[From Part Three of Acarya Kesari, the Life and Teachings of Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja]
Complete dependence on Bhagavan
Sri Krtiratna Prabhu was a fully akincana and niskincana Vaisnava. Throughout his life he acted only for the pleasure of Krsna, and never collected one paisa for his own happiness or self-interest, having full trust in Sri Gurudeva and his worshipful Lord. Therefore, when he left Sri Dhama Mayapura he was empty-handed. Many godbrothers, also completely penniless, joined him in the new Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti matha at Bospada Lane. They were devoted to sadhana-bhajana, and somehow their lives were maintained by the mercy of Bhagavan.
One Ekadasi morning, Sri Krtiratna Prabhu was chanting sri harinama, his grave face revealing his absorption in a profound mood. Just then, a brahmacari brought the news that his godbrother Sripada Narayana Mukharji had come to meet with him. Srila Gurudeva instructed the brahmacari to seat their guest respectfully. It was natural for Krtiratna Prabhu to honour guests, but on this day, he did not have even a paisa with which to serve his godbrother, and this disturbed him. Just then, by divine desire, he noticed a chirping sparrow flying from the house to its nest and back again. Suddenly, the bird dropped from its beak a small packet, which clanged as it hit the ground close to Krtiratna Prabhu. Out of curiosity he opened the small packet and was happy to find six-and-a-half annas [one anna equals one sixteenth of a rupee] inside. With this money he was able to buy fruits and sweets, offer them to Bhagavan, and thus serve his godbrother. Sripada Narayana Mukharji became most pleased by his godbrother’s affectionate behaviour, and they soon began prema-mayi hari-katha, a discussion on divine love for Sri Hari.
At that time, the postman brought Sri Vinoda-bihari Prabhu a money order for one hundred rupees from his godbrother and good friend tridandi-svami Sri Srimad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Maharaja of Kanpura. Krtiratna Prabhu’s eyes overflowed with tears as he recognized the causeless mercy of Sri Gurudeva and Bhagavan. Bhagavan Sri Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita 9.22 that He will Himself carry the burden of the maintenance and protection of those single-pointed devotees who exclusively meditate upon His transcendental form and who worship Him with devotional sentiments:
ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham
Why, then, will the Supreme Lord not fulfil the desire of a devotee who is completely dependent upon Him, loving with guests, protective of dependents and endowed with ideal guru-nistha ? Can Sri Krsna, the ocean of compassion, not make His name ‘Bhakta-vatsala’ (brimming with affection for His devotees) meaningful by sending money through a small bird?
Sri Srimad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Maharaja
It would not be out of place to introduce Srimad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Maharaja at this point. He was one of the foremost of Srila Prabhupada’s diksa and sannyasi disciples. A brahmacari from boyhood, he was soft-spoken, simple, honest and endowed with other qualities befitting a Vaisnava. Notably, he was an influential speaker in Hindi, Bengali and English. He impressed everyone, common men as well as educated and respectable people, including governors and chief ministers from many states. One of his main strengths was his ability to create faith in sri harinama and bhakti in the community at large by cultivating friendly relationships. He preached bhakti in Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapura, Kanpura and other prominent cities of India, as well as outside India in Rangoon [in Burma] and other places. In accordance with Srila Prabhupada’s desire, during a special session of the Navadvipa-dhama Pracarini Sabha, Srimad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Maharaja was praised for his outstanding Vaisnava qualities.
