Make Arrangements for your Godbrothers
BY: BRAHMA DASA
Dec 5, CALIFORNIA, USA (SUN) — “Make arrangements for your Godbrothers to go there in the future.”
In my previous Sun editorial entitled, “For Philosophy, My Godbrother B.R. Sridhara Maharaja of Navadwipa”, I evidenced (I believe beyond a reasonable doubt) that Srila Prabhupada had a very intimate relationship with B.R. Sridhara Maharaja, culminating with Srila Prabhupada distinguishing B.R. Sridhara Maharaja by telling his disciples that after his disappearance they could go to him for philosophy.
Now I read in a Sun editorial by Mahesh Raja that he has concluded from analyzing one letter that B.R. Sridhara Maharaja could not have been a prema bhakta, a pure devotee. Taking into consideration all that he wrote and said about Sridhara Maharaja, this judgment contradicts what Srila Prabhupada explicitly expressed about the transcendental position of B.R. Sridhara Maharaja. Apart from his guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, there is no associate that Srila Prabhupada spoke of so highly.
Srila Prabhupada said, ”he (B.R. Sridhara Maharaja) was a pure Vaisnava, a pure devotee, I consider him to be even my siksa-guru, I wanted to associate with him, he was always my well-wisher, that whatever he says I put it on my head, that Bhaktisiddhanta liked him to prepare me, that our relationship is very intimate, and that I will make arrangements for your Godbrothers (his disciples) to go there (to B.R. Sridhara Maharaja) in the future.”
These words, and the transcendental friendship that existed between Srila Prabhupada and B.R. Sridhara Maharaja is fully documented in Swami B.B. Visnu Maharaja booklet ‘Our Affectionate Guardians.’ Available online here.
Therein it relates that Srila Prabhupada and Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaja first met in Allahabad. In a conversation recorded in 1973 at Srila Sridhara Maharaja's Math at Navadvipa Dhama, Srila Prabhupada recalls: "So, we are very fortunate to hear His Divine Grace, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja. By age and by experience, in both ways, he is senior to me. I was fortunate to have his association since a very long time, perhaps in 1930."
(To Srila Sridhara Maharaja) " On that auspicious occasion, we were connected. There is a long story, it will take time, but I had the opportunity of associating with Sridhara Maharaja for several years. Krsna and Prabhupada (Bhaktisiddhanta) liked him to prepare me. Sridhara Maharaja lived in my house for many years, so naturally, we had very intimate talks and he was my good advisor. I took his advices, instructions, very seriously because from the very beginning I know he is a pure Vaisnava, a pure devotee, and I wanted to associate with him and I tried to help him also. Our relationship is very intimate."
Elsewhere Srila Prabhupada writes, "What Sripada Sridhara Maharaja has directed, I take it on my head. He is my always well-wisher. After the departure of Prabhupada (Bhaktisiddhanta) it is appropriate that I should accept his direction. “(SP 1969 Letter to Govinda Maharaja)
In these paragraphs, Srila Prabhupada delineates the principle of accepting a siksa guru after the departure of one's diksa guru. He says that Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta liked B.R. Sridhara Maharaja to prepare him for his upcoming preaching mission; and that it was appropriate after the departure of Bhaktisiddhanta that he accept direction from B.R. Sridhara Maharaja. Why? Because in Srila Prabhupada’s words: “He (B.R. Sridhara Maharaja) is a pure Vaisnava, a pure devotee and (therefore) I wanted to associate with him.”
Srila Prabhupada’s words here clearly illustrate that there is nothing inappropriate about accepting a siksa guru after the departure of one’s diksa guru. Indeed the history of Gaudiya Vaisnavism is full of such examples. Yadunandana, a disciple of Sri Adwaita, had initiated Srila Raghunath dasa Goswami, but when Raghunath came to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu he was placed under the care of Svarupa Damodar. Raghunath dasa remained under Svarupa’s guidance for sixteen years until the Lord and Svarupa Damodar disappeared from the world. Distraught from separation Raghunath dasa went to Vrndavana to commit suicide, but upon arriving there he was unable to do so. Why? Because he said that he found Mahaprabhu and Svarupa Damodar again in Sri Rupa and Sanatana, his siksa gurus.
The story of Raghunatha dasa illustrates how a devotee might have many siksa gurus; indeed Srila Prabhupada says exactly this in Caitanya Caritamrta (1.1.35) stating as well that siksa and diksa guru should be seen as equal and identical manifestations of Sri Krsna (1.1.47). The story also illustrates how one might find his diksa guru in the words of his siksa guru. Who one might accept as his or her siksa guru is of course a personal matter but the principal of siksa guru applies universally in Gaudiya Vaisnavism. It is an affair of the heart and cannot be legislated or limited by social or institutional constraints.
