If you are a guru or a disciple of a guru or anyone else who knows something about a guru, write the guru’s name and if possible links to a website and or photos and email address in the comments below on this post. I will take that info and create a page for that guru.
Why is this needed?
Someone in my other blog: Hare Krishna Women, wanted to know if I knew anything about the theological views of various gurus within the Gaudiya Vaishnava traditions. It’s easy to find that out by a simple search on the internet for most well-known Gaudiya gurus – except for the many gurus in ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness).
This is the only accurate online ISKCON guru database – at least I couldn’t find another list of all the current ISKCON gurus – with links to their websites or other information. I decided that the worldwide Gaudiya community would really like to have and participate in an open-source ISKCON guru database. Every guru will get his or her own page. It will contain contact information and whatever other information that you people send in. The comments section will be open to the guru, his followers, and anyone else, with the goal of giving every potential disciple in the world a place to hear about their potential guru, in an open-source format.
I have created another blog with the same format for gurus not in ISKCON. It is called Hare Krishna Gurus.
November 13, 2008 at 1:11 am
where’s the departed gurus?
November 13, 2008 at 2:04 am
They are irrelevant for anyone seeking a diksa guru.
November 13, 2008 at 6:59 am
Thanks for taking the time to put this together, I am glad that others have not only seen the need but also taken the time to do something positive and create a formalized approach, all glories to your service.
November 13, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Why they have not got Urmila – she is the only one lady who has blessings of the GBC to initiate?
November 13, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Some are missing here – Astarata Prabhu, Vegavan Prabhu and two russian gurus with loads of disciples in ISKCON, Bhakti Vijnana Goswami and Caitanya Candra Caran Prabhu.
November 13, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Just noticed another prominent UK guru – Krisnadasa Swami – why is he off the list?
November 13, 2008 at 6:12 pm
ccd
Thanks. If they are not on the list it’s because I don’t know about them and no one has mentioned them on this thread.
November 13, 2008 at 7:46 pm
ccd
I don’t know if Vegavan is still much involved with ISKCON. According to this blog http://garvarn.blogspot.com/2008/07/look-into-my-eyes-look-into-my-eyes.html Vegavan is a “passive member” of ISKCON. I found his website at http://www.sseah.se/index_eng.htm but I would need some more info about him before adding him to the list.
November 13, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Anybody know anything about the guru status of Sesa Dasa? And, is this his blog? http://punditbytes.com/
November 13, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Anybody know anything about the guru status of Purnacandra Goswami? I think he is a guru but I am not sure.
November 13, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Anybody know anything about the guru status of Kripamoya Dasa?
November 13, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Anybody know anything about the guru status of Drutakarma Dasa?
November 13, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Anybody know anything about the guru status of Chandramukha Swami?
http://www.chandramukhaswami.com.br/
November 13, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Urmila
According to Urmila Devi Dasi’s wikipedia page she is not as yet been sanctioned as a diksa guru. Do you have some other information?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urmila_Devi_Dasi
November 14, 2008 at 8:22 am
Hare Krsna! Purnacandra Goswami is guru. Travels through Russia and Balkans as far as I know.
November 14, 2008 at 10:10 am
Vegavan was always a ‘passive’ member since he started on his own in south sweden, however he is on of the list.
November 14, 2008 at 10:19 am
The older Mahavishnu Goswami is still alive.. http://mahavishnugoswami.com/
November 14, 2008 at 10:23 am
I can understand consistency of Goswami v Swami (for sannyasis), but all others I guess should be Prabhu? What is the difference between das and Prabhu? I guess Das is more humble… one
November 14, 2008 at 1:44 pm
ccd
What list? I agree that he was a guru, I just don’t know if he still is.
November 17, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Essén, C., (2008). Sektbarn source you are using is an anti-cult publication – in interview to it I am sure he would call himself ‘passive member’… any other source to suggest he is not in ISKCON is not a guru?
November 17, 2008 at 10:42 pm
ccd
Alright, I gave Vegavan a page. If anyone has any more info about his guru status in ISKCON we would like to know.
November 21, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Any reason you have Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami and not Dhanudhara Sw? Both had CPO orders.
November 21, 2008 at 7:21 pm
ccd
Dhanurdhara quit ISKCON, if he is still giving diksha I will add him to my other blog for non-ISKCON gurus. Bhakti Vidya Purna Swami is on the 2008 sannyasa list for ISKCON, do you have any info that states he is not a guru anymore?
