(4/4) Srila Swami Maharaj's Return to India

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
18 November 2020, Kolkata, part 4

When the news came that Srila Swami Maharaj was going to come back to India, Srila Sridhar Maharaj was very glad. At that time, many of their godbrothers had brahman-buddhi – they thought, 'We are brahmans, and he has been preaching in the mlechha world' – so they did not want to accept him. But Srila Sridhar Maharaj told our Gurudev, 'Tell him that he can come and stay here in Nabadwip. I want to give him some welcome. He is coming from the West, so make a festival in honour of his return.' Srila Guru Maharaj was extremely glad to see Srila Swami Maharaj. They spoke a lot at that time, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj glorified Srila Swami Maharaj very much.

Srila Swami Maharaj came to our Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and stayed there when he first returned to India.

You all know what Srila Sridhar Maharaj's lifestyle was like. He wore a dhoti that had a hundred patched holes, he slept on a broken chowki bed, etc. But when Srila Swami Maharaj was coming, Srila Sridhar Maharaj cleaned his house very nicely with his own hand, feeling excited, 'Oh, Swami Maharaj will come and stay here!' When Srila Swami Maharaj arrived, our Gurudev told him, 'Please come to Guru Maharaj's house. He has cleaned and prepared your room very nicely. You can stay there.' Srila Swami Maharaj replied, 'Have you gone crazy? I must stay in Srila Sridhar Maharaj's room and sleep on his bed?! It is impossible. He is my siksa-guru. I cannot even sit on his bed, let alone sleep on it – I worship his bed! I cannot even sit on it. Gaurendu, where is your house? I will stay with you!' This was Srila Swami Maharaj's reply. Our Gurudev had very close connection with him.

When Srila Swami Maharaj established the IKSCON Chandrodaya Mandir in 1973, he invited many of his godbrothers, but not so many came. Srila Sridhar Maharaj came to the festival with our Gurudev (he was white-clad at that time) and Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj. When they came, Srila Sridhar Maharaj asked Srila Swami Maharaj, 'Maharaj, you have invited me to lay the foundation of your Chandrodaya Mandir, but where is your yajna? Where is all your paraphernalia, etc.?' Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj replied to that, 'Maharaj, what is the necessity for any yajna (fire sacrifice)? You are a great Vaishnav, and when you yourself are present here, that is sufficient for me – no fire sacrifice or any paraphernalia is necessary.' On that day, Srila Sridhar Maharaj was a little sick, so he told our Gurudev, 'Govinda Maharj, I cannot give the lecture today, so you can give a lecture today as my representative.' During his lecture, our Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, recited one sloka:

কম্প্রতি কথয়িতুমীশে সম্প্রতি কো বা প্রতীতিমায়াতু ।
গোপতি-তনয়াকুঞ্জে গোপবধূটী-বিঢং ব্রহ্ম ॥

kam prati kathayitum ise samprati ko va pratitim ayatu
go-pati-tanaya-kunje gopa-vadhuti-vidam brahma

'To whom can I speak? Who will believe me when I say that Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is hunting gopis in the bushes by the banks of the Yamuna? In this way the Lord demonstrates His pastimes.'

(Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 2.19.98)

'Whom will I say? Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but He is playing on the banks of the Yamuna and grazing cows, and all the Vraja-gopis (Maha-laksmis) are following Him. And whom will I say that Abhay Babu, this Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad, whom we all knew as a simple householder before, has now become a jagad-guru and is spreading Krishna-katha all over the world!' That is the meaning of what Gurudev said. Both Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Srila Swami Maharaj were very pleased to hear it, and as soon as Srila Krishna Das Babaji Maharaj heard Gurudev quote that verse, he shouted, 'Hari bol! Hari bol! Hari bol!'

Srila Sridhar Maharaj said many things about Srila Swami Maharaj. He said, 'Srila Swami Maharaj is a miracle – he has accomplished so many miraculous works. He received daiva-vani from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur to fulfil Mahaprabhu's desire, and we are very happy, we are very proud of him because he has fulfilled Mahaprabhu's desire and Srila Prabhupad's desire. Moreover, I can realise that he is Nityananda Prabhu's saktya-vesa-avatara. We can understand that Srila Swami Maharaj has become a world acharya and made ISKCON by His mercy.'

Srila Swami Maharaj left his body in Vrindavan on this day today. His very ardent desire was to leave his body in Vrindavan, and Krishna fulfilled his desire. Whatever greatest devotees desire, whenever they ask Lord Krishna for anything, Krishna always fulfils their desires. So, Srila Swami Maharaj always desired to be able to leave his body in Vrindavan, and Krishna fulfilled his desire. In his last moments, he was very sick; finally, he chanted with his hands upraised, 'Hare! Hare Krishna!' and left his body in this way.

We do not know how many days more we will stay in this world, but we pray, 'O Lord, please give us some mercy so that we can serve your devotees and disciples.'

Jay Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Srila Prabhupad ki jay.
Jay Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay.
Jay Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay.
All the assembled devotees ki jay.
Harinam-sankirtan ki jay.
Nitai-Gaura premanande Hari bol.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Transcendental Glory of Srila Swami Maharaj
2) Srila Swami Maharaj's Reply
3) Srila Swami Maharaj Starts His Mission
4) Srila Swami Maharaj's Return to India