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EDITORIAL January 30, 1999 VNN2936 Srila Prabhupada - Gaudiya Math Co-Founder BY MADAN MOHAN DASA EDITORIAL, Jan 30 (VNN) — Dear VNN readers, please accept my dandavat pranams. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! As the subject matters of sadhu-sanga, Vaishnava friendship and cooperation, guru-tattva and "interfaith" relations between inconceivably, simultaneously one-and-different Gaudiya preachers and institutions appear to be foremost in today's Vaishnava news and discussion forums, I have submitted one very significant letter for everyone to consider. This letter was originally written in Bengali by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada on the occasion of the disappearance of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshava Goswami Maharaja and addressed to Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Maharaja - one of the prominent disciples of H.D.G. Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshava Goswami Maharaja - who now resides in Navadvipa Dhama and still attends the annual Vraja-mandala parikrama and gives amazing lectures during the holy month of Karttika every year at Sri Rupa Sanatana Gaudiya Math in Seva-kunja, Vrndavan and at Sri Keshavji Gaudiya Math, Mathura, bestowing his divine sanga and illuminating commentaries throughout the pilgrimages, attended by 500 or so Vaishnavas from all over the world. The letter was translated into Hindi by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja and printed in Sri Bhagavat Patrika magazine in December 1968. The following is the English translation of that letter (additional information in parentheses). Your servant aspiring for the service of Sri Guru & Gauranga, Madan Mohan dasa. Supreme victory to our entire rupanuga Vaishnava bhagavata-guru parampara! Param Vijayate Sri Krishna Sankirtanam! Srila Prabhupada letter 10/28/68: All Glories to Sri Guru & Gauranga. I offer my humble prostrated obeisances at the lotus feet of all the Vaisnavas. To: Sripada Trivikrama Maharaja, Seattle, Washington October 28, l968 Yesterday I received your letter dated October 13, and its contents were heartbreaking. Kindly inform me of the details of the sudden disappearance of Pujyapada Maharaja (Srila Keshava Maharaja). I had very intimate connection with Srila Maharaja for a long time. When I used to visit Sridhama Mayapura, I was taken care of by Sripada Narahari Dada and Sripada Vinoda Dada (Srila Keshava Maharaja's brahmacari name) with great affection. They were my extremely loving friends. Also in Calcutta, the senior Tirtha Maharaja, Professor Nishikanta Sanyala and Vasudeva Prabhu were very intimate with me. Afterwards I used to visit and associate with Sripada Sridhara Maharaja with great intimacy, like we were family members. Except for Sripada Sridhara Maharaja, all of the above-mentioned Vaisnavas have gradually disappeared. Our time is also very near, so it will be best to have the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada as long as possible. I have a very close connection with Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. Yourself, and particularly Sripada Vamana Maharaja must be aware of the fact that I am one of the three persons who founded Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. We had conceived the idea of the formation of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti at Bosapada Lane, Calcutta, even before Srila Maharaja accepted sannyasa. (In 1941 at Katva, the place where Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted sannyasa, Vinoda-bihari accepted the renounced order from Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja. He was given the name Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami). Within a few days of the formation of the Samiti, Sri Narottamananda Brahmacari (presently Tridandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Kamala Madhusudana Maharaja) separated himself from the Samiti. At that time Sripada Vamana Maharaja (current president of the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti), who was then a brahmacari, visited our home at Sitakanta Banarji Lane. He made me the president of the Bengali magazine, Sri Gaudiya Patrika. Respecting the order of Srila Maharaja, I started writing articles for Gaudiya Patrika regularly. Whatever I used to write was liked by Srila Maharaja. Then I was also appointed as the president of the Hindi magazine, Sri Bhagavata Patrika, and many of my articles were published in that. Afterwards I could not submit articles due to lack of time. Now I have become like a foreign native who has to travel twenty thousand miles every year. The greatest compassion of Srila Keshava Maharaja was to make me a sannyasi. I had taken a vow that I will never accept sannyasa, but Srila Maharaja forcibly gave it to me. He has become extremely pleased upon seeing my preaching success. Last year alone with my disciples I visited him in Calcutta and despite being bed-ridden, he was very pleased to receive us. I have complete confidence that whether he is present or has disappeared in both conditions he must be very pleased to see my widespread preaching of the message of Sriman Mahaprabhu in America, Canada, England, Germany and Pacific Ocean countries like Hawaii and Japan. I was like a grhamedi. Srila Prabhupada used to come to me in dreams many times and call me to come near him after renouncing family life. The dreams would frighten me and make me think that I would have to accept sannyasa. I didn't have any desire to take sannyasa. But upon the repeated insistence of Sripada Narayana Maharaja (current vice-president of the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti), Srila Keshava Maharaja bestowed boundless mercy to this ignorant and blind person by forcibly giving me sannyasa. It seems that this desire of Srila Prabhupada's that I take sannyasa was transmitted into his heart. So I am eternally indebted to Srila Maharaja. Therefore, immediately after receiving your letter I organised a viraha-sabha or a meeting to honour his disappearance at the Seattle temple. I am sending the condolence resolution of the meeting along with this letter. Kindly accept it as our sraddhanjali, humble homage. In my other centres (the list is enclosed), particularly London, Hamburg and Honolulu I have given instruction to arrange viraha-sabha and offer sraddhanjali homage likewise. You will he glad to know that under my guidance I have formed three sankirtana parties comprising American youths and couples. Amongst them one party is traveling to all cities in America and I am also with this party. The second party of six devotees is performing kirtana at different places in London. The Indians living there are amazed to see it. They have come all the way to the Western world to become reputed and wealthy but the Americans are performing harinama-sankirtana. Anyway the preaching activities are going on very nicely. I am interested to know what kind of constitution you are forming. In this matter you will receive my complete co-operation, because I am a man of constructive ideas. I do not like destructive policies. It was the desire of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura that Americans perform kirtana in Sridhama Mayapura. That opportunity has now come. Unfortunately, those who have intruded into Mayapura consider it to be their personal property. These days others are restricted to visit that place. Srila Keshava Maharaja used to deal with these guru-tyagis (those who renounce the guru) and guru-bhogis (those who enjoy the property of the guru} with sword in hand. Anyway, last year he mentioned that he will arrange five acres of land for me in Sridhama Mayapura. You were present at that time. If you help me in this matter, I intend to make an asrama in Mayapura. American boys and girls can visit and stay there and receive proper training. By co-operation with us, preaching activities can be done very nicely. Therefore, I am eager to know the details of your constitution. I am going to Montreal tomorrow. From there I will go to Santa Fe (New Mexico) and then to Los Angeles. I am sending the addresses of our various centres along with this letter. We are executing a plan to build New Vrndavana on three hundred acres of land. Kindly reply to the Los Angeles-Hollywood address as I will be staying three days in Montreal, seven days in Santa Fe and almost one month in Los Angeles. "Prthivite ache jata nagaradi grama, sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama" - preaching can be spread extensively throughout the world. I hope that you will make your constitution according to the above prediction. I hope your bhajana is going on nicely. Humble servant of the Vaisnavas, (signed) Sri Bhaktivedanta Swami P.S. If you have any nice photograph of Srila Keshava Maharaja then kindly send it to me. I will get a life size oil painting made of it and along with the picture of Srila Prabhupada, I will place it in my prominent centres particularly New York, Hollywood, London and so forth. Please send any comments or questions to Madan Mohan dasa at: 106650.1421@compuserve.com About the Author | Other Stories by this Author Comment on this Story This story URL: http://www.vnn.org/editorials/ET9901/ET30-2936.html
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