GURU-PARAMPARA: THE LIST OF 32

I offer my respectful obeisances unto
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
who is very dear to Lord Krsna,
having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master,
servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message
of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries,
which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

The Brahma-Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya

Following is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's rendition of these Sanskrit verses into the form of a Bengali poem. The English translation made by the Thakur's disciples also follows.

"The teachings of pure devotional service to Krsna begins with Krsna Him- self. He revealed this divine knowledge to the four-headed Brahma, who taught it to Narada. Narada taught it to Vyasa, who taught it to his servant, Madhvacarya. From Madhvacarya it passed to Padmanabha, Narahari, and Madhava. Madhava's disciple was Aksobhya. Aksobhya's disciple was Jayatirtha, whose foremost disciple was Jnanasindhu. After Jnanasindhu was Dayanidhi, whose disciple was Vidyanidhi, also known as Vidyadhiraja Tirtha. His disciple was Rajendra Tirtha, whose principle disciple was Jayadharma, also known as Vijayadhvaja Tirtha, the famous Bhagavatam commentator. His disciple was Purusottama Tirtha, whose foremost disciple was Brahmanya Tirtha. His disciple was Vyasatirtha, whose disciple was Laksmipati Tirtha. In this way one should understand the guru-parampara.

Laksmipati Tirtha initiated Sri Madhavendra Puri, the best of sannyasis, whose favorite disciple was Isvara Puri. Two of his foremost disciples were the two great incarnations of Godhead, Lord Nityananda and Advaita Prabhu. Lord Caitanya made Isvara Puri greatly fortunate by accepting him as guru. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is none other than Sri Radha-Krsna combined. He is the life and soul of the Rupanuga Vaisnavas. The most dear follower of Sri Caitanya, who was also known as Visvambhara, was Svarupa Damodara, whose principle followers were Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami. The beloved followers of Rupa and Sanatana were Sri Jiva and Raghunatha dasa, whose dearmost servant was Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami. The dearmost follower of Krsnadasa was Narottama dasa Thakura. Narottama's follower, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, had no desire other than the service of Narottama's lotus feet. The foremost devotee of Visvanatha was Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and then Jagannatha dasa Babaji. The dear servant of Jagannatha dasa Babaji was Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was followed by Sri Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, a great devotee, whose only pleasure was the service of Sri Hari.

All these pure devotees of the Lord represent the dynasty of Sri Gauranga, the Gaura-vamsa. Their holy feet are my only refuge. I am devoid of any real service to them, but hope that one day their service may be mine. I am only a fallen tridandi-sannyasi by the name of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati."

In the case of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's list of the disciplic succession, commonly known as Sri Guru-parampara -- in the Sanskrit verse, Bengali poem, and disciple-translation to English -- we find that Bhaktisiddhanta has followed almost identically the list provided by Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana in his Prameya-ratnavali, which Srila Prabhupada also followed in his List of 32 in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. [Table1/Chart 7-9] Again, we find a few slight variations in spelling. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta uses Visvambhara as a name for Svarupa Damodar. The names are not presented in a numbered list, so parenthetical groupings can't be easily compared.

In comparing all the iterations of the Sampradaya Acarya lists discussed thus far, three items have been particularly anomalous: the listings for Dayanidhi/Mahanidhi, Purusottama, and Brahmanya Tirtha. We see that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta used Dayanidhi, as Baladeva Vidyabhusana did, rather than Mahanidhi, as Kavi Karnapura did.

In the case of Purusottama and Brahmanya Tirtha, we see that again Srila Bhaktisiddhanta has replicated Baladeva Vidyabhusana's list. From Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's poem: "His disciple [Vijayadhvaja Tirtha] was Purusottama Tirtha, whose foremost disciple was Brahmanya Tirtha." Kavi Karnapura wrote: "Another disciple of Jayadharma was Brahmana Purusottama. Purusottama's disciple was Vyasatirtha". This may be another indication of why Srila Prabhupada gave the list in the way that he did in his purport to Adi lila 6.40, and in his letter to Upendra.

Sri Guru-parampara in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON Songbook

There is one more iteration of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Sri Guru-parampara to be considered – the version found in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON songbook. Here we find what appears to be a more refined version of the Bengali than the version provided by Atulakrsna Dattaji.

The earliest copy of Sri Guru-parampara we have in our personal archives is from one of the early versions of the ISKCON temple songbooks. These were typically made up of mimeographed sheets, punched and secured in a binder with cardboard covers. Entitled Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas, the songbooks have an Introduction by Acyutananda Svami, dated August 20, 1972. Two years later, in 1974, the first printed version of the Songbook was published, with a printing of 10,500 copies.

It is interesting to study the endings of Sri Guru-parampara (Bengali) in the 1972 and 1974 editions of the Songbook, and to compare them with the final verses in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Bengali version published by his disciples.

In the 1972 Songbook, Sri Guru-parampara begins on page 82, with the English translation on page 83. The final verses are as follows, beginning with verse 8 (although the verses are not numbered in the original Songbook):

8
viswanatha-bhakta-satha, baladeva jagannatha,
tara priya sri-bhaktivinoda
maha-bhagavata-bara, sri-gaurakisora-bara,
hari-bhajanete ja'ra moda

9*
ihara paramahamsa, gaurangera nija-bamsa,
tadera carane mama gati
ami seba-udasina, namete tridandi dina,
sri-bhaktisiddhanta saraswati

"(8) Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura was the siksa-guru [instructing spiritual master] of Baladeva Vidyabhusana, to whom he taught the precepts of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Jagannatha Dasa Babaji was a very prominent acarya after Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana and was the beloved siksa-guru of Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Bhaktivinoda Thakura's intimate friend and associate was the eminent maha-bhagavata Sri Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji, whose sole joy was found in hari-bhajana.

These great saintly Vaisnavas are all paramahamsas, or devotees of the highest order, and they are all part of Lord Gauranga's own spiritual family. Their holy feet are my refuge. I have no real interest in devotional services and I am a poor and lowly tridandi sannyai named Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.

*Because this song has been composed by Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he has placed his name at the end of the song, as is customarily done by Vaisnava poets. In order to glorify Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and his beloved disciple Sri A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada as spiritual teachers in the preceptorial succession from Sri Caitanyadeva, the following verse has been added and may be optionally sung instead of the song's ninth verse.

The renowned Sri Varsabhanavi-dayita Dasa [the initiated name of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati] is always engaged in the service of his spiritual master, Srila Gaurakisora Dasa Babaji. His foremost disciple-preacher is Sri A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has spread the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the world and is thus a reservoir of mercy and compassion for all fallen souls."

In the case of both the 1972 and the 1974 editions of the Songbook, the additional comments included at the end of the translated versions of Sri Guru-parampara were apparently written by Acyutananda Svami. In the 1972 edition he says, "I have added one more line to this song", and in the 1974 edition he adds a more extensive section of text (in blue). In the latter, he states that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta placed his name at the end of the song. But as noted above, according to Bhaktisiddhanta's disciple, Atulakrsna Dattaji, it was the disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta who added their Guru's name to the last section after the original Sanskrit verse.

Terms of Glorification

When comparing one list to the next, one of the most interesting points of comparison are the terms of glorification used to describe various individuals. The interspersing of glorifications amidst the listed names is found in the earliest example of the list, in Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika by Sri Kavi Karnapura, and to a lesser degree in Baladeva Vidyabhusana's Prameya-ratnavali and A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami's purport to Caitanya-caritamrta Adi 6.40.

