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Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah
Hundredth Advent Anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Matha-Acarya
Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Goswami Maharaja
The Saraswata Gaudiya Acarya
Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Goswami Maharaja - "The Personification of
the Exhibition of the suddha bhakti-siddhantas preached by the Rupanuga
Simha Guru Sri Gauravani-Vigraha
Prabhupad Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur."
Holy Appearance with 'Jata-Bhakti':
On the holy day of Sri Govardhan Puja he appeared as the son of Sri
Durgacaran and Srimati Yogamaya Devi in a village of Kharrah in the
Dacca District in the eastern part of Bengal (now Bangaladesh) in 1900.
Getting the remembrance of the son of Sri Nanda Maharaja due to the
glazy krsna complexion of his son his father named him as Krishnadas.
By choosing Srimad Bhagavad-Gita in the ruci-pariksa, inclination-test
ceremony, and in the very childhood by explaining Lord Sri Ramacandra's
pastimes taking the names of the adjacent villages to his friends, he
showed his 'jata-bhakti' - natural devotion.
To Become A Suddha Bhakta:
He displayed the very introduction to his acarya-lila by enhancing
the enthusiasm and favouring in devotional service. He reciprocated
his mother in hearing Srimad Bhagavatam by taking part in house-hold
work like cleansing utensils and bringing water for cooking and
drinking etc. His mother was very happy and pleased with his service
with affection. One day he prayed, "May I become a suddha bhakta",
to his mother on hearing from her that if one becomes a pure devotee
then the entire family with fourteen past generations get a chance to
serve the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna. He took the feet-dust of his
devotee-mother on his head and was blessed by her.
Indicated By Krsna As Shelter Of The World:
Through many natural calamities like cyclone, flood etc. Sri Krsna
clearly indicated His devotee to be the shelter of this dying world.
Being guided or led by him and by learning how to take shelter of the
Mahamantra from him many a times his family and his friend-associates
got relieved from dangerous situations. Observing and being attracted
to his sweet and devotee-like conduct, his teacher gave him a name
Sri Krishsna Kumar, who was the central jewel and very affectionate
to his friends.
A Devotee Is Very Expert Everywhere:
With many fine letter marks in subjects like Mathematics, English etc.
throughout, he finally graduated as a medical doctor with distinction
in Sanskrit and Mathematics from Dacca Mitford Medical School. While
studying in Dacca he got introduced to the Gaudiya Math by Srila Bhakti
Vilas Parvvat Maharaja, a disciple of Prabhupad Srila Saraswati Thakur.
Since then he used to visit the Madhva Gaudiya Math in the city.
Accepted By Sri Sri Prabhupad-Padma:
After the completion of his graduation he went to Gaudiya Maths
situated in Calcutta and Sri Puri Dhama. Later, in 1927, he approached
Sri Kunja Bihari Vidyabhusan, the then Secretary and Administrator of
the Gaudiya Math, praying for initiation from Srila Prabhupad. He gave
a hope of getting Sri Harinama initiation only. From inside, antaryyami
Srila Prabhupad recognized his devotee from within and informed Kunja
Babu that he is accepting him (Krishnadas) for both the parts of initiation. In fact Srila Prabhupad gave him mantra diksa first and
then Sri Harinama. The order was just reversed in his case. He was
named as Sri Krishnakanti Brahmacari. Krishnakanti - the complexion
like that of Krsna.
After initiating Srila Prabhupad addressed him "Daktar (doctor) Babu,
I gave you initiation, now what will you do?"
diksa kale sisya kare atma samarpana
sei kale krsna tare kare atma-sama.
Sri Guru Seva With 'Anugatya':
Indeed Sripad Krishnakanti served his Guru, Sri Gaurasundar and Sri Gandharvika Giridhari Jiu in the Akara Matharaja and Sri Yogapitha, the Birth place of Sriman Mahaprabhu and Sri Srivasa Angana - the Sankirttana-rasasthali and the devotees residing there throughout his matha-vasa life staying in that very room.
In 1928, he became the publication manager of the daily "Nadia Prakash" with Sripad Pranavananda Prabhu (later Srila B P Puri Goswami Maharaja) as the editor. Being pleased with his service as a real disciple Srila Prabhupad blessed him with the upadhi "Sri Bhakti Kusum".
He often travelled with Srila Prabhupad and wrote the correspondence.
In 1948, he accepted the order of tridandi-sannyas from the then Acarya-President Srila Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Goswami Maharaja (Kunja Babu) in the Temple of Union in Separation of Srila Prabhupada and became famous as Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Maharaja. Soon after he became the editor of the monthly 'Gaudiya' magazine. In this function and as a manager of the daily Nadia Prakash he has written literally thousands of scholarly articles on the Gaudiya Vaisnavism. He discovered the 'Astottara Sata Sri' (108 Sri's) of Srila prabhupad. By the Visva Vaisnav Sahitya Sabha he was honoured with the upadhi 'Vidya-Vacaspati'.
He rightly followed the Acarya of the Akara Matharaja Sri Chaitanya Math Srila B V Tirtha G. Maharaja. After initiation Srila Tirtha G. Maharaja used to send his disciples to him for their spiritual growth. He used to respect his sannyas Guru and Acaryapad Srila Tirtha Maharaja as his Guru. Accepting Acarya's order he instructed the instructions of Srila Prabhupad to the disciples by his words as well as implementing them in practical life. Till the day those students affectionately describe Srila Sraman Maharaja as the head of the kunja of Sri Kunja Bihari. Also Srila Acaryapad was very happy giving all these responsibilities to Srila Sraman Maharaja.
