Four Stories of Srila Saraswati Prabhupada

[rsbj]

On one occasion Sripad Vana Maharaj was alone with Saraswati Thakura on the roof of the Calcutta Gaudiya Math during a cloudy night. Vana Maharaj noticed that Prabhupada remained silent and was looking up at the night sky for a very long period. Swami Vana was worried that his Gurudev would strain his neck so he asked his Guru why he continued to look at the night sky? The great Prabhupada replied that he had looked up and seen a star and that he must find and see another star before looking down. With his head up he explained to Vana Maharaj that if you see the Moon or any single star in the sky it is important that you must see another star before looking down again. To fail to do so would bring ill-fortune.

 

Another similar example. Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada believed that to see the Moon on the 4th day after Purnima would bring blame and accusations against anyone who did so. He personally told Vana Maharaj that Lord Krishna had once seen the 4th day waning Moon while residing in Dvaraka and this was the real reason why Krishna got falsely accused of stealing the Syamantaka ruby.

 

Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura was unpopular with the Smarta Brahmins and other Sanskrit scholars who he ridiculed for their mundane ideas. So a plot was hatched to humiliate Prabhupada. Although Prabhupada was a great scholar, still he was not specifically a Sanskrit expert in the academic sense. So an assembly of Sanskrit experts was planned and Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada was invited to debate his philosophy with them IN SANSKRIT LANGUAGE. At the appointed time Prabhupada arrived with a large number of his disciples and they took their seats together. Among his disciples was an exceptionally gifted Sanskrit expert holding a Ph.D. with honors, although none of the Smartas was aware of this. The sabha was convenied and a powerful Smarta leader stood up and addressed Prabhupada, in very advanced extempore Sanskrit, and after offering his arguments for almost one hour he triumphantly took his seat, sure that he had stumped the controversial Acharya. A silence then fell over the learned assembly and all eyes (and ears) were on the grave looking Sarasvati Thakura who simply cast an almost imperceptible glance at his expert Sanskrit disciple. This junior disciple, then a brahmacari, immediately stood up, and in the greatest display of Sanskrit scholarship, which Swami Vana Maharaj said was inspired by Lord Hari Himself, he completely astonished the entire assemble with his philosophical counter arguments in unparalleled extempore Sanskrit. Then, after Prabhupada's disciple had devastated the antagonists and refuted all their arguments from memory, a great hush hung over the Sabha as Prabhupada, followed by his devotees (including Sripad Vana Maharaj), simply walked out in complete victory. Such was the power of Prabhupada that he was victorious without even opening his lotus-like mouth.

 

Once while residing in the Calcutta Gaudiya Matha, Srila Sarasvati Thakura was deathly ill and bed-ridden. In the room serving him were some of his leading sannyasi's including Srila Vana Maharaj. The devotees were at their wits end how to help, and so they finally pleaded with their Gurudeva asking him what to do to relieve his suffering. Finally the great Prabhupada opened his eyes and begged them in a choked voice to please bring Kunja Dha (Kunja Vihari Dasa was later named Tridandi Swami Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Maharaj). At that time Kunja Dha was working at the Calcutta post office to help raise money for his Gurudeva's preaching. (In fact, it was Kunja Dha who met Srila Saraswati Thakura while he was a bhajan-anandi and helped him to come out and start preaching. He also helped Srila Saraswati Thakura carry the corpse of Srila Gaura Kishore Das Babaji Maharaj to the current samadhi in Mayapura). A devotee was sent to bring Kunja Dha, who immediately left his duties at the post office and returned to the Math. As soon as Kunja Dha entered the sick room of Srila Saraswati Thakura, the great Acarya sat up with opened arms. Kunja Dha ran into the arms of his Gurudeva who embraced him tightly. The other devotees (including Vana Maharaj) were astounded to see the face of their Lion Guru resting on the shoulder of Kunja Dha with profuse tears pouring from his eyes onto the body of Kunja Vihari Das. And Kunja Vihari Prabhu was also weeping and trembling as he hugged his great master. This tearful embrace lasted what seemed like a long time. And after that Srila Saraswati Thakura was better.

 

Hare Krishna!!!

Y/s,

Hrsikesananda das

 

[Guest guest]

Dear Hrsikesananda prabhu,

 

My obeisances to you. Jai Srila Prabhupada ! Thank you very much for the nice pastimes of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati that I had not heard before. I thought I would reciprocate with more that I came across.

