A great tragedy

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar MaharajMAHAPRABHU’S SANNYAS – A great tragedy

We must return back to Godhead, back to home. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, “Your home is a beautiful land. You must try for that. Why are you always troubled with the horrors of war, epidemic, earthquake, undesirable disease, stealing, dacoiting, and fighting with so many neighbors? At the bottom of all this is the fact that you have identified yourself with this material world and this body of flesh and blood. You have to retrace your path and go back to your home.” That is what is necessary. Our homeland is such a lovely and beautiful and divine place. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa is all for us, and it is for the purpose of taking us back home, where we can have home comforts, home sweetness. If we have any home-consciousness within, then we must appreciate such a proposal: home sweet home.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa is apparently very cruel to His devotees, and to His family members, but it was meant only to take us to our home. To work out the ecstasy of union, it was necessary for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to show separation from His devotees and relatives. Separation and union are mutually helpful. Mahaprabhu’s sannyasa, His renunciation, is a great tragedy of separation.

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami

This place Imilitala is the place of origin of Gaura-tattva

tintidi-talastha-yamunormi-bhavanaplutam
nirjanaika-radhikatma-bhava-vaibhavavritam
syama-radhikapta-gaura-tattva-bhittikakaram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram

(Srila B.R.Sridhar Dev Goswami)

At the place known as Imilitala, on the bank of the Yamuna river, Sri Gaurasundara sat beneath the ancient tamarind tree growing there since the previous age. He sat beneath the tree’s branches and, seeing the dancing waves of the river, the memory of jala-keli was aroused withing him. He became immersed in thoughts of those confidential sporting pastimes of Lord Krishna in the water with the Gopis. Undisturbed, in that secluded place, his whole being was pervaded with thoughts of Radhika, her beauty and her sweetness.

This place Imilitala is the place of origin of Gaura-tattva, for it was here that Syamasundar Krishna became totally radiant in the halo and the heartfelt mood of Sri Radha. Mahaprabhu Sri Chaitanyadev eternally dwells in this place, his thoughts captured by the inconceivable sweetness of Sri Radha’s feelings of devotion. I fall at the feet of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the golden volcano of divine love.

Light from Light

Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar MaharajKrishna consciousness is the cause of Krishna consciousness! And we have to get help from the sadhus who have got Krishna) consciousness within them. Just as, from one candle another candle may be lit. A candle cannot produce light from within, but it is to be lit from another candle – it is something like that. We are to awaken our buried Krishna consciousness, which is covered by ‘anyabhilasa-karmma-jnana’; so, that light, that association, will come to help the sleeping Krishna consciousness within us, and our consciousness will arise from it’s sleep and show itself, as it is. So, the method is that: to take sadhu-sanga – krsna-bhakti janma-mula, haya sadhu-sanga – association with the sadhu, devotee of Krishna, is the root-cause of Krishna consciousness.

At the same time, it is told that Krishna consciousness is ahaituki, causeless. How are we to harmonise these truths? – Krishna-bhakti, faith in Krishna, or devotion to Krishna, we can get from the sadhu; at the same time it is told that it is ’causeless’.

In this connection, Visvanath Cakravarti Thakur has explained the meaning of ahaituki in this verse from Srimad Bhagavatam:

sa vai pumsam paro dharmo
yatho bhaktir adhoksaje
ahaituky apratihata
yayatma suprasidati

(SB 1:2:6)

[“The supreme occupation (dharma) for all humanity is that by which man can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be causeless and uninterrupted, to completely satisfy the self.”]

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Caturmasya’s real importance

Devotee: Maharaja token austerity for caturmasya, yoghurt fast, spinach fast, milk fast, dhal fast. So I am noticing this month…

Sridhara Maharaja: That is of less importance. The real importance should be given to self-giving. These are so many methods to promote that self-giving, atma-nivedanam. That is the real thing. The real capital and all these, they are devised only to help atma-nivedanam. Samarpanam, Prahlada Maharaja says in his advice. So many advices are given in so many places by so many scriptures. But the very gist of them is samarpanam, give yourself. Only to effect that all these advices have been devised, different ways, suiting to different environment. But the very substance for everything samarpanam. Just as the ghee is poured into the fire so put yourself into the fire Krsna and gradually give yourself into the hands of the sadhu, Mahaprabhu, Gauranga. Only doing some penances this or that, they are less important thing.

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The Embodiment of Tranquility

Parivrājakāchārya Tridaṇḍi Swāmī Śrīpād Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Goswami Mahārāj

Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj glorifies Śrīmad Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj.

Excerpted and translated from a Bengali article
originally published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśan,
Volume 1, Issue 10, Thursday, 10 May 1956

Amongst the renunciants who received Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur’s mercy directly, Śrīpād Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj was the last sannyāsī.

Although discussion of a renunciant’s previous history is generally forbidden, in special cases discussing their holy life benefits the world; such discussion is always appropriate for this noble purpose. We also desire to purify ourselves by briefly discussing the most holy life of Śrīpād Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj. We have faith that the readers of Śrī Gauḍīya Darśan will also be greatly benefited by this.

