Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says, sādhu-śāstra-guru-vākya, cittete kariyā aikya. One should accept a thing as genuine by studying the words of saintly people, the spiritual master and the śāstra. The actual center is the śāstra, the revealed scripture. If a spiritual master does not speak according to the revealed scripture, he is not to be accepted. Similarly, if a saintly person does not speak according to the śāstra, he is not a saintly person. The śāstra is the center for all. (Cc Madhya 20.352 purport)

Notice here that the “center” is śāstra, but what is meant by “center”? In other contexts, Śrīla Prabhupāda uses “center” in the sense of a constraint or boundary (emphasis added).

Prabhupāda: Medha. This is called medha, this rod, central. So the, the bull is bound up with it, and he goes round, goes round, all day. So gṛhamedhī means center is home, and he goes round, throughout the whole life. They are called gṛhamedhīs.

Prabhupāda: Medha, yes. Another medha means killing. So one who keeps himself in household life, he kills himself. Killing. Gṛhamedhī. And that is little long-term meaning. But this is the direct meaning. The medha rod is there, and he simply… He’s very busy. Busy means within few feet. But he’s thinking he’s very busy. Anyone got…, he has got home, and he’s simply rounding about. Anywhere you go, the center is that. And what is that gṛha? [aside:] Where? Which way?

Prabhupāda: Na gṛhaṁ gṛham ity āhur gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate [Cc. Ādi 15.27]. The gṛham, house, is not actually gṛha. Gṛha means the wife. Gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate na gṛhaṁ gṛham ity āhuḥ. Gṛhiṇī gṛham ucyate. So to become householder means one must have a wife. So actually round the wife. Gṛhamedhī: round the wife. And what is wife means, everyone knows. It means round that thing. Is that good analysis?

Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the word “center” in the same sense when he applies it to śāstra. For example, one of his innovations for preaching in the West is the brahmacārīṇi āśrama. Did he want it to be permanent, or did he think it should be temporary?

That the Brahmacārīṇi aśrama is a good success is very good news. But the best thing will be if the grown-up Brahmacārīṇis get married. According to Vedic culture, woman is never to remain independent. I shall be glad if the Brahmacārīṇis can have nice husbands, and live as Gṛhasthas. But if they cannot find out good husbands, it is better to remain a Brahmacārīṇi all the life, even though it is little difficult.5

Without śāstra being the center, one might think he wanted the adjustment to be permanent. But from this it is clear that it was supposed to be temporary. The permanent standard is according to śāstra, that women always remain under the protection of a man. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s reference to Manu-saṁhitā (9.3) as the śāstric authority is clearly indicated, and his insistence that his disciples move towards this standard is also indicated. Hence, śāstra being the center means that the rules given by śāstra are supposed to be followed, even if for the time being there is some asāmarthyam, or inability to follow them.

Another sign of śāstra’s centrality is that even the principle of “time, place, and circumstance” is governed by śāstra (emphasis added).

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: So there’s no question then, as he says, of bringing new smṛtis which would come into being if someone would give them sanction and authority. The position as you…

Prabhupāda: But there cannot be new smṛtis. We are giving the sanction to Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra because it is already there in the śruti. But for this time it is suitable. I am taking a certain type of medicine in the evening, it is already recommended by the physician. I am not doing it whimsically. So whimsically you cannot change. It must have reference to the śruti- smṛti-purāṇadi [BRS 1.2.101].

Prabhupāda: Nobody can change. Nobody can change. But rules and regulation for different times, different circumstances are there in the śruti-smṛti. We have to take it. You cannot change.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He said. He’s authority. He’s ācārya.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: The ācārya must sanction for the particular time and place.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We are following the footprints of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is not whimsical. You have to follow the authority in all circumstances. You cannot avoid. That is illegal. It will have no power. Just like all of a sudden you make a low class man a harijana. It will not stay. But you can make harijana any class of man provided you adopt the proper means.⁶

6. Answers to a questionnaire from Bhavan’s Journal, Vrindavan, Jun 28, 1976.

Keeping śāstra “in the center” therefore means to accept other evidences only within the boundaries of śāstric teachings. Adjustment according to the principle of time, place, and circumstance needs to be corroborated with śāstra. It cannot be done apart from it.

Finally, the role of the ācārya needs to be considered. In this regard, the ācārya is someone who is considered a great authority and liberated being, not a baddha-jīva, or conditioned soul (emphasis added).

The paramparā system does not allow one to deviate from the commentaries of the previous ācāryas. By depending upon the previous ācāryas, one can write beautiful commentaries. However, one cannot defy the previous ācāryas. The false pride that makes one think that he can write better than the previous ācāryas will make one’s comments faulty. At the present moment it has become fashionable for everyone to write in his own way, but such writing is never accepted by serious devotees.7

The authority of any particular rule or system practiced by devotees must also have the sanction of the ācāryas. Otherwise, the adjustment will be faulty.

Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this system of guru, sādhu, and śāstra as a track with three rails. By following all three closely, one is assured of being on the right path.

Just like in the railway line you see two parallel lines. If they are in order, the railway carriages are carried very smoothly to the destination. Here also, there are three parallel lines— sādhu, śāstra, guru: saintly person, association of saintly person, acceptance of bona fide spiritual master, and faith in the scriptures. That’s all. Then your carriage will be going nicely, without any disturbance. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya, tinete kariyā aikya.8

Therefore, in addition to having support from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s own statements, any proposed adjustment to our spiritual practices must also be supported by śāstra and by our previous ācāryas. Otherwise, the proposal should not be accepted.

In order to settle all questions as to the circumstances under which women may act as initiating spiritual masters, or dīkṣā- gurus, we have presented here an authorized description of the system of initiations that Śrīla Prabhupāda and our ācāryas have prescribed. The authority for this presentation is that it is extensively grounded not only in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s own statements but in the authorized statements of the śāstras and our ācāryas. As such, this is the first authorized account of the process of initiations followed in ISKCON today.

This book is divided into three parts. In Part One, we present the system of pāñcarātrika initiations known as pañca- saṁskāra, as explained by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. It is also shown how this system of initiations is connected with bhajana-kriyā and anartha-nivṛtti.

We have also translated into English for the first time the sections of Nārada Pañcarātra that detail the pañca-sāṁskara process. These sections show that ISKCON closely follows this process. Using evidence from these sections and the statements of our ācāryas, we show that the process of first initiation, or giving harināma, is administered according to the nāma-saṁskāra process from pañca-saṁskāra. It is thus shown that in order to be qualified to administer harināma as an initiation, one must be qualified to be a dīkṣā-guru according to pāñcarātrika-vidhi, the rules and regulations of the pañcarātra śāstras.

Part One also discusses the special qualifications that Nārada Pañcarātra requires of women if they are to be considered able to act as dīkṣā-gurus. A more in-depth discussion of this is given in Part Two. Also included in Part One are discussions on the rarity of female gurus and why it is necessary for women to be spiritually advanced at the stage of bhāva in order to be considered eligible.

Part Two provides an in-depth focus on reconciling all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements about women as dīkṣā- gurus by introducing the authoritative statements of Nārada Pañcarātra. It is in this section that statements dealing with the qualifications of a dīkṣā-guru are presented, along with specific instructions pertaining to women. Why a female dīkṣā-guru needs to be a siddha instead of a sādhaka is also discussed.

Part Three systematically answers many frequently asked questions (FAQs) and some objections that were raised by devotees after reading the initial arguments on which this book is based.

Thus, without doubt, the process of initiation as established by our ācāryas and followed by Śrīla Prabhupāda is strictly based on Nārada Pañcarātra. The ācāryas have not innovated anything in the matter of initiations. And because ISKCON’s initiations are based on this śāstra, its injunctions about who may or may not become guru apply in deciding the eligibility of female candidates for dīkṣā-guru.

Nārada Pañcarātra on the eligibility of Women Giving Dīkṣā

In our paper Nārada Pañcarātra on Female Dīkṣā-gurus10 it is conclusively established with evidence from the śāstras and our ācāryas that women who are not siddha are prohibited from becoming dīkṣā-guru and that women who are siddha are the exception.

10. To see the paper click here

or goto https://guru-sadhu-sastra.blogspot.com/p/widc-2019-ahmedabad.html

Qualities of Siddhas

What is meant by siddha is explained in the paper as follows:

The word pratyakṣitātma-nātha [referring to Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā 1.44] denotes a person who has perfected the process of bhakti (sākṣāt-kṛta-bhagavat-tattva) and means that he is a pure siddha devotee beyond the modes of nature. Such a condition arises in three ways: (1) a nitya-siddha devotee like Prabhupāda, (2) one who has perfected bhakti by sādhana (sādhana-siddha), and (3) one who has attained perfection in bhakti due to receiving the causeless mercy of a pure devotee or of the Lord directly (kṛpā-siddha). In such cases anyone from any condition, including women, can become dīkṣā-guru, and there will be no adharma or adverse effects. The body of such a man or a woman is not at all material but spiritual, there can be no inauspiciousness arising from such instances.11

11. Dāmodara Dāsa, Kṛṣṇa-kīrti Dāsa, Nārada Pañcarātra on Female Dīkṣā- gurus, 11 Sep 2017 (Updated 17 Dec 2018), page 3.

In further clarification of the use of the term siddha, as it pertains to the qualification to become a dīkṣā-guru, the characteristics of the perfectional stage of bhakti as described in Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s Harināma-cintāmaṇi, (15), are relevant:

One can reach āpana-daśā either from rāgānuga-sādhana, where scriptural rules are minimal, or through vaidhi-sādhana, where relying on suitable rules from scripture is predominant. If one progresses through the stages of faith, practice, purification, steadiness, taste and attachment, in either vaidhi or rāgānuga- sādhana, one then comes to the stage of bhāva, preliminary prema. It is at this point that one attains āpana-daśā. At this stage, beyond the category of sādhana-bhakti, when scriptural rules will be discarded as troublesome to one’s service, conceptions of rāgānuga and vaidhi will both be discarded.

Here, one’s identification with the material body will vanish and identification with one’s spiritual body will predominate. In that spiritual body (svarūpa-siddhi) one will always see Vṛndāvana and serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. This final stage is called sampatti-daśā.

In other words, a female who is qualified to act as dīkṣā- guru, and has therefore perfected her devotional service (pratyakṣitātma-nātha), and her identification with the material body having completely vanished, must have at least attained the stage of bhāva. At this stage, her svarūpa-siddhi becomes manifest.

The rarity of Siddhas

The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.17) accounts for the rarity of

bhāva-bhakti:

kleśa-ghnī śubhadā mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt sudurlabhā sāndrānanda-viśeṣātmā

śrī-kṛṣṇākarṣiṇī ca sā

The six characteristics of pure devotional service enumerated in the above verse are listed in the Nectar of Devotion (chapter 1) : (1) Pure devotional service brings immediate relief from all kinds of material distress. (2) Pure devotional service is the beginning of all auspiciousness. (3) Those in pure devotional service deride even the conception of liberation. (4) Pure devotional service is rarely achieved. (5) Pure devotional service automatically puts one in transcendental pleasure. (6) Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states in his commentary to the above verse:

bhāva-bhaktir mokṣa-laghutā-kṛd-rūpā sudurlabhā-rūpā ca

The two characteristics, mokṣa-laghutā-kṛt and sudurlabhā, are manifested at the stage of bhāva-bhakti; i.e. bhāva-bhakti is very rarely attainable and is beyond liberation.

In addition to the rarity of bhāva-bhakti itself, those at this stage of devotional service nevertheless tend to follow the rules and regulations of the śāstras prescribed for ordinary people. Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself (Bhagavad-gītā 3.17 – 3.35) indicates that liberated souls, who have no prescribed duties in the varṇāśrama system to perform, are nonetheless encouraged to perform them in order to set an example for the conditioned souls. The scriptures amply describe how great, liberated women like Kuntī, Devahūti, Sītādevī, who is Lakṣmīdevī herself, etc. nevertheless performed their varṇāśrama duties.

Hence, because bhāva-bhakti itself is very rare, and because many among these who reach this stage continue to follow daiva- varṇāśrama-dharma, female dīkṣā-gurus would be extremely rare. This comports with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements about female ācāryas: “not so many,” and “in very special case.”

Further Analysis from the Nārada Pañcarātra on the eligibility of Female Ācāryas

The paper Nārada Pañcarātra on Female Dīkṣā-gurus provides further considerations from Nārada Pañcarātra (Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā) on the eligibility of women to be dīkṣā-guru.

• Women who are not siddha cannot become dīkṣā-gurus.

na jātu mantra-dā nārī ¹² — Women cannot become dīkṣā- guru.

nārhanty ācāryatāṁ kvacit ¹³— Women should never take the position of an ācārya.

• But they can become śikṣā-guru.

striyaḥ śūdrādayaś caiva bodhayeyur hitāhitam ¹⁴ — Women,

śūdras, etc. can instruct about what is good and bad.

• Women who are siddha can become dīkṣā-guru.

pratyakṣītātma-nāthānāṁ naiṣāṁ cintyaṁ kulādikam¹⁵— For those who are liberated, self-realized souls, seeing God face- to-face, there need be no consideration of varṇa, kula, or gender in their becoming dīkṣā-guru.

• Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements that are to be synchronized with sādhu and śāstra.

- The pāñcarātra śāstras prohibit women who are not siddhas from becoming dīkṣā-guru.

- The varṇāśrama tradition also prohibits women from becoming dīkṣā-guru.

- Śrīla Prabhupāda himself mentions that women cannot become dīkṣā-guru:

Sunīti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru.¹⁶[edited version]

Suniti, however, being in family relationship with Dhruva, his mother, and also a woman, could not become the diksa guru of Dhruva Maharaja. [unedited transcription from manuscript, see Appendix III]

- But Śrīla Prabhupāda says at other times that women can become dīkṣā-guru.

- Yet Śrīla Prabhupāda also says that female dīkṣā-gurus should be “not so many” or in “very special case”:

Prof. O’Connell: Is it possible, Swamiji, for a woman to be a guru in the line of disciplic succession?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jāhnavā devī was—Nityānanda’s wife. She became. If she is able to go to the highest perfection of life, why it is not possible to become guru? But, not so many. Actually one who has attained the perfection, she can become guru. But man or woman, unless one has attained the perfection…. yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā sei guru haya (Cc. 2.8.128). The qualification of guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science of Kṛṣṇa. Then he or she can become guru.¹⁷

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Lord Nityānanda?

Prabhupāda: Wife. Jāhnavā-devī. She was controlling the whole Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava community.

Ātreya Ṛṣi: Do you have references about that in any of your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: I don’t think. But there are many ācāryas. Maybe somewhere I might have mentioned. It is not that woman cannot be ācārya. Generally, they do not become. In very special case. But Jāhnavā-devī was accepted as, but she did not declare.¹⁸

12. Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, 1.42.

13. Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, 1.43.

14. Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, 1.43.

15. Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, 1.44.

