From next year, unless one passes bhakti-sastri, he cannot be second initiated. First initiation is open for everyone. "Come on. Chant Hare Krsna." That will purify him. Then let him understand what is bhakti

Expressions researched:
"from next year, unless one passes bhakti-śāstrī, he cannot be second-initiated. First initiation is open for everyone"

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

From next year, unless one passes bhakti-śāstrī, he cannot be second initiated. First initiation is open for everyone. "Come on. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That will purify him. Then let him understand what is bhakti.

Morning Walk -- January 6, 1976, Nellore:

Mahāmṣa: . . .oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam. That claims Viṣṇu as the Supreme, but where does it say that Viṣṇu . . . I mean Kṛṣṇa, is the source of Viṣṇu from the śrutis?

Prabhupāda: Śruti . . . Brahmā said, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BS 5.1).

Acyutānanda: Brahma-saṁhitā is śruti.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Brahmā spoke śruti, Vedas, so whatever he speaks is śruti. It is therefore called saṁhitā. Saṁhitā means Vedas, śruti. As soon as it is called saṁhitā, that is Vedas. (break)

Acyutānanda: . . . comprises the examination for bhaktivedanta and bhakti-śāstrī?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Acyutānanda: There was talk that they would be given examinations.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Acyutānanda: What is the syllabus for . . .?

Prabhupāda: Whatever books we have got, it should be studied. Bhakti-śāstrī means Nectar of Devotion, Bhagavad-gītā, Nectar of Instruction, Beyond Death—in this way we select some ten books. That is bhakti-śāstrī.

Acyutānanda: So when will that . . .

Prabhupāda: Then we come to Bhāgavata, then we come to Caitanya-caritāmṛta, in this way.

Acyutānanda: That'll be wonderful.

Prabhupāda: So from next year, unless one passes bhakti-śāstrī, he cannot be second-initiated. First initiation is open for everyone: "Come on. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa." That will purify him. Then let him understand what is bhakti.

Yaśodānandana: This is very good, because then those that will become second . . . those that will have second initiation will have to know the scriptures, will have to know your books.

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is . . . Now there is . . .

Mahāmṣa: And unless they know your books, they will never be fixed-up devotees.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Acyutānanda: Many times people give second initiation because they need a pūjārī in the temple.

Prabhupāda: No.

Acyutānanda: So they give. (break)

Mahāmṣa: . . .different Purāṇas have different Gītās, Prabhupāda? So some person said that there is a Gaṇeśa-gītā. Similarly, there are different demigods, they speak their Gītā. And they also say . . .

Acyutānanda: Universal form.

Mahāmṣa: They show the universal form, or they say that they are paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma (BG 10.12). They say the same things in their Gītās.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Let them do that. We take Bhagavad-gītā. That's all. Śaṅkarācārya also—Bhagavad-gītā kiñcid adhītā. If Bhagavad-gītā is understood a little only, he becomes liberated.