Vaiñëava däsänudäsa

Tridaëòi Bhikñu

A.V. Bhaktividyä Pürëa Svämé

Pürëimä Tithi,

Snäna Yatra Mahotsava

Vämana Mäsa,

Gaurabda 511

Çré Rüpänuga Päramärthika Vidyäpéöha

Çrédhäm Mayapur

Foreword by H.H. Bhänu Svämé

Çréla Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé has compiled “Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä” as a Vedic saàskära manual for the Vaiñëava community. Recognizing that most of the Vaiñëavas are gåhasthas, and that they should perform the saàskäras, he has given a procedure that is not contradictory or offensive to the Vaiñëava ideals.

The first half of his manual is an argument for the worship of Viñëu to the exclusion of devatäs, with ample scriptural evidence. The usual saàskära manuals are compiled by those who are interested in karma khaëòa (accumulating material fruits), and prescribe worship of the devatäs and pitås for material prosperity. Therefore, in his practical procedure for saàskäras, Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé substitutes worship of Gaëeça, the material çaktis, and the planetary deities for worship of Viñëu and His associates. Whereas worship of devatäs (who are mixed devotees), brings only material auspiciousness, worship of Viñëu and His associates (who are pure devotees), brings spiritual deliverance.

Gopäla Bhaööa Gosvämé cites the alternative for the Vaiñëava according to the Padma Puräëa:

ananya çaraëo bhakto näma mantreñu dékñitaù

kadä cin närcayed devän gaëeçädéàs tu vaiñëavaù

yatra yatra suräù püjyä gaëeçädyas tu karmiëäm

Viñëvarcane tatra tatra vaiñëavänäà hi vaiñëaväù

Viçvaksenaà sa sanakaà sanätana mataù param

sananda sanat kumära païcaitän püjayet tataù

“The devotee interested in pure devotion to the Lord, and initiated with Vaiñëava mantra should never worship Gaëeça and the other devatäs. Wherever the karmis prescribe worship of Gaëeça and the devatäs, the Vaiñëava should worship the pure devotees of Viñëu. Thus instead of worshipping Gaëeça to remove material obstacles, the devotee should worship Viçvaksena ( the commander-in-chief of Viñëu’s army in Vaikuëöha) and the four Kumäras, to remove obstacles on the spiritual path.”(Padma Puräëa, cited in Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä)

In the same way, instead of worshipping the nine planetary Deities one should worship the nine Yogendras, and instead of worshipping the Dik-Pälas (protectors of the ten directions) one should worship the Mahä Bhägavatas. Instead of worshipping the Mätå Gaëa (sixteen female demigoddesses in charge of various material functions) one should worship the the Lord's consorts who are the shelter of all spiritual and material energies.

Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura has accepted Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä as the authorized Vaiñëava manual for yajïa and saàskäras, just as he has accepted Hari Bhakti Viläsa as the authorized scripture for arcana, and has recommended that all Vaiñëava gåhasthas should follow these procedures.

Bhänu Svämé

PREFACE

by

Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Goswämé Prabhupäda

(Translated from the original Bengali)

According to the instructions of Çréman Mahäprabhu, Çréla Sanätana Goswämé Prabhu compiled a Vaiñëava småti called the 'Hari Bhakti Viläsa' which was published by Çré Gopäla Bhaööa Goswämé Prabhu. Çré Gopäla Bhaööa Goswämé also wrote a book on the ten saàskäras which is known as 'Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä' and a manual called 'Saàskära Dépikä', which is a book on the rules for taking sannyäsa.

Almost half a century after the Hari Bhakti Viläsa was published , the non-Vaiñëava småti compiler, Raghunandana Bhaööäcärya Mahäçaya, wrote a work called 'Añöaviàçati Tattva'. Before that, the paddhati of Bhavadeva and the Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä were the most famous books on saàskäras in Bengal.

After this, due to the strong influence of the Smärtas, Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä became obscure. The 'Nåsiàha Paricaryä' of Çré Krishnadeväcärya and 'Småti Nibandha' of Çré Keçava Bhaööa were also published before another non-Vaiñëava paddhati , 'Nirnaya Paddhati' of Kamaläkara Bhaööa was compiled.

We can observe from the writings of the Smärta Bhaööäcäryas that there are certain differences of opinions between Vaiñëava småti and non-Vaiñëava småti , in other words, between the smärta -småti paddhatis and the Çré Hari Bhakti Viläsa of the Vaiñëavas. There were many obstacles in the preaching of the Vaiñëava-småti due to the popularity of the non-Vaiñëava småtis. The Vaiñëava and non-Vaiñëava paddhatis differ in many places regarding demigod worship, çräddhas, ekädaçi vratas etc. Also, due to a lack of genuine Vaiñëava gåhastas, for some time, the Smärta ceremonies were accepted as Vaiñëava. Non-Vaiñëava rituals are not accepted as bona-fide by the Vaiñëava world, and since this has been logically proven with çästric evidence, those sense-enjoyers who are inimical to pure devotional service find this fact unpalatable. Therefore, they have endevoured to stop the publication of books containing Vaiñëava rituals and etiquette. However, there is no doubt that the vain hopes and desires of the non-Vaiñëavas will be uprooted by the re-publication of this book.Those whose hearts feel pain as if pierced by a lance, by the spreading of Vaiñëava-småti, will not be able to appreciate topics of devotional service. Nontheless, the customs of the society of pure Vaiñëavas, being like the Pole Star will shine forth brightly even in the darkness of the new moon.

It is not that the erroneous smärtaväda misconceptions have only penetrated the Vaiñëava community of Bengal, they have also spread to other Vaiñëava societies all over India; in some places more, in others, less. Therefore, the Sat Kriyä Sära Dépikä is not very famous now. By the endevour of Çré Çrémad Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura, who re-established the flow of pure devotion, this book was published again some time ago. Now, this is the third printing and we view this as an opportunity to propagate the Vaiñëava faith and the rules, regulations and etiquette of devotional service.

For some time now, many people, who understood the value of following Vaiñëava sadacära, felt the neccesity of printing this book again after the second edition was depleted. By the desire of Çréyukta Avidyäharaëa däsädhikäré and Sevabandhava Mahäçaya, Mahopadeçaka Paëòita Çréyukta Yadavara Bhaktiçästri (Saàpradäya Vaibhäväcärya, M.A. B.L.) has helped to correct this new edition. Without his endevour, this book would not have been published in such a nice way. He takes full credit from the Gauòéya Vaiñëava community for this work.