Homage to the Spiritual Preceptor
দেৱং দিৱ্য-তনুং সুছন্দৱদনম্ বলর্ক-চেলঞ্চিতং
সান্দ্রানন্দ-পুরং সদেকৱরণং ৱৈরাগ্য-ৱিদ্যাম্বুধিম্
শ্রী সিদ্ধন্তনিধিং সুভক্তিলসিতম্ সারস্ৱতানাম্ৱরং
ৱন্দে তং শুভদম্ মদ্ এক শরণম্ ন্যাসীশ্ৱরম্ স্রীধরম্
(শ্রী গুরুদেৱ ভক্তি সুন্দর্ গোৱিন্দ দেৱ্ গোস্বামী মহারাজ)
Vyāsa Puja homage
by Mathuranātha Prabhu
Celebrating the Blessed 121st appearance Day of my Gurudeva, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the founder of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, and lifelong friend of Srila Prabhupad A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
My Guru Maharaja was born in West Bengal, India in 1895, in a respected ancient Brahmana family of the Bhattacarya order, at Hapaniya, District Burdwan. His family lineage is traceable all the way back to recognized Vedic Rishis, and many generations of His family were scholars, saints, priests and gurus.
He received his education at Baharamapur University, and was active in Gandhi's Movement along with many other youth of His time, before meeting his spiritual master Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur in 1922.
Having taken his pious birth in Sri Gauda-Mandal, the holy lands where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His divine pastimes on this earth, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, from his very childhood, had a natural affinity for Hari Nam Sankirtan -- the Grand Congregational Chanting of the Holy Names of the Supreme Lord.
Once when His aunt was on pilgrimage she had a dream in which the deity she was visiting handed her a shining baby. In the dream she thought: "I already have a son but my sister has no child, I'll give the baby to her". Later, when my Gurudeva was born she recognized him as the baby given by the deity in her dream.
From his childhood he had inner faith in Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, with a natural attraction and affinity for nama-sankirtan; his scholarship and worldly detachment was formidable. His first contact with Sri Gaudiya Math was in 1923, and he fully commited himself to this Mission of his Guru, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupad, in 1926.
In 1930 his Guru gave him sannyasa, giving him his transcendental name, Bhakti Rakshak [Guardian of Devotion]. He took a prominent part in the founding, organizing and preaching of many of the Sri Gaudiya Maths all over India.
Srila Sridhar Maharaj composed many unique spiritual prayers and commentaries in Sanskrit and Bengali, revealing a devotional stature in common with that of the famed Goswamis of Vrindavan. Often thought even more amazing was his special ability to represent those thoughts in the international language of English. In this way, many of his Holy Teachings have been published in the form of books.
In 1926, Srila Sridhar Maharaj joined the Sri Gaudiya Math, and became an initiated disciple of its founder, the illustrious Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Goswami Prabhupad (1874-1937). He later accepted the holy order of sannyasa [monkhood] in 1930. Recognizing him as a faithful stalwart preacher of the perfect precepts of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad conferred upon him the name "Sri Bhakti Rakshak," which means "Guardian of Devotion."
And further echoing the statement of the great Vaishnava Preceptor, Srila Jiva Goswami -- who referred in his Sanskrit writings to the renowned Srimad Bhagavatam commentator, Sri Sridhar Swami, as bhakti eka raksaka [Supreme Guardian of Devotion] -- Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad gave him the Tridandi-Sannyasa title of "Sridhar." Thus, he became Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj.
As a prominent treacher in the Sri Gaudiya Math mission, he travelled extensively throughout India and taught fluently in Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English, spreading the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many levels in universities, public seminars, and Sankirtan festivals.
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad also expressed high appreciation of Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Sanskrit composition, Sri Bhaktivinoda Viraha Dasakam, considering it an omen of assurance that the grand ideals and dignity of the Sri Gaudiya Sampradaya would be perfectly upheld and preached by such a learned and sensitive devotee as Srila Sridhar Maharaj.
As a testimony to this fact, just prior to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad's departure from this mortal world, Srila Prabhupad had Srila Sridhar Maharaj sing, in his presence, the holy prayer most venerated by the entire Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava community, Sri Rupa Manjari Pada.
After the passing of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Goswami Prabhupad, Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Godbrothers, associates, and the public, naturally revered him as the senior-most representative of the Sri Gaudiya Sampradaya, although Srila Sridhar Maharaj himself was more inclined to anonymity as a humble Vaishnava. Nonetheless, by the call of divine duty and divine inspiration, he established the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math at Sri Nabadwip Dham in 1944, hinting in a short Sanskrit poem that the Math -- as a sanctuary where the holy message of his Gurudev, Sri Rupa, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was preached -- would inevitably become renowned throughout the world amongst the sincere and pious seekers of Unalloyed Truth and Divinity.
Srila Sridhar Maharaj is the composer of numerous classical prayers and commentaries in Sanskrit and Bengali. His works are hailed as gems of pure Vaishnavism by scholars, philosophers, and devotees worldwide. He authored Sri Sri Prapanna Jivanamrtam, a Sanskrit devotional treatise on the subject of divine surrender, which has become a standard text-book for devotees everywhere. Upon reaching his eighties, not only Indians, but persons from America, Europe, and the world over, became attracted by Srila Sridhar Maharaj's teachings and personality. He was known as a pure saint of the most simple living habits. He was respected and loved for his saintly simplicity, and his affectionate nature and dealings. He was revered by his God brothers, disciples, other devotees, and the general public, and was unanimously venerated for his formidable encyclopedic command of the revealed scriptures, and his unique and unprecedented style of casting newer and newer light upon the most internal philosophical and revelatory purports of pure Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava Siddhanta.
A vast library of Srila Sridhar Maharaj's taped discourses has been compiled by his disciples, and from such recordings, the exquisite English books -- Search for Sri Krishna, Sri Guru and His Grace, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love, Loving Search for the Lost Servant, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj's unique commentary and interpretation of "Srimad Bhagavad Gita: The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute" -- and many other books have been published. Many more publications are also anticipated.
On August 12th, 1988, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj departed from this world, to enter into his eternal pastimes. His departure did not herald the departure of one of the great stars of the Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava firmament, but that of the moon itself. Even the Earth herself trembled on two occasions, forecasting and punctuating the event. A divine temple, "The Temple of Union in Separation," was erected at his holy shrine at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip, and worship will continue throughout the generations. Hundreds from all over the globe had by this time taken shelter in him as disciples, and his amazing realizations continue to inspire thousands to this day.
Before his departure Srila Sridhar Maharaj selected his most intimate and senior Sannyasi disciple, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaja, as his successor, blessing him with the position of Acharya-President of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and its affiliated branches worldwide.
I first met my Divine Gurudeva in April of 1985 at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Nabadwip Dham India, 100 miles north of Kolkatta on the Ganges Delta. It was a profound turning point in my life, and though He was quite elderly, and I was quite inexperienced and young, He was compassionate and mercifully bestowed upon me entrance through Hari-nam initiation into the august assembly of sincere seekers.
The following year by His Grace and the mercy of His Holiness Srila Govinda Maharaj, I received full brahminical initiation into the Vedic priesthood at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math on the banks of the holy Ganges River.
The following year by His Grace and the mercy of His Holiness Srila Govinda Maharaj, I received full brahminical initiation into the Vedic priesthood at the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math on the banks of the holy Ganges River.
देवं दिव्य-तनुं सुछन्दवदनम् बलर्क-चेलञ्चितं
सान्द्रानन्द-पुरं सदेकवरणं वैराग्य-विद्याम्बुधिम्
श्री सिद्धन्तनिधिं सुभक्तिलसितम् सारस्वतानाम्वरं
वन्दे तं शुभदम् मद् एक शरणम् न्यासीश्वरम् स्रीधरम्
(श्री गुरुदेव भक्ति सुन्दर् गोविन्द देव् गोस्wआमी महाराज)
devaṃ divya-tanuṃ suchandavadanam balarka-celañcitaṃ
sāndrānanda-puraṃ sadekavaraṇaṃ vairāgya-vidyāmbudhim
śrī siddhantanidhiṃ subhaktilasitam sārasvatānāmvaraṃ
vande taṃ śubhadam mad eka śaraṇam nyāsīśvaram srīdharam
(Śrī Gurudeva Bhakti Sundar Govinda dev Goswāmī Mahārāja)
"I fall at the feet of Srila Sridhar Dev, who with charming expression sings his songs of sweet nectar. Dressed in fine garments like the newly-risen sun, he is the true saint, the devotees have chosen. His detachment and knowledge are just like an ocean, the treasure-house of complete, perfect conclusions. Radiant in pastimes of loving devotion, the abode of pure ecstasy, bestower of good fortune; foremost true follower of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta, foremost great general of the whole renounced order, my lord and my master, my only shelter, I worship his feet, Srila Sridhar Dev." ~Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj.
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