Class: Special class on Appearance Anniversary of Srila Srivasa Thakura
and Disappearance Anniversary of His Holiness Sridhar Swami
Speaker: HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami
__________________________________________________________________
Today marks the most auspicious anniversary appearance of Srila Srivasa
Pandit or also known as Srila Srivasa Thakura and it also coincides with the
anniversary disappearance of one of our Commanders in Srila Prabhupada's
army - Srila Prabhupada is our General - Srila Sridhara Swami.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi Lili chapter 7, entitled, Lord Caitanya in Five
features, text 15
ei tina tattva, -- 'sarvaradhya' kari mani
caturtha ye bhakta-tattva, -- 'aradhaka' jani [Adi 7.15]
TRANSLATION: The three predominators [Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu
and Advaita Prabhu] are worshipable by all living entities, and the fourth
principle [Sri Gadadhara Prabhu] is to be understood as Their worshiper.
PURPORT: In his Anubhasya, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, describing
the truth about the Panca-tattva, explains that we should understand that
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the supreme predominator and that Nityananda
Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu are His subordinates but are also predominators.
Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Lord, and Nityananda Prabhu and
Advaita Prabhu are manifestations of the Supreme Lord. All of Them are
visnu-tattva, the Supreme, and are therefore worshipable by the living
entities. Although the other two tattvas within the category of Panca-tattva
-- namely, sakti-tattva and jiva-tattva, represented by Gadadhara and
Srivasa -- are worshipers of the Supreme Lord, they are in the same category
because they eternally engage in the transcendental loving service of the
Lord. [End of Srila Prabhupada's purport.]
srivasadi yata koti koti bhakta-gana
'suddha-bhakta'-tattva-madhye tan-sabara ganana [Adi 7.16]
TRANSLATION: There are innumerable pure devotees of the Lord, headed by
Srivasa Thakura, who are known as unalloyed devotees.
HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami: Srila Prabhupada said that Srila Narada
Muni is a perfect brahmacari because his sole purpose is pure devotional
service and to distribute pure devotional service. But Srila Narada Muni
gave up his brahmacari life and he entered into household life as Srila
Srivasa Thakura. So why did he do such a thing? Just like the gopis of
Vrindavan gave up their chastity and they ran to Vamsivata to associate with
Krishna when He played His flute.
Krishna consciousness is not about moral, social or ethical values of
life. We have to transcend dharma to actually enter into real dharma, the
eternal identity of the spirit soul. Therefore just as the gopis gave up
their chastity and ran to Vamsivata when Krishna played His flute, similarly
Narada Muni gave up his brahmacari vows for Vraja-bhakti, to enter into
devotional service in terms of the love of the gopis for Krishna. That is
the appearance of Srivasa Thakura.
Acc to Narada Purana (2.80.9-32), Skanda Purana (2.6.2-3), & Padma Purana
(4.75.25-46), when Narada first heard that Lord Krsna had appeared in
Vrndavana, he wandered in Vrndavana's twelve forests looking for any signs
of Syamasundara. With great intensity he ran through the secret bowers in
which Krsna would meet with the gopis. But he could not find any evidence of
Krsna's appearance. So Narada Muni is a traveling transcendental spaceman.
In other words from His vantage point(like a map-view) he can see anywhere
and everywhere whenever he likes. When he came over Vrajamandala he
could not see, although he is an accomplished yogi himself. He is full of
mysticism. Although he is trikala-jna - he knows everything, but when he
came above Vraja he was completely bewildered. He couldn't see. Therefore he
had to ground himself.
In Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 51, Srila Prabhupada says that when Narada
Muni came to the Bhandiravana forest, he saw in one of the trees the famous
parrot couple that always accompanies Lord Krsna. The parrots were imitating
a discussion they had heard upon the Vedanta philosophy, and thus were
seemingly arguing upon various philosophical points. Narada Muni was
wonderstruck and he stared at the parrots without moving his eyelids. This
is an example of anurasa, or imitation.
Then the two parrots got into an argument. They got into such a heated
argument that Narada Muni was trying to intervene and say, "Don't fight."
But they were not interested in seeing him or neither hearing him. Then he
said to himself, "Who are these parrots? They are absorbed in their own
consciousness and they cannot see me and I am Narada Muni and I am grounded
and I had to see up!" So in other words he lost all his mysticism as a
traveling transcendental spaceman.
