Gaudiya siddhanta - ebooks - ISKCON desire tree

sindhu by Sri Rupa is guru-pada-asraya, i.e., acceptance of the shelter of the
lotus feet of sad-gurudeva. Prior to Madhva’s meeting and thus accepting the
shelter and siksha of Vyasadeva the Gaudiya section is not prepared to
concede that Madhva had a positive contribution to make. Therefore, it has
been said that his preaching was in the line of destruction of the Mayavada
theory. After his connection with Vysas his constructive preaching of
establishing his cult of devotion began.
The asraya-tattva is a thing of spiritual substance not a mere formality or
etiquette. One has to purchase it with saranagati, surrender. tad viddhi
pranpatena pariprasnena sevaya. Pariprasnena - surrender. (Gita 4.34)
Study, learning, discourse on philosophy so many things are possible prior to
initiation/diksha, but unless one gets this ashraya one does not gain admission
to the descending flow of bhakti-rasa. (Harinama initiation is not considered
diksha in the Gaudiya school. In Gaudiya diksha means mantra-diksha, klim
kamadevaya....) To remain in that flow there are requirements also, not that
just because I have taken shelter by initiation that I am always connected.
This principle is so essential that even nitya-siddhas and the Supreme Lord
Himself demonstrate its necessity by accepting guru-pada-asraya. In almost
every instance it is shown that the missionary work of the nitya-siddha section
begins after taking diksha. (Madhvacharya in this case as we are discussing.)
Even Saraswati Thakura was himself no exception to this rule.
Question: Isn’t it odd that Sri Chaitanya would take sannyasa initiation from
a mayavadi (Keshava Bharati)?.
Narasingha Maharaja: Before accepting sannyasa-mantra, tat tvam asi (I am
that), from Keshava Bharati Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself first initiated
Keshava Bharati with the same mantra, tat tvam asi, that he later received
from him but with full-fledged Vaishnava conception (I am servant of him).
Mahaprabhu’s acceptance of sannyasa is significant to the Gaudiyas in that it
is the parallel lila where Krishna leaves Vrindavana which marks the
beginning of the gopis feelings of separation, vipralambha-bhava. The
Gaudiyas accept that Keshava Bharati was the self same Akura, the Uncle of