by Krishnakant

1st Aug. 2000 - In the posting by Puru Dasa, (on vnn forums news, "New York honours Srila Prabhupada"), he merely confirms the point which we originally made - that nowhere in Srila Prabhupada's books does it state that Vipin Behari was the Diksa Guru of Srila Bhaktivinode. That was our basic point which he is unable to challenge. He then goes onto give a whole bunch of speculations about our parampara not supported by even ONE quote from Srila Prabhupada. 

Let the author present a point, and then back it up with quotes from Srila Prabhupada. He claims we do not understand or read Srila Prabhupada's books. Yet he is not able to give any examples of this. Again another unsubstantiated speculation. The only time he quotes Srila Prabhupada, is to demonstrate that the books of the previous acaryas must be studied. This has never been disputed. We study the Nectar of Instruction and the Nectar of Devotion for instance. 

However all sastra must be understood via the current link in the disciplic succession. Otherwise there is no need to for the acarya to come and write books in the first place. We could simply have purchased these books from book-shops and University libraries. If we do not understand the sastra via the acarya we will have confusion. 

Take the sandharbas - the ISKCON translators have their version, and the Gaudiya Mathas have their version, the 'anti-party' has theirs etc. etc. As for the argument that there are now other sad-gurus and acaryas who can translate these books - again we have the same confusion. ISKCON have their people. The Gaudiya Mathas have their people. And the 'anti-party' has its people. And they all differ from each other. 

Just take 3 from just ONE of these camps - Narayana Maharaja, Govinda Maharaja and Bhakti Vallabha Tirtha Maharaja - all teaching different things and contradicting each other. And each group is telling us that their acarya is THE one - as they compete fiercely for followers, like parasites leaching of Srila Prabhupada's mission. And what to speak of the 'anti-party' group of Satyanarayan and co. who reject ISKCON, IRM AND the Gaudiya Matha!  There are as many different translations and 'successor acaryas' as there are groups. That is why one should stick with the acarya of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya: Srila Prabhupada: 

"In Bengali and in English. Which may not touch there, but we write in our own way that "By the order of his guru he went to America. Then he..." That's a fact. What is the fact, that should be written. Give the list of the books and so on, so on. Tamala Krsna: List of the temples. 

Srila Prabhupada: Yes, temples. And "He is the acarya of the present Gaudiya-sampradaya." (Conversation, 19th January, 1976)

(Srila Prabhupada is giving the text of a leaflet to be distributed to the public)

"Those who wish to follow other substitutes and pretenders to the throne are welcome to do so - they have many hundreds to choose from: "

80 in ISKCON At least a dozen in the various Gaudiya Mathas  And God knows how many 'anti-party' babajis