By carefully studying these words of glorification, we are given yet another means of understanding who these exalted personalities are, and what are the characteristics of a Sampradaya Acarya – a member of the exclusive list of pure transmitters of Truth -- Spiritual Masters in perfection in the disciplic succession. This in turn allows us to better understand Srila Prabhupada as the most recent member of this rarified transcendental group.

In his Sri Guru-parampara poem, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta mentions that Jayatirtha is "Aksobhya's disciple", but says that Jnanasindhu was Jayatirtha's "foremost disciple". Some individuals are noted as being a disciple, some as "principle disciple", and some as "foremost disciple". Today, unfortunately, many devotees are reticent about acknowledging Srila Prabhupada's exalted status and his place on the list of 32 Sampradaya Acaryas. They are unwilling to differentiate, either out of fear of committing Vaisnava-aparadha against Prabhupada's godbrothers or the ISKCON gurus, or because they simply cannot make the philosophical differentiation. But the guru-parampara should be understood in full, including the words of glorification and differentiation.

"Laksmipati Tirtha initiated Sri Madhavendra Puri, the best of sannyasis, whose favorite disciple was Isvara Puri. Two of his foremost disciples were the two great incarnations of Godhead, Lord Nityananda and Advaita Prabhu. Lord Caitanya made Isvara Puri greatly fortunate by accepting him as guru…

"The most dear follower of Sri Caitanya, who was also known as Visvambhara, was Svarupa Damodara, whose principle followers were Rupa and Sanatana Gosvami. The beloved followers of Rupa and Sanatana were Sri Jiva and Raghunatha dasa, whose dearmost servant was Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami."
(Sri Guru-parampara, English translation of Bengali poem)

In the Bhagavad-gita List of 32, item #23 is "Rupa, (Svarupa, Sanatana)", and item #24 is "Raghunatha, Jiva". Interestingly enough, in his poem, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta first mentions Svarupa Damodara, Lord Caitanya's "dearmost follower", and his "principle followers", Rupa and Sanatana. Yet on the List of 32, we see that Rupa is listed first, followed by Svarupa and Sanatana. Clearly, there is meaning behind this nomenclature; it is not whimsical, arbitrary or meaningless. Likewise, there is meaning to the fact that Raghunatha and Jiva are paired together, rather than some other ordering of names.

While we must accept the most recent, most explicit version of the guru-parampara list given to us in Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita, without speculation, these grouped names do give us an opportunity to study and meditate upon the glorious pastimes of the Sampradaya Acaryas.

"The beloved followers of Rupa and Sanatana were Sri Jiva and Raghunatha dasa, whose dearmost servant was Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami. The dearmost follower of Krsnadasa was Narottama dasa Thakura. Narottama's follower, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, had no desire other than the service of Narottama's lotus feet."

Again, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta uses various terms of glorification to preface names and descriptions of the Vaisnavas and their service. They appear in the Gita list as: #25 Krsnadasa; #26 Narottama; and #27 Visvanatha.

"The foremost devotee of Visvanatha was Baladeva Vidyabhusana, and then Jagannatha dasa Babaji. The dear servant of Jagannatha dasa Babaji was Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was followed by Sri Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, a great devotee, whose only pleasure was the service of Sri Hari."

It's interesting to compare Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's terms of glorification (from the translated poem) to those given in Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika by Sri Kavi Karnapura, who wrote:

Madhvacarya's disciple was the exalted Padmanabhacarya.

Among Jayadharma Muni's disciples was Sriman Visnupuri, the famous author of the Bhakti-ratnavali.

Purusottama's disciple was Vyasatirtha, who wrote the famous book Sri Visnu-samhita.

Vyasatirtha's disciple was Sriman Laksmipati, who was like a great reservoir of the nectar of devotional service.

Laksmipati's disciple was Madhavendra Puri, a great preacher of devotional service. Madhavendra Puri was the incarnation of a kalpa-vrksa tree in the abode of Vraja.

Isvara Puri carefully understood the mellows of conjugal love for Lord Krsna, and was able to distribute that fruit to others.

Sri Advaita Acarya displayed the sentiments of servitorship and friendship for the Lord, and Sriman Ranga Puri manifested the sentiment of parental love for Lord Krsna.

In his purport to Adi lila 6.40, Srila Prabhupada wrote that Isvara Puri and Sri Advaita Prabhu were two principal disciples of Madhavendra Puri, and Aksobhya is the direct disciple of Madhava. And in Prameya-ratnavali, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana stated:

"Then we worship with devotion Laksmipati, Madhavendra, his disciples -- Isvara (Puri), Advaita, and Nityananda, world teachers all"

There are so many important points to be made in recognizing and putting proper emphasis on the terms of glorification found in various iterations of the guru-parampara list. For example, recognizing the pastimes each Acarya was famous for, and understanding which disciples were considered principle, foremost, and topmost gives us at least some understanding of the inconceivable qualifications of those included on this exalted list. It also helps us to recognize qualities and pastimes demonstrated by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada that are the manifest symptoms of such a highly exalted, rarified Sampradaya Acarya -- a Spiritual Master in perfection in the disciplic succession.

Bringing the List Forward from Lord Caitanya

With the passing of time, more and more disciples and followers of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada are attempting to understanding the nature, importance and essential meaning of the list of Sampradaya Acaryas presented in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Many important indicators are found in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's list of names following Lord Caitanya -- a list that was undoubtedly composed with the greatest possible diligence and Krsna consciousness.

When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta composed his list, the selection of names he included on the list -- and more importantly, those he excluded -- created a great disturbance amongst the local maths and caste Goswamis. This alone tells us much about the importance of the list. It was not seen as a casual thing by the community of devotees – not just a compilation of names of some of the Gaudiya preachers, diksa gurus, or "small a" acaryas. This was a list of the Sampradaya's topmost members – the perfect transmitters of Absolute Truth, coming down directly from Lord Brahma.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's list mentions Baladeva Vidyabhusana followed by Jagannatha dasa Babaji, and on the Gita List of 32 these two are grouped together in item #28, as "(Baladeva) Jagannatha". It was Baladeva Vidyabhusana who formally established Gaudiya bhasya in his presentation to the Ramanandis at Galta, when he presented Sri Govinda Bhasya. In terms of placing added importance upon the pastimes of certain illustrious members of the Sampradaya, there is typically a focus placed on the bhasya they delivered. We have the universally accepted examples of the four main Sampradaya Acaryas, Madhva, Ramanuja, Nimbarka and Visnuswami. Many devotees today argue that these four individuals were designated as 'Sampradaya Acaryas' because they introduced a significant element of bhasya into our Sampradaya. But interestingly enough, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, who is famous for his presentation on Gaudiya bhasya, appears on the Gita List of 32 as a parenthetical preface to Jagannatha das Babaji.

In all three iterations of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's list, just as on Srila Prabhupada's Gita list, two of the final names listed are Bhaktivinoda Thakur and Gaurakisora das Babaji. This underscores another all-important aspect of the guru-parampara list: the fact that the author of Sri Guru-parampara, HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur, did not place his own illustrious name after Gaurakisora's, as item #31. Again, according to Atulakrsna Dattaji, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's name was added later by his disciples. In his Bhagavad-gita list, Srila Prabhupada included Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's name followed by his own. Srila Prabhupada did not add other names to the list above his own -- not Bhaktisiddhanta's peers or other favored disciples of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur's, nor any of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's disciples (his own godbrothers).

As disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada, it is our job to contemplate the meaning of the list of Sampradaya Acaryas and arrive at our own realizations about it. With respect to adding names to the list, our personal realizations about the addition of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's name to the list is the heart of our Sampradaya Acarya position.

