In honour of Srila Srivas Pandit:

Srivas Pandit's Devotion
"Srivas Pandit: 'You can get a son, a daughter, a father, a mother in every birth, but you will not get the Lord in every birth Lord. This life is very important, you can get the Lord in this life, then why should I misuse it? Why should I not use this opportunity?'"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.7 Mb, 5 min | 19 July 2013)

Why Can We Not Get It?
"At Srivas Pandit's house there was a maidservant Duhkhi—she got Mahaprabhu's mercy. There was a Muslim tailor near Srivas Pandit's house—he too got Mahaprabhu's mercy. A great sinner Chand Kazi broke a mridanga, but even he got Mahaprabhu's mercy. Why can we not get it?"
• Download / listen to the audio (1.2 Mb, 4 min | 20 May 2017 | Bengali)

Prayers to Sri Vaishnav Thakur:

• SONG: Ei-bara karuna kara | এইবার করুণা কর
"O worshippable Vaisnava, be merciful to me this time. O saviour of the fallen, without you there is no one. In every birth I aspire for the dust of your feet."

• SONG: Ohe Vaisnava Thakura | (ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর
"O worshippable Vaishnav, ocean of grace, be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp your feet. You can give Krishna, you have that power. Calling, 'Krishna!' 'Krishna!', I run after you."

• SONG: Ki-rupe paiba seva | কিরূপে পাইব সেবা
"I am so wicked, how will I ever get service? I do not have any attachment to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs! Prabhu, you see no fault in others, you are the saviour of the fallen. Please deliver Narottam this time!"

• SONG: Dhana mora nityananda | ধন মোর নিত্যানন্দ
"The feet dust of the Vaishnavs is where I sport and take bath, Vaishnavs' name is the water oblation. My mind is intently fixed upon the remnants of Vaishnavs, and I am elated hearing the name of Vaishnavs."

All Glory to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

— · Invitation Letter · —

Disappearance Festival of Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa
Parivrajakacharya-varya Ashtottara-shata-sri
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Dear respected Devotees, Friends and Well-Wishers,

We are offering obeisance at your holy lotus feet and on behalf of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj humbly extend a letter of encouragement to observe the disappearance day of our most worshippable and beloved Om Vishnupad Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, which manifests on 24 April (Saturday) this year, in every branch of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math throughout the world.

Considering the ongoing difficult situation all over the world, many temples, centres, and devotees are currently constrained in their capacity to host large programmes, however it is good if this festival can still be observed within each temple, centre and heart of devotees according to their capacity.

His Divine Grace has many times instructed on how to hold special programmes and taught it many times by his own example. Usually such programmes consist of: kirtans, lecture or reading of scriptures, arati, pushpanjali (offering of flowers to a photograph), and prasad-seva (cooking a special offering, offering it at the altar or to a photograph, and distributing it to devotees).

We hope all devotees find an opportunity to observe this holy day for the satisfaction of Sri Gurupadpadma keeping the divine Guidance on their heads: "Always sit amidst fire blazing on all four sides. This fire is Hari-katha, kirtan, service to the Lord, and service to the guru. You must progress in your practising life keeping the sacrificial fire of your service ablaze."

In honour of Sri Ramanuja Acharya:

• Service: Faith and Surrender
"Gurudev told the story of Dhanur Das and his wife, Ramanuja Acharya's disciples, and how they maintained their family life..."

• How to See the Guru: Chastity
"Ramanuja Acharya heard there was a Guru in Alwar (South India). He came to that Guru and asked, 'You know one mantra that can give liberation. I want to get this mantra...'"

• Odds and Ends: Ramanuja Acharya's bed
"One time Ramanuja Acharya he went to Tirupati and stayed one month at one ashram there. He had a good servitor called Govinda who always served him..."

In honour of Sripad Bhakti Hriday Bon Maharaj:

Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj remembers:

When I got sannyas, Sripad Bon Maharaj was present there, as well as many others also. Sripad Bon Maharaj remarked, "Prabhupad has got a high satisfaction by giving you sannyas. We have never seen so much satisfaction in him at the occasion of any other sannyasi. He is highly satisfied with conferring sannyas to you."

