srila bhaktisiddhanta sarasvati thakura - Blog - ISKCON Desire Tree | IDT2024-03-29T10:33:05Zhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/srila+bhaktisiddhanta+sarasvati+thakuraSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-appearance-day-22024-02-29T12:45:12.000Z2024-02-29T12:45:12.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12391423889,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" alt="12391423889?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></strong></p>
<p><strong>Sri Prahlada Dasa:</strong></p>
<p>Today is the holy appearance day of our grandfather or great-grandfather spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. On Giriraj Maharaja’s instruction, I will attempt to say something about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s history and share my realizations regarding his contribution and mood. I pray for the mercy of the Vaishnavas that this realization aligns with his authentic teachings.</p>
<p>The appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is most significant. His father, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, emerged as a great spiritual reformer at a time when Gaudiya Vaishnavism had become marginalized and in many ways perverted. While not universal, there were deviations from the mature teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in various areas. Recognizing this, Bhaktivinoda Thakura sought to reestablish Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission in this world.</p>
<p>In his personal endeavors Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote extensive literature and established nama-hatta, the marketplace for the holy name, organizing sangas to facilitate the association of Vaishnavas. He also prayed for assistance in this significant task. Bhaktivinoda Thakura harbored a vision to spread Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement to the Western world, and he prayed to Krishna for help in its realization. It is understood that the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the fulfillment of that prayer.</p>
<p>Bhaktivinoda Thakura was living in Puri at the time of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s appearance on February 6, 1874. The site of his birth lies on the Grand Road between the Jagannatha and Gundica temples, where Jagannatha’s chariot procession takes place each year. Biographies recount various significant signs indicating the transcendental nature of his appearance. One such sign was the umbilical cord draped over his left shoulder and then across his chest resembling an upavita, or what is often called a “brahman thread.” Another indication was an incident that occurred during the chariot festival. The procession halted right in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house for a significant duration, unable to move. Seizing the opportunity, Bhaktisiddhanta’s mother, Srimati Bhagavati Devi, took her baby, then named Bimala Prasada, onto the chariot, placing him at the lotus feet of Jagannatha Swami. As she prayed at Jagannatha’s lotus feet, a garland fell around Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, interpreted as Jagannatha’s benediction upon the child.</p>
<p>As a side note, Brahmananda Prabhu recounted a story of when Srila Prabhupada paid his obeisances to Radha Krishna deities and Krishna’s garland fell not around Prabhupada but in front of him. Prabhupada turned to Brahmananda and exclaimed, “Did you see? Krishna’s garland has fallen. He is pleased with me!”</p>
<p>At a very young age Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati learned the entire Bhagavad-gita. It is said that at the age of seven he could recite the entire Gita and explain its verses. Evidently, he received thorough training from his father. Bhaktivinoda Thakura also performed the upanayana samskara, Vedic initiation into the Gayatri mantra, for him at around the same age. Additionally, he entrusted Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura with the service of worshipping a Varaha sila.</p>
<p> The Varaha salagrama was unearthed while excavating the site for Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home, Bhakti Bhavan, in Calcutta. Bhaktivinoda presented the salagrama to his son, Bimala Prasada Datta, along with a mantra to Lord Nrsimhadeva. This mantra was revealed to Bhaktivinoda Thakura either in meditation or in a dream, wherein Nrsimhadeva bestowed it upon him. Later, when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sent three sannyasis as preachers to the West, he gave them a salagrama sila, a Govardhana sila, a Dvaraka sila, and this Nrsimha mantra to protect the mission.</p>
<p>There is a famous story of how Bhaktivinoda Thakura was strict with Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Once, when some fruits and vegetables were brought into the house, the young child selected a mango and said, “This one is for me.” Bhaktivinoda Thakura replied, “What is this? Before Radha-Giridhari have been offered this fruit, you are already claiming it as yours.” The Deities worshipped in Bhakti Bhavan were Radha and Giridhari. The young child, Bimala Prasada Datta, took this correction very seriously, and he made a vow to never eat mangoes again. Whenever he was offered mangoes or preparations made with mangoes, he would respond, “No. I am an offender.” That too, was a sign of his spiritual seriousness and determination.</p>
<p>During his college years Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati exhibited remarkable brilliance and acquired knowledge in astrology and astronomy. He translated, if not commentated upon, the Surya Siddhanta, a shastra on astronomical science and Vedic cosmology. He also learned Sanskrit and assisted his father by proofreading and editing various publications Bhaktivinoda Thakura produced in English and Bengali.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati once described himself, saying, “I am not only a proofreader of the press; I am a proofreader of men—I see their faults and try to correct them. I am also a proofreader of religion. I have appeared in the zodiac sign of the crab, so whenever I see anything nondevotional, I act like a crab. If I see any so-called devotion, not actually in the true unalloyed spirit, I shall pierce it!” Thus, he functioned as both a literal and metaphorical editor and proofreader.</p>
<p>In college he formed a student society called the August Assembly, for which the key requirement for membership was maintaining celibacy, or brahmacharya. The society would meet and discuss philosophy and, I suppose, social issues as well.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati gave up his college studies prior to graduating due to concerns that his father would get him married if he had a degree and potential for a job. As a staunch naistika-brahmachari, committed to lifelong celibate life, he wished to avoid entanglements. Consequently, he quit his studies early and left home to work for one of the maharajas of India, serving as the court astrologer and administrator. In this role he conducted an extensive review of the maharaja’s administration to eliminate corruption and to reorganize the systems. Although the circumstances of his leaving that post are unclear, at a certain point he decided to redirect his focus toward his father’s mission of establishing and preaching Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p>When Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered the Yogapitha, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took up residence there in a grass hut and pledged to chant a billion names of the Lord. To complete this vow, he engaged in chanting the same number of rounds as Haridasa Thakura—192 rounds each day. Once, during a visit in the rainy season, someone noticed a leak in the roof of the grass hut. Instead of taking the time to repair the hole, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati simply sat in the hut with an umbrella and continued chanting his japa. This vow was a long-term commitment that took him several years to complete.</p>
<p>Around the same time, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took spiritual initiation from Gaurakisora dasa Babaji—possibly before he undertook the vow mentioned earlier. Gaurakisora dasa Babaji had a policy of not accepting any disciples. However, Bhaktivinoda Thakura urged Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to seek initiation from him.</p>
<p>Initially, when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati approached Babaji Maharaja, Maharaja did not agree. After some time, Bhaktivinoda Thakura encouraged Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to approach Babaji Maharaja again. This time, Gaurakisora dasa Babaji responded, “I will have to ask Gauranga. We will see what Gauranga decides.” On another occasion, when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati inquired about Gauranga’s decision, Gaurakisora dasa Babaji did not provide a direct answer.</p>
<p><strong>Giriraj Swami:</strong> He said he forgot to ask.</p>
<p><strong>Sri Prahlada Dasa:</strong> Oh, yes. Finally, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati expressed that if Gaurakisora dasa Babaji did not give him spiritual initiation, he would end his life. Understanding Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s unwavering determination, Gaurakisora dasa Babaji agreed to initiate him. Often when this story is recounted, it is mentioned how Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was illiterate, while Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a highly erudite scholar. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was sometimes referred to as a walking encyclopedia due to his extensive knowledge on a wide range of topics.</p>
<p>After completing that vow to chant one billion names, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati began his preaching mission. I believe disciples had already approached him while he was chanting; I am not sure about that. Nevertheless, he began his preaching mission. He started to travel to Calcutta and Puri. Eventually he founded a matha in Calcutta at Ultadanga Road, and more and more devotees, disciples, started to come and take shelter of him and assist him in preaching work.</p>
<p>There is an incident relating to Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s disappearance. In his humility, he had expressed a desire: “When I die, I should be tied in rope and dragged through the streets of Navadvipa and then I will get some benefit.” Upon his disappearance, the babajis of Navadvipa wanted to do that—tie him with a rope and drag his body through the streets. When Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati came to hear of it, he crossed the river from Mayapur with a couple of disciples and strongly opposed the babajis’ plan.</p>
<p>The babajis were insistent but could not agree on the final resting place. A dispute had arisen among them regarding who would get to make his samadhi in their own matha. Knowing that he was a great soul, pilgrims would come and offer donations, and so there was this quarrel amongst them. When Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati came, he forbade any of them to touch the holy body of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. He said, “As a disciple, I have the right to honor the body of my spiritual master after his disappearance.” The babajis did not appreciate that argument. In response to their resistance, he challenged them, and as far as I understand, the local police constable was with him as well. He issued a challenge: “If there is anyone here that has not had illicit sex in the past six months, then you can come forward and touch the body of my spiritual master.” No one stepped forward. He then reduced the time frame: “If there is anyone that has not engaged in illicit sex in the past month, then you can come forward.” And no one came forward at that either. Then he then asked, “Anyone who has not had illicit sex in the past week, come forward.” And no one did. He asked about the past two days, and then the past day, and finally the past night—and none of the babajis came forward. With this, he picked up the body of his spiritual master and carried it to the banks of the Ganges, where he placed it in samadhi. Later, he relocated the samadhi to Sridhama Mayapur to the Chaitanya Matha, where the samadhi remains today.</p>
<p>After the disappearance of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati felt a need to reestablish the sannyasa order in the Gaudiya Vaishnava sampradaya to further the preaching mission. He sat before a picture of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja and performed his own sannyasa ceremony according to the rites that he had researched while in South India during an earlier visit. There, in the Sri Sampradaya, Vaishnava sannyasa is still present and has been practiced for a long duration of time. At the time of his spiritual initiation, he had received the name Varsabhanavi-devi-dayite dasa, and on taking sannyasa he assumed the name Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.</p>
<p>As a sannyasi, he continued his dynamic preaching, and he started awarding the sannyasa order to his disciples. I know of one case when a disciple of Bhaktivinoda Thakura took sannyasa from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati—Bhakti Pradipa Tirtha Maharaja. Bhakti Pradipa Tirtha Maharaja was one of the preachers who visited the home of Prabhupada in Allahabad. After that visit, Prabhupada became more actively involved in the Gaudiya Matha.</p>
<p>There is one other really wonderful story, out of chronology now, about Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s preaching—a famous incident. A debate had arisen concerning the position of a Vaishnava and the position of a brahman. Bhaktivinoda Thakura had been invited to speak at a sabha assembly of learned scholars, pandits who would present their views and debate with the other pandits holding opposing views. Bhaktivinoda Thakura was to represent the Vaishnavas and present the Vaishnava conclusions, but due to illness, he was unable to attend and requested Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati to go in his place.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati delivered a masterful presentation that is currently available as a book called Brahman and Vaishnava. He initiated his presentation by glorifying the brahmans, quoting numerous Vedic texts from the shastras glorifying the exalted position of the brahman. This was the first day of his presentation, and all the brahmans were pleased. They were all very happy after the first day of his presentation.</p>
<p>On the second day, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati began quoting verses establishing the position of the Vaishnava, highlighting how the Vaishnava was even more glorious than the brahman. He emphasized that whether the Vaishnava was born in a family of even dog-eaters or even in the family of a non-Aryan race, their position was still exalted, even higher than the brahman. When he concluded his presentation, the crowd that had assembled there rushed forward to touch his feet and take the dust. Organizers were worried about the danger of the crowd pressing forward, prompting one of them to pour water over Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s feet, mix it in with a larger container of water, and throw it over the crowd. And the people in the crowd were satisfied that they had received the mercy of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s lotus feet. It is also said that at the other side of the pandal where that program had taken place, as the crowd dispersed, Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was seen. He had been watching the entire proceedings and giving his mercy, his blessings, to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.</p>
<p>Now I want to touch on some things—first Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati organizing a mission, organizing a religion. In a sense, that was not done prior to him—in the sense of institutionalizing Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Before him, Gaudiya Vaishnavism had always been practiced informally, without the structure of an institution. In Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s time there was no established institution as such, and at the time of the gosvamis as well, it remained an informal association. When Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati established the matha at Ultadanga Road, he said that he was not creating a new institution but rather reviving that which had been already organized by Rupa Gosvami as the Vishva Vaishnava Raja Sabha. Vishva means universal or . . .</p>
<p><strong>Giriraj Swami:</strong> Worldwide.</p>
<p><strong>Sri Prahlada Dasa: </strong>Worldwide, international. Vaishnava Raja Sabha means the world assembly of the Vaishnavas. We would have it later translated as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. But Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati made that statement that he was reviving that Vishva Vaishnava Raja Sabha. Later he formalized it as the Gaudiya Matha. He thus formalized Gaudiya Vaishnavism in that sense, and he also reestablished varnashrama. It was always there, particularly in the time of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu—there were brahmacharis, grihasthas, sannyasis. But for a period after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s disappearance pastime, Gaudiya Vaishnavism had been practiced mainly by monastic babajis residing in holy places—Navadvipa, Vrindavan, Radha-kunda—doing their solitary bhajana or meditation, chanting, hearing.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati organized groups of brahmacharis living in a city who would go out with the sannyasis and preach to the grihasthas. In that way he gave a different face to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. He would strongly criticize the babajis, as we have heard in the story of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s disappearance. He saw most of them as hypocrites. In encouraging varnashrama, he made the practice of Krishna consciousness practical and acceptable to common people. The teaching, or the practice, of the babajis was that one should remain in a single place, live very simply, and just do bhajana. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s point was that for most people that is not possible. He wrote a song, or a book, in which he addresses the mind—dusta mana! tumi kisera Vaishnava?—“Crooked mind, what type of Vaishnava are you?” He spoke about the difficulties of trying to do nirjana-bhajana, sitting in one place and just focusing on hearing and chanting. He said, “You are sitting. You have the externals of a Vaishnava, but your mind is thinking of sense gratification. Your mind is thinking of the opposite sex, of money, of position and respect.” He saw that that practice of Krishna consciousness as it was attempted by the babajis was impractical for the conditioned souls of this age and that those who were attempting it were mostly cheaters of others and cheaters of themselves.</p>
<p>The other group that he preached against was the caste gosvamis. These were lines of devotees that had descended from a significant personality in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes—a line descended from Advaita Acharya, Advaita-vamsa; a line descended from Nityananda Prabhu, Nityananda-vamsa; and lines descended from the disciples of the gosvamis of Vrindavan. The teaching of these caste lines is that unless you are initiated by someone who is born in one of these families, you can’t make advancement in Krishna consciousness, receive the seed of love of God, and go back to Godhead. The qualification for a guru, according to this view, is to be born as a descendant of one of these personalities, and unless one had taken shelter there, there is no chance of awakening love of God.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati preached against both of these perversions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings. One does not find that theory or that teaching in any of the scriptures or the teachings of Caitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya-Bhagavata. These perversions developed after Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s time. Many of the personalities born in these lines did not have much or any spiritual qualifications other than their birth. They were shallow in terms of learning or realization of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings and the practice of sadhana. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura reestablished the pure understanding—kiba vipra, kiba nyasi, sudra kene naya yei krsna-tattva-vetta, sei ‘guru’ haya—that one may be a brahman or a sannyasi or a sudra, but if one understands the teachings of Krishna consciousness—yei krsna-tattva-vetta—that person is spiritual master. He spoke very strongly on these topics, on the practices of both the gosvamis and the caste brahmans, and therefore he made enemies as well as friends.</p>
<p>In speaking truth, he had enemies. It is said that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati developed a hernia and was considering an operation. In fact, arrangements had already been made for an operation in the hospital when a high-level policeman came to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and informed him that he had been offered a bribe by some of the people from this group. They planned that when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati went for the operation, the doctors would kill him and that, as the high-level police officer, he should not investigate or convict them for the murder. Accordingly, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati did not undergo that operation; he remained with the hernia for the rest of his preaching mission.</p>
<p>It is also said that when he organized a parikrama around Vraja-mandala, the caste gosvamis and the others who saw him as an enemy would boycott the parikrama. Pressure would be put on the shopkeepers not to sell any food or supplies to the devotees in the group. At other times the devotees would be pelted with stones and bricks as they made their parikrama.</p>
<p>There is one story that once when Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was lecturing on parikrama a band of ruffians came and attacked the group. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was implored by one of his leading disciples, Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, to exchange clothes. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati put on Kesava Maharaja’s brahmachari clothes, for Kesava Maharaja was a brahmachari at that time. And Kesava Maharaja wore Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s sannyasa clothes. And in the clothes of a brahmachari, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati escaped from that situation, and Kesava Maharaja risked his life for his spiritual master.</p>
<p>In another story, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was at Radha-kunda and one of the brahmans there—perhaps one of the brahman guides—was insisting that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati respect him. Because the brahman was not receiving the attention that he believed was his due, he said, “The gosvamis, they respect.” Even if you go to Radha-kunda today, they will tell you, “My grandfather was Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja’s priest. And I was Prabhupada’s guide.” And “I am the guide of Sivarama Maharaja and Giriraj Maharaja.” This brahman told Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, “Raghunatha dasa Gosvami was offering his obeisances to us brahmans here at Radha-kunda. Why are you not respecting us?” Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took offense at that statement of that brahman as belittling the position of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, and he refused to eat. He said, “Unless that brahman apologizes, I am not going to eat.” In the camp, because the acharya was not eating, the disciples also would not eat.</p>
<p>Hundreds of devotees were fasting, and so they went to that brahman and said, “Please come and apologize to our guru maharaja, because hundreds of devotees are fasting.” It was a long period of fasting, but eventually the brahman came and apologized to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. In response, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said, “I have no personal grievance to be affected by your words, but as an acharya, as a teacher of disciples, I am obliged to establish the proper siddhanta and maintain the proper etiquette. Therefore, if someone speaks against or belittles the position of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, it is my duty to respond; I am not allowed to ignore it. Therefore, please don’t be offended by my response; it was my duty to respond in this way.” Once the brahman made his apology and begged forgiveness, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took prasada. And all the Vaishnavas on his parikrama took prasada as well.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was very strict and uncompromising. Sometimes the devotees would call him “simha guru.” It is said that when he would come to town, the Mayavadis and the hypocrites would leave. Or, if they saw him walking on one side of the street, they would cross to the other side, or they would turn around and go in the opposite direction—so that they would not have to encounter him. He was very strict in establishing the pure teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and challenging wherever he saw perversion or misrepresentation.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had a great desire that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings could come to the West. We all know how he instructed Srila Prabhupada in their first meeting on the rooftop at Ultadanga Road, Calcutta. As Prabhupada rose from paying obeisances, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati said to him, “You are an intelligent young man. You should preach Sri Chaitanya’s message of Krishna consciousness in the English language.” Prabhupada felt it his duty also to challenge and test what Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was saying, so he replied, “Who will hear Sri Chaitanya’s teachings while we are still an occupied country? Who will hear the teachings of an occupied country? First, we need to be liberated; then we can show India’s glory to the world.” Prabhupada appreciated Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s strong reply: “Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings are too important to wait for political change. Political situations will always be in flux. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings don’t depend on an ideal political situation. Regardless of the political situation, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings must be spread.” Prabhupada appreciated that answer. He felt defeated and he felt happy—happily defeated. It is said that Prabhupada did not generally accept defeat, but in this instance Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati quickly defeated him and Prabhupada felt very happy. On leaving that meeting, Prabhupada’s friend Naren Babu asked him, “So what did you think?” And Prabhupada replied, “Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings are in very capable hands.”</p>
<p>At different times Prabhupada received from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati the same instruction to preach in the English language. Just weeks before Bhaktisiddhanta’s disappearance, Prabhupada wrote to him and asked, “Do you have some instruction for me? How can I serve you?” And he received the same response: “Preach Krishna consciousness in the English language.” Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sent three disciples to England to establish Krishna consciousness, and he maintained them there, in London. He would regularly send them money so that they could establish a mission. But they were mostly unsuccessful, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati eventually called them back to India.</p>
<p>We have spoken about Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s preaching drive, his missionary spirit. He also instructed Prabhupada to print books. This is an instruction Prabhupada heard from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati at Radha-kunda: “If you ever get money, print books.” On the Gaudiya Matha logo, there is a six-pointed star in the middle with Krishna’s six qualities—beauty, wealth, fame, strength, detachment, and knowledge—in each triangle. To the right there is depiction of Radha and Krishna with the word Raga. Just beneath them is depicted a printing press and a mridanga with the word Kirtanam, and above them is a book with the word Bhagavatam. To the left, there are deities of Lakshmi-Narayana and the word Vidhi. Just beneath them is depicted a bell and a lamp with the word Archanam, and above them is another book with the word Pancaratra.</p>
<p>This logo reflects Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati teachings on bhagavata-vidhi and pancaratrika-vidhi. Pancaratrika-vidhi is temple worship, vaidhi seva, service of the Lord according to strict Vedic rules and regulations. Bhagavata-vidhi means to hear about, remember, and glorify Krishna, particularly by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati also explained preaching and book distribution as bhagavata-marga—hence the printing press in the logo. It is in the same line of spontaneously hearing and remembering Krishna, not according to the strict rules and injunctions of temple worship and Vedic injunctions, but motivated by feeling in the heart. Pancaratrika-vidhi, or temple worship according to the regulated duty of service, is particularly important for neophytes. It is often overlooked by the babajiis who focus solely on the bhagavata-marga. They are meant for hearing about, chanting the names of, and remembering Krishna—or at least they are supposed to be. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, while emphasizing that bhagavata-marga is superior to the pancaratrika-vidhi, nonetheless explained that both are necessary for advancement in Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p>As I said earlier, he gave more emphasis to varnashrama—brahmacharis living in the matha, trained in the matha according to a regulated program; the sannyasa ashrama; and grihasthas who lived around the matha. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had thousands of grihastha disciples. I heard a figure, 60,000 disciples. Is that right?</p>
<p><strong>Giriraj Swami: </strong>I hadn’t heard that. That is a lot.</p>
<p><strong>Sri Prahlada Dasa: </strong>By equating preaching activity with bhagavata-marga, he gave it a very high position of significance. He taught that devotees can advance in the bhagavata-marga by actively engaging their senses in the preaching mission. He traveled tirelessly all over India and in Burma. To establish the preaching in bhagavata-marga, he employed means that were not always understood by the kanistha-adhikari or the neophyte, caught up in the rules and regulations of vaidhi-bhakti even though they may have thought of themselves as advanced bhagavatas. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would drive an expensive automobile when the occasion called for it, especially in Calcutta. He wore expensive shoes, even polished leather shoes. A large Sikh man served as his driver and bodyguard. He exhibited opulence in that way to make Krishna consciousness acceptable, respectable, and understandable both to the British who held significant influence in India at that time, and to the educated Indians, many of whom were embarrassed to be associated with less sophisticated presentations of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati organized large functions, including exhibitions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings and dioramas in different cities across India. He also hosted government leaders and scholars. There is a famous photo of the governor of Bengal being received in Mayapur at the Chaitanya Matha, where a prominent gate bears a sign that reads, “God Save the King.” As I heard the story, not everything at the banquet was prasada; some items on the menu were according to the taste of the British governor. In that picture you can see some of his brahmachari preachers dressed in distinctive attire—a black robe or suit with a white collar, complemented by pocket watches dangling from chains, and black turbans. This uniform reflected a smart appearance for the preachers interfacing with the British during that period in India’s history.</p>
<p>When Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati relocated his matha from Ultadanga Road to Bagh Bazaar, he hired a marching band to perform and play their music, as the Deities went in procession from Their old temple to Their new one in the heart of Calcutta. He would also preach and give lectures on the All India Radio in Calcutta, often on Saturdays. With these activities, he was recognized as a very powerful preacher dedicated to furthering Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sankirtana mission.</p>
<p>There is a story about Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Subhas Chandra Bose was a radical nationalist, a freedom fighter. He had a different approach than did Gandhi, who was a pacifist, fighting the British by non-violent resistance. Subhas Chandra Bose advocated armed struggle. During World War II he had an agreement with Hitler that as the Indian soldiers fighting for the British were captured, rather than being kept as prisoners of war in a Nazi prison camp, they would be given to Subhas Chandra Bose for his Indian National Army being organized in Japan. From Japan they marched into Burma and fought the British, hoping to liberate India.</p>
<p>Subhas Chandra Bose once approached Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and said, “You have so many men. You are engaging them in chanting and preaching Srimad-Bhagavatam while our country is occupied by the British. Why don’t you give me some of your men and we will make them into soldiers to liberate India?” Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati replied, “No, these men are too weak. They are not strong enough to be soldiers. They are not suitable for your purposes, so don’t think about them.” What is significant here is that a political leader would consider making this request for Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s collaboration in liberating India from British rule.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a powerful and revolutionary spiritual leader, teacher, and reviver of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. At the end of his manifest pastimes, he resided at Cataka-parvata, near the Tota-Gopinath temple in Jagannatha Puri. Cataka-parvata is considered nondifferent from Govardhana Hill. According to one biography, while residing there he was often heard to say, nija nikata nivasam dehi govardhana tvam, “O Govardhana, please give me residence near to you.” That was his prayer and meditation near the end of his manifest pastimes. Finally he made his disappearance in Calcutta on January 1, 1937, and he was placed in samadhi at the Chaitanya Matha in Sridhama Mayapur.</p>
<p>In conclusion, we have contemplated Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s transcendental appearance, inspired by the prayers of Bhaktivinoda Thakura. His unwavering courage in preaching Krishna consciousness and his revolutionary methods to reestablish Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission, all while maintaining strict adherence to and intolerance of any deviation from Lord Chaitanya’s teachings, reflect his extraordinary spiritual commitment. Upon reflection, it becomes evident that he must be most pleased with Srila Prabhupada’s monumental achievement—successfully bringing Krishna consciousness to the West, establishing it as a household word worldwide without change or deviation, and subsequently returning to revive Krishna consciousness in India. It appears to be gaining momentum year by year—Krishna consciousness in India is like an explosion. We can be sure that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is most pleased with that success. Srila Prabhupada consistently attributed his success to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, saying, “If I have any credit, it is that I followed the instruction of my spiritual master,” or “I had faith in the teaching of my spiritual master.” On occasion, he even stated that his disciples were sent by his spiritual master. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati is therefore pleased with this movement and actively watches over it. According to Prabhupada’s statement, he is aware of the movement and, consequently, is also aware of our service and prayers for his mercy. We aspire to be instruments in his mission, set examples for others, inspire them, and advance in the process of Krishna consciousness as he taught it.</p>
<p>There is a beautiful prayer, a poem that Srila Prabhupada wrote called Viraha Astakam. He offered it on Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s disappearance day in 1959, some twenty-two years after his physical departure from this world. In this lament, Prabhupada expresses concern over the degradation of modern society and the increasing sinfulness of people as Kali-yuga advances. He also laments the lack of unity and preaching focus in what remained of the Gaudiya Math. The refrain of this prayer—“You personally suffer to see the suffering of the fallen conditioned souls. On this day of your separation, I am utterly despondent”—conveys a strong sense of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s mood of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls and his desire to help the conditioned souls by preaching Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. This also provides insight into how Prabhupada was able to imbibe Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s mood, compassion, and understanding of how Krishna consciousness can save the world. Both Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and Prabhupada shared that conviction.</p>
<p>My final concluding point is that by reading Srila Prabhupada’s books and understanding his mood as it is, one can also understand the mood and teachings of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati very clearly—because they are the same. Large passages of Caitanya-caritamrta are almost directly translated from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s commentary on the Caitanya-caritamrta. If you read The Nectar of Instruction, Upadesamrta, you will notice that the second half of Prabhupada commentary for each verse is a paraphrase of the commentary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura on the same verse. Of course, he did that according to time, place, and circumstance. Prabhupada took Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s teachings as they were and translated them into our language in a way that we could understand. He gave them to us “as it is” without any distortion or dilution, watering down, or adding his own ideas from his studies or readings. He was a very faithful disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. This is also an example to us that if we are faithful followers of Srila Prabhupada, we will be placed as followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and we will be successful in practicing and teaching Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p><strong>Giriraj Swami:</strong></p>
<p>Thank you very much for that flow of nectar, Sri Prahlada.</p>
<p>Just two points about the history. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was such a brilliant student that one of the colleges in Calcutta offered him a post as a teacher when he graduated. That was another reason why he left college before he graduated—otherwise, they would have put pressure on him to join their faculties, which he did not want to do. Another point is that when his spiritual master left his body and he went to the site to claim the body and challenged the people that wanted the body to stay with them, according to the report of a brahmachari who accompanied him, when he challenged them, no one protested. They just walked away, one by one, and the police officer who had been there was so struck . . . Of course, the challenge itself was very bold and very telling, but the officer was also struck by the spiritual power of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. The opposition lost their spirit to fight with him.</p>
<p>My first experience of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day came in February of 1970. Srila Prabhupada instructed his students, his disciples, to write offerings to his guru maharaja. So, I took the instruction seriously, as did the other devotees, and not really knowing much, two facts struck me. One was that Srila Prabhupada, who was such an intelligent and powerful and realized soul, saw fit to surrender himself to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. I thought, “What must be his position, that someone like Srila Prabhupada had surrendered to him?” And the other fact that struck me was that he was the one who gave the order to Srila Prabhupada to come to the West and preach, and where would we have been if Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had not sent Srila Prabhupada to us?</p>
<p>The next year on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s appearance day, we were in Gorakhpur with Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada had us fast until noon and then break the fast, but he wanted to have a program in the evening so that more people could attend—mainly our friends from the Gita Press—and have the feast then. The feast was served downstairs on a veranda outdoors. So, we were honoring prasada. Others may have too, but I definitely had digestive problems then—drinking the water—so it was a mixed experience, relishing the feast but wondering what the consequences would be. Toward the end of the feast, Srila Prabhupada’s servant Nanda Kumar dasa came down. He would always bring us some remnants—at least some maha salt and maha ginger—and news. He informed us that while Srila Prabhupada was honoring prasada he had made two comments. “This prasada was so good that I could not control my senses.” And “My guru maharaja is pleased with all of you.”</p>
<p>One significant incident for me took place in 1989 or ’90, after I had just gotten back into India after seven years of visa problems, and I was on my way to Mayapur. I stopped at Chaitanya dasa’s house in Calcutta to spend the afternoon and night, and he received a phone call from a devotee in Bombay who asked him to get some books from the Gaudiya Matha. So, he said that he was going to go to the Bagh Bazar Matha to get the books and asked if I would like to come. So, I joined him, and while he was downstairs I went up to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s quarters. He had two rooms: a bedroom with the bed from which he left the world, and an office with a table and chair and cupboards with books and personal effects. I could feel his presence there very strongly. Then later I visited his quarters in Mayapur. Standing on the balcony of his house, looking toward ISKCON’s Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir, I felt how pleased he was with Srila Prabhupada and how Srila Prabhupada was really the one who had carried on his line and mission.</p>
<p>As far as his teachings, there is subtle point. He made adjustments and established the necessity both for pancaratrika-vidhi and bhagavata-marga, while at the same time he said that bhagavata-marga was more important and that bhagavata-marga included preaching. Ultimately, preaching is kirtan—glorification of Krishna and Krishna’s message. And the business of advanced devotees is to preach and write books. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura really took up the mood of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to preach and to establish the proper understanding of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the proper presentation of His teachings.</p>
<p>Still, perhaps partly because people were becoming more influenced by the lower modes of nature and partly because Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was establishing an institution that had to have the same standards and principles for everyone, he somewhat avoided some of the practices about which Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself had written, especially siddha-pranali. Thus, some people concluded that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was not being faithful to Bhaktivinoda Thakura, was not continuing in the same line, and they criticized him for that.</p>
<p>Even now, although not in the exact same terms, there is criticism of ISKCON because we don’t emphasize certain esoteric topics (and perhaps practices). How does this criticism fit with the fact that we emphasize bhagavata-marga over pancaratrika-vidhi? The answer is that we do want to chant and hear, but we want to chant and hear about topics that are considered appropriate for us by our masters, by Srila Prabhupada and by his spiritual master, Sarasvati Thakura. And they have given emphasis to the holy name and to the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. Everything is included in what they have given us, but in a certain proportion.</p>
<p>Now, there may be some truth to the idea that we need to hear and chant more. Of course, ISKCON is a big society and different leaders in different places give more or less emphasis to hearing and chanting. But overall, there may be a point to be made that there should be more hearing and chanting. Yet at the same time, the hearing and chanting should be of the topics that are considered appropriate for us. There are many statements by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to the effect that one can attain the highest realizations of Krishna consciousness just by chanting the holy names and that everything will be revealed through pure chanting. Sri Bhakti-sandarbha also confirms that the highest sentiments in bhakti are best evoked through congregational chanting, sankirtana.</p>
