All Vaiṣṇavas are Gurus”—Narahari Sarakāra on Vaiṣṇavas, Gurus, and the Fate of the Gauḍīya Tradition

Abstract

The article “All Vaiṣṇavas are Gurus” by Rembert Lutjeharms critically examines Narahari Sarakāra’s Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛta, a concise yet powerful text from the 15th–16th century that redefines spiritual authority within Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism. Lutjeharms explores Sarakāra’s radical claim that any true Vaiṣṇava may function as a guru, regardless of institutional appointment—a theological stance that democratizes spiritual transmission. He further investigates how the text addresses crises of guru legitimacy, including guidance on responding to moral failure among teachers. Positioned within early Gauḍīya discourse, Kṛṣṇa-bhajanāmṛta emerges as a strategic intervention into lineage politics and devotional authenticity. Lutjeharms illuminates how it continues to challenge contemporary perceptions of hierarchy and tradition.