VYASA PUJA 2025: Purujit dasa

SRILA PRABHUPADA’S BEHAVIOR ESTABLISHES THE TRUE PURPOSE OF RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES

On April 22. 1977, a few months before his physical departure, Srila Prabhupada said:

"I shall choose some guru. I shall say, "Now you become acarya. You become authorized." I am waiting for that. You become all acarya. I retire completely."

Srila Prabhupada explains:

Malayadhvaja, the great king, was certainly a mahā-bhāgavata, topmost devotee. By executing devotional service, he begot many sons and disciples for propagating the bhakti cult (śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ [SB 7.5.23]). Actually, the entire world should be divided among such disciples. Everyone should be engaged in preaching the cult of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In other words, when disciples are grown up and are able to preach, the spiritual master should retire and sit down in a solitary place to write and execute nirjana-bhajana. This means

sitting silently in a solitary place and executing devotional service.

SB 4.28.33 purport

In the last stage of the spiritual master's life, the devotees of the spiritual master should take preaching activities into their own hands. In this way the spiritual master can sit down in a solitary place and render nirjana-bhajana.

SB 4.28.33 purport

So when he preaches all over the world, that is called parivrajakacarya. And when he's experienced, he executes the work by his assistants. That is called paramahamsa.

Sri Vyasa-puja -- London, August 22, 1973

The word nirjana bhajana means "sitting silently in a solitary place and executing

devotional service." Srila Prabhupada indicated to his disciples his wish to engage

in such worship at the end of his life many times. For example as early as 1970

he writes:

Now I have set up the Governing Body Commission to handle management, questions of philosophy, and personal problems. These things are too much botheration for me, I simply want time to write books to satisfy my Guru Maharaja.

Letter to: Upendra -- Los Angeles 6 August, 1970

There are also other quotes where Srila Prabhupada expresses such a desire:

One Japanese speaker speaking in Gujarat State, India, predicted that in 5 years time this Krishna Consciousness Movement would be the world religion, as was reported in the newspaper here. So now your responsibility has become very great. Practically, it is in your hands now to manage things, so I can translate and write books.

Letter to: Locanananda -- Delhi, India 8 December, 1971

Relationship between Godbrothers must be very genuine and pleasing. Otherwise, the future of our institution will not be very hopeful. After all, very soon you have to manage. As I am getting old, I wish to retire from an active part.

Letter to: Tamala Krsna -- Tittenhurst 1 October, 1969

...I have decided to retire and divert attention to book writing and nothing more.

Letter to: Satsvarupa, Uddhava -- Los Angeles 27 July, 1970

Besides establishing the GBC, in order to free himself more from managerial work,

Srila Prabhupada gradually, step by step empowers his disciples to also give

initiations. He introduces the concept as early as 1969:

And the next year we shall hold an examination on Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Nectar of Devotion and Vedanta Sutra, and those who will successfully pass will be awarded with the title of Bhaktivedanta. By 1975, all of those who have passed all of the above examinations will be specifically empowered to initiate and increase the number of the Krishna Consciousness population.

Letter to: Kirtanananda -- Los Angeles 12 January, 1969

In this letter he envisions his disciples to be eligible for the title Bhaktivedanta and

on that basis be empowered to initiate new devotees. In another instances, Srila

Prabhupada wants the GBC members to initiate the newcomers:

GBC means now they should tour very extensive. That is the first principle, the GBC. Not sit down (in) one place and pass resolution. No, they must be active. They must act like me. As I am old man, I am traveling all over the world. Now to give me relief, the GBC members... I shall expand into twelve more so that they can exactly work like me. Gradually they will be initiators. At least first initiation. You must make advance. That is my motive. So, in that way I want to divide it in twelve zones.

Conversation with the GBC -- May 25, 1972, Los Angeles

Later he indeed starts authorizing many GBC members and sannyasis to give first

initiations by chanting on new initiate's beads. It is seen from Srila Prabhupada's

correspondance that many disciples have done this service in Srila Prabhupada's

lifeime.

I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their beads on my behalf. In America Kirtanananda Swami is going that. So now if there are two of you that will give me great relief. Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples. They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting.

Letter to: Revatinandana -- Bombay 4 January, 1973

Then towards the last months of his stay with us, Srila Prabhupada travels to Vrndavana to prepare for his final departure. Upon his arrival he says:

I am feeling very weak. I was to go to other places like Chandigarh program, but I cancelled the program because the condition of my health is very deteriorating. So I preferred to come to Vrndavana. If death takes place, let it take here. So there is nothing to be said new. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn't matter.

Arrival Speech -- May 17, 1977, Vrndavana

On the 28th of May 1977 he announces to soon recommend some of his senior disciples to act as officiating acaryas, which would completely free him from any involvement in the formal initiation procedure. They will from now on approve the new initiates, give their names, chant on their beads or chant on their brahmin threads as it is in the case of second initiations. The conversation runs as follows:

Prabhupada: I shall recommend some of you. After this is settled up, I shall recommend some of you to act as officiating acaryas.

