Re: Srila Bhaktisiddhanta on the importance of chanting Gauraanga

practice of giving manjari svarupa and a manjari name at the time of initiation. From the very beginning, their initiates would claim to have understood their position as a manjari (intimate gopi assistant of Srimati Radharani). Sarasvati Thakura did not approve of such a process and would say, �FIRST CHANT THE NAME OF GAURANGA".

Dear Neil, Nityananda!! Gauranga!! Hare Krishna!! Here Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada is not objecting or preventing anyone to become a devotee of Shri Shri Radha Krishna. He is just not approving the process of "siddha pranali" or "manjari diksha" for his own followers since this is not something to be attained by imagination but by purification and realization. This "process" of the Guru telling the manjari svarupa or name to the normal disciples at the normal process of f initiation is not authorized or explained in any scriptures or by any Acharyas.

The Guru imparts the Holy Names to the disciple and the Names in turn  impart the spiritual svarupa and the eleven characteristics of our spiritual body at the time when the disciple becomes qualified to receive it i.e. when the disciple attains rasa, rati and sthayi bhava. The Guru gives it in the form of the seed in the Name and leaves it to Naama Prabhu to reveal this at the correct time when the disciple becomes advanced and qualified. At that time, the disciple can approach the Guru and confirm these revelations of one's siddha svarupa.

Since the Guru imparts Naama Initiation to disciples who are on different levels of Bhakti, it will be an improper transgression for the Guru to tell all of these disciples to start imagining their svarupa after imagination. That would mean that the Guru does not have faith that the Naama will reveal the svarupa to the disciple at the right time when the disciple is qualified. We cannot force our way into the pastimes of Shri Shri Radha Krishna simply by imagination. It is only possible by adequate  purification via the causeless mercy of Shri Shri Guru and Gauranga.

If the Guru tells a disciple, who has anarthas or misgivings, to think about his or her svarupa, then it may have an opposite effect because the disciple is trying to attain it without proper purification and qualification. dusta phala karibe arjana. Unless we first realize the Names, Forms, Qualities, Pastimes and Associates of Shri Shri Radha Krishna during our chanting, we cannot approach our svarupa or spiritual form in those Pastimes. So artificially imagining it does not makes sense. Though, one can certainly visualize the Names, Forms, Qualities, Pastimes and Associates in our chanting meditation according to our qualification.

And to do so, our Acharyas state that one requires to first approach and realize the more merciful Holy Names, Forms, Qualities, Pastimes and Associates of Shri Shri Nityaananda Gauraanga. That said, sometimes an Acharya can reveal the svarupa to one's disciple along with imparting the Naama, if he find that the disciple is sufficiently advanced to practice Bhajana on that level. But certainly, this should never be done as a general practice to attract followers, otherwise it may have an opposite effect i.e. to take us away from the Pastimes of Shri Shri Radha Krishna due to the offense of approaching it without proper qualification and patience. That is why Shrila Sarasvati Prabhupada did not approve of this method for the common people as it totally negates or nullifies the basic practice and importance of practicing vaidhi bhakti in order to progress to the higher stage.

You can further read two articles: Qualification to Hear Radha Krishna Lila and Prakrita Rasa Shata Dushani, to understand the full depth of this matter. I hope this helps.

Daaso'smi, BR Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada.

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