Daikṣikaḥ — Initiation

I offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my grand- spiritual master, and the spiritual master of the entire world, Sri Krsna Caitanyadeva. Simply by His mercy, even an insignificant dog can cross beyond the great ocean. Although I am very insignificant, I am confident that I will be able to write this chapter by His mercy.

Now, I shall describe the process of initiation as it is mentioned in the book Krmadipikd, which was composed by Sri Kesavacarya. Without first being initiated, no one is qualified to worship his beloved Lord.

agame (It is stated in the Agamas) dvijdndm anupetdndrh svakarma adhyanddisu yathddhikdro ndstlha sydt ca upanayanddanu tatha atra dlksitdndmtu mantra devdrcanddisu

nddhikdra astitah kurydt dtmanarh siva sarhstutarh Just as a brdhmana boy is not qualified to perform his occupational duties and study the Vedas if he is not initiated—one who has not taken initiation is not eligible to chant transcendental mantras and worship the Supreme Lord. By accepting initiation into the chanting of the Visnu mantras, one makes himself worthy of being praised even by Lord Siva. As one cannot separate himself from his worship of the Supreme Lord, so he cannot separate himself from accepting initiation.

between Brahma and Narada that is recorded in the Kartika-prasanga section of the Skanda Purdna, the following statement is found) te nardh pasabo loke kim tesdth jivane phalam yenair labdhd harer diksd ndrcito va janardanah Those who have not taken initiation from a spiritual master, according to the prescribed rules and regulations, and who have not worshiped the Supreme Lord, Janardana, are as good as animals because their lives are spent uselessly. This statement confirms that initiation is an eternal funtion.

Visnu-ydmala, in the conversation between Rukmangada and Mohinl, the following statement is found) adiksitasya vdmoru krtarh sarvam nirartakarh pasuyonim avapnoti diksd virohito janah O beauciful one, all activities performed by an uninitiated person are useless. Not only that—after death, such a person receives the body of an animal.

If a spiritual master gives initiation to unqualified candidates, either out of affection or out of greed, he and his disciple become the target of curses from the demigods, as well as the predominating deity of the mantra that they chant.

Simply by worshiping the Supreme Lord, one attains extraordinary results. What then is the need of taking initiation from a spiritual master? In answer to this, it is said; If one worships Lord Hari, without first learning the rules and regulations for worship that were laid down by previous mahdjanas from one's spiritual master, he attains only one- hundredth part of the result of his worship. If one worships the Lord under the guidance of his spiritual master, he attains the complete result.

visnu ydmale (In the Visnu-ydmala it is stated) divyam jndnaih yato dadydt kurydt pdpasya sanksayam tasmdt dlkseti sd proktd desikais tattva-kovidaih ato gurum pranamyaivarh sarva-svam vinivedya ca

SR! HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

grhnlyad vaisnavarh mantrarh diksd-piirvarh vidhdnatah Dlksd is the process by which one can awaken his transcendental knowledge and vanquish all reactions to sinful activities performed in the past. A person who is expert in the study of the revealed scriptures knows this process as dlksd. It is the duty of every human being to surrender to a bona-fide spiritual master. While offering him everything—including one's body, mind and intelligence—one should take Vaisnava initiation from him.

Brahma and Narada that is found in the Skdnda Purdna, the following statement is made) tapasvinah sresthaste vai nard bhuvi prdpta yaistu harer dlksd sarva duhkha vimocani Those who have taken initiation, which destroys all of one's miseries, are far superior to ascetics, fruitive workers and mental speculators.

As bell metal, when mixed with mercury, is transformed to gold, a person, even though not golden pure, can be transformed into a brdhmana, or dvija, simply by the initiation process.

and the planetary situation for the purpose of accepting initiation) dgame (It is stated in the Agamas)

mantra svlkaranam caitre bahu duhkha phala pradarh vaisdkhe ratna labhah sydt jaisthe tu manam dhruvam dsddhe bandhu nasdya srdvane tu bhaydvaham prajd hdnir bhddrapade sarvatra subharh asvine kdrtike dhanavriddhih sydn mdrgaslrse subhapradam pause tu jndna hdnih sydn mdghe medhd vivardhanam phdlgune sarva vasyatvam dcaryaih parlkirtitarh By accepting initiation into the chanting of a mantra in the month of March-April, one receives distress. By accepting initiation in the month of April-May, one receives opulence. By accepting initiation in the month of May-June, one meets with death. By accepting initiation in the month of June-July, one loses his friends or relatives. By accepting initiation in the month of July-August, one meets with danger. By accepting initiation in the month of August-September, one loses his followers. By accepting initiation in the month of September-October, one attains all auspiciousness. By accepting initiation in the month of October-November, one attains prosperity. By accepting initiation in the month of November-December, one attains good fortune. By accepting initiation in the month of December-January, one's knowledge becomes misguided. By accepting initiation in the month of January-February, one's intelligence is enhanced, and by accepting initiation in the month of February-March, one can bring everyone under his control. This is the opinion of the dcdryas.

If one takes initiation in the month of July-August, one is sure to attain prosperity. If one takes initiation in the month of October-November, one attains knowledge, and if one takes initiation in the month of February- March, one attains prosperity. However, one should not take initiation in the added month called Purusottama-adhika-mdsa.

If one takes initiation into the Gopala mantra in the month of March- April, all of his objectives in life will be attained. If one takes initiation in the month of April-May, he will attain opulence—in the month of May- June, he will meet with death—in the month of June-July, he will lose his friends—in the month of July-August, he will enjoy a long duration of life—in the month of August-September, he will lose his followers—in the month of September-October, he will attain opulence—in the month of October-November, he will attain the perfection of chanting his mantra—in the month of November-December, he will attain the same result—in the month of December-January, he will be troubled by his enemies—in the month of January-February, his intelligence will become

enhanced—and in the month of February-March, all of his desires will be fulfilled. One is forbidden to take initiation in the added month called Purusottama-adhika-mdsa.

in the conversation between Rukmarigada and Mohini, the following statement is found) kartike tu krta dlksa nrnam janma nikrntanal tasmat sarva prayatnena diksam kurvlta kartike Those who take initiation in the month of Karttika are not born again in this material world. Therefore, with all endeavor, one should try to take initiation in the month of Karttika.

Although there is a restriction regarding taking initiation in the month of March-April, it is not applicable when one takes initiation into the chanting of the Gopala mantra.

According to the Gautamlya-tantra, one should take initiation on Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Wednesday, or Friday.

Rohini, Sravana, Adra, Dhanistha, Uttarasadha, Uttara bhadrapada, Uttara phalgunl, Pusya and Satabhisa are the stars under whose influence one is advised to take initiation.

One should give initiation when the sun passes through the stars— AsvinI, Rohini, Svati, Visakha, Hasta, Jyaistha, Uttarasadha, Uttara bhadranada and Uttara phalgunl.

One should give initiation on the second, fifth, sixth, twelfth or thirteenth day of the month.

One can also give initiation on the full moon day, as well as on the fifth, second, seventh, thirteenth and tenth days of the month.

According to this evidence, one can also give initiation on auspicious days, such as Thursdays and Fridays of the waxing moon, as well as on days when the moon and stars are in a favorable position.

rudra-ydmale (In the Rudra-ydmala it is stated) sattlrthe arka vidhu grdse tantu ddmana parvanoh mantra diksdrh prakurvita mdsar ksddi na sodhayet O n e should give initiation (or accept initiation) in a holy place, during a solar eclipse, on the Pavitrdropana-dvadasi, or during the Damanaka festival of Lord Jagannatha because these do not require any purification of the month or day, nor is there any need for an auspicious arrangement of the stars.

In the above-mentioned situations, the positions of the moon and stars remain in perfect order. Therefore, if one takes initiation under these conditions, one lives a long life, achieves great opulence, and finds himself situated in a prosperous family.

There is no better time for giving initiation than during a solar eclipse. Anything executed during a solar eclipse yields unlimited results. During a solar eclipse, there is no need to purify the day, the month, or the time of initiation.

It is very rare to receive the association of a bona-fide spiritual master. Therefore, if one receives such an opportunity, as well as the spiritual master's permission—that is the most auspicious time for receiving initiation.

It does not matter whether one is in a village, in a forest, or in a rice field—or whether it is day or night—the best time for initiation is the time that is recommended by the spiritual master.

Whenever the spiritual master desires to give it—that is the perfect time for accepting initiation. Visiting holy places, observing vows, performing sacrifices, taking a holy bath, and chanting mantras are not the criteria for taking initiation. Rather, the darsana of a bona-fide spiritual master and his supreme will are the criteria for accepting initiation.

There are four types of initiation—kriydvati, kaldvati, varnamayl and vedhamayl. Now, we shall discuss kriydvati initiation in brief. First of all, one should cleanse a particular place and worship the predominating deity of the earth. Thereafter, one should erect a square, raised platform. The diameter of the platform should be seven or eight feet. O n the four sides of the platform, one should put eight flags—two on each side. O n e should also place branches of a banyan tree on both sides of the altar, to erect a gate. One should surround the altar with braided rope made of kusa grass.

O n the north side of the raised platform, a pit that is about one foot wide, one foot long, a n d o n e foot d e e p , should b e dug. O u t s i d e t h i s pit, o n e should build t h r e e b o u n d a r i e s m a d e of bricks.

The first boundary should be four angulis high and wide, the second boundary should be three angulis high and wide, and the third boundary should be two angulis high and wide.

O n the western side, outside the three walls, one should dig another pit, which should be six angulis wide and twelve angulis long.

The depth of this pit should be one anguli, and it should have a hole in the middle, and it should look like the lower lip of an elephant.

In order to perform fifty fire sacrifices, one should dig a kunda, or pit, which should be about one foot deep. To perform one hundred fire sacrifices, the kunda should be about one foot, two inches deep. To perform one thousand fire sacrifices, the kunda should be one foot, four inches deep. To perform one hundred thousand fire sacrifices, the kunda should be five feet, four inches deep, and to perform one million, or one koti, fire sacrifices, the kunda should be ten feet, eight inches deep. The pit of the kunda should be in the form of a square.

It is alright to perform more fire sacrifices in a small kunda but it is not proper to perform less fire sacrifices in a large kunda. An intelligent person should make the kunda according to the prescribed rules and regulations. Otherwise, he will have to face many miserable conditions.

If the kunda is made according to the prescribed rules and regulations, it awards one his desired results. If the kunda is too big or too small, one incurs many faults. Therefore, those who desire auspiciousness should first examine everything and then make a kunda about one foot, four inches deep, for the purpose of performing a small fire sacrifice.

If the kunda is too wide or too small then one shortens his duration of life. If the kunda is too deep, one will become diseased. If it is too shallow then one loses his wealth. If it is crooked, one will have to suffer miseries, and if the boundaries are broken, one will have to face death in the near future.

If the boundaries are too small then one will suffer due to lamentation. If the boundaries are too big then one will lose his domestic animals. If there is no pit then one will lose his wife, and if there are no boundaries in the kunda then one will lose all auspiciousness.

The mesurement of one anguli is equal to eight grains of barley kept side by side, or to three grains of rice kept one above the other.

There are other procedures regarding the building of a sacrificial kunda and one should take them from the relevant texts. Fearing that this book will become too voluminous, 1 will refrain from describing them.

The instructor, or head priest, should construct the initiation arena upon the platform after duly purifying it with panca-gavya and water mixed with sandalwood powder.