<p>So, I feel very grateful, ultimately to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and more immediately to Srila Prabhupada, for placing me in a situation where there are devotees nearby—especially Sarvatma Prabhu, who is such a qualified singer and speaker—so that we can meet together and engage in the most important process of hari-nama-sankirtana.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada sometimes said that the grandfather is more kindly disposed to the grandchildren than is the father, and he told us that he asked his guru maharaja to take care of us. At the same time, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was very strict. Srila Prabhupada himself said that his guru maharaja was very strict but that he himself was very liberal. So, ultimately, we can just try to serve Srila Prabhupada. Of course, even Srila Prabhupada did not tolerate hypocrisy or any obstacle that would interfere in our relationship with him. But ultimately his goal was to encourage us in devotional service and help us in our efforts to serve his servant. So, I believe, as you said, that he is pleased with Srila Prabhupada and that if we are connected with Srila Prabhupada, somehow we form some small part of his effort, knowingly or unknowingly.</p>
<p>We can take advantage of this occasion to pray to His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to help us in our service to Srila Prabhupada and to bless us with his mercy that we can chant and hear without offense and be instrumental in his hands and in the hands of his servants to further his mission—the only panacea for the world’s problems.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did things that were shocking. In those days hardly anyone—only the richest people—had a car. It would be comparable today to having your own jet. And then the way he dressed. So, that was in Srila Prabhupada. His original idea for Vrindavan was to build a skyscraper, which really would have shocked local people. That was there, but again, time, place, and circumstance, I feel that Srila Prabhupada was not as confrontational, and his mood in Vrindavan was actually quite different. Of course, his preaching was the same. Once, he told Gurudas and Yamuna, “In Vrindavan there are five thousand babajis, five thousand gosvamis, and five thousand widows. We have to keep good relations with all of them.” I think part of it may have been because we were foreigners, we were guests.</p>
<p>In Bombay, when the police commissioner refused to give permission for the temple because the kirtans were a “nuisance,” Prabhupada became furious. A group of disciples came down from Vrindavan (they had been there for the Mayapur-Vrindavan festival), and Prabhupada was saying, “We will have satyagraha. We will march to the police commissioner’s office and go on a hunger strike.” He was getting us to hold meetings all over the city and preach. He really got us going. That side was there. But in the end he said, “Maybe we shouldn’t do that.” Then he cited the saying “Don’t pick a fight with an alligator while in the jurisdiction of the water.” It was like, “We’re in India, and this is their territory,” and if they don’t like us, they can just say, “We don’t want you. Get out.” So, certainly, his preaching was like that. It was completely pure and without compromise, but in terms of his interaction with others . . . But even Srila Bhaktisiddhanta, when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose came, he did not say, “What is this nonsense, freedom movement? You should preach the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.”</p>
<p>I guess that is always the challenge: to preserve the integrity and purity of the teachings and the spirit of not compromising, as well as to adjust according to time, place, and circumstance. Because of that order to preach in the English language, Srila Prabhupada’s priority really was that. But he was perfect: he did everything perfectly. But considering us, he had to take care in certain ways that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta did not have to worry about with his disciples.</p>
<p>[Talks by Sri Prahlada Dasa and Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day, February 21, 2005, Carpinteria, California]</p>
<p><br /> <strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=19794">https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=19794</a></p></div>“SRI CAITANYA MATH: FOREST OF VRINDAVAN IN MAYAPUR” Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Appearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/sri-caitanya-math-forest-of-vrindavan-in-mayapur-srila-bhaktisidd2024-02-29T11:30:00.000Z2024-02-29T11:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div style="text-align:center;"><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10139622700,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10139622700?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>By Chandan Yatra Das</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>SRILA BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI THAKURA</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;">The spiritual master of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,</div>
<div style="text-align:center;">and foremost scholar & Lord Krishna’s devotee of his day.</div>
<div style="text-align:center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>“SRI CAITANYA MATH ~</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>THE FOREST OF VRINDAVAN IN MAYAPUR”</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>AT “SRI ANTARDVIPA” ISLAND OF SRI NAVADVIPA-MAYAPUR DHAMA</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"> </div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura called this place “Vrindavana Pattan”, which means the place where the forest of Vrindavana is manifest. By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s spiritual potency, Syama-Kunda, Radha-Kunda and Giri-Govardhana of Vrindavana are all manifest here. Established by Sarasvati Thakura in 1918, this temple was the headquarters of his Krishna Consciousness preaching throughout India. During its peak time, there were 800 devotees here to cope with the daily influx of visitors.</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong> </strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>BORN WITH A MISSION</strong></div>
<div>Born on 6th Feb 1874, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is the child that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed to Lord Jagannatha for, wanting an able assistant to preach Krishna Consciousness. His divinity was evident from birth. When he was born, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his body like a brahmana thread. He was six months old when Lord Jagannatha had His Rathayatra festival in Jagannatha Puri. Lord Jagannatha’s chariot was outside of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house for three days and Srimati Bhagavati Devi, Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s wife, took this opportunity to go up onto the chariot and present her new son to Jagannatha Gosvami. Immediately upon placing the child in front of Lord Jagannatha, the child grabbed Lord Jagannatha’s feet and a garland also fell from Lord Jagannatha onto the child. Upon hearing this, Bhaktivinoda Thakura knew this was the child he had prayed for, and so he gave him the name Bimala Prasada, the mercy of Bimala Devi. [In Jagannatha Temple in Puri, Lord Jagannatha’s maha-prasadam is offered first to Bimala Devi and then she gives it for public distribution. In the same way, Bhaktivinoda Thakura considered his son to be her mercy coming originally from Lord Jagannatha.]</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave his son the Harinama Maha-mantra and Nrsimha mantra at five years of age. At seven, he received the Kurmadeva mantra and began worshiping a self-manifested deity of Kurmadeva. As a child, Bimala Prasada inadvertently ate a mango which was not yet offered to Lord Krishna. When asked about this by his father, Bimala Prasada was so upset over this offense to Lord Krishna that he took a vow to never eat another mango throughout his life. He also kept a life-long vow of celibacy. He took this vow when he formed a club at high school for those who wanted to avoid family entanglement. He excelled in all subjects at school, but spent most of his time reading his father’s books on Bhakti. He entered the Sanskrit University in 1892 and received the honorific title of “Siddhanta Sarasvati” in recognition of his vast knowledge of astrology and Bhakti. He then left university as he understood that if he continued on this path, he would become entangled into material life. He then spent all of his time serving his father who trained him in editing and publishing.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>In 1900, while staying with his father in Godrumadvipa island of Sri Navadvipa-Mayapur Dhama, he took initiation from Srila Gaura-Kisora Dasa Babaji and received the name Sri Varsabhanavi-Devi [meaning the servant of the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, Srimati Radharani.] Five years later, he took a vow to chant one billion (ten crores) Holy Names of Lord to prepare himself for Krishna consciousness preaching. It took him 10 years to fulfil his vow, during which time he lived in a small bamboo hut chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra,</div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE |</strong></div>
<div style="text-align:center;"><strong>HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE||</strong></div>
<div>in front of his deity, Gauranga Mahaprabhu which is in the Rudradvipa island of Navadvipa Dhama. Then, in 1918, on Gaura-Purnima day, he accepted sannyasa order of life at Candrasekhara Bhavan and took the name Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He then began to preach Krishna Consciousness all over India, establishing Lord Caitanya’s mission with such vigour no one had seen before. He established sixty-four mathas (one for each of the sixty-four limbs of Bhakti), initiated over 60,000 disciples, and re-established Vraja-mandala and Navadvipa-mandala Parikramas. He also established printing press in Mayapur, Delhi, Chennai and other major cities. Publishing and distributing magazines and books was the major thrust of his preaching.</div>
<div> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11294">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=11294</a></div></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Day and HH Gour Govinda Swami’s Disappearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-appearance-day-and-hh-g2024-02-29T10:30:00.000Z2024-02-29T10:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8626354267,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8626354267?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /><br /> <br /> By Giriraj Swami</strong></p>
<p>Today is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada’s appearance day. We have heard about His Divine Grace already. Today is also the disappearance day of HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja. He left on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day.</p>
<p>I remember the first time we celebrated Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s appearance day. I was a new devotee in Boston temple in early 1970, and Srila Prabhupada instructed us how to observe the appearance day of the spiritual master in the ceremony called Vyasa-puja. Up until then there had never been any observance of Vyasa-puja in ISKCON. Apart from the actual ceremony on that day, when one offers bhoga and puspanjali and guru-puja, Srila Prabhupada instructed us to write appreciations or homages for his guru maharaja. We collected and published them. I was so new in Krishna consciousness I didn’t know much about His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura but I thought about him deeply and I had two realizations, two thoughts. First, he must have been a most wonderful personality because someone as great as Srila Prabhupada surrendered to him. And second, it was by his mercy that we came in touch with Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness. He gave Srila Prabhupada the instruction to preach Krishna consciousness in the English language in the Western world, and in accordance with his divine instructions Srila Prabhupada came to America to deliver all of us. So I felt great appreciation for His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and gratitude to him.</p>
<p>Today I thought to focus more on His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, who may be less known to many of you. HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja was born in a Vaishnava family in Orissa. His family were Gaudiya Vaishnavas—worshippers of Krishna—and they worshipped the family Deity named Gopal Jiu. So Gour Govinda Maharaja grew up in that atmosphere hearing Caitanya-caritamrta, singing songs of Narottama dasa Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura and worshiping Gopal Jiu. In due course, as was the custom, he married. He was educated in Hindi and other languages and other subjects. To maintain his family he taught in school as a school teacher. But within his heart, his desire to serve the Lord fully without any distraction grew stronger and stronger and, as noted in his diary, he began to pray to his Deity to relieve him of the encumbrance of family responsibility and free him—to preach and serve Krishna fully.</p>
<p>In response to his sincere desire and prayers the circumstances became such that he was able to leave the family. He adopted the name Gour Gopal and began to travel like a sannyasi although officially he was not initiated into the sannyasa order. But he began to travel as a mendicant and at the same time he was looking for a spiritual master who could properly enlighten him and engage him in devotional service. One event led to another and he came to Vrindavan to the Krishna-Balarama temple. At the Krishna-Balarama temple he wanted to meet Srila Prabhupada, the great person who had spread Krishna consciousness all over the world and made persons from outside India into pure Vaishnavas. Eventually he did meet His Divine Grace and at the very first meeting Srila Prabhupada asked him if he would like to take sannyasa. At that moment Gour Govinda Maharaja, then Gour Gopal, realized that Srila Prabhupada was his spiritual master—he knew his heart—and could help him to fulfill his spiritual desires.</p>
<p>So, Gour Gopal accepted Srila Prabhupada as his spiritual master, and soon thereafter Srila Prabhupada initiated him. Srila Prabhupada gave him his first and second initiation and, within six months, at the opening of the Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan, sannyasa. Because Gour Govinda Maharaja was educated, Srila Prabhupada wanted Maharaja to translate his books into Oriya, and Maharaja took that service very seriously. He was regularly translating, but specifically for Srila Prabhupada’s Centennial in 1996 he wanted to complete the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam and took a vow not to take food until he had translated his quota for the day—perhaps one hour. And he was so strict in his vow that even when he couldn’t translate because of circumstances, such as when he would travel on long flights overseas, even then he would not eat until he had completed his quota, even if it was late at night. So, he took that order to translate very seriously.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada also wanted him to establish a temple in Bhubaneswar. Somebody had given us some land that at the time was in the wilderness. The area was completely overgrown and infested with snakes, mosquitoes, scorpions, and other creatures. Gour Govinda Maharaja took up the challenge, took up the order, took up the service, and lived in extremely austere conditions. Srila Prabhupada predicted that one day that area would become the center of the city and so it came to pass. Sometime later the government decided to run a major highway right past the property that we had been given. And naturally along the highway shops came up, residences came up, and now that area is the fastest growing area in Bhubaneswar, and a major location. In time HH Gour Govinda Maharaja did raise the funds and built the beautiful temple there. In 1977 after the Maha-kumbha-mela in Allahabad Srila Prabhupada himself went to Bhubaneswar to stay on the land. Gour Govinda Maharaja was living in a grass hut where he would do his bhajana and his translation work and Srila Prabhupada stayed right next to him in another grass hut or an extension of the same grass hut for seventeen days.</p>
<p>On the auspicious occasion of Sri Nityananda-trayodasi Srila Prabhupada laid the cornerstone for the temple. He also completed an important phase of his own writing in Bhubaneswar, maybe the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In any case, after Srila Prabhupada left, Gour Govinda Maharaja was ready to execute another important instruction from Srila Prabhupada to him that he should travel and help Prabhupada’s devotees. So he began to travel overseas and preach. Seeing the needs of the society and the needs of the devotees he evolved in mission in pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to him. His mission in his own words were:</p>
<p>(1) To show that everything is in Srila Prabhupada’s books,<br /> (2) To show that you can get everything within ISKCON, and<br /> (3) To encourage the devotees and protect them so that they don’t fall down,<br /> go away.</p>
<p>Gour Govinda Maharaja said that Srila Prabhupada books are like an ocean filled with gems but that in order to get those gems one must go very deep. Gour Govinda Maharaja’s own books, which are actually compiled from his talks by his disciples, especially Madhavananda Prabhu . . . His talks are all classes based on Srila Prabhupada’s books, and in them he reveals just what gems there are in Srila Prabhupada’s books and that one can get from Srila Prabhupada’s books the highest realizations of Krishna consciousness. They are expressions of what is our relationship with God and how to act in that relationship and how to actually realize love for God—Krishna.</p>
<p>In a similar way he showed that you can get everything within ISKCON and he himself gave much to the society of devotees in ISKCON in terms of his krsna-katha and his realization of Krishna consciousness. He was an example of a pure devotee who had ecstatic love for Krishna and who had direct perception of Krishna. From his liberated platform of pure devotional service he could guide and encourage and enlighten us and also give us hope that if we follow the same process as disciples of Srila Prabhupada or followers of Srila Prabhupada we can also attain the same result.</p>
<p>I have had the opportunity to hear other advanced Gaudiya Vaishnavas from outside ISKCON speak about Krishna, krsna-katha, and I can honestly say that the level of krsna-katha spoken by Gour Govinda Maharaja is as high or as good as any of them. But hearing from Gour Govinda Maharaja is different because he is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a member of ISKCON. So we are getting it in our line, in the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada. Therefore it is most congenial for advancement in Krishna consciousness in ISKCON. Hearing from him or reading his books, one actually can get everything that one could ever want right within ISKCON. And the result of his association, through his talks and books and followers, is that one can feel very enlivened in Krishna consciousness, be greatly nourished and make tangible progress, what to speak of not falling down and going away. One can get a glimpse of the actual perfection of Krishna consciousness and have hope that one can actually reach the goal in this lifetime by following the process of bhakti-yoga given to us in our line from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to Srila Prabhupada and then to his followers.</p>
<p>So HH Gour Govinda Maharaja is significant not only to those who knew him personally but to those who serve in Orissa where he had his base which was actually given to him as his prabhu-datta-desa by Srila Prabhupada. His instructions are available to all of us even now and his mercy is available to us.</p>
<p>Now we come to his disappearance pastimes. It was on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day in Mayapur in 1996. That morning I met him and fortunately I offered my obeisances to him. I placed my head on his feet, and out of his mercy and kindness he very affectionately rubbed my back and head. And that was the last time I saw him. For certain reasons I was obliged to leave Mayapur on that day to fly to America for some urgent business, and so I went. After offering my obeisances to him and packing and getting ready for the journey I went to the temple room around noon for the puspanjali and guru-puja in honor of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Vyasa-puja and took darshan of the Deities, took blessings from the Deities, and prepared to go. Some devotees prevailed upon me to honor the feast offered to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, which I did, and still I reached the airport in Calcutta in plenty of time. But it wasn’t until much later—because where I was in America I had no opportunity to get news about ISKCON. I didn’t have a computer, or if I did I was just starting to use it and wasn’t very regular. It was only later when I met His Holiness Radhanath Swami in Chicago that I received the news that he had left this world.</p>
<p>It so happened that later on the day of Maharaja’s departure, two senior devotees came to meet him in his room, and inquired why Lord Chaitanya chose Jagannatha Puri as the place to perform His final pastimes. Maharaja began to narrate the pastimes of Krishna and how Krishna in the mood of separation from Radharani and His other friends in Vrindavan assumed the form of Jagannatha. It was a very ecstatic description, and, because of Maharaja’s advanced stage of Krishna consciousness, he felt transcendental ecstasy remembering the pastimes of Krishna. He became overwhelmed and excused himself from continuing the narration. He laid down flat on his bed and in a very deep state of Krishna consciousness left this world.<br /> His disciples, of course, were greatly aggrieved feeling intense separation from him and they decided to bring his body to Bhubaneswar to place him in samadhi, at the site of his bhajana-kutira just near the Radha-Gopinatha temple that he established on ISKCON land in Bhubaneswar. So the disappearance day of an acharya is a sad occasion because we think of him and his wonderful association and we miss him. We miss his association. But at the same time, it is, from another point of view, not just a glorious occasion, but a jubilant occasion, because the pure soul has been reunited with the Supreme Soul as the eternal servant of Krishna and returned to his eternal service with Krishna. And certainly it is an occasion of great jubilation in the spiritual world. On the absolute platform, as Srila Prabhupada explained, there is no difference between meeting and separation—both are beautiful. Once on his Guru Maharaja’s disappearance day in Surat, Srila Prabhupada said that on the absolute platform the appearance of the spiritual master and the disappearance of the spiritual master are the same—both are beautiful. Just like the sunrise and the sunset—both are beautiful.</p>
<p>Now there is a very specific connection in service between HH Gour Govinda Maharaja and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Of course, there is a general connection in terms of the mission, in terms of the general mission. Srila Prabhupada explained that preaching means distributing books, establishing temples, and making devotees. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did all three and Srila Prabhupada also did all three and he wanted ISKCON to do all three. He wrote in his concluding words to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has formed to execute the will of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So all followers of Srila Prabhupada within ISKCON, whatever their particular service may be are furthering that mission which ultimately results in the publication and distribution of books, establishing and maintaining the temples, and the making and maintaining of devotees. But HH Gour Govinda Maharaja served Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in a very specific way as well. And that relates to the Deity and temple of Alalanatha outside Jagannatha Puri.</p>
<p>When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was residing in Puri for the last eighteen years of His manifest pastimes, He would daily go to the temple of Lord Jagannatha for darshan, and He would see Jagannatha not in the form that we see Him, but as Krishna Himself, Syamsundara, His beautiful threefold bending form, tribhanga-lalita. But every year Lord Jagannatha is bathed in the snana-yatra ceremony, and thereafter it is said that He catches a cold and is taken into seclusion for two weeks. And for those two weeks Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and all other devotees would be deprived of Jagannatha’s darshan. So, feeling separation from Lord Jagannatha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would walk fourteen miles to Brahmagiri to the temple of Alalanatha. The Alalanatha Deity is a four-handed Vishnu form of the Lord that was installed by Lord Brahma many ages ago, and thus that area is called Brahmagiri. So, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would spend the fourteen days when Lord Jagannatha was in seclusion (anasara) at Alalanatha, and daily He would take darshan of the Deity Alalanatha.</p>
<p>As it happened over the course of time, the temple structure grew old and was in need of repair and renovations. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura came to Alalanatha in 1927 he took up the project of renovating the temple and he was so keen on the work being done expeditiously that he would personally roll bidis (cigarettes) for the workers so that they wouldn’t take time to roll their own bidis, take time away from their work on the temple renovation to roll their own bidis. That’s how sincere and intent he was in his purpose. In the course of a previous excavation, workers came upon the utsava Deity of Lord Alalanatha. In all major temples where there are large Deities, there are also smaller Deities called utsava Deities, which are used for festivals. The large Deities are never moved but the small utsava Deities may be handled conveniently and brought forward for abhiseka, taken on a procession, and put on swings and other things that the large Deities cannot move, cannot do. So the pujari put the utsava Deity of Alalanatha on the altar but that night the Deity came to him in his dream and told him that, “My very dear devotee is staying nearby and I want to go to him, I want to be in his care, I want him to worship Me.”</p>
<p>The next morning, the pujari, in obedience to the order of the Deity in the dream searched the area looking for the saintly person and eventually he found Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and gave the Deity to him. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta constructed a beautiful temple for the Deities of Alalanatha on the land just next to the Alalanatha temple compound.</p>
<p>HH Gour Govinda Maharaja also took up service at Brahmagiri for Lord Alalanatha. For the Srila Prabhupada Centennial he wanted to build something and decided to build a kirtan hall within the Alalanatha temple compound, which was much needed. And he did. It opened in the Srila Prabhupada Centennial year in 1996 and so he continued this specific line of service of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to Alalanatha.</p>
<p>Another service that His Holiness Gour Govinda Maharaja did for Lord Jagannatha was that he created a forest of trees to be used for constructing Lord Jagannatha’s chariot for Ratha-yatra every year. Lord Jagannatha’s chariots are huge and they require huge amounts of wood to be constructed. According to shastra and tradition, the wood must be of a certain type of tree. That tree grows very slowly and with the advent of Kali-yuga the forest of those trees has been encroached upon. The supply of that kind of wood has been reduced to such an extent that it appeared that within a number of years there wouldn’t be enough wood to build Lord Jagannatha’s chariots. So His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja took up the project. The government gave him the land because they were also concerned, and with the help of his disciples and supporters he started growing a forest of these trees to produce wood for Lord Jagannatha’s chariots. The production of the wood has been so successful that now there is no immediate threat, no immediate danger that they won’t have enough of the prescribed kind of wood for Lord Jagannatha’s chariot. So HH Gour Govinda Maharaja is a great personality, munificent personality.</p>
<p>He did much not just for Prabhupada and ISKCON and the devotees of ISKCON in a limited sense but for the entire sampradaya and in fact for the larger cause of Krishna consciousness of devotional service to Lord Krishna, to Lord Jagannatha. Through his speeches and his books he explained the esoteric significance of Jagannatha Puri, of Alalanatha, of Lord Jagannatha: that Jagannatha Puri is a place of separation. Lord Jagannatha feels separation from Srimati Radharani and His other friends in Vrindavan and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in the mood of Radharani after Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura and Dvaraka, is also in the mood of separation. So Jagannatha is in separation of Srimati Radharani and His other friends in Vrindavan and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is in the mood of separation, Radharani feeling separation from Krishna after He left Vrindavan. So it is a place, bhumi, for separation, for crying, but as Srila Prabhupada taught us and as HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja has confirmed and fully explained in his books, service in separation is the highest, the ecstasy of love of God in separation is the highest. Therefore devotees relish that mood of separation, especially in Jagannatha Puri.</p>
<p>So we too are feeling separation from HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja today. We miss him. We miss his personal presence, his merciful glance, his affectionate touch, and we miss sitting at his feet and hearing his krsna-katha. But at the same time we know that he is present and that he is pleased when we chant the holy name with attention and devotion, that he is pleased when we chant and hear about Krishna, engage in krsna-katha, and he is pleased when we serve Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON, and endeavor to spread Krishna consciousness following in the footsteps of guru-parampara—Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada’s exalted followers. So we pray to both, to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and to His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, that we may serve them eternally as they desire. This is parampara, serving Srila Prabhupada, his predecessors and followers, and we pray for their mercy that we may actually relish the internal moods of Krishna consciousness and fulfill their desire to bring others to Krishna consciousness—by their grace.</p>
<p>Hare Krishna.</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day and HH Gour Govinda Swami’s disappearance day, February 26, 2008, Carpinteria, California]<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93603">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93603</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s Appearance – Srila Prabhupada Explains His Poetryhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-s-appearance-srila-prabhupada-explains-his-2024-02-29T09:30:00.000Z2024-02-29T09:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><em><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10139717100,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10139717100?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="450" /></em>Dhruva Maharaja dasa: I put this slideshow/video together for a class on Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s Appearance day this Saturday at the Alachua Temple of Srila Prabhupada explaining his famous Vyasa-puja Offering poetry from 1936. I think devotees may appreciate Prabhupada explaining reasons for using various phrases in that offering.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iBoX_qZTlhQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=71884">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=71884</a></p></div>The Birthplace of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakurahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-birthplace-of-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura2024-02-29T08:30:00.000Z2024-02-29T08:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10135307672,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10135307672?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="450" />Birthplace of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>at Sri Jagannatha Puri Dhama</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10135307873,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10135307873?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="450" /></strong></p>
<p><em><strong>By Chandan Yatra Das</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura</strong> was a foremost scholar and Lord Krishna’s devotee of his day. Born on 6 Feb 1874 at Jagannatha Puri, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is the child that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura prayed to Lord Jagannatha for, wanting an able assistant to preach Krishna Consciousness. His divinity was evident from birth. When he was born, his umbilical cord was wrapped around his body like a brahmana thread. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave his son the Harinama Maha-mantra and Nrsimha mantra at five years of age. He entered the Sanskrit University in 1892 and received the honorific title of “Siddhanta Sarasvati” in recognition of his vast knowledge of astrology and Bhakti. He was extremely intelligent and excelled in math, astronomy, Sanskrit, and other languages. The University of Calcutta offered him a chair, but he declined so that he could dedicate his life to continuing the spiritual work of his father, Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In 1900 he took initiation from Srila Gaura-Kisora Dasa Babaji and received the name Sri Varsabhanavi-Devi [meaning the servant of the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, Srimati Radharani.]</em></p>
<p><em>Five years later, he took a vow to chant one billion Holy Names of Lord to prepare himself for Krishna consciousness preaching. It took him 10 years to fulfil his vow, during which time he lived in a small bamboo hut chanting:</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare |</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare ||</em></p>
<p><em>in front of his deity, Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu which is in the Rudradvipa island of Navadvipa Dhama. He then began to preach Krishna Consciousness all over India, establishing Lord Caitanya’s mission with such vigour no one had seen before. He established 64 mathas, initiated over 60,000 disciples, and re-established Vraja-mandala and Navadvipa-mandala Parikramas. He also established printing press in Mayapur, Delhi, Chennai and other major cities. He asked his disciple A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to go to the West to teach Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada went to New York in 1965 and carried on his spiritual master's mission on a grand scale. On 31 Dec 1936, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura left his body in Kolkata surrounded by his disciples singing bhajans. His life-size murti is worshiped at Sri Caitanya Math in Mayapur.</em></p>
<p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=24655">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=24655</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-appearance-day-12023-02-11T05:30:00.000Z2023-02-11T05:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10135315285,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10135315285,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10135315285?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Giriraj Swami</strong></p>
<p>Today is Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada’s appearance day. We have heard about His Divine Grace already. Today is also the disappearance day of HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja. He left on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day.</p>
<p>I remember the first time we celebrated Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s appearance day. I was a new devotee in Boston temple in early 1970, and Srila Prabhupada instructed us how to observe the appearance day of the spiritual master in the ceremony called Vyasa-puja. Up until then there had never been any observance of Vyasa-puja in ISKCON. Apart from the actual ceremony on that day, when one offers bhoga and puspanjali and guru-puja, Srila Prabhupada instructed us to write appreciations or homages for his guru maharaja. We collected and published them. I was so new in Krishna consciousness I didn’t know much about His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura but I thought about him deeply and I had two realizations, two thoughts. First, he must have been a most wonderful personality because someone as great as Srila Prabhupada surrendered to him. And second, it was by his mercy that we came in touch with Srila Prabhupada and Krishna consciousness. He gave Srila Prabhupada the instruction to preach Krishna consciousness in the English language in the Western world, and in accordance with his divine instructions Srila Prabhupada came to America to deliver all of us. So I felt great appreciation for His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and gratitude to him.</p>
<p>Today I thought to focus more on His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, who may be less known to many of you. HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja was born in a Vaishnava family in Orissa. His family were Gaudiya Vaishnavas—worshippers of Krishna—and they worshipped the family Deity named Gopal Jiu. So Gour Govinda Maharaja grew up in that atmosphere hearing Caitanya-caritamrta, singing songs of Narottama dasa Thakura and Bhaktivinoda Thakura and worshiping Gopal Jiu. In due course, as was the custom, he married. He was educated in Hindi and other languages and other subjects. To maintain his family he taught in school as a school teacher. But within his heart, his desire to serve the Lord fully without any distraction grew stronger and stronger and, as noted in his diary, he began to pray to his Deity to relieve him of the encumbrance of family responsibility and free him—to preach and serve Krishna fully.</p>
<p>In response to his sincere desire and prayers the circumstances became such that he was able to leave the family. He adopted the name Gour Gopal and began to travel like a sannyasi although officially he was not initiated into the sannyasa order. But he began to travel as a mendicant and at the same time he was looking for a spiritual master who could properly enlighten him and engage him in devotional service. One event led to another and he came to Vrindavan to the Krishna-Balarama temple. At the Krishna-Balarama temple he wanted to meet Srila Prabhupada, the great person who had spread Krishna consciousness all over the world and made persons from outside India into pure Vaishnavas. Eventually he did meet His Divine Grace and at the very first meeting Srila Prabhupada asked him if he would like to take sannyasa. At that moment Gour Govinda Maharaja, then Gour Gopal, realized that Srila Prabhupada was his spiritual master—he knew his heart—and could help him to fulfill his spiritual desires.</p>
<p>So, Gour Gopal accepted Srila Prabhupada as his spiritual master, and soon thereafter Srila Prabhupada initiated him. Srila Prabhupada gave him his first and second initiation and, within six months, at the opening of the Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan, sannyasa. Because Gour Govinda Maharaja was educated, Srila Prabhupada wanted Maharaja to translate his books into Oriya, and Maharaja took that service very seriously. He was regularly translating, but specifically for Srila Prabhupada’s Centennial in 1996 he wanted to complete the entire Srimad-Bhagavatam and took a vow not to take food until he had translated his quota for the day—perhaps one hour. And he was so strict in his vow that even when he couldn’t translate because of circumstances, such as when he would travel on long flights overseas, even then he would not eat until he had completed his quota, even if it was late at night. So, he took that order to translate very seriously.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada also wanted him to establish a temple in Bhubaneswar. Somebody had given us some land that at the time was in the wilderness. The area was completely overgrown and infested with snakes, mosquitoes, scorpions, and other creatures. Gour Govinda Maharaja took up the challenge, took up the order, took up the service, and lived in extremely austere conditions. Srila Prabhupada predicted that one day that area would become the center of the city and so it came to pass. Sometime later the government decided to run a major highway right past the property that we had been given. And naturally along the highway shops came up, residences came up, and now that area is the fastest growing area in Bhubaneswar, and a major location. In time HH Gour Govinda Maharaja did raise the funds and built the beautiful temple there. In 1977 after the Maha-kumbha-mela in Allahabad Srila Prabhupada himself went to Bhubaneswar to stay on the land. Gour Govinda Maharaja was living in a grass hut where he would do his bhajana and his translation work and Srila Prabhupada stayed right next to him in another grass hut or an extension of the same grass hut for seventeen days.</p>
<p>On the auspicious occasion of Sri Nityananda-trayodasi Srila Prabhupada laid the cornerstone for the temple. He also completed an important phase of his own writing in Bhubaneswar, maybe the Ninth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In any case, after Srila Prabhupada left, Gour Govinda Maharaja was ready to execute another important instruction from Srila Prabhupada to him that he should travel and help Prabhupada’s devotees. So he began to travel overseas and preach. Seeing the needs of the society and the needs of the devotees he evolved in mission in pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to him. His mission in his own words were:</p>
<p>(1) To show that everything is in Srila Prabhupada’s books,<br /> (2) To show that you can get everything within ISKCON, and<br /> (3) To encourage the devotees and protect them so that they don’t fall down,<br /> go away.</p>
<p>Gour Govinda Maharaja said that Srila Prabhupada books are like an ocean filled with gems but that in order to get those gems one must go very deep. Gour Govinda Maharaja’s own books, which are actually compiled from his talks by his disciples, especially Madhavananda Prabhu . . . His talks are all classes based on Srila Prabhupada’s books, and in them he reveals just what gems there are in Srila Prabhupada’s books and that one can get from Srila Prabhupada’s books the highest realizations of Krishna consciousness. They are expressions of what is our relationship with God and how to act in that relationship and how to actually realize love for God—Krishna.</p>
<p>In a similar way he showed that you can get everything within ISKCON and he himself gave much to the society of devotees in ISKCON in terms of his krsna-katha and his realization of Krishna consciousness. He was an example of a pure devotee who had ecstatic love for Krishna and who had direct perception of Krishna. From his liberated platform of pure devotional service he could guide and encourage and enlighten us and also give us hope that if we follow the same process as disciples of Srila Prabhupada or followers of Srila Prabhupada we can also attain the same result.</p>
<p>I have had the opportunity to hear other advanced Gaudiya Vaishnavas from outside ISKCON speak about Krishna, krsna-katha, and I can honestly say that the level of krsna-katha spoken by Gour Govinda Maharaja is as high or as good as any of them. But hearing from Gour Govinda Maharaja is different because he is a disciple of Srila Prabhupada and a member of ISKCON. So we are getting it in our line, in the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Prabhupada. Therefore it is most congenial for advancement in Krishna consciousness in ISKCON. Hearing from him or reading his books, one actually can get everything that one could ever want right within ISKCON. And the result of his association, through his talks and books and followers, is that one can feel very enlivened in Krishna consciousness, be greatly nourished and make tangible progress, what to speak of not falling down and going away. One can get a glimpse of the actual perfection of Krishna consciousness and have hope that one can actually reach the goal in this lifetime by following the process of bhakti-yoga given to us in our line from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to Srila Prabhupada and then to his followers.</p>
<p>So HH Gour Govinda Maharaja is significant not only to those who knew him personally but to those who serve in Orissa where he had his base which was actually given to him as his prabhu-datta-desa by Srila Prabhupada. His instructions are available to all of us even now and his mercy is available to us.</p>
<p>Now we come to his disappearance pastimes. It was on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day in Mayapur in 1996. That morning I met him and fortunately I offered my obeisances to him. I placed my head on his feet, and out of his mercy and kindness he very affectionately rubbed my back and head. And that was the last time I saw him. For certain reasons I was obliged to leave Mayapur on that day to fly to America for some urgent business, and so I went. After offering my obeisances to him and packing and getting ready for the journey I went to the temple room around noon for the puspanjali and guru-puja in honor of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Vyasa-puja and took darshan of the Deities, took blessings from the Deities, and prepared to go. Some devotees prevailed upon me to honor the feast offered to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, which I did, and still I reached the airport in Calcutta in plenty of time. But it wasn’t until much later—because where I was in America I had no opportunity to get news about ISKCON. I didn’t have a computer, or if I did I was just starting to use it and wasn’t very regular. It was only later when I met His Holiness Radhanath Swami in Chicago that I received the news that he had left this world.</p>
