Prabhupada Srila Saraswati Thakur

[muralidhar]

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaj:

Gaurakishor das Babaji Maharaj was extremely renounced man. He never cooked for himself. He begged some rice, madhukari, and put it in a clay pot with some water. After about 12 hours he was taking that rice together with some salt and chili. He spent many days in this way.

Sometimes he went to see Bhaktivinod Thakur in Godrumadwip for hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam from him. There he lived in a simple room.

Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur also stayed together with Bhaktivinod Thakur some times. Then lastly Bhaktivinod Thakur said to his son, "You need now diksa and Babaji Maharaj is your guru. Then you beg from him diksa."

Gaurakisor das Babaji Maharaj stayed in Koladwip, near to Ganges there is still this Dharamsala. There was public latrine and he took one public latrine from the proprietor of the Dharamsala and he was living in that latrine, because he was very renounced mentality and didn't want to meet with others. And latrine's smell is very bad and nobody would go to him and that's why he was staying there. Sometimes he was staying in a straw hut.

Anyhow, this way Gaura Kisor das Babaji Maharaj was spending some time here and that time Mayapur was already discovered.

And when Bhaktivinod Thakur said to Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur, "he is your guru", he went to Gaura Kisor das Babaji Maharaj to ask him for initiation.

But Babajji Maharaj replied "O Saraswati Thakur you are so learned, you are rich man's son, then I am thinking, I am very poor and not perfect Vaishnava. You try to take initiation from someone else and leave me." But when he saw that Prabhupad was determined to take initiation from him, he said "O.k. I will ask Mahaprabhu." And every time when Saraswati Thakur went to Babaji Maharaj he said, "Oh, I forgot to ask Mahaprabhu." And Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur remembered Narottam Thakur's position with Lokanath das Goswami.

Lokanath Das Goswami didn't want to take disciples. He was very renounced type, too much renounced type. But Narottam Thakur wanted to take initiation from him. Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur remembered that situation and he was also very determined to take initiation from Babaji Maharaj. When he expressed every day his wish to Gaurakishor Das Babaji Maharaj he always told, "O I forgot to tell Mahaprabhu", then Prabhupad was thinking, "What is this. I am a good boy and I have some qualification, why he is dishonouring me this way. But still I must take diksa from him." And when Babaji Maharaj saw his determination, he told "Yes, Mahaprabhu told me I shall accept you." Then Babaji Maharaj initiated Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur.

Bhaktivinod Thakur spent his last time in Calcutta and Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur also went from time to time to Calcutta. Then Gaurakishor das Babaji Maharaj said to Saraswati Thakur, "Oh, Saraswati Thakur, Calcutta is the place of Kali. You don't go there. There is so much illusion and that place is Kalisthan. You are my disciple, and not to go there that is good." Then Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur said, "Oh Babaji Maharaj, oh Prabhu, now I understand what do you want to say. By your grace I won't be defeated by maya, illusion, I will not be defeated by Kali. And why you are telling that - now it comes in my mind, I shall start my preaching in Calcutta, because there is necessity." After that Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur went to Calcutta for preaching.

When Gaurakishor das Babaji Maharaj disappeared that time Prabhupad was brahmachari, but all the sahajiya society, babaji society tried to take Babaji Maharaj's body for their business. He was very famous vaishnava, Siddha mahapurusha. And if they will make his samadhi mandir, then they can earn so much money. And they always wanted to stay with Babaji Maharaj and then some chaos came, who will get Babaji Maharaj's body. And Saraswati Thakur heard news from Kunja Babu, that Babaji Maharaj had disappeared and he came from Mayapur to Koladwip. And there he told to the sahajiyas, "You don't touch Babaji Maharaj's body. He is siddha mahapurusa."

But the sahajiyas said, "You are only brahmachari, we are all babajis. We must claim his body. You have no right to claim it." Then Saraswati Thakur replied, "I am the only disciple of Gaura Kishor das Babaji Maharaj, I have right to take his body for samadhi."

Then verbally fighting were going on. Then the police officer also came. Lastly Prabhupad Saraswati Thakur said, "You all the babajis are mixing with women, you have no character, you are eating fish, you cannot touch Babaji Maharaj's body. Anyone who will touch his body he will get that reaction. This is my curse. Anyone qualified can touch the body, otherwise not." Then he told, "who not mixed with women last one month he can touch", then 15 days, then 10 days, then 5 days, then he told, "last night", but after hearing all babajis left the place. The police officer was very suprised to see that and he asked Saraswati Thakur, "If they tell lie which way you will prove they didn't mix with women?" Saraswati Thakur said, "Yes, I believe if they will say,' No, I did not mix with woman.' If they have that type of brave character they can touch Babaji Maharaj."

And Prabhupad took Babaji Maharaj's body. And the babajis were thinking, when Saraswati Thakur given the samadhi and went back to Mayapur they would take away Babaji Maharaj's body in the night. Then Prabhupad arranged for a few days some guards and went back to Mayapur. And later mother Ganges was disturbed to see the activites of the babajis she changed her course a little and took that samadhi.

And when mother Ganges took the samadhi Saraswati Thakur sent some of his disciples and they took some remnants of the body and they made samadhi at hidden Radhakunda in Mayapur. And Prabhupad's realization was that Gaura Kishor das Babaji was an incarnation of Raghunath Das Goswami.

[Guest guest]

The next in the parampara, after and is an associate of Bhaktivinoda Thakura - a great paramahamsa babaji by the name of Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Technically he was the disciple of Bhagavat dasa Babaji Maharaja, who was a disciple of Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja.

In 1897 Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja came to Mayapur Navadwipa Dhama from Sri Vrndavana Dhama, where he was accredited the exalted title "Bhajananandi". Srila Bhaktivinoda (Kedarnath Datt), seeing the transcendental behaviour of Babaji Maharaja, would use him as an example of nirapeksa (indifference), as his level of renunciation was beyond belief.

 

This Vaisnava saint's life was an example of utter humility and poverty, the true attributes of a Vaisnava. Gaurakisora never accepted any material object from anyone. For his clothing he used the discarded loin cloths from corpses left on the bank of the Ganges. For food, he would collect rice by begging, soak it in river water, and garnish it with salt and chilly. He never asked favors from anyone and lived a fully detached life, devoid of all possessions.

 

Very little information is available about the past life of Gaurakisora except that he was born in a Vaisya family in the village of Bagjana near Tepakhola on the bank of the Padma. As a householder, Gaurakisora was known by the name Vansidasa (different from Vamsi das babaji). At that time he was engaged in some agricultural trade and from the income took care of his wife and family honestly. After the death of his wife, Gaurakisora renounced his home and went to Vrndavana, where he was initiated into Vairagi Vesha by Bhagavata dasa babaji, one of the foremost disciples of Jagannatha dasa babaji.

 

Srila Gaurakisora lived on madhukari, begging and slept beneath a tree. He would lie prostrate, offering his humble obeisances to the residents of Vraja, considering them as embodiments of Lord Krsna. He even offered his obeisances to the flowers, trees, and land around him. He spent about thirty years at Vraja mandala serving the deities there. Afterwards, perhaps by the direction of the Supreme Lord, he left for Navadvipa.

