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Ritvik - non Ritvik - How to know if an activity is right or wrong ?

Posted by 26hw91447qepu on June 16, 2012 at 2:07pm in Krishna

Devotee (1): If someone has a desire to do something so that...


Prabhupada: Do something for Krsna?


Devotee (1): For Krsna. But he begins to realize it's still tinged with a lot of personal gratification...
Prabhupada: Therefore he should consult spiritual master. The guide is there. Then it is all right. He should take sanction from Krsna or Krsna's representative. If he wants to do something, that's good, but whether that doing is right or wrong you have to know it from Krsna or His representative.

>>> Ref. VedaBase => Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.15 -- Auckland, February 22, 1973 shared via Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Das

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  • Sevak
    Bharat March 11, 2026 at 1:06pm

    Hare Krsna

    The following is excerpt from Purport given by Srila Prabhupada where Srila Prabhupada neccessitates the need to approach the current spiritual master in disciplic succession.

    the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is coming down by disciplic succession, and in order to receive the real message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam one should approach the current link, or spiritual master, in the chain of disciplic succession. After being initiated by the proper spiritual master in that chain of succession, one should engage himself in the discharge of tapasya in the execution of devotional service. One should NOT, however, think himself on the level of Brahmā to be initiated directly by the Lord from inside because in the present age no one can be accepted to be as pure as Brahmā.

    Therefore the bona fide spiritual master who happens to meet the sincere devotee should be accepted as the most confidential and beloved representative of the Lord.(Purport SB 2.9.7)

    In the above Purport Srila Prabhupada has clearly used the phrase - one should approach the current link, or spiritual master, in the chain of disciplic succession.

    Thus Srila Prabhupada has instructed to approach the contemporary/current/present representatives of disciplic succession.

    Hence approaching the past spiritual master of past as advocated by Ritviks CANNOT be accepted as a bonafide process in general.

    Hare Krsna

  • Sevak
    Bharat June 12, 2025 at 11:07pm

    Hare Krsna

    You may hear Srila Prabhupada's own words about it make your own decision.

    Srila Prabhupada has himself declared that the Ritvik system of initiation is NOT bonafide. You may hear this directly in Srila Prabhupada's own transcendental divine vani.

    Here is a link to the lecture given by Srila Prabhupada on 08-December-1973 in Los Angeles in a Srimad Bhavatam class

    I am pasting a relevant except from the above Bhagavatam pravachan

    "So if you want to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then we must understand in the same way as the person who directly heard from him. This is called paramparā system. Suppose I have heard something from my spiritual master, so I speak to you the same thing. So this is paramparā system.

    You CANNOT imagine what my spiritual master said. Or even if you read some books, you CANNOT understand UNLESS you understand it from ME. This is called paramparā system.

    YOU CANNOT JUMP OVER TO THE SUPERIOR GURU, I mean to say, NEGLECTING THE NEXT ACARYA, IMMEDIATE NEXT ACARYA."

    The above are direct words from Srila Prabhupada (Time : 27 sec in link)  clearly saying there is no jumping over to Superior Acarya. Ritvik system of initiations neglect to accept genuine disciples of Srila Prabhupada as bonafide representatives and Ritvik system/ followers attempt to jump up the disciplic succession. This cannot be done according to Srila Prabhupada.

    Hare Krsna

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