Visista Dwaitavada Acharya Sri Ramanuja

“There is one more confidential story. Rāmānujācārya once came to Puri and pleased the Lord with many prayers. Jagannatha appeared before him and said, ‘Go and see Navadvīpa-dhāma, for I will soon appear there in the house of Jagannatha Misra. The entire spiritual sky is situated within one corner of Navadvīpa, My very dear abode. As My eternal servant and leading devotee, you should see Navadvipa. Let your students, who are absorbed in dasya-rasa, stay here while you go. Any living being who does not see Navadvipa has been born uselessly. Just one portion of Navadvipa contains Ranga-kṣetra, Śrī Venkata (Tirupati), and Yadava Acala. O son of Keśava, go to Navadvīpa and see the form of Gauranga. You have come to the earth to preach bhakti, so let your birth be successful with the mercy of Gaura. From Navadvipa, go to Kurma-sthāna and join again with your disciples.’
“With folded hands, Rāmānuja submitted to Jagannatha, In Your narration You have mentioned Gauracandra, but exactly who He is, I do not know.’
“The Lord mercifully replied to Rāmānuja, ‘Everyone knows Krsna, the Lord of Goloka. That Krsna, whose vilasa-murti is Nārāyaṇa, is the Supreme Truth, and He resides in Vṛndāvana.
That Kṛṣṇa is fully manifest in the form of Gaurahari, and that Vṛndāvana is fully manifest in the form of Navadvipa-dhāma. I eternally reside as Lord Gauranga in Navadvipa, the topmost abode in the universe. By My mercy that dhama has come within Bhu-mandala, yet it remains without a scent of māyā. This is the verdict of scripture. If you say that Navadvipa is part of the material world, then your devotion will dwindle day by day. I have placed this spiritual abode within the material world by My desire and inconceivable energy. Simply by reading scriptures one will not get the highest truth, for the highest truth surpasses all reasoning power. Only the devotees can understand by My mercy.”
“Hearing this, the sober-minded Ramanuja was agitated with love for Gauranga. He said. Lord. Your pastimes are truly astounding. The scriptures cannot know Your opulences. Why isn’t gaurănga-lilă clearly described in the scriptures? When I closely examine the sruti and Puranas, I find only some hint of the Gaura-tattva. After hearing Your instructions, my doubts are gone and the sweet mellows of Gauranga’s pastimes have arisen in my heart. If you order me, after going to Navadvipa I will preach gaura-lila throughout the three worlds. I will give people evidence from the hidden scriptures and establish devotional service to Gauranga throughout the universe. Please instruct me.’
“Seeing Ramanuja’s eagerness, Jagannatha said. Rāmānuja. do not broadcast like this. Keep the confidential pastimes of Gauranga secret. Only after Gauranga has finished His pastimes will the general public receive them. For now, preach dasya-rasa, while in your heart worship Gauranga constantly.“
“Taking the Lord’s advice. Ramanuja secretly cultured his attraction for Navadvipa. So that Gauranga’s pastimes were not revealed prematurely. Lord Nārāyaṇa then led Rāmānuja here to Vaikunthapura and mercifully showed Ramanuja His transcendental form served by Sri, Bhu, and Nīlā. Rāmānuja considered himself fortunate to obtain darsana of his worshipable Lord, when suddenly he saw the Lord assume the enchanting form of Gaurasundara, the son of Jagannatha Misra. Rāmānuja swooned at the brilliance of the form. Then Gauranga put His lotus feet on the head of Ramanuja, who was thus divinely inspired and recited prayers of praise. I must see Gaura’s actual lilā on earth. I can never leave Navadvipa!”
“Gauranga said, ‘O son of Kesava, your desire will be fulfilled. When the Nadia pastimes will be revealed in the future, you will take birth here again.”
“Gauranga disappeared and Ramanuja, contented, resumed his journey. After some days he arrived at Kurma-sthāna and saw the place with his disciples. During his life he preached dāsya-rasa throughout South India, while internally he was absorbed in gaura-lilă. By Gauranga’s mercy, he took birth in Navadvipa as the devotee Sri Ananta. He went to Vallabhācārya’s1 house and saw the marriage of Lakṣmipriya and Gauranga.
“See the house of Ananta, where many devotees of Nārāyaṇa gathered. It is well known that the kings of that time established Nārāyaṇa worship here.
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapter 15)

(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapter 16)

There are four lines of disciplic succession: one from Lord Brahmā, one from Lord Śiva, one from Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, and one from the Kumāras. The disciplic succession from Lord Brahmā is called the Brahma-sampradāya, the succession from Lord Śiva (Śambhu) is called the Rudra-sampradāya, the one from the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmījī, is called the Śrī-sampradāya, and the one from the Kumāras is called the Kumāra-sampradāya. One must take shelter of one of these four sampradāyas in order to understand the most confidential religious system. In the Padma Purāṇa it is said, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantras te niṣphalā matāḥ: if one does not follow the four recognized disciplic successions, his mantra, or initiation, is useless.
At present there are many apasampradāyas, or un-bona fide sampradāyas, which have no link to authorities like Lord Brahmā, Lord Śiva, the Kumāras, or Lakṣmī. People are misguided by such sampradāyas. The śāstras say that being initiated into such a sampradāya is a waste of time, for it will never enable one to understand real religious principles and surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
(A Second Chance, Chapter 21 – Confidential Knowledge)