Sri Guru-Parampara By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thãkura

Our Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava guru-paramparā starts from Śrī Kṛṣṇa and continues through Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, right down to present times.

Oṃ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Prabhupāda has nicely verified this in the verses of the following song:

kṛṣṇa hoite catur-mukha, hoy kṛṣṇa-sevonmukha,
  brahmā hoite nāradera mati
nārada hoite vyāsa, madhva kohe vyāsa-dāsa,
  pūrṇaprajña padmanābha gati (1)

In the beginning of creation, Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke the science of devotional service to four-headed Lord Brahmā, who in turn passed on these teachings to Nārada Muni, who accepted Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana Vyāsadeva as his disciple. Vyāsadeva transmitted this knowledge to Madhvācārya, who is also known as Pūrṇaprajña Tīrtha, the sole refuge for his disciple Padmanābha Tīrtha.

nṛhari mādhava-baṃśe, akṣobhya paramahaṃse,
  śiṣya boli'aṅgīkāra kore
akṣobhyera śiṣya jaya-tīrtha nāme paricaya,
  tāra dāsye jñānasindhu tore (2)

Following in the line of Madhvācārya were Nṛhari Tīrtha and then Mādhava Tīrtha, whose principal disciple was the great paramahaṃsa Akṣobhya Tīrtha. He in turn accepted as his disciple Jayatīrtha, who passed his service down to Jñānasindhu.

tāhā hoite dayānidhi, tāra dāsa vidyānidhi,
  rājendra hoilo tāhā ha'te
tāhāra kiṅkora jaya-dharma nāme paricaya,
  paramparā jāno bhālo mate (3)

From him, the line came down to Dayānidhi, and then to his disciple Vidyānidhi, who in turn introduced it to rājendra Tīrtha. His servant was the renowned Jayadharma, also known as Vijayadhvaja Tīrtha. This is the proper understanding of guru-paramparā.

ayadharma-dāsye khyāti, śrī puruṣottama-jati,
  tā ha'te brahmaṇya-tīrtha sūri
vyāsatīrtha tāra dāsa, lakṣmīpati vyāsa-dāsa,
  tāhā ha'te mādhavendra purī (4)

The great sannyāsī Śrī Puruṣottama Tīrtha was a renowned disciple in the service of Jayadharma, and from Śrī Puruṣottama the line descended to the powerful Brahmaṇya Tīrtha, and then to Vyāsatīrtha. He was succeeded by Śrī Lakṣmīpati, who passed the line down to Śrī Mādhavendra Purī.

mādhavendra purī-bara, śiṣya-bara śrī-īśvara,
  nityānanda, śrī-adwaita vibhu
īśvara-purīke dhanya, korilen śrī-caitanya,
  jagad-guru gaura mahāprabhu (5)

Śrī Īśvara Purī was the most prominent sannyāsa disciple of the great Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, whose disciples also included the avatāras–Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Ācārya. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the Golden Lord and spiritual preceptor of all the worlds, made Īśvara Purī greatly fortunate by accepting him as dīkṣā-guru.^[1]

mahāprabhu śrī-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya,
  rūpānuga janera jīvana
viśvambhara priyaṅkara, śrī-svarūpa dāmodara,
  śrī-gosvāmī rūpa-sanātana (6)

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the combined form of rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and He is the very life of the rūpānuga Vaiṣṇavas who follow Śrī rūpa Gosvāmī. Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Śrī rūpa Gosvāmī and Śrī Sanātana Gosvāmīs were the dearmost servants of Viśvambhara Śrī Caitanya.

rūpa-priya mahājana, jīva,
  raghunātha hana, tāra priya kavi kṛṣṇadāsa
kṛṣṇadāsa-priya-bara, narottama sevā-para,
  jāra pada viśvanātha-āśa (7)

Dear to Śrī rūpa Gosvāmī were the great saintly personalities Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī and Śrī raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī, whose intimate disciple was the great poet Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja. Śrī Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja’s dearmost follower was Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, who was always engaged in guru-sevā. Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura accepted his lotus feet as his only hope and aspiration.

viśvanātha bhakta-sātha, baladeva, jagannātha,
  tā'ra priya śrī bhaktivinoda
mahā-bhāgavata-vara, śrī gaurakiśora-vara,
  hari-bhajanete jā'ra moda (8)

Prominent among the associates of Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura was Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. After him, the line descended to Śrīla Jagannātha dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, who was the beloved śikṣā-guru of Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Śrī Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was the intimate friend of the great mahā-bhāgavata Śrīla Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, whose sole delight was hari-bhajana.

