So our process is to receive the perfect knowledge from the perfect source and distribute it. We don't manufacture knowledge. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, as it is. The Bhagavad-gītā is already perfect. Why shall I interpret with my imperfect senses? This is cheating. But people want to be cheated. Vañcita-vañcaka-sampradāya. The whole world is full of cheaters and cheated. Because we want to be cheated, there are so many cheaters. They don't want real thing. Here is the real thing, Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Personality of Godhead speaking personally about Himself. Why should we interpret? Does it mean that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme authority, left something unexplained to be interpreted later on by some rascals? No. But the rascals dare; they interpret. That is cheating. That is another fault. There are 640-45 editions of Bhagavad-gītā. Simply cheating. Amongst them, there are big, big scholars. Not scholars. All rascals, but they cheat. They pose themselves as scholars and people want to be cheated, so they take their words. So they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Cheated. They take the shelter of the cheaters. Therefore they are cheated.
Sampradaya (Lectures, BG)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
There are different types of liberation also. Sāyujya sārūpya sārṣṭi sālokya sāyujya... (CC Madhya 6.266). Five kinds of liberation. So sāyujya means to merge into the existence, Brahman, brahma-laya (merging in the impersonal). That is also liberation. The Māyāvādīs or the jnani sampradāya, they want to merge into the existence, Brahman existence. That is also mukti. That is called sāyujya-mukti. But for a devotee, this sāyujya-mukti is just like hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate. So for Vaiṣṇava, kaivalyam, to, monism, to merge into the existence of the Supreme, is compared with hell. Kaivalyaṁ narakāyate tri-daśa-pūr ākāśa-puṣpāyate (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5).
And guru means Kṛṣṇa originally. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ (SB 1.1.1). Janmādyasya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāt. You have to approach. That is guru. So we consider, we take Brahmā... Because he's the first creature within this universe, he's accepted as the guru. He imparted... Just like we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas, Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya and Kumāra-samapradāya. They're all mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186). We have to accept the line of action which is given by the mahājana.
In, in our India there are five different disciplic succession of authorities, just like the Śaṅkarites, followers of Śaṅkarācārya, and Vaiṣṇavites. Generally, they are two: Māyāvādī, impersonalists; and personalists. The personalist school, philosophers, they are divided into four: Rāmānuja-sampradāya—that means followers of Ācārya Rāmānuja; Madhvācārya-sampradāya, or the followers of Madhvācārya; Nimbārka-sampradāya, followers of Nimbārka Ācārya; and Viṣṇu Svāmī-sampradāya. They, their conclusion is the same.
Although they are four in number, their conclusion is the same. And another sect is Śaṅkarite sampradāya. So all these four, I mean, five different section of the Hindus, they accept Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All of them. There is no denial. Although they are five, they have got different theses and philosophies, little, little difference, not, I mean, conclusion, but still... Now, Śrīpāda Śaṅkarācārya, he, he is supposed, he is considered to be impersonalist. Impersonalist means he does not believe in the personal form of God. But still, he has commented in this, of this Bhagavad-gītā, Śaṅkara-bhāṣya. He has admitted there that "Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Personality of Godhead."
There are five kinds of liberation. One of the liberation is to merge into the existence. We, we, we... Our birth was from the Supreme Absolute. Now, after liberation, we merge into the existence of the Supreme. That is called sāyujya-mukti. Now, besides this sāyujya-mukti, there are other five muktis which, we, the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, or the devotees, the Lord's devotees, they accept. They, they, practically, those who are pure devotees, they do not want any kind of mukti. They do not, even they are offered. They are simply after the service of the Lord. They are prepared to suffer any kind of suffering. They are not affected by all those sufferings. What they want? Pure devotees? They want that "I must serve the Supreme Lord." That is their mission. So anyway, these bhaktas, or the devotees of the Lord, for them there are other four kinds of mukti. And what is that?
Jñāna means one who knows that he is not this body. He's spirit soul. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. (aside:) (about microphone) It is... Little strong make it, yes. So when one is freed from the bodily concept of life, he called jñānī. Otherwise, ajñānī. They are so much proud of jñāna. In our India, there are so-called Māyāvādīs. They think of themselves as jñānī-sampradāya. What is that jñānī? "I am Hindu. I am Indian. I am sannyāsī." This is their jñāna. But actually it is ajñāna. If you think yourself that you are Indian, if you think yourself as Hindu, if you think yourself as brāhmaṇa, if you think yourself as a śūdra, then you are ajñānī. You are not jñānī. Because you are giving your identification... (aside, about microphone:) Why it is stopped? If you are giving your identification on the ground of your body, then you are ajñānī. Jñānī means paṇḍita. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ.
