HH Sridhar Swami Maharaja Memorial Speeches

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

On March 23rd the second anniversary of HH Sridhar Swami Maharaja

disappearance was observed in Mayapur. Below is the transcription of the

memorial speeches given in his honour.

 

__________________________

 

 

Gaurahari Das:

 

So for those who of you who don't know this insignificant,

impudent person sitting here, my name is Gaurahari. I have the great

pleasure and honour of being an initiated disciple of His Holiness Srila

Sridhar Swami Maharaja. I was originally a disciple of somebody else. . .

anyway it's not about me but maybe it's relevant to tell the truth, a short

story about how I came to be a disciple. I joined back in 1980 and as I said

became a disciple of Harikesa.

 

First time I met Maharaja, apart from just seeing him from a distance in

Bombay and here in Mayapur, he came to Copenhagen, which is my home city,

back in 1992 I think it was. Around New Year 92-93. He started travelling

more at that time, before he had been pretty much staying in Bombay most of

the time. But then he started travelling and giving his friend-making and

fund-raising seminars. So he came to Denmark also and gave that seminar. He

was there for a week.

 

Interesting thing in the context of what later happened was that at that

time I became very impressed. He was such a powerful personality, so

enthusiastic, so fired-up his lectures were. We all know Maharaja was

roaring sometimes from the Vyasasana. His whole personality attracted me.

And I was married at that time and the first lecture he gave - we were

living in a flat near the temple and my wife for some reason, she was sick

or something, she didn't come for that lecture. But I was there and after

the programme I came back to the flat and I was narrating to my wife about

this very nice Maharaja. . . . I said he's really so powerful, he's such a

great devotee and I told her at that time, I said - and I never said like

that about anybody else, I'd met so many preachers, sannyasis, gurus - but

when I came back I told her, "If I would be in a position to choose a

spiritual master I might take shelter of him." I told her that. That was

back in '92. Later on it proved to be prophetic words because I came in that

situation and I took advantage of the opportunity and actually became his

disciple.

 

There are many things I could tell about my experiences with Sridhar Swami.

The thing that really, besides that first meeting when I was really

impressed, later on I got the chance to also have a little more person to

person interaction with Maharaja and it came especially one time, that was

later on when my marriage broke, unfortunately it happens like that, I don't

want to go into great detail, but as a consequence of that I was asked to

leave the temple. And I felt it was quite unfair to say the least. It was

very hard for me to take, it was a big test in my spiritual life I can say

frankly, but it just so happened that at that time Sridhar Swami made

another visit to Denmark. He started coming every year since that first

visit. It was also just after I got that message that "You have to go from

here, your wife is more important to the temple than you are." You can

imagine, it was hard to take.

 

So I was a little depressed to say the least but Maharaja came very kindly

to Denmark and by Krsna's arrangement, as we say, I was asked to pick him up

at the airport, it was half an hour or more drive to the temple. Somehow we

immediately got into talking about my situation. He had an aspiring disciple

there in Denmark at that time, one Mataji. He immediately asked me when we

sat in the car, "Do you know this girl?"

 

I said, "Yes, I know her," and I said "I like her." [laughs] And at time I

was already in saffron and he looked at me and said, "I hope not too much."

[laughter]

 

And I said, "No, no, don't worry. I just got out of one marriage so I'm not.

I just changed to saffron now so I'm not, no plans to get into something

again."

 

And he said, "Oh really, how did that happen, tell me the story."

 

Then I told him everything, including how I had been asked to go from the

temple. In short he was just very nice, as we all know Sridhar Maharaja,

giving me the physical and psychological pat on the shoulder, telling me

that I should see this is all Krsna's plan, this is a chance for me to

renounce, actually everything should be seen as a chance to make advancement

in spiritual life, just very warm and friendly like that. It was just really

what I needed at that time because I kind of felt that I really had no

friends. I just needed somebody to at least show me some good feelings and

he did that. That was very important for me to somehow go through and not

bloop or do something stupid like that. That was in the beginning of '97.

 

It was only one year later that the big earthquake in the North European

zone took place and I realised I had to find some other shelter. Immediately

I thought about Sridhar Swami and eventually I also decided to approach him.

In this way I became his disciple.

