Responding to the disputed translations to Bharadvaja Samhita (1.44)

 

 Contd. FDG discussions with Pancharatna Prabhu (ACBSP) - Bharadvaja Samhita

Continuing the conversation over email with Pancharatna Prabhu on the topic of Female Diksha Gurus, from the angle of Unity in Diversity, Pancharatna Prabhu responded to certain points and contested the IISB translations to Bharadvaja Samhita (1.44) by presenting a document written by Lokarama Dasa.

Krishnakirti Prabhu and I countered Lokarama Prabhu's allegations from various angles in defence of the IISB translations. We present first Lokarama Prabhu's claim and supposedly corrected translations and his explanations, followed by Krishnakirti's Prabhu's response and my response.

A note on Bharadvaj Samhita – Text 44 by Lokaram das, 26 Mar, 2023

TEXT 44

kim apy atrābhijāyante yoginaḥ sarva-yoniṣu

pratyakṣitātma-nāthānāṁ naiṣāṁ cintyaṁ kulādika

IISB TRANSLATION:

But, because perfect yogis (or nitya-siddha devotees) who are on the stage of yoga-pratyakṣa (i.e. are self-realized – seeing God face-to-face), pratyakṣitātma-nāthas, may take birth in any family tradition, in such cases no consideration of kula, gender, etc. as mentioned earlier applies (they can become ācāryas).

[Lokarama's CORRECTION]:
TEXT 44: Regarding this point, because yogis may take birth in any type of womb, one should never consider the caste, gender, etc. of those who have attained direct realization of the Lord of the heart.

[Lokarama's NOTES]: Here Sage Bharadvaja states that the previous restrictions regarding women, sudras, etc, taking up the role of guru and acarya do not apply to self-realized devotees of the Lord. In Bhagavad-gita Chapter Six, Lord Sri Krishna explains there are two types of yogis, those who are beginners on the path and those who are advanced. Because yogis no longer rely on the gradual path of elevation through fruitive work (karma-kanda), they may take birth in any kind of family, according to the Lord's arrangement. Krishna explains that some yogis take birth in wealthy or aristocratic families (śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe), or in the families of advanced transcendentalists (kule bhavati dhīmatām). When such yogis advance to the stage described here as pratyakṣitātma-nātha, or paramātma realization, they should be accepted as qualified acaryas, regardless of their birth, gender, etc. This is the meaning of this verse. As Krishna says in Bhagavad-gita 4.34:

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ 

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.

One who knows Krishna can give Krishna to others. This is the only real qualification for acting as a spiritual master.

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To get a little more technical, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana glosses the above phrase  pratyakṣitātma-nāthānām as sākṣātkṛta-paratattvānām, or one who has direct realization of the Absolute Truth. This is almost exactly the same description Sri Ramanujacarya gives of the tattva-darśī mentioned by Lord Krishna in Bg. 4.34. So we can understand that the yogi being described in Bharadvaja-samhita 1.44 is the SAME as the guru described by Lord Krishna in 4.34 and elsewhere in the Gita.

Krishnakirti Prabhu's response to Lokarama Prabhu's write-up

This Lokarama Dāsa is making a very indirect and improper interpretation.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa has already described Vidura’s qualification to instruct Dhṛtarāṣṭra as pratyakṣī‑kṛta‑pareśāt — direct perception of the Lord as the cause. MMW defines pareśaḥ (literally para‑īśaḥ, the Supreme Lord). And since this is in the ablative case, it denotes the causal agent.

Lokarama’s interpretation, however, is classified as samākhyā, or the etymology of a word, which according to Mīmāṃsā rules of interpretation cited by Jīva Gosvāmī in his commentary to Tattva‑sandarbha, anuccheda 11, counts as samākhyā — the interpretive method with the lowest authority among the six kinds of interpretations.

Samākhyā refers to correspondence with how a word is used in other contexts. Thus, Lokarama Prabhu has looked to see how Rāmānuja used that word in another context, and he has correctly reported Rāmānujācārya’s usage. Therefore, the authority of his interpretation is at the level of samākhyā.

By contrast, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s statement pratyakṣī‑kṛta‑pareśāt occurs in the same passage, so its authority is that of prakaraṇa (context). And prakaraṇa carries stronger authority than samākhyā. Hence, as per Jīva Gosvāmī, the interpretation with higher authority is accepted over one with lower authority.

The theory of how this hierarchy of possible interpretations is regulated rests on the principle of distance from the literal meaning of the word. Jīva Gosvāmī, citing Jaimini’s Mīmāṃsā Sūtras, gives six levels of interpretation: śruti, liṅga, vākya, prakaraṇa, sthāna, and samākhyā — respectively, direct statement, implication, syntactic construction, context, position, and designation.  

The direct meaning of the word is called śruti. In this context it does not mean “the Vedas” but simply “that which is directly heard.” This is the strongest of all possible interpretations, and it is not considered interpretation at all but direct evidence (see Śrīla Prabhupāda’s purport to CC Madhya 6.135 for further discussion of direct evidence versus indirect interpretation).

Liṅga is connotation. For example, if a law says it is forbidden to “lay hands” on another, the literal meaning (denotation) is not accepted, since that would penalize a doctor who must lay hands on patients. Instead, the connotation is accepted. This has the second strongest authority after śruti.  

Next is vākya, or the necessity to make some grammatical adjustment.  

Then comes prakaraṇa, or context. This can be at different levels — paragraph, chapter, etc. In our example, it refers to the paragraph.  

Next is sthāna, or word order. The order of words can affect meaning.  

And finally, there is samākhyā, the designation or etymology of the word itself. Each of these levels of interpretation is in decreasing order of authority. The principle is that each level, except the first, is progressively more distant from the literal word than the level preceding it.  

Thus, because prakaraṇa is closer to the direct meaning than samākhyā, the prakaraṇa understanding is to be accepted over the samākhyā.  

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My (Sridhara Srinivasa Dasa) response to Lokarama Prabhu's allegations

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus

Please accept my humble obeisances

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

 Krishnakirti Prabhu excellently pointed about hierarchy of sources and hierarchy of "interpretations" and the flaws in Lokarama Prabhu's interpretation of Bharadvaja Samhita.

In his comnentary to Nyasa Vimshati verse 1, the famous Sri Vaishnava commentator Srinivasa Acharya has commented on the qualifications and prohibition of acharyatvam by citing various sources including Bharadvaja Samhita (verses 1.41 to 1.44) as below:

Original text of Sri Vaishnava Commentator in sanskrit:

'प्रवित्सुर्मन्त्रनिरतं प्रानं हितपरं शुचिम् । प्रशान्तिनिरतं वृत्तौ भजेत् द्विजवरं गुरुम् ॥
विश्वात्मन्यात्मनो न्यासं धिया वृत्तं च शाश्वतीम् । मन्त्रेणाचारयेद्यस्तु स आचार्यः परो मतः ।

'समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठं' 'त्रिषुवर्णेषु सम्भूता मामेव शरणंगतः । नित्यनैमित्तिकपरो मदीयाराधने रतः । आत्मीयपरकीयेषु समो देशिक उच्यते' इत्यादीनि अत्र प्रमाणानि द्रष्टव्यानि । अत्र वर्ज्यानाह; तथा भरद्वाजः :-'नाचार्यः कुलजातोऽपि ज्ञानभक्त्यादिवर्जितः । न च हीनवयोजातिः प्रकृष्टानामनापदि ।।न जातु मन्त्रदा नारी न शूद्रो नान्तरोद्भवः । नाभिशस्तो न पतितः कामकामोप्यकामिनाम् ॥ स्त्रियश्शूद्रादयश्चापि बोधयेयुर्हिताहितम् । यथार्ह माननीयास्स्युर्नार्हत्याचार्यतां क्वचित् ।।' इति हीनवयस्कत्वाभिधानं प्रायिकं ।

