Samadhi of HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati - Who wrote his Samadhi mantra?

Who wrote Samadhi mantra on the Vapu of HDG Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada?

If memory serves, Bhakti Pradip Tirtha was in charge of the burial rites.

Any idea how the manjari name Nayana was revealed/ascribed to BSST?

The legend is that it was Ananta Vasudeva who came up with it and Bhaktisiddhanta confirmed it. Perhaps there are also other theories there.

Thanks for that information. If your memory serves you then you must be real old. That means that BPT Maharaj is the bona fide successor acharya according to Hindu law.

I did not know that the person who writes the samadhi mantra is considered the successor. Is this Hindu or Indian law?

You know of course that Narayana maharaja wrote the samadhi mantra for Srila Prabhupada. If that is the law he could have a leagal case as successor.

Keshava

Madhava mentions the person in charge of the burial rite. In a family this would be the eldest son, I guess. Maybe the law is construed in that way. Who writes which mantra is a different issue.

I would like to see this law quoted, to see the origin and the context. I am a bit suspicious over its range of application. Specifically, I wonder if that law talks about a son inheriting the departed father, or if it really talks about a legitimate successor acharya.

Could you cite this law, first hand information please?

We 100+ year old Babas are few and far between here in the cyberspace. Amazingly, our memory still serves.

here is what is available by googling. It is about shraddha rites and inheritance, a special form of the funeral rites.

http://www.sanskrit.org/Rites%20of%20Passage/ancestors3.html

"There are many lengthy rules which prescribe who was allowed to perform these puraka rites and the other sraddhas. In fact, the right to perform these sraddhas and the rights to inheritance were often inter-related. The general hierarchy, going from eldest to youngest within each group, was as follows: the sons, the grandsons, the great-grandsons, the sons of a daughter, a wife, the brothers, the sons of a brother, the father, the mother, the daughters, the daughter-in-laws, the sisters, the sons of a sister and finally any family relation. If no family members are available then the rites may be performed by anyone of the town or village. In making the decision who will perform the funeral rites the emotional and mental competency of a family member was also an important consideration. At any time one family member could defer his or her rights to the next member."

Do Gaudiya Vaishnavas follow Hindu laws?!

Any words from the Gaudiya Acharyas regarding "successor acharyas"?

If you ask me, successor is he who is appointed as such, or otherwise who naturally emerges as such over time.

Citing this idea is mainly done by followers of Narayan Maharaja who wish to try to legitimize his position as AC Bhaktivedanta Swami's successor. As you know, Narayan Maharaja took care of Swami's funeral rites.

I don't think there is any Hindu-law about samadhi-mantras though.

If they live in India, yes. Hindu law is the common law of India.

Please, no copy/pastes in the midst of topics. You could just provide a link to wherever it appears on the internet. I've moved this one into the Copy & Paste forum.

I'd like to have you quote this Hindu-law, Hrisikesh.

Ooops! Sorry Prabhus,

Here is a link to it http://www.richardshawbrown.com/mysticarticles/kalpana.html

I also only heard in india about the tradition of samadhi mantra, it may be a law in Manu S so I'll check my copy. It is interesting. A question, at least.

But regardless of Samadhi mantra, Guru is always swayam prakash. And if an acharya has many qualified disciples then they will become many Acharyas---Vande Gurun, many. So it is only academic, really.

Srila Prabhupada didn't write samadhi mantra but HDG certainly became Acharya, along with many others, although HDG was foremost as a real Jagat-Guru.

But ancient Hindu law? I'll check it out and report back from Manu.

Hare Krishna!

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.

It is fairly obvious that ACBSP's intent on having NM do the funeral rites was not his "passing the torch" that some of NM's followers make it out to be. Quiet simply no one in ISKCON knew the proper process for such rites and NM, who had an obviously good relationship with ACBSP, was asked to do this.

Is NM ACBSp's successor? It is in the eye of the beholder as ACBSP didn't do what Srila Sridhar Maharaja did and make it clear and simple.

