Disappearance Day of Srila Sridhar Maharaja

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Yesterday, we observed the disappearance day festival for param-gurudev Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaja in Soquel.

 

To honor the occasion, here is the song in praise of Srila Sridhar Maharaja by his dear servant and successor Srila Govinda Maharaja:

 

 

http://scsmath.org/trove2/kirttanguide4th.pdf

Page 18

 

[i'm only posting the English translations since the Sanskrit gets mangled upon copying]

 

Sri Guru Arati-stuti

by Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

 

All glory to you, ‘Guru Maharaj,’

Of sannyasi kings, the Emperor:

The glorious Srila Bhakti Rakshak

Dev-Goswami Sridhar.

 

Extending in this world your Pastimes

As saviour of the fallen,

You delivered all the suffering souls,

Including the most forsaken.

 

Beholding your holy form

Of concentrated mercy;

The fortunate souls fall in a swoon

Of divine love’s ecstasy.

 

Your lofty form full of divine emotion

Is nectar for our eyes;

With divine knowledge and shining eyes,

Your effulgence fills the skies.

 

A golden Sun resplendent,

In robes of saffron dressed;

Adorned with tilak, Tulasi beads,

And with sandle fragrance blessed.

 

The matchless beauty of your holy form,

Dazzling in its brightness;

Your benevolence of most noble heart,

In the moonglow of love’s sweetness.

 

Inconceivable genius, affection,

Gravity, magnanimity—

A thunderbolt crushing mundane

knowledge,

The reservoir bestowing divinity.

 

In the Golden Lord’s Sankirttan Dance,

You revel ecstatically;

“Dayal Nitai, Dayal Nitai!”

You ever call so lovingly.

 

Eternally present in Nabadwip Dham

With your associates, by your sweet will,

You enjoy your holy Pastimes

On hidden Govarddhan Hill.

 

You’re the fit recipient of your dignity

In the Gaudiya Acharyya assembly,

The jewel of the Gaudiya-siddhanta

Adorning your chest so nobly.

 

You’re the living message of Sri Gaura,

You’re the mine of perfect conclusions;

You revealed the Gayatri’s inner purport:

The gem fulfilling all aspirations.

 

When you speak, one subject alone

Is revealed in ever-new light;

Proper adjustment, and harmony—

All these are your spiritual might.

 

All your dear Godbrothers

Declare unanimously

They see within your Holiness

The line of Rupa-Saraswati.

 

Seeing you take the Holy Name,

With Tulasi beads in hand,

Awakens the thought of the Lord

In everybody’s mind.

 

Your feet, cooling like ten million

moons—

In their service all faith do I place;

The nectar of Radha-Govinda’s Pastimes

One day we may drink, by your grace.

 

O personification of perfect conclusions

Inconceivably one, yet different!

I sing this prayer at your arati,

With joy—your humble servant.

[Guruvani]

I remember well the day that Srila Sridhar Maharaja passed away.

I was living in Badger, California.

I got up that morning and rolled a joint for breakfast.

I smoked that baby all by myself and had a good buzz on.

 

Then, a knocking at the door.

Urukrama prabhu was there.

He told me that Srila Sridhar Maharaja had just passed and that he was inviting all the disciples and followers to his house for a program.

 

I was stunned.

I got myself together, took bath, put on tilaka and dhoti and went to Urukrama prabhu's house.

 

When I walked in I saw the sad and long faces of the devotees, my dear friends, and I just broke down into a pathetic mess and started crying uncontrollably.

 

As more devotees came and the sadness and separation kept building I couldn't stop crying.

I just cryed and cryed and cryed.

Knowing I was stoned I felt like a sahajiya.

I was not trying to cry.

I just couldn't stop from crying.

 

Through the whole program I cried and cried and cried.

It was pathetic.

 

But, I was with dear friends and devotees I loved and they all were very sympathetic to me.

 

Urukrama read something from Srila Prabhupada's books about how a disciple should cry at the passing of the spiritual master and he was very kind and generous to me even though I was quite stoned.

 

I don't know if they knew I was stoned.

This is the first time I have confessed about it.

[stonehearted]

Urukrama is now B. V. Padmanabha Maharaja, serving Narayana Maharaja.

