Guest guest Posted August 7, 2002 Report Share Posted August 7, 2002 >"Krsna Talk" <options ><vedic108 >Prabhu - Ativadi Apa-sampradaya >Wed, 7 Aug 2002 07:23:16 -0400 > >Ativadi Apa-sampradaya >by >Sripada Swami B. G. Narasingha >------------------------------ >Krsna Talk No. 32 > >Devotee: Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura has written that there were thirteen >apa-sampradayas that developed after the time of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. > >aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani >sahajiya, sakhibeki, smarta, jata-gosani >ativadi, cudadhari, gauranga-nagari >tato kahe, ei terara sanga nahi kari > >One of these apa-sampradayas is called ativadi, which means too great. Can >you please explain how those who are 'too great' have become an >apa-sampradaya? > >Narasingha Maharaja: If the quality of humility is the crest-jewel of the >Vaisnavas, and indeed it is, then undeniably its antithesis is pride. If >one is falsely proud due to his greatness, or falsely proud due to his >scholarship then one becomes an ativadi, too great. > >To chant the Holy Name without offense, one must first become free from >dambhika, or pride. A dambhika-brahmana is one who is proud of his >scholarship and thus becomes offensive to the humble Vaisnavas. A true >Vaisnava is always meek and humble. He sees every living entity as >constitutionally a servant of Krsna and he never mistreats others, or looks >upon them as his inferior. > >In the words of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, "One who thinks he >is the highest is actually the lowest and one who thinks himself the lowest >is actually the highest." > >Real humility can only be attained by strictly adhering to the instructions >of Sri Guru and by preaching the glories of the Holy Name. However, a >hypocrite in the guise of a Vaisnava (kapota-vaisnava) sometimes makes a >show of his learning simply to attain cheap adoration and followers. Such >persons are known as ativadi, too great. > >The first pseudo sect of Vaisnavas to be known as Ativadi was founded by >one Oriyan brahmana named Jagannatha Dasa. This Jagannatha Dasa lived >during the time of Sri Caitanya. Jagannatha Dasa came from a tradition of >professional Bhagavatam reciters and due to his sweet voice he attracted >many followers. Jagannatha Dasa claimed to be a disciple of Srila Haridasa >Thakura, but he later broke his connection with Haridasa and began to >preach his own concocted philosophy. > >Initially Jagannatha Dasa resided in an asrama donated to him by Maharaja >Prataparudra, but after his rejection of Thakura Haridasa the king took the >property back and Jagannatha Dasa and his followers founded their own matha >called the Sat-lahiri Mandira. This story has been narrated in a Gaudiya >Matha publication compiled by one of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta's disciples. > >Jagannatha Dasa once approached Mahaprabhu without getting permission from >the Lord's personal servant. Jagannatha Dasa had written his own >translation of the Bhagavatam and desired to recite it for the Lord. This >translation was in Oriyan and happened to contain five new chapters of the >author's own invention. In order to avoid hearing this concocted creation >of Jagannatha Dasa, the Lord told him, "A fallen jiva such as Myself is not >worthy to hear the Bhagavatam composed by a poet like you. You have become >too great, ativadi. An insignificant soul like Me can have nothing to do >with you." > >Being covered by false pride Jagannatha Dasa and his many followers took >Mahaprabhu's sarcastic statement to be one of praise rather than >condemnation. The followers of Jagannatha Dasa then propagated his >Bhagavatam throughout Orissa. The true followers of Sri Caitanya, however, >reject the Bhagavatam by Jagannatha Dasa. > >If one examines the cult of Jagannatha Dasa, it becomes quite clear why >Mahaprabhu shunned his association. Jagannatha Dasa and his followers among >other things claimed that Jagannatha Dasa was the incarnation of Srimati >Radharani, that he was the personification of Srimati Radharani's laughter. >Certainly such a claim could hold no bearing over the followers of Sri >Caitanya. > >Another reason why Sri Caitanya rejected Jagannatha Dasa was because >Jagannatha Dasa contradicted the original text