Within the arena, one should draw a lotus flower having eight petals. The lotus should be surrounded by three circles. Beyond these circles,

the twelve signs of the zodiac should to drawn. Then, a nice sitting place, four aisles, a pathway, and four gates should be made. Finally, various decorations should be drawn around the arena.

After completing his morning duties, the spiritual master should place the conch shell and other articles for worship in their proper places.

First of all, one should worship his spiritual master, his grand-spiritual master, the disciplic succession, and other exalted personalities within the sacrificial arena by offering them flowers and sandalwood paste. Then, one should offer obeisances and take permission from them. Next, one should pray to Ganapati that he may be able to complete the worship without any obstacles. Thereafter, one should spread unhusked rice, plain white rice, and kusa grass on the lotus flower that was drawn on the ground. Then, one should invoke the presence of the ten expansions of the fire-god. Next, one should place a water pitcher on the platform, while chanting orh.

The ten expansions of Agnl are—Dhumrarci, Usma, Jvalanl, Jvalini, Visphulingini, Susri, Surupa, Kapila, Havya and Kavya. Some people think of a ten-petal lotus flower at the root of the water pot and worship the ten expansions of Agnl on those petals. Some people think of a twelve-petal lotus within the water pot and worship the twelve expansions of Surya

as being situated on those petals. There are still other persons who first fill the pitcher with Ganges water and then think of a sixteen-petal lotus flower in the mouth of the pitcher and worship the sixteen expansions of Candra as being situated on those petals. The ten expansions of Surya are—Tapani, Tapani, Dhumra, Bhramarl, JvalinI, RucI, Susumna, Bhogada, Visva, BodhinI, DharinI and Ksama. The sixteen expansions of Candra are—Amrta, Manada, Pusa, Tusti, Pusti, Rati, Dhrtih, SasinI, Candrika, Kanti, Jyotsna, Sri, Priti, Rangada, Purna and Purnamrta.

One should fill the conch shell with pure Ganges water while chanting the mula-mantra and then sprinkle the eight kinds of perfumed powder on it. After doing this, one should invoke the presence of the expansions of Agnl, Surya, and Candra.

The eight kinds of fragrant powder are—uslra, kurhkum, kustha, bdlaka, aguru, murd, jatdmdmsl and candana. These powders are very dear to Lord Hari.

According to some people—candana, karpura, agurura, kumkum, gorocand, kakkola, sihalaka and jatdmdrhsi are the eight aromatic powders.

Thereafter, one should perform the proper nydsa for the conch shell. While doing so, one should combine the ten kalas born of the letter a with ten consonants beginning with ka—the ten kalas born of u with the ten consonants beginning with ta—the ten kalas born of ma with the ten consonants beginning with pa—the four kalas born of a bindu with the four consonants beginning with sa—and the sixteen kalas born of sound with the sixteen vowels.

The ten kalas born of a are—srsti, rddhi, smrti, medhd, kanti, laksml, dhrti, sthird, sthitih, and siddhi. The ten kalas born of u are—jard, palinl, sdnti, alsvarl, rati, kamika, varadd, hlddini, prlti and dirghd. The ten kalas born of ma are—tiksnd, raudrd, bhayd, nidrd, tantri, ksut, krodhani, kriya, utkarl and mrtyu. The four kalas born of a bindu are—pita, svetd, aruna, and asltd. The sixteen kalas born of sound are—nivrtti, pratistha, vidya, sdnti, indhika, dlpika, recika, mocika, suksma, asuksma, amrta, jnana, ajnana, apydyani, vydpini, vyomarupa and anantd.

Thereafter, one should vibrate om at the beginning of the mantra. The name of the kala should end in the fourth dative case. One should end the mantra with namah. For example—om kam srtayai namah.

After worshiping the fifty kalas but before the invocation of life, one should chant the following five mantras from the Rg-veda. After invoking the ten kalas born of a, one should chant harhsah sucisad. After invoking the ten kalas born of u, one should chant pratad visnuh. After invoking the ten kalas born of ma, one should chant triyamvambakam. After invoking the four kalas born of a bindu, one should chant tat savituh. After invoking the sixteen kalas born of sound, one should chant visnur yonim.

Thereafter, one should pour the purified water in the conch shell into the water pitcher, while chanting the mula-mantra. Then, one should cover the pitcher with indra-valll, mango twigs, and panca-pallava. After this, one should cover the pitcher with a lid made of clay. Next, one should offer flowers, fruit, and uncooked rice, placing them on the lid, and then cover the whole pitcher with a dhoti. One should then decorate the waterpot with a flower garland and sandalwood paste.

Lord in the waterpots)

QJ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tasminna vahya kalase param tejo yathd vidhi sakali krtya ca dcdryah pujayet dsanddibhih devatange saranganam nydsah sydt sakali krtih Thereafter, the spiritual master should invoke the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, onto the waterpot and then worship Him, according to the prescribed rules and regulations, by offering Him an dsana, food, and other items. At the same time, he should meditate on the transcendental form of Lord Krsna as situated within the waterpot and perform the six kinds of nydsas.

According to another opinion, apart from the kara-nydsa and pltha- nydsa, one should think of the impersonal effulgence to be the Absolute Truth.

In this way, one should worship the Supreme Lord, Krsna, along with His associates, as being situated within the waterpot. After offering food

to the Lord, one should place sprouts on many plates that are decorated with ghee lamps and other articles and set them at different places within the sacrificial arena.

In preparation for performing a fire sacrifice for initiation, one should sweep the whole arena with a broom made of kusa grass. One should start sweeping from the southeast while chanting the vdyu-blja mantra. After sweeping, one should sprinkle water all over while chanting the varuna-blja mantra. Then, one should throw mustard seeds on the ground while chanting the astra-mantra. After that, one should sprinkle panca- gavya on the arena. After all this has been done, one should worship the predominating deity of the earth, as well as the ten dikpalas.

