Guru Never Dies

Srila Gurudeva: Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura are bona fide disciples of Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja and Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja respectively. Someone may say, “Where is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s siddha-pranali?” Our reply is that he heard all appropriate topics from his siksa-guru and father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, as Pariksit Maharaja heard everything from Srila Sukadeva Gosvami.

Actually, there are two processes. In one process, if a devotee is qualified in all bhakti principles, as were Vijaya Kumara in Jaiva-dharma or Pariksit Maharaja in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, he can minimize his dress and take dor and kaupina himself; there is nothing wrong in this

For example, Ramanuja took initiation from a Guru of low caste who was a disciple of Yamunacarya, and later Ramanuja wanted to take the renounced order from Yamunacarya himself. When he reached Sri Rangam, he saw that Yamunacarya had just left this world, and his divine body was coming in procession for being given samadhi. He saw that three fingers of Yamunacarya’s hand were closed. He asked some other disciples of Yamunacarya why this was so, but they could not answer. He then promised, “I will take sannyasa here, from him. Just now I am taking sannyasa.” And at that moment one of his Gurudeva’s fingers relaxed and opened. Then he promised, “I will write a commentary on Vedanta.” The second finger became relaxed

Then he promised, “I will preach pure bhakti and I will write many bhakti books,” and at once the third finger relaxed and opened. He thus accepted Yamunacarya as his sannyasa-guru, knowing, “My Gurudeva did not die; he is eternal.”A bona fide, qualified Guru never dies. You can know that your Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, has not died, and Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura has also not died. Thus, Ramanuja took sannyasa, his dor-kaupina and danda, from Yamunacarya after Yamunacarya’s departure from this world. Similarly, why can’t Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura take the renounced order from Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, from his photo, after his departure?

Srila Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja had disappeared from the world’s vision by that time, but he is eternal. And Srila Prabhupada took the ekadasa moods (these eleven moods), siddha-deha, siddha-pranali, from Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. This is not wrong; it is in the line of Guru-parampara.

[Spoken by Srila Gurudeva on April 28th, 1998, France, published as part of the Bhakta Bandhav Anthology, Volume 27]