nityananda Prabhu, Sri Advaita Prabhu, Pandita Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivasa
Pandita Prabhu. Lord Krsna, descending on this earth as a pure devotee in the
form of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, showed the example of a pure devotee and Sri
Guru to be followed by his successors.
ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham
mama vartmanuvartante manusyah partha sarvasah
"As all surrender unto Me I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path
in every respect." (Gita. 4.11)
The guru in the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya is worshipped as the Lord Himself
because he is enlightened by the divine knowledge of the Lord. He represents the
Absolute Truth and distributes transcendental knowledge to deliver the jivas of
this world from the miseries of material energy.
Therefore, Sri Guru in the Gaudiya sampradaya, although the eternal servant of
Lord Caitanya, is always to be respected as much as the Lord Himself because the
spiritual master is the personality who exhibits the nature of Mahaprabhu. The
Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya accepts the spiritual master in terms of
acintya-bhedabheda-tattva - simultaneously one with and different from the
Personality of Godhead Lord Krsna
krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-nama-kirtanam,
rama-rama-gana-ramya-divya-chanda-nartanam
yatra-tatra-krsna-nama-dana-loka-nistaram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaurasundaram
"At roadsides, temples and sanctuaries He would chant in sweet tunes, 'Krsna,
krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna, krsna hey!' Sometimes carried away by some
indescribable divine exultation, He would sing 'Rama! Rama!' and dance sweetly
in ecstatic rhythm. He would deliver one and all, irrespective of time, place or
circumstances, by magnanimously inducing them to chant the Holy names of Lord
Krsna. I sing with joy the unending glories of my golden Lord Gauranga-sundara;
the divine abode of pure love." (Prema-dhama-deva Stotram 22)
Chanting loudly and dancing on the streets, Mahaprabhu and His associates,
distributed the Holy Name to this world as the yuga-dharma (the prescribed
religion of this age) to be eternally followed by His successors in the future.
He predicted that one day it would be spread to all the corners of the world.
The yuga-dharma which was inaugurated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu, is being carried
out through disciplic succession coming down from Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada and
Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, who dedicated his whole life to fight against all
misconceptions to re-establish the worship of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda as the
supreme, establishing Gaudiya Mathas all over India and engaging his disciples
in preaching the message of Bhagavad-gita and Bhagavatam extensively all around
the world.
His chief disciple, Jagad-guru A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada,
executing the order of his Gurudeva and empowered by Lord Nityananda Prabhu,
fulfilled the desire of Caitanya Mahaprabhu by miraculously spreading His
message throughout the world and distributing the Holy Name everywhere.
guruvajnam sirasi dharyam saktyavesa svarupine
hare krsneti mantrena pascatya-pracya-tarine
"Taking the word of his Guru upon his head, he became empowered by Lord
Nityananda Prabhu to act as a saktyavesa-avatara. He distributed the Hare Krsna
maha-mantra all over the eastern and western world delivering all fallen souls."
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