Godbrothers' Bond

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Caracas, Venezuela
19 September 2009

Srila Gurudev told us about Sripad Madhusudan Maharaj (Srila Guru Maharaj's godbrother) that when he would come to our temple, he would pay sastanga dandavat at the gate and go upstairs to see Srila Guru Maharaj, saying all the time, "Nyasisvaram Sridharam! Nyasisvaram Sridharam!"... He was his godbrother.

Also Gurudev told that when Param Guru Maharaj gave sannyas to Srila Goswami Maharaj (even though Srila Goswami Maharaj was senior to Srila Sridhar Maharaj, he took sannyas from him), Srila Goswami Maharaj would every year invite his sannyas Guru to Mayapur or Kolkata on his birthday. Who was his sannyas Guru? Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Every year, whatever presentation Srila Goswami Maharaj would get from his disciples, he would give everything to Srila Sridhar Maharaj with the words, "All I get today is not for me, it is all for Srila Sridhar Maharaj only." Srila Sridhar Maharaj went there every year, but one year he could not come, and that year Srila Goswami Maharaj said, "My sannyas Guru comes every year I get one more year of life, but this year he could not come, so I will not be alive this year, I will die." And it happened—he died that year.

Today I was singing this song from the kirtan book written by Srila Sridhar Maharaj—"Prema-dhama-devam eva naumi Gaura-sundaram,"

কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণ-কৃষ্ণনাম-কীর্ত্তনং
রাম-রাম-গান-রম্য-দিব্য-ছন্দ-নর্ত্তনম্ ।
যত্র তত্র কৃষ্ণনাম-দান-লোক-নিস্তরং
প্রেম-ধাম-দেবমেব নৌমি গৌর-সুন্দরম্ ॥

krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-krsna-nama-kirtanam
rama-rama-gana-ramya-divya chhanda-nartanam
yatra-tatra-krsna-nama-dana-loka-nistaram
prema-dhama-devam eva naumi gaura-sundaram

Later, the Supreme Lord travelled to the holy places of pilgrimage in South India with the clever intention of delivering the fallen souls. Appearing as a beautiful young renunciate, He distributed the sweet Names of the Lord, singing: "Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna Krishna he," as He strolled down the different pathways, entered temples, and visited homesteads during the sacred pilgrimage. Infused with an inconceivable type of divine inspiration, the Lord freely chanted "Rama Rama" and joyfully danced with the most charming gestures. Irrespective of time or personal qualification, the assembled bystanders were delivered by the Lord, who inspired them to chant Krishna's Holy Names. I offer my obeisances to that beautiful Golden Lord, Gauranga Sundar, the divine form of Krishna prema.

(Prema-dhama-deva Stotram, 22)

Sripad Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj—a disciple of Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur and Srila Sridhar Maharaj's godbrother; before, his photograph was in the Bengali kirtan book—would go on foot from Nabadwip to Hapaniya (25 km) and sing all Prema-Dhama Stotram on the way. When he came to Hapaniya, he would search for such places as the school where Srila Sridhar Maharaj used to study, the pond where he used to bathe, the playground where he used to play football, and so on.

One day, Srila Sridhar Maharaj asked him, "Babaji Maharaj, you are my godbrother, you go to Hapaniya, I do not mind, but why do you go to the school where I studied? Why are you looking for the playground where I played football, the pond where I bathed? Why do you go to such places?" Babaji Maharaj answered, "Because I know who you are. When I see your writing, your Prema-Dhama Stotram, your 'Sujanarvuda-radhita-pada-yugam...' and other slokas, I think that Rupa Goswami himself wrote it, so I go there thinking it is like the birthplace of Rupa Goswami. If I am making an offence, I do not mind, I will still go there."

Once, this Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj was chanting some kirtan in the nat mandir at our temple, but he was singing with some other, sahajiya, tune. Hearing it, Srila Sridhar Maharaj chastised him very much, but he did not listen, and next time Srila Sridhar Maharaj told him to get out of the temple. Our Gurudev asked, "Maharaj, but why? He is an old man—he did something wrong, but why did you tell him to get out?" Srila Sridhar Maharaj answered, "Do not worry, he will come back." Seven days later, Babaji Maharaj came back. Seeing him, Srila Sridhar Maharaj said, "Oh, Babaji Maharaj! I told you to get out, why have you come back?" Babaji Maharaj said, "You told me to get out, but you did not tell me not to come back."

Such was Srila Guru Maharaj's relationship with his friends and godbrothers...

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