'अध्यापयामास पितृन् शित्रुराङ्गिरसः कविम् । पुत्रका इति होवाच ज्ञानेन परिगृह्य तान् ।। ते तमर्थमपृच्छन्त देवानागतमन्यवः । वेदाश्चैतान्समेत्योचुर्नायं वश्शिशुरुक्तवान् ।। बालोपि वृद्धो विप्रस्य पिता भवति मन्त्रदः । अन्नं हि बालमित्याहुः पितेत्येव तु मन्त्रदम् ।। न हायनैर्न पलितैर्न वित्तैर्न च बान्धवैः । ऋषयश्चक्रिरे धर्म योऽनूचानस्स पण्डितः ।। विप्राणां ज्ञानतश्श्रेष्ठठ्यं क्षत्रियाणान्तु वीर्यतः । वैश्यानां धान्यधनतः शूद्राणामेव जन्मतः' ॥ न चापद्विषयत्वं कल्पयितुं अत्रापि युक्तं, पूर्वापरपर्यालोचनायां तादृश शब्दाश्रयणात् 'विप्राणां ज्ञानतश्श्रेष्ठ्यमित्यादि व्यवस्थाविरोधात् आश्रमान्तरप्राप्तस्य हीनवयस्कस्यापि अत्यादरेण शिष्यैराचार्यत्वेन वरणदर्शनाच्च। न च हीनजातिवचनं "किमप्यत्राभिजायन्ते योगिनः सर्वयोनिषु, प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानान्नैषां चिन्त्यं कुलादिकं' इति वचनसिद्ध्यतिरिक्तविषयम् । १ ।

Translation:

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1. Characteristics and Scriptural Proofs of a True Acharya (Guru)

Sanskrit Text: 'प्रवित्सुर्मन्त्रनिरतं प्रानं हितपरं शुचिम् । प्रशान्तिनिरतं वृत्तौ भजेत् द्विजवरं गुरुम् ॥ विश्वात्मन्यात्मनो न्यासं धिया वृत्तं च शाश्वतीम् । मन्त्रेणाचारयेद्यस्तु स आचार्यः परो मतः । 'समित्पाणिः श्रोत्रियं ब्रह्मनिष्ठं' 'त्रिषुवर्णेषु सम्भूता मामेव शरणंगतः । नित्यनैमित्तिकपरो मदीयाराधने रतः । आत्मीयपरकीयेषु समो देशिक उच्यते' इत्यादीनि अत्र प्रमाणानि द्रष्टव्यानि ।'

English Translation:

• Seeking a Guru: A seeker desirous of initiation must take refuge in a Guru who is a foremost among the twice-born (Dvija), deeply absorbed in mantra-sadhana, wise, dedicated to the welfare of his disciples, pure, calm, and steadfast in righteous conduct.
• The Ultimate Acharya: He who, through his intellect, has completely surrendered his self to the Universal Soul (Vishwatma), whose conduct aligns with the eternal (Sanatana) virtue, and who guides the disciple using the mantra, is considered the Supreme Acharya.
• Characteristics of a Deshika (Guide): Scriptural evidence states that a disciple should approach a Guru who is well-versed in the Vedas (Shrotriya) and absorbed in the Absolute (Brahma-nishtha) humbly with sacrificial firewood (Samit-pani) in hand. The Lord states: "One who is born in any of the three varnas, has surrendered completely to Me, is devoted to daily (Nitya) and occasional (Naimittika) duties, is absorbed in My worship, and looks upon his own people and strangers with an equal eye, is called a true Deshika (Guru)."

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2. Prohibited Attributes (Who Should Not Be Appointed as a Guru)

Sanskrit Text: अत्र वर्ज्यानाह; तथा भरद्वाजः :-'नाचार्यः कुलजातोऽपि ज्ञानभक्त्यादिवर्जितः । न च हीनवयोजातिः प्रकृष्टानामनापदि ।। न जातु मन्त्रदा नारी न शूद्रो नान्तरोद्भवः । नाभिशस्तो न पतितः कामकामोप्यकामिनाम् ॥ स्त्रियश्शूद्रादयश्चापि बोधयेयुर्हिताहितम् । यथार्ह माननीयास्स्युर्नार्हत्याचार्यतां क्वचित् ।।'

English Translation:
Sage Bharadvaja details the disqualifications for becoming an Acharya:

