19820309_Sannyasa_Initiation_New_Gurus_In_ISKCON_Literal_Version

The following is a sannyasa initiation ceremony, given by His Holiness Jayapataka Swami on March 9th, 1982, in Sridhama Mayapura.

Jayapataka Swami: …new initiating gurus for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness celebration at this festival. As you know, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was asked in May by our… He asked our GBC to decide, in his absence how they would manage things, and any questions they had, they could give. So, they came with several questions and how to print books in his absence. How would initiations go during his illness, since he had stopped initiating for several months, and in his absence, physical absence, and various other technical questions about our management affairs, and at that time, Srila Prabhupada mentioned that he would name some people who would initiate on his behalf during his presence, since it is not the proper etiquette to initiate in the presence of one’s guru, and after, in his absence rather, shall we say, that they would, in their own right, initiate, and their disciples would be his grand-disciples, in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

So, subsequently, Srila Prabhupada appointed 11 persons to initiate in his presence as rtviks, or officiating initiators, and in his absence, to be initiators, initiating gurus for ISKCON. At that time, a question came, “What about others?”, and he said when needed, or when necessary (Aside: Was the exact word “needed”, “necessary” like that.) When needed, then you may increase.

So, in pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s instruction to manage everything, to the Governing Body Commission, that the Governing Body Commission has felt that there is a… it is necessary to expand the spiritual masters and our program in ISKCON will be to continue to expand spiritual masters, so that the preaching may also expand, but under the basic principle that we all work cooperatively together.

Actually, this is the essence of our movement is that we work, we have diversity, but we have unity. Many temples, many zones, many initiating gurus, many devotees from many lands, but we all are united under Srila Prabhupada… movement under this International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In this way, if we follow Prabhupada’s instructions very strictly, then there’ll be no difficulty in going out and expanding in various ways, our preaching we’re now expanding the responsibilities of various devotees, so we are very fortunate that very senior vaisnavas, who have taken great risk in preaching Lord Caitanya’s movement on behalf of Srila Prabhupada in different parts of the world, have now been requested to take up this responsibility for initiating on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and training their devotees in our Krishna conscious philosophy and systems.

This time, I’d like to request first that the Pancadravida Maharaja could come forward and offer his…So, Srila Pancadravida Swami Maharaja, we’d like you to give everyone your blessings as well as instruction at this time on how… what mood we should uh, understand this glorious moment.

Pancadravida Swami: (Aside: So I should stand here?)

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale

svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine

namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine nirvisesa-sunyavädi-pascatya-desa-tarine

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda

jayadvaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/

Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare

I am taking this duty to serve as an initiating spiritual master on behalf of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as the order of my spiritual master, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara-sata Sri Srimad Abhaya Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I am taking it as a… his order, coming through uh, the agency of the Governing Body Commission, of my dear Godbrothers. They’re requesting me. Actually, Srila Prabhupada said that when he was going to the Western countries to preach, he was asked to take sannyasa, and he was instructed in this way through Kesava Maharaja, and he said “In this way, I took it that my spiritual master, he was speaking to me.” So, in the same way, in the Caitanya-caritamrta, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu describes:

kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei 'guru' haya

He says that yei krsna-tattva-vetta, when one can imbibe this science of Krishna consciousness, then, he is to preach, and to work on behalf of this Krishna conscious movement. The position of being a spiritual master, I am seeing this as done on behalf of this great ISKCON movement, this International Society for Krishna Consciousness. This is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy that He wants this whole world inundated with Krishna consciousness. And the prime agency for spreading this Krishna consciousness is this ISKCON movement. This movement will not be spread by so many fraction-mathas, and individuals, working independently, but the Krishna conscious movement will go on and expand and expand based on the cooperative sense of all the different members uh, of ISKCON.

This ISKCON… One astrologer, he predicted that Srila Prabhupada was such a great personality that he was capable of building a house in which the entire world can live, and that is ISKCON. Devotees: Jaya!

Pancadravida Swami: Actually, no one has any right to be considered as an initiating spiritual master if he cannot satisfy the desire of his spiritual master. This is what spiritual master means. The whole disciplic succession is coming down and one is accepting the order of his spiritual master as his life and soul.

Srila Prabhupada informed us and the sastras also confirm that the spiritual master is present in his vani instructions. During the physical presence of the spiritual master, vapuh, one is trained and in the physical absence of the spiritual master, the training now goes on in the form of completing the instructions given. That is the vani.

