Srila prabhupada and the Holy names

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

This is from a Book called siksa-guru-priya-bandhu, I hope devotees find it inspirational.

 

I'm only posting because some devotees still want to make propaganda agaisnt Gaudiya Matha! My dearest friends, Nama Prabhu won't dance on your lips. If you go on offending devotees. Here you go:

 

BV Narayana is speaking here about Srila Prabhupada

 

Visiting Him in His Last Days

 

Srila Swami Maharaja was becoming very ill, and our Sukhananda Prabhu was offering him naturopathic massages with Ganges water. Before he went abroad to England, Sukhananda Prabhu came to Vrndavana for two hours every morning and evening for fourteen days to massage him, and these massages helped him. We also sometimes visited and spoke with him then. Once we came at a time when he had hardly eaten or even taken water for many days. Still, he affectionately greeted us and, as he had always done with all, he lovingly offered us the opulent maha-prasadam that had been prepared and offered by his disciples. He exclaimed how nicely his young students were trying to serve their gurudeva and Krsna.

 

Even though he himself had eaten nothing at all for so long, he made sure, in such a careful and affectionate way, that each of us took prasada to our full satisfaction.

 

Some godbrothers and associates were paying visits to him in his room around this time. Akincana Krsnadasa Babaji Maharaja, Srila Bon Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Maharaja, Indupati Prabhu (from Srila Madhava Maharaja's temple), Ananda Prabhu, and many more devotees came to see him. We also came several times to be with him, along with our brahmacaris like Sesasayi Prabhu, Subhananda Prabhu, Premananda Prabhu, and sometimes others. There are tape recordings of some of these conversations, but most of them were in Bengali or Hindi.

 

Just before Kartika month in early October, when our annual Vraja Mandala parikrama was about to begin, Parama-pujyapada Srila Swami Maharaja sent for me. He requested his senior sannyasis and many others, "I want to meet with Narayana Maharaja." A few of them then came by car and requested me, "Srila Prabhupada wants you, so please come now." I was in the midst of giving evening discourse to our parikrama party, but I came immediately.

 

When I arrived in his room at Krsna-Balarama Mandira, he was quite silent. Some boys were singing the Hare Krsna mahamantra, and some sannyasis and other disciples were silent. After some time he opened his eyes and indicated with his eyes for me to come close. He was so enthusiastic before his death - not his death, no - his entering krsna-lila. He was not speaking, but when he saw me he showed his happiness. The devotees were chanting Hare Krsna very softly in Srila Swami Maharaja's special tune, and all could see that he was not speaking now. I offered pranama to him, santya pranama (standing and silent), because I saw that there were many persons present and no space for me to offer full pranama. When he saw me he at once said, "Oh, Narayana Maharaja has come." He wanted me to take a seat on his bed. He tried to sit up, but I put my hands on him and said, "Please lie down, and I will sit over here." He then motioned for me to come nearer to his bed and said, "I want to speak to you." He wanted me to sit closer to his ear, so he told some disciples, "Bring a chair," and I sat on it near to his ear. First he began to weep; his heart was melted. From the core of his heart he told me, "Narayana Maharaja, can you excuse me? I feel that there is cause for you to forgive me. For the sake of preaching I have told my disciples some things, which perhaps I should not have said. Also I spoke very strongly about my godbrothers in one letter, which was then sent to everyone. I said that we are preaching and others are not, that they are kanisthaadhikaris who don't preach but are idle. I said that none of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas helped me - that they only take mahaprasadam and sleep."

 

At this time, many of his sannyasi disciples were watching. His words and mood implied to me many things about how he had wanted to encourage his young students. As we are careful with babies, so he had sometimes instructed some of them not to mix with his godbrothers and the other Gaudiya Vaisnavas. To save his newcomers from becoming disturbed or confused, he sometimes told them not to visit anywhere else. One reason was that a few of his godbrothers had done some wrong things. Also, his disciples did not understand the Indian ways of indirect, subtle meanings. Also, he did not want them to lose heart due to criticism from any Indian Vaisnavas who may not have understood their sensitivities and his style of training them. Srila Swami Maharaja had been a member of the Gaudiya Matha for a very long time and he knew the regulations and siddhanta - but he could not teach all his disciples everything in just a few years. He had been cultivating many Vaisnava Westerners from different countries, but they still lacked our Vedic culture and sadacara (devotional habits). He had given his young disciples instructions to avoid other Vaisnavas, just to protect them from becoming discouraged. He would say, "Although they are not fully trained, their devotional attitude is so nice. I am praying to Guru Maharaja and the rupanuga-guruvarga to bless them all. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and Sri Baladeva Prabhu will surely give them their mercy."