Tamala Krsna: Is that called rtvik-acarya?

Prabhupada: Rtvik, yes.

Satsvarupa: Then what is the relationship of that person who gives the initiation and the...

Prabhupada: He's guru. He's guru.

Satsvarupa: But he does it on your behalf.

Prabhupada: Yes. That is formality. Because in my presence one should not become guru, so on my behalf, on my order... Amara ajnaya guru hana [Cc.Madhya 7.128]. Be actually guru, but by my order.

GBC Meets with Srila Prabhupada -- May 28, 1977, Vrndavana

The initiations are to be performed on Srila Prabhupada's behalf still. This order is later officially confirmed by the directive to all temple presidents known as "the July 9th letter" and we see that this system of initiation is indeed taking place while Srila Prabhupada is still physically present on the planet:

Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. One Bengali gentleman has come from New York?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Mr. Sukamal Roy Chowdury.

Prabhupāda: So I have deputed some of you to initiate. Hm?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. Actually... Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Prabhupāda: So I think Jayapatākā can do that if he likes. I have already deputed. Tell him.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So, deputies, Jayapatākā's name was there?

Bhagavān: It is already on there, Śrīla Prabhupāda. His name was on that list.

Prabhupāda: So I depute him to do this at Māyāpura, and you may go with him. I stop for the time being. Is that all right?

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Stopped doing what, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: This initiation. I have deputed the, my disciples. Is it clear or not?

Girirāja: It's clear.

Room Conversation -- October 18, 1977, Vṛndāvana

Later on Srila Prabhupada is sending his leading men back to work on their managerial duties to leave him to do a parikrama (pilgrimage) of the holy places.

I wish that you GBC manage very nicely and consider I am dead and let me try to travel all the tirthasthana. Without any responsibility...So far my presence is required (for) management, I think I have bequeathed, properly you can manage.

Room Conversation -- November 8, 1977, Vrndavana

At this point, he is completely relieved from all managerial duties. His disciples are running the movement independently from him. Thus Srila Prabhupada by his personal example shows that the officiating acharya system of initiation works even without his physical involvement in the matter and therefore the system could potentially continue even after Srila Prabhupada's physical departure.

Sometimes the objection is raised saying that such a system of initiation denies Srila Prabhupada’s right to personally accept or reject prospective disciples, arguing it deviates from the traditional parampara, which requires the spiritual master’s direct approval. However, Srila Prabhupada established a system during his lifetime in which the acceptance or rejection of disciples was delegated to officiating priests. If this were a deviation from the parampara tradition, it would imply that Srila Prabhupada himself broke with tradition, which is illogical.

 It is stated:

dharma-sthapana-hetu sadhura vyavahara

"A devotee's behavior establishes the true purpose of religious principles.''

CC Madhya 17.185

Thus, the system of initiations through appointed priests is authentic, as established by Srila Prabhupada’s own example. This reflects the role of an acharya:

yad yad acarati sresthas

tat tad evetaro janah

sa yat pramanam kurute

lokas tad anuvartate

''Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.''

BG 3.21

If the sole objection to continuing this system is the spiritual master’s physical absence, one might reasonably ask: why follow any of his instructions if he is not physically present? If Srila Prabhupada cannot guide his new disciples in his physical absence, he cannot guide his original disciples either. Initiation is not an absolute endorsement but a conditional one. Srila Prabhupada states:

Srila Rupa Gosvami warns, however, that if a person is properly initiated by a bona fide spiritual master, he should not think that simply by the acceptance of such initiation his business is then finished. One still has to follow the rules and regulations very carefully. If after accepting the spiritual master and being initiated one does not follow the rules and regulations of devotional service, then he is again fallen.

NoD 5: The Purity of Devotional Service

Initiated means beginning, not perfection. The Spiritual Master's business is to guide him to the perfectional point. But if one does not strictly follow the guidance of a bona fide Spiritual Master his initiation does not bear any meaning.

Letter to: Jaya Gopala  --  Los Angeles 11 January, 1970

If the objection is that Srila Prabhupada cannot approve or disapprove of new disciples, the counterpoint would be that he similarly cannot approve or disapprove whether his original disciples remain his disciples. Such reasoning leads nowhere. Those who are sincere will follow his instructions even when he is physically absent and those who are insincere will disobey him even in his physical presence. Srila Prabhupada remembers:

So far personal association with the Guru is concerned, I was only with my Guru Maharaja four or five times, but I have never left his association, not even for a moment. Because I am following his instructions, I have never felt any separation. There are some of my Godbrothers here in India who had constant personal association with Guru Maharaja, but who are neglecting his orders. This is just like the bug who is sitting on the lap of the king. He may be very puffed-up by his position, but all he can succeed in doing is biting the king. Personal association is not so important as association through service.

Letter to: Satadhanya -- Calcutta 20 February, 1972

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!