[Guruvani]

 

Urukrama is now B. V. Padmanabha Maharaja, serving Narayana Maharaja.

Damn.

the last time I saw him he asked me "what to you think of Narayana Maharaja?"

 

I replied something about I didn't know much about him but that I respected Keshava Maharaja for giving sannyasa to Srila Prabhupada immediately after his request.

 

I love Urukrama. He is such a sweet devotee.

 

But, I cannot find in Narayana Maharaja what he and many others have found.

 

I just don't feel it.

 

His words turn me off.

 

Urukrama was one of my favorite Godbrothers though.

 

It is very sad to me that I know he would not be pleased with my feelings about Narayana Maharaja.

 

I don't feel it. I never will.

[gHari]

That was very beautiful. Thank you. I have caught a glimpse of that wonder and appreciation as I have read the profound direct words of Srila Sridhara Maharaja. Even now we can still draw strength and hope and peace from this great saint, so beloved of Srila Prabhupada. And I know that Srila Govinda Maharaja is sad that any words he chooses will still fall short, still understate the noble majesty of the guardian of devotion, His Divine Grace Srila Sridhara Goswami Maharaja.

[Pita das]

Maharaja embraced me and Satyanaranaya Prabhu and then told us" now we are intamate assoicates ".

 

When I remenber that embrace I can still feel the warmth of His Divine Graces body.

 

I knew it was the embrace of Srila Prabhupada,Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya's as well.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Well, in 1988, I was in the middle of my Catholic high school career. I went by "Mike" and was desperately afraid that my classmates might find out I was a "Hare Krishna".

 

So, I was pretty oblivious to Param-Gurudeva's departure at the time.

 

Since then, however, I have found myself crying while reading Param-Gurudeva's books (while sober and otherwise). I wondered if that makes me a sahajiya until I came across something by Gurudev (or was it Param-Gurudev) saying that, though tears may come, we should not feel we have attained the highest realization. I found this comforting in the sense that: yes, tears may come, that is natural--as long as they are not coming as an external show for the sake of others, and as long as we realize how far we have yet to go, it is OK.

 

Here's the brief bio of Srila Sridhar Maharaj from the Math web-site:

 

http://www.scsmath.com/docs/sridhar_maharaj.html

 

 

<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="98%"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2">A Brief Biography </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td>His Divine Grace Sri Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the founder of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, was born in India in 1895, in a respected Brahmana family of the Bhattacarya order, at Hapaniya, District Burdwan, West Bengal. He received his education at Baharamapur University. Having taken his pious birth in Sri Gauda-Mandal, the holy lands where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His divine pastimes on this earth, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, from his very childhood, had a natural affinity for the mission of Sri Chaitanya Sankirtan -- the Grand Congregational Chanting of the Holy Names of the Supreme Lord.

In 1926, Srila Sridhar Maharaj joined the Sri Gaudiya Math, and became an initiated disciple of its founder, the illustrious Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Goswami Prabhupad (1874-1937). He later accepted the holy order of sannyasa [monkhood] in 1930. Recognizing him as a faithful stalwart preacher of the perfect precepts of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad conferred upon him the name "Sri Bhakti Rakshak," which means "Guardian of Devotion." And further echoing the statement of the great Vaishnava Preceptor, Srila Jiva Goswami -- who referred in his Sanskrit writings to the renowned Srimad Bhagavatam commentator, Sri Sridhar Swami, as bhakti eka raksaka [supreme Guardian of Devotion] -- Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad gave him the Tridandi-Sannyasa title of "Sridhar." Thus, he became Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj.

 

As a prominent preacher in the Sri Gaudiya Math mission, he travelled extensively throughout India and preached fluently in Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English, spreading the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many levels in universities, public seminars, and Sankirtan festivals.

Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad also expressed high appreciation of Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Sanskrit composition, Sri Bhaktivinoda Viraha Dasakam, considering it an omen of assurance that the grand ideals and dignity of the Sri Gaudiya Sampradaya would be perfectly upheld and preached by such a learned and sensitive devotee as Srila Sridhar Maharaj.

 

As a testimony to this fact, just prior to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad's departure from this mortal world, Srila Prabhupad had Srila Sridhar Maharaj sing, in his presence, the holy prayer most venerated by the entire Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava community, Sri Rupa Manjari Pada.

