A Further Historical Point
BY: UDDHAVA DASA
Dec 16, USA — Further to Mahavidya prabhu's "Historical Point (Dec 15), Srila Prabhupada employed officiating priests (ritviks) to initiate devotees as his disciples much earlier than even 1976/77, and it had nothing to do with Srila Prabhupada's health, as the following letter shows:
"So it is becoming very expensive to send so many sets of beads such long distance, and it has become little bothersome for me also, so I think now you may be appointed by me to give first initiations to new disciples by chanting on their beads on my behalf. In America Kirtanananda Swami is doing that. So now if there are two of you that will give me great relief.
Kirtanananda will chant on the beads for new devotees in America, Canada, like that, you can chant on the beads for the European continent new disciples. They shall, of course, still be considered as my disciples, not that they shall become your disciples, but you will be empowered by me to chant their beads and that is the same effect of binding master and disciple as if I were personally chanting".
Srila Prabhupada's Letter to Revatinandana - Bombay 4 January 1973
The July 9th 1977 letter simply formalised and institutionalised the ritvik system with an initial list of 11 disciples who would initiate on behalf of Srila Prabhupada.
The controversy is: on what authority was this system disbanded, and the 11 ritviks transformed into diksha gurus?
