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| By: Madhu Pandit Dasa |
Guru-Sadhu-Shastra corroborates Srila Prabhupada’s appointment of Rittvik Representatives.
Dear Maharajas/prabhus, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Please find below the results of some more research with other
sampradayas. Prof Tatachar was also approached by Sriman Basu Gosh
Prabhu and Vidvan Gauranga in connection with the vidvat goshti. For
some reason, he could not attend the same. However he gladly gave a
letter and answered questions in an interview.
Your servant, Madhu
Pandit Dasa.
Part 1. A letter given by Prof Tatachar, Director, Academy of Sanskrit Research, Melkote, Mandya district, Karnataka.
Prof. M A Lakshimtatachar,
Director, Academy of Sanskrit Research
Respected Madhupandit ji,
Humble Pranams. Before writing this letter let me introduce myself as a
Sayamacharya belonging to the family of Anantanpillai otherwise known
as Anandacharya, who was one among the simhasanadipathis appointed by
Ramanuja himself to initiate disciples into Srivaishnavism. Further I
have also continued the same tradition as I am initiating many into
Srivaishnavism in the name of my revered acharya Sri U. Ve. Alwar
Tirumala Iyengar Swami who was the 34th successor in the Acharyapurusha
parampara. I have also enclosed herewith my bio data, which gives some
information about my educational and philosophical background.
Now, I learn that there is some discussions are going in ISKCON
regarding succession. The bone of contention is whether Ritviks
appointed by His Holiness Srila Prabhupada could be considered only his
representatives or should they be considered as acharyas themselves as
they are initiating the disciples into the Hare Krishna movement.
I have very carefully gone through the letter of His Holiness Srila
Prabhupada, which was issued on July 9th 1977. According to me this
letter has five parts.
1. In the changed circumstances permission to certain disciples to act as ritviks – as his representatives
2. Specific names of these who can act as ritviks – representatives of Srila Prabhupada
3. Change of procedure
4. Stress on the point that after initiation from the ritviks
appointed by His Holiness Srila Prabhupada they are considered to be
disciples of His Holiness Srila Prabhupada only
5. The action to be taken to include the names of the initiated in the disciples book of His Holiness Srila Prabhupada only
The letter categorically makes it clear that the eleven Ritviks can
never claim “acharyaship” as they are the only representatives of His
Holiness Srila Prabhupada. They are like the instruments in the hands of
acharya for the sake of initiation. The letter stresses again and again
that the initiated are the disciples of His Holiness Srila Prabhupada
only. Refer to these statements:
1. “Ritvik – Representative of the Acharya for the purpose of performing initiations”
2. Ritviks – “These representatives may accept the devotee as an initiated disciple of Srila Prabhupada”
3. “The newly initiated devotees are the disciples of HDG Srila Prabhupada”
4. “The name of the newly initiated disciple should be sent by the
representative who has accepted him/her to Srila Prabhupada to be
included in HIS DIVINE Grace’s ‘Initiated disciples book’”
There are several such instances in Sri Vaishnava Parampara
(tradition). Take the example of Sri Ramanujacharya himself, who was the
foremost amongst the Srivaishnavacharyas. He was initiated into the Sri
Vaishnava texts and secrets by five great acharyas who are the
disciples of Acharya Yamuna. That is why is called Panchacharya>
Pradarshita. Though he was a disciple of these five Acharyas, just like
the Ritviks appointed by His Holiness Srila Prabhupada ji, these ritviks
never claimed that they were the Acharyas of Ramanujacharya. On the
other hand, it seems Yamunacharya had seen Ramanuja only once in
Kanchipuram when he was studying with Yadava Prakasha, and he also
showered blessings on Ramanujacharya from a distance. Very
interestingly, Ramanujacharya mentions Yamunacharya and offers
obeisances to him in his benedictory verses found in the beginning of
the Vedartha sangraha. This shows that Acharya Ramanuja is considered to
be a sishya of Yamunacharya only.