Next, one should purify the sacrificial pit by sprinkling water on it with kusa grass. Thereafter, one should draw circles and wheels on the ground.

One should write the sri-bija mantra in the middle of the sacrificial kunda, and sprinkle purified water with kusa grass. Then, one should take full blades of kusa grass and place it there. The priest should then invite Laksml and Visnu, and worship Them. Before doing so, he should happily bring some fire from the house of an agnlhotri and worship it with flowers and other paraphernalia. He should then meditate on the fire as the semen of Lord Visnu. Thereafter, he should worship the fire, as well as the kunda, by chanting the sacred syllable orh.

After installing the fire in this way, one should put more purified wood into it while chanting mantras, such as vaisvdnara. Then, one should fan the fire while chanting mantras, such as cit piiigala. Thereafter, one should place more wood into the fire while chanting mantras, such as agnin.

Next, one should recite the names of the seven tongues of Agni, the six anga-devatas, and the eight forms of Agni by vibrating orh in the beginning and namah at the end, pronouncing the names in the fourth dative case.

The seven tongues of agni are—Hiranya, Gagana, Rakta, Krsna, Suprabha, Bahurupa and Atirupa.

The six anga-devatas are—Sahasarchhi, Svastipurna, Uttistha Purusa, Dhumavyapi, Saptajihva and Dhanurdhara.

The eight forms of Agni are—Jataveda, Saptajihva, Havya-vahana, Asvodaraja, Vaisvanara, Kaumarateja, Visva-mukha and Deva-mukha.

Next, one should offer dry kusa grass into the fire to make it blaze brightly. Then, one should pour pure ghee into the fire, three times.

Thereafter, one should perform the marriage of the fire-god by offering oblations eight times into the sacrificial fire.

After worshiping the sacrificial arena and pit in this way, one should invoke the presence of the Supreme Lord and worship Him with auspicious articles, such as sandalwood paste, flowers, incense, and ghee lamps.

One should think of the fire as being the tongue of the Supreme Lord. One should pour ghee into the fire one hundred and eight times, or one thousand times. One should also offer sweet rice to the Lord by pouring it into the fire.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should satisfy the predominating deities of the various planets by offering them the remnants of the Lord's food, according to the rules and regulations that are prescribed in sdstra.

Thoughtful persons use the following quantity of ingredients for the performance of a fire sacrifice: ten grams of ghee, forty grams of milk, fifty grams of paiica-gavya, ten grams of honey, ten grams of sweet rice, as much yogurt as is needed to prepare acamana, and one morsel of fused rice.

One should then offer obeisances to the Lord and offer Him water for drinking. Next, one should offer acamana to the Lord. After this, one should worship the Lord while following all of the prescribed rules and regulations.

for the spiritual master and disciple) vratastham vdgyatam sisyam pravesydtha yathd vidhi

tad dehe mdtrkdrh sdngdrh nyasdthopadisecca tdm Thereafter, the senior disciples of the spiritual master should bring the prospective disciples, who are fasting and keeping a vow of silence, into the initiation arena. They should make them offer obeisances to the spiritual master. Then, the spiritual master should sprinkle Ganges water over the bodies of his disciples while chanting the astra-mantra. The spiritual master should also perform the matrika-nydsa on the bodies of the prospective disciples.

The spiritual master should then meditate on the Supreme Lord, as well as His associates, as if they are situated within the previously installed waterpot and chant his worshipable m.-.ntra one thousand and eight times while touching the waterpot. Thereafter, the spiritual master should rest on a clean bed, while thinking about the rituals of the initiation ceremony.

The disciple should spread a black deerskin on top of kusa grass and then lie down on it with his head facing either east or north while meditating on his spiritual master. All of the activities that have been described up to this point are meant to be performed the day before the initiation ceremony.

After completing his morning duties, the spiritual master should first worship the Supreme Lord, as situated within the waterpot, and then perform a fire sacrifice at that place. Next, he should offer the Lord's remnants to the Lord's associates and other great personalities. After this, he should completely surrender himself unto the Supreme Lord and then start performing the other rituals that are to be performed for the waterpot.

Thereafter, he should think of how all the demigods are merged in the body of Lord Krsna, while displaying the sarhhara-mudra. At this time, he should meditate on Krsna, who is the personification of nectar and who is full of transcendental bliss. Then, he should think that the sacrificial fire is merged within himself.

Thereafter, he should worship the flags, gates, and predominating deities of the eight directions, as well as the sacrificial pit and the arena, while considering them to be transcendental manifestations.

Next, the spiritual master should worship Ganesa and Visvakasena, the commander-in-chief of the demigods. After this, the spiritual master

,QQ SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA should touch the waterpot and chant his worshipable mantra one hundred and eight times.

The prospective candidate for initiation should observe a fast on the day of the initiation. After completing his morning duties, he should dress in a dhoti and chadar and decorate himself with a flower garland. Then, he should please all of the brdhmanas who are assisting in the performance of the sacrifice by giving them cows, land, cloth, and grains in charity.

The prospective disciple should consider his spiritual master to be as good as the Supreme Lord. He should offer his obeisances to him and circumambulate him. He should then offer one-half, one-fourth, or one- tenth of his entire wealth to his spiritual master as daksina. Finally, he should surrender himself to the service of the Supreme Lord.

This indeed is the duty of all true disciples: to repay the debt to their spiritual master by offering him, with pure hearts, their wealth and even their very lives.

Next, the spiritual master should take his prospective disciple to a place by the side of the sacrificial arena and make him sit facing east. The spiritual master should then perform the purificatory rituals for the benefit of his disciple.