16. SB 4.12.32, purport.

17. Interview with Prof. O’Connell, Toronto, Jun 18, 1976.

18. Conversation, San Diego, Jun 29, 1972.

• Synchronization without speculation

Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (1.42–44) synchronizes all these statements by allowing women who are siddha to become dīkṣā-guru—this is “the special case.” And according to Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.35), such souls are “very rare,” and “not so many.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda stated that Sunīti was Dhruva’s śikṣā- guru but could not become his dīkṣā-guru due to her being a woman (SB 4.12.32, purport). Exactly the same is stated in the Nārada Pañcarātra:

striyaḥ śūdrādayaś caiva bodhayeyur hitāhitam

yathārhaṁ mānanīyāś ca nārhanty ācāryatāṁ kvacit

Women, śūdras, etc. can give ethical and moral instructions and are also worthy of respect as per their qualifications and conditions but are not entitled to get the position of ācārya. (Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.43)

But Nārada Pañcarātra also says women can be dīkṣā-guru, and it stipulates the condition under which this is allowed.

kim apy atrābhijāyante yoginaḥ sarva-yoniṣu

pratyakṣitātma-nāthānāṁ naiṣāṁ cintyaṁ kulādikam

But, because perfect yogis (or nitya-siddha devotees) who are on the stage of yoga-pratyakṣa (i.e. are self- realized—seeing God face-to-face), pratyakṣitātma- nāthas, may take birth in any family tradition, in such cases no consideration of kula, gender, etc. as mentioned earlier apply (they can become ācāryas). (Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.44)

This dual set of qualifications for being guru, one set for those who are not yet siddha and another for those who are, is seen in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s other writings.

For example, in an early letter to Janārdana, Śrīla Prabhupāda gives a hint about these different standards,

“A person who is liberated acārya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acārya by strictly following the disciplic succession.”¹⁹

The topmost devotees follow one set of standards to become ācārya whereas the “less qualified or not liberated” must follow others. Both standards are given here in Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā, of the Nārada Pañcarātra. Therefore, these authoritative statements from śāstra resolve, or synchronize, all the paradoxical statements Śrīla Prabhupāda has made at one time or another on the eligibility of women to become dīkṣā-guru.

According to the above synopsis, śloka 1.44 from Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā reconciles all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s different statements made at different times about the eligibility of women to become ācārya, or dīkṣā-guru.

19. Letter to Janārdana, 26 April 1968.

Once again, the conflicting statements include:

• Affirmations: “spiritual sons and daughters… be allowed to initiate disciples” (Letter to Haṁsadūta, 3 Jan 1969; Conversation with Professor O’Connell 18 Jun 1976 Toronto, etc.)

• Prohibitions: “Sunīti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru.” (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.32, purport)

• Restrictions: “not so many,” “Generally they do not become,” “In very special case.” (Conversation with Prof. O’Connell; Conversation 29 Jun 1972)

Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā synchronizes all of these different evidences for female dīkṣā-gurus, against them, and restrictions on them without need to interpret any of them indirectly. That is, all of them retain their mukhya-vṛtti, or direct meaning, because they are shown to be applicable to different persons at different stages of spiritual advancement. In other words, with the discovery of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (1.44), all these statements can be understood without the need to interpret them indirectly or nullify or dismiss them.

Conclusion

Since the time of Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, initiations in our sampradāya have been conducted according to pāñcarātrika-vidhi. The authoritative śāstras for this include Hari-bhakti-vilāsa and Nārada Pañcarātra, which Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī quotes widely in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. Ācāryas Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura substantiate that the initiation procedures we currently follow in ISKCON are based on Nārada Pañcarātra. This establishes the authority of the vidhis, or rules, of this śāstra over initiations within our disciplic succession.

According to these vidhis and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s own statements, “harināma-dīkṣā,” or “first initiation” is also conducted according to nāma-saṁskāra, which is the third of five saṁskāras or pañca-saṁskāra. Although the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra itself requires no special rules to be chanted, it is nonetheless bestowed upon the disciple by his dīkṣā- guru according to pāñcarātrika regulations. Thus, women who are being considered as candidates to formally initiate others according to pāñcarātrika-vidhi must also be qualified according to pāñcarātrika-vidhi.

According to the injunctions of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, which is a part of Nārada Pañcarātra, women who are siddha, or on the stage of bhāva-bhakti, are eligible to become ācārya, or dīkṣā-guru. Because by definition bhāva-bhakti is rare, female dīkṣā-gurus are also rare. Those women who are not yet at the stage of bhāva are not permitted to be dīkṣā-guru. Therefore Śrīla Prabhupāda said that women can be ācāryas “but, not so many,” or “in very special case.” Hence, all of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s seemingly conflicting statements on the matter are resolved when the authorative śāstras and ācāryas are consulted.

Nārada Pañcarātra / Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā

This part begins with an answer to the controversy of Vaiṣṇavīs giving dīkṣā. Verse 44 from the first chapter of Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā states when a Vaiṣṇavī or any other class ordinarily not allowed to act as a dīkṣā-guru can do so. When she is a siddha, then she may be allowed to act as a dīkṣā-guru, and the specific characteristics of the perfectional stage for which this is allowed are also stated in this verse. Then the verses preceding this one in Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā are presented, and they give the criteria and restrictions on sādhaka Vaiṣṇavas as initiators.

kim apy atrābhijāyante yoginaḥ sarva-yoniṣu |

pratyakṣitātma-nāthānāṁ naiṣāṁ cintyaṁ kulādikam ||44||

“But, because perfect yogis (or nitya-siddha devotees) who are on the stage of yoga-pratyakṣa (i.e. are self-realized—seeing God face-to-face), pratyakṣitātma-nāthas, may take birth in any family tradition, in such cases no consideration of kula, gender, etc. as mentioned earlier apply (they can become ācāryas).”

Comment: The word pratyakṣitātma-nātha denotes a person who has perfected the process of bhakti (sākṣāt-kṛta-bhagavat- tattvānām) and means that he is a pure siddha devotee beyond the modes of nature. Such a condition arises in three ways:

1) a nitya-siddha devotee like Prabhupāda, 2) one who has perfected bhakti by sādhana (sādhana-siddha), and 3) one who has attained perfection in bhakti due to receiving the causeless mercy of a pure devotee or of the Lord directly (kṛpā-siddha). In such cases anyone from any condition, including women, can become dīkṣā-guru, and there will be no adharma.

Can devotees who are not yet perfected, or sādhaka-bhaktas, become guru? The answer is “yes,” and the following set of verses, which in serial order come before this one, describe such sādhaka devotees who can also become gurus. Such is the case in any society, as siddha-bhaktas are always very rare.

prapitsur mantra-nirataṁ prājñaṁ hita-paraṁ śucim |

praśāntaṁ niyataṁ vṛttau bhajed dvija-varaṁ gurum ||38||

“Thus, one who is desirous of surrendering with faith should take shelter of a guru who is always engaged in chanting the mantra and is a knower of bhakti-siddhānta (prājñam), is always engaged, without any desire for personal benefit, in showering mercy on fallen souls (hita-param), who is always pure in heart or free of sins, peaceful, and always committed to his prescribed duties (ordained by his guru or by varṇāśrama). Such a guru should be the best of the twice-born (dvija-varam meaning brāhmaṇa).”

sapta-pūruṣa-vijñeye santataikānti-nirmale |

kule jāto guṇair yukto vipro śreṣṭhatamo guruḥ ||39||

“The best guru of all is a learned brāhmaṇa endowed with good qualities who has taken birth in a sinless lineage of devotee ancestors, traceable up to seven generations.”

Comment: Here being endowed with good qualities (guṇaiḥ yuktaḥ) is the principal

qualification for being an ācārya.¹

Besides these, every conditioned soul has his prārabdha-karma attached by previous birth and cultural training received from his family tradition. As one’s understanding about much in the world (including dharma) comes through family tradition (kula-dharma), Arjuna was very much worried about it being destroyed (Bg 1.37‒43) and thus it is undeniably an important aspect in one’s life. But in spite of all the good advantages that otherwise come from a high birth, if the candidate for becoming guru fails to achieve the required qualities he cannot become guru, as will be clarified in the coming verses.

1. The word ācārya is freely used in śāstras to refer to the initiating guru; it is not just reserved for great ācāryas like Rāmānujācārya, Prabhupāda, etc. In the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, verse 38 uses the word guru and verses 40 and 41 use the word ācārya for the same person. Another instance is from SB 11.17.27, ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān, where ācārya is used for the gurukula teacher. Manu-saṁhitā (2.140, qtd. in Cc Ādi 1.46 purport) uses ācārya for someone who initiates and who imparts to his disciples knowledge of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas. In ISKCON we usually reserve the word ācārya for nitya-siddha devotees. However, while reading śāstras, we need to broaden the meaning of this word to match that of the śāstras.

But in case he has all the required qualities, plus he has the fortune to be born in such a great family tradition, he certainly has an advantage. Śrīla Prabhupāda in his commentary on Bhagavad- gītā 6.42 says, “Birth in a family of yogīs or transcendentalists— those with great wisdom—is praised herein because the child born in such a family receives a spiritual impetus from the very beginning of his life.” He further notes that “such families are very learned and devoted by tradition and training, and thus they become spiritual masters.” Hence, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā designates such a guru with the advantage of birth in an unbroken and sinless family tradition as śreṣṭhatama, or the best of all.

This advantage, however, is not meant to negate the need of personal qualities of bhakti. This cannot be contradicted with the verse viprād dviṣaḍ-guṇa-yutādaravindanābhapadāravinda- vimukhāt. (SB 7.9.10) ² as there the qualified brāhmaṇa mentioned is not a bhakta. But the brāhmaṇa described in this verse is necessarily a viṣṇu-bhakta.

2.“If a brāhmaṇa has all twelve of the brahminical qualifications [as they are stated in the book called Sanat-sujāta] but is not a devotee and is averse to the lotus feet of the Lord, he is certainly lower than a devotee who is a dog-eater but who has dedicated everything—mind, words, activities, wealth and life—to the Supreme Lord. Such a devotee is better than such a brāhmaṇa because the devotee can purify his whole family, whereas the so- called brāhmaṇa in a position of false prestige cannot purify even himself.”

svayaṁ vā bhakti-sampanno jñāna-vairāgya-bhūṣitaḥ |

sva-karma-nirato nityam arhaty ācāryatāṁ dvijaḥ ||40||

“Even if a twice-born brāhmaṇa (dvija ) happens to have some non-devotees in his family line, or has not been fortunate to take birth in a renowned family of devotees, he nevertheless always deserves to be an ācārya if he is endowed with all good qualities like knowledge and renunciation, is engaged in his prescribed duties (sva-karma), and is steeped in loving devotion to the Lord.”

nācāryaḥ kula-jāto ’pi jñāna-bhakty-ādi-varjitaḥ |

na ca hīna-vayo-jātiḥ prakṛṣṭānām anāpadi ||41||

“On the other hand, one cannot become an ācārya even if one is born in a great family line (as mentioned before) but is devoid of jñāna, bhakti, good qualities, etc. Also, unless there is an emergency, an ācārya from a lower birth or age should not initiate a person from a higher birth or age.”

Comment: This is a consideration of anuloma and pratiloma, and it is a general prescription found in all smṛtis and pañcarātras. If a kṣatriya becomes an ācārya he can initiate a kṣatriya, vaiśya, or śūdra (this is anuloma) but not a brāhmaṇa (as it becomes pratiloma) unless there is an emergency.

Although jāti is mentioned, in order to understand these statements, it is imperative to not ascribe hereditary considerations to these instructions. Jāti as mentioned here is meant only to indicate the quality of that particular varṇa. Thus, the implied meaning is that a man having kṣatriya- varṇa in terms of actual qualification should not initiate one having brāhmaṇa-varṇa in terms of qualification. If birth consideration is assumed here, then these statements are of no use as saṁskāras are not in place. (According to SB 7.11.13, jāti taken as qualification is valid only when saṁskāras are in place.)

na jātu mantra-dā nārī na śūdro nāntarodbhavaḥ |

nābhiśasto na patitaḥ kāma-kāmo ’py akāminaḥ ||42||

“Even then, a woman, a śūdra and an antyaja can never act as an initiating guru, nor can anyone who is accused of a great sin or is fallen. And an aspiring disciple who is already accomplished in detachment (akāmī ) should never accept a guru who is infected with material desires.”

striyaḥ śūdrādayaś caiva bodhayeyur hitāhitam |

yathārhaṁ mānanīyāś ca nārhanty ācāryatāṁ kvacit ||43||

“Women, śūdras, etc., can give ethical and moral instructions and are also worthy of respect as per their qualifications and conditions but are not entitled to get the position of ācārya.”

Comment: Here women are clearly prohibited from accepting the post of dīkṣā-guru. However, a question arises that if śūdras are also prohibited, as this verse apparently suggests, then does this not directly conflict with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s statement kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī, śūdra kene naya/ yei kṛṣṇa- tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya (Cc Madhya 8.128), which affirms that a śūdra can become ācārya if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa? Does this not conflict with Śrīla Prabhupāda’s constant insistence that śūdras and others of low birth deserve to become guru (that too not just śikṣā-guru but dīkṣā-guru) if they know kṛṣṇa-tattva? The conclusion is that if someone actually knows Kṛṣṇa in truth, then one is qualified to become a spiritual master, including dīkṣā-guru, even if one is a śūdra or a woman.

But what if one who is advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not yet a siddha? Are there practical differences between someone who is actually siddha (perfect) and one who is still a sādhaka? Are there different qualifications for these two classes of devotees?

The apparent conflict between the kibā vipra, kibā nyāsī śloka in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and verses 38–43 of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā is resolved in verse 44, which uses the term pratyakṣitātma-nāthānām, seeing God by direct perception (face-to-face) to describe the qualification for being ācārya. Verse 44 indicates that this is an exception to the qualifications and prohibitions given in verses 38–43. For sādhakas and siddhas, the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā thus gives different sets of qualifications to accept the post of ācārya.

In this regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda once corrected a disciple who offered a reporter a partially correct account for spiritual insight. “No, not necessarily, Krishna will tell directly. A devotee always consults Krishna and Krishna tells him, ‘Do like this.’ Not figuratively…That is, therefore the minor devotees, they consult the spiritual master. That is our process. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ…”³ And in an early letter, Śrīla Prabhupāda gives a hint about these different standards, “A person who is liberated acārya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acārya by strictly following the disciplic succession.”⁴ The topmost devotees follow one set of standards to become ācārya whereas the “minor devotees” or “less qualified or not liberated” must follow others. Both standards are given here in the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā.

3. Conversation. 14 July 1976. Quoting Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s Śrī Śrī Gurvaṣṭaka, verse 8.

4. Letter to Janārdana, 26 April 1968.

Taken together, these verses from the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā demonstrate why women acting as dīkṣā-gurus have historically been rare—“not so many” and only in “very special case” as Śrīla Prabhupāda sometimes qualified. Simply put, sādhakas will always be much more numerous than siddhas, and pāñcarātrikī vidhi proscribes women who are sādhakas from acting as dīkṣā-gurus. That explains why we see in our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava disciplic succession that the women who have been confirmed as authentic dīkṣā-gurus have all been topmost devotees. These were indeed, as Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “very special case.”

