Abhaya Caranaravinda, he will go.

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Posted: 17:00 (IST)

05. December 2004

VINA | Vaishnavas - Friends of the Soul

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ABHAYA CARANARAVINDA, HE WILL GO

by Bhakti Ujjvala Muni Maharaja

 

Srila Bhakti Kamala Madhusudana Maharaja is a disciple of Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and was a friend and associate of Srila

Prabhupada. The following recollections were told to us by his disciple,

Bhakti Ujjvala Muni Maharaja, who lives at the Gopinatha Gaudiya Matha,

Dauji Mandira in Vrindavan.

 

* * *

 

I never met with Swami Maharaja (Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupada), so all that I repeat here is that which I've heard from my

gurudeva's memories.

 

One time, my guru maharaja and Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja were

staying in the Bombay matha on August Kranti Road. At that time, Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada went there to visit this matha. All the

disciples, Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Goswami Maharaja, Madhava Maharaja, my

guru maharaja, Madhusudhana Maharaja, Abhaya Caranaravinda prabhu and many

closely related devotees were staying there near their Prabhupada

(Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati). They were talking with each other about

preaching.

 

The question, who will go to the West? They already had some details

about the West, yet some questions and answers were going on. At that time,

Srila Sridhara Maharaja asked Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada

about my guru maharaja. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati replied, "Narottama

Prabhu, he may go. He is preaching in Bombay in English. He is expert in

preaching. I confer my blessings if he goes."

 

But my gurudeva then requested of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati,

"Please, Gurudeva, don't order me. I cannot agree to go there because of

separation from you. I cannot tolerate it." Due to the thought of separation

from Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati's sanga, my Gurudeva was worried, his mind

was in pain and he was crying. He was a brahmacari at that time, only 27 or

28 years old. He was worrying that if he were to be ordered by

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and then could not do it, he would fall down. When

Bhaktisiddhanta realized his heart he said, "All right, no problem."

 

Then someone raised the question again and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta

Prabhupada himself suggested the name of Abhaya Babu. He very clearly said,

"Abhaya Caranaravinda, he will go." My gurudeva remembered that incident

very clearly, how Abhaya Babu acknowledged that order and how, amazingly, it

came to be true.

 

Afterwards, Swami Maharaja (Srila Prabhupada) went to the West and

got the blessings of his Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. Blessings means

being given the power, the force in his heart. When he went to the West, it

was an up and down situation. Very tactfully he preached there. Sometimes a

letter was coming to my guru maharaja in India with his descriptions. At

that time, Guru Maharaja told me "Swami Maharaja is giving great energy for

preaching. Very good quality."

 

Gurudeva told me how Swami Maharaja preached all over the world by

the blessings of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur with heart and soul.

Although he went alone, encouragement for preaching in his heart was strong.

This kind of quality of dedication is very rare.

 

 

Source:

"Our Srila Prabhupada - A friend to all"

by Mulaprakrti devi dasi