Intimacy with Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Every year, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja would invite Śrīla Mahārāja for the conferences organized in the honor of the disappearance day of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and the disappearance day of Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Śrīla Mahārāja also happily participated in these festivals for many years. Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja would certainly meet with Śrīla Mahārāja almost every year – during the festival held in the honor of the disappearance day of Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Gosvāmī Mahārāja at Śrī Vinoda-vāni Gauḍīya Maṭha and during the Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma-parikramā in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura.

Śrīla Mahārāja often related how, prior to the construction of the dharmaśālā of Śrī Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha, the making of Śrī Nīlācala Gauḍīya Maṭha, the purchasing of the place located near the entrance of Śrī Rūpa Sanātana Gauḍīya Maṭha situated on the Sevā-kuñja lane and before the publication of the book titled Śrī Prabandha Pañcakam, Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja had consulted with him on many occasions. Both would participate in many programs together.

On the appeal of the editors of Śrī Śrī Bhāgavata Patrikā, Śrīla Mahārāja offered his spoken puṣpāñjali (glorification) in remembrance of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja in 2005 and in remembrance of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja in 2011, which has been published in Śrī Śrī Bhāgavata Patrikā (Year 8, Volume 1-2). Śrīla Mahārāja has also glorified Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja with a phenomenal perspective in the book titled, ‘Our Śrīla Prabhupāda – A Friend to All’, which was compiled and published by Śrī Mūlaprakṛtī Devī Dāsī, a follower of Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

GUIDANCE AND ENCOURAGEMENT ON THE PATH OF DEVOTIONAL PRACTICE TO THE DISCIPLES OF ŚRĪLA NĀRĀYANA GOSVĀMĪ MAHĀRĀJA

When the disciples of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja were scouting for a place in Śrī Jagannātha Purī on his order and desire to establish a maṭha there, Śrīla Mahārāja guided them with his good counsel.

In 2010, after Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja manifested his disappearance pastime, Śrīla Mahārāja expended his valuable time to encourage many disciples of Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja by providing them guidance on the path of devotional practice, generous affection, as well as instructions and direction through his hari-kathā. Śrīla Mahārāja greatly extended himself whenever any devotee felt the need for any type of guidance related to spiritual teachings or service.

Many devotees, who assimilated in their hearts the teaching of Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja – ‘Always associate with rasika, bhāvuka (passionate) and advanced Vaiṣṇavas wherever their association is available’– took shelter of the fearless lotus feet of Śrīla Mahārāja, who evoked the remembrance of their Śrīla Gurudeva, according to their respective qualifications.

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The ‘Remembrance in Separation’ series, dedicated to Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, was first published in Sri Sri Bhagavata Patrika in Hindi in the year 2018. The series unfolded over three volumes (Year 14, Volume 9-10, 10-11, 11-12).

Now, we are presenting the English translation of this in the form of a series of articles released in www.vcvani.com.

Since it covers a brief sketch of Śrīla Mahārāja’s life and precepts from childhood to his final pastimes, this series will be unfolded from now until his tirobhava tithi.