In the heated discussion the two parrots got into some argument about
gramya-katha. That gramya-katha means they reduced the philosophy to
say that, "We cannot understand." Narada Muni said, "These parrots are
bewildering me." And the parrots started to speak about how so many young
girls are running after one boy. Immediately Narada Muni tried to close his
ears. He said, "Hearing this will make me break my brahmacari vows." But he
couldn't. He was already contaminated.
From there he wandered through many forests trying to forget what he heard.
But the more he tries to forget, the more he remembers. It is paradoxical.
The more he forgets, the more he remembers. So with great intensity he ran
through every kunja feeling, "The only person who can resolve this is this
Syamasundara." And he started looking for Him, looking for Him, looking for
Him.
So that is the feature of the mood of the six Goswamis, he radhe
vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutah [SVA 1: Sri Sri
Sad-gosvamy-astaka (krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau)] Nanda-suno - "O
Beloved of Nanda Maharaja, where are You, where are You? Are You at
Govardhan? Are You there, here and everywhere?" He was doing that. So he was
becoming purified by hearing from the eternal associates or the Lord, these
two parrots. So he became purified by their association and he took on the
mood of vipralambha-bhava of separation from Krishna. But there is a
difference. He did not meet Syamasundara so how can he feel separation? So
this type of vipralambha indicates that he is feeling separation by
eagerness to meet him for the first time. It is a different type of
vipralambha. It is not the vipralambha of the eternal associates of the Lord
where they meet(sambhoga) and then vipralambha, separation is there.
Narada Muni became contaminated by anurasa. That means when these parrots
were imitating a philosophical discussion and started speaking of
gramya-katha, about how so many girls are fighting over one boy. He became
contaminated simply by the imitation of the parrots of Vrindavan. So it is
called anurasa. Imagine if he gets the real thing! Therefore it is
vipralambha-bhava, not with first meeting Krishna, because he is
only getting an abhasa or shadow of the reflective consciousness of the
eternal residents of Vrndavana. So Narada Muni became completely disturbed
that, "I need to see this boy!" So he performed tapasya to please Lord Siva
and then he got a boon from Lord Siva. When Siva appeared he said, "You take
this mantra, meditate and perform some tapasya in this forest called
Puspavan." Puspavana means a forest of flowers.
Narada Muni meditated and meditated and meditated through austerity, not
even drinking water. He was not interested in doing any other activity
except the eagerness and earnest desire to get Krishna, Syamasundara
Krishna. So at the time, in that particular area, one little girl came with
her friends. Prior to this her mother said, "I noticed in this area one Baba
is there. You go and see what he needs because he has been there for weeks
and months but he is going on without eating. He is always sitting one
place. So you go and see."
She went to Narada Muni and Narada Muni could understand that somebody is
around by the tinkling of the ankle bells. So he felt, "My meditation has
been broken by some simple tinkling of ankle bells. That must be more
powerful than my meditation." So he opened his eyes and he saw the leader of
these girls. When he saw the leader of these girls she entered into his
consciousness and he broke his brahmacari vows for the second time.
Immediately he tried to compose himself and closed his eyes and go into
internal meditation and when he went back into internal meditation he became
agitated by the impression, samskara of that little girl. It was in his
consciousness. Just like sometimes when we are disturbed, when we try to
chant with attention, but we remember more the person or the situation that
disturbed us rather than hearing the mantra. So the same thing happened to
Narada Muni. He was trying to chant the mantra given to him by Lord Siva but
it was not working because he was disturbed by the impression or samskara of
that girl. So he pretended he was chanting and slowly he started opening his
eyes a little bit and he saw the girls were still there.
Then the leader of the girls said, "Baba my mother sent me. What do you need
for your prasada?" So Narada Muni opened his eyes fully. He was not
interested in the prasad. He was getting darsan. He said, "How is it I am
meditating and now I have come to you and you are the result of my
meditation?" So then he explained himself. So the little girl said, "Oh you
want to see this Syamasundara?" Narada Muni said, "Yes. Can you show me?"
