Hay una historia interesante. Una vez un devoto en Vrndavana estaba visitando un Templo y estaba encantado con las Deidades. El Pujari del templo le dijo que sólo podría adorar a las Deidades en la prójima vida si naciera en una familia de Brahmanas. El devoto no dijo nada.El devoto conto lo que le pasó a Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada dijo entonces: "La próxima vez dile al Pujari que el tendrá que nacer como un distribuidor de libros en occidente."
"Shrimad Gopala Bhattapada, the smrity-acarya of the Shri Gaudiya Vaishnava-sampradaya, has given the arrangement for purifying qualified students of all varnas through ten Vedic samskaras in pursuance of the daiva-varnashrama principles. Following his directions, the samskara of brahmana initiation by qualification was begun long ago and is still practiced today in the sampradaya of Shri Shyamananda-deva, the branch of Shri Nityananda, the sampradaya of Shri Krishnadasa Navina-hoda, and the branch of Gaura's follower Raghunandana." (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura - Brahmana and Vaisnava)
Aqui un texto que resume muy bien el tema:
http://www.salagram.net/sstp-brahmins-quals-of.html
E aqui una explicacion mas extensa:
http://gosai.com/writings/the-ontological-position-of-the-vaishnava-over-the-brahmana
Así que lo que sucede es lo siguiente:
1 - Brahmanas de casta- Cuando los Brahmanas seminales veen un Brahmana Vaisnava que no ha estudiado los Vedas, no sabe sánscrito, no sabe nada de Mudras, Yantras, Tantras ni recitación correcta de Mantras y por lo tanto no es capaz de realizar correctamente los rituales Samskaras, ellos dicen que es absurdo que esa persona reciba el cordon Braminico y recite el Brahma Gayatri.
Sin embargo, el criterio para un Vaisnava recibir iniciacion Braminica es simplemente rendirse a Krsna. Y aún con esta iniciación puede dedicarse a otros Varnas de acuerdo con su naturaleza (en la cultura védica un Ksatriya y Vaisya también reciben el cordón (cordon rojo para Ksatryas amarillo para los Vaisyas) y recitan el Brahma Gayatri. Es decir, por ejemplo, un Ksatriya que no está familiarizado con la realización de los rituales Védicos, utiliza el cordon y recita el Brahma Gayatri). Y incluso un Vaisnava (en Iskcon y Gaudiya Matha) pueden ocuparse como un Sudra (si es su naturaleza) y al mismo tiempo usar el cordon y recitar el Brahma Gayatri.
Si el Vaisnava nació en una familia de Brahmanas y es capaz de realizar todos los rituales correctamente o si se entera de todo esto despues, entonces genial. Pero esto no es esencial. Uno puede ser por ejemplo un Vaisya y usar un cordon y recitar el Brahma Gayatri.
2 - En cuanto a los Goswamis de casta, declaran orgullosamente que alguien perteneciente a un influyente Parampara seminal (Parivara) es automáticamente un Uttama Adhikari y el titulo de Prabhupada es suyo por derecho. Sin embargo, nunca fueron capaces de cumplir el deseo del Señor Caitanya para propagar la conciencia de Krsna en el mundo todo, demostrando en la práctica que otro Prabhupada (AC Bhaktivedanta Swami) Uttama Adhikari y no pertenecente a ninguna Parivara seminal fue capaz de hacerlo .
Fuera de Iskcon y Gaudiya Matha, no se recibe el cordon y el Brahma Gayatri. Se reciben los Pancaratrika Gayatris (Gopala Mantra y Kama Gayatri) para adorar las Deidades y auxiliar el dessarollo de la relacion personal con Krsna (son "Brahmanas sin cordon")
Segun la ortodoxia, los Pancaratika Gayatris pueden ser dados a Sudras y mujeres.