 

During his stay at Navadvipa, Gaurakisora underwent various transformations of spiritual moods. Sometimes he danced on the bank of the Ganges chanting, "Gaura, Gaura", while at other times he would lie on the ground in an unconscious state. He joyfully moved throughout the groves located on the bank of the Ganges, considering them sites of the divine sports of Sri Sri Radha Govinda. His only clothing was a strip of cloth around his waist and often went totally naked. He chanted japa on beads or sometimes knotted a cloth and used that as a substitute for japa beads. Occasionally, he went to Godruma Dvipa to listen to Bhaktivinoda Thakura recite ”Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

Babaji Maharaja would often visit Bhaktivinoda. During his last days in retirement, absorbed in Krsna katha, he would hear Srimad Bhagavatam at Bhaktivinoda's house and they would discuss together. Though Babaji Maharaja could neither read nor write he was regarded as vastly learned and self-realized. His only possessions were the Tulasi beads around his neck and the japa mala he kept in his hand. Sometimes he wore no Tulasi mala on his neck and would chant on knotted cloth as beads - such was his renunciation. Sometimes he would live under an old broken overturned boat, and other times he would scatter fish bones around a place he occasionally used as his bhajan kutir to make materialists think he was a fish-eater, and thus they would not disturb him. But by his pure bhajan he purified the three worlds.

 

In 1908 Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja lost his external eye sight, so he then stopped travelling and just chanted and performed worship of Krsna. Being aloof from external consciousness, sometimes he would not dress his body - instead he would sit in his bhajan kutir internally absorbed in Krsna's pastimes and in a very deep voice be heard calling the names of the gopis of Vrndavana.

 

Once Srila Varsabhanavi-devi-dayita dasa, Siddhanta Saraswati, offered to take Babaji Maharaja to Calcutta to see an eye specialist, but he refused saying, "Never! I will never go to the material world." His disciple protested, "But in Calcutta I could serve you nicely. You wouldn't have to undergo any inconvenience." But Babaji Maharaja was adamant declaring, "I will never accept this service. Better I throw myself in the Saraswati (Jalanghi) and drown."

 

One day Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja wrapped his body and two feet with a cloth. Sitting covered like this he said, "Many persons, after being informed by others, come here to collect the dust from my feet. I tell them I am not a Vaisnava. If you go to the vicinity where there are Vaisnavas with their feet pretentiously decorated and extended to touch, you can have unlimited dust. How can I bless you? I don't have barfi or sandesh or rasagulla, or even sweet words. How can I bless you? Nowadays people are interested in spiritual masters who can give these things - wealth, good wife, sweet words - these cheating things are now taken as anakula (favourable)."

 

Every virtuous person looked forward to rendering service to Srila Gaurakisora. However, he rarely allowed anyone the chance to serve him. Once Manindracandra Nandi, the Maharaja of Kasimbazar, sent a distinguished messenger to escort Gaurakisora to the former's palace. Gaurakisora, however, did not accept the Maharaja's invitation saying that if he visited the palace he may feel tempted by the wealth of the Maharaja which may result in a strained relation between the two. Hence, Gaurakisora suggested that instead of him visiting the palace, let the Maharaja free himself completely from the shackles of wealth by donating everything he owned to his relatives and then come to live with Gaurakisora in a specially prepared shed where both of them could practice Haribhajan in peace."

 

Srila Gaurakisora was very selective about accepting invitations for food. He believed that partaking of food here and there could adversely affect the spiritual life of a devotee. Once a devotee name Haren babu partook of prasada offered at the festival held at Bhajan kutir at Navadvipa. For this Gaurakisora stopped communicating with Haren for three days. On the fourth day Gaurakisora explained that the prasada of the above festival had been financed by a woman of questionable profession, a pumscari (one who is moved by other men).

 

Once, on the eve of Sanatana Gosvami's disappearance day, Gaurakisora decided to celebrate the occasion. The devotee attending him asked who would provide them with the materials for the celebration. Srila Gaurakisora replied: "Remember not to speak to anyone about it. We shall miss a meal and continue around the clock chanting the holy name. This could be the typical festival for those of us who have taken the vow of poverty."

 

Narendra Kumar Sen, a resident of Agartala (Tripura), once approached Gaurakisora to learn about Guru pranali or Siddha pranali. Gaurakisora told him, "The Supreme Lord cannot be realized through worldly knowledge. Only through the chanting of the holy name can the true nature of the Lord be revealed. As the Lord is revealed from the letters comprising the Nama, the devotee gradually begins to understand his own nature and becomes acquainted with seva.

 

Once a physician told Gaurakisora that he intended to move to Navadvipa and take up charitable practices. Gaurakisora advised the physician that if he truly desired to live in Navadvipa then he should give up the plan for a charitable practice because it would only encourage materially minded people to save money. Those who sincerely practiced Hari bhajan should never get distracted by the chains of welfare activities.

 

A young seeker wearing only a kaupina, once stayed with Gaurakisora for some days. later he arranged, through the agency of an employee of a female estate owner, to obtain five kathas of land as a donation from the woman. When Gaurakisora heard about this he was extremely annoyed: "Navadvipadhama is beyond this material world. How can a worldly land owner dare to hold land here and even think he can donate five kathas out of it? A mere grain of sand of the transcendental Navadvipa is more valuable than all the precious gems in this world put together. Moreover, how advanced could this young kaupina clad devotee be if he dares to collect so much land in lieu of his bhajan merit?"

 

Once a devotee offered some sweets to Lord Gauranga and then took the offering to Gaurakisora, urging him to partake of it. Gaurakisora told the devotee, "Those who are non vegetarian, those who commit adultery, or offer food to Lord Gauranga with a particular motive, their offerings never reach Lord Gauranga and are never sanctified as prasada."

 

Srila Gaurakisora regularly begged for rice, after which he would cook the rice, offer it, and partake of the prasada. He never touched any foodstuff offered by someone else. Once during monsoon, Gaurakisora stayed in the rest house at Phulia Navadvipa. Some prasada was left in a vessel for him to respect later. Meanwhile a snake passed by the vessel and a woman there happened to notice it. When Gaurakisora sat down to take prasada the woman appeared there and informed him about the snake. Gaurakisora, however, firmly stated that he would not touch the prasada until the woman left. After the woman left, Gaurakisora said, "Look how maya works! Taking the form of compassion, maya attempts to hit deep into her target slowly. Maya can assume countless forms. She always prevents a mortal being from practicing Haribhajan."

 

Giribabu and his wife once ardently requested Gaurakisora to stay in their house at Navadvipa. Gaurakisora was moved by their sincere devotion and finally agreed to oblige them on the condition that he would live only in their toilet room where he would perform Hari bhajan. Giribabu tried to persuade him to change his mind but Gaurakisora remained firm. Giribabu reluctantly arranged to have the toilet thorougly cleaned and Gaurakisora used it for Haribhajan. A realized soul can practice Haribhajan anywhere in an unconcerned manner, and wherever he resides, that place becomes Vaikuntha.

 

Srila Gaurakisora was a highly spiritually advanced soul. He never allowed deceitful practices or any discussion which was not within the purview of the holy books. One day when a devotee questioned Gaurakisora about a well known reiciter of ”Srimad Bhagavatam, who was in the habit of chanting "Gaura, Gaura", Gaurakisora remarked, "He doesn't say "Gaura, Gaura. Rather what he means to say is, "More More" (`Money, Money.') Those who recite ”Srimad Bhagavatam for payment are not entitled to chant the name of theSupreme Lord."

 

Srila Gaurakisora never delivered discourses openly, yet his spotless character drew everyone to him. Upon meeting Gaurakisora, even a staunch materialist would become inclined take up Haribhajan.

 

On 22nd June, 1914 Bhaktivinoda Thakura passed from this world into his samadhi, deep meditation, on Lord Krsna in Bhakti Bhavan, and then on November 17th, 1915 Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, on the auspicious Utthana Ekadasi, also left this world. His body was placed into a samadhi tomb.

