domingo, 15 de maio de 2011

BV Madhava Maharaj & Brajanath Prabhu Agenda na Costa Rica de 13 'a 22 Mayo 2011

 Sarasvati Prabhupada Gaudiya
Jaya Sri Guru  e Gouranga  Hare Krishna !Sandhu - Sanga  Ki Jay !Radhe Radhe !

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De 13 , 14,  15, y 16 en Gaudiya Math , 6pm y 7am (San Jose )

17 5PM Kirtan  y Hari Katha ( La  Floresta Montezuma)

18 5pm Anamaya Yoga Retreat ( Kabuya Montezuma )
18 Y 19 Temprano 7 AM Meditacion y Hari Katha ( La  Floresta Montezuma)

 19 y 20 5pm Yoga Spa Natural ( Santa Tereza ) - Kirtan end Hari Katha

21 de Mayo Celebracion Cumpleanos de Jacob  Karpio
junto con santos&Carlos Tapado  - Acro  Yoga

22- Inbio  Parque - 2pm
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contacto -

Email - jacobkarpiogallery@gmail.com

Tel el - 2257  79 63 
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Yoga Spa Natural - Milagros Quesada 26 40 04 02

Costa Rica Festival Hare Krishna by BV Madhava Maharaja

 Sarasvati Prabhupada Gaudiya
 

segunda-feira, 10 de janeiro de 2011

Sri Gurudeva Arati

sri sri guru-gaurangau jayatah

Sri Gurudeva Arati

by Sripada Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja

sg2006.jpg - 27377 Bytes
Srila Narayana Maharaja and Sripad Madhava Maharaja
performing parikrama of Sri Radha Damodara Mandira, Vrindavana.


jaya jaya gurudevera aratika sobha
yamuna-tata vraja-vane bhakta-mano-lobha
(1)

All glories, all glories to the splendid arati of Srila Gurudeva, being performed in a forest of Vraja on the bank of the Yamuna, attracting the minds and hearts of all the devotees.

raga-marga siddhantera murtimanta ati
kesavera priya tumi narayana yati
(2)

Gurudeva, you are the embodiment of the philosophy of raga-marga, the path of spontaneous love, and you are extremely dear to your Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja.

gaura-vani dhupa tava sri vedanta dipa
pascatya pracarakera tumi hao bhupa
(3)

We perform your arati with the incense of gaura-vani, the teaching of Sri Gaurasundara, and with the ghee lamp of vedanta, the philosophical conclusions of the Vedas. You are a monarch among preachers in the Western world. (Bhu also refers to Bhudhara Prabhu, while pa means palana kara, or “the maintainer”. Thus, this line also means Gurudeva is travelling to the Western world and maintaining the devotional creeper of Bhudhara Prabhu. sarasvata-kesava dhara jala

sankha dhara
palya-dasi madhu-snehe mugdha caracara
(4)

The conchshell water used in your arati is the pure conception coming in the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. You have struck with wonder the entire world with your moods of palya-dasi, or servitude to Srimati Radhika, and madhu-sneha, the feeling that Krsna is yours, this mood is belongs to Srimati Radhika and her group (as opposed to ghrita-sneha, the feeling that you are Krsna’s, which is present in the heart of Sri Candravali and her group).

tila phula jini nasa sri-anga sundara
desi videsi bhakta tava puspa sambhara
(5)

Your nose defeats the beauty of the sesame flower, and your limbs are very charming. The Eastern and Western devotees are the flowers used in your arati.

ura pura vraja tirthe bajaya jhanjhara
dama bhajana suro candra bajaya kansara
(6)

Ura’ means Sripada Padmanabha Maharaja (formerly known as Urukrama Prabhu), ‘pura’ refers to Purandara Prabhu, ‘vraja’ Vrajanatha Prabhu and ‘tirthe’ refers to Sripada Tirtha Maharaja, all these devotees play the large cymbals, while ‘Dam’ Sripada Damodara Maharaja, ‘bhajana’ Sripada Sajjana Maharaja (formerly known as Krsna-bhajana Prabhu), ‘su’ Subala Sakha prabhu (and other devotees who serve in the Publication Department, publishing the Sri Sri Bhagavata Patrika and other devotional books) and 'ro' Rohini Nandana Prabhu ‘candra’ Ramacandra Prabhu (who are both spreading Gurudeva’s glories in Northern India).