In the case of Kavi Karnapura and Baladeva Vidyabhusana's lists, we don't have an example of how these two Sampradaya Acaryas dealt with the addition of the most recent Acaryas of their day, because they both stopped at Lord Caitanya's Name.

Lord Chaitanya departed from this world in 1534 A.D., 42 years before Sri Kavi Karnapura's departure, in 1576 A.D. Rupa Goswami departed in 1564, and Sanatana in 1558. But although Kavi Karnapura lived one to two decades after Rupa and Sanatana's departures, he did not add their names to his list of Sampradaya Acaryas in Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika. In other words, the addition of names is not some mechanical process.

Jiva Goswami, the last of the Six Goswamis to disappear from this world, departed in 1598. Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana departed in 1768 -- 170 years later. But like Kavi Karnapura, Sri Vidyabhusana also did not include the Goswamis in his chronological Prameya-ratnavali list, although he does mention them in the narrative that follows his itemized list.

The English translation of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Sri Guru-parampara (Bengali poem) say:

"Bhaktivinoda Thakura was followed by Sri Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji, a great devotee, whose only pleasure was the service of Sri Hari.

"All these pure devotees of the Lord represent the dynasty of Sri Gauranga, the Gaura-vamsa. Their holy feet are my only refuge. I am devoid of any real service to them, but hope that one day their service may be mine. I am only a fallen tridandi-sannyasi by the name of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati."

At the Bengali poem we can see that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's name is not at the end of the itemized list, but rather is noted in the closing glorification, presumably added by his disciples, like the addition to the Sanskrit verse:

In Bhagavad-gita As It Is, however, Srila Prabhupada does list his name as #32 – "His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada". In his lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam, April 9, 1969, he states:

"…from Bhaktivinoda Thakura to Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and from Gaurakisora dasa Babaji my spiritual master, and then we are descended."

In his letter to Upendra, February 13, 1968, he writes:

"28. (Bhaktivinode) Gaura-kisora, 29. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Sri Barshabhanavidayitadas, 30. Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta."

We have already mentioned several indications of how Srila Prabhupada's addition of his own name might be understood. One of the key elements in our Sampradaya Acarya thesis is that Srila Prabhupada is a nitya-siddha, sent to this world by Lord Caitanya Himself as His deputed senapati bhakta:

"Even if the sinners reject religion or flee to foreign countries, still they will get the mercy. I will send My senapati (military field commander) bhakta to go there and deliver them." (Lord Caitanya from Sri Caitanya Mangala, Sutra-Khanda by Locana das Thakura)

While all this is certainly congruent with Srila Prabhupada's use of the phrase, "then we are descended" in the April 9, 1969 lecture mentioned above, it seems more likely that he was using the term in the same way it was used by Kavi Karnapura in his Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika:

"22. I shall now begin this book by describing the disciplic succesion descended from Sripada Madhvacarya."

A sign of humility, which is the hallmark of great Vaisnavas, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is mentioned at the end of Sri Guru-parampara as being "a lowly tridandi-sannyasi". Likewise, Srila Prabhupada never sang his own glories, but often humbly criticized himself, instead always praising his Spiritual Master. Nonetheless, he chose to add his own name to the List of 32 in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. Why did he do so? As suggested above, one likely reason is that he was introducing Bhagavad-gita and the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya to parts of the world completely unfamiliar with Vedic culture, and wished to clearly establish his own authority for the benefit of readers who would have no idea of the concept of parampara.

Some have speculated that Srila Prabhupada knew his own disciples wouldn't have the necessary realization to add his name, so he did it himself -- very likely knowing that his neophyte followers would soon busy themselves with adding their own names to the list. But speculation aside, whatever his reasons, in adding his own name to the list of 32 members of the guru-parampara Srila Prabhupada was not simply engaging in one-upmanship with his godbrothers. He was not adding his name and ignoring their names -- even the name of his close friend, Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

Srila Prabhupada was making a very pointed and explicit philosophical statement in adding his name to the list. Although we cannot be certain what his reasons were since he didn't specify them, we can be certain that he did not take such an action capriciously.

Srila Prabhupada did not compose item #32 conjunctively on the list, to read:

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Srila Sridhar Maharaja)

Nor did he write:

(Srila Sridhar Maharaja) His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

as a way of acknowledging that Srila Sridhar was his senior by age or by date of initiation. Nor did he add the names of his other Gaudiya Math godbrothers or his sannyasa guru, HH Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Goswami.

Determining who the transcendental personalities on the guru-parampara list are, and how they are distinguished from all the other stellar Vaisnavas in the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya, is not simply a matter of speculation or favoring popularity. Srila Prabhupada and the previous Acaryas have given ample indications in that regard.

In an address by Srila Prabhupada, published in The Harmonist in 1936 [11], on the Appearance day of HDG Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada said the following:

"The transcendental knowledge of the Vedas was first uttered by God to Brahma, the creator of this particular universe. From Brahma the knowledge descended to Narada, from Narada to Vyasadeva, from Vyasadeva to Madhva, and in this process of disciplic succession the transcendental knowledge was transmitted by one disciple to another till it reached Lord Gauranga, Sri Krsna Caitanya, who posed as the disciple and successor of Sri Isvara Puri. The present acaryadeva is the tenth disciplic representative from Sri Rupa Goswami, the original representative of Lord Caitanya who preached this transcendental tradition in its fullness. The knowledge that we receive from our gurudeva is not different from that imparted by God Himself and the succession of the acaryas in the preceptorial line of Brahma."

In this brief paragraph, Srila Prabhupada makes it clear that he is referring to the members of the disciplic succession included in the List of 32 -- the Sampradaya Acaryas. From Lord Brahma, to Lord Caitanya, to Rupa Goswami – who was added to the list by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta -- then on to Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati himself. Srila Prabhupada clearly states, in the context of this group of individuals, that his Spiritual Master is the present acaryadeva, and he is the tenth disciplic representative from Sri Rupa Goswami. If he were not referring to the enumerated list – our List of 32 -- he would not have referred specifically to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta as the tenth disciplic representative from Rupa Goswami. There are many, many Vaisnavas in our line between Lord Caitanya and Rupa Goswami, and many in the line from Rupa to Bhaktisiddhanta, yet the latter is again named as the tenth in disciplic succession.

Similarly, in his letter to Upendra, February 13, 1968, Srila Prabhupada referred to his Spiritual Master as being the 10th generation from Lord Caitanya, and himself the 11th generation. His use of the term "generation" can be clearly understood by considering this 1936 Appearance Day offering. "10th generation" means "the tenth disciplic representative" – not the 10th group, or wave of devotees, but a certain individual representative.

Srila Prabhupada refers collectively to these disciplic representatives as the acaryas in the preceptorial line of Brahma, which we argue is non-different than referring to them as the 'Sampradaya Acaryas'. Some devotees today argue about our application of this terminology, but in a monograph soon to come, we will address their objections and show that use of the terminology 'Sampradaya Acaryas' is proper.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's Bhagavat-parampara
(siksa-parampara)

Any discussion of bringing the guru-parampara list forward from Lord Chaitanya has to include mention of a debate that has been quietly raging on for decades about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's personal connection to the parampara and his preaching on bhagavat-parampara. Voices on all sides have been spinning this debate in their own convenient direction, whether it be devotee in the Lalita Prasad line, the Vrindavan Anti-party (Jiva Institute), or the Rtvik-vadis who are now trying to argue that bhagavat-parampara authorizes the practice of bhagavati-diksa. In fact, quite a number of Rtviks today are starting to focus in this direction, hoping that bhagavati-diksa will fill the gap left by technical defeats that have decimated their Final Order siddhanta.