 

Srila Gaura Kishor dasa babaji maharaj ki jaya

[muralidhar]

Dear Guest,

 

this is very nice.

 

Can you tell me what is the origin of this article?

 

Murali

[Guest guest]

the link to Gaura Kishora is near the end of the following page http://www.hknet.org.nz/guru-parampara-contents-page.htm

[muralidhar]

Thank you for the link

 

 

[muralidhar]

aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sahajiya, sakhibeki, smarta, jata-gosani

ativadi, cudadhari, gauranga-nagari tato kahe, ei terara sanga nahi kari

-- Sri Totaramadas Babaji

 

 

Totaram das Babaji was a South Indian brahmin who first came to Nabadwip to study the philosophical system known as Nyaya. But before he could finish his studies he became drawn to the Vaishnava ascetic way of life. He gave up his philosophy studies and went to Sri Vrindaban. He stayed in Vrindaban for many years, until Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave him the inspiration to go to Nabadwip and supervise the worship of His Deity originally served by Sri Vishnupriyadevi, the wife of Sri Chaitanyadeva.

 

At that time there was a great deal of chaos regarding the worship of the Deity because the priests were poor and no permanent temple was established. The Deity of Mahaprabhu was taken in rotation to the houses of various priests. Due to the threats of evil persons, from time to time the Deity was hidden.

Following the Lord's order, Ramdasa went to Nabadwip and lived beneath some trees on the bank of the Ganges. Dressed as a sadhu, with tilak on his forehead and tulasi beads on his neck, he was considered a madman by many of the residents of Navadvipa. People enjoyed making fun of him. But Ramdasa tolerated their abusive language with a peaceful mind.

Once, while Ramdasa was absorbed in meditation, a man placed a string of shoes around his neck. At that exact time Dewan Ganga Govinda Singh happened to be passing by in a boat. Shocked to see a Vaishnava sadhu insulted in such a way, he asked Ramdasa who the culprit was. But Ramdasa was absorbed in profound meditation so he did not answer. Gangagovinda then went straight to the King of Nabadwip, Maharaj Krishnacandra, telling him what he had seen. The king immediately came to see Ramdasa to beg forgiveness for this offense which happened within his kingdom. Then Sri Ramdasa and the king discussed different systems of Indian philosophy and the king was deeply impressed with Sri Ramdasa's divine understanding. He bestowed the title of "Tota" upon him. From that time onwards, Sri Ramdasa became known as Tota Ramdasa.

Influenced by the sincere efforts and infinite concern exhibited by Sri Totaramdas Babaji, the present site of the compound and courtyard for the Deity of Mahaprabhu was chosen and improved, the old temple rebuilt and the arrangements for the daily puja were made. There is a deed in Bengali written in 1785 A.D. (1202 Bengali year), stating that the land granted to Tota Ramdasa Vairagi for the service of the Deity of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu should be exempt from tax.

 

It is also reported that in the same year, 1785 A.D., another temple in Nabadwip city was built by a raja named Gaur Govinda Singh. This temple was said to have been sixty feet high, with nine pinnacles in red sandstone. This Gaur Govinda Singh temple was submerged in floods in 1876. In the opinion of some people, that temple of Gaur Govinda Singh was built upon the original birth site of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, at a place where an earlier temple had been constructed by Bir Hambir, a disciple of Srinivas Acharya. But Srila Jagannatha das Babaji Maharaj, who was born some time around 1785 A.D or earlier, and who visited Nabadwip from time to time in that period, did not consider that place of Gaur Govinda Singh's temple to be Mahaprabhu's birthplace. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur also rejected the suggestion that this Gaur Govinda Singh temple was Mahaprabhu's birthplace.

 

The worship of Sri Vishnupriyas Deity of Mahaprabhu was properly arranged by Sri Totaram das Babaji. Apart from some informataion recorded in the book Gaudiya-Vaishnava-Jivana, little is known of the life of Sri Totaram das Babaji. He is among the earliest of Gaudiya Vaishnavas to be known by the title of "Babaji", and indeed in the deed document for the temple land his name is given as Totaram das Vairagi. He is often remembered for a verse he wrote in which he listed thirteen false Vaishnava sects that were prominent in his time:

 

aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sahajiya, sakhibeki, smarta, jata-gosani

ativadi, cudadhari, gauranga-nagari tato kahe, ei terara sanga nahi kari

 

Translation:

I avoid members of these sects: aula, baula, kartabhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sahajiya, sakhibheki, smarta, jata-gosani, ativadi, cudadhari, gauranga-nagari.

 

We are trying to make progress on the path of the spiritual pilgrim. But religious schisms and the degradation and breakup of religious traditions make it difficult for seekers of Truth to find the real way to reach God. Controversies have hindered sincere seekers of truth since time immemorial. It is often confusing and frustrating that controversies hamper our quest for the truth. But even so, we must not be discouraged. Indeed, the most difficult problem we all face is this: who should we learn from, to whom should we turn, when we are looking for spiritual guidance? At the end of the seventeenth century, in the lifetime of Totaramadas Babaji, many psuedo-Vaishnava sects were prominent in Bengal. When we look at these sects it is amazing to see that the spiritual movement initiated by Sri Chaitanya could have become so mutated and mutilated in the space of one hundred and fifty years.

 

The Aul, Baul, Sani and Daravesa groups mentioned by Totaram das Babaji are closely related. They are in fact different divisions of one group commonly called "the Bauls of Bengal." These people are tantric sahajiyas with Sufi influences. They do not necessarily present themselves as Vaishnavas, though they do claim to represent the real spirit of Mahaprabhu's teachings.

The Auls practice "bodily meditation." This means that the men take themselves to be purusha and the women are called prakrti and together they engage in the sadhana of tantric sex. Men and women of this community freely switch partners. Their idea is to excite lust so they can attain ecstatic love.

In Bengali, the word Aul is related to kulata ("afflicted"), in the sense of being afflicted with love. The Auls believe that through their enjoyment of sensual relationships they can attain the state described in C.C. Antya 17.46:

 

yeba venu-kala-dhvani, eka-bara taha suni, jagan-nari-citta aulaya nivi-bandha pade khasi, vina-mule haya dasi, bauli hana Krishna-pase dhaya

 

"The transcendental vibration of Krishna's flute disturbs the hearts of women all over the world, even if they hear it only once. Thus their fastened belts become loose, and these women become the unpaid maidservants of Krishna. Indeed, they run toward Krishna exactly like madwomen."

The word baula comes from the Sanskrit word vatula, or mad. The Bauls are wandering minstrels who play instruments like the ektar, dugi (a drum like the larger drum in a tabla set) and bamboo flute. They do hari-nama-kirtana and sing songs expressing their philosophy. The Bauls typically flock to festivals called mahotsavas. The Jayadeva-Kenduli Mela during winter is the largest mahotsava. The Bauls have an ashram there and thousands converge at that spot for the three-day festival. At other places across Bengal and Bangladesh they hold are mahotsavas throughout the year. The Bauls move from one festival to the next. They perform music, smoke ganja and enjoy pleasures with women. Often a Baul unites with a woman (or sadhika) at one mahotsava and leaves her at the next, where he takes on a new lover. His former sadhika will be picked up by another Baul.

 

[muralidhar]

The Sains are the free men of this tradition. They are supposedly liberated from all material conceptions and may appear in any kind of dress, as a Hindu sannyasi or Muslim fakir. They may wear no clothing at all. They are so much beyond the grip of illusion that they may drink wine or eat human flesh as expressions of their high spiritual attainment, engaging in practices advocated by the most degraded groups within the Shakta tradition. The villagers superstitiously think Sains to be powerful healers as many Sains maintain themselves by distributing mysterious medicines and cures.

