Question: What do we consider to be śāstra in our Gauḍīya sampradāya? An ācārya’s book is also śāstra, correct?
Answer: For us, śāstra means bhakti–śāstra and anything that supports it and teaches it. The original source and core literature is the Bhāgavata. Then we have everything that is aligned with the message of the Bhāgavata, such as its commentaries, as well as Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Jīva Gosvāmī’s writings, and those of the other Gosvāmīs. One has to know the Bhāgavata very well to understand its message properly
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Question: As a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, can we read Tulasīdāsa Māharāja’s Śrī Rāmacaritamānas? I’m not thinking of treating it as an authority on Gauḍīya Vedānta like we view Sat Sandarbha or Bṛhad-Bhāgavatāmṛta. Rather, can we read it just to relish it’s devotional content?
Answer: Yes, you can read it.
Question: What should our view be regarding Tulasīdāsa Māharāja?
Answer: He was a great devotee of Bhagavān Rāma. We should respect him as a great Vaiṣṇava.
Question: I heard from a Gauḍīya that Tulasīdāsa comes in the line of Bṛghu Ṛṣi and since Bṛghu Ṛṣi put his feet on Śrī Viṣṇu’s chest we shouldn’t offer respect to Tulasīdāsa. Is this true?
Answer: Why should Tulasīdāsa be disrespected for an act done by Bhṛghu thousands of years ago? What is Tulasī’s mistake? And what is your gain? What if some of your previous ācāryas also came in Bhṛgu’s lineage? Do we have to avoid respecting them?
By this logic, we should not respect Prahlāda because his father disrespected Viṣṇu, and, in fact, wanted to kill Him.