sevanande premananda camara dulaya
madhu-kanthe krsna-dasa nirajana gaya
(7)

Sripada Premananda Prabhu, who takes pleasure in performing service, is fanning Srila Gurudeva with a camara, while sweet-voiced Krsna-dasa Prabhu is singing this arati song. (Here 'madhu' also refers to Madhumangala Prabhu, Madhuvrata Prabhu, Madhukara Prabhu, Madhusudana Prabhu.)

krsna amala sundara bajaya mrdanga
madhava vana akatare mage tava sanga
(8)

Krsna-krpa Prabhu (and all the devotees whose names contain the word ‘Krsna’, including Dvija Krsna Prabhu, Tamala Krsna Prabhu, Krsna-karunya Prabhu, Hare Krsna Prabhu and Kisora Krsna Prabhu), Amala Krsna Prabhu, and all other devotees of beautiful character who are too numerous to name (including Sripada Akincana Maharaja, Sripada Asrama Maharaja, Sripada Avadhuta Maharaja, Sripada Bhagavata Maharaja, Sripada Bharati Maharaja, Sripada Dandi Maharaja, Sripada Govinda Maharaja, Sripada Harijana Maharaja, Sripada Muni Maharaja, Sripada Nemi Maharaja, Sripada Niskincana Maharaja, Sripada Parivrajaka, Maharaja, Sripada Sruvak Maharaja Sripada Srauti Maharaja, Sripada Tridandi Maharaja, Sripada Vaikhanas Maharaja, Sripada Visnudaivata Maharaja, Sripada Yati Maharaja, Gopavrindapala Prabhu, Gopinatha Prabhu, Nirguna Prabhu, Nrihari Prabhu, Prana-kisora Prabhu, Tamopaha Prabhu, Radha Kanta Prabhu, Ramesha Prabhu, Yasodanadana Prabhu, Vrajendranandana Prabhu, Vrndavana Prabhu, Srimati Syamarani Didi, and Vishnu Dasa, Aruna Verma Sushila Agrawal, Tarun Krsna, Krsna Dasa, who were the first organisers of Gurudeva's preaching in the USA, and all the devotees who are engaged in preaching and publication and all other services which are too innumerable to mention) are playing the mrdanga, or the large drum of book publishing and distribution. (Sundara also refers to Sundarananda Prabhu, the former personal servant of Srila Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) and Srila Guru Maharaja (Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja), and to Sundara-gopala Prabhu.) Meanwhile, Madhava-priya Prabhu, Sripada Vana Maharaja and the composer of this kirtana, Sripada Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja, are humbly hankering for your association.


[This page is also available in Adobe .pdf format with diacritics]


http://bvml.org/SBNM/sri_gurudeva_arati.html

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Is Srila Jiva Gosvami Different?

by Sripad Madhava Maharaj

Mathura, India: Nov. 23, 2002

[Two days before Paramaradya Srila Narayana Maharaja left Mathura to embark on his winter preaching tour in the West, he brought up a controversial topic in his evening class. He spoke for some time in Hindi and asked Sripad Madhava Maharaja to convey the same ideas in English. The following is a transcription of Sripad Madhava Maharaja's talk. - ed.]
[Sripad Madhava Maharaja:] Srila Gurudeva has ordered me to speak and I will explain up to my level best.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja:] What is the question? First say the question.
[Sripad Madhava Maharaja:] Srila Jiva Gosvamipada, who is one of the six Gosvamis, has stated that the jivas are performing sadhana-bhajana here in this world. In the meantime, in the Vaikuntha planets - meaning Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Dvaraka, Mathura and Goloka Vrndavana, there are some parsadas, associates of Bhagavan, who came from His effulgence, and they are in a latent or dormant position. When a jiva becomes perfect by performing sadhana-bhajana, he obtains any one of these parsada-dehas (bodies of these associates). This is one side. On the other side, seemingly different from Srila Jiva Gosvamipada, are Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Srila Rupa Gosvamipada, and all our acaryas up to the present day. They are saying that the jiva already has a constitutional form, his own spiritual body, along with its transcendental qualities and services, but now his spiritual body is unmanifest, or in a latent position. As the potency of an entire tree, along with its leaves, flowers, and fruits, is present in its seed, everything is present in the soul, but in seed form. In this way it appears that Srila Jiva Gosvamipada is on one side and the other acaryas, up to our present guru-varga, are on the other side. It seems that both ideas are quite opposite. How we can reconcile this apparent contradiction? Actually these two points of view are not contradictory at all. We are judging from our mundane point of view, from the point of view of our material consciousness, and therefore we do not understand. Therefore the two statements seem contradictory to us. From the point of view of our guru-varga there is no contradiction at all, so I will try to express what I have heard from Srila Gurudeva.
In his commentary of Sri Siksastakam, first sloka, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura writes:

ceto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam
["Let there be all victory for the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krsna, which cleanses the mirror of the heart and stops the miseries of the blazing fire of material existence. That chanting is the waxing moon that infuses the white lotus of good fortune for all living entities to blossom. It is the life and soul of all transcendental knowledge. The chanting of the holy name of Krsna expands the blissful ocean of transcendental life. It gives a cooling effect to the body and the soul as well, and enables one to taste full nectar at every step." (Caitanya-Caritamrta Antya lila 20.12)] In this verse, seven stages of bhakti are explained. Ceto-darpana-marjanam contains sraddha, bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam contains sadhu-sanga, bhajana-kriya and anartha nivriti, sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam contains nistha, and the subsequent lines contain the subsequent stages up to prema. Each stage is explained in each line. Purnamrta asvadanam comes in the stage of bhava, and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discusses this in his commentary of Sri Siksastakam. He writes that according to the sadhaka's constitutional form - up to gopika deha (the body of a gopi) - that particular body manifests at the stage of bhava-bhakti. Gopika deha eva prakatayeti. For those who have dasya bhava (the mood of a servitor) in their hearts, their relationship of servant and master will manifest when the stage of bhava awakens. For those who have a friendly relationship with Krsna in their dormant constitutional position, that relationship will manifest, for those in a parental relationship in their latent constitutional form, that form will manifest, and for those who have a paramour mood, that will manifest. Whatever is in a latent position at this present time, that type of spiritual body will manifest at the stage of bhava. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana prabhu, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and others have all explained the same truth.
Apparently contradictory to this, Srila Jiva Gosvamipada has stated there are spiritual bodies in the Vaikuntha planets waiting to be occupied by the liberated living entities. These spiritual bodies have manifested from the effulgence of Bhagavan. When jivas do bhajana and become perfect, they will be awarded one body from there. The jiva and that body combine. We have seen in the history of Sri Narada Rsi:

prayujyamane mayi tam
suddham bhagavatim tanum
arabdha-karma-nirvano
nyapatat panca-bhautikah
["Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and thus all acquired fruitive results of work [karma] stopped."(Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.6.28)] How can we reconcile this?

martyo yada tyakta-samasta-karma
niveditatma vicikirsito me
tadamrtatvam pratipadyamano
mayatma-bhuyaya ca kalpate vai
["A person who gives up all fruitive activities and offers himself entirely unto Me, eagerly desiring to render service unto Me, achieves liberation from birth and death and is promoted to the status of sharing My own opulences. (SB 11.29.34)] It is also stated in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta:

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
["According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service." (Caitanya-Caritamrta, Madhya 19.151)] The living entities are wandering throughout many brahmandas (universes). By the causeless mercy of Sri Guru and Krsna, a fortunate jiva receives the seed of bhakti, called bhakti-lata, the desire to serve Sri Krsna. The word guru-krsna has two meanings. One meaning is Sri Gurudeva and Sri Krsna, and a second meaning is that Sri Guru is Krsna. There are two features of Krsna - visaya Krsna and asraya Krsna. Visaya Krsna is Bhagavan and asraya Krsna is Gurudeva. It is sometimes mentioned in sastra that it is by the causeless mercy of Sri Gurudeva and sometimes it is mentioned that it is by the combined causeless mercy of Sri Gurudeva and visaya Bhagavan that we can get the bhakti-lata-bija.
When we do sadhana-bhajana we gradually advance in bhakti, and then we achieve bhavavastha, the stage of bhava-bhakti. The symptoms of bhavavastha are:

suddha-sattva-visesatma
prema-suryamsu-samya-bhak
rucibhis citta-masrnya-
krd asau bhava ucyate
["When devotional service is executed on the transcendental platform of pure goodness, it is like a sun-ray of love for Krsna. At such a time, devotional service causes the heart to be softened by various tastes, and one is then situated in bhava, transcendental emotion." (Caitanya-Caritamrta, Madhya 23.5)] In bhavavastha, samvit (the knowledge potency) and hladini (the pleasure potency) combine on the platform of sandini (the spiritual existence potency) On this stage, called the stage of pure goodness (suddha-sattva), the essence of sandini and hladini always resides in the hearts of the eternal associates of Sri Krsna. From there it will manifest in our hearts by the causeless mercy of Sri Gurudeva and Sri Krsna. Then we will know our svarupa (constitutional nature), but not before that. Before that we can only imagine a little bit. According to the jiva's svarupa, he will manifest his spiritual body. There are so many types of bhagavat parsada (associates of Bhagavan) in the spiritual planets, and we can get a body like them. We can somewhat understand this by the example of Bharata Maharaja. He was absorbed in thinking about his lost baby deer, so much so that in his next birth he became a deer. He did not become the same deer, but another deer. Similarly, by the causeless mercy of Gurudeva and Krsna, when we do sadhana-bhajana here in this world, we can gradually understand, at least intellectually, what we have heard from them. Even before entering the bhava stage, we will hear, in a general way, about the identity of our svarupa, and which bhava - dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya - to follow. Then, when bhavavastha awakens, that mood will manifest. Some associates are dasya, some are sakhya, some are vatsalya, and some are madhurya. When we do bhajana, we gradually come to a mature stage and we can achieve the mood of that eternal associate who is a personified ocean of the mood for which we aspire, either in Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Dvaraka, Mathura, Goloka, or Vrndavana.
This is one of the meanings of Srila Jiva Gosvami's statements. Jiva Gosvami also means to say that since the svarupa of the jiva, which is in an unmanifest or seed-like state in the jiva's conditioned life, has everything in it in seed form (as a seed of a tree has the whole tree in it). Therefore, the planet on which we live, Vaikuntha, Vrndavana, etc., is also there in the soul. In this way the parsada, the spiritual body of the jiva that is presently in a latent position can also be explained.
[Srila Narayana Maharaja explains further in Hindi, and then Sripad Madhava Maharaja resumes.]
[Sripad Madhava Maharaja:] Our constitutional body is transcendental, but now it is in an unmanifest form. By the causeless mercy of Sri Guru, our form will manifest in our heart - and then we can realize it. Some anubhava, realization, will come in the bhava stage; not before that. As explained in Srimad Bhagavatam, prayujya mane; it will manifest. In this world our material language cannot express the transcendental thoughts we want to explain; some fault is bound to be there. Those on the transcendental platform can understand very clearly, but due to our absorption in the material world we cannot understand. When we develop in sadhana-bhajana we can understand and realize everything. Suddha-sattva will manifest in our heart, and we will understand that transcendental form which is now in a latent position, because we will have attained our siddha-svarupa. That is called prayujya mane. So we must perform sadhana and pray; and when God is pleased with us, then we will understand.
We can understand something by hearing the example of Mother Yasoda:

sva-matuh svinna-gatraya
visrasta-kabara-srajah
drstva parisramam krsnah
krpayasit sva-bandhane
["Because of mother Yasoda's hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Krsna saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound."(Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.9.18)] Mother Yasoda was trying to bind Krsna, and when Krsna saw her endeavor and hard labor, His heart melted. Similarly, we have to do sadhana-bhajana under the guidance of Guru and Vaisnavas. When they see that we want only this and nothing else, asa hi dasye vrsabhanujaya, they will bestow their causeless mercy upon us.