The spiritual master should then perform the mdtrkd-nydsa and pltha- nydsa on the body of his disciple. After this, he should offer flowers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Next, the spiritual master should decorate his disciple's forehead with marks of tilaka made with gorocand and gopl-candana. He should place durvd grass, uncooked white rice, and flowers on the head of his disciple. Thereafter, he should have the waterpot brought by senior devotees, accompanied by the playing of musical instruments, and placed next to his disciple.

The spiritual master should then appeal to Lord Krsna to bless his disciple and he should personally touch the disciple with the cloth that was

I02 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA wrapped around the waterpot. After this, he should touch the disciple's head with the mango twig that was kept on top of the waterpot.

The spiritual master should sit down, facing north, pick up the waterpot in his left hand, and mentally chant the mdtrikd-mantras after placing the mango and banyan twigs from the top of the waterpot on the head of his disciple.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should sprinkle the water from the waterpot on his disciple, after reciting the mula-mantra three times. Later on, he should perform his disciple's abhiseka, accompanied by the chanting of auspicious mantras by learned brdhmanas.

May Brahma, Visnu, Siva, and the other demigods perform your abhiseka. May Vasudeva, Jagannatha, Sankarsana, Vibhu, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha increase your glories. May Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirti, Varuna, Pavana, Ganapati, Kuvera, Siva, and Brahma, along with all the dikpdlas, always maintain you.

May the mothers—Klrtti, LaksmI, Dhrti, Medha, Pusti, Sraddha, Kriya, Gati, Buddhi, Lajja, Vapuh, Santi, Maya, Nidra and Bhavana perform your abhiseka. May Rahu, Ketu, the devas, Danavas, Gandharvas, Yaksas, Raksasas, and Sarpas perform your abhiseka.

May the sages, meditators, cows, wives of the demigods, mothers of the demigods, Dhruvas, Nagas, Daityas, Apsaras, astras, sdstras, kings, carriers, medicinal herbs, precious jewels, time factor, rivers, oceans, mountains, holy places, clouds, and streams perform your abhiseka so as to help you achieve the three objectives of life.

Thereafter, the disciple should take off his wet cloth and put on a fresh dhoti and chadar. He should prepare acamana and then sit down on the right side of his spiritual master, after offering him obeisances.

The spiritual master should then offer sandalwood paste and other articles, along with an appropriate quantity of sweet rice, to Lord Krsna. After doing so, he should worship Lord Krsna by offering Him flowers.

The spiritual master should then perform the five kinds of nydsas on his disciple, who should be seated with folded hands and decorated with a gold ring, flower garland, and marks of tilaka that are appropriate for

the disciplic succession of his spiritual master. At this time, the spiritual master should offer his disciple at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should place his hand on the head of his disciple and utter the initiation mantra three times in the disciple's right ear. Even if the mantra is very long, the spiritual master should go on repeating it until the disciple is able to chant it without difficulty. A disciple should also chant the mantra while considering the spiritual master, the Supreme Lord, and the mantra to be one and the same.

The spiritual master should then say, "May this mantra benefit both you and me" while putting a small amount of water in the right hand of his disciple. He should think that an effulgence of spiritual knowledge, in the form of the mantra., is emanating from his body and entering his disciple's body. The disciple should also feel honored that he has received transcendental knowledge from his spiritual master's body.

The spiritual master should then give his disciple the Lord's remnants in the form of sweet rice. He should also bless him by saying, "May you achieve a long life, good health, opulence, victory, and good fortune." After blessing him in this way, the spiritual master should put a few grains of rice on his disciple's head.

The disciple should chant the mantra that he has received from his spiritual master, one hundred and eight times. Thereafter, he should inquire from his spiritual master about the proper code of conduct, nydsas, the process of meditation, and Vaisnava religious principles.

srl narada pancardtre (In the Narada-pancardtra it is stated) svamantro nopadestavyo vyaktavyasca na samsadi gopaniyam tathd sdstram raksaniyam sariravat A disciple should never disclose to anyone the mantra he has received from his spiritual master, nor should he chant it loudly in front of others. In the same way, he should safeguard literature, such as the Srlmad- Bhdgavatam, and other books that describe the process of worship, just as he safeguards his body.

SECOND VILAS A -,Qn

A disciple should show great respect and devotion to all the Vaisnavas, especially his spiritual master. He should worship them to the best of his ability and serve and protect them, whenever the opportunity arises.

A disciple should offer obeisances to the Lord's remnants of flowers or other articles, as soon as he receives them, and touch them to his head. Later, he can throw them in the water, and he should make sure that they do not fall on the floor.

He should think that Lord Visnu is situated within the sun and the moon, a cow, a banyan tree, fire, the spiritual master, and brahmanas. He should meditate on Lord Visnu in this way.

If, out of envy, someone blasphemes his spiritual master, a disciple should remember Lord Visnu and immediately leave that place.

IQQ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

O Narada, never associate with or converse with those who blaspheme the spiritual master, the Supreme Lord, and the scriptures.

Especially while circumambulating, while walking, while giving charity, when it is early in the morning, or while away from home—a devotee should repeatedly remember the mantras given to him by his spiritual master.

If, in a dream, or directly in front of one's eyes, an extraordinary incident takes place, a disciple should not reveal it to anyone other than his spiritual master.

One should not eat fish, and one should not eat the meat of animals, such as the tortoise or hog. One should not eat from a plate made of bell metal, or from a plate made of banyan leaves. O n e should not spit inside the temple, one should try to avoid sneezing inside the temple, and one should never enter the temple while wearing shoes.

One should completely fast on the Ekadasl of the waxing and waning moons. One should stay awake on the night of Ekadasl and worship the Supreme Lord.

One should not reveal the names of his worshipable Lord and his spiritual master to anyone and everyone. Similarly, one should keep his mantras and tulasl beads safely guarded.

