Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha Address (1)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur's disappearance
Gaudiya Vaishnav Sangha online programme, 3 January 2021, part 1
Translated from Bengali

মূকং করোতি বাচালং পঙ্গুং লঙ্ঘয়তে গিরিম্ ।
যৎকৃপা তমহং বন্দে শ্রীগুরুং দীনতারণম্ ॥

mukam karoti vachalam pangum langhayate girim
yat krpa tam aham vande sri-gurum dina-taranam

"The dumb can speak, the lame can climb a hill—all it takes is mercy from Gurudev."

(Bhavartha Dipika)

First of all, I am offering my full obeisance at the lotus feet of my Divine Master Om Vishnupad Jagad-guru Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj begging him for his causeless mercy, aspiring to serve him; after that, I am offering my full obeisance to all acharya-varga, guru-varga, all godbrothers, to all the listeners, to all the motherly lady devotees, and all the devotees.

Today is the disappearance day of our Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad Bhagavan Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur Prabhupad, whose disappearance day is today, and I am offering my obeisance at the holy lotus feet of this great soul, merely trying to offer some flower-offering. It is not possible to do this for such a fallen soul as myself, but by the mercy of guru-varga and on the order of guru-varga, I am merely trying to say a few words today.

When our Param Guru Maharaj, Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, was composing the pranam mantra of Srila Saraswati Thakur, he wrote:

নিখিল-ভুবন-মায়া-ছিন্নবিচ্ছিন্নকর্ত্রী
বিবুধবহুল-মৃগ্যা-মুক্তি-মোহান্ত-দাত্রী ।
শিথিলিত-বিধি-রাগারাধ্য-রাধেশ-ধানী
বিলসতু হৃদি নিত্যং ভক্তিসিদ্ধান্ত-বাণী ॥

nikhila-bhuvana-maya-chhinnavichchhinna-kartri
vibudhabahula-mrgya-mukti-mohanta-datri
sithilita-vidhi-raga-radhya-radhesa-dhani
vilasatu hrdi nityam bhakti-siddhanta-vani

‘He slashed to shreds the illusion of the whole material universe, putting a stop to scholarly speculations and conceptions of liberation; he eased the strict rules and regulations, bestowing the conception of natural loving worship of the Divine Love—may the devotional teachings of this Sri Bhaktisiddhanta play eternally in your heart’.

Actually, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur declared a war. Why would sadhus fight? They do not, but they fight against Maya, illusory environment. Declaring a war against Maya, Srila Prabhupad slashed illusion to shreds. Moreover,

স্থানে স্থানে কত মঠ স্থাপিয়াছ নিষ্কপট
প্রেমসেবা শিখাইতে জীবে ।

sthane sthane kata matha sthapiyachha niskapata
prema-seva sikhaite jive

'You established temples in many places to sincerely teach the souls loving service to the Lord'.

(Acharya Vandana)

He sincerely established sixty-four temples and preached the current of devotion in this world. Not only that, he also relaxed some of the rigid rules and regulations (vidhi). Before, people used to follow many unnecessary or contradictory rules and regulations, but Srila Prabhupad relaxed the rigidness of those rules (sithilita-vidhi).

There is one more verse that was composed by our Param Guru Maharaj, Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

গৌড়ে গাঙ্গতটে নবব্রজ-নবদ্বীপে তু মায়াপুরে
শ্রীচৈতন্যমঠ-প্রকাশকবরো জীবৈক-কল্যাণধীঃ ।
শ্রীসিদ্ধান্তসরস্বতীতি-বিদিতো গৌড়ীয়-গুর্ব্বন্বয়ে
ভাতো ভানুরিব প্রভাতগগনে রূপানুগৈঃ পূজিতঃ ॥

gaude ganga-tate nava-vraja-navadvipe tu mayapure
sri-chaitanya-math-prakasaka-varo jivaika-kalyanadhih
sri-siddhanta-sarasvatiti-vidito gaudiya-gurvanvaye
bhato bhanuriva prabhato-gagane rupanugaih pujitah

"You have manifested Sri Chaitanya Math in the land of Gauda, on the bank of the Ganges, in Mayapur that stands in Nabadwip, non-different from Sri Vraja. Renowned among great Gaudiya Vaisnava teachers as Sri Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, you have appeared like a radiant sun rising in the morning sky and you are worshippable to all followers of Sri Rupa Goswami."

When Srila Prabhupad established Chaitanya Math in Mayapur, on the bank of the Ganges in Nabadwip, he took a vow to chant one billion Holy Name of the Lord (sata koti Nama yajna). At this time, Srimati Radharani (Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari, whom Srila Prabhupad installed in Mayapur) appeared to him and said, "You are not alone. I am sending many great scholars (dig-pal) to you." Soon after that, all the great dig-pal Gaudiya Acharyas came to help Srila Prabhupad. We have little time now, so I will not tell their names.

As one of the worshippable sannyasis was saying before me, there were times when Srila Prabhupad was assaulted, but what did Srila Prabhupad do?

কুলিয়াতে পাষণ্ডীরা অত্যাচার কৈল যা'রা
তা সবার দোষ ক্ষমা করি ।
জগতে কৈলে ঘোষণা 'তরোরিব সহিষ্ণুনা'
হন 'কীর্ত্তনীয়ঃ সদা হরিঃ ॥'

kuliyate pasandira atyachara kaila ya'ra
ta sabara dosa ksama kari'
jagate kaile ghosana 'taroriva sahisnuna'
hana 'kirtaniyah sada harih'

"You forgave all the atheists of Kuliya village, despite their bad behaviour. Loudly you proclaimed to one and all: one who is more tolerant than a tree can always chant the glories of Lord Hari."

(Acharya Vandana)

The atheists living in Kuliya village (Nabadwip) harassed Srila Prabhupad, but Srila Prabhupad forgave them and declared to the world, "You must be as tolerant as a tree!"

উঠরে উঠরে ভাই আর ত সময় নাই
'কৃষ্ণ ভজ' বলে উচ্চৈঃস্বরে

uthare uthare bhai ara ta samaya nai
'krsna bhaja' bale uchchaihsvare

Wake up, wake up, brother, there is no time! Worship Krishna!

"O jiva soul! Do not sleep! Wake up now! There is no time—worship Krishna!" Srila Prabhupad preached this message in this world. Moreover, he said:

• "If you serve jiva souls, it will give benefit to your soul."

• "Satisfying the whims of your mind and pretending to practise Krishna consciousness is not what Krishna consciousness is. Krishna consciousness means following cent-per-cent your Guru, Vaishnavs and serving your Guru, Vaishnavs, satisfying their minds."

Srila Prabhupad brought these messages to this world.

Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj also wrote that when Srila Prabhupad left on this day (it was 1 January 1937), the sky plunged into darkness, reminiscent of Srila Haridas's disappearance when "without Haridas, this world became void (Haridasa vina sunya haila medini). The world lost such a great personality on that day that the entire world became void, covered in darkness.

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