<p>It so happened that later on the day of Maharaja’s departure, two senior devotees came to meet him in his room, and inquired why Lord Chaitanya chose Jagannatha Puri as the place to perform His final pastimes. Maharaja began to narrate the pastimes of Krishna and how Krishna in the mood of separation from Radharani and His other friends in Vrindavan assumed the form of Jagannatha. It was a very ecstatic description, and, because of Maharaja’s advanced stage of Krishna consciousness, he felt transcendental ecstasy remembering the pastimes of Krishna. He became overwhelmed and excused himself from continuing the narration. He laid down flat on his bed and in a very deep state of Krishna consciousness left this world.<br /> His disciples, of course, were greatly aggrieved feeling intense separation from him and they decided to bring his body to Bhubaneswar to place him in samadhi, at the site of his bhajana-kutira just near the Radha-Gopinatha temple that he established on ISKCON land in Bhubaneswar. So the disappearance day of an acharya is a sad occasion because we think of him and his wonderful association and we miss him. We miss his association. But at the same time, it is, from another point of view, not just a glorious occasion, but a jubilant occasion, because the pure soul has been reunited with the Supreme Soul as the eternal servant of Krishna and returned to his eternal service with Krishna. And certainly it is an occasion of great jubilation in the spiritual world. On the absolute platform, as Srila Prabhupada explained, there is no difference between meeting and separation—both are beautiful. Once on his Guru Maharaja’s disappearance day in Surat, Srila Prabhupada said that on the absolute platform the appearance of the spiritual master and the disappearance of the spiritual master are the same—both are beautiful. Just like the sunrise and the sunset—both are beautiful.</p>
<p>Now there is a very specific connection in service between HH Gour Govinda Maharaja and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Of course, there is a general connection in terms of the mission, in terms of the general mission. Srila Prabhupada explained that preaching means distributing books, establishing temples, and making devotees. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did all three and Srila Prabhupada also did all three and he wanted ISKCON to do all three. He wrote in his concluding words to Sri Caitanya-caritamrta that the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has formed to execute the will of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. So all followers of Srila Prabhupada within ISKCON, whatever their particular service may be are furthering that mission which ultimately results in the publication and distribution of books, establishing and maintaining the temples, and the making and maintaining of devotees. But HH Gour Govinda Maharaja served Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura in a very specific way as well. And that relates to the Deity and temple of Alalanatha outside Jagannatha Puri.</p>
<p>When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was residing in Puri for the last eighteen years of His manifest pastimes, He would daily go to the temple of Lord Jagannatha for darshan, and He would see Jagannatha not in the form that we see Him, but as Krishna Himself, Syamsundara, His beautiful threefold bending form, tribhanga-lalita. But every year Lord Jagannatha is bathed in the snana-yatra ceremony, and thereafter it is said that He catches a cold and is taken into seclusion for two weeks. And for those two weeks Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and all other devotees would be deprived of Jagannatha’s darshan. So, feeling separation from Lord Jagannatha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would walk fourteen miles to Brahmagiri to the temple of Alalanatha. The Alalanatha Deity is a four-handed Vishnu form of the Lord that was installed by Lord Brahma many ages ago, and thus that area is called Brahmagiri. So, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would spend the fourteen days when Lord Jagannatha was in seclusion (anasara) at Alalanatha, and daily He would take darshan of the Deity Alalanatha.</p>
<p>As it happened over the course of time, the temple structure grew old and was in need of repair and renovations. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura came to Alalanatha in 1927 he took up the project of renovating the temple and he was so keen on the work being done expeditiously that he would personally roll bidis (cigarettes) for the workers so that they wouldn’t take time to roll their own bidis, take time away from their work on the temple renovation to roll their own bidis. That’s how sincere and intent he was in his purpose. In the course of a previous excavation, workers came upon the utsava Deity of Lord Alalanatha. In all major temples where there are large Deities, there are also smaller Deities called utsava Deities, which are used for festivals. The large Deities are never moved but the small utsava Deities may be handled conveniently and brought forward for abhiseka, taken on a procession, and put on swings and other things that the large Deities cannot move, cannot do. So the pujari put the utsava Deity of Alalanatha on the altar but that night the Deity came to him in his dream and told him that, “My very dear devotee is staying nearby and I want to go to him, I want to be in his care, I want him to worship Me.”</p>
<p>The next morning, the pujari, in obedience to the order of the Deity in the dream searched the area looking for the saintly person and eventually he found Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and gave the Deity to him. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta constructed a beautiful temple for the Deities of Alalanatha on the land just next to the Alalanatha temple compound.</p>
<p>HH Gour Govinda Maharaja also took up service at Brahmagiri for Lord Alalanatha. For the Srila Prabhupada Centennial he wanted to build something and decided to build a kirtan hall within the Alalanatha temple compound, which was much needed. And he did. It opened in the Srila Prabhupada Centennial year in 1996 and so he continued this specific line of service of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to Alalanatha.</p>
<p>Another service that His Holiness Gour Govinda Maharaja did for Lord Jagannatha was that he created a forest of trees to be used for constructing Lord Jagannatha’s chariot for Ratha-yatra every year. Lord Jagannatha’s chariots are huge and they require huge amounts of wood to be constructed. According to shastra and tradition, the wood must be of a certain type of tree. That tree grows very slowly and with the advent of Kali-yuga the forest of those trees has been encroached upon. The supply of that kind of wood has been reduced to such an extent that it appeared that within a number of years there wouldn’t be enough wood to build Lord Jagannatha’s chariots. So His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja took up the project. The government gave him the land because they were also concerned, and with the help of his disciples and supporters he started growing a forest of these trees to produce wood for Lord Jagannatha’s chariots. The production of the wood has been so successful that now there is no immediate threat, no immediate danger that they won’t have enough of the prescribed kind of wood for Lord Jagannatha’s chariot. So HH Gour Govinda Maharaja is a great personality, munificent personality.</p>
<p>He did much not just for Prabhupada and ISKCON and the devotees of ISKCON in a limited sense but for the entire sampradaya and in fact for the larger cause of Krishna consciousness of devotional service to Lord Krishna, to Lord Jagannatha. Through his speeches and his books he explained the esoteric significance of Jagannatha Puri, of Alalanatha, of Lord Jagannatha: that Jagannatha Puri is a place of separation. Lord Jagannatha feels separation from Srimati Radharani and His other friends in Vrindavan and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in the mood of Radharani after Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura and Dvaraka, is also in the mood of separation. So Jagannatha is in separation of Srimati Radharani and His other friends in Vrindavan and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is in the mood of separation, Radharani feeling separation from Krishna after He left Vrindavan. So it is a place, bhumi, for separation, for crying, but as Srila Prabhupada taught us and as HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja has confirmed and fully explained in his books, service in separation is the highest, the ecstasy of love of God in separation is the highest. Therefore devotees relish that mood of separation, especially in Jagannatha Puri.</p>
<p>So we too are feeling separation from HH Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja today. We miss him. We miss his personal presence, his merciful glance, his affectionate touch, and we miss sitting at his feet and hearing his krsna-katha. But at the same time we know that he is present and that he is pleased when we chant the holy name with attention and devotion, that he is pleased when we chant and hear about Krishna, engage in krsna-katha, and he is pleased when we serve Srila Prabhupada in ISKCON, and endeavor to spread Krishna consciousness following in the footsteps of guru-parampara—Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada’s exalted followers. So we pray to both, to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and to His Holiness Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja, that we may serve them eternally as they desire. This is parampara, serving Srila Prabhupada, his predecessors and followers, and we pray for their mercy that we may actually relish the internal moods of Krishna consciousness and fulfill their desire to bring others to Krishna consciousness—by their grace.</p>
<p>Hare Krishna.</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day and HH Gour Govinda Swami’s disappearance day, February 26, 2008, Carpinteria, California]<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93603">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93603</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Disappearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-disappearance-day-22022-12-12T13:13:37.000Z2022-12-12T13:13:37.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10908391057,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="208" alt="10908391057?profile=RESIZE_400x" />Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him very well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work.</p>
<p>We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy descends upon us, beginning with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and passing, one teacher after the other, through parampara, disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago, Krishna came in His original form and instructed, in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34, 18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: “Always think of Me and become My devotee.” Five hundred years ago, Lord Krishna came again, in the devotional form of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, to explain and personally show how to be a devotee and always think of Krishna. Lord Chaitanya quoted a verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (38.126):</p>
<p>harer nama harer nama<br /> harer namaiva kevalam<br /> kalau nasty eva nasty eva<br /> nasty eva gatir anyatha</p>
<p>“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Hari, Krishna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age of Kali.” He also desired and predicted:</p>
<p>prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama<br /> sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama</p>
<p>“In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be propagated.” (Cb 3.4.126) This desire and prediction were expressed at a time when it was almost impossible to imagine or believe that it could happen.</p>
<p>In the 1800s, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura began the effort to spread the holy name of Krishna to countries outside India. He wrote a small book in English called Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts and dispatched copies to libraries around the world. In recent years, Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have discovered copies in libraries from Canada (McGill University) to Australia. Bhaktivinoda Thakura yearned for the day when devotees from all over the world would unite in harinama-sankirtana and wrote, “Very soon the unparalleled path of harinama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the planet. . . . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and kartals and perform kirtan through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be?” (Sajjana-tosani)Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a very powerful spiritual master, an acharya. After the disappearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, many unscrupulous people claiming to be Mahaprabhu’s followers introduced concocted philosophies and practices—even illicit activities—to the point that if an educated Bengali heard the word Vaishnava, he would immediately think the worst. In educated circles Vaishnava had come to mean a sentimental, ignorant person with loose character who, in the guise of religion, engaged in all sorts of questionable activities. In this precarious situation, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came forward and presented the true understanding of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking strongly against the deviant groups that had distorted and perverted His pure teachings and practices.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura held a high position in the British rule of India—the highest an Indian could hold, and then only very rarely. He had important responsibilities in the government and had a large family, but his main interest was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the sankirtana movement. He would sleep little and rise early. He did so much—wrote books, traveled, preached, established centers—and had a tremendous effect, especially on the people of Bengal and Orissa, including the intellectual elite, who were just then coming in touch with modern ideas from the West. He revived the true mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, inspiring hosts of people to join him, and pushed back the deviant groups, which lost much of their influence.</p>
<p>Having undertaken such a tremendous task and executed it so successfully but still being surrounded by so many parties with vested interests in covering the true intention of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was at a loss as to who would carry on his mission. He prayed to Krishna to send someone—one of His own associates from the spiritual realm—to continue the work. It is understood that the appearance of his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayers.</p>
<p>There are many incidents from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s early life that indicate that he was that person sent by Krishna. When Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was five months old, the Ratha-yatra cart halted in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home in Puri, and the Thakura directed his wife, Bhagavati Devi, to carry the baby to the chariot. When the infant was placed at the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha, he extended his tiny arms to touch the Deity’s feet, and Lord Jagannatha dropped one of His garlands around him—a blessing and a confirmation of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s divine descent.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati understood his father’s mission and worked with him to fulfill it. His father initiated him into the chanting of the holy name (hari-nama), the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, but according to etiquette, a father does not give actual diksa to his son. So, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, a great maha-bhagavata—a fully self-realized, liberated soul—for diksa. But Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a renounced bhajananandi and was not inclined to accept disciples; he preferred simply to immerse himself in chanting the holy names and hearing scripture.</p>
<p>When Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati approached Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, Babaji Maharaja told him directly that he would not accept him or anyone else as a disciple. Still, Siddhanta Sarasvati persisted, so Babaji Maharaja told him, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” A few days later, when Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and inquired, “What was Mahaprabhu’s order?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when Siddhanta Sarasvati came for the third time, Babaji Maharaja directly refused him: “Mahaprabhu has not given permission.” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was devastated. He stood up and quoted a line by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, addressed to the guru—karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara: “If you are not merciful to me, I will simply weep and weep and will not be able to maintain my life.” Finally, when Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja understood how sincere and serious Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was, he accepted him as his disciple and initiated him.</p>
<p>Five years later, in 1905, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati undertook a vow to chant at least three lakh holy names daily—ten million monthly—until he had chanted one billion holy names. For his disciples, Srila Prabhupada fixed the minimum number of sixteen rounds per day, which takes most devotees about two hours. Four times sixteen is sixty-four rounds, or one lakh names. And three times sixty-four rounds equal three hundred thousand names, which would take us, even at a good rate, at least sixteen hours a day. In Mayapur, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati constructed a grass hut, where he lived very simply and chanted day and night. If rain came and leaked through the thatched roof, he would just hold up an umbrella and continue chanting: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>To complete his vow took more than nine years, but even then, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati would write, preach, and serve the dhama. One program he attended was especially significant. In Bengal the caste brahmans held a stranglehold on people’s religious practices. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had spoken openly against them and their false claim, based on their supposed high birth, that they possessed exclusive rights to be gurus and perform brahminical functions. Naturally, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati challenged them, the brahmans reacted. An assembly of smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis (caste Gosvamis) came together to try to refute the arguments of the pure Vaishnavas and published a tract against them. In response, the Vaishnavas called a three-day public meeting to discuss the relative positions of brahmans and Vaishnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was expected to be the main speaker, but severe rheumatism rendered him bedridden.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself was not born in a brahman family, and obviously, neither was his son. Now, the question may be raised that since Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a ray of Vishnu, an eternal associate of Krishna’s sent from the spiritual realm to the material world to preach, Krishna could have arranged for him to take birth in the highest class of brahman family, with all the brahminical qualifications. But He didn’t. Why not? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that the Lord does not arrange for pure devotees to take birth only in high-class families, with all the advantages of good health, education, culture, wealth, strength, and so on, because ordinary people would feel discouraged. They would think, “Oh, I didn’t take birth in a high-class family; I didn’t have this or that advantage. What is the hope for me?” So, great souls take birth in various kinds of families to show us the example that anyone in any condition—even if not born in a brahman family—can become Krishna conscious, and to give us hope that we too can be Krishna conscious.</p>
<p>So, after the publication of the caste brahmans’ tract, on the eve of the public meeting to be convened by the Vaishnavas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was incapacitated, and he cried out in desperation, “Is there no one in the Vaishnava world who can reply to these people and, by presenting scriptural evidence and logic, put a stop to their base activities?” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati took up the challenge, wrote an essay called “Conclusion Regarding the Comparison of Brahmans and Vaishnavas,” and went to attend the meeting.</p>
<p>Many caste brahmans, although not invited, also went to the meeting. Understanding that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was indisposed and unable to attend, they swaggered about, confident that they would easily triumph over the Vaishnavas.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was the first speaker. He began by quoting various statements from scripture about the exalted position of brahmans, and the caste brahmans in the audience were delighted. He was so brilliant that he could speak better about the high position of brahmans than the brahmans themselves. But then he began quoting verses from scripture about the position of Vaishnavas, establishing that Vaishnavas were higher than even brahmans and that irrespective of one’s birth, if one accepted the Vaishnava principles, he would attain a position more exalted than that of a brahman. The brahmans in the audience were completely overwhelmed. Seeing no way to counter Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati’s arguments, the smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis slinked away.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt assured that his mission was in capable hands, that Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was a worthy successor to carry on his cause. And Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati began to preach far and wide. He was fearless and open in his criticism of anything false. And his example and instructions remain relevant to us today.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a prodigious writer and speaker on various topics, including how to present the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He noted that there are people who think that you should say only positive—not negative—things. I experienced that when I was in Madras. I was just preaching as I had heard Srila Prabhupada preach, and people reacted. Even friends, people who were hosting me and supporting me, advised me, “Don’t criticize others. Just say what you want about your philosophy and activities.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura averred that it was imperative not only to elucidate the truth but also to criticize anything false, because in Kali-yuga there is so much false propaganda that we have to be very clear; there cannot be any ambiguity in our message:</p>
<p>“The positive method by itself is not the most effective method of propaganda in a controversial age like the present. The negative method, which seeks to differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute. It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed, it is not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread by the enchantress [Maya] for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims. It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to attain even a distant glimpse of the Absolute.”</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada also demonstrated this approach. He had a friend named Dr. Patel, who would accompany him on his morning walks on Juhu Beach. Dr. Patel was quite literate, he knew Sanskrit, and he was quite sharp. So, one morning, Dr. Patel started praising a revered popular religious figure of India, and Srila Prabhupada, in turn, began to criticize the figure. Dr. Patel protested, “You cannot criticize like this.” But Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am not saying; Krishna is saying—na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah: If you are not surrendered to Krishna, you are a miscreant in one of these categories—fool, rascal, demon.”</p>
<p>Dr. Patel became agitated and raised his voice, and Srila Prabhupada raised his. The whole situation became both tense and intense. Finally, Dr. Patel’s friends dragged him away. It was like in a boxing ring when the bell rings to signal the end of the fight and the two opponents just keep going at each other and the referee has to tear them apart.</p>
<p>For the first time, Dr. Patel stopped coming for the morning walks, and Srila Prabhupada also said, “Now no more discussion; we will only read Krsna book.” But after a couple of days, Dr. Patel was walking in one direction on the beach and Prabhupada was walking in the other, and, as Dr. Patel described it, something in his heart just drew him to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He offered obeisance and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we are trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, and our business is to point out who is not a saint.” He had learned from his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, that we not only tell who is a saint; we also explain who is not a saint. And that is the mercy of the Vaishnava, so people know clearly what is what. Otherwise, they can be misled and, as a result, suffer.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a tremendously powerful and successful preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth. And his pure preaching inspired hundreds of thousands of people to follow. But he also had enemies. He was the enemy of falsehood, and people who were thriving on falsehood sometimes became his enemies. Once, when he and his party were performing navadvipa-parikrama, the caste brahmans hired goondas, thugs, who let loose with a volley of stones and boulders on the party, aiming to take Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s life. (There were attempts on other occasions as well.) But one of his disciples cleverly exchanged his white dress for Sarasvati Thakura’s saffron robes, so Sarasvati Thakura emerged disguised and escaped. But it was a terrible scene. It looked like a massacre, with the streets of Navadvipa stained with the blood of the Vaishnavas. Some devotees suffered gashes and fractures, but by Krishna’s grace none were killed.</p>
<p>It was a dark moment, but when it came to light that the attack had been perpetrated by the caste Gosvamis, the public sided with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Gaudiya Matha, and the caste Gosvamis’ opposition to him lost whatever credibility it had. As news of the event spread, those in learned circles protested in newspapers and magazines. The chief police inspector in Navadvipa was sacked, and the parikrama continued under full police protection. Later, when urged to press charges against the culprits, Srila Sarasvati Thakura declined, saying that the goondas had done a yeoman’s service—otherwise how could the Gaudiya Matha have been featured on the front pages of all the newspapers? Srila Sarasvati Thakura was the enemy of falsehood, but he was the well-wisher of everyone, even of people who were inimical to him.</p>
<p>Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was so austere and rigid, so strict with himself, when it came to preaching he was ready to spend any amount of money and do anything. When I was first serving in India, in 1970, only affluent people could afford cars, mainly the locally manufactured Fiats and Ambassadors. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a limousine—back in the 1930s. And he dressed nicely. He would typically wear a dhoti, but on occasion, as required, he would don a double-breasted coat, stockings, and shoes. He had fine furniture for receiving special guests. Thus, referring to the elite, he said, “We are preaching by approaching the people of the world dressed even somewhat better than they, showing knowledge even somewhat greater than theirs, being even somewhere more stylish than they—without which they would think us worthless and not listen to our hari-katha. . . . I have to go to various places for propagating hari-katha, so I must present myself as a learned and decent gentleman; otherwise nondevotees will not give me their time.”</p>
<p>He used all means to broadcast the message of Krishna. Employing the latest technologies, he directed the construction of dioramas and other exhibits and staged huge theistic exhibitions. He built a grand marble temple on the bank of the Ganges at Bag-bazar in Calcutta. The procession that brought the Deities on a beautiful ratha, chariot, from the matha at Ultadangi to the new temple was enormous. Millions of people lined the streets along the two-mile route, which took four hours to traverse, and twenty-five thousand men, divided into forty-three groups, accompanied the Deities with loud harinama-sankirtana. For its work, the Gaudiya Matha owned four cars, a horse and buggy, an elephant, and a camel. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would treat prominent guests to excursions on the Ganges in one of the Matha’s launches and expound hari-katha to them.</p>
<p>In January of 1935 the governor of Bengal, Sir John Anderson, visited Mayapur. This was a major event, because the Britishers were the rulers, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura was one of their subjects, their vassals. But the governor, accompanied by many other dignitaries, came all the way to Mayapur to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and see his work.</p>
<p>Despite Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s tremendous purity and potency and success as a preacher, however, within his own institution there were disconcerting signs that some of his leading disciples were becoming materially infected. With so much opulence, facility, fame, and respect, some of them had become distracted. Instead of realizing that all the facility was meant for the service of the Lord, to bring people to the Lord’s unalloyed service, they were enjoying the facilities and adulation. In an effort to reform his followers, Srila Sarasvati Thakura spoke strongly, and he restricted the use of certain facilities—only for service, only for preaching—to curb the devotees’ materialistic tendencies. (Of course, he also had many sincere disciples, who did not become materially affected.) At the same time, Srila Sarasvati Thakura continued his propaganda activities—writing, publishing, traveling, and preaching—and was successful wherever he went. Still, he was disturbed that some of his disciples had become so mundane.</p>
<p>When he reached the age of sixty-two, Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s health declined, and he made statements indicating that he would soon be leaving. In late October 1936 he traveled to Puri, a holy place that was also warmer than Calcutta, but in December, though he was in a weakened condition, he wanted to return to Calcutta, and the disciples arranged for his travel by train.</p>
<p>In Calcutta Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s disciples called in some of the city’s most renowned physicians. When one advised him, “You have to rest more. You can’t speak so much,” Sarasvati Thakura proceeded to preach for hours about the purpose of human life—that the physical body was temporary and that the soul’s absolute necessity was to serve the Lord. He felt that if he couldn’t speak about Krishna, what would be the use of living?</p>
<p>On December 23 he instructed the devotees gathered at his bedside:</p>
<p>“I have upset many persons’ minds. Many might have considered me their enemy, because I was obliged to speak the plain truth of service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only so they might turn their face toward the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. Surely some day they will be able to understand that.</p>
<p>“I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [two of the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Chaitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.”</p>
<p>After midnight on December 31, Srila Sarasvati Thakura left this world. His disciples took his body to Mayapur and established his samadhi there.</p>
<p>News of his departure was broadcast on All-India Radio, and an official day of mourning was observed in Bengal. The Corporation of Calcutta held a special meeting in tribute to his memory and issued a resolution expressing its members’ deep sorrow. The mayor addressed the assembly:</p>
<p>“I rise to condole the passing away of His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the president-acharya of the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta and the great leader of the Gaudiya movement throughout the world. This melancholy event happened on the first day of this New Year.</p>
<p>“Born in 1874, he dedicated his whole life to religious pursuits and dissemination of the cultural wealth of this great and ancient land of ours. An intellectual giant, he elicited the admiration of all for his unique scholarship, high and varied attainments, original thinking, and wonderful exposition of many difficult branches of knowledge.</p>
<p>“With invaluable contributions, he enriched many journals. He was the author of some devotional literature of repute. He was one of the most powerful and brightest exponents of the cult of Vaishnavism, his utterances and writings displaying a deep study of comparative philosophy and theology. Catholicity of his views, soundness of his teachings, and, above all, his dynamic personality and the irresistible force of the pure and simple life had attracted thousands of followers of his message of love and service to the Absolute as propagated by Sri Krishna Chaitanya.</p>
<p>“He was the founder and guiding spirit of the Sri Chaitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur (Nadia) and the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta. The Gaudiya movement, to which his contribution is no small one, has received a setback at the passing away of such a great soul. His departure has created a void in the spiritual horizon of India, which is difficult to be filled up.”</p>
<p>That void was a big one—Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a monumental personality, and there was no one else like him. Practically, there had never been anyone like him before, and nobody could imagine anyone like him coming afterwards.</p>
<p>But then, in 1965, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s humble servant, a grihastha disciple named Abhay Caranaravinda dasa, who after his guru maharaja’s disappearance had been awarded sannyasa and the name “A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami” by Sripada Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, boarded a steamer from Calcutta, traveled to New York, and began the Krishna consciousness movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the West. Bhaktivedanta Swami—Srila Prabhupada, as he became known—embodied the spirit and teachings and potency of his guru maharaja and fulfilled the desire and prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura that the holy names of Sri Krishna, of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, be propagated in every town and village of the world.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada made adjustments, because he had his own audience and particular circumstances. Like his guru maharaja, he was ready to use anything and everything in the service of the mission. He engaged modern technology—tape recorders, Dictaphones, electric typewriters, printing presses, computers, airplanes—in the service of the Lord. He sent disciples to Bengal to learn the traditional art of doll making and also used modern technology to create diorama exhibits illustrating the principles of Krishna consciousness and the pastimes of the Lord. Adopting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s idea of theistic exhibitions, he created the FATE (First American Theistic Exhibition) museum in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>So, the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is continuing, by his divine grace.</p>
<p>But it is not easy to preach in Kali-yuga. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had many enemies, and Srila Prabhupada did too. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Big preaching means big enemies.” If we just stay at home, or tell people, “I’m okay, you’re okay—everything is okay,” we’re not going to make many enemies, but neither are we going to have much effect. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sarcastically remarked, mein bhi chup, tum bhi chup: “I’ll be quiet, you be quiet,” meaning, “I won’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.” But that was not his mood, and that was not Srila Prabhupada’s mood, and that should not be our mood either.</p>
<p>And of course, the holy name: the essence of everything is the chanting of the holy name. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised, “Krishna and krsna-nama are not two entities. Krishna is His holy name, and the holy name is Krishna. Krsna-nama is the son of Nanda, Shyamasundara. Our only devotional service and duty is sri-krsna-nama-sankirtana. This understanding is auspicious.”</p>
<p>And to one disciple, he wrote, “I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self, and the gross and subtle bodies, is gradually effaced and one realizes one’s own spiritual form. Once aware of the spiritual body, as one continues to chant, one sees the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual form of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual qualities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s qualities. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual activities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s pastimes. By service to the holy name we do not mean only the chanting of the holy name; it also includes the other duties of the chanter. If we serve the holy name with the body, mind, and soul, then the direction of that service spontaneously manifests like the sun in the clear sky of the chanter’s heart. What is the nature of the holy name? Eventually all these understandings spontaneously appear in the heart of one who chants the holy name. The true nature of hari-nama is revealed by listening to, reading, and studying the scriptures. It is unnecessary to write anything further on this subject. All these things will be revealed to you through chanting.”</p>
<p>So, let us all chant, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!<br /> Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s disappearance day, December 24, 2010, Ventura, California]<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=18415#more-18415">https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=18415#more-18415</a></p></div>The departure of HDG S. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura as narrated by a personal witnesshttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-departure-of-hdg-s-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-as-nar-12022-12-12T11:30:00.000Z2022-12-12T11:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8374647054,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8374647054?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" />By Srila B.R Sridhara Maharaja</strong></p>
<p>In his last days for some time he told us his heart was damaged and then some sort of treatment, by a Kaviraji and other party that was arranged. But gradually he became weaker and weaker. Then October of ’36 he went to Puri along with some of us to Purusottama Math on the Catak Parvat. There is one sandhill, hillock there and he lived there in his bungalow and so many of us also went with him.</p>
<p>He was very fond of hearing that sloka of Dasa Goswami, nijane katim vasam . . . Every day that was sung before him, that and sri-rupa-manjari pada se mora sampada. This song was sung by Yajavara Maharaja. And then after a month he came back to Calcutta. Then we left with a party for Kataka for some collection. But then we got information that his health was breaking down day by day. So we came to Calcutta. Then while coming back to Calcutta we found that it was a very stingy winter and treatment was going on. In spite of that, his health did not improve. We performed our duty at his sickbed. I was also among them. My duty was from two o’clock at night to four o’clock morning, and just twenty-four hours before his departure he called for me and asked me to sing a song, sri rupa manjari pada se mora sampada, this famous song which is supposed to be the highest realization of any Gaudiya Vaishnava devotee.</p>
<p>Then after twenty-four hours—the 1st of January— early in morning he left the world. He was lying and slight jerking, thrice, like hiccup, slight hiccup thrice, and everything was calm. Then of course we arranged a special train from Calcutta to Krsnanagara. We carried his holy body from the Bagh Bazaar Math in Calcutta to the train station, and from there that special train went to Krsnanagara. At Krsnanagara he was taken on the roof of a bus to the ghat. From there we crossed the Sarasvati River and then again we carried him on our shoulders to the Math and his place of samadhi. In the morning we left and it took the whole to come from Calcutta to Caitanya Math, where we arrived at about seven or eight o’clock at night.</p>
<p>Then the digging of the grave was begun, and we were engaged in that ourselves. Early in the morning he was placed there. I still remember his dignified figure. He sat in a very dignified position. His complexion was fair. He was seated for twenty-four hours on an asana, the dignified position of an acarya. He was tall and fair and thin, his body very soft. Then the salt was given around but when the salt and earth came up to his neck I came out. I could not stand to cover his head. I came out, and then I returned and covered him. A tulasi plant was put there and we all circumambulated with some song and some reading of Bhagavatam. I requested we chant the poetic conclusion of his Caitanya-caritamrta commentary. Prabhupada had his Anubhasya, a commentary on Caitanya-caritamrta. And in the conclusion he composed a poem, very sweet and in a temperment filled with lamentation. I asked that this poem be read and it was. Then the story of the passing of Haridas Thakura from Caitanya-caritamrta was also read. Then we circumambulated his Samadhi and the tulasi plant seated there. And one gentleman requested me to chant the same Sri Rupa Manjari Pada that Prabhuapda has asked me to chant two days earlier. He requested and I sang. I sang that song and then everything finished.</p>
<p>Thursday before sunrise, one or two hours before sunrise, he disappeared. Friday we took him to that math and everyone fasted without drinking even a drop of water until Saturday at about nine or ten o’clock when we took something. At that time so many disciples from outside flocked together, all pale and weeping, the entire small area was filled with crying, weeping. In this way in ’36 went away and ’37 began.</p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=22997">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=22997</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Disappearance Day by Giriraj Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-disappearance-day-by-gi2022-12-12T09:30:00.000Z2022-12-12T09:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:left;"><img class="align-center" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C4PQWd1GGyw/VoEaX82go-I/AAAAAAAAYGU/NvfxAd45lRs/s0/2015-12-28_12-17-42.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" alt="2015-12-28_12-17-42.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></p>
<p>A Talk by Giriraj Swami</p>
<p>December 19, 2005</p>
<p>San Diego</p>
<p>We are gathered on the most auspicious occasion of the disappearance anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada, the spiritual master of our Srila Prabhupada. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was born in Jagannatha Puri as the son of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, who was a magistrate and the superintendent of the Jagannatha temple in Puri. At that time, during the British rule, the position of magistrate was very important, and rare for an Indian to hold.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada told us that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was a ray of Vishnu, a liberated soul sent by Krishna. He took birth in the material world for a divine purpose, to assist Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his work and to carry on his mission. Soon after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s birth, during the Ratha-yatra, the chariot stopped in front of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s mother took him onto the chariot; and a garland from Lord Jagannatha fell directly onto the baby—blessings.</p>
<p>Later, as a preacher, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was a great innovator, and seeing the way he conducted his missionary activities, we can better appreciate the line in which Srila Prabhupada is coming, how Srila Prabhupada is continuing in the same spirit as his guru maharaja.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura taught that one must engage in bhagavata-marga and pancaratriki-vidhi at the same time. Bhagavata-marga means chanting and hearing about the pastimes of the Lord and the devotees as they are described in Srimad-Bhagavatam,and pancaratrika-marga means Deity worship. The logo of the Gaudiya Matha is a circle, with a picture of an arati bell and lamp and the caption pancaratrika-marga on one side, and a mridanga and a printing press, with the caption bhagavata-marga, on the other. Although, to make steady progress, devotees in general must follow bhagavata- and pancaratriki-vidhi simultaneously, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta gave more emphasis to bhagavata-marga—preaching. He called the printing press the brhat-mrdangaand instructed Srila Prabhupada, “If you ever get money, print books.” Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati gave the highest importance to producing and distributing books.</p>
