In Search of
the Original Source

By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

© 1999 Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math
All rights reserved by the Successor President-Acharya

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip, West Bengal, India

Printed first in 1999, this is a small introductory booklet that has been distributed all over the world by sankirtan parties and that contains simple and sweet presentation of Krishna consciousness, inspiring for both newcomers and all sincere practitioners. Seeing this booklet being repeatedly reprinted and distributed widely, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj translated this booklet into Bengali in 2020.

This electronic version is prepared in 2025 as part of service to His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj.

Web address: www.scsmathinternational.com

Email: info@scsmathinternational.com

CONTENTS

Chapter One: You Are Sons of Nectar

Chapter Two: The Process of a Real Search

Chapter Three: The Eternal Play

The Logo of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math’s Mission

Headquarters of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Books and Publications of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Chapter One:
You Are Sons of Nectar

(A discourse given to a large devotional gathering
at the prestigious Multicentre in Morelia, Mexico)

You are all my spiritual relatives, assembled here today for hearing something from me about Krishna consciousness. I humbly pay my respects to you all because you have given me this opportunity to speak about my Lord Sri Krishna and His associates. I want to do good for you, good for myself, and good for the world. I have some experience. I am an old man, and I stayed many years with my Guru Maharaj, who was vastly learned in Vedic knowledge and ultimately a siddha-mahapurusa—a perfect, liberated soul. His affection, mercy, well-wishes, and desire have given me something. I feel it, and I cannot deny it. I may be a very low-class person, but how can I deny the gift of my Gurudev? I am a very tiny and insignificant jiva soul, nothing else; this is my identity. But if I give all of you the gift of my Lord Krishna and my Guru Maharaj—the little ecstasy that I have got—if I give to your holy ears the sound vibration that is coming down from the transcendental world, you must be benefitted, and I shall also be benefitted. Krishna will bless me, and my Guru Maharaj will be satisfied that I shall have done something in this world.

Actually we are all spiritual entities, and because we are parts and parcels of our Lord, our home exists eternally in the transcendental abode of the Lord. You have heard of the Upanisads, Vedas, Vedanta, and other scriptures which were revealed in India in written form five thousand years ago. Previously, this knowledge existed as sruti-mantram, spoken words, and it was transmitted by rishis and munis to their disciples through sruti-mantram. At that time there were no books. Vedavyas has very mercifully given us the written form of sruti-mantram: the Veda. He divided the Veda (sruti) into four parts: Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva. He also composed the corollary literatures (smrti) like Mahabharata, which is called the fifth Veda. The gist of the Vedas can also be found in the hundreds of Upanisads he wrote. The great rishis, Vedic research scholars, have also presented the Vedic knowledge in the Puranas. Thus, through the great rishis, this transcendental knowledge is being revealed in this mundane world, and when necessary, from time to time, an incarnation of the Lord manifests by whose divine mercy we get a connection with that transcendental knowledge.

These Vedic literatures mainly try to give us transcendental knowledge, and for our benefit they have proclaimed, “Srnvantu visve amrtasya putra: you are all the sons of nectar, transcendental nectar; you are from the nectarean ocean. Dive deep into that nectar!” We are all parts and parcels of the Lord, therefore we are spiritual relatives.

Here in the mundane world we see many differences. Some of us are born in India, some in Russia, some in Mexico, Latin America, and so on. In this world there are so many countries and so many completely different languages. But the spirit that lives within every body, without which the body is useless, comes from the same place. We call this place the spiritual world, or the transcendental world.

We want eternity, we want love, we want affection, we want mercy and ecstasy. These are our hankerings, but this mundane world cannot successfully give any of these things to us. But in the transcendental world everything exists eternally in a very beautiful and sweet way.

Everyone will pass away from this world one day, whether he is poor or rich, rogue or scholar, animal or tree. When we are born, it is sure we will die. Death will not give any notice to us, “Today is your dying day,” or, “Today is your birth day.” Birth and death are actually beyond our control. Maybe we can extend some time or reduce some time, but when we are born, we must die. This wave of birth and death surrounds this world. It surrounds not only our present planet but the whole universe. Beyond the orbit of this universe there also exist many universes, and this wave of birth and death rolls through all of them. This knowledge has been given to us by the Vedic research scholars, and now the scientists in this age are also saying the same thing.

