Caitanya Priya Dasa shared a post.
When GREAT SAINTLY PERSONS saw this contamination,
THEY INTRODUCED worship of the Deity in the temple. (SB 7.14.39)
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When SELF-REALIZED DEVOTEES
ORDAIN ANY NEW ARRANGEMENT,
this should be accepted as religious code,
[Bhaktivinoda Thakura from Sri Tattva Sutra]
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May 28, 1977, Vrndavana,GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada
Prabhupada: I shall recommend some of you
to act as OFFICIATING ACARYAS.
RTVIK, YES.
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SB 7.14.39
TRANSLATION
when GREAT SAGES AND SAINTLY PERSONS saw
mutually disrespectful dealings at the beginning of Tretā-yuga,
Deity worship in the temple WAS INTRODUCED
with all paraphernalia.
PURPORT
When GREAT SAINTLY PERSONS saw this contamination,
THEY INTRODUCED worship of the Deity in the temple.
SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭvā—after practically seeing;
kriyāyai——for the purpose of INTRODUCING the method of worship;
kavibhiḥ—BY LEARNED PERSONS;
kṛtā—HAS BEEN DONE.
SB 7.14.39
DṚṢṬVĀ teṣāṁ mitho nṛṇām
avajñānātmatāṁ nṛpa
tretādiṣu harer arcā
KRIYĀYAI KAVIBHIḤ KṚTĀ
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Bhaktivinoda Thakura from Sri Tattva Sutra
."Devotees of the Supreme Lord
are not controlled by the scriptures
since their activities are congenial to Divine Wisdom.
When SELF-REALIZED DEVOTEES
ORDAIN ANY NEW ARRANGEMENT,
this should be accepted as religious code,
EVEN IF SUCH NEW arrangements
are not found in the scriptural statements of the previous sages."
[Bhaktivinoda Thakura from Sri Tattva Sutra]
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May 28, 1977, Vrndavana,GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada
Satsvarupa:
Then our next question concerns
initiations in the future,
particularly at that time when you're no longer with us.
We want to know
how first and second initiation would be conducted.
----
Prabhupada: Yes.
I shall recommend some of you to act as OFFICIATING ACARYAS.
----
Prabhupada: RTVIK, YES.
https://www.vaniquotes.org/…/No,_he%27s_asking_that_these_r…
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NOTE:
Both this verse of Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.39,
the purport of Srila Prabhupada,
as well as the statements of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
USE THE SAME TERMS AND
EXPLAIN THE SAME PRINCIPLE.
To introduce and making new arrangements is the same.
What does it mean "they introduced"?
Meaning of the verb TO INTRODUCE in this contex
according to the dictionary:
-to start using a NEW system, rule, or method.
-to bring a system, law, method etc into use FOR THE FIRST TIME.
-NEW SYSTEM/PRODUCT, to bring a plan, system, or product into use FOR THE FIRST TIME.
-START A CHANGE, to make something NEW start to happen or exist in a situation.
-to make a NEW product or service available FOR THE FIRST TIME.
EXAMPLES:
.the introduction of NEW methods.
.TO INTRODUCE a NEW procedure.
.NEW measures have been INTRODUCED to try and ease traffic congestion in the city.
.various NEW taxes were INTRODUCED
.When were music CDs FIRST introduced?
.They introduced a NEW topic into the conversation
.They have been slow to introduce CHANGES in procedure.
.to introduce a NEW idea.
.A NEW word processor was INTRODUCED.
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“THEY INTRODUCED worship of the Deity in the temple” means they made a new arrangement.
“When SELF-REALIZED DEVOTEES ORDAIN ANY NEW ARRANGEMENT”, it means that they introduce something which is new by definition.
-------------------------------------------------.
Srila Prabhupada before his departure
did not name any of his disciples to become guru and accept disciples,
there is no DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE to say otherwise.
---
On the contrary there is DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
on May 28, 1977- July 9, 1977 ... etc,
where Srila Prabhupada clearly said that
after his departure,
the initiations, first and second initiation,
would be carried out by ritviks or representatives
on behalf of Srila Prabhupada and that
the new initiates are also disciples of Srila Prabhupada.
---
Those who disobeyed the order of Srila Prabhupada and
became spiritual masters and
accepted their own disciples without authorization
they say that the idea about
ritvik or representatives after the departure of the acarya
is something that is
UNPRECEDENTED in the Vaisnava tradition and
therefore should not be accepted.
Based on this apparent argument they say that
Srila Prabhupada never really meant that and
the meaning of his words is quite different
because
HIS WORDS CANNOT CONTRADICT THE TRADITION.
----
But there is IRREFUTABLE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE of
what Srila Prabhupada's words were
about this subject : "RITVIK,YES."
..
According to research studies conducted by some devotees
THERE ARE PRECEDENTS of
RITVIK initiations after the departure of the acarya,
both in the case of Ramanujacarya and Madvacarya.
----
BUT EVEN IF THERE ARE NO PRECEDENTS
for ritvik initiations after the departure of the acarya,
even if this was
A NEW ARRANGEMENT made by Srila Prabhupada,
"not found in the scriptural statements of the previous sages,"
this verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.39 and
the words of Bhaktivinoda Thakura explain to us that
SELF-REALIZED DEVOTEES,GREAT SAINTLY PERSONS
have the power and authority
to make NEW ARRANGEMENTS
with the goal of spreading pure devotional service
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.
THEREFORE,THE CONCLUSION is that
the important thing on this issue is not the tradition
but the clear orders of the acarya,
the self-realized devotee,great saintly person.
