Public Declaration

[Guest guest]

Public Declaration

by Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

 

[from a recording on Gaura Purnima, 26th March, 1986]

 

According to the desire of my Divine Master, I have been maintaining

this Disciplic Succession but it is no longer possible for me, as I

am now too old and an invalid. You all know from long ago I have

chosen Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj and I have given him

sannyasa. All my Vaishnava Godbrothers are very affectionate towards

him and it is also their desire to give him this position. I have

previously given to him the charge of the Math and now I am giving

him the full responsibility of giving Harinam, diksha, sannyasa,

etc., as an Acharya of this Math on behalf of myself.

 

Those who have any regard for me should give this respect and

position to Govinda Maharaj as my successor. As much as you have

faith in my sincerity, then with all sincerity I believe that he has

got the capacity of rendering service in this way. With this I

transfer these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as

ritvik. The ritvik system is already involved both here and also in

the foreign land. The ritvik is the representative. So if you want to

take from me, and you take by his hands, then it will be as well and

as good as taking from me.

 

In the Mahamandala, Sagar Maharaj and many others are also ritvik of

Swami Maharaj and also myself. They may do so, but in this Math and

in any Math under this Math, he will be the representative. If anyone

cannot accept this, he may leave the Math rather than stay here and

disturb the peace of the Math. With all my sincerity and good

feelings to Guru-Gauranga, to the Vaishnavas and the Acharyas,

Mahaprabhu, Pancha-Tattva, Radha-Govinda and Their Parshadas, with

all my sincere prayers to Them, henceforth he will represent me in

this affair beginning from today's function.

 

Now I shall go from here and he will do the necessary. On my behalf,

he will give Harinama, diksha, sannyasa, and everything.

 

 

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Last Will & Testament

"The said Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, of whom I, Srila

Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, am the Godfather, and am

by caste Gaudiya-Vaishnava Brahmin, and am by occupation a Religious

Preacher and Worshipper of the Deities at the address Sri Chaitanya

Saraswat Math, P.O. and Police Station Nabadwip -- the said Sriman

Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, who, despite temporarily changing his

formal position, was named and recognized by me as Sri Govinda Sundar

Vidyaranjan and engaged by me in all the various services of the

Math; and upon whom on the 6th November, 1985, I conferred the order

of sannyasa whence I again named and recognized him as Sri Bhakti

Sundar Govinda Maharaj; and, since he has tirelessly and whole-

heartedly assisted in the duties of organizing and developing this

Math and also in the duties of establishing and developing Calcutta

and Hapaniya Centers, etc., and since he has arranged many donors and

has provided much encouragement to even myself in the duties of

managing the Math, etc., and all the above-mentioned tasks he is

still performing up to this day; and since he is still naturally

disposed to serve the Math and its residents, and at all times he is

endeavoring for the progressive development of Sri Math, and above

all, he is well-known and unanimously acclaimed as being firmly

established in the philosophy of the Siddhanta [Perfect Axiomatic

Truth] of Bhakti as propounded by both myself as well as by my Divine

Master -- thus, I hereby appoint him as my Successor Sevaite Acharya,

and President.

"In compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the aforesaid Deed,

all my lawful claims, directorship, and rights will automatically be

inherited by him. In all my Maths, etc., he alone shall as the

Acharya, confer initiation, etc., and shall as the Sevaite [Guardian-

Servitor] and President, manage all the duties of my established

Temples, Ashrams, etc.

 

"Hereby, I do reveal my final desire and directives unto all my

Eastern and Western lady and gentlemen disciples, as well as to the

faithful souls devoted to the Divinity, that: they must respect him

as the exclusive Acharya and President, and remain faithful to him

and cooperate with him in the service duties of the Math.

 

"If anyone cannot honor these directives and this final desire of

mine, then they shall be bound to dissociate themselves from my

established Maths."