<p>For Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s appearance day celebrations in 1936, Srila Prabhupada wrote a poem and delivered an address at the Bombay Gaudiya Matha. The poem included this verse:</p>
<p>Absolute is sentient<br /> Thou hast proved,<br /> Impersonal calamity<br /> Thou hast moved.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was most pleased with this couplet and showed it to some of his close disciples. Srila Prabhupada had been able to understand his spiritual master’s mission and mood, and so he was given the nickname kavi—poet—and, as we know, went on to produce many books establishing Krishna as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and defeating the Mayavadis’ nonsense impersonal speculations.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati built a grand temple in Bagh Bazaar in Calcutta, but later he lamented that his disciples hadn’t used the project for the purpose for which it was intended. They had become attached to the opulence and fought over who would occupy which office. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta wanted to use the temple to preach, but there is a risk that neophyte devotees will become attached to the opulence and the prestige that come with a big temple and take advantage of the temple for their own personal gain—for power and prestige, money and facility. That is a risk. Srila Prabhupada, following his spiritual master, also built big temples, and devotees here are working to build a major temple. We should pray to be proper instruments of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, that we not be distracted, and use the temples for the purposes for which they are intended—to practice and preach pure devotional service.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada constructed grand temples in select places—in Bombay, Vrindavan, and Mayapur—and they have proven to be very successful in attracting people. But what happens to the people once they come? That is our challenge: to actually give them the message of Krishna consciousness, the message of pure devotion, so thatthey actually surrender to the process of Krishna consciousness and engage in unmotivated devotional service.</p>
<p>Otherwise, people may come, but they will have different mentalities and motives. Some will come just to offer obeisances to the Deities and pray, put some money in the box, and leave feeling good. Many engage in such service or ritual with material motives. They give money in the hope that they will get some return. The famous example in India is the Balaji temple at Tirupati. The Deity, Balaji, has the reputation that if you give Him so much, you will get so much in return. Or, some people go and try to strike a deal with the Deity: “I will give you such and such donationif You give me such and such a result.”</p>
<p>In India there is a joke about this: Before going to play the races, a man went to a temple and prayed to the Deity, “Lord, if I win one lakh [one hundred thousand] rupees, I will give You fifty thousand.” At the races, he bet on a horse and won fifty thousand, but when he went back to the Deity, he said, “Lord, You didn’t trust me. You took Your half first.” People come to do business with the Deity, and sometimes they even try to cheat.</p>
<p>So, we have to elevate people. It is a gradual process, we know, but somehow we have to make the effort and, without compromise, give them the message of pure devotion. The first time I was on my own in India, in Madras, I was meeting people and preaching just the way I had seen Srila Prabhupada preach. But then I heard from friends that there was an undercurrent of protest against the way I was preaching. I heard it, and I was surprised, but I didn’t really make any change; I just heard it. Then one of our best friends, in whose home I had stayed for two weeks, said the same thing. “You shouldn’t criticize others,” he told me. “Just say what you want about Krishna consciousness and don’t say anything negative about others. Don’t criticize.” He gave the example of the Gaudiya Matha. “They have Janmashtami, and thousands of people come,” he said, “but they don’t criticize like you do. They just present their own activities.”</p>
<p>So, I thought about it. “Does Srila Prabhupada really want us to be like that, like the Gaudiya Matha?” I asked myself. “No, I don’t think so.” So I kept going. Then another friend, whose brother had offered to sponsor Srila Prabhupada’s program in Madras, said the same basic thing: “All right, you worship Krishna. You can worship Krishna, but don’t say that Krishna is better than Shiva or Ganesh. You do bhakti. That’s all right, but don’t say that bhakti is better than karma-yoga or jnana-yoga or . . .”</p>
<p>So, I kept getting it. Wherever I went, I was getting it. Finally I considered, “Maybe Krishna is trying to tell me something. Maybe I should listen to what they are saying.” And I made a resolution: “I am just going to present Krishna consciousness. I’m not going to criticize, not going to offend people anymore.”</p>
<p>Soon thereafter,I had an appointment with a big industrialist. I showed him the pictures of our activities, showed him the books, took out the life-membership form, explained the benefits, and asked him to sign. “What about Shankaracharya?” he asked. “He is one of the great acharyas of India. You haven’t said anything about him.” So, keeping our friends’ advice in mind, I replied, “Yes, he is one of the great acharyas of India.” “But you haven’t said anything about him,” the man persisted. “What about him? What about his teachings?” Trying my best to avoid getting into an argument, I said something vague and general. But he kept pushing. He kept probing. And finally it all came out.I told him that actually, Shankaracharya is an incarnation of Shiva. As such, we give him all respect. But he came with a special purpose, to present an imagined, monistic interpretation of the Vedas and thus bewilder ignorant people. I took out the Teachings of Lord Caitanya—we didn’t have Caitanya-caritamrta then—and read the verses from the Padma Purana and Shiva Purana about Lord Shiva’s taking the form of a brahman, preaching the false doctrine of Mayavada philosophy, which is covered Buddhism, and promoting atheism. Yet Shankara’s ultimate purpose was to bring the Buddhists, who were atheists, to accept the authority of the Vedas. It was a strategy. And then Lord Chaitanya came and taught the proper understanding of the Vedas.</p>
<p>Things became tense. The gentleman put forward a lot of arguments, and I thought, “I really didn’t want to get into an argument, but somehow I did anyway.” And that was the end of the discussion. Dejected, I put away the pictures, put away the books, put away the membership form, closed my briefcase, and stood to walk out. Just as I was just about to leave, however, he said, “Before you go, I would like you to see my temple.” I thought, “Oh, no. There is going to be a siva-linga. He is going to want me to bow down, and if I don’t he is going to be even more offended.” I looked at him, and he looked at me, and I could see he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. So I said, “All right.”</p>
<p>He escorted me to his temple room, which was quite large, as personal temples go, with an altar facing us on an elevated platform at the opposite end as we walked in. It was all white marble, and on the altar, much to my happy surprise and relief, were large marble Deities of Radha and Krishna. Boy, was I ever happy to see Them! It had been some time; the Deities at even the Vaishnava temples in Madras were almost all Vishnu. And there was the famous temple of Partha-sarathi, but that was just Krishna alone.</p>
<p>So, I was delighted. I offered my obeisances and prayers, and then I looked at our friend with an expression that asked, “What is happening here?” He looked at me straight in the eyes and said, “I am a devotee of Krishna, and my whole family are devotees. For many generations, we have been devotees of Krishna. . . . Actually, I was just testing you. And you did not compromise. So I am very pleased, and I will be honored to become your life member.”</p>
<p>We went back to his office, I took out the forms, he took out his checkbook, and he paid the whole amount in one installment and became a life member. But now I was really confused about my preaching. Maybe I hadn’t been doing it wrong after all. But I still wasn’t quite sure.</p>
<p>Then, when I got back to the room where I was staying, there was a letter from Srila Prabhupada. Receiving any letter from Prabhupada was a great occasion, and when I opened this one, the words jumped right out of the page: “The fact is that I am the only one in India who is openly criticizing, not only impersonalism and demigod worship, but everything that falls short of complete surrender to Krishna.”</p>
<p>“My guru maharaja never compromised in his preaching,” Prabhupada continued, “nor will I, nor should any of my students. We are firmly convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that all others are His part and parcel servants. This we must declare boldly to the whole world, that they should not foolishly dream of world peace unless they are prepared to surrender fully to Krishna as Supreme Lord.” So, I got my answer.</p>
<p>That was Srila Prabhupada’s mood—his guru maharaja’s mood and his mood—and that was the mood he wanted for us. Just before we opened the temple in Juhu, one friend, a most intelligent gentleman, Brijratan Mohatta, said to Srila Prabhupada, “If you want to get a lot of money in the donation box, you have to start spreading rumors that people who give money to these Deities get good results. They get a lot of benefit from it.” And Srila Prabhupada said, “No. We don’t make business with our God.”</p>
<p>So, I would say—although it’s hard to imagine, because we know who and what we are—that Srila Prabhupada and his guru maharaja are pleased with our efforts. When Srila Prabhupada and his disciples first arrived in India, we observed Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s disappearance day in Surat, and Srila Prabhupada began his talk, “The sunrise and the sunset, both are beautiful. Similarly, both the appearance and the disappearance of a Vaishnava are beautiful. So there is no cause of lamentation.” Then, on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s appearance day, in Gorakhpur, Prabhupada wanted a really big celebration. He told the devotees to break the fast at noon but to organize a big function and feast for the evening, and to invite all the people from the Gita Press. So we invited them, and it was a nice occasion.</p>
<p>After the program in the temple, we all went downstairs for the feast, which happened to be full of oil, because in those days in India we couldn’t get cow’s ghee. We could find buffalo ghee, but even that wasn’t the best, and it was somewhat expensive. So, every feast was a mixed occasion of joy and anxiety that we were going to get upset stomachs. Anyway, when we were almost finished with the feast, Nanda Kumar Prabhu, who was Srila Prabhupada’s servant then, came down. In general, when he would remove the plate with Srila Prabhupada’s remnants, he would go into a room and, no matter what had been on the plate before, emerge with three slices of ginger, a little pile of salt, and some lime. And he would say, “Does anyone want any maha-prasada?”</p>
<p>This time when he came down, he didn’t bring much more than that, but he did deliver two messages. He told us that Srila Prabhupada had said two things. One was that the feast was so good that he couldn’t control his senses and so heoverate. And the second was, “My guru maharaja is very pleased with all of you.” So, I think that is true, even now.</p>
<p>One other part of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s mission that was taken up by Srila Prabhupada and in turn has come to us is the Mayapur project. Of course, the previous acharyas envisioned a Krishna conscious city in Mayapur, with a wonderful temple, and a beginning was made after Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered Lord Chaitanya’s birthplace and built a temple there. In time, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati instructed his disciples to build houses, and there are a few that his grihastha followers built. But the dream of the spiritual city hasn’t yet been fully realized. And then there is the idea of building a wonderful temple—Srila Prabhupada definitely wanted to build a spectacular temple there.</p>
<p>This may just be my own impression or realization, but once, on Navadvipa parikrama, we went to Godrumadvipa, across the river from Mayapur, to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s house, which also served as a residence for Sarasvati Thakura. Each had a room, and you can see their beds and tables and chairs and other paraphernalia. And at one point, I went out on the balcony of the house and was looking across the river, to Mayapur. It is said that Bhaktivinoda Thakura looked across and had a vision of this wonderful temple and Vedic city. From the same balcony, I saw Srila Prabhupada’s samadhi, the dome of Prabhupada’s samadhi. Now, the architecture of the puspa-samadhi in Mayapur is not exactly Bengali. I even heard one senior devotee comment, “We should have done it in the same style as the rest of the temples, Bengali style.” But somehow, the impression I got at the time, my intuition, was that Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was pleased, because he wanted devotees from all over the world to come to Mayapur and chant and dance together—“Hare Krishna! Haribol!” And that architecture, which combined elements of various styles, was the visible manifestation of the fulfillment of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s vision and desire that devotees from all over the world should join together in Mayapur in service to Mahaprabhu.</p>
<p>Once, on his way to Calcutta, Srila Prabhupada stopped over in London for some days and personally designed the first building for Mayapur. When he got to Calcutta, he showed us the blueprints and told us about the project. He was so excited and enthusiastic, he was beaming, but he also raised some questions. “What if we build this temple and there is flooding?” he asked. “It could be ruined. Then what?” He suggested, “Maybe we should build it somewhere else, not in Mayapur.” He suggested Birnagar, which is the birthplace of Bhaktivinoda Thakura.</p>
<p>So, Srila Prabhupada was practical. He had ideals, but he was also practical. And what he said really had our minds spinning, because all along we had identified the big temple with Mayapur. The way he dealt with us reminded me of Lord Chaitanya with His devotees. Lord Chaitanya would take one position and convince all the devotees of that position. And then He would take the opposite position and convince all the devotees of that position. So, it was like that with Srila Prabhupada. Somehow he convinced us that we shouldn’t build the temple in Mayapur, and then he turned the argument around and convinced us we should build it in Mayapur. But I think the real lesson—and it was a lesson that he taught us repeatedly—was that we shouldn’t take anything for granted. When we are dealing with the material world, we shouldn’t take anything for granted. He often defined intelligence as the ability to see the same thing from different angles of vision. He wanted us to consider things with our intelligence and be open to different conclusions.</p>
<p>But whatever it is—wherever it ends up being—he told us very emphatically, “If you build this temple, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura will personally come and take you all back to Godhead.” It was definitely an encouragement.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was also very innovative in his preaching. He had the idea that there should be a boat and that devotees should travel from port to port and spread Krishna consciousness. He had the idea of a theistic exhibition with doll exhibits, which was as progressive then as IMAX or animatronics are now. And he interacted with the Britishers. There are pictures of him wearing a long, double-breasted coat, with long stockings and shoes. He looked like a distinguished Britisher, but with the touches of a dhoti and a turban. And he would ride in a limousine. When I arrived in India in 1970, only the richest people had cars, mainly small Fiats and Ambassadors, and only the very richest had larger, imported cars. So, in 1930 practically no one would have had acar, not even the wealthiest. But Bhaktisiddhanta had a limousine. And he was a sadhu! You can see pictures of him in a limousine, very nicely dressed. Sometimes he would entertain important government officers and scholars. There is a picture of him and his disciples receiving Sir John Anderson, the governor of Bengal, in Mayapur, and his disciples were wearing uniforms—dark pants, dark vests, dark jackets, dark turbans, dark shoes and socks, and white shirts with high collars, with chains draped across their vests (perhaps attached to pocket watches). They looked a bit like Christian priests, with elements of Indian princes. Personally, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta was extremely austere, but when it came to spreading Krishna consciousness, he was ready to use anything and everything.</p>
<p>By any means, yena tena prakarena, somehow or other, we want people to fix their minds on Krishna. Tasmat kenapy upayena manah krsna nivesayet: Somehow or other, one must fix the mind on Krishna. Somehow or other. Big temples, big festivals, museums, movies—whatever. Of course, the basics will always be there: kirtan and philosophy and prasada. But that is the merciful mood of our acharyas—not to be complacent, not to sit in the temple and eat rice and dal and ring the bell. Go out. Think of ways to somehow or other engage people in Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p>{So, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, then Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, then Srila Prabhupada—we can’t really separate them, their missions. That is our line. And we pray for their mercy that we can be empowered to carry on their mission and really help people—help ourselves and help others.</p>
<p>So, we have a great lineage, and we have a big challenge. But I think we have a lot of good material too. I think we can do it. Srila Prabhupada said, “By the mercy of my guru maharaja, I did a hundred times more than he did. Similarly, I want you all to do a hundred times more than me.”</p>
<p>Among Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s last words were, “I have most probably given many people troubles in the mind. Some of them might have thought about me that I am their enemy because I was obliged to speak the plain truth for service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only for the reason that they may turn their face towards the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. I hope some day or other they may understand me rightly.</p>
<p>“I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [disciples of Lord Chaitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.”</p>
<p>Hare Krishna.</p>
<p><em>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!<br /> </em><br /> <em> Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!</em></p>
<p><em>Gaura-bhakta-vrnda ki jaya!<br /> </em><br /> <em> Gaura-premanande hari-haribol!</em></p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9142">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9142</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s South India Tourhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-s-south-india-tour2022-12-12T08:30:00.000Z2022-12-12T08:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2515279768,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2515279768,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="2515279768?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="300" /></a></p>
<p><strong>By Srila Bhaktisiddhanata Sarasvati Thakura</strong></p>
<p>In the early 1930s, the intrepid preacher of Krishna consciousness receives grand receptions from the devoted people of South India.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the spiritual master of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This article is an excerpt from Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava.</p>
<p>South India, 1930–31 and 1932</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wanted to install 108 pada-pithas (replicas of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s footprints) at sacred locations that had been visited by the Lord, to create awareness of His having been there. But he was able to do so at only eight locations, five of them while touring South India in 1930.1</p>
<p>Advance parties were sent to arrange with local temple authorities for brief and modest installation programs. At each place, accompanied by a small party, Srila Sarasvati Thakura would install a stone imprint representing Mahaprabhu’s feet by washing it with Ganga water, performing arati, reading from the relevant section of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, and performing sankirtana. He would give the priests and temple managers funds for the construction of a simple shrine for the footprints, and within a day or two move on.</p>
<p>The expedition began on 23 December 1930, when the party proceeded from Calcutta to Jajpur, Orissa. There Lord Chaitanya’s footprints were installed near the river Vaitarani, also known as Viraja. Lord Chaitanya’s grandfather, Upendra Mishra, was said to have hailed from Jajpur, and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his troupe visited the inhabitants of that area who claimed descent from Lord Chaitanya’s family. They also went to see the Varahadeva deity, whose temple was on the other side of the Vaitarani. While crossing, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati commented, “To pass over the Vaitarani means to leave the material habitat and enter Brahmaloka (the spiritual world).”2 On the night of 25 December they left from Jajpur station, at the periphery of thick jungle. When suddenly the sound of tigers was heard, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati asked, “Oh, are the tigers roaring?”</p>
<p>On 26 December the troupe arrived at Kurmakshetra, where the deity of Sri Kurma presides. In the evening, resident brahmanas offered a ceremonial welcome, and after performing a parikrama of the temple, Srila Sarasvati Thakura installed Lord Chaitanya’s footprints. Next the party established pada-pithas at Simhacalam (27 December), Kovvur (29 December), and Mangalagiri (31 December). At Kovvur, by consulting the local public and the description in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, an advance party approximately ascertained the site on the bank of the river Godavari at which Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had first met and discussed with Sri Ramananda Raya. For establishing a pada-pitha there, Sripada Bon Maharaja, the leader of the party, selected a suitable plot, which the owner happily donated.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura and company reached Madras on 2 January 1931. The Harmonist described much of the rest of the tour thus:</p>
<p>After a stay of two days at Madras His Divine Grace started for Trivandrum, visiting on the way the temples of Sri Varadaraja at Vishnukanchi, of Sri Ranganathaji at Srirangam, and of Janardana Vishnu at Varkala.3 His Divine Grace reached Trivandrum on 7 January. He next visited Sri Ananta Padmanabha and then proceeded to Tiruvattar, where he saw Sri Adi-keshava. Sri Gaurasundara discovered the manuscript of the Brahma-samhita at this place. His Divine Grace visited Sri Kanyakumari on the ninth. This is the southernmost point of India, otherwise known as Cape Comorin. His Divine Grace returned to Trivandrum the same day and presided at a public lecture delivered in the local Jubilee Hall by His Holiness Srimad Bhakti Hridaya Bon Maharaja of the Gaudiya Mission. His Divine Grace returned to Calcutta on 14 January by way of Madras, where he presided at a second lecture by Swamiji Bon on the life and teachings of Sriman Mahaprabhu, delivered at the local Madhva Association. His Divine Grace had been pleased to visit the residence of Srijut Ramachandra Rao at the town of Rajmahendri, at his earnest prayer. This gentleman had made a free gift of some valuable lands at Kovvur for the erection of the shrine of the footprints of the Supreme Lord, in commemoration with His meeting with Raya Ramananda at that place in 1510 A.D. His Divine Grace was hospitably received on behalf of the Travancore State and provided with a suitable residence during his short stay at Trivandrum, at the Padma Vilasa Palace.4</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura commented that the deity of Kanyakumari, after which the township was named, resembled that of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu at Sri Chaitanya Matha, and that although Kanyakumari was generally accepted to be Durga prior to her marriage with Lord Shiva, Vaishnavas consider her to be Lakshmi, daughter of the ocean, on whose shore she resides. He said that just as Kurukshetra is the place of the elder gopis, Kanyakumari is that of the unmarried gopis, and here vipralambha-bhava is triple that in Puri.5</p>
<p>Returning to Bengal prior to the Navadvipa-dhama Parikrama, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati remained in North India for almost a year before again heading for Madras (this time with twenty devotees), where he was accorded several formal receptions, the one conducted upon his arrival being unprecedented. Organized by members of the public in conjunction with the Municipal Corporation, it consisted of local traditional music parties, a brass band, kirtana groups, a procession of Boy Scouts, and throngs of people, many waving flags and festoons and all straining to see and hear this extraordinary saint from Bengal. Thirty-two guns were fired in Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s honor, and troops led by Britishers were deployed to regulate the crowd. All the important newspapers of the city covered the reception and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s subsequent activities in Madras. On 11 January 1932, under the heading “Gaudiya Matha Guru Maharaja in Madras,” the Justice reported:</p>
<p>His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, the great Acharya of the Gaudiya cult and President of Sri Vishva-Vaishnava-raja Sabha, arrived in Madras yesterday by the Calcutta Mail.<br /> His Holiness’s party consisted of about thirty persons and included the secretary of the said sabha; his private secretary; the editor of the Gaudiya; Prof. J. Dasadhikary, Bhakti-Sastri; Prof. H. P. Mandal; and Mr. G. C. Deb, Retd. Deputy Supdt. of Allahabad.<br /> His Holiness was honored and garlanded on the way at Cuttack Station by the residents of the city, at Rajahmundry, Kovvur, and Basin Bridge.<br /> At Central Station, His Divine Grace was received with shouts of glory by many eminent citizens, and the members of the Madras Gaudiya Matha. As soon as the Svamiji got down, B. H. Bon Maharaja introduced to him the President of the Madras Corporation, T. S. Ramaswami Iyer; the Hon’ble Minister Mr. P. T. Rajan; S. V. Ramaswami Mudaliar; and the Hon’ble Dewan Bahadura S. G. Narayanswami Chettiar, C.I.E.; and they garlanded the Svamiji.<br /> His Divine Grace got into the very beautifully decorated car, and in a huge sankirtana procession consisting of tridandi-swamis, brahmacharis, gentries of the city, provincial scouts, several kirtana parties, and the devotees from Calcutta, started from the front of the Madras Club and slowly proceeded to Gaudiya Matha, Gopalapuram, passing through West Cott’s Road, Woods Road, Rayapettah Bazar Road, Lloyd Road, and Corn Smith Road.<br /> Besides the distinguished gentlemen who received the Goswami Maharaja at Central Station, the inhabitants of Rayapettah, Mylapure, and Gopalapuram received the great Acharya at the corner of Pycrofts Road, and Hon’ble Minister Dewan Bahadura S. Kumarswami Reddiar accompanied His Divine Grace to the Matha itself. The whole procession party with the Svamiji Maharaja got into the new site of the Gaudiya Matha, and then again his car stopped at the gate of the house of his disciples at Lloyd Road, where His Divine Grace was duly honored by the whole family with arati, etc.<br /> Then Guru Maharaja alighted from the car, and was conducted to the decorated “Sri Krishna Hall” of the Matha, where Prof. L. N. Govindarajan of Loyola College, on behalf of the residents of Gopalapuram colony, read an address of homage to His Divine Grace.<br /> The Hon’ble Minister Dewan Bahadura S. Kumarswami Reddiar also addressed, on behalf of the greater population of the province, and paid homage to Paramahamsa Maharaja. The Acharya then gave a suitable and short reply to them.6</p>
<p>On 23 January, Srila Sarasvati Thakura revealed the service of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga–Gandharvika-Giridhari in the Madras Gaudiya Matha. On 27 January the governor of Madras Presidency, His Excellency Sir George Frederick Stanley, accompanied by Lady Beatrix and his private and military secretaries, came to the Madras Gaudiya Matha and laid the foundation stone for its Sri Krishna Kirtana Hall. His Excellency observed:</p>
<p>In spite of the very short time in which the Mission has been established in Madras, it has obviously made great headway; it has attracted many influential men to its fold and has succeeded in finding a permanent site on which to expand. I wish to say what a great pleasure it is for me to meet today the spiritual head of the Mission, the President Acharya, and I pray that his work and all the members of the Mission may be blessed by the divine grace which inspires them, and that they may ever progress toward their object of bringing peace to India and all mankind.7</p>
<p>Many South Indian Vaishnava brahmanas, themselves deeply learned in shastra, highly regarded Srila Sarasvati Thakura and his disciples for their adherence to sastra and spreading Vishnu-bhakti. Reciprocally, Srila Sarasvati Thakura and his followers esteemed the numerous Vaishnava brahmanas in South India who strictly upheld their culture and principles.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura expressed a desire to preach extensively in South India, considering it a place of devotion due to the widespread influence of Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya. He appreciated the people’s piety and their developed philosophical sense, but regretted the prevalence of monism. He wanted big Gaudiya Vaishnava temples constructed there. He once said, “I will come again to pick up those disciples of mine who do not complete their bhajana and go back to Godhead. At that time I shall simultaneously fulfill my desire to preach in South India and Vrindavana, and will establish many pada-pithas of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.” He said that in South India people know arcana but not kirtana, and that they know Vishnu forms of the Lord such as Vasudeva, Kurma, Nrisimha, and Narayana, but not Radha-Krishna.8 However, in a lecture given in Bengal he stated:</p>
<p>The most merciful Sri Chaitanyadeva preached all over South India the glories of Radha-Govinda. Yet today the people there are in the same condition as before Sriman Mahaprabhu came. Therefore it is again required to preach to South Indians, to revive their original consciousness, because they have completely forgotten whatever Sriman Mahaprabhu had instructed. They say, “We are rational and intelligent men, not sentimental like Bengalis,” but they have no interest to hear about Sri Sri Radha-Govinda. When we installed the deity of Radha-Govinda in our Ramananda Gaudiya Matha in South India, local people opposed us and placed so many obstacles. They wanted us to instead install the four-armed form of Lord Vishnu. The people of Madras are busy with discussions of Partha-sarathi and do not know about Radha-Govinda–lila.9 They are very unfortunate; they have no qualification to see the beautiful service of the Supreme Lord that was inaugurated in North India by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s associates the Six Goswamis.10</p>
<p>While visiting Madras, Srila Sarasvati Thakura gave insights into his vast knowledge of shastra and Vedic culture by explaining to his disciples salient points about the dress of South Indian brahmanas, who characteristically wore a veshti as lower cloth, and a cotton wrap across the shoulders or tied at the waist, with the rest of the chest and back bare except for an upavita.11 He said that previously the upavita was not used, only the dhoti and upper cloth, but later it became acceptable for brahmanas to wear an upavita instead of an upper cloth. When the Bengali devotees expressed surprise that South Indian brahmanis wore their saris with a kaccha, Srila Sarasvati Thakura stated that this was the correct Vedic method.</p>
<p>After being offered Vyasa-puja in Madras, Srila Sarasvati Thakura headed back toward Bengal to attend the festival culminating on Gaura-jayanti. En route he halted for another rousing reception, this time in Ellore, a town in the Madras Presidency. Led by zamindar Rao Bahadura Mothi Gangaraju, practically the entire populace feted the acharya with a gala procession of elephants, horses, a band, and hundreds carrying flags, festoons, and ceremonial spears. Seated in a lavishly bedecked horse-drawn coach, Srila Sarasvati Thakura passed through packed streets under continuous showers of flowers. At the conclusion of the parade, he was accorded a highly enthusiastic reception by different religious associations, each presenting him with panegyrics and certificates of appreciation.</p>
<p>Shortly thereafter, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati again visited South India, stopping briefly in Madras before proceeding to Coimbatore and several other towns, eventually reaching the hill station Ootacamund, where he took relief from the heat of the plains. Remaining there over two months, he sometimes lectured but mostly concentrated on writing—revising Professor Sanyal’s English book Sree Krishna Chaitanya, working on the English translation of Brahma-samhita, completing his own Gaudiya-bhashya on Sri Chaitanya-bhagavata, and penning an English booklet about Sri Ramananda Raya. On the arrival of the cooling monsoonal rains he journeyed to Mysore, reaching there on 17 June 1932 to fulfill an invitation from the Maharaja of Mysore, Sir Krishna Rajendra Udaiyar Bahadura. The maharaja was well known as being, like his father before him, adept in both Eastern and Western philosophy and a liberal sponsor of Hindu causes, with particular admiration for the Ramakrishna Mission. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was honored as a state guest and lodged in the fabulous Rama Palace. The maharaja arranged and attended public meetings at the palace, which featured speeches by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati.</p>
<p>While in Mysore, Srila Sarasvati Thakura pointed out that in the far west of Mysore District was situated Sringeri, where impersonalist Sripada Sankaracharya had established a matha; diametrically opposite, in the far east of the district at Mulbagal, a matha had been founded by Sri Vadiraja of the Madhva sampradaya, whose upholding of Shuddha-dvaita-siddhanta directly opposed Sankaracharya’s teachings; and since Mysore city is exactly midway between the two locations, it is fitting to at this place present Lord Chaitanya’s achintya-bhedabheda-tattva, which being the midpoint of unqualified monism and unrelenting dualism, harmonized both stances, bringing to a perfect conclusion the strengths of both.</p>
<p>In an entry dated 21 June 1932 in the visitor’s book of the maharaja’s Sanskrit college, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati wrote:</p>
<p>Visited H.H. Maharaja’s Sanskrit College on 20-6-32 and was very kindly received and shown over the premises by the worthy principal. We had a look at the famous collection of Sanskrit manuscripts and had a short talk with the professors of the college. We were impressed by the atmosphere of liberal all-round culture of the place and the cordiality of our reception by the instructional staff and students. We could not help feeling the absence of a chair of Srimad-Bhagavatam embodying the highest synthesis of religion in its comparative aspects.</p>
<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati<br /> Patraraja12, Sri Vishva-Vaishnava-raja Sabha<br /> Sri Chaitanya Matha, Sri Mayapur<br /> Nadia, Bengal</p>
<p>After ten days in Mysore the next stop was Trivandrum, where the Maharaja of Travancore also received Srila Sarasvati Thakura and his party as state guests. He personally guided Srila Sarasvati Thakura around the magnificent Ananta Padmanabha temple, and heard from him about the teachings of Lord Chaitanya in relation to those of the Vaishnava acharyas of South India.</p>
<p>Bhakti Vikasha Swami, originally from England, is an ISKCON sannyasi, guru, and author. He spends most of his time in India, teaching Krishna consciousness.</p>
<p>NOTES<br /> 1. Several more such pada-pithas have since been established by discipular descendants of Srila Sarasvati Thakura.<br /> 2. The river Vaitarani that surrounds hell is manifested on the earthly plane as this namesake in Orissa. The prototype Vaitarani is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.26.22: “A person born into a responsible family—such as a kshatriya, a member of royalty, or a government servant—but who neglects to execute his prescribed duties according to religious principles and thus becomes degraded, falls down at the time of death into the river of hell known as Vaitarani. This river, which is a moat surrounding hell, is full of ferocious aquatic animals. When a sinful man is thrown into the river Vaitarani, the aquatic animals there immediately begin to eat him, but because of his extremely sinful life, he does not leave his body. He constantly remembers his sinful activities and suffers terribly in that river, which is full of stool, urine, pus, blood, hair, nails, bones, marrow, flesh, and fat.”</p>
<p>Worldly people come to Jajpur to perform rituals whereby they can be freed from sinful reactions that could cause their incarceration in the hellish Vaitarani.</p>
<p>The prototype Viraja described in scripture is at the border of the material world and must be crossed before entering the spiritual realm. Viraja means vigata-raja (raja: material world; vigata: without). (See Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 21.50)<br /> 3. Vishnukanchi: a neighborhood within the temple town Conjeevaram (Kanchipuram).<br /> 4. Harmonist 28.280 (February 1931).<br /> 5. The connection between Kanyakumari and the unmarried gopis (Vraja-kumaris) is that the latter prayed to Katyayani, who is nondifferent from Kanyakumari, to attain Krishna as their spouse.<br /> 6. Quoted in Harmonist 29.256 (February 1932).<br /> 7. Justice, 26 January 1932; quoted in Harmonist 29.286 (March 1932).<br /> 8. The statements in this and the previous paragraph were given by Jati Sekhara Prabhu.<br /> 9. Partha-sarathi: a name of Krishna meaning “charioteer of Arjuna.”<br /> 10. Srimad Bhagavata-tatparya 69.<br /> 11. Veshti: a dhoti worn double-folded and without a kaccha (the length tucked in at the back).<br /> 12. Patraraja: president.</p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14600">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14600</a></p></div>Amazing insights from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s conversations and discourseshttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/amazing-insights-from-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-c2022-12-12T05:30:00.000Z2022-12-12T05:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div>
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<p>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:</p>
<p>From a conversation with Mr. N. Bardaloi on October 8, 1928:</p>
<p>“Mahaprabhu revealed the welfare system of the Srimad-Bhagavatam: vedyam vastavam atra vastu sivadam tapa-trayonm lanam, ‘The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2) The Srimad-Bhagavatam’s welfare process was discovered and refined by Sri Caitanyadeva, and it is alone auspicious, because it alone removes all three forms of material misery. The benevolence systems invented by the thoughtful people of the world can award only temporary relief or enjoyment; they cannot award true auspiciousness, the goal of life. Moreover, they do not uproot the threefold material miseries. Miseries are the effects of a cause, and effects cannot be destroyed until the thing that caused them is destroyed. You can cut off a banyan tree’s branches and twigs a thousand times, but if you don’t uproot the tree, they will grow up again. The thousands of man-made ways to help people are just like trying to bail the water from the ocean by hand. Even if thousands of people bail for ages, they will never empty the vast ocean.”</p>
<p>“Vishnu is all pervading. He is the Supreme Brahman, the almighty God. Serving Him means serving everything situated in Him. The servant of a particular horse is not the servant of all horses or all other animals. The servant of a particular country is not a servant of all countries. The servant of a particular time is not the servant of all times. If someone kills a goat or fish and serves his tongue by eating it, then that is one-sided service – he is serving only his own happiness – but the goat or fish is not happy at all. Similarly, if one particular person or country is served, then other persons or countries will be harmed. But when serving Vishnu everything is served and everyone becomes pleased. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy is all auspicious; and it does not yield any harm. It is beneficial for all persons at all time and in all countries.”</p>
<p>“Worship of Krishna without Radha is not worship but pride. It is another unauthorized philosophy nourished by the concept of an impotent God. Krishna is alone the enjoyer; all others are to be enjoyed. The origin of all the enjoyed, or the asrayas (abodes of love) is Sri Radhika. To serve God under the subordination of His servant is the core of Vaishnava philosophy. Other philosophies devoid of subordination to the original shelter, or asraya, are simply covered atheism or some kind of pseudo philosophy.”</p>
<p>“Because she worships or satisfies Krishna’s desires, she is called ‘Radhika.’ Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.30.28) states:</p>
<p>anayaradhito nunam bhagavan harir isvarah<br /> yan no vihaya govindah prito yam anayad rahah</p>
<p>‘Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful<br /> Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.’”</p>
<p>“Without serving the one who is capable of fulfilling Krishna’s desires, it is not possible to satisfy Krishna’s senses or to serve Him. Unless a person becomes advanced in spiritual life by giving up the desire for material enjoyment, he cannot understand this.”</p>
<p>“Speaking hari-katha is real rest – it removes all fatigue. Any endeavor other than kirtana, performed even for a moment, is averse to God. Exalted personalities and their followers always engage in glorifying topics about Hari in all respects. They have no other duty. Sri Caitanyadeva also instructed us, kirtaniyah sada harih: always chant the glories of Hari. The symptom of liberated persons is that they only chant the glories of Hari at all times with body, mind, and speech.”</p>
<p>From a conversation with Kumara Sriyukta Saradindu Narayan on October 17, 1928:</p>
<p>“Even though He was the Supreme Absolute Truth, Vishnu Himself, Sriman Mahaprabhu enacted the pastime of acting as an acarya and preached the ideal example of following the descending path of aural reception that we call the “disciplic succession.” By enacting the pastime of accepting Sri Isvarapuripada as His spiritual master and thus making Himself subordinate to Sri Madhavendra Puripada, and also having Sri Nityananda and Sri Advaita Prabhu take shelter of Madhavendra Puri, Sri Mahaprabhu established the eternal principle of accepting the path of disciplic succession. The four authorized sampradayas are mentioned in the transcendental literature. By setting the example of accepting one of these four, the Brahma-Madhva sampradaya, Lord Gaurasundara established in this world the honor of the sastras. The teachings and behavior described by sadhu, sastra, and acarya should not contradict one another.”</p>
<p>“Moral instructions and the establishment of theism are not the last word of Mahaprabhu’s preaching; rather, He has revealed the highest ecstatic love of God. In other words, all the best advice of all the acaryas is already included in what Mahaprabhu teaches.”</p>
<p>“Actually, only those who are not brahmanas are eager to call themselves brahmanas!”</p>
<p>“om tad vishnoh paramam padam sada<br /> pasyanti surayah diviva cakshuratatam</p>
<p>“Just as those with ordinary vision see the sun’s rays in the sky, so the wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Vishnu.”</p>
<p>“There is a distinction between the demigods’ names and the demigods themselves. There are distinctions between their names, forms, qualities,<br /> and pastimes and themselves. But there is no difference between Krishna’s<br /> name and Krishna Himself, Krishna’s name and Krishna’s form, Krishna’s name<br /> and Krishna’s qualities, and Krishna’s name and Krishna’s pastimes.”</p>
<p>“Kumara: Purva-mimamsaka considers sound temporary.<br /> Srila Prabhupada: And Uttara-mimamsaka refutes that claim: tasya ha va etasya brahmano nama satyam iti – “He is immortal and fearless. He is named Satya, the truth.”</p>
<p>“Since the object and its name are different from each other in the world of duality, some people think the same is true of the nondual. When we consider the respective characteristics of maya and Vaikuntha, we understand that the one is full of faults and paucity and the other is free from them. In the faulty kingdom, there is a difference between an object and its “sound” or name. Therefore, in the material sky sound is temporary. But this is not true of the nondual world, Vaikuntha, where the holy name and the owner of that name are one; there is no distinction in Vaikuntha between a name and its object. Trying to confine Vaikuntha within the four walls of this world is like lopping off the branch of the tree on which we are sitting. The nature of sounds and their objects in Vaikuntha is diametrically opposite to the nature of sounds and their objects in the material world.”</p>
<p>“The Mundaka Upanishad (3.2.3) states, ‘Yamevaisha vrinute tena labhyah: God loves a man because the man loves Him.’ It is mutual and reciprocal.”</p>
<p>“Kumara: But why are there differences of opinion among various spiritual texts?<br /> Srila Prabhupada: One sees conflict when one views these apparently opposing opinions with one’s material vision, but in the spiritual or enlightened understanding, perfect harmony and resolution is found to all such conflicts. In order to bewilder the demons and to protect the confidential treasury from unauthorized people, a contradictory picture is painted from the outside. This only reflects the author’s intention to maintain the confidential nature of scripture.”</p>
<p>“By hearing from the book bhagavata and the devotee bhagavata, a great revolution takes place in life. All previous histories, experiences, and conclusions are dismantled, and in their place is established a strong foundation on which one can cultivate God consciousness. This is called diksha, or the transmission of transcendental knowledge.”</p>
<p>“Caitanyadeva’s teachings are so great that all other topics of all the great persons of the world are and will always be dim before them. There is no doubt about this. All scriptures, all great personalities, all acaryas, and all the world’s preachers have more or less tried to describe the Lord, but they could not do it properly. If weak-hearted persons cannot understand this supreme truth and, while denying the brilliance of the midday sun think Caitanyadeva’s teachings narrow or insignificant, they will be cheated. Let them become degraded as the price of their foolishness.”</p>
<p>“Our job is not reformation but reestablishment. It is not for us to reform the pure, eternal religion preached by Sri Mahaprabhu, but as the shoe-carriers of His servants our duty is to reestablish that lost religion.”</p>
<p>“Now imagine if the great instructor Mahasaya or his followers do not allow us to cross the ocean, or think that by crossing the ocean we will lose our caste. Will the preachers of devotional service to the Supreme Lord not propagate Mahaprabhu’s teachings? Will they abstain from Mahaprabhu’s mission and not follow His orders? Vaishnavas do not have the same concerns as attached, fruitive smartas.”</p>
<p>“Mahaprabhu converted everyone to Vaishnavism. He made Buddhists, Pathans, Moghuls, smartas, and others give up their contrary religious systems; He brought about a spiritual change within them by initiating them into eternal bhagavata-dharma. Sri Caitanya is Godhead par excellence. Few people around the world know this fact. I will do whatever it takes so that gradually, the people of the whole world can know Sri Caitanya’s teachings.”</p>
<p>“Very soon, fifty lakhs of [five million] people are coming who will preach Mahaprabhu’s teachings all over the world. Sri Caitanyadeva established bhagavata-dharma by answering the questions of innumerable philosophers. Moreover, we are trying to solve the questions put forth by the newly concocted unauthorized philosophies opposed to Sri Caitanya by following in the footsteps of Sri Caitanyadeva.”</p>
<p>“‘The brahmanas born in the Age of Kali are merely sudras. Their so-called Vedic path of karma is polluted and cannot purify them. They can only be purified by following the path of the Agamas or Pañcaratrika-viddhi.’ (Vishnu Yamala, quoted in Sri Hari-bhakti-vilasa 5.5)”</p>
<p>“Kumara: You are the only one who is propagating Mahaprabhu’s transcendental religion of love of God among learned persons by refuting philosophies like the attached fruitive smarta ideas, mayavada, and so on, all of which are opposed to bhagavata-dharma. Today, our lives have become glorious. The foot dust from a great personality like you has decorated this small house of someone as fallen and materialistic as us. Today my house has become sanctified and transformed into a holy place. We are greatly honored. ‘I came to scoff, but remained to pray.’”</p>
<p>From a conversation with Kumara Prajña, Mr. Singh, Mr. Sen, and others on October 24, 1928:</p>
<p>“Mahamaya Durga is the predominating goddess of this place. Mahamaya has tempted everyone in the prison house of this material world by providing them various sucking toys. Therefore, the inhabitants of this place worship her.”</p>
<p>“The external world misguides us into thinking we are its enjoyers. It does this by presenting itself as the object of our enjoyment. Since the external world provided my gross body and mind, I call the world “mother.” Moreover, as I demand different things from this mother, I turn her into my lover and thus lose my so-called worshipable mood. But even as I am trying to become the enjoyer, I end up being enjoyed by material nature. Material nature then becomes the enjoyer and my senses the enjoyed. This kind of enjoyer-enjoyed mentality is born from the living beings’ attempt to find pleasure.”</p>
<p>“Whatever we see in this world – we should know that those objects are mastering us, controlling us. In other words, the objects become the master and our senses their servants. But those who receive the light of absolute knowledge from the prime cause, do not find that their senses are slaves to sense objects; such persons are not deceived by the objects of the senses. That is, Maya’s covering and throwing potencies do not rule them. This is why they are able to see everything as Krishna or related to Krishna – chairs, couches, tables, elephants, horses, houses … they see all of these and everything else as related to Krishna. What this means is that they see everything as something to be used for Krishna’s service. In this way, every atom has a part in Krishna’s pastimes.”</p>
<p>“Mantra does not mean something blown from the mouth or a whispering in the ear. Mantra diksha means the receipt of transcendental knowledge. Transcendental knowledge smashes down to their foundation all our seemingly beautiful philosophical mansions, built on empiricism, and erects in their place an actual foundation of eternal transcendental knowledge, cleansing the ground of all contaminations.”</p>
<p>“Many agents and messengers come to this world, but that most powerful messenger, sent by God to suit the adaptability of each recipient – the name of that sole agency is “guru.” Revelation is made possible through that expert. He can free us of mental speculation and bring about within us a revolution of natural spiritual propensity.”</p>
<p>“Yogen Babu: We can use our own knowledge to find the Absolute Truth. Why do we need to gain knowledge from others?<br /> Srila Prabhupada: This means you have not heard with full attention whatever we have discussed so far. For those who want to depend on their sensory knowledge I can cite an example. Once upon a time, a person decided to perform penance in a mountain cave, so he collected a big chunk of stone and closed the entrance of the cave to keep out tigers and other wild animals. But it did not occur to him that after fasting and practicing penance for some days that he would become too weak to move the heavy stone and get out of the cave. Our confidence in our own sensory knowledge is as one-sided as that man’s considerations. In order to save ourselves from the teeth of wild animals, we follow the dictates of our sensory knowledge and ultimately invite our death. Those who adhere only to the knowledge they have gathered with their material senses become killers of the self. The knowledge one receives from the spiritual master is not material knowledge but transcendental, spiritual knowledge. That knowledge does not belong to mankind or any particular thoughtful or intellectual person of this world. It is, rather, absolute knowledge, nondifferent from Krishna.”</p>
<p>“For those who are either busy measuring everything with the senses or who are not interested in discussions of the transcendental object, Mahamaya uses her covering and throwing potencies. She keeps the spiritual sky away from the sight of empiricists.”</p>
<p>“When we see God as only the creator, we fail to realize God’s actual position. Our search for the cause, the cause of causes, and the cause of all causes, becomes obstructed midway. Devotion to the father, devotion to the mother – these are born of the same motivation. Devotion to God as the father or mother is not unmotivated; rather, it is based on material desire. It keeps the worshiper far away from knowing the Supreme Lord’s actual form. Persons who miss Him remain habituated to worldly ethics and tend to follow the path of sense gratification. They do not worship God out of love. Since they want to approach God in a mood of awe and reverence, they are far from knowing the Lord’s actual characteristics. Sri Caitanyadeva preached God’s sonhood. He rejected the idea that God is our parent. Christianity can be fully developed and [spiritually] ethical if Christians hear Sri Caitanyadeva’s teachings.”</p>
<p>“Kumara: The quarrel between the Shaktas and the Vaishnavas has been<br /> going on for a long time.<br /> Srila Prabhupada: Real Vaishnavas do not quarrel with anybody. They do not wish to cause anxiety to any living entity in any way. They are nonenvious. And because they are nonenvious, they try to benefit all living entities. They preach the truth by which the living entities can obtain their actual fortune. Nothing but service to Vishnu can benefit the soul. Living entities can find temporary physical and mental happiness and welfare by serving Vishnu’s illusory energy, but in the end, such service will only cover the soul even more. The spirit soul will be deviated from his eternal duty if he serves maya. People who are bewildered by Lord Vishnu’s illusory energy, misconstrue the welfare activities of the Vaishnavas, calling the Vaishnavas attempts to help people “envy” and “quarreling.” These people then get busy quarreling with their own physicians or eliminating their physicians all together. The Shaktas can only see up to the mother, because from her they receive what they need for their material enjoyment. They do not care for the mother’s husband. As long as they are averse to Vaishnavism, they will only be able to understand the mother. It will appear to them, according to their material conception, that the energy is the source of everything. We may think that the mother is the fountainhead, but she is really only the custodian of our physical frame, not of our soul. The soul is unborn; it has no mother. The soul’s propensity is not to enjoy matter or even to renounce it. There is no ‘give me, give me’ in the spirit soul’s nature. The soul is the associated counterpart of the Absolute Truth, Vishnu. The soul’s only self-interest is to desire happiness for the Absolute Truth. Pure Vaishnavas always search with heart and soul after what will make the Absolute Truth happy.”</p>
<p>“Yogen Babu: Why can’t action performed out of duty be called devotional service?<br /> Srila Prabhupada: Duty is only a regulation. Something that is not done out of pure love cannot be called devotional service. Actions performed only out of a sense of duty have their effect only on the mind, intelligence, and false ego, whereas actions done in love and devotion – attachment to the Supreme – have their effect on the soul. Pure attachment, devotional service, emanates from the soul. Devotional service is the natural propensity of the soul, but the propensity of the mind is to act out of duty, gratitude, and so on. There is no path that can benefit us other than the cultivation of spiritual consciousness. The whole world is filled only with mental speculation and physical enjoyment. Only Sri Caitanyadeva propagated the elevated teachings of spiritual realization and the soul’s natural propensity. Animals, birds, grass, creepers, human beings, and all the other living entities, became spiritually enlightened by Sri Caitanyadeva’s preaching about spiritual consciousness. All of you should also consider His unique compassion.”</p>
<p>From a conversation with Pandita Gaurinath Sastri on October 30, 1928:</p>
<p>“The covering and throwing potencies of maya have covered and distracted us from the Supreme Lord.<br /> Sastri: This means first covering and then throwing?<br /> Srila Prabhupada: There is no such thing as covering first and throwing later. Covering and throwing take place simultaneously.”</p>
<p>“Sastri: From where did the dependent living entities get such independence?<br /> Srila Prabhupada: Because we are minute spiritual particles of the supremely independent God, we contain within us a minute portion of His complete qualities. Krishna has full independence, and so the living entities have limited independence.<br /> Sastri: When do covering and throwing potencies act on the living entities?<br /> Srila Prabhupada: As soon as the living entities become indifferent to serving God, the time for covering and throwing begins.”</p>
<p>“If one worships the Supreme Lord constantly with love and devotion, he will never be covered or thrown by maya. But the worship has to be continuous. If there is a little gap in the continuity, then maya’s covering potency takes advantage of it and covers us.”</p>
<p>“The moment I forget the Supreme Lord I become an acquirer. I dive into acquiring land, knowledge, money, and so on. This is the improper use of my spiritual nature, so inevitably I will commit indiscretions and develop misconceptions. I will inevitably become an empiricist, and then I will spend my life busily accumulating material objects.”</p>
<p>“The ascending path is Ravana’s policy of building a staircase to heaven.”</p>
<p>“One method is to take up a lamp and forcibly try to find the sun at night, while the other method is to pray for sunrise and then to see the sun with the help of the sun’s light.”</p>
<p>“As long as human beings depend on their own strength, pride, and experience, they cannot surrender to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Until we surrender and take shelter of the Supreme Lord, we will continue to glorify the ascending path. When we understand just how insignificant our borrowed strength is, how puny our pride, and how useless our own endeavor, only then will we surrender to God and walk the descending path.”</p>
<p>“Trying to discuss scripture driven by a desire for material enjoyment or liberation is like trying to bring scripture under our control. But the scripture is directly Krishna – an incarnation of Krishna.”</p>
<p>“As long as we remain humbler than a blade of grass, we will be able to perform hari-kirtana. The moment we try to become “bigger” or “greater,” we will have to say goodbye to kirtana.”</p>
<p>“Pseudo devotional service, service covered by karma, jñana, yoga, or tapasya, is not pure devotional service. Therefore, it cannot touch the lotus feet of the transcendental Godhead. For this reason, until one renders devotional service directly to the transcendental Personality, one cannot remove one’s anarthas, and as long as one’s anarthas remain, one will speak like a madman, calling Lord Narayana ‘poor.’”</p>
<p>“It is not necessary to hear from a person expert in Sanskrit or in giving instructions to others. It is the exalted devotee who practices what he preaches from whom we have to hear.”</p>
<p>“We have to glorify Hari. Mahaprabhu taught us, kirtaniyah sada harih. The word sada indicates that there is no gap of time between performances of kirtana. The human beings have no other duty, no other work, except to glorify Hari at each moment. We have to glorify Hari even to the animals and birds. If fools call us crazy or ignorant, it does not matter.”</p>
<p>“Mahaprabhu ordered, kirtaniyah sada harih: Let people hear hari-katha every day. When people of the world meet one another, they talk about the worldly things they have read in worldly newspapers. They are completely surrounded by the mundane climate. We say, “Let people hear caitanya-katha every day. When they meet, let them talk about Caitanya. Let them always live and breathe in the climate of caitanya-katha. Let there be nothing else in the whole world except caitanya-katha. In order to keep the cultivation of devotion to Caitanya constantly awake in our hearts, we have to remain engrossed in caitanya-katha at all times. Today, an arrangement is being made, with so much difficulty, facing so many obstacles, with so much hard labor and expense, just so discussions of Hari can go on constantly. The unconscious world is suffering from the disease of their own anarthas. People have become so unconscious that they refuse to take the medicine that would benefit them. They will do everything else, but they will not listen to caitanya-katha. They will risk their lives, spend their money, and use all their intelligence to hear topics unrelated to Sri Caitanyadeva and thus invite their own ruination. They will eat abominable foods and aggravate the symptoms of their disease and finally rush to hell. Still, they will not listen to discussions about Sri Caitanya, even when hearing such things is the only way for them to find auspiciousness. They promise not to adopt the path of auspiciousness. Despite this, the devotees of Caitanya publish the Nadiya Prakasa, which reports Caitanya’s message by pushing aside all the impediments presented by this world.”</p>
<p>From a lecture entitled “Spiritual Truth is Realized Only through Aural Reception” given in Cuttack on July 9, 1927:</p>
<p>“The word pranipata indicates that we should not be inattentive while hearing the guru’s words; in other words, we should hear with full attention. That transcendental object that my senses could not comprehend is accessible only through the ears. Whatever I have heard while sitting at the lotus feet of my spiritual master is the only access I have to reality. There is no other way to know reality except through pranipata, attentive hearing.”</p>
<p>“Pariprasna refers to the honest inquiry a disciple makes of his spiritual master. When we ask a question, we should not have asked it with some hidden motive, already planning not to follow the answer we are given. To ask questions like a skeptic is not ‘honest inquiry.’ To ask questions while controlled by false pride, thinking we already know the answer, is also not ‘honest inquiry.’ If we simply make a show of honest inquiry and then do not hear submissively, then the answer we receive will simply create a revolution in the heart and cause many more questions. Asking questions like this is also not part of ‘honest inquiry.’”</p>
<p>“The spiritual world is different from this world. In the spiritual world, the sound vibration is itself the object. There is no difference between a name and the object being named. If sound vibration is transcendental or spiritual, there is no difference between the name and the named. In the material world, however, there is a difference between objects and the words our senses use to define them.”</p>
<p>“That which is beyond logic and argument, which is inconceivable, is not subject to debate. Rather, it is better to serve the Absolute Truth, to worship the worshipable object, rather than to speculate about whether to accept it or reject it.”</p>
<p>“After we hear spiritual topics from him in disciplic succession, our tendency to measure everything with our senses stops. After serving the Vedic statements, the transcendental sound vibration, all other forms of evidence, such as hypothesis and direct perception, which are opposed to gaining understanding of the Vedas, also stops.”</p>
<p>“If we process the transcendental sound vibration we hear from the spiritual master through an unenlightened viewpoint, then we will attribute fault to the transcendental sound vibration or to the Absolute Truth; we are bound to make a distinction between the sound and its object. But there is no such distinction whatsoever in the Supreme Lord, who is one without a second, because He is the supreme Absolute Truth. If we attribute imperfection to the Absolute Truth, we will be forced to eat our own words. There is no difference between transcendental sound and the intended object of that sound.”</p>
<p>“The holy name is Himself the Supreme Lord. To consider the forms, qualities, and pastimes of the Supreme Lord as different from the Lord is a misconception and opposed to advaya-jñana. My spiritual master instructed me not to consider the Lord’s Deity form a product of matter, or an object of sense gratification. Because we don’t understand the actual meaning of the mantra we have been given, because we don’t understand the concept of oneness as it applies to the spiritual realm, we think there is a distinction between the worshipable Godhead and His Deity form. As soon as we see oneness between the Deity form and the Lord Himself, there is no such misconception or illusion.”</p>
<p>“Liberated souls worship the Lord by chanting kirtana, mantras, and through other such processes. The transcendental sound vibration is nondifferent from the object it is naming. By following the gradual path, beginning from sraddha, we can develop love and devotion for the Supreme Lord in our heart.”</p>
<p>From a discourse on “Initiation and Spiritual Enlightenment” in Kasi on October 2, 1927:</p>
<p>“As a result of the deeds we have been performing since time immemorial,<br /> we have concluded that simply to accumulate the sensations of material enjoyment without any relation to Krishna is our ultimate goal of life. We are fallen souls. We cannot bring about our own auspiciousness. Unless and until we take shelter at the lotus feet of the deliverer of the fallen soul, we cannot achieve any benefit. The Six Gosvamis, headed by Rupa and Sanatana, are eternal associates of the Supreme Lord. They are the spiritual masters of all living entities. Their lotus feet are the highest shelter for all beings.”</p>
<p>“Used cloth is the proper dress for a nishkiñcana, a Vaishnava paramahamsa on the path of raga-bhakti. It is not the dress for those on the path of vaidhi-bhakti. Saffron cloth is meant for the vaidhi-bhaktas.”</p>
<p>From a discourse on “Sri Caitanyadeva”:</p>
<p>“Whatever the senses perceive in the visible world is incomplete and imperfect; full knowledge of the object is absent. The reason for this is that our senses are imperfect. We understand that the undivided Absolute Truth, which is beyond limited human perfection, is incomprehensible to the imperfect discernment of human knowledge. This is why thoughtful persons from Western countries have manufactured ‘isms’ like agnosticism, pantheism, skepticism, and panentheism, and thoughtful persons from India have also created many such conceptions.”</p>
<p>“Sriman Mahaprabhu accepted the philosophy that the material world is a transformation of the Lord’s external energy. Not finding harmony for this in statements made in different Vedas, many people have come to their own interpretations and thus adopted a variety of spiritual paths. But Lord Sri Caitanyadeva has made the differing statements congruous.”</p>
<p>“After talking with Mahaprabhu and seeing His genius in learning, Sarvabhauma accepted Sri Caitanyadeva as an extraordinary personality. Previously, he would tease his brother-in-law, Gopinatha, saying, ‘How can a human being speak about the spiritual world?’ Gopinatha would reply, ‘In the state of perfect human knowledge, only a person descended from the spiritual world can speak about the topics of the spiritual world.’ To this Sarvabhauma would reply, ‘It is foolish to accept an ordinary human being as belonging to the transcendental world.’ And Gopinatha would reply, ‘You should leave aside your own ideas and views and hear the words of Sri Caitanyadeva. Then you can consider whether or not He has descended from the spiritual world.’</p>
<p>“We are human beings. Being entangled in material bodies, we work, and after death we receive another body according to that work. In this way, we change bodies one after another and live perpetually in the material world. After hearing Sri Caitanyadeva’s words, Sarvabhauma’s consciousness was purified and elevated to spiritual consciousness. One cannot understand Vedanta through knowledge acquired with the material senses. There is no need to merge the transcendental with the phenomenal – a man will be exposed as a fool if he tries to see the sun with the help of some other light. The sun itself has sufficient illumination, and one can see the sun and all other objects in sunlight. One should study that object that will automatically allow him to become enlightened in all other subjects.”</p>
<p>“The society in which we are raised from childhood is so full of materialism that we cannot take even a moment to discuss eternal life. We spend twenty-four hours a day in worldly activities. We have no time to understand what we are. What is the value of our one hundred years in this body compared to our own eternity? Therefore twenty-four hours a day of human life should be used for spiritual cultivation. It is not the duty of an intelligent person to spend his entire life gratifying his senses.”</p>
<p>“Everyone should be selfish enough to search after his own real self-interest. But most people are busy with other activities. Boys engage in sports, youths in family life, and old people in protecting body and property. In these full-time endeavors, we see that people are indifferent to their own self-interest. They are callous to their eternal self-interest because they have spent their time accumulating matter in one form or another.”</p>
<p>“Many people say that there is no need to worry about our self-interest – our soul’s deliverance – at present. We will take care of it in the future, when the time comes. But this is not realistic. If one is not educated in childhood, he will face inconveniences in youth.”</p>
<p>“One should try to benefit others as well as uplift himself. One should try to help in such a way that people’s spiritual propensities are not impeded by materialism.”</p>
<p>“People may argue that it is better to engage in pious activities by giving up sinful activities, and that encouraging this is what it means to be compassionate. But if people are actually intelligent, they must at all times and in every step of life, even while sleeping and eating, contemplate their eternal existence in relation to their present, temporary activities. If we become averse to this kind of thinking, we will simply quarrel with one another and become sectarian. It is not that everyone wants his own degradation. If one acts on time, one will reap his rewards in the future.”</p>
<p>“If one doesn’t properly use one’s time, he will suffer later. A person who thinks he will focus on spiritual topics when he is old will not find it possible, because he will always be disturbed by worldly thoughts.”</p>
<p>“As long as a person considers the outer covering, the envelope around the soul, to be the self, it is especially essential that he follow varnasrama-dharma. If varnasrama-dharma is followed properly, people will benefit in this life and the next. Varnasrama-dharma is only good as long as one is alive. It is beneficial for creating mundane prosperity. It is necessary in the designated existence of all living entities within the fourteen worlds. But in the spiritual world, there is no need for it at all.”</p>
<p>“The truth is that those who possess gross and subtle bodies actually own those bodies. Those owners are souls. This is the true for every living being. Both the Supreme Lord and the living beings are conscious. The living beings are part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. At present, the living beings have fallen from their spiritual position because they misused their free will. Since the living beings have clothed themselves in foreign matter, they are unable to revive their original constitutional position and return to their spiritual nature. We become degraded like that because we give up the Lord’s service. And we make our lives perfect by engaging in devotional service.”</p>
<p>“Material objects cannot take the initiative to do anything. They have no power to know, will, or feel. They cannot respond to stimuli. Within us, as within animals, there is awareness, or the presence of spirit. Trees also have awareness, but to a lesser degree. Spirit and matter are two different energies of the Supreme Lord. One is His internal energy and the other His external energy. The mundane world is different from the jivas and the Supreme Lord. But the jivas are also different from the Supreme Lord in that the Supreme Lord is great and the living entities minute. The Supreme Lord is unalloyed spirit, whereas at the time of our death, the symptoms of consciousness cease. We no longer interact with external objects; our senses become inactive. In the external world we find two objects: matter and the reflection of spirit.”</p>
<p>“In order to remove one’s doubts, one should inquire from an experienced person and hear his reply. If one is inattentive while hearing or unable to grasp the meaning, he should ask questions repeatedly. The word pranipata means to “hear with full attention.” Being eager to hear the answer to one’s questions destroys one’s ignorance, foolishness, and biases.”</p>
<p>“Anyone can make a full inquiry about spiritual subjects from an experienced person. But one should not present questions just to make unnecessary arguments and deny what is said. Those who do so never discover truth. When one receives an answer to his questions, he should use that answer in his life.”</p>
<p>“The words vairagya and tyaga surprise the materialistic people. Mahaprabhu says, ‘If one can achieve his ultimate goal of life by staying where he is, then what is the use of practicing breathing exercises in the Himalayas?’ People need to consider this. There is no need to quarrel about it. Whether you stay at home or live in the forest, cultivate God consciousness. If you simply speak bhagavata-katha, your attachment to material objects will automatically vanish.”</p>
<p>“Sri Krishna Caitanya distributed both the process of performing devotional service and loving, confidential devotional service to Himself. He is an ocean of mercy; an ocean of compassion. No one can bestow so much mercy. No other incarnation of the Supreme Lord can award such unlimited mercy. This mercy is meant to make an unqualified person qualified. It is full mercy for eternity. The Lord gives Himself away. No other form of the Lord has ever done that before.”</p>
<p>“My mind is always busy with material activities. It is sometimes engaged in proper discernments and sometimes absorbed in injustice. I have artificially tried again and again to control my mentality and benefit myself, but I have been unsuccessful. Therefore, I have found no other way but to surrender to the mercy of Sri Caitanyadeva.”</p>
<p>“One should not forget the Supreme Lord simply because one is too attached to sense gratification. Do not become too attached to any particular object or place, no matter where you live. Whatever you are doing, you can continue that. Today someone may be a family man and tomorrow he may renounce his family, then he allows the hidden river of material enjoyment to flow in his heart. To come back under the control of sense gratification is not sensible. The meaning of vairagya, renunciation, is to keep oneself busy cultivating God consciousness by not remaining attached to things unrelated to God. But be cautious! Do not become a mundane sahajiya, an attached<br /> householder, or a hypocritical renunciant on the pretext of cultivating God consciousness. Do not cheat yourself. If you cheat the blacksmith of steel, you yourself will be cheated.”</p>
<p>“Although I am extremely unqualified compared to each of you, I have a request for you. You are all devotees; I am a nondevotee. You are all present here today to show your mercy to me. My request to you is that you please give up all other philosophies and ideas and spare some time for hearing about Sri Caitanyadeva. If some time is spared in hearing about that personality, who is distinctly superior to ordinary human beings, then among human beings we will discover the real peace that comes from worshiping the Supreme Lord. People will develop the propensity to care for the Supreme Lord as a son. If the Supreme Lord is placed in the center of human or family life, all the temporary relationships in this world will be removed. If we can engage our entire mind and heart at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, then we will have found the perfection of life. Santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhurya – these five relationships are present in the Supreme Lord in their complete form. Since we are currently living out these relationships while focused on temporary objects of affection rather than on the Supreme Lord, we are unable to know the Lord. Being unable to attain His shelter, and not knowing our self-interest, we become indifferent to serving Him. This is the fault of our destiny. We consider something essential only when we can measure it with our senses. But if you want respite from studying the temporary material world, cultivate knowledge of the eternal. Then the words of this hawker will appear pleasing. Since he is falling at our feet and giving us so much respect, why don’t we pay attention to his words? The Supreme Lord is full of knowledge and bliss. We are running so many places in order to know Him, but that Lord of Goloka appeared in a human form very near to us to impart instructions even to the materialists. If we disregard His words and act whimsically, the intelligent will not praise us, nor will we be able to praise our own intelligence.”</p>
<p>From a discourse called “Address on Sri Vyasa-puja Day”:</p>
<p>One day, Srimad Ananda Tirthapada, while engaged in the worship of Sri Vyasa, acted as an acarya by sitting on the vyasasana. Following in his footsteps, his subordinates have been sitting on vyasasanas ever since in order to explain Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is true that one feels hesitant to sit on the vyasasana, considering himself unqualified by material qualification, but may the sinful tendency to transgress the spiritual master’s order never turn us away from serving the lotus feet of the spiritual master. This is our humble request at the lotus feet of Sri Vyasadeva and Sripada Sriman Madhvacarya. Sri Madhvamuni enacted the pastime of acting as an acarya for eighty years in order to teach us how to worship Sri Vyasadeva. One time, he appeared as Bhima and served Krishna during the Mahabharata battle simply to show the godless people how to serve the Lord who carries a club in His hand. Another time, he appeared as Hanuman and helped Sri Ramacandra in His mission by destroying the unfavorable elements. Again it is he who eternally sustains the Vaikuntha planet in the form of Vayu and thus keeps his transcendental, eternal existence intact.”</p>
<p>“Rupa, the eternal associate of the Supreme Lord, his followers, and all his future followers are my worshipable spiritual masters. As such they are under the shelter of Brahma, Narada, Vyasa, Madhva, and Sri Nityananda Prabhu. My life will be successful if I can take eternal shelter of these personalities. Then my material disease will be vanquished and I will consider the two witches (material enjoyment and liberation) to be Putanas rather than my mothers. May I become a worthy son of my mother Bhaktidevi, whose sons are knowledge and renunciation, and not be indifferent in her service. May I not think of Mother Bhakti as my maidservant. This is my appeal.”</p>
<p>“Failing to realize the actual nature of devotional service, we may think bhakti simply another means to attain liberation or a higher level of material enjoyment. It is by the strength of bhajana that pure beings understand that material enjoyment and liberation are not the goals of life. Rather, becoming the master of those two states, these pure beings engage them in the service of supremely opulent bhakti.”</p>
<p>“Since the worshipable object [Krishna] is not a commodity of the kingdom of measurement, the nectarean ocean of His service is unlimited – an ocean of spiritual bliss.”</p>
<p>“As a servant of the spiritual master I accept those statements as meant for my predecessor acaryas and offer them at their lotus feet. Being driven by the knowledge I have derived from my senses, I have no ability to usurp those statements, because by the order of the Lord I am a weak person who is lower than a blade of grass. Thus I am unable to carry such a heavy burden. I have no other alternative but to pass them on to my spiritual master.”</p>
<p>From a discourse entitled “Aversion and Duplicity”:</p>
<p>“The Transcendental Object can appear in this material world out of His own sweet will. He descends into the material world, but being in the material world does not inhibit His transcendental position. Whatever a lump of matter like me speaks is born of material qualities, but whatever we hear through the disciplic succession, that sound has such extraordinary power that when it enters the ears, it can revive our consciousness. The sound vibration that can cross the Viraja River, transcend Brahmaloka, and travel to Vaikuntha, descends into the fourteen worlds and takes us back to the spiritual world. However, the sound vibration produced from the material sky, which remains for some time in the material world and then merges back into the material sky, takes us to hell. These material sounds have been disseminated for our sense gratification and to make us foolish. We can tell a sound is material when its object is to encourage us to eat, sleep, mate, and defend. Such sound conditions us more and more in matter. Caitanyacandra appeared in a place near here in order to propagate the sound vibration coming from the spiritual sky.”</p>
<p>“At every moment the illusory energy leads us toward the kingdom of aversion to God. The moment we have no protector, everything around us will turn into an enemy and attack us. The moment we refuse to hear hari-katha from a genuine sadhu, we will have failed to serve that sadhu with our sincerity. Then Maya will take advantage and devour us.”</p>
<p>“A person may have once had good intentions, but after some time he again turns to sinful life. Why? It is because he did not spare time to hear the transcendental topics of Hari, or perhaps he became inattentive, only pretending to hear. He did not at all try to stay aloof from his endeavors for apparent happiness; rather, he became busy looking for sensory happiness on the advice of crooked people. If we take shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet, whether we are educated or uneducated, whether we have strength or no strength, there will be no problem. Actually, the living entity is transcendental. It is only when he thinks himself bound by the qualities of material nature that he becomes attached to the material world.”</p>
<p>“The servants of the Supreme Lord appear in this world for the welfare of human beings. They have no material duty to fulfill. The only duty these most merciful personalities have is to divert the adverse, material tastes of the living entities toward Krishna. To give food to the hungry and other such acts of mundane charity are useless wastes of labor if we forget the real goal of life.”</p>
<p>“The living entities are captivated at every moment within the kingdom of sense enjoyment. Maya constantly captures us by offering us different types of bait. Just as a wild male elephant is captured by tempting it with a she elephant, so the illusory energy, Mayadevi, traps us in the world of birth and death by tempting us with women and other forms of sense enjoyment. Thinking the illusory objects real, the living entities run after them. Just to deceive human beings, Maya keeps different types of happiness on her hook. Whatever appears good and beautiful when seen with the eyes of material enjoyment is just another of Maya’s hooks. Those who indulge in sense gratification will be hooked. Eat, sleep, and be merry – and then go to hell: this thinking has ruined human society. What can be more shameful than this!”</p>
<p>“Sri Gaurasundara made arrangements to protect human beings from such thinking, just as a doctor administers quinine with a sugar coating. The material sound from the material sky constantly allures human beings to grasp material objects. It is this sound that is causing all the problems. Being attracted by it, human beings are shot with Maya’s arrows, just as a deceptive hunter lures a deer and then shoots it. This is why Gaurasundara arranged for hari-katha accompanied by musical instruments and melody. This is like coating the bitter quinine with gelatin. Normally, dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments lead people to commit sin, and are therefore engaged in by only the most sinful people. If these people are not engaged in the service of Kamadeva Krishna, they will surely have to vomit poison in the end.”</p>
<p>“So many people rush to drink deadly poison – they accept pots of poison as nectar! Will the loud shout of the acarya not enter their ears even once? An experienced physician tries his best to cure the disease of the afflicted without charging a consultation fee, and yet the sick try their best to be rid of that physician! They are digging their own graves. They are cutting off the branch on which they are sitting.”</p>
<p>“Duplicity is one thing and weakness is another. One who is nonduplicitous achieves his fortune. “I will cheat my spiritual master,” “I will lie to my physician,” – I nourish the black cobra of my sinful propensity by feeding it with milk and bananas, which I hide in the hole of duplicity. I will not let people know about my sins. Instead, I will collect from people name and fame as a great devotee.” These mentalities are not just weakness of the heart but a dangerous type of duplicity. People who suffer from it will never find benefit. Those who have obstructed their path to auspiciousness will not achieve auspiciousness. One gradually achieves auspiciousness in life by sincerely associating with devotees and submissively hearing spiritual discussions from their mouths. If we make only a show of sadhu-saṅga, then our hellish mentality will increase day by day.”</p>
<p>“If we are weak at heart from our millions of births in this world, there is no harm, but if we take shelter of duplicity even once – if we try to kidnap Sita while disguised as a devotee – then we wrap the snake of inconvenience around our neck forever. It is better to live as an animal, bird, insect, fly, or a member of any of the millions of species than to take shelter of duplicity.”</p>
<p>“arjjavam brahmane saksat sudre’narjjva-lakshanam” – “A brahmana is honest or simple, and a sudra is just the opposite.”</p>
<p>From a discourse called “The Object of Sri Gaudiya Matha’s Preaching”:</p>
<p>“It is always a fact that there are not many customers for truth, because truth is not palatable, even though it is so beneficial.”</p>
<p>“The Katha Upanishad (1.2.2) says:</p>
<p>sreyasca preyasca manushyam etastau<br /> samparitya vivinakti dhirah<br /> sreyohi dhiro’dhipreyaso vrinite<br /> preyo mando yoga kshemad vrinite</p>
<p>‘Sreyas and preyas are inseparably connected to human beings, but sober persons, realizing the meaning of both, determine that sreyas is the cost of liberation and focus only on preyas causes bondage. Those seeking liberation give up preyas and accept sreyas, whereas foolish people pray for preyas in the form of achieving things that they lack and preserving those things they already have.’”</p>
<p>“The Katha Upanishad (1.2.5) states:</p>
<p>avidyayam antare vartamanah<br /> svayam dhirah panditam-manyamanah<br /> jaṅghanyamanah pariyanti mudha<br /> andhenaiva niyamana yathandhah</p>
<p>‘Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled, like the blind leading the blind.’”</p>
<p>“Millions of speakers who do not speak impartial truth will go to hell; but the impartial truth that is being spoken boldly, even after hundreds of lifetimes and hundreds of yugas, will somehow or other come to be recognized as confidential truth and its great importance realized. Until one spends millions of gallons of hard-earned blood, it is not possible to make a person understand the actual truth. It is not easy for a teacher to teach what it means to be a devotee.”</p>
<p>“As a fish dies because of its attraction for the hook, and an animal dies because it is lured by the hunter’s music, so mankind is gliding down to hell with its ambition to fulfill the promise of sense pleasure. To check their progress in their illegal activities is one of the major duties of the Gaudiya Matha.”</p>
<p>“We are ready to spend two hundred gallons of blood to save one person – if even a single person is interested in hearing the truth. Let each and every selfless, merciful member of the Gaudiya Matha be prepared to spend two hundred gallons of blood for nourishing the spiritual body of each and every person in human society. Millions of wicked people are approaching innocent, rich people, who do not know what is good and what is bad, and taking them to hell. The Gaudiya Matha never indulges in or encourages such envious activities.”</p>
<p>“This wicked mind, this stupid mind, is very fond of serving lust, anger, and other such vices. The wicked mind sometimes puts on the dress of an instructor in order to employ the whole world in the service of lust, anger, and so on.”</p>
<p>“Being averse to Lord Vishnu from top to bottom, millions of living entities have arrived in Mahamaya’s prison house to envy the Supreme Lord in millions of ways. If you can save one person from this prison house, then it will be more benevolent than opening millions of hospitals. The real mercy, which does not produce any ill effect, does not last only a few days; it is not meant to mitigate hunger for a day or two. The real and ultimate mercy was bestowed by Sri Caitanyadeva, and it is eternal.”</p>
<p>“On the bank of a vast river sat a few smokers smoking cigars. When they felt the need to relight the cigar, one of them, sitting on this side of the river, stretched his hand toward a lamp burning in a boat on the other side of the river. Seeing that the cigar was not lighting, another smoker snatched it and stretched his hand a little further toward the lamp. Such is the endeavor of those who reach for experimental knowledge! The river is one-mile-wide, and yet sitting on this side these smokers dare to try to light their cigar from the lamp on the other side of the river! They dare to try to touch the light on the other side of the Viraja River with their mundane education and intelligence! Another empiricist comes and tells them to stretch their hand of experience a little further. But the hand of material experience cannot touch the illumination of Vaikuntha. The hand of worldly experience cannot be stretched so far. That is why these people often become so tired that they end up becoming impersonalists. They are tired of trying to expand, and finally heave a sigh of relief, saying ‘To infinity.’”</p>
<p>“To stop one’s focus on material enjoyment and liberation is called bhakti. Sri Caitanya’s servants do not beg for material enjoyment or liberation; they are not cheaters.”</p>
