The Bhagavata Parampara

Srila Prabhupada writes that: "Krishnadas Kaviraja Goswami gives equal respect to all the preachers of the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who are compared to the branches of the tree. Iskcon is one of these branches." (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 10.7, purport) And:

"There are many societies and associations of pure devotees, and if someone with just a little faith begins to associate with such societies, his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid." (Nectar of Devotion: Chapter Nineteen p.41)

Srila Prabhupada says that if one begins to associate with societies of pure devotees (plural) his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid. This corresponds with the following important instructions from Srila Prabhupada:

"There is no difference between the shelter-giving Supreme Lord and the initiating [diksa] and instructing [siksa] spiritual masters. If one foolishly discriminates between them, he commits an offense in the discharge of devotional service. (CC Adi 1.47) And: "There is no limit, however, to the number of instructing spiritual masters one may accept (CC Adi-lila 1.35)."

In tracing the descending current of revealed truth through the ages, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura de-emphasized the traditional diksha-patra or diksha guru parampara, that in most cases was being abused, and stressed what he called the Bhagavata or siksa-guru parampara. The Bhagavata parampara conception is drawn from the Bhagavatam, the essence of which Krishna spoke to Brahma and was then passed from Brahma through Narada to Vyasa. Sukadeva Goswami who is said to have undergone no diksa samskara received the essence of Bhagavatam from Vyasa and passed it along to Pariksit Maharaja, Suta Goswami and others who were not his direct diksa disciples.

Thus Bhaktisiddhanta traces the Bhagavata guru parampara from Krishna to Madhvacharya, who although was initiated by Acyuta Preksa, is said to have received the siksa of Vyasa. Acyuta Preksa was an initiated member of the Shankara sampradaya so the Bhagavata parampara is traced from Madhva's siksa guru Srila Vyasa, rather than from Madhva's established diksa guru.

From Madhva who is listed as acharya #5 in Srila Prabhupada's "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" the decent of revealed truth is traced through a line of fourteen Maha-bhagavatas to Madhavendra Puri # 20 and Iswara Puri #21. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is listed as acharya # 22 in the Bhagavata disciplic succession.

Rupa Goswami, Swarupa Damodar, and Sanatana Goswami are then listed together in "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" as acharyas #23 in this disciplic succession

Sri Rupa initiated Sri Jiva Goswami and Svarupa Damodar was the siksa Guru of Raghunatha dasa Goswami but one should note however that Sanatana Goswami is listed even though he had no diksa disciples. Also that Yadunandana acharya, a disciple of Adwaita acharya is not listed in "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" even though he was the diksa guru of Raghunatha dasa Goswami.

Sri Jiva Goswami, who had no initiated disciples but became leader of the sampradaya, and Raghunatha dasa Goswami are listed next as acharyas #24.

Krishnadasa Kaviraja who is said to be a diksa disciple of either Raghunatha dasa Goswami or Nityananada Prabhu is listed as #25.

Narottama dasa #26, a siksa disciple of Sri Jiva, is listed next in succession but Lokanatha, the diksa guru of Narottama dasa Thakura is not listed.

In "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura is listed as acharya #27.

Sri Visvanatha was a disciple of Radharaman Chakravarti and there were four gurus between him and Narottama dasa Thakura. These predecessor gurus are not mentioned in the Bhagavata parampara but Visvanatha is listed because of the importance of his writings and the place he holds in Gaudiya history.

Baladeva Vidyabhushan is listed next along with Jagannatha dasa Babaji as acharyas #28. Srila Prabhupada followed Baladeva Vidyabhushan's Gita commentary in writing "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" and therefore dedicated his edition to Baladeva Vidyabhushan.

Baladeva Vidyabhushan who also wrote "Govinda Bhasya" the sampradaya commentary on Vedanta sutra, was a diksa disciple of Radha-Damodar Goswami and a siksa disciple of Visvanatha Chakravarti. We should note here that Baladeva is listed after Visvanatha his siksa guru and that Radha-Damodar Goswami his diksa guru is not mentioned in the disciplic succession listed in "Bhagavad Gita As It Is".

Jagannath Das Babaji is co-listed as #28 even though he was not a contemporary of Visvanatha Chakravarti and there are four consecutive gurus between him and Baladeva Vidyabhushan. His listing follows Bhaktisiddhanta's practice of emphasizing the teachings (siksa) of great gurus rather than a diksa succession of gurus. Bhaktisiddhanta's innovation in this regard was in this way much different than the traditional system that was in place in the Gaudiya Vaisnavism of his time.

Tracing the parampara further we next come to Bhaktivinode listed as #29 in succession. Bhaktivinode's diksa from Bipin Bihari Goswami connected him to the Nityananda parivara-or direct line of decent from Nityananda Prabhu. At that time the traditional practice called for the diksa guru to give a certificate known as a diksa-patra to the initiate that listed the names of the gurus in his line of succession back to an associate of Mahaprabhu.