December 13, 2008 at 2:38 am
What about a database of fallen ISKCON Gurus? It would be great to list them all and find out what they are up to now. I used to be one. I gave initiations first back in 1985 and left the business in 1989.
January 2, 2009 at 8:29 am
Hey RK-Mexico! I think I met you in Vrindavan, early 90s. I was Bhakta Scott. That was really nice, a pleasure to meet you. I hope you are very well.
January 21, 2009 at 2:54 pm
First of all I really would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing this for all of us. I live in Serbia and for the past 18 years I have that great opportunity to meat some of ISKCON gurus which were traveling trough Serbia, some of which are still with ISKCON and some that have left our movement, but I was never able to see all of ISKCON guru’s names listed at one place and I it would make me happy to be able to have such list because I wish to find out something about every ISKCON guru, to see his picture and to be able to know even a bit about this great souls which are following H.H. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada footsteps……
January 28, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Hare Krishna! PAMHO.
Vegavan prabhu is not considering himself to be in guru status anymore. He doesn´t consider it an option to accept any disciples. I was aspiring myself for many years, but around 2003 he told me that he is not qualified or interested in that capacity anymore. So I think he would not appreciate if someone would suspect him of being an ISKCON guru! As far as I know, the few disciples he initiated in the early 1990´s have all deviated and left his association. I also think you should approach him with a request, before publishing his professional business website.
January 29, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Bhakta Mikael
You may be right, I would need more verification because I saw an advertisement for classes held at Bhaktivedanta College by Vegavan in 2008. Maybe he has gotten back into being a guru.
January 29, 2009 at 6:50 pm
One doesn´t have to be a guru in order to be invited to give a lecture. He works in the field of hypnotherapy, so it happens sometimes that he is invited to speak on related subjects.
February 19, 2009 at 8:59 pm
BVV Nrsimha Swami should properly be listed in ISKCON guru list, since he is listed on http://www.iskcon.net.au/sannyasaministry/listing as ISKCON sannyasi (he is back in ISKCON for years now)
February 21, 2009 at 5:35 pm
СДГонлайн
He already is, look under Bhakti Vighna Vinasa Narasimha Swami
February 23, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Thank you – I guess it is just a variation of spelling of his name. BTW what is the convention here and how do you follow some rules on naming people? Is it the most common spelling?
February 24, 2009 at 6:10 pm
СДГонлайн
I choose whatever seems to be the most common on google search.
March 17, 2009 at 11:33 am
Hare Krishna!
My message is for R-K Mexico. I would like to know why did you leave ISKCON and stopped initiating disciples? Whu are there “fallen gurus”? Whta made them fall? I have been associated with ISKCON for over a year now and is aspiring for initiation. Would like to hear from you if you can answer my queries. Hari Bol!!!
March 27, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Vaisesika Dasa
http://www.dandavats.com/?p=7091#comment-10386
May 29, 2009 at 10:25 pm
HH BV Madhava swami is also a guru.
June 8, 2009 at 5:41 am
Please Accept My Humble Obeisances.
Hare Krishna.
Noticed a mistake in the title of one of the sanyasis. It could have been a human error. The maharaja I am referring to is His Holiness Gopal Krishna GOSWAMI Maharaja, unlike Swami as mentioned in the list.
I would be really grateful and appreciate if you could please update it .
Your Servant!
August 3, 2009 at 3:25 am
Drutakarma is definitely an initiating guru, but he has only a few disciples.
September 11, 2009 at 6:04 pm
i just wanted to know which are the newest american gurus that started initiating people in the last 3 years.
September 11, 2009 at 6:06 pm
does someone know drutakarma das’s email adress?
September 13, 2009 at 12:36 am
Milton
This is the address given at his website
mail@mcremo.com
http://www.mcremo.com/contact.htm
October 29, 2009 at 5:12 pm
In the list of initiating gurus name of Bhakthi Sidharth Dasa Maharaj. He is a direct desciple of Srila Prabhupada and was head priest of Sri Sri Radha Rasbihari temple, Juju, Mumbai.He is currently Prseident of ISKCON Raipur.He has been giving initiation from 1996.
October 29, 2009 at 11:23 pm
satyavrta maharaja dasa
I can find nothing about Bhakthi Sidharth Dasa Maharaj except a single picture at http://www.panoramio.com/photo/7132305 , that is unusual for an ISKCON guru. Maybe there is more but it’s all in Hindi or some other Indian language, or major search engines aren’t listing pages with him on them. I need some more info about him, in any language do you have any sources I can link to?