So, in one sense as Srila Jayapataka Maharaja Acaryapada has mentioned, Srila Prabhuapda is still present, within this… is still present. He is present in everywhere. He’s present in the worship of the deities. He’s present in the form of so many disciples, and grand-disciples. This is all the sakti of Srila Prabhupada.

Devotees: Jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki Jaya!

Pancadravida Swami: Nothing independent of Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada is present in the form of the distribution of his books all over the world in this sankirtana movement. Srila Prabhupada is present in this way in his instructions and in his blessings, and he is blessing every one of us. So, we should not think in any way that we can function independently of the blessings of our spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada.

So on this day, I take this as a great benediction that somehow or other, although I’m most unqualified… acutally, I have no qualifications, but because the preaching of this Krishna conscious movement, of this ISKCON movement has to go on, Srila Prabhupada has given me his blessings to somehow or other, take a small part in seeing that this work continues. All glories…

Devotees: Jaya!

[Break]

Jayapataka Swami: Actually, Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered devotees to take up responsibility for being guru, for preaching.

Devotee: Yes.

Jayapataka Swami: Actually Srila Prabhupada, he one time said, “All my disciples, all my followers are spiritual masters.”. We know that devotees, they’re going and preaching, Prabhupada said that it is not difficult to be a spiritual master, a guru, one has to simply repeat exactly what his spiritual master has said, what our previous acaryas have said, we have to repeat exactly what Srila Prabhupada has said and what Krishna has said, and that is the principle qualification of being a spiritual master.

[Break]

They all share the same responsibility, plus they have the opportunity to take all of the sinful reactions of their disciples, and that is a permanent responsibility that they have to deliver the disciples. In fact, in Caitanya-lila, we know that sometimes devotees, they wouldn’t mind giving instruction and being siksa-guru, but they would refuse to become diksa-guru because if one disciple I take, I can’t deliver, again I have to come down. I’ll be left out of Lord Caitanya’s pastimes for so much time. I’ll be…”, whatever their mood and their humility and their feeling, they didn’t want to take that risk.

So, Srila Prabhupada mentioned that from taking many disciples, also he had to encounter so many difficulties. Those who are taking initiation, they should be a little bit merciful on their spiritual masters. Take seriously the vows that are made and try to follow strictly the principles of Krishna consciousness: four regulative principles and chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu, however had instituted the same system that’s handed down since time immemorial of diksa-guru. People have to be initiated in the sampradaya. To carry on the sampradaya, initiating spiritual masters are necessary, so Lord Caitanya gave the standard. He said:

amara ajnaya guru hana tara’ ei desa

“You become guru on My order.” So, in the same way, Prabhupada said, “Now I am ordering you. You become Guru.” So, on behalf of Prabhupada, what is basically happening is the GBC is ordering, “Now you also have to take up this responsibility.” No one should take it up, without getting the order. That will be not in the proper etiquette.

One should take up, on the order, then one can in all faith, even if one feels himself to be somewhat insignificant, or incapable of the great responsibility, nonetheless, having received the order therefore, on the faith of the… Prabhupada, and the previous acaryas, and the mercy of Lord Caitanya, one can take up the great uh, responsibilities endowed in this function of initiating.

So, the Governing Body Commission has also given the order on behalf of Srila Prabhupada, requesting Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaja to take up this responsibility…

Devotees: Haribol!

Jayapataka Swami: …We request that he come forward.

Devotee: Haribol!

Jayapataka Swami: …We request His Divine Grace, Gopal Krishna Goswami to give us a blessing and instruction. Srila Prabhupada’s words at this time.

[Break]

Gopal Krishna Goswami:

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale

svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam

sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda

jayadvaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/

Hare Rama, Hare Rama Rama Rama, Hare Hare

First I would like to thank the managers of the Governing Body Commission for giving me the responsibility to initiate on behalf of His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, members of the Krishna consciousness movement. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu predicted that one day, this Krishna consciousness movement will be spread to every town and village of the world, and Thakura Bhaktivinoda also predicted that a great soul will appear who will lead the Krishna consciousness movement. Then thus we saw, that this movement, done by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, fruition of these plans, only by continuing to spread this Krishna consciousness movement in every corner of the world.

Prabhupada formed such a plan. He set up a Governing Body Commission to run the Society. Now very often people would come up to Prabhupada and ask who will come and succeed him, and he would always say that the Governing Body Commission is going to take on the matter. Prabhupada said that the GBC body represents him, and any decision made by the GBC body is the statement he decided upon.