The Book - Prabhupad Srila Saraswati Thakur:
He wrote "Prabhupad Srila Saraswati Thakur" - the pastimes of Srila Prabhupad (published in 1940 from Sri Chaitanya Math). This book on the life-history of Srila Prabhupad contains lots of elementary informations and fundamentals of the preaching of the Gaura-vani murti Srila Prabhupad. Indeed this book deserves to be the only broad source on the life-history of Srila Prabhupad and may be taken as the basis for a deep research on the siddhantas of the present Gaudiya Vaisnava movement.
Sri Chaitanya-Upadesh Ratnamala, Sri Navadvip Dhama, a Bengali translation of Prema-Samputa, are his valuable writings among others. Also the published and unpublished articles written by him are being collected together and being published in the book form by his affectaionate disciples and students.
The Acarya of the Akara Matharaja:
After the disappearance of Srila Tirtha G. Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman G. Maharaja became the Acarya of the Akara Matharaja Sri Chaitanya Math and Its affiliated branch Gaudiya Maths in 1976.
The Vaikunthya Word Is Unchangeable:
In his 'Vrhat Mrdanga' service he was very strict to preserve the words and the phrases used by Srila Prabhupad. If somebody would request him to make any change even by shifting the parts of a sentence he would request him to rather try best such that the particular sentence remains as it is. In this way he gave us a treatment to our disease of taking the standards from here and applying in the transcendental matter, Sri Guru's words. "mepe neoyar dharmma" - measuring tendency with the material standard. He treated by discouraging from doing this and instructing to respect the Vaikunthya words, heavy words of Sri Guru, the Heavy.
"Aham vedmi":
The Vaisnavas recognize the Vaisnavas. Even demigods do not.
vaisnav cinite nare devera sakati.
Sri Nama-Premi - Namanandi:
He used to take the holy name always. Even at deep night he used to take Sri Harinama reminding us the verse:
prabhate cardharatre ca madhyahne divasaksaye
kirtayanti harim ye vai na tesamanya-sadhanam.
Bhakta Bhagavat - Grantha Bhagavat:
In his acarya-lila he presented Srimad Bhagavatam practically. Apparently there were the days when he fasted for a long three days except from water. He showed the practical form of the verse from Srimad Bhagavatam by chanting Mahamantra:
alavdhe va vinaste va bhaksyacchadava-sadhane
aviklava-matirbhutva harimeva dhiya smaret.
Many external disturbances came which even tried to enter the Guru-given bhajan-kutir. But nothing could disturb him and his bhajana. He stayed in the same room given by his Guru in the bank of Sri Radhakund. Some people who were in the level of his students, but the pseudo ones, wanted some pratistha. He tolerated the disturbances created by them and projected the famous Bhagavatam verse practically:
tatte 'nukampam susamiksamano
bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam
hrdvagva-pubhir-vidadhannam-aste
jiveta yo muktipade sa dayabhak.
Gaudiya Serving Temper:
All those disturbances enhanced his nectar-like lila in a negative way. He tasted and taught the beautiful state of a servant:
tomara sevaya duhkha haya yata
seo to parama sukha.
Merged Into Bhajana:
Sometimes in his own bhajana he was externally senseless for long long period. Once on the fourth day of his keeping silence from the outside, by not speaking, not accepting any prasadam etc., he suddenly completed the verse by chanting the last two lines when a servant could not recall the same after quoting the first two lines:
vairagya vidya nija bhakti yoga
siksartham eka purusa purana
sri caitanyacandra sarira-dhari
krpambudhiryas tamo'ham prapadye.
Sri Govardhan Abhinna Bhaktaraja:
He was a resident of Sri Radhakund. Srila Prabhupad established Sri Radhakund in front of the Samadhi Mandir of Srila Gaur Kisore Das Babaji Maharaja. Later, Srila Tirtha G. Maharaja founded Sri Syamakund in front of the Samadhi Mandir of Srila Prabhupad. Following the parampara, Srila Sraman G. Maharaja discovered Sri Govardhan fulfilling the desire of his Guru, in the Vrajapattan, Sri Akara Matharaja.
An Eternal Resident Of Sri Radhakund:
He is the eternal resident of "Sri Radhakund-tata-kunja-kutir". By sending a viraha message through letters, words, and dreams to all his affectionate disciples he took his Samadhi in his bhajan-kutir, the very same room given by his Guru Srila Prabhupad. He made his disappearance in the brahma-muhurtta, the time of the divine couples' nisanta-lila. It was Moksada Ekadasi tithi in the 500 Gaura Era (1986). On that day all the residents of the Math including even the birds, animals etc. got merged into his maha-viraha, great separation. The viraha captured even the birds so much that they could not sing the entire day in Sri Sri Vrajapattana kunja - Sri Chaitanya Math. Every Gaudiya devotee, all the Sri Dhama-vasis (residents of Sri Dhama) and visitors receive his mercy in the Temple of Union in Separation. He is sitting there in his very bhajan-kutir to give his all-purifying darsan till the day.
nama om srimate bhakti-kusum sramanayavai
visnupadaya devaya krpabdhaye namo namah.
om visnupadam-iha-krsna-krpaika-murttim
sabde pare ca nipunam jagadeka-bandhum
snehadhyam-ista-caranam varadam natanam
tam srila bhakti-kusum sramanam prapadye.