 

Srila Swami Maharaja was remembering all these things, and he now requested me, "Kindly tell the other Vaisnavas that I have made this offense, and to please excuse me. I have so much sorrow for this." I told him, "You are my siksa-guru and a pure Vaisnava. I know that you cannot do anything that is not in the line of bhakti. You have done these things only for the purpose of serving your gurudeva and Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and we also do this. All of us are indebted to you; there is no question. We know the prediction: "prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama." You have performed a miracle; you have spread His glories everywhere. We don't think that you have done anything wrong, so I have nothing for which to excuse you. But I will relay your request to the senior Vaisnavas. You are my siksa-guru; whatever instructions you give me I will follow with absolute sincerity." Tears were very sweetly falling from his eyes. He was acting in such a humble way, as if he was not a good Vaisnava; but actually he was like Srila Narottama dasa Thakura and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

 

He continued, "Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada ordered all of us to preach in Europe and America. That was his strong desire. His other desire was that we all work together to preach. I didn't waste a single moment. I tried my best, and to some extent it has been successful." His voice was choked with emotion as he continued to speak: "If we can work conjointly, then, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu declared, this sankirtana movement has great possibilities."

 

Then he told me, "I want you to help take care of my disciples. I want them to be good and qualified devotees. If they come to you, please care for them." Many of his disciples were nearby, so he softly whispered in Bengali, "When I went to the West, I caught so many monkeys in my net. Really, they are very expert in quarreling among themselves like that. They are still very young and untrained. So I request you that after my departure you will help them in every respect." Considering the implications of this order from my siksa-guru, I hesitated. Then he grasped both of my hands in his own, looked deeply into my eyes and asked me to promise to help. Therefore I agreed, saying, "I promise that according to my ability and my bhaktisiddhanta- tattva (understanding of the conclusive statements of bhakti), I will always be ready to help them as you request." Then I told him, "I want to say something to them." Srila Swami Maharaja at once became inspired and called to them, "Oh, you should all come near and hear Narayana Maharaja. Please take into your hearts what he is speaking." Then I told them all, "Don't think that Srila Swami Maharaja is leaving this world. Gurudeva is eternal. You are fortunate to have such a bona fide guru and Vaisnava. You should try to preach his mission more and more enthusiastically. If you are after material things, you will find yourselves quarreling over name, fame and worldly gain. You will not be following his teachings. You will not be following his mission; you'll be doing wrong. So don't pursue your own self-interest. Give up all these things. To serve Srila Swami Maharaja, and to preach his mission, you should be united with all the devotees. Don't quarrel with others over a small point. Don't expel anyone from this mission by finding small faults. Try to behave like friends, with brotherhood, and then you can preach. If you have difficulty with any of these things, then, as Srila Swami Maharaja has requested me, you can come to me and I will try to help you from the core of my heart." They all listened to me then, and this was recorded on a cassette tape.

 

Srila Swami Maharaja turned his head slowly, looking over the devotees as they gathered in closely. Then he slowly lifted his hand, as if to call them to attention, and said, "Listen to Narayana Maharaja. Don't fight amongst yourselves. I have given all direction in my books." Then he lowered his hand.

 

After this Srila Swami Maharaja told me, "I pray to you that you will put me into my samadhi with your own hand. I don't want to take samadhi from anyone else's hands. I think you are the proper person. After my samadhi, arrange to celebrate my mahotsava separation festival. You should give some amount of money to all the seven temples in Vrndavana and to all the Gaudiya Mathas. It depends upon you how much - 201 rupees, 1001 rupees - according to your discretion, whatever you recommend. They should all hear these instructions and arrange to pay. Arrange a mahotsava festival also in Mathura and invite all the senior Vaisnavas to the feast. Invite all the Vaisnavas in Vrndavana. Do this for me, and again I am telling you that you should always help my devotees."

[Airicky]

Is there any reference where Srila Prabhupada put this in writing or spoke this desire to any of His disciples?