JJQ SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA Some authorities are of the opinion that if a disciple is ready to follow the one hundred and four rules and regulations given by the spiritual master—only then is he qualified to take initiation.

The spiritual master should carefully test the prospective disciple for one year. While doing so, he should teach his disciple the following one hundred and four rules and regulations with regards to performing devotional servcie to the Lord: One should (1) rise early in the morning, during the brdhma-muhurta. (2) wake up the Deity of the Lord. (3) worship the Lord, accompanied by the playing of musical instruments. (4) have a morning bath. (5) wear a clean dhoti and chddar. (6) worship one's beloved Lord in the water. (7) mark one's forehead and entire body with tilaka. (8) mark one's body with drawings, such as a conch shell, disc, club, trident, and bow and arrow. (9) drink carandmrta (10) put on ornaments (11) remove the flowers from the body of the Deity. (12) put on the flower garlands and sandalwood paste that has been offered to the Lord. (13) worship the sdlagrdma-sild and other Deity forms of the Lord. (14) smell and eat tulasl leaves that have been offered to the Lord. (15) pick tulasl leaves, utilizing the proper procedure. (16) properly perform the daily rituals. (17) tie one's sikha while performing any religious duty. (18) offer oblations to the forefathers with the water that has been used to wash the Lord's lotus feet. (19) worship Lord Hari with great pomp, if one is able to do so. (20) perform eternal and temporary duties that are not opposed to the principles of devotional service to Lord Hari. (21) perform the rituals of purifying one's self. (22) offer fresh fruit and flowers to the Lord with love and devotion. (23) worship tulasl daily. (24) worship Srlmad-Bhdgavatam daily. (25) worship the Lord at least three times a day. (26) hear Srlmad-Bhagavatam and other Purdnas daily (27) put on the cloth that has been offered to the Lord (28) participate in all the festivals as a servant of the Lord. (29) obey the orders of the spiritual master (30) keep faith in the words of the spiritual master (31) put on tilaka, according to one's worshipable Lord and mantras. (32-33) sing and dance before the Lord with love and devotion. (34) blow the conch shell while worshiping Lord Hari. (35) enact the pastimes of the Lord by performing dramas. (36) perform fire sacrifices daily, according to the prescribed rules and regulations. (37) offer food to the Lord daily. (38)

greet and worship saintly persons (39) honor the Lord's remnants of food. (40) honor the betel nuts that have been offered to the Lord. (41) associate with devotees (42) make inquiries about the characteristics of the Supreme Lord. (43) properly follow the rules and regulations that are prescribed for the day before Ekadasi, the day of Ekadasi, and the day after Ekadasi. (44) remain satisfied in any condition of life. (45) observe the various festivals (46) properly follow the eight Mahd-dvddasls. (47) worship the Lord with all the ingredients that are available in the various seasons.

One should: (48) observe the vows that are meant for Vaisnavas. (49) consider the spiritual master to be as good as God. (50) collect ruLisI daily. (51) arrange the Lord's bed. (52) think about the Lord's .^carnations, such as Rama. One should not: (53) sleep in the evening. (54) cleanse one's body • i d i clay. (55) perform dcamana while standing. (56) sit on the spiritual roaster's dsana.

One should not: (57) sit in front of the spiritual master while spreading his legs. (58) step on the shadow of the spiritual master. (59) bathe if it rill impair one's health. (60) disregard the demigods. (61) stand up or --eicome someone in front of the Lord or the spiritual master (62) brag about one's self in front of the spiritual master. (63) sit while touching :ne's knees to his chest. (64) chant inappropriate mantras while putting c-n zilaka or performing dcamana. (65) wear blue cloth (66) associate with nondevotees. (67) hear non-devotional literature. (68) remain attached to insignificant association and insignificant happiness. (69) eat meat or drink wine. (70) take any intoxicant. (71) take red gram and burnt nee. (72) eat spinach (73) eat squash and brinjal (74) eat food offered v non-devotees (75) observe vows that are not related to Lord Visnu ~? chant mantras other than Visnu mantras. (77) practice magic or ivpnotism. (78) offer simple ingredients even if one is capable of offering rpulent ones. (79) become overwhelmed with lamentation. (80) observe an Ekddasl that overlaps a Dasaml. (81) discriminate between an Ekdsasl oi the waxing moon and an Ekdsasl of the waning moon. (82) play chess

ji,- SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA or gamble while observing vows. (83) eat fruit on the fast days if one is able to observe a total fast. (84) perform a sraddha ceremony on Ekadasl. (85) sleep during the day of Dvadasi. (86) pick tulasl on Dvadasi. (87) bathe the Lord on Dvadasi . (88) perform sraddha to the forefathers with the Lord's remnants. (89) use tulasl leaves while performing the sraddha ceremony. (90) perform sraddha without a Vaisnava priest. (91) use water to purify one's mouth after drinking caranamrta. (92) worship Lord Vasudeva while sitting on a wooden asana. (93) indulge in gossiping during the time of worship. (94) offer karavi and akanda flowers to the Lord. (95) use an incense holder or ghee lamp made of iron. (96) put on improper tilaka, even mistakenly. (97) offer impure objects to the Lord. (98) worship the Lord with a restless mind. (99) offer obeisances with one hand, or circumambulate only one time. (100) see the Lord at an inappropriate time. (101) fail to chant a fixed number of rounds. (102) reveal the initiation mantra to anyone. (103) make some excuse and thus fail to take advantage of an opportunity to engage in the Lord's service. (104) disregard the remnants of Lord Visnu. The spiritual master should teach these one hundred and four rules and regulations to his disciple.

Thereafter, when the disciple agrees to abide by these rules and regulations, the spiritual master should first have him worship the Supreme Lord and then recite the initiation mantra into his right ear.