In our opinion, many elements of the Bhaktisiddhanta bhagavat-parampara debate are resolved by applying the fundamental tenets of our Sampradaya Acarya position. One significant juncture where these two aspects of guru-tattva intersect happens to be in the List of 32 -- the guru-parampara list handed down by Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya Acaryas, most recently memorialized in sastra as the List of 32 in Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is.

While the topic is far too complex for us to introduce in this paper, our commentary on the 'List of 32' will serve as a building block for the arguments we'll put forward in future when addressing the bhagavat-parampara and bhagavati-diksa debates.

In Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava [12], HH Bhakti Vikas Swami discusses the criticism leveled at Bhaktisiddhanta Thakur by Visvambharananda dasa Babaji and the caste Goswamis of Vrndavana over the guru-parampara list Bhaktisiddhanta composed. Bhakti Vikas Swami writes:

"Sarasvati Thakura responded by explaining the concept of bhagavata-parampara, or siksa-parampara. He maintained that the essence of parampara lies in the transmission of transcendental knowledge, not merely in a list of contiguous names. The life of the parampara is maintained by the maha-bhagavatas, who embody the essence of scriptural knowledge. Therefore, to trace the parampara through such maha-bhagavatas truly represents parampara."

A portion of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's response to the caste Goswamis is found in his booklet, Brahmana o Vaishnaver Taratamya Visayaka Siddhanta ('The Conclusion on the Comparison Between Brahmanas and Vaishnavas'), an essay based on a famous lecture given by the Thakur at Midnapur in 1911.

Some devotees point to Brahmana o Vaishnaver as evidence that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta instituted radical reform to the Sampradaya by essentially replacing the focus on pancharatrika initiation with his own new concept of bhagavati-diksa. Some go so far as to suggest that he actually started a new sampradaya: the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Saraswata Sampradaya.

We suggest that Bhaktisiddhanta did not invent some radical reformation -- rather, he followed the age-old process reflected in the List of 32. While critics of Bhaktisiddhanta point to supposed errors in the Thakur's guru-parampara list, particularly in the line from the Six Goswamis up to Jagannatha das Babaji, the list as he presented it, and as Srila Prabhupada has given it in Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is a faultless representation of the descending line of Sampradaya Acaryas. And in fact, the aspects of nomenclature we have been pointing out in this paper -- conjunctive groups, multiple names per line, etc. -- were employed as a means of technically stating or itemizing names and relationships in the disciplic succession that properly follow an eternal process of descent of the pure, unalloyed sampradaya.

We'll save for another paper a discussion of how the guru-parampara list actually serves to reconcile and resolve dilemmas regarding diksa relationships in the context of pancharatrika and bhagavat, which some devotees characterize as 'radical reform' or 'innovation'. Much remains to be said on this complex issue, but again, it is our belief that the Sampradaya Acarya position serves to clarify and resolve many of the dilemmas associated with this debate.

For now, we can only caution the reader to take the greatest possible care when consuming opinions on the topic of bhagavat-parampara. Such commentaries are becoming more and more prevalent on the Net today amongst the ISKCON community of devotees, most of them originating from Gaudiya branches that are not inline with Srila Prabhupada's teachings. Now the Rtvik-vadis have begun proliferating these arguments, putting even more devotees at risk of being contaminated. These arguments are imbued with a most deadly form of poison -- enviousness of the Sampradaya Acaryas.

Srila B.R. Sridhar Swami's Guru-parampara List

In a compilation of instructions from HH Srila Sridhar Maharaja entitled Sri Guru and His Grace, [13] Chapter 10 includes a list of Sampradaya Acaryas entitled "The Disciplic Succession – Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya". Srila Sridhar's list is nearly identical to the List of 32 in Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The only exceptions are that he has used slightly expanded versions of a few names, e.g., "Bhagavan Sri Krsna" rather than "Krsna", and "Jagannatha dasa Babaji" rather than "Jagannatha".

It is clear that Srila Sridhar specifically modeled his list after Srila Prabhupada's List of 32, which is the only other version that is formatted as an itemized list. The other lists by Kavi Karnapura, Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta present the names in narrative form, not list form. In addition, Sridhara Maharaja has used exactly the same ordering of parenthetical names that Srila Prabhupada used, and this parenthetical ordering is unique to Srila Prabhupada's List of 32 in the Gita. [Table1/Chart 10]

Where Srila Sridhara departs from Srila Prabhupada's List of 32, however, is at the very end. Srila Prabhupada ends the list with his own name. The list in Srila Sridhar's book, however, offers a very distinct typographical setting for the end of the list. Following Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's name, Sridhara Maharaja has added lines to represent a branching tree. On the next line down from Bhaktisiddhanta – side by side – are the names "B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami", and " A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami". Equal successors to the previous Sampradaya Acaryas -- this was Srila Sridhar's conception.

It is well known that in branched lists like this one, when two items appear on the same line, the item to the left is considered most prominent. This is the case because in English, we read from left to right. What this says about the value of the items depends, of course, on what is being listed. In this case, Sampradaya Acaryas are being listed, and B.R. Sridhara Deva Goswami has put his name in the first spot on a shared line, followed by Srila Prabhupada's name.

The lines used to indicate a branching tree in Sridhar Swami's guru-parampara list are quite unique, and we find that a number of ISKCON gurus and disciples have now begun to use a similar format to extend the List of 32, adding their own name or their guru's.

Srila Prabhupada's List of 32 includes several instances where multiple names are paired parenthetically on a single line. There are four such examples:

21. Isvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita)
23. Rupa, (Svarupa, Sanatana)
24. Raghunatha, Jiva
28. (Baladeva) Jagannatha

Srila Sridhar's list is nearly identical to the List of 32 in Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, following it more closely than any other version of the list, including Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana's, which Prabhupada's Gita list followed most exactly. Yet in the case of adding his own name, Srila Sridhar has invented a brand new format, which presumably offers a distinction between the sorts of relationships accounted for in Srila Prabhupada's List of 32, which in some cases employs two names per line and parenthetical pairings.

For example, Nityananda and Advaita were the foremost disciples of Isvara Puri, yet Srila Prabhupada has presented the three on a single line, with the two disciples in parenthesis. Srila Sridhar and Srila Prabhupada both have Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur as their Spiritual Master, yet Sridhar Maharaja does not employ the same method, noting them as: "Bhaktisiddhanta (Sridhar, Bhaktivedanta)", nor does he simply put the two on a single line, like Raghunatha and Jiva, e.g., "B.R. Sridhar, A.C. Bhaktivedanta". Instead, he has created a branching tree format, emphasizing the fact that they are side-by-side, equals.

Now let us consider what Sridhar Maharaja has to say about the nature of sampradaya and the Gaudiya Vaisnava disciplic succession. We begin in Chapter 10 of Sri Guru and His Grace, entitled "Instructing Spiritual Masters" (emphasis added):

Devotee: "Can you explain how the principle of disciplic succession works? I was under the impression that in your teaching there must be an unbroken chain of disciplic succession beginning with God Himself, in order for the knowledge to be properly understood. But when I read Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, I found that the disciplic succession contains only thirty-eight names, although it says that the system is fifty centuries old. Is this a complete list, or are some names left out? How are we to understand these apparent historical discrepancies?

Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Our guru parampara, disciplic succession, follows the ideal, not the body; it is a succession of instructing spiritual masters, not formal initiating spiritual masters. In a song about ourguru parampara written by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, it is mentioned, mahaprabhu sri caitanya radha krsna nahe anya rupanuga janera jivana : the highest truth of Krsna consciousness comes down through the channel of siksa gurus, instructing spiritual masters. Those who have the standard of realization in the proper line have been accepted in the list of our disciplic succession. It is not a diksa guru parampara, a succession of formal initiating gurus."

Sridhara Maharaja explains the composition of the guru-parampara list as being a siksa, not a diksa lineage. More importantly, he characterizes the members of the list as being qualified by the fact that they "have the standard of realization in the proper line". In other words, this is not a list of all instructing spiritual masters, either diksa or siksa, but only of certain ones.

In the next paragraph, Sridhar Maharaja states that, "There are different gradations of spiritual masters", and "the guru must be qualified in so many ways". He does not explain anything further here about the gradation of those included on the list, in comparison to those not included on the list.

He later writes:

"Suppose we are writing a history: we will note the main figures in the history, set aside those who are not so qualified, and begin the dynasty in order of their importance. Those who are negligible will not be mentioned. In a similar way, those who are really thirsty for spiritual truth like to see the line of pure spiritual heritage. They search out where it is to be found, connect the dynasty of stalwart teachers together, and say "This is our line.'"

And speaking further to the gaps, he writes this:

"They do not understand what is real spiritual truth. For them, the physical continuation is the guru parampara . But those who have their spiritual eyes awakened say, "No. What was there in the first acarya is not found in the second or the third. But again we find the same standard of purity in the fourth acarya. The Gaudiya sampradaya of Mahaprabhu is one, and whoever contributes to that real line will be accepted."

Queried further on the gaps in the list, he goes on to say that, "In the disciplic succession, only the great stalwarts in our line are considered important." This statement immediately follows his presentation of the guru-parampara list with drawn branches including Sridhar and Srila Prabhupada side-by-side.

B.V. Narayana Maharaja's Guru-parampara List

On November 15, 2004, the VNN news site published an article entitled, Guru Tattva and the Real Disciple [14] by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. An introductory comment noted that this presentation had actually been spoken by Narayana Maharaja several years earlier, on Srila Prabhupada's Disappearance day in 1996.

In response to the article, Rocana dasa wrote a commentary and submitted it to VNN, who refused to publish it. The article was then submitted to Chakra, who did publish it, with the title, Response to VNN Guru-tattva Article. [15] It was VNN's rejection of this article by Rocana prabhu that caused he and his wife Jahnava to launch the Sampradaya Sun – a venue in which Rocana's editorial commentaries could be presented without restriction.

In his opening remarks in the paper, Narayana Maharaja mentions the concept of bhagavat-parampara, which he says Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati followed, as opposed to guru-parampara. Before getting into a detailed analysis of B.V. Narayana Swami's comments, let us first consider the poem he appended to this article – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Sri Guru-parampara – which Narayana Maharaja characterized as describing the bhagavat-parampara. This Sri Guru-parampara is the Bengali poem Srila Bhaktisiddhanta fashioned from his original verses in Sanskrit.

First, we should note that the Bengali verses in Narayana Maharaja's version of Sri Guru-parampara appear to be identical to those included in Srila Prabhupada's ISKCON songbook [10], except for the differences in the closing verses, noted below. In the presentation of Sri Guru-parampara by Narayana Maharaja, we find a long addition to the guru-parampara, which includes various glorifications, including B.V. Narayana's own, for which there is also an alternative version. Paraphrased, the additions include:

"Sri Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami (an internal and intimate disciple of Prabhupada following in the line of Svarupa Damodara and Rupa Gosvami)

Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami's foremost disciple-preacher, Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who has spread the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the world.

The saintly personalities Sri Vamana Gosvami and Sri Narayana Gosvami, who are most dear to Sri Kesava Gosvami"

And in the alternate version of this verse:

"Out of Prabhupada's countless disciples, Sri Bhakti Prajana KeSava Gosvami was his dearmost. And out of the countless disciples of Sri Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami, one of the most prominent is Sri Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja."

What we're looking at here is essentially a snapshot of the phenomenon that Srila Prabhupada dealt with prior to coming to America and starting his ISKCON lila period. All the prominent godbrothers who were accepting disciples, both they and their disciples had adopted the philosophy and mood that they were all equal successors to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. As such, they were qualified and entitled to include their names at the end of the guru-parampara list, and were at least equal to Srila Prabhupada in terms of spiritual potency or advancement.

Regardless of what Srila Prabhupada accomplished when Krsna revealed him to be a rarified Sampradaya Acarya, his godbrothers could never, would never accept or adopt that perspective. In the case of two Gaudiya Math personalities who have become prominent, namely B.R. Sridhar Maharaja and B.V. Narayana Maharaja, both their camps became surcharged on account of Srila Prabhupada's disciples joining them, therefore both Sridhar and Narayana Swamis, had to glorify Srila Prabhupada to a greater degree than they had in prior years. But they didn't make it clear to their followers that Srila Prabhupada was on a higher spiritual platform than themselves.

As noted in the section above, 'Terms of Glorification', the language used to describe persons listed in the guru-parampara is very significant. In the case of B.V. Narayana Swami's addition to the end of the list, we see that he has characterized his Spiritual Master as being an "internal and intimate disciple" of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's, as well as being his "dearmost" disciple. B.V. Narayana Maharaja is subtly but obviously trying to assert that his Spiritual Master is on a more elevated spiritual platform than his Spiritual Master's godbrothers. Typically, the 'internal and intimate' statement is left unclarified. You can take it whatever way you like.

Recognition of Srila Prabhupada as the Current Sampradaya Acarya

Not all gurus in our Sampradaya who read the list of 32 Sampradaya Acaryas in the guru-parampara are moved to perfunctorily add their own name to the list. A survey of ISKCON diksa gurus and temple websites over the years has shown that some have added a thirty-third name to the list after Srila Prabhupada, while others have not.

For example, HH Giriraj Swami has gotten the realization that Srila Prabhupada is, in fact, a Sampradaya Acarya, thirty-second in the line, and the most current member of the List of 32. On his Facebook page dated August 23, 2009 [16], Giriraj Swami presented the List of 32 in our disciplic succession. The list he uses is taken verbatim from Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad-gita As It Is, with no changes. He introduced the List of 32 in this way (emphasis added):

"In the Introduction to "Bhagavad-gita As It Is" we find a list of the complete disciplic succession of the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya, beginning with Lord Sri Krsna, up to and including the current Sampradaya Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada."

And this:

"Following Lord Caitanya, the modern age of the Gaudiya Sampradaya was marked by the appearance of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, who took birth in A.D. 1838 in the Nadia District of West Bengal. Following Srila Bhaktivinode in the disciplic succession is his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati, who appeared in 1874 in Puri. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta took initiation from Gaurakisora das Babaji. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta became the spiritual master of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the most recent Sampradaya Acarya, who appeared in 1896 in Calcutta."

The practice of ISKCON diksa gurus and swamis adding their own name as 33rd on the guru-parampara list after Srila Prabhupada was once more popular than it is today. Ten or fifteen years ago, it was fairly common. Today, the fact that this practice is seldom found is no doubt the result of growing maturity amongst both gurus and disciples, who are coming to understand that the guru-parampara List of 32 is not such a cheap thing. This change for the better is also a product of vocal critics in the ISKCON community who have pointed out the offensiveness of the practice and the absence of a philosophical basis for it. That said, in recent years, and as of this writing we still find quite a hodgepodge of approaches to adding names to the guru-parampara list. Here are just a few recent examples:

Prior to his recent departure, Kirtanananda not only added himself to the list, but used full honorifics: "His Divine Grace Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada".