Almost forty-eight years ago, Gauḍīya Āchārya Śrīmad Bhakti Vichār Jājāvar Mahārāj appeared on the second tithi of the waxing fortnight in the month of Vaiśākh (the day before Akṣaya Tṛtīya) in the pious home of the virtuous brāhmaṇ Śrīyukta Padmalochan Śarmā Mahoday in the town of Durmuth within Kā̐thi Mahakumār in the district of Medinīpur. His name, given by his father, was Śrī Sarveśvar Śarmā. His father Śrī Padmalochan Śarmā was indifferent to worldly matters and enthusiastic about discussion of scripture. He would often strongly encourage his son and other family members to engage in meditation on higher truths and thought of the self. Personally he engaged in the Lord’s service at almost every moment. Śrī Sarveśvar’s mother was naturally simple, pious, and dedicated to pure devotion. She later, following her sādhu son, accepted initiation into the line of Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur.

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Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings.

By distributing Mahaprabhu’s message we are not going out to do anything bad but according to our conception we are trying to do the holiest thing. Our purpose is of the holiest type ever possible to conceive, so we must go forward with this program to do good for others, the best for others, and at the same time to get it for ourselves. There can be no engagement more holy than this in the world. It is the holiest engagement and has the blessings of the Lords Nityananda and Sri Gauranga. It is duty to Them. It is Their department. Preaching is the special department of Sri Guaranga and Nityananda Prabhu. Nabadwip Dham is the place of Their blessings. Our prayer to Them is that, absolving us of all offences, They may utilize us. Here in Koladwip, Nabadwip, at the place of forgiveness of all offences, aparadha-bhanjan-pat, we are praying that They may forgive us for all our previous offences and engage us in Their service to spread Krishna consciousness together with Gauranga consciousness.

DIVINE WORDS of Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaja

Dive deep into God-consciousness

It is the key to the highest success of life and it will take you to your Home. And that Home is so sweet! It is not a foreign land; not that you will take so much risk only to go to some unknown place, where you may be dealt with in any way. There will be no such apprehension, no such doubt or suspicion. But as much as you will be able to make progress on that side, you will find such sweetness, such home-like comfort and confidence.

07-08-2021 Adhivas Smaranam Mahautsava

Audio Record

Harikhatha of Srila Bhakti Prapanna Tirtha Goswami Maharaj

Topics:
– Adhivas Smaranam Mahautsava Tithi of Disappearance day of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.
and more..

07-08-2021

India, Nabadwip, Kulia Gram, SREE CAITANYA SRIDHAR SEVA ASHRAM.

English / Russian

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Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23-24

Srila Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj’s explanation of Srimad Bhagavatam sloka

śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ,
smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ,
sakhyam ātma-nivedanam.
iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau,
bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā
kriyeta bhagavaty addhā
tan manye ‘dhītam uttamam

“Hearing about Kṛṣṇa, chanting Kṛṣṇa’s glories, remembering Kṛṣṇa, serving Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, worshipping Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental form, offering prayers to Kṛṣṇa, becoming Kṛṣṇa’s servant, considering Kṛṣṇa as one’s best friend, and surrendering everything to Kṛṣṇa – these nine processes are accepted as pure devotional service.” (S-B, 7.5.23-24)

“Hearing, speaking about, and remembering Kṛṣṇa, serving His lotus feet, worshipping His Deity form, praying, becoming His servant, cultivating His friendship, and surrendering to Him utterly are the nine processes of devotion. One who cultivates these nine processes of devotion, offering himself completely to Kṛṣṇa, can easily attain the ultimate goal of life.”

What are the forms of sādhana? What are the means to attain kṛṣṇa-bhakti? How can we revive our innate love for Kṛṣṇa? We are told to hear about Him, to talk about Him, to meditate upon Him, to praise Him, and so on. But in his commentary on this verse, Śrīdhara Swāmī has explained that we should not anticipate what benefit we shall derive from śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ, hearing or talking or thinking about Kṛṣṇa. Rather we should pray: “May whatever service I do go to my Lord. I am not the enjoying party – He is the sole proprietor.”

All these functions (śravaṇaṁ, kīrtanaṁ etc.) will be considered devotion only if one condition is fulfilled; otherwise, they may be karma, jñāna, yoga, or anything else. They may even be vikarma, polluted misdeeds. One condition must be there to ensure that all these different forms of devotional activity are actually bhakti: We are His property; we are not the owners of any wealth or property. We must think: “My Lord is the possessor and I am in His possession. Everything is His property.” (LSFTLS, p 14-5) + (see also śloka 13)

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Key to all my works

Mahaprabhu and Ramananda Raya.

My heart follows their conversation closely. This is my favorite phenomenon: the development of the theistic concept of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, the Bhagavata school, in a conversation between Ramananda Raya and Mahaprabhu. This development is fully represented in their discussion. Mahaprabhu asks questions, and Ramananda answers: in this way, step by step, we rise to the top. I follow their conversation with close attention, and this is the key to all my work.
The conversation begins with the measurement of varnasrama. We should closely watch how this phenomenon gradually, step by step, develops, strictly and sincerely follow it, and then we will be able to gain an idea of ​​everything: what is Gaudiya Vaishnavism, what is Bhagavatam, what is Krishna consciousness. All this is contained in this conversation, and any real student of this divine conversation can gain a true understanding, access to the secret core of Gaudiya Vaishnava theology. Of course, rupa-siksha and sanatana-siksha are important, but the whole system is in embryo, its essence, its quintessence, is exhaustively presented in this discourse [Ramananda-samvade].

Hare Krishna! This phenomenon always lives in my heart.

Divine Words of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami