The Supreme Lord is transcendental and beyond comprehension of human intellect, mind and sense-organs. He is 'asamorddhva', i.e. there is no one equal to Him or more than Him. So, His grace is the only means of getting Him. At the beginning of creation, when Brahmā originated from the navel of the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Lord imparted divine knowledge to him out of compassion.

jñānaṁ parama-guhyaṁ me
yad vijñāna-samanvitam
sarahasyaṁ tad-aṅgaṁ ca
gṛhāṇa gaditaṁ mayā
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2. 9. 31

"I tell you the most secret of all secrets for esoteric realisation of divinity. Accept it and practice different forms of devotion to get the objective."

Brahmā, after realisation, imparted that divine knowledge to Nārada Goswāmi and Nārada Goswāmi to Vyāsadeva – in this way the knowledge of divinity is extended through the preceptorial channel or disciplic channel. Śrī Amarārtha Chandrika has interpreted the word 'āmnāya' as 'sampradāya'. The etymological meaning of 'sampradāya' is divine knowledge descending through a bona fide preceptorial channel, where the sanctity of knowledge is correctly and completely retained. Nowadays due to prostitution of language, 'sampradāya' is misinterpreted as 'sectarianism'.

sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā matāḥ
sādhanaughair na sidhyanti, koti-kalpa-śatair api
ataḥ kalau bhaviṣyanti, catvāraḥ sampradāyainaḥ
śri-brahma-rudra-sanakā, vaiṣnavāḥ kṣiti-pāvanāḥ
– Padma Purana

"All mantras without connection to a sampradāya or not received through a preceptorial channel are fruitless. Practice of such mantras for millions and millions of years will be in vain. Therefore, four bona fide sampradāyas have appeared to rescue the fallen souls in this Kaliyuga (black age) viz. 'Śrī' (Lakṣmi), 'Brahmā', 'Rudra' and 'Sanak'.”

It is stated in 'Premeya Ratnāvali', written by Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇ Prabhu that Śrī, i.e. Lakṣmi Devi has accepted Rāmānuja (other names - Rāmānandi or Rāmait), Brahmā has accepted Madhvāchārya (another name - Madhva), Rudra has accepted Visnuswami (other names - Vallabhāchārya or Vallabhi) and 'Chatuhsan' (or Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan and Sanatkumar) has accepted Nimbāditya (other names - Nimat or Nimbārka or Nimānandi) as āchāryas of the respective sampradāyas.

Śrī Bhakti Vinod Vāṇi Vaibhav has said, "Śrī Brahma sampradāya is the preceptorial channel of the devout devotees of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. In conformity to this preceptorial channel, Śrī Kavi Karṇapur Goswāmi has determined guru-praṇāli (succession of gurus) in his own writing, Gauragaṇodeṣa Dīpika. Śrī Baladeva Vidyābhuṣaṇ, the commentator of vedantasūtra, has firmly corroborated this. Those who disown this guru-praṇāli are considered to be the greatest foes against the verdict of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu's followers and personal associates.

Acceptance of the system of bona fide sampradāya is absolutely necessary. Therefore, from ancient times, this acceptance of the system of bona fide sampradāya is very acutely followed by sādhus. Those who have understood the significance of the teachings of the Vedas through preceptorial channel from Brahmā, have accepted this perfect representation. Others, having diverted from this opinion, have become the slaves of various blasphemous atheistic views"

Kavi Karṇapur, in his book Gauragaṇodeṣa Dīpika, has ascertained guru paramparā (succession of gurus) in this way :-

tatra māddhavīsampradāyaḥ prastāvādatra likhyate
parabrahmeśvarasayasīcchiyo jagatpatiḥ

The Paramparā (preceptorial channel) consists of Brahmā, the disciple of the Lord of the transcendental realm, followed in gradual succession by – Nārada – Vyāsadeva – Madhvāchārya – Padmanābhāchārya – Narahari – Mādhava – Akṣobhya – Jayatīrtha – Jñānasindhu – Mahānidhi – Vidyānidhi – Rājendra – Jayadharma – Puruṣottama – Vyāsatīrtha – Lakṣmipati – Mādhavendrapūri – Iśwarapūri – Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.

Śrī Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswati Goswāmi Ṭhākur in his anubhāsya (commentary) on Śrī Chaitanya Charitāmṛta, remembers guru paramparā from Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and prays for their grace as follows:-

mahāprabhu śrī-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya,
rūpānuga janera jīvana
viśwambhara priyaṅkara, śrī-swarūpa dāmodara,
tāra mitra rūpa-sanātana,
rūpa-priya mahājana, raghunātha bhaktadhana,
tāra priya kavi kṛṣṇadāsa,
kṛṣṇadāsa-priya-vara, narottama sevā-para,
jāra pada viśwanātha-āśa,
bhaktarāja viśwanātha, tāhe śraddho jagannātha,
tāra priya bhakativinoda,
mahā-bhāgavata-vara, śrī-gaurakiśora-vara,
hari-bhajanete jā'ra moda,
ei saba harijana, gaurāṅgera nijajana,
tādera ucchiṣṭe yāra kāma,
śrī-vārṣabhānavī-varā, sadā sevya-sevā-parā,
tāhāra dayita-dāsa-nāma,
harijana-sevā-āśa, bhakti-vṛddhi-abhilāṣa
pravāha-bhāṣyera anugata,
gaur-jana-śāstra dekhi,' sei anusārya likhi,
'anubhāṣya' rūpānuga mata

'Śrotriya, brahma-niṣṭha, mahābhāgavat vaiṣṇavas' are jagat gurus (spiritual guides of the whole world) for all time to come. By their remembrance, all objectives are attained.