Sannyāsa Initiation
[Prabhupāda sings along with Govindam recording at greeting of the deities]
Prabhupāda: Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi [Brahma-saṁhitā 5.29].
[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.]
Hare Kṛṣṅa. Everything all right?
Devotees: Jaya.
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṅa. So? Chant Īśopaniṣad mantra.
Devotees:
oṁ pūrṅam adaḥ pūrṅam idaṁ pūrṅāt pūrṅam udacyate pūrṅasya pūrṅam ādāya pūrṅam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation]
[The Personality of Godhead is perfect and complete, and because He is completely perfect, all emanations from Him, such as this phenomenal world, are perfectly equipped as complete wholes. Whatever is produced of the Complete Whole is also complete in itself. Because He is the Complete Whole, even though so many complete units emanate from Him, He remains the complete balance.]
īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1]
[Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.]
kurvann eveha karmāṅi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare [Īśo mantra 2]
[One may aspire to live for hundreds of years if he continuously goes on working in that way, for that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. There is no alternative to this way for man.]
asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ [Īśo mantra 3]
[The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.]
anejad ekaṁ manaso javīyo nainad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti [Īśo mantra 4]
[Although fixed in His abode, the Personality of Godhead is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running. The powerful demigods cannot approach Him. Although in one place, He controls those who supply the air and rain. He surpasses all in excellence.]
tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ [Īśo mantra 5]
[The Supreme Lord walks and does not walk. He is far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything.]
yas tu sarvāṅi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ tato na vijugupsate [Īśo mantra 6]
[He who systematically sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord, who sees all living entities as His parts and parcels, and who sees the Supreme Lord within everything never hates anything or any being.]
yasmin sarvāṅi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ [Īśo mantra 7]
[One who always sees all living entities as spiritual sparks, in quality one with the Lord, becomes a true knower of things. What, then, can be illusion or anxiety for him?"]
sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṅam asnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ [Īśo mantra 8]
[Such a person must factually know the greatest of all, the Personality of Godhead, who is unembodied, omniscient, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and uncontaminated, the self-sufficient philosopher who has been fulfilling everyone's desire since time immemorial.]
andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyām ratāḥ [Īśo mantra 9]
[Those who engage in the culture of nescient activities shall enter into the darkest region of ignorance. Worse still are those engaged in the culture of so-called knowledge.]
anyad evāhur vidyayā- nyad āhur avidyayā iti śuśruma dhīrāṅāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 10]
[The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.]
Prabhupāda: Anyad āhur... The next one?
vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute [Īśo mantra 11]
[Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.]
andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'sambhūtim upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u sambhūtyāṁ ratāḥ [Īśo mantra 12]
[Those who are engaged in the worship of demigods enter into the darkest region of ignorance, and still more so do the worshipers of the impersonal Absolute.]
anyad evāhuḥ sambhavād anyad āhur asambhavāt iti śuśruma dhīrāṅāṁ ye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 10]
[The wise have explained that one result is derived from the culture of knowledge and that a different result is obtained from the culture of nescience.]
[06:02]
Prabhupāda: So, today is a special function day. Some of our advanced students, they're accepting the renounced order of life. First of all, one of our students, Kīrtanānanda Brahmacārī, he was offered when I was in India, Vṛṅdāvana, in Janmāṣṭamī day he was offered this sannyāsa order in the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple. Similarly, here we have got also Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa temple.
There is no difference between Rādhā-Dāmodara temple and Rādhā-Kṛṣṅa temple. So we postponed this to be held on the Janmāṣṭamī day at New Vrindavan, but by some reason we are now postponing to go there, and we have decided to perform this function here. And I am very glad that you are all present.
Now, this sannyāsa mantra should be studied very seriously, and we shall chant this mantra after the regular function. Especially those who are accepting the sannyāsa order, they should try to understand the import of this important mantra. The import of this important mantra especially is that, as we prohibit several things during ordinary initiation, just like no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling.
Similarly there are many no's in accepting the sannyāsa order. Especially meat..., not meat-eating; mating. And politics. If we remain in the materialistic order of life, then this sannyāsa order will be a facility for cheating. That responsibility you must have. That is the meaning of the sannyāsa order. San, sat-nyās. Renounced order means one has to renounce everything for Kṛṣṅa's sake.