 

After the passing of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Goswami Prabhupad, Srila Sridhar Maharaj's Godbrothers, associates, and the public, naturally revered him as the senior-most representative of the Sri Gaudiya Sampradaya, although Srila Sridhar Maharaj himself was more inclined to anonymity as a humble Vaishnava. Nonetheless, by the call of divine duty and divine inspiration, he established the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math at Sri Nabadwip Dham, hinting in a short Sanskrit poem that the Math -- as a sanctuary where the holy message of his Gurudev, Sri Rupa, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was preached -- would inevitably become renowned throughout the world amongst the sincere and pious seekers of Unalloyed Truth and Divinity.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj is the composer of numerous classical prayers and commentaries in Sanskrit and Bengali. His works are hailed as gems of pure Vaishnavism by scholars, philosophers, and devotees worldwide. He authored Sri Sri Prapanna Jivanamrtam, a Sanskrit devotional treatise on the subject of divine surrender, which has become a standard text-book for devotees everywhere.

Upon reaching his eighties, not only Indians, but persons from America, Europe, and the world over, became attracted by Srila Sridhar Maharaj's teachings and personality. He was known as a pure saint of the most simple living habits. He was respected and loved for his saintly simplicity, and his affectionate nature and dealings. He was revered by his Godbrothers, disciples, other devotees, and the general public, and was unanimously venerated for his formidable encyclopedic command of the revealed scriptures, and his unique and unprecedented style of casting newer and newer light upon the most internal philosophical and revelatory purports of pure Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava Siddhanta.

A vast library of Srila Sridhar Maharaj's taped discourses has been compiled by his disciples, and from such recordings, the exquisite English books -- Search for Sri Krishna, Sri Guru and His Grace, The Golden Volcano of Divine Love, Loving Search for the Lost Servant, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj's unique commentary and interpretation of "Srimad Bhagavad Gita: The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute" -- and many other books have been published. Many more publications are also anticipated.

On August 12th, 1988, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj departed from this world, to enter into his eternal pastimes. His departure did not herald the departure of one of the great stars of the Sri Gaudiya Vaishnava firmament, but that of the moon itself. Even the Earth herself trembled on two occasions, forecasting and punctuating the event. A divine temple, "The Temple of Union in Separation," was erected at his holy shrine at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip, and worship will continue throughout the generations.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj selected his most intimate and senior Sannyasi disciple, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, as his successor, blessing him with the position of Acharya-President of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and its affiliated branches worldwide.

</td></tr></tbody></table>

**************

 

 

I remember well the day that Srila Sridhar Maharaja passed away.

I was living in Badger, California.

I got up that morning and rolled a joint for breakfast.

I smoked that baby all by myself and had a good buzz on.

 

Then, a knocking at the door.

Urukrama prabhu was there.

He told me that Srila Sridhar Maharaja had just passed and that he was inviting all the disciples and followers to his house for a program.

 

I was stunned.

I got myself together, took bath, put on tilaka and dhoti and went to Urukrama prabhu's house.

 

When I walked in I saw the sad and long faces of the devotees, my dear friends, and I just broke down into a pathetic mess and started crying uncontrollably.

 

As more devotees came and the sadness and separation kept building I couldn't stop crying.

I just cryed and cryed and cryed.

Knowing I was stoned I felt like a sahajiya.

I was not trying to cry.

I just couldn't stop from crying.

 

Through the whole program I cried and cried and cried.

It was pathetic.

 

But, I was with dear friends and devotees I loved and they all were very sympathetic to me.

 

Urukrama read something from Srila Prabhupada's books about how a disciple should cry at the passing of the spiritual master and he was very kind and generous to me even though I was quite stoned.

 

I don't know if they knew I was stoned.

This is the first time I have confessed about it.

[Kulapavana]

I remember that day too. I felt like I forever missed taking association from yet another extraordinary Vaishnava in my life. I felt very unfortunate.

[Guruvani]

 

I remember that day too. I felt like I forever missed taking association from yet another extraordinary Vaishnava in my life. I felt very unfortunate.

 

I never had any personal contact with Srila Sridhar Maharaja either.

