Chapter Two: The Original Current

From a lecture given by
His Holiness Tridandi Swami
Sripad Bhakti Ananda Sagar Maharaj
at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip,
on the eve of Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami
Maharaj's Appearance Day Festival 1991

Service to Sri Guru and Vaisnava is itself the end. There is no need to consider this lila, that lila, this rasa, that rasa, without considering the pleasure of the higher Vaisnava, and that Vaisnava is Srila Govinda Maharaj. Srila Guru Maharaj—Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj—chose him, therefore I always consider that on the entire planet he is the only person who can give Krishna consciousness. Of course, we know that there is the Ramanuja-sampradaya, Madhva-sampradaya, etc., in which there are many respectable and venerable Vaisnavas, and we are not aiming to dishonour them by saying such a thing. But once we have had a glimpse of the highest siddhanta and dispensation through the introduction of Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada, we are left surprised to see that some are doubting and uncertain, some are still philosophising, others are searching the Scriptures—still searching, searching, searching—but when the qualified topmost Vaisnava is standing there in front of us, what is to be done?

Srila Guru Maharaj himself has chanted Srila Govinda Maharaj's glories so wonderfully, and in this way we are to hear from above. There is a particular current that comes from the cloud down to the ground, not from the ground up to the cloud. We are most fortunate, therefore, to have the association of Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. That title, "Dev-Goswami" is also his title. It is a brahmana title and it is fully applicable for Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj and Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

This is my personal understanding, finding, and experience: if we simply try to speak about the glories of Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, we will find that suddenly the Mission of Mahaprabhu has come upon our heads, and this is what I want to say. If I say it in the presence of Srila Maharaj, he may not be pleased with me due to his humility, but his heart's pleasure is another thing.

Yesterday Srila Maharaj chanted the bhajan Gopinath, and having heard that, I feel there is nothing more I can say. When he sings "Gopinath," there is Gopinath; when Srila Maharaj sings "Jaya Guru Maharaj yati-rajeswara", there is Guru Maharaj yati-rajeswara (the Emperor of sannyasi kings). What I want to say is: when he is doing kirtan, there is trnad api sunichena, taror api sahisnuna, amanina manadena, kirtaniyah sada harih ["One who knows himself as more insignificant than a blade of grass, who is as forbearing as a tree, and who gives due honour to others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to sing the glories of Lord Hari constantly."]. We find there the vigraha of trnad api sunichena—the embodiment and personification of trnad api sunichena.

From the very beginning of our coming to Srila Guru Maharaj he taught us the glories of Srila Govinda Maharaj. On his own Vyasa-puja day, the day after the sannyasa of Srila Govinda Maharaj, Srila Guru Maharaj said, "Furthermore I want to say one thing, tadiyanam samarchanam, if you serve who is beloved of me, that is more than service to me."

Parvati Devi asked Sambhu, "What is the highest worship?"

To which he replied, "Aradhananam sarvesam, visnor aradhanam param—the highest is the worship of Visnu." Parvati became a little sad because she worships Sambhu, yet Sambhu himself is saying there is someone higher than him. Then he said, "Tasmat parataram devi, tadiyanam samarchanam—but higher than the worship of Visnu is the worship of His devotees: that is even greater than devotion to the Lord Himself." In our Vaisnavism we have supreme, more supreme, and most supreme! In this way Srila Guru Maharaj wanted to say, "If you serve Srila Govinda Maharaj, I will be more happy." He expressed this to so many.

Advaita Prabhu, weeping and crying day after day, prayed to Mahaprabhu, "Please come down here." Was his prayer only for giving mukti to the conditioned souls—for freeing them from the cycle of 8,400,000 species of life? Was it only for that? Was it only so they would go to the Brahman whereupon they would have to come down here again? No, it was because he was unable to tolerate the anti-atmosphere. He prayed: "Unless You come and do it Yourself it is impossible." And that prayer came from Advaita Acharya who is not an Avatara of Maha-Visnu, but he is the origin of Maha-Visnu.

In this line I say with firm faith that Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math is the original current, and this current will go everywhere from shore to shore. It is our wish and prayer that all energy of every type will be engaged for this Mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and for the service of Srila Acharyadev—and that is the only auspiciousness, the only good.

You will find genuine spiritual life in the genuine srauta-pantha (sanctioned path). It is very necessary to tell the truth that only Srila Acharyadev, who is selected by Srila Guru Maharaj, can give Krishna consciousness. This is my exclusive prayer and supplication on this day, the day Srila Maharaj took sannyasa.

Srila Maharaj previously showed his grhastha vesa (his dress of a householder) and he was humble to everybody, but we came as foreigners as sannyasis and we could not understand his true identity. However, when he showed us his Acharya form, then we had to understand. Srila Guru Maharaj selected Srila Govinda Maharaj, and he will now go to the whole world just like Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada did, but this will be the next instalment.

Srila Swami Maharaj Prabhupada gave the introduction—only the introduction—but he was a Saktyavesa-avatara. Nobody else could give the introduction; but it was only the beginning. In the introduction you can find the first chapter mentioned, the second chapter..., the eighteenth chapter—everything is mentioned—but now begin! That introduction was given life by Srila Guru Maharaj, from beginning to end, and now the next step is necessary and that is being given by our Acharyadev, Srila Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. If we have read the introduction we must not think we have everything. It is a disease to think, "I have everything."

The day after Srila Guru Maharaj gave Srila Govinda Maharaj sannyasa was Guru Maharaj's own Appearance Day and he was very happy on that day. Early that morning I went to see him and said, "Srila Guru Maharaj, yesterday you gave Srila Govinda Maharaj sannyasa; but I think he took sannyasa many, many lifetimes ago."

He replied, "Oh, you want to say that this is only being done to show the people who he is, but actually he is much more than that?" Srila Guru Maharaj was smiling and laughing, and on that morning, his own Appearance Day, he sat on his chair and for maybe two or three hours he talked about Srila Govinda Maharaj. This was the Appearance Day of the Guru but the Guru was doing kirtan of the disciple!

I wrote in an article that the pranam-mantram for Srila Govinda Maharaj, gurvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam..., was directed and composed by Srila Guru Maharaj. Srila Guru Maharaj instructed Srila Govinda Maharaj in Bengali: "Put this, this, and this as the contents of the mantram and you make the wording in such and such a manner." But some objected, "That was not composed by Guru Maharaj, it was composed by Govinda Maharaj." Wrong! The composer is the man who tells the idea—the language is another thing. The mantram was composed by Srila Guru Maharaj, but how can we tell to the general masses that Gurudeva is telling the pranam-mantram to his disciple? The world cannot understand such a thing, but here in Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math we can tell it! Therefore, with the brilliantly clear line of the original current before us, we make our full obeisances with prayer for service at the lotus feet of he who is uniquely selected by Srila Guru Maharaj: His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

Jaya Om Visnupada Paramahamsa-parivrajaka-acharya-varya Astottara-sata-sri Srimad Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

*****

Contents


Editorial

Part One:
• Chapter One:
Vaishnava Thakur
• Chapter Two:
The Original Current
• Chapter Three:
Divine Desire and Directives

Part Two:
• First Discourse:
Descent of Knowledge
• Second Discourse:
Lessons in Giving
• Third Discourse:
Protected Journey
• Fourth Discourse:
Adjusting to His Account
• Fifth Discourse:
Present Position, Brightest Prospect
• Sixth Discourse:
Fortunate Indeed

Part Three:
• The Written Word
(Answers through Letters)
• Appendix A
• Appendix B:
The Ten Offences to the Holy Name