Sustaining Mahaprabhu's Line

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Kolkata—Worldwide, 13 September 2020, part 2

Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj left everything and stayed in Nanda-gram, Pavan Sarovar, at the place of Srila Sanatan Goswami's bhajan kutir. Srila Rupa Goswami and Srila Sanatan Goswami also stayed in Vrindavan, but they lived there for service. Living in Vrindavan is not for your own enjoyment. When Mahaprabhu sent Rupa and Sanatan to Vrindavan, He told them, "You must finish the job that I have not finished." Many devotees would come to Vrindavan, and they would always come to see Sri Rupa-Sanatan. Sri Rupa and Sanatan taught devotees and showed them many places of Radha-Krishna's pastimes. They served Vaishnavs in this way. Srila Sanatan Goswami was also the first to establish Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's Deity in Vrindavan. They did so much service—they served Madan Mohan, Govindaji, etc. They also wrote so many scriptures, so many books, composed so many slokas. In this way, Srila Rupa Goswami, Srila Sanatan Goswami, Srila Jiva Goswami sustained the line of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

After that, Mahaprabhu's line was maintained by Srila Narottam Das Thakur, Acharya Srinivas, Sri Shyamananda Prabhu. After them, so much darkness came down upon the sky of Gaura-desh (Gaudiya-gagane). After some time, the preaching movement again emerged through Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, in turn, prayed to Bimala Devi in Jaganath Puri, "Please, send someone who can preach about Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who can preach the proper conception, the proper teaching of Mahaprabhu!" At that time, so many apa-sampradayas (misconception sampradayas, mayavadis, etc.) had inundated this world—aul, baul, kartabhaja, neda, darvesh, sani, sahajiya, sakhibekhi, smarta, jata gosai, ativadi, churadhari, gauranga-nagari. Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur considered himself a sweeper of Sri Nama-Hatta (market of the Holy Name), and he thus became recognised as the seventh goswami.

After that, Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur empowered his son and sent him to Srila Gaura Kishor Das Babaji Maharaj to receive initiation. His son later became renowned as Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. One time, Srila Saraswati Thakur Prabhu was doing koti-nama yajna—he had vowed to chant one crore (ten million) Holy Names. When he finished his vow, Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gadharva Giridhari appeared in front of him and inspired him to preach for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupad said, "I am alone, how will I preach?" But the Lord replied, "Do not worry about it. I am sending My associates to you." After that, so many great, exalted personalities came to this world—Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and so many other sannyasis. You all know it.

Then, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur thought, "Who will be able to carry this Bhaktivinod-dhara (current of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur) after me? Who can understand this preaching? When I leave my body, who will continue carrying this line? It is necessary to keep someone here." Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur considered our Param Gurudev Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj as a fit person to preach Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's conception—he understood what Srila Prabhupad wanted to tell the fallen souls of this world. In this way, he chose our Param Gurudev Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj as his successor through 'Sri Rupa-manjari-pada' kirtan. Everybody knows and understands it.

Even the worldwide preacher, the Visva-Guru Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Srila Prabhupad also considered Srila Sridhar Maharaj his siksa-guru and he said, "If you want to hear Hari-katha, you must go to Srila Sridhar Maharaj." All sannyasis, all of their godbrothers (Srila Madhav Maharaj, Srila Puri Maharaj, and many others) considered, "If you want to hear Hari-katha, Prabhupad-katha, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur's words and teachings, then you should go to Srila Sridhar Maharaj." Everybody understood it at that time, and eventually so many foreigners from all over the world also started coming to the lotus feet of Srila Sridhar Maharaj...

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