Page 5 - Sri Ramanujacharya Sahasrabdhi - 1000th year anniversary of Ramanujacarya

Prabhupada: In the Bhagavad-gita, Caitanya philosophy is discussed.
Prof. Hopkins: So you would see no basic difference between Ramanu-

ja's posi on and...
Prabhupada: They cannot be different because both of them are Vaish-
nava. So this is the common point, that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is
preaching Krishna as the Supreme Lord. Ramanujacarya was preaching
Krishna as the Supreme Lord. So where is difference?
Prof. Hopkins: Well, I don't see a difference, but...
Prabhupada: People know it. Things equal to the same thing are equal
to one another.
Prof. Hopkins: What about certain other tradi ons; Ishnamadeva(?),
Tukarama, some of the poet saints of Maharastra. Where...

Prabhupada: Yes, Tukarama accepted Vishnu as the Supreme. He ac-
cepted the process of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He accepted Caitanya
Mahaprabhu as his guru so there is no difference between Tukarama
and Caitanya.
Prof. Hopkins: So Tukarama, you would say, is teaching the same thing
as Caitanya?
Prabhupada: Yes, sankirtana. And Krishna is teaching the same thing.
Satatam kirtayanto mam yatantas ca drdha-vratah (BG 9.14). Find out.
Prof. Hopkins: So by saying that the Gaudiya Vaishnavism is, and Cai-

tanya, are the central way of... You are not excluding...
Prabhupada: Eh?
Prof. Hopkins: You would not...
Prabhupada: No.
Prof. Hopkins: You are not excluding the Pandarpur tradi on of Tukara-
ma, Ramanitoba, (indis nct), you are not excluding the Alavars and Ra-
manujacarya, but you are saying all of these groups, all of these teach-
ers.
Prabhupada: Tukarama accepts Caitanya Mahaprabhu as his guru.
Then where is the difference?

Prof. Hopkins: So that Lord Vitoba and Krishna...
Prabhupada: Is the same.

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