Author: pavan

Srila Sridhar Maharaja beautifully answers the question “What if spiritual mental exercise is done with faith?” [including, but not limited to: ashta-kaliya-lila etc.]. And simply with a quote from Bhagavad Gita. Try reading this aloud—slowly.

Mind is separate. Sraddha is connected with soul, atma, and mind is matter. Mind is material: a part of material potency. This is also clarified in Bhagavad Gita:

Mind is a product of the material potency, and the jiva is a product of parasakti, the principal potency; and Svarupa-sakti, the Lord’s Personal Potency, is higher than the jiva. The nature of the mind is mental speculation (manodharma). That has nothing to do with truth. That is drawn from the material world, the world of misconception. The mind is full of misconception (avan-manaso gocarah). Mind cannot reach the stage of feeling or perceiving truth proper. It is only related to mundane things or exploitation.

But isn’t the pure mind a product of sraddha?

Mind cannot be pure, just as a fossil cannot produce life. Similarly, mind cannot produce sraddha. Sraddha is original and fundamental. When the Supreme Lord appears in the heart, mind vanishes. Reality is just the opposite. Darkness cannot produce light: light comes—darkness vanishes. So truth appears when real pure consciousness appears, and mental speculation vanishes.

The mind is concerned with misconception. It is an element of the aparasakti, the inferior potency. That potency is both subtle and gross. Earth, water, fire, air and ether are gross; mind, intelligence and ego are subtle; but they’re all material. Soul is transcendental. And Svarupa-sakti or the Lord’s Personal Potency, bhajana or Divine Service, and Goloka-Vaikuntha are all Supra-mundane and Transcendental—on the other side of the soul, not on the lower side where the mind is located.

Mind emerges from the ego, that is, the false ego, and it is made of the exploiting tendency. But Mahaprabhu says, mora mana—vrndavana: “My speculation is on the other side—Vrindavan.” That is not an element of this mundane plane.

So there is a pure mind?

Properly speaking, the word ‘mind’ does not deserve to be used in this context at all, otherwise everything will be wrongly equated. The residents of Goloka also possess senses, etc., but the affairs of the mundane world are never one with that. The mundane mentality is a product of exploitation, sense-exploitation.

We need relief from this mind. We are surrounded by poisonous thought. In the narration of the Tridandi-sannyasin in Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.23.45, all the disciplines are common in that the mind should be checked.

Srila Sridhar Maharaja: “Higher devotion never wants that Krishna will come and serve us. “Supply! Oh, give me darshan!” And He will come and give us darshan. To impose our whim on Him, this is not service proper. Whatever He likes He will do, and whatever is necessary from us, if we are given chance to supply that, we shall think ourselves fortunate.

We must exhaustively eliminate all our desires to the extreme, and fully place ourselves at the disposal of the Supreme Lord, who commands, and orders, and is never to carry out orders. Yoga-kshemam vahamy aham, His nature is eagerness to supply everything for His devotees, but devotees do not like that. Higher devotees don’t like that Krishna will supply them with anything or serve them in any way. Pure devotion is like that.

Only through sraddha—faith—can he be known. Faith that He is my Lord. I don’t want to have a darshan to satisfy my lower faculties, then I will believe “He exists!” That is very low class of faith: “If I can see Him, then I’m satisfied that He exists.” We have got no capacity to see him. We are not subjects—He is not an object. Higher faith, intense faith, proves that “He is, the Cause is!” All of the effects that we can see come from the Wonderful Cause of Everything.

Charvak, and the epicureans says there is no God, no higher substance. Whatever we see on the surface that is enough. But deeper faith, says that the cause is there from which everything is coming, and everything is maintained, and everything at last enters into Him. The cause is there. Only the effect is not everything, but cause is there. And what is the nature of the cause: some say Brahma [all accommodating consciousness], some say Paramatma [all pervasive consciousness], some say Bhagavan—God, destiner and designer of everything—who has created, and is controlling everything. Everything is automatically existing with Him, as His potency of a particular type.

Give up everything: sakal chadiya bhai sraddha devi… Give up everything and only try to keep faith and you will find everything is there. Everything is there: don’t require any proof. That is lowness. It is unworthy and improper to search after proof—whether it is or not. Faith says, “Yes, He is!” Yo mam pasyati sarvatra: Everything is in Him and He is everywhere. What is His characteristic? What I’m searching for? Omkara is the seed of everything. The seed of theism is omkara. Om means “Yes.” A big Yes. Always, wherever I cast my glance, for whatever I am searching, in one word, “Yes,” what you are searching for, it is. You are searching for happiness, pleasure, joy, “That joy exists.” You are in want? What you want exists. You need fulfillment—you will be fulfilled! OM—YES!

So we should go to the devotees for faith. They are like so many pillars standing with faith. Electricity is everywhere, but there are so many dynamos that can generate electric power. So, there are so many devotees, past and present, with whom we can find real Godliness and they are standing like illuminating pillars of faith.”

Srila Sridhar Maharaja on the dissolution of false ego, and entering the plane of divine sweetness—Vrindavan.

When we come in connection with Krishna gradually we will realize that our environment is friendly to us. When the reactions of our previous actions disappear, we will find that every wave is carrying good news to us. When our egoistic attitude vanishes, we will find our self in the midst of sweet waves all around. We should try to do away with whatever wrong we have done hitherto. We must do our duty and never expect any definite result, but cast it towards the infinite.

And then one day will come when our egoistic feeling will dissolve and from within, our real self, a member of the infinite world, will spring up and awaken, and we will find ourselves in the sweet waves of that environment. There, everything is sweet. The breeze is sweet, the water is sweet, the trees are sweet—whatever we come in contact with is sweet, sweet, sweet.

Ego is our enemy, and to dissolve ego, we must do our duty as we think fit, but never expect any response according to our will. If we adopt this karma-yoga then in no time we will find that the wrong ego, which was always expecting something crooked for its selfish purpose, has vanished; the broad, wide ego within has come out, and we are in harmony with the whole universe. The harmonious world will appear before us, and the cover of selfish desires will disappear.