This world is always completely filled with quarrel. The wave of death and birth always flows through this world, and there are so many problems. You hear many things on the radio, the television, and in the newspapers, therefore you know how much violence is going on all over. Everywhere this bad situation will come to be, as it is written in the scriptures. It is the Age of Kali. Kali means quarrel. We cannot avoid it. I may be a very good man, but without cause I may be attacked by violence. Many things happen, and many good men have been killed. So, death and birth are beyond our control. I may be protected by so many bodyguards, like John Kennedy, like Martin Luther King Jr, like Indira Gandhi, like so many who were protected by many bodyguards but could not avoid death.

We are also not secure or satisfied in this world. What do we want here? We want love, affection, charm, beauty, and ecstasy. Ultimately, we want eternity, but in this world it is not possible to get it in any way. Here, what is the form of love, what is the form of beauty, of affection? All are only a shadow, or reflection, of the transcendental world. As such, here we are playing only within the shadow. All that we are getting is in the form of shadow, and the substance is missing.

We are eating rice powder mixed with water thinking that we are drinking milk. Actually, when we get a proper taste of transcendental ecstasy and feel its transcendental form, we will feel that transcendental knowledge is within us and that our Lord is within us. Then we will understand everything very clearly and easily. That connection is necessary for us.

In which way may we get it? Our sincere searching tendency can give us that connection. We must want to search. If it is possible, why will we not proceed in that line? The research scholars of religion have made many contributions and made that knowledge available. If you come forward sincerely, you will get it. It is so easy to get it if you have faith, chastity, and a little good fortune. Without good fortune it is very difficult to get it.

* * * * *

Chapter Two:
The Process of a Real Search

It is written in Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita (Madhya-lila, 19.151),

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

When the jiva souls have unfortunately come into this material environment, which is not their real home, naturally they will try to return to their permanent home. Sometimes when they do not get the proper direction, still they try to go somewhere. They always feel like refugees who have come out of their own country, lived many years in another country, but cannot forget their own country. That is their situation.

The Lord has all power. Without power, creation is not possible, and without the Powerful, creation is also not possible. We can search in many ways, but finally we must go to the Powerful, otherwise success is not possible. And the rishis have searched in that way, to find that power and the Powerful. Through mundane knowledge it is not possible to get it. When they understood this, they tried to get it from the higher level, and they searched for the way in which it would be possible to get it. That transcendental knowledge has been given in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (7.14) by Sri Krishna.

daivi hy esa guna-mayi mama maya duratyaya

mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te

“O My dear Arjuna, fortunately, if anyone takes shelter of Me, I will relieve him from the illusory environment. Otherwise, to get relief from this illusory environment is not so easy because maya is so powerful.”

We have come out from the marginal potency. Maya is ruling the shadow potency, but our home exists in the transcendental potency. Unfortunately, we have jumped into maya, but it is not our real home. Our father, our mother, everything is transcendental. We are spirit, and we must live in our spiritual home, but unfortunately we have come into this situation. Which way will we go back to our country, our home? It is necessary to understand that.

In this material world we can see so many species of life. The research scholars of transcendental knowledge have said that there are eighty-four lakhs of species (eight million four hundred thousand) in this material world.

jalaja nava laksani sthavara laksa vimsati

krmayo rudra-sankhyakah paksinam dasa laksanam

trimsal laksani pasavah chatur laksani manusah

(Visnu Purana)

“There are nine hundred thousand species of aquatics, two million species of plants and trees, one million one hundred thousand species of insects, one million species of birds, three million animal species, and four hundred thousand human species.” Therefore, it is very rare to get this human body, but it has fortunately come to us and is of utmost importance. With this human form one can understand and find the way to study the spiritual world and seek the essence of transcendental knowledge. Thus the value of this human body is supreme.

The animals have brains; they have willing, feeling, and thinking, but not in an organised way. But in the human form, one who is not a madman has some organisational ability within his brain. That which feels, wills, and thinks is the spirit soul living within the body. When this spirit soul leaves the body, the body becomes useless, and within a few days it decomposes. Once that spirit soul has gone out of the body, it cannot enter into it again. We cannot feel that spirit’s sadness or happiness from here, but the research scholars, the rishis, can feel it through their subtle or mental awareness. They can understand the situation, and through their research they have given us this knowledge: “Believe it and search for Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful!”