Vaidik, Pancaratrika Mantras and Hare Krsna:
According to the pancaratrika philosophy, vaidic initiation with brahma gayatri (upanayanam) is insufficient by itself to stand as spiritual sadhana for Kali yuga. In this age, without following the regulations of pancaratrika diksa (initiation into visnu or krsna mantras), spiritual progress is very difficult. In this age, the vedic mantras will bear fruit only if chanted along with the pancaratrika mantras. Therefore in order to worship the deity one must not only have upanayanam, but pancharatrika or vaisnava diksa. Additionally, even without undergoing upanayanam, a person who has pancaratrika diksa is permitted to worship the deity. Lord Caitanya has however emphasized that sravana and kirtana of the the Hare Krsna mantra as the principle sadhana, superceding chanting of vedic or pancharatrika diksa mantras. The Holy Name is independent of diksa. no diksam na ca sat kripyam na ca purascaryam managa iksate. Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities or the purascharya regulative principles generally observed before initiation. The holy name does not wait for all these activities. It is self-sufficient. CC Madhya V.6, p.59, verse by Srila Rupa Goswami, PadyavaliIt may be given out to and chanted by all people without restriction. Thus the Holy Name may be utilized in public chanting, sankirtana. The Holy Name therefore functions as a practical preaching instrument in Kali yuga. At the same time Lord Caitanya has also emphasized, and shown by his personal example, that those interested in spiritual progress must take Vaisnava (pancharatrika) initiation. Though the Holy Name itself is independent of diksa vidhi, the majority of serious aspirants in spiritual life need the pancharatrika process of initiation to tame the restless mind and assist in the purification process. Thus both taking up the chanting of the Holy name and receiving pancharatrika mantras from a bona fide guru have been fundamental to the movement of Lord Caitanya.
Vaidic initiation (upanayanam samskara) on the other hand has not been given a crucial role for several reasons. Over the centuries the vaidic initiation has become a formality performed by a family priest on behalf of the father, with little spiritual significance and no training under a guru in the gurukula. As well, it has also been misconceived as a ceremony based on birth right: if one is born in a brahmana family, one is entitled to be initiated as brahmana no matter what qualities one may have. As well the upanayanam rites connote the excessive rules of varnasrama, which impede bhakti on the level spontaneous love for Krsna. Lord Caitanya however never rejected the Vedas or the rules of varnasrama. Those who require those rules for their spiritual development should practice them. Thus, those on the level of sadhana bhakti should follow those rules of varnasrama which purify body and mind and thus aid the development of pure bhakti. Srila Gopal Bhatta Goswami has written Sat Kriya Sara Dipika as a samskara manual for Vaishnavas, and included in it the upanayanam ceremony, or Vaidic diksa. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur implemented this Vaidic diksa samskara according to the pancharatrika philosophy that the initiated Vaisnava surpasses the brahmana in qualification. Thus anyone who is qualified for pancaratrika initiation qualifies also for the Vaidic initiation, regardless of family or background. When he gave Vaisnava mantra (pancharatrika initiation), he also gave the vaidic mantra (brahma gayatri, vaidic initiation). He was of course criticized by the orthodox followers of varnasrama for superceding the conventional rules of caste by birth, and he was criticized by some Gaudiya Vaishnavas for emphasizing varnasrama vidhi over raga (spontaneous love). His act was simply a confirmation of pancaratrika theory of the superior nature of the Vaisnava, and an attack on the misconceptions of casteism. The Upanishads and Mahabharata give examples of those who, though from low family, were initiated as brahmanas. As well he restored the samskara to its original significance as a spiritual samskara, which may assist the devotee on the level of sadhana bhakti. Thus the practicing devotee chants the Hare Krsna mantra, pancaratrika mantra and vaidic mantra.
O sea, el Maha Mantra Hare Krsna, los Pancaratrika Mantras (Gopala Mantra y Kama Gayatri) y el Vaidic Mantra (Brahma Gayatri (tanto para Sudras como para mujeres)), TODOS JUNTOS auxilian el praticante en el sendero de Bhakti.