 

What I didn't expect was once I became his disciple our relationship changed

quite drastically. I was very happy about this friendly relationship, but it

was not in my hands, he had another plan. Because once I became his

disciple, or once I told him I wanted to become his disciple, then his mood

changed. He became more like a stern father. It was difficult for me also to

handle that because by that time I was already a devotee for 20 years, and I

thought I had basically got it figured out, I didn't need somebody to tell

me how to brush my teeth, so to speak. So it was a little difficult, I have

to admit, to cope with that drastic change of mood from his side, but anyway

I knew that if I truly accept him as my spiritual master, it's up to him to

define the terms of our relationship. I just have to put up with it. I said

I want to be his disciple, now I have to take whatever comes.

 

I struggled through it but now I can say that I'm beginning to understand

that this was also what I actually needed and was actually very good for me.

I had to go thought that new bhakta period almost, it felt like that. All in

all I have not regretted that I made this choice. I actually feel very

fortunate to get the chance to become a disciple of Srila Sridhar Swami

Maharaja, and I beg for him to continue to bestow his mercy on this fallen

soul. OK, let us stop here, Hare Krsna. Srila Sridhar Swami Maharaja ki jai!

 

 

Sacipran Das:

 

Hare Krsna. I am Sacipran, I am ex-gurukula, Mayapur. I left the Gurukula in

92-93. I am staying in Bangalore and I visit the local Jagannath temple.

Actually I didn't know much about Maharaja. I met him at a very crucial time

of my life. Actually in one sense I'm sitting here practically because of

him. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't be sitting here. It was a very brief

moment, he spoke to me only for a few moments, but as the saying goes:

 

lava-matra sadhu-sanga sarva siddhi haya

 

I didn't leave the Gurukula in happy circumstances. In bad shape I left, I

lost faith in the movement and I was working in the ritvik temple, Hare

Krishna Hill. I had a lot of leaning towards Sri Vaisnavism because when I

was in Gurukula, I used to do a lot of research work and I got attracted, of

course it's authorized, but I had very strong leanings towards Sri

Vaisnavism.

 

Once Maharaja came from Bombay, and there is a Nrsimhadeva temple near

Bangalore, about 140 kms from there. It's a very ancient temple and Maharaja

was going there. So he met me in the temple, I was working as a karmi. So he

said, "Hey Gurukula, how are you doing?" I actually didn't want to speak to

him. I just said, "Yes, Maharaja, I'm OK." I just wanted to be nice, I

didn't want to be impolite to a sannyasi. He clearly saw through that I had

some problem with authority so he called me aside and then he told me that

if one wants spiritual life, it is not the problem of the guru to go and

make all facilities for the disciple to make advancement. It is the duty, or

the responsibility is on the disciple, he should take the initiative, take

difficulties, take pains and approach the guru for knowledge. That's how it

is, it's not the other way around, like Prabhu had just said.

 

It was very bitter for me at that time, it was very hard for me to swallow.

But I took courage and said "OK, let me." The way he put it in a very

friendly way, at the same time very firmly and authoritatively, I said, "OK,

let me give a shot, let me see. What do I have to lose? I don't think I'm

going to lose anything." Then slowly I came back. I think Maharaja, the way

he put it was he didn't pressurize me but at the same time he was very firm

in what he was saying, that he was not going to compromise with me bowing my

head to the authorities, to ISKCON, guru, and Krsna. And I think that is

what spiritual life is all about, that the disciple has to approach the guru

with a humble mood. If he is in a bad mood, it is not that the guru is going

to come and flatter him to come to spiritual life.

 

I have very many Sri Vaisnava friends who are from very high families, great

Nrsimhadeva devotees. Many of them whom I met they praise Maharaja like

anything. They are very fond of him. They said whenever they met him he has

been very affectionate to them, very friendly. . . . He was the most

friendliest devotee they ever met in ISKCON, and they've had ISKCON

association for the past 30-35 years. This place is Melkote. Sridhar

Maharaja, they like him very much there. After His Holiness disappeared, we

did some special puja in his name at that Nrsimhadeva temple. Maharaja's

favourite Deity was Nrsimhadeva.

 

I have this Sudarsana-astaka, eight verses in glorification of Sudarsana. I

want to chant for Maharaja's pleasure, for the devotees' pleasure. It is

just eight verses. I want to request you, the fourth line is jaya jaya sri

sudarsana, jaya jaya sri sudarsana. I think everybody could join if you

don't mind. This verse was revealed by Vedantadesika Acarya who is the bell.

