Last Friday, on 12th August 1988 on amavasya-tithi at 5:48 am in the morning – the principal stalwart personality, dear associate and follower of Nitya-lila Pravista Prabhupada 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura who preached the pure devotional instructions of Sri Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu worldwide, namely Sri Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja, the principal acarya of Sri Caitanya Sarasvata Matha situated in Kolarganj at Sridhama Navadvipa, at the age of 93, entered into the eternal pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Govinda-sundara amidst a maha-sankirtana of intense separation performed by his own associates and devotees.
The news of his disappearance has been announced everywhere in India and outside of India in the western world via the medium of telephone, radio and newspaper. Hearing the news of the disappearance of Pujyapada Maharaja, the servants of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Matha were immersed in deep sorrow. He was the senior godbrother of the most worshippable founder-acarya of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Matha, Nitya-lila Pravista Tridandi Gosvami Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja. He was the very intimate friend of Pujyapada Madhava Maharaja. They preached the message of Prabhupada together in many places in India. Srila Prabhupada, with the help of his own associates such as Nitya-lilia Pravista Srimad Bhakti Saranga Gosvami Maharaja, Srimad Bhakti Hrdaya Vana Maharaja, Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja and Srimad Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja, established various mathas/temples as permanent preaching centres in various parts of India for spreading the message of Sri Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu.
Because of our extreme misfortune, one by one, all the supremely bright stars of the Sarasvata Gaudiya firmament are enacting the pastime of disappearing from this world and in this way they are immersing the Gaudiya sky in deep darkness. Alas! Slowly we are becoming bereft of own protectors and masters. Again, a deep darkness seems ready to eclipse the sun-like pure devotion. Sriman Mahaprabhu asked, “Of all miseries, which is the worst?” Answering this question through the speech of His own intimate associate Srila Ramananda, He said, Krsna bhakta viraha vina dukha nahi dekho para (“There is no sorrow greater than the sorrow caused by the separation from Krsna’s devotees”). It is true. Being separated from Krsna’s devotees causes endless grief and has no consolation! Apart from the devotees of the Lord who are an ocean of mercy and most compassionate to those suffering people whose very life is Krsna, who else can try to save the living entities that are bereft of Krsna by telling giving krsna-katha and helping them to find Krsna? Who else will try selflessly to drive away the darkness of ignorance in which a fallen living entity like myself, blinded by illusion and in a perilous condition of life is situated?
Bhakti is the supreme dharma of any living entity, but bhakti becomes contaminated if apa-siddhanta enters it, leading to a rise of adharma. To eradicate such degraded dharma and to re-establish proper dharma, Sri Bhagavan, with His own associates, appear in every age. Sometimes He also sends His devotees to preach proper dharma, and in this way reveals His mercy to the living entities. That is why the most merciful Sri Gaurahari has sent His own associates one by one, such as Sri Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura, and again, in contemporary times, He has sent His own associates such as Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja, Madhava Maharaja and other venerable personalities to perform the work of re-establishing proper dharma.
But alas! Today, with the passing of time, they have become unmanifest and we are completely without shelter! Oh Gaurasundara, please protect us! Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja has surely attained shelter at the holy feet of the most worshippable Prabhupada and is engaged in his eternal worship. We pray earnestly at his holy feet that, from there, he may cast his holy glance a little upon we who are fallen and lowly.
Pujyapada Sridhara Deva Gosvami Maharaja performed his appearance pastimes on Saturday 26th of the month of Asvina in the year 1895 in the village of Hapaniya, near the Patuli railway station on the Katwa line. The village of Hapaniya belongs to the sub-division of Kalna in the Burdwan district. He accepted Sriyukta Upendra-candra Bhattacarya Vidyaratna as his father and Srimati Gauridevi as his mother on that auspicious day of his appearance. Both of his parents were pious, religious and dedicated to the Supreme Lord. They named their jewel-like son Sri Ramendra-sundara Bhattacarya.
During his student life, when he was studying law, after passing B.A from Calcutta University, he joined the Non-cooperation Movement at the call of Mahatma Gandhi..
Srila B.P. Puri Maharaja
(Originally written in Bengali for Sri Caitanya Vani magazine in August 1988)
The Disappearance of Srila Sridhara Maharaja