The daravesa (Darbesh) are the gurus of the Auls, Bauls and Sains. They are believed to have reached the highest realizations. Darbesh (dervish) is a Sufi term which comes from the Persian words dar (door) and bhitan (to beg), meaning "one who begs from door to door."

The Darbesh Ashram was founded by Atal Behari Darbesh, known as Darbeshji. By mystic influence he brought a king under his control and the king gave him the land on which the Ashram is situated. Darbeshji is thus venerated by the Auls, Bauls and Sains as a spiritual giant. The followers of Darbeshji dress in the manner Sanatana Gosvami was dressed when he escaped from the jail of Nawab Hussain Shah and went to join Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Prayaga. Sanatana told the jailer whom he'd bribed, daravesa hana ami makkake yaiba, "I shall go to Mecca as a Darbesh". The Darbesh cult take this as Srila Sanatana Gosvami's most important instruction. The daravesa-apasampradaya adherents fully embrace Muslim habits (meat-eating, smoking, etc). They are feared by the common folk for their mysterious powers.

The Kartabhaja sect regard the Guru to be absolutely nondifferent from God. The founder of the kartabhaja-apasampradaya was Aul Chand (c.1686-1779). He was a fakir or daravesa regarded by his followers as none other than Sri Chaitanya Himself, whom they say had reappeared as Aul Chand. In Ghosepara, the residence of Karta Ram Sharan Pal and his wife Sati is still preserved as the Kartabhaja place of pilgrimage. This husband and wife were Aul Chand's principal disciples and were known as the Adi Purusa and Adyasakti. This Ghosepara Kartabhaja center is the site where the Bauls enjoy their three-day Dola Yatra festival. Many people think the Kartabhajas are a kind of Baul but they are a distinct group with a distinct philosophy, and they used to be extremely influential in the last century.

The Kartabhaja sect has its own holy book called the Bhaver Gita, most of which was written in the form of songs by Dulalchand. Much of the text is puzzling and purposefully contradictory. It is meant to be understood only by initiates. But there are clear hints of Mayavadi and tantric ideas (though it seems the Kartabhaja sect does not have a reputation for sexual promiscuity like the Bauls). The followers are supposed to marry and be true to their partners. And they should be vegetarian, at least on Fridays (the Muslim sabbath). Husbands and wives should not have sex on this day also. The Kartabhajas share with the Bauls the concept of jiyante mara - living death - as the highest goal. They chant the name of Krishna, but say the names of Kali and Khoda (Allah) are equal to it, because all are names of the guru.

The Kartabhajas were a powerful movement of revolt against the jati-gosai and smartas, who had become the orthodox religious establishment of the 18th century. The Kartabhajas and other related groups converted thousands of villagers to their group on the plea that "the company" (their special term for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas) was once rich, but is now bankrupt. Out of the ruins of the old company, a new company has arisen (meaning the Kartabhajas). This company does not carry out business in the name of religion.

The neda-nedi group have a philosophy which is a synthesis of Vaishnava and Buddhistic thought. This group began at the time of Sri Virabhadra Gosvami, the son of Lord Nityananda and Jahnava Mata. It is said that Sri Viracandra converted over a thousand nedas and an equal number of nedis to Vaisnavism from tantric Buddhism. Under his direction, these neda-nedis took to the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Most of them got properly married, thus ending the illicit connections that had been going on between them in the name of tantric meditation. But after some time a number of them again revived their old practices while passing themselves off as Vaishnavas. Nowadays, the neda-nedi is taken to be a type of Baul.

A sahajiya is someone who does things the easy way. The word sahaja itself means "easy." This has different connotations in Vaishnava literatures. In Sri Chaitanya-caritamrta Madhya 8.215 the word sahaja is used to refer to the ease with which intense attraction to Krishna overwhelms a liberated soul once he is established in rasa (his eternal relationship with the Lord). This spiritual attraction is called prema (pure love). Prema is not to be confused with the lusty feelings of an illusioned soul.

There is a type of sahajiya who, though addicted to the pleasures of sex and intoxication, imitates the symptoms of divine love of Krishna. These pretenders are labelled prakrta-sahajiya by the Vaishnavas. Prakrta-sahajiyas imagine they can feel the divine emotions shared by Krishna and His dearest devotee, Srimati Radharani. In Her spiritual form as the most enchanting of all gopis (milkmaids) in the transcendental land of Vrndavana, Radharani loves Krishna in the mood of amorous attraction. But before anyone can understand the pleasure shared between Radha and Krishna, he must first rid himself of lustful obsessions for physical sense gratification. The prakrta-sahajiyas, in contrast, believe they can feel divine rasa through the experience of mundane lust.

According to Dr. S.B. Das Gupta, the history of the Bengali sahajiya movement can be traced back long before Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance, to the reign of the Buddhist Pala royal dynasty (ca. 700-1100 A.D.), when a secret cult of the name Sahajayana arose within the Diamond Vehicle (Vajrayana) school of Buddhism. This school of Buddhism is the also the origin of Tibetan Tantrik Buddhism.

The gauranga-nagaris think Sri Chaitanya exhibited Krishna's enjoying mood. They think of Sri Nimai Pandit as the enjoyer of romantic pastimes with ladies of Nabadwip. The members of this sect wear tilaka and neck beads and are good kirtan performers. They strictly abstain from flesh and fish. But their conception of Mahaprabhu is considered improper by stalwart devotees such as Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj in his book Chaitanya Caritamrta.

The ativadis are influential in Orissa. This apasampradaya was started by Jagannatha dasa at the time when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was living at Puri. He claimed to be a disciple of Srila Haridasa Thakura but later on he broke his connection with Haridasa Thakura and began preaching his own ideas. The leaders of the ativadi have delusions of their own greatness and see themselves as avatars of the Lord. Ativadi means, “too great”, as they think of themselves as people who are very, very great.

 

[muralidhar]

The Smarta caste brahmanas worship Vishnu according to the Mayavadi pancopasana conception. Thus they regard Lord Krishna or Vishnu to be one of five forms of Brahman. Of the five (Durga, Ganesa, Surya, Siva and Vishnu), Bengali smartas have always preferred goddess Durga because she supplies her devotees with material opulence. Though the smartas share with the jata-gosani the bad trait of upper-caste pride, the two communities differ in their mode of worship.

 

Jata-gosani refers to the caste goswamis who are exclusively priests of Krishna temples. Ritualistically, at least, they are Vaishnava-brahmanas, so we followers of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami always show respect to these people as a general rule, even though we do not agree with some things the caste-goswamis say. Many devotees from caste-goswami communities have good relations with the devotees who are within the lineage of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami.

 

Since the 1970’s, some people who were introduced to Krishna Consciousness through the inspired preaching of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the West, have left the lineage of Srila Prabhupada and taken initiation from members of caste-goswami traditions. They make the claim that these caste-goswami traditions are more authentic than the lineage of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. This is their opinion. Be that as it may, many individuals from high caste families within the caste-goswami community have left that tradition and become disciples in the lineage of Prabhupada Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami. Our own Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, who was chosen as the successor Acharya at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip, by our Divine Master, Srila Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj, was born in a family of “Nityanananda Parivar” caste goswamis. Srila Govinda Maharaj is the eldest son of Sri Nitai Pada Das Adhikari of Bamanpara village (Brahmanapura) near Nabadwip Dham. Sri Nitai Pada Das Adhikari was the Guru of hundreds of disciples and his family line was most exalted. The family name, Das Adhikari, was given by Sri Nityananda Prabhu Himself.