FAQs and Opposing Arguments Answered

1. In your attempts to follow śāstra, are you not disregarding Prabhupāda’s explicit instruction that all of his female disciples may initiate disciples, as he gave it in a letter to Haṁsadūta, Jan 1969?

I want that all of my spiritual sons and daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedānta, so that the family transcendental diploma will continue through the generations. Those possessing the title of Bhaktivedānta will be allowed to initiate disciples. Maybe by 1975, all of my disciples will be allowed to initiate and increase the numbers of the generations. That is my program (Letter to Haṁsadūta—Los Angeles 3 January, 1969).

The simple answer to this is that Śrīla Prabhupāda also wanted his disciples to become siddha. He wanted them to be on the topmost levels of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, just like he was. Whenever he talks about the bona fide guru, he is almost always talking about this guru, who is also a liberated, perfected devotee who has achieved the goal of life, kṛṣṇa-prema.

This is shown in this letter to Mukunda, 10 June 1969, New Vrindavan (emphasis ours):

The answer to your Istagosthi questions are as follows: Unless one is a resident of Krishna Loka, one cannot be a Spiritual Master. That is the first proposition. A layman cannot be a Spiritual Master, and if he becomes so then he will simply create disturbance. And who is a liberated person? One who knows Krishna. It is stated in Bg, fourth chapter, anyone who knows Krishna in truth is immediately liberated, and after quitting the present body, he immediately goes to Krishna. That means he becomes a resident of Krishna Loka. As soon as one is liberated he is immediately a resident of Krishna Loka, and anyone who knows the truth of Krishna can become Spiritual Master. That is the version of Lord Caitanya. So to summarize the whole thing, it is to be understood that a bona fide Spiritual Master is a resident of Krishna Loka.

Your next question, whether the Spiritual Master was formerly a conditioned soul, actually a bona fide Spiritual Master is never a conditioned soul. There are three kinds of liberated persons. They are called 1) sadhan siddha, 2) kripa siddha, and 3) nitya siddha. Sadhan siddha means one who has attained perfection by executing the regulative principles of devotional service. Kripa siddha means one who has attained perfection by the special mercy of Krishna and the Spiritual Master, and nitya siddha means one who was never contaminated. The symptoms of nitya siddha is that from the beginning of his life he is attached to Krishna, and he is never tired of rendering service to Krishna. So we have to know what is what by these symptoms. But when one is actually on the siddha platform there is no such distinction as to who is sadhan, kripa, or nitya siddha. When one is siddha, there is no distinction what is what.

These statements of Śrīla Prabhupāda are fully compatible with the evidence we have presented from Nārada Pañcarātra (Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā). According to Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.44, if one is on the level of seeing Kṛṣṇa face-to-face, then one may be a spiritual master. It is this standard of dīkṣā-guru that Śrīla Prabhupāda had in mind when he wrote the letter to Haṁsadūta saying both his male and female disciples could accept disciples. Also note that there is only a six-month difference between the dates of the two letters.

Now, the problem is how do you act as a bona fide spiritual master when you aren’t a siddha? What if you are not yet a resident of Goloka Vṛndāvana?

The answer to this is by strictly following the disciplic succession. In his 26 April 1968 letter to Janārdana, Śrīla Prabhupāda writes,

A person who is liberated acharya and guru cannot commit any mistake, but there are persons who are less qualified or not liberated, but still can act as guru and acharya by strictly following the disciplic succession.

This means one must follow the śrutis, smṛtis, Purāṇas, Pañcarātras, etc., in order to act as a bona fide guru while not yet a resident of Goloka Vṛndāvana.

śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā

aikāntikī harer bhaktir utpātāyaiva kalpate

Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Nārada Pañcarātra is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.¹

It is interesting that in this particular translation given by Śrīla Prabhupāda that Nārada Pañcarātra is given. And according to this pañcarātra śāstra, women are not allowed to be dīkṣā-guru until they are siddha, and residents of Goloka Vṛndāvana.

1. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.101, as quoted in Bhagavad-gītā, As It Is, 7.3 purport.

This less-qualified category of guru is one that Śrīla Prabhupāda spoke infrequently about. However, in ISKCON today it is the general case, not the exception. Therefore, in order to understand how this category of guru is qualified and allowed to act, we also have to consult the ācāryas and śāstras. Thus, we have presented here the authoritative statements of Nārada Pañcarātra so that we may be correctly guided.

2. How can you decide which woman is a siddha? This is not institutionally verifiable and thus cannot help ISKCON in framing rules for Vaiṣṇavīs to become dīkṣā-gurus.

For normal cases (non-siddha candidates for the position of dīkṣā-guru) the qualifying rules are already mentioned in Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.38–43. But it is also mentioned in Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.44 that siddhas are an exception to this rule. This means that if needed, a dīkṣā-guru can be appointed even from a prohibited category, provided that he or she is a siddha. This is a necessary condition for women. The norm is that women generally cannot become dīkṣā-guru.

The exception is that if she is siddha, she may be allowed. But exceptions should not be institutionalized. The exception supports the norm. But if the norm is not in place, then the exception becomes an option, not an exception. Śrīla Prabhupāda said “not so many” and “very special case.” The norm must first be in place. Otherwise, the exception will itself become a part of the norm in lieu of any other example.

Moreover, we also find that the majority of nitya-siddha women did not become dīkṣā-guru. Women like Kunti, Devahūti, Rukmiṇī, Yaśodā, and many others were not dīkṣā- gurus although they were far more advanced than we are. What could have stopped them from taking the position of dīkṣā-guru? Nothing. They did not become.

And Bhagavad-gītā 3.17–25 explains why they did not become. Lord Kṛṣṇa explains that even if one is a siddha and therefore eligible to transgress the rules of varṇāśrama-dharma, one should still go on following one’s prescribed duties, which also means not following others’ prescribed duties, in order to guide others who are less advanced.

Lord Kṛṣṇa adds that even He Himself, who is beyond doubt always liberated, nonetheless follows duties prescribed according to varṇāśrama-dharma. He further adds that if He does not follow them, then He will be the reason for the destruction of the whole society. And that is because everyone will follow His example.

Great liberated nitya-siddha ladies like Kunti were aware of this instruction of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and thus they did not artificially try to become dīkṣā-guru—even though they were eligible from all angles, even according to the śāstras.

Śrīla Prabhupāda himself supports this point. He says that in order to preach, a nitya-siddha mahābhāgavata uttama- adhikārī has to act on the platform of madhyama-adhikārī.

Uttama adhikārī may be without kaṇṭhī, without śikhā, without Vaiṣṇava symptoms. He’s paramahaṁsa. But when he comes to the preaching platform he must become a madhyama adhikārī, not to imitate uttama adhikārī, because he has to teach. He cannot deviate from the teaching principles. So what you are speaking, that “Without śikhā without kaṇṭhī, one can become guru,” that is fact for the paramahaṁsa, not for the preacher. Preacher must behave very nicely.²

In ISKCON, a guru must preach. Therefore, a guru “must behave nicely,” following all rules and regulations for non-siddhas, thereby setting an example to be followed by others. The very word ācārya means “to lead by an example.” This is another reason for the Vaiṣṇavīs to not become dīkṣā-gurus and follow the examples of predecessor Vaiṣṇavīs like Kunti and Devahūti.

2. Lecture on Cc Madhya 8.128, Bhubaneswar, 24 Jan 1977.

3. Female dīkṣā-gurus are needed because there is a lack of male dīkṣā-gurus for preaching and making disciples.

But if this were true, then why was it not also true for temple presidents and GBC members during Śrīla Prabhupāda’s time? Out of the 108 temples and farm communities established by Śrīla Prabhupāda, none were run by women. All of the presidents of these centers were men. Same with the GBC. During Śrīla Prabhupāda’s time, all the GBC members were men, and Śrīla Prabhupāda himself picked them. Toward the time of his disappearance, Śrīla Prabhupāda appointed eleven disciples who would act as his representatives and initiate others on his behalf. Again, all of them were men. Moreover, none of them were siddha, they were all on the sādhaka platform—they were candidates for liberation but were not yet liberated.

Why were none of them women? Some say that some of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s sannyāsa disciples pressured him to discriminate against them, but there is a better explanation: his actions were according to śāstra.

According to Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, the following verses are given for our guidance:

yoṣito nāvamanyeta na cāsāṁ viśvased budhaḥ |

na caiverṣyur bhavet tāsu nādhikuryāt kadācana ||11.708||

A wise man should never insult women, nor should he trust them. He should never become jealous of women, nor should he ever appoint them.

strībhyo’dhikāraṁ na dadyād ity arthaḥ |

One should not give authority to women (from commentary of Sanātana Gosvāmī on 11.708).

So, we can see that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s decision not to appoint any women as temple president, GBC, or representative of the ācārya, was in line with śāstra.

4. How do you translate pratyakṣitātmanāthānām as those who are siddha, who can see God face-to-face?

This is the verse 1.44 from Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (BS) of Nārada

Pañcarātra:

kim apy atrābhijāyante yoginaḥ sarva-yoniṣu |

pratyakṣitātma-nāthānāṁ naiṣāṁ cintyaṁ kulādikam ||44||

But, because perfect yogis (or nitya-siddha devotees) who are on the stage of yoga-pratyakṣa (i.e. are self- realized – seeing God face-to-face), pratyakṣitātma- nāthānām, may take birth in any family tradition, in such cases no consideration of kula, gender, etc. as mentioned earlier apply (they can become ācāryas).

The original word in the verse is pratyakṣitātmanāthānām, which we translate as siddha. It means:

pratyakṣita ātmanaḥ nāthaḥ yaiḥ teṣām

pratyakṣita—directly perceiving; ātmanaḥ—of the soul; nāthaḥ—Lord or master; yaiḥ—by whom; teṣām—of those

Translation: Of those who are directly perceiving the Lord of the souls.

“Seeing God face-to-face” is a term used to generally express such notions. It doesn’t mean just seeing, it includes all perceptions. Śrīla Prabhupāda uses this term in Bg 15.7 purport (emphasis ours),

The following information is there in the Mādhyandināyana-śruti: sa vā eṣa brahma-niṣṭha idaṁ śarīraṁ martyam atisṛjya brahmābhisampadya brahmaṇā paśyati brahmaṇā śṛṇoti brahmaṇaivedaṁ sarvam anubhavati. It is stated here that when a living entity gives up this material embodiment and enters into the spiritual world, he revives his spiritual body, and in his spiritual body he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He can hear and speak to Him face to face, and he can understand the Supreme Personality as He is.

As the Lord cannot be seen by material senses, the devotee that is mentioned in BS 1.44 is on the level of svarūpa-siddhi, that is, he is on the bhāva-bhakti platform, where one starts seeing (or perceiving) the Lord.

When the devotion of the neophyte reaches the stage of bhāva-bhakti the pure eye of that devotee is tinged with the salve of love by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, which enables him to see Kṛṣṇa face-to-face.³

If one progresses through the stages of faith, practice, purification, steadiness, taste and attachment, in either vaidhi or rāgānuga-sādhana, one then comes to the stage of bhāva, preliminary prema. It is at this point that one attains āpana-daśā. At this stage, beyond the category of sādhana-bhakti, when scriptural rules will be discarded as troublesome to one’s service, conceptions of rāgānuga and vaidhi will both be discarded.

Here, one’s identification with the material body will vanish and identification with one’s spiritual body will predominate. In that spiritual body (svarūpa-siddhi) one will always see Vṛndāvana and serve Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. This final stage is called sampatti-daśā.⁴

3. Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.38, Purport.

4. Harināma-cintāmaṇi, 15, by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.

5. If women are prohibited from becoming dīkṣā-guru, then so are śūdras; then almost all ISKCON gurus are not bona fide.

In addition to women, Nārada Pañcarātra (Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā 1.42–43) also prohibits śūdras or those even lower from becoming dīkṣā-guru. This means that almost all gurus in ISKCON are not bona fide according to Nārada Pañcarātra. But Śrīla Prabhupāda never taught this. He always rejected caste considerations, quoting the kibā-vipra kibā-nyāsī verse (Cc Madhya 8.128). The conclusion is that ISKCON gurus are not śūdras, even if they have been born in śūdra or mleccha families.

We all know that it is a mistake to think one is a brāhmaṇa merely because he has taken birth in a family of brāhmaṇas. Similarly, it is a mistake to think that one born in a family of śūdras or mlecchas is a śūdra or mleccha. Varṇa is to be judged by the qualities one possesses, not by family lineage or heredity. Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us this on numerous occasions, establishing this fact from guru-sādhu-śāstra. Thus, when it is said that a śūdra is prohibited from becoming a dīkṣā-guru, it means a person who is a śūdra by quality (guṇa) and karma (work). Someone who is actually qualified as a guru is never a śūdra.

6. If a woman can also become brāhmaṇa by quality, then why can’t she become dīkṣā-guru?

In Kṛṣṇa’s Vedic culture there were brāhmaṇīs (wives of brāhmaṇas), but they never took the position of dīkṣā-guru. Strictly speaking, women have no varṇa.

Śrīla Prabhupāda says that “even born in a brāhmaṇa family, a woman is taken as woman, not as brāhmaṇa.” He gives the reason: “because a girl has to follow her husband. So, if her husband is brāhmaṇa, automatically she becomes brāhmaṇa. There is no need of separate reformation. And by chance she may be married with a person who is not a brāhmaṇa, then what is the use of making her a brāhmaṇa?”⁵

This is because one’s varṇa is based on two things—guṇa and karma (cāturvarṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, Bg 4.13). Besides having guṇa or qualities, one must have the prescribed duties of a particular varṇa in order to be of that varṇa.

In the case of women, although they may have a particular guṇa, or quality, the śāstras do not prescribe any duty to women based on that quality or guṇa. For instance, in the śāstras we do not find prescribed duties mentioned specifically for brāhmaṇīs (wives of brāhmaṇas), kṣatriyāṇīs (wives of kṣatriyas), etc., although we find them prescribed in the case of males. The only duty for women prescribed in the śāstras (irrespective guṇa) is to serve and follow their husbands.⁶

Hearing this, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “My dear Vallabha Bhaṭṭa, you do not know religious principles. Actually, the first duty of a chaste woman is to carry out the order of her husband.”⁷

5. Śrī Śrī Rukmini Dvārakānātha Deity Installation, Los Angeles, July 16, 1969 (emphasis ours)

6. For details of duties of women, see SB 7.11.25–29

7. Cc Antya 7.106

Thus, the śāstras prescribe duties for women based on their gender. A woman may be sāttvika, but she cannot become dīkṣā-guru. Instead, it is prescribed that she marries a brāhmaṇa and then, because her husband is a guru, she automatically becomes guru-patni (wife of the guru), who is respected on an equal level.

Conclusion:

• One who is śūdra, antyaja, etc. by quality, cannot become dīkṣā-guru.

• Even if sāttvika by quality, a woman still cannot become dīkṣā-guru, as she is of the female gender. This is according to the pañcarātra śāstras, especially Nārada Pañcarātra, which prohibits non-siddha women from becoming dīkṣā-guru.

• Brāhmaṇīs (wives of brāhmaṇas) never took the position of dīkṣā-guru in Vedic culture.