So this mantra will be chanted after these formal mantras, apavitraḥ pavitro vā, and then you'll change your dress, and then yajña will take place, then saṅkirtana movement, your business. So you have got all these? Now chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. You all chant.
[devotees chant japa]
[10:34]
Namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā. You know all this, or I shall have to repeat? Or you say.
namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ śrī viṣṅu śrī viṣṅu śrī viṣṅu [Garuḍa Purāṅa]
[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṅa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]
Again take.
namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ śrī viṣṅu śrī viṣṅu śrī viṣṅu [Garuḍa Purāṅa]
[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṅa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]
Again. Hare Kṛṣṅa.
namo apavitraḥ pavitro vā sarvāvasthāṁ gato 'pi vā yaḥ smaret puṅḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bahyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ śrī viṣṅu śrī viṣṅu śrī viṣṅu [Garuḍa Purāṅa]
[Either pure or impure, or having passed through all conditions of material life, if one can remember the lotus-eyed Kṛṣṅa, he becomes externally and internally clean.]
[recites maṅgalācarana prayers one word at a time, devotees repeating]
vande 'haṁ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaṁ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṅavāṁś ca śrī-rūpaṁ sāgrajātaṁ saha-gaṅa-raghunāthānvitaṁ taṁ sa-jīvam sādvaitaṁ sāvadhūtaṁ parijana-sahitaṁ kṛṣṅa-caitanya-devaṁ śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṅa-pādān saha-gaṅa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāṁś ca
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and of all the other preceptors on the path of devotional service. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṅavas and unto the six Gosvāmīs, including Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Jīva Gosvāmī and their associates. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Advaita Ācārya Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and all His devotees, headed by Śrīvāsa Ṭhākura. I then offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṅa, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī and all the gopīs, headed by Lalitā and Viśākhā.]
nama om viṣṅu-pādāya kṛṣṅa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine.
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṅa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
nama oṁ viṣṅu-pādāya kṛṣṅa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmate bhaktisiddhānta-sarasvatīti nāmine
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṅa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.]
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayitāya kṛpābdhaye kṛṣṅa-sambandha-vijñāna-dāyine prabhave namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-devī-dayita dāsa [another name of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is favored by Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī and who is the ocean of transcendental mercy and the deliverer of the science of Kṛṣṅa.]
mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhaktida śrī-gaura-karuṅā-śakti-vigrahāya namo 'stu te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, the personified energy of Śrī Caitanya's mercy, who deliver devotional service which is enriched with conjugal love of Rādhā and Kṛṣṅa, coming exactly in the line of revelation of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
namas te gaura-vāṅī-śrī-mūrtaye dīna-tāriṅe rūpānuga-viruddhāpasiddhānta-dhvānta-hāriṅe
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto you, who are the personified teachings of Lord Caitanya. You are the deliverer of the fallen souls. You do not tolerate any statement which is against the teachings of devotional service enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.]
namo gaura-kiśorāya sākṣād-vairāgya-mūrtaye vipralambha-rasāmbhode pādāmbujāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja [the spiritual master of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī], who is renunciation personified. He is always merged in a feeling of separation and intense love of Kṛṣṅa.]
namo bhaktivinodāya sac-cid-ānanda-nāmine gaura-śakti-svarūpāya rūpānuga-varāya te
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto Saccidānanda Bhaktivinoda, who is transcendental energy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a strict follower of the Gosvāmīs, headed by Śrīla Rūpa.]
gaurāvirbhāva-bhūmes tvaṁ nirdeṣṭā saj-jana-priyaḥ vaiṣṅava-sārvabhaumaḥ ṣrī-jagannāthāya te namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances to Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī, who is respected by the entire Vaiṣṅava community and who discovered the place where Lord Caitanya appeared.]
vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṅavebhyo namo namaḥ
[I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṅava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.]
namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṅa-prema-pradāya te kṛṣṅāya kṛṣṅa-caitanya-nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ
[O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṅa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṅa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī, and You are widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṅa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.]
pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṅaṁ bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
[I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṅa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee, devotional incarnation, devotional manifestation, pure devotee, and devotional energy.]
he kṛṣṅa karuṅā-sindho dīna-bandho jagat-pate gopeśa gopikā-kānta rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
[O my dear Kṛṣṅa, ocean of mercy, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the cowherd men and the lover of the gopīs, especially Rādhārāṅī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.]
jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gatī mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau
[Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.]
dīvyad-vṛndāraṅya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi
[In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, underneath a desire tree, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them.]
