By Krishnakant
Narayana Maharaja (NM) has given a lecture which is supposed to be "A Response To The Ritvik System". Unfortunately rather than being a RESPONSE to the Ritvik System, it is actually nothing but a FABRICATION about the Ritvik system, wherein Narayana Maharaja has only presented his imagination regarding the IRM's presentation of Srila Prabhupada's instructions on the Ritvik system.
We will quote portions of his lecture below enclosed in speech marks thus " ", with our comments following underneath enclosed in parentheses, thus [ ]. The lecture was delivered by Narayana Maharaja on July 19th, 2001, in Polansk, Russia. The transcript of the lecture was typed and edited by Sripad Krishna Bhajana dasa Brahmacari, and proofread by Srimati Premavati devi dasi.
"Those who think, "There is no need to accept a guru as a mediator because we can chant the holy name, we can read books, and we can do arcana and sadhana simply by the rtvik system," are not within the guru-parampara. They deceive others. They are actually cheaters; not bhaktas."
Of course no one except NM has ever even proposed this. The Ritvik system is DEFINED as accepting Srila Prabhupada as the Guru who mediates. Thus the only person doing the 'deceiving and 'cheating' here is NM."Nowhere in the sastra is it written that a rtvik can ever give bhakti. This can never be the case. "
Nowhere has it ever been claimed by anyone that the 'Ritvik gives Bhakti'. Those who accept the Ritvik system receive Bhakti from the self-realised Guru, Srila Prabhupada."They say that in this world there are no pure devotees, and therefore there are no pure devotees to initiate anyone. This idea is very, very wrong and it is against the principles of bhakti."
No we do not say this. In "The Final Order" we actually state the opposite. There maybe many pure devotees. But this does not change the fact that Srila Prabhupada established the Ritvik system for ISKCON. Thus NM's idea is 'very, very wrong' and it goes against the principles of actual Ritvik system as given by Srila Prabhupada."Beware of this rtvik system. Without a self-realized guru you cannot achieve bhakti in thousands of births. This is an established truth. This is siddhanta. You should therefore accept a sad-guru, serve him, and try to follow his instructions. Then you can develop your Krishna consciousness and all of your anarthas will disappear. Otherwise, it will never be possible for pure bhakti to come and touch your heart and senses."
Since the Ritvik system actually ENABLES one to 'accept, serve and follow the instructions of the self-realised sad guru', it is clear that one must 'beware of NM', for he is teaching the exact OPPOSITE of the truth. Otherwise 'it will never be possible for pure understanding to come and touch your heart and senses'."I would like to clarify one thing. I am not saying that all rtviks mislead others. Only those who say that there is no need of a guru do so. Real rtviks know all sastras, and all of them have gurus. A rtvik cannot be a rtvik without accepting a real guru."
Since a Ritvik is DEFINED as someone who accepts Srila Prabhupada, it is NM who is again misleading us by positing the existence of a non-existent entity."Nowadays, therefore, those who call themselves rtviks are all cheaters, and we should beware of them."
Here NM contradicts himself. He had JUST said that he is: "NOT saying that ALL rtviks mislead others." Here he says that: "Ritviks are ALL cheaters"."There are so many gurus: caitya-guru, diksa-guru, siksa-guru, bhajana-guru, and others. Why go to a bogus-rtvik guru? If our siksa-gurus are Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda prabhu, and Radhika, why do we need to go to these rtviks?"
Since Ritviks accept all these same 'Gurus, and do NOT accept a 'ritvik-guru' (this term is never used by either Srila Prabhupada or "The Final Order"), since all the Ritvik does is perform a ceremony on behalf of the Real Guru - Srila Prabhupada - the actual conclusion is why do we 'need to go to NM', since he states nothing EXCEPT the actual OPPOSITE of the facts.
"This word 'rt' has come from the word 'Rg-Veda.' Those who know all Vedas, including the Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Veda, all the Upanishads, and all the Puranas, are actually rtvik. [...] (There are nineteen places in Prabhupada's books where the word 'rtvik' is used, and in all cases the word only refers to a priest officiating or performing a fire sacrifice). [...] After deliberation upon the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Puranas, it becomes obvious that rtviks have nothing to do with the supreme transcendental goal...'Rtau yajtiti rtviki.' One who conducts sacrifices according to Vedic mantras is called a rtvik. There is an arrangement of 16 types of rtviks to perform the sacrifices."
This is massive contradiction by NM. Earlier in an interview that he had given to the ISKCON Journal in 1990, NM had claimed that: I have not seen the word "ritvik" in our Vaisnava dictionary. (…) We have seen no such word as "ritvik".
(Narayana Maharaja Interview, ISKCON Journal, Page 23)
Now NM wants to enlighten us how the word Ritvik not only exists, but how he has seen it in many places from the Vedas to Srila Prabhupada's books!"I think, however, that these modern rtviks don't even know the ABC's of the Vedas. [...] There are nineteen places in Prabhupada's books where the word 'rtvik' is used, and in all cases the word only refers to a priest officiating or performing a fire sacrifice. Even when the word used is 'rtvik acarya,' it is still defined as a priest performing a fire sacrifice for a secular gain."
The word 'ritvik-acarya' is NEVER used in Srila Prabhupada's books. It seems it is NM who does not know the ABC's of Srila Prabhupada's books."Those who advocate the rtvik system are misleaders, and their followers are misled. Do not go towards the rtvik system. In none of the sastras has it been said that this rtvik system will give bhakti. Be careful regarding the bogus rtvik system. [...] You should give up the idea that the rtviks can help. They can never help you. They have never even helped themselves, so how can they help others?"
As we have conclusively shown above via NM's numerous false statements and contradictions, it is NM who is the misleader, who is misleading all his followers regarding the IRM's advocation of the Ritvik system. Thus one must 'be careful regarding the bogus understanding of the Ritvik system' given by NM, and give up the idea that NM can help us regarding understanding the true facts about Srila Prabhupada's instructions regarding the ritvik system.Conclusion
NM has demonstrated that he is very happy to wax lyrical on a subject which he does not have the faintest idea what he is talking about. He will very happily state the opposite to what are the actual facts of the situation, and engage in repeated self-contradiction. Like his counterparts in the GBC, NM will make many false statements to try and prevent persons from understanding Srila Prabhupada's real intentions regarding his Ritvik system. Though NM and the GBC Gurus may be rivals when it comes to jostling to take over Srila Prabhupada's assets and disciples, they are partners in crime when it comes to promoting the bogus idea that Srila Prabhupada's assets and disciples SHOULD be taken over by themselves. Such a person cannot therefore assist us in understanding what Srila Prabhupada's instructions for ISKCON were. Rather such an understanding can best be got directly from Srila Prabhupada himself, as presented in his many books, lectures, letters and directives, and as repeated in "The Final Order".