Srila Giri Maharaja “Dāsa-Dāsānudāsaḥ”

Dear Sriman Jagadananda dasa,

Pease accept my blessings and well-wishes.

After composing your website for our Manila ashram you mentioned to me you did not have much content and it would take some time to fill it out.

Now you have some very nice content which you sent to me and was posted on our “Mūle Math” (pronounced ‘mool’, meaning root Math or main Math) website (See: Vyasa-puja at Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswata Seva Ashram ) but I do not see it posted on our Manila Ashram website, the most natural and perfect place for such content.

We had a very nice Gaura Purnima celebration here. Much of my time was spent with Sriman Gokulananda dasa arranging for our name change as I wanted this auspicious day, Mahaprabhu’s appearance day, to also be the appearance day of the new name (Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswat Sanga) we will be operating under henceforth.

While we will always honor the organizations Gaudiya Math (while under the direction of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati), ISKCON (as it existed under the guidance of Srila Prabhupada) and Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math (with Srila Sridhara Maharaja and, afterwards, Srila Govinda Maharaja at the helm) we can no longer tolerate our mission being associated with those using the renowned names of the missions just enumerated in ways that do not accurately represent their founders and true heads.

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Srila Giri Maharaja “Rtvik Initiations”

Date: 4/8/21

Subject: Ritvik initiations.

Dear David,

What was the opinion of Srila Sridhar Maharaja and Govinda Maharaja regarding ritvik initiation in Iskcon?

Whether ISKCON or any other place, rtvik initiation is rtvik initiation.

Rtvik means “one who acts on behalf of another.” A rtvik guru in our sampradaya is a devotee who is designated and authorized by a guru to perform initiations on his behalf. Those whom he initiates are disciples of the guru that designated the rtvik to act on his behalf for the purpose of initiating disciples. Usually this is done when the initiating guru is unable to be personally present to perform the initiation. For example: a guru in India may designate one or more devotees in the USA to initiate disciples on his behalf as a matter of convenience so that the prospective disciple does not have to travel to India or the guru travel to the USA.

I acted as rtvik for both Srila Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Govinda Maharaja during their lifetimes to facilitate the initiation of sincere seekers of Krishna Consciousness who desired initiation from these two Acharyas. Those whom I initiated at those times did not become my disciples, they are disciples of the gurus just mentioned.… Read More...

A Credit to Our Mission

L-R, Siddhartha, Srimati Malini Devi, Lily Ann

 

Date: 3/18/21

Subject: A credit to our mission.

Dear Sriman Gokulananda dasa.

Please accept my humble obeisances.

The post you just made live on our website (“Vyasa-puja at Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswata Seva Ashram“) is very nice and a credit to our mission.

I feel so much joy when I see devotees so nicely dressed and their bodies decorated with tilaka and Tulasi mala. At those times I am reminded of statements like these:

TILAKA AND TULASĪ BEADS

In the Padma Purāṇa there is a statement describing how a Vaiṣṇava should decorate his body with tilaka and beads: “Persons who put tulasī beads on the neck, who mark twelve places of their bodies as Viṣṇu temples with Viṣṇu’s symbolic representations [the four items held in the four hands of Lord Viṣṇu – conch, mace, disc and lotus], and who have viṣṇu-tilaka on their foreheads, are to be understood as the devotees of Lord Viṣṇu in this world. Their presence makes the world purified, and anywhere they remain, they make that place as good as Vaikuṇṭha.”

A similar statement is in the Skanda Purāṇa, which says, “Persons who are decorated with tilaka or gopī-candana[a kind of clay resembling fuller’s earth that is produced in certain quarters of Vṛndāvana], and who mark their bodies all over with the holy names of the Lord, and on whose necks and breasts there are tulasī beads, are never approached by the Yama-dūtas.”

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Abandonment

Date: 3/13/17

Subject: Abandonment

My dandavats Sriman Uddharan Prabhu,

I know he [Gaura Krishna/Bhakti Chaitanya Giri Maharaja] didn’t accept Srila Govinda Maharaja but was he really a sworn enemy?

My immediate reaction to your question was: what’s the difference. That was my “heart’s feeling.”

More objectively: It seems to me you are asking about a distinction without a difference.

And from there I will try to put myself in a neutral position and answer the question with a view to the history (itihasa) and siddhanta of the line of Srila Saraswati Thakura.

Just a few days ago I was thinking about the position of Prabhu Gaura Krishna when I read this:

And you know this Sripada Gaura Krsna Brahmacari, he was the very close servant of Srila Guru Maharja than me. I can say. Everybody knows I am the very intimate servant of Guru Maharaja, but I think so intimate than me, he was the servant of Guru Maharaja. And he is tirelessly, he is not sleeping day and night, and always trying to serve Guru Maharaja and happy, very happy with all the vaisnavas. But sometimes he cannot keep his temper with others when he is making some wrong going there.

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“A Miracle”: Gaura-pūrṇimā, 1973

L-R Govinda Maharaja, Srila Sridhara Maharaja, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
 
 

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa. So, our Swami Mahārāja has done a miracle! [laughingly] He has done a miracle!


Prabhupāda:
 [laughter] [indistinct]


Śrīdhara Mahārāja:
What Bhaktivinoda conceived and Prabhupāda tried to, according to his conception, to translate into action in his last days. Anyhow, we find that through Swami Mahārāja these revelations have been fulfilled. We are happy. We are glad. We are proud of Swami Mahārāja, with love to all.

[The following transcript is taken from talks given on Gaura-pūrṇimā day, March 17, 1973, the day of the inauguration of the ISKCON Candrodaya Mandira in Māyāpur, India].

(Note: Some of the text in brackets (“[]”) indicate bkg’s corrections.)

Śrīdhara Mahārāja: [indistinct], conceived the inner most [indistinct], this is wonderful, [indistinct], I am rather [indistinct], this is not a chance confident eh? Not a matter of the minute …this sort of [indistinct] is being conferred on me… [indistinct] permanent settlement [indistinct] conceived in this world [indistinct]

[break] …we are very eager to get some happiness, that even a point is very much dear to us—even a speck of happiness of the Infinite. Our Professor Sanyal, he told when he was a boy in…, he was a man of Faridpur, and there the Ganges water is very dear.

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Monday 3/28/2021. Sri Gaura-Purnima. Divine Appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

We humbly invite you to participate in the grand festival of Sri Gaura-Purnima (The appearance day of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the most magnanimous incarnation of Sri Krishna who appeared in this age of Kali to introduce Harinama-sankirtana — the congregational chanting of the Maha Mantra — as the most simple and sublime method for attaining love of God.) This day is also the beginning of the 536th Gaurabda year.

Celebrations will take place at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Global Headquarters in New Jersey, USA as well as our SCSM Global centers.

Festivities will include Harinama-sankirtana, readings from Chaitanya-caritamrta, discourses and prasadam.

Fasting is observed until moonrise when some light prasadam (anukalpa) is distributed so that we may receive the blessings of prasadam and break the fast.

Please RSVP via the contact page.

guhyam ākhyāti pṛcchati: revealing one’s mind in confidence… (a letter to Srila Govinda Maharaja 9/20/90)

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Kolerganj, P.O. Nabadwipa

Dist Nadia, W. Bengal, PIN 741302, INDIA

09.20.90

 

My dear Sripad Bhakti Sundara Govinda Maharaja,

My humble dandavats in the direction of your holy feet which are giving hope to my hopeless self. All glories to our beloved Srila Guru Maharaja and Srila Prabhupada our eternal well-wishers for it is by their grace only that we may continue in their absence.

I have received your very kind and thoughtful letter of Aug. 18. and feel very much relieved, satisfied and happy by reading it. I am always feeling so many anxieties due to the influence of the illusory energy. However, I think this situation that caused me so much disturbance must have been caused by the internal energy and therefore I feel very fortunate that I might be touched in some way by that divine substance even if the touch is in the form of extreme anxiety. Of course that I think this way may be further evidence of how much I am covered by the illusory energy but even if that is causing a false sense of happiness it is also bringing a real sense of hope.

As you well know I am like a foolish child who does not know how to behave properly.… Read More...

Vyasa-puja at Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswata Seva Ashram

L-R, Siddhartha, Srimati Malini Devi, Lily Ann

 

Dear Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya-varya Astottara-sata Sri Srila Bhakti Kanan Giri Maharaja

We are at your lotus feet offering our most humble obeisances. All glories to our param gurus Srila Govinda Maharaja, Srila Sridhara Maharaja and Srila Swami Maharaja.

All glories to you and we wish you a very happy vyasa-puja and pray to Srimati Radharani for many happy returns of this auspicious day!

Is there ever enough time? Are there enough days on Earth to glorify you and serve your mission? How many lifetimes will it take? Your divine glories are unlimited, just as Lord Krishna’s are. Please continue to teach us, guide us, correct and chastise us for our offenses, so that we may become  better servants at your lotus feet.

It’s unfortunate that you were unable to be in our direct association here in the Philippines. Sri Gaura Vinoda Saraswata Seva Ashram is forever at your service and disposal. Please consider it your earthly home here in the Philippines. However, no matter how much we paint, renovate, and fix, it will never be able to be worthy of your divine presence.

We realize every Vyasa-puja I share the same texts.… Read More...

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami – And so Kṛṣṇa said, “No, My wife wants it. I must”

And so Kṛṣṇa said, “No, My wife wants it. I must.” That is Kṛṣṇa. [laughter] How He is complete, just like a hen-pecked husband [laughter] to satisfy the wife in every respect. —

There is no comparison of Kṛṣṇa’s opulences. I have several times given the example. Say, in the human society there is marriage. So Kṛṣṇa married 16,800 wives. And for each wife a palace, marble palace, bedecked with jewels, and the furniture made of ivory and gold, and bed and curtains, they’re all made of silk. So… And the… Not only palace, but also garden attached to the palace. And the flower trees, pārijāta flower. The pārijāta flower was brought from the heaven. This pārijāta flower is not visible in this world. From heavenly planet Kṛṣṇa brought it. His wife Satyabhāmā, He requested… He… Both of them, Satyabhāmā and Kṛṣṇa, went to the heavenly planet. So generally woman, they are after something.

So [laughs] requested the husband, “Kṛṣṇa, I want this flower.” [laughter] “All right.” So He gave her one flower. And… So He also told, “Why the flower? I shall take the tree so that you’ll get flower daily.” So when He was doing so, Indra came. Indra is the king of heavenly planet.… Read More...