• The duties of women are prescribed by the śāstras according to their gender.

7. But there are so many Vaiṣṇavī gurus in the Gauḍīya sampradāya. What about that?

In an interview, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s godbrother B.R. Śrīdhara Mahārāja said that female ācāryas, dīkṣā-gurus, are “very rare.” Mahārāja further added, “The number can be counted on fingers, lady ācāryas.”⁸ Indeed, the few examples of lady ācāryas in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism are of siddha women. Jāhnavā Devī was none other than Nityānanda Prabhu’s wife, the internal potency of the Lord Himself. Gaṅgāmātā Gosvāmiṇī showed the symptoms of a liberated soul from the beginning of her life. She did not want to marry any mortal man. And later on, Lord Jagannatha Himself ordered her to initiate disciples.⁹

They form the exceptions mentioned in the śāstras, and in no way do they contradict the norm of non-siddha women being prohibited from becoming dīkṣā-guru. Instead, as exceptions, they support it.

8. 1981 Conversation with Śrīpāda B.R. Śrīdhara Mahārāja, quoted in SAC 2005.

9. Associates of Śrī Caitanya 2.22, Gaṅgāmātā Gosvāmiṇī.

To try to prove that Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā-gurus are not rare in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism is directly trying to prove the Śrīla Prabhupāda’s stance on this subject is faulty. It creates the offense of considering the guru to be an ordinary man.

Nevertheless, the Śāstric Advisory Committee in its paper FDG: Prudent Questions, Sastric Answers (2013) put forward as counter-examples some Gauḍīya disciplic lineages that have female ācāryas. In one lineage, six of their twelve ācāryas were women, and in other, nine out of eleven were women. According to the SAC, “it is virtually impossible to provide a solid proof for the claim that FDGs were rare” and they further say that “historically, the claimed rarity of FDGs in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya is difficult to substantiate.”¹⁰

This reasoning is improper because it tries to contradict the words (śabda) of a liberated ācārya such as Śrīla Prabhupāda with the lower-level evidence of observation (pratyakṣa).

10. Page 12.

But even if we were to accept the argument offered by the SAC, they have provided no evidence that the ladies who came after Jāhnavā Devī and some others in the lineages they cite were also siddha. The SAC uncritically assumes they were.

But their assumption is unwarranted. By the time of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, almost the whole Gauḍīya sampradāya was lost or transformed into apasampradāyas.

Say, after the disappearance of the Gosvāmīns, about 250 years after, the things became most ridiculous. The so-called devotees… Their representatives still are continuing. They are called prākṛta-sahajiyā.

Prākṛta-sahajiyā means taking things very easily. They thought that Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is just like a boy and girl’s lusty affairs. And in this way they took it that sex life as religion. Even Vivekananda, he also criticized, “Vaiṣṇavism is sex religion.” So the things deteriorated in such a way that… And similarly, as Advaita Prabhu was afflicted, similarly, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura… He was at that time a householder, government officer and magistrate. He felt very much: “Oh, Lord Caitanya’s movement is so… People… As soon as one will see that he belongs to the Caitanya sampradāya, he’ll deride, ‘Oh, these are all rascals, simply taking sex pleasures. That’s all.’”¹¹

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura is therefore addressed as rūpānuga- vara or the best of the followers of Rūpa Gosvāmī. He is the one who revived the Gauḍīya sampradāya’s real teachings. Thus, some doubt is warranted as to the authenticity of the Gauḍīya lineages presented by the SAC.

11. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Appearance Day Lecture, 7 Feb 1969, Los Angeles.

In absence of any evidence higher than our observation of the SAC’s lists of Vaiṣṇavīs who became dīkṣā-gurus, it is best to stick to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s analysis that Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā-gurus were “not so many” and are always to be “very special cases.” Those who are dissatisfied with this are invited to present their lists of Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā-gurus in different Gauḍīya lines, along with their bona fide biographies and teachings so that everyone can really see the evidence.

8. But in today’s ISKCON, if a woman has been preaching for the last 30 years and has a substantial number of followers already taking guidance from her, and they want to be initiated by her, why not let her give them dīkṣā?

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.32, purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda says (emphasis ours)—

Dhruva Mahārāja’s mother, Sunīti, was his patha- pradarśaka-guru … sometimes called śikṣā-guru

It is the duty of the śikṣā-guru or dīkṣā-guru to instruct the disciple in the right way, and it depends on the disciple to execute the process. According to śāstric injunctions, there is no difference between śikṣā- guru and dīkṣā-guru, and generally the śikṣā-guru later on becomes the dīkṣā-guru. Sunīti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru.

Śrīla Prabhupāda says “generally the śikṣā-guru later on becomes the dīkṣā-guru.” And this has been the common experience within ISKCON. “However,” Śrīla Prabhupāda adds, “Sunīti, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Maharaja’s dīkṣā-guru.” Here it is seen that Śrīla Prabhupāda is applying this restriction in case of women who are preaching and having followers. Although men generally can become dīkṣā-gurus, women generally cannot.

But if we do it anyway, what difference it will make? It means we will have transgressed the orders of guru-sādhu-śāstra, and we will not achieve kṛṣṇa-prema. That is the unavoidable consequence of defying śabda-pramāṇa.

We should not be so dependent on our own pratyakṣa (direct perception, experience) and anumāna (inference) that we dare use them to test the authenticity of the words of liberated ācāryas. Through our own experience and power of reasoning alone, we will not be able to clearly understand how any given idea or act will affect ISKCON. But we should have full faith that by sticking to the instructions of guru, sādhu, and śāstra that the eventual outcome will be auspicious.

9. The women who are prohibited in Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā from becoming dīkṣā-guru are non-initiated women; they are not Vaiṣṇavīs. No such rules are mentioned for Vaiṣṇavīs.

That is not the truth. Below is the verse under discussion—

na jātu mantra-dā nārī na śūdro nāntarodbhavaḥ |

nābhiśasto na patitaḥ kāma-kāmo ’py akāminaḥ ||42||

“Even then, a woman, a śūdra and an antyaja can never act as an initiating guru, nor can anyone who is accused of a great sin or is fallen. And an aspiring disciple who is already accomplished in detachment (akāmī) should never accept a guru who is infected with material desires.”

The specific word used here is mantra-dā, which means mantraṁ dadāti sā mantra-dā, or a woman who gives mantra is called mantra-dā.

If a woman is not an initiated Vaiṣṇava, then she has not received any mantra and thus there is no question of giving the mantra to others. Thus, it becomes useless to mention that she cannot become mantra-dā.

Besides that, in the verse 1.37, where the description of the qualifications for who can be guru starts, it is mentioned that only a Vaiṣṇava can be guru and thus the context is set that whatever personalities are being discussed are duly initiated

Vaiṣṇavas. Below is the verse—

nyāse vāpyarcane vāpi mantramekāntinaḥ śrayet |

avaiṣṇavopadiṣṭena mantreṇa na parā gatiḥ ||37||

In the matter of surrendering, either performing nyāsaḥ (tilaka, body marks etc.) or performing arcana (deity worship), the initiation must be received from a guru who is fully surrendered to no one else than Lord Viṣṇu. By the mantras received from an avaiṣṇava guru, one can never reach the highest perfection.

Thus, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā is prohibiting initiated Vaiṣṇavīs from becoming dīkṣā-gurus. This is also supported by the history of great Vaiṣṇava ladies like Devahūti, Kunti, Yaśodā, Rukmiṇī, and many others, who never took the position of dīkṣā-guru. They were not just Vaiṣṇavīs, they were nitya- siddha-vaiṣṇavīs. They were very special. Thus, we should seriously consider whether we are following in the footsteps of great devotees if we are proposing to normalize the creation of Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā-gurus.

10. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā doesn’t differentiate between normal women and Vaiṣṇavīs. Thus, its prescriptions and proscriptions are not applicable for initiated Vaiṣṇavīs.

It is a mistake to think that Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā does not differentiate between normal women and Vaiṣṇavīs. Here it will be shown that the injunctions of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā are solely intended for Vaiṣṇavas.

First of all, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā is a treatise on śaraṇāgati (surrender), and it elaborates upon the verse ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ…, which describes the six limbs of surrender. This verse is often quoted by Śrīla Prabhupāda,¹² and it appears in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (11.676) by Sanātana Gosvāmī. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā explains this verse,¹³ expanding it into 8 chapters and guides about how to practically implement it in daily life, living in a society of devotees. It explains each and every limb of surrender in utmost detail.

12. See Bg 18.66, Purport.

13. Verse appears in Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, 1.17–18.

Right from the beginning up to the end, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā speaks about Vaiṣṇavas only. For example, verses, 1.13–15 —

prāptum icchan parāṁ siddhiṁ janaḥ sarvo ’py akiñcanaḥ |

śraddhayā parayā yukto hariṁ śaraṇam āśrayet ||13||

One who desires to achieve ultimate benefit (parā siddhi) and who is without desire for proprietorship (akiñcana) must take shelter of Lord Hari with transcendental faith.

na jāti-bhedaṁ na kulaṁ na liṅgaṁ na guṇa-kriyāḥ |

na deśa-kālau nāvasthāṁ yogo hy ayam apekṣate ||14||

There is no consideration of birth, family, gender, or quality, work, etc., nor is there consideration of time, place, and circumstance in accepting this yoga process (pāñcarātrika-vidhi).

brahma-kṣatra-viśaḥ śūdrāḥ striyāś cāntarajās tathā |

sarva eva prapadyeran sarva-dhātāram acyutam ||15||

Anyone, whether they be brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, women, antyajas, or anyone else, should, with full faith, take shelter of Lord Acyuta, who is the master of all living entities, through the medium of this yoga.

Is this not a special consideration for Vaiṣṇavas, that anyone from any caste, creed, gender, family, work, etc. can surrender to Lord Hari? It nicely matches with the teachings of our sampradāya.

Then Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (1.37) says:

nyāse vāpyarcane vāpi mantramekāntinaḥ śrayet |

avaiṣṇavopadiṣṭena mantreṇa na parā gatiḥ ||37||

In the matter of surrendering, either performing nyāsaḥ (tilaka, body marks etc.) or performing arcana (deity worship), the initiation must be received from a guru who is fully surrendered to no one else than Lord Viṣṇu. By the mantras received from an avaiṣṇava guru one can never reach the highest perfection.

Note the words avaiṣṇavopadiṣṭena. This means that Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā says that the guru must be a Vaiṣṇava and not a non-Vaiṣṇava. It differentiates between a Vaiṣṇava and a non-Vaiṣṇava guru.

When it is said that women are allowed to take dīkṣā, it means they are allowed to take pañca-saṁskāras (detailed in Chapter 2 of the pariśiṣṭa of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā). Yāga, the last of the pañca-saṁskāras, makes them eligible to worship Deities. This consideration is the same as given in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.

Conclusion:

• Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā is a scripture for Vaiṣṇavas and follows Vaiṣṇava principles.

• Gopāla Bhatta Gosvāmī quotes verses from Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā in his Sat-kriyā-sāra Dīpikā.

• Srila Prabhupada mentions Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (in his purport to SB 4.31.10) in connection to eligibility for initiations.

• Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura quotes a verse from Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā in his commentary to Caitanya Bhāgavata, Adi 8.7, purport.

• Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura mentions Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā as a Vaiṣṇava saṁhitā in line with Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.

• From these evidences, there should be no doubt about the authority of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā.¹⁴

14. For more details about the authority of the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, see Appendix I.

11. Śrīla Prabhupāda had female disciples like Śāradīyā give brahminical initiation and Gāyatrī-mantras to her husband and others. So, why should we stop women from becoming dīkṣā-guru?

Śrīla Prabhupāda writes—

Even though you have had no Gāyatrī-mantra, still you are more than brāhmaṇa. I am enclosing herewith your sacred thread, duly chanted on by me. Gāyatrī-mantra is as follows: [taken out] Ask your wife to chant this mantra and you hear it and if possible hold a fire ceremony as you have seen during your marriage and get this sacred thread on your body. Śāradīyā, or any twice-initiated devotee, may perform the ceremony.¹⁵

15. Letter to Vaikuṇṭhanātha and Śaradīyā, April 4, 1971.

In the very early days of ISKCON, Śrīla Prabhupāda was always present, performed the initiation ceremony, and gave

the mantras himself. As the movement began to spread, Śrīla Prabhupāda faced the practical problem of how to perform initiations from a distance when he was not present. This letter to Vaikuṇṭhanātha and Śāradīyā is such a case. Śrīla Prabhupāda solves the problem by giving his “power of attorney” to Śāradīyā, and he instructs her what to do on his behalf. Śāradīyā’s husband remained the disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda only, and thus she was not made dīkṣā-guru.

It is important to note that this was not the final solution for this problem. Future long-distance initiations were conducted only by men, who performed the homa, and the mantra was given via a recording on a $1.00 cassette tape. But while Śrīla Prabhupāda was manifest in this world, this recording was imbued with his spiritual “power of attorney,” and anyone who was accepted by Śrīla Prabhupāda and heard that recording was duly initiated.

This recording still exists, but after Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disappearance it no longer has the potency to initiate anyone. Only Ṛtviks believe otherwise.

12. Let us institute Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā-gurus for now, and then, if there are some problems, we can always retract them. What is the harm?

The problem is that those who are initiated by such non- siddha Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā-gurus will actually remain uninitiated (even though they take shelter with all sincerity) and thus won’t be able to go “Back to Godhead.” Moreover, such so- called Vaiṣṇavīs who have become guru will also have to fall down. Please see the evidence below—

atha strīśūdrasaṅkīrṇānirmalāpatitādiṣu |

ananyenānyadṛṣṭauca kṛtāpi na kṛtā bhavet ||59||

If one surrenders to a woman, śūdra, saṅkīrṇa (one of mixed birth), one who has not accepted an ācārya, or a sinful and fallen person, his initiation is useless or as if not done. This is so even if he takes shelter with unalloyed attitude.

ato’nyatrāśu vidhivatkartavyā śaraṇāgatiḥ |

upadeṣṭā tu mantrasya mūḍhaḥ pracyavate hyadhaḥ ||60||

Such a disciple should quickly take shelter of another spiritual master who is bona fide according to rules and regulations. A foolish person (as described in

59th verse), who becomes spiritual master by giving mantras, falls down.¹⁶

16. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.59–60.

We are obliged to follow this. The Lord Himself says this in the Ahirbudhnya-saṁhitā, another pañcarātra quoted by almost all ācāryas in their commentaries on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.20.9—

śruti-smṛtī mamaivājñe yas te ullaṅghya vartate

ājñā-cchedī mama dveṣī mad-bhakto ‘pi na vaiṣṇavaḥ

The śruti and smṛti literatures are to be understood as My injunctions, and one who violates such codes is to be understood as violating My will and thus opposing Me. Although such a person may claim to be My devotee, he is not actually a Vaiṣṇava.

13. In Vedic times women were not initiated, so they could not become dīkṣā-gurus. But because the Pañcarātras allow women to receive pāñcarātrika mantras, they can also give them to others, acting as dīkṣā-gurus.

