Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagad Guru said that—“Those who are devoid of ānugatya they are just like beast (or more than that).” Anugatya is the most vital point in the way of Hari bhajan, which can be treated as life and soul of our bhajan, without which we can became beast.
From Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu we can find the following important śloka–
śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi-
pañcarātra-vidhiṁ vinā
aikāntikī harer bhaktir
utpātāyaiva kalpate Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.101)
“Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like Veda-Vedanta-Upaniṣads-Purāṇas and Nārada Pañcarātra etc. is nothing but an unnecessary disturbance for the whole human society.
Again we can see the following śloka from Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu quoted from Skānda Purāṇa–
sa mrigyah śreyasāṁ hetuh panthāh santāpa-varjitah
anavāptaśramam purve yena santah pratasthire
“One should follow the scriptural rules which give the highest benefit and are devoid of hardship, by which the previous devotees easily progressed.”
Also we can see the following śloka from Mahābhārata Van parba spoken by Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja to Dharmaraj in the form of Yaksa.
tarko ’pratiṣṭhaḥ śrutayo vibhinnā
nāsāv ṛṣir yasya mātāṁ na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvaṁ nihitaṁ guhāyāṁ
mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ Cc Madhya 17.186
Dry arguments are inconclusive. A Muni whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great Muni. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right conclusion by which religious principles can be realized. The absolute truth of religious principles is hidden into the heart of an unadulterated, self-realized sādhu. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.’ ”
Our Sarasvat Gauḍīya sampradāya is completely established on the śrauta panthā coming down to us from the original source Śrī Krsna. He who is going to violate the system set by our previous Mahājanas surely going to fall down and will be thrown out of sampradāya by the original Visva Vaiṣṇava rāja saba. Śrīla Saccidananda Bhakti Vinod Ṭhākura expressed his deep concern about the violation of the dignity of our sampradāik system which was already set up by Śrīman Mahāprabhu Himself and which has been preserved & protected by our authentic Gauḍīya guruvarga. 150 years ago Śrīla Ṭhākura has written so many things for us but who is going to care! He has written many many important points regarding fanciful moods expressed by those so called ācāryas, because they always want to express new new vichar to establish their own position and honor. It is their dirty nature to misguide the whole world to procure and protect their own lābha-pūjā-pratiṣṭhā. What to speak more about it also at present we are just upset to discover the fanciful system adopted by some society’s to allow and appoint mātājis to take the post of Ācāryahip so that they can give dīkṣā and sannyāsa to somebody—which is really a heart rending news, because our authentic śāstras never approved this kind of new system which can bring about a total destructive evolution in our bhajan field.
Down you can find some slokas quoted from authentic sastras (collected by Śrīmad Bhaktivedanta Varaha Mahārāja of Gauḍīya Vedanta Samithi) in favour of our siddhanta vichar–
Four ślokas invalidating female dīkṣā gurus:
Bharadvāja Saṁhitā 1.42, 1.43, 1.59 reveals:
najatu mantrada nāri na śūdro nantarad bhāvāḥ
nahibsasto na patitaḥ kāma -kamo’py akaminah
A woman, a śūdrā and a degraded person can never be an initiating guru. Neither can one who is accused of sinful activities or one fallen ever be a guru.
striyaḥ śūdrādayaś caiva bodhayeyr hitahitam
yatharham mananiyas ca narhanti acarayatam kvacit
Women and even śūdrās may give moral instructions in society according to their qualification; but never entitled to establish any lines of disciplic succession.
atha strī śūdrā sankirna nirmala patitadisu
ananyenan yadrstauca krtapi na krta bhavet
If one accepts initiation from women, śūdrās, one born from mixed castes, one outside authorised disciplic succession, or one who is sinful and fallen; then such initiation is absolutely worthless even if the disciple is sincere and qualified.
*Advaita Ācārya, Rūpa, Sanātana, and Jiva Gosvāmī all appeared in the Bharadvāja-gotra so above ślokas are pertinent to our paramparā. In Kularnava Tantra: 5th division
Urdhvamnaya 15.98:
ekaksare tathā kūṭe traipure mantra-nayike strī-datte svapna-labdhe ca siddhadin naiva sodhayet
A mantra composed of one syallable, a concocted mantra, a mantra dedicated to Śiva, a mantra obtained in a dream and mantras given by women can never award perfection even if purified according to puruscarya-vidhi.
Even those characterless (useless) so called male ācārya, also they are not allowed to act as ācārya. Śrīman Mahāprabhu already has shown the strīct siddhanta vichar about who can act as ācārya and who not.