 

Here are some additional pastimes in glorification of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta by Srila Pramode Puri Maharaja, one of my spiritual master's godbrothers....

 

"Sri Srila Prabhupada, even in his youth, was very attached to the chanting of the holy Name. When Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur was the deputy magistrate at Rampure, he was a student of the 7th class in high school. Observing his avid absorption in the practice of service to the Lord, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura gave Tulasi beads, and awarded him the initiation of the ‘Harinama’ and Sri Nrsingha mantra. In the year l881 in Calcutta, during the construction of their house there named ‘Bhakti Bhavan’, a Kurmadev Salagrama Sila (Deity) was discovered in the earth. His intense desire for such worship, even though he was only 8 years old at that time, made his father teach him the proper method of worship, complete with the worship mantras. Sri Srila Prabhupada always executed such deity worship very rigidly while maintaining his code of conduct. I myself had the good fortune to see the Deity that was once worshipped by Sri Srila Prabhupada with my own eyes, in that house.

 

Once Srila Prabhupada was standing at the entrance of the Sri Caitanya Math temple room and was viewing the Deities of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga-Gandharvika-Giridhari. The doorway next to the inner sanctum was rather small and he was not having his spectacles at that time. A dearmost disciple, who was standing by his side, thinking his spiritual master was not able to get a good view of the Deities, commented loudly that it is very difficult to view the Deities from outside because of the small doorway of the inner sanctum. On hearing this, Srila Prabhupada gave a chuckle and for the benefit of all, replied, "Do not attempt to see the Deities with these mundane, visual senses; instead , try to obtain the necessary pure devotional qualifications so that the Supreme Lord will Himself manifest to us in person, for this type of meditation is superior."

 

In the mid-February of l930 at Sridham Mayapur, Sri Srila Prabhupada held a spiritual exhibition called the Sridham Navadvip-Mayapur exhibition, for a period of approximately one month. Many corrugated tin huts were temporarily construction for this occasion and were unveiled ceremoniously by Sri P.S. Ray on his auspicious arrival. For the whole period of the exhibition, the sky remained clear by the immeasurable mercy of Lord Gaurasundar and His dear associate, the spiritual master. At the end of the exhibition, heavy winds erupted and the fury of these winds tore those tin structures apart, hurling them away at a considerable distance. One such tin structure in its obituary flight, hit one of the domes of the Deity of Sri Ramanuja adjacent to the main sanctum and after shattering the concrete dome, fell on the side of the temple where a tube-well was stationed. After the tempest had calmed down, Sri Srila Prabhupada, examining the broken dome, commented that for the dome of one of our main spiritual masters (acarya) to be broken, especially him being the foremost acarya of our Deity worship, could only be due to some grave offence in the deity worship. True to his word, after an inquiry was conducted, it was discovered that the priest had committed a major offence in the Deity worship. He was immediately replaced and the broken dome was later renovated. Whenever there were incidents like theft from the temple, or when Srila Prabhupada himself appeared unsound in health or even when disciples were experiencing some major disturbances from the norm, Sri Srila Prabhupada would especially caution his disciples not to commit offences against the Deity. The offences to the Name, the holy dham (like Mayapur) and the established Deities were the butt of Sri Srila Prabhupada’s repeated warnings of caution to his disciples.

 

On the 23rd of October l936, Sri Srila Prabhupada assigned the task of propagating the divine message of Lord Caitanya in Europe and America to the late Sriman Bhakti Saranga Prabhu, one of his then stalwart disciples. On the eve of his start for his first rendezvous in London, Srila Prabhupada instructed him to worship the deities of Govardhan, Salagram and Gomati whilst there daily. The same day, at the temple hall of Bagh Bazaar Sri Gaudiya Math, Sri Srila Prabhupada, addressing a large crowd, delivered a fiery speech, enthusiastically extolling the preaching mission of Bhakti Saranga Prabhu and showering his mercy upon him for his successful campaign. The mercy potency of Lord Gauranga, Sri Srila Prabhupada had firm conviction that only in the wide spread propagation of Lord Caitanya’s teachings via spiritual initiation and instruction, could the living entities ultimately attain their eternal welfare. Consequently, with untiring vigor, he began to preach accordingly, together with exhibiting model personal conduct.

