PRABHUPADA NEWS

Myth: “On May 28 1977 Srila Prabhupada ordered regular guru successors after his departure”

26. July 2025 By Prabhupada News Leave a Comment

Anti Ritvik Myths debunked (#6)

Myth: July 9th directive is explained in May 28, 1977 conversation where Srila Prabhupada ordered regular guru successors after his departure and said that future devotees in ISKCON would be their disciples, “disciple of my disciple”, Prabhupada’s “granddisciple”.

Truth: May 28, 1977 conversation confirms that Srila Prabhupada envisioned the ritvik system after his departure, when he is “no longer with us”, he agreed that future disciples would be his disciples, and any “disciple of my disciple” would be possible only “when I order, “You become guru”, but such an order wasn’t given by Srila Prabhupada to anyone. So the conversation confirms July 9th directive message of the ritvik system to be followed henceforward.

Anti-ritviks have repeatedly tried to give various contradictory interpretations of Srila Prabhupada’s conversation with the GBC delegation held on May 28, 1977. It was a discussion of issues pertaining to the period after Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure. The key part of the conversation was dedicated to future initiations. Anti-ritviks simply obscure the obvious facts: in this conversation, Srila Prabhupada said that for the future, particularly when he is “no longer with us,” he would appoint ritviks; he confirmed that future disciples should be his disciples; and what about how ritviks/officiators themselves could turn into real diksa gurus with their own disciples- only when (and if) Srila Prabhupada orders them to become gurus (initiators), then new disciples will become disciples of his disciples, his granddisciples.

However, neither in this conversation nor anywhere else did Srila Prabhupada give the actual order to any of his disciples to become the next diksa guru of the sampradaya. Fulfilling his promise made on May 28, 1977, Srila Prabhupada appointed the first official ritviks in July 1977 and instructed to “distribute” the directive in this regard. This directive dated July 9, 1977, approved by Srila Prabhupada’s signature, contains instructions about the introduction of a system of ritvik/representative of the acarya initiations in ISKCON for the future, and doesn’t say a word about any new diksa gurus. However, anti-ritviks turn the situation upside down by various incorrect interpretations: [Read More…]

Myth: “Srila Prabhupada appointed 11 ritviks only so new ritviks are bogus”

20. July 2025 By Prabhupada News 6 Comments

Anti Ritvik Myths debunked (#5)

Myth: Srila Prabhupada appointed 11 ritviks only, so modern initiations on behalf of Srila Prabhupada are not bona fide because new ritviks were not authorized by Srila Prabhupada, by the ISKCON GBC or by the original ritviks.

Truth: Srila Prabhupada ordered this system to continue, so new ritviks are not to be appointed by him personally, but by GBC body of Prabhupadanuga devotees (however, in current state of emergency it can also be done in less ideal way).

In his anti-ritvik paper “Where the Ritvik People Are Wrong” (1996) maya-ISKCON “guru” Jayadvaita Swami claimed that just 11 appointed ritviks were authorized to initiate on Srila Prabhupada’s behalf, “The only authorized rttviks are these eleven.” It became quite popular argument against following July 9, 1977 directive nowadays. In 2017, a maya-ISKCON preacher Sadhu-sanga das asked in his anti-ritvik lecture, “Who will appoint ritviks?” There are many examples and varieties of such questions and arguments, but the essence is that apart from 11 ritviks mentioned in the July 9th letter no one has been authorized by Srila Prabhupada, by the ISKCON GBC Society, or by original 11 ritviks, so current initiations on his behalf are not bona fide. Let’s review this argument in three parts.

1. “Current ritvik priests are not authorized by Srila Prabhupada”

[Read More…]