Besides the very concept of Ritvik has a special significance here. In
the olden days there would be a yajamana who could engage Ritvik,
Adhvaryus etc., for the performance of sacrifice. These people after
performing the sacrifice would get some dakshina. But the net result of
the sacrifice would go to the yajaman himself, as he was mainly
responsible for the performance. The ritviks were entitled only to
initiate disciples into the Hare Krishna Movement. But the disciples
thus initiated by these representatives are always considered to be the
disciples of Srila Prabhupada only. Since he is the yajamana who has
engaged these ritviks for the performance of initiation.
Again I have to stress that the letter makes it amply clear that the
disciples thus initiated by the representatives of Srila Prabhupada are
only the disciples of Srila Prabhupada only, not of the representatives.
I also want to confirm that this system can continue perpetually even
in the physical absence of His Holiness Srila Prabhupadaji as it has
continued in Ramanujas tradition as any person initiated by any acharya
has dasyanama like Lakshmittathacharya Ramanuja Dasa though Ramanuja
passed away long ago.
Hope, Madhupandit Dasaji, I have made my point clear.
With warm personal regards,
Yours sincerely,
Lakshmi Tatachar (Signed)
Part 2. Excerpts of an interview with Prof Tatachar
Can an Acharya who is not physically present give diksha?
ISKCON devotee: Our point is that although Srila
Prabhupada is not physically present, that does not in any way stop the
validity of his continuing to be diksha guru.
Prof Tatachar: Definitely. That is my view.
ISKCON devotee: Can the absence of a physical body
limit the functioning of the acharya, in terms of Srila Prabhupada being
able to impart knowledge and take karma of the disciples? Can Srila
Prabhupada do this now?
Prof Tatachar: Just because somebody
has a physical body, can he take your karma? Is he competent to do it?
The presence or the absence of the physical body is not the criteria to
take away the karma of a particular person. On the other hand, it
depends on the devotion of the disciple and the grace of the acharya.
Say for instance, Srila Prabhupada’s guru was not there when Srila
Prabhupada was present. Do you mean to say that they are not capable of
taking the karma of their disciple?
The interesting thing is [quotes a verse in Sanskrit from Yatindra
vimsati composed by Sri Manavala Mamuni of Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, who
appeared nearly 200 years after Sri Ramanuja].
ISKCON devotee: So what is the import of this statement?
Prof Tatachar: That means though the
guru is not physically present, he can take away all the karmas of the
disciple. That is the potency of the acharya. In that way, it is not
important whether the acharya is alive with a physical body or not. That
is not important.
ISKCON devotee: One of their objections is that it stops the parampara.
Prof Tatachar: How does it stop the parampara? These ritviks will further appoint ritviks.
ISKCON devotee: There is a provision for that. Prabhupada says more can be added when necessary.
Prof Tatachar: More can be added, and
these ritviks will initiate all of them into the Hare Krishna movement,
and Srila Prabhupada will be their guru. What harm is there? Because
the very word ritvik has a special significance here. What do you mean
by ritvik? A person who performs this particular duty. Suppose a king
performs a sacrifice he is considered a yajaman. Even now wealthy people
organize for us, Sudarshana homa. Probably in your place also. So that
person is called a yajamana. When we came to your place Madhu Pandit Das
was the yajamana. He didn’t perform the sacrifice. He engaged all these
people – Venkatesh and I came and many other people came and we
performed the homa. After performing the homa we were given dakshina. So
our relationship ends there itself. Because we had received the
dakshina for the service we had rendered. But the end result goes to
whom? To the yajamana only. Similarly, these ritviks get some dakshina
from the persons whom they initiate. Once that is done their work is
over. But the result that such and such a person is a disciple of such
and such a guru goes to Srila Prabhupada. That’s why the word ritvik is
used here. Otherwise he would have used a different word. And he would
have stated that these are my sishyas, these sishyas are here afterwards
considered to be the gurus to succeed me. “He is my successor,” he
didn’t say that.
Does the ritvik system violate any Vedic principles of guru parampara?
ISKCON devotee: You have compared the arrangement in
the Sri Sampradaya with that of the ritvik arrangement that Srila
Prabhupada has directed us to follow. (He also supervised the running of
this system from July to November, 1977). In ritvik system, there is an
important difference. Here Srila Prabhupada is not giving any guruship
to the ritviks.
