Why Ritvik Initiation is against the Scriptures? A to Z Details!
Ritvik initiation means a diksha guru, even after his departure from this world, initiates thru the agency of officiating priests called Ritviks.
An agent (a priest) initiates an aspirant on behalf of a deceased guru.
Ritvik Initiation is against the Scriptures! Why? Let us analyze them.
A guru, as per the sastras, takes the responsibility to deliver his disciples. When that guru himself does not exist here, there is no point of delivering the disciple who was initiated thru Ritviks.
(Why Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati took diksha from the Picture of his guru Gaur Kishore Babaji? READ HERE!)
When Srila Prabhupada was in this world, during his last few years, engaged some senior disciples to pass the beads to the aspiring disciple. In this case, Srila Prabhupada was physically present in this world. The senior disciple just help him like a postman delivering letters. The writer of the letter will still be alive.
This should not be taken granted to consider that a guru can initiate even after his departure through some other priests called Ritviks.
One may ask:
“When we speak about Guru parampara, we include the departed gurus also. Then, why can’t we accept one among the deceased gurus as our diksha guru? He is also in the parampara. Isn’t it?”
If you take this stand, you can take diksha even from Krishna and Shiva because Parampara starts from Krishna and Shiva also. Therefore, they are also in the parampara of sampradhaya.
If we accept this Ritvik concept, the persons will tend to take diksha not only from the immediate departed guru, but also from the previous gurus of their choice from the guru parampara. This seems confusing even to read. Then, what about the situation if it is approved?
So, Ritvik System is to be rejected altogether.
(Is taking diksha (Initiation) from two gurus allowed? READ HERE!)
Let us not stop here. Let us read further:
Srila Prabhupada says in his purport of Srimad-Bhägavatam 2.9.7:
“One should approach the current link”
This is very clear. This means, One should not approach the departed or deceased link.
As explained in THIS previous post, only a living guru can deliver his disciples and he even takes multiple births to deliver his disciples. Ritvik concept has no such guarantee for the disciples because Ritvik concept is not approved by Krishna, Acaryas and also Sastras.
Let us see this in detail:
Why this ritvik initiation theory is fallacious?
(1) Krishna has never said that one can accept someone as his diksha guru after that guru departed. He clearly says to surrender to a living guru in Bhagavad Gita 4.34 to 4.36 and in many other places.
(2) Moreover, there is no example of one taking diksha from one’s paraa-guru in any of the bonafide Vaishnava sampradäyas.
(Why ISKCON follows Siksha Guru Parampara? READ HERE!)
(3) There is no Sastric evidence indicating that one may take diksha from one’s paraa-guru.
(4) Veerabhadra Gosvami, the son of Lord Nityananda Prabhu, in a letter to Srinivasa Acarya ostracized one Jaya-gopal from Vaishnava society for claiming himself as a disciple of his Paraa-guru. (Gaudiya Vaishava Abhidhana, Khanda-3)
(5) The argument that there are no qualified diksha-gurus amongst Prabhupäda’s disciples indicates that Prabhupada’s teachings have not proven effective. So what would be the use of becoming Prabhupada’s diksha disciple through the ritvik priest anyway?
(6) Ritvik theory implies that only exceptionally empowered acaryas can become guru which is not supported in Sastra nor Vaishnava tradition.
(7) Ritvik theory implies that acaryas can act contrary to Sastra.
(8) Ritvik theory functions by undermining the natural development of faith in living Vaishnavas, which is an essential aspect of bhakti.
(9) A Ritvik guru gives advice, however he does not formally accept the responsibility of delivering the disciple as a bone-fide diksha-guru does.
So, my conclusion is: Just reject the system of Ritvik System of Initiation as Ritvik Initiation is against the Scriptures! Accept a Current Link of the Parampara.
(How to serve & please the Guru if Guru is far away from your City? READ HERE!)