 

Some time before, from l933 March to l935, his disciples Srimad Bhakti Pradipa Tirtha Maharaj and Srimad Bhakti Hrody Bon Maharaja had been in London and Germany. There, at various locations by the holding of public speeches and with correspondences by letter, they were able to inspire many elite educated people to become interested in the message of Lord Caitanya. With the consent of Sri Srila Prabhupada, gradually the first London Gaudiya Mission Society was formed and simultaneously the Gaudiya Math became established there. The chairman of the Society, Lord Zetland, used to discuss in his weekly meetings the teachings of Lord Caitanya as inspired by Sri Srila Prabhupada. The preaching excursion to Burma resulted in a Math being established in Rangoon in l935. However, the preaching was curtailed due to the political turmoil in Burma at that time. In many densely populated cities and holy places in India, Srila Prabhupada personally, or through the media of his disciples, established Gaudiya Temples replete with Deity services. The doctrine of devotion of Mahaprabhu was taught and the importance of personal conduct was also stressed in the course of one’s devotion. Altogether sixty-four temples were established in India which were all listed in the weekly ‘Gaudiya’ periodical"

 

It was his innate desire to establish pedestals for the footprints of Lord Caitanya in at least 108 holy places where Sriman Mahaprabhu had traversed by foot previously. This was to awaken remembrance of the Supreme Lord, Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu. During Srila Prabhupada’s presence, eight of such became established and after his departure many more.

 

Sri Srila Prabhupada used to participate personally in the circumambulation of the holy lands of Vraja and Navadvip. In Puri Dham specifically, he would hold excursions to all the main holy spots. Every year, the 16 crose circumbulation of Navadvip was performed by him and to this day his disciples faithfully observe this regularly as a limb of devotional service. Srila Prabhupada used to remark that in the circumbulation of the transcendental land, five main limbs of devotion are performed in conjunction with it, namely; chanting of the holy Name, association of devotees, hearing the holy scriptures, residence in the holy land as well as worship to the Deity form of the Lord. The fact that opportunities are presented to perform all these devotional practices together is the reason why he stressed that the circumbulation be performed with proper care and effort.

 

Sri Srila Prabhupada became hard like a thunderbolt in seeing actions contrary to the principles of devotion and in favorable practices, he appeared soft like a rose. In the engrossed hearing of the loving separation pastimes exhibited by Srimati Radharani in Mathura, he became overwhelmed with such agonizing separation that tears flooded from his eyes. His attraction in hearing about the pastimes of the Lord was phenomenal. He would continue in such discussions hour after hour so much so that when reminded of meal-times, he would become annoyed. He would often remark of the famine existing due to lack of nectarine discussions on the Supreme Lord. As every expert physician requires to be consulted to give the proper diagnosis, similarly he would complain that his disciples do not give him enough opportunity to speak about he Supreme Lord’s pastimes. Thus, when questioned ‘how are you?’, he would reply: "I am alright but these people do not indulge me in spiritual discussions therefore I am unwell."

 

Congregational chanting of the holy Name was always relished by Sri Srila Prabhupada but not form the lips of pseudo devotees whose songs contradicted spiritual conclusions (rasabhasa). His real mood was existed in the self-composed song he used to sing:

 

prana ache tara se hetu pracara

pratisthasa hina Krsnagatha saba

sri dayita dasa kirtanete asa

kara ucchaih svare hari-nama-rava

 

Meaning: "The real life of the devotee is exhibited in self-surrender to the Lord, devoid of all sense of false prestige."

 

The songs of those not surrendered and intoxicated with false prestige, are like a dead body without consciousness and thus should not be entertained, was his verdict. Unauthorized discussions of high spiritual subjects were not at all approved by Sri Srila Prabhupada. To always remember Sri Krishna at all times is productive of pure devotion. Love of Godhead is only attained by the pure chanting of the holy Names devoid of all offences. Once that stage of offenceless chanting is attained, no other extra effort or purity is required in chanting the Name. If one with all petty desires for gain, fame and prestige encompassing in the mind, puts on a false show of spontaneous pure devotion that was only hypocrisy and extremely intolerable to him. He used to say;

 

madhavendra puri bhava-ghare churi

na karila kabu sadai janaba, etc.

 

The famous words of the great souls tell us: viddhi marge braja-bhave paite nahi sakti. One cannot attain spontaneous devotion by mere practice of devotion (sadhana). The actual gift of spontaneous devotion is awarded only by the intense greed to receive it, coupled with the blessings of proximity to a genuine teacher who is a resident of the holy Dham.

 

More of this nectar compiled by Puru prabhu can be found at : http://www.bvml.org/SBSST/pai.htm