The bell you ring is Vedantadesika Acarya. He appeared in Sri Vaisnava

sampradaya and at that time he set the Pancaratra system of worship. He

reinforced what Ramanujacarya had established because what Ramanuja

established had watered down and many other philosophies had come in. So

Vedanta-desika Acarya established the Pancaratra system.

 

He has glorified Lord Sudarsana very much because our preaching movement is

always under attack, constant attack by the demons. Not made-up demons,

these are real guys, they mean real business. They'll do anything to stop

the movement. So the Sri Vaisnavas say that in Kali-yuga the war between

devas and demons will be fought through humans. The so-called human being

will be the medium. So it's up to each individual to align with the devas or

the asuras. Deva means they have to become a devotee, asura means you have

to be a non-devotee, as Srila Prabhupada says, those who are against the

order of the Lord.

 

So we need Lord Sudarsana's mercy. I just want to chant these prayers, if

you could join me it would be very nice.

 

[Recites Sudarsana-astaka]

 

Sudarsana Maharaja ki jai! Sridhara Maharaja ki jai! Haribol!

 

 

 

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami:

 

[invocatory prayers]

 

I remember very vividly the first time I met Maharaja. It was in 1977, very

beginning of '77, early January in Prayaga, Kumbha Mela. Prabhupada was

there and we, from Mayapur, drove in a bus about 35-40 devotees traveled to

Prayaga, Allahabad, for the Kumbha Mela there.

 

The next morning after the prasad, Sridhar Maharaja announced that he was

going to take the devotees who are interested in book distribution. Kumbha

Mela is very, very wonderful place for book distribution because there are

not only thousands of people that come, actually literally millions of

people come. And most of them are very pious, so it is a wonderful

opportunity for distributing Srila Prabhupada's books.

 

I was just a new devotee, just a few months in the movement. So I raised my

hand and expressed my hand to go for book distribution. Sridhar Maharaja was

very pleased. He was as we all know, Sridhar Maharaja was very friendly. One

of the most friendly persons I have ever met. When he saw I was just a new

bhakta, a few months in the movement, who is not very expert in book

distribution, he just took me to distribute books.

 

He was pushing me, like, go, you speak Hindi, speak to them in Hindi. Most

of the people there were Hindi-speaking, simple villagers. So that is the

first time I met Maharaja. From the very first meeting, we became very close

to each other. Those days of course, Maharaja was a sannyasi. In those days

the sannyasis in ISKCON were something like very special individuals. They

were naturally leaders of ISKCON. ISKCON movement those days was very

strong, very powerful. Prabhupada was present and the movement was

expanding.

 

Maharaja was in a very exalted position as a sannyasi and I was just a new

bhakta, but still Maharaja treated me with so much care and affection. That

was Sridhar Maharaja. He has always been caring, very friendly, very loving,

very welcoming. He never desired any respect for himself. He was very

humble. He didn't have any pretension. That was one thing that was very

striking about Maharaja's characteristics. Although he was a very big

leader, very senior devotee, but he always carried himself in a very humble

way and never really demanded any respect.

 

And his compassion was very outstanding. I noticed after Prabhupada's

disappearance many Prabhupada disciples left the movement. Not immediately

after Prabhupada's disappearance, but gradually devotees were, for various

reasons, they left the movement and gradually drifted away from their

practices. Maharaja always whenever he used to go abroad he used to find

those individuals and meet with them and try to bring them back. And if they

couldn't come back, he would at least maintain an ongoing relationship with

them so that they could at least establish a link to come back when they

wanted to. In this way Maharaja brought many individuals, many Godbrothers

of ours, back to their active service in the ISKCON movement.

 

He was always very, very concerned about the spiritual life of everyone. Not

only devotees, many people, many outsiders and congregation members remember

him fondly how Maharaja actually brought them close to Krsna consciousness.

In the early days Maharaja was very actively involved in making Life

Members. Many such Life Members, due to Maharaja's influence, became close

to ISKCON.

 

One such person actually became my disciple. I always felt that Maharaja

should actually initiate them, should have initiated him and his wife. Very

nice couple came in contact with Maharaja, Maharaja actually made them Life

Members. Then one day Maharaja took me to their house. When the time came

for their initiation and they expressed their desire to take initiation, I

was insisting that, "Maharaja, you should give them initiation because you

have cultivated them." But Maharaja insisted I give them initiation mainly

for some practical reasons. Because Maharaja said that, "Look I'm hardly in

Calcutta; I'm mostly in Bombay and you are spending most of your time

there." In this way Maharaja was very concerned about individuals' spiritual

lives, not anything else, especially not his self-aggrandizement.

