What is the parampara system? – Srila Prabhupada
No one has the right to change it!
Lectures, June 24, 1972, Los Angeles
The parampara system means... Just like we claim parampara system from Krishna.
So whatever Krishna says or He said 5,000 years ago, we are repeating the same thing. That is called parampara system. Not that "The world has changed. Scientific advancement is very great. Now we can interpret in this way and that way." This is
all nonsense. All nonsense. You cannot change a single alphabet. They are all unmistakable. They cannot be changed. So that is niscayam atmanah.
If you want to know positively, what is God, then we should take lesson from a self-realized soul who has understood, who has seen. Jnaninas tattva-darsinah. Just like here it is tattva-niscayam atmanah. So tattvam, the truth, so one must have seen the truth, realized the truth. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. That is guru. Means one who has seen the truth. How he has seen the truth? Through the parampara system. Krishna said this, and then Brahma said the same thing, then Narada said the same thing, Vyasadeva said the same thing, and then disciplic succession, Madhvacharya, Madhavendra Puri, Ishvara Puri, Lord Chaitanya, Sad-gosvami, Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Srinivasa Acharya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura. In this way. Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Gaura Kishora dasa Babaji, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Then we are speaking. The same thing. Not that "Because we are modernized... Your modern science has changed." Nothing has changed. It is all foolishness.
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Ok now contrast here what Srila Prabhupada says above, with what our "modern science" editors Jayadvaita and Dravida from the BBT say on the exact same topic of why they feel they can change the parampara conclusions...
"On the side of not changing the "initiated" phrases we have the strong bias against changing the books unless absolutely necessary and the fact that Srila Prabhupada did indeed say that Jagannatha das Babaji initiated Bhaktivinode." (BBT Editor, Dravida Das)
Ok so now Dravida admits the Srila Prabhupada DID say that Jagannatha das Babaji did initiate Bhaktivinode Thakur. This admission on his part means he can read plain English of an already published book written by Srila Prabhupada. So why change the text by taking out the word "initiated"?
Dravida says - Leaving one or both "initiateds will strongly imply that the use of the phrases "direct disciple" and even "accepted [as his disciple]" indicate formal initiation as we know it in ISKCON, which is far from the truth." [bold font and underline emphasis is mine] (BBT Editor, Dravida Das)
For those who can’t follow this, the full article, about substantial book changes is listed here on the website. http://krishnaconsciousnessmovement.com/dontchange.html
But the gist of the whole matter is that both Jayadvaita and Dravida took it upon themselves to substantially change the parampara conclusions of our Acharya Srila Prabhupada JUST because Prabhupada’s conclusions DIDN’T fit with modern Iskcon’s system of management and how one should see a guru who will initiate one into the parampara. And foolishly they admit this!! I mean who gives THEM this right? Certainly not Srila Prabhupada!!
Lectures, April 20, 1972, Tokyo
Prabhupada: Each mantra will purify you hundred yards daily. Go forward. These mantras are very powerful, given by Vyasadeva Gosvami, vibrated. And spoken by... Suka-mukhad drava-samyutamrtam. That is explained in the beginning. Just like a ripened fruit in the tree is already very sweet, and if it is touched by the beak of the parrot, it becomes sweeter. These are natural course. If the parrot touches the fruit, he cuts little by his beak, beak. Beak, you call beak? Then it becomes still sweeter. Suka-mukhad drava-samyutam. Similarly, Srimad-Bhagavatam is already sublime, transcendental. And when it is spoken through the mouth of Sukadeva Gosvami, it becomes still sweet, just like the fruit. The parrot is also called suka. It is called suka-paksi, suka bird. So this comparison is given. As the fruit becomes still sweeter by the touch of the beak of the parrot, similarly, Sukadeva Gosvami, because it is already spoken by Vyasadeva, ripened fruit, the experienced contribution of Vyasadeva, all the Vedic literatures, but when it is spoken through the parampara system of Sukadeva Gosvami, it becomes still sweeter.
So now my dear readers, I humbly ask you - has the changed versions of Srimad Bhagavatam and other books done by Jayadvaita and Dravida become more sweet as a result of their touch? I don’t think so - rather it has only agitated the minds of the serious devotees who take the words of Srila Prabhupada seriously.