• Lacking Knowledge and Devotion: Even if a person is born into a highly noble family, if he is devoid of spiritual knowledge and devotion to God, he is unfit to be an Acharya.
• Inferiority of Age or Caste: In normal, non-emergency situations (Anapadi), individuals of a higher order should not accept someone of a lesser age (Heena-vayo) or a lesser caste (Heena-jati) as their Guru.
• Restrictions on Mantra-Diksha: A woman, a Shudra, one born of mixed-caste marriages (Antarodbhava), an accused of a heinous sin (Abhishasta), a fallen person (Patita), or one driven by worldly lust and desires (Kama-kamo) should never be the giver of a mantra—especially to seekers who are desireless (Akaminaam).
• Respect vs. Acharyaship: Women and Shudras can certainly provide guidance on what is beneficial or harmful, and they deserve respect according to their worth. However, they are fundamentally restricted from holding the formal position of an initiating Acharya.

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3. The Exception to the Rule of Age (The Superiority of Knowledge)

Sanskrit Text: इति हीनवयस्कत्वाभिधानं प्रायिकं । 'अध्यापयामास पितृन् शित्रुराङ्गिरसः कविम् । पुत्रका इति होवाच ज्ञानेन परिगृह्य तान् ।। ते तमर्थमपृच्छन्त देवानागतमन्यवः । वेदाश्चैतान्समेत्योचुर्नायं वश्शिशुरुक्तवान् ।। बालोपि वृद्धो विप्रस्य पिता भवति मन्त्रदः । अन्नं हि बालमित्याहुः पितेत्येव तु मन्त्रदम् ।। न हायनैर्न पलितैर्न वित्तैर्न च बान्धवैः । ऋषयश्चक्रिरे धर्म योऽनूचानस्स पण्डितः ।। विप्राणां ज्ञानतश्श्रेष्ठठ्यं क्षत्रियाणान्तु वीर्यतः । वैश्यानां धनधान्यतः शूद्राणामेव जन्मतः' ॥

English Translation:
The author clarifies that the restriction against a "younger person" (Heena-vayaska) being a Guru is only a general rule, as spiritual knowledge overrides age. To prove this, a famous narrative from the Manusmriti is cited:

• The Story of the Child Sage Kavi: Kavi, the young son of Sage Angiras, taught his own elders/ancestors due to his superior knowledge. Having initiated them, he addressed them as "Putrakah" (Oh, my sons!).
• The Divine Verdict: Enraged by this, the elders approached the Gods for justice. The Gods and the Vedas collectively deliberated and decreed: "The child has spoken nothing wrong."
• The Giver of Mantra is the True Father: In the case of a Brahmana, the Guru who imparts knowledge or a mantra—even if he is a mere child—becomes like a father to the elders. The one who merely provides food or physical birth is not the true elder; the giver of the mantra is the real father.
• The Metric of Greatness: A person does not become great or a pandit merely by accumulating years (Hayana), grey hair (Palita), wealth (Vitta), or influential relatives. Sages have established the law: "He who is deeply learned in the scriptures is truly the great one."
• Hierarchy of Superiority by Varna:
• Brahmanas are superior by virtue of Knowledge (Jnana).
• Kshatriyas are superior by virtue of Valor/Strength (Veerya).
• Vaishyas are superior by virtue of Wealth and Grain (Dhana-Dhanya).
• Shudras achieve seniority solely by the virtue of their Age/Birth Order (Janmatah).

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4. Conclusion and Exceptions Regarding Caste (The Status of Yogis)

Sanskrit Text: न चापद्विषयत्वं कल्पयितुं अत्रापि युक्तं, पूर्वापरपर्यालोचनायां तादृश शब्दाश्रयणात् 'विप्राणां ज्ञानतश्श्रेष्ठ्यमित्यादि व्यवस्थाविरोधात् आश्रमान्तरप्राप्तस्य हीनवयस्कस्यापि अत्यादरेण शिष्यैराचार्यत्वेन वरणदर्शनाच्च। न च हीनजातिवचनं "किमप्यत्राभिजायन्ते योगिनः सर्वयोनिषु, प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानानैषां चिन्त्यं कुलादिकं' इति वचनसिद्ध्यतिरिक्तविषयम् । १ ।