When there is IRREFUTABLE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE
about Srila Prabhupada's words on this subject,
those different opinions
contrary to his will and instruction
denote the total ignorance of
the prerogative of the self-realized devotee,
great sainly person,
WHO HAS THE POWER AND AUTHORITY
TO ORDER, TO INTRODUCE ANY NEW ARRANGEMENT,
"EVEN IF SUCH NEW arrangements
are not found in the scriptural statements of the previous sages."
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PURPORT - (Excerpts from the purport of this verse SB 7.14.39)
In Satya-yuga,
every person was spiritually advanced, and
there was no envy between great personalities.
Gradually, however,
because of material contamination
with the advance of the ages,
DISRESPECTFUL DEALINGS appeared
even among brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.
Actually,
AN ADVANCED VAIṢṆAVA is to be RESPECTED more than Viṣṇu.
.
after Satya-yuga there were symptoms of
DISRESPECTFUL DEALINGS among Vaiṣṇavas.
…
A POWERFUL VAIṢṆAVA
who has converted others into Vaiṣṇavas
is to be WORSHIPED,
but because of material contamination,
sometimes SUCH AN EXALTED VAIṢṆAVA
is DISRESPECTED by other, MINOR Vaiṣṇavas.
When GREAT SAINTLY PERSONS saw this contamination,
THEY INTRODUCED worship of the Deity in the temple.
This began in Tretā-yuga and
was especially prominent in Dvāpara-yuga
(dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ).
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SB 7.14.39 (the whole verse)
dṛṣṭvā teṣāṁ mitho nṛṇām
avajñānātmatāṁ nṛpa
tretādiṣu harer arcā
kriyāyai kavibhiḥ kṛtā
SYNONYMS
dṛṣṭvā—after practically seeing; teṣām—among the brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas; mithaḥ—mutually; nṛṇām—of human society;
avajñāna-ātmatām—the mutually disrespectful behavior; nṛpa—O King;
tretā-ādiṣu—beginning from Tretā-yuga; hareḥ—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; arcā—the Deity worship (in the temple);
kriyāyai—for the purpose of INTRODUCING THE METHOD of worship;
kavibhiḥ—BY LEARNED PERSONS; kṛtā—has been done.
TRANSLATION
My dear King,
when GREAT SAGES AND SAINTLY PERSONS saw
mutually disrespectful dealings at the beginning of Tretā-yuga,
Deity worship in the temple WAS INTRODUCED
with all paraphernalia.
PURPORT
As it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (12.3.52):
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇuṁ
tretāyāṁ yajato makhaiḥ
dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ
kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
“Whatever result one obtained
-in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu,
-in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices and
-in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet
one can also obtain in Kali-yuga
simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.”
In Satya-yuga,
every person was spiritually advanced, and
there was no envy between great personalities.
Gradually, however,
because of material contamination
with the advance of the ages,
disrespectful dealings appeared
even among brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas.
Actually,
an advanced Vaiṣṇava is to be respected more than Viṣṇu.
As stated in the Padma Purāṇa,
ārādhanānāṁ sarveṣāṁ viṣṇor ārādhanaṁ param:
of all kinds of worship,
worship of Lord Viṣṇu is the best.
Tasmāt parataraṁ devi tadīyānāṁ samarcanam:and recommended more than worship of Viṣṇu is
worship of the Vaiṣṇava.
Formerly,
all activities were performed in connection with Viṣṇu,
but after Satya-yuga there were symptoms of
disrespectful dealings among Vaiṣṇavas.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has said that
a Vaiṣṇava is
he who has helped others become Vaiṣṇavas.
An example of
one who has converted many others into Vaiṣṇavas
is Nārada Muni.
A powerful Vaiṣṇava
who has converted others into Vaiṣṇavas
is to be worshiped,
but because of material contamination,
sometimes such an exalted Vaiṣṇava
is disrespected by other, minor Vaiṣṇavas.
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When GREAT SAINTLY PERSONS saw this contamination,
THEY INTRODUCED worship of the Deity in the temple.
This began in Tretā-yuga and
was especially prominent in Dvāpara-yuga
(dvāpare paricaryāyāṁ).
But in Kali-yuga,
worship of the Deity is being neglected.
Therefore
chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra
is more powerful than
Deity worship.
Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu set a practical example in that
He did not establish any temples or Deities,
but He profusely introduced the saṅkīrtana movement.
Therefore
Kṛṣṇa consciousness preachers
should give more stress to the saṅkīrtana movement,
especially by distributing transcendental literature
more and more.
This helps the saṅkīrtana movement.
Whenever there is a possibility to worship the Deity,
we may establish many centers,
but generally we should give more stress to
the distribution of transcendental literature,
for this will be more effective
in converting people to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.47):
arcāyām eva haraye
pūjāṁ yaḥ śraddhayehate
na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
“A person who is very faithfully engaged in
the worship of the Deity in the temple
but does not know
how to behave toward devotees or people in general
is called a prākṛta-bhakta, or kaniṣṭha-adhikārī.”
A prākṛta devotee, or neophyte devotee,
is still on the material platform.
He certainly engages in worshiping the Deity,
but he cannot appreciate the activities of a pure devotee.
It has actually been seen that
even an authorized devotee
who is engaged in the service of the Lord
by preaching the mission of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
is sometimes criticized by neophyte devotees.
Such neophytes
are described by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura:
sarva-prāṇi-sammānanāsamarthānām avajñā spardhādimatāṁ tu bhagavat-pratimaiva pātram ity āha.
For those who cannot
properly appreciate the activities of
authorized devotees,
Deity worship is the only way for spiritual advancement.
In the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 7.11) it is clearly said,
kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana:
without being authorized by Kṛṣṇa,
one cannot preach the holy name of the Lord
throughout the entire world.
Nevertheless,
a devotee who does so is criticized
by neophyte devotees, kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs,
who are on the lower stages of devotional service.
For them,
Deity worship is strongly recommended.
Replies
Great article! Hare Krsna