Krsna Hoite Caturmukha

In the beginning of creation, four-headed Brahmā received the science of devotional service from the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā taught this divine science to Devarṣi Nārada, and Nārada imparted it to Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsa. Śrīpāda Madhvācārya, who is also known Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha, calls himself a servant of Vyāsa and is the guru and sole refuge of Padmanābha Tīrtha.

The two other principal disciples of Madhva are Nṛhari Tīrtha and Mādhava Tīrtha. Mādhava Tīrtha accepted the great paramahaṁsa Akṣobhya Tīrtha as a disciple. The principal disciple of Akṣobhya Tīrtha was known as Jayatīrtha, serving whom was Jñānasindhu’s only purpose in life.

Jñānasindhu taught the science of devotional service to Dayānidhi, whose servant was Vidyānidhi. Vidyānidhi in turn imparted this knowledge to Rājendra Tīrtha, and he accepted Jayadharma as his servant. In this way you should properly understand this disciplic succession.

The great sannyāsī Śrī Puruṣottama Tīrtha received the knowledge of devotional service from Jayadharma. The principal disciple of Puruṣottama Tīrtha was the saintly Subrahmaṇya Tīrtha, whose servant was the great Vyāsatīrtha. Vyāsatīrtha’s servant was Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha, and his disciple was Mādhavendra Purī Gosvāmī.

The chief disciple of Mādhavendra Purī was Īśvara Purī, and two of his other disciples were the renowned incarnations of Godhead Śrī Nityānanda and Advaita Ācārya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the spiritual preceptor of all the worlds, made Īśvara Purī greatly fortunate by accepting him as his spiritual master.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is none other than Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and is the very life of those Vaiṣṇavas who follow in the footsteps of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Rūpa Gosvāmī, and Sanātana Gosvāmī gave great happiness to Viśvambhara [Lord Caitanya].

The great souls Jīva Gosvāmī and Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī became very dear to Rūpa Gosvāmī. Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī’s beloved student was Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī, who was an intimate friend of Lokanātha Gosvāmī. Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s single disciple was Narottama Dāsa, he always engaged in the service of his guru and was also very dear to Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. To serve the lotus feet of Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura was the only desire of Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura.

Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura was the instructing spiritual master of Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. Jagannātha Dāsa Bābājī was a very prominent ācārya after Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa and was the beloved instructing spiritual master of Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s intimate friend and associate was the eminent mahā-bhāgavata Śrī Gaurakiśora Dāsa Bābājī, whose sole joy was found in hari-bhajana.

All these great saintly Vaiṣṇava paramahaṁsas are members of Lord Gaurāṅga’s spiritual family. Their lotus feet are my refuge. I am devoid of any real interest in devotional service and am but a poor and lowly tridaṇḍī sannyāsī named Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī.

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The renowned Śrī Vārṣabhanavī-dayita Dāsa [the initiated name of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī] is always engaged in the service of his spiritual master, Śrīla Gaurakiśora Dāsa Bābājī. His foremost disciple-preacher is Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who has spread the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the world and is thus a reservoir of mercy and compassion for all fallen souls.