October 31, 2017
All glory to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga
A Glimpse of the Glories of His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj [A special edition in glorification of Tridandi Goswami Sri Srimad Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaj]
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October 31, 2017
Every year after the Gaura-pūrṇimā festival, Śrīla Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj used to invite many of his godbrothers to attend a function at his Śrī Chaitanya Saraswat Maṭh at Koler Gañj, Navadvīp-dhām. During one such occasion, my Guru Mahārāj, after the completion of the Gaura-pūrṇimā festival, was engaged in managing the affairs of Śrī Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh— such as bidding farewell to the pilgrims and settling accounts—and despite his most sincere desire and efforts to reach Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh in a punctual manner, he arrived somewhat late to the assembly of Vaiṣṇavas gathered there. Upon seeing that Guru Mahārāj had arrived, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Kamal Madhusūdan Gosvāmī Mahārāj said, ‚Mādhava Mahārāj, you have arrived very late today. We have been waiting for you for a long time.‛ Guru Mahārāj replied, ‚Mahārāj, because many pilgrims had come to our maṭh for Navadwīp-dhām parikramā, we have incurred a great debt. Today I was busily engaged in settling these debts and resolving other issues, so that the services of the maṭh can continue. You and all the other Vaiṣṇavas present please forgive me for my delay.‛ Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vichār Yāyāvar Gosvāmī Mahārāj, having heard the response of Guru Mahārāj, said, ‚Nārambhān ārabhet kvacit—one must never attempt to unnecessarily increase one’s material opulence.‛ Hearing this, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj said, ‚Mādhava Mahārāj, I would like to reply to pūjyapāda Yāyāvar Mahārāj’s comment.‛ ‚Yes, Mahārāja-jī. As you please,‛ Guru Mahārāj relied. ‚For an elephant,‛ Śrīla Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj began, ‚a stick of sugar cane is as insignificant as nasavāra (snuff tobacco), whereas for an ant, the same sugar cane stick is like a mountain. An activity that to us may seem like a huge endeavor is nothing but an insignificant task for pūjyapāda Mādhava Mahārāj; he can perform such deeds without any difficulty. ‚In this regard, 2
October 31, 2017
I have had first-hand experience. Śrīla Prabhupāda had sent pūjyapāda Mādhava Mahārāj—then known as Śrī Hayagrīva Brahmachārī— and me to acquire some land at the meeting place of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu and Rāya Rāmānanda at Kovvur, near the banks of the Godāvarī River, in order to establish Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s footprints (pada-pīṭh) there. After many days of endless endeavor, I said, ‘Hayagrīva Prabhu, Śrīla Prabhupāda has sent us here with great hope to obtain a piece of land on which to establish Mahāprabhu’s padapīṭh. My brahmachārī name given by Śrīla Prabhupāda was Rāmānanda dāsa, and this is the meeting place of Mahāprabhu and Rāmānanda Rāya. Although we have tried our best to acquire land, we have not been successful. What is your opinion? Should we stay here longer, or should we leave for Madras for preaching?’ ‚Śrī Hayagrīva Prabhu replied, ‘It is my feeling that we have thus far not made any special endeavors. I think we should continue our efforts for some time more.’ ‛ Śrīla Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj then mentioned to all the Vaiṣṇavas present, ‚You may estimate his capability from this statement of his. The apparent end point of our attempts was for him a beginning point of fresh endeavors. Later, through his tireless efforts, a plot of land was acquired in Kovvur and a maṭh was established there. Śrīla Prabhupāda used to refer to Śrī Hayagrīva Brahmachārī as having ‘volcanic energy.’ Śrī Vāsudeva Prabhu used to call him sarva ghaṭe, one who excels in completing all types of tasks. ‚My personal view about pūjyapāda Mādhava Mahārāj is that he is comparable to none other than Śrīla Vakreśvara Paṇḍit, an associate of Śrīman Mahāprabhu who could dance continuously during kīrtan for seventy-two hours without becoming fatigued.‛
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October 31, 2017
Beyond the glorification of my Guru Mahārāj, this narration relates a significant lesson. Although Śrīla Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj was senior to my Guru Mahārāj, having joined the maṭh and having been awarded sannyāsa-veśh earlier than him, he did not hesitate in observing and speaking about the good qualities of his junior. Śrī Goloka Vṛndāvan is the topmost abode, superior to all other Vaikuṇṭha planets, and it remains eternally free from even the faintest scent of jealousy and envy. Because Śrīla Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj is among the great personalities who are sincere (nirmatsara) followers of the loving residents of this very Goloka Vṛndāvan, he remains free from the material limitations of this world, and was therefore able to offer such genuinely humble and non-duplicitous praise…[a sweet and glorious narration of events from Srila Bhakti Vijñana Bharati Maharaj, from the book, My Divine Masters.
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