Wholesale Transfer

(From a taped conversation of 29th April 1987 with Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj; first published in Exclusive Guardianship)

Devotee: I am a little worried about Srila Govinda Maharaj’s position.

Srila Guru Maharaj (Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj): I have given him, I have empowered him, to do all these things on my behalf: ritvik. I have appointed him to do all spiritual activity on my behalf.

Devotee: But this “ritvik” word is misinterpreted by many people. Some do not consider him as a direct successor; they consider him only as a ritvik.

Srila Guru Maharaj: More than ritvik. Whatever it may be, I am giving power. Just as when the King installs his son as King and retires himself, what will be the result? As Dasarath wanted to do with Ramachandra. The King gives all the authority of a King to the son and retires to go to the jungle although he is living with full power and glory.

Devotee: Many people I have talked to do not consider the ritvik to be the direct Guru. They say the ritvik is ritvik.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Ritvik is ritvik, but if such transfer of power is done then what harm? For those that have got no sraddha, they may go away, I don’t accept them.

Devotee: Does ritvik mean the direct successor?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Ritvik means the representative. It may be temporary or it may be permanent. It may be partial or it may be full, as empowerment is there.

Devotee: Is the empowerment to Govinda Maharaj now temporary or permanent?

Srila Guru Maharaj: Permanent. Wholesale—both property and the function—transferred. If anyone has no recognition of this opinion of mine, I do not want them to live in the Mission. I drag them out.

Devotee: But can they operate from outside and still operate as a part and parcel of you?

Srila Guru Maharaj: As a revolt. That is revolt—without sanction—anyone can do. I have deserted them. But they may do anything and everything as they wish and reap the results far from the spiritual world, from God. Unlawful.

Power may be extended and withdrawn also—I want to withdraw myself from them. Those that won’t have faith in my decision, I withdraw from them. It is not a fashion but a question of faith. If they have no such faith in me, I withdraw myself from them.

Devotee: Some devotees may consider, “That power (of ritvik) was given to me in 1982 or 1984, and he got that power in 1986, so I am more senior.”

Srila Guru Maharaj: No position of seniority. No position of senior. That only seniority will be considered as the qualification—no.

Devotee: I was thinking of sending all the senior devotees a letter trying to make this thing clear so that later on no complication like that comes up because at that time we will be very insecure when other types of interpretation start.

Srila Guru Maharaj: Those that do not obey me after my departure means automatically they will be left by me. Only it is a transaction of faith. No right but faith. If no faith in my word, they are automatically rejected.

Devotee: Some people have no particular obligation of faith to anyone. They go to many persons to gather something. They are just interested in knowledge and position.

Srila Guru Maharaj: We have no concern with them. We hate them. We hate them: we don’t think that they have any religious line in life.

In a very crude position maybe there will be some collecting [knowledge] here and there when one cannot understand who is who. They are not fit [to see] that God is coming to him through whom.

If I am sincere in my search for God then God also will come to me from His side and, where we meet, he should be considered the Guru. Guru means representative of God Himself....

• • •

OTHER DOCUMENTS

• The Math Logo
• The All-Auspicious Name of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
• What Is Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and Its Distinctions

• Last Will and Testament of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
• Declaration of the Spiritual Succession of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
(by Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)
• Wholesale Transfer
(by Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

• Declaration of the Spiritual Succession of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
(by Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

• Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj's Desire and Vision
• Initiating and Self-Declared Gurus: Open Address to Members of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
(by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• Sri Govinda Paribar
(by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• On Online Resources
(by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• On Criticism
(by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)
• A Written Statement on Mission's Affairs
(by Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj)