Back to work

Hi folks. I took a brief hiatus to work on the screen-play for an upcoming film. We've been working hard on the film since about August of 2014. It's a gradual, organic process. Some progress was made over the last couple of weeks, but it seems like two steps forwards one step back. We'll see what happens. I finished correcting the Sanskrit and Bengali for the Gauḍiya Kaṇṭhahāra, a compendium of verses for those interested in the core ideas of Gauḍiya Vaiṣṇavism.  

When I went to Śridhara Mahārāja seeking guidance some 34 years ago, back in 1982, the society of devotees was in a time of great turmoil. Śrīla Prabhupāda was no longer personally with us to guide us in our time of need. There was controversy about the successor acharya or acharyas. Who was fit to continue the mission?  Wrangling between different camps broke out. Division threatened to destroy completely the community that Prabhupāda had worked so hard to build. At that time Śrīdhara Mahārāja's guidance was invaluable.

And yet, he did not set himself up as a "big guru," demand tribute, or ask for donations for temple-building. He was plainly uninterested in accepting disciples. I had to beg him and Govinda Mahārāja to be initiated and was one of a handful of those he accepted, before he went on to promote Govinda Mahārāja.  

In those days, many devotees had questions on how to continue the mission in the absence of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Apart from his own advice, steeped in scriptural erudition, divine inspiration, and long experience, he referred us to the Gauḍiya Kaṇṭhahāra.

When unscrupulous so-called "gurus" hear of Śrīdhara Mahārāja's enthusiasm for Gauḍiya Kaṇṭhahāra, they tried to ban that book as well as his teachings.  When he heard how they had dishonoured that book, Śrīdhara Mahārāja remarked in my presence as follows: 

"It is a great dishonour especially to Prabhupäda (Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabupada). He very carefully he corrected, and that is the weapon of the preachers. It is a sacred book. Though it was published in the name of a grihastha, Atendriya Bhakti Ratnakara, but it was done by Prabhupäda himself. All the necessary proofs which a preacher should have, he collected there in different chapters, very suitable. Company of a preacher. Every preacher should keep that book in his company; such worth. Gaudiya Kanthahara. Kanthara, means necklace; the necklace of the Gaudiya. And, the name was given by our Guru Mahäräja - Bhakti Siddhänta Saraswati.'

 (recorded from a transcript of Śrīdhara Mahārāja's talk 82.03.03)

He personally told me on a number of occasions to consult the chapter on gurus, which is an authoritative compilation of scripture made under the guidance of Śrila Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhākura himself. Ever since that time it has been my hope and dream that the devotees would profit by reading and consulting this great treasure.

I have compiled most of the translations here by cross-referencing with Prabhupāda's books to find how Śrīla Prabhupāda handled the verse from Bhāgavatam or Chaitanya-Caritamṛta. Some of the translations are my own.  If there are any errors, of course, they are mine. But I hope this book will serve to further enlighten those who seek the deeper truths of Gauḍiya Vaishnava realisation.

humbly,

B.V. Mahāyogi.