"Oh yes. I will show you. I know this boy. I will show you." And she said,
"Follow me." Narada Muni said, "I am brahmacari. If somebody sees me in this
forest following young girl." Meanwhile her friends went away. "And you are
alone now. Problem!" The girl said, "This is Puspavan. You are a Baba. You
are a great sage so therefore how can I cheat you? You will curse me. I
don't want that. So I will go forward and then you come but you must keep
distance in such a way that you can see me but I cannot see you." He said,
"How? What if you run away? How will I know?" She said, "Ankle bells
tinkling."
So they came to a clearing where they saw a massive kunda. It was
as if the waters were overflowing the banks of the kunda, big lake that was
flowing so beautifully. So she was sitting on the banks and she said, "Baba
come." Narada Muni looks this side and that. Nobody is around so then he
comes closer. And then she says, "Closer, closer, closer, closer, closer."
He said, "I have already broken my brahmacari vow so many times. Now it
is a problem." She said, "Come sit right next to me now." Narada Muni was
saying, "No", but he was going nearer because he is eager. "No." But he is
going near. So immediately when Narada Muni comes close this little girl
stands up. He sits down and she pushes him in the lake with her hands. When
he goes in the lake he becomes completely submerged and he comes out. When
he comes out he sees, "Am I a he or a she?" So he sees that his body has
become the form of a little girl and then this little girl laughs at him.
"You are not Narada. You are Naradi." [Laughter.] So Narada has become gopi
Naradi, little girl. Internally he is Narada Muni and external he is
looking, "How is this. This has completely broken all my brahmacari vows.
Now I have become one of them. I have become a girl!"
Then this other little girl takes Naradi, he/she - he inside but she outside
to another kunda and says, "You sit here. He will come." And he is
embarrassed that he is being instructed by a young girl and he is
brahmacari. "You sit here. Don't move. Syama will come". So in this lake
Naradi is seeing lotus flowers and he sees that these lotus flowers are
white and they are moving towards him. When he looks closer and closer,
he/she looks closer and closer. It is not lotus flowers. It is Syamasundara
with lotus like gopis around Him.
So she, Naradi is about to go into the water and this other gopi says, "No.
You cannot. You stay here. You cannot go." She(Naradi) says, "Why?" This
little gopi said, "You only said you want to see. You want to witness but
you cannot participate." So Naradi is feeling, "Oh I have come so far and I
am so near yet I am still so far. In other words I am so near yet I am so
far. What is this?" And Naradi became angry. This other gopis said, "You
cannot be angry. It is not good for you. This is kama. This is lust."
So Naradi had to compose himself internally and herself externally.
Immediately when Naradi became angry and he looked again, because anger
means you get bewildered, you get blinded - then she Naradi composed herself
again externally and she sees that everything has disappeared.
Then Syamasundara spoke to Narada(in the form of Naradi), "You go back and
as Naradi, in that consciousness you write what you saw." So this other
little girl brought Naradi to this huge lake where Narada was transformed
into a little girl and she said, " Nobody will say anything. Just sit next
to me now. You are gopi Naradi and if anyone sees us we are two little girls
on the bank." So while this other girl was speaking to Naradi, bewildering
Naradi, she pushed her(Naradi) into the lake again. Coming out of lake,
Naradi transformed back into Narada Muni and there was no one to be seen
around. That area is called Puspavana. That main lake in Puspavan is called
Kusuma Sarovara and those twin lakes that Naradi went to with that little
gopi, her name is Vrndadevi, who took Narada as Naradi and those twin lakes
are Radhakunda and Symakunda.
Narada Muni felt, "I cannot stay here, it is too much!". So he entered deep
into the forest and that area today you can go to is called Naradavana. He
bathed there, not to be purified from all these samskaras, but he bathed
there to get that darsan again, internally. So that is called Naradakunda.
You can go there today. There is a little temple and therein there is a
beautiful deity of Narada Muni, in Naradavana, not very far from Kusuma
Sarovara. There he followed Syamasundara's verbal instructions and he wrote
the bhakti-sastras. The principle bhakti-sastra that he wrote there is
called Narada-bhakti-sutra, which is printed by our BBT.
In Narada-bhakti-sutra, Narada Muni says in text 19,
naradas tu tad-arpitakhilacarata tad-vismarane parama-vyakulateti
Narada, however, says that bhakti consists of offering one's every act to
the Supreme Lord and feeling extreme distress in forgetting Him. [NBS 19]
yatha vraja-gopikanam
The cowherd women of Vraja are an example of pure bhakti. [NBS 21]
And in the purport it is stated that the topmost devotees of all are the
gopis of Vraja. So why is he writing these bhakti-sastras like
Narada-bhakti-sutra? He is writing in vipralambha bhava because he could not
participate. And because he could not participate he was writing in
separation and he was craving to participate in Radha Krishna lila but
he cannot because he is a Narayana bhakta, "Om namo narayanaya." With his
vina he moves.