At this point one might inquire about the few places in his letters where Srila Prabhupada criticized B.R. Sridhara Maharaja regarding his involvement in the breakup of the Gaudiya Math.
Srila Prabhupada wrote: “He (Bhaktisiddhanta) requested his disciples to form a strong Governing body for preaching the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He never recommended anyone to be acharya of the Gaudiya Math. But Sridhara Maharaja is responsible for disobeying this order of Guru Maharaja, and he and others who are already dead unnecessarily thought there must be one acharya.”
One might think that such strong words from Srila Prabhupada conclusively prove that Sridhara Maharaja was disqualified from giving siksa and diksa. However, one should consider Srila Prabhupada’s overall words on such matters, and that apart from his own spiritual master there is no one that Srila Prabhupada glorified as highly as he did B.R. Sridhara Maharaja.
In front of his own disciples Srila Prabhupada addressed him as “His Divine Grace, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja” an honorific reserved only for qualified gurus in our sampradaya. Furthermore, at his Mayapura Chandrodoya Mandira Srila Prabhupada had B.R. Sridhara Maharaja sit with him on the Vyasasana, an honor bestowed only on Sridhara Maharaja and Akincana Krsnadasa Babaji, who Srila Prabhupada also said was a pure devotee.
Most revealingly, with full knowledge of the events surrounding the disintegration of the Gaudiya Math, Srila Prabhupada told his disciples in the same 1973 conversation, "Our relationship is very intimate. After the breakdown of the Gaudiya Math, I wanted to organize another organization, making Sridhara Maharaja the head." If Srila Prabhupada had felt Sridhara Maharaja disqualified by the mistakes made in 1937, why would he later want to start another organization with Sridhara Maharaja as the head?
Taking into consideration all that Srila Prabhupada said about B.R. Sridhara Maharaja we find that although he had criticized him for his role in the breakup of the Gaudiya Math, Srila Prabhupada still bestowed the highest honors on him, saying he was a pure Vaisnava, a pure devotee, that he wanted to associate with him, and so on.
Four years later in 1977, Srila Prabhupada asked Sridhara Maharaja to come to Mayapura and instruct his disciples saying “I will make arrangements for an elevator so that you won't have to go through the difficulty of walking up and down the stairs. You won't even have to move a step yourself. I'll make arrangements for a car and a lift. Jayapataka Maharaja is telling me that he will build a house for me. So both of us will stay in that house. Most of the time I am just traveling around, so if you are there, then they (my disciples) can get some guidance. So Maharaja, please-give me the order and I will make all the arrangements for you.” (Room conversation between Srila Prabhupada and Sridhara Maharaja March 1977)
Furthermore, to Hrsikesa dasa he wrote, "If you are actually serious to take instructions from a siksa-guru, I can refer you to the one who is the most highly competent of all my godbrothers. This is B. R. Sridhara Maharaja, whom I consider to be even my siksa-guru, so what to speak of the benefit that you can have by his association. So, if you are serious about the advancement of your spiritual life, I will advise you to go to Sridhara Maharaja. It will be very good for your spiritual benefit, and I will feel that you are safe. When I was in India with the others, we lived with Sridhara Maharaja. Then Srila Prabhupada prophetically writes: You can also make arrangements for your other godbrothers to go there in the future. "
Ultimately, Srila Prabhupada did “make all the arrangements” for his disciples to “go there in the future” to hear from his dear godbrother B.R. Sridhara Maharaja, in Navadwipa dhama. He did this in his last days by saying to the devotees who had assembled around him, “For Philosophy, My Godbrother, B.R. Sridhara Maharaja of Navadwipa.” In my opinion, these words were not an edict or order that everyone must do so, but rather they were Srila Prabhupada’s authorization for disciples who were so inspired, to hear from Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja. All those who consider themselves followers of Srila Prabhupada, should at least honor Srila Prabhupada final words regarding B.R. Sridhara Maharaja. Words that brought many of us to the feet of the great soul that Srila Prabhupada personally addressed as “His Divine Grace, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja.”
Brahma dasa
"One should not be envious, considering one preacher to be very great and another to be very lowly. This is a material distinction and has no place on the platform of spiritual activities. Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami therefore offers equal respect to all the preachers of the cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who are compared to the branches of the tree. Iskcon is one of these branches." (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 10.7, purport)