The diksa patra of Bhaktivinode Thakura reads as follows:

1. Sri Nityananda Sakti-Sri Jahnava Thakurani, 2.Sri Ramancandra Goswami Prabhu, 3.Sri Rajaballabha Goswami Prabhu, 4.Sri Keshavacandra Goswami Prabhu, 5.Sri Rudresvara Goswami Prabhu, 6.Sri Dayarama Goswami Prabhu 7.Srimati Mahesvari Goswamini, 8.Srimati Guna Manjari Goswamini, 9.Srimati Ramamani Goswamini, 10. Sri Jogesvara Goswami Prabhu, 11.Sri Bipina Bihari Goswami Prabhu, 12. Sri Bhaktivinode Thakura

But Bhaktisiddhanta did not trace his connection to the Chaitanya tree through the diksa-line of Bhaktivinode nor through the diksa-line of his own diksa guru Gaura Kishore das babaji, who was connected to the line of Adwaita Acharya. Rather Bhaktisiddhanta traces his connection to the Chaitanya tree through Jagannath dasa Babaji, the siksa guru of Bhaktivinode. This is because Jagannath dasa Babaji was a maha-bhagavata and had more influence on the spiritual life of Bhaktivinode than did his diksa guru Bipin Bihari Goswami. In this way Bhaktisiddhanta traced the spiritual wealth of Bhaktivinode more to Bhaktivinode's siksa guru than his diksa guru.

Indeed Bhaktivinode writes: "The initiating spiritual master (diksa-guru) shows his cause-less mercy by giving his disciples instructions in chanting the mantra. By so doing, he points the disciples in the direction of the truths pertaining to the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. I consider the numerous instructing spiritual masters (siksa-gurus) to be more important, for they show more mercy by training the sadhakas in all the essential aspects of sadhana-bhakti." (Kalyana-kalpataru)

To better understand the siksa guru parampara of Bhaktisiddhanta and its validity, one must first consider the state of the Gaudiya sampradaya in his time. The degradation that the tradition suffered from at the time included various diksa lineages that, although stemming originally from one of the liberated associates of Sri Caitanya had become little more than a means of material livelihood for their so-called gurus."

"Bhaktisiddhanta's siksa guru parampara involved weaving his spiritual lineage out of the fabric of substance rather than formality. Considering the condition of the prominent diksa paramparas, he placed in his line all of the universally acknowledged maha-bhagavatas appearing at one time or another in the various diksa lineages. Thus his line crossed all of the lineages of the time and united them while dismissing them as well. He made a line of siddhas and claimed that connection to all of them was the right of all sincere followers of Mahaprabhu. Their teaching (siksa) and adherence to it was the binding force of the sampradaya.

The very gist of the guru parampara is siksa, the spiritual teaching, and wherever it is to be traced, there is guru. One who has the transcendental eye, the divine eye, will recognize the guru wherever he appears. One who possesses knowledge of absolute divine love in purity he is guru. Otherwise, the guru-parampara, is only a body parampara, a succession of bodies. Then the caste brahmanas, the caste goswamis will continue their trade, because body after body they are getting the mantra. But their mantra is dead.

We are after a living mantra, and wherever we can trace the living tendency of a higher type of devotional service, we shall find that there is our guru. One who has that sort of vision will be able to recognize the guru wherever he may appear.

At this point in disciplic succession we reach Gaura Kishore dasa Babaji listed in "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" as acharya #30 even though he is not a diksa disciple of Bhaktivinode.

Gaur Kishore dasa Babaji was the diksa (mantra) guru of Bhaktisiddhanta, but even though Gaura Kishore was his diksa guru Bhaktisiddhanta considered Bhaktivinode his principal siksa guru as well as his hari nam guru. Thus we find that Bhaktisiddhanta had two gurus but in his writing he puts more emphasis on Bhaktivinode, so much so that he calls his branch of the Chaitanya tree, Bhaktivinode parivara- the line of Bhaktivinode.

We come now to Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura listed as acharya #31 and Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada listed as acharya #32.

Bhaktisiddhanta made revolutionary changes in the Gaudiya Vaisnavism of his time while simultaneously maintaining and revitalizing the essential teachings of the sampradaya. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada brought those teachings to the western world and doing so planted the Chaitanya tree with its various branches, and watered that tree in a way that would allow it to grow and produce fruit. Both of these acharyas took the inspiration and vision of Bhaktivinode and energized the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Bhagavata Parampara and the Saraswat branch of the Chaitanya tree are based on substance over formality. Therefore Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura is refered as a "form breaker" or one who emphasizes the substance of the teachings of our acharyas over the formality of social and religious convention.

Bhaktivinode Thakura writes: "Devotees of the Supreme Lord are not controlled by the scriptures since their activities are congenial to Divine Wisdom. When self-realized devotees ordain any new arrangement, this should be accepted as religious code, even if such new arrangements are not found in the scriptural dictums of the previous sages." (Sri Tattva- Sutra)