Sri Bhakti Prajnan Keshava Maharaj

muralidhar · October 23, 2002

Dandabat Dear Devotees,

I was wondering if anyone knows of a site on the web where I can read the biography of Sripad Bhakti Prajnan Keshava Maharaj

I am specially interested to read about the events that happened when the brahmins of Nabadwip attempted to kill Prabhupada Srila Saraswati Thakur by stoning him with bricks, and how Sripad Keshava Maharaj saved the life of Srila Saraswati Thakur.

I have read a couple of descriptions of this, but I would like to find out anything more that can be known about what happened that day

respectfully,

Muralidhar das

Yashoda_dd · October 23, 2002

“Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami, His Life and Teachings”, by Tridandisvami Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, pages 40-43:

Ideal guru-seva

…

In 1925., as in previous years, the sixteen kosa Sri Navadvipa Dhama parikrama was held on the occasion of Sri Gaura Janmotsava. Thousands of devoted pilgrims performed parikrama in an enourmous sankirtana party. Srila Prabhupada went on foot in the parikrama while the Deities of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga and Gandharvika-Giridhari were borne on the back of a large elephant. At one point, the parikrama party gathered in front of the temple of Praudha Maya in Kuliya Dvipa and the devotees listened to Srila Prabhupada relating the glories of Sri Navadvipa Dhama. Just then, the so-called brahmanas and caste gosvamis of Kuliya Navadvipa attacked. They hurled bricks, stones, hot water and soda bottles, and their assault caused pandemonium everywhere. The pilgrims were running here and there to proctect their lives, and no one cared for anyone else. The violent mob was searching for Srila Prabhupada in order to kill him, but Sri Vinodabihari Brahmacari immediately took him to a nearby bhakta’s house for protection. There, Sri Vinodabihari quickly put on Srila Prabhupada’s sannyasa dress and took his danda, giving his own white clothes to Srila Prabhupada to wear. After that, he sent Srila Prabhupada to Sridhama Mayapura, and the mob did not recognize Prabhupada in disguise. Meanwhile, the police arrived. Some time later, Sri Vinodabihari reached Mayapura safely, still dressed as a sannyasi. The corrupt police suppressed news of this event, but the famous magazine Ananda Bazara published an account of the atrocity. The educated and respectable people of Bengal were shocked to hear and read about this outrage.

All the Vaisnavas were amazed at Sri Vinodabihari Brahmacari’s remarkable guru-nistha (his fixed service to his guru), and the incident was discussed everywhere. This is how Sri Vinodabihari reacted fearlessly when some injustice or atrocity threatened Srila Prabhupada or challenged Srila Prabhupada’s views.

…

Guru-sevaka Sri Vinodabihari Brahmacari, the foremost amongst the disciples of Srila Prabhupada, later became well-known by the name Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, and he preached the words of Sri Gaurasundara all over the world, fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s manobhista (innder desire). Some Vaisnavas say that the incident at Kuliya was an excuse for Srila Prabhupada to give his dear desciple the tridanda sannyasa dress, even though his sannyasa ceremony was held later in Katva, after Prabhupada’s disappearance. For such guru-sevaka, Sri Vinodabihari Brahmacari’s name wiill be written in gold in the annals of the Sarasvata Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

Srila BV Narayana Maharaja's Return to Mathura &

Vyasapuja of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaja

21-22 February 2000

Mathura

….

Srila Narayana Maharaja said that even if one has ananya bhakti-even to Sri Radhika-his bhakti will be zero if he has no guru-nistha. He repeated the hindi expression,

"One should take his life in the palm of his hand". In other words, the disciple should take on any service, even dangerous, for Sri Gurudeva. He should sacrifice any mundane relationships, any desire, and any activity,

for guru-seva. If the guru says, "Jump", you jump. He shared with the Indian devotees that everywhere he went in the West, at every airport, hundreds of western devotees from all over the world would gather to greet him. He asked

rhetorically why this was so. And only he could give his own surprising answer. It was not due to he himself, as Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja, that he was getting so much honor and regard. Rather, it was due to the guru-nistha in his heart. Because his life is totally absorbed in his own guru, therefore people are coming to him.

…

Srila Narayana Maharaja gave the example of his Guru Maharaja, who gave up his white clothes, and took the sannyasi garments of Srila Prabhupada in order to protect Srila Prabhupada's life. Later he was critised by his godbrothers in a letter to Srila Prabhupada. They said that he was not a vaisnava really. He rarely attented mangala aratika, he was always was going here and there collecting money, meeting dignitaries, he did not shave his head, he wore opulent dhotis and kurtas, etc. Srila Prabhupada wrote back, "Anyone who does not respect Vinoda brahmacari is not a Vaisnava." His Godbrothers should simply see his guru nistha and guru-seva. If we give proper respect, then we can chant Hare Krsna happily.