<p>“Some people have painted Caitanyadeva in such a way that we feel embarrassed to call ourselves His followers. We are so unfortunate that even after Sri Caitanyadeva’s appearance, various opinions averse to His teachings have been preached in our country. Since we have no interest in hearing the eternal topics describing Sri Caitanyadeva, we have created new philosophies in our country. In order to make everyone spiritually inclined, Sri Caitanya engaged Haridasa and Nityananda to preach door to door; We are Hari’s eternal servants; it is the eternal, spontaneous propensity of the spirit soul to serve Hari; only service to Hari awards eternal happiness and frees us of our thirst for temporary, incomplete, material pleasures; only service to Hari allows us to regain our full independence. But being indifferent to Caitanyadeva’s teachings, we continue to search for pieces of glass outside while ignoring the invaluable treasury we have at home.”</p>
<p>“ The Gaudiya Matha is not a place to rendezvous for eating and sleeping. To increase the quantity of stool and urine by eating, sleeping, or taking intoxicants – these are not the purposes of the Gaudiya Matha. The Gaudiya Matha holds festivals in order to give nondevotees fond of pompous functions an opportunity to hear hari-katha.”</p>
<p>“To enhance our abominable debauchery and to negate the idea of intense love for Krishna, we like to say that God is formless, that He has no eternal form. If we can prove that God is devoid of hands and legs, then we can nicely plunder and exploit the world with our own own hands and legs! If God doesn’t have a form, doesn’t have eyes, we can secretly commit adultery. After all, God cannot see us. We think wealth, women, and fame – for that matter, the whole world – is meant for our enjoyment and not for God’s enjoyment. This is why our hidden agenda is to make God impersonal. Other than a pure devotee, everyone, including the karmis,<br /> jñanis, yogis, and ascetics, want to prove God impersonal. All the mental speculators of the world want to make God impersonal. They think, “We will enjoy and be glorified. Why should God get everything?”</p>
<p>“Krishna’s activities cannot be measured by the standards of worldly morality. If Krishna alone is the proprietor of all material and spiritual wealth, then He is free to enjoy His own property. There is nothing unethical or objectionable or debauched about it.”</p>
<p>“The self-deceptive, greedy materialists and renunciants think, “We will go to hell, but we will enjoy, ride horses or be carried on palanquins, live in nice buildings, watch attractive forms, smell sweet aromas, relish the four types of delicious foods, hear sweet voices, and touch soft things! The renunciants, because they have not been able to enjoy these things for a long time, put on the dress of a pseudo renunciant and become angry at their sense objects. They are just like a henpecked husband who quarrels with his wife. Such renunciants are dissatisfied, attached, angry cheaters.”</p>
<p><u>Source:<a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=27836">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=27836</a></u></p>
</div></div>Glorification of Krishna is the solution to all problems by Pitambar Dashttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/glorification-of-krishna-is-the-solution-to-all-problems-by-pitam2022-01-08T08:30:00.000Z2022-01-08T08:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8377554275,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8377554275?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" />I don’t find any scarcity in this world except the scarcity of Krsna consciousness.”<br /> – Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati</p>
<p>“People are suffering for want of Krsna consciousness. We should all engage in spreading the science of Krsna for the benefit of the whole world.”<br /> – Srila Prabhupada</p>
<p>Krsna is glorified by those who are completely free from material hankerings in this world. Eternally liberated souls are always engaged in glorifying Krsna. And they relish it so much that they glorify Krsna tirelessly. Srila Rupa Gosvami prays for getting thousands of tongues to chant the holy names of Krsna.<br /> Need of glorifying Krsna for a conditioned soul<br /> ‘one who desires to be free from all miseries must hear about, glorify and also remember the Personality of Godhead.”<br /> -S.B. 2.1.5<br /> When we come to know the greatness of someone, we become eager to glorify that person. Similarly, when we realize the greatness of Lord Krsna by hearing from bona fide representatives of Krsna, we also develop a genuine desire to glorify Krsna. Krsna is always taking care of us by giving us all facilities to live. eko bahunam yo vidadhati…. Thus a knowledgeable person will feel grateful and obliged to glorify Krsna.</p>
<p>Modern lifestyle: Materially Normal – Spiritually abnormal<br /> Although Vyasadeva was fully equipped with all Vedas, he was feeling incomplete. Being an eternal servant of Krsna, our constitutional position is to serve Krsna. Unless we achieve this, even though fully equipped with material achievements and facilities, we cannot be situated in the transcendentally normal stage.<br /> At present, people are so much engrossed under bodily concept of life, that they have forgot their real business of human life, self-realization.<br /> Srila Prabhupada has rightly remarked, “This modern civilization is a soul-killing civilization; people are killing themselves because they do not know what real life is.” (Laws of Nature)</p>
<p>Guru diagnoses the real disease<br /> By the mercy of a bona fide spiritual master, one can understand where he is lacking and how to overcome that. Sri Narada muni mercifully explained to Vyasadeva that his cause of dissatisfaction was not sufficiently broadcasting the glories of Krsna. This would cure him from gross despondency.</p>
<p>Practical Problems in Modern Society<br /> At present, we have come far away from our normal condition of serving and glorifying Krsna. Due to artificially increasing unnecessary necessities in form of modern amenities for making our lives comfortable, we have been entangled into complexities. As a result, there are so many problems.</p>
<p>Krsna Consciousness is the solution to all problems<br /> “That literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest. – SB 1.5.11</p>
<p>“A saint is always absorbed in glorifying the Supreme Lord because by broadcasting the holy name and fame of the Supreme Lord, the polluted atmosphere of the world will change, and as a result of propagating the transcendental literatures like Srimad-Bhagavatam, people will become sane in their transactions.”<br /> Srila Prabhupada</p>
<p>Solution to Political Problems: Again we have a crisis before us. China has attacked the border of India. Therefore, there is a great need for disseminating the message of Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the world. By hearing the message of bhagavatam, their hearts will be purified of contamination of bodily identification, and they will be able to attain spiritual platform.</p>
<p>Solution to Psychological problems: Due to the fast stressful lifestyle nowadays, people are becoming physiologically ill. They are victims of depression, anxiety etc. Thus they are unable to control their emotions and commit suicides also. The reason is that every living entity wants love and affection. Krsna Consciousness gives satisfaction on the platform of soul and makes the heart peaceful due to tasting Krsna’s lotus feet.</p>
<p>Solution to Economical Problems: “There is enough for everyone’s need in the world. But not enough for one man’s greed.” Greed is the symptom of mode of passion. By hearing and glorifying Srimad Bhagavatam, passion and ignorance are subdued. Then one is situated in mode of goodness and becomes free from hankering and lamentation.</p>
<p>Solution to environmental problems: By exploiting the resources of nature, human has seen many disasters like tsunami, Draught, cyclone etc. But when they come to realize that earth is our mother and it takes care of us by giving us so many facilities to live peacefully. By living in harmony with mother nature, we can get her blessings and remain protected.</p>
<p>Solution to Social Problem: Social life is so much disturbed that divorce rates are increasing even in India, where varnasram-dharma must be prominent. People are blindly following western culture and getting degraded. Thus by adopting Krsna consciousness, people can follow varnasrama standards and live socially healthy life.</p>
<p>Solution to ethical Problems: There are so many unwanted literatures full of materialistic ideas of sense gratification. And nowadays internet has made pornography and many vulgar things accessible even to minors. By hearing most purifying pastimes of Krsna and pure devotees, our hearts can get higher taste, and give up this lower taste.</p>
<p>The most obnoxious misery of a living entity is his forgetfulness of Krsna. A pure devotee, therefore, always tries to evoke everyone’s Krsna consciousness. This is the panacea for all miseries.<br /> SB 3.14.50<br /> Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura has instructed to make distinction between Eternal and temporary things, Conditioned and liberated soul, Ultimate benefit and temporary benefit. This material world and its manifestations are temporary. By glorifying eternal name, form, beauty, pastimes and devotees of Krsna, we can get eternal life.<br /> <br /> <strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=90242">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=90242</a></p></div>The life of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati by HG Daivi Shakti Devi Dasihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-life-of-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-by-hg-daivi-shakti-de2021-12-23T09:40:48.000Z2021-12-23T09:40:48.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:left;"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9938709467,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9938709467?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="500" />Srimad Bhagavatam class by HG Daivi Shakti Mataji in ISKCON Vrindavan.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0P5nrNHuVM8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93639">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93639</a></p></div>Birthplace of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura & Sri Caitanya Math – Vrindavana in Mayapurhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/birthplace-of-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-sri-caitany2021-12-23T09:28:37.000Z2021-12-23T09:28:37.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:left;"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wgMZpEo-uBA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /> In the mood of visiting the Dham when you can't physically go to the Dham, GBC Strategic Planning Team (SPT) is bringing the Dham to you. To honor the upcoming Lord Nityananda's Appearance Day, urging you all to fire up your phone or computer and join us on a special tour to the Birth place of Lord Nityananda with Chandan Yatra Das.<br /> <br /> About Chandan Yatra Das<br /> Chandan Yatra Das is disciple of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. He live in Canberra, Australia. Since 2009, he has travelled to various Holy Dhamas across India, especially covering the holy places connected with pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, His associates, Vaishnava acarya’s and Lord Krishna. He has prepared over 60 articles covering: <br /> ▪️South India <br /> ▪️Navadvipa Dhama<br /> ▪️Jagannatha Puri Dhama<br /> ▪️Dwarka Dhama <br /> ▪️North-East India <br /> ▪️Kashmir <br /> ▪️Ujjain Yatra<br /> ▪️Nashik Yatra<br /> ▪️Pandharpur Yatra<br /> ▪️Ekachakra Dhama<br /> ▪️Kurukshetra<br /> All the articles are published on website: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqazR4aWVhV01EbFhOZUR1MXNLNUdseDNObFRWQXxBQ3Jtc0ttWnVjS191U3Racm94MkI1SFZuSzFoRHVYWmlRN2Jub0RoOE1kWk5fOFZiUWNpQVlEUWNNYjBLc05OeTFCeWgxOHRCckkyc3pUM0Q5dHBPY0k1R09PdDNxWGJTbnlzZTA3RGNlMDZfbU41U1djV3RkNA&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.Holy-Pilgrimages.com" target="_blank">http://www.Holy-Pilgrimages.com</a><br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93578">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=93578</a></p></div>Words of wisdom from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakurahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/words-of-wisdom-from-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-12021-12-23T07:30:00.000Z2021-12-23T07:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2515280006,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9938311293,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="450" alt="9938311293?profile=RESIZE_584x" /></a></p>
<p>1. We are put to test and trial in this world. Only those who attend the kirtana of the devotees can succeed.</p>
<p>2. Every spot on earth where discourses on God are held is a place of pilgrimage.</p>
<p>3. Possession of objects not related to Krsna is our main malady.</p>
<p>4. Let me not desire anything but the highest good for my worst enemies.</p>
<p>5. As dalliance with the body in luxury increases, so wanes the spirit of service of the Lord.</p>
<p>6. Those favored by God find their paths set by thorns.</p>
<p>7. There is no peace or happiness in our worldly life. Circumstances create turmoil and annoyance.</p>
<p>8. Chant the maha mantra loudly and with attachment. This will drive away inertia, worldly evils and pests.</p>
<p>9. Be indifferent to bazaar gossips, stick firmly to your cherished goals, no lack or impediments of the world will ever stand in your way.</p>
<p>10. Pay due respects to the extroverts of the world, but do not be appreciative of their manners and conduct. They are to be shaken off from your mind.</p>
<p>11. A devotee feels the presence of God everywhere, but one averse to the Lord denies His existence anywhere.</p>
<p>12. You cannot appreciate transcendental matters with the reasoning of the world. It is sheer nonsense to decry them with the measuring stick of your intellect.</p>
<p>13. To recite the name of Sri Krsna is bhakti.</p>
<p>14. Life is for the glorification of topics on Hari. If that is stopped, then what need is there to carry on life.</p>
<p>15. Physical illness with Hari-bhajana is preferred to physical fitness without Hari-bhajana.</p>
<p>16. Our span of life on earth is short. Our life will be crowned with success if the body wears out with constant discourses on Hari.</p>
<p>17. We are here on earth not to work as artisans for making big buildings with wood and stone but to work only as messengers for the teachings of Sri Caitanya Deva.</p>
<p>18. A sycophant is neither a guru or a preacher.</p>
<p>19. To transform the adverse desires of the jivas is the supreme duty of the most merciful. To rescue one person from the stronghold of Mahamaya is an act of superb benevolence, far superior to opening innumerable hospitals.</p>
<p>20. Unless we are devoted to God, secularism shall not leave us.</p>
<p>21. Look within. Amend yourself, rather than pry into the frailties of others.</p>
<p>22. In this world of Maya, averse to the Lord, full of trials and tribulations, only patience, humility and respect for others are our friends for Hari-bhajana.</p>
<p>23. The Lord, Gaurasundara, puts His devotees in various difficulties and associations to test their patience and strength of mind. Success depends on their good fortune.</p>
<p>24. When faults in others misguide and delude you – have patience, introspect, find faults in yourself. Know that others cannot harm you unless you harm yourself.</p>
<p>25. I wish that every selfless, tender-hearted person of Gaudiya Math will be prepared to shed two hundred gallons of blood for the nourishment of the spiritual corpus of every individual of this world.</p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=3800">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=3800</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s commentary on the story of Ekalavyahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-commentary-on-the-story2021-12-23T07:00:00.000Z2021-12-23T07:00:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X6rtsnQKLzQ/Vac_hC4TbjI/AAAAAAAARGI/2UkKkXMF0HM/s0/2015-07-16_07-21-56.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X6rtsnQKLzQ/Vac_hC4TbjI/AAAAAAAARGI/2UkKkXMF0HM/s0/2015-07-16_07-21-56.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" alt="2015-07-16_07-21-56.jpg?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="400" /></a></p>
<p><strong>By Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">In his book of essays, entitled Upakhyane Upadesa, “Instructions in Stories” (Gaudiya Mission 1936), Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura gives the following commentary on the story of Ekalavya: The translation from the original Bengali is by H.H. Bhakti-caru Svami.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">To many people, Ekalavya’s devotion to his guru is ideal, but there is a special consideration…What was Ekalavya’s fault? That should be considered. Wearing the mask of guru-bhakti (devotion to the guru), Ekalavya actually revolted against his guru. Whether his guru was actually considering him to be disqualified by birth in a low-class family, or was simply testing him– for whatever reason–when his gurudeva refused to teach him the art of Dhanur Veda, it was Ekalavya’s duty to accept the instruction of his spiritual master. But Ekalavya did not like that. He wanted to become great. Externally, without a guru his work would not be considered bona fide, or perhaps it was not possible to become great without accepting a guru. It was with these considerations that Ekalavya formed an imaginary or clay material form of the guru.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Actually, his main intention was to learn Dhanur Veda and become great. In this way he wanted to satisfy his own senses. He did not want to sacrifice himself to the will of his guru. That was not his honest desire.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Some may say that ultimately Ekalavya accepted the cruel order of his guru without a protest. But if we consider this issue more carefully, and deeply, we can see that Ekalavya considered mundane morality to be greater than transcendental devotion. It is a moral code that when the guru wants some daksina one must offer it to him, and this sense of morality inspired Ekalavya to cut off his thumb. He did not offer it with spontaneous devotion. (Otherise he would have accepted the guru’s first order.)</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Devotion is simple and spontaneous. If Ekalavya had unconditional and natural devotion for Hari (God), guru, and Vaisnava (the devotee of the Lord), then the guru, Dronacarya, and the best of Vaisnavas, Arjuna, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, would not have been dissapointed in Ekalavya’s behavior. Ekalavya’s endeavor to learn Dhanur Veda and his desire to become great were not accepted by his guru. In the core of Ekalavya’s heart, he desired to become better than the best of Vaisnavas, Arjuna. The desire to become greater than the Vaisnavas is not devotion. It is nondevotional, and this is the principle of the Sahajiya sampradaya.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">By mundane consideration, this kind of desire to become great is a good desire. But devotion is the effort to remain behind the Vaisnavas and to remain submissive to the Vaisnavas. Ekalavya wanted his skill to be greater than that acquired by learning the Vedic wisdom directly from a bona fide spiritual master. Arjuna showed Ekalavya his wrong approach to learning the Vedic science. If Arjuna had not mercifully pointed that out to him, then the glories of impersonalism would have prevailed. People would have created their imaginary, mundane, unconscious gurus, and learned different sciences and devotions, instead of approaching a bona fide guru.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">So Arjuna took care that such an atheistic principle was not established. Therefore Arjuna was not envious of Ekalavya. It was actually a manifestastion of his causeless mercy toward Ekalavya and the whole world. If Ekalavya had been an unalloyed devotee of his guru, then Krsna would not have destroyed such a guru-bhakta, such an earnest disciple of the guru. Krsna always protects his devotees. But Ekalavya was killed by the hand of Krsna. That’s what finally happened to Ekalavya. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that we cannot judge a devotee just by seeing his external austerities. The demons also perform austerities, and the demigods cannot perform austerities as much as the demons.</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;">Ekalavya wanted to become greater than a Vaisnava, against his guru’s desire. That is why he was killed by Krsna and ultimately attained impersonal liberation. Only the demons are killed by Krsna. Devotees are always protected by Krsna. Hiranya-kasipu and Prahlada are the proof. Therefore we should never try to become greater than Vaisnavas and, wearing a mask of guru-bhakti, actually become an impersonalist. That is what we should learn from the example of Ekalavya. Proficiency in performing activities is not a symptom of devotion to the guru, or guru-bhakti. Bhakti means to remain subordinate and submissive to the Lord’s loving servants, the Vaisnavas.<br /> <br /> Submitted by Shyamasundara Dasa</p>
<p style="text-align:justify;"><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18456">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=18456</a></p></div>Quotes from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakurahttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/quotes-from-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura2021-12-22T09:30:00.000Z2021-12-22T09:30:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2515052702,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2515052702,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="2515052702?profile=original" width="500" /></a><br /> 1. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s instructions in Sikastakam, “param vijayate Sri-Krishna -Sankirtanam” is the only motto of the Gaudiya math.<br /> 2. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna is the only enjoyer. Everyone and everything else is the object of his enjoyment.<br /> 3. Anyone who does not serve Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is ignorant and a killer himself.<br /> 4. To learn to tolerate is one of the most important responsibilities of those living in the math.<br /> 5. Rupanuga devotees offer all glory to the original source instead of depending on their own strength.<br /> 6. Those who perform assorted religious activities can not serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.<br /> 7. Become united with one purpose and serve Hari.<br /> 8. Where there is discussion about Hari, that is a place of pilgrimage.<br /> 9. We are not pious, sinful or learned or ignorant, we are the carriers of the dust of the feet of the Supreme Lord Sri Hari and we are initiated by the mantra “kirtaniyah sada harih.”<br /> 10. My advice is, do not criticize others. Try to rectify yourself.<br /> 11. Our supreme duty is to serve the residents of Vraja who are afflicated by Krishna ‘s departure to Mathura.<br /> 12. A pure devotee knows that everyone is the spiritual master. Therefore, a pure devotee can be jagad-guru.<br /> 13. If we want to follow the path of true auspiciousness, we should give up the countless opinions of people and only hear the words of the vedas.<br /> 14. Whatever is auspicious should be desired.<br /> 15. An intimate devotee does not have any other desire besides serving the followers of Sri Rupa Goswami.<br /> 16. There is no other way of associating with transcendence besides hearing.<br /> 17. As soon as we lose the shelter of a protector, everything around us will become our enemy and attack us. Topics about Krishna spoken by a genuine saint are our only protector.<br /> 18. A flatterer can never become a guru or a preacher.<br /> 19. It is better to remain in millions of species like birds, beasts, insects and worms than become deceitful. One who is free from deceit receives auspiciousness.<br /> 20. Vaisnavism is the other name of simplicity. The servants of the paramahamsa Vaishnavas are simple; therefore they are the best brahmanas.<br /> 21. The only duty of the most merciful persons is to transform the degraded taste of people. If you can save even one person from the great force of MahaMaya, then that will be a greater act of philanthropy than opening millions of hospitals.<br /> 22. Those who have not learned to develop their propensity to serve the Supreme Lord from self realized souls, no matter how pleasing their association may be, it should never be desired.<br /> 23. Preaching without practicing is nothing but a ritual of karma-kanda.<br /> 24. If one just serves the Supreme Personality of Godhead and his devotees, his attachment to his household will diminish.<br /> 25. Our main disease is to collect objects that are not related to Krishna.<br /> 26. We have not come to this world to become an artisan of wood or stone, we are only peons of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy.<br /> 27. We will not stay in this world for a long time. Only if this body falls singing of the glory of Lord Sri Hari will our birth in this body be successful.<br /> 28. The only desired object in our life is to collect the dust from the Lotus feet of Sri Rupa Goswami, who fulfilled the desire of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.<br /> 29. This material nature, which is averse to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is an examination hall. Tolerance, humbleness, appreciation of others, etc., are favorable to develop our devotion to Hari.<br /> 30. In every birth one gets a father and a mother. But one may not get instructions for his ultimate benefit.<br /> 31. Although the activities of a devotee and the misdemeanor of a pseudo-devotee appear to be alike, there is a heaven and hell difference – like milk and limewater.<br /> 32. Those who mistake dishonesty to be honesty (or a crook to be saint) will fall into great difficulty, as a person who tries to cheat an iron-smith by supplying him bad steel.<br /> 33. As soon as we get to know the absolute truth, we should become fixed in it. Instead of wasting a single moment of time left, we should be engaged in serving Sri Hari.<br /> 34. Many people mistake ‘imitation’ to be ‘following’. These two words are not the same. To play the role of Narada in a play is ‘imitation’ but to follow the path of devotion according to Narada Muni is ‘following’.<br /> 35. He who is constantly absorbed in discussing about Sri Hari is a saint. One who is constantly engaged in serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a saint. One who in all his endeavors tries to serve Krishna is a saint.<br /> 36. If the Supreme Personality of Godhead Narayana offers Himself, something remains unoffered, but a devotee can offer the Lord completely.<br /> 37. Do not try to become a guru to become envious. Do not try to become a guru in order to become absorbed in material attachments. But if you become my unalloyed servant, if you have acquired my potency, there is nothing to fear.<br /> 38. A bonafide spiritual master is non-different from Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one cannot say that the spiritual master is the personal manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one will not be able to utter the holy name of the Lord.<br /> 39. In order to teach us how to serve Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself appears as the spiritual master.<br /> 40. A living entity can not derive real benefit by reading hundreds of books or pretending to render devotional service according to his own ideas.<br /> 41. Being cheated by those who mislead people in the name of hari-katha has become a sort of religion in this age.<br /> 42. Someone will be able to understand the profound meaning of the impartial truth that is being spoken fearlessly after hundreds of lives or hundreds of yugas. Unless hundreds of gallons of hard-earned blood is spent, we will not be able to make people understand the truth.<br /> 43. The Lord does not accept anything offered by those who do not chant one hundred thousand names of the Lord each day.<br /> 44. Association is the principle impetus in human life to serve Sri Hari. Due to association of non-devotees, one gets material prosperity. Due to the association of devotees, the spirit soul gradually becomes absorbed in serving Sri Hari. This is the greatest shelter for a human being. Never become averse to that.<br /> 45. Whenever there are material difficulties, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes the shelter and allows one to serve him.<br /> 46. As long as one has anarthas, one does not receive the good fortune of becoming a servant of Srimati Radharani. Those who discuss the transcendental pastimes of Srimati Radharani, the dearmost servitor of Sri Krishna, are sense gratifiers, covered enjoyers and prakrta-sahajiyas.<br /> 47. When anarthas will be removed due to chanting the Holy Name, then Krishna ‘s form, qualities and pastimes will automatically manifest from the name. There is no need to make an endeavor to artificially remember His form, qualities and pastimes.<br /> 48. All of you preach the message of Rupa Goswami and Raghunatha Dasa Goswami with great enthusiasm. Our supreme desire is to become the dust at the lotus feet of the followers of Sri Rupa Goswami.<br /> 49. Do not give up devotional service even if there are innumerable dangers, countless insults and endless harassment. Do not become disheartened that most people in this world do not accept the message of unalloyed devotional service. Never give up your devotional service and hearing and chanting about Krishna which is your everything. Always chant the Holy Name becoming more humble than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree.<br /> 50. We do not want to become great fruitive workers or religious leaders; all we want is to become the dust at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa Prabhu. That is our original identity.<br /> 51. We should never display any kind of aversion towards sankirtana-yajna which is perfect sacrifice, complete with the seven forms of sacrifice. If we have gradually increasing love for that, then everything will be accomplished and we will attain ultimate perfection. Just preach the words of Rupa and Raghunatha with enthusiasm and courage, with complete dedication to the followers of Sri Rupa.<br /> 52. If I stop preaching the unbiased truth due to fear that people will not like it, I am accepting the non-vedic way, rejecting the vedic way. Then I become an atheist and I lose my faith in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the personification of truth.<br /> 53. In this material world there are only two representatives of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the transcendental sound vibration of the Holy Name, and his eternally transcendental deity incarnation.<br /> 54. The deity is worshipped by the Holy Name – sentient is served through sentient.<br /> 55. For the pleasure of the Lord, His devotees call Him by His Holy Name to render service unto Him, not to fulfill their own desires.<br /> 56. The deity is the merciful incarnation of the eternal form of the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead of the spiritual sky (Vaikuntha). It is direct proof of the personal form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Vaishnavas do not imagine whether God is a person or impersonal. They are not idol worshippers.<br /> 57. Just as the purports of the vedas have been briefly described in the Brahma-sutra and the vedanta-bhasya, the conclusion and purport of the Srimad-Bhagavatam has been similarly described in a brief and accurate way.<br /> 58. Unless one studies Srimad-Bhagavatam under the guidance if a bonafide Vaishnava acharya, he will not be able to understand the real purport of the Brahma-sutra. Srimad Bhagavatamis the original commentary of Vedanta-sutra.<br /> 59. Sri Jiva Goswami specifically explained that Srimad-Bhagavatam is the original commentary of Vedantasutra.<br /> 60. The word “devotion” can not be applied to anything besides ‘Krishna ‘. ‘Krishna ‘ is the only subject of devotion. Brahman is the object of knowledge, Paramatma is the object of nearness, but Krishna is the only object of service.<br /> 61. Every word has a two-fold aspect; conveying a meaning based on knowledge and a meaning based on ignorance. The aspects of words that indicate something other than Krishna, Visnu or Sri Caitanya, conveys the mearning based on ignorance. In knowledge everything indicates Krishna and signifies Krishna.<br /> 62. What the ignorant masses understand about the ‘Krishna ‘ is not the real object of the word Krishna. In other words, ‘God’, ‘Allah’ and even the Sanskrit words ‘Isvara”, ‘Paramatma’ etc. only indicate a great energy coming out of Krishna. They do not indicate the total aspect of the word ‘Krishna ‘.<br /> 63. There is no work as auspicious as serving the spiritual master. Of all worship, the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the greatest. But the worship of the lotus feet of the spiritual master is even greater than the worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless this is firmly realized we can not understand what saintly association means; we cannot understand what the shelter of a spiritual master means; we cannot understand that we are dependent and he is our maintainer.<br /> 64. If we take shelter of the lotus feet of the spiritual master, we can become free from illusion, fear and distress. If we wholeheartedly beg for his mercy without any deceit then the spiritual master bestows all auspiciousness upon us.</p>
<p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14594">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=14594</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Disappearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-disappearance-day-12021-01-03T10:41:31.000Z2021-01-03T10:41:31.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8377577872,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" alt="8377577872?profile=RESIZE_400x" />By Giriraj Swami</strong><br /> <br /> Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him very well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work.</p>
<p> We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy descends upon us, beginning with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and passing, one teacher after the other, through parampara, disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago Krishna came in His original form and instructed, in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34, 18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: “Always think of Me and become My devotee.” Five hundred years ago the same Lord Krishna came again, in the devotional form of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, to explain and personally show how to be a devotee and always think of Krishna. Lord Chaitanya quoted a verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (38.126):</p>
<p>harer nama harer nama<br /> harer namaiva kevalam<br /> kalau nasty eva nasty eva<br /> nasty eva gatir anyatha</p>
<p>“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Hari, Krishna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age of Kali.” He also desired and predicted:</p>
<p>prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama<br /> sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama</p>
<p>“In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be propagated.” (Cb 3.4.126) This desire and prediction were expressed at a time when it was almost impossible to imagine or believe that it could happen.</p>
<p>In the 1800s Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura began the effort to spread the holy name of Krishna to countries outside India. He wrote a small book in English called Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts and dispatched copies to libraries around the world. In recent years Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have discovered copies in libraries from Canada (McGill University) to Australia. Bhaktivinoda Thakura yearned for the day when devotees from all over the world would unite in harinama-sankirtana and wrote, “Very soon the unparalleled path of harinama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the planet. . . . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mridangas, and kartals and perform kirtan through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be?” (Sajjana-tosani)</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a very powerful spiritual master, an acharya. After the disappearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, many unscrupulous people claiming to be Mahaprabhu’s followers introduced concocted philosophies and practices—even illicit activities—to the point that if an educated Bengali heard the word Vaishnava, he would immediately think the worst. In educated circles Vaishnava had come to mean a sentimental, ignorant person with loose character who, in the guise of religion, engaged in all sorts of questionable activities. In this precarious situation, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came forward and presented the true understanding of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking strongly against the deviant groups that had distorted and perverted His pure teachings and practices.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura held a high position in the British rule of India—the highest an Indian could hold, and then only very rarely. He had important responsibilities in the government and had a large family, but his main interest was Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the sankirtana movement. He would sleep little and rise early. He did so much—wrote books, traveled, preached, established centers—and had a tremendous effect, especially on the people of Bengal and Orissa, including the intellectual elite, who were just then coming in touch with modern ideas from the West. He revived the true mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, inspiring hosts of people to join him, and pushed back the deviant groups, which lost much of their influence.</p>
<p>Having undertaken such a tremendous task and executed it so successfully but still being surrounded by so many parties with vested interests in covering the true intention of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was at a loss as to who would carry on his mission. So he prayed to Krishna to send someone—one of His own associates from the spiritual realm—to continue the work. It is understood that the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayers.</p>
<p>There are many incidents from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s early life that indicate that he was that person sent by Krishna. When he was five months old, the Ratha-yatra cart halted in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home in Puri, and the Thakura directed his wife, Bhagavati Devi, to carry the baby to the chariot. When the infant was placed at the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha, he extended his tiny arms to touch the Deity’s feet, and Lord Jagannatha dropped one of His garlands around him—a blessing and a confirmation of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s divine descent.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati understood his father’s mission and worked with him to fulfill it. His father initiated him into the chanting of the holy name (hari-nama), the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, but according to etiquette, a father does not give actual diksa to his son. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, a great maha-bhagavata—a fully self-realized, liberated soul—for diksa. But Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a renounced bhajananandi and was not inclined to accept disciples; he preferred simply to immerse himself in chanting the holy names and hearing scripture.</p>
<p>When Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati approached him, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja told him directly that he would not accept him or anyone else as a disciple. Still, Siddhanta Sarasvati persisted, so Babaji Maharaja told him, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” A few days later, when Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and inquired, “What was Mahaprabhu’s order?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when Siddhanta Sarasvati came for the third time, Babaji Maharaja directly refused him: “Mahaprabhu has not given permission.” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was devastated. He stood up and quoted a line by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, addressed to the guru—karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara: “If you are not merciful to me, I will simply weep and weep and will not be able to maintain my life.” Finally, when Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja understood how sincere and serious Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was, he accepted him as his disciple and initiated him.</p>
<p>Five years later, in 1905, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati undertook a vow to chant at least three lakh holy names daily, or ten million monthly, until he had chanted one billion holy names. For his disciples, Srila Prabhupada fixed the minimum number of sixteen rounds per day, which takes most devotees about two hours. Four times sixteen is sixty-four rounds, or one lakh names. And three times sixty-four rounds comes to three hundred thousand names, which would take us, even at a good rate, at least sixteen hours a day. In Mayapur, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati constructed a grass hut, where he lived very simply and chanted day and night. If rain came and leaked through the thatched roof, he would just hold up an umbrella and continue chanting: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>To complete his vow took more than nine years, but even then, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati would write, preach, and serve the dhama. One program he attended was especially significant. In Bengal the caste brahmans held a stranglehold on people’s religious practices. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had spoken openly against them and their false claim, based on their supposed high birth, that they possessed exclusive rights to be gurus and perform brahminical functions. Naturally, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati challenged them, the brahmans reacted. An assembly of smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis (caste Gosvamis) came together to try to refute the arguments of the pure Vaishnavas and published a tract against them. In response, the Vaishnavas called a three-day public meeting to discuss the relative positions of brahmans and Vaishnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was expected to be the main speaker, but severe rheumatism rendered him bedridden.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself was not born in a brahman family, and obviously, neither was his son. Now, the question may be raised that since Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a ray of Vishnu, an eternal associate of Krishna’s sent from the spiritual realm to the material world to preach, Krishna could have arranged for him to take birth in the highest class of brahman family, with all the brahminical qualifications, but He didn’t. Why not? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that the Lord does not arrange for pure devotees to take birth only in high-class families, with all the advantages of good health, education, culture, wealth, strength, and so on, because ordinary people would feel discouraged. They would think, “Oh, I didn’t take birth in a high-class family; I didn’t have this or that advantage. What is the hope for me?” So, great souls take birth in various kinds of families to show us the example that anyone in any condition—even if not born in a brahman family—can become Krishna conscious, and to give us hope that we too can be Krishna conscious.</p>
<p>So, after the publication of the caste brahmans’ tract, on the eve of the public meeting to be convened by the Vaishnavas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was incapacitated, and he cried out in desperation, “Is there no one in the Vaishnava world who can reply to these people and, by presenting scriptural evidence and logic, put a stop to their base activities?” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati took up the challenge, wrote an essay called “Conclusion Regarding the Comparison of Brahmans and Vaishnavas,” and went to attend the meeting.</p>
<p>Many caste brahmans, although not invited, also went to the meeting. Understanding that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was indisposed and unable to attend, they swaggered about, confident that they would easily triumph over the Vaishnavas.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was the first speaker. He began by quoting various statements from scripture about the exalted position of brahmans, and the caste brahmans in the audience were delighted. He was so brilliant that he could speak better about the high position of brahmans than the brahmans themselves. But then he began quoting verses from scripture about the position of Vaishnavas, establishing that Vaishnavas were higher than even brahmans and that irrespective of one’s birth, if one accepted the Vaishnava principles, he would attain a position more exalted than that of a brahman. The brahmans in the audience were completely overwhelmed. Seeing no way to counter Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati’s arguments, the smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis slinked away.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt assured that his mission was in capable hands, that Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was a worthy successor to carry on his cause. And Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati began to preach far and wide. He was fearless and open in his criticism of anything false. And his example and instructions remain relevant to us today.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a prodigious writer and speaker on various topics, including how to present the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He noted that there are people who think that you should say only positive—not negative—things. I experienced that when I was in Madras. I was just preaching as I had heard Srila Prabhupada preach, and people reacted. Even friends, people who were hosting me and supporting me, advised me, “Don’t criticize others. Just say what you want about your philosophy and activities.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura averred that it was imperative not only to elucidate the truth but also to criticize anything false, because in Kali-yuga there is so much false propaganda that we have to be very clear; there cannot be any ambiguity in our message:</p>