But, I really appreciated his taped lectures and I never felt disconnected.

To me listening to the tapes is most intimate because the microphone was closer to Srila Sridhar Maharaja than any person could get, so the tapes can somtimes allow us a better chance to actually hear him better than if we were setting on his veranda right in front of him.

 

For me, hearing the tapes gave me all the connection I needed.

The books are nice too, but I have always been partial to the tapes.

 

Unfortunately, Bhakti Sudhir Maharaja sold his whole collection to Bhakti Saranga Maharaja who has just kept them for his personal collection without distrubuting copies to the devotees.

 

There were hundreds of tapes with all sorts of nectar on them that are being hoarded by Bhakti Saranga Maharaja who I think lives in Hawaii now and has some temple or ashram there.

 

I don't understand why the followers of Srila Sridhar Maharaja have not managed to get back this collection or a least make copies for future generations.

 

It just ain't right that Bhakti Saranga Maharaja is setting on such a collection that could be doing many devotees a lot of good.

 

Bhakti Saranga Maharaja was previously Sahasrangi das who got Harinam in ISKCON during the Prabhupada-era and later took diksha and sannyasa from Jayapataka Swami.

 

He is an old friend of mine because he started both the Tennessee farm and the Oklahoma farm and I was on both farms at one time or another.

 

But, I haven't seen him since I left the Oklahoma farm around 1980 or 81.

[Kulapavana]

 

I don't understand why the followers of Srila Sridhar Maharaja have not managed to get back this collection or a least make copies for future generations.

 

Strange indeed... the time is running out on this project. Magnetic tape media deteriorate very rapidly after a couple of decades.

[Guruvani]

 

Strange indeed... the time is running out on this project. Magnetic tape media deteriorate very rapidly after a couple of decades.

with any luck, maybe Bhakti Saranga Maharaja has already transfered to digital media.

It is a major atrocity that these tapes have not been reproduced digitally and made available to the devotees who would like to buy copies.

 

In some way I think there might be something like a conspiracy to keep the tapes away from the masses of devotees.

 

It might be something like the hoarding and hogging of Srila Prabhupada that his senior men imposed on the rank and file disciples of Srila Prabhupada.

 

Murali Mohan is part of that family of devotees.

Maybe he could look into the issue and find out what happened to all those tapes of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

[Guruvani]

I might add that in that collection of tapes that Bhakti Sudhir Maharaja sold to Bhakti Saranga Maharaja was one of the rare copies of the appointment tape of Srila Prabhupada.

I personally heard that recording several times.

 

It is a shame that the "appointment tape" has also been kept away from the devotees of the KC movement.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

I have some personal knowledge in this regard. However, I do not wish to betray any confidences.

 

It feels safe to say that Jagabandhu Prabhu (formerly Jatayu, and who has now left his body) began the process of digitizing the collection of cassette tapes that Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaja had left with a friend for safe-keeping.

 

Due to his health, Jagabandhu Prabhu was not able to make much progress, and the project returned to the hands of Goswami Maharaja.

 

I have heard (no direct knowledge) that the entire series of tapes has been transferred by Goswami Maharaja himself and that the audio exists in MP3 form.

 

It's not perfectly clear why the library is not available to all, but I would assume that--despite the costs of housing such a library (not staggering, I presume, but also not trivial)--there is some consideration for avoiding abuse of the library for unauthorized publications, etc.

 

Srila Govinda Maharaja was entrusted with the Mission of Srila Sridhar Maharaja, so, it is my humble opinion that any new works coming out under the name of param-gurudev Srila Sridhar Maharaja ought to have the blessing of Gurudev.

 

 

with any luck, maybe Bhakti Saranga Maharaja has already transfered to digital media.

It is a major atrocity that these tapes have not been reproduced digitally and made available to the devotees who would like to buy copies.

 

In some way I think there might be something like a conspiracy to keep the tapes away from the masses of devotees.

 

It might be something like the hoarding and hogging of Srila Prabhupada that his senior men imposed on the rank and file disciples of Srila Prabhupada.

 

Murali Mohan is part of that family of devotees.

Maybe he could look into the issue and find out what happened to all those tapes of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

[Guruvani]

 

I have some personal knowledge in this regard. However, I do not wish to betray any confidences.