...At that time, all the preachers had been taken back from the compass of the country and were concentrated to work in Kolkata—they used to have to go door to door collecting bhiksa (alms, donations). Sripad Bon Maharaj's party, he and one or two brahmacharis, went to some part of Kolkata for collection. Generally, seeing some gentleman standing by, one of the members of the party would run up to him and say something like, "We come from Gaudiya Math, we want to make some collection. Dear sir, you are a devoted person of this locality, please make some contribution." So, one time, Bon Maharaj asked some gentleman to give him some addresses of good benevolent gentlemen whom they could approach to get some money for their purpose. The gentleman showed Bon Maharaj the way saying, "Just go to that house, you will find the right person there." Bon Maharaj went there in good faith. When he knocked on the door, the door was open. A lady came out. Seeing him, she said, "Oh, you are a sadhu! What do you want from me?" The gentleman who had directed Bon Maharaj there, was laughing behind him—the lady was a prostitute. Bon Maharaj was perplexed—it was a lady. Anyhow, he still gave her the letter of invitation saying, "We have got such and such festival, we want you to come and we want to ask you for some contribution." I do not know if the lady had given him anything or not, but all the people around were laughing. After that, Bon Maharaj came back to Prabhupad and said, "Prabhupad, I will not go for any collection again." Prabhupad asked him, "Why? What has happened?" Bon Maharaj related the incident saying that some rogues had guided him to a prostitute's house. After that, Prabhupad delivered a lecture: "There are many of you who have left their own property, but still I send you out for collection. Do you think that I am doing wrong? I am not. The visayi (materialists) always want to entrap us within their material life, but we must learn to utilise everything and anything in the service of Krishna, then only are we saved; otherwise, if we leave, give everything away, all this visaya (material elements) will be left there and as soon as it gets any chance, it will come to bite me. So, whatever comes to us, we should deal with everything in such a way that rather, 'Whatever I shall come across, it will give me some impression to remember Krishna—everything should utilise me for a particular service to Krishna.' If left there, they will be enemies, but they should all be turned into friends. They will help me, remind me, excite me in the service of Krishna. We must have this kind of adjustment in this world. So, nothing should be left off. 'Nirbandhah Krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam uchyate: when one is not attached to anything, but at the same time accepts everything in relation to Krishna, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.'"

Prayers to Sri Vaishnav Thakur:

• SONG: Ei-bara karuna kara | এইবার করুণা কর
"O worshippable Vaisnava, be merciful to me this time. O saviour of the fallen, without you there is no one. In every birth I aspire for the dust of your feet."

• SONG: Ohe Vaisnava Thakura | (ওহে) বৈষ্ণব ঠাকুর
"O worshippable Vaishnav, ocean of grace, be merciful to this servant. Give me the shade of your feet and purify me. I clasp your feet. You can give Krishna, you have that power. Calling, 'Krishna!' 'Krishna!', I run after you."

• SONG: Ki-rupe paiba seva | কিরূপে পাইব সেবা
"I am so wicked, how will I ever get service? I do not have any attachment to Sri Guru and Vaishnavs! Prabhu, you see no fault in others, you are the saviour of the fallen. Please deliver Narottam this time!"

• SONG: Dhana mora nityananda | ধন মোর নিত্যানন্দ
"The feet dust of the Vaishnavs is where I sport and take bath, Vaishnavs' name is the water oblation. My mind is intently fixed upon the remnants of Vaishnavs, and I am elated hearing the name of Vaishnavs."

• SONG: Ye anila prema-dhana | যে আনিল প্রেমধন
"Where has Advaita Acharya gone? Where are my Svarup, Rupa, Sanatan? Where is my Raghunath? Where are the saviours of the fallen souls?"

In honour of Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj:

His Divine Grace Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

"When Kunja Babu [later, Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj] came to meet Srila Prabhupad, Srila Prabhupad could recognise that this young man would be able to help him a great deal. Our Guru Maharaj's nature was like that of a philosopher—he did not like to mix with the public, but Kunja Babu filled that side as he could mix with public and bring persons to Srila Prabhupad, enabling thus Srila Prabhupad to speak about the sastra. Srila Prabhupad wanted to speak about Mahaprabhu, but his temperament was such that he did not like to become involved with inviting people and taking responsibility for looking after them or their accommodation, feeding, etc. So, when Kunja Babu joined, he took up that responsibility. Srila Prabhupad got educated society ready to hear his speech about Mahaprabhu, and his style of speaking was a little philosophical, so he preferred educated society as his listeners. Kunja Babu did that service—he took the trouble of inviting, accommodating, and feeding the public. All these troublesome burdens were taken on by Kunja Babu.