We can see, over the past four years since Prabhupada’s departure, this movement has continued to expand all over the world. Normally, when the Founder-Acarya disappears, there is a lot of confusion, but this movement has continued to expand all over the world because Prabhupada injected the principles of purity in this institution. If we remain pure and dedicated to the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, then there will be no difficulty in advancing in spiritual life. Prabhupada used to say that spiritual life is easy for the simple. So, spiritual life is not difficult. The spiritual master’s business is he just repeats what he has heard from his spiritual master, like the postman’s business is just to deliver the mail, and the disciple’s business is to just follow the instructions of the spiritual master, who is only repeating the instructions of his spiritual master.

So it becomes the Krishna consciousness movement to go on expanding as it has been, it is very essential that we stick to the teachings that Srila Prabhupada has given us. We should remember, as his disciples, and grand-disciples that there’s no acarya greater than Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Devotees: Jaya!

Gopal Krishna Goswami: We should remember the work that Prabhupada has done and how very powerful he is. He not only opened nearly 200temples, but he also wrote nearly 80 books. And these books will guide the members of this Krishna conscious society, eternally.

Prabhupada said, “This Krishna consciousness movement will go on expanding for the next 10,000 years.”, and said that, “One day these books will become the law books of the world.”, so we should read these books. All of the instructions are there in his books. We don’t have to turn to any other spiritual authority for direction.

Prabhupada said he has left everything in his books. We should develop the habit of reading his books regularly, and understanding his instructions and the assistance of the senior Godbrothers of this movement are... they can… All confusion can be removed. So, we should remain pure to the principles that are laid down in these books in the different instructions.

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Prabhupada said in the first volume, “Dedicated to my eternal spiritual master, who lives forever by divine instructions, and the follower lives with him.” So, Prabhupada is living with us in his divine spiritual instructions. We just have to meditate on those instructions, and if we meditate on those instructions, we would feel fully satisfied.

So, on this most auspicious day, the appearance day of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I would like to request all my Godbrothers and the disciples of my Godbrothers to remain pure to the teachings of Prabhupada.

Prabhupada has given us everything. We don’t need to go to any other personality to gain any type of spiritual instruction, and I myself, as one of the acaryas of this Krishna conscisouness movement, would like to pledge my loyalty to the Governing Body Commission, recognizing the fact that the Governing Body Commission is the true representative of Srila Prabhupada, and even if I am acarya, I have to abide by their instructions, because when the body is assembled together, and it comes to a decision, that is the same as Prabhupada making a decision. Hare Krishna.

Devotees: Haribol! (Applause)

Devotee:Jaya om visnupada, Prabhupada, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

[Break] (Applause)

Jayapataka Swami: When the sannyasa candidates…

Devotee: Jaya Srila Bhaktipada ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Then, they’ll get their sannyasa-mantra, subsequently from their sannyasa-gurus, the special pranam-mantra that Prabhupada has requested every sannyasi to say three times a day.

[Break]

Jayapataka Swami: (Japa chanting) (Commotion in crowd) Bhanu Das. So, actaully I first had association with Bhanu, when Srila Prabhupada flew in from Japan. And he… I think that’s where he picked up… delivered…

Devotee: Personally made him…

Jayapataka Swami: …personally made him a devotee. Guru-krpa, special guru mercy upon this movement, upon Bhanu, so, I’m not going to take too much time, I’d just like to give the name. One of our senior… also senior members. Since 1970 been a devotee, knows Bengali, Sanskrit, wants to preach in India and in Japan and to preserve the uh, strict purity of Srila Prabhupada’s movement and the siddhanta, the conclusions of sastra, according to Srila Prabhupada’s books, translating also. Let’s see… Bhanu Swami.

Devotees: Haribol!

Jayapataka Swami: Bhanu Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Bhanu Swami: Japan yatra, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Sacisuta was absorbed in sankirtana consciousness, in firing up all the sankirtana devotees, so now we hope that as a sannyasi, you will be perfect example and continue to fire up the sankirtana movement in South America, especially in Chile, and see many of Srila Prabhupada’s books distributed there, Prabhupada’s teachings preserved in their pure form. So nombre es Sacisuta Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya! Haribol!

Sacisuta Swami: ISKCON Chile ki,

Devotees: Jaya! (Sporadic laughter)

Jayapataka Swami: The first one is Nitaichand Goswami. It would be nice to give them their blessings, they’re new sannyasis, to carry out… then we have… Do you know Nitaichand Goswami is our temple president here in Mayapur. Srila Prabhupada instructed him that he should especially protect the Mayapur-dhama, and uh, now he has a danda to do it with, so then we have our Tatpara Swami.