English Translation:

• Age Exemption is Absolute: The author argues that this exception cannot be brushed aside as a mere "emergency provision." Evaluating the context of the scriptures, knowledge is the sole arbiter of superiority. This is why even if a person is very young, if he has entered a higher spiritual order/monasticism (Ashramantara), elder disciples select him as their Acharya with the utmost reverence.
• The Exception of the Realized Yogi: Finally, a profound exception to the caste restriction is established. The scriptures declare: "Yogis can manifest in any womb (caste or lineage). For those who have directly realized the Supreme Soul within, their lineage or caste must never be questioned or scrutinized."
• Conclusion: This implies that the standard rules of lineage and social order apply only to ordinary mortals. If a great soul or Yogi is born into any caste but has achieved direct God-realization, he transcends all societal bounds and is fully qualified to be the Guru of all.

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======end citation of Sri Vaishnava Commentator

 

My Comments:

Please note the text highlighted in yellow is a straightforward translation and that matches with what the original acharya's words are. No acharya including Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa have translated the word pratyaksitatmanathanam as the way Lokarama Prabhu has done... BVB says Vidura was both a junior in age and inferior (sudra) in varna to Dhrithrashtra still because he was Dharmaraja in previous birth and was pratyaksita-pareshattat and BVB also quotes the very same Bharadvaja-samhita statements (1.42 -44) to substantiate his opinion.

What Lokarama Prabhu has attempted to do is to create a new rule from the exception. Verse 1.44 is the exception to verses 1.38 to 1.43 of Bharadvaja-samhita. By stating that the term pratyaksitatmanathanam can refer to both oridinary sadhakas and exalted self-realized souls, Lokarama Prabhu effectively nullified all the regulations imposed by verses 1.37 to 1.43 of Bharadvaja-samhita, which means his interpretation lacks pada sangati and adhyaya sangati. Also by introducing meanings to selective words which causes an exception (verse 1.44) to become a new rule is ativyapti and by introducing a new rule which is opposing the rules established by verses 1.37 to 1.43, such explanations are sastra viruddha.

Our explanation in the books endorsed by IISB is Pratyaksita atmanaH nAthAH yaiH teSAm which perfectly explained by direct sanskrit grammar rules (Bhaupada Bahuvrihi samasa). The following is an analysis from Google Gemini AI of our explanation:

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Grammatical analysis of प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानाम् (Pratyakṣitātmanāthānām)

The word splits as प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानाम् + न + एषाम् (pratyakṣitātmanāthānām + na + eṣām). The word न (na) explicitly means "never / not", which completely validates your translation: "should never be questioned or scrutinized." [1, 2]

Here is the exact step-by-step breakdown of how the compound word (Samasa) is formed to yield your precise translation.

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Breaking Down the Samāsa: "Those who have seen the Lord face to face"

The main compound is प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानाम् (Pratyakṣitātmanāthānām). It is a Bahupada Bahuvrīhi Samāsa (a complex compound made of multiple words that ultimately describes an outside group of people).

We unpack it from the inside out:

Step 1: Form "The Lord" (आत्मनाथ)

First, we combine Ātman (the Self/Soul) and Nātha (Lord/Master). In Indian philosophy, the true "Lord" or Master is the innermost Self. [1, 2, 3]

• Vigraha (Dissolution): आत्मा एव नाथः (Ātmā eva nāthaḥ) \(\rightarrow \) आत्मनाथः
• Samāsa Type: Karmadhāraya Samāsa (Descriptive compound where both words share the same case).
• Meaning: The Lord who is the innermost Self (The Lord). [1, 2]

Step 2: Form "Seen Face to Face" (प्रत्यक्षित)

This word comes from prati (towards/before) + akṣa (the eye), combined with the past passive participle suffix (ita). [1]

• Samāsa Type: Avyayībhāva Samāsa (Adverbial compound turning into a participle).
• Meaning: Brought directly before the eyes / witnessed face to face.