To order Srila Maharaja's lectures on MP3 CD please visit http://www.sbnmcd.org Editorial advisors: Pujyapada Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa
Transcriber: Basanti dasi
Typist: Anita dasi
Editor: Syamarani dasi
HTML: Bhuta-bhavana dasa

Glorification of Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja

by Sripad Madhava Maharaja

bv_madhava_mj.jpg - 6055 Bytes Sripad Madhava Maharaja is the diksa-disciple of Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja, the present acarya of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. By his order, Sripad Madhava Maharaja has been performing the function of personal servant to Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja for the last 21 years. He continues to serve Srila Maharaja as he would his diksa-guru. At the present time it is very, very rare to see a disciple serve his guru as his heart and soul, and therefore Sripad Madhava Maharaja will be a light-post for all guru-sevakas in the future.
Madhava-priya Brahmacari




om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur-unmilitam yena tasmai sri-guruve namah
vancha-kalpatarubyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah
A dark age came to the Gaudiya Matha after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. This is common occurrence. When an influential acarya disappears from this world, those followers who are not qualified are bound to quarrel with each other. It happened in this case also, and therefore, being harassed by others, many qualified disciples of Srila Prabhupada could not stay at his Matha. Under the guidance of our param-gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, many disciples of Srila Prabhupada left the Caitanya Matha. Among them were: Narahari prabhu, whom Prabhupada addressed as 'the mother of the Gaudiya Matha,' Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja, and Pujyapada Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja.
The Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti was thus established by Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja in 1941. Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja joined in 1946, and he received first and second initiation from param-gurudeva on Gaura Purnima in 1947.

When Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja joined, his Gurudeva engaged him in the service of prapujya-carana Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja. In Chinchurah our Matha is situated very near the Ganges. When Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja would go to the Ganges to take bath, Srila Narayana Maharaja would go with him, carrying his fresh, dry cloth. Then, after Srila Puri Gosvami Maharaja's bath was completed, Srila Narayana Maharaja would give him his fresh cloth, wash his worn cloth, and carry it back to the Matha.

This relationship is similar to what we have heard about ancient times, when Narada Rsi was a small boy serving the four Kumaras. Narada Rsi would go with them when they took bath in the river, carrying their dry cloth, and then after their bath he would wash their worn cloth and carry them back to the Kumaras' ashram. Also, we have seen that when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in South India, He resided at the home of Venkata Bhatta, Tirumalaya Bhatta, and Prabodhananda Sarasvati. Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, the son of Venkata Bhatta, was at that time only a small boy. He used to carry Mahaprabhu's dry cloth and, washing His worn cloth, he would carry it back for Him. Similarly, Srila Narayana Maharaja used to do the same thing for Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja everyday.

When Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja joined the Matha, he brought with him one lota from his purvasrama, the village in which he previously lived. One day, when prapujya-carana Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja and Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja went to take bath in the Ganges, a high-tide came suddenly and took Srila Narayana Maharaja's lota. Why did she take it? The Ganges is very dear to Sri Krsna, and she therefore thought, "He has come to do bhajana under the guidance of his Gurudeva. Why should he keep any attachment from his previous village?" She thus mercifully took the lota away.

When we went to meet with Prapujya-carana Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja in Jagannatha Puri and another time in Mayupura, Srila Puri Gosvami Maharaja asked Srila Maharaja, "Do you remember your lota? Once when you went to take bath with me, your lota was taken away by Ganges." Srila Maharaja began to smile and said, "Yes, yes." And he shared so many remembrances of how he used to serve him.

Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja then told him, "I am very happy. From the beginning I have seen your service mood and how surrendered you are to your Gurudeva. Whenever you write a book, please present it to me."

From that time on, whenever Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja would publish any book, either in Hindi or English, he would always present it to Srila Puri Maharaja. Srila Maharaja would sometimes take it to him himself, and sometimes he would send it with other devotees.

When Srila Narayana Maharaja began preaching in the Western countries, Pujyapada Puri Gosvami Maharaja would send letters to him, and Srila Narayana Maharaja kept correspondence with him. Srila Narayana Maharaja also kept correspondence with Prapujya-carana Bhakti Kumud Santa Gosvami Maharaja, with my Guru Maharaja, that is, Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja, and also with Parama pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja. Srila Maharaja would write to them and they in turn used to reply to him. Especially, Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja and Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Gosvami Maharaja are Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja's guru-varga, and they would always send him blessings saying, "Your Gurudeva will give you more and more blessings, and Srila Prabhupada will bless you that you can preach without any impediment in the Western countries."

Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja said in one of his classes, "Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja is a pure devotee. Wherever my disciples or other devotees are in Western countries, if they want to advance in Krsna consciousness, they must listen to Srila Narayana Maharaja's classes." He also ordered many of his disciples to hear from him.

Nowadays Srila Narayana Maharaja is preaching very strongly all over the world by the causeless mercy of Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja, and especially by the mercy of Srila Narayana Maharaja's own guru, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. He also has the special mercy of my guru Maharaja, and also Prapujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja. Also, it is by the mercy of the guru-parampara, and especially by the causeless mercy of his siksa-guru, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja, that he is preaching so strongly throughout the world.

Before Pujyapada Puri Maharaja left this world, he would always bless Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja by his letters and through other Vaisnavas. Unless one receives the mercy of his guru-varga he cannot preach. When his guru-varga is happy, then Mahaprabhu is also bound to be happy, and then they will bestow all of their mercy enabling one to preach and advance in Krsna consciousness. Sripad Madhava priya prabhu will also say some words in this regard.

[Sripad Madhavpriya brahmacari is a diksa disciple of Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja and is presently serving in Srila Narayana Maharaja's Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha:] I have been associating for some time with Srila Narayana Maharaja. When I had first asked my Guru Maharaja if I may take the association of Srila Narayana Maharaja he said, "Yes. Why not? You can go to each and every Gaudiya Matha. Wherever you like, you can associate with higher Vaisnavas in our guru-parampara, in the line of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And what to say about Sri Narayana Maharaja; he is a pure Vaisnava and sincere guru and Vaisnava sevaka.

My Guru Maharaja stressed on the point that the important thing is to be in association with some high-class devotee. He used to say that if we are not in such association, we cannot advance. Therefore, wherever we can get that association, wherever we are getting good instruction, we should go that place, wherever it is. My Gurudeva was very clear on this point. I have also heard this from him so many times.

[Sripad Madhava Maharaja:] Whenever I would go with Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja to Jagannatha Puri and Mayapura to see Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja, he would always put much emphasis on sadhu-sanga. He would say, "Wherever you can get good association, please go there and take advantage of sadhu-sanga."
Hare Krsna.

An Offering to Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja

An Offering to Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja

by B.V. Madhava Maharaja



Sripad Madhava Maharaja walking with
Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja

[Srila Narayana Maharaja went to Navadvipa on November 15 and returned two days later. Then, amidst many tears shed throughout the Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha in Govardhana, and along with 1000 international parikrama pilgrims and other guests, he observed the disappearance ceremony of Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja. During the ceremony he called on several disciples of Srila Vamana Maharaja, to glorify him.

Called upon by Srila Narayana Maharaja, Sripad Madhava Maharaja wept intermittently as he spoke. The reader may not be familiar with all the honorific titles used by him, so here is some help: “Paramararadhya gurupadapadma” means “my supremely worshipful diksa Gurudeva" or "my supremely worshipful siksa Gurudeva", or both. When he uses the word “Srila Gurudeva” he refers to his siksa-guru, Srila Narayana Maharaja, and when he uses the word Guru Maharaja he refers to his diksa-guru, Srila Vamana Maharaja. Because of the importance of the occasions (Srila Vamana Maharaja’s disappearance day on Nov. 15, 2004, and also the anniversary of his appearance day on Jan. 5, 2005) we are submitting Sripad Madhava Maharaja’s speech separately, in this document. The following is a transcription of his offering:]

First of all I pay my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my guru-padapadma, om visnupada parivrajakacarya astottara-sata Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja and om visnupada parivrajakacarya Srila Bhaktivedanta Srila Narayana Maharaja. I offer my dandavat pranama to all sannyasis and all Vaisnavas and Vaisnavis who have assembled here, to hear some hari-katha.

As you know, two days ago, on the tritiya-tithi [the third day of the waxing or waning moon] the President-Acarya of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, our paramaradhya-gurupadapadma, Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja has entered into nitya-lila. This was one day before the anniversary of the disappearance day of our param-gurudeva, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja.

Vrajendra-nandana Syamsundara performes many pastimes during Kartika month, and we have also seen that many of our acaryas have entered nitya-lila during this month. My elder god-brother Sripad Parivrajaka Maharaja has just offered his puspanjali (offering of heartfelt glorification). Srila Gurudeva has now ordered me to translate something of his offering, and also to offer my own puspanjali unto my Guru Maharaja’s lotus feet.