Tamal Krishna Goswami: (to Jayapataka Swami) Actually, Nitaichand’s parents came to see us, yesterday. They said, “Please protect our son.” I said, “What do you mean? He is protecting all of us.”

Jayapataka Swami: (Chuckles) Should I say that? You want to say it?

TKG on microphone: I said that when Nitai’s parents… Maharaja’s parents were here yesterday, they are very nice Vaisnavas, Gaudiya Vaisnavas, so he came to see me, and said “Please protect my son.” Because, naturally, the parents always see the son as a little boy, but I had said to them, “Actually, Nitaichand Maharaja is protecting all of the devotees staying here.”

Devotees: Haribol!

Tamal Krishna Goswami: And I said that, “So we should…”

Jayapataka Swami: Actually, he was a policeman, so now he’s policeman for Krishna.

Devotees: Jaya! (Laughter)

Devotee: Nitaichand Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: And of course, as a sannyasi, then he has to travel and preach all around Gaura-mandala-bhumi, and all around Mayapura-dhama.

Devotee: That he can do by circumambulating…

Jayapataka Swami: And that he can do just by circumambulating this temple, and Navadvipa-dhama, and the holy land. The whole world is coming to him.

Our Tatpara Swami was taking out the bull party, bollock party, van party, steady. He’s one of the very first devotees that lived in the grass hut here, in 1971, after the land was purchased by Srila Prabhupada’s instruction by Tamal Krishna Goswami and others. So Tatpara das, actually Prabhupada himself wanted to give him sannyasa, but now he’s finally taking up this responsibility, so he is going to be preaching and establishing Lord Caitanya’s movement all over Bengal, very strongly.

Jaya, Tatpara Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Then we have Subhag Swami.

Devotee: Haribol!

Jayapataka Swami: Subhag Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Actually, Subhag Swami Maharaja was first sent by his parents to England for higher studies. And then in England he met Srila Prabhupada’s movement, and got the highest study.

Devotees: (laughing) Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: So, since then, he has been translating Srila Prabhupada’s books, and now he’s preaching in Calcutta. So, now he’ll be taking up as a Swami, as a sannyasi, the dynamic preaching to the up… to the higher class, and to the citizens of Calcutta and the world, this Krishna consciousness movement. Subhag Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Then we have our Gurukula Regional Secretary of India. I don’t know exactly all the titles, but he’s the gurukula chief who’s teaching all our students from all around the world, Dhanurdhara Swami Maharaja.

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Dhanurdhara Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Srila Gurupada. Then we have,

Devotee: Dhanurdhara Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: His Holiness…

Same devotee: ISKCON Gurukula, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Same devotee: Bhaktivedanta Gurukula, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: His Holiness Agramika Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: Who is going to be preaching also, to the intellectuals, no doubt, in the northeast, if there are any. The real intellectual of course is one who understands Krishna conscsiousness, even if he can’t read and write. But, we need sannyasis to establish pure devotional service, and be perfect examples.

And then, we have Prahladananda Swami Maharaja, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: A well-known preacher in our movement.

And Mahakrama Swami Maharaja, ki

Devotees: Jaya!

Jayapataka Swami: (to nearby devotees) Maybe someone else would like to speak.

Devotee: (to Jayapataka Swami) President…

Jayapataka Swami: President, Regional Secretary of Philadelphia. Now our temples are becoming strengthened by sannyasis, for preaching. This way, our sannyasis, our grhasthas all are cooperating, each taking their responsibilities seriously.

So that is the end of our sannyasi… [Break]

Anything else? Those who are going the sannyasi new candidates should get their mantras upstairs. I’d like to announce at this time that immediately after this ceremony, we’d like to have the sannyasi assembly for at least a half an hour, which we haven’t had, and...

Devotee: We have to give just sannyasa mantras, or Brahmana thread first?

Jayapataka Swami: ...for… just for a half hour, just… in the conference room, with just me, and… just formally have it.

Devotee: (talking in background) Where is it?

Jayapataka Swami: It’s just immediately after this ceremony. (Aside) It can wait here. It’s just a half hour.

Same devotee: It’s the sannyasa list.

Jayapataka Swami: So, now, next program. Who’s our master of ceremonies? Me?

Devotees: (Talking all together)

Devotee: Preaching in China, ki,

Devotees: Jaya!

Transcription: Jagannatha dasa April 6th, 2015, Sri Mayapura-dhama