Sankarshan das Adhikari, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and an ISKCON- approved diksa guru, was added as #33 to the list by one of his followers.

Mahabuddhi das, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada who went over to B.V. Narayana, adds Narayana's name to the end of the list.

Caru dasa, an ISKCON-approved diksa guru, has innovated his own list. He boldly changes the numbering scheme Srila Prabhupada presented in his List of 32. Caru has done away with all the combined names and parenthetical groupings, and gave each individual their own number, making Srila Prabhupada #37.

A Bay Area sanga of B.V. Narayana's, whose website, TheGayatriFoundation.org (now defunct), added after Srila Prabhupada the following additional members to the guru-parampara: B.R. Sridhar, Bhakti Prajnana Kesava, Bhaktivedanta Vamana, and B.V. Narayana Swamis.

The website maintained by HH B.V. Puri Maharaja's disciples lists the Swami directly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and in fact, prefaces the pictures of the Acaryas with this heading: "The last five Acharyas of the Brahma Madhva-Gaudiya-Guru-Parampara are: (picture)" Also included on the webpage is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Sri Guru-parampara poem in Bengali, the last stanza of which has been revised to read:

"Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, whose initiated name was Sri Varsabhanavi Daita Dasa, was always engaged in divine service of Hari, Guru and Vaishnava. (Following his path, Sri Bhakti Baibhava Puri Goswami is engaged in Sri Hari Kirtan spreading the message of Lord Chaitanya throughout the world. Everybody sings his glories). All these are personal associates of Sri Krishna and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It is my desire to honour their instructions."

Bhakti Prasad Vishnu Swami on behalf of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Gaudiya Math does not add A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada to the list after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, but instead adds Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvami in that place, followed by his own name.

ISKCON author, Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa (whose work is discussed later in this paper) offers his own unique additions to the guru-parampara, in a hierarchical presentation for which there is no precedence, but which no doubt pleases ISKCON leaders, including his current guru, Jayapataka Swami. Jaya Tirtha Charan's list looks like this:

ISKCON Chittagong then followed suit, presenting the same additions to the List of 32 that Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa does, above.

Biographies of the Sampradaya Acaryas

One of ISKCON's scholars on the topic of guru-parampara is the above-mentioned Sriman Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa, who resides in Katikati, New Zealand. He is the author of a book entitled "The Life and Legacy of Sripad Madhvacarya Bhagavatapada" [17], the creator of Hknet.org.nz, and the compiler of various materials on our Brahma Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, including an "Introduction to and Chronological Order of, the Brahma Madhwa & Brahma Madhwa-Gaudiya Sampradaya", the accompanying "Detailed Table of the Disciplic Succession", and a compilation of biographical information on the members of the guru-parampara. [18]

Biographies of the members of the guru-parampara are very important to consider in understanding that HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is also a Sampradaya Acarya – a member of an exclusive group of 32 pure transmitters of knowledge in our disciplic succession. In recognizing the similarities between these illustrious Vaisnavas – their transcendental qualities and pastimes – it becomes clearly evident that Srila Prabhupada is equally qualified to be a member of this exalted list of Sampradaya Acaryas. In comparison, it is also evident that many of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers and other contemporary Vaisnavas in our line do not appear to be equally qualified. Srila Prabhupada did not add their names to the list, either above, beside or beneath his own, and we assert that there is an important philosophical reason for this. Making a study of the stellar qualifications of each of the Sampradaya Acaryas on the List of 32 helps us in understanding this.

In a separate document entitled "Summary Biographies of the Sampradaya Acaryas" (linked below) [19], we have summarized some of the biographical narratives provided by Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa in an effort to point out some of the distinguishing characteristics of the exalted Acaryas on the list of 32 members of the guru-parampara. Nearly all of these distinguishing characteristics are shared by our Srila Prabhupada. We also point out any significant spiritual credentials held by members of the list that cannot likewise be attributed to Srila Prabhupada, although these are very few in number.

In our "Biographies" summary, we are not concerned with the means of linkage – diksa or siksa – but rather with the transcendental qualifications of each individual included on this rarified list of Vaisnavas in our line. While Jaya Tirtha Charan's presentation of biographies begins with Madhvacarya, we will offer comments on Madhva and the other founders of the four main Vaisnava sampradayas in a chapter of our book on the Sampradaya Acarya thesis, currently in progress (in which this paper will also become a chapter). For now, we begin with the first Sampradaya Acarya listed after Madhva in the disciplic succession -- Padmanabha.

Significance of the List of 32 Members of the guru-parampara

What can be concluded by studying all these technicalities related to the List of 32? While matters of nomenclature seem pale in comparison to the transcendental pastimes of these personalities, there is obviously enormous significance in this list of topmost Acaryas in our disciplic succession. Everything about them, including how they are described in parampara lists, is of the upmost importance.

In the case of Brahmanya and Purusottama we are faced with seeming inconsistencies, but we rely on the word of the most recent Sampradaya Acarya, appreciating that he has followed – without change – his own Spiritual Master. This is the essence of disciplic succession. We do not skip back over the current Sampradaya Acarya, taking instead our interpreted opinion of a previous Acarya. If there is any question, the most recent Sampradaya Acarya stands as the definitive, inarguable source of Absolute Truth, whether the subject matter is particulars of the disciplic succession, or some aspect of Sri Krsna's transcendental Name or Form.

When we take all this into account, we can see the tremendous importance of dealing properly with the final name on the list -- the preeminent Sampradaya Acarya's name. It is not that we point to anomalies like Dayanidhi/Mahanidhi or Brahmanya/Purusottama and conclude that the list is not absolute, therefore we have carte blanche to add whatever names we like after Srila Prabhupada's name, in whatever order we like. Clearly this is not how the guru-parampara list has been handled over more than 500 years, since the first extant recording of it by Kavi Karnapura in his Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika, in 1498 A.D.

Any consideration of whose name is placed last on the List of 32 must take into account the great precision and spiritual perfection with which the list was handed down over the ages. To whimsically add names to the list is an arrogance of the highest order. We do not even need to argue about the personal qualifications of a particular contemporary in this regard – we simply need to study the painstaking care with which this list has been handed down. By its very nature, the guru-parampara reveals itself as being a rarified list of 32 divine personalities who are the pinnacle of pure transmission of the Absolute Truth in the descending parampara. Anyone bold enough to add their own name, or allow it to be added, should be scrutinized to the greatest degree possible, in comparison to all the previous Sampradaya Acaryas. And when we hold His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada to such scrutiny, we can only conclude that he inarguably qualifies and deserves to have his name placed as number 32 on the list following the two preceding Sampradaya Acaryas, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakurs.

The fact that these three -- Bhaktivinoda, Bhaktisiddhanta and Bhaktivedanta Thakurs -- came in short succession on the timeline does not make the guru-parampara cheap, opening the doors wide so that any and all diksa gurus and 'small a' acaryas can now freely add their own name to the list as contemporaries. This succession of three nitya-siddha, shaktyavesa, paramahamsa, maha-bhagavata Sampradaya Acaryas should be understood in just the same way that we understand the concentration of transcendental personalities who preceded the advent of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in our Sampradaya. For example, Laksmipati Tirtha, Madhavendra Puri and Advaita Acarya came to prepare the way for Mahaprabhu's descent. Similarly, Srila Bhaktivinoda, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta and Srila Bhaktivedanta came shortly after, executing the Lord's predestined plan: that the Holy Name be distributed to every town and village on the planet. Who would dare to add their own name to such an inconceivably stellar list of transcendental personalities? Only one who is himself a true Sampradaya Acarya of the highest order -- either that, or a puffed-up neophyte who imagines himself to be as good as God.

Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa probably didn't anticipate when writing his biographical sketches of the parampara acaryas that they would form the basis for any kind of comparative study of individual Acaryas. The pastimes of all our Sampradaya Acaryas are glorious, and there is no possibility of comparing these individuals in some absolute way based on apparent external success or attributes, what to speak of their hidden, internal ecstasies and devotion. At the same time, a fair comparison can and must be made of their overall exalted natures so that our current Sampradaya Acarya, Srila Prabhupada, can be understood in the context of this guru-parampara as being of equal stature to the other members of the List of 32. Comparison for the right reasons is proper and is encouraged by sastra -- in fact, it is required.

Central to these biographical sketches is an emphasis on the Acaryas' philosophical knowledge and depth of realization, demonstrated by their veracity and adeptness in defeating other pandits in debate, and by the books they contributed to the body of Vaisnava sastra. In all such areas, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is above exemplary.

A common denominator or distinguishing factor that one can recognize in all the biographies is that these Sampradaya Acaryas had the mood of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in the sense that they had intense compassion for the fallen conditioned souls and expressed that by preaching and writing. If you recognize this to be a primary reason why the successive Sampradaya Acaryas included them in the guru-parampara list, then you can easily see how A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the most prominent disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta to have exhibited these characteristics, and can therefore easily conclude that he is more than qualified to be put on the list.

Srila Prabhupada did not criticize his godbrothers in any way other than the fact that they did not embrace the main desire of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta to actively and dynamically preach in the West, doing what he did. He was so humble that he would insinuate that he was doing it because his other godbrothers didn't do it -- not that they didn't have the pre-requisite qualifications to accomplish this task, whereas he was a nitya-siddha who was sent directly by the Lord to do it.

As we've said on many occasions, we are not saying that any of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers were not bona fide diksa gurus. What we do say is that to varying degrees, Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers did not accurately distinguish Srila Prabhupada as being a Sampradaya Acarya… but that's understandable. What is not acceptable, in my view, is that the leaders of ISKCON who are Srila Prabhupada's disciples, do not recognize Srila Prabhupada to be a Sampradaya Acarya -- an exalted member of the List of 32 Spiritual Masters in perfection in the disciplic succession. I criticize my own godbrothers to a far greater degree than I do Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers, for not properly recognizing him.

Most devotees today are relatively unfamiliar with the lives of the earlier Sampradaya Acaryas, e.g., those following Madhvacarya, up to the time of Madhavendra Puri. The lives of the more recent Sampradaya Acaryas are well documented in Caitanya-caritamrta, and it's not necessary for us to repeat that material here. But we hope our narrative on the lives of the earlier Sampradaya Acaryas ("Biographies of the Sampradaya Acaryas") will help to dispel the misconception that they are somehow a caliber above our Srila Prabhupada, or that they are included in the ancient list of guru-parampara members due to qualities or pastimes somehow not shared by Srila Prabhupada, e.g., due to the introduction of bhasya. As the narrative clearly indicates, that is not the case. They are all transcendental personalities of the highest stature, including our Srila Prabhupada.

Misinterpreting and Misapplying the Guru-parampara List

In an article published on VNN, January 27, 2003, entitled "The Bhagavata Parampara"[20], Brahma das commented on the bhagavat-parampara as presented by Srila Prabhupada in Bhagavad-gita As It Is. The author referenced two source books, Sri Chaitanya: His life & Associates by Swami B.B. Tirtha [7], and Sri Guru Parampara: Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, Heir to the Esoteric Life of Kedarnatha Bhaktivinoda by Swami B.V. Tripurari. [8]

Brahma das notes that Jagannath Das Babaji is co-listed with Baladeva Vidyabhushana – "28. (Baladeva) Jagannatha" – although the two were not contemporaries. Jagannath Das Babaji was not a contemporary of Visvanatha, who is #27 on the list. In fact, there are four consecutive gurus between Jagannath Das Babaji and Baladeva Vidyabhusana. Brahma das describes the ordering of the list, saying:

"His listing follows Bhaktisiddhanta's practice of emphasizing the teachings (siksa) of great gurus rather than a diksa succession of gurus. Bhaktisiddhanta's innovation in this regard was in this way much different than the traditional system that was in place in the Gaudiya Vaisnavism of his time."

When Brahma das says "His listing", he is referring to Srila Prabhupada, following Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Brahma das also says that this is "Bhaktisiddhanta's innovation", presenting a list of "great gurus" rather than simply "diksa gurus", as was common at that time amongst the Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Of course, when we look at the List of 32 before the time of Lord Caitanya –all the way forward from Vyasa to Madhva, we see that this guru-parampara has never simply been a listing of "diksa gurus". So this is not "innovation" on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's part. More accurately, the Thakur was restoring proper practice to the function of listing our Sampradaya Acaryas, following the examples set by the predecessor Acaryas, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana and Sri Kavi Karnapura, and perhaps also Srila Bhaktivinoda.

In fact, Brahma das has a raison d'être for emphasizing this notion of "innovation", which has to do with his close association with Swami Tripurari, whose writings he drew upon in presenting his VNN article, "The Bhagavata Parampara". This same notion of "innovation" was mentioned earlier in this paper, in relationship to the book review of Swami Tripurari's Sri Guru Parampara book [8] by his follower, Babhru dasa, who writes:

"This booklet also explores the nature of the sampradaya as conceived by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In response to the degeneration of many venerable lines of succession, Bhaktivinoda, and, following his explicit instruction, Bhaktisiddhanta, sought to reform the Gaudiya Vaisnava-sampradaya by stressing the substance over apparent form. Therefore, in pursuance of this end, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta fashioned such an essential lineage, consisting of universally acknowledged maha-bhagavatas, thus making the important teachings of the most prominent lines accessible to all sincere devotees. This essential sampradaya may be called a bhagavata- or siksa-sampradaya. The outward form is less important than essential spiritual ideal, the Swami explains. Such is the nature of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's revolution."

While we completely agree with Swami Tripurari's presentation, that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was following the explicit instructions and example of Srila Bhaktivinoda in properly representing the eternal guru-parampara, we have some difficulty with the language the Swami has uses to convey this understanding.

Babhru/Tripuri say that Bhaktisiddhanta 'conceived of the nature of the sampradaya', that he 'fashioned' an essential lineage, and this was a 'revolution'. Brahma das follows suit, saying this was 'Bhaktisiddhanta's innovation'. In fact, although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's Gaudiya Vaisnava contemporaries had digressed from a proper presentation of guru-parampara, the Thakurs were not inventing something new. They were simply following the previous Sampradaya Acaryas, restoring to order the practice of listing the transcendental Spiritual Masters in perfection in the disciplic succession.

The underlying motivation for emphasizing all this conceiving, fashioning, innovating, and revolutionizing of the guru-parampara list becomes very clear when we arrive at the end of the list: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. What better invitation for those who wish to add another name to the list – their own diksa or siksa guru, or their own name – than to preach the notion that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was a 'fashioner and innovator'. In other words, all living Vaishnavas can use this description as a license to do their own 'conceiving' and 'fashioning', as they carry the list forward from Srila Prabhupada based on their interpretation of the current Gaudiya Vaisnava landscape and who is deserving of inclusion on the list. Thus, today we find all sorts of names appended: B.R. Sridhar Maharaja (Swami Tripurari's siksa, and primary guru), B.V. Narayana (who wished to be installed as Srila Prabhupada's successor), ISKCON diksa gurus, etc.