So that craving to enter into Radha Krishna lila is the form of Srila
Srivasa Thakura. And He does enter. So we find that Narada Muni is a
brahmacari eternally and Srivasa Thakur is a householder. Narada Muni is the
musician with vina and in the courtyard of Srivasangan, just up the road
from our Mayapur Temple, here this sankirtana movement was in full swing of
song and dance in the house and courtyard of Srivas Thakura known as
Srivasangan. So he is also a musician, Srivasa Thakura who is also known as
Srivasa Pandit. Therefore it is simultaneously said that Srivas Thakura is
an incarnation of Narada Muni and simultaneously he is not an incarnation of
Narada Muni because he is the form of Narada Muni that enters into Radha
Krishna lila because Narada Muni himself cannot enter.
Srivasa Thakur had a younger brother named Sri Rama Pandita and he is an
incarnation of Parvata Muni who is the eternal associate and accompanying
friend of Narada Muni. Srivasa Thakura's wife's name is Malini and she is an
incarnation of Syamasundara's nurse named Ambika who fed Syamasundara
personally with her breast milk. Srivasa Thakur had one niece. Her name is
Narayani and immediately Mahaprabhu in His ecstasy said, "Chant the holy
name." And when she chanted she could not stop and she was dancing in
ecstasy. And the ecstatic feature of Narayani became Srila Vrindavan dasa
Thakur, her son. Therefore we know that Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura, has
written so much lila about the Panca-tattva Themselves.
So we can understand that after Lord Caitanya's accepting of sannyasa
Srivasa Pandit left Navadvip and he went to another area called Kumarahatta
and Mahaprabhu personally visited him there in Kumarahatta. It is not very
far from our Mayapur Temple.
Srila Gadadhara is Radharani in separation from Krishna, she feeling she
does have not have any love for Krishna. It is said that Gadadhara is an
expansion of Radharani, similarly Srivas Pandit is an expansion of Narada
Muni and simultaneously he is the devotional energy, the form of the
devotee. So I read this verse today,
jaya jaya srivasadi gaura-bhakta-gana [Adi 9.3]
but at the same time when we say,
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
And that 'vrnda' is the form of Vrndadevi who contaminated Narada Muni with
gopi bhava in separation from Krishna although not participating -
gaura-bhakta-vrnda. Therefore 'srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda' That Srivasa is
that person who heads up all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, Gaura-bhakta. So
practically our general in the Panca-tattva is Srivasa Thakura. Therefore
'srivasadi', adi indicates all others. And who are they? Those devotees of
Lord Caitanya headed up by Srivasa Thakura, 'gaura-bhakta-gana or
gaura-bhakti-vrnda.' So what he wants to do with us? What he wants us to do
with him? It is that we have to enter into Vrnda - Vrindavana. Therefore it
says all glories to the devotees of Lord Caitanya headed up by Srivasa
Thakur. So we are in his line fully.
There is another verse:
jaya jaya srivasadi yata bhakta-gana
pranata ha-iya vandon sabara carana
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Srivasa Thakura and all the other
devotees of the Lord. I fall down to offer them respect. I worship their
lotus feet. [Adi 8.4]
There in the purport Srila Prabhupada says, "Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami
teaches us first to offer respect to the Panca-tattva -- Sri Krsna Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivasa
Prabhu and other devotees. We must strictly follow the principle of offering
our respects to the Panca-tattva, as summarized in the mantra
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. At the beginning of every function in
preaching, especially before chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra -- Hare
Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,
Hare Hare -- we must chant the Panca-tattva's names and offer our respects
to them."
Sometimes I see that devotees only chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra for
long hours but they actually forget to chant the Panca-tattva mantra. This
is an instruction from our founder acarya. You can see it in CC, Adi 8.4.