We want reality, and it beautifully exists in our real home. There everything is transcendental, everything is beautiful, harmonious, lovely, and affectionate. Krishna said in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (15.6),

yad gatva na nivartante

tad dhama paramam mama

“Once you go to that abode, it is not necessary to come back. You will not want to come back; you will be extremely satisfied.” Those who are not satisfied in this material world try to get liberation through renunciation. We have many things, but we have no happiness. Maybe we have no family life, and even if we have family life there are so many difficulties. In this material world we cannot expect to find satisfaction or fulfilment; it is impossible. Then, we will try to search for a place where there is some possibility of eternity, where love, affection, ecstasy, and beauty existing. If we try to understand this, we must go to the scriptures or the sadhu, who is a living scripture, whose experience, practising life, and knowledge will give some good nourishment to us.

With the sadhu’s association we will try to search, but when the searching spirit comes to us, we must be on the faithful ground. Faith is the main basis. There is no other way. We may be of any religious mood, but if we want to make progress in religion we must first be faithful. In Christianity the first condition is that you must be faithful to the teachings.

I read on a dollar bill, “In God We Trust.” This is a very nice expression: to trust in God. You must first come into the faithful plane. You want eternity, you want a beautiful world, you want everything transcendental, but will you not give anything to God? Not anything for God? How will you get everything beautiful from such a hellish position? Where you live now is a hellish situation, but God is so merciful, He is giving so much love to you. His loving search for the lost servant is our wealth, not the wealth of God. His Loving search for His lost servant is our property. But I must keep faith in my religion, otherwise how shall I get it? It is impossible. In all the religions the basis is faith.

I cannot see the rishis and munis. I have not seen my own birth. My mother told me, “He is your father,” so I believe, “Yes, he is my father,” and I believe the government will give me my father’s inheritance. Why? My mother said he is my father, and a father’s property goes to his son. This is the rule, and we all believe it. Only when it comes to believing in God are we very unfortunate. Come to the faithful level and try from there. Srnvantu visve amrtasya putra: you are all the sons of nectar; you must search for Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful, and you will get everything.

If you can enter into that transcendental abode, you will find five kinds of relationships with the Lord. There is a procedure, and it is an easy procedure. Many spiritual things are revealed to us. It is only necessary for us to have some searching tendency and chastity. Without chastity and without a searching tendency, how will we get it?

We can spend this life any way we choose. I sometimes tell people that they have some holidays but I have no holidays. I have a holiday when I can discuss Krishna consciousness. That is my holiday.

Krishna said in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (2.14),

matra-sparsas tu kaunteya sitosna-sukha-duhkha-dah

agamapayino ‘nityas tams titiksasva bharata

You have happiness, sadness, disease, and beauty. You have everything, but it is not eternal; it will be with you only for the time being. The sun is rising and then setting. The night is coming and then passing. Again the sun is rising. This is the nature of the material world. We see everything, but if we take a little time to understand what is what, easily we can understand it. There are various paths in front of us; many religious personalities and books exist in front of us. They do not want anything from us. What does Lord Jesus want for us? He wants us to submit to our Lord. That is his only expectation of us. “You are all the sons of God; give your obeisance, give your faith, give your love, give everything to Him.” He has shown us how to deal with each other. It is very near to Vaishnavism. Christianity is very near to what we are practising.

I read Solomon’s Songs, and I was surprised by what I found there. I read the Bible also, but Solomon’s Songs are very attractive. They attracted me because in our Vaishnav religion there are five kinds of relationship with the Lord and a similar idea is presented in Solomon’s Songs. This is not expressed so much in the Bible, but Srimad Bhagavatam, other Puranas, Vedanta, Upanisads—all the Vedic scriptures—declare that the Lord has a sach-chid-ananda vigraha, He has an eternal, spiritual, cognisant form of ecstasy. His form is not like mine. My form is material. I cannot grasp what is material and what is spiritual, therefore real knowledge remains hidden from me. Many religions have manifested in this material world, but having seen our position, having seen how much we can conceive and how much we can digest, the religious teachers have preached accordingly.

From five thousand years ago the research scholars told us that the Lord has form; He is a sach-chid-ananda vigraha. He is the creator of all creation. He has a brain. He has a face. He has everything. His form is like our human form, but it is not human. He is Krishna, He always attracts our minds. We can join His eternal pastimes. We can have a relationship with Krishna as our friend rather than as our God. There are five kinds of relationships we can have with the Lord: santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, and madhura. We can play with the Lord through our love. If my Lord plays football with me, what sweet feelings will come to me? Such sweet feelings will come.