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Dear Rasaraja Prabhu,

Well put. BTW: Who did Pujya Sridhar Mj appoint? Are any other of his disciples qualified to be acharyas? Did Mj only allow one successor? Have any of his other disciples become guru-tattva?
Who wrote samadhi mantra on Sridhar Mj's vapu? Any significance?

Humbly curious...

BTW: I had good fortune to meet Srila Sridhar Maharaj close up on a few occasions between 1967-1973. He liked that I could speak fluent Bengali and knew sat-vaishnavatva.

He seemed much older than his other Godbrothers back then... was he?

Hare Krishna!

Hd

OK, I didn't mean to spark so much controversy with my previous statement. However everyone knows that Srila Prabhupada's purva-ashram family members made a legal case in India that ISKCON and all it's properties belonged to them. This case was dismissed because all of ISKCON was founded AFTER Srila Prabhupada took sannyasa. IAccording to Indian law a sannyasi is already legally dead. So his previous family have not claim of inheritance on property he owned after taking sannyasa.

Keshava

PS Srila Prabhupada did not mention NM in his last will and testament. He mentioned only the management of ISKCON by the GBC and registering of ISKCON properties in the names of at least three trustees.

Thanks for that info. I wonder who wrote Srila Prabhupada's will? A lawyer? Srila Prabhupada? And when was it ammended last? And by whom? Is this all known?

And what of the will of BSSP? What did his will say? And who wrote it? Obviously many of his disciples became Guru-tattva. And I bet Srila Prabhupada was not appointed to anything in the written "will" of BSSP. Yet, he prevailed over all others as Jagat-Guru.

Just curious... no particular agenda here.

Hare Krishna!

Y/s,
Hrisikesh

This is all fine in principle, that one may arise as a great spiritual leader after the departure of his guru without being appointed. However, such emergence will come about naturally, it cannot be claimed, as is often attempted by some of Narayan Maharaja's followers.

Dandavat. Good point. Yet if no one in Iskcon knew how to do the samadhi then that means there were NO expert devotees in Iskcon. There fore, just as they took guidance during Prabhupada's samadhi from NM - in the same way they should have taken spiritual guidance. If not NM then some one else, simply because NO ONE in Iskcon in 1977 was qualified to be realized and expert spiritual leader. But NM was and is so qualified.

I'm not a NM promoter. Nor do I follow him. As Guru-tattva he seems to be doing a pretty good job that Srila Prabhupada would be proud of. And HDG would turn in his samadhi if he heard that NM, his dear friend, was banned in Iskcon and treated with disrespect.

I heard from TKG and others that Srila Prabhupada advised us to take guidance from Srila NM. I don't know if that is true or not because Srila Prabhupada didn't say it to me.

Interesting....

Y/s,
Hrisikesh das

Dandavats. All glories to the Vaisnavas.


Without starting the whole debate of what devotees are qualified for what I would like to point out that just because one doesn't know burial rites that doesn't make one not "expert" in devotional service; that simply isn't our theology. Ones familiarity with how to perform a ritual has little to do with ones spiritual qualification and/or maturity. One would be troubled if they equated book knowledge, ritual familiarity or penance as a sign of advancement as none of these aspects speak to ones spiritual qualification nor connection to parampara. These aspects of practice are only as relevant as ones dedication to Guru and the Vaisnavas.

I am sure ACBSP would be disurbed by how Sridhar Maharaja, Puri Maharaja, etc were treated. I am also confident he would be too happy on how NM is treated but I don't know that he would agree with everything NM says and does.

In regards to the whole reinitiation issue, within the GM context, I would say you would be better served to ask that question of those within the GM.

Aspiring to serve the Vaisnavas,
Rasaraja dasa

Just a couple of points here.

1. It was quite clear to me and others at the time that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to consult with NM at least about his Samadhi. I personally was sent to NM to ask questions by Surabhi Swami the architect of SP's Vrndavan samadhi. And then later I was also involved going with Bhanu Swami to ask NM other questions asked by the GBC. (This was after they stopped asking BR Sridhara maharaja questions)

2. It is quite understandable that SP would want NM to do the ceremonies concerned with his samadhi. NM was the brahmacari who did the fire sacrifice (ceremony) when SP took sannyasa at Keshavji Gaudiya Math in Mathura. And SP knew NM well and NM had assisted him as a brahmacari before. However NM had not come to the west before even when asked to by SP for whatever reasons. Anyway my point was that SP knew that NM knew how to do the ceremonies.

