He Knew Me Better Than I Know Myself
My sastang dandavat pranam to my beloved Gurudevas...
Nitya-lila pravista om visnupada paramahamsa Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Srila Prabhupada, Nitya-lila pravista om visnupada paramahamsa Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja, and today on this most auspicious appearance day of Nitya-lila pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivijnana Bharati Goswami Maharaja!
Please let me take a piece of grass in my teeth at the feet of all readers of this insignificant attempt to glorify such a transcendental personality such as Srila Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivijnana Bharati Goswami Maharaja....
The great fortune of sadhu sanga is very, very rare and is only attainable by immense sukriti in previous lives, and the causeless mercy of these transcendental sadhus! Also sastra states:
"bhavapavargo bramato yada bhavej
janasya tarhy cyuta sat-sangamo
sat-sangamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau
paravaresetvayi jayate ratih"
"He Acyuta! O Infallible One! When the time for the jiva's ralease from wondering in the cycle of samsara approaches he attains sat-sanga, the association of a real sadhu. From that moment he becomes firmly attached to You, who are the controller of both spiritual and material energies, and the supreme objective for the sadhus."
It is unimaginable my great fortune which is so undeserving, but simply, the causeless, magnanimous, and compassionate blessings of these great souls in my life!
First Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Srila Prabhupada grabbed me out of a pit of suffering and illusion when I was 19 years.
Then my spiritual condition gradually waned after his entrance in nitya-lila, with weakness in my sadhana and material desires predominating, as did many of my godsisters and godbrothers... By another immense good fortune and merciful intervention years later Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja picked me up and placed me again on the straight and true path of bhakti sadacara. This time a very intense relationship with a Siksa-Guru manifested. I was again blessed with a maha bhagavat nitya parikara of Sri Radha & Krsna, to guide me, inspire me and bring me closer to my Diksa Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupada and his desires to give the deep teachings and gift of Sri Mahaprabhu!
Srila Prabhupada had spoken that his disciples could get guidance from his near and dear god brother Srila Bhaktiraksa Sridhara Maharaj, whom I did not meet in person, but derived much inspiration from his lectures and books. Also Srila Prabhupada told we could get guidance from his near and dear friend Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja.
Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja had told that Srila Bhaktivijnana Maharaja was in his same mood and same line for us to associate.
It's like winning the lottery 3 times or more if I count Srila Gaura-Govinda Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Maharaja, and other Pure Vaisnavas!
My heart was so soothed by Srila Bhaktivijnan Bharati Maharaja, who again blessed me with his sweetness, compassion and inspirational discourses and personal darshans! Again the opportunity to be by the side of a personality who knew me better than I know myself and was now in my life to continue the desires of my Diksa and Siksa gurus....
From the very first encounter with Srila Maharaja, I had deep feelings of his transcendental ability to look into my soul and heart, and inspire me to be strong in my bhakti saddhana.
The gift of Srila Maharaja to the world of devotees by giving such glorification and remembrances of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupadas disciples is monumental! i.e. "Our Beloved Masters"
Srila Maharaja's loving humble dealings with all those who surrounded him was astonishing.
Once in Mayapura at Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Srila Maharaja was speaking on one of my favorite verses glorifying the Holy Name..." Tunde tandavanin ratim vitanute tundavali-labdhaye karna-krida kadambini ghatayate karnarbudebhyah srham...." from Vidagdha-Madhava by Srila Rupa Goswami..." I do not know how much nectar the two syllables 'krs-na' have produced. When the Holy Name of Krsna is chanted, it appears to dance within the mouth. We then desire many, many mouth. When that name enters the holes of the ears, we desire many millions of ears. And when the Holy Name dances in the courtyard of the heart, it conquers the activities of the mind, and therefore all the senses become inert."
Mahara spoke so many intricate explanations of the deep feelings in the heart of Sri Radhika and then Sri Mahaprabhu experiencing those moods! I was deeply gratified!
Guiding me with answers to questions about chanting and bhajan was immensely heart touching!
He lovingly allowed me to massage his lotus feet privately and also sometimes in public gatherings!
In Jagannatha Puri at his Vyasa Puja celebration at Gopinatha Gaudiya Matha he allowed me to bathe his Lotus Feet! I will always hold special remembrance of his lovingly patting me on the head very affectionately, after I excitedly told him my feelings of my first Ratha Yatra personally in Jagannatha Puri and darshan of the Lord of the Universe Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva, Subadra!
The Gaudiya Vaisnava followers of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Prabhpada forever are in debt to Srila Bhakti Datyita Madhava Maharaja for his tireless endeavor to acquire the Holy Tirtha birth-site of Srila Prabhupad! We are similarly indebted to Srila Maharaja for his overseeing the development and construction of the Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Matha in this Holy Tirtha!
His personal example of Vaisnava Sadacar and Maryada is impecable. Always giving to others gifts, garlands prasadam, and his blessings through his Hariikatha and personal advice. I am so blessed by his association in this temporary life. In Vrndavan, Navadvipa Mayapura, Puri, Faridabad, Delhi, Kolkata.....
The glories of such a personality as Srila Bhaktivijnana Bharati Maharaja are endless! I do not want to take the valuable time of the Vaisnavas by extending this much further....
I pray that Srila Maharaja please continue to bless this undeserving aspirant of his eternal shelter...and to the world of Vaisnavas sincerely endeavoring on the path of Sadhana Bhakti!
I want to sincerely thank all of Srila Maharaja's sincere sevakas who were by his side for so many years and especially Sripad Madhava Priya prabhu for translating his many darshans and lectures with his deep insights into the moods and tattvas of Srila Maharaja!
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Nitai Gauranga! Swami BV Sajjan