Of course, in the case of so many devotees today, we find that politics and favoritism enter the arena. Those who are casually adding names to the list after Srila Prabhupada are not themselves Sampradaya Acaryas like Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, Srila Bhaktivinoda, and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana. They are not themselves maha-bhagavata, paramahamsa pure devotees. Nor are the names they so hopefully add to the list 'universally acknowledged maha-bhagavatas'. Instead, in many cases we find there is a tremendous amount of disagreement about the status and qualifications of these personalities.

In a later article by Brahma dasa entitled, "The Bhagavata Parampara And Diksa" (VNN, June 4, 2003) [21], he quotes Swami Tripurari's book Sri Guru Parampara:

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

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's basis for including certain personalities on the list was not a consideration of their status as siksa or diksa, nor was it based on the "condition of the prominent diksa paramparas". It was an acknowledgement of the spiritual identity of individual maha-bhagavatas as Sampradaya Acaryas.

To our knowledge, there is no evidence to support Tripurari Swami's statement that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta included on the list "all of the universally acknowledged maha-bhagavats appearing at one time or another in the various diksa lineages". Obviously, that is a very broad group. But this was not a canvassing process, sweeping all members of any particular group into a category -- not even maha-bhagavats. It was more personal than that. For example, there are those among the Vaisnava saints and parishad associates of Lord Chaitanya who are widely considered to be maha-bhagavats, whose names were not included on the guru-parampara list by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. Tripurari Swami suggests that some of these names were probably lost, but we do not accept that speculative conclusion.

We also question the Swami's characterization of the Sampradaya Acaryas as being a "line of siddhas" -- a definition and categorizatoin he offers no real clarification of. In essence, Tripurari Swami is repeating the same message B.R. Sridhar Swami gave. The use of language like 'line of siddhas' effectively serves to create ambiguity, which makes it easier to accept the addition of Sridhar Swami's name to the List, and likewise to accept the addition of other names in future.

In Closing

Just as we have to be careful about terminology, we have to be very careful indeed when accepting characterizations of our Sampradaya Acaryas which suggest that they are conceiving, fashioning, innovating, and revolutionizing sastra – and the List of 32, our guru-parampara list, is non-different from sastra.

At the end of "The Bhagavata Parampara", Brahma das writes:

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

Just as we have to be careful when suggesting that a Sampradaya Acarya has 'conceived' or 'fashioned' an aspect of our philosophy, we have to carefully scrutinize statements like the one above. HDG A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada planted the Chaitanya tree, not just in the West, but essentially in every town and village on the planet. In the absence of clarification, suggesting that he planted a tree with "various branches" can also be easily misinterpreted. Srila Prabhupada did not plant the Gaudiya Math branches – the B.R. Sridhar branch, or the B.V. Narayana branch. In fact, he planted the trunk of Lord Caitanya's tree, with its root bundle completely intact, down to every tendril on every root.

And while it's true that Srila Prabhupada watered Lord Caitanya's tree, it must be said that he did far more than that. He nurtured the tree with rare love and devotion, watering it with his own life in service every day. In his preaching, he trimmed from the tree those branches that were un-bonafide, pointing out the deviations they represented. He protected the tree from invasive attackers who sought to change the philosophy. And he lives eternally connected to that great tree, not only protecting, plucking, polishing and distributing the nectarian fruit it produces, but as one of its primary branches, also producing his own fruit. This fruit, the disciples and followers of Srila Prabhupada, have their own subtly unique flavor -- and they have the potential to simultaneously be exactly like the rest of the fruit on the tree. Doing so will be the perfection of their own service to the Sampradaya Acaryas.

______________________

FOOTNOTES:

[Table 1]
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/00-guru-tattva/table1.xls

[1] Sampradaya Acarya (2003) by Rocana dasa
http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/vada/writings/sampradaya_acarya.htm

[2] Gaps in Guru Parampara: Q & A with Swami B. V. Tripurari, November 8, 2005
http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0511/ET10-8860.html

[3] Sri Gaura-ganodesa-dipika by Sri Kavi Karnapura
http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/gss/sastra/literature/texts/kavi/gaura_ganodesa_dipika.doc

[4] Prameya-ratnavali by Sri Baladeva Vidyabhusana
http://www.harekrsna.com/philosophy/gss/sastra/literature/texts/baladeva/prameya-ratnavali.doc

[5] Biography of Gopala Guru Goswami - Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj, Mandala Publishing (2001)
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/parishads/parishads62.htm

[6] Sri Mahaprabhur-siksa by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Chapter 2:
"It is evident that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu belonged to the Brahma sampradaya, as it descends through Madhvacarya. Kavi Karnapura confirmed this line of disciplic succession in his Gaura Ganoddesa-dipika, and the writer of the commentary of the Vedanta, Sri Baldeva Vidyabhusana, did so again (in his Prameya Ratnavali). Is there any doubt that those who do not accept this line of disciplic succession are the principle enemies of the followers of Sri Krsna Caitanya?"
http://gosai.com/writings/parampara-0

[7] Sri Chaitanya: His Life & Associates by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja

[8] Book Review of Sri Guru-parampara: Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Heir to the Esoteric Life of Kedarnatha Bhaktivinoda by Swami B.V. Tripurari (Harmonist Publishers, 1998). Review by Babhru dasa, ISKCON Communications Journal, Vol. 7, No. 2, December 1999

[9] Sri Gaudiya Kantahara ("The Necklace of the Gaudiya Bhaktas") by Atulakrsna Dattaji, a disciple of BSST

[10] Sri Guru Parampara - ISKCON Songbook (1974)

[11] Our Eternal Guide, an address given given by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Abhay Charan Das) to members of the Gaudiya Math, Bombay, on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's Appearance Day, later published in the "Harmonist" in l936.
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/02-07/editorials1267.htm

[12] Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by HH Bhakti Vikas Swami
http://store.krishna.com/Detail.bok?no=8050&bar=

[13] From Sri Guru & His Grace by B.R. Sridhar Swami
http://bvml.org/SBRSM/SGaHG.html

[14] From Guru Tattva and the Real Disciple by B.V. Narayana
http://www.vnn.org/world/WD0411/WD15-8768.html

[15] Response to VNN Guru-tattva article by Rocana dasa, Chakra, December 3, 2004
http://www.chakra.org/discussions/succDec03_04.html

[16] From "Gems from Srila Prabhupada" by Giriraja Swami

[17] The Life and Legacy of Sripad Madhvacarya Bhagavatapada by Jaya Tirtha Caran dasa

[18] Introduction to and Chronological Order of, the Brahma Madhwa, & Brahma Madhwa-Gaudiya Sampradaya, Detailed Table of the Disciplic Succession, and Biographies of the Sampradaya Acaryas by Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa
http://www.hknet.org.nz/guru-parampara-contents-page.htm

[19] Biographies of the Sampradaya Acaryas - excerpted and paraphrased from Biographies of the Sampradaya Acaryas by Jaya Tirtha Charan dasa
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/00-guru-tattva/biographies.htm

[20] The Bhagavata Parampara by Brahma dasa, VNN, January 27, 2003
http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/00-guru-tattva/TheBhagavataParampara.htm

[21] The Bhagavata Parampara And Diksa by Brahma dasa
http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET0306/ET04-8112.html