That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find. That paramparā system, disciplic succession, ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda. Just like we accept our philosophy, Vaiṣṇava philosophy, or any Indian philosophy, they accept this paramparā, guru-paramparā. They accept it. Sampradāya. Just like we have got sampradā..., Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Madhva-sampradāya. So we have to accept the sampradāya, disciplic succession, to receive real knowledge. So that sampradāya begins from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is the original spiritual master of Lord Brahmā, of Lord Śiva, Nārada, so many other authorities. There are twelve authorities, svayambhur nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). Svayambhu means Lord Brahmā; Nārada; and Śambhu, Lord Śiva; Kumāra; Kapila; Manu.
Therefore it is called śruti, paramparā, disciplic succession. One... Just like Vyāsadeva is hearing from Nārada. Nārada is authorized. He has heard from Brahmā. Brahmā has heard from Kṛṣṇa. So this is the paramparā system, disciplic succession. So there are four paramparā systems. They are known as, at the present moment, Rāmānuja-sampradāya, Brahma-sampra..., Brahma-samprada..., yes, Madhva-sampradāya, Brahma-sampradāya, Madhva-sampradāya, the same, and Rudra-sampradāya and Śrī-samp..., Śrī, Rāma, Kumāra-sampradāya. These is four sampradāyas. So we should hear from the sampradāya-ācārya by disciplic succession. As Kṛṣṇa recommends in this Bhagavad-gītā: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).
Śaṅkarācārya's theory is that you first of all become a sannyāsa, in renounced order of life; then you try to understand what you are, sāṅkhya philosophy. Therefore, according to their system, anyone who takes sannyāsa, he's supposed to be immediately merged into the existence of God. Therefore they address, "Nārāyaṇa." In Śaṅkara sampradāya, one sannyāsī addresses another sannyāsī as "Nārāyaṇa." But here, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, there is no condition. The only condition is... That is not condition; that is recreation.
Because the message is the same. Here, naṣṭa means that paramparā is naṣṭa. The disciplic succession was broken. It is not found, somebody who is coming in that disciplic succession. The disciplic succession, either from Brahmā... There are four disciplic successions of the devotees—the Brahma-sampradāya, the Rudra-sampradāya, the Śrī-sampradāya, and the Kumāra-sampradāya. So they are all the same. Mr. Balakrishna, you have got any question? All right. No? Mr. Mukherjee? Dr. Murti? No? Yes.
Nārada instructed Vyāsadeva. Vyāsadeva instructed Madhvācārya. Madhvācārya instructed in so many ways. Then Mādhavendra Purī. The Mādhavendra Purī, Īśvara Purī. From Īśvara Purī, Lord Caitanya. In this way, there is a paramparā system. There are four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas. The Rudra-sampradāya, Brahma-sampradāya, Kumāra-sampradāya, and Lakṣmī-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya.
So sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ.(?) If you do not receive instruction of Kṛṣṇa from the sampradāya, then niṣphalā matāḥ, then whatever you have learned, it is useless. It is useless. That is the defect. So many people are studying Bhagavad-gītā, but they do not understand what is Kṛṣṇa. Because they do not receive through the evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). The paramparā, unless you go to the paramparā... The same example. If you do not take electricity from the plug which is connected with the powerhouse, what is the use of your bulb and wire? It has no use.
So they asked. Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī asked Caitanya Mahāprabhu that "You are a sannyāsī. So you do not study Vedānta-sūtra. It is the," I meant to say, "vow of the sannyāsīs that they must." Vedānta-sūtra is the crucial point of sampradāya. One sampradāya must give his commentation on the Vedānta-sūtra. Otherwise he is not a bona fide sampradāya. So especially in the Śaṅkara sampradāya, they are very much fond of studying Sāṅkhya philosophy and Vedānta-sūtra.
So Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He went to Vārāṇasī, He was simply dancing and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So people began to criticize. Not people, this sannyāsī-sampradāya. So His devotees, they became little sorry that "Our Lord is being criticized." Therefore He accepted their invitation, and there was Vedānta talk with Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became victorious, and they became all disciples. These are statement in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
"Oh, it is material. It is not spiritual. Let me give it up," but I do not know how to utilize them in the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that sort of renunciation is not very much appreciated by our Gosvāmī sampradāya. We should not decry anything. Whatever is produced now, welcome. But let it be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Then everything will be all right. The same example. Just like Arjuna was a fighter. He was a military man. But he was trying to mix with sense gratification. He was trying... He declined to fight just to make his own sense gratification. What is that sense gratification? He thought that "By killing my kinsmen, my brothers on the other side, I will be unhappy." So my happiness and unhappiness pertaining to this body, that is a kind of sense gratification.