 

It feels safe to say that Jagabandhu Prabhu (formerly Jatayu, and who has now left his body) began the process of digitizing the collection of cassette tapes that Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaja had left with a friend for safe-keeping.

 

Due to his health, Jagabandhu Prabhu was not able to make much progress, and the project returned to the hands of Goswami Maharaja.

 

I have heard (no direct knowledge) that the entire series of tapes has been transferred by Goswami Maharaja himself and that the audio exists in MP3 form.

 

It's not perfectly clear why the library is not available to all, but I would assume that--despite the costs of housing such a library (not staggering, I presume, but also not trivial)--there is some consideration for avoiding abuse of the library for unauthorized publications, etc.

 

Srila Govinda Maharaja was entrusted with the Mission of Srila Sridhar Maharaja, so, it is my humble opinion that any new works coming out under the name of param-gurudev Srila Sridhar Maharaja ought to have the blessing of Gurudev.

 

Well, I am not too crazy about their excuses for not circulating the recordings.

But, Sudhir Maharaja made the tapes and he has some claim I guess, but when you are talking about the words of an acharya I think they belong to the whole world not to any individual or even SCSM.

 

Sridhar Maharaja gave these recorded lectures knowingly and I think as a gift to the Krishna consciousness movement - not as the private property of any person or even SCSM.

 

His words are his gift to the KC movement.

He didn't charge for it and I don't think anyone should hoard the recordings he gave for all the devotees.

 

I don't think there is any good excuse for keeping those recordings under lock and key.

The loss of keeping them from the devotees is to me a lot more undesirable than any risk that someone might use the recordings to transcribe into books.

 

I have heard the recordings and they are so precious and so valuable.

 

There is NO excuse for keeping them away from the mass of devotees.

NONE.

 

I don't consider that even Govinda Maharaja has ownership of the words of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

Those words belong to all the devotees of the KC movement.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Some of the sweetest material has been so nicely presented in the books of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

 

Most of those are freely available for download from:

http://scsmath.com

 

Personally, I have to strain to follow some of the recordings of Param-Gurudev and am very thankful to the compilers of His Divine Grace's books for their efforts.

 

 

Well, I am not too crazy about their excuses for not circulating the recordings.

But, Sudhir Maharaja made the tapes and he has some claim I guess, but when you are talking about the words of an acharya I think they belong to the whole world not to any individual or even SCSM.

 

Sridhar Maharaja gave these recorded lectures knowingly and I think as a gift to the Krishna consciousness movement - not as the private property of any person or even SCSM.

 

His words are his gift to the KC movement.

He didn't charge for it and I don't think anyone should hoard the recordings he gave for all the devotees.

 

I don't think there is any good excuse for keeping those recordings under lock and key.

The loss of keeping them from the devotees is to me a lot more undesirable than any risk that someone might use the recordings to transcribe into books.

 

I have heard the recordings and they are so precious and so valuable.

 

There is NO excuse for keeping them away from the mass of devotees.

NONE.

 

I don't consider that even Govinda Maharaja has ownership of the words of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

Those words belong to all the devotees of the KC movement.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Two series of pictures from this year in Navadwip:

 

http://www.scsmath.com/memories/07a/070812_Nbdp-DisapFestival/070812_Nbdp-DisapFestival.html

 

http://www.scsmath.com/memories/07a/070812_DmDmPk-DisapFestival/070812_DmDmPk-DisapFestival.html

[Guruvani]

 

Some of the sweetest material has been so nicely presented in the books of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

 

Most of those are freely available for download from:

http://scsmath.com

 

Personally, I have to strain to follow some of the recordings of Param-Gurudev and am very thankful to the compilers of His Divine Grace's books for their efforts.

 

When I got involved there were no books yet, so the tapes were what I depended on.

I have always preferred the tapes myself, though I do appreciate the books very much.

There is just something special about the voice of Srila Sridhar Maharaja and I think that if one has never heard the tapes he has really missed something special.

 

I think it is important to hear the tapes first so that one can get a sense of the mood and the tone of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

 

Once one has become acquainted with the tapes, then I think the books have more meaning.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Certainly, it is nectar to hear the sweet voice of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

 

I also have a set of 6 DVD's with 24 hours total of footage Param-Gurudev produced by Premaniddhi Prabhu of Germany. Very nice!