"Gaudiya Mission had gradually grown from this combination—the material help of Kunja Babu and the spiritual work of Srila Prabhupad. They were the father and the mother of the mission, the cofounders of Gaudiya Math. The practical, material side of the service was done by Kunja Babu. Srila Prabhupad once said in Benares (I heard it directly from his mouth), "I only want a good audience, and Kunja Babu has done that service to me the best. Amongst all my disciples, Kunja Babu has served me the best by bringing to me a good audience. I only want a good audience, nothing else, in this world, and in that direction, Kunja Babu has helped me greatly.

"In the end, Srila Prabhupad Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's order was to form a governing body of ten or twelve, and Kunja Babu had to manage as long as he lived. 'Kunja Babu's intelligence excells that of all,' this was told about him. We took it as Kunja Babu was the manager during Prabhupad's lifetime, but he was actually managing the whole institution, so he should be respected even though he was a grihastha and we were sannyasis. Later, many complaints were heard against him, but Srila Prabhupad had told us that Kunja Babu had to manage as long as he lived and that he should be respected. Srila Prabhupad did not select anyone as his follower acharya, that is why there was eventually a difference of opinions amongst us. There were also many ambitious sannyasis who were eager to go on as acharyas themselves. There were generally two parties, one accepting Vasudev Prabhu as the acharya, and the other one accepting Kunja Babu..."

His Divine Grace Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj:

"Sri Bimala Prasad got initiation from Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj and later, when he took sannyas, he became known as Bhagavan Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. At some point, he promised that he would complete chanting one hundred crores Holy Names and after that start preaching Mahaprabhu's proper conception, but as he was chanting the Holy Name, one day Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Giridhari came in front of him and Srimati Radharani said, 'You must preach pure conception of Gauranga Mahaprabhu, the combined form of Radha-Krishna.' Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur said, 'I am alone, how will I preach?' After that so many great scholars (dig-pals) came to help him—our Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Kamal Madhusudan Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Vichar Jajavar Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Kumud Shanta Maharaj and many others. This is how Prabhupad started preaching the proper conception in this world.

"In Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswat Thakur's time, the secretary of Chaitanya Math was a grihastha, his name is Kunja Bihari Prabhu (affectionately known as Kunja Babu), later he became Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj. Kunja Babu could not always stay at the temple, but he always served Chaitanya Math from his householder life. Moreover, when he would come to visit Chaitanya Math, to see Prabhupad, at that time almost all sannyasis would give him their full obeisance.

All Glory to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

— · Invitation Letter · —

Disappearance Festival of Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa
Parivrajakacharya-varya Ashtottara-shata-sri
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

Dear respected Devotees, Friends and Well-Wishers,

We are offering obeisance at your holy lotus feet and on behalf of His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj humbly extend a letter of encouragement to observe the disappearance day of our most worshippable and beloved Om Vishnupad Jagad Guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, which manifests on 24 April (Saturday) this year, in every branch of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math throughout the world.

Considering the ongoing difficult situation all over the world, many temples, centres, and devotees are currently constrained in their capacity to host large programmes, however it is good if this festival can still be observed within each temple, centre and heart of devotees according to their capacity.

His Divine Grace has many times instructed on how to hold special programmes and taught it many times by his own example. Usually such programmes consist of: kirtans, lecture or reading of scriptures, arati, pushpanjali (offering of flowers to a photograph), and prasad-seva (cooking a special offering, offering it at the altar or to a photograph, and distributing it to devotees).

We hope all devotees find an opportunity to observe this holy day for the satisfaction of Sri Gurupadpadma keeping the divine Guidance on their heads: "Always sit amidst fire blazing on all four sides. This fire is Hari-katha, kirtan, service to the Lord, and service to the guru. You must progress in your practising life keeping the sacrificial fire of your service ablaze."

"I am telling to everybody—you must make Gurudev's disappearance festival. Gurudev's or any Vaishnav's appearance and disappearance are non-different from each other, so you must make a festival in your country on this day. Make this festival according to your capacity (as grand as you can), and Gurudev will be happy with your service. Chant the glorification of Gurudev on this day and try to observe it as much as you have connection with Gurudev. Whatever we see in this world, whatever good association, whatever we have got, we have got everything only by the mercy of Gurudev. Everything we have is by his mercy. So, you must make a festival on Gurudev's disappearance day, it will be a dvadasi day. Fast on ekadasi (Friday), and the next day you can make a festival. This is my advice to everybody. Please take care of yourself."