 

As I mentioned, initially, I had a very reverential attitude towards

Maharaja because he was such an exalted sannyasi and I was just a new

bhakta. I joined much later. I joined the movement in 1976 and Maharaja was

already a sannyasi. But in 1977 Srila Prabhupada gave me sannyasa. So when I

became a sannyasi and I tried to maintain that reverential attitude,

Maharaja just wouldn't allow me to do that. He just took me as a friend.

 

He was always pushing, he used to push me that we should do this. All for

the spreading of Prabhupada's mission and the expanding of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu's sankirtana movement.

 

Bombay and New York were two places where I had a lot of Maharaja's

association. More in New York than in Bombay. I was involved in New York,

Maharaja was spending a lot of time in New York. There we had a lot of time

together. I used to see how concerned he was about the welfare of our

movement, about the expansion of Krsna consciousness movement. He always

considered how to bring more people in and engage them. And in his very

friendly and jovial and boisterous way Maharaja used to enliven everybody.

Especially the newcomers used to become very enchanted by Maharaja's nature.

He was so humorous, so jovial.

 

I remember one incidence in New York. I took one of my acquaintances from

Washington and Maharaja used to have one contraption like that would make

you hang upside down. [chuckles] So Maharaja put Henry in that. And when you

put him upside down, like you lie down in that thing and that contraption

swivels and then you hang upside down. Maharaja used to use that for his

physical exercise. He used to tell me that it is a very good thing for your

body. So when he did that, all of the money in Henry's pockets fell out.

[laughs] He said, "Don't worry, this is how we collect money from people."

[laughter]

 

We miss him, we miss him a lot, especially when I go to Bombay, each time I

go to Bombay. One very important part in Bombay that is missing now is

Sridhar Maharaja. Bombay was like his home. Bombay temple was his place of

activities. He used to take care of everyone - from devotees to congregation

members to guests, young and old. He used to take care of everyone. Our

movement is missing out on his input that was so valuable, that was so

important.

 

But what to do? This is the reality. One by one we will be leaving. But this

movement will go on, the movement must go on and the void that has been

created by the disappearance of individuals, very important individuals like

Sridhar Maharaja. We have to make the endeavour to fill up that void by

acquiring the qualities, the wonderful exemplary qualities that they used to

have. That is how we enrich our souls and that is how we will enrich the

society. We pray to Maharaja that he blesses us that we can develop a

fraction of his wonderful qualities and become a valuable part of this

movement as he so wonderfully displayed.

 

Srila Prabhupada has a lot of affection for him because of the wonderful

service he continuously rendered. There is no doubt that Srila Prabhupada

has blessed him in a most wonderful way. That is why Prabhupada arranged to

bring him to this holy Dham of Mayapur. When one leaves his body in these

holy Dhams like Mayapur and Vrindavan, he gets his spiritual position in the

spiritual sky. And obviously a personality like Srila Sridhar Maharaja has

now achieved his position in the spiritual sky at Srila Prabhupada's lotus

feet. And it is not ordinary the way he left his body, in a very special

place like holy Dham, Mayapur; on a very special occasion, a very special

day of Srila Srivasa Thakura's appearance day; in a very special year when

Panca Tattva were established in Mayapur Chandrodaya Mandir; at a very

special time like bahma-muhurta, the most auspicious time of day. These are

all such wonderful indications that he has achieved his spiritual

perfection.

 

Srila Sridhar Swami Maharaja ki jai! Jagat-guru Srila Prabhupada ki jai!

Gaura-premanande!

 

 

 

Rajendranandana Prabhu: [invocatory prayers]

 

My name is Rajendranandana Das, a very insignificant disciple of His Divine

Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. Once time when Srila

Prabhupada was asked to glorify his spiritual master, he said, "What can I

say? He was a Vaikuntha man." The highest praise that I can give to Srila

Sridhar Swami Maharaja is, "What can I say, he was a Prabhupada man."

 

I'm going to keep my expression of gratitude very short because I'd rather

be hearing. That's what I like about these days. It may sound funny but

sometimes we don't glorify our Godbrothers, sisters, associates enough while

they're on the planet with us. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we hear in

Caitanya-caritamrta in several places that when he would get the chance to

glorify devotees it would be as if he would speak with five mouths.

