Loving Interactions

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Bankura Anniversary Festival,
26 January 2021, part 3
Translated from Bengali

Every year, Pujyapad Sripad Giri Maharaj joined and managed the Nabadwip Dham parikrama party of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Later, when he grew old, he could not walk so much, so he would go by rickshaw and still give lectures at all the places.

Sripad Giri Maharaj's diksa Guru, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, had very much affection for Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. One time, Srila Sridhar Maharaj went for Vrindavan parikrama together with Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj and his disciples. The parikrama was during the niyom-seva month, and one of the days during the parikrama it was Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Vyasa Puja (appearance day). Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj personally offered a full arati to Srila Sridhar Maharaj during the celebration. Although they were godbrothers, he personally offered worship to Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Srila Goswami Maharaj's disciples understood how much respect Srila Goswami Maharaj had for Srila Sridhar Maharaj and they were astonished to see it.

Apart from that, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj always invited Srila Sridhar Maharaj to every festival of his own appearance day, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj attended it every time in Mayapur (Nandan Acharya Bhavan). Srila Goswami Maharaj always gave all presentations, all donations to Srila Sridhar Maharaj on this day. However, one year Srila Sridhar Maharaj could not come, and Srila Goswami Maharaj said that time, "Srila Sridhar Maharaj has been coming every year, and every year I would get one more year of life, but this year my sannyas-guru could not come, so I think that next year I will not be alive." And this happened in fact—that year he left his body.

Anyhow, we have assembled to celebrate the anniversary of the Deity installation and temple inauguration today. As some of you may have heard before, in Gurudev's time, there was a Deity of Mahaprabhu installed at our temple in Kolkata, and after some time Sri Sri Guru Gandharva Radha-Raman were installed. Because at present that service is not running properly, I have brought the Deities here—I have installed here these Deities and gave Them the name. I have 'taken' Dum Dum Park Deities to Tarakeshwar (Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Madan-mohan), and Kaikhali Deities to this temple here in Bankura (Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Radha-Raman). 'Gandharva' means Radharani, and Radha-Raman means Krishna. I have heard many say, "Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Radha Raman," but this is not correct. The correct name is Sri Sri Guru Gandharva Radha-Raman. 'Radha-Raman' means He who attracts Radha—it is a name of Krishna. These are very high things. Radharani is an expert dancer, that is why Her name is Gandharva, or Gandharvika. In Chaitanya Math, for example, the name of the installed Deity of Srimati Radharani is Gandharvika.

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