The Disciplic Succession
Vedic knowledge is not acquired through mental speculation or academic research. It descends through an unbroken chain of spiritual masters, each receiving and transmitting the message without change. This is called parampara, or disciplic succession.
Srila Prabhupada stands in the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya line, receiving transcendental knowledge from Krishna Himself through an unbroken chain of 32 spiritual masters. Just as a ripe mango is passed carefully from hand to hand down from the top of a tree, so the supreme knowledge descends without distortion through the parampara.
The following is the complete list of acaryas (great teachers) in this disciplic succession, as given by Srila Prabhupada in his introduction to Bhagavad-gita As It Is.
Kṛṣṇa
The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Brahmā
The first created being
Nārada
The traveling sage
Vyāsa
Compiler of the Vedas
Madhva
Founded the Brahma sampradāya
Padmanābha
Nṛhari
Mādhava
Akṣobhya
Jaya Tīrtha
Jñānasindhu
Dayānidhi
Vidyānidhi
Rājendra
Jayadharma
Puruṣottama
Brahmaṇya Tīrtha
Vyāsa Tīrtha
Lakṣmīpati
Mādhavendra Purī
Key link between Madhva and Gauḍīya lines
Īśvara Purī
Spiritual master of Lord Caitanya
Lord Caitanya
(1486–1534)The golden avatāra, inaugurated the saṅkīrtana movement
Rūpa
Rūpa Gosvāmī, leader of the six Gosvāmīs of Vṛndāvana
Raghunātha, Jīva
Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī and Jīva Gosvāmī
Kṛṣṇadāsa
Author of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
Narottama
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura
Viśvanātha
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
(Baladeva) Jagannātha
Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa and Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī
Bhaktivinoda
(1838–1914)Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, pioneer of modern Kṛṣṇa consciousness
Gaurakiśora
Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
(1874–1937)Organized worldwide preaching mission
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
(1896–1977)Brought Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the Western world
“This is called parampara system. You cannot jump over. You must go through the channel.”— Srila Prabhupada
About Srila Prabhupada
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