Initiations - more then one from different gurus
CC Antya 7.148
vallabha-bhaṭṭera haya vātsalya-upāsana
bāla-gopāla-mantre teṅho karena sevana
Word for word:
vallabha-bhaṭṭera — of Vallabha Bhaṭṭa; haya — there is; vātsalyaupāsana — worship as a parent; bāla-gopāla-mantre — with the mantra of Bāla-gopāla, child Kṛṣṇa; teṅho — he; karena — practices; sevana — worship.
Translation:
Vallabha Bhaṭṭa was accustomed to worshiping the Lord as child Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he had been initiated into the Bāla-gopāla mantra and was thus worshiping the Lord.
CC Antya 7.149
paṇḍitera sane tāra mana phiri’ gela
kiśora-gopāla-upāsanāya mana dila
Word for word:
paṇḍitera sane — in the association of Gadādhara Paṇḍita; tāra — his; mana — mind; phiri’ gela — became converted; kiśora-gopāla — of Kṛṣṇa as a young boy; upāsanāya — to the worship; mana dila — he gave his mind.
Translation:
In the association of Gadādhara Paṇḍita, his mind was converted, and he dedicated his mind to worshiping Kiśora-gopāla, Kṛṣṇa as a young boy.
CC Antya 7.150
paṇḍitera ṭhāñi cāhe mantrādi śikhite
paṇḍita kahe, — “ei karma nahe āmā haite
Word for word:
paṇḍitera ṭhāñi — from Gadādhara Paṇḍita; cāhe — wanted; mantra-ādi śikhite — to be initiated; paṇḍita kahe — Gadādhara Paṇḍita said; ei karma — this work; nahe āmā haite — is not possible for me.
Translation:
Vallabha Bhaṭṭa wanted to be initiated by Gadādhara Paṇḍita, but Gadādhara Paṇḍita refused, saying, “The work of acting as a spiritual master is not possible for me.
CC Antya 7.171
tāhāṅi vallabha-bhaṭṭa prabhura ājñā laila
paṇḍita-ṭhāñi pūrva-prārthita saba siddhi haila
Word for word:
tāhāṅi — there; vallabha-bhaṭṭa — Vallabha Bhaṭṭa; prabhura ājñā — the permission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; laila — took; paṇḍita-ṭhāñi — from Gadādhara Paṇḍita; pūrva-prārthita — as previously petitioned; saba siddhi haila — everything was perfectly executed.
Translation:
There Vallabha Bhaṭṭa took permission from Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and his desire to be initiated by Gadādhara Paṇḍita was thus fulfilled.
~~~
Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Looks Vallabha Bhatta was already initiated (whatever that meant at that period and in that context) and he wanted another initiation, from different guru. His initiations are in a connection to a mantra.
Would that mean that it was (is) bonafide to have more than one initiation, and also more then one initiation from different gurus. Those initiations spoken here do not seem like we have today in ISKCON as 1st, 2nd, sannyasa.
I understand that today in ISKCON it is possible to have 1st from one guru, 2nd from another, and sannyasa initiation from another guru. Is this what is happening here with Valllabha Bhatta? To me it looks it is in connection to mantras given according to what form of Lord Krsna is worshiped.
Thank you.
Your servant Namacarya Das
HpS - Hare Krsna. When I read this it was a little confusing to me also. Usually "Intiation" as far as we understand it meant, "second intitiation", and that is when a confidential Mantra is given, so the Guru is call the "Mantra-guru". At times. Srila Prabhupada is very explicit in the first chapte of CC, no? Only one Diksa guru. So, I guess he was changing his Sampradaya. I was intiated as a Christian, but took intiation as a Gaudiya Vaisnava with the full blessings of Lord Jesus Christ as far as I know. That's all we know, but as we go on doing practical service then all these things will become practically clear. Are becoming practically clear. Vallabha acharya is a rather special case. He left later and became Acharya in the Nimbarka Sampradya in Gurujurat, Pusti-marg, no?