Accepting sannyasa
After the establishment of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, the scholar in Vedanta, mahopadesaka Sri Krtiratna Prabhu started to travel throughout Bengal and prominent cities of India to preach suddha-bhakti and sri nama. Sri Syamananda Gaudiya Matha in Medinipura (Bengal) was established on Sri Krsna-janmastami 1940. The leading sannyasis and brahmacaris present included Sripada Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja, Sripada Bhakti Bhudeva Srauti Maharaja, Sripada Bhakti Vicara Yayavara Maharaja, Sripada Aprakrta Bhakti-saranga Gosvami, Sripada Vinoda-bihari Krtiratna Prabhu, mahopadesaka Sripada Hayagriva Brahmacari, Sripada Svadhikarananda Brahmacari, Sripada Bhutabhrta Brahmacari and Sripada Radha-Ramana Brahmacari (later, Srimad Bhakti Kumuda Santa Maharaja). Hundreds of matha residents also participated in the celebration. About ten thousand pious people attended the festival. At this gathering, a plan was presented to protect Srila Prabhupada’s bhakti-dhara and an outline of the future preaching of bhakti. In addition, it was announced that there would be a Vraja-mandala parikrama on foot during the observance of the Kartika vow the following year. After this Janmastami festival, Sri Krtiratna Prabhu started to preach in Uttar Pradesh and in areas of Eastern Bengal.
At this time, during the last part of the night, Sri Krtiratna Prabhu dreamed that Srila Prabhupada laid his hand on his right shoulder and spoke to him in a grave voice: “Until now you have not taken sannyasa. Today I am giving you sannyasa.” The complete sannyasa ceremony then took place in his dream. When it was over, Srila Prabhupada instructed Srimad Bhakti Saranga Gosvami Maharaja to call out “Kesava Maharaja ki jaya!” The jaya-dhvani was so loud that Krtiratna Prabhu woke up. He told his senior godbrothers about the dream and they were elated to find ‘Kesava’ among the one hundred and eight sannyasa names.
When Srila Prabhupada had been personally present, he had on several occasions expressed his desire to give sannyasa to his intimate, dear servant, Sri Vinoda-bihari Brahmacari. He used to say, “Vinoda is sannyasi by body, mind and words. It only remains to change his outer dress.” On one occasion, Srila Prabhupada had desired to give him sannyasa. Dor-kaupina (loin-cloth), danda and all the requirements were prepared and all the arrangements were completed, but Sripada Kunja-bihari Vidyabhusana Prabhu, who was the secretary of the Gaudiya Mission, made a humble submission at the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada: “If Sri Vinoda-bihari is given sannyasa now, it will jeopardize the protection of the matha and mission. Please, postpone his sannyasa.” Because of that intervention, Sri Vinoda-bihari was not given sannyasa. On another occasion, the arrangement for Vinoda-bihari’s sannyasa was made again at the Bagbazar Gaudiya Matha. This time, due to the special petition of Bhagavata-ratna Prabhu, Srila Prabhupada did not award sannyasa. On a third occasion, Srila Prabhupada came to Vinoda-bihari in a dream and ordered him to take sannyasa: “Vinoda, because you have not yet taken sannyasa, my entire preaching work is being ruined.” Finally, for the fourth time, Srila Prabhupada instructed him to take sannyasa, again in a dream, and Krtiratna Prabhu actually saw himself accepting sannyasa from him. Krtiratna Prabhu took this matter very seriously and vowed to accept the renounced order of life on the upcoming holy day of Bhadra-purnima in Katva, where Sri Mahaprabhu accepted sannyasa.
Accordingly, on Purnima, Sri Vinoda-bihari Brahmacari accepted sannyasa in Katva, from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada’s dear disciple, Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Gosvami, the transcendental writer, poet and philosopher, in accordance with the pancaratrika method as described in Samskara-dipika. His sannyasa name was then announced: tridandi-svami Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja. Pujyapada Srimad Bhakti Bhudeva Srauti Maharaja performed the priestly duties and instructed the brahmacari how to put on the kaupina and outer cloth. And Srila Sridhara Maharaja recited the sannyasa-mantra. Thus the sannyasa dress and sannyasa name given by Srila Prabhupada in the dream became a complete reality.
