Which Vaisnava?

Tirisilex · August 3, 2007

I found that there are many diff Vaisnava groups.. I'm having a difficult time looking them up..

I know of these as titles of diff groups but no info about these groups individualy..

Rudra Sampradaya,

Brahma Sampradaya,

Lakshmi Sampradaya,

Kumara Vaikhanasa Sampradaya,

International Society for Krishna Consciousness,

Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission Sampradaya

Of course I can find ISKCON no problem but the others I cannot find much on.

Tirisilex · August 3, 2007

OOps I didnt mean to post those links.. I havre checked them out but they dont give much Info. at least not enough for me.

gHari · August 3, 2007

SB 1.18.21:p

There are four sects of worshipful devotees of the Lord, and the chief amongst them are the Brahma-sampradAya, Rudra-sampradAya and SrI-sampradAya, descending directly from Lord BrahmA, Lord Siva and the goddess of fortune, LakSmI, respectively. Besides the above-mentioned three sampradAyas, there is the KumAra-sampradAya, descending from Sanat-kumAra. All of the four original sampradAyas are still scrupulously engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord up to date, and they all declare that Lord KRSNa, Mukunda, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no other personality is equal to Him or greater than Him.

CC Madhya 9.11p:

It may be noted that these particular Deities of RAma and SItA have been worshiped from the time of King IkSvAku. Indeed, they were worshiped by the royal princes even before the appearance of Lord RAmacandra. Later, during Lord RAmacandra's presence, the Deities were worshiped by LakSmaNa. It is said that just three months before his disappearance, SrI MadhvAcArya received these Deities and installed them in the UDupI temple. Since then the Deities have been worshiped by the MadhvAcArya-sampradAya at that monastery. As far as the SrI VaiSNavas are concerned, beginning with RAmAnujAcArya, they also worshiped Deities of SItA-RAma. SItA-RAma Deities are also being worshiped in Tirupati and other places. From the SrI RAmAnuja-sampradAya there is another branch known as RAmAnandI or RAmAt, and the followers of that branch also worship Deities of SItA-RAma very rigidly. The RAmAnuja-sampradAya VaiSNavas prefer the worship of Lord RAmacandra to that of RAdhA-KRSNa.

CC Madhya 9.109:

Being a VaiSNava in the RAmAnuja-sampradAya, VeGkaTa BhaTTa worshiped the Deities of LakSmI and NArAyaNa. Seeing his pure devotion, SrI Caitanya MahAprabhu was very satisfied.

CC Antya 2.95:

"When a VaiSNava listens to the SArIraka-bhASya, the MAyAvAda commentary upon the VedAnta-sUtra, he gives up the KRSNa conscious attitude that the Lord is the master and the living entity is His servant. Instead, he considers himself the Supreme Lord.

PURPORT

The philosophers known as kevalAdvaita-vAdIs generally occupy themselves with hearing the SArIraka-bhASya, a commentary by SaGkarAcArya advocating that one impersonally consider oneself the Supreme Lord. Such MAyAvAda philosophical commentaries upon the VedAnta-sUtra are simply imaginary, but there are other commentaries on the VedAnta-sUtra. The commentary by SrIla RAmAnujAcArya, known as SrI-bhASya, establishes the viziSTAdvaita-vAda philosophy. Similarly, in the Brahma-sampradAya, MadhvAcArya's PUrNaprajJa-bhASya establishes zuddha-dvaita-vAda. In the KumAra-sampradAya, or NimbArka-sampradAya, SrI NimbArka establishes the philosophy of dvaitAdvaita-vAda in the PArijAta-saurabha-bhASya. And in the ViSNu-svAmi-sampradAya, or Rudra-sampradAya, which comes from Lord Siva, ViSNu SvAmI has written a commentary called SarvajJa-bhASya, which establishes zuddhAdvaita-vAda.