<p>The positive method by itself is not the most effective method of propaganda in a controversial age like the present. The negative method, which seeks to differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute. It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed, it is not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread by the enchantress [Maya] for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims. It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to attain even a distant glimpse of the Absolute.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada also demonstrated this approach. He had a friend named Dr. Patel, who would accompany him on his morning walks on Juhu Beach. Dr. Patel was quite literate, he knew Sanskrit, and he was quite sharp. So, one morning, Dr. Patel started praising a revered popular religious figure of India, and Srila Prabhupada, in turn, began to criticize the figure. Dr. Patel protested, “You cannot criticize like this.” But Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am not saying; Krishna is saying—na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah: If you are not surrendered to Krishna, you are a miscreant in one of these categories—fool, rascal, demon.”</p>
<p>Dr. Patel became very agitated and raised his voice, and Srila Prabhupada raised his. The whole situation became both tense and intense. Finally, Dr. Patel’s friends dragged him away. It was like in a boxing ring when the bell rings to signal the end of the fight and the two opponents just keep going at each other and the referee has to tear them apart.</p>
<p>For the first time, Dr. Patel stopped coming for the morning walks, and Srila Prabhupada also said, “Now no more discussion; we will only read Krsna book.” But after a couple of days, Dr. Patel was walking in one direction on the beach and Prabhupada was walking in the other, and, as Dr. Patel described it, something in his heart just drew him to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He offered obeisance and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we are trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, and our business is to point out who is not a saint.” He had learned from his guru maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati that we not only tell who is a saint; we also explain who is not a saint. And that is the mercy of the Vaishnava, so people know clearly what is what. Otherwise, they can be misled and, as a result, suffer.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a tremendously powerful and successful preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth. And his pure preaching inspired hundreds of thousands of people to follow.</p>
<p>But he also had enemies. He was the enemy of falsehood, and people who were thriving on falsehood sometimes became his enemies. Once, when he and his party were performing navadvipa-parikrama, the caste brahmans hired goondas, thugs, who let loose with a volley of stones and boulders on the party, aiming to take Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s life. (There were attempts on other occasions as well.) But one of his disciples cleverly exchanged his white dress for Sarasvati Thakura’s saffron robes, so Sarasvati Thakura emerged disguised and escaped. But it was a terrible scene. It looked like a massacre, with the streets of Navadvipa stained with the blood of the Vaishnavas. Some devotees suffered gashes and fractures, but by Krishna’s grace none were killed.</p>
<p>It was a dark moment, but when it came to light that the attack had been perpetrated by the caste Gosvamis, the public sided with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Gaudiya Matha, and the caste Gosvamis’ opposition to him lost whatever credibility it had. As news of the event spread, those in learned circles protested in newspapers and magazines. The chief police inspector in Navadvipa was sacked, and the parikrama continued under full police protection. Later, when urged to press charges against the culprits, Srila Sarasvati Thakura declined, saying that the goondas had done a yeoman’s service—otherwise how could the Gaudiya Matha have been featured on the front pages of all the newspapers? Srila Sarasvati Thakura was the enemy of falsehood, but he was the well-wisher of everyone, even of people who were inimical to him.</p>
<p>Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was so austere and rigid, so strict with himself, when it came to preaching he was ready to spend any amount of money and do anything. When I was first serving in India, in 1970, only affluent people could afford cars, mainly the locally manufactured Fiats and Ambassadors. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a limousine—back in the 1930s. And he dressed nicely. He would typically wear a dhoti, but on occasion, as required, he would don a double-breasted coat, stockings, and shoes. He had fine furniture for receiving special guests. Thus, referring to the elite, he said, “We are preaching by approaching the people of the world dressed even somewhat better than they, showing knowledge even somewhat greater than theirs, being even somewhere more stylish than they—without which they would think us worthless and not listen to our hari-katha. . . . I have to go to various places for propagating hari-katha, so I must present myself as a learned and decent gentleman; otherwise nondevotees will not give me their time.”</p>
<p>He used all means to broadcast the message of Krishna. Employing the latest technologies, he directed the construction of dioramas and other exhibits and staged huge theistic exhibitions. He built a grand marble temple on the bank of the Ganges at Bag-bazar in Calcutta. The procession that brought the Deities on a beautiful ratha, chariot, from the matha at Ultadangi to the new temple was enormous. Millions of people lined the streets along the two-mile route, which took four hours to traverse, and twenty-five thousand men, divided into forty-three groups, accompanied the Deities with loud harinama-sankirtana. For its work, the Gaudiya Matha owned four cars, a horse and buggy, an elephant, and a camel. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would treat prominent guests to excursions on the Ganges in one of the Matha’s launches and expound hari-katha to them.</p>
<p>In January of 1935 the governor of Bengal, Sir John Anderson, visited Mayapur. This was a major event, because the Britishers were the rulers, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura was one of their subjects, their vassals. But the governor, accompanied by many other dignitaries, came all the way to Mayapur to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and see his work.</p>
<p>Despite Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s tremendous purity and potency and success as a preacher, however, within his own institution there were disconcerting signs that some of his leading disciples were becoming materially infected. With so much opulence, facility, fame, and respect, some of them had become distracted. Instead of realizing that all the facility was meant for the service of the Lord, to bring people to the Lord’s unalloyed service, they were enjoying the facilities and adulation. In an effort to reform his followers, Srila Sarasvati Thakura spoke strongly, and he restricted the use of certain facilities—only for service, only for preaching—to curb the devotees’ materialistic tendencies. (Of course, he also had many sincere disciples, who did not become materially affected.) At the same time, Srila Sarasvati Thakura continued his propaganda activities—writing, publishing, traveling, and preaching—and was successful wherever he went. Still, he was disturbed that some of his disciples had become so mundane.</p>
<p>When he reached the age of sixty-two, Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s health declined, and he made statements indicating that he would soon be leaving. In late October 1936 he traveled to Puri, a holy place that was also warmer than Calcutta, but in December, though he was in a weakened condition, he wanted to return to Calcutta, and the disciples arranged for his travel by train.</p>
<p>In Calcutta Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s disciples called in some of the city’s most renowned physicians. When one advised him, “You have to rest more. You can’t speak so much,” Sarasvati Thakura proceeded to preach for hours about the purpose of human life, that the physical body was temporary and that the soul’s absolute necessity was to serve the Lord. He felt that if he couldn’t speak about Krishna, what would be the use of living?</p>
<p>On December 23 he instructed the devotees gathered at his bedside:</p>
<p>“I have upset many persons’ minds. Many might have considered me their enemy, because I was obliged to speak the plain truth of service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only so they might turn their face toward the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. Surely some day they will be able to understand that.</p>
<p>“I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [two of the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Chaitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.”</p>
<p>After midnight on December 31, Srila Sarasvati Thakura left this world. His disciples took his body to Mayapur and established his samadhi there.</p>
<p>News of his departure was broadcast on All-India Radio, and an official day of mourning was observed in Bengal. The Corporation of Calcutta held a special meeting in tribute to his memory and issued a resolution expressing its members’ deep sorrow. The mayor addressed the assembly:</p>
<p>“I rise to condole the passing away of His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the president-acharya of the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta and the great leader of the Gaudiya movement throughout the world. This melancholy event happened on the first day of this New Year.</p>
<p>“Born in 1874, he dedicated his whole life to religious pursuits and dissemination of the cultural wealth of this great and ancient land of ours. An intellectual giant, he elicited the admiration of all for his unique scholarship, high and varied attainments, original thinking, and wonderful exposition of many difficult branches of knowledge.</p>
<p>“With invaluable contributions, he enriched many journals. He was the author of some devotional literature of repute. He was one of the most powerful and brightest exponents of the cult of Vaishnavism, his utterances and writings displaying a deep study of comparative philosophy and theology. Catholicity of his views, soundness of his teachings, and, above all, his dynamic personality and the irresistible force of the pure and simple life, had attracted thousands of followers of his message of love and service to the Absolute as propagated by Sri Krishna Chaitanya.</p>
<p>“He was the founder and guiding spirit of the Sri Chaitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur (Nadia) and the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta. The Gaudiya movement, to which his contribution is no small one, has received a setback at the passing away of such a great soul. His departure has created a void in the spiritual horizon of India, which is difficult to be filled up.”</p>
<p>That void was a big one—he was a monumental personality, and there was no one else like him. Practically, there had never been anyone like him before, and nobody could imagine anyone like him coming afterwards.</p>
<p>But then, in 1965, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s humble servant, a grihastha disciple named Abhay Caranaravinda dasa, who after his guru maharaja’s disappearance had been awarded sannyasa and the name “A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami” by Sripada Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, boarded a steamer from Calcutta, traveled to New York, and began the Krishna consciousness movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the West. Bhaktivedanta Swami—Srila Prabhupada, as he became known—embodied the spirit and teachings and potency of his guru maharaja and fulfilled the desire and prediction of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura that the holy names of Sri Krishna, of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, be propagated in every town and village of the world.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada made adjustments, because he had his own audience and particular circumstances. Like his guru maharaja, he was ready to use anything and everything in the service of the mission. He engaged modern technology—tape recorders, Dictaphones, electric typewriters, printing presses, computers, airplanes—in the service of the Lord. He sent disciples to Bengal to learn the traditional art of doll making and also used modern technology to create diorama exhibits illustrating the principles of Krishna consciousness and the pastimes of the Lord. Adopting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s idea of theistic exhibitions, he created the FATE (First American Theistic Exhibition) museum in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>So, the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is continuing, by his divine grace.</p>
<p>But it is not easy to preach in Kali-yuga. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had many enemies, and Srila Prabhupada did too. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Big preaching means big enemies.” If we just stay at home, or tell people, “I’m okay, you’re okay—everything is okay,” we’re not going to make many enemies, but neither are we going to have much effect. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sarcastically remarked, mein bhi chup, tum bhi chup: “I’ll be quiet, you be quiet,” meaning, “I won’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.” But that was not his mood, and that was not Srila Prabhupada’s mood, and that should not be our mood either.</p>
<p>And of course, the holy name: the essence of everything is the chanting of the holy name. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised, “Krishna and krsna-nama are not two entities. Krishna is His holy name, and the holy name is Krishna. Krsna-nama is the son of Nanda, Shyamasundara. Our only devotional service and duty is sri-krsna-nama-sankirtana. This understanding is auspicious.”</p>
<p>And to one disciple, he wrote,</p>
<p>“I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self, and the gross and subtle bodies, is gradually effaced and one realizes one’s own spiritual form. Once aware of the spiritual body, as one continues to chant, one sees the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual form of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual qualities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s qualities. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual activities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krishna’s pastimes. By service to the holy name we do not mean only the chanting of the holy name; it also includes the other duties of the chanter. If we serve the holy name with the body, mind, and soul, then the direction of that service spontaneously manifests like the sun in the clear sky of the chanter’s heart. What is the nature of the holy name? Eventually all these understandings spontaneously appear in the heart of one who chants the holy name. The true nature of hari-nama is revealed by listening to, reading, and studying the scriptures. It is unnecessary to write anything further on this subject. All these things will be revealed to you through chanting.”</p>
<p>So, let us all chant, “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!<br /> Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s disappearance day, December 24, 2010, Ventura, California]<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=16799">https://girirajswami.com/blog/?p=16799</a></p></div>The Harmonist, Volume One Now Available in Ebook Formathttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/the-harmonist-volume-one-now-available-in-ebook-format2020-05-17T10:30:02.000Z2020-05-17T10:30:02.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><div><strong><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}5099105494,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="300" alt="5099105494?profile=RESIZE_400x" /></strong></div>
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<div id="article_byline"><strong>By Radha Sakhi Dasi <br /><br /></strong></div>
<div id="article_body">
<p>After two years of sheer hard work and utmost determination, Touchstone Media is proud to unveil the first dose of the crest jewel of Vaisnavism and gamut of Vaisnava philosophy in the form of ‘The Harmonist, volume 1, Ebook’.</p>
<p>The original version of The Harmonist appeared as ‘Sri Sajjana Tosani’ in Bengali in the year 1879, published by the Vaisnava pioneer Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Upon his departure, his son Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instituted his preaching mission, Sri Gaudiya Math and established a printing press. In June 1927, he launched ‘the Harmonist’ which was an English magazine with the same format as ‘Sri Sajjana Tosani’. He continued publishing the magazine until 1936, the year he passed away.</p>
<p>The Harmonist is an unfathomable ocean of intricate and emphatic conclusions of the Vaishnava stalwarts, encompassing deep philosophical inferences, intriguing secrets of God consciousness, insightful Vedic and Gaudiya Vaisnava traditions, rich Vaisnava heritage, significant historical events, analytical view of devotion along with politics, social and economic aspects, an in-depth scrutiny of favorable association and growth in devotion with that association. </p>
<p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://iskconnews.org/the-harmonist-volume-one-now-available-in-ebook-format,7358/">https://iskconnews.org/the-harmonist-volume-one-now-available-in-ebook-format,7358/</a></p>
</div></div>Offering to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura by Devaki Matajihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/offering-to-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-by-devaki-mat2020-02-17T07:06:13.000Z2020-02-17T07:06:13.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" style="width:400px;height:399px;" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2526471935,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p>
<p dir="ltr">Everyone enjoys having their photo taken, no matter where we may go in this world. Our deep-rooted identification with our gross and subtle material body allows us to experience pleasure seeing our own picture and showing it to others. On my travels I often see people at airports taking pictures of themselves with their relatives and friends. Now, through the modern technology of smartphones, people can take selfies without needing another person to take the shot.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Many times I observe people taking selfies when sitting on the plane or train, or in many other situations. Often they travel alone and simply keep themselves occupied taking photos of themselves. Then, of course, such photos are eagerly posted on various social networks such as Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram, so that friends and relatives around the world can admire them. Such people eagerly wait to see how many ‘likes’ they receive!</p>
<p dir="ltr">It seems people like to be obsessed with vanity – an excessive pride and admiration of their own appearance. People like to fall in love with themselves, and their self-absorption and egotism knows no bounds. Such is the effect of material life, when feeding and boosting up our false ego becomes a main source of satisfaction, even though flickering.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It is not uncommon to read about people losing their lives while taking selfies: falling off a cliff, getting run over by a car or train, and so forth. Once when visiting Arizona in the United States, I heard of a person who had just fallen into the Grand Canyon while taking a selfie, falling to his death. As Krishna cautions us in the Bhagavad-gita (18.58), when acting under the false ego we will be lost – sometimes sooner rather than later.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Statistics show that the death rate while taking selfies is the highest in India. People get so enamoured and captivated by modern technology fueling their self-aggrandisement, that they are oblivious, even to imminent death.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Also in the holy dhama, such as Mayapur, we see how pilgrims enjoy having their photos taken in places such as outside Srila Prabhupada’s samadhi. People like to pose in positions they consider to be attractive and ‘cool’. In this connection it is important to understand that Vaishnava etiquette does not allow us to take our photo with the Deities in the background. It is an offence to use Their Lordships as a backdrop for our photo, putting ourselves in the foreground. Such behavior shows an offensive and immature attitude towards the Lord.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Posting photos of ourselves on social media feeds our false ego immensely. I like to call Facebook ‘ego-book’. Just viewing people’s Facebook pages, how most people enjoy posting photos of themselves, is rather off-putting. It is contaminating for everyone involved – for those posting them and for those looking at them. It ignites a subtle yet intense competition of who can post better pictures of themselves. This phenomenon spreads the polluting energy of desire for fame and adoration.</p>
<p dir="ltr">A devotee once shared with me how she attended a kirtan mela that was broadcast live around the world. On the big screen in the temple room she could follow where the camera was moving to capture the event. She became so distracted from the holy name, always looking at the screen and hoping that she would be in the picture. The thought that the whole world would see her became so prominent within her mind that she entirely lost her focus on the holy name, and thus she could not enter into the mood of the kirtan. She<br /> was absorbed in self-admiration rather than glorifying Krishna by chanting the holy name.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In his book Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava, Volume 2, His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja expands on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s attitude and instruction in this regard. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura did not approve of his own picture being printed on the covers of his publications. Nor did he want them included anywhere within them. An exception was the biographical Sarasvatijayasri, which featured photographs of him.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Furthermore, His Holiness Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja describes:</strong><br /> "Although in archana, worship of the guru must precede that of the Supreme Lord, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati did not want that pictures of himself be worshipped, at least not during his manifest presence. To a grihastha disciple who had written asking for permission to do so, he replied: ‘It is better that my picture not be kept in devotees’ homes. We should always remember that the desire for honor and prestige is like pig stool. After my passing away these might be required. If worship of such symbols is begun in my living presence it will be my downfall.’"</p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>And further, Bhakti Vikasa Maharaja explains:</strong><br /> "As there is no question of fall-down for a devotee of the stature of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, this statement should be understood as both an expression of his own humility and as cautionary for less consummate devotees."</p>
<p dir="ltr">We can only imagine what Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s comment would be on selfies and Facebook…</p>
<p dir="ltr">In this way, modern technology facilitates people’s vanity and self-glorification. People boast of having thousands of followers and friends on Facebook, and their goal in life lies in merely increasing the numbers and thus becoming increasingly ‘famous’. With the help of modern technology, any fool can become world-famous overnight, just by becoming expert in the art of showing off and posting grotesque pictures or videos, which are clicked thousands of times.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Lately it has also become a common occurrence for people to film themselves while committing a heavy crime, such as murder, torture of another or even child abuse, and broadcasting these videos, testifying to such horrific acts over the Internet. This is the maddening effect of the false ego expanding its jurisdiction into a highly demoniac sphere. Maya has gone high-tech!</p>
<p dir="ltr">Your servant, <br /> Devaki dd</p></div>My Spiritual Grandfather, Our Devotional Line by Giriraj Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/my-spiritual-grandfather-our-devotional-line2020-02-13T09:50:00.000Z2020-02-13T09:50:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2515074086,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2515074086,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="400" alt="2515074086?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him so well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work, which has helped bring me closer to my spiritual grandfather.</p>
<p>We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy descends upon us, beginning with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and passing, one teacher after the other, through parampara, or disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago Krsna came in His original form and instructed, in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34, 18.65), man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: “Always think of Me and become My devotee.” Five hundred years ago the same Lord Krsna came again, in the devotional form of Sri Krsna Caitanya, to explain and personally show how to be a devotee and always think of Krsna. Lord Caitanya quoted a verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (38.126):</p>
<p>harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha</p>
<p>“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Hari, Krsna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age of Kali.” He also desired and predicted:</p>
<p>prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama</p>
<p>“In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be propagated.” (Cb 3.4.126) This desire and prediction were expressed at a time when it was almost impossible to imagine or believe that it could happen.</p>
<p>In the 1800s Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura began the effort to spread the holy name of Krsna to countries outside India. He wrote a small book in English called Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts and dispatched copies to libraries around the world. In recent years Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have discovered copies in libraries from Canada (McGill University) to Australia. Bhaktivinoda Thakura yearned for the day when devotees from all over the world would unite in harinama-sankirtana and wrote, “Very soon the unparalleled path of harinama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the planet. . . . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mrdangas, and karatalas and perform kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be?” (Sajjana-tosani)</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a very powerful spiritual master, acarya. After the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, many unscrupulous people claiming to be Mahaprabhu’s followers introduced concocted philosophies and practices–even illicit activities–to the point that if an educated Bengali heard the word “Vaisnava,” he would immediately think the worst. In educated circles, “Vaisnava” had come to mean a sentimental, ignorant person with loose character who in the guise of religion engaged in all sorts of activities. In this precarious situation, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came forward and presented the true understanding of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking strongly against the deviant groups that had distorted and perverted His pure teachings and practices.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura held a high position in the British rule of India–the highest an Indian could hold, and then only very rarely. He had important responsibilities in the government and had a large family, but his main interest was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the sankirtana movement. He would sleep little and rise early. He did so much–wrote books, traveled, preached, established centers–and had a tremendous effect, especially on the people of Bengal and Orissa, including the intellectual elite who were just then coming in touch with modern ideas from the West. He revived the true mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inspiring hosts of people to join him, and pushed back the deviant groups, which lost much of their influence.</p>
<p>Having undertaken such a tremendous task and executed it so successfully but still being surrounded by so many parties with vested interests in covering the true intention of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was at a loss as to who would carry on his mission. So he prayed to Sri Krsna to send someone–one of His own associates from the spiritual realm–to continue the work. It is understood that the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayers.</p>
<p>There are many incidents from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s early life that indicate that he was that person sent by Krsna. When he was five months old, the Ratha-yatra cart halted in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home in Puri, and the Thakura directed his wife, Bhagavati Devi, to carry the baby to the chariot. When the infant was placed at the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha, he extended his tiny arms to touch the Deity’s feet, and Lord Jagannatha dropped one of His garlands around the baby–a blessing and a confirmation of his divine descent.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati understood his father’s mission and worked with him to fulfill it. His father initiated him into the chanting of the holy name<br /> (hari-nama), the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but according to etiquette, a father does not give actual diksa to his son. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, a great maha-bhagavata, fully self-realized, liberated soul, for diksa. But Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a renounced bhajananandi and not inclined to accept disciples; he preferred simply to immerse himself in chanting the holy names and hearing scripture.</p>
<p>When Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati approached him, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja told him directly that he would not accept him or anyone else as a disciple. Still, Siddhanta Sarasvati persisted, so Babaji Maharaja told him, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” A few days later, when Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and inquired, “What was Mahaprabhu’s order?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when he came for the third time, Babaji Maharaja directly refused him: “Mahaprabhu has not given permission.” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was devastated. He stood up and quoted a line by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, addressed to the guru–karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara: “If you are not merciful to me, I will simply weep, and I will not be able to maintain my life.” When Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja understood how sincere and serious Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was, he accepted him as his disciple and initiated him.</p>
<p>Five years later, in 1905, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati undertook a vow to chant at least three lakh holy names daily, or ten million monthly, until he had chanted one billion holy names. For his disciples, Srila Prabhupada fixed the minimum number of sixteen rounds per day, which takes most devotees about two hours. Four times sixteen is sixty-four rounds, or one lakh names. And three times sixty-four rounds comes to three hundred thousand names, which would take us, even at a good rate, at least sixteen hours a day. In Mayapur, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati constructed a grass hut, where he lived very simply and chanted day and night. If rain came and leaked through the thatched roof, he would just hold up an umbrella and continue chanting: “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>To complete his vow took more than nine years, but even then, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati would write, preach, and serve the dhama.</p>
<p>One program he attended was especially significant. In Bengal the caste brahmanas held a stranglehold on religious people’s practices. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had spoken openly against them and their false claim, based on their supposed high birth, that they possessed exclusive rights to be gurus and perform brahminical functions. Naturally, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati challenged them, the brahmanas reacted. An assembly of smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis (caste Gosvamis) came together to try to refute the arguments of the pure Vaisnavas and published a tract against them. In response, the Vaisnavas called a three-day public meeting to discuss the relative positions of brahmanas and Vaisnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was expected to be the main speaker, but severe rheumatism had rendered him bedridden.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself was not born in a brahmana family, and obviously, neither was his son. Now, the question may be raised, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a ray of Visnu, an eternal associate of Krsna’s sent from the spiritual realm to the material world to preach–Krsna could have arranged for him to take birth in the highest class of brahmana family, with all the brahminical qualifications, but He didn’t. Why not? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that the Lord does not arrange for pure devotees to take birth only in high-class families, with all the advantages of good health, education, culture, wealth, strength, and so on, because ordinary people would feel discouraged. They would think, “Oh, I didn’t take birth in a high-class family; I didn’t have this or that advantage. What is the hope for me?” So great souls take birth in various kinds of families to show us the example that anyone in any condition–even if not born in a brahmana family–can become Krsna conscious, and to give us hope that we too can be Krsna conscious.</p>
<p>So, after the publication of the caste brahmana’s tract, on the eve of the public meeting to be convened by the Vaisnavas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was incapacitated, and he cried out in desperation, “Is there no one in the Vaisnava world who can reply to these people and by presenting scriptural evidence and logic put a stop to their base activities?” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati took up the challenge, wrote an essay called “Conclusion Regarding the Comparison of Brahmanas and Vaisnavas,” and went to attend the meeting.</p>
<p>Many caste brahmanas, although not invited, also went to the meeting. Understanding that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was indisposed and unable to attend, they swaggered about, confident that they would easily triumph over the Vaisnavas.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was the first speaker. He began by quoting various statements from scripture about the exalted position of brahmanas, and the caste brahmanas in the audience were delighted. He was so brilliant that he could speak better about the high position of brahmanas than the brahmanas themselves. But then he began quoting verses from scripture about the position of Vaisnavas, establishing that Vaisnavas were higher than even brahmanas and that irrespective of one’s birth, if one accepted the Vaisnava principles he would attain a position more exalted than that of a brahmana. The brahmanas in the audience were completely overwhelmed. Seeing no way to counter Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati’s arguments, the smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis slinked away.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt assured that his mission was in capable hands, that Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was a worthy successor to continue his cause. And Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati began to preach far and wide. He was fearless and open in his criticism of anything false. His example and instructions are relevant to us today.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a prodigious writer and speaker, on various topics, including how to present the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He noted that there are people who think that you should say only positive–not negative–things. I experienced that when I was in Madras. I was just preaching as I had heard Srila Prabhupada preach, and people reacted. Even friends, people who were hosting me and supporting me, advised me, “Don’t criticize others. Just say positively what you want about your philosophy and activities, but don’t criticize others.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura addressed this very issue and averred that it is imperative not only to elucidate the truth but also to criticize anything false, because in Kali-yuga there is so much false propaganda that we have to be very clear; there cannot be any ambiguity in our message:</p>
<p>“The positive method by itself is not the most effective method of propaganda in a controversial age like the present. The negative method, which seeks to differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute. It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed, it is not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread by the enchantress [Maya] for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims. It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to attain even a distant glimpse of the Absolute.”</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada also demonstrated this approach. He had a friend named Dr. Patel who would always accompany him on his morning walks on Juhu Beach and converse with him. Dr. Patel was quite literate, he knew Sanskrit, and he was quite sharp. One morning, Dr. Patel started praising a revered popular religious figure of India, and Srila Prabhupada, in turn, began to criticize the figure. Dr. Patel protested, “You cannot criticize like this.” But Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am not saying; Krsna is saying–na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah: if you are not surrendered to Krsna, you are a miscreant in one of these categories–fool, rascal, demon.”</p>
<p>Dr. Patel became very agitated and raised his voice, and Srila Prabhupada raised his. The whole situation became very tense and intense. Finally, Dr. Patel’s friends dragged him away. It was like in a boxing ring when the bell rings to signal the end of the fight and the two opponents just keep going at each other and the referee has to tear them apart.</p>
<p>For the first time, Dr. Patel stopped coming for the morning walks, and Srila Prabhupada also said, “Now no more discussion. We will only read Krsna book.” But after a couple of days, as Dr. Patel explains it, with no intention of joining Srila Prabhupada–he was walking from one direction on the beach, and Prabhupada from the other–something in his heart just drew him to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He offered obeisance and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we are trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, and our business is to point out who is not a saint.” That he learned from his guru maharaja, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. We not only tell who is a saint; we also explain who is not a saint. And that is the mercy of the Vaisnava, so people know clearly what is what; otherwise, they can be misled and suffer.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a tremendously powerful and successful preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth. And his pure preaching inspired hundreds of thousands of people to support him, follow him, join him, and become his disciples.</p>
<p>Yet he also had enemies. He himself was the enemy of falsehood, and people who were thriving on falsehood sometimes became his enemy. There were many incidents. Once, when he and his party were performing navadvipa-parikrama, the caste brahmanas hired gundas, or thugs, who let loose with a volley of stones and boulders on the party. They were really aiming to take Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s life. (There were attempts on his life on other occasions as well.) But one of his disciples cleverly exchanged his white dress for Sarasvati Thakura’s saffron, so Sarasvati Thakura emerged disguised and escaped. But it was a terrible scene. It looked like a massacre, with the streets of Navadvipa stained with the blood of the Vaisnavas. Some devotees suffered severe gashes and fractures, but by Krsna’s grace none was killed.</p>
<p>It was a dark, dark moment, but when it came to light that the attack had been perpetrated by the caste Gosvamis, the shocked public sided with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Gaudiya Matha, and the caste Gosvamis’ opposition to him lost whatever apparent credibility it had. As news of the event spread, those in learned circles protested in newspapers and magazines. The chief police inspector in Navadvipa was sacked, and the parikrama continued under full police protection. Later, when urged to press charges against the culprits, Srila Sarasvati Thakura declined, saying that the hooligans had done a yeoman’s service–otherwise how could the Gaudiya Matha have been featured on the front pages of all the newspapers? Srila Sarasvati Thakura was the enemy of falsehood, but he was the well-wisher of everyone, even of people who were inimical to him.</p>
<p>Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was so austere and rigid, so strict with himself, when it came to preaching he was ready to spend any amount of money and do anything. When I was first serving in India, in 1970, only affluent people could afford cars, mainly the locally manufactured Fiats and Ambassadors. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a limousine–back in the 1930s. And he dressed nicely. He would always wear a dhoti, but on occasion, as required, he would also don a double-breasted coat, stockings, and shoes. For receiving special guests, he had fine furniture. Thus, referring to the elite, he said, “We are preaching by approaching the people of the world dressed even somewhat better than they, showing knowledge even somewhat greater than theirs, being even somewhere more stylish than they–without which they would think us worthless and not listen to our hari-katha. . . . I have to go to various places for propagating hari-katha, so I must present myself as a learned and decent gentleman; otherwise nondevotees will not give me their time.”</p>
<p>He used all means to broadcast the message of Krsna. He had dioramas and other exhibits made, using the latest technologies, and staged huge Theistic Exhibitions. He built a grand marble temple on the banks of the Ganges at Bag-bazar in Calcutta. The procession that brought the Deities on a beautiful ratha, chariot, from the matha at Ultadangi to the new temple was enormous. Literally millions of people lined the streets along the two-mile route, which took four hours to traverse, and twenty-five thousand men, divided into forty-three groups, accompanied the Deities with loud harinama-sankirtana. For its work, the Gaudiya Matha owned four cars, a horse and buggy, an elephant, and a camel. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would treat prominent guests to excursions on the Ganges in one of the Matha’s launches and expound hari-katha to them.</p>
<p>In January of 1935 the governor of Bengal, Sri John Anderson, visited Mayapur. This was a major event, because the Britishers were the rulers, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura was one of their subjects, their vassals. Still, the governor, accompanied by many other dignitaries, came all the way to Mayapur to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and see his work.</p>
<p>In spite of his tremendous purity and potency and success as a preacher, within Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s own institution there were disconcerting signs that some of his leading disciples were becoming materially infected. With so much opulence, facility, fame, and respect, some of them had become distracted. Instead of realizing that all the facility was meant for the service of the Lord, to bring people to the Lord’s unalloyed service, they were enjoying the facilities and the adulation. In an effort to reform them, Srila Sarasvati Thakura spoke strongly, and he restricted the use of certain facilities–only for service, only for preaching–to curb the devotees’ materialistic tendencies. (Of course, he also had many sincere disciples, who did not become materially affected.) At the same time, Srila Sarasvati Thakura continued his propaganda activities in full force, with all enthusiasm, writing, publishing, traveling, and preaching, and was successful wherever he went. Still, he was disturbed within himself that some of his disciples had become so mundane.</p>
<p>Ultimately, when Srila Sarasvati Thakura reached the age of sixty-two, his health declined. He also made statements indicating that he would soon be leaving. In late October 1936 he traveled to Puri, a holy place that was also warmer than Calcutta. But for some reason, in December, in a very weakened condition, he wanted to return to Calcutta, and the disciples arranged for his travel by train. One poignant incident took place when he was about to leave. A householder told his young son, “This may be the last time you see him,” and the boy offered full, flat obeisances to Srila Sarasvati Thakura, who noted the child’s devotion.</p>