The disciple should then cheerfully stand up and place the lotus feet of his spiritual master on his head, with great respect and devotion. After doing this, he should offer his obeisances to his spiritual master by falling flat onto the ground.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should apply the nydsa to his body and worship the Supreme Lord in his mind. He should also chant the initiation mantra one thousand and eight times, in order to preserve his spiritual prowess.

The disciple should offer all of the articles that were used, such as the waterpots, as daksina to his spiritual master. He should worship the spiritual master and feed him, along with the assembled brdhmanas, according to his ability.

When the disciple is thus blessed by his spiritual master and the brdhmanas, he should take their permission and then sit down with his friends and associates, to have his meal.

Those fortunate persons who receive initiation in this manner from a bona-fide spiritual master make their lives successful and they attain perfection.

,j8 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA

Lord Siva and Parvati in the Sammohan-tantra, this statement is found) evarh yah kurute marttyah kare tasya vibhutayah atahparam mahdbhdge ndnyat karmdsti bhutale yasya dcarana matrena sdksdt krsna prasldati When a person takes initiation from a spiritual master by this process, all kinds of opulence come under his control. O fortunate one, there is no ceremony superior to the ceremony of initiation. Krsna certainly becomes pleased with one who takes initiation from a bona-fide spiritual master.

The previously-mentioned process of initiation is described in the Vedic literature, such as the Prapanca-sara. This process is called tdntriki. Now, the process of initiation according to Purdnas will be described.

O Goddess, now hear from me about the process of worshiping Lord Visnu, the Lord of lords. This process awards one wealth and children and it destroys the sins of killing a brdhmana, drinking wine, stealing from others, having intimate association with the wife of one's spiritual master, and associating with sinful people.

As a result of worshiping the Lord by this process, people who are poor, diseased, afflicted with leprosy, and devoid of influence can quickly achieve opulence, a long duration of life, and mental satisfaction.

One who sees Narayana, the Lord of lords, along with His consort, LaksmI, within the initiation arena and who, according to the instructions ox the acarya, worships the mantra form of the Supreme Lord within the eight petals of the lotus flower that was drawn on the ground, certainly attains the perfection of life.

220 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA tasya sadyo bhavet tustih papa dhvarhsopi sesatah It is recommended that one take initiation on any Dvddasl, especially the Dvddasl that comes in the period of the waxing moon in the month of Karttika. O auspicious one! O fortunate one! A person who sees Lord Krsna being worshiped by his spiritual master during a solar eclipse, or when the sun enters a sign of the zodiac, immediately becomes happy, and all of his sinful reactions are eradicated.

There is no doubt that such a fortunate person becomes as worshipable as the demigods, headed by Brahma.

The spiritual master should carefully examine for one full year the nature and activities of his prospective disciples, who may be brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas or sudras.

The spiritual master should decide whether the prospective candidate is qualified for initiation or not. The disciple should also serve the spiritual master with love and devotion for one full year while considering him to

SECOND VILAS A yri be as good as the Supreme Lord. In this way, he should please his spiritual master throughout the year.

A disciple should pray to his spiritual master as follows: O lord, by your mercy, I desire to attain prosperity in this life and become delivered from the ocean of material existence at the time of death.

An intelligent disciple should first pray to his spiritual master in this way and then worship him just as he would worship Lord Visnu. Then, with his spiritual master's permission, the disciple should take a twig from a ksira plant, on the tenth day during the waxing moon in the month of Karttika. He should put this twig in his mouth and lie down on the floor right in front of the Deity.

122 SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA If the disciple has a dream that night, he should disclose it to his spiritual master. According to the dream, the spiritual master can determine his disciple's future benefit. Thereafter, on Ekddasi, the disciple should fast, and the next day, he should go to the temple after bathing.

If the spiritual master is very learned then he should draw a diagram on a purified piece of land. He should nicely draw the sodasd or nava- ndbha cakra, or a lotus flower having eight petals.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should carefully wrap a white cloth over his disciple's eyes and after placing some flowers in his hand, bring him inside the arena.

The spiritual master should then decorate the initiation arena with five kinds of colored powder. After this is completed, he should worship Indra, who is the predominating deity o( the eastern direction.

He should worship Agni in the southeast corner, Yamaraja in the south, Nirti in the southwest corner, Varuna in the west, and Pavana in the northwest corner.

He should worship Kuvera in the north and Rudra in the northeast. In this way, after properly worshiping these demigods, he should worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu, in the middle of the lotus.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should worship Sankarsana as being situated on the eastern leaf, Pradyumna on the southern leaf, Aniruddha on the western leaf, and Vasudeva, who is the destroyer of all sins, on the northern leaf.

After worshiping the conch shell in the northeast corner, the disc in the southeast corner, the club in the north, the lotus in the northwest corner, the plough in the southwest corner, Garuda in the south, the spiritual master in the middle, Laksmi on the left of the Supreme Lord, and the bow, trident, mark of Srivatsa, and Kaustubha gem in front of the Lord, one should worship Lord Janardana, according to the prescribed rules and regulations. After worshiping the Lord, one should place eight waterpots in the eight directions and then put a ninth waterpot in the middle of the arena.

Those who desire liberation from material existence should be bathed with the Vaisnava kumbha. Those who desire material happiness should be bathed with the Indra kumbha. Those who desire victory and influence should be bathed with the Agnl kumbha. Those who hope to conquer death should be bathed with the Yama kumbha. Those who want to destroy their enemies should be bathed with the Nairta kumbha. Those who desire peace should be bathed with the Varuna kumbha. Those who want to counteract their sinful reactions should be bathed with the Vayu kumbha. Those who want material prosperity should be bathed with the Kuvera kumbha and those who want to gain knowledge should be bathed with the Raudra kumbha. By accepting this process, all of these persons will become relieved oi their sinful reactions, attain transcendental knowledge, and become prosperous. Then, what can be said of those who are bathed with water

yjr SRI HARI-BHAKTI-VILASA from all the nine kumbhas! Such a person becomes purified at once and attains a position similar to that of Lord Visnu.