 

The general belief system of followers of the jati-gosani sect are seen when we read the life story of Tinkadi Gosvami (1906-1984), the former mahant of Radha-kunda:

<blockquote>

Sri Tinkadi Gosvami (Sri Kisori-Kisorananda Baba) was born in 1906 in Manoharapur, a village in district Medinipur of West Bengal. His father was Sri Harimohana Gosvami and mother Srimati Suradhuni Devi. The family had a large number of ancestral disciples. The number of Harimohana Gosvami’s own disciples also was not small. The income from donations made by disciples was plentiful. Therefore Tinkadi Gosvami was brought up in luxury. He did not have much interest in studies. So his father stopped his education and began to introduce him to his disciples so that he might adopt gurugiri (the profession of guru) as his profession. He also married him to a girl named Sitalasundari, from whom he had a son. Sri Tinkadi Gosvami lived luxuriously. He wore spotlessly white clothes made of the finest linen and smoked hukka. The long tube of the hukka with a silver mouth-piece was always attached to his mouth. The smoke of the sweet-scented tobacco, specially got from Visnupur, was seen curling round him. He went to the homes of the disciples on palanquin. The hukka and a Brahman cook went with him. The cook followed the palanquin on foot. There was, however, a spark of bhakti in his heart, which often disturbed him and made him think of the futility of worldly life. (From the “Saints of Bengal” by O.B.L. Kapoor, Chapter XXV entitled “ Sri Tinkadi Gosvami”)

</blockquote>

 

We see that when he was living in his father's home the father provided him with all sorts of mundane pleasures paid for with money given by disciples. This type of behavior of the caste-goswami gurus was strongly condemned by Prabhupad Srila Saraswati Thakur. In his later life Tinkadi Gosvami, or Tin Kori Goswami, became a renunciate and lived at Radhakunda. Tinkadi Gosvami became well known for his renounced behavior. But Srila Sridhar Maharaj was not impressed by the spiritual attainments of Tinkadi Gosvami.

 

Srila Sridhar Maharaj said this of Tinkadi Goswami:

 

<blockquote>

“…whose highest qualification is that he dresses in canvas. Not cloth but canvas dress. Canvas dressing has made him so famous to the foolish. They have found everything in the canvas. Canvas dress surpasses everything in a Vaishnava sannyasi. Foolish people. Those who have not got the inner eye of appreciation of what is what, will have to take shelter of external calculation. They have no idea of positive attainment— what is the criterion, the standard of vairagyam. Only by external abnegation or willful self-assertion, by physical privation—these are the charm for the foolish people. Those that are born to be deceived.

 

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna—physical calculation—Gaur Haribol, Gaur Haribol!

 

“The naga sannyasis do not even care for a cloth. They are all naked. Should they be the guru of this Tin Kori Goshai? …. Tin Kori—the name is also appropriate. Name has got no sign of a Vaishnava dasa—Three Shells. The wealth is the three shells: sattva, rajah, tamah….”

 

</blockquote>

Some misguided persons with allegiance to Tinkadi Goswami and the philosophy he represents say that he was "a kind-hearted gentleman who spoke ill of no one". But this is merely a ploy, a cheating game. It is a fact that Tinkadi Goswami was very antagonistic to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Moreover, the most hate-filled attacks against Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur that have come from the clan of the Radhakunda babajis, involving abuse (with four letter words and stories of whorehouses, babajis and sodomy) and mischievous lies, have been spread by direct disciples and followers of this "kind-hearted gentleman" such as one Nitai das (Neal Demonic, PhD, an unemployed Sanskrit scholar). Srila Sridhar Maharaja did not recognize Tinkadi Goswami as a substantial Vaishnava (avaishnava). We have faith in his judgment.

 

In the marketplace of Vrindaban we find books by persons such as O.B.L. Kapoor, the writer of “Saints of Bengal”, which tell us about many babas and devotees affiliated with the Gaudiya tradition. However, we should show some discretion when reading the works of authors such as O.B.L. Kapoor. O.B.L. Kapoor himself was a strange character. He had received initiation from Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami but he later took initiation again from a baba in Vrindaban. Yet instead of being straightforward and honest in his dealings, he acted in a deceptive way, presenting himself as a follower of Srila Saraswati Thakur when he visited his godbrother Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, from whom he tried to get money from so he could publish his books. It was O.B.L. Kapoor who influenced Nitai das to leave Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and go to take initiation from Tinkadi Goswami. O.B.L. Kapoor advised Nitai das to keep his initiation from Tinkadi Goswami secret, realizing that this re-initiation would cause a severance of his relationship with Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami and the funds that Prabhupada might provide. Deception, Gaudiya Vaishnavism, book writing, book selling and scholarship. A strange mix.

 

[muralidhar]

Another type of false, deceptive behavior is the type of self-deception practiced by members of the sakhi-bekhi sect. A sakhi-bekhi is a person who dresses like a gopi and imagines himself as a gopi lover of Krishna. Members of this sakhibhekhi cult wear saris and in other ways externally imitate the sentiments of the Gopis, the sweethearts of Sri Krishna. Sakhi-bekhis sometimes imitate rasa-lila with a person dressed like Krishna who wears a cuda, a crown of peacock feathers. This person is called cudadhari. The philosophy of these two types of sahajiya apasampradayas is very similar.

One of the most influential preceptors of the sakhi-bekhi cult was Radharaman Charan Das Babaji. The biography of Radharaman Charan Das Babaji known as The Life of Love” was written by Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor at the behest of the disciples of Radharaman Charan Das Babaji, and in that book (chapter 29, pages 473-474) there is a story of a supposed meeting between the Babaji and Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati (whose as a young man was known as Sri Vimala Prasada Dutt). Whether this meeting really did take place is a matter of debate. However, the statements in that book do provide us with information about the practices and philosophy of the sakhi-bekhi cult.

Meeting with Sri Vimala Prasada Dutt

One day Sri Vimala Prasada Dutt (Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Mahashaya), the son of Sri Kedarnath Dutt (Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura Mahashaya) came to the Math. It is not known whether Babaji Mahashaya had met him before or not, but he received him cordially and gave him an asana to sit on. They talked for some time on various subjects, after which Vimala Prasada Babu asked, "How is it that among your disciples I see different kinds of bhava and vesh (dress)?"

Babaji: None of them is my disciple. I myself could not become a disciple. I have only been wandering about to earn name and fame. How can I make anyone my disciple?

Vimala Babu:But they all introduce themselves as your disciples.

Babaji: That is due to their humility. They are all servants of Nityananda. As willed by Him they live here as my siksha-gurus.

Vimala Babu: Some of them have adopted sakhi-vesh. Have you asked them to do so?

Babaji: No, they have done so of their own.

Vimala Babu: Why don't you prevent them?

Babaji: I do not see anything wrong in it. Some time ago, there was some criticism against it. I consulted my Gurudeva. He said, "The essence of the teachings of the Goswamis is that in order to make one's bhava permanent one should wear the dress suited to it, speak and behave in a manner suited to it, and think about, meditate upon and do kirtan of the lila, that suits it.

Vimala Babu: Can you prove the necessity of this kind of vesh with reference to the shastras and can you cite any instance in which the associates or followers of Mahaprabhu have in the past worn this kind of vesh?