Just like Prahlāda Mahārāja, a great devotee; Kapiladeva, a great devotee; and similarly, Brahmā, a great devotee. Lord Śiva is great devotee; Nārada Muni, a great devotee. There are... Especially twelve names are given in the śāstras, that we have to follow them. That is called sampradāya. Sampradāya means coming in disciplic succession from the original guru. Just like Kṛṣṇa instructed Brahmā, so Brahmā is one of the gurus. So Brahma-sampradāya there is. Brahma-sampradāya. Our this Gauḍīya-sampradāya belongs to that Brahma-sampradāya. In this way there is Rāmānuja-sampradāya. This sampradāya comes from the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī. Śrī-sampradāya. In this way there are twelve mahājanas. They are stated in the śāstra. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (CC Madhya 17.186).
We accept Lord Rāmacandra as God, Lord Kṛṣṇa as God, Caitanya Mahāprabhu as God, because They are mentioned in the śāstras, all the incarnations, even this age. One may say that "Lord Rāmacandra is accepted God, Lord Kṛṣṇa is also accepted, but Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He is the greatest devotee of God, but..." There are some persons in the Nimbārka-sampradāya, they put this argument. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu's name is there in the śāstra, many Upaniṣads, especially in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that in the Kali-yuga this incarnation of God should be worshiped. What is that description?
Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the most authoritative ācārya of our sampradāya, he has explained like this. Kṛṣṇa-varṇam means always chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇaṁ varṇayati, describing Kṛṣṇa, "Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa." This is description of Kṛṣṇa, addressing Kṛṣṇa. So therefore kṛṣṇa-varṇam, or varṇam means category. Just like brāhmaṇa-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa. So in that way kṛṣṇa-varṇa means He is Kṛṣṇa, in the category of Kṛṣṇa. Either you take this meaning or that meaning, kṛṣṇa-varṇam. But Kṛṣṇa is black, and He is tviṣā, by the complexion, akṛṣṇa. Akṛṣṇa means not Kṛṣṇa. Now, there are so many colors.
So about the soul and Supersoul, ṛṣibhiḥ, great sages, saintly persons, they have also discussed. Just like in the present age also, we are different parties, the impersonalist and the personalist. Śaṅkara-sampradāya, they ascertain the Absolute Truth as impersonal, nirviśeṣa, and the Buddhists, they ascertain, "The Absolute Truth is zero."
We should be very sincere to understand things as they are. We should not falsely claim which I am not.
The most, I mean to say, prideful claim is that "I am God." This is strictly forbidden by our sampradāya, that "Don't claim." Caitanya Mahāprabhu especially, when He was talking with one of His devotees, Rāmānanda Rāya... The subject matter was how to get perfection. Rāmānanda Rāya was suggesting... Of course, from Vedic literature, perfection, the path of perfection, is to follow the institution of four varṇas and four āśramas. That is a fact. Four varṇas and four āśramas. What are the four varṇas and four āśramas?
And we are servant of Bhaktisiddhānta. So there is a disciplic succession.
That paramparā should be followed. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). If we want to understand really Vedic literature, then we must follow the paramparā system. There are four sampradāyas, paramparā: the Rāmanuja Sampradāya, Madhvācārya Sampradāya, Viṣṇu Svāmī Sampradāya, Nimbārka Sampradāya. So we belong to the Madhvācārya Sampradāya. Fortunately, all these ācāryas, even Śaṅkarācārya, they appeared from South India. This sampradāya, ācārya-sampradāya, is going on all over India.
So every sampradāya has got his commentary on the Brahma-sūtra. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says here, brahma sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). Unless a sampradāya, the four sampradāyas, they do not comment on the Brahma-sūtra, he'll not..., that sampradāya is not accepted. And if you do not accept the sampradāya..., sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ.
If you do not take your initiation mantra from the sampradāya, then it is useless. Now, there are so many apasampradāya. They do not come in disciplic succession, but becomes guru, teacher. Therefore everything is topsy-turvied. Nobody has got fixed idea what is God. Everyone has created his own philosophy. The whole thing is now confused.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa specifically mentions, Brahma-sūtra. Brahma-sūtra-padaiś caiva hetumadbhir viniścitaiḥ (BG 13.5). The sampradāya must have understanding of the Brahma-sūtra, Vedānta-sūtra. So all the sampradāyas, they have got their commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra and... Even Śaṅkarācārya. But his commentary is not accepted by the Vaiṣṇava ācāryas because he has tried to derive some meaning, interpretation. But there is no question of interpretation. When the things are clear, in the Brahma-sūtra, all the sūtras are very clear. So you don't require any interpretation. You can expand, explain very elaborately. That is another thing. But you cannot go beyond the sutra.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says, māyāvādī bhāṣya sunile haya sarva nāśa (CC Madhya 6.169). Māyāvādī bhāṣya means Śaṅkara, Śārīraka-bhāṣya of the Brahma-sūtra. If you hear the Śārīraka-bhāṣya, then you'll be doomed, you will be Godless. Therefore it has been forbidden by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. All the Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, Rāmanujya Sampradāya, Madhvācārya Sampradāya, they all, I mean to say, disagree with the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, Śārīraka-bhāṣya, Brahma-sūtra.