The cause of our disease is not outside us, but within us. A paramahamsa Vaishnava, a saint of the highest platform, sees that everything is all right. He finds nothing to complain about. When one can see that everything is good and sweet to the furthest extreme, he comes to live in the plane of divinity. Our false ego creates only disturbance, and that ego should be dissolved. We should not think that the environment is our enemy. We must try hard to detect God’s grace in whatever comes to us, even if it comes as an apparent enemy. Everything is the grace of the Lord, but we can’t see it; rather, we see the opposite. The dirt is in our eyes.

Actually, everything is divine. It is all the grace of the Lord. The disease is in our eyes. We are diseased, and if the disease is cured, we shall find that we are in the midst of a gracious world. Only the coverings of desire deceive us from having a real estimation of the world. A bonafide student of the devotional school will accept such an attitude towards the environment and towards the Lord. We have to think that God’s will is everywhere. Even a blade of grass cannot move without the sanction of the Supreme Authority. Every detail is detected and controlled by Him. We have to look upon the environment with optimism. The pessimism is within us. Our ego is responsible for all sorts of evil.

This is Vaishnavism. If we can do this, then in no time, our disease will be cured, and we’ll be in the midst of infinite blissfulness. Our tendency at present is to cure what we see on the outside. We think, “I want everything to follow my control, my sweet will. When everything obeys me, then I will be happy.” But we must take just the opposite attitude. As Mahaprabhu has said:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror api sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

CC Ādi 17.31

We should create no resistance against our environment. Still, if some undesirable things come towards us, we should tolerate that with our utmost patience. And even if someone attacks us we won’t become violent; we must practice forbearance to the extreme. We shall honor everyone; we will seek no honor.

In this way, with the least amount of energy and time we can attain the highest goal: the plane where Krishna Himself is living. That is the most fundamental plane of existence. At that time, all the encasements covering the soul will vanish and die, and the inner soul will awaken and find that he is playing in a sweet wave, dancing and merry-making in Vrindavan, with Krishna and his devotees. And what is Vrindavan? It is neither a fable, nor a concocted story. The broadest and widest plane of the whole universe is beauty, sweetness, and blissfulness, and that is present in Vrindavan in all its fullness. We have to dive deep into that plane of reality.

Our ego has floated us on the surface of trouble in maya—illusion. Concoction, and the search for selfish satisfaction have taken us here, and these must be dissolved once and for all. And then from within, our golden selves will come out, and we will find that we are in the plane of a happy dancing mood, with Krishna in Vrindavan.

The Scientific Definition of Krishna (Rasa)

Srila Sridhar Maharaja speaks on the inner demand of the heart for pleasure: love, beauty, charm and sweetness.

The want of Krishna consciousness is responsible for all the troubles in the world (Mahaprabhu says). And that is the aim of Gaudiya Math: to remove this fundamental difficulty. At the root of all this disturbance is that we do not know our real objective. For whom we are searching, is Krishna. But we do not know. So the only real necessity for the people is to connect them, “What you want — is Krishna. You do not know, you cannot ascertain, but your inner search is only for Krishna. Without him nothing can satisfy you, even other conceptions of God, not Narayana, not even Ramachandra.” All different types of rasa, in detail, are only found in Krishna (akhila-rasamrta-murtih).

All rasa, all the inner demands of our heart, when it takes a personification, then the product is Krishna. Everywhere. The inner demand of every heart is a common thing and he is Krishna. Sweetness personified. Sweetness, charm, beauty, mercy, affection, harmony — personified. And consciously or unconsciously our thirst is only for him. Rasa means for which you feel taste. Krishna is rasa personified (akhila-rasamrta-murtih). The scientific definition of Krishna is this: all sorts of rasa, when given life are personified as Krishna.

So Krishna is not being thrust upon us. He is not a burden on our heads. The scientific research scholars, spiritual research scholars, by His grace have understood this thoroughly and are trying to inform us, that what we think we want — this thing, that thing, a third thing, a fourth thing — no, it will ultimately come to the conception of Krishna consciousness. It has been thoroughly examined and investigated and given by the spiritual scholars (sadhus). Nothing less can satisfy us.

They have observed that even those who do not want anything — the self-satisfied — their hearts are also attracted towards Krishna consciousness. Their investigation revealed that even those who do not want anything — the self-content — when they somehow come in connection with Krishna consciousness, they hanker for it (atmaramas ca munayo…prayena munayo rajan).

And Sukadeva says, “I myself am a witness. I have no aspiration for anything in this world, what to speak of money, a house, or anything else, I do not even want a cloth to cover myself! Nothing is necessary for me in this world. Still my heart was attracted to something that I am unable to resist. Helplessly I fell prey to that sort of consciousness (Krishna). Although without any aspiration for anything in this world (parinisthito ‘pi nairgunya) still, my heart has been snatched away. I had some sort of equilibrium, balance in my mind, but that has been disrupted and some attraction has come from the upper world and captured me, taking me to that side: the plane of higher consciousness, higher feeling, higher sentiment, higher intelligence — all higher — culminating in harmony, in love.”

By Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami

Our connection is with the Infinite and that means infinite possibilities—no limitation. We should be open to anything and everything—that is vaikuntha. No kuntha, no measurement, no limitation, no concern with relativity. Only we may consider things as favorable or unfavorable. This sort of adjustment is necessary in the mundane world.

Real bhajan means self-surrender: To be conscious of the desires of the Infinite. We must always be under the sky of the unlimited, considering the desire of Krishna. Any desire He may have, any movement, any suggestion, may come to us at any time, and we must obey. With such preparedness we should stand face to face with the Infinite Will. Believing that everything comes from Him—that is the necessity, and that is the beauty, and that is our destination—face to face.

Individually or collectively, this must be our understanding. Even if I am taking harinam or preaching, it may be mundane—merely formal. And then again everything may reveal infinite character at every movement. We shall be conscious of our environment with such understanding. We are living in eternity, not any mundane plane, province or country, governed by its rules—they are all relative. But another relative world is there.

Our Guru Maharaja wrote Relative Worlds in which he describes two kinds of worlds: self-centered and God-centered. Both are relative but one is God-centered and the other sense-centered. The controlling force there is the satisfaction of Krishna, and here the satisfaction of self-centered persons. So a particular action may be bhajan, devotion to one, and may be mundane enjoyment to another. Only the attitude is to be considered. Whether we are taking the Holy Name or formally appear engaged in any sort of activity, our attitude, our internal objective will decide what is what.

So it does not depend on the environment—on the dealings of others—ahaituki apratihata. The only obstacle is my own ego: I am my greatest enemy—I am my greatest friend. Friend or enemy—really is in me. No outside force can check me—if I am right. Rather opposition may come to enhance my position. So Krishna gives his assurance: “I am there! I am there to look after any unfavorable circumstance of anyone. I am omniscient. I am omnipotent also. So, if anyone is directed towards me—I look after him.” And it is also seen in history—Dhruva, Prahlad and so many others.

So, apprehension may come to improve our position—if we can take it in a positive way. Everything has come to help—it is His mercy. This is the most hopeful suggestion to us in all shades of life: inner sincerity, and outer recognition that we have no one to blame but our selves for any position we might find ourselves in. Take this attitude. That is the perfect adjustment. Considering our past activities, we should blame ourselves. Don’t waste energy blaming others—throwing mud in the face of others. Concentrate the whole energy of blame upon us and appreciation for the Lord and His Grace.

But we take it as undesirable, because it does not suit my present taste. The medicine may not be tasteful to a patient. A diet also, may not be always tasteful to a patient, but it is conducive to health—it is wholesome. This is the highest type of regulation and revelation of the scripture. If you can understand this principle, in no time, you will achieve a very good position. Not only, not to blame the circumstances, but to appreciate that He is in the background. My best friend is behind everything. Everything is passing through His attentive eyes. There cannot be any defect there.

Even Radharani, she also says not to blame her long separation on Krishna. “Though, outwardly, it appears to everyone that he has left us cruelly. He is not to blame. It is only the outcome of my fate.” She is not prepared to put the blame on the side of Krishna—never! No wrong can be found there. There must be something wrong in me, which has come out in such form. 

—Conception by Srila Sridhar Maharaja

Srila Sridhar Maharaja explains how to leave the world of treachery and enter the world of faith.

There is a great value in having the company of the saints and the scriptures, without mixing with the robbery of this material world. What is present here at this moment becomes nothing at the next. We are not of this world full of treachery. We are disgusted with the treacherous aspect of the world that charms us and engages us in a treacherous soil. Now something—next moment, nothing. We must give that up and try for something substantial: sat, cit, anandam—eternal existence, uncontaminated consciousness, and finally, the fulfillment of all our inner necessities—the corresponding engagement of the whole of our existence. Prati anga lagi kande, prati anga mora: Every part of my being cries for the corresponding part of Him. (Jñana Das) And Krishna says, “Only I can give you complete fulfillment, so come to me and give up everything else”:

sarva-dharman parityajya

mam ekam saranam vraja

aham tvam sarva-papebhyo

moksayisyami ma sucah

(Bhagavad Gita 18.66)

“I shall accept the reaction you have earned in the relativity of this mortal world—I shall clear your debt. You need only come to my feet.” If we are charmed by this universal call of the Lord and we try to abide by it, then that is sufficient. If we are answering that absolute call to our best ability, Krishna assures us: “I shall free you of your burden; you simply come to me. Give up all your duties.” Faith in this call, and acting on the basis of such faith is a great thing in us. We should try to follow this according to our best capacity, and this is possible only in the company of the exclusive devotees of the Lord.

We shall relish being in the company of His devotees. We have found children of the same soil—we are meeting our home associates. If our internal satisfaction is of that type, we are holding something of a safe position. We want to recognize our home, but we are now traveling in a foreign land. We should try to find the inner feeling of our hearts, without wanting some miracle.

Srila Sridhar Maharaja answers the question: “When the environment comes to attack us, how can we see Divinity in the background?”

We shall try to find out the Supreme Will there. We should feel, “I have done something wrong, so this is coming to control me and to exact the reaction for my offences. Tat te ‘nukampam susamiksamano. In the perfect vision, we are not to quarrel with the environment. Not even a straw can move without the Supreme Will, without the order of the Supreme Will. So, whatever is coming to attack me is my necessity. Just that is necessary for me, to correct me.

Just as when the mother is punishing the child, she does so only with the good will to correct the child. Similarly, the Absolute has got no vindictive nature to punish me, but His dealings are only for my correction. We shall have to see and approach in that way.

Tat te ‘nukampam susmiksamano bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam: “Whatever undesirable I find here is the result of my previous karma, and by the good will of the Supreme, that previous karma is going to be finished. I will be relieved. I will be made fit for higher; service to Him, so this has come.” That is the advice in Bhagavatam. Don’t quarrel with the environment. Try to be adjusted with it; correct your own ego. Everything: is all right.

Your ego is demanding some sort of comfort from the environment. That is the cause of this hitch. There’s no hitch in the outside, no ailment; but within, your ego creates the problem. That false ego should be dissolved, and the liquid nectar will flow and place you within the highest plane, the plane where there is no complaint. The smooth movement, affectionate movement of the most fundamental plane: your soul will find yourself standing and walking in that plane. And the false friends—the circumstances we think to be friends but which are really all false—those false friends will be withdrawn.

That is nirguna, the causeless flow of welfare, most fundamental in the Absolute Plane. That is bhakti proper. Bhakti means Seva, service—Service Divine. That is a causeless wave. The deepest wave, the wave of the deepest plane. That is causeless and that is irresistible. That means no beginning, no end. Eternal flow. And only my soul can take a stand in that plane and move in harmony with that plane.

Katha ganam natyam gamanam. In Brahma-samhita it is mentioned, “All the talks there are as sweet as song; all the walking there, movement, is as sweet as dancing.” In this way, everything is sweet. That is the harmonious movement plane. In Vrindavan. We have to go back to that home.

Srila Sridhar Maharaja speaks on entering the divine domain via the medium of spiritual sound.

Through the medium of sound we can go to the truth. Sound is the medium utilized every where for every case, so why shouldn’t sound be the medium for the spiritual? Through the medium of sound, my mind wants to reach the place of origin of the sound vibration.

The one who must reach the origin is more subtle than sound. Sound in the ordinary sense is a very gross thing compared to the atma, the soul. But this sound is Vaikuntha-sabda [spiritual sound], which is far more subtle than ordinary sound. It possesses more efficacy, and my sound is a gross thing in comparison to it. When it touches my ear, I can find that it is very subtle, and I am gross, considering myself a bundle of material things around the spiritual existence.