<p>In Calcutta his disciples called in some of the most renowned physicians in the city. When one advised Srila Sarasvati Thakura, “You have to rest more. You can’t speak so much,” Sarasvati Thakura proceeded to preach to him, for hours, about the purpose of human life, that the physical body is temporary and that the soul’s absolute necessity is to serve the Lord. He felt that if he couldn’t speak about Krsna, what would be the use of living? We’re here on this planet only for the sake of serving and broadcasting the glories of Sri Krsna.</p>
<p>On December 23, he instructed the devotees gathered at his bedside:</p>
<p>“I have upset many persons’ minds. Many might have considered me their enemy, because I was obliged to speak the plain truth of service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only so they might turn their face toward the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. Surely some day they will be able to understand that.</p>
<p>“I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [two of the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.”</p>
<p>After midnight on December 31, Srila Sarasvati Thakura left this world. His disciples took his body to Mayapur and established his samadhi there.</p>
<p>He was a monumental personality. News of his departure was broadcast on All-India Radio, and an official day of mourning was observed in Bengal. The Corporation of Calcutta held a special meeting in tribute to his memory and issued a resolution expressing its members’ deep sorrow. The mayor addressed the assembly:</p>
<p>“I rise to condole the passing away of His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the president-acarya of the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta and the great leader of the Gaudiya movement throughout the world. This melancholy event happened on the first day of this New Year.</p>
<p>“Born in 1874, he dedicated his whole life to religious pursuits and dissemination of the cultural wealth of this great and ancient land of ours. An intellectual giant, he elicited the admiration of all for his unique scholarship, high and varied attainments, original thinking, and wonderful exposition of many difficult branches of knowledge.</p>
<p>“With invaluable contributions he enriched many journals. He was the author of some devotional literature of repute. He was one of the most powerful and brightest exponents of the cult of Vaisnavism, his utterances and writings displaying a deep study of comparative philosophy and theology. Catholicity of his views, soundness of his teachings, and, above all, his dynamic personality and the irresistible force of the pure and simple life, had attracted thousands of followers of his message of love and service to the Absolute as propagated by Sri Krsna Caitanya.</p>
<p>“He was the founder and guiding spirit of the Sri Caitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur (Nadia) and the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta. The Gaudiya movement, to which his contribution is no small one, has received a setback at the passing away of such a great soul. His departure has created a void in the spiritual horizon of India, which is difficult to be filled up.”</p>
<p>That void was a big one–there was no one else like him. Practically, there had never been anyone like him before, and nobody could imagine anyone like him coming afterwards.</p>
<p>But then, in 1965, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s humble servant, a grhastha disciple named Abhay Caranaravinda dasa, who after his guru maharaja’s disappearance had been awarded sannasya, and the name “A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,” by Sripada Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, boarded a steamer from Calcutta, traveled to New York, and began the Krsna consciousness movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the West. Bhaktivedanta Swami, or Srila Prabhupada, as he became known, embodied the spirit and teachings and potency of his guru maharaja and fulfilled that desire and prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura that the holy names of Sri Krsna, of Sri Krsna Caitanya, be propagated in every town and village of the world.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada made adjustments, because he had his own audience and particular circumstances. Like his guru maharaja, he was ready to use anything and everything in the service of the mission. He engaged modern technology–tape recorders, Dictaphones, electric typewriters, printing presses, computers, airplanes–in the service of the Lord. He sent disciples to Bengal to learn the traditional art of doll making and also used modern technology to create diorama exhibits illustrating the principles of Krsna consciousness and the pastimes of the Lord. Adopting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s idea of theistic exhibitions, he created the FATE (First American Theistic Exhibition) museum in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>So the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is continuing, by his divine grace.</p>
<p>But it is not easy to preach in Kali-yuga. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had many enemies, and Srila Prabhupada did too. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Big preaching means big enemies.” If we just stay at home, or tell people, “I’m okay, you’re okay–everything is okay,” we’re not going to make many enemies, but neither are we going to have much effect. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sarcastically remarked, mein bhi cup, tum bhi cup: “I’ll be quiet, you be quiet,” meaning, “I won’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.” But that was not his mood, and that was not Srila Prabhupada’s mood, and that should not be our mood either.</p>
<p>And of course, the holy name: the essence of everything is the chanting of the holy name. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised, “Krsna and krsna-nama are not two entities. Krsna is His holy name, and the holy name is Krsna. Krsna-nama is the son of Nanda, Syamasundara. Our only devotional service and duty is sri-krsna-nama-sankirtana. This understanding is auspicious.”</p>
<p>And to one disciple, he wrote:</p>
<p>“I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self, and the gross and subtle bodies, is gradually effaced and one realizes one’s own spiritual form. Once aware of the spiritual body, as one continues to chant, one sees the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual form of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual qualities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s qualities. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual activities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s pastimes. By service to the holy name we do not mean only the chanting of the holy name; it also includes the other duties of the chanter. If we serve the holy name with the body, mind, and soul, then the direction of that service spontaneously manifests like the sun in the clear sky of the chanter’s heart. What is the nature of the holy name? Eventually all these understandings spontaneously appear in the heart of one who chants the holy name. The true nature of hari-nama is revealed by listening to, reading, and studying the scriptures. It is unnecessary to write anything further on this subject. All these things will be revealed to you through chanting.”</p>
<p>So let us all chant, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya! Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, December 24, 2010, in Ventura, California]<br /> <br /> <strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9308">http://www.dandavats.com/?p=9308</a></p></div>Celebrating Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Appearance Dayhttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/celebrating-srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-appearance-2020-02-13T06:34:19.000Z2020-02-13T06:34:19.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}3860104682,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="500" alt="3860104682?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></p>
<p>Today is the auspicious appearance day of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. When our Srila Prabhupada first came to America, we had no idea of Vaishnava etiquette or culture; we had no idea how to honor the appearance day of the spiritual master. In 1970, soon after I had joined the Boston temple, Srila Prabhupada explained that the appearance day of the spiritual master is honored as Vyasa-puja, the worship of Vyasa. Srila Vyasadeva compiled the Vedic scriptures, and according to shastra, one cannot understand transcendental knowledge by independent study of books; one must study the Vedic literature under the guidance of a spiritual master. The Mundaka Upanishad (1.2.12) instructs, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: in order to understand the transcendental science, one must—it is emphatic (eva)—one must approach a spiritual master. And Lord Krishna Himself, in the Bhagavad-gita (4.34), states,</p>
<p>tad viddhi pranipatena<br /> pariprasnena sevaya<br /> upadeksyanti te jnanam<br /> jnaninas tattva-darsinah</p>
<p>“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” First is pranipat: surrender. Then pariprasna: submissive inquiry. And seva: service.</p>
<p>Srila Vyasadeva compiled the Vedic literature to give knowledge to the conditioned souls so they can be liberated from the miseries of material existence, and the spiritual master repeats the same message. He speaks from the Vedic scriptures; he explains them so the disciples can understand them; and he engages the disciples in service to Krishna. Just like we sing: saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair, the disciples worship the spiritual master on the same level as God; they honor him as much as the Supreme Lord. But the spiritual master never thinks that he is God. Rather, he considers himself to be the most humble servant of the servants of the servants of the servants of the servants of God, Krishna. So he doesn’t ask them to engage in his service, but he asks them to engage in Krishna’s service. But, out of respect for the spiritual master, out of appreciation and gratitude for what he has taught them and done for them, the disciples honor him, especially on his appearance day.</p>
<p>So, when I was in Boston in 1970, Srila Prabhupada explained to the devotees that his spiritual master’s appearance day was about to take place and that the disciples should write homages, or offerings, to him. I was a new devotee and didn’t know much about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, but I considered the subject very seriously as far as I could, and my first thought was how great Srila Bhaktisiddhanta must have been be for such a great personality as His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada to have surrendered to him. How great he must have been that Srila Prabhupada found him worthy of his own surrender. And then I thought of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s instruction to Srila Prabhupada to come to the West and preach the message of Krishna consciousness in English, and I thought it was really by the mercy of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja that Srila Prabhupada came to us and gave us the knowledge of the Bhagavad-gita, gave us the holy name of Krishna, gave us the beautiful life of Krishna consciousness, and engaged us in loving service to Krishna. I felt it was really due to his mercy that Srila Prabhupada came and that we were being delivered by Srila Prabhupada.</p>
<p>So we all wrote little offerings to Srila Prabhupada’s guru maharaja. They were collected, and then Srila Prabhupada explained how we observe Vyasa-puja. We fast in the morning and come together and glorify the spiritual master, perhaps read the homages that we have written in his honor, offer puspanjali, offer bhoga, offer arati, and then honor prasada.</p>
<p>Some years later, after having served in India for about three years, I became very sick with jaundice and Srila Prabhupada said that as long as I remained in Bombay I would not be able to recover. So eventually I came to Los Angeles, and I happened to be present for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s appearance day, celebrated in Srila Prabhupada’s presence. Srila Prabhupada had a very high seat made for his guru maharaja. He had his own vyasasana in the temple room, but he arranged for a bigger and higher seat for his guru maharaja, for the picture of his guru maharaja. He led the disciples through puspanjali and arati, and he had all the food preparations that his disciples had made offered to his guru maharaja’s picture on his guru’s vyasasana. He said this was the one day when we offer food directly to his guru maharaja. And so we observed his Guru Maharaja’s Vyasa-puja in his personal presence in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>We are indebted to His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura for sending Srila Prabhupada to us, for it is by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada that we have been elevated from the material condition and engaged in the loving service of the Lord.</p>
<p>Jaya om visnu-pada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri srimad bhaktisiddhanta saravati thakura prabhupada ki jaya!<br /> Jaya om visnu-pada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri srimad bhaktivedanta swami prabhupada ki jaya!</p>
<p>Hare Krishna.</p>
<p>[From a talk by Giriraj Swami by telephone to Mauritius, February 14, 2009]</p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=15461">http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=15461</a></p></div>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura’s Disappearance Day — A Discussion by Giriraj Swamihttps://iskcondesiretree.com/profiles/blogs/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-sarasvati-thakura-s-disappearance-day-a-dis2019-12-16T11:45:00.000Z2019-12-16T11:45:00.000ZISKCON Desire Treehttps://iskcondesiretree.com/members/iskcon_desire_tree<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}2515161893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}2515161893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="211" alt="2515161893?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual master, is my grand spiritual master, but I feel that I never really knew him that well until I read his biography Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Vaibhava by my godbrother Bhakti Vikasa Swami. Many of the quotes and references below come from that work, which has helped bring me closer to my spiritual grandfather.</p>
<p>We are all here by the mercy of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There’s a line through which the mercy descends upon us, beginning with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and passing, one teacher after the other, through parampara, or disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago Krsna came in His original form and in the Bhagavad-gita (9.34, 18.65) He instructed, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto: “Always think of Me and become My devotee.” Five hundred years ago the same Lord Krsna came again, in the devotional form of Sri Krsna Caitanya, to explain and personally show how to be a devotee and always think of Krsna. Lord Caitanya quoted a verse from the Brhan-naradiya Purana (38.126):</p>
<p>harer nama harer nama<br /> harer namaiva kevalam<br /> kalau nasty eva nasty eva<br /> nasty eva gatir anyatha</p>
<p>“One should chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of Hari, Krsna. There is no other way, no other way, no other way for success in the present age of Kali.” He also desired and predicted:</p>
<p>prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama<br /> sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama</p>
<p>“In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, My holy name will be propagated.” (Cb 3.4.126) He expressed this desire and prediction at a time when it was almost impossible to imagine or believe that it could happen.</p>
<p>In the 1800s Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura began the effort to spread the holy name of Krsna to countries outside India. He wrote a small book in English called Caitanya Mahaprabhu: His Life and Precepts and dispatched copies to libraries around the world. In recent years Srila Prabhupada’s disciples have discovered copies in libraries from Canada (McGill University) to Australia. Bhaktivinoda Thakura yearned for the day when devotees from all over the world would unite in harinama-sankirtana and wrote, “Very soon the unparalleled path of harinama-sankirtana will be propagated all over the planet. . . . Oh, for that day when the fortunate English, French, Russian, German, and American people will take up banners, mrdangas, and karatalas and perform kirtana through their streets and towns. When will that day come? Oh, for the day when the fair-skinned men from their side will raise up the chanting of ‘Jaya Sacinandana, jaya Sacinandana ki jaya!’ and join with the Bengali devotees. When will that day be?” (Sajjana-tosani)</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was a very powerful spiritual master, acarya. After the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates, many unscrupulous people claiming to be Mahaprabhu’s followers introduced concocted philosophies and practices—even illicit activities—to the point that if an educated Bengali heard the word “Vaisnava,” he would immediately think the worst. In educated circles, “Vaisnava” had come to mean a sentimental, ignorant person with loose character who, in the guise of religion, engaged in all sorts of activities. In this precarious situation, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura came forward and presented the true understanding of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, speaking strongly against the deviant groups that had distorted and perverted His pure teachings and practices.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura held a high position in the British rule of India—the highest an Indian could hold, and then only very rarely. He had important responsibilities in the government and had a large family, but his main interest was Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the sankirtana movement. He would sleep little and rise early. He did so much—wrote books, traveled, preached, established centers—and had a tremendous effect, especially on the people of Bengal and Orissa, including the intellectual elite who were just then coming in touch with modern ideas from the West. He revived the true mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, inspiring hosts of people to join him, and pushed back the deviant groups, which lost much of their influence.</p>
<p>Having undertaken such a tremendous task and executed it so successfully but still being surrounded by so many parties with vested interests in covering the true intention of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was at a loss as to who would carry on his mission. So he prayed to Sri Krsna to send one of His own associates from the spiritual realm to continue the work. It is understood that the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the answer to Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s prayers.</p>
<p>There are many incidents from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s early life that indicate he was that person sent by Krsna. When he was five months old, the Ratha-yatra cart halted in front of Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s home in Puri, and the Thakura directed his wife, Bhagavati Devi, to carry the baby to the chariot. When the infant was placed at the lotus feet of Lord Jagannatha, he extended his tiny arms to touch the Deity’s feet, and Lord Jagannatha dropped one of His garlands around the baby—a blessing and a confirmation of his divine descent.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati understood his father’s mission and worked with him to fulfill it. His father initiated him into the chanting of the holy name (hari-nama), the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but according to etiquette, a father does not give actual diksa to his son. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura instructed him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, a great maha-bhagavata, fully self-realized, liberated soul, for diksa. But Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a renounced bhajananandi and not inclined to accept disciples; he preferred to just immerse himself in chanting the holy names and hearing scripture.</p>
<p>When Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati approached him, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja told him directly that he would not accept him or anyone else as a disciple. Still, Siddhanta Sarasvati persisted, so Babaji Maharaja told him, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” A few days later, when Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and inquired, “What was Mahaprabhu’s order?” Babaji Maharaja replied, “I forgot to ask.” And when he came for the third time, Babaji Maharaja directly refused him: “Mahaprabhu has not given permission.”</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was devastated. He stood up and quoted a line by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, addressed to the guru—karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya, prana na rakhibo ara: “If you are not merciful to me, I will simply weep, and I will not be able to maintain my life.” When Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja understood how sincere and serious Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was, he accepted him as his disciple and initiated him.</p>
<p>Five years later, in 1905, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati undertook a vow to chant at least three lakh holy names daily, or ten million monthly, until he had chanted one billion holy names. For his disciples, Srila Prabhupada fixed the minimum number of sixteen rounds per day, which takes most devotees about two hours. Four times sixteen is sixty-four rounds, or one lakh names. And three times sixty-four rounds comes to three hundred thousand names, which would take us, even at a good rate, at least sixteen hours a day. In Mayapur, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati constructed a grass hut, where he lived very simply and chanted day and night. If rain came and leaked through the thatched roof, he would just hold up an umbrella and continue chanting: “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>Completing his vow took more than nine years, but even then, Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati would write, preach, and serve the dhama.</p>
<p>One program he attended was especially significant. In Bengal the caste brahmanas had a stranglehold on religious people’s practices. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura had spoken openly against them and their false claim, based on their supposed high birth, that they possessed exclusive rights to be gurus and perform brahminical functions. Naturally, when Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati challenged them, the brahmanas reacted. An assembly of smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis (caste Gosvamis) came together to try to refute the arguments of the pure Vaisnavas and published a tract against them. In response, the Vaisnavas called a three-day public meeting to discuss the relative positions of brahmanas and Vaisnavas. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was expected to be the main speaker, but severe rheumatism had rendered him bedridden.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura himself was not born in a brahmana family, and obviously, neither was his son. Now, the question may be raised, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was a ray of Visnu, an eternal associate of Krsna’s sent from the spiritual realm to the material world to preach—Krsna could have arranged for him to take birth in the highest class of brahmana family, with all the brahminical qualifications, but He didn’t. Why not? Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati explains that the Lord does not arrange for pure devotees to take birth only in high-class families, with all the advantages of good health, education, culture, wealth, strength, and so on, because ordinary people would feel discouraged. They would think, “Oh, I didn’t take birth in a high-class family; I didn’t have this or that advantage. What is the hope for me?” So great souls take birth in various kinds of families to show us the example that anyone in any condition—even if not born in a brahmana family—can become Krsna conscious, and to give us hope that we too can be Krsna conscious.</p>
<p>So, after the publication of the caste brahmanas’ tract, on the eve of the public meeting to be convened by the Vaisnavas, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was incapacitated, and he cried out in desperation, “Is there no one in the Vaisnava world who can reply to these people and by presenting scriptural evidence and logic put a stop to their base activities?” Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati took up the challenge, wrote an essay called “Conclusion Regarding the Comparison of Brahmanas and Vaisnavas,” and went to the meeting.</p>
<p>Many caste brahmanas, although not invited, also attended. Understanding that Bhaktivinoda Thakura was indisposed and unable to be there, they swaggered about, confident that they would easily triumph over the Vaisnavas.</p>
<p>Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was the first speaker. He began by quoting various statements from scripture about the exalted position of brahmanas, and the caste brahmanas in the audience were delighted. He was so brilliant that he could speak better about the high position of brahmanas than the brahmanas themselves. But then he began quoting verses from scripture about the position of Vaisnavas, establishing that Vaisnavas were higher than even brahmanas and that irrespective of one’s birth, if one accepted the Vaisnava principles he would attain a position more exalted than that of a brahmana. The brahmanas in the audience were completely overwhelmed. Seeing no way to counter Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati’s arguments, the smarta-brahmanas and jata-gosanis slinked away.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura felt assured that his mission was in capable hands, that Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati was a worthy successor to continue his cause. And Sri Siddhanta Sarasvati began to preach far and wide. He was fearless and open in his criticism of anything false. His example and instructions are relevant to us today.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a prodigious writer and speaker, on various topics, including how to present the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He noted that there are people who think that you should say only positive—not negative—things. I experienced that when I was in Madras. I was just preaching as I had heard Srila Prabhupada preach, and people reacted. Even friends, people who were hosting me and supporting me, advised me, “Don’t criticize others. Just say positively what you want about your philosophy and activities, but don’t criticize others.” Srila Sarasvati Thakura addressed this very issue and averred that it is imperative not only to elucidate the truth but also to criticize anything false, because in Kali-yuga there is so much false propaganda that we have to be very clear; there cannot be any ambiguity in our message:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The positive method by itself is not the most effective method of propaganda in a controversial age like the present. The negative method, which seeks to differentiate the truth from non-truth in all its forms, is even better calculated to convey the directly inconceivable significance of the Absolute. It is a necessity which cannot be conscientiously avoided by the dedicated preacher of the truth if he wants to be a loyal servant of Godhead. The method is sure to create an atmosphere of controversy in which it is quite easy to lose one’s balance of judgment. But the ways of the deluding energy are so intricate that unless their mischievous nature is fully exposed, it is not possible for the soul in the conditioned state to avoid the snares spread by the enchantress [Maya] for encompassing the ruin of her only too willing victims. It is a duty which shall be sacred to all who have been enabled to attain even a distant glimpse of the Absolute.</p>
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<p>Srila Prabhupada also demonstrated this approach. He had a friend named Dr. Patel who would always accompany him on his morning walks on Juhu Beach and converse with him. Dr. Patel was quite literate, he knew Sanskrit, and he was quite sharp. One morning, Dr. Patel started praising a revered popular religious figure of India, and Srila Prabhupada, in turn, began to criticize the figure. Dr. Patel protested, “You cannot criticize like this.” But Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am not saying; Krsna is saying—na mam duskrtino mudhah prapadyante naradhamah, mayayapahrta-jnana asuram bhavam asritah: if you are not surrendered to Krsna, you are a miscreant in one of these categories—fool, rascal, demon.”</p>
<p>Dr. Patel became agitated and raised his voice, and Srila Prabhupada raised his. The whole situation became very tense and very intense. Finally, Dr. Patel’s friends dragged him away. It was like in a boxing ring when the bell rings to signal the end of the fight and the two opponents just keep going at each other and their corner men have to pull them apart.</p>
<p>For the first time, Dr. Patel stopped coming for the morning walks, and Srila Prabhupada also said, “Now no more discussion. We will only read Krsna book.” But after a couple of days, as Dr. Patel explains it, with no intention of joining Srila Prabhupada—he was walking from one direction on the beach, and Prabhupada from the other—something in his heart just drew him to Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet. He offered obeisance and said, “Prabhupada, I am sorry, but we are trained to respect all the accredited saints of India.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, and our business is to point out who is not a saint.” He had learned that from his guru maharaja, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. We not only tell who is a saint; we also explain who is not a saint. And that is the mercy of the Vaisnava, so people know clearly what is what; otherwise, they can be misled and suffer.</p>
<p>Srila Sarasvati Thakura was a tremendously powerful and successful preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth. And his pure preaching inspired hundreds of thousands of people to support him, follow him, join him, and become his disciples.</p>
<p>Yet he also had enemies. He himself was the enemy of falsehood, and people who were thriving on falsehood sometimes became his enemy. There were many incidents. Once, when he and his party were performing navadvipa-parikrama, the caste brahmanas hired gundas, or thugs, and they let loose on the party with a volley of stones and boulders. They were really aiming to take Srila Sarasvati Thakura’s life. (There were attempts on his life on other occasions as well.) But one of his disciples cleverly exchanged his white dress for Sarasvati Thakura’s saffron, so Sarasvati Thakura emerged disguised and escaped. But it was a terrible scene. It looked like a massacre, with the streets of Navadvipa stained with the blood of the Vaisnavas. Some devotees suffered gashes and fractures, but by Krsna’s grace no one was killed.</p>
<p>It was a dark, dark moment, but when it came to light that the attack had been perpetrated by the caste Gosvamis, the shocked public sided with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and the Gaudiya Matha, and the caste Gosvamis’ opposition to him lost whatever credibility it had. As news of the event spread, those in learned circles protested in newspapers and magazines. The chief police inspector in Navadvipa was sacked, and the parikrama continued under full police protection. Later, when urged to press charges against the culprits, Srila Sarasvati Thakura declined, saying that the hooligans had done a yeoman’s service—otherwise how could the Gaudiya Matha have been featured on the front pages of all the newspapers? Srila Sarasvati Thakura was the enemy of falsehood, but he was the well-wisher of everyone, even of people who were inimical to him.</p>
<p>Although Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati was so austere and rigid, so strict with himself, when it came to preaching he was ready to spend any amount of money and do anything. When I was first serving in India, in 1970, only affluent people could afford cars, mainly the locally manufactured Fiats and Ambassadors. But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had a limousine—back in the 1930s. And he dressed nicely. He would always wear a dhoti, but on occasion, as required, he would also don a double-breasted coat, stockings, and shoes. For receiving special guests, he had fine furniture. Thus, referring to the elite, he said, “We are preaching by approaching the people of the world dressed even somewhat better than they, showing knowledge even somewhat greater than theirs, being even somewhere more stylish than they—without which they would think us worthless and not listen to our hari-katha. . . . I have to go to various places for propagating hari-katha, so I must present myself as a learned and decent gentleman; otherwise nondevotees will not give me their time.”</p>
<p>He used all means to broadcast the message of Krsna. He had dioramas and other exhibits made, using the latest technologies, and staged huge Theistic Exhibitions. He built a grand marble temple on the banks of the Ganges at Bag-bazar in Calcutta. The procession that brought the deities on a beautiful ratha, chariot, from the matha at Ultadangi to the new temple was enormous. Literally millions of people lined the streets along the two-mile route, which took four hours to traverse, and twenty-five thousand men, divided into forty-three groups, accompanied the deities with loud harinama-sankirtana. For its work, the Gaudiya Matha owned four cars, a horse and buggy, an elephant, and a camel. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati would treat prominent guests to excursions on the Ganges in one of the Matha’s launches and expound hari-katha to them.</p>
<p>In January of 1935 the governor of Bengal, Sri John Anderson, visited Mayapur. This was a major event, because the Britishers were the rulers, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura was one of their subjects, their vassals. Still, the governor, accompanied by many other dignitaries, came all the way to Mayapur to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and see his work.</p>
<p>In spite of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s tremendous purity and potency and success as a preacher, there were disconcerting signs within his own institution that some of his leading disciples were becoming materially infected. With so much opulence, facility, fame, and respect, some of them had become distracted. Instead of realizing that all the facility was meant for the service of the Lord, to bring people to the Lord’s unalloyed service, they were enjoying the facilities and the adulation. In an effort to reform them, Srila Sarasvati Thakura spoke strongly, and he restricted the use of certain facilities—only for service, only for preaching—to curb the devotees’ materialistic tendencies. (Of course, he also had many sincere disciples, who did not become materially affected.) At the same time, Srila Sarasvati Thakura continued his propaganda activities in full force, with all enthusiasm—writing, publishing, traveling, and preaching—and was successful wherever he went. Still, he was disturbed that some of his disciples had become so mundane.</p>
<p>Ultimately, when Srila Sarasvati Thakura reached the age of sixty-two, his health declined, and he made statements indicating that he would soon be leaving. In late October 1936 he traveled to Puri, a holy place that was also warmer than Calcutta. But for some reason, in December, in a very weakened condition, he wanted to return to Calcutta, and his disciples arranged for him to travel by train. One poignant incident took place when he was about to leave. A householder told his young son, “This may be the last time you see him,” and the boy offered full, flat obeisances to Srila Sarasvati Thakura, who noted the child’s devotion.</p>
<p>In Calcutta Sarasvati Thakura’s disciples called in some of the most renowned physicians in the city. When one advised him, “You have to rest more. You can’t speak so much,” Sarasvati Thakura proceeded to preach to the man, for hours, about the purpose of human life, that the physical body is temporary and that the soul’s absolute necessity is to serve the Lord. He felt that if he couldn’t speak about Krsna, what would be the use of living? We’re here on this planet only for the sake of serving and broadcasting the glories of Sri Krsna.</p>
<p>On December 23 Srila Sarasvati Thakura instructed the devotees gathered at his bedside:</p>
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<p>I have upset many persons’ minds. Many might have considered me their enemy, because I was obliged to speak the plain truth of service and devotion towards the Absolute Godhead. I have given them all those troubles only so they might turn their face toward the Personality of Godhead without any desire for gain and with unalloyed devotion. Surely some day they will be able to understand that.</p>
<p>I advise all to preach the teachings of Rupa-Raghunatha [two of the Six Gosvamis, direct disciples of Lord Caitanya] with all energy and resources. Our ultimate goal shall be to become the dust of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Rupa and Raghunatha Gosvamis. You should all work conjointly under the guidance of your spiritual master with a view to serve the Absolute Knowledge, the Personality of Godhead. You should live somehow or other without any quarrel in this mortal world only for the service of Godhead. Do not, please, give up the service of Godhead, in spite of all dangers, all criticisms, and all discomforts. Do not be disappointed, for most people in the world do not serve the Personality of Godhead; do not give up your own service, which is your everything and all, neither reject the process of chanting and hearing of the transcendental holy name of Godhead. You should always chant the transcendental name of Godhead with patience and forbearance like a tree and humbleness like a straw . . . There are many amongst you who are well qualified and able workers. We have no other desire whatsoever.</p>
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<p>After midnight on December 31, Srila Sarasvati Thakura left this world. His disciples took his body to Mayapur and established his samadhi there.</p>
<p>He was a monumental personality. News of his departure was broadcast on All-India Radio, and an official day of mourning was observed in Bengal. The Corporation of Calcutta held a special meeting in tribute to his memory and issued a resolution expressing its members’ deep sorrow. The mayor addressed the assembly:</p>
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<p>I rise to condole the passing away of His Divine Grace Paramahamsa Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, the president-acarya of the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta and the great leader of the Gaudiya movement throughout the world. This melancholy event happened on the first day of this New Year.</p>
<p>Born in 1874, he dedicated his whole life to religious pursuits and dissemination of the cultural wealth of this great and ancient land of ours. An intellectual giant, he elicited the admiration of all for his unique scholarship, high and varied attainments, original thinking, and wonderful exposition of many difficult branches of knowledge.</p>
<p>With invaluable contributions he enriched many journals. He was the author of some devotional literature of repute. He was one of the most powerful and brightest exponents of the cult of Vaisnavism, his utterances and writings displaying a deep study of comparative philosophy and theology. The catholicity of his views, soundness of his teachings, and, above all, his dynamic personality and the irresistible force of the pure and simple life, had attracted thousands of followers of his message of love and service to the Absolute as propagated by Sri Krsna Caitanya.</p>
<p>He was the founder and guiding spirit of the Sri Caitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur (Nadia) and the Gaudiya Matha of Calcutta. The Gaudiya movement, to which his contribution is no small one, has received a setback at the passing away of such a great soul. His departure has created a void in the spiritual horizon of India, which is difficult to be filled up.</p>
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<p>That void was a big one—there was no one else like him. There had never been anyone like him before, and nobody could imagine anyone like him coming afterwards.</p>
<p>But then, in 1965, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s humble servant, a grhastha disciple named Abhay Caranaravinda dasa, who after his guru maharaja’s disappearance had been awarded sannasya and the name “A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami” by Sripada Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, boarded a steamer from Calcutta, traveled to New York, and began the Krsna consciousness movement, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in the West. Bhaktivedanta Swami, or Srila Prabhupada, as he became known, embodied the spirit and teachings and potency of his guru maharaja and fulfilled that desire and prediction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and Srila Sarasvati Thakura that the holy names of Sri Krsna, of Sri Krsna Caitanya, be propagated in every town and village of the world.</p>
<p>Srila Prabhupada made adjustments, because he had his own audience and particular circumstances. Like his guru maharaja, he was ready to use anything and everything in the service of the mission. He engaged modern technology—tape recorders, dictation machines, electric typewriters, printing presses, computers, airplanes—in the service of the Lord. He sent disciples to Bengal to learn the traditional art of doll making and also used modern technology to create diorama exhibits illustrating the principles of Krsna consciousness and the pastimes of the Lord. Adopting Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati’s idea of theistic exhibitions, he created the FATE (First American Theistic Exhibition) museum in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>So the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is continuing, by his divine grace.</p>
<p>But it is not easy to preach in Kali-yuga. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had many enemies, and Srila Prabhupada did too. As Srila Prabhupada said, “Big preaching means big enemies.” If we just stay at home, or tell people, “I’m okay, you’re okay—everything is okay,” we’re not going to make many enemies, but neither are we going to have much effect. In fact, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati sarcastically remarked, mein bhi cup, tum bhi cup: “I’ll be quiet, you be quiet,” meaning, “I won’t disturb you, you don’t disturb me.” But that was not his mood, and that was not Srila Prabhupada’s mood, and that should not be our mood either.</p>
<p>And of course, the holy name: the essence of everything is the chanting of the holy name. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati advised, “Krsna and krsna-nama are not two entities. Krsna is His holy name, and the holy name is Krsna. Krsna-nama is the son of Nanda, Syamasundara. Our only devotional service and duty is sri-krsna-nama-sankirtana. This understanding is auspicious.”</p>
<p>And to one disciple, he wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I am overjoyed to hear that your enthusiasm for chanting is increasing. As our contaminations are removed by chanting, the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes will be revealed to us in the holy name. There is no point in making a separate effort to artificially remember the Lord’s form, qualities, and pastimes. The Lord and His name are one and the same. This will be understood clearly when the coverings in your heart are removed. By chanting without offenses you will personally realize that all perfections come from the holy name. Through chanting, the distinction that exists between the self and the gross and subtle bodies is gradually effaced and one realizes one’s own spiritual form. Once aware of the spiritual body, as one continues to chant, one sees the transcendental nature of the Lord’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual form of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s form. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual qualities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s qualities. Only the holy name reveals the spiritual activities of the living being and then causes him to be attracted to Krsna’s pastimes. By service to the holy name we do not mean only the chanting of the holy name; it also includes the other duties of the chanter. If we serve the holy name with the body, mind, and soul, then the direction of that service spontaneously manifests like the sun in the clear sky of the chanter’s heart. What is the nature of the holy name? Eventually all these understandings spontaneously appear in the heart of one who chants the holy name. The true nature of hari-nama is revealed by listening to, reading, and studying the scriptures. It is unnecessary to write anything further on this subject. All these things will be revealed to you through chanting.</p>
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<p>So let us all chant, “Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura ki jaya!<br /> Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!</p>
<p>[A talk by Giriraj Swami given on Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s Sarasvati’s disappearance day, December 24, 2010, Ventura, California]</p>
<p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=11521">http://www.girirajswami.com/?p=11521</a></p></div>