
LESSON 1 - SAMPRADAYA

In the disciplic succession we simply find repetition of the same subject as
they were spoken by Krsna. In the Bhagavad Gita (9.34) Sri Krsna says:

man mana bhava mad bhakto mad yaji man namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam atmanam mat parayanah

"Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer
obeisances, and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will
come to Me." These very instructions were reiterated by all the acaryas, such
as Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya and Caitanya Mahaprabhu." (SSR: Who is a Guru)

Just as a king gives protection to his citizens, these devotees, following the
principles of devotional service, will give protection to all the people of the
world. The people of the world are very much harassed by so-called
religious-principled svamis, yogis, karmis and jnanis, but none of these can
show the right way to become elevated to the spiritual platform. There are
primarily four parties spreading devotional service all over the universe.
These are the Ramanuja-sampradaya, the Madhva-sampradaya, the Visnusvami-
sampradaya and the Nimbarka-sampradaya. The Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya in
particular comes from Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. All these devotees are
spreading this Krsna consciousness movement very widely and giving protection
to innocent people who are being so much embarrassed by pseudo-avataras,
-svamis, -yogis and others. (SB 4/28/32)

In the Padma Purana it is also said, sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te
nisphala matah. There are four sampradayas, or disciplic successions, namely
the Brahma-sampradaya, the Rudra-sampradaya, the Sri-sampradaya and the
Kumara-sampradaya. If one wants to advance in spiritual power, one must
receive his mantras from one of these bona fide sampradayas; otherwise he
will never successfully advance in spiritual life. (SB 6/8/42)

The devotees of Orissa are called Udiyas, the devotees of Bengal are called
Gaudiyas, and the devotees of southern India are known as Dravidi devotees. As
there are five provinces in Aryavarta, so Daksinatya, southern India, is also
divided into five provinces, which are called Panca-dravida. The four Vaisnava
acaryas who are the great authorities of the four Vaisnava disciplic
successions, as well as Sripada Sankaracarya of the Mayavada school, appeared
in the Panca-dravida provinces. Among the four Vaisnava acaryas, who are all
accepted by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Sri Ramanuja Acarya appeared in
the southern part of Andhra Pradesh at Mahabhutapuri, Sri Madhva Acarya
appeared at Pajakam (near Vimanagiri) in the district of Myangalore, Sri
Visnusvami appeared at Pandya, and Sri Nimbarka appeared at Mungera-patana in
the extreme south.
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted the chain of disciplic succession from
Madhva Acarya, but the Vaisnavas in His line do not accept the  tattva-vadis,
who also claim to belong to the Madhva-sampradaya. To distinguish themselves
clearly from the tattva-vadi branch of Madhva's descendants, the Vaisnavas of
Bengal prefer to call themselves Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Sri Madhva Acarya is also
known as Sri Gaudapurnananda, and therefore the name Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya
is quite suitable for the disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Our
spiritual master, Om Visnupada Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami
Maharaja, accepted initiation in the Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya. (CC Adi 1/19)

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (4.2):
evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo viduh
"This supreme science was thus received through the chain disciplic
succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way."
This parampara system extends from Manu to Iksvaku and from Iksvaku to his
sons and grandsons. The rulers of the world in the line of hierarchy execute
the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the parampara system.
Anyone interested in peaceful life must participate in this parampara system
and perform yajnas. As Gaudiya Vaisnavas in the parampara system of Sri
Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we must perform sankirtana yajna all over the world
(yajnaai sankirtana prayair yajanti hi sumedhasasah) (SB 8/14/6)

arthasrayatvam sabdasya  drastur lingatvam eva ca
tanmatratvam ca nabhaso  laksanam kavayo viduh

Translation:
"Persons who are learned and who have knowledge define sound as that which
conveys the idea of an object, indicates the presence of a speaker screened
from our view and constitutes the subtle form of ether."

Purport:
...because Vedic knowledge was imparted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
who is transcendental to material creation, it is pefect. If we receive that
Vedic knowledge from Brahma in disciplic succession, then we receive perfect
knowledge.

...mental speculators or so called philosophers who are researching what is
actually God will never understand the nature of God. The science of God has
to be understood in disciplic succession from Brahma, who was first instructed
about knowledge of God by God Himself. (SB 3/26/33)

