A discussion of 24 innovations and adjustments in the Sankirtan Movement of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as introduced by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada's Innovations and Adjustments according to Time, Place and Circumstance
[The following are 24 innovations and adjustments in the Sankirtana Movement of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as introduced by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]
- Srila Prabhupada as a sannyasi performed the mariage ceremony for his disciples.
- Srila Prabhupada gave Brahma-gayatri to women disciples.
- Srila Prabhupada allowed women to cook for the Deity.
- Srila Prabhupada allowed women disciples to worship the Deity on the altar.
- Srila Prabhupada named several Deities in an unorthodox manner [Radha Londonisvara, Radha-Partharathi, Radha-Parisisvara, Rukmini Dvarkadish].
- Srila Prabhupada did not follow the orthodox Gaudiya-sampradaya system of bhajan and kirtan established by Bhaktivinoda and Bhaktisiddhanta.
- Srila Prabhupada did not follow the orthodox Gaudiya-sampradaya system of name and title giving for sannyasis.
- Srila Prabhupada did not introduce the standard of 64 rounds japa daily for initiated disciples.
- Srila Prabhupada established the non-Gaudiya Deities of Sita Ram and Laxsman in Bombay and Kaliya-mardna Krishna in Fiji.
- Srila Prabhupada performed a fire yajna for disciples receiving Harinam-diksa.
- Srila Prabhupada allowed women disciples to offer grains to the fire during a fire yajna.
- Srila Prabhupada had first initiates to vow to follow the four regulative principles at the time of initiation.
- Srila Prabhupada had disciples vow to chant 16 rounds japa daily at the time of receiving Harinam-diksa.
- Srila Prabhupada did not give the standard 9 string Brahmin thread of the Gaudiya-sampradaya to men receiving Mantra-diksa.
- Srila Prabhupada introduced a much simpler and easier system of following Ekadasi in contrast to the much stricter system established by Bhaktisiddhanta.
- Srila Prabhupada did not introduce the orthodox system of Niyama-seva during the month of Kartika.
- Srila Prabhupada did not introduce the worship of Govardhan-sila in any of the ISKCON temples worldwide.
- Srila Prabhupada allowed pictures of Radha and Krishna to be printed on the cover of books.
- Srila Prabhupada installed Gaura Nitai Deities in many temples whereas Bhaktisiddhanta never installed Gaura Nitai.
- Srila Prabhupada did not install Gaura Gadadhara Deities whereas Bhaktisiddhanta and Bhaktivinoda did install Gaura Gadadhara in numerous places.
- Srila Prabhupada installed Krishna Balaram Deities, whereas Bhaktivinoda and Bhaktisiddhanta never installed Krishna Balaram Deities.
- Srila Prabhupada introduced the program of restaurants that would serve Prasadam to paying customers.
- Srila Prabhupada introduced the Deity of Advaita Acharya as having a beard whereas Bhaktisiddhanta always showed Advaita Acharya as clean shaven.
- Srila Prabhupada introduced a very simple system for all the Gaudiya Vaishnava rituals such as Naivedyam [offering foodstuff], Arotika, Abhisekha, Puja, Yajna, etc as opposed to the orthodox systems of ritual described in Narada Pancaratra, Haribhaktivilas, Bhajan-rahasya and Sat-kriya-sara-dipika.
