In Hinduism, a sampradaya (IAST sampradāya) can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does.^[1] It relates to a disciplic succession serving as a spiritual channel and providing a delicate network of relationships that lends stability of religious identity being clarified precisely when that network becomes unstable.^[1] In the contrast with it a particular guru lineages are called parampara and by receiving an initiation (diksha) into a parampara of a living guru, one belongs to its proper sampradaya. The concept of sampradaya therefore is closely tied to the concrete reality of guru-parampara — the lineage of spiritual masters who are both carriers and transmitters of the tradition.^[1] Initiation diksa is a means by which one can become a member of a sampradaya, it is a ritual procedure, or to an individual in the parampara, is one of the primary functions of sampradaya; one cannot become a member by birth, as is the case with gotra, a seminal, or hereditary, dynasty. Sampradaya is a body of practice, views and attitudes, which are transmitted, redefined and reviewed by each successive generation of followers. Participation in sampradaya forces continuity with the past, or tradition, but at the same time provides a platform for change from within the community of practitioners of this particular traditional group.^[1]

There are four Vaishnava sampradayas according to Padma Purana quoted in Böthlingk Sanskrit-Sanskrit dictionary, entry Sampradaya,^[2]

Four Vaisnava disciplic successions, inaugurated by Sri, Lord Brahma, Lord Rudra, and Sanaka, one of the four Kumaras, according to the scriptural source, appear in the holy place of Jaganatha Puri, and purify the entire earth during the Kali yuga (believed to be the current age in Hinduism). Sri chooses Ramanuja to represent her disciplic succession. In the same way Lord Brahma chose Madhvacharya in Brahma sampradaya, Rudra chose Visnuswami in Rudra Sampradaya, and the four Kumaras chose Nimbaditya (Nimbarka Sampradaya)." Number of traditions due to assumption of the god-like status of their founder, rejected the parent sampradaya in favour of the new, as would be an example with Ramanandis, Vallabhacharya and Swaminarayan. ^[3]

Thus concept and basic beliefs may be shared between different sampradaya faiths, as is often the case in traditions worshiping Radha Krishna or in more generic terms following Krishnaism, while adoration of the founding leader may obviously differ.

Beside widely known Vaishnava sampradayas there are also Shaivite sampradayas, for example, the Nath and Nandinatha Sampradayas.

For followers of Advaita tradition, Adi Sankara sampradya proceeds in this disciplinic succession: Vyasa--- Śuka---Gaudapada--- Govindapada----Adi Sankara.^[4]

Functions and Challenges[link]

Functions or roles sampradaya plays in the formation, transmission, and perpetuation of communal religious identity are multi-faceted; it naturally becomes subjected to many challenges to that identity. These challenges become resulting places to look at for the constituents of religious identity and definition of the core as compared with external. However for most observers, controversies regarding sampradaya usually mean controversies of succession, as would be the case for example of succession of Swaminarayan Faith. These are usually controversies at the human end of the parampara, over the basic question of control or 'who is the legitimate representative of a particular line, or . . . whose “level of divine realization” is superior’. ^[5] One must taken in the context of the fact that "the institutional memory implicit to parampara defined the contours of sampraday for every individual" participating in it.^[6]

Necessity[link]

Membership in a sampradaya not only lends a level of authority to one’s claims on truth in Hindu traditional context, but also allows one to make those claims in the first place. An often quoted verse from the Padma Purana states, sampradayavihina ye mantras te nisphala matah: "Mantras which are not received in sampradaya are considered fruitless."^[1] "Unless one is initiated by a bona-fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession, the mantra he might have received is without any effect."^[1][7] As Wright and Wright put it, ‘If one cannot prove natal legitimacy, one may be cast out as a bastard. The same social standard applies to religious organizations. If a religious group cannot prove its descent from one of the recognised traditions, it risks being dismissed as illegitimate.’ ^[8]

See also[link]

• Schools of Hinduism
• Gotra

References[link]

Haridhos Giri affectionly called Guruji was born in the month of Margali in the tamil calendar with the birth star of Utharattathi. He was born in town of Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, South India

Haridhos Giri built Panduranga Temple, India

Swami Haridhos Giri is Chief Disciple of Swami Gnanananda Giri. He was devoted his entire life to serve the Lord Panduranga and his guru, Gnanananda Giri. During his time, he established spiritual haven in Thennangur-Dakshina Halasyam in South India. Haridhos Giri built temple of Panduranga, shrine of his beloved guru Gnanananda Giri and Sivan Temple.^[1]

He traveled all over the world including Singapore,^[2] Malaysia and other countries to spread Namasankeerthanam as he was instructed by his guru Gnanananda Giri. He has thousands of devotees followers all over the world.^[3]