To become dīkṣā-guru, getting initiated into the mantras is not the only qualification. It is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one. In Vedic culture, all the three varṇas— brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, and vaiśyas—received mantras at the time of initiation. But only brāhmaṇas were allowed to give mantras and be dīkṣā-gurus. Similarly, when pāñcarātrika- vidhi allows women to receive mantras in initiation, they do not automatically become eligible also to give mantras and be dīkṣā-guru.

Moreover, Nārada Pañcarātra states that women should not become dīkṣā-guru. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (Nārada Pañcarātra) clearly states that women are eligible to receive initiation (1.14–15) but are not eligible to give initiation and be dīkṣā- guru (1.42–43). This also matches with Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.12.32, purport, wherein Śrīla Prabhupāda says, “Sunīti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru.”¹⁷

17. Please see Appendix VI for the verses and translations as well as exceptions.

Those who believe that because the pañcarātras allow women to get initiated they can also give mantras and be dīkṣā-gurus base their argument on the set of verses from Hari-bhakti- vilāsa (1.194–198) mentioned below. However, it is to be noted that these verses clearly mention that the allowance given to women is for receiving initiation and thus chanting mantras and worshipping the Deities of the Lord. It nowhere mentions that women are allowed to give mantras and become dīkṣā-guru.

athādhikāra-nirṇayaḥ

tāntrikeṣu ca mantreṣu dīkṣāyāṁ yoṣitām api sādhvīnām adhikāro ‘sti śūdrādīnāṁ ca sad-dhiyām

Now begins the discussion of who is eligible—

Chaste and saintly women, and saintly-hearted śūdras, and so on are qualified to be initiated in the chanting of mantras from the Tantras.

tathā ca smṛty-artha-sāre pādme ca vaiśākha- māhātmye śrī-nāradāmbarīṣa-samvāde

āgamoktena mārgeṇa strī-śūdraiś caiva pūjanam

kartavyaṁ śraddhayā viṣṇoś cintayitvā patiṁ hṛdi

In the Smṛty-artha-sāra, as well as in the Padma Purāṇa, Vaiśākha-māhātmya, in a conversation of Śrī Nārada and Śrī Ambarīṣa it is said:

“Following the path described in the Āgamas, women and śūdras may faithfully worship Lord Viṣṇu and meditate on Him as the Lord in the heart.

śūdrāṇāṁ caiva bhavati nāmnā vai devatārcanam

sarve cāgama-mārgeṇa kuryur vedānusāriṇā

“Following the path of the Āgamas, which themselves follow the path of the Vedas, women and śūdras may worship the Supreme Lord by chanting His holy names.

strīṇām āpy adhikāro ‘sti viṣṇor ārādhānādiṣu

pati-priya-hitānāṁ ca śrutir eṣā sanātanī

“Women who desire the welfare of their husbands are also entitled to worship Lord Viṣṇu. That is the conclusion of the eternal Vedas.”

agastya-saṁhitāyāṁ, śrī-rāma-mantra-rājam uddiśya

śuci-vrata-tamaḥ śūdrā dhārmikā dvija-sevakāḥ

striyaḥ pati-vratāś cānye pratilomānuloma-jāḥ lokāś cāṇḍāla-paryantāḥ sarve ‘py atrādhikāriṇaḥ

In the Agastya-saṁhitā, in relation to the king of all mantras, the Rāma-mantra, it is said:

“Religious and pure śūdras, who are servants of the brāhmaṇas, as well as chaste women, those born in pratiloma and anuloma families, and everyone else, down even to the cāṇḍālas, are qualified to worship Lord Viṣṇu in this way.”

Conclusion:

• The pāñcarātras allow women to get initiated.

• The right to get initiated does not imply the right to initiate.

• The pañcarātras prohibit women from becoming initiators or dīkṣā-gurus unless siddha.

14. The standard smṛti-śāstra (law codes) to be followed by Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas is Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, not Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā. Hari-bhakti-vilāsa doesn’t prohibit Vaiṣṇavīs from becoming dīkṣā-gurus. So why to bring Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā into the picture and transgress Hari-bhakti- vilāsa?

Although Hari-bhakti-vilāsa is specifically meant for Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas, it doesn’t address the matter of Vaiṣṇavīs’ becoming dīkṣā-guru. Thus, we need to resort to other śāstras for this matter.

Whenever Śrīla Prabhupāda talked about matters related to women’s role and activities, he usually quoted from Manu- saṁhitā. He has hardly quoted anything from Hari-bhakti- vilāsa for matters specifically related to women. In fact, it is a famous rule of pramāṇa-śāstra—anuktam anyato grāhyam— that which is not clarified in our scripture should be imported from another scripture; but—paroktam avirodhī ca¹⁸—only those instructions which are not opposite to our scripture. Śrīla Prabhupāda himself followed this rule, and thus it is not prohibited to resort to other śāstras for matters not clearly discussed in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa.

None of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements on the matter of women acting as dīkṣā-guru can be supported by Hari-bhakti-vilāsa. It just doesn’t deal with this matter. But all of his statements are supported by Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā. Thus, resorting to Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā in fact enhances the position of Śrīla Prabhupāda as a staunch representative of the śāstras.

Śrīla Prabhupāda himself said (emphasis added):

As stated by Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, sādhu-śāstra- guru: one has to test all spiritual matters according to the instructions of saintly persons, scriptures and the spiritual master. The spiritual master is one who follows the instructions of his predecessors, namely the sādhus, or saintly persons. A bona fide spiritual master does not mention anything not mentioned in the authorized scriptures. Ordinary people have to follow the instructions of sādhu, śāstra and guru. Those statements made in the śāstras and those made by the bona fide sādhu or guru cannot differ from one another.¹⁹

18. Kātyāyana 3.3.

19. SB 4.16.1, purport (emphasis ours).

However, Hari-bhakti-vilāsa does say one thing about women:

yoṣito nāvamanyeta na cāsāṁ viśvased budhaḥ |

na caiverṣyur bhavet tāsu nādhikuryāt kadācana ||11.708||

A wise man should never insult women, nor should he trust them. He should never become jealous of women, nor should he ever appoint them.

strībhyo’dhikāraṁ na dadyād ity arthaḥ |

One should not give authority to women (from commentary of Sanātana Gosvāmī on 11.708).

After Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disappearance, the appointment of women to positions of authority in ISKCON like temple president and GBC—something that Śrīla Prabhupāda never did—appears to be a violation of these injunctions.

15. Śrīla Prabhupāda made many adjustments in order to expand the preaching of ISKCON. So, would it not be niyamāgraha if we stubbornly stick to this age-old tradition of not allowing women to initiate, thus resulting in hampered preaching of ISKCON?

In this regard, there are some points to observe:

• In ISKCON’s early days, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave sannyāsa- dīkṣā very liberally and to very young devotees. But today the rules for giving sannyāsa are stricter; today even age is a consideration.

• In the beginning, he instituted very simple worship of the Deities of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā Devī, even by non-brāhmaṇa initiated devotees. Later he mandated that only brāhmaṇa-initiated devotees worship the Deities.

• He also let women stay in his Western temples and instituted a brahmacāriṇī āśrama.

• And there are many other examples.

For the establishment of ISKCON, Śrīla Prabhupāda had to make many adjustments. But he wanted that we should eventually revert back to the norms given by our śāstras and ācāryas.

But there are also many adjustments he did not make. One of many such counter-examples is the fourth regulative principle (no illicit sex). Śrīla Prabhupāda did not compromise on it, although some have suggested that it be made more lenient in order to propagate the movement more widely. But he refused to compromise.

Given that Śrīla Prabhupāda made adjustments to some principles and would not make adjustments to others, we should ask, “when can we apply time, place, and circumstance adjustments, and when can we not?” The answer is that the śāstras and ācāryas also provide methods that help us make this determination. This science is called pramāṇa-śāstra. In English we may call it Vedic Hermeneutics, although this is not an exact translation.

When applying the methods of pramāṇa-śāstra to harmonize the actions and instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda with the words of the sādhus and the śāstras, it is sometimes surprising to see how nicely the instructions and actions of Śrīla Prabhupāda and the ācāryas are fully rooted in guru, sādhu, and śāstra. Pramāṇa-śāstra enables us to understand what is the scope of an adjustment, its duration, and why it had to be made.

For example, according to the śāstras, there are compulsory duties technically called nitya-karma. The nature of such duties is that if you fail to execute them, you incur sin or become degraded. But sometimes one may be factually incapable of performing such duties (asāmarthya). In such cases, the details of the activities can be adjusted to the level one is capable of performing. However, if we have the capability, or sāmarthya, but we still adjust the details, we become degraded.²⁰

20. Mīmāṁsā-sūtra 6.3.2–3, 8–10.

Thus, by seeing the words “one cannot suddenly change a community’s social customs” in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s famous purport to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Adi-līlā, 7.31–32, in which he defended his adjustment to allow women to preach alongside of men, it can be seen that it was a case of asāmarthya on the part of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Western disciples. Being from a society that encourages free mixing of the sexes, they were not immediately capable of strictly following Vedic rules prescribed by our ācāryas for keeping men and women strictly separate.

But we also see that Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to revert back to the Vedic norm as soon as possible. He writes—

That the Brahmacarini ashram is a good success is very good news. But the best thing will be if the grown-up Brahmacarinis get married.

According to Vedic culture, woman is never to remain independent. I shall be glad if the Brahmacarinis can have nice husbands, and live as Grhasthas.²¹

Later, he wanted to reduce the pace of preaching and “boil the milk.” He writes—

Now we have got so many students and so many temples but I am fearful that if we expand too much in this way that we shall become weakened and gradually the whole thing will become lost. Just like milk. We may thin it more and more with water for cheating the customer, but in the end it will cease to be any longer milk. Better to boil the milk now very vigorously and make it thick and sweet, that is the best process. So let us concentrate on training our devotees very thoroughly in the knowledge of Krishna Consciousness from our books, from tapes, by discussing always, and in so many ways instruct them in the right propositions.²²

21. Letter to Satsvarūpa, Montreal, Aug 8, 1968.

22. Letter to Haṁsadūta, LA, June 22, 1972.

So, we can see from these examples that when there is some asāmarthya, or incapability, in the matter of following rules that must be followed (or degradation happens), then some adjustment is made. But once there is no longer an irregular or emergency situation that requires the adjustment, then the norm specified in the śāstras must be resumed.

With this same rule from pramāṇa-śāstra, we can consider these two cases side-by-side: one is getting initiated, and the other is becoming dīkṣā-guru. Getting initiated is a compulsory act, because if one is not initiated, he will degrade himself to animal life after death.23 Thus, according to the mentioned rule of pramāṇa-śāstra, subsidiary procedures that constitute the dīkṣā ceremony may be adjusted to the level one is capable to follow. As our dīkṣā process is pāñcarātrikī, it has the fire sacrifice as one of its subsidiary acts that are to be executed in order to complete it. But due to asāmarthya, a fire sacrifice in dīkṣā ceremonies may sometimes be compromised with or even dispensed with.

But becoming dīkṣā-guru is not a compulsory act (you don’t degrade if you don’t become dīkṣā-guru). Thus, if someone needs to become dīkṣā-guru, then the procedures as mentioned in guru, sādhu, and śāstra must be followed without adjustment. In this case, the rules of the pāñcarātrika scriptures prohibit non-siddha women from becoming dīkṣā-guru. Not making an adjustment is not considered niyamāgraha, because pramāṇa- śāstra tells us that adjustment is not permitted for becoming dīkṣā-guru. The śāstra has to be followed strictly.

23. Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 2.6 (quoted from Skanda Purāṇa, in discussion between Rukmāṅgada-mohini; also from Viṣṇu-yāmala).

adīkṣitasya vāmoru kṛtaṁ sarvaṁ nirarthakam | paśu-yonim avāpnoti dīkṣā-virahito janaḥ ||

16. According to your research, a dīkṣā-guru needs to be brāhmaṇa. But seeing a Vaiṣṇava according to his (or her) material qualities creates the offense of vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhi.

Vaiṣṇave jāti-buddhi means to see a Vaiṣṇava by his lineage, namely brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, etc. (Jāti means birth lineage.) But since we are not seeing Vaiṣṇavas’ material aspect (or varṇa) by lineage but by qualities, it doesn’t create the offense of vaiṣṇave-jāti-buddhi.

However, there is another Vaiṣṇava offense described in Nectar of Instruction, 6—

dṛṣṭaiḥ svabhāva-janitair vapuṣaś ca doṣair

na prākṛtatvam iha bhakta janasya paśyet

gaṅgāmbhasāṁ na khalu budbuda-phena-paṅkair

brahma-dravatvam apagacchati nīra-dharmaiḥ

Being situated in his original Kṛṣṇa conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee’s having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water.

The word “pure devotee” mentioned in this verse should be carefully noted. Śrīla Prabhupāda has used it in many contexts in many places. Sometimes it means any sādhaka sincerely following the guru-paramparā while at other times it means a siddha devotee situated on the highest platform of devotional service.

But what does Śrīla Prabhupāda mean by the word “pure devotee” in this particular verse and purport? For clarification, we need to resort to the commentary of his Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura on this same verse. He writes—

jāta-ruci-siddha-mahātmā-gaṇer ācaraṇa na bujhiyā tāṅhādike patita mane karile vaiṣṇavāparādha haya. ...

ajāta-rati sādhaka o siddha-bhakte bheda ācche jāniyā eka vyaktike śiṣya o apara vyaktike guru jānite haibe.

Those who do not understand the behavior of jāta- ruci-siddha-mahātmas and who considers them fallen, commit Vaiṣṇava-aparādha. …

One should consider that there is difference between a sādhaka, who is not on the stage of jāta-rati, and a siddha devotee and thus siddha should be considered a guru and sādhaka should become a disciple.²⁴

24. Upadeśāmṛta, 6, Anuvṛtti commentary of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.

This jāta-rati is at the stage of bhāva—

bhāvera aṅkura ho’le vidhi āra thāke nā |

rāgānugā śraddhā mātre jāta-rati haya nā ||

When bhāva, the ecstatic mood of divine love actually sprouts, then the need for following scriptural rules (vidhi) does not remain. Mere faith in spontaneous devotional service, however, does not produce the actual awakening of transcendental loving attachment (jāta-rati).²⁵

25. Prākṛta-rasa śata-dūṣiṇī, 17.

jīvasya svarūpāvasthānāt pūrvaṁ yāvad-anartho vidyate, tadā paramārtha-pratīter-anāvilatā nāsti | sambandha-jñānodgamena prema-nāma-saṅkīrtana- yogyatā jāyate, tadā sa jāta-ratir-abhidhīyate | ajāta- rati-sādhaka-jāta-rati-bhāvukayornāma-saṅkīrtane prabhedo vartate | kāpaṭyena niyatakālāt prāgeva jāta- rati-bhaktasya veśa-kalpanaṁ nāsmākaṁ samucitam| anarthanivṛttau nairantaryaṁ tataḥ svecchā-pūrvikā tataśca svārasikīti daśā-trayaṁ, tadūrdhvañca premabhūmir-iti ||5||

Before being fully situated in one’s constitutional position (svarūpa), till there exists contamination (anarthas), his ultimate perfection and goal remains hidden by these slight impurities. By fully realizing sambandha-jñāna (or sambandha-jñāna’s becoming manifest) there arises eligibility to perform nāma- saṅkīrtana with pure love of Godhead. Then one is known as jāta-rati.