śrīmān rāsa-rasārambhī vaṁśī-vaṭa-taṭa-sthitaḥ karṣan veṅu-svanair gopīr gopīnāthaḥ śriye 'stu naḥ
[Śrī Śrīla Gopīnātha, who originated the transcendental mellow of the rāsa dance, stands on the shore in Vaṁśīvaṭa and attracts the attention of the cowherd damsels with the sound of His celebrated flute. May they all confer upon us their benediction.]
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāṅgi rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari vṛṣabhānu-sute devī praṅamāmi hari-priye
[I offer my respects to Rādhārāṅī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṅa.]
hare kṛṣṅa hare kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa kṛṣṅa hare hare hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
[My dear Lord, and the spiritual energy of the Lord, kindly engage me in Your service. I am now embarrassed with this material service. Please engage me in Your service.]
[20:22]
Now take your... Yes. Hare Kṛṣṅa. You chant Hare Kṛṣṅa. Open your dress. Later on when you come.
Viṣṅujana: The mantra's here on this sheet?
Prabhupāda: No. That's all right. You first of all dress. Why...? For others there is no garland?
Karandhara: Yes. Ārati. Should we have ārati?
Prabhupāda: Oh, all right. Finish ārati. In the meantime, you dress. Take that garland. So I shall give you. Give me that cloth.
Viṣṅujana: Cloth, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: No, no. That... First of all cloth give me. This cloth I'll deliver you.
Viṣṅujana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: No, no. This cloth. Yes. This is your cloth?
Viṣṅujana: Shall we put the garlands on now, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Bring it and... No. Garland I shall give later on when you will dress, come out. And I will give you. Take this. Yes. Dress yourself and come. Vivānanda[?] You come. There shall be no shirt. Open. [indistinct] Come on, come on, come on. Hare Kṛṣṅa Hare Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa Kṛṣṅa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Now you can perform your daily program. Yes. [break]
Dayānanda: Prabhupada, should we offer the garlands? The garlands...
[Karandhara leading maṅgalācarana prayers and doing fire sacrifice] Upāsitām.
[25:40]
Prabhupāda: You can read the translation.
Dayānanda: Translation: "I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of darkness of ignorance simply by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Mukunda, who gives all kinds of liberations and who is worshiped by many great previous ācāryas."
Purport: "There are sixty-four kinds of rendering service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of which to accept the uniform dress of a tridaṅḍi sannyāsī is also an important item. One who accepts this order of life, surely by rendering service unto the Supreme Lord becomes eligible to cross over the insurmountable ocean of ignorance. All previous sages used to accept such order of life, and later ācārya, Viṣṅu Svāmī, adopted this order of life and specifically stressed on this procedure in order to achieve firm conviction in the matter of devotional service.
"Those who are unalloyed devotees, they add one more staff along with the original three. This extra one is representation of the living entity. There is another sect, who are known as ekaṅḍa sect. They misunderstand the purpose of tridaṅḍa and, by such deviation, Śiva Svāmī sannyāsīs, who claim to belong to the Viṣṅu Svāmī sect, turn to be impersonalists and follow the footsteps of Śaṅkarācārya, accepting only the ekaṅḍa.
"Instead of naming themselves out of the 108 names of Vaiṣṅava sannyāsīs, this Śiva Svāmī sect accepts ten names of the sannyāsī, following Śaṅkarācārya. Lord Caitanya, [audio dropout] although in terms of the then practice accepted ekaṅḍi [sic] sannyāsa order, but His acceptance of tridaṅḍi sannyāsa is understood.