 

 

When I got involved there were no books yet, so the tapes were what I depended on.

I have always preferred the tapes myself, though I do appreciate the books very much.

There is just something special about the voice of Srila Sridhar Maharaja and I think that if one has never heard the tapes he has really missed something special.

 

I think it is important to hear the tapes first so that one can get a sense of the mood and the tone of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

 

Once one has become acquainted with the tapes, then I think the books have more meaning.

[Guruvani]

 

Certainly, it is nectar to hear the sweet voice of Srila Sridhar Maharaja.

 

I also have a set of 6 DVD's with 24 hours total of footage Param-Gurudev produced by Premaniddhi Prabhu of Germany. Very nice!

 

So, now you must duplicate these and send them out to the hungry souls thirsting for the nectar.

 

Don't be a nectar hog!

 

Actually, you should make them available for download for FREE!

 

Now, Murali Mo, it is time for you to serve the Vaishnavas!!!!

[Murali_Mohan_das]

 

So, now you must duplicate these and send them out to the hungry souls thirsting for the nectar.

 

Don't be a nectar hog!

 

Actually, you should make them available for download for FREE!

 

Now, Murali Mo, it is time for you to serve the Vaishnavas!!!!

 

I've made a few sets for friends. The originals were in the European PAL format, which some US DVD players cannot play. A Godbrother converted them to NTSC (the US and Japanese standard).

 

Of course, I ought to contact Premanidhi Prabhu and ask him if he minds me posting the clips to YouTube.

 

Already, it looks like clips from the first DVD are online:

http://www.vaisnavasanga.com/guardian/dvd/dvd.htm

 

From that page, one can also purchase the DVD's at a reasonable price (5 Euros each).

[Guruvani]

 

I've made a few sets for friends. The originals were in the European PAL format, which some US DVD players cannot play. A Godbrother converted them to NTSC (the US and Japanese standard).

 

Of course, I ought to contact Premanidhi Prabhu and ask him if he minds me posting the clips to YouTube.

 

Already, it looks like clips from the first DVD are online:

http://www.vaisnavasanga.com/guardian/dvd/dvd.htm

 

From that page, one can also purchase the DVD's at a reasonable price (5 Euros each).

 

Hey, that is good enough.

 

You oughta be ashamed of yourself for not giving this link sooner!

 

thanks..... it's a good resource and that should be good enough for the seriously inquisitive.

[Guruvani]

Back in the early days of Sri Chaitanya Saraswata Krishna-kirtan Maha-mandal, I wrote Srila Sridhar Maharaja a letter and told him how much I was relishing his audio tapes.

His secretary read my letter to Srila Sridhar Maharaja and Srila Sridhar Maharaja told him to reply and tell me he was pleased that I was appreciating his taped lectures very much.

 

So, as far as that goes, I pleased Srila Sridhar Maharaja simply by listening very carefully to his tapes.

 

The pleasure of the pure devotee is life's greatest accomplishment.

 

I never got any personal words as such from Srila Prabhupada because my ISKCON authorities discouraged me from even writing Srila Prabhupada a letter.

I obeyed them.

Somehow, I don't really regret it because I have never felt disconnected from Srila Prabhupada because I had his books and tapes.

 

I did get to hear Srila Prabhupada lecture and also attended his guru pujas.

I got to see him in the San Francisco Rathayatra and that was totally awesome.

[Sridas]

 

So, now you must duplicate these and send them out to the hungry souls thirsting for the nectar.

 

Don't be a nectar hog!

 

Actually, you should make them available for download for FREE!

 

Now, Murali Mo, it is time for you to serve the Vaishnavas!!!!

 

Dandavats to all appreciators of Srila Sridhara Maharaj's maganimous gift of pure Hari katha.

Just a few thoughts regarding the merciful vani of Srila Guru Maharaj and it's munificent dipensation to the world at large.

One thing is that these recordings are and have been available to those who want them since their initial recording, thru various chanells they never dissapeared nor were they inaccesable, just the original masters were.