Step 3: Combine into "Those who have seen the Lord face to face"

Now, we combine the experiential act of seeing (Pratyakṣita) with the object seen (Ātmanātha) to qualify the people who achieved this state. [1]

• Vigraha (Dissolution): प्रत्यक्षितः आत्मनाथः यैः ते \(\rightarrow \) प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथाः
• (Literal translation of Vigraha: They by whom the Lord has been seen face to face).
• Samāsa Type: Bahuvrīhi Samāsa (Attributive compound pointing to a third party).
• Meaning: Those who have seen the Lord face to face / Self-realized masters. [1, 2]

Step 4: Apply the Genitive Case (Of those...)

To connect these masters to the rest of the sentence, we apply the Genitive Plural case ending (ām).

• Grammatical Form: प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानाम् (Pratyakṣitātmanāthānām)
• Meaning: "Of those who have seen the Lord face to face..."

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Perfect Sentence Mapping

With your corrected text, the sentence aligns with the Sanskrit grammar flawlessly:

• प्रत्यक्षितात्मनाथानाम् (Pratyakṣitātmanāthānām): Of those who have seen the Lord face to face,
• न (Na): Never / Not,
• एषाम् (Eṣām): of these [realized souls],
• चिन्त्यम् (Cintyam): should be scrutinized / questioned,
• कुलादिकम् (Kulādikam): family lineage or background (Kula = lineage + ādi = etcetera). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Why This Translation is Exceptional

Translating Ātmanātha as "the Lord" elevates the line from a dry academic statement into a profound spiritual truth, while "face to face" beautifully honors the immediacy of the word Pratyakṣa. 

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My final conclusion:

In conclusion, one should accept the words of acharyas and traditions as it is without kalpana ghoraH (wild or heavy imagination) or speculate to acheive a pre-determined result.

The examples of FDGs in Gaudiya lineage coming from Bipin bihari goswami or advaita parivaras are only exceptions and not a full scale institution. Furthermore,  we are following Gaudiya sampradaya as given to us by BSST who re-established the lineage that had undergone yoga-nastha by tracing the parampara via Bhagavata siksha.

Your humble servant

Sridhara srinivasa dasa 

Pancharatna Prabhu's response citing Lokarama Prabhu's comments

On Thu, 13 Aug, 2026, 3:52 am Pancharatna das, <pancharatna@gmail.com> wrote:

Hare Krishna

Thank you for your detailed response. This is helping me to understand better just where we agree and where we disagree.

I'm under time pressure for other projects so I will be brief.

I also support the statements of Bharadvaja-samhita. However I look at it through the lens of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's statement in CC Madhya 8.128. Thus I understand " pratyakṣita-ātma-nāthānām" to be equivalent to "Krishna-tattva-veta". Both speak of the qualification of one whose external designation may not be accepted by strict adherents to smarta rules.  My friend Lokaram prabhu wrote something about this, which I attach. I'm not asking you to agree with this opinion, but simply to recognize that there are potentially different interpretations.

In respect of your second point regarding whether the "kiba vipra" verse includes women, I disagree that because women are not specifically mentioned in the CC verse that they are not implied. Sri Krishna, in BG 9.32 clubs women, vaisyas and sudras together to describe that these external qualities are not obstacles for one who takes shelter of Him. 

The verse sets up a dichotomy between those who are generally considered qualified and those generally considered unqualified by social convention. The verse and the purport by Srila Prabhupada focus on the principle that one's material birth is not a requirement for a guru, including an initiating guru. . 

One point, perhaps we agree on is that we've not given sufficient attention to how we can fulfill Srila Prabhupada's vision for daiva-varnashram. However, to succeed in this arena we will need to ensure openness to all points of view and ensure that whatever social policies and principles are developed do not impede the spiritual flow of our movement.

I apologize for not dealing with all of your points. But I thought I could at least respond to some of them.

I am preparing for and then attending some meetings over the weekend so I apologize in advance if I do not respond till I have more free time. In any case I thank you for your willingness to respectfully dialogue on these points. I honestly do not think that either of us can convince the other to change their understanding. But I hope that we can at least better understand where we disagree and whether agreement is essential or non-essential for our movement. Thus we may find a way to maintain unity in diversity as servants of Srila Prabhupada

Your servant, Pancharatna dasa