So far we are concerned, Madhva-Gauḍīya Sampradāya, our ācāryas, they took it, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as the right commentary on Brahma-sūtra. Bhāṣyaṁ brahma-sūtrānāṁ vedārtha-paribṛṁhitam **. This Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the real bhāṣya of Brahma-sūtra. So the Gauḍīya Sampradāya did not make any commentary on the Brahma-sūtra because they took it, Caitanya Mahāprabhu took it as, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as a natural commentary, because Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also made by Vyāsadeva and Vyāsadeva is the original author of Brahma-sūtra. So author made his own commentary; so there was no need of another commentary. This is the Gauḍīya-siddhānta, Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-siddhānta.
This is the Gauḍīya-siddhānta, Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇava-siddhānta.
But sometimes back, in Jaipur, there was a challenge that "The Gauḍīya Sampradāya has no commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra." So at that time Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura was requested... Because he was grand scholar, grand old man scholar, at that time living in Vṛndāvana... So he was very old at that time; so he authorized Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, that "You do it." There was no need, but people are demanding, "Where is your commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra?" So Baladeva Vidyābhūṣana, with the order of Govindaji at Jaipur, he wrote the commentary on Brahma-sūtra. That name is Govinda-bhāṣya. So the Gauḍīya-Brahmā Sampradāya, they have got also commentary on Brahma-sūtra. That is required.
Because there is no engagement. I do not wish to name the big, big sannyāsīs of India who fell down in this way. But you know that the Māyāvādī sampradāya, they take this world as mithyā. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā. If jagat is mithyā, then why you come down again for philanthropic activities, for political activities? That is called māyā. That is the last snare of māyā. Māyā dictates that "Now we have failed to become minister, to president, and so many other big, big posts. Now you become Brahman." You are already Brahman. Simply you have to realize. That's all. That is knowledge, that I am not the... Brahman realization means that "I am not this body." Because so long one identifies with this body, he is no better than animal. That is the first lesson.
Twelve mahājanas. We follow Lord Brahmā. Just like we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya, Madhvācārya-sampradāya. Gauḍīya..., Mādhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's spiritual master was Īśvara Purī. Īśvara Purī's spiritual master was Mādhavendra Purī. And Mādhavendra Purī belonged to the Madhvācārya-sampradāya. Therefore we present ourself belonging to the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Similarly... From Brahmā, there is one sampradāya. Similarly, there is another sampradāya from Lord Śiva, Rudra-sampradāya. And there is another sampradāya, Kumāra-sampradāya. Kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ. That is Nimbārka-sampradāya. Similarly, there is another sampradāya from Lakṣmī, Śrī-sampradāya, Rāmānuja-sampradāya.
Rudra-sampradāya. And there is another sampradāya, Kumāra-sampradāya. Kumāraḥ kapilo manuḥ. That is Nimbārka-sampradāya. Similarly, there is another sampradāya from Lakṣmī, Śrī-sampradāya, Rāmānuja-sampradāya.
So we have to understand the philosophy through the sampradāya. Sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ. If you don't accept... In ordinary life also, in political field, to develop, one has to accept a party, this party or that Congress Party, or Jana-sanga Party, or this party. So the aim is the same. Aim is the same, to serve the country, to develop your country, but still, there are parties. Similarly, the aim is the same: to understand what is our relationship with God. But the development is made by different parties.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that imam, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam (BG 4.2). The Bhagavad-gītā, knowledge must be received by the paramparā system, as it was spoken by Kṛṣṇa and as it has been received by the later ācāryas. Although there are different parties... Just like the Śrī-sampradāya, Brahma-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya. They are all in agreement that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All these ācāryas. They'll not say anything that "Because I belong to Brahma-sampradāya, I speak something else." No. We are all in agreement that kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). That is accepted.
So Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna: sa kāleneha yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa. "In due..., in course of time, that paramparā system has been lost, or broken. Therefore," Kṛṣṇa said, "I am speaking the old truth unto you so that you begin the paramparā system again."
| Page Title: | Sampradaya (Lectures, BG) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 20 of Dec, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=31, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 31 |