Babaji: The importance of vesh has been asserted by all the shastras. It is according to the shastras that the Brahmins weir the sacred thread, which is a sign of Brahminhood and is helpful in sadhana. Similarly, the orange colored clothes and the tridanda of a sannyasi, the rudraksha and lion's skin of a Shaiva, and the tilaka and kanthi of a Vaishnava are enjoined by the shastras. As for the associates of Mahaprabhu, many of them have put on vesh according to their bhava. Nityananda Prabhu, who had the bhava of Balarama, used to put on vesh appropriate to that bhava. Almost all of His associates, who had sakhyabhava, used to put on gopa-vesh (the dress of cowherds). Gadadhara Prabhu used to put on gopi-vesh. Abhirama Thakura used to carry a flute, which was appropriate to his sakhya-bhava. Lochanananda Das Thakura, Narahari Sarkar Thakura and some other devotees of Srikhanda sometimes met Mahaprabhu in the vesh of nadiya-nagari, and sometimes went about in the vesh of the milkmaids of Vraja carrying pots of milk or curd.

Besides, have the shastras said anywhere that vesh according to bhava should not be adopted to convert bhava into svabhava? I think not.

In this way, after talking with Baba Mahashaya on subjects relating to the principles and practices of Vaishnavism Vimala Prasada Babu left.

Many of these things said by Radharaman Charan Das Babaji are wrong. Perhaps the most obvious falsehood is the statement "Gadadhara Prabhu used to put on gopi-vesh." Nowhere, in the authentic writings of the Vaishnava Acharyas, is there any mention that Gadadhar Prabhu ever wore the dress of a gopi. This idea that he did dress as a gopi is a clear example of the misconceptions spread by followers of these psuedo-Vaishnava cults. What is more, Srila Sarasvati Thakur was openly critical of the sakhi-bekhi beliefs of Radharaman Charan Das Babaji. We know that for a fact.

 

The thirteen sects listed by Sri Totaram das Babaji spawned further mutant variations with the passing of time.

 

 

[muralidhar]

The information above is one chapter, or about 5%, of a document I am writing regarding the Parampara of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur.

 

I wish to express my appreciation for the assistance I have received from several devotees who have assisted me while researching facts about Srila Prabhupada's Parampara. In particular, I would like to offer my respects to the devotees listed below:

 

I offer my dandabat pranams to my Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Maharaj.

 

Dandabat pranams to Sripad B. G. Narasingha Maharaj of Nrsimha-Chaitanya Math.

 

Dandabat pranams to Sripad Vishnu Maharaj, of Nrsimha-Chaitanya Math.

 

Dandabat pranams to Sripad Narasingha Maharaj, disciple of Sripad Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami.

 

Dandabat pranams to Sripad Bhakti Vikasa Swami of ISKCON.

 

Dandabat pranams to Sripad Bhakti Sudhir Goswami, of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

 

Dandabat pranams to Sripad Bhakti Madhava Puri Goswami, of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

 

 

 

[raga]

I'll drop in a few comments here and there.

 

 

Some misguided persons with allegiance to Tinkadi Goswami and the philosophy he represents say that he was "a kind-hearted gentleman who spoke ill of no one". But this is merely a ploy, a cheating game. It is a fact that Tinkadi Goswami was very antagonistic to Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Moreover, the most hate-filled attacks against Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur that have come from the clan of the Radhakunda babajis, involving abuse (with four letter words and stories of whorehouses, babajis and sodomy) and mischievous lies, have been spread by direct disciples and followers of this "kind-hearted gentleman" such as one Nitai das (Neal Demonic, PhD, an unemployed Sanskrit scholar).

 

 

1. To the best of my knowledge, Tinkudi Baba was not staying at Radha Kund, nor was Nitai Das.

 

2. Can you present any written attack against Bhaktisiddhanta and the rest by a recognized resident of Radha Kund?

 

3. On what basis do you say that Tinkudi Baba was very antagonistic towards Bhaktisiddhanta? This does not correspond to what I've read of him from the writings of Nitai Das.

 

 

 

The worship of Sri Vishnupriyas Deity of Mahaprabhu was properly arranged by Sri Totaram das Babaji. Apart from some informataion recorded in the book Gaudiya-Vaishnava-Jivana, little is known of the life of Sri Totaram das Babaji.

 

 

Now you are quoting from a book of Haridas Dasji. Do you trust his works or not?

 

 

[raga]

 

The gauranga-nagaris think Sri Chaitanya exhibited Krishna's enjoying mood. They think of Sri Nimai Pandit as the enjoyer of romantic pastimes with ladies of Nabadwip. The members of this sect wear tilaka and neck beads and are good kirtan performers. They strictly abstain from flesh and fish. But their conception of Mahaprabhu is considered improper by stalwart devotees such as Sri Krishnadas Kaviraj in his book Chaitanya Caritamrta.

 

 

You should also address the Gaura Nagari padas of Narahari Sarakara and others.

 

Vrindavan Das Thakura does not agree with nagari-vada, that is documented, but I don't think there is any direct statement in the Caitanya Caritamrita in this regard, although the conclusion doesn't go well together with our conception of gaura-avatara.

[raga]

 

Jata-gosani refers to the caste goswamis who are exclusively priests of Krishna temples. Ritualistically, at least, they are Vaishnava-brahmanas, so we followers of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami always show respect to these people as a general rule, even though we do not agree with some things the caste-goswamis say. Many devotees from caste-goswami communities have good relations with the devotees who are within the lineage of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami.

 

 

A rather surprising turn in the examination. Are you more mellow on this because of the background of Govinda Maharaja and Sridhar Maharaja?

 

 

 

The general belief system of followers of the jati-gosani sect are seen when we read the life story of Tinkadi Gosvami (1906-1984), the former mahant of Radha-kunda:

 

 

When was he the mahant of Radha Kund?

 

What you have quoted is certainly not a belief system. Reconsider your choice of words. "Life style" perhaps?

 

 

This type of behavior of the caste-goswami gurus was strongly condemned by Prabhupad Srila Saraswati Thakur. In his later life Tinkadi Gosvami, or Tin Kori Goswami, became a renunciate and lived at Radhakunda. Tinkadi Gosvami became well known for his renounced behavior.

 

 

To have a balanced presentation, you should be generous enough to relate how he himself realized the futility of mundane life and left to Vraja to surrender for Radha and Krishna.

[raga]

 

What is more, Srila Sarasvati Thakur was openly critical of the sakhi-bekhi beliefs of Radharaman Charan Das Babaji. We know that for a fact.

 

 

Don't forget to note that Gaura Hari Das Baba, a follower of Jagannatha Das Baba, and the revered siksa-guru of Charan Das Baba, did not find this objectionable at all, and maintained an affectionate relationship with Charan Das Baba until the end.

[raga]

 

Another type of false, deceptive behavior is the type of self-deception practiced by members of the sakhi-bekhi sect. A sakhi-bekhi is a person who dresses like a gopi and imagines himself as a gopi lover of Krishna. Members of this sakhibhekhi cult wear saris and in other ways externally imitate the sentiments of the Gopis, the sweethearts of Sri Krishna. Sakhi-bekhis sometimes imitate rasa-lila with a person dressed like Krishna who wears a cuda, a crown of peacock feathers. This person is called cudadhari. The philosophy of these two types of sahajiya apasampradayas is very similar.

One of the most influential preceptors of the sakhi-bekhi cult was Radharaman Charan Das Babaji.

 

 

Your prologue is completely misleading in regards to Charan Das Baba. There is no practice of sakhi-bhekhis and cuda-dharis dancing together and imitating the rasa-lila. Please also note that only a few among Charan Das Baba's followers took sakhi-bhekh.

