Srila Prabhupada explicitly stated that he wanted his women disciples to become gurus, and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu declares: ”yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya – Anyone who knows science of Krishna can become guru.”⠀
Srila Prabhupada accepted his women disciples as brahmanas, as preachers, and above all as Vaisnavas. “These women are not ordinary women. They are preachers. They are Vaishnavas. By their association one becomes a Vaishnava.” (March 27, 1974)
For some devotees, it seems genuinely difficult to accept that Srila Prabhupada wanted all of his disciples – even women – to become gurus and initiate their own disciples. Yet if we sincerely claim to be his followers, it is worth reflecting honestly on whether we are actually following his instructions, or simply finding reasons not to. Rather than seeking out secondary sastras or engaging in elaborate interpretation to work around his expressed wishes, perhaps we could simply take his words at face value. He stated clearly that he wanted all his sons and daughters to become gurus. It is, in that sense, not a very complicated matter.
”I want that all of my spiritual sons and daughters will inherit this title of Bhaktivedanta, so that the family transcendental diploma will continue through the generations. Those possessing the title of Bhaktivedanta will be allowed to initiate disciples. Maybe by 1975, all of my disciples will be allowed to initiate and increase the numbers of the generations.” (Letter to: Hamsadutta, January 3, 1969, Los Angeles)
When Srila Prabhupada says “increase the number of the generations,” he is referring to disciplic succession through diksa, not merely siksa.
”If they see You just once, even women, children, old men, meat-eaters and members of the lowest caste immediately chant the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, dance like madmen and become spiritual masters capable of delivering the whole world. Apart from seeing You, whoever listens to Your holy name is made mad with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa and is able to deliver the three worlds.” (Cc Madhya 18.121-123)
In a 1971 letter to Vaikunthanatha Dasa, Srila Prabhupāda provided a practical example of a woman transmitting Diksha. He instructed: “Ask your wife to chant this mantra and you hear it…” and further stated, “Saradia, or any twice-initiated devotee, may perform the ceremony.” This directly authorizes a female Vaisnava to transmit the sacred Diksha mantras.
”Ask your wife to chant this mantra and you hear it and if possible hold a fire ceremony as you have seen during your marriage and get this sacred thread on your body. Saradia, or any twice-initiated devotee, may perform the ceremony.” (Letter to Vaikunthanatha 4. April 1971)
Ultimately, the purpose of all the rules and regulations is to support the yuga-dharma and bhagavata-vidhi, which consist of hearing and chanting about Krishna, preaching His glories, and increasing the number of devotees. Srila Prabhupada repeatedly stated that bhagavata-vidhi is our primary focus and varnasrama is for support. He gave greater importance to preaching than even to Deity worship and pancaratriki-vidhi. Prabhupada even said that we could close all our temples if necessary, but the preaching must go on.
”To become spiritual master is not very difficult thing. You’ll have to become spiritual master. You, all my disciples, everyone should become spiritual master. It is not difficult. It is difficult when you manufacture something. But if you simply present whatever you have heard from your spiritual master, it is very easy…
So it is not very difficult. One may not think that ”I am not qualified to become guru.” No, you are qualified if you follow strictly the paramparā system. Then you are qualified. That’s all. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā… And what is the difficulty? Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ”Don’t feel any difficulty.” Because as spiritual master, what you have to do? Yāre dekha, tāre kaha, ’kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. Whomever you meet, you simply speak to him the instruction which Kṛṣṇa gives…
So I hope that all of you, men, women, boys and girls, become spiritual master, and follow this principle. Spiritual master, simply, sincerely, follow the principles and speak to the general public. Then Kṛṣṇa immediately becomes your favorite. Kṛṣṇa does not become your favorite; you become Kṛṣṇa’s favorite.” (Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā Lecture London, August 22, 1973)
Bharadvaja-samhita 1.44 ”If woman, sudras and the others are Krishna conscious, they can also give initiation”
Prof. O’Connell: ”Is it possible, Svamiji, for a woman to be a guru in the line of disciplic succession?”
Prabhupada: Yes. Jahnava Devi was—Nityananda’s wife. She became. If she is able to go to the highest perfection of life, why it is not possible to become guru? But, not so many. Actually one who has attained the perfection, she can become guru. But man or woman, unless one has attained the perfection…. Yei krsna-tattva-vetta sei guru haya [Cc. Madhya 8.128]. The qualification of guru is that he must be fully cognizant of the science of Krsna. Then he or she can become guru. Yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei guru haya. [break] In our material world, is it any prohibition that woman cannot become professor? If she is qualified, she can become professor. What is the wrong there? She must be qualified. That is the position. So similarly, if the woman understands Krsna consciousness perfectly, she can become guru. (Interview with Professors O’Connell, Motilal and Shivaram—June 18, 1976, Toronto)
Prabhupada: Yes. All of them will take over. These students, who are initiated from me, all of them will act as I am doing. Just like I have got many Godbrothers, they are all acting. Similarly, all these disciples which I am making, initiating, they are being trained to become future spiritual masters. (Conversation July 18, 1971)
“So I am especially proud how my householder disciples are preaching Lord Caitanya’s Mission. This is a new thing in the history of the Sankirtana Movement. In India all the acharyas and their descendants later on acted only from the man’s side. Their wives were at home because that is the system from old times that women are not required to go out. But in Bhagavad Gita we find that women are also equally competent like the men in the matter of Krishna Consciousness Movement. Please therefore carry on these missionary activities, and prove it by practical example that there is no bar for anyone in the matter of preaching work for Krishna Consciousness.” (Letter to Himavati, 20 Dec 1969)
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught that anyone – regardless of external qualifications such as birth, gender, or social position – is eligible to act as a guru, provided that person knows the science of Krishna consciousness.
