Nimbarka Sampradaya

Nimbarka Sampradaya

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Nimbarka Sampradaya

The Nimbarka Sampradaya (IAST: Nimb?rka Samprad?ya, Sanskrit ????????????? ?????????), also known as the Hamsa Samprad?ya, Kum?ra Samprad?ya, and Sanak?di Samprad?ya, is one of the four authorised Samprad?yas (philosophical schools characterised by leaders in disciplic succession) as according to the Padma , one of the eighteen main . The verse says:

The Shankha-Chakra-Tilaka emblems of the ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya.

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All mantras which have been given (to disciples) not in an authorised Samprad?ya are fruitless. Therefore, in Kali Yuga, there will be four bona-fide Samprad?yas. Each of them were ignaugurated by ?r? Dev? and known as the ?r? Samprad?ya, Lord Brahm? and known as the Brahm? Samprad?ya,Lord Rudra and known as the Rudra Samprad?ya; and the Four Kum?ras and known as Sanak?di Samprad?ya. ?r? Dev? made R?m?nuj?c?rya the head of that lineage. So too Lord Brahm? appointed Madhv?c?rya, Lord Rudra appointed and the four Kumaras chose Nimb?ditya (an epithet for ?r? Nimb?rk?c?rya).

As seen from the above verses in the Padma , the four Samprad?yas are at least documented, though the date of this quotation is questionable. According to the literature available through the ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya and documents from other sources (such as the Bhaktam?la by N?bhad?sa) of the community.

The Origins -
The Four Kum?ras

Works

N?rada Muni

N?rada Muni and Nimbarka

Guru Parampara
Notes
See also

The Origins -

, the originator of the ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya

Amongst the 24 incarnations of ^[2], there is mention of His incarnation as the Holy Swan, . The entire 13th chapter of Canto 11 of the ?r?mad Bh?gavatam is devoted to the incarnation of . According to the traditions of the ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya, He is supposed to have incarnated at the beginning of Satya Yuga, on the very first day (the ninth lunar day in the bright half of the Vedic month of K?rtika, known as ). The main cause of this incarnation was due to an inanswerable question posed by the four Kum?ras to their father, Lord Brahm? regarding the method of renouncing sense objects^[3]. When Lord Brahm? was thus unable to answer, he meditated upon , upon which the ?r?mad Bh?gavatam records that - on the ninth lunar day of the bright half of the month of K?rtika, the Lord Hari () incarnated Himself as ?r? Hamsa Bhagav?n. His form as a swan is significant, as according to tradition, a swan is able to separate milk from water^[4]. This incarnation eliminated the doubt of the four brothers and their father, and initiated the brothers into the famed Gop?la Mantra, the mantra of initiation in ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya. Lord Brahm? then explained this to them in detail and that discourse forms the body of the . Thus completing his task, then vanished. It would seem from this that the entire purpose of this particular bona-fide incarnation was to start the ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya and deliver the famed ?r? Gop?la mantra, especially meant for the worship of , to the four brothers. By doing this, He ensured that these teachings would be passed on to all disciples.

The Four Kum?ras

Sri Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanat Kumara - the four Kumaras

The Four Kumaras namely: Sanaka, Sanandana, San?tana, and Sanat Kum?ra are traditionally the four mind-born sons of Lord Brahm?. Famous throughout the Puranic literature, they are found also in the ^[5]. They are renowned yogis, who requested their father for the boon of remaining perpetually five years old. They were created by their father in order to advance creation, however, they chose to undertake lifelong vows of celibacy (brahmacarya). After obtaining initiation into the ?r? Gop?la Mantra, these four brothers then left meditations into an impersonal God, and realised the truth lies beyond the impersonal, in the Highest Person, the Supreme Lord ^[6]. Having obtained his grace and being initiated into tradition, they began to spread the teachings of the path of renounciation. During initiation into this tradition, they received the ?r? ??ligr?ma ?il? known as ?r? ?arve?vara Bhagav?n, which has been passed on from each Guru to disciple since their time. The Supreme Lord , in His conversation with Uddhava in the 11th Canto of the ?r?mad Bh?gavatam declares this fact:^[7] - 'I taught this yoga to my disciples, the four brothers headed by Sanaka'.