* * * * *

Chapter Three:
The Eternal Play

One kind of play of Sri Krishna is on the bank of the Yamuna, or the bank of the Ganges, chanting and dancing with his girlfriends and boyfriends. His eternal play is going on with His father and mother. There everything is beautiful and eternal. There is some description of Vrindavan given in Sri Brahma-samhita (5.56):

sriyah kantah kantah parama-purusah kalpa-taravo

druma bhumis chintamani-gana-mayi toyam amrtam

katha ganam natyam gamanam api vamsi priya-sakhi

chid anandam jyotih param api tad asvadyam api cha

There all girls are beautiful like Laksmi Devi; all beauty and wealth is in them in a very concentrated form. Krishna’s form is so beautiful, and He is the enjoyer of those girls—kantah parama-purusah. All the trees there are kalpa-taravo, wish-fulfilling trees. If you want anything from a tree, he can give it to you. If you ask a banana tree, “Give me an apple,” immediately he will give you an apple. If you ask an apple tree for a papaya, he will give you a papaya. The transcendental world has that type of character. There the feelings are not artificial in any way; all the feelings are natural, a natural flow is there. Krishna does not think, “I am God,” and the friends of Krishna do not think, “Krishna is my Lord,” not that way. “He is my bosom friend,” in this way their feelings are coming.

Consorthood, paramour love, so many things are there that here sometimes give us so much pain. There they give only happiness. There is no place for pain there—only when the play of the Lord necessitates it some deficiency may come, but that only exists within the play. That knowledge will be revealed in our hearts if we will try to search, try to proceed. If we sincerely try to get that, we can. This is the gift of Sriman Mahaprabhu.

Before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave it to us, we did not know the process, even though it is written in the scriptures. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu discovered it and gave it to us, “You see, this is your process, and it is the easiest process.” By His grace we can understand that. He said:

harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam

kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva gatir anyatha

It is not necessary to collect an ocean of knowledge from the scriptures. The only necessity is your chastity and faith in the divine Name of the Lord. Why? Some reasons have been given that we can easily understand. In this world, so many scientists have invented many things. How are we getting email, telephone, and television? Through sound. In this material world it is possible, so why is it not possible to connect with the transcendental world through sound? It can come down into this material world. We can see that ray, and through that ray we can go there. Here we are getting connection everywhere through ether. If we can go a little further, we can connect with the transcendental divine form of the Lord, which is His Name. If it is transcendental, if it is divine, it must have the full power to give us this knowledge, and that Name can enter anywhere. The telephone calls are coming here without a problem; then why can’t that transcendental knowledge come into my heart? Why can’t that transcendental knowledge live there? We must believe it. Try to research and try to understand which way it is possible. Mahaprabhu Chaitanyadev said the transcendental vibration form of our Lord is Harinam. It will be revealed in your heart.

cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-mahadavagni-nirvapanam

sreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam

anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamrtasvadanam

sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna-sankirtanam

Mahaprabhu also described the process:

trnad api sunichena taror iva sahisnuna

amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

Be humble, be tolerant, give honour to others, make everyone your friend. Try to get a connection with the transcendental abode through Harinam, the Lord’s Name. Practise your spiritual life and see the result. It is not dead matter. You will eat and others then will be fulfilled? It is not a fact. When you eat, you will feel, “My belly is becoming full, my mind is becoming satisfied, and my hunger is going away.” These feelings naturally will come to you.

How will I go back from here to the hotel? My driver knows, “This is the way.” He will not miss the way. So, we must search, but with proper guidance. If you want Newcastle coal, you must go to Newcastle. If you want Ganges water, go to the Ganges. If you want Thames water, go to the Thames. If you want something, go to the source. In this way your searching will take you there.

It is not necessary to blindly accept anything. My Guru Maharaj gave many English books: The Search for Sri Krishna—Reality the Beautiful, Loving Search for the Lost Servant, Subjective Evolution of Consciousness, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love, Sri Guru and His Grace, and others. We have published over two hundred books in different languages for the benefit of others.

My lifetime is already finished. I am also an astrologer, but I am not reading anyone’s horoscope. I closed that chapter forty years ago. Still, I know my lifetime is finished, so how am I alive? It is by the grace of my Guru Maharaj. I told my Guru Maharaj, “Maharaj, my lifetime is not very long. You know this, you are a great astrologer. Why are you trying to establish me? Choose another very good man, and I shall serve him.” But Guru Maharaj said, “I am giving you life. I am giving your life an extension; throw your horoscope away.” And now I see that it is possible, for it has come to me. By the grace of my Guru I have received an extended lifetime.