Failing to accept qualified women devotees as diksa-gurus would constitute a violation of the instructions of both Lord Caitanya and Srila Prabhupada. Such a deviation would place us in the category of an apasampradaya, as it would introduce smarta considerations into Prabhupada’s teachings, which are meant to be a purely Vaisnava conclusion. If restricting qualified Vaisnavis from acting as gurus obstructs the mission of Lord Caitanya, then we are prioritizing the details of ancient social and ritual etiquette over the supreme principle of spreading Krishna consciousness throughout the world – an activity which Srila Prabhupada explicitly described as “the most important business at the present moment.”
If the following statements of Srila Prabhupada are read with an open mind, it becomes clear that when he speaks about “guru,” he is referring to both siksa and diksa-guru, not merely one or the other.
Caitanya-Caritamrita Madhya-lila 8.128: “Whether one is a brāhmaṇa, a sannyāsī or a śūdra — regardless of what he is — he can become a spiritual master if he knows the science of Kṛṣṇa.”
While Srila Prabhupada was discussing with Prof. O’Connell, he quoted the same krishna-tattva-vetta verse (as quoted earlier). From this we can clearly understand that Prabhupada considered this verse to be applicable to women as well.
Srila Prabhupada states in purport:
”It is stated in the Hari-bhakti-vilāsa that one should not accept initiation from a person who is not in the brahminical order if there is a fit person in the brahminical order present. This instruction is meant for those who are overly dependent on the mundane social order and is suitable for those who want to remain in mundane life. If one understands the truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and seriously desires to attain transcendental knowledge for the perfection of life, he can accept a spiritual master from any social status, provided the spiritual master is fully conversant with the science of Kṛṣṇa.” (CC Madhya-lila 8.128 Purport)
Srila Prabhupada clearly says, “any social status.” By saying ”any”, he means stri-sudra-dvijabandhunam (women, laborers, and the friends of a twice born). This includes women. In the same purport Prabhupada states: ”The word guru is equally applicable to the vartma-pradarśaka-guru, śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru…” From this we can clearly understand that women can also become diksa-guru.
”Actually the brāhmaṇa is supposed to be the spiritual master of all other varṇas, or classes, but as far as Kṛṣṇa consciousness is concerned, everyone is capable of becoming a spiritual master because knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is on the platform of the spirit soul. To spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one need only be cognizant of the science of the spirit soul. It does not matter whether one is a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, sannyāsī, gṛhastha or whatever. If one simply understands this science, he can become a spiritual master.” (CC Madhya-lila 8.128 Purport)
Sri Krishna in Bhagavad-gita:
”Those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas and śūdras – can attain the supreme destination.”
Purport: ”It is clearly declared here by the Supreme Lord that in devotional service there is no distinction between the lower and higher classes of people. In the material conception of life there are such divisions, but for a person engaged in transcendental devotional service to the Lord there are not. Process of devotional service is so strong that the pure devotee of the Supreme Lord can enable people of all the lower classes to attain the highest perfection of life.” (BG 9.32)
By grouping women with sudras in his translations and purport of Gita 9.32, he establishes that ”woman” is a social designation. Therefore, his instruction in CC Madhya 8.128 that ”any social status” can be guru must, by his own definition, include women. If Srila Prabhupada intended to limit the role of Guru only to men, he would not have consistently cited Lord Chaitanya’s instruction that ”anyone” (yei) who knows the science of Krishna can be a guru.
It is evident from these instructions that Srila Prabhupada’s intent was that his qualified female followers will take up the service of diksa-guru. Srila Prabhupada makes it crystal clear that when Lord Caitanya says ”yei kṛṣṇa-tattva-vettā, sei ‘guru’ haya” He means that ANYONE regardless of social status is eligible to become guru and he defines that it mean also diksa-guru.
In the very same purport for the verse where is stated that anyone can become guru Prabhupada writes:
”The word guru is equally applicable to the vartma-pradarśaka-guru, śikṣā-guru and dīkṣā-guru. Unless we accept the principle enunciated by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement cannot spread all over the world.” (CC Madhya-lila 8.128 Purport)
On the authority of this verse, the GBC has already accepted and authorized mlecchas and yavanas to act as diksa-gurus. It would therefore be inconsistent – and indeed hypocritical – to now argue that the same principle applies only to those possessing a male body. If Srila Prabhupada had intended to exclude women from diksa-guru responsibility, he could have stated something to the effect of: “The term guru applies to women only in the sense of siksa-guru, whereas for men it applies in both siksa and diksa.”
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However, he makes no such distinction. Instead, he uses the same term guru with the same definition for anyone (yei) who knows the science of Krishna consciousness and is thus qualified to act as both siksa and diksa-guru. To introduce a restriction that is not present in the text is, in effect, to add to the sastra rather than to faithfully represent it.
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We should not add our own interpretation to Prabhupadas words:
“Those are not my words! They are changing my words! Is my English not good enough? This is the worst thing a disciple can do! Do not become like a leap frog and try to jump over the spiritual master thinking you know better than him. Tell them immediately ’do not change my words’”