Sannyasa | The Hare Krishna Movement

Appearance Day of Srila Bhakti Prajana Kesava Goswami Maharaja

28 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sannyasa, Spiritual Master, Srila Bhakti Prajana Kesava Tags: A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Krishna, Krsna, sannyasa, spiritual master, srila bhakti prajana kesava maharaja, Srila Prabhupada

Today is the Appearance day of Srila Prabhupada’s Sannayasa guru, Srila Bhakti Prajana Kesava Goswami Maharaja. The following is a lecture by Srila Prabhupada remembering His God Brother and Sannayasa guru.

Disappearance Day Lecture

By His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Seattle, October 21, 1968

Prabhupāda: One has to accept the renounced order from another person who is in renounced order. So I never thought that I shall accept this renounced order of life. In my family life, when I was in the midst of my wife and children, sometimes I was dreaming my spiritual master, that he’s calling me, and I was following him. When my dream was over, I was thinking. I was little horrified. “Oh, Guru Mahārāja wants me to become sannyāsī. How can I accept sannyāsa?” At that time, I was feeling not very satisfaction that I have to give up my family and have to become a mendicant. At that time, it was a horrible feeling. Sometimes I was thinking, “No, I cannot take sannyāsa.” But again I saw the same dream. So in this way I was fortunate. My Guru Mahārāja (Prabhupāda begins to cry, choked voice) pulled me out from this material life. I have not lost anything. He was so kind upon me. I have gained. I left three children, I have got now three hundred children. So I am not loser. This is material conception. We think that we shall be loser by accepting Kṛṣṇa. Nobody is loser. I say from my practical experience. I was thinking that “How can I accept this renounced order of life? I cannot accept so much trouble.” So… But I retired from my family life. I was sitting alone in Vṛndāvana, writing books. So this, my Godbrother, he insisted me, “Bhaktivedanta prabhu…” This title was given in my family life. It was offered to me by the Vaiṣṇava society. So he insisted me. Not he insisted me. Practically my spiritual master insisted me through him, that “You accept.” Because without accepting the renounced order of life, nobody can become a preacher. So he wanted me to become a preacher. So he forced me through this Godbrother, “You accept.” So unwillingly I accepted. And then I remembered that he wanted me to go to the Western country. So I am feeling now very much obliged to my, this Godbrother, that he carried out the wish of my spiritual master and enforced me to accept this sannyāsa order.

Srila Prabhupada’s Sannyasa Initiation

16 Sep 2016 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sannyasa, Spiritual Life, Spiritual Master, Srila Prabhupada Tags: A.C. Bhaktiveanta Swami Prabhupada, bhakti Prajnana Kesava, family life, Guru Maharaja, Krishna, Muni Maharaja, sannyasa, sannyasa 1959, sanyasi, Spiritual Life, Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada's acceptance of sannyasa 1959

(Muni Maharaja, Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami)

Today marks Srila Prabhupada’s acceptance of Sannyasa. Thanks to Prabhupada Connect for so nicely putting together this list list of quotes by Srila Prabhupada on Sannyasa, which we have re-posted here.

Srila Prabhupada’s Sannyasa Initiation

Srila Prabhupada accepted the order of sannyasa from Sri Srimad Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja on September 17, 1959 at the Kesavaji Math in Mathura. Included below are some relevant quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s lectures and letters.

“When I was householder, several times there was indication given by my Guru Maharaja that I should give up family life and become a sannyasi and preach this Krishna consciousness movement. In several way there was hints from my spiritual master, but still, I was not willing. I was thinking, ‘If I go away, then my family, my sons, my daughters, they will suffer.’ But actually, I have left my family connection in 1950. Actually ’54, but introductory in ’50. For the last twenty years. But they are living; I am living. They are not dying in my absence, and I am not suffering without being in my family. On the other hand, by Krishna’s grace, I have got better family members. I have got nice children in a foreign country. They are taking so much care of me, I could not expect such care from my own children.

So this is God’s grace. We should depend on Krishna. If Krishna is kind, wherever we go, everyone will be pleased, everyone will be kind. And if Krishna is unpleased, even in your family life you’ll not be comfortable. Therefore, according to the Vedic system, at a certain age, it is indicated that one should retire from family life.” (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Tittenhurst, London, September 12, 1969)

“The Krishna consciousness movement is not that we are asking everyone to become a sannyasi like me, and give up everything. No. That is not our program. You act as a brahmaṇa, as a ksatriya or a vaisya or a sudra. It doesn’t matter. But you try to satisfy Krishna. That is the program.” (Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Bombay, December 30, 1972)

Srila Prabhupada’s acceptance of Sannyasa, 1959

29 Sep 2012 Leave a comment

by The Hare Krishna Movement in A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sannyasa, Srila Prabhupada Tags: Bhaktivedanta in 1947, Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Jaladuta Diary, renounced order, sannyasa 1959, Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada's acceptance of sannyasa 1959, vanaprastha 1950, Visvarupa Mahotsava

Today on Visvarupa Mahotsava we honor the day that Srila Prabhupada accepted the renounced order (sannyasa) of life, in 1959.

…Recognizing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s philosophical learning and devotion, the society of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas honored him in 1947 with the title “Bhaktivedanta.” In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Śrīla Prabhupāda retired from family life, adopting the vānaprastha (retired) order to devote more time to study, writing and preaching. Śrīla Prabhupāda moved to the holy city of Vṛndāvana, where he lived in humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple of Rādhā-Dāmodara. There he spent several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (sannyāsa) in 1959. At Rādhā-Dāmodara, Śrīla Prabhupāda began work on his life’s masterpiece: a multivolume annotated translation of the eighteen-thousand-verse Srīmad-Bhāgavatam (Bhāgavata Purāṇa). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets…