Date: 10/17/19

Dear Sriman Paramananda dasa,

Please accept my humble dandavat pranamas in remembrance of our Divine Masters.

I received both your recent emails with 62 new transcripts & quoted slokas.

I forwarded all to Sriman Gokulananda to post on our website.

Srila Sridhara Maharaja produced an amazing body of work in both quality and quantity.

Srila Bhakti Vinoda Thakura mentioned the theory that the Bhagavatam was the work of several “Vyasadevas” who each added to the text in succession rather than just one original Vyasa of 5,000 yrs. ago producing the entire work.

Accepting that theory, Srila Sridhara Maharaja would have to be included as another of those Vyasas.

ŚB 1.1.2

dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarāṇāṁ satāṁ
vedyaṁ vāstavam atra vastu śivadaṁ tāpa-trayonmūlanam
śrīmad-bhāgavate mahā-muni-kṛte kiṁ vā parair īśvaraḥ
sadyo hṛdy avarudhyate ’tra kṛtibhiḥ śuśrūṣubhis tat-kṣaṇāt

Synonyms

dharmaḥ — religiosity; projjhita — completely rejected; kaitavaḥ — covered by fruitive intention; atra — herein; paramaḥ — the highest; nirmatsarāṇām — of the one-hundred-percent pure in heart; satām — devotees; vedyam — understandable; vāstavam — factual; atra — herein; vastu — substance; śivadam — well-being; tāpa-traya — threefold miseries; unmūlanam — causing uprooting of; śrīmat — beautiful; bhāgavate — the Bhāgavata Purāṇa; mahā-muni — the great sage (Vyāsadeva); kṛte— having compiled; kim — what is; vā — the need; paraiḥ — others; īśvaraḥ — the Supreme Lord; sadyaḥ — at once; hṛdi — within the heart; avarudhyate — becomes compact; atra — herein; kṛtibhiḥ — by the pious men; śuśrūṣubhiḥ — by culture; tat-kṣaṇāt — without delay.

Translation

Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhāgavata Purāṇa propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhāgavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyāsadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhāgavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart.

Describing the time of Vyasa’s composing the Bhagavatam as being “[in his maturity]” is significant and Srila Prabhupada referes to this fact again in his purport to the above verse: “Over and above this, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is a personal commentation on the Vedānta-sūtra by Śrī Vyāsadeva. It was written in the maturity of his spiritual life through the mercy of Nārada.”

What was taken up by Vyasa in his maturity was the starting point for the preaching and teaching of the lessons imparted by our gurus’ gurus. Looking from this vantage point we can get a glimpse into the value of the words imparted by our trinity of gurus and, in relation to the aforementioned, the special quality of Srila Sridhara Maharaja’s words as spoken and transcribed for the benefit of one and all.

Another Vyasa is speaking in his maturity and you are transcribing his words with wonderful care and determination. What Sri Ganesh was able to do in real time is taking you a bit longer, but I am still amazed at the speed by which you are turning out so much nectar.

All glories to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga!

Appreciatively and affectionately,

Swami B.K. Giri