3. NM was also there when we installed the deity of SP in SP's Vrndavan samadhi. I organized all these ceremonies and did them at each step asking NM whether he approved of what I was doing. He seemed very satisfied even pointing out to Puri Maharaj at one point that I was performing the yajna according to Sat Kriya Sar Dipika. (I can post a photo if you like). I was SP's samadhi pujari for more than 2 years during the construction stage. From the small brick structure to the large marble one. If anyone is interested in the details of the ceremonies let me know. I was not present at the original time of samadhi, but I am sure there are others who could fill in those details.

4. As far as NM as Guru Tattva, that may be a little beside the point. Certainly he was at that time and still is a respected senior member of GM. However even at that time he was not initiating in Devananda GM. Vaman Maharaj is the acarya. The usual system in GM is that there is only one person giving diksha per math. This has lead to the creation of many new maths. I point this out just to show that as long as NM was not initiating, members of ISKCON were taking his advise. But since there is a different system in ISKCON (multiple gurus in one organization) it is difficult if not impossible for ISKCON to accept NM now that he is initiating. There is also some friction in the GM about this, what to speak of within ISKCON.

5. Another point about the difference in systems between GM and ISKCON is that in ISKCON the GBC is the ultimate managing body (see SP's will, I could post it if I have it) and as such they feel that they have to regulate the gurus within the organization. Whether this is correct or not is not my issue here. However there would certainly be problems intergrating any person from outside the ISKCON framework within the society due to potential conflicts with the GBC body (not all of whom are gurus themselves).

6. All that having been said it seems a shame that different branches of GM and ISKCON cannot just agree to disagree and cooperate at least in some areas. Certainly there are some differences between the organizations but philosophically they should be about as close as is possible in the Gaudiya family. The problem is that sometimes that can mean they are too close for comfort.

Keshava

The following is the will of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, dated 4th of June, 1977, Krsna-Balarama Mandir, Vrindavan, India.

Tridandi Goswami
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Founder-Acharya:
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
CENTER: Krsna-Balarama Mandir,
Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg,
Ramanreti, Vrndavana, U.P.
DATE June 1977

DECLARATION OF WILL

I, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Settlor of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, and disciple of Om Visnupada 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaj Prabhupada, presently residing at Sri Krsna-Balarama Mandir in Vrndavana, make this my last will:

1. The Governing Body Commission (GBC) will be the ultimate managing authority of the entire International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

2. Each temple will be an ISKCON property and will be managed by three executive directors. The system of management will continue as it is now and there is no need of any change.

3. Properties in India will be managed by the following executive directors:

a) Properties at Sri Mayapur Dhama, Panihati, Haridaspur and Calcutta: Gurukrpa Swami, Jayapataka Swami, Bhavananda Goswami, and Gopal Krsna das Adhikari.

b) Properties at Vrndavana: Gurukrpa Swami, Akshoyananda Swami, and Gopal Krsna das Adhikari.

c) Properties at Bombay: Tamal Krsna Goswami, Giriraj das Brahmachary, and Gopal Krsna das Adhikari.

d) Properties at Bhubaneswar: Gour Govinda Swami, Jayapataka Swami, and Bhagawat das Brahmachary.

e) Properties at Hyderbad: Mahamsa Swami, Sridhar Swami, Gopal Krsna das Adhikari and Bali Mardan das Adhikari.

The executive directors who have herein been designated are appointed for life. In the event of the death or failure to act for any reason of any of the said directors, a successor director or directors may be appointed by the remaining directors, provided the new director is my initiated disciple following strictly all the rules and regulations of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness as detailed in my books, and provided that there are never less than three (3) or more than five (5) executive directors acting at one time.