When this body will no longer exist, that sound will continue. It is undying. Its origin is Goloka, Vrindavan, the finest plane ever known to the world. The finest of the finest planes ever known. We know of an electrical plane, an ethereal plane, but there is finer and finer. So the finest element ever known to the world is the layer of beauty and sweetness and love. That is the most original conception of existence ever known to any consciousness. That is universal.

Quintessential sweetness, insight, depth and originality of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev Goswami Maharaja.

By the grace of the devotees and by the grace of Lord Jagannath, I am here at present in Sridham Puri, which is a transcendental abode. Because our vision is covered by Maya we cannot see the transcendental abode, but by Scriptural knowledge and by the devotees’ help we can understand something. When I come here to Lord Jagannath’s abode, where Sriman Mahaprabhu spent twelve years in His pastimes as the incarnation of the Golden Volcano of Divine Love, sometimes I am feeling externally sad. Naturally I am also feeling happiness. Sadness I am feeling for the devotee section, especially for those who are coming from the western world, as they cannot enter into the Jagannath Temple. But actually the rules and regulations are coming by the will of Jagannath, so we must accept them very happily. Externally, however, I am feeling some sadness, as they cannot go in and I am going.

First we must understand what we will see by entering into the Jagannath Temple and by seeing Jagannath with our mundane eyes. Actually we cannot see Jagannath with mundane vision. By entering into the Jagannath Temple without proper vision what can we see? When Mahaprabhu Chaitanyadev, with His devotional mood, stood before Jagannath, He was seeing Jagannath as Krishna Himself playing His flute, but we cannot see that. We have not got that type of transcendental vision to have that type of Jagannath darshan, so if the devotees cannot go inside the Temple then it is actually not a painful matter. It is a happy matter. It is rather mercy coming from Lord Jagannath to the devotees to avoid practising with their mundane vision. It is necessary to see Him as a devotee would see Him:

The devotees of Lord Krishna with transcendental vision are looking at Krishna, and they can see Him. There is love, affection, and attachment, everything that is transcendental. We need to catch that transcendental vision.

When I am coming to Puri Dham, I am first going to Jagannath, no doubt, but I am telling Jagannath, “Jagannath I am present here, You please see me. I cannot see Your Divine Form but You please see my presence here.” Just like in school attendance I am giving my acknowledgement: “I am here. You see me, Sir.” When I shall get the proper vision by the grace of Lord Jagannath and by His devotees’ mercy, then it will come upon my head and open my eyes through their mercy:

om ajñana timirandhasya 

jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena 

tasmai sri-gurave namah

By the grace of Gurudev we will get transcendental vision and will be able to see everything as the play of the Sweet Absolute. Our situation at present is that we are trying to practise by mixing with material energy, but real practise will come when we get back our transcendental home with transcendental vision, with transcendental energy; then everything will be perfect. Mahaprabhu is looking at Jagannath as Lord Krishna with His flute and there is Baladev and Subhadra. Mahaprabhu is thinking, “I am in Kurukshetra and Krishna is in front of Me.”

This expression is given by Mahaprabhu during the Rathayatra festival and through that we can understand the mood of union in separation. Mahaprabhu revealed the mood of separation of Radharani with Krishna when She said, “Krishna is in front of Me and I am that same Radha in union with My beloved, but I am not satisfied here. I want to go back to Vrindavan where the Yamuna River, the kadamba tree, the flower garden and the Sakhis and everything for the satisfaction of Krishna is existing there in Kunja-Lila. I want to take my Krishna back there.” That is the mood of separation shown by Mahaprabhu, who is non-different from Krishna but who is enriched with the love and devotion, heart and halo of Radharani.

This is that place, Kurukshetra, and by the grace of Jagannath and the devotees it is possible to feel it. Here is Gambhira where Mahaprabhu showed by His pastimes for twelve years the mood of separation from Krishna. Our devotees are so fortunate that they have got something of that feeling and are going to Gambhira thinking about the pastimes of Sriman Mahaprabhu. They are doing the Jagannath Temple parikrama. It is my feeling that within this period in this mundane situation we have actually got too much fortune.

First the need to see the Lord is coming to those who are sincere seekers. But many devotees are also asking, “Have you seen Krishna? Can you show us Krishna? Who is Krishna?” These types of questions are coming from the devotees. But actually if they will get some light and strength of devotion, then they will search, “Where is my service? Krishna is everywhere but service is not everywhere. There must be some special service for me to the Lord. Where is that part for me?” They do not want to see Krishna but they want service to Lord Krishna. That type of feeling will come to the devotee.

Which view do Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Fydor Dostoyevsky and Srila Sridhar Maharaja hold in common?

In his 1970 Nobel Literature acceptance speech Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn spoke the following words:

Dostoyevsky once enigmatically let drop the phrase: “Beauty will save the world.” What does this mean? For a long time I thought it merely a phrase. Was such a thing possible? When in our bloodthirsty history did beauty ever save anyone from anything? Ennobled, elevated, yes; but whom has it saved?

There is, however, something special in the essence of beauty, a special quality in art: the conviction carried by a genuine work of art is absolute and subdues even a resistant heart. A political speech, hasty newspaper comment, a social program, a philosophical system can, as far as appearances are concerned, be built smoothly and consistently on an error or a lie; and what is concealed and distorted will not be immediately clear. But then to counteract it comes a contradictory speech, commentary, program, or differently constructed philosophy—and again everything seems smooth and graceful, and again hangs together. That is why they inspire trust—and distrust.

There is no point asserting and reasserting what the heart cannot believe.

A work of art contains its verification in itself: artificial, strained concepts do not withstand the test of being turned into images; they fall to pieces, turn out to be sickly and pale, convince no one. Works which draw on truth and present it to us in live and concentrated form grip us, compellingly involve us, and no one ever, not even ages hence, will come forth to refute them.