There is a very interesting thing. When you see the Panca-tattva on the
altar what is Srivasa Thakura doing? Is he facing Lord Caitanya? Who is he
facing? All of us! Why? Because he feels that he is not worthy to be a
member of the Panca-tattva, at the same time he feels that he is not worthy
to be called a devotee. Therefore he is praying - that is another meaning of
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. That means, "I am heading up all of you for
you to give me your mercy to some day become a devotee." So if he is heading
up all the devotees srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda what does it mean? It means
that we have to get his consciousness because he is heading up all the
devotees. But he is saying, "I am heading you all up because I am praying to
you that someday I will become a devotee by your mercy."
trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31]
So that is one meaning. Another meaning when he prays to all the devotees in
front he says, "I am begging you. You please come to the lotus feet of
Gadadhara, Mahaprabhu, Nityananda and Advaita. You please come to them. You
go first and until all of you go first then I will follow. That is how I am
qualified to come last." So he is begging. So srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda,
this is the consciousness. Therefore he is the personification of humility,
trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. Why is this so important?
When we chant the Panca-tattva mantra, jaya sri-krsna-caitanya, what does it
begin with? Sri-krsna-caitanya. It is implicit that the devotees are there.
Krishna Caitanya is a devotee and how does it end? Gaura-bhakta-vrnda. The
devotees are there at the beginning and at the end and everything else is
Visnu-tattva expansions and rasa in the sandwich. You cannot just eat dry
bread. What makes the two slices relishable is the filling, paneer or some
subji. But the devotees sandwich that. Mahaprabhu Himself becomes that and
the devotees headed up by Srivasa Thakur. So when we chant: Hare Krishna,
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama,
Hare Hare. The mantra begins with Hare and it ends with Hare - again
devotees, gaura-bhakta-vrnda. When we chant the prema dhvani prayers,
jaya om visnupada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri-srimad His
Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki jaya.
And next is ananta koti vaisnava vrnda ki jaya. And how does it end?
Samaveta bhakta-vrnda ki jaya. How many times is "all glories to the
assembled devotees"? Three times. And who are those devotees? Those devotees
are those devotees who live with you in your immediate community. That is
what it means. Not that ananta koti vaisnava vrnda ki jaya is devotees who
visit us. No. They are there with you. So this is
srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda.
One such devotee who lived in our midst's and still lives in separation and
in lila in our midst's is HH Sridhar Swami Maharaj. When at that time
Sridhar Das brahmacari, Prthu-putra Das brahmacari and Lokantha Das
brahmacari accepted sannyasa from Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana, they went
to Srila Prabhupada's quarters to ask for blessings and direction. Srila
Prabhupada did not give them the name Swami in the yajna. He just gave them
sannyasa danda. He didn't say this is your name. So they were thinking,
"Prabhupada forgot to give us the name Swami." So they asked Prabhupada the
first question, "Prabhupada we didn't get our names." He said, "Just add
Swami." In his room, "So Lokanath Swami, Sridhar Swami and Prthu-putra
Swami. Just add Swami". So then they asked, "Give us some blessings and
direction." And Prabhupada said, "You have to do four things without
duplicity. That is sannyasa." They said, "Four things without duplicity?"
Without duplicity means what you are inside you are the same outside. So
therefore a sadhu's life is an open book. Nothing to hide! There is nothing
under the carpet, no dirt and there is nothing in the closet. If there is
any dirt, "This is me." Expose yourself without duplicity. "This is me as I
am. Please help me." So then they asked, "What are the four things?" So
Srila Prabhupada said, "man-mana bhava mad-bhakto is the first thing.
Mad-yaji mam namaskuru is the second thing, mam evaisyasi satyam te is
number three and pratijane priyo 'si me is fourth." [Sanskrit from Bg
18.65]." He said, "When you think of Krishna do it without duplicity, when
you want to be His devotee do it without duplicity, when you want to offer
homage, praise to Him do it without duplicity and when you offer dandavats,
bowing down, do it without duplicity. This is sannyasa."
So I asked HH Lokanath Swami, "What does it mean?" He said, "The only way
you can be without duplicity is to not be duplicitous with the devotees.
That is what Srila Prabhupada actually meant." And HH Sridhara Swami Maharaj
was like that. He would call a spade a spade and he said, "You can call me
also, like a spade is a spade". He was inside the same and outside the same.