4. I have created, developed, and organized the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and as such I hereby will that none of the immovable properties standing in the name of ISKCON in India shall ever be mortgaged, borrowed against, sold, transferred, or in any way encumbered, disposed of, or alienated. This direction is irrevocable.

5. Properties outside of India in principle should never be mortgaged, borrowed against, sold, transferred, or in any way encumbered, disposed of, or alienated, but if the need arises, they may be mortgaged, borrowed against, sold, etc., with the consent of the GBC committee members associated with the particular property.

6. The properties outside of India and their associated GBC committee members are as follows:

a) Properties in Chicago, Detroit and Ann Arbor: Jayatirtha das Adhikari, Harikesa Swami, and Balavanta das Adhikari.
b)Properties in Hawaii, Tokyo, Hong Kong: Guru Krpa Swami, Rameswara Swami, and Tamal Krsna Goswami.
c)Properties in Melbourne, Sydney, Australia Farm: Guru Krpa Swami, Hari Sauri, and Atreya Rsi.
d) Properties in England (London Radlett), France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden: Jayatirtha das Adhikari, Bhagavan das Adhikari, Harikesa Swami.
d) Properties in Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa: Jayatirtha das Adhikari, Brahmananda Swami and Atreya Rsi.
e) Properties in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile: Hrdayananda Goswami, Panca Dravida Swami, Brahmananda Swami.
f) Properties in Georgetown, Guyana, Santa Domingo, St. Augustine: Adi Kesava Swami, Hrdayananda Goswami, Panca Dravida Swami.
g) Properties in Vancouver, Seattle, Berkeley, Dallas: Satsvarupa Goswami, Jagadisa das Adhikari, Jayatirtha das Adhikari.
h) Properties in Los Angeles, Denver, San Diego, Laguna Beach: Rameswara Swami, Satsvarupa Swami, Adi Kesava Swami.
i) Properties in New York, Boston, Puerto Rico, Port Royal, St. Louis, St. Louis Farm: Tamal Krsna Goswami, Adi Kesava Swami, Rameswara Swami.
j) Properties in Iran: Atreya Rsi, Bhagavan das Adhikari, Brahmananda Swami.
k) Properties in Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Montreal and Ottawa: Rupanuga das Adhikari, Gopal Krsna das Adhikari, Jagadisa das Adhikari.
l) Properties in Pittsburgh, New Vrndavana, Toronto, Cleveland, Buffalo: Kirtanananda Swami, Atreya Rsi, Balavanta das Adhikari.
m) Properties in Atlanta, Tennessee Farm, Gainsville, Miami, New Orleans, Mississippi Farm, Houston: Balavanta das Adhikari, Adi Kesava Swami, Rupanuga das Adhikari.
n) Properties in Fiji: Hari Sauri, Atreya Rsi, Vasudev.

7. I declare, nay and confirm that all the properties, both moveable and immovable, which stand in my name, including current accounts, savings accounts and fixed deposits in various banks, are the properties and assets of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and the heirs and successors of my previous life, or anyone claiming through them, have no right, claim or interest in these properties whatsoever, save and except as provided hereafter.

8. Although the money which is in my personal name is being spent for ISKCON and belongs to ISKCON, I have kept a few deposits specifically marked for allocating a monthly allowance of Rs. 1000/- each to the members of my former family (two sons, two daughters, and wife). After the death of the members of my former family, these specific deposits (corpus, interests, and savings) will become the property of ISKCON for the corpus of the trust, and the descendants of my former family or anybody claiming through them shall not be allowed any further allowance.

9. I hereby appoint Guru Krpa Swami, Hrdayananda Goswami, Tamal Krsna Goswami, Rameshwar Swami, Gopal Krishna das Adhikari, Jayatirtha das Adhikari and Giriraj das Brahmachary to act as executors of this will. I have made this will this 4th day of June, 1977, in possession of full sense and sound mind, without any persuasion, force or compulsion from anybody.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

The above will was signed by Srila Prabhupada and sealed and witnesses by the following:
Tamal Krsna Goswami
Bhagavan das Adhikary
and several other witnesses

Please do.

Hummm, It seems, from what we have seen of BSSP disciples becoming many Gurus, each with his own mission... all their missions being, basically the same, I see no harm in it. Spreading out.

