# The Four Sampradāyas *The authorized disciplic successions and our Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya line.* ← Back to [[wiki/compile/spiritual-master-disciple|The Spiritual Master and the Disciple]] --- ## The Four Authorized Sampradāyas ### One must take shelter of one of the four sampradāyas ![[sb/6/3/20-21#purport|There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahmā, one from Lord Śiva, one from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumāras]] —SB [[sb/6/3/20-21|6.3.20-21]] Purport --- ### If one does not belong to any sampradāya, his conclusion is fruitless > We have to accept Kṛṣṇa through the disciplic succession. There are four *sampradāyas,* disciplic successions. One comes from Lord Brahmā (the Brahma-sampradāya), and another comes from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune (the Śrī-sampradāya). There are also the Kumāra-sampradāya and the Rudra-sampradāya.... If we do not belong to any *sampradāya,* our conclusion is fruitless. It is not that one should think, "I am a big scholar, and I can interpret *Bhagavad-gītā* in my own way. All these *sampradāyas* are useless." We cannot manufacture our own comments. —Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti --- ## The Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya ### The Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya stems from Lord Brahmā, Madhvācārya and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu > At the present moment, the Brahma-sampradāya is represented by the Madhva-sampradāya, and we belong to the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. Our original *sampradāya* stems from Madhvācārya. In that *sampradāya* there was Mādhavendra Purī, and Mādhavendra Purī's disciple was Śrī Īśvara Purī. Śrī Īśvara Purī's disciple was Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thus we are coming in the disciplic succession from Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and therefore our *sampradāya* is called the Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya. It is not that we have manufactured a *sampradāya;* rather, our *sampradāya* stems from Lord Brahmā. —Teachings of Lord Kapila, the Son of Devahūti --- ### The Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya is a disciplic succession from Madhvācārya > Śrī Mādhavendra Purī is one of the *ācāryas* in the disciplic succession from Madhvācārya. Mādhavendra Purī had two principal disciples, Īśvara Purī and Śrī Advaita Prabhu. Therefore the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava *sampradāya* is a disciplic succession from Madhvācārya. This fact has been accepted in the authorized books known as *Gaura-gaṇoddeśadīpikā* and *Prameya-ratnāvalī.* —Cc. [[cc/adi/6/40|Ādi 6.40]] Purport --- ### The disciplic succession from Lord Brahmā to Mādhavendra Purī > The *Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā* clearly states the disciplic succession of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas as follows: "Lord Brahmā is the direct disciple of Viṣṇu, the Lord of the spiritual sky. His disciple is Nārada, Nārada's disciple is Vyāsa, and Vyāsa's disciples are Śukadeva Gosvāmī and Madhvācārya. Padmanābha Ācārya is the disciple of Madhvācārya, and Narahari is the disciple of Padmanābha Ācārya. Mādhava is the disciple of Narahari, Akṣobhya is the direct disciple of Mādhava, and Jayatīrtha is the disciple of Akṣobhya. Jayatīrtha's disciple is Jñānasindhu, and his disciple is Mahānidhi. Vidyānidhi is the disciple of Mahānidhi, and Rājendra is the disciple of Vidyānidhi. Jayadharma is the disciple of Rājendra. Puruṣottama is the disciple of Jayadharma. Śrīmān Lakṣmīpati is the disciple of Vyāsatīrtha, who is the disciple of Puruṣottama. And Mādhavendra Purī is the disciple of Lakṣmīpati." —Cc. [[cc/adi/6/40|Ādi 6.40]] Purport --- ### Members of the Brahma-sampradāya try to reclaim the fallen souls ![[sb/2/9/19#purport|The party is called the Brahma-sampradāya, and any member of this party to date is naturally engaged in reclaiming the fallen souls back to Godhead, back home]] —SB [[sb/2/9/19|2.9.19]] Purport --- ### Mādhavendra Purī established worship of Rādhā along with Kṛṣṇa > PURPORT: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that in the disciplic succession of Madhvācārya—up to the advent of His Holiness Śrīpāda Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha—only Lord Kṛṣṇa was worshiped. After Śrīla Mādhavendra Purī, worship of both Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa was established. For this reason Śrī Mādhavendra Purī is accepted as the root of worship in ecstatic love. Unless one is connected to the disciplic succession of Mādhavendra Purī, there is no possibility of awakening the symptoms of ecstatic love. —Cc. [[cc/madhya/9/289|Madhya 9.289]] Purport --- ## Non-Bona Fide Sampradāyas ### In Kali-yuga, unauthorized sampradāyas spring up and mislead the people ![[sb/4/17/5#purport|Many sampradāyas have sprung up without authority, and they are misleading the people by giving unauthorized mantras]] —SB [[sb/4/17/5|4.17.5]] Purport --- ### Knowledge received from disciplic successions of mental speculators is always imperfect ![[sb/2/8/25#purport|such great sages also have their disciplic successions, but they are not authorized because such knowledge does not come directly from the independent Supreme Personality of Godhead]] —SB [[sb/2/8/25|2.8.25]] Purport --- ### One should not associate with unauthorized communities who do not follow the śāstras > In the *paramparā* system, the instructions taken from the bona fide spiritual master must also be based on revealed Vedic scriptures. One who is in the line of disciplic succession cannot manufacture his own way of behavior. There are many so-called followers of the Vaiṣṇava cult in the line of Caitanya Mahāprabhu who do not scrupulously follow the conclusions of the *śāstras,* and therefore they are considered to be *apa-sampradāya,* which means "outside of the *sampradāya*." —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/48|Ādi 7.48]] Purport