What is an Uttama-adhikari?
BY: MARGARET CONNORS
Jan 19, USA (SUN) — Kurma das has inquired:
"If a devotee should seek out an uttama-adhikari as one's guru, then what does this say about the arrangements for accepting a guru within ISKCON today? Are any of ISKCON's voted-in acaryas uttama-adhikaris? If they are, then is ISKCON's management not obliged to direct new bhaktas to that person?"
You site the Nectar of Instruction and its advising us to take shelter of an uttama-adikhari. The way to identify a devotee situated on the topmost platform of Krsna Consciousness is provided to us by Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada -- also in the Nectar of Instruction's purport to Text 5.
"In this Krsna consciousness movement a chance is given to everyone without discrimination of caste, creed or color. Everyone is invited to join this movement, sit with us, take prasada and hear about Krsna. When we see that someone is actually interested in Krsna consciousness and wants to be initiated, we accept him as a disciple for the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. When a neophyte devotee is actually initiated and engaged in devotional service by the orders of the spiritual master, he should be accepted immediately as a bona fide Vaisnava, and obeisances should be offered unto him. Out of many such Vaisnavas, one may be found to be very seriously engaged in the service of the Lord and strictly following all the regulative principles, chanting the prescribed number of rounds on japa beads and always thinking of how to expand the Krsna consciousness movement. Such a Vaisnava should be accepted as an uttama-adhikari, a highly advanced devotee, and his association should always be sought".
Fortunately Srila Prabhupada has made it possible for us all to identify such worthy association. It is safe to say that there are many such sincere and serious devotees all over the world serving Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mission and we are all most fortunate to have their association. It is safe to say that the leaders of ISKCON make their best efforts to ensure that such valuable devotees who meet the above mentioned qualifications are carefully selected to represent Srila Prabhupada and his mission.
