EDITORIAL, Jul 30 (VNN) — devam divya-tanum suchanda-vadanam balarka-celancitam
sandrananda-puram sad-eka-varanam vairagya-vidyambudhim
sri-siddhanta-nidhim subhakti-lasitam sarasvatanam varam
vande tam subhadam mad-eka-saranam, nyasisvaram = sridharam
July 27th was the tirobhava mahotsava (disappearance day) of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Deva Goswami Maharaja, the esteemed godbrother of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, and the disciple of Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada.
Srila Sridhara Maharaja was born in Hapaniya, in West Bengal on October 10, 1895, to Sri Upendra Candra Deva Sarma Bhattacarya and Srimati Gauri Bala Devi. Born into a highly respected brahminical lineage, his parents called him Sri Ramendra Candra Deva Sarma Bhattacarya. Sridhara Maharaja was their first son. Before his birth, his aunt Srimati Kumud Kamini had once been visiting a holy place, to take darsana. That night she dreamt that the Deity had presented her with a beautiful baby. The baby was effulgent and his head was without hair. Since her sister in law, Srimati Gauri Devi had no children, in the dream she gave the baby into her sister-in-law' s hand. When Sridhara Maharaja took his advent, Srimati Kumud Kamini saw that the new-born babe was the same as the beautiful baby of her dream.
Sridhara Maharaja spent his youth studiously, and became renowned as a scholar. Staying at his maternal uncle' s house in Khaithan Grama, he displayed brilliant intelligence at the local pathsala or primary school. At the top of his class, he displayed a natural tendency towards religion and the study of the Vedas, the Upanisads and other scriptures. At highs school in Okarsa he displayed a natural aptitude for the Sanskrit language. When he was 14 he took upanayana (the yajnopavita, sacred thread), and his attraction towards faith and divinity increased.
Every day he would unfailingly bathe in the Ganges at Dampal, rising early before sunrise, walking three miles there and back. Picking lotus flowers from a natural reservoirs, he would offer them every day to the Ganges and Lord Siva. Once when walking to Jamapura with a lotus flower in his hand to offer to Buraraja (Lord Siva), he had a sudden revelation of visva-rupa, the Universal Form. During his early years, he had affinity for Lord Ramacandra and his pastimes, but later after he became acquainted with Mahaprabhu and his teachings, he began to read Bhagavad-gita, and became attracted to Lord Krsna.
After Sridhara Maharaja completed his school education, he entered the Krishnanath College in Berhampore, Bengal. There he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. However during his time there he became indifferent to the books of his studies, instead reading only transcendental literatures such as Sri Caitanya-caritamrta and Sri Caitanya-bhagavata. For a while he joined Mahatma Gandhi' s non-cooperation movement in 1921, staying there for about two years. However his real attraction was for sankirtana, and he began a search for a genuine sadhu, someone whom he could accept as his guru, and take initiation from. For some time he could not find anyone, but then by providence he had the good fortune to meet his eternal guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura, leaving home and joining his Mission in 1926, and becoming his initiated disciple in 1927.
In the matha, Sridhara Maharaja displayed his natural propensity towards proper sastric conclusions, and understanding the import of Gaudiya siddhanta. In recognition of this Saraswati Thakura awarded him the sannyasa order in 1930, bestowing upon him the name Bhakti Raksaka -- " Guardian of Devotion". Once, after reading = Sridhara Maharaja' s beautiful composition glorifying Bhaktivinode Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati was head to remark, " Now I am satisfied that, after I leave, there will be at least one man who can represent my conclusions (bhakti-siddhanta)".
In later years Sridhara Maharaja was also recognised by his guru for his understanding and realisation of sastra with the title sastra-nipuna, meaning one who is very expert or intelligent in the understanding of the meaning of sastra. On another occasion Saraswati Thakura also referred to him as niveditatma, a pure soul fully surrendered unto the Supreme Lord. Prior to entering the Lord' s eternal pastimes, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati requested to hear Sri Rupa-manjari-pada from the lips of Sridhara Maharaja. s well as being recognised by his guru in this way, Srila Sridhara Maharaja was also recognised by many of his godbrothers