There is a difference between the chanting of an ajāta rati sādhaka (one in whom rati is not manifest) and a jāta rati bhāvuka bhakta. To deceitfully present oneself as a jāta rati bhakta before having attained to such a stage is completely inappropriate. After anartha nivṛtti, one becomes situated in naivantarya, or uninterrupted steadiness in the practice of sādhana (śravaṇa, kīrtana, etc.). Next, one attains ‘svecchā-pūrvikā’ which means meditation on the pastimes of the Lord by one’s own will. This is an advanced stage of remembrance of the Lord which comes in the stage of āsakti. This is followed by the condition known as ‘svārasikī’ when the pastimes of the Lord automatically manifest in one’s heart as an uninterrupted flow (this comes in the stage of bhāva after śuddha sattva manifests in the heart).²⁶

26. Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāṣṭaka, 5, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, (Please refer Harināma-cintāmaṇi 15, for details of these stages)

(Kṛṣṇa-sandarbha 154 for svārasikī).

sādhusaṅgata eva bhagavati manoratiṁ vahatīty-atra kramam-āha, satām-iti |saṅgaḥ prārthya iti pūrvokteḥ prathamaṁ śraddhā tataḥ satāṁ prakṛṣṭāt saṅgān- mama kathā bhavantīty-ādāv-aprakṛṣṭāt saṅgād- bhajana-kriyā-mātraṁ na tu kathāḥ, tataḥ prakṛṣṭāt saṅgād-anartha-nivṛttikā kathā bhavanti, tatas-tā eva kathā niṣṭhām-utpādyantyo mama vīryasya man-māhātmyasya samvit samyag-vedanaṁ yatas- tathā-bhūtā bhavanti, tato rucim-utpādayantyo hṛt- karṇa-rasāyanā bhavanti, tatas-tāsāṁ kathānāṁ joṣaṇāt prītyā āsvādanāt apavargo vartmany-eva yaysa tasmin bhagavati śraddhā āsaktiḥ, ratir- bhāvaḥ bhaktiḥ premā anukramiṣyati anukrameṇa bhaviṣyati | samprati mayā pravartyamānā bhaktir- evam-anukrameṇa loke pracariṣyatīty-arthaḥ ||

“Only by the association of sādhus one’s mind’s attachment flows with full force into the Lord. To this effect here the sequence of advancement is described. In the previous verse it is said that one should desire for the association of devotees. So first one must have śraddhā then there should be special association of sādhus then only the kathā which one hears will become the cause of anartha-nivṛtti; general association of sādhus will cause bhajana- kriyā but not kathā. Then, by special association of sādhus and thus anartha-nivṛtti, that kathā will produce niṣṭhā in hearing kathā of my heroic activities and my glories from those who perfectly know them, then that kathā will produce ruci by which the kathā becomes hṛt-karṇa-rasāyaṇa or nectar for heart and ears. Then by relishing that kathā with love it develops āsakti or intense attachment to the Lord, who is Himself the path to liberation. Here āsakti stage is refered to as śraddhā. Then rati or bhāva-bhakti, and then bhakti or prema will follow sequentially.”²⁷

27. SB 3.25.25, Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravarti Ṭhākura.

Thus, to differentiate between siddha and sādhaka and to see different sādhakas according to their levels is not an offense, as mentioned in this verse.

However, if we think that any practicing devotee is not influenced by the three modes of material nature, then we cannot distinguish between the kanisṭha-, madhyama-, and uttama-adhikaris, and thus we transgress the verse before this one (Nectar of Instruction, text 5). Then we become sahajiyā.

We should differentiate between varṇas of practicing devotees in order to allocate them responsibilities according to their psycho-physical nature. This point is explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda, who said that varṇāśrama should be re- established starting from ISKCON:

It is not so easy to become Vaiṣṇava.…

…if they do not remain in the sthāna, then the sahajiyā’s chanting will come....

Therefore varṇāśrama-dharma is required.

Simply show-bottle will not do.

So the varṇāśrama-dharma should be introduced

all over the world, and…

Satsvarūpa: Introduced starting with ISKCON

community?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. Brāhmaṇa, kṣatriyas. There must be regular education28

Prabhupāda: Vaiṣṇava is not so easy. The varṇāśrama-dharma should be established to become a Vaiṣṇava. It is not so easy to become Vaiṣṇava.

Hari-śauri: No, it’s not a cheap thing.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore this should be made. Vaiṣṇava, to become Vaiṣṇava, is not so easy. If Vaiṣṇava, to become Vaiṣṇava is so easy, why so many fall down, fall down? It is not easy. The sannyāsa is for the highest qualified brāhmaṇa. And simply by dressing like a Vaiṣṇava, that is... fall down29

28. Conversation, Mayapur, Feb. 14, 1977 (emphasis ours).

29. Conversation, Mayapur, Feb. 14, 1977 (emphasis ours).

However, seeing Vaiṣṇavas by their material qualities doesn’t mean that their spiritual advancement should be measured by these qualities. If we think that the material qualities of a devotee indicate his spiritual advancement, then we commit offense. It is the duty a devotee needs to perform that should be according to his material quality.

Thus, a duly initiated śūdra or woman should not be seen as impure and sinful by virtue of their guṇa and karma. They should be seen as devotees of the Lord. In varṇāśrama society, a brāhmaṇa becomes impure if he touches or even sees a śūdra. If he touches a śūdra, he must take bath. And if he sees a śūdra, he should see the Sun and perform ācamana. But another injunction is that if such a śūdra or woman is a duly initiated Vaiṣṇava devotee, then the brāhmaṇa should not consider that he has become impure by seeing or touching them. If he takes a bath or tries to purify himself in such a case, then he commits an offense against a Vaiṣṇava.

17. But Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly wanted Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā- gurus. Why bring śāstras against Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions? Do we understand śāstras better than Śrīla Prabhupāda?

To claim that “Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly wanted Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā- gurus” is misleading.

First of all, if it had been so clear from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements then, this debate would not have been going on for last 20 years. The fact that there are two strong opinions on both sides, shows that there are statements of Śrīla Prabhupāda supporting both the sides.

Second of all, there are a total of four statements of Śrīla Prabhupāda that directly deal with the issue of females being dīkṣā-guru. There are no other direct statements of his besides these four. Anyone claiming that there are volumes of statements from Śrīla Prabhupāda supporting Vaiṣṇavī dīkṣā- gurus is misleading.³⁰

Let us analyze the points from these statements, as mentioned below:

(Note: Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4, in the square brackets at the end of each point, connects them to a particular result statement derived from śāstras, list of which is mentioned at the end of explanation)

30. To see all of four statements, see Appendix VIII.

Statement A: SB 4.12.32, Purport

• “Dhruva Mahārāja’s mother, Sunīti, was his patha- pradarśaka-guru” which “is sometimes called śikṣā-guru”-- [3]

• “generally the śikṣā-guru later on becomes the dīkṣā-guru” (neutral statement, does not specifically pertain to women).

• Sunīti, however, being a woman, and specifically his mother, could not become Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru -- [2]

Statement B: Interview with Prof. O’ Connell, Toronto, June 18, 1976

• “Jāhnavā Devī was—Nityānanda’s wife. She became (guru)” -- [1]

• “Actually one who has attained the perfection, she can become guru” be he “man or woman” -- [1]

• “But, not so many” -- [1 & 4]

• “The qualification of guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science of Kṛṣṇa. Then he or she can become guru. Yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei guru haya” -- [1]

• “So similarly, if the woman understands Kṛṣṇa consciousness perfectly, she can become guru” -- [1]

Statement C: Room Conversation, San Diego, June 29, 1972

• “If a woman is perfect in Kṛṣṇa consciousness… Just like Jāhnavā Devī, Lord Nityānanda’s wife, she was ācārya… controlling the whole Vaiṣṇava community.” -- [1]

• “It is not that woman cannot be ācārya” -- [1]

• “Generally, they do not become. In very special case.” -- [1& 4]

• “Kṛṣṇa does not make any discrimination (between man and woman)” -- [1]

• “Whatever difference is there, it is bodily difference” -- [1]

• “So when one is above the bodily concept of life, there is no difference” -- [1]

• “Why woman? Even cats and dogs, they have got the same spirit soul.” -- [1]

Statement D: Letter to Haṁsadūta, Los Angeles, Jan 3, 1969

• “I want that all of my spiritual sons and daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedānta” -- [1]

• “Those possessing the title of Bhaktivedānta will be allowed to initiate disciples” (neutral statement)

• “Maybe by 1975, all of my disciples will be allowed to initiate” -- [1]

From the above statements, it is clear that Śrīla Prabhupāda has supported both the Pro- and Anti-FDG sides. For the last two decades, devotees on both sides have tried to interpret one or another of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements in order to support their own beliefs.

For example, the Pro-FDG side tried to harmonize by taking statement D as the final judgement (Śrīla Prabhupāda’s real intention) along with statements B & C as supporting evidences, and interpreting statement A (by their own logic).

In statements B & C also, the points “but not so many” and “very special case” were interpreted to fit the final judgement of statement D.

But the Anti-FDG side tried to harmonize by taking statement A as the final judgement and statements B & C’s “but not so many” and “in very special case” as supporting evidence, and interpreting statement D (by their own logic). In statements B

& C, the point that “she can become guru” was interpreted to fit the final judgement statement A.

However, no solution has come; the controversy has endured for decades. The reason is that the basis of harmonization was the experience and the logic of the devotees harmonizing these statements. And this kind of evidence is subject to the four defects of the materially conditioned souls. Hence, both Pro- and Anti-FDG sides have reached wrong conclusions.

When the basis of harmonization is the logic of devotees involved in the process, there is a theoretical impossibility of reaching to any solution. This is because a higher level of authority is needed to settle the matter. In absence of clear guidance from higher-level evidence (guru-sādhu-śāstra) it is the preconception of the devotee involved in harmonization that will decide which statements are to be interpreted and which are to be taken as final judgement. Now, the question arises, why should your preconception be accepted as better than my preconception? Thus, there is no solution.

Hence, there is an absolute need for correct guidance from a higher-level evidence in this matter. This is what we tried to follow in the first two sections of this book. Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā is not a book written by any member of the Pro-FDG or Anti-FDG factions. It is extant from time immemorial and is a bona fide Nārada Pañcarātra śāstra. Statements from this book in the matter of who can become guru and who cannot, automatically harmonize all the four statements (A to D) of Śrīla Prabhupāda without any need for applying the twisted and clumsy logic employed by members of the Pro-FDG or Anti-FDG factions. Thus, the results of this harmonization authoritatively stand above theirs.

As mentioned above, when the higher-level of evidence from Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā is considered, the final authoritative results derived are as follows—

1. Women who are siddha, on the stage of perceiving God face to face, can become dīkṣā-guru.³¹

2. Women who are still on the sādhana stage cannot become dīkṣā-guru.³²

3. Women can become śīkṣā-guru.³³

4. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.17, states that siddhas are very rare, “not so many,” and “very special case.”

31. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.44 (see Appendix VI for verse and translation).

32. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.42–43 (see Appendix VI for verse and translation).

33. Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā 1.43 (see Appendix VI for verse and translation).

Now, please refer back to the statements A, B, C, and D as described in the beginning. At the end of each point in these statements is labeled 1, 2, 3, or 4 within square brackets. These points are connected to the results 1, 2, 3, or 4 listed above.

What this shows is that the natural explanation for the differing quotes becomes self-evident when the authority of Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā is considered. None of the statements then conflict with each other, and the direct meaning of each statement is preserved. There is no need to resort to indirect meanings or interpretation to understand Śrīla Prabhupāda’s different statements.

Appendix IV

The Process of Giving Brahma-gāyatrī with Second Initiation is Bona Fide

In vaidika-vidhi there were three births: First by father and mother, second by the Vedas and the guru i.e. upanayana (when the disciple gets brahma-gāyatrī ) and third the yājñika- dīkṣā after which a disciple becomes qualified to worship the Deities.4 For receiving the upanayana, purified birth is needed, and then also, if a brāhmaṇa’s son passes the age of 16 without receiving upanayana he is called vrātya and he needs to be purified by pāñcarātrika-vidhi.⁵ So what is the process followed for such a case?

He will get the pāñcarātrika saṁskāras as mentioned above and after getting purified he will be given the upanayana. Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura have established the same process because in today’s age everyone is vrātya and lower.

Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote (emphasis ours):

Why do you believe in rumors, that first initiation is not so important as second? I have already said that it is equally important, but you say rumor. Actually first initiation is more important. You can go without second initiation; if the first initiation is executed very thoroughly that is sufficient. First initiation stands strong. The spiritual master accepts the disciple’s sinful reactions upon giving first initiation. The Vedic system was to give the sacred thread at the first initiation. We are following pāñcarātrikī. Vedic initiation was given to a person born to a brāhmaṇa. That is not possible in this age. Therefore he has to be prepared by Harināma initiation and then second initiation. He is given a chance. Therefore others protest that I am giving initiation: He is not born of a brāhmaṇa, how can he be initiated?⁶

Additionally, according to Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja- saṁhitā (1.50, 53–56), by pāñcarātrika vidhi a guru can give vaidika mantras also. Thus, it is bona fide for a guru who is qualified according to pāñcarātrika vidhi to bestow the Brahma-gāyatrī mantra on a disciple qualified to receive it.

4. SB 10.23.40.

5. Viṣṇu-yāmala quoted in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa (5.5) and Caitanya-bhāgavata (1.8.7, purport).

aśuddhāḥ śūdra-kalpā hi brāhmaṇāḥ kali-sambhavāḥ / teṣām āgama- mārgeṇa śuddhir na śrota-vartmanā.

6. From a letter by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s secretary to Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami, Vrindavana, Aug 7, 1977.

Appendix V

Previous GBC-sponsored research

Some words are in order about two other, previous, official attempts made by ISKCON’s GBC to research the issue, and why the results of those efforts ultimately turned out to be unauthoritative.

The GBC’s Śāstric Advisory Council produced two papers over an eight-year span—one in 2005 and the other in 2013. The authors of both papers seemed to be unaware of the extent of the authority of pāñcarātrika-vidhi over the system of initiations as conducted within ISKCON. Hence, they were unable to resolve apparent contradictions between various statements of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s without either resorting to extensive speculation, suppression of some of his statements in favor of others, or outright contradiction.

For example, the 2013 paper makes the following statement, which turns out to be untrue.

It is noted that while Vedic smṛti-śāstras restrict women from position of spiritual leadership, this limitation might be merely subsequent to the smṛti restriction on women accepting dīkṣā—a restriction obviously overridden by the pāñcarātrika- vidhi followed by Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas…The overall conclusion is that there are not different sets of qualifications to be a guru for various classes of people, including women.

