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by Vidya dasi -
http:www.vnn.org
Some devotees are under the conception that His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was the first acarya to give diksa to women. Some others are under the conception that His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad introduced this, but neither case is true. Women have always been given diksa.
There is however a very sweet story in this regard.
In the early days, before Srila Saraswati Thakur's mission had really started to take off, he had a small group of followers, one of which was the honorable Saroj Pishima, maternal aunt of Sri Vinodebihari (later to become His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktiprajnana Keshava Goswami Maharaja, the illustrious sannyas guru of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja and
the diksa guru of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja). One day, Pishima begged from Srila Saraswati Thakur the Divine Mantram.
However, for reasons of his own, the Thakur had previously decided not to accept lady disciples. When he thus denied her request, the clever lady responded, "Oh?! The whole world will receive the mercy of Sri Guru and Gouranga and only I will be deprived of it?"
At this the Thakur lovingly relented in his resolve and bestowed upon Saroj Pishima the Divine Mantram, thus initiating her.
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