During initiation, the most holy 18-syllabled ?r? Gop?la Mantra was given to them, a fact recorded in the :
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The holy eighteen-syllabled mantra comes from the lotus-like mouth of Lord (). It was accepted by the Four Kum?ras and also by their disciple, ?r? N?rada Muni.

This mantra is the Vaidika mantra from the of the Atharva Veda. This is the initiatory mantra still used in the Samprad?ya today.

As indicated by the quoted verse, their disciple is the renowned devotee, and younger brother ?r? N?rada Muni. Their relationship as Guru and disciple is validated in the Ch?ndogya .

Works

?r? Sanat Kum?ra Samhit? is a famous treatise on the worship of authored by the brothers, and they have also produced the ?r? Sanat Kum?ra Tantra, part of Pancar?tra literature. Their teachings can be found throughout all Vedic literature^[9]. It is due to the tradition coming into contact with the Four Kum?ras that it came to be known as the Sanak?di Samprad?ya or the Kum?ra Samprad?ya.

N?rada Muni

?r? N?rada Muni, the third preceptor of the ?r? Nimb?rka Samprad?ya

The next recipient of the ?r? Gop?la mantra is ?r? N?rada Muni as indicated in the above sanskrit verse (see note 8). In the creation of this universe according to literature, ?r? N?rada Muni is the younger brother of the Four Kum?ras and son of Brahm?. He also rejected his father?s orders of increasing the population, and chose devotion to the Lord. He was thus present before all of the demigods, along with his elder brothers. He was blessed with the ability to travel to any part of creation according to tradition and he took initiation from his older brothers and their discussions as guru and disciple are recorded in the with a famous conversation in the ; also with their discourses in the ?r? N?rada and the Pa�car?tra literature. He is found in most of the religious scriptures always passing on knowledge of an event or teaching the path of Bhakti to all. He was the inspiration for the writing of the greatest ? the .

N?rada Muni and Nimbarka

N?rada Muni is recorded as main teacher in all four of the Samprad?yas. But according to tradition at around 5100 years ago, he passed by Nimbagr?ma near Govardhana in Vraja, and being pleased with the devotions of ?r? Nimb?rk?c?rya, ?r? N?rada Muni initiated him into the sacred 18-syllabled ?r? Gop?laMantra and introduced him to the philosophy of the Yugala up?sana ? the devotional worship of the divine couple in accordance with the teachings of the Four Kum?ras understanding of the Vedas. This was the first time that ?r? R?dh? were worshipped together by anyone on earth other than the Gopis of . ?r? N?rada Muni then taught him the essence of devotion in the ?r? N?rada Bhakti S?tras. ?r? Nimb?rk?c?rya already knew the Vedas, and the rest of the scriptures, but perfection was found in the teachings of ?r? N?rada Muni.^[10]

Guru Parampara

(4) Sri Nimbarkacarya
(5) Sri Srinivasacarya
(6-18) Sri Dvadasacaryas
(18-36) Sri Astadasabhattacaryas
Sri Harivyasadevacarya

The twelve disciples
Sri Svabhuramadevacarya
Sri Parasuramadevacarya

Yugal Maha Mantra

Radhe Krishna Radhe Krishna Krishna Krishna Radhe Radhe
Radhe Shyam Radhe Shyam Shyam Shyam Radhe Radhe

Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe........Shyam!!
Sri Vrindavana Dham ki Jaya!!

Nimbarka Sampradaya

Contents

The Origins -

The Four Kum?ras

Works

N?rada Muni

N?rada Muni and Nimbarka

Guru Parampara

Notes

See also