As revealed by the verses from Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā (1.42–44), which are part of Nārada Pañcarātra, there are in fact different sets of qualifications for different classes of people. Daiva- varṇāśrama considerations apply unless one is at the topmost level of spiritual advancement. Moreover, they assumed that the fact that one has received a mantra gives one the authority to bestow it. This is also untrue, as shown in these ślokas. The 2005 paper also suffered from the same lack of information about pāñcarātrika-vidhi.

Another fault in both papers is they both tried to suppress evidence that did not comport with the conclusions they were trying to reach. The 2005 paper tried to dismiss Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statement about Sunīti not being able to be Dhruva Mahārāja’s dīkṣā-guru (because she was a woman) by burying it under a greater amount of “positive evidence.”

They say,

This is the strongest statement against the possibility of female dīkṣā-gurus. However, in itself, this statement is not conclusive, as we will see when we examine the positive evidence.

But in this case, we see that Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā supports this statement. Sunīti could not be dīkṣā-guru because besides being a woman, she was not a siddha.

The problem in the 2005 paper is that even accepting there is some greater quantity of conflicting evidence, it still does not nullify or overpower the authority of the conflicting pramāṇa— especially if the source is liberated.

For example, throughout Vedic literature, statements that one needs to be qualified by birth to be a brāhmaṇa are more numerous than statements that one needs simply to acquire the necessary qualification. So, if quantity is fundamental to truth, then birth should win out over qualification. Instead, those two categories of statements need to be synchronized or reconciled regardless of how frequent one is over the other.

The ethical way for the authors to proceed would have been to report that they needed to do more research. But instead, they rushed to a conclusion that was not supported by the guru-paramparā.

There is one final example worth mentioning, and that is that the 2013 paper tried to nullify Śrīla Prabhupāda’s statements on the rarity of female dīkṣā-gurus by contradicting him.

They say,

Given the absence of an uninterrupted and exhaustive hagiography of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava line with its many sub- branches, it is virtually impossible to provide a solid proof for the claim that FDGs were rare, as well as a mathematically accurate estimate of how rare they were.

This is an offense, because it shows that they don’t accept his word. Given that Śrīla Prabhupāda is universally regarded as a liberated soul on the level of kṛṣṇa-prema, they have chosen pratyakṣa, or direct perception, over the verbal testimony of a liberated being. They have contradicted guru-vākya, and one who is a liberated ācārya at that. This is very inauspicious.

On top of that, the 2013 SAC paper then lists other Gauḍīya sampradāyas, some with a majority of female ācāryas. In one of them there are nine ladies and two men in disciplic succession from Jāhnavā Ṭhākurāṇī and Nārāyaṇī Devī. In another, the disciplic succession through Bipin Bihari Goswami, Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s dīkṣā-guru, is mentioned as having four women out of the twelve ācāryas in his lineage. No attempt to assess the legitimacy of any of these lines was made.

However, even if we accept that they are legitimate and authorized disciplic successions, trying to contradict your own ācārya with this evidence is still an offense. It is improper, and such so-called research necessarily leads to a faulty conclusion.

And even aside from this, there is still the fact that Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura accepted the process of pāñcarātrikī-dīkṣā. This fact means we are obliged to assess what is permissible for us according to the vidhis, or rules, established by our ācāryas, not according to some other sampradāya’s rules if they differ from ours. Trying to do otherwise is an offense against the ācāryas of our disciplic succession.

Whatever the motivations the differing sets of authors had in undertaking their work, the end result in both was highly questionable. Neither effort settled the issue decisively, which underscores both reports’ lack of authority.

Appendix VI

Index of Verses Quoted from

Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā

These verses are presented in serial order, as presented in the saṁhitā.

prāptum icchan parāṁ siddhiṁ janaḥ sarvo ’py akiñcanaḥ |

śraddhayā parayā yukto hariṁ śaraṇam āśrayet ||13||

“One who desires to achieve ultimate benefit (parā siddhi) and who is without desire for proprietorship (akiñcana) must take shelter of Lord Hari with transcendental faith.”

na jāti-bhedaṁ na kulaṁ na liṅgaṁ na guṇa-kriyāḥ |

na deśa-kālau nāvasthāṁ yogo hy ayam apekṣate ||14||

“There is no consideration of birth, family, gender, or quality, work, etc., nor is there consideration of time, place, and circumstance in accepting this yoga process (pāñcarātrikī vidhi).”

brahma-kṣatra-viśaḥ śūdrāḥ striyāś cāntarajās tathā |

sarva eva prapadyeran sarva-dhātāram acyutam ||15||

“Anyone, whether they be brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas,vaiśyas, śūdras, women, antyajas, or anyone else, should, with full faith, take shelter of Lord Acyuta, who is the master of all living entities, through the medium of this yoga.”

prapitsur mantra-nirataṁ prājñaṁ hita-paraṁ śucim |

praśāntaṁ niyataṁ vṛttau bhajed dvija-varaṁ gurum ||38||

“Thus, one who is desirous of surrendering with faith, should take shelter of a guru who is always engaged in chanting the mantra and is a knower of bhakti-siddhānta (prājñam), is always engaged, without any desire for personal benefit, in showering mercy on fallen souls (hita-param), who is always pure in heart or free of sins, peaceful, and always committed to his prescribed duties (ordained by his guru or by varṇāśrama). Such a guru should be the best of the twice-born (dvija-varam meaning brāhmaṇa).”

sapta-pūruṣa-vijñeye santataikānti-nirmale |

kule jāto guṇair yukto vipro śreṣṭhatamo guruḥ ||39||

“The best guru of all is a learned brāhmaṇa endowed with good qualities who has taken birth in a sinless lineage of devotee ancestors, traceable up to seven generations.”

svayaṁ vā bhakti-sampanno jñāna-vairāgya-bhūṣitaḥ |

sva-karma-nirato nityam arhaty ācāryatāṁ dvijaḥ ||40||

“Even if a twice-born brāhmaṇa (dvija) happens to have some non-devotees in his family line, or has not been fortunate to take birth in a renowned family of pure devotees, he nevertheless always deserves to be an ācārya if he is endowed with all good qualities like knowledge and renunciation, is engaged in his prescribed duties (sva-karma), and is steeped in loving devotion to the Lord.”

nācāryaḥ kula-jāto ’pi jñāna-bhakty-ādi-varjitaḥ |

na ca hīna-vayo-jātiḥ prakṛṣṭānām anāpadi ||41||

na jātu mantra-dā nārī na śūdro nāntarodbhavaḥ |

nābhiśasto na patitaḥ kāma-kāmo ’py akāminaḥ ||42||

“Even then, a woman, a śūdra and an antyaja can never act as initiating gurus, nor can anyone who is accused of a great sin or is fallen. And an aspiring disciple who is already accomplished in detachment (akāmī ) should never accept a guru who is infected with material desires.”

striyaḥ śūdrādayaś caiva bodhayeyur hitāhitam |

yathārhaṁ mānanīyāś ca nārhanty ācāryatāṁ kvacit ||43||

“Women, śūdras, etc., can give ethical and moral instructions and are also worthy of respect as per their qualifications and conditions but are not entitled to get the position of ācārya.”

kim apy atrābhijāyante yoginaḥ sarva-yoniṣu |

pratyakṣitātma-nāthānāṁ naiṣāṁ cintyaṁ kulādikam ||44||

“But, because perfect yogis (or nitya-siddha devotees) who are on the stage of yoga-pratyakṣa (i.e. are self-realized—seeing God face-to-face), pratyakṣitātma-nāthānām, may take birth in any family tradition, in such cases no consideration of kula, gender, etc. as mentioned earlier apply (they can become ācāryas).”

From the Nārada Pañcarātra, Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā, pariśiṣṭa, chapter 2, verses 1‒56

A prospective disciple who is eager to become a servant of Lord Viṣṇu should worship and serve his bona fide spiritual master for a year, to qualify himself for receiving the five recommended saṁskāras which are the causes for attaining unalloyed devotional service to Lord Viṣṇu.⁷

7. The Sanskrit text speaks of male gurus and disciples, and this is reflected in the English translation.

These five saṁskāras—namely, (1) tāpa, (2) puṇḍra, (3) nāma, (4) mantra, and (5) yāga—are the causes for attaining the highest stage of unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord.

Selecting an auspicious day for performing the tāpa-saṁskāra, i.e. impressing the symbols of Lord Hari such as the Sudarśana cakra on the body of his disciple, the spiritual master should bathe and perform mantra-ācamana, leading his disciple to do the same. The ācārya should then tie an auspicious thread on the right wrist of his disciple while reciting Vedic hymns glorifying Lord Viṣṇu [beginning with “viṣṇor nukam vīryāṇi” from the Śukla Yajur Veda].⁸ Then he should worship the Supreme Lord either in the form of his own worshipable Deity [arcā-vigraha] or by invoking His presence in a sthaṇḍila [a sanctified square area of leveled sand, prepared for worship].⁹

8. Baddha-kautukam: the guru ties an auspicious thread around the disciple’s wrist. This thread is supposed to protect the disciple from impurities. In South India this thread is prepared by dipping it into turmeric paste while reciting these same mantras.

9. In South India brāhmaṇas put rice grains and in North India wheat grains into the sthaṇḍila to make a slightly raised platform for Deities and kalaśas, sometimes also marked by rangoli powder, wheat or rice flour (according to one’s means).

Thereafter, the spiritual master should face the west [being seated in front of Lord Viṣṇu who faces the east] and should perform the procedure for establishing the sacred fire, using the mantras received in his own tradition.¹⁰ Then he should offer oblations of clarified butter into the fire, first with the mūla- mantra [the aṣṭākṣara-mantra or the eight-syllable mantra: oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya], then separately with each syllable of this mantra¹¹ and once again with the entire mūla-mantra.¹² Then he should offer sixteen oblations with the sixteen mantras of the Puruṣa-sūkta of the Ṛg Veda, three oblations with the Viṣṇu- gāyatrī [beginning with “nārāyaṇāya vidmahe”] and then five separate oblations with the pañcāyudha-mantras to honor Lord Viṣṇu’s principal weapons [mace, disc, sword, bow and conch].

10. Svena mantreṇa: There are different mantras for establishing the sacred fire according to one’s particular lineage or sampradāya.

11. As follows: 1. oṁ oṁ namaḥ svāhā, 2. oṁ naṁ namaḥ svāhā, 3. oṁ moṁ namaḥ svāhā, 4. oṁ nāṁ namaḥ svāhā, 5. oṁ rāṁ namaḥ svāhā, 6. oṁ yaṁ namaḥ svāhā, 7. oṁ nāṁ namaḥ svāhā, 8. oṁ yaṁ namaḥ svāhā.

Puṇḍra-saṁskāra

TEXTS 16‒17

dhārayiṣyaṁs tataḥ śiṣyam ūrdhva-puṇḍrān yathā-vidhi

puṇye ’hni niyataḥ snātvā pūrvavad baddha-kautukam

upaveśyātha deveśaṁ bhogair dīpāntam arcayet

sthaṇḍilaṁ kalpayet paścāt puruṣasya pramāṇataḥ

Selecting an auspicious day, the ācārya should perform the puṇḍra-saṁskāra, the ceremony of applying the ūrdhva- puṇḍras, according to the prescribed procedure. As before, both the guru and the disciple should bathe and perform the preliminary purificatory rites. The spiritual master should tie an auspicious thread around the right wrist of the disciple. With the disciple seated next to him, the ācārya should worship the Supreme Lord with offerings of foodstuffs and other standard upacāras till the point of offering a lamp. He should then prepare a suitable sthaṇḍila measuring one hasta [the length of one’s forearm].

TEXTS 18‒20

sthānāni saikatāny atra varṇa-cūrṇa-mayāni vā

kuryād dvādaśa pūrvādi- catur-dikṣu samāntaram

tathā madhye ’sya catvāri teṣv abhyarcāsanaṁ pṛthak

keśavādīṁs tatra tatra vāsudevādikāṁs tathā

pratyekaṁ ca yathā-rūpaṁ dhyātvā nāmabhir āvahet

havir-antais tathārghyādyair arcayet tāny athākramam

Within the sthaṇḍila, the spiritual master should draw twelve ūrdhva-puṇḍra marks, using either sand or colored powder, beginning from the east and maintaining equal distance between each adjacent ūrdhva-puṇḍra. In the middle portion of the sthaṇḍila he should draw four additional marks in the four cardinal directions. He should worship each of these sixteen marks with the standard sixteen upacāras. Meditating on the twelve forms of the Lord beginning with Keśava, the spiritual master should invite each of Them to appear in Their respective places within the sthaṇḍila. He should then meditate on the four members of the catur-vyūha [Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha] and invite Them to Their respective places as well by uttering Their names. He should worship Them with the standard upacāras beginning with arghya and ending with haviḥ.

TEXTS 21‒23

parītya saha-śiṣyeṇa sarvāṁs tān praṇipatya ca

upaviśyātha śiṣyāya praṇipatyopasīdate

eṣāṁ nāmāni rūpāṇi yathāvad upadarśayet

śiṣyo hṛdi samāveśya tān sarvān krama-yogataḥ

nirghṛṣya mṛtsnāṁ vidhivan mūla-mantrābhimantritām

ādāyāṅgulibhir dadyāl lalāṭādy-ūrdhva-puṇḍrakān

Along with his disciple, the spiritual master should circumambulate the sthaṇḍila and offer obeisances to all the forms of Lord Viṣṇu invoked in it. As they are both seated in front of the sthaṇḍila, the guru should instruct his disciple authoritatively about all these different names and forms of Lord Viṣṇu in sequence beginning with Keśava, so that the disciple is able to remember Them within his heart. The disciple should then take a piece of clay fit for tilaka [such as gopī- candana] and rub it into paste with water while reciting the prescribed mūla-mantras.¹⁷ He should use his fingers to draw tilaka markings [or ūrdhva-puṇḍras] on his body, beginning with the forehead.

17. The Hindi translation of the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā by Ācārya Śivaprasāda Dvivedī quotes from a scripture called Brahma-śāstra which gives detailed injunctions about applying tilaka markings.

TEXTS 24‒27

trayodaśa dvādaśa vā caturo caikam eva vā

namo’-ntair nāmabhir dhyātvā sthāpayet tatra tatra ca

keśavādīn dvādaśasu vāsudevaṁ trayodaśe

keśavaṁ vāsudevaṁ vā lalāṭe kevalaṁ nyaset

vyūhāṁś caturṣu tān natvā sadā sānnidhyam arthayet

ato hi vaiṣṇavasyāṅgaṁ viṣṇor āyatanaṁ viduḥ

havir nivedya devāya guruḥ śeṣaṁ samāpayet

tatra tv ācāryam abhyarcya bhojayed vaiṣṇavān api

The disciple may draw either twelve or thirteen tilaka markings on his body, or only four or even only one. The ūrdhva-puṇḍra should be applied while meditating on the forms of Lord Viṣṇu, uttering Their names and adding the word “namaḥ.” The twelve ūrdhva-puṇḍras are drawn while remembering the twelve standard forms of Lord Viṣṇu beginning with Keśava,¹⁸ and if thirteen are drawn Lord Vāsudeva is included. If one wishes to apply only one ūrdhva-puṇḍra it should be drawn on the forehead and either Keśava or Vāsudeva are to be invoked.¹⁹

If one wishes to apply four ūrdhva-puṇḍras then the four members of the catur-vyūha should be invoked. In this way, offering obeisances to these different forms of the Lord, the disciple should pray for Their eternal residence in particular parts of his body. Therefore the body of a Vaiṣṇava is considered to be the abode or a temple of Lord Viṣṇu. The spiritual master should conclude the ceremony by pouring oblations into the sacred fire, consisting of the remaining portions of the various offerings that have been presented to the Lord, especially eatables like cooked food [haviṣya]. Thereafter, the disciple should worship his ācārya and at last satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas by feeding them a prasāda meal.