 

 

After this Srila Swami Maharaja told me, "I pray to you that you will put me into my samadhi with your own hand. I don't want to take samadhi from anyone else's hands. I think you are the proper person. After my samadhi, arrange to celebrate my mahotsava separation festival. You should give some amount of money to all the seven temples in Vrndavana and to all the Gaudiya Mathas. It depends upon you how much - 201 rupees, 1001 rupees - according to your discretion, whatever you recommend. They should all hear these instructions and arrange to pay. Arrange a mahotsava festival also in Mathura and invite all the senior Vaisnavas to the feast. Invite all the Vaisnavas in Vrndavana. Do this for me, and again I am telling you that you should always help my devotees."

 

 

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

I am not sure who put Swami Prabhupada Samadhi. Was it Narayana Maharaj? What do you want in writing? It's right there.

[Airicky]

Did Srila Prabhupada ever express this instruction to any of His disciples and/or did He put this instruction in writing to any one or anywhere?

 

 

After this Srila Swami Maharaja told me, "I pray to you that you will put me into my samadhi with your own hand. I don't want to take samadhi from anyone else's hands. I think you are the proper person. After my samadhi, arrange to celebrate my mahotsava separation festival. You should give some amount of money to all the seven temples in Vrndavana and to all the Gaudiya Mathas. It depends upon you how much - 201 rupees, 1001 rupees - according to your discretion, whatever you recommend. They should all hear these instructions and arrange to pay. Arrange a mahotsava festival also in Mathura and invite all the senior Vaisnavas to the feast. Invite all the Vaisnavas in Vrndavana. Do this for me, and again I am telling you that you should always help my devotees."

 

 

[Guest guest]

This is the same Narayan Maharaj that the GBC "expelled"? Or at least there is animosity between them.

 

If it is this same Maharaj, then all this fiasco is such a shame... i cannot for a single minute believe that Prabhupada didn't see this "petty bickering" coming... How can we not accept the path that Narayan Maharaj is putting forth if it has been pre-sanctified as such by Prabhupad himself? I find this amazing... Thank you Pankaja das for sharing this.

 

 

[Airicky]

If this was said then why wasn't it made public knowledge in 1977? When was this book written?

 

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

Maybe there is something. I am not sure. Sorry

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

I got all the proof i needed, Just saw a DVD. Was very moving, not for the faint hearted. It did have Narayana Maharaja [and BV Puri Maharaja] putting Prabhupada in Samadhi. At 1st I watched "Srila Prabhupada, Your Ever Well Wisher". My Gurudeva sure doesn't like Cameras which is sweet. Also I won't watch this again, once is enough. I want remember Prabhupada in nice way. Haribol!

[Guest guest]

On a recent post on a different thread Muralidhar das who is, I believe, a senior Western member of the Sri Caitanya Saraswat Math wrote:

"Srila Sridhar Maharaj: "I avoided Keshava Maharaj, Madhava Maharaj and so many others. I came to live alone."

 

Just leave this. There is no need to continue."

 

Keshava Maharaja is the guru of Narayana Maharaja. We must assume that Muralidhar das got this point of view from the current guru of his Math, Govinda Maharaja. Therefore we must acknowledge that there is a major schism between these two groups, that is the followers of Sridhar Maharaja through Govinda Maharaja and the followers of Keshava Maharaja through Narayana Maharaja. In fact these two groups are by far the largest non-ISKCON Gaudiya missions. So we can see that if associate with one camp or the other we are some how pulled into this controversial schism. This seems to be what Srila Prabhupada was so concerned about in his hesitation to allow his disciples to associate with the Gaudiya Math, ie. their politics. On the other hand present day Official ISKCON and its derivatives such as the Ritviks both seem so deviated from their Gaudiya roots that their association is becoming unfavorable to the development of real Krsna Conciousness and one has to wonder about their future. Excuse me, if as an aspiring follower of Srila Prabhpada, I am concerned about these issues, but I am. Should we just ignore these things?

 

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

I am concerned about these issues, but I am. Should we just ignore these things?

 

 

Things go on. I think your wanting to know who 'the bad guys are' so you can aliviate your mind. And go with that Camp. Which is ok I guess. But then that leads to thinking bad of 'the other camp'. Which actually defeats the purpose of your inquery! Think of it as some Lila in this World, then you can't go wrong.

[Guest guest]

Yes, that is the solution, " to see it as some kind of lila in this world" and then to stop eating the fruit of forbidden knowledge. In other words, stop over-thinking.

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

Nah doesn't mean don't think, you already thought. It's kind of a lila. Thinking means negation, you should always think. !