So if the system was one acharya ONLY then who should that person have been in GM after BSSP? It seems like "managers" become gurus, for the most part.

I have no problem with the many branches paradigm.

For a tree without branches is a dead tree.

Living trees make new branches.

So if the GM or ISKCON or whatever organization is a part of the living Caitanya Tree then there will continue being more and more branches.

Keshava

Abhiseka of SP Samadhi Murti (courtyard KB Mandir Vrndavan)

Yours Truly performing Yajna in SP's Samadhi Vrndavan

Pujya Prabhus,

Does any one know how heavy that ACBSP Vrindavan murti is? Well, I don't know, but it took six of us about half hour to lift out of the 1996 abhisek and place back on the Vyasasan... AND, on top of the weight, the entire murti, the walls, the floor, and all the sharp edged marble was completely coated in ghee, etc, and it was slippery and super dangerous. I was really worried about slipping and breaking my leg or dropping the murti. It felt like about 500 lbs. And it was slippery to the outer limits. BUT, where there's a will there's usually a way. I almost fainted after that - it was such an ordeal. Guru does mean "heavy" but NOT slippery.

Just a thought.

I don't know how heavy He is but the real problem is that He is metal. That means that there has to be polishing and bathing etc. A deity that size should be made of stone (marble or granite). This point was brought up by sereral persons at the time but somehow the GBC decided that it should be metal.

I remember that we almost dropped Him taking him from the original abhiseka in the temple to the samadhi. As I remember at one point Brahmananda was carrying Him almost single handed. At the time I could not believe this, but people do amazing things when they think that they might drop their Guru. As you see from the picture the abhiseka was a bit of a free for all. This part was quite difficult to control so we just sttod in the back and gave out pots of substances.

Later in the samadhi on the altar we were able to be more exacting in the procedure. The deity sits on an altar that touches a bamboo stick (which touches his danda) that ultimately touches the head of His Divine Grace's physical body as it sits in the pit filled with salt below the surface. Of course the level of the original samadhi was much lower.

Keshava

Hey Keshava, you were kind of cute back then.
I bet alot of girls (and guys) had their eyes on you.
(Not on that day of course, I'm talking about in general.)
You can't walk around India without a kurta on with your kind of physique without loosening alot of braids of innocent young Bharatiya naris.

I hope no one is offended by this post.
I'm just complimenting someone.

Thank you for the compliment.

(I also hope that no one is offended by your post or by my picture. No beefcake intended)

For your information when perfoming Puja it is proper not to wear a shirt. Usually males wear two pieces of cloth. Dhoti and Anga Vastram. The Anga Vastram can be draped over the shoulders or over the left shoulder and across the chest in the style of sacred thread (upaviti) or it may be wrapped around the waist to keep it out of the way (fire in this case). In South India the general style is the latter.

"To cover the lower part of the body is a principle of human civilization, when a man or woman forgets this principle, they become degraded. (Krsna Book I, p 70)

One should wear an upper as well as a lower cloth. Wearing only a lower cloth is improper.

The top cloth is properly worn over the left shopulder, in the position that the sacred thread normally rests or around the waist.

One is forbidden to enter the Deity room or offer anything to the Deity while wearing a shirt or coat. In the tantras it is said

vastreNAvRta-dehas tu
yo naraH praNamed dharim
zvitrI bhavati mUDhAtmA
sapta janmAni bhAvini

Anyone who offers respects and obeisances to the Deity while wearing garments on the upper portion of the body is condemned to be a leper for seven births. (CC Ant 12.37 purport)"
(Quoted from Arcana Paddhati The Perfection of Deity Worship by Gaura Keshava das)

Actually women also used to follow this system (and some still do in Kerala). There are numberous pictures of topless lady bhaktas and goddesses on temples in India. It was not considered immodest until the arrival of the Moguls and later under the British.

In Sri Rangam many orthodox ladies wear only one piece of cloth when going to the temple or for puja. It is a 9 yard sari (without choli) The sastras state that sewn cloth should not be worn for puja.

Keshava