56 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 15
ciples and associate with other devotees. When one is actually advanced in the
purascarya-vidhi, he is recommended by the local temple president for initiation.
It is not that anyone can be suddenly initiated without meeting the requirements.
When one is further advanced by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra sixteen rounds
daily, following the regulative principles and attending classes, he receives the
sacred thread (brahminical recognition) after the second six months.
In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa (17.4,5,7) it is stated:
vind yena na siddhah syan
mantro varsa-satair api
krtena yena labhate
sadhako vafchitarn phalam
purascarana-sampanno
mantro hi phala-dhayakah
atah puraskriyam kuryat
mantravit siddhi-kanksaya
puraskriya hi mantranam
pradhanam viryam ucyate
virya-hino yatha dehi
sarva-karmasu na ksamah
purascarana-hino hi
tatha mantrah prakirtitah
“Without performing the purascaryd activities, one cannot become perfect even
by chanting this mantra for hundreds of years. However, one who has undergone
the purascarya-vidhi process can attain success very easily. If one wishes to per-
fect his initiation, he must first undergo the purascaryd activities. The purascarya
process is the life-force by which one is successful in chanting the mantra. With-
out the life-force, one cannot do anything; similarly, without the life force of
purascarya-vidhi, no mantra can be perfected.”
In his Bhakti-sandarbha (283), Srila Jiva Gosvami states:
yadyapi sri-bhagavata-mate paficaratradi-vat arcana-margasya
avasyakatvam nasti, tad vindpi
Sarandpattyadinam ekatarenapi purusartha-siddher
abhihitatvat, tathapi sri-ndradadi-vartmanusaradbhih
sri-bhagavata saha sambandha-visesam diksa-vidhanena
Sri-guru-Carana-sampaditam cikirsadbhih krtayam
diksayam arcanam avasyam kriyetaiva.