From his childhood, Guru Maharaja was a sruti-dhara, which means that whatever he heard once, he never forgot.

He joined the Gaudiya Matha in 1931, during the time of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. His mother was a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura and his father was a disciple of our Paramgurudeva, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada gave my Gurupadapadma harinama initiation, and after his departure he received second initiation from our Paramgurudeva.

Guru Maharaja used to say, “What is happening, please watch, and what is being spoken please listen – and don’t be very concerned to give your opinion about, or be involved with, the things that are happpening in this world. If you want to enter the realm of bhajana, don’t try to show off to others how learned and expert you are. Try to hear from your guru-varga (disciplic succession) and senior Vaisnavas. If you wish to show that you are a very learned scholar and very expert, you will be cheated by those superiors. So be very careful.”

Whenever someone joined the Matha, Guru Maharaja would send him to Srila Gurudeva for training in bhakti. When I was first sent by him to Srila Gurudeva in Mathura I could not accept the climate; it was too hot. After a few months Guru Maharaja came there and I requested him, praying to his lotus feet, “Please take me with you to Navadvipa.”

Guru Maharaja told me, “Listen carefully. If you are with me, you will be able to serve me in so many respects. But then my god-brothers will criticize me. They will say, ‘Srila Vamana Maharaja came and kidnapped Srila Narayana Maharaja’s servant.’ Would this be a fair thing for me to do?” I said, “But this climate is not good for me.” Guru Maharaja gave so many arguments and I tried to defeat his arguments.

Then he asked me, “What is the duty and responsibility of a disciple?” I replied, “To please one’s guru in every respect.” Guru Maharaja replied, “Then your whole life must be given for the service of Srila Narayana Maharaja. Don’t see any difference between me and him. In that way you can do your bhajana and progress in Krsna Consciousness very easily. From now on, don’t complain to me about any Vaisnava, and don’t tell me that the climate in Mathura is not suitable.” From that day on I never asked Guru Maharaja to take me from here.

Whenever there was a serious matter to be considered, he would say, “I do not know anything. Please go to Srila Narayana Maharaja.”

When Gurudeva was preaching in Western countries, ISKCON arranged a procession in Mayapura to celebrate the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada. My Guru Maharaja was in Navadvipa at that time, and some of the Vaisnavas were ready to go to Mayapura to join ISKCON’s procession. When this news came to Guru Maharaja he asked the Vaisnavas there, “Where are you going? They replied, “We are going to Mayapura to join the ISKCON procession for the appearance day of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.”

Guru Maharaja said, “No one can go from our Matha. Whoever will go from here, will go forever. There is no need to come back here.”

All became surprised, thinking, “He has never been so strict before.” They asked him, “Why did you say this? Guru Maharaja replied, “On one hand they say they respect us, but on the other hand they insult us in so many ways.”

One sannyasi asked, “How have they insulted you?” Guru Maharaja replied, “Our Vice-president-Secretary is preaching in western countries. They are trying to create chaos for him and they are criticizing him. I consider that they are not criticizing him, but directly criticizing me and my Guru Maharaja. So how can I allow any one of you to go and join their procession? No one may go. If you go, you will go forever.” If anyone criticized Srila Gurudeva or Srila Trivikrama Maharaja he would not tolerate it. He always respected Vaisnavas.

My Guru-Maharaja had so much nistha for his own Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, that we cannot even understand its extent. He served his Gurudeva as his life and soul. When chaos came in the Gaudiya Matha after the disappearance of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, many of his disciples were sent to jail on a false criminal charge of murder. Guru Maharaja was alone at the matha at that time, serving all the Vaisnavas, attending court, going to see the lawyers, marketing, cooking and cleaning utensils. At that time there was no gas, so he had to cook with wood. He did all these services alone.

Once there was a festival at the matha. Guru Maharaja was very sick, with a fever of 104. While he was lying on his bed, Paramgurudeva asked, “Where is Sajjana-sevaka? Why is he not cooking or performing any services?” Someone told him he had a high fever. He replied, “High fever? All the Vaisnavas have come. This is no time for him to have a high fever.” Parama-gurudeva entered to Guru Maharaja’s room and told him, “Sajjana-sevaka, get up. Go and cook; don’t delay.” If this had happened to us, we would have lost our faith and left the matha.