Prof Tatachar: Yes, that is right, that is what we see from the letter also.
ISKCON devotee: In the event of the ritviks being
representatives only and not being gurus, is there a violation of any
shastric principle or is it violating any spiritual injunction?
Prof Tatachar: No, it is not
violating. On the other hand, it supports what I have stated. In the
case of Sri Ramanuja, I have stated that he appointed 74
simhasana-adhipatis and made them gurus. In spite of that we owe our
allegiance to Sri Ramanuja only.
ISKCON devotee: You are saying that in spite of being some sort of guru, you are the disciple of Sri Ramanuja only?
Prof Tatachar: Yes, definitely. That
is why we say that we are Sri Ramanuja dasan only. I have to say “adiyen
madhura kavi lakshmi tatacharya ramanuja dasan” when I prostrate before
anyone. Sri Ramanuja dasa is the common thing found in all the Sri
Vaishnavas, though we have been initiated by one of the
simhasana-adhipatis appointed by Sri Ramanuja himself who were
considered to be gurus. In spite of this we are expected to state that
we are disciples of Sri Ramanuja only.
ISKCON devotee: In our case it is clear that Srila Prabhupada did not give any guruship.
Prof Tatachar: So it is all the more
clear and imperative because Srila Prabhupada mentions very clearly in
the letter that these are ritviks. That is why I have given the meaning
of the ritviks – this word comes from the Rig Veda. The ritvik is a
sacrificer who is appointed by the yajamana. Suppose you are the
yajamana, you can appoint me as the ritvik and this ritvik performs the
role of a priest on behalf of the yajamana. This may happen when the
yajamana does not know the Vedic rituals or even if he knows and if he
is not in a position to perform this role, then he may appoint a ritvik.
So he will perform the sacrifice and give dakshina to the ritviks. Who
gets the result of the sacrifice? It obviously goes to the person who
has engaged these ritviks and sent money for the sacrifice, the
yajamana.
The word ritvik is very significant. That is why Srila Prabhupada was
so clever to say that they are only ritviks and not acharyas. So the
result goes to Srila Prabhupada only.
Again, will the parampara stop?
ISKCON devotee: In the Bhagavad Gita, Srila Prabhupada
gives the guru parampara – Brahma, Narada, Vyasauand so on till Srila
Prabhupada. In the ritvik system, who comes after Srila Prabhupada?
Prof Tatachar: Srila Prabhupada himself. Only the ritvik system continues, and Srila Prabhupada is the guru.
ISKCON devotee: When that happens, is the parampara not stopping?
Sri Tatachar: No. What can be done? Srila Prabhupada has not appointed
an acharya. The parampara continues through a chain of ritviks.
Is authorization essential to become an acharya?
ISKCON devotee: One final question is that for
somebody has to become an acharya, how important is it for him to
receive an authorization to take that post from the previous acharya? In
this case, there is an authorization to continue to as a ritvik and
ritvik alone, there is not authorization to function as guru. How
important is it to receive an authorization?
Prof Tatachar: It is very much
necessary to receive an authorization. Without an authorization you
cannot do. Generally what happens in the Srivaishnava parampara, they
were always worried about the succession (Tamil sloka). Who will be the
successor to take care of the propagation of this system? When the
acharya was about to pass away, he would nominate a person to take care
of the path and hold the mantle thereafter. That is how it has been
done. That is why even in the Srivaishnava parampara, while giving
sannyasa, he cannot take sannyasa on his own. The acharya will give the
sannyasa and say that here afterwards he will be the mathadipathi.
ISKCON devotee: That means authorization is a must.
Prof Tatachar: IT IS A MUST.
ISKCON devotee: To become a guru or a mathadipathi or a peethadipathi…
Prof Tatachar: Yes, yes, yes.
Otherwise I am very sure that Srila Prabhupada would have used another
word altogether instead of ritviks. “These are my successors” – no
problem. He never said “successors”. Again and again he stresses these
are my representatives only, they are only expected to initiate them,
ultimately all of them are “my disciples only, not the disciples of
others”.
