(7/7) History of
Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (2)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Masulipatnam, Andhra Pradesh
6 January 2019, part 2

Gurudev (Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj) always went to Kolkata for preaching, and at that time he stayed at the house of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad at Ultadanga Road. Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj and our Gurudev, Gaurendu Brahmachari, both lived in that house.

Our Gurudev told me directly, "When we lived at Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad's house and I saw Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad and Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj always conversed with each other, they laughed and talked inside a room. I could not understand what they were talking about, but it seemed like Srimati Radharani was talking with Lalita and Visakha."

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad sometimes received invitations from some householder devotees. Srila Sridhar Maharaj never went there, but Srila Swami Maharaj and our Gurudev always went preaching house to house. Gurudev said, "At that time I saw how much vaishnavata, how much humility and giving honour to others Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad had, and I learned from him!" Gurudev was a brahmachari at that time, a very young boy, perhaps twenty years old, and Srila Swami Maharaj would take him to those programmes and tell him to sit at the vyasa-asan—he would say, "Because you are a brahmachari, you are wearing saffron clothes, you sit at the vyasa-asan, I will not sit there. You can read Srimad Bhagavad-gita, and I will explain it."

One day, Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj told Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, "Why are you staying here? You know such a high conception, you know so much about it, you are capable of preaching so much—it will be good if you take sannyas." Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad replied, "Yes, if you can give me sannyas, then I can leave my house." Srila Sridhar Maharaj said, "How can I? I sleep with you on the same bed, you are my godbrother—how will you respect me as your sannyas guru? It is impossible. And your wife will hold me responsible for it—she will say, 'Sridhar Maharaj comes, stays here, I cook for him, and he takes my husband!'" Despite that, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad insisted that he would take sannyas from Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj finally told him, "I cannot give you sannyas, but I have given the sannyas mantra to Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Goswami Maharaj (the founder-acharya of Devananda Gaudiya Math). You can take the mantra from him, it will be the same." And Srila Sridhar Maharaj selected his name—Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj. After that, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad took sannyas from Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Goswami Maharaj.

Then, Srila Sridhar Maharaj gave Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad so much inspiration to go abroad, and, when he did so, Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj called him a saktya-vesa avatar of Sriman Nityananda Prabhu.

You can all see the photo of ISKCON's Chandra-daya Mandir's inauguration. When ISKCON started in 1973—when Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad started the first temple of ISKCON in Mayapur—he invited Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj to the inauguration. Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj took my Gurudev (he wore white clothes at that time) and Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj to the Deity installation at the ISKCON. When they arrived, Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj was surprised—he asked Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, "Oh, Maharaj, you have invited us at the opening of your ISKCON center, the Chandra-daya Mandir, but where is the yajna and other ceremonies?" Srila Swami Maharaj replied, "Maharaj, these are external things. You have come to the inauguration of my first temple of ISKCON, and that is sufficient for me—you have come, then my temple has already opened." That day, Srila Swami Maharaj asked Srila Sridhar Maharaj to speak, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj said, "No, my disciple Srila Govinda Maharaj will give a lecture on my behalf." During his lecture, Gurudev spoke one sloka meaning, "Who could say and whom shall I tell that Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad is going all over the world preaching and thousands of thousands, millions or millions of fallen souls are coming and taking to Krishna consciousness? Whom shall I tell that?" Hearing this, everybody clapped their hands—everybody was very happy. In the end, Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupad said about Gurudev, "He is my real son."

I am a very fortunate soul. I am very fortunate to have got such a guru as Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who was selected by Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who selected by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad. I am very fortunate that I could take his shelter, and I am very fortunate he accepted and is still accepting my service.

Jay Srila Guru Maharaj ki jay.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Loud and Loving Call
2) Transcending Bodily Existence
3) Why Do We Suffer?
4) Srimad Bhagavad-Gita's Message
5) Fulfil Your Quest
6) History of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (1)
7) History of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (2)