In hindsight Goswami Maharaj may regret the decision to sell some precious recordings etc. but all's well that continues well as he now has most of the recordings again which he has painstakingly archived into a database for quick reference. I'd say it is beffitting they came back to him as he was one of the main distributors of this vast treasure trove to start with.

What isn't exactly clear is just how much other than what was officially recorded, is still out there, say for instance in the possession of Bhadrinarayan, Guru Maharaj's personal secretary the whole time. As he was present with GM most of the time when others were not.

Bhadri now lives in South America with his own following. But little is heard from him these days.

I think we would have to conclude that the dhara usually is alive and well in the heart of the devotee, Guru Maharaj is a living tangible reality in those who are doing his will and following his instructions. And this is so obvious in the presence of Srila Govinda Maharaj .

Not only do we find all of Guru Maharaj's wisdom, but his love and continual grace that flows down from the adhoksaja plane here and now.

And then so many insights into Gm and Srila Swami Maharaj that only he has, thru long personal association, dharsan and favourable transmission, that come thru a life of guru and sadhu seva, so many precious exchanges that he shares with his intimate friends and associates who continually give their lives to his lotus feet. For this is and always has been where the living nectar is to be relished in every moment.

As a disciple of Srila Guru Maharaj I find myself always getting fresh nourishment and inspiration and many extraordinary revelations of Guru Maharaj thru many of these dedicated disciples of Srila Govinda Maharaj, like Murali prabhu and others here, what to speak of thru him personally.

Then there is his own personal realizations and observations that he sometimes shares in the present development on the world stage as new waves of souls are sent to receive his grace. All seemingly thru some divine mystic arrangement.

So anyway I've no doubt both Srila Swami Prabhupad and Srila Sridhara Maharaj are constantly present in his conciousness as he fullfills their wishes to extend Sri Sri Gaura Nitai's affectionate mercy far and wide. Thereby giving hope and ever-fresh encouragement to the floundering souls of this world.

Guruvani one of the reasons those tapes are a little controversial is the fact that others have propheted from those darsans by selling the books and tapes with very little of the proceeds going to the Math for propagation.

It is true that The Math doesn't nessacarily have copyright on GM's message. But GM on innumerable occasions asked most of his disciples to help the central mission of SCSM and support Srila Govinda Maharaj on every level. He accepted that some of his disciples would choose the Mahamandal over SCSM but it wasn't his expess wish. First and foremost was his desire to see all, even those who had their own disciples to support Srila Guru dev Govinda maharaj in the math or at least in heart and the spirit of harmonious co-operation. But we can still understand that competition can draw out some higher synthesis and service all around hopefully.

[Murali_Mohan_das]

Thank you, Sridas Prabhu, for your kind words and contribution to the discussion and praise of param-gurudev Srila Sridhar Maharaja and Srila Gurudev.

 

As you say, in the person of Srila Govinda Maharaja, we have the embodiment of Param-Gurudeva's realizations. In addition, we have the recordings and books prepared from Srila Sridhar Maharaja's discourses to provide endless nourishment and to complement the fruit of the selfless efforts of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

 

Truly, we cannot even *imagine* just how fortunate we are!

 

 

Dandavats to all appreciators of Srila Sridhara Maharaj's maganimous gift of pure Hari katha.

Just a few thoughts regarding the merciful vani of Srila Guru Maharaj and it's munificent dipensation to the world at large.

One thing is that these recordings are and have been available to those who want them since their initial recording, thru various chanells they never dissapeared nor were they inaccesable, just the original masters were.

In hindsight Goswami Maharaj may regret the decision to sell some precious recordings etc. but all's well that continues well as he now has most of the recordings again which he has painstakingly archived into a database for quick reference. I'd say it is beffitting they came back to him as he was one of the main distributors of this vast treasure trove to start with.

What isn't exactly clear is just how much other than what was officially recorded, is still out there, say for instance in the possession of Bhadrinarayan, Guru Maharaj's personal secretary the whole time. As he was present with GM most of the time when others were not.

Bhadri now lives in South America with his own following. But little is heard from him these days.

I think we would have to conclude that the dhara usually is alive and well in the heart of the devotee, Guru Maharaj is a living tangible reality in those who are doing his will and following his instructions. And this is so obvious in the presence of Srila Govinda Maharaj .