~ Om Vishnupad Srila B.N. Acharya Maharaj

Om Vishnupad Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj's Books Online

In honour of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam
chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam
govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam-sundaram
vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam

"I offer my obeisance unto him who perfectly fulfils his Gurudev's most cherished desires; who is fully adorned with the blessings of his Gurudev’s associates; who is expert in all aspects of Vedic knowledge, both conceivable and inconceivable; who is the pre-eminent follower of Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhu's line; who is known as 'Govinda'—Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj; whose beautiful, effulgent, exalted form is infused with pure devotion; who is the Guru of the entire universe; and who is the giver of the seed of divine love for the Supreme Lord."

"Do Not Despair"
"You have come to see me. I am your friend, your master, or your everything, I can feel that you feel it. There are so many devotees from different countries here. Different countries means different languages, different cultures, different lifestyles, different food—everything is different; but our conception is one, and that is Krishna consciousness. We have been practising for a long time, then we must have some Krishna-conscious mentality and we can proceed with that to our goal, which is the life of a servitor."

The Pain of Broken Hearts
"We always remember Srimati Radharani, Her associates and other Vraja gopis, but we forget about Nanda Maharaj and Mother Yasomati. It has come out of Radharani's mouth: 'We do not consider our heart's pain, but when we see Mother Yasoda's face and Mother Yasoda's situation without Your presence, our heart is breaking after breaking after breaking.'"

Biography of Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
A glorification article that sprang forth from the interpretation of the Pranam-mantra of His Divine Grace and was originally published as an Appendix to the Revealed Truth.

Sri Samadhi Mandir Verses
A series of pages containing the verses that were selected to adorn the samadhi-mandir of His Divine Grace Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. May these pages please and nourish the Vaishnavs' hearts.

Prayers to Sri Gurupadpadma:

• SONG: Sri Guru Parampara
"All the Gurus in this succession are associates of Sri Gauranga. I pray for their remnants."

• SONG: Gurudev! krpa-bindu diya
"When I examine myself for qualifications, I find none. Your mercy is everything. If you are not merciful to me, then, crying, I will no longer maintain my life."

• SONG: Gurudev bada krpa kari
"When, O master, will you mercifully grant this servant the qualification to do this? Then my heart will become steadfast, I will tolerate everything, and I will serve the Lord sincerely."

• SONG: Samsara-davanala
"I offer my obeisance unto the lotus feet of Sri Guru, the ocean of goodness who assumes the form of a cloud of mercy to deliver the souls burning in the blazing fire of material existence."

• SONG: Thakura vaisnava-gana
"Narottam Das says, 'Seeing and hearing about my situation, I am stricken with fear. Please rescue me and keep me by your side.'"

• SONG: Nitai-pada kamala
"Always aspire for Nitai's feet. Narottam is very sad: 'O Nitai! Make me happy. Keep me beside your reddish feet.'"

• SONG: Emona durmati
"O Lord! I am very wicked-minded and have fallen into this material world, but You have sent a great soul, Your associate (to rescue me)."

• SONG: Ki jani ki bale
"I do not know by what force I have taken shelter within Your abode. Surely it is by Your mercy alone, for You are ever seeking the purification and deliverance of the fallen souls."

• SONG: Sri Rupa-manjari-pada
"The lotus feet of Sri Rupa Manjari are my wealth, my bhajan (service), my puja (worship), the wealth of my life, and whatever ornaments I may have. Her lotus feet are the very life of my life."

• SONG: Ye anila prema-dhana
"Where has Advaita Acharya gone? Where are my Svarup, Rupa, Sanatan? Where is my Raghunath? Where are the saviours of the fallen souls?"

Question: It seems that we have one type of fear that having got some connection with your self we may lose that at death. I do not want to have connection with anyone else, I want to stay with you. So, I feel some type of fear...

(8 June 1992)

Presented below are photographs taken at the festivals arranged by the devotees' communities in various corners of the world under the supreme ever-victorious banner of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math International:

His Divine Grace
Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

"Srinivas Acharya, Narottam Das Thakur, and Shyamananda Prabhu started for Vrindavan to have the darshan of Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami and others who were there.

In this way, Srinivas Acharya, Narottam Das Thakur, and Shyamananda Prabhu stayed in Vrindavan for one year—Srinivas Acharya took initiation from Gopala Bhatta, Narottam Thakur from Lokanath Goswami, and Shyamananda Prabhu from Srila Jiva Goswami Prabhu..."

All Glory to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga

ANNOUNCEMENT

(Posted in 'Another Plane of Existence')