Sometimes, like with Vasudeva Datta, I think it says as if with thousands of

mouths.

 

This is a special day as Maharaja has just said. Usually the light's not in

the Samadhi while coming to mangala-arati, but some of you Prabhus were

fixing up the Samadhi very nicely and decorating with flowers and his light

was on. Usually when I pass I just pay pranams and think of the four exalted

Vaisnavas there and head on to mangala-arati. But the light was on and I

could see Maharaja's picture and I took my shoes off and paid my obeisances.

And when I got up, of course I'm chanting japa, a wave of wonderful

enthusiastic Krsna consciousness overcame me. And I'm simply saying this

because I want to share with you that Maharaja is there, he's there in his

remembrances, he's there in his instructions which he may have shared with

some of us, when the Vaisnava passes away he doesn't really leave, not if we

don't let him go. If we hold on to the vani, to the memories, he is very

much accessible. So I appreciated feeling that this morning.

 

Part of the reason why I don't mind sitting here taking the opportunity to

try and say something about Maharaja comes from one reciprocation with him a

number of years ago here in Mayapur. It was up on Jayapataka Maharaja's

roof. Jayapataka Maharaja, Kavicandra Swami and Sridhar Maharaja were there

and they were sharing Srila Prabhupada katha with those who wanted to hear,

specifically about Mayapur katha. So when Prabhupada was here I was only

here for the 1977 Gaura Purnima Festival here in Mayapur, so I didn't think

I had very much to offer and I certainly didn't want to sit on the same

level as my senior and exalted Godbrothers, but I had had a little bit of

reciprocation in the past with Sridhar Maharaja, more with Kavicandra Swami,

etc., and they were going, "Come on, Raj," Kavicandra, that's what my

friends call me, and I said, "No, no, it's OK Maharaja, please." But Sridhar

Swami Maharaja basically came and grabbed me by the arm and said something

very significant, at least I take it as such. He said, "You may not want to

but you have to accept this responsibility, Srila Prabhupada wants it of

you."

 

So in his life he never shirked away of the responsibility of serving Srila

Prabhupada, glorifying Srila Prabhupada, devotional service, and Krsna, and

sometimes when one is a neophyte like myself, you try to pray for and

cultivate humility and part of that is you feel you want to shy away from

public attention, but real humility is to follow the instructions of the

spiritual master and represent him. Actually we're encouraged to do that

from the very beginning of Krsna consciousness that's the mercy of this

ISKCON movement, and Maharaja, as we've heard, in the last couple of years

he really embodied that, giving everybody the opportunity to serve Krsna,

trying to offer such an opportunity and just get right into it. He was such

a wonderful person.

 

I hope - since Catura's not here I can say it - my wife this morning said,

"You know, I'm seeing sometimes there are devotees twenty-four hours a day

serving Krsna but sometimes they are lacking some of the qualities that are

very attractive in a devotee." You could not say that about Sridhar

Maharaja. He was a real Vaisnava. He had the humility, he had the

compassion, you go down the twenty-six qualities, I don't know if there's

one he didn't have. You come to grave, maybe the humour would overshadow

that.

 

Anyway I should stick to how he personally reciprocated with me. So I

appreciated him encouraging me not to hesitate glorifying Krsna, Srila

Prabhupada, or devotional service. I appreciated that a lot.

 

When I did service in San Diego as the Temple President, when I came to the

service it was financially on shaky grounds. It was not unusual that our

treasurer had to, when it was time to pay the electricity bill or the

utilities bill, he would go right around to the householders and say, "Come

on, you want to have the lights on right for kirtana and class." Anyway he

would collect some money.

 

That was in the mid 80's and Sridhar Maharaja had arranged that some famous

Bombay star, kirtan or bhajan star was touring America. Forgive me for not

really latching on to the significance of her talents or contribution she

made at this time. Anyway, it was one of the first times that we in San

Diego had undertaken one of these types of fundraisers that Maharaja was

expert at doing and encouraged us. And we followed his instructions and by

Krsna's grace we raised like 35,000 dollars. It was hard work arranging for

the concert and all this, but at the time it was a significant amount and I

give a lot of credit to Sridhar Maharaja for encouraging us to do this

service. It seems sometimes that there's always a need for laksmi in our

society - there was a time when we wouldn't have said that but it's not

unusual these days - but he was expert at it, he didn't shy away from asking

someone to contribute.

 

Another opportunity that I saw this, and this is really on a much more sober

note, was in Alachua for the GBC-Temple Presidents meeting, and it was

really the first time that on a managerial and movement level that we were

coming to grips with accepting the horrendous reality that there had been

tragic abuse of some of our young children. And so it was difficult. The

children were asked to speak of their experiences so the leaders could hear

their story because that brings it home and makes it a reality, what are we

discussing here.

 

So we all painfully listened to this, and when it came time, we realised we

had to raise funds for this. There is a need to help many of these children.

It takes money to do so. So Maharaja stepped right up front, right in the

very beginning he says, "I'm a sannyasi, I don't have any money," but

anybody who knows him knows that he always had the latest toys,

yukta-vairagya. He had a really nice laptop computer. In the mid-80's I

didn't even know how to turn one on at that time. It was nice, and he said,

"Although I don't have any money but I'd like to donate this and maybe this

can be used for an office to generate the momentum to start taking

responsibility for the movement's past." So that was very, very inspiring.

 

At that time I was Temple President in Honolulu, Hawaii, and my forte isn't

really the money side - Krsna-krpa could tell you that - I have many faults,

and one of my strengths is not that I'm a big money magnet or what have you.

So Hawaii was in some financial difficulty itself, and we made a pledge

being inspired by Maharaja saying, "Come on, all the temples." While I did

the service we were never really able to fulfill that pledge.

 

But a large part of it was the way Maharaja responded to the reality that we

had culpability. Everybody in the movement, it's Prabhupada's family, we

should all take some responsibility. So a couple of years later after I had

given that service up I had the means to fulfill the pledge that our temple

had made. I had been the one speaking the words, and I'm not saying that for

any pat on the back, I'm saying it as an acknowledgement that Sridhar

Maharaja very personally embraced this movement and mission of Srila

Prabhupada's, and he was one who really cared for it, which means its

members. He's a person for people, and I think that's really one of the most

beautiful things about him, as was just said, that he really cared about the

devotees.

 

Last but not least I was also fortunate to be here when he passed away, I

got to go up to the room very shortly thereafter, before Bhagavatam class or

greeting the Deities. When we say he was a Prabhupada man, that means

whenever I would see Sridhar Maharaja years previous or at this point, you

cannot help but be reminded of Srila Prabhupada.

 

I too have had the good fortune of being there when Srila Prabhupada passed

away and seeing Sridhar Maharaja, already having left his body, and sitting

up in his bed with the garlands and the chandan, etc., brought it so much

home the memory of Srila Prabhupada and also the reality that each and every

one of us are going to have that final test. And so much service was done in

life and also the perfection, the example is set in leaving his body right

here in Sridham Mayapur surrounded by devotees. Fixed, just totally fixed.

Such a wonderful example.

 

When he first arrived just a few weeks just before I'd never seen such an

outpouring of love from all the devotees as was given to him. Not since

Srila Prabhupada was on the planet. And that just softens the heart when you

see Vaisnava reciprocation. It is about love and trust. When we fall short

of that level we're really cheating ourselves and others. Because he was on

that platform it was just mirrored back a thousand-fold to him and that's

the way it is in Krsna consciousness. Whatever we do in serving Srila

Prabhupada, our spiritual master, or Krsna, the Lord, the spiritual master,

come ten steps towards us. They give us more blessings than our two hands

can hold.

 

The thought I had when I bowed down to his Samadhi this morning was:

 

saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair

uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih

kinto prabhor yah priya eva tasya

vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

 

Only the translation that came to my mind right after that, I like saying

always the English because Sanskrit isn't my language so it's not just a

ritual when I'm singing praise to the spiritual master, but the translation

that came to my mind was, "Srila Sridhar Maharaja, you are offered worship

on an equal level with Srila Prabhupada. Why? Because you are very dear to

him."

 

So I'm very grateful to have had a little reciprocation with him. In Krsna

consciousness it's absolute. Srila Prabhupada would say that with his

spiritual master he had very few visits or time with him, and that may be

the case with me, but it doesn't diminish at all the absolute benefit that

can be there if we simply desire and take advantage of what is being offered

by the exalted Vaisnavas.

 

Thank you very much for your patience, Srila Sridhar Maharaja ki jai! Srila

Prabhupada ki jai!