of Vyasadeva and he >sometimes leaned towards mayavadi impersonalism. > >Later, after being rejected by Sri Caitanya, Jagannatha Dasa began mixing >freely with women. His melodious singing attracted many unsuspecting women >folk to hear his Bhagavatam recitations and serve him in various ways such >as massaging his body. Eventually this came to the attention of Maharaja >Prataparudra and Jagannatha Dasa was arrested and interrogated by the King. >When the King asked him about his behavior Jagannatha Dasa replied, "I see >no difference between men and women." Maharaja Prataparudra then had >Jagannatha Dasa imprisoned for some time. > >The Ativadi sect also claims that Lord Jagannatha reveals to them secret >revelations of apocalyptic visions of the end of the world. It is indeed >amusing that in recent times these Ativadi prophecies have even duped some >western Vaisnavas to travel to Orissa to have a glimpse of the future from >an Ativadi priest known as the Copper-plate Baba. This Copper-plate Baba >has been consulted numerous times by some western gurus and sannyasis in >ISKCON. Little do they know that the Copper-plate Baba is the >representative of Jagannatha Dasa and the Ativadi sect. > >Unfortunately, in olden times the ativadi mentality also entered other >Gaudiya Vaisnavas and caused their fall down from pure devotional service. >During the seventeenth century a man from the Surma valley in Assam entered >the Vaisnava communities of Bengal and Vrndavana. Eventually he took diksa >from Sri Krsna-carana Cakravarti and became known as Rupa Kaviraja. This >Rupa Kaviraja studied Srimad Bhagavatam under Sri Mukunda Dasa, a well >known Vaisnava of the time. The residents of Radha-kunda felt great >happiness to see Rupa Kaviraja engaged thus. Gradually though he became >proud of his learning. > >Soon after the disappearance of Sri Mukunda Dasa, Rupa Kaviraja made a >grave offence to the great Vaisnavi Srimati Krsna-priya Thakurani. One day, >all the Vaisnavas assembled to hear Rupa Kaviraja recite the Bhagavatam. >Before he began, Krsna-priya Thakurani arrived and the devotees offered her >all respects. Rupa Kaviraja however, did not show her any respect. During >his recital, Rupa Kaviraja noticed that she was chanting and he became >disturber at this. With anger, he asked Krsna-priya Thakurani, " How is it >possible to be doing two things simultaneously? It is very disturbing to >see how you are chanting while I am reciting the Bhagavatam." > >With great humility, the Thakurani replied, "It is simply the habit of my >tongue to chant continuously -- it doesn't impede my hearing at all." >Hearing this, Rupa Kaviraja sat back and fumed in anger. From this moment >he was ruined. He offended Krsna-priya Thakurani, then later he made >offences to his guru, his parama-guru and other Vaisnavas. Then Rupa >Kaviraja became more and more proud of his learning and was ultimately >robbed of the results of his spiritual advancement. > >Since that time the Gaudiya Vaisnavas have referred to Rupa Kaviraja as >being an Ativadi, one who is too great or knows too much. > >Later on Rupa Kaviraja published a manuscript supporting the sahajiya >conceptions and claimed that it had been written by Srila Rupa Gosvami. For >all of his outrageous activities, the daughter of Sri Srinivasa Acarya, >Srimati Hemalata Gosvamini tore the kanti-mala from his neck and ostracized >him from the Vaisnava community. After this, the followers of Rupa >Kaviraja began to wear only one strand of tulasi-beads since he was only >left with one strand after they were broken by Hemalata. > >According to the false doctrine of Rupa Kaviraja, known as Sauromya, one >should imitate the gopis of Vraja in ones sadhaka-deha in order to gain >entrance into the confidential lilas of the Divine Couple. Rupa Kaviraja >was also against the worship of Tulasi and Salagrama and the following of >ekadasi-vrata since the damsels of Vrndavana do not follow these vidhis. > >In time the luster of Rupa Kaviraja disappeared and he soon contacted >leprosy which spread rapidly throughout his entire body. Reduced to a >decaying wretch, Rupa Kaviraja fled to Bengal and tried to gain entrance >into his guru's asrama pretending that everything was normal. But the >Vaisnavas of Bengal had already heard of his offenses and he was forced to >leave Bengal. He then traveled to Orissa and stayed in the village of >Khuriya-grama. There his body became thoroughly eaten up with leprosy and >in great pain he slowly died. It is said that he became a ghost who would >haunt those who committed Vaisnava-aparadha. > >The following paragraph is from an article by Srila Prabhupada >Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on the life of Srila Visvanatha >Cakravarti which appeared in The Harmonist (Vol.18, No.18. 