18. The sequence of the twelve forms of Lord Viṣṇu: Keśava, Nārāyaṇa, Mādhava, Govinda, Viṣṇu, Madhusūdana, Trivikrama, Vāmana, Śrīdhara, Hṛṣīkeśa, Padmanābha, Dāmodara.

19. The Sanskrit commentary published by Paṇḍita Sarayū Prasāda Miśra, however, states that in the case of applying only one tilaka marking, Keśava is to be invoked on the forehead and Vāsudeva on the neck. There is no information about where Vāsudeva is to be invoked when He is listed as the thirteenth form of Lord Viṣṇu.

Nāma-saṁskāra

TEXTS 28‒29

kariṣyan vaiṣṇavaṁ nāma vaiṣṇavāśrayam eva vā

puṇye ’hani guruḥ snātvā pūjayitvā jagad-gurum

pūrvavat sthaṇḍilaṁ kṛtvā pūrvavat sikatā-maye

ṣoḍaśe pīṭham abhyarcyā- vāhayen nāma-devatām

bhagavad-rūpiṇaṁ dhyātvā havir-antam athārcayet

The spiritual master should select an auspicious day for performing the nāma-saṁskāra with the aim of bestowing upon his disciple a name of Lord Viṣṇu or a name indicating surrender to Lord Viṣṇu.²⁰ As in the previous saṁskāras, both the ācārya and his disciple should take bath and purify themselves. The spiritual master should first worship Lord Nārāyaṇa, the jagad-guru. Then, following the procedure already described, he should prepare a sthaṇḍila on a piece of open land and use sand to draw sixteen marks within it. He should invite the sixteen previously mentioned forms of Lord Viṣṇu to appear in Their respective designated places, and worship Them. He should then invoke the presence of the personality which bears the name chosen to be given to the disciple [the nāma-devatā]. The spiritual master should worship the nāma-devatā with the standard upacāras up to naivedya [the offering of cooked food] considering Him non-different from Lord Viṣṇu Himself.

20. Possible additional meaning: names of Vaiṣṇavas or names indicating surrender to Vaiṣṇavas.

TEXTS 30‒32

upapanne tataḥ śiṣye kaupīnaṁ kaṭi-bandhanam
nivedya vastre ca nave tasmai taṁ grāhayed guruḥ

tac-cheṣaṁ gandha-mālyādi tathā cānnaṁ niveditam

nāma dāsādi-śabdāntaṁ śrāvayet kevalaṁ tu vā

parītya praṇato ’bhyarcya devatāṁ hṛdi nikṣipet

The disciple brings to his spiritual master a set of new clothes [the lower and upper cloth] which are then offered to the Lord and returned to the disciple. The disciple should now wear a new kaupīna [loin cloth] and kaṭi-bandhana [piece of cloth girdled around the waist] and dress in the new clothes received from the spiritual master. The disciple is then given prasāda remnants, scents, garlands etc. from the worship of the nāma- devatā. The ācārya then bestows upon him his new name that ends with a word like dāsa [which indicates servitorship to the Lord], or simply one of the names of Lord Hari. Then they both circumambulate the nāma-devatā invoked in the sthaṇḍila, offer obeisances, worship Him and request Him to be present in the heart of the disciple.

TEXT 33

havir nivedya devāya tantra-śeṣaṁ samāpayet

śiṣyo deśikam abhyarcya vaiṣṇavān paritoṣayet

Eatables like cooked food [haviṣya] should be offered to the Lord and then the fire sacrifice should be completed with the concluding oblations. The disciple should then worship his dīkṣā-guru and please the assembled Vaiṣṇavas [by feeding them prasāda].

Mantra-saṁskāra

TEXT 34

svayaṁ brahmaṇi nikṣiptān jātān eva ca mantrataḥ

vinītān atha putrādīn saṁskṛtya pratibodhayet

After having performed the nāma-saṁskāra for his sons and other subordinates, the spiritual master personally evaluates them to select those who are dedicated to the service of the Lord [brahmaṇi nikṣiptān], who have been purified by mantras, and who are obedient and submissive by nature. For such disciples he performs the mantra-saṁskāra and reveals to them the meaning of the given mantras.

TEXTS 35‒36

anukūle ’hani śubhe guruḥ snātvā samāhitaḥ

hutāgniḥ pūrvavac chiṣyaṁ niṣpādya kṛta-kautukam

tataḥ saṁpūjya deveśaṁ paścād agniṁ nidhāya vai

svena tantreṇa tatrātha hutvā pūrvavad āhutīḥ

The spiritual master should select an auspicious day²¹ favorable for the mantra-saṁskāra ceremony. Before the ceremony, the spiritual master and the disciple should bathe and perform the preliminary purification. After attending to his daily obligatory rites²² with concentration, the ācārya should make his disciple sit at a proper place and tie an auspicious thread around his right wrist, as previously described. Thereafter, the ācārya should perform elaborate worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Nārāyaṇa, and then establish the sacred fire. Then, as described before,²³ he should offer oblations into the fire according to the injunctions of the scriptures accepted in his lineage.

21. The Sanskrit commentary published by Paṇḍita Sarayū Prasāda Miśra interprets this to mean choosing the exact muhūrta, planet, star of the tithi etc. which should all be auspicious and favorable.

22. Hutāgniḥ is explained as “one who has performed his obligatory daily fire sacrifice.” (Sanskrit gloss published by Paṇḍita Sarayū Prasāda Miśra)

23. In texts 5 and 6 within the tāpa-saṁskāra section.

TEXTS 37‒39

sthāne hety-āhutīnāṁ ca mūla-mantrāhutīḥ punaḥ

havir nivedya devāya tac-cheṣeṇa tathāhutīḥ

sa-śiṣyo ’tha guruḥ kṛtvā sāgniṁ devaṁ pradakṣiṇām

praṇamya punar āsīnaḥ praṇipatyopaseduṣaḥ

saṁhārādi-kramaṁ kuryād vidhivac choṣaṇādikam

astra-mantreṇa rakṣāṁ ca praṇamayya guruṁs tataḥ

Instead of the pañcāyudha-mantras, oblations should be offered with the mūla-mantra.²⁴ The Supreme Lord should be offered eatables like cooked food [haviḥ], and the remaining portion of the food should be poured into the fire as oblations. The homa is then completed. The ācārya, along with his disciple, should circumambulate both the sacrificial fire and the Lord invoked in the sthaṇḍila, and offer obeisances. The spiritual master should then make his disciple sit near him and lead him to perform the saṁhāra-nyāsa and other kinds of purification²⁵ according to proper procedures. He should then perform śoṣaṇa-karma and rakṣaṇa-karma with astra-mantras for the protection of the disciple. He should then instruct the disciple to pay obeisances to him, his spiritual master.

24. Here the procedure is the same as that during the tāpa-saṁskāra with the exception of offering oblations with pañcāyudha-mantras to Lord Śrī Viṣṇu’s weapons.

25. Mentioned in SB 6.8.6, translation.

TEXTS 40‒42

nyāsākhyaṁ paramaṁ mantraṁ vācayitvātha bodhayet

śrīman nārāyaṇaḥ svāmī dāsas tvam asi tasya vai

param īpsus tam evārtham anukūlo visarjayet

prātikūlyaṁ suvisrabdhaḥ samprārthya śaraṇaṁ harim

vraja tasyaiva caraṇau tatraivātmānam arpaya

iti sambodhitas tv evaṁ mantreṇātmānam arpayet

The spiritual master should bestow upon the disciple the ultimate mantra known as the nyāsa-mantra [the mantra of surrender]²⁶ and explain to him its meaning as follows: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Nārāyaṇa, with His divine consort Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, is the master of everyone and you are His eternal servant. Be eager to engage in devotional service to Him and therefore always accept that which is favorable for it and always reject that which is detrimental. Thus, be confident of Lord Hari’s protection, always take shelter of His lotus feet and dedicate yourself to Him exclusively.” Thus instructed by his spiritual master, the disciple should surrender himself to Lord Hari while uttering the nyāsa-mantra.

26. The term nyāsa is equivalent to śaraṇāgati.

TEXT 43

tataś ca vyāpakān mantrān anyāṁś cāṅgaiḥ samanvitān

dattvāsmai punar evaivaṁ gṛhītvā vṛttim ādiśet

After thus revealing to the disciple the vyāpaka-mantras [the sixteen-syllable, twelve-syllable, and eight-syllable mantras related to Lord Viṣṇu] and other mantras such as those used in aṅga-nyāsa, the spiritual master should formally accept the disciple and instruct him about his spiritual duties and proper behavior [vṛtti], as outlined below.

TEXT 44

nityaṁ viṣṇu-paraṁ karma kuru nindyāni mā kṛthāḥ

sadātmānaṁ vibudhyasva mā kāmeṣu manaḥ kṛthāḥ

“Always work only for the sake of Lord Viṣṇu and never engage in abominable activities. Always remain on the spiritual platform and do not let your mind succumb to material desires.”

TEXT 46

yajasva nityam ātmeśaṁ mā naṁsīr anya-devatāḥ

lakṣyasva lakṣaṇair bhartur lakṣiṣṭhā mānya-lakṣaṇaiḥ

“Always worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Nārāyaṇa, the controller of everyone, and never worship the demigods. Ornament your body with the signs of your Lord and master and not those of the demigods.”

TEXT 47

upāsva vaiṣṇavān nityam asato mopasīsaraḥ

guruṁ praṇamyom ity uktvā hy ātmānaṁ ca nivedayet

“Always serve the Vaiṣṇavas and stay away from those who are not in line with the principles of unalloyed surrender.” Thus instructed, the disciple should offer obeisances to his spiritual master and should offer himself to him [ātma-nivedana or self- surrender] while uttering the sacred syllable ‘oṁ.’

TEXT 48

tataḥ samāpite śeṣe devam ātmani nikṣipet

guruṁ vidhivad abhyarcya vaiṣṇavān paritoṣayet

After the ceremony has been completed and the disciple has been taught the meaning of surrender, he should endeavor to keep Lord Nārāyaṇa in his heart. Following the established rules and regulations, the disciple should now worship his ācārya and please the Vaiṣṇavas present [by serving them a prasāda meal].

Yāga-saṁskāra

TEXTS 48‒50

yojayiṣyan guruḥ śiṣyaṁ nityārcana-vidhau hareḥ

śobhane ’hani nakṣatre devam abhyarcya pūrvavat

mantravat tu hutaṁ hutvā niṣṭhayāthopasāditam

yathokta-vidhinā pūrvaṁ sthāpitaṁ śubha-vigraham

śrī-bhūmi-līlā-sahitaṁ parivāraiḥ samanvitam

avyakta-parivāraṁ vā devaṁ saṅgrāhya yājayet

To engage his disciple in daily worship of the Deity form of Lord Hari, the ācārya should perform the yāga-saṁskāra after selecting a day and a nakṣatra which are both auspicious. On the chosen day, as described before, the spiritual master should worship Lord Nārāyaṇa and perform a fire sacrifice, offering the oblations of clarified butter and haviṣya into the sacred fire as described in the procedure for the mantra-saṁskāra. Then the spiritual master should arrange for the worship of an already formally installed arcā-vigraha of Lord Viṣṇu, along with vigrahas of Śrī-devī, Bhūmi-devī, Līlā-devī, and the Lord’s family [such as His eternal weapons and ornaments in personified forms, His eternal servants and associates]. The Lord’s entourage and paraphernalia may also be present as avyakta-vigrahas [to be worshiped mentally]. The ācārya should then perform the fire sacrifice.

TEXTS 51‒52

śrauta-divyārṣa-kalpānām iṣṭenānyatamena ca

sthāpanaṁ yajanaṁ vāpi miśrā hy atrādhikāriṇaḥ

tataḥ parigṛhītena gurubhir yena kenacit

vidhinā yājayitvaivam atha śeṣaṁ samāpayet

The kalpa-sūtras [manuals of Vedic rituals] describe three different procedures of worship, namely śrauta, divya, and ārṣa. Brāhmaṇas who are called miśra worshipers²⁷ are eligible to take up this kind of worship. The spiritual master chooses the procedure which is preferred by the predecessors in his own lineage and teaches the disciple the process of Deity installation and subsequent worship²⁸ as detailed in the scriptures. The ācārya should then conclude the ceremony of the yāga-saṁskāra.

27. This may refer to their performance of both niṣkāma and sakāma rites, or the fact that they follow both the Vedic and the pāñcarātrika system of worship simultaneously (vaidika and tāntrika).

28. Alternatively, the terms sthāpana and yajana could refer to procedures for establishing the sacrificial fire and performing the fire sacrifice. Nevertheless, all the available editions of the Bhāradvāja-saṁhitā with Hindi translations seem to opt for the more common understanding that these two terms here refer to Deity worship.

TEXT 53

tataḥ sva-kāle svādhyāyaṁ tato yogam ca kārayet

ijyānte guru-pūjāṁ ca vaiṣṇavānāṁ ca tarpaṇam

The spiritual master should then encourage his disciple to undertake svādhyāya [study of the sacred scriptures] and yoga at their prescribed proper times of the day. As the entire ceremony of the yāga-saṁskāra is concluded, the disciple should offer formal worship to his spiritual master and satisfy the Vaiṣṇavas [by offering them prasāda and other presents].

Thus ends the section detailing the procedures in receiving the

pañca-saṁskāras.

TEXT 54

kecic caturṇāṁ pūrveṣāṁ kramaṁ necchanti karmaṇām

sahaika-divase vā dve trīṇi catvāri pañca vā

Some ācāryas do not wish to perform these saṁskāras in the previously mentioned sequence [each one of them on a separate day]. One, two, three, four or even five saṁskāras can be performed together on the same day.

TEXT 55

tadānyatama-homānte kṛtvāgny-ādy-upasammukham

samāpayet pradhānam ca na mantrasyānya-śeṣatā

If more than one saṁskāra is to be performed on a single day, the sacrificial fire for the mantra-saṁskāra should be the principal while the other homas should be subordinate. The main homa should be completed after concluding the subordinate homas.

TEXT 56

yady eka-divase pañca tathā mantrāhuteḥ param

kṛtvā yāgāntam akhilaṁ tantra-śeṣaṁ samāpayet

If all the five saṁskāras are to be performed on a single day, the mantra-āhutis should be offered in a single fire sacrifice and the remaining karmas of all the saṁskāras should be performed one after another to complete the ceremony.