Not only do we find all of Guru Maharaj's wisdom, but his love and continual grace that flows down from the adhoksaja plane here and now.

And then so many insights into Gm and Srila Swami Maharaj that only he has, thru long personal association, dharsan and favourable transmission, that come thru a life of guru and sadhu seva, so many precious exchanges that he shares with his intimate friends and associates who continually give their lives to his lotus feet. For this is and always has been where the living nectar is to be relished in every moment.

As a disciple of Srila Guru Maharaj I find myself always getting fresh nourishment and inspiration and many extraordinary revelations of Guru Maharaj thru many of these dedicated disciples of Srila Govinda Maharaj, like Murali prabhu and others here, what to speak of thru him personally.

Then there is his own personal realizations and observations that he sometimes shares in the present development on the world stage as new waves of souls are sent to receive his grace. All seemingly thru some divine mystic arrangement.

So anyway I've no doubt both Srila Swami Prabhupad and Srila Sridhara Maharaj are constantly present in his conciousness as he fullfills their wishes to extend Sri Sri Gaura Nitai's affectionate mercy far and wide. Thereby giving hope and ever-fresh encouragement to the floundering souls of this world.

Guruvani one of the reasons those tapes are a little controversial is the fact that others have propheted from those darsans by selling the books and tapes with very little of the proceeds going to the Math for propagation.

It is true that The Math doesn't nessacarily have copyright on GM's message. But GM on innumerable occasions asked most of his disciples to help the central mission of SCSM and support Srila Govinda Maharaj on every level. He accepted that some of his disciples would choose the Mahamandal over SCSM but it wasn't his expess wish. First and foremost was his desire to see all, even those who had their own disciples to support Srila Guru dev Govinda maharaj in the math or at least in heart and the spirit of harmonious co-operation. But we can still understand that competition can draw out some higher synthesis and service all around hopefully.

[Sridas]

Yes Prabhu to me these 3 prominent acharyas are like the sambanda, abhideha and prayojana vani of Srila Sanatan, Rupa and Raghunath Goswamis.

Delivering all the complete and perfect conclusions we jivas could possibly need. the full extention of Sri Sri Gaur-Nitai's grace for the times we live in . If only we can catch it and practically apply it to our spiritual evolution and development.

You are doing a nice service Murali just letting the readers know of this imminent world tour, to give all the wandering souls an opportunity to meet Srila Gurudev, as you say we can't conceive what is being extended to us, by Sri Radha and Krsnas kindness. The waves of Prema bhakti continue to wash upon our shores, for how long we just don't know we just have to seize these golden moments when we can.

I hear time and again how people come to various forums including this one and ask where to find a genuine teacher, guru, guardian or if it is even nessacary, when we have the Lord and chaita guru in the heart, but we can never be the loser for taking the divya dharsan of a living sadhu, who has been given such glorious references from our previous acharyas.

So even if we were not so sure who is who in the spiritual arena, I'm sure they have a clearer picture of the maha bhagavat pure devotees of Lord Krsna, to help clarify our own sometimes hazy vision of the higher agents.

Srila Gurudev is one of those enigmatic personalities that one could never understand with common vision, but there is no doubt what most everyone feels in his company even if he didn't speak a word, then there is the added bonus of so many wonderful vaisnavas that he attracts in the entourage around him.

I once wrote that his presence is like 'a continual sankirtan festival' both tangible and invisible to these material eyes.

Like a kalpa vrksa tree even the little branches extending from him, are giving so much spiritual sustainance, fullfilling the souls genuine desires.

It always reminds me of Guru Maharaj's vision of Mahaprabhu as the 'golden volcano' erupting streams of divine love in all directions.

There are some very beautiful souls helping him fullfill Srila Guru Maharaj's wishes and they seem to keep expanding in ever new waves, on every continent.

I was fortunate to be at Gaura Purnima this year where there was about 5-10,000 people getting the grace, it was very heartening and encouraging to be part of even tho it was especially intimate in the early days, still it is nice to see so many new bhaktas getting full blown mercy afresh. It never ceases to amaze me the different variety of people he is attracting in the service of Sri Guru and Gauranga.

Let us hope and pray that the obstacles to this tour are removed, so more jivas can have access to his infectious spirit.