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EDITORIAL October 7, 1999 VNN4885 Related VNN Stories A Rtvik Tried & True BY TARUN KRSNADAS EDITORIAL, Oct 7 (VNN) — Dear Rtvik Godbrothers and Godsisters, Dandavat pranams to you all. In this visible world, quite often the most unexpected, unusual hunch or conjecture later proves true. We all sympathize and even empathize with IRG and the rtvik group. We all desperately want to reform ISKCON by removing, rehabilitating and/or rectifying some of its corrupt leaders and restoring ISKCON to its state just before His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupad left this mortal world. All fine and good. But when we systematically try to go up against the greatest living rtvik, the greatest officiating acharya, how are we to support THAT? From the point of view of the faithful disciples and followers of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupad, Founder-Acharya of ISKCON and pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna Bhagavan, the greatest living rtvik, the greatest living officiating acharya would have to be the most experienced, the most expert, 'mantra-tantra visaradah', the seniormost. So seniormost would he have to be that he was in the position to officiate and preside over the 1959 sannyas initiation of ISKCON's Founder-Acharya, His Divine Grace HIMSELF. Anyone alive corresponding to these qualifications would indisputably and irrefutably have to be accepted by all junior rtviks as their rtvik leader and guide or siksa-guru and thus truly deserve the title 'Topmost Rtvik' or 'Officiating Acharya Numero Uno.' As we ponder over both eastern and western horizons, can we see, do we find anyone of such caliber? Warning! Dear Prabhus, please view wearing your shastra-chaksus lenses! Anyone who is serious about the rtvik or officiating acharya conception and has studied it in an unbiased way won't be daunted knowing well for whom this bell tolls. Free from false pride and prejudice, we're philosophically persuaded to submit to or at least strongly consider the siksa and speeches of such a person. After all, we ARE rtviks. We ARE in favor of the officiating acharya idea. After cogitating and reflecting ubiquitously, we may find a suitable candidate. Should we avoid him? Being rtviks, how can we? Why should we? No one is holding us back from spiritual advancement except our own head, our own mind, our own misconceptions. Without any further hesitation, we should humbly approach such a person to find out the the deep inner meaning of the terms rtvik and officiating acharya. After deliberating fully, leaving no stone unturned, we must unmistakably conclude that as far as the followers of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupad are concerned, the topmost rtvik and officiating acharya is none other than he who officiated at the ceremony when our Srila Prabhupad accepted sannyas, id est, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Mhrj. Hmm. Yes. It's true. We may be surprised to know that Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Mhrj is the leading living rtvik in our present Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya. Yes. It's true. There's no doubt about it. How so? Easy to comprehend. During 1959's September Purnima (full moon) starting Chaturmasya's 3rd month (milk fast), for whom did Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Mhrj perform a sannyas ceremony at Kesavji Gaudiya Math, Mathura? Hint. Two persons accepted sannyas that superfine day. 95 year old Bhaktivedanta Muni Mhrj was one. And the other? The other was none other than Abhay Charan das Aravinda, given the sannyas title Bhaktivedanta Svami, later to be reputed worldwide as His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupad, our beloved gurudev. Their sannyas acceptance was conferred by Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Mhrj as per recommendation by Srila Bhaktiraksaka Sridhar Mhrj, but the detailed ceremony was carried out by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Mhrj. Not only did he execute all the rtvik duties at their agnihotra yajna but he also provided the vesha (dress) including kaupinas. Indeed, even Prabhupad's tridanda (4 bamboo sticks tied plus saffron cloth) was supplied and wrapped by Sripad Narayan Mhrj. Just imagine such divine experience and intimacy. Considering that 6 years later, after further preparing himself at Radha-Damodar Mandir in Vrndavan, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupad received a 'transcendental call' from none other than Srila Rupa Gosvami HIMSELF, the head of our rupanuga sampradaya, saying that it was time for him to go to the West, to bring Sriman Mahaprabhu's message of Divine Love to us, that alone would suffice to prove Srila Narayan Mhrj's natural historical position as ISKCON's leading living rtvik and seniormost officiating acharya. But wait. That's not all. After Srila Prabhupad's arrival in Boston, Butler, New York, San Francisco and Montreal, Sripad Narayan Mhrj continued to assist Svamiji aka Srila Prabhupad by sending him, shipping to him so much needed transcendental paraphernalia including Deities, aratrika articles, karatals, mrdangas and even, get this, Mathura-pera! (pronounced peda) Yes, our Svamiji, Srila Prabhupad was so fond of that celestial delicacy Mathura pera that Sripad Narayan Mhrj was mailing it to him from 10,000 miles away! Ergo, my dear rtvik and officiating acharya brothers, in all fairness, with all the common sense, humility, integrity and logic at our command, we can deliberate fully and ask ourselves, "Who amongst us can even come close to matching Sripad Narayan Mhrj as the topmost rtvik or officiating acharya on the face of this Earth today? In all honesty, who?" It therefore behooves our Adridharan das, Madhu Pandit das, Kapindra Svami, Jayadhvaja Svami, Nityananda das, Praghosa das, Pratyatosa das, Krsna Kanta das, Navayogendra Svami and all our other rtvik reform restore vaisnava godbrothers to strongly reconsider and reassess our mutually auspicious position and take advantage of such leadership and higher association being afforded us by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Bhagavan in conjunction with our dearly beloved gurudev, Srila Prabhupad. We have to be a little more broad minded, that's all. A little more realistic. Krsna Consciousness is not a stagnant block; it's the most dynamic indestructible substance. We have to become spiritually fearless like Abhaya Charan, our gurudev and think what is absolutely positively best for us all. Rather than try to deter others away from Rtvik Numero Uno, our Seniormost Officiating Acharya, Sripad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Mhrj, we ourselves should take ADVANTAGE of our human form of life and of his genuine sadhusanga, encouraging and inviting all others to meet and speak with him as well. Love and trust. It's all based on love and trust. We won't be sorry. We'll all be glad we did. Good health to you all and please do ruminate over these points above. Your godbrother, servant and friend, Tarun Krsnadas Related VNN Stories  Comment on this storyContact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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