O n e may also worship the predominating deities of the various directions while chanting their respective names and performing the prescribed rituals.

After worshiping the predominating deities of the directions, the spiritual master should invite the prospective disciples who have been tested and whose eyes are covered by a white cloth. He should then describe to these disciples, who have purified themselves by chanting the Agni, Vayu and Varuna mantras, the various rules and regulations.

The spiritual master should instruct his disciples to never blaspheme the brahmanas, demigods, Lord Visnu, Brahma, Rudra, Surya, Agni, the Lokapalas, the predominating deities of the planets, and senior Vaisnavas. Rather, they should offer all respect to everyone. The disciple should gladly accept these instructions. Thereafter, the spiritual master should perform a fire sacrifice and purify the bodies of his disciples by performing the nyasa. The spiritual master should perform the fire sacrifice while chanting this sixteen- syllable mantra: orh namo bhagavate visnave sarvarupine hum. He should offer oblations three times to the Supreme Lord and perform all the other required rituals. The spiritual master should then uncover the eyes of his disciples, make them sit in front of the sacrificial fire, and then impart to them the initiation mantras.

After the fire sacrifice is completed, an intelligent disciple should give daksina to his spiritual master. If a disciple is as rich as a king, he should offer an elephant, a horse, jewels, gold and other valuable objects to his spiritual master. If the disciple is from a middle-class background, he should offer daksina accordingly, and if he is from a poor family, he should simply offer a dhoti and a chddar to his spiritual master.

It is impossible to describe the piety and glory that one obtains by following the above-mentioned procedures.

If, after initiation, a disciple hears the Vardha Purdna from his spiritual master, he attains the result of studying all the Vedas and Puranas, chanting all kinds of mantras, as well as bathing at Puskara, Prayaga, Gangasagara, Naimisaranya, Kuruksetra and Kasl.

The result one achieves by chanting mantras during a solar or lunar eclipse is doubled if an initiated person hears the Varaha Purana. O maintainer of the living entities, the demigods pray to be born in the land of Bharata-varsa, become initiated from a bona-fide spiritual master, hear the Varaha Purana and other Purdnas, and visit that sacred place where the Varaha Purana is being recited. They also pray to be able to witness a Varaha-yajfia on the full moon day in the month of Karttika.

O sustainer of the world, I have thus briefly described to you the procedures for initiation. It is very rarely practiced, even by the demigods, Gandharvas and Yaksas.

O Goddess, it is said that anyone who understands this subject matter, who sees an initiation arena, and who hears this sacred instruction— attains liberation.

When an auspicious moment arises, one should establish within the purified arena meant for initiation a new waterpot that is decorated with sandalwood paste and flowers, wrapped with a cloth, and filled with water, medicinal herbs, five types of jewels, and seven types of clay. The waterpot should have five kinds of twigs on top.

The seven types of clay are—clay collected from a horse shed isala), from an elephant shed (gajasdld), from an anthill (valmlk), from the junction of four roads (catuspata), from the royal court (rdjadvdra), from a pasturing ground (gosta), and from the bank of a river (naditira). After worshiping Sri Krsna, the spiritual master should worship the waterpot, using kusa grass, while chanting appropriate mantras one thousand and eight times.

Thereafter, the spiritual master should perform the abhiseka, according to the previously-mentioned rules and regulations, with the water of that pitcher and then impart to his disciple the initiation mantra. The disciple should then very devotedly worship his spiritual master and the other assembled brdhmanas. •

If someone is unable to perform these procedures then he should worship an unbroken lotus flower that has been kept on a waterpot while chanting mula-mantras. He should then perform abhiseka to his disciple eight times with that water. Thereafter, he should place his hand on the head of his disciple and utter the initiation mantra into his ear. When

«*2 SRIHARI-BHAKTI-VILASA mantras are given to a disciple during a lunar or solar eclipse, in a holy place, or in a temple of Lord Siva—this is called imparting upadeta, or instruction.

For people who are devoid of greed for obtaining wealth, who are afraid of material existence, who are unduplicitous devotees of Lord Visnu, and who are poor, the spiritual master should perform a fire sacrifice by offering ghee and barley into the fire- If he is unable to do this, he should perform a fire sacrifice only with water or only with mantras, and then bless his disciples by giving them the initiation mantra.

A qualified devotee of Lord Visnu who is equal to all living entities, detached from material objects, devoid of envy, self-controlled, pure, expert, devoid of any fault, and who destroys the fears of others by means of his activities, thoughts and speech, and who is knowledgeable and who sees the Supreme Lord internally and externally, who is expert in the performance of all types of activities, and who is the knower of the principles of Paficardtra can make disciples all over the world, and so what to speak of those who have taken shelter of him.

and Narada that is found in the Skdnda Purdna, it is stated) iha klrttim vaddnyatva praja vrddhim dhanarh sukham vidydddnena labhate sdttviko ndtra samsayah yathd surdnam sarvesdm paramah paramesvarah tathaiva sarva ddndndm vidyd ddnam param smrtam There is no doubt that persons who are in the mode of goodness achieve fame, magnanimity, wealth, birth in a good family, and happiness simply by educating people in the science of Krsna consciousness. Just as the Supreme Lord, Visnu, is foremost among all the demigods, distribution of knowledge is the best charity.

By distributing knowledge to the embodied living entities, one's sinful reactions that have been accumulated from one hundred lifetimes are immediately destroyed. There is no better form of charity than distributing transcendental knowledge to others because by doing so, one can easily attain the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.