A VaiSNava should study the commentaries on the VedAnta-sUtra written by the four sampradAya-AcAryas, namely SrI RAmAnujAcArya, MadhvAcArya, ViSNu SvAmI and NimbArka, for these commentaries are based upon the philosophy that the Lord is the master and that all living entities are His eternal servants. One interested in studying VedAnta philosophy properly must study these commentaries, especially if he is a VaiSNava. These commentaries are always adored by VaiSNavas. The commentary by SrIla BhaktisiddhAnta SarasvatI is elaborately given in the Adi-lIlA, Chapter Seven, text 101. The MAyAvAda commentary SArIraka-bhASya is like poison for a VaiSNava. It should not be touched at all. SrIla Bhaktivinoda ThAkura remarks that even a mahA-bhAgavata, or highly elevated devotee who has surrendered himself unto the lotus feet of KRSNa, sometimes falls down from pure devotional service if he hears the MAyAvAda philosophy of the SArIraka-bhASya. This commentary should therefore be shunned by all VaiSNavas.

TLK (Teachings of Lord Kapila) verse 31p;

We have to accept KRSNa through the disciplic succession. There are four sampradAyas, disciplic successions. One comes from Lord BrahmA (the Brahma-sampradAya), and another comes from LakSmI, the goddess of fortune, (the SrI-sampradAya). There are also the KumAra-sampradAya and the Rudra-sampradAya. At the present moment, the BrahmA sampradAya is represented by the Madhva-sampradAya, and we belong to the Madhva-GauDIya-sampradAya. Our original sampradAya stems from MadhvAcArya. In that sampradAya there was MAdhavendra PurI, and MAdhavendra PurI's disciple was SrI Izvara PurI. SrI Izvara PurI's disciple was Lord Caitanya MahAprabhu. Thus we are coming in the disciplic succession from SrI Caitanya MahAprabhu, and therefore our sampradAya is called the Madhva-GauDIya-sampradAya. It is not that we have manufactured a sampradAya; rather, our sampradAya stems from Lord BrahmA. There is also the RAmAnuja-sampradAya, which comes from the SrI-sampradAya, and there is the ViSNusvAmI-sampradAya, which comes from the Rudra-sampradAya. The NimbAditya-sampradAya comes from the KumAra-sampradAya. If we do not belong to any sampradAya, our conclusion is fruitless. It is not that one should think, "I am a big scholar, and I can interpret Bhagavad-gItA in my own way. All these sampradAyas are useless." We cannot manufacture our own comments. There are many commentaries made in this way, and they are all useless. They have no effect. We have to accept the philosophy as it was contemplated by Lord BrahmA, NArada, MadhvAcArya, MAdhavendra PurI and Izvara PurI. These great AcAryas are beyond the imperfections of so-called scholars. Mundane scientists and philosophers use the words "perhaps" and "maybe" because they cannot arrive at a proper conclusion. They are simply speculating, and mental speculation cannot be perfect.

SrImad-BhAgavatam 6.3.20–21

[bhAgavata-dharma, the principles of religion] is understandable if one follows the paramparA system of Lord BrahmA, Lord Siva, the four KumAras and the other standard authorities. There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord BrahmA, one from Lord Siva, one from LakSmI, the goddess of fortune, and one from the KumAras. The disciplic succession from Lord BrahmA is called the Brahma-sampradAya, the succession from Lord Siva (Sambhu) is called the Rudra-sampradAya, the one from the goddess of fortune, LakSmIjI, is called the SrI-sampradAya, and the one from the KumAras is called the KumAra-sampradAya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradAyas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma PurANa it is said, sampradAya-vihInA ye mantrAs te niSphalA matAH: if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra or initiation is useless. In the present day there are many apa-sampradAyas, or sampradAyas which are not bona fide, which have no link to authorities like Lord BrahmA, Lord Siva, the KumAras or LakSmI. People are misguided by such sampradAyas. The zAstras say that being initiated in such a sampradAya is a useless waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand the real religious principles.