īhārā paramahaṃsa,
  gaurāṅgera nija-baṃśa tādera caraṇe mama gati
āmi sebā-udāsīna,
  nāmete tridaṇḍī dīna śrī-bhaktisiddhānta sarasvatī (9)

These great saintly Vaiṣṇavas are all paramahaṃsas, or devotees of the highest order and they are all part of Lord Gaurāṅga’s own spiritual family. Their holy feet are my refuge. I am a poor and lowly tridaṇḍi-sannyāsī named Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, with no real interest in devotional service.

This most eloquent of songs shows how the Supreme Lord and all these mahā-puruṣas establish and distribute prema-bhakti throughout the entire universe.

The line of masters in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava guru-paramparā from Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī is perpetual and uninterrupted, and consequently verses such as the following are periodically added to his song:

श्री वार्षभानवी-वरा, सदा सेव्य-सेवा-परा,
&न्ब्स्प्; ताहार दयित-दास नाम

śrī vārṣabhānavī-varā, sadā sevya-sevā-parā,
  tāhāra dayita-dāsa nāma

The most distinguished Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, whose initiated name was Śrī Vārṣabhānavī Dayita dāsa, was always engaged in divine service to Hari, Guru and Vaiṣṇavas.

प्रभुपाद-अन्तरङ्ग, श्री-स्वरूप-रूपनुग,
&न्ब्स्प्; श्री केशव भकति-प्रज्ञान
गौडीय-वेदान्त-वेत्ता, मायावाद-तमोहन्ता,
&न्ब्स्प्; गौरवाणी-प्रचाराचार-धाम

prabhupāda-antaraṅga, śrī-svarūpa-rūpanuga,
  śrī keśava bhakati-prajñāna
gauḍīya-vedānta-vettā, māyāvāda-tamohantā,
  gauravāṇī-pracārācāra-dhāma

Śrī Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī is an internal and intimate disciple of Sarasvatī Prabhupāda, following in the line of Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara and Śrī rūpa Gosvāmī. With full knowledge of Vedānta philosophy according to the Gauḍīya sampradāya, Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī annihilated the darkness of all māyāvāda arguments. He has given his life for the service of Navadvīpa-dhāma, which is the best example for both practicing and preaching Mahāprabhu’s message.

प्रभुपादेर प्रचरक,
  श्री भक्तिवेदान्त नाम,पतित-जनेते दय-धाम
केशव-प्रिया-महाजन,
  वामन, नारायण हन गौरवनि तदेर प्राण-धन

prabhupādera pracaraka, śrī bhaktivedānta nāma,
  patita-janete daya-dhāma^[2]
keśava-priyā-mahājana,
  vāmana, nārāyaṇa hana gauravani tadera prāṇa-dhana

Most dear to Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī were the saintly personalities–Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī and Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī, whose life and soul are the teachings of Mahāprabhu.

एइ सब हरि-जन, गौराङ्गेर निज-जन,
&न्ब्स्प्; तदेर उच्छिष्टे मोर काम

ei saba hari-jana, gaurāṅgera nija-jana,
  tadera ucchiṣṭe mora kāma

It is my desire to honour the remnants from the lotus mouths (their mahā-prasāda and instructions) of all these personal associates of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Nityānanda Prabhu took dīkṣā from Lakṣmīpati Tīrtha, thus he was actually Mādhavendra Purī’s godbrother, but He accepted Mādhavendra as His śikṣā-guru. Thus, we follow bhāgavatparamparā, the line of śikṣā rather than dīkṣā.

[2]:

Dīkṣā disciples of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja should recite his usual praṇāma mantras. They may also include the following śloka while singing Śrīla Sarasvatī Prabhupāda’s^song: prabhupādera pracāraka, śrī bhaktivedānta nāma, patita-janete dayā-dhāma Sarasvatī Prabhupāda’s foremost disciple-preacher was Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja who has spread the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu throughout the world, and is thus a reservoir of mercy and compassion for all fallen souls.