"This mantra was first chanted by a learned brāhmaṅa of Avantīpura, after being very much disgusted in this materialistic way of life. This happened long, long years ago, because it is mentioned in the Bhāgavatam, which was composed by Vyāsadeva at least five thousand years ago. So it is to be concluded therefore that this tridaṅḍi sannyāsī order is coming down since a long time..., since a time long, long years ago, and within five hundred years of time, Lord Caitanya adopted this order of life. In the latest years, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda adopted it personally and made many of his disciples tridaṅḍi sannyāsīs. We are also following his footsteps.
"In the purport of this mantra is that the ekaṅḍi sannyāsī is devoid of parātma niṣṭha, which is explained above. In other words, impersonalists..." On the first page it says an explanation of parātma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is given in the English synonyms. So it says, "We are also following his footsteps. And the purport of this mantra is that the ekaṅḍi sannyāsī is devoid of parātma niṣṭha, which is explained above." So that is right, Prabhupāda, that the impersonalist is devoid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Prabhupāda: They have no idea. They say that we can imagine an idea. According to impersonalist, they say sādhakānām hitārthaya brahmaṅo rūpa kalpanaḥ. Because we cannot concentrate our mind in impersonal, therefore they say, "Imagine some form." They think that Kṛṣṅa is imagination. Yes. [chuckles] [laughter] That is their Māyāvāda. Kṛṣṅa was personally present, and He killed all the demons. Still, these demons says "Imagination." You see that is demonic. Therefore we do not agree with them.
Dayānanda: "In other words, impersonalists cannot have any faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they prefer to merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence. In the Śrīmad-Bhagavatam we do not find any mention of ekaṅḍa sannyāsa. This tridaṅḍa sannyāsa is accepted therefore as standard. Lord Caitanya accepts Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam as the supreme authority. Under these circumstances, persons who accept Lord Caitanya as ekaṅḍi sannyāsī are mistaken.
"So following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya, still the tridaṅḍi sannyāsīs are in existence, keeping the sacred thread and śikhā intact, distinct from the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs..., Māyāvādī ekaṅḍi sannyāsīs, who give up the sacred thread and śikhā. They have no inclination to render service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Being very much disgusted by the materialistic way of life, they do not understand the purpose of the sannyāsa order. But those who are strictly followers of the Vaiṣṅava principles, they do not accept the Māyāvādī way of sannyāsa.
"In the sect of Lord Caitanya, the most venerable learned scholar, known as Gadādhara Paṅḍita Gosvāmī, accepted this tridaṅḍi sannyāsa order, and he offered this facility to his disciple known as Śrī Madhva-upādhyāya. This Madhvācārya is the origin of the Vallabhācārya sect. One of the six Gosvāmīs, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, who is the authority of Vaiṣṅava regulations, was initiated by another tridaṅḍi sannyāsī, known as Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī. Therefore this sannyāsī order is completely in pursuance of Vaiṣṅava authority."
Prabhupāda: So that daṅḍa you can take. Your daṅḍa take. You can take. Come on. His name is there? No.
Devotee: No.
Viṣṅujana: You know which one is which?
Prabhupāda: No. According to the size we have made. So which size he is I do not know. I... That's your?
Viṣṅujana: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That's your. Hare Kṛṣṅa Hare Kṛṣṅa... Hare Kṛṣṅa Hare Kṛṣṅa. Now chant Hare Kṛṣṅa and dance. Hey? kīrtana. [break]
[35:14] [kīrtana] [prema-dhvani]
[39:43]
Prabhupāda: So, this is now formal accepting of sannyāsa, but real sannyāsa purpose will be fulfilled when you'll be able to induce the people of the world dancing like... That is real sannyāsa. This formal dress is not sannyāsa. Real sannyāsa is when you can induce other people to become Kṛṣṅa conscious and they dance in Kṛṣṅa consciousness.
Devotees: Jaya!
Prabhupāda: If you can turn one man to become Kṛṣṅa conscious, then your going back to Godhead, back to home, guaranteed. That is real purpose of sannyāsa.
Thank you very much.
[devotees offer obeisances] [end]