I have no intention to enjoy this life. I am working only for the service of Lord Krishna and for the satisfaction of my Guru Maharaj. I must try to do good for everyone; that is the instruction of my Guru Maharaj. I want to be your friend, not your enemy. Krishna said in Srimad Bhagavad-gita (6.5):

uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet

atmaiva hy atmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah

You are your own best friend and your own worst enemy. You cannot conceive how much bad and how much good you can do for yourself. All power is in your hand. Try to play properly and you must get the result. The football always goes to the feet of those who can play properly, and others who run after the football can’t get it. So, try to search properly, sincerely. You will get a good result, and your life will be extremely benefitted.

* * * * *

The Logo of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

By His Divine Grace
Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj￼

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, where sankirtan is always going on, is inside Krishna’s flute, and the sound om, which is the very gist meaning of gayatri, comes from Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, radiating merciful rays. Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj explains that everything is found within om—coming from Krishna’s flute, its meaning is “Gayatri muralista-kirtana-dhanam Radha-padam dhimahi. Krishna’s flute does not make any other sound except for the glorification of Srimati Radharani.” That is the real meaning and gist of the gayatri mantram.

The position of the guru is like water; the servitors of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math are like lotuses; and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshipped in His divine form of Radha-Krishna (om), is the sun. The sun’s merciful rays nourish the lotus, but if there is no water—if one cannot take shelter of Sri Guru and His grace—then the lotus becomes burnt by the rays of the sun.

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math’s Mission

srimach-chaitanya-sarasvata-mathavara-udgita-kirtir jaya-srim

bibhrat sambhati ganga-tata-nikata-nabadwipa-koladri-raje

yatra sri-gaura-sarasvata-mata-nirata-gaura-gatha grnanti

nityam rupanuga sri-krtamati-guru-gauranga-radha-jitasa

‘At this supremely enchanting divine ashram, destitute and spiritually loving devotees of Sri Gaura-Saraswati, who are expert at favourable practices of Krishna consciousness, constantly chant within their hopeful hearts the glories of Lord Sri Sri Gaurasundar, the greatly magnanimous source of all incarnations of the Lord, following in strict adherence the line of Sri Sri Rupa-Raghunath, the inexhaustible storehouse of the wealth of divine ecstatic consorthood love, and being eternally eager to engage in the loving service of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govindasundar and Their associates. This effulgent and supremely worshippable King among all temples, Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, is situated within Koladwip, which is non-different from Sri Govardhan, the King of Mountains, on the enchanting bank of the revered Bhagirathi River, who rescues all fallen souls, in Sri Nabadwip Dham, a holy abode of touchstones, non-different from Sri Vrindavan. Capturing Jayasri (the Goddess of Victory – Srimati Radharani), it exists eternally, leaving the entire creation of moving and non-moving entities astonished in the extremely cooling and loving shade of the soaring victory flag of its ever-increasing celebrated renown.’

(The translation of the verse is rendered from the original Bengali translation written by Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.)

Headquarters
of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Road,

Kolerganj, W.Bengal, 741302

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Bhanjipur, Tarakeshwar,

Hooghly, West Bengal, 712410

Phone: +91 96093 02310

Please see scsmathinternational.com for other addresses in India and worldwide.

Books and Publications of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

(English language)

(Available at scsmathinternational.com)

By Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

Search for Sri Krishna Reality the Beautiful

Sri Guru and His Grace

The Golden Volcano of Divine Love

Subjective Evolution of Consciousness

Loving Search for the Lost Servant

Centenary Anthology

Divine Aspiration

Exclusive Guardianship

Golden Staircase

Heart and Halo

Holy Engagement

Home Comfort

Inner Fulfillment

Ocean of Nectar

Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamaritam

Sri Sri Prema-dhama-devam Stotram

Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion – Volumes I, II, III, IV

By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj:

Divine Servitor

Dignity of the Divine Servitor

Divine Guidance

Golden Reflections

The Benedictine Tree of Divine Aspiration

Affectionate Guidance

Life’s Destination

In Search of the Original Source

Nectarean Glories of Sri Nityananda Prabhu

Religion of the Heart

Revealed Truth

By Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj:

Guidance – Volumes I, II, III, IV

Guidance (Issues 1–30): collections of lectures (electronic)

Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya-mukta-mala

By Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur:

Saranagati

Sri Nabadwip Dham Mahatmya

Dasa-mula Tattva

The Bhagavata

Other scriptures:

Sri Gaudiya Gitanjali (Kirtan Guide)

Holy Name and Offences to Be Avoided

Service Life

Srimad Bhagavad-gita

Sri Sri Prema-vivarta

Sri Brahma-samhita

(Many more publications in various languages are available at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in India and abroad. Please contact any of the Mission’s temples for further information.)