He attained Jala samadhi at Koteswar, its around 3 km north of Rudraprayag/Himalayas in the year 1994. There is a Hindu temple dedicated to Koteswar Mahadev in Koteswar. Namananda Giri, Principal Disciple of Haridhos Giri built Bhajan Platform in memory of Swami Haridhos Giri and dedicated to him.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Haridhos Giri, the chief disciple of Swami Gnanananda Giri
• Haridhos Giri, GA Trust
• Sri Gnanananda Nama Sankirtana Mandali of Malaysia The message Sri Haridhos Giri/ Chief Disciple of Swami Gnanananda Giri got from the Swamji Gnananada Giri is: “When people praise you many do not become egois­tic but ignore them in all humility. And do not be worried about the insults thrown at you likewise. Then you will settle down well”. This is equally a message to us all to see such a Great Guru is to know Him: “To know Him is to know God, for God and Guru are one and the same”.
• Swami Haridhos Giri Seva Samajam/ Ashram(Malaysia) of Chief Disciple of Swami Gnanananda Giri "After many years, he got off his Samadhi, came back to the mutt and made Sri Gnanananda Giri Swami as the “Peedathipathi”. After that the great saint renounced the world and became one with god." said Swamji Nama Nanda Giri/Chief Disciple of Sri Haridhos Giri
• GA Trust - The World Movement Sri Sathguru Swamigal's padhadhi had all features to make it a world movement. The honour of engaging in this divine task feel on the lot of Swami Sri Haridhos Giri, the chief disciple of Swami Gnanananda Giri of Tapovanam.On initiation into sanyasa, the young Sri Haridhos Giri Swamigal had nothing else to seek except the lotus feet of his Guru Maharaj.

Photo Gallery[link]

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• Thennangur Panduranga temple panorama2.jpg

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Swami Haridas teaching Tansen in the presence of Mughal Emperor Akbar.

Swami Haridas was a spiritual poet and classical musician. Credited with a large body of devotional compositions, especially in the Dhrupad style, he is also the founder of the Haridasi school of mysticism, still found today in North India. His work influenced both the classical music and the Bhakti movements of North India, especially those devoted to Krishna's consort Radha.Shri Hit harivasnh mahaprabhu, Shri Hariram Vyas, Roop Goswami, Sanatan Goswami, Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, Gusai Vitthalnath and Chaitanya mahaprabhu were his contemporary.

Biography[link]

The details of Swami Haridas's life are not well known. According to one school of thought he was born in 1480 in Rajpur, near Brindavan. His father's name was Gangadhar and his mother's name was Chitra Devi. In this version of his life story Haridas is said to have died in 1575. A second school holds that Haridas's father was a Saraswat Brahmin from Multan and that his mother's name was Ganga Devi.^[1] The family migrated to a village called Khairwali Sarak, near Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. Haridas was born there in 1512 and the village is now called Haridaspur in his honor. This school holds that he died in 1607.

He was deeply learned and widely acquainted with the music of his time. Mention is found in his works of stringed instruments such as the kinnari and aghouti, and of drums such as the mridanga and daff. He mentions the ragas of Kedar, Gauri (raga), Malhar and Basant. Swami Haridas is said to have been the teacher of Tansen, one of the 'nine gems` of Akbar's court, and the renowned dhrupad singer and composer Baiju.

He later shifted his residence to Vrindavan, the playground of the immortal cowherd Krishna and Radha. There he built his ashram (hermitage) in Nidhivan and sang his songs of the love of Radha-Krishna. Following the example of Swami Shribhatta, Haridas continued to praise the Lord until the Lord manifested himself as Sri Banke Bihariji. Swami Haridas' spiritual disciples included Vitthal and Krishna Das who fostered his tradition of devotional music. Groups (samaj, like the sankeertan of Bengal and the bhajana goshti of South India) of devotees came together and sang of the Lord of Vrindavan.

His samadhi (tomb) is still in Nidhivan, Vrindavan. He is sometimes said to have been the incarnation of Lalita Sakhi, the legendary friend who consoled Radha in her lovelorn state.^[who?]

Songs of Swami Haridas[link]

Haridas's compositions may be classed as Vishnupadas. Even his prabandhas that do not refer to Krishna have come to be known as Vishnupadas, perhaps because of the mystic source of his music but also because they are musically constructed in a manner similar to dhrupads. He is also said to have written tirvats, ragamalas and other forms. There are around 128 compositions attributed to him, of which eighteen are philosophical (siddhanta pada) and a hundred and ten devotional (keli mala).

He describes Radha and Krishna's sporting beautifully:
Two beams of light are playing -
Unique their dance and music.
Ragas and raginis of heavenly beauty are born,
The two have sunk themselves in the ocean of raga.
Swami Haridas belonged to the tradition of madhura bhakti - Adoration expressed in conjugal imagery. Haridas's theology embraces not merely the Love of Krishna and Radha but also the witnessing of the Love, a state of mind called rasa. In an ecstatic condition of trance he sings of the play of Krishna among the bowers of Vrindavan. More than Krishna, Radha was the central personality of all his poems. He says; Who knows of the quality of things more than Radha?
If anyone has any knowledge at all, it is by her grace.
None knows the beauty of raga, tala and dance as Radha does.

See also[link]

• Bhakti movement
• Music of India
• Hindustani classical music
• Achintya Bheda Abheda

References[link]

1. ^ The music of India By Reginald Massey, Jamila Massey, P 53

External links[link]

• Bankey Bhihari Temple, Vrindavan
• Bankey Bhihari Temple Website
• Postage stamp on Swami Haridas