Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha Address (1)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's disappearance
Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha online programme, 3 January 2021, part 1
Translated from Bengali

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

‘The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill – all it takes is mercy from gurudev.’

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First of all, I am offering my full obeisance at the reddish soles of the lotus feet of my Divine Master, Om Vishnupad Jagad-Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, begging him for his causeless mercy and aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all acharya-varga, guru-varga, all my godbrothers, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees and all the devotees.

Today is the disappearance day of our Param Gurudev, Om Vishnupad Bhagavan Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad, and I am offering my obeisance at the holy lotus feet of this great soul, merely trying to offer some flower-offering. It is not possible to do this for such a fallen soul as myself, but by the mercy of the guru-varga and on the order of the guru-varga, I am merely trying to say a few words today.

Our Param Guru Maharaj, Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj composed Srila Saraswati Thakur’s pranam-mantra, where he wrote:

নিখিল-ভুবন-মায়া-ছিন্নবিচ্ছিন্নকর্ত্রী
বিবুধবহুল-মৃগ্যা-মুক্তি-মোহান্ত-দাত্রী ।
শিথিলিত-বিধি-রাগারাধ্য-রাধেশ-ধানী
বিলসতু হৃদি নিত্যং ভক্তিসিদ্ধান্ত-বাণী ॥

nikhila-bhuvana-maya-chhinnavichchhinna-kartri
vibudhabahula-mrgya-mukti-mohanta-datri
sithilita-vidhi-raga-radhya-radhesa-dhani
vilasatu hrdi nityam bhakti-siddhanta-vani

‘He slashed to shreds the illusion of the whole material universe, putting a stop to scholarly speculations and conceptions of liberation; he eased the strict rules and regulations, bestowing the conception of natural loving worship of the Divine Couple – may the devotional teachings of this Sri Bhaktisiddhanta play eternally in our hearts.’

(Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

Actually, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur declared a war. Why would sadhus fight? They do not fight in the common sense, but they fight against Maya, illusory environment. Declaring a war against Maya, Srila Prabhupad slashed illusion to shreds. Moreover,

স্থানে স্থানে কত মঠ, স্থাপিয়াছ নিষ্কপট,
প্রমসেবা শিখাইতে জীবে ।

sthane sthane kata matha, sthapiyachha niskapata,
prema-seva sikhaite jive

‘You have established temples in many places to teach souls sincere loving service to the Lord.’

(Acharya Vandana)

He established sixty-four temples and sincerely preached the current of devotion in this world. Not only that, he also relaxed some of the rigid rules and regulations (vidhi). Before, people used to follow many unnecessary or contradictory rules and regulations, but Srila Prabhupad relaxed the rigidness of those rules (sithilita-vidhi).

There is one more verse that was composed by our Param Guru Maharaj, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

গৌড়ে গাঙ্গতটে নবব্রজ-নবদ্বীপে তু মায়াপুরে
শ্রীচৈতন্যমঠ-প্রকাশকবরো জীবৈক-কল্যাণধীঃ ।
শ্রীসিদ্ধান্তসরস্বতীতি-বিদিতো গৌড়ীয়-গুর্ব্বন্বয়ে
ভাতো ভানুরিব প্রভাতগগনে রূপানুগৈঃ পূজিতঃ ॥

gaude ganga-tate nava-vraja-navadvipe tu mayapure
sri-chaitanya-matha-prakasaka-varo jivaika-kalyanadhih
sri-siddhanta-sarasvatiti-vidito gaudiya-gurvanvaye
bhato bhanuriva prabhato-gagane rupanugaih pujitah

‘To bestow benefit upon all souls, you benevolently established Sri Chaitanya Math in Mayapur that stands on the bank of the Ganges in the land of Gauda, on the newly discovered nine islands of Nabadwip, which is non-different from Sri Vraja. In the succession of Gaudiya teachers, you are renowned as Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. Arising like the radiant sun in the morning sky, you are worshippable to all followers of Srila Rupa Goswami.’

(Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj)

When Srila Prabhupad established Chaitanya Math in Mayapur, on the bank of the Ganges in Nabadwip, he took a vow to chant one billion Holy Name of the Lord (sata-koti Nama-yajna). At this time, Srimati Radharani (Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari, whom Srila Prabhupad installed in Mayapur) appeared to him and said, ‘You must preach. You are not alone. I am sending many great scholars (dig-pal acharyas) to you.’ Soon after that, all the great dig-pal Gaudiya acharyas came to help Srila Prabhupad. We have little time now, so I will not tell all their names.

As one of the worshippable sannyasis was saying before me, there were times when Srila Prabhupad was assaulted, but what did Srila Prabhupad do?

কুলিয়াতে পাষণ্ডীরা, অত্যাচার কৈল যা’রা,
তা সবার দোষ ক্ষমা করি’ ।
জগতে কৈলে ঘোষণা, ‘তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা’,
হন ‘কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ’ ॥

kuliyate pasandira, atyachara kaila ya’ra,
ta sabara dosa ksama kari’
jagate kaile ghosana, ‘taroriva sahisnuna’,
hana ‘kirtaniyah sada harih’

‘You [Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad] have forgiven the atheists from the Kulia village despite their atrocities and proclaimed to the whole world: one who is as tolerant as a tree can always chant the glories of the Lord.’

(Acharya Vandana)

The atheists living in Kulia village (Nabadwip) harassed Srila Prabhupad, but Srila Prabhupad forgave them and declared to the world: you must be as tolerant as a tree!

উঠরে উঠরে ভাই, আর ত সময় নাই,
‘কৃষ্ণ ভজ’ বলে উচ্চৈঃস্বরে ॥

uthare uthare bhai, ara ta samaya nai,
‘krsna bhaja’ bale uchchaihsvare

‘Gaudiya Vaishnavs call out loudly: Wake up! Wake up, brother! There is no time left! Worship Lord Krishna!’

(Acharya Vandana)

• ‘If you serve jiva souls, it will bring benefit to your soul.’

• ‘Satisfying the whims of your mind and pretending to practise Krishna consciousness is not what Krishna consciousness is. Krishna consciousness means following your guru and Vaishnavs cent-per-cent and serving your guru and Vaishnavs, satisfying their minds.’

Srila Prabhupad brought these messages to this world.

Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj also wrote that when Srila Prabhupad left on this day (1 January 1937), the sky plunged into darkness, reminiscent of Srila Haridas Thakur’s disappearance, when ‘without Haridas this world became void’ (Haridasa bina sunya haila medini). The world lost such a great personality on that day that the entire world had become void, covered in darkness…

— : • : —

{ 2001  |   2002  |   2003  |   2005  |   2009  |   2010  |   2011  |   2012 }
{ 2013  |   2014  |   2015  |   2016  |   2017  |   2018  |   2019  |   2020  |   2021 }

CLICK TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURE

Size: 4 Mb
Length: 8 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha Address (1)
1) Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha Address (2)