Four Sampradayas or authorities on the science of Bhakti

The correct process of receiving knowledge in any field is approaching a bona fide institute. Similarly, transcendental knowledge should be received through a bona fide disciplic succession

In Bhagavad Gita 4.2, Lord Krishna says:

evam parampara-praptam

imam rajarsayo viduh

sa kaleneha mahata

yogo nastah parantapa

Translation: “This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost”

There are four sampradayas or authorities on the science of bhakti.

Sri Krishna Chaitanya is like a desire tree, and in the form of Narayana, He is the original guru of the four sampradayas.

(A) Sri is the beloved of Narayana. She is His disciple as well. Her wonderful activities are elaborately described in all the Sastras. Sri is another name of Lakshmi. Her disciplic succession called the "Sri Sampradya" has unlimited branches and sub-branches. After Ramanuja became the acarya in this sampradaya it took the name Ramanuja-sampradaya. Ramanujacharya earlier known as Laksmanacharya is the author of the Ramanuja-bhashya.

(B) Lord Brahma is the leading disciple of the supreme Lord Narayana. His sampradaya is known as "Brahma Sampradaya" with disciples all over the world. In this sampradaya, Sri Madhva significantly contributed by writing a commentary on the Brahma-sutras. After this the sampradaya became known as the Madhva-sampradaya.

(C) The supreme Lord Narayana also has Lord Rudra as His disciple. Vishnusvami was a leading disciple in the "Rudra Sampradaya". Vishnusvami was very influential and a learned scholar of all the scriptures. After him this disciplic succession came to be known as the Vishnusvami-sampradaya.

(D) From the supreme Lord Narayana appeared the Hansa-avatara. In this disciplic succession came the four Kumaras headed by Sanaka Kumara. In this line Nimbaditya was a leading disciple in the "Kumara Sampradaya". The name Nimbaditya sampradaya was thus established.This is known also as Nimbarka-sampradaya. The influence of Nimbarka sampradaya spread all over the world.

The Sri, Brahma, Rudra, and Kumara sampradayas spread their influence by dividing into other sampradayas. In the Ramanuja-sampradaya, Sri Ramanandacharya was highly respected. He had many disciples and grand-disciples. Similarly Sri Vallabhacharya appeared in the Vishnusvami-sampradaya. He wrote a commentary named Anubhasya, which is highly respected. His disciplic succession is known as the Vallabha-sampradaya.

Iskcon Founder-Acarya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada comes in the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya disciplic succession.

The disciplic succession of brahma-madhva-gaudiya sampradaya is as below:

1. Krishna

2. Brahma

3. Narada

4. Vyasa

5. Madhva

6. Padmanabha

7. Narahari

8. Madhava

9. Akshobhya

10. Jaya Tirtha

11. Jnanasindhu

12. Dayanidhi

13. Vidyanidhi

14. Rajendra

15. Jayadharma

16. Purusottama

17. Brahmanya Tirtha

18. Vyasa Tirtha

19. Lakshmipati

20. Madhavendra Puri

21. Ishvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita)

22. Lord Chaitanya

23. Rupa Goswami, (Svarupa, Sanatana Goswami)

24. Raghunatha, Jiva Goswami

25. Krishnadasa

26. Narottama

27. Vishvanatha

28. Srila Jagannatha Dasa Babaji Maharaja,(Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana)

29. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

30. Srila Gaurakishora Dasa Babaji Maharaja

31. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

32. AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Also read about the nine ways of doing bhakti as told by Prahalad Maharaj in Srimad Bhagavatam:

http://krishnaseva.blogspot.com/2014/04/navadha-bhakti-nine-ways-of-connecting.html

*** Hare Krishna ***