Perhaps then the old trinity of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty is not simply the dressed-up, worn-out formula we thought it in our presumptuous, materialistic youth? If the crowns of these three trees meet, as scholars have asserted, and if the too obvious, too straight sprouts of Truth and Goodness have been knocked down, cut off, not let grow, perhaps the whimsical, unpredictable, unexpected branches of Beauty will work their way through, rise up to that very place, and thus complete the work of all three?

Then what Dostoyevsky wrote—”Beauty will save the world”—is not a slip of the tongue but a prophecy.

In a striking parallel Srila Sridhar Maharaja speaks of the Krishna conception of divinity, Reality the Beautiful, as being “victorious in the world.”

What is Krishna consciousness? Krishna consciousness means real love and beauty. Real love and beauty must predominate; not selfishness, or exploitation. Generally, whenever we see beauty, we think that beauty is to be exploited, but actually, beauty is the exploiter, beauty is the master, and beauty is the controlling principle.

And what is love? Love means sacrifice for others. We should not think that sacrifice is to be exploited by us. Who is to be the recipient of sacrifice? Is it our party? No. We are in the group of those who sacrifice themselves: the predominated negative party, Mahabhava’s party [Sri Radha Thakurani]. The underlying principle of love is sacrifice, but sacrifice for whom? And who is the beneficiary? Love is the beneficiary. Everyone should contribute to the center, but no one should draw energy from there. “Die to live.” With this spirit we should combine and work for real love and beauty.

And beauty will be victorious in the world. Love will be victorious in the world. We will sacrifice everything to see that the banner of divine love will flutter all over the world, for a particle of that divine love will be able to keep peace and distribute peace in all directions. Just as fighting soldiers dedicate everything, and give their lives so their countrymen will benefit in the future, we should sacrifice our lives and work to bring real peace for everyone.

In Vrindavan, the land of Krishna, the standard of sacrifice is unlimited. Devotees there are willing to risk everything for Krishna. If that principle of sacrifice is enthroned, then peace will automatically follow. Krishna consciousness should be enthroned above all other conceptions. All other conceptions are meant to be subservient to Krishna consciousness. The ideal of Vrindavan, Krishna’s abode, is above all other ideals. In theistic comparison, the conception of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s Lila is above all other conceptions. There, theism reaches its zenith. That is our highest goal, and step by step, that should be explained, thought out, accepted, and preached.

“In Vrindavan Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur asked his sannyasi disciple to explain about the pure devotion of Prahlad Maharaja, shuddha-bhakti, from Bhagavatam, and not to indulge in describing the pastimes of Krishna and the Gopis and others—because it is too high. We must begin from the first plane of Bhakti, and madhura rasa, that is above—pujala raga-patha gaurava-bhange, that is high, high. The sahajiya imitationists have taken that down into this plane and created mundane rasa in Vrindavan. He meant to discourage them—what you are doing in Vrindavan, thinking you are a Gopi and someone is Krishna—it is all false, wrong—it is all hell. You have created a hell in Vrindavan.

“Begin from ABC, shuddha-bhakti, Prahlad, then go step by step, to the higher devotional realm. And in between Shyama-kunda and Radha-kunda, at that barrier, he himself, Srila Saraswati Thakur, use to explain the Upadeshamrta of Rupa Goswami and not any 10th canto, any Radha-Krishna Lila, but Upadeshamrta [which is really 11 instructions given by Mahaprabhu put in form by Rupa Goswami]. He explained himself there, and we were the listeners, the audience.”

—Conception by Srila Sridhar Maharaja

With reference to his Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh in Nabadwip Dhām, Śrīla Bhakti Rakshak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī says, “This is Govardhan, Gupta Govardhan; Nabadwip is Gupta Vrindavan, more magnanimous than Vrindavan; the Dhām of the fallen, and Govardhan is here. And Rādhā Kunda on the other side. Most holy place for the fallen [aparādha-bhañjanera pāṭa; the place where all offenses are forgiven]. I selected this to be my eternal home. And this is Govinda Kunda, Gaur Haribol! Gaur Haribol! Gaur Haribol! Nitai Chaitanya…”

In the Padma Purāna it is written:

nāhaṁ vasāmi vaikuṇṭhe yogināṁ hṛdayena ca
mad-bhaktāḥ yatra gāyanti tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada

“I am not in Vaikuṇṭha, nor the hearts of the yogis. But where my devotees are singing my glories, I am present in that place”.

Similarly, where there is substantial glorification and service of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja by his devotees, he is present, and as such, that place can be considered to be an extension (vaibhava) of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh and Gupta Govardhan. In remembrance of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, and with the intention of promoting his conceptions, we view this as the plane of our service aspiration.

We are serving in separation. Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, “What is meant by dedication? Dedication in its highest stage is union in separation… viraha, vipralambha is the most spacious thing pertaining to Krishna consciousness”. In separation, out of service necessity, our vision becomes more expansive. Wherever we may reside, we try to incorporate what is before us into the service of Śrī Guru, Gaurāṅga, and Rādhā Govinda.

Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, “Everywhere one may see Guru, it is possible. Everything is giving instruction to me to advance towards service of Krishna; the whole paraphernalia, the whole environment is Guru. In Vrindavan it is so. Nabadwip consciousness, Vrindavan consciousness: everything will excite me to go and serve Gaura and Krishna. That is what is necessary; everything will remind me, excite me in the service of my Lord, viśvaṁ pūrṇa-sukhāyate: the whole world will be of the highest pleasure to us when we shall get such adjustment in our soul’s position. Then we are really in Vrindavan”.

The application of this principle has spread the Krishna consciousness movement all over the world. We are aspiring servitors of the holy lotus feet of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja and his domain under the guidance of Śrīla Gurudeva, Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami. And that is not a geographical location but a plane of Krishna consciousness enriched with a particular type and degree of devotion or dedication.

Śrīla Guru Mahārāja founded Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh deliberately with Govardhan Shila. Following his example and obeying his order, our Deity is Girirāja Govardhan, who is fully Krishna (sākṣād vrajendra-nandana-hari). Although it may not be apparent (gupta) if we look deeply we will conclude: Where does he reside if not Govardhan? And with whom? Where the Lord is present, he is accompanied by his paraphernalia: his abode, associates, pastimes etc. (dhāmnā svena sadā nirasta-kuhakaṁ satyaṁ paraṁ dhīmahi).

We recognize, revere, and aspire to serve Gupta Govardhan of Nabadwip and Govardhan of Vrindavan. We hope that it is not impertinence but in deference to, and in the light of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja’s conceptions that we humbly proceed. We are trying to preserve, protect, and extend his conception to others. Where Girirāja is present, Govardhan is manifest. Nestled in the foothills of wherever, from a relatively hidden position (gupta) in service to Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, fortunate souls may glimpse Govardhan. Understandably, it may not be visible to everyone.

“What is our most important service? To acquire the angle of vision; the most important is that; everywhere. Only we are to acquire the proper angle of vision. New eye: dīkṣā means divya-dṛṣṭi not our prejudiced estimation. But piercing that, to have a real view into the reality of things, that is what is necessary. The whole sādhana means that realization”. — Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja.

At present our vision is clouded with prejudgement and misconception; only by the grace of Śrī Guru, when that is removed, can we see things as they are (ācāryavān puruṣo veda).

andhībhūtā cakṣū yara viṣayā ḍhulite
ki rupe se para-tattva pāibe dekhite

“Anywhere he appears, the śrī-mūrti of Krishna is dazzling in its own glory. But one can only have a view of that, whose eyes are clear, not covered with thousands of prejudices. So many demands, desires are covering our mental eye, rather, the real seer inside is the soul; the eye of the soul. There are so many thick prejudices, good, bad, covering our eyes; so we can’t see Him. If that is cleared, the prejudices are removed, then we can see Krishna is there, everywhere. He is everywhere (aprākṛta vastu nahe prākṛta-gocara).”

“Once Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur gave a novel explanation of Govardhan. As the Gopas propagate cows, extending their numbers without caring for the laws of breeding, so also he told, Krishna Consciousness will propagate without caring for any law… (no dīkṣāṁ na ca sat-kriyāṁ na ca puraścaryāṁ manāg īkṣate). The self-extension of Krishna consciousness does not care for any external limitation. It can go anywhere and everywhere freely. This is Rāga Mārga… Mercy does not care for any qualification.

vana dekhi’ bhrama haya—ei ‘vṛndāvana’
śaila dekhi’ mane haya—ei ‘govardhana’

“Mahaprabhu when seeing a forest, ‘Oh this is Vrindavan! Any hill, ‘Oh Govardhan!’ Any river, ‘Oh, this is Jamuna!

“What is Vrindavan? Not a fable, not any concocted story but the broadest, the widest plane of the whole universe; beauty, sweetness, and blissfulness but to understand this, we have to dive deep…

“Even here in Nabadwip Dhām we have to pierce through the surface. We have to dive deep within Nabadwip, the inner Nabadwip, the Nabadwip of Gaura Nitai. Externally we may find Jagai, Madhai, Chand Kazi, so many, [laughter] but if we will dive a little deep, we shall find what is there. In the Dhām we see so many things [contrary] but when our real eye is awakened we will have darshan of the real Dhām”. — Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja.

We aspire to this vision. Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, “a true disciple’s mind is always living in the domain of his Gurudeva”. This aspiration we cherish, and fills us with hope.

In his final days Śrīla Govinda Mahārāja summarized: “Everyone has some fault; little bit. Who has big or who has small, that is not the question, but devotional spirit, that is the question. And who has devotional spirit fully, he is the devotee and must be honored, must be respected.”

Sometimes we fall prey to the misconception of thinking that we alone possess the truth. Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja deplores the myopic mindset exposed in asserting, “my Guru, my organization, my mission, is in sole possession of Krishna consciousness”. It is bigotry in the guise of fidelity. He admonishes emphasizing one to the exclusion of all others: “You think the truth is a monopoly of your trade… but Krishna consciousness is not any particular person’s monopoly. Wherever it is, we must bow down our head. One who has got the eye, he will see it. It is not the monopoly of anyone. It is the monopoly of Krishna and Krishna consciousness; and wherever that Krishna consciousness is available, we are concerned with that”.

He did not exempt his own institution. Modification is inevitable but to the degree that it is true to the spirit of the Founder-Acharya, Śrīla Bhakti Rakshak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī and his Divine Servitor, Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī, it will thrive or descend into moribund decline (prakṛti-vaicitryād; pāramparyeṇa; kālena naṣṭā pralaye vāṇīyaṁ veda-saṁjñitā).

Śrīla Govinda Mahārāja emphasized his position as the ‘Sevaite’ President Acharya of his Guru Mahārāja’s Maṭh, Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh. He is serving Śrīla Guru Mahārāja and engaging other fortunate souls in that service. He revealed his heart’s core expressing, “If someone serves the lotus feet of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, I become their slave!” To marginalize Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja and his conceptions is suicidal. Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh is not a generic religious organization. The promotion of Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja is not a personality cult, neither is it optional nor redundant. It means dedication to his particular representation of the highest spiritual substance; Reality the Beautiful.

ātma-siddha-sāvalīla-pūrṇa-saukhya-lakṣaṇam
svānubhāva-matta-nṛtya-kīrtanātma-vanṭanam

“This is the all-conquering conclusion: the highest conception of the Ultimate Reality must also be the highest form of ānanda, ecstasy. Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu is Krishna, ecstasy Himself, [enveloped in the heart and halo of Śrī Rādhā] tasting His own sweetness and dancing in ecstatic joy”. — Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja. Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram (66).

Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur recognized in Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja one who perfectly represents his siddhānta and preceptorial line. He proclaimed of the comprehensive ontological depth and accuracy of his Bhaktivinoda Viraha Dāsakam, “Bhaktivinode Ṭhākur has himself made him write this; he wrote this through him. What I came to teach, to give to the world; it will be there. I am satisfied that there is one left who will be able to represent me fully”. He is also recognized by the principal disciples of Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur, Acharyas in their own right, including world-renowned, Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, as Siksha Guru, Rupānuga Dhāra, and one given admission into the group of Śrī Rūpa. What distinguishes Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh is the original, conceptual wealth Śrīla Guru Mahārāja personifies, and enshrined in a myriad of compositions:

Śrī Prapanna-Jīvanāmṛtam; Laghu Chandrikā Bhāsya, Commentary on Bhaktivinode Ṭhākur’s Śharaṇāgati; Prema Dhāma Deva Stotram; Search for Śrī Krishna: Reality the Beautiful; Śrī Guru and His Grace; Golden Volcano of Divine Love; Loving Search for the Lost Servant; Subjective Evolution of Consciousness: The Play of the Sweet Absolute; Interpretation extracting Rādhā Dāsyam from the Gāyatrī Mantram; Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā: The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute; numerous essays in Gaudiya, The Harmonist, Gaudiya Darshan; published talks, prayers, pranāms, songs, glorifying Mahaprabhu, Nityānanda Prabhu, Gadādhara Pandit et al., Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur and our Śrī Guru varga: the Siksha Guru parampara.

Read any page of any book, any line of any sloka of Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja and you will discover something original, substantial, and wonderful; the highest siddhānta in virtuosic poetic expression.

Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja describes his vision of the Maṭh he founded, Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh, encapsulating the conceptual architecture in its pranām mantra:

śrīmac chaitanya-sāraswata-maṭhavara udgīta-kīrttir jaya-śrīṁ
bibhrat saṁbhāti gaṅgā-taṭa-nikaṭa-navadvīpa-kolādri-rāje
yatra śrī-gaura-sāraswata-mata-niratā gaura-gāthā gṛṇanti
nityaṁ rūpānuga śrī-kṛtamati-guru-gaurāṅga-rādhā-jitāśā

“The flag of Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh flutters high, high in the over-sky [outer space] in Nabadwip on the banks of the Ganga.

“Chaitanya, [borrowed] from Chaitanya Maṭh, and Sāraswata, from Sāraswatī, our Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur. Chaitanya-sāraswata, the knowledge that has come from Chaitanyadeva up to Saraswatī, our Guru Maharaja. Propaganda within that era, we are to revere, accept and preach.

“The angle of vision of our Guru Maharaja, Saraswatī, about Śrī Chaitanyadev. How Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur has seen with his divine eyes; it is available here, we are concerned with that. From Chaitanya to Saraswatī; our Guru Maharaja, the Guru parampara, the whole is covered, considered, cultured, and being preached or spread. That is chaitanya-sāraswata. Hare Krishna!

“Chaitanyānuga; Saraswatī. Another meaning: Saraswatī means ‘vani’, ‘vakya’, ‘words’, ‘expressions’ of Chaitanya. Chaitanya-vāṇī, the real preaching, instructions of Śrī Chaitanyadev, His words; that may be the meaning here.

Chaitanya-vāṇī, really, from Chaitanya to Saraswatī. The culture of Bhāgavatam as viewed by Śrī Chaitanyadev, and his followers, up to Saraswatī. That is the object, the theme of our life, the purpose of our life. Our paricaya, our identification, nature, acquaintance is there. Who are we? We are so and so. They are our masters, we are servants of that group. We want to revere them, to propagate them, to ask people to accept them. Our whole concern is there: chaitanya-sāraswata, sāraswata-chaitanya. Gaur Haribol! Gaur Haribol! Gaur Haribol!

“What distinguishes chaitanya-sāraswata? How it is modified by Śrī Chaitanyadev; the line of Bhāgavatam; what he has spread. Amongst all the acharyas, Śrī Chaitanyadev preached about love divine. Clearly and in a developed way, in a scientific way, only Śrī Chaitanyadev preached the fifth end of life; that Bhāgavat-prema. The end of life is to acquire love, affection, attraction for God or Godhead, for Krishna. Krishna is the Lord of Love, and he is the innermost conception of Godhead. The highest conception of Godhead is Krishna, and jīva can have relation with him, that of love. And that is the highest achievement of all souls ever known, come to the world.

“So Chaitanya Sāraswata, not other Sāraswata. Chaitanyānuga Sāraswata; followers that belong to the school of Śrī Krishna Chaitanyadev, who believes in the consciousness of Krishna; the believers of Krishna consciousness.

“The flag fluttering high over the sky means to have control over the whole globe… so it flutters high to control, udgīta-kīrttir jaya-śrīṁ bibhrat, singing the glory of its capturing the whole world by Śrī Chaitanya thought.

“And what is that? Rūpānuga śrī, their object is to enter into that loving service which is directed by Śrī Rūpa in the camp of Śrī Rādhārāṇī [Rādhā Dāsyam]. That is the wealth of their heart; that is their aim, and they are following the method of Śrī Chaitanya. And their flag is flying over high in the sky on the banks of the Ganges in Govardhan. This is what is shown in this śloka, [the Maṭh Pranām of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh].

“When I was [establishing this Maṭh] there was only a thatched cottage, and I, meself, was cleansing the clay and dirt with my own hand. At that time this was composed; came through me. I had some inner thought that Mahāprabhu is accepting my service from such a lower level; cleansing the clay and earth, all these things. But there is some future grant, it portends some future resourcefulness; this place will be of high order. He is accepting service from my own hand; that was my feeling at that time. I composed that, somehow it came. And one very tall bamboo was put here, its flag fluttering above. That gave some inspiration to me.

“Udgīta-kīrttir, its glory is sung high in the sky. Jaya-śrīṁ bibhrat, and it is holding the victorious color with it. Jaya-śrīṁ bibhrat the victorious resourcefulness is floated by this fluttering of the flag which is so high, posted in the over-sky [outerspace] on the banks of the Ganges in Nabadwip; that it may have such potentiality.

[Urjjeshwarī is a name of Rādhārāṇī (Jayaśrī); urjja means resources: “She commands all the resources, the shakti, the power; all the resources culminate in Her”.]

“Gaṅgā-taṭa-nikaṭa-navadvīpa-kolādri-rāje location of the place is Govardhan, Koladwip, kolādri-rāje, King of mountains; kolā, kolādri; mountain: on the banks of the Ganga it is glittering there. And what is the function there?

“Yatra śrī-gaura-sāraswata-mata-niratā, Who are really followers, Gaura Saraswatī; from Śrī Gaurāṅga to Saraswatī has come that flow; they have got faith in that; gaura-gāthā gṛṇanti singing the glories of Śrī Gaurāṅga to the world. Those that are devoted in the cultivation of the grace of Gaurāṅga; Gaura-Sāraswata, from Gaurāṅga that came through, interpreted by Saraswatī, our Gurudeva, Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur. Gaura-Sāraswata, who engages himself fully in that opinion, that idea and thought, mata-niratā gaura-gāthā gṛṇanti, and that quality, glorification of Śrī Gaurāṅga, that flow of Gaura-gāthā they are singing here.