 

Aside this, Charan Das Baba lived long after Totaram Baba. You would do well to examine the roots of the sakhibhekhi tradition. That is, of course, if you are willing to invest the time and energy that is required for getting an actual credible examination of the thirteen schools, instead of a document with a little from here and a little from there. Some field work you should do.

 

I sure hope you have not been consulting the clueless booklet / series of essays by Suhotra Swami on apa-sampradayas commonly available on the internet. Sometimes I wonder whether that examination has more correct or incorrect statements in it.

 

[Guest guest]

Raga / Madhava:

Are you more mellow on this because of the background of Govinda Maharaja and Sridhar Maharaja?

 

<hr>

No, rather it is a fact in my own personal experience I know that some caste-Goswamis of Vraja and Nabadwip are our friends.

 

In regard to Tinkori Gosai's going to Vraja and becoming a renuciate, I neglected to mention that the baba he consulted with advised him to go back home and experience some more karma.

 

Murali

[raga]

Why today everyone is having a bad attitude? Peace now. Good that you respect the Gosvamis.

 

With all due respect, what does Sridhar Maharaja know about Tinkudi Gosvami? Did he ever meet him or discuss topics of spiritual life with him? If not, then his words are nothing but the critique of a blind man in this regard.

[Guest guest]

Yes I have read Suhotra Swami's writings on apa-sampradayas

 

I have borrowed from what he wrote and also there is other information from other sources.

 

I while ago I supplied a mass of information showing that Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami did receive diksa from Srila Gaurkishore Babaji. Even some of your pal Nitai's sources say the same thing. Even Sundarananda Vidyavinode, in his book Saraswati Jayasree, says so. What to speak of the other story Sundarananda Vidyavinode tells in that book, of the initiation ceremony at Bhaktivinode Thakur's house in Calcutta in 1910, where Jagadish das (B.P.Tirtha Maharaj) received brahma-gayatri diksa from Srila Saraswati Thakur while Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur looked on. There have been many lies spread by so-called babajis of Vraja and by this Nitai disciple of Tinkori Babaji. You ask me to provide you with more information about this, or that, or the other thing. But maybe first of all you should go and ask Nitai if he is prepared to admit that there is plenty of evidence to show his false stories he heard from baba are lies.

 

Sundarananda Vidyavinode and Ananta Vasudeva, the little brother of B.P.Tirtha Maharaj, lost faith in their real Guru after some time. Aparadha is the cause of that. Nitai is also being malicious and abusive towards Srila Saraswati Thakur. Nitai is spreading false lies, mischievious lies, and really if you want me to be nice then you should realize I won't be nice to any three shells babaji unless and until Nitai and company stop abusing Srila Saraswati Thakur.

 

On another note, a sannyasi friend has advised me that if Ananta das Pandit tries to justify the fact that he had illicit relations by quoting the verse "api cet sudaracaro", then we won't accept that. Anyway, I am not going to write anything about that now, as I will leave it to the sannyasi.

 

Murali

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

BTW, the anecdote I supplied about "api cet sudaracaro" and your Pandit was a response to your jibe about "blind man".

[raga]

 

Nitai is spreading false lies, mischievious lies, and really if you want me to be nice then you should realize I won't be nice to any three shells babaji unless and until Nitai and company stop abusing Srila Saraswati Thakur.

 

 

Why do you think it is befitting to slander Nitai's guru if Nitai does something you don't approve of, and his guru is no longer present?

 

 

 

On another note, a sannyasi friend has advised me that if Ananta das Pandit tries to justify the fact that he had illicit relations by quoting the verse "api cet sudaracaro", then we won't accept that. Anyway, I am not going to write anything about that now, as I will leave it to the sannyasi.

 

 

Now, what are you talking about?

 

Here is what he has written on the subject matter, in our Q&A at raganuga.com:

 

 

If the pure, one-pointed devotees of Sri Hari, that is, those who are fixed in one of Sri Hari's forms like Vrajendranandana, without worshipping any other gods and goddesses, or who have no other desire than to render loving devotional service, accidentally commit some offence at Sri Hari's lotus feet, due to bad company or bad old habits, Sri will certainly forgive them, but when the desire to worship other gods or to attain anything else but Krishna remains in the heart, Sri Hari will abandon such a person as a husband abandons an adulterous wife.

 

Or, if some offence is committed while remembering the Lord or engaging in His service, the Lord will forgive it, but when someone commits adultery with someone else's wife, even while engaging in the Lord's service, the Lord will not forgive the offence, nor will He accept the devotional service of such a person. Therefore, if some exclusive devotee becomes attached to another man's wife due to powerful bad company or due to bad habits, he should give up that sin and repent greatly, exclusively surrendering at the lotus feet Sri Hari. Then it is to be understood that Sri Hari will become pleased with that person and forgive him. (ADP tika on PBC 35)

 

 

But how does this have anything to do with him as a person? Who is the sannyasi friend of yours, and what are his sources?

[raga]

 

BTW, the anecdote I supplied about "api cet sudaracaro" and your Pandit was a response to your jibe about "blind man".

 

 

So, there are more blind men out there? Note that the term "blind man" only applies when a man speaks of something he does not know of. I do not use it as a general expression of Sridhar or anyone. Hence "blind man <u>in this regard</u>".

[Guest guest]

With all due respect, what does Sridhar Maharaja know about Tinkudi Gosvami? Did he ever meet him or discuss topics of spiritual life with him? If not, then his words are nothing but the critique of a blind man in this regard.

 

 

 

Raga,

To start with everyone doesn't have this attitude, that's a sweeping statement.

but the above is a very thin ice statement, whem skateing in such fine and delicate areas we have to be confident of our conclusions or not make them, otherwise the ice could crack.

Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaj was considered by many before and after him as a fully awakened self and God realized sadhu of the highest spiritual vision, although towards the latter days of his life his sight was withdrawn by the grace of Our Lord, this only illuminated his pure spiritual vision and didn't interfear with his realization of reality. His realizations illuminated the whole Vaisnava arena giving new light to all, and most all unanimously agreed on his divine standing. Including Madrasi Krsna das Babaji who unfortuneately missed his dharsan but still had sufficient honor to try for it, as he could see from the books of Srila Sridhar Maharajs realizations that I personally gave him, that this was no ordinary vision. As Krsna has stated, "you don't need eyes to see Me."

 

We cannot measure the extent with which such inner eyes perceive divinity. Did you personally have SSM's dharsan? If not then your own statement only applies to yourself for unless you are on the platform of purity, it is an unfortunate area to guess what his vision or lack thereof was/is.. We are mere struggling amoebas in the light of such mahatmas, swimming in a vast ocean of hope that someday we may take birth in a favourable company that will afford us true internal adjustment to Reality the Beautiful Lord of Divine Love, through honor and humility we have the opportunity to have a glint of their glories, I'm sure you have such potential with all of your fine theistic intelect, if it be infused with divine grace, then subjective reality and all those serving Them becomes your great fortune.

 

t is better to just admit in good grace that this was a slip of the tongue, instead of trying to justify such statements for this is the dynamic lifting fertilizer that helps ones' Bhakti lata to grow up!

[Guest guest]

Bro,

I didn't know you were visiting this forum.

 

Anyway, can you please post here that article regarding the Smarta Pandits of Nabadwip who Srila Guru Mahraj converted to Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

 

If you can, please clean up the typos on that doc which Srimate D.D.D. posted on Home Comfort.

 

Murali

[Guest guest]

Raga said:

Who is the sannyasi friend of yours, and what are his sources?

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Wait and see, is what Srila Sridhar Maharaj told us.

 

[Guest guest]

Dandavat Murali,

I occasionally visit the forums, always a little wary I will encounter loose lips as I don't like to see the slightest disrespect to the surrendered suddha servitors.