"Since sastric tradition prohibits giving Brahma-gayatri to women, why did Shrila Prabhupada award it to qualified female disciples? Some acaryas claim that although chanting the Brahma-gayatri creates the beneficial effect of softening the hearts of men, it acts the opposite way with women. They say a woman's heart, which is soft by nature, will become hard by chanting the Brahma-gayatri. Seeing that everyone in the west had hard hearts, however, Shrila Prabhupada gave Brahma-gayatri to both men and women so they could soften their hearts, and then offer their tender love to Kisora-Kisori." (Gayatri Mahima Madhuri)
"Diksa mantras such as the Gaura-gayatri, Gopala-mantra, and Kama-gayatri are necessary in the stage of sadhana because they purify one's chanting of harinama and establish one's eternal loving relationship with Krishna. Nama-sankirtana, however, is the best practice both in sadhana and in perfection. Liberated souls will no longer chant diksa mantras, but they will forever rejoice in the ambrosial nectar of nama-sankirtana." (Gayatri Mahima Madhuri)
"Manifesting only in the material world, the Brahma-gayatri elevates the conditioned soul to the brahma-bhutah platform ofpurification. The Gopala-mantra and the Kama-gayatri, however, are eternally vibrating in the spiritual sky. Most brahmanas only chant the Brahma-gayatri, but Gaudiya Vaishnava brahmanas also chant the Kama-gayatri. Lord Brahma heard both the Brahma-gayatri and the Kama-gayatri as the Gayatri mantra, and spoke both of them.
The Brahma-gayatri is compared to a green mango. Upon realizing its full meaning, the Brahma-gayatri appears as the Kama-gayatri or a ripe mango. Of course, unless one has brahminical qualities and receives the mantra by the ritual of initiation from a bona fide spiritual master, the mantra will not work or bring any result.
Gaudiya Vaisnava conception of Brahma Gayatri is:
"The origin of the energy of this material world comes from Krishna in the form of Radha. All the energy making up the three worlds is simply a transformation of Her energy."
Chanting the Brahma-gayatri with the Gaudiya Vaishnava conception quickly brings one to the brahma-bhutah platform of service to Radha and Krishna." (Gayatri Mahima Madhuri)
Nuestra Sampradaya viene del Señor Brahma:
"Summary of Brahma's Enlightenment
1) Lord Brahma received Gopala-mantra from Sarasvati and chanted it for a long time.
2) Lord Brahma then meditated and heard Krishna's flute. The sound of the flute initially carried the form of the Kama-gayatri, which itself embodies the essence of all the knowledge of the three Vedas, which include knowledge of all other Gayatri mantras such as Brahma-gayatri and all other spiritual processes like karma, jnana, and bhakti.
3) Enlightened by recollection, Lord Brahma meditated uponthat Kama-gayatri. By this he learned the expanse of the oceanof truth, realized his individual relationship with the Lord, andunderstood the nature of Krishna's spiritual world, material world,and the various branches of Vedic knowledge. All of LordBrahma's visions and realizations are contained in the Brahma-samhita.
The following verse outline from the Brahma-samhita shows the path of Brahma's enlightenment.Verses 22-23—Brahma takes birth from Lord Vishnu's lotus navel and desires to create the material world.Verses 24-25—Lord Brahma receives the Kama-bija and Gopala-mantra from Krishna via Divya Sarasvati.Verses 26-27—Lord Brahma receives the Kama-gayatri and attains the twice-born status.Verses 29-55—Lord Brahma offers hymns unto Shri Krishna." (Gayatri Mahima Madhuri)
"The mantras given by the guru are the Brahma-gayatri, Guru-mantra, Guru-gayatri, Gaura-mantra, Gaura-gayatri, Gopala-mantra, Kama-gayatri, Panca-tattva mantra, and harinama. Conceiving these mantras to be the form of Bhagavan, chant them with great faith, love and affection. These mantras are not ordinary. They are completely transcendental and full of unlimited spiritual power." (Gayatri Mahima Madhuri)