His life was an open book. If he wanted to eat pizza in a public place he
would do it. "Why should I hide and eat?" he loved pizzas. "Why should I
hide and eat pizzas? I am a sannyasi. I should be open." He was like that.
Wonderful personality. So it is most auspicious that HH Sridhara Swami left
on the most auspicious anniversary appearance day of Srila Srivasa Thakura,
in the most auspicious place, Sridhama Mayapur.
When Sridhara dasa brahmacari was serving Srila Prabhupada in Juhu, Mumbai,
you know him. He had a hefty built. His manifest form to us was a hefty
built, like a football player. So Srila Prabhupada said that he must take
care of the construction materials because he has this hefty built when he
walks around and they know he is in charge of the construction materials,
nobody will steal. And you know HH Sridhara Swami he walked like that, "I am
looking after Krishna's paraphernalia." And what is that paraphernalia?
Construction materials - aprakat material to be prakat in the form of this
beautiful marble temple for Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari.
When the news came that Srila Prabhupada wanted him to do that, HH Giriraj
Swami went to HH Sridhar Swami and he said that Srila Prabhupada wants you
to look after the construction materials. He said, "Why me? I want to
preach. You go back to Srila Prabhupada and you tell him that." So back and
forth Giriraj Swami was going to Prabhupada and Sridhar Swami. "He wants you
to do this." "No I want to preach." Then eventually Srila Prabhupada seeing
his determination to preach gave him sannyasa. And we see that his
desire to preach was without duplicity and he became one of the best
preachers practically in India and the whole world. He spent considerable
time here in India itself.
At one time HH Sridhar Swami joked about the zonal acarya system, So he
joked, "If they make me guru, I will only take three disciples." And he
joked, "One to cook, one to do my laundry and one to collect money for me."
He said, "Why should I take many? I only need three. That is all."
So here in this Room 851 in the Conch Building, where he left us in his
manifest pastimes, the doctor came to him and his stomach was quite bloated.
So the doctor was examining him and he was feeling his stomach to asses the
situation. While he was doing that he was watching HH Sridhar Swami's face
and Sridhar Swami slowly opens his eyes and he looked at the doctor and
said, "You know it's a boy!"[Laughter.] Because his stomach was swollen.
Amazing personality. In the most grave situation he could joke. He just
cracked up. Therefore he is known as the Jolly Swami.
He told HH Giriraj Swami on the phone when he was still considering what to
do now that it was eminent that he has to leave. And he said, "You know I
only have three desires. Everything else is fulfilled. I just want to
survive to want to be in Mayapur. And then survive to see the installation
of the Panca-tattva. And therafter, if Krishna wills I should leave after
Gaura-purnima." Lord Krishna, Lord Caitanya and the Panca-tattva fulfilled
all three desires. He lived beyond Gaura-purnima for the installation of the
Panca-tattva and Srivasa Thakur was One of Them. So Krishna fulfilled all
three desires.
Therefore we see in the same way when one disciple asked Srila Prabhupada in
his last days, "Srila Prabhupada, your Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakur, he left early because he was disgusted with the leadership
of the Gaudiya Math. Is this the same with you, is it true of you now? That
you are leaving us?" And Srila Prabhupada said, "No! If Krishna allows I
will be most happy to stay in your company. In fact you all are the best
association." And that includes great personalities like HH Sridhar Swami
Maharaj and that also includes all of us even as grand disciples or great
grand disciples.
Srila Prabhupada is eager for our association. And how is he eager for our
association? Provided we are eager to stay in ISKCON. And why we are eager
to stay in ISKCON? When Siddha Svarupananda Swami wanted to leave ISKCON,
Srila Prabhupada finally laid down the line. He said, "ISKCON is me". Then
Siddha Svarupananda Swami came to Mayapur and said, "I can't stand your
ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, but I will always remain faithful to you," and
Srila Prabhupada said, "ISKCON and myself are nondifferent." Therefore if we
really want Srila Prabhupada's association and we really want Prabhupada to
be the best association for us and to reciprocate, we can only find this in
ISKCON - The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, just as that
great personality, Sripada Sridhar Swami Maharaj who also mercifully gave us
his association and has left us on the anniversary of this day.
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Ananta-koti-vaisnava-vrnda ki jaya!
Srila Sridhar Swami Maharaj ki jaya!
Srila Srivasa Thakur ki jaya!
Nitai-gaura-premanande, hari-haribol!
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