1922): > >"Srinivasa Acarya's famous daughter, Srimati Hemalata Thakurani, rejected >an envious disciple named Sri Rupa Kaviraja from the Vaisnava society. This >Rupa Kaviraja is counted amongst the deviant sub-branch of the Gaudiya >Vaisnava sampradaya known as Ativadi -- he spread his own concocted >philosophy (against Gaudiya tradition), stating that only a person in the >renounced order of life is capable of acting as acarya. He claimed that it >was not possible for a householder to become a spiritual master. Fully >disregarding the vidhi-marga, or path of devotional rules and regulations, >he also tried to preach a philosophical path of raga-marga, or spontaneous >devotion, which was completely unregulated and undisciplined. He also >claimed that smarana (remembrance) was possible without the help of sravana >and kirtana (hearing and chanting). Thus, Rupa Kaviraja propagated a path >that was contrary to the path shown by the Gosvamis. Therefore, Srila >Cakravarti Thakura has refuted these false conclusions in his >Sarartha-darsini commentary on the third Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. >Actually, this refutation is a rendering of the truths outlined in Srila >Jiva Gosvami's Bhakti Sandarbha." > >One may be very learned in the scriptures, one may be adept at quoting many >slokas, one may have some understanding of the Vaisnava siddhanta and be >proficient in explaining its subtle details, but if one is devoid of the >quality of true humility then all these attributes are simply like >decorations on a dead body. Srila Rupa Gosvami has explained in >Bhakti-rasamrta-Sindhu that a devotee should not read too many books >(bahu-sastra-vyakhya-vivadi tyagah, or renouncing the study of many >scriptures in order to make novel explanations and arguments). This point >is also mentioned by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself in the >Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.118) - > >bahu-grantha-kalabhyasa-vyakhyana varjiba > >"One should not partially study many scriptures just to be able to give >references and expand explanations." > >Nowadays there are some pretentious devotees that deem themselves as very >learned, traveling here and there, they speak on so-called high topics and >compete for the cheap admiration of people who are ignorant in these >matters. These so-called devotees expertly speak novel interpretations to >the scriptures and sweet illustrative stories, but such discussions simply >fall on the deaf ears of the unqualified audiences having only the impact >of aranya-rodana-nyaya, crying out in the wilderness. > >Learning alone does not qualify one as an advanced Vaisnava, especially if >by one's learning one becomes proud and offensive to other Vaisnavas. >Study, or svadhyaya, is meant only to cultivate devotion to the Supreme >Lord. Too much learning, even of a good thing, may sometimes cause one to >become puffed up and proud. Great learning must therefore be balanced by >great Vaisnava humility, otherwise one becomes an Ativadi, too great. > >------ > > >Krsna Talk Questions & Answers: > >SWAMI B. G. NARASINGHA >http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/saranagati/html/nmj_articles/indexna.html > >KRSNA TALK INDEX >http://www.gosai.com/krishnatalk_fs.html > >SUBSCRIBE KRSNA TALK >http://www.gosai.com/krishnatalk_fs.html > >Tape Archives: >Audio Recordings of Swami Narasingha available here >http://www.gosai.com/audio_fs.html > >If you would like to change your HTML Preference or Contact Information, >please visit : >http://www.optinpro.com/scripts/i.asp?id=3107141&e=vedic108 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com > >To be removed from this mailing visit: >http://www.optinpro.com/scripts/remove.asp?u=339&i=3107141 _______________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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