All those evidence collected by Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Varaha Mahārāja of Gauḍīya Vedanta Samithi. Now some Questions can arise regarding mantra diksha given by Śrīmati Janava Mata Thakurani or Ganga Mātā Ṭhākurani or Hemlata Ṭhākurani. Please try to realize the fact that–Actually they are beyond any general rules because they are under the category of svarūpa-śakti tattva – I mean they are beyond any body limit. Some unusual cases cannot be accepted as general or common system. Śrīla Vishvanath Chakravartypad Mahāśaya has written in his Bhagavat commentary that we can see Śrīla Druva Mahārāja was successful to climb the Druvapada with the same body which he had by birth, without leaving the body, this should not be accepted as any general or common rule. Please try to pay full attention to those scriptural evidence projected by us to avoid any future confusion –this is our request to you all.
As per the following śloka from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam –
strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ
trayī na śruti-gocarā
karma-śreyasi mūḍhānāṁ
śreya evaṁ bhaved iha
iti bhāratam ākhyānaṁ
kṛpayā muninā kṛtam (ŚB 1.4.25)
Actually those women or sudras or fallen (degraded) dvijas they have no right in Vedas (or related shastra like Vedanta , Upaniṣad etc.), so for their absolute managal the great Muni Śrī Vyasa deva (who is the śaktyāveśa-avatāra of the Supreme Lord) has compiled Śrī Mahabharat the historical epic—the extract of the Vedas.
We can see the quotation by Śrīla Sūta Deva Gosvāmī that those women or śūdras or fallen brāhmaṇas they have no right in Veda (or such related śāstras like Vedanta, Upaniṣads etc.), so for their absolute maṅgal Śrīla Vyasa Deva was bound to compile Śrī Mahābhārata epic—the extract of Veda.
Also, Śrīmad Bhagavat vyāsāsana is only reserved for those mahā-bhāgavata pure devotees (for man, not for woman). But there can be such great exalted woman devotee who can realise Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from heart but still not allowed to take the vyāsāsana as a speaker, but surely can advise others as a śikṣā-guru but not as a dīkṣā-guru. So many reasons can be there behind this strict injunction written in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—which is the topmost authentic absolute evidence as was specifically pointed out by Śrīman Mahāprabhu Himself– the Supreme Lord. Also we know that Brahma-Gāyatrī is strictly prohibited for them. One syllable “OM- Mantra” is also strictly prohibited for them. Extreme purity of body and mind is the most vital point to be considered in this case. Even so called brāhmaṇas are also not allowed in this regard. Even those characterless or useless so called male ācāryas are also not allowed to act as ācārya. Śrīman Mahāprabhu already has shown the strict siddhanta vichar about who can act as ācārya and who not.
The following scriptural evidences can help us to understand about the genuine Ācāryaship and false Ācāryaship—
From Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa we can see the following ślokas—
yo bokti nayarohita manyana shrinoti yah
toubhou narakam ghorom brajatah klamkshyam
Who is going to violate the scriptural injunction to give mantra upadesh (or sastra upadesh) to others who or who is going to accept those illegal upadesh—both of them can go to hell forever to suffer severe punishment.
Also a quotation of Pancharatra found quoted in Hari Bhakti Vilas–
avaiṣṇavopadiṣṭena mantreṇa nirayaṁ vrajet
punaś ca vidhinā samyag grāhayed vaiṣṇavād guroḥ (HBV 4.144)
One goes to hell if he accepts mantra from a non-Vaishnava guru. Therefore, according to the rules of śāstra, one must take shelter (mantra) again from a Vaishava guru according to scriptural injunctions.
mahākula prāsūta api sarva yageshu diksitah
sahasra sakhadhayai ca na guruh syad avaishnava (H.B . Vilas 1/54)
If some Brahman taking birth in a very high family race, even initiated in all yagyas, and he might have gone through thousands of branches of Veda still he cannot be given the post of Guru if he is not Vaishnava.
From Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa one quotation from Viṣṇu Smṛti–
paricharya yasho lipshuh sisyad gurur na hi (H.B.V. 1/45)
He who is expecting personal seva and name, fame and position from disciple cannot be guru in true sense.
From Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.5.18
gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt
pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt
daivaṁ na tat syān na patiś ca sa syān
na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum (ŚB 5.5.18)
Surely he is not guru, he is not near and dear one, he is not father, she is not mother, he is not god or he is not husband who cannot save me from my immanent death.
From Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa a quotation from Vayu Purāṇa–
ācinoti yaḥ śāstrārtham ācāre sthāpāyātyapi
svayaṁ acarate yasmād ācārya stena kīrtitaḥ
The ācārya is thus called because he himself is established in acharan with full realisation and who can help others to get establishes in acharan. Since all shastra siddhanta can be found in his life in applied form, so he is called acharya.
From Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa a quotation from Padma Purāṇa–
ṣaṭ-karma-nipuṇo vipro
mantra-tantra-viśāradaḥ
avaiṣṇavo gurur na syād
vaiṣṇavaḥ śvapaco guruḥ
“A scholarly brāhmaṇa expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a Vaiṣṇava, but if a person born in a family of a lower caste is a Vaiṣṇava, he can become a spiritual master.”
From Śrī Upadeśāmr̥ta, verse 1 by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmipad–
vāco vegaṁ manasaḥ krodha-vegaṁ
jihvā-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etān vegān yo viṣaheta dhīraḥ
sarvām apīmāṁ pṛthivīṁ sa śiṣyāt
“A wise and self-composed person who can tolerate the impetus to speak, the agitation of the mind, the onset of anger, the vehemence of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the agitation of the genitals can instruct the whole world. In other words, everyone becomes a disciple of such a self-controlled person.”
From Śrī Hari-bhakti-vilāsa part 1/45 & 46
paricharya yasho lipshuh sisyad gurur na hi
kṛpā-sindhu susampūrṇaḥ sarva satvopākarakaḥ
nispṛhaḥ sarvataḥ siddhāḥ sarva vidyā-viśāradaḥ
sarva saṁśaya sañchettṛ ‘nalaso gurur āhṛtaḥ
Such person is called guru who is an ocean of mercy, who feels pain on seeing the unhappiness of others, who is always satisfied and who works for the welfare of others, who does not desire sense gratification, who is perfect in all respects, who is expert in all scriptural knowledge, who removes the doubts of his followers and who is not lazy. (always busy in serving the Lord).
From Mahābhārata we know the following śloka ….
guror apy avaliptasya
kāryākāryam ajānataḥ
utpatha-pratipannasya
parityāgo vidhīyate (Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva 179/25)
It is one’s duty to give up a guru who is attached to sense gratification rather than the practices of bhakti, who does not know what he should or should not do, and who deviates from the path of pure bhakti, either because of bad association or because he is opposed to Vaiṣṇavas.
Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī’s Commentary: “A guru who is envious of pure devotees, who blasphemes them, or behaves maliciously towards them should certainly be abandoned, remembering the verse “guror api avaliptasya”. Such an envious guru lacks the mood and character of a Vaiñëava. The śāstras enjoin that one should not accept initiation from a non-devotee. Knowing these injunctions of the scriptures, a sincere devotee abandons a false guru who is envious of devotees. After leaving one who lacks the true qualities of a guru, if a devotee is without a spiritual guide, his only hope is to seek out a mahā-bhagavata Vaiṣṇava and serve him. By constantly rendering service to such a pure devotee, one will certainly attain the highest goal of life. “(Bhakti-Sandarbha, A 238/GKH 1.52)
From Bhakti Sandarbha, annucheda 210 śloka–
paramārtha-gurvaśrayo vyāvahārika-gurvadi parityagenapi kartavyah
One should not accept a spiritual master based on hereditary, social or ecclesiastical convention. Such a professional ‘guru’ should be rejected. One must accept a qualified spiritual master, who can help one advance towards the ultimate goal of life, kṛṣṇa-prema.
From Ādi Purāṇa–
guravo bahavaḥ santi śiṣya- vittāpahārakaḥ
durlabhaù sad-gurur devī śiṣya- santā-paharakaḥ (Purāṇa-vakya)
[Lord Śiva to Pārvatī:] Many ‘gurus’ take advantage of their disciples and plunder them. They exploit their disciples and use them to amass wealth, but a guru who can remove the miseries of his disciples is very rare.
Actually according to the degree of consciousness level a man or woman can be given value, though we know that according to their own estimation each and everybody thinking themselves to be very intelligent and efficient. People approve people of their own stamp; they cannot approve you or me. Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda paramahaṁsa guru said that –“If I seek the path leading to the absolute good then I must ignore the countless voices of popular wisdom and listen only to that of the realized soul.” He further said that—“I must submit unto the lotus feet of such a paramahaṁsa guru who can give me absolute maṅgal. So called material guru can never save me from the ocean of material misery.”
This is not the question of fighting or politics, rather this is the question of the survival of our real self, so we must think over and again about the above topic before passing any remark. This should be treated as our earnest request to you all.
Thanks a lot
Truly yours in the service of Śr Śrī Guru-Gaurāṅga and Go-Mātā
On behalf of the Bhakti Siddhanta Vani Seva Trust