 

 

Nandakisora Prabhu:

 

My name is Nandakisora Das. I am a disciple of His Holiness Bhakti Charu

Swami Maharaja. After Guru Maharaja instructed me to go to Bombay. In the

early days, His Holiness Sridhara Maharaja didn't have any drivers or even

any disciples in those days. I was very fortunate, or rather Maharaja was

very merciful, so I used to drive Maharaja on many evening programmes,

whenever we went to any programmes. In that way Maharaja used my services,

or I could offer my services to Sridhar Swami Maharaja.

 

Also in Bombay I was doing public relations, and Maharaja was one of the

GBC's we were reporting to. So I always wanted to impress him or bring some

good donors. So one day the Chief of Bombay Police of Maharastra, Mr. O.P.

Bali, I was cultivating him. I thought let me introduce him to Sridhar Swami

Maharaja. So I made an elaborate programme in our Govinda's on the mezzanine

floor where we bring VIP's and take there. And O.P. Bali, the Police

Commissioner, came with many police cars and everything. And I also

telephoned Maharaja that, "Maharaja, please make sure you don't have any

programme tonight. Make sure that you are there."

 

So he said, "Yes, I will come down." He said, "Who is this police officer?"

 

I said, "His name is Mr. O.P. Bali." He didn't mention anything, "OK, I'll

be there."

 

In the evening everybody came down and we received them, Maharaja was a

little late, fifteen, twenty minutes. As soon as I went to introduce them,

the Police Commissioner went to touch Maharaja's feet and they hugged each

other as if they knew each other so well. I said, "Oh, I wanted to introduce

both of you, how come you're hugging each other?"

 

O.P. Bali said, "Do you know, it is Sridhar Swami I put in the jail."

[laughter]

 

In those early days Maharaja was in the prison when the Juhu battle was

going on. And the in-charge of the Juhu Police Station was Mr. Bali. Today

Mr. Bali was one of the top Police Commissioners. So they hugged and they

laughed. That was Maharaja. One thing Mr. Bali mentioned that how he got

attracted to ISKCON because in those days they were a bit confused. There

was a big fight between Mr. Nair and the land problems and all that. But he

said, "Sridhar Swami, even when he was in the jail, whenever I would come

and meet him, he always spoke about Krsna. The only thing he would talk is

bhakti and Krsna. So many years later I got attracted."

 

That is how we remember Maharaja very well, very humorous. Once I had a

problem with my heart. The doctor said something is wrong with my heart or

something. As soon as Maharaja found out that I was not well, because I was

serving under him, he immediately drove to my home. He said, "Where is the

ECG?" So I showed him the cardiogram which goes up and down. He said, "All

these which are lower down you missed all the mangala-aratis, and the higher

up are then ones when you ate a lot of prasadam." [laughter]

 

That is how Maharaja was always very humorous and very happy to have. . . .

Whenever Guru Maharaja was not around he was always very fatherly, taking so

much of care. We were under his protection. That is how he was.

 

Many times we were serving him in Mira Road, Madhumati was always cooking.

Frequently we were going up and down. He gave us a chance to serve. That's

what I can say.

 

Just in the last few days before he left his body, Ramanuja Prabhu, one of

your Godbrothers, they were sitting down. Three days before Maharaja left

his body. He was taking intense darsan of Panca Tattva Deities. I came in

about quarter to nine to redress Srivasa Thakura that day. And I saw

Maharaja didn't have any garlands, so I thought let me offer some. So

fortunate, because I know how Srivasa garlands looks. Because Srivasa is

holding hands like that, the garland is kind of tucked though. I didn't find

any garlands, I wanted to offer Mahaprabhu's garland. Luckily in one tray

Srivasa Thakura's was there, so I went and offered it to Maharaja. He said,

"Why this garland is in three pieces?" So I was explaining him.

 

I could see that he was a very pure devotee. The very way he left in the

morning, I think you came in the morning when I was dressing, removing the

night dress and took some. . . Maharaja was very special, he was about to

leave the body. Also Pankajanghri Prabhu was taking a Tulasi leaf during

those hours to Sridhar Swami Maharaja during those hours. So Maharaja is

very special, I am very fortunate to serve him. Every incidence we remember

with him is either connected to prasadam, with him I enjoyed many feasts at

many life donor's house. It was always great fun to be with Srila Sridhar

Swami Maharaja.

 

I pray to him that he always keep us under his shelter and engage us and

keep us focussed. Maharaja was very strong at times I remember. If things

were not going right he was heavy. That also I remember.

 

His Holiness Sridhar Swami Maharaja ki jai! Hare Krsna.

 

END