700220IN.LA
Sannyasa Initiation

Los Angeles, February 20, 1970
Prabhupada: Anyad ahur... What is the next sloka?
Devotees: (Srila Prabhupada chants with the devotees)
vidyam cavidyam ca yas
tad vedobhayam saha
avidyaya mrtyum tirtva
vidyayamrtam asnute
anyad evahuh sambhavad
anyad ahur asambhavat
iti susruma dhiranam
ye nas tad vicacaksire
Prabhupada: 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, Kirtanananda Brahmacari, he was offered when I was in India, Vrndavana, in Janmastami day he was offered this sannyasa order in the Radha-Damodara temple. Similarly, here we have got also Radha-Krsna temple. There is no difference between Radha-Damodara temple and Radha-Krsna temple. So we postponed this to be held on the Janmastami day at New Vrindaban, 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 we are all present. Now, this sannyasa mantra should be studied very seriously and we shall chant this mantra after the regular function. Especially those who are accepting the sannyasa 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 sannyasa order. Especially meat... not meat-eating, mating. And politics. If we remain in the materialistic order of life, then this sannyasa order will be a facility for cheating. That responsibility you must have. That is the meaning of the sannyasa order. San, sat-nyas. Renounced order means one has to renounce everything for Krsna's sake. So this mantra will be chanted after these formal mantras, apavitrah pavitro va, and then you'll change your dress, and then yajna will take place, then sankirtana movement, your business. So you have got all these? Now chant Hare Krsna. You all chant. (devotees chant japa) Namo apavitrah pavitro va sarvavastham gato 'pi va. You know all this or I shall have to repeat? Or you say. (devotees repeat:)
namo apavitrah pavitro va
sarvavastham gato 'pi va
yah smaret pundarikaksam
sa bahyabhyantarah sucih
sri visnu sri visnu sri visnu
Again take. (repeats verse) Again. Hare Krsna. (repeats again) Vande 'ham... (recites mangalacarana prayers, devotees repeating) Now take your... Yes. Hare Krsna. And chant Hare Krsna. Open your dress. Later on when you come.
Visnujana: The mantra's here on this sheet?
Prabhupada: No. That's all right. You first of all dress. Why...? For others there is no garland?
Karandhara: Yes. Arati. Should we have arati?
Prabhupada: Oh, all right. Finish arati. In the meantime, you dress. Take that garland. So I shall give you. Give me that cloth. No, no. That... First of all cloth give me. This cloth I'll deliver you. No, no. This cloth. Yes. This is your cloth?
Visnujana: Shall we put the garlands on now, Prabhupada?
Prabhupada: Yes. Bring it and... No. Garland I shall give later on when you will dress, come out. I will give you. Like this. Yes. Dress yourself and come. Brahmananda? You come. There shall be no shirt. Open. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Now you can perform your daily program. Yes. [break]
Dayananda: Should we offer the garland? (Karandhara leading mangalacarana prayers and doing fire sacrifice) (indistinct) upasitam.
Prabhupada: You can read the translation.
Dayananda: 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 acaryas." 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 tridandi sannyasi 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 acarya, Visnu Svami, 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 ekanda sect. They misunderstand the purpose of tridanda and by such deviation, Sivaswami sannyasis, who claim to belong to the Visnu Svami sect, turn to be impersonalists and follow the footsteps of Sankaracarya, accepting only the ekanda. Instead of naming themselves out of the 108 names of Vaisnava sannyasis, this Sivaswami sect accepts ten names of the sannyasi, following Sankaracarya. Lord Caitanya, although in terms of the then practice accepted ekandi (sic) sannyasa order, but His acceptance of tridandi sannyasa is understood. This mantra was first chanted by a learned brahmana of Avantipura after being very much disgusted in this materialistic way of life. This happened long, long years ago because it is mentioned in the Bhagavatam which was composed by Vyasadeva at least five thousand years ago. So it is to be concluded therefore that this tridandi sannyasi 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 Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada adopted it personally and made many of his disciples tridandi sannyasis. We are also following his footsteps. In the purport of this mantra is that the ekandi sannyasi is devoid of paratma nistha, which is explained above. In other words, impersonalists..." On the first page it says, an explanation of paratma 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 ekandi sannyasi is devoid of paratma nistha, which is explained above." So that is right, Prabhupada, that the impersonalist is devoid of the Supreme Personality of Godhead?
Prabhupada: They have no idea. They say that we can imagine an idea. According to impersonalists, they say sadhakanam hitarthaya brahmano rupa kalpanah. Because we cannot concentrate our mind in impersonal therefore they say, "Imagine some form." They think that Krsna is imagination. Yes. (laughter) That is their Mayavada. Krsna was personally present and He killed all the demons. Still, these demons says imagination. That is demonic. Therefore we do not agree with them.
Dayananda: "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 Srimad-Bhagavatam we do not find any mention of ekanda sannyasa. This tridanda sannyasa is accepted therefore as standard. Lord Caitanya accepts Srimad-Bhagavatam as the supreme authority. Under these circumstances, persons who accept Lord Caitanya as ekandi sannyasi are mistaken. So following the footsteps of Lord Caitanya still the tridandi sannyasis are in existence. Keeping the sacred thread and sikha intact, distinct from the Mayavadi sannyasis, Mayavadi ekandi sannyasis, who give up the sacred thread and sikha. 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 sannyasa order. But those who are strictly followers of the Vaisnava principles, they do not accept the Mayavadi way of sannyasa. In the sect of Lord Caitanya, the most venerable learned scholar known as Gadadhara Pandita Gosvami accepted this tridandi sannyasa order and he offered this facility to his disciple known as Sri Madhva-upadhyaya. This Madhvacarya is the origin of the Vallabhacarya sect. One of the Six Gosvamis, Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who is the authority of Vaisnava regulations, was initiated by another tridandi sannyasi known as Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Therefore this sannyasi order is completely in pursuance of Vaisnava authority."
Prabhupada: So that danda you can take. Your danda take. You can take, come on. His name is there? No.
Devotee: No.
Visnujana: You know which one is which?
Prabhupada: No. According to the size we have made. So which size he is I do not know. I... That's your?
Visnujana: Yes.
Prabhupada: That's your. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna... Hare Krsna Hare Krsna. Now chant Hare Krsna. Dance. (breakprema-dhvani) So, this is now formal accepting of sannyasa, but real sannyasa purpose will be fulfilled when you'll be able to induce the people of the world dancing like you. That is real sannyasa. This formal dress is not sannyasa. Real sannyasa is when you can induce other people to become Krsna conscious and they dance in Krsna consciousness.
Devotees: Jaya!
Prabhupada: If you can turn one man to become Krsna conscious, then your going back to Godhead, back to home, guaranteed. That is real purpose of sannyasa.
Thank you very much. (end)

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