Many of Srila Gurudeva’s sannyasi and brahmacari godbrothers were present for the ceremony that day in Sri Katva-dhama. The entire responsibility for the expenses of the great festival was borne by Sri Vinayabhusana Banarji Bhakti-ketana Mahodaya, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. In the evening, everyone returned to Sri Devananda Gaudiya Matha.
Preaching in Bengal
When the personification of mercy, Sacinandana Sri Gaurahari, sent Srila Rupa and Srila Sanatana Gosvamis to Sri Dhama Vrndavana, He instructed them to fulfil His innermost desires by composing bhakti literature, by explaining the regulations for Vaisnava procedures and conduct (vaisnava-smrti ), by restoring lost pastime places of Krsna in Vraja, and by establishing service to deities of the Lord.
Sri Rupa, Sri Sanatana and the other Gosvamis completely fulfilled Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s inner desire. They composed Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Ujjvala-nilamani, the Sad-sandarbhas and other authentic bhakti literature. They also composed vaisnava-smrtis like Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Sat-kriya-sara-dipika and Samskara-dipika delineating proper conduct for Vaisnavas. They re-established all the places of Krsna’s pastimes in the twelve primary forests, the secondary forests and others.
They established temples for Sri Madana-mohana, Sri Govindaji, Sri Gopinathaji, Sri Radha-Ramanaji, Sri Gopesvara Mahadeva, Sri Radha-Damodara and Sri Radha-Vinoda in Sri Dhama Vrndavana, for Kamesvara Mahadeva in Kamyavana and for other deities as well. Thus the Gosvamis fulfilled Sriman Mahaprabhu’s innermost desire.
In the same way, jagad-guru Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada fulfilled the innermost desire of Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura. He established a printing press (brhad-mrdanga) for publishing and distributing bhakti literature to spread the message of Sri Gaurasundara. He revived Sri Navadvipa-dhama parikrama and restored lost places of pilgrimage. He also protected and encouraged proper conduct in bhakti. Thus, by these and other projects, he fulfilled his gurudeva’s innermost desire.
In the same way, after him, tridandi-yati Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, Srila Prabhupada’s dear and intimate disciple, fulfilled Srila Prabhupada’s innermost desires. After Srila Prabhupada’s departure from this world, Sri Navadvipa-dhama parikrama, the publishing of bhakti literature, the accepting of tridanda-sannyasa and other activities in this line almost disappeared. But Acarya Kesari [Sri Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja] again propagated bhakti throughout the world with his broad expertise and strong preaching.
With irrepressible enthusiasm, om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja devoted himself to serving Srila Prabhupada’s innermost desire to preach Sri Gaurasundara’s message of suddha-bhakti everywhere. He began by arranging large religious assemblies, with recitation of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, lectures and so forth in Candana-nagara, Vaidyavati, Sevadaphuli, Sri Ramapura and other nearby towns on the holy banks of the Bhagavati Bhagirathi. The chairmen of the municipality, as well as well-known lawyers, judges and respected members of the community, started to cooperate with great respect. After attentively hearing Srila Gurudeva’s lectures with great veneration, these people became so impressed they asked him to establish Sri Gaudiya Mathas in their different districts.
In Chunchura, a town very close to Kolkata, faithful local gentlemen strongly desired that Srila Gurudeva should establish a Gaudiya Matha in a temple named ‘Srivasa-Mahaprabhura Vati’, which they were willing to donate without terms and conditions. The ancient deities of that temple had once been worshipped by Srivasa Pandita, an associate of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Gurudeva could not turn down this offer. In April 1943, he accepted this temple and established Sri Uddharana Gaudiya Matha. Even today, the worship of those deities is continuing according to Vaisnava tradition. The main office of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti and the Gaudiya Printing Press were relocated to this matha from Bospada Lane. Srila Gurupada-padma based himself at the Chunchura matha along with some of his godbrothers and brahmacaris, and from there began travelling extensively to preach suddha-bhakti.
[CC-by-ND GVP]