Relating to this incident, Guru Maharaja told me, “When my Gurudeva ordered me, I got out of bed and cooked and offered prasadam to all the Vaisnavas present. I was not aware that I had a fever. Then, after that I became very tired, returned to my bed, and again experienced a high fever.” How much power there is in a liberated soul’s speech!

Whatever order Paramgurudeva gave him, he carried that order on his head as his life and soul. Guru Maharaja was his scribe. Whatever Paramgurudeva would dictate, he would write at once. In Paramagurudeva’s dictation there was no defect, and in my Guru Maharaja’s writing there was no defect. We have heard this from Srila Gurudeva’s lotus lips.

Before Srila Gurudeva traveled to the Gaudiya Matha in 1946, to join, he did not inform Paramagurudeva. He was coming to surrender unto his Gurudeva’s lotus feet. When Gurudeva was on his way to Navadvipa by train, Paramgurudeva sent Guru Maharaja to the train station to search for him. Gurudeva had a big moustache at that time because he was a police officer. Seeing Gurudeva when he reached the station, Guru Maharaja approached him and asked, “Are you Tiwariji?” Gurudeva said, “How did you know?” Guru Maharaja said, “Srila Gurudeva sent me to pick you up at the railway station and to bring you to our matha in Navadvipa-dhama.” He and Guru Maharaja had never seen each other before; how much internal connection they had!

I have heard from Srila Gurudeva’s lotus lips that when he joined the Gaudiya Matha, my Guru Maharaja used to nourish him and others like a mother. Guru Maharaja would give Gurudeva cloth and all other necessities.

Srila Gurudeva, Srila Guru Maharaja and Srila Trivikrama Maharaja had such a close relationship. We have heard this from Srila Gurudeva so many times, and we have seen how Srila Gurudeva and Srila Trivikrama Maharaja had loving quarrels. Anyone who has had the fortune to associate and hear from Srila Trivikrama Maharaja can understand their loving relation. [see Endnote]

I have heard from Srila Gurudeva that Srila Guru Maharaja never praised himself. Never. He would accomplish so much, but he would never say, “I did this.”

Our head office was in Chinchura and there, Guru Maharaja was working at a machine in the printing press. Once his thumb got crushed under the machine, and he wept bitterly from the pain. Paramgurudeva was a very grave personality, and at the same time he had so much affection for his disciples. Seeing the pain of my Guru Maharaja, he also wept bitterly, and he took him personally to Calcutta for treatment. Another time my Guru Maharaja was affected by disease, and Paramgurudeva sent him to the Himalayas for recovery.

Once, Paramgurudeva gave Guru Maharaja two pairs of shoes. Guru Maharaja asked, “Why did you bring two pairs of shoes for me? You are my Gurudeva, and yet you are bringing two pairs of shoes for me?

Paramgurudeva replied, “You are young now. When you will be the father of many children, then you will understand how much love there is in a father’s and mother’s heart. Relating this pastime to us, Guru Maharaja told us, “At first I became very disturbed and thought, ‘I have been with Gurudeva for so many years, and I will have to go back to material life?’ Later I realized what my Gurudeva wanted to say to me – that so many disciples will come to me and I will realize how much love a guru has for his disciple.”

Our Gurupadapadma has now joined Lord Gauranga’s pastimes and Lord Krsna’s pastimes simultaneously – and from there he will bless us that we can enter Krsna Consciousness. He ordered me, “Never see a difference between myself and Srila Narayana Maharaja, and serve Srila Narayana Maharaja for your entire life.” So please bless me that I can serve Srila Gurudeva eternally.

Now we shall listen from Srila Gurudeva’s lotus lips and from other Vaisnavas.

[Endnote: These three were the first sannyasi initiates of Srila Bhakti-prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and they took sannyasa initiation together. They were often described as the three pillars of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti.]

Editorial advisors: Sripad Madhava Maharaja and Sripad Brajanatha dasa
Editor: Syamarani dasi
Transcriber: Vasanti dasi
Typist: Anita dasi
HTML: Bhutabhavana dasa
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