“And what is their object, the aim of their life? Śrīmad rūpānuga śrī-kṛtamati: rūpānuga bhajan, madhura rasa; Rādhā anugatā, Kṛṣṇa bhajan; that is their aim. With that intention they are singing this saṅkīrtan of Śrī Gaurāṅga; and their aim is there; nityaṁ rūpānuga śrī-kṛtamati-guru-gaurāṅga-rādhā-jitāśā, their only hope is that one day they will go be able to reach the destination; they will be able to serve Śrī Rādhā and her beloved. That is the aim, and Gaura Saṅkīrtan. Their object is to attain their highest position in the rupānuga service, in the camp of Rādhārāṇī. Their mentality is there and the activity is here.

“In a very dignified way, the flag is fluttering there, high up in the sky, from the Ganges on the summit of the Govardhan Girirāja. And I was then only in a cottage. I wrote this in 1943 or so. And now it is 1983; forty years ago that came through my pen.

“So your aim at present, that this will be here, and you will try to distribute this gauravānī from here to the world, that is divine arrangement; I keep it on my head.

“Activity under the guidance of Śrī Gaurāṅga. And our object is in the camp of Rādhārāṇī, Rādha Govinda’s service, guided by Śrī Rūpa Goswami (the line of Śrī Rūpa). Who are we? From Chaitanyadeva to Saraswatī Goswāmī, that flow of instruction is our base, and our stay is in Govardhan, aparādha-bhañjanera pāṭa. That was the idea.

“It came from the inner compartment of my heart and I produced in that way. My hope, some mystic hope, or ambition, whatever you may say, that mystic something made me to write this.

“Who made me write this and who supplied this thought in Bhaktivinode Ṭhākur [his prophecy] he will guide you. It may not come by the lips to the ear but heart transaction, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye, transmission from heart to heart; to Brahma, Krishna gave the first knowledge to Brahma, the creator, through the heart. Brahma Veda was given to Brahma, creator of the world, through heart, inspiration, not coming through the lip to the ear. Bhāgavatam says, this transmission, the transaction, the flow of the heart, heart to heart, otherwise, ear cannot catch, the lips cannot pronounce.” — Śrīla Śrīdhar Mahārāja.

Śrīla Guru Mahārāja thematically emphasizes, quality over quantity, substance over form and formality. This is epitomized in the following śloka of Śrīla Rūpa Goswāmī’s Upadeśāmṛta (9).

vaikuṇṭhāj janito varā madhu-purī tatrāpi rāsotsavād
vṛndāraṇyam udāra-pāṇi-ramaṇāt tatrāpi govardhanaḥ
rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt
kuryād asya virājato giri-taṭe sevāṁ vivekī na kaḥ

Śrīla Guru Mahārāja: “This śloka reveals the gradation, the hierarchy, how things develop… self-giving; according to the degree of self-surrendering, and the development of ānandam from deep to deeper to the deepest”.

‘Superior to Vaikuṇṭha is Maṭhura, for there Śrī Krishna manifests his birth pastime [enabling vātsalya rasa and subsequently, sakhya rasa]. Superior to Mathura is Vrindavan where Krishna enjoys the Rāsa Līlā [madhura rasa]. Better still is Govardhan, the plane of even more confidential Pastimes of Divine Love. But best of all is Rādhā Kunda. It holds the supreme position because it is overflowing with the nectar of the highest kind of Kṛṣṇa Prema (mahābhāva-svarūpā śrī-rādhā-ṭhākurāṇī). What discerning person, knowing the substance of Krishna consciousness, would not aspire for Rādhā Dāsyam, the divine service of Śrī Rādhikā at Rādhā Kunda, situated at the foothill of Giri Govardhan?’

He further elucidates, “Rādhā Kunda is Rādhārāṇī represented as liquid: to bathe there is to transform oneself completely; to identify exclusively with the interest of Rādhārāṇī.”

Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāja announced at the installation of the Deities in our Soquel, California Ashram, “We are so fortunate that Girirāja Govardhan has very mercifully given us shelter at His lotus feet. And we are even more fortunate that Girirāja Govardhan has given us shelter beneath his divine hidden form in Koladwip, Nabadwip. And we feel that Girirāja has also manifested here in this Soquel Ashram. For this reason the divine name of Their Lordships has come down from the divine abode: Śrī Śrī Guru-Gauranga Gāndharvikā-Giridhārī.

“Gāndharvikā is always satisfying Krishna with her dancing and singing. Gāndharvikā- Giridhārī’s pastimes of singing and dancing take place in the Rāsa Līlā. Beyond that, Gāndharvikā is satisfying Krishna in Rādhā Kunda. The pastimes in Rādhā Kunda are even more beautiful and satisfying to Krishna. All the hidden pastimes of Krishna are happening around Girirāja Govardhan, especially in Rādhā Kunda, rādhā-kuṇḍam ihāpi gokula-pateḥ premāmṛtāplāvanāt. There the Divine Couple are always relishing the supreme taste of their pastimes in a variety of ways.

“We are so fortunate that our Grand-Guru, Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur, showed Śrī Śrī Guru Gaurāṅga Gāndharvikā-Giridhārī to be his worshipable Deities in the pastimes of his bhajan life. Today those Deities have manifested here. We are feeling so fortunate and very comfortable that this is our home. That is our feeling.”

With the highest fidelity and utmost dignity, upholding its principles, and personifying its substance, Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Mahārāja carried the flag of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh around the world twenty-four times, nourishing the aspiring servitors with Śrīla Bhakti Rakshak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī’s SuSiddhānta and Vāṇī-sevā (vilasatu hṛdi nityam bhaktisiddhānta-vānī).

May the aspiration for that service forever play in our hearts. Wherever the location, whatever the nomenclature, to the degree that we are faithful servitors, under the guidance of Guru and Vaishnav, dedicating ourselves to this divine conception, one will detect the presence of Śrī Chaitanya Sāraswat Maṭh in all of its dignity and pristine glory.