Interesting compilation on the apasampredayas you've gathered here.

It's funny how in the very early 70's I recall seeing the Bauls of Bengal perform at Nimbin, I was quite fascinated by their apparent ecstatic mood. But even then as much as I was inclined towards the dervish nonsectarian Sufis, I still felt a certain wariness to give myself to it. Obviously some deep warning signal was at play even then thanks to God and later to the guidance of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj. Then ultimately the finer subtlties of the vani of Srila Guru Maharaj-one of the guardians of the purity of Radha dasyam.

 

Sri Gauranumatam, what was sanctioned by Sri Gaurasundara.

Swarup viditam - it was fully known and practiced by Swarup Damodar.

Rupagra jenadrtam - adored by Sanatan Goswami

Rupadyar parivesitam - distributed by Rupa Goswami and his followers

Ragu-ganair asvaditam sevatam - Raghunath das Goswami with his own camp has tasted and enhanced this sweetest ideal.

Jivadyair abhiraksitam - While Jiva Goswami, like a gatekeeper is carefully guarding this divine treasure from misrepresentation. Nothing should pass falsely in the name of Gauranga, we shall taste it, if it is the view of Mahaprabhu and the Goswamis.

 

Suka-Siva brahmadi sammanitam - then Sukadev, Mahadev and Lord Brahma, they are all showing honor to that venerable activity from a respectable distance. So we are to see before we accept anything in the name of Gaura-Nitai. If it stands the test of Mahaprabhu&#8217;s men then we can accept if it is this divine treasure of Radha Dasyam that they all worshipped and adored

sri Radhapada-sevanamrtam

aho tad-datam iso bhavan

That highest nectar of divine servitude of Srimate Radhika is within your power to give (O Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur).

In the ordinary sense it is being distributed freely and the only price is sincere hankering to have it, otherwise it will be misused. And this kind of sincerity is not so easy to find. If anyone wished to present any sloka, eulogy, or poem to Mahaprabhu,, Swarup Damodar would first examine it so there was nothing in it that would cause any pain to his Lords heart, through inconsistency and misrepresentation.

If it was pleasing he would then allow it through, otherwise he canceled it.

So Swarup Damodar acted like a water-filter to prevent the pollution entering. Only the pure water getting through to the heart of Mahaprabhu.

To reach the highest ideal, to somehow serve the best servitor of Krishna, that is Radha-dasyam, a man is known by his ideal. So we should diligently aspire to reach that mark. Out of billions of aspirants, let me be one that sincerely reaches that service when all else have retired.

The nature of our existence is that of subordinate, no direct connection is possible with Krishna in our constitutional position. We can only connect with him through His internal potency and in that personal potency there is also gradation and hierarchy. There is close, closer and closest.

So that shakti is like the sun, the closer one goes, the brighter it gets and the heat intensifies, the nearer to the parties of Krishna&#8217;s servants, the more intense we find the serving spirit, affection, sacrifice. All will be intensified. Everything in the environment will come into perspective, by our adjustment to that center.

We have no right, everything, my whole existence, whatever position I get is all coming by His grace. So my position will come through rendering sincere service to guru, vaishnava and Gauranga. And if that connection is pure and pleasing we may enter into the most confidential service, Radha-dasyam. Who can serve Her best, our aim will be to enter into his or Her group.

 

Srila B.R. Sridhara Goswami Maharaj

 

 

I think this may be what you requested

Memories of Srila B.S. Govinda Maharaj

 

Once Sripad Yajavar Maharaj, a disciple of Srila Bhaktisidanta Saraswati Thakur was invited to debate a large assembly of Shakta pandits in West Bengal, but he felt he could not debate with such a renowned head of that pandit society, so he invited Srila Sridhara Maharaj to come and debate with that society for seven days. It was so very nice, Srila Guru Maharaj affectionately defeated all the two hundred pandits in that district. It was the highest cultural district in Bengal at the time, and only Srila Guru Maharaj could defeat them. They were really very highly qualified pandits, but having a completely different culture from our Vaisnava society.

We first went to the house of the head of that society, he was a very wealthy man and he heard Srila Guru Maharaj had come to debate with the whole pandit society. He respected Guru Maharaj very much.

 

That society worshipped a Salagram sila and every day they would give opulent bhoga to Narayana. They asked Guru Maharaj "We are offering to Narayana every day, will you take that prasadam?" And Guru Maharaj replied, "No, we shall cook and offer ourselves, then we shall take it." This was before the debate. They said, "You will not take this Narayana Prasadam even though Narayana is the Supreme? They were thinking Narayana is the supreme, so why wouldn't our party take that prasadam. Srila Guru Maharaj said, "We are vaisnava and you are shakta (worshippers of shakti - mother Kali) and your offerings are completely different from ours and because of that we cannot take it." So that man accepted his answer, but happily agreed to supply very fine rice, ghee, milk and many other fine ingredients. I had rarely seen such hospitality in my life, that was the type expressed in the Mahabharata, Ramayana etc. We were against their culture but still they gave us such good nourishment.

 

So when they began the meeting they had two hundred followers and there were only seven of us, myself included. One pandit was there who made our calender each year, another was the principal of their sanskrit college. He also held the highest degrees in all of India. That man later sent his grandson to me to take initiation, he was a sannyasi and he could initiate his grandson, but he would not becaue he is a relative, so some then may not respect him as guru. He knew all the rules and regulations so he referred his grandson to me for initiation.

 

To start the meeting they asked who would take the first position and Srila Guru Maharaj said, "Yes, you may question me as you like."

Every morning and evening there would be long discussions with Srila Guru Maharaj. For two hours they questioned him without waiting for an answer. Guru Maharaj took his seat, then one question after another came and Srila Guru Maharaj wanted to reply with his answers, but that respected pandit would say, "No, I have not finished my questions." Then after two hours he was still questioning and I saw Guru Maharaj counting in a particular way, he was making some categories with the questions on his fingers. He put them all into order. When the pandit said, "Now I have finished Maharaj, you please answer." Everybody's face was stunned. This type of questioning for two hours, no one could memorize. Maybe one hundred questions were asked and we were thinking we had lost everything and wouldn't be able to preach vaisnavism again in that district. But Srila Guru Maharaj elaborated to the pandit that all his questions came within six or seven categories and the pandit accepted this conclusion. Then Guru Maharaj gave the answers for hours in return, then that man was very happy and he said, "Tomorrow we shall be seated again Maharaj." In this way for seven days the debate continued. It was very nice. I could not believe it was possible. After five days that pandit had already conceded defeat, but very affectionately. Then he said to Guru Maharaj, "I want to take initiation from you but I cannot, that is, I am in charge of this whole area and lineage. Many will be unhappy with me and secondly, my family tradition demands we stay in this line, so now I am giving my son to you. His son also was super qualified with double masters degrees in vedanta etc. Then Guru Maharaj was even more strict and he said, "Yes, I shall take your son, but he cannot go back to your family, for our vaishnava tradition is completely different. Then the pandit took some time, but eventually he came to the vaishnava dharma, his grandson is now a minister.

And when that pandit was on his death bed he always remembered Guru Maharaj. Asking his son and others, can you show me Srila Sridhara Maharaj again, he is really my honourable friend." But Guru Maharaj's health was not good at that time, therefore he could not visit him.

His name was Viroja Nanda, he had a tall figure, maybe six feet six inchs with a big black beard. He had a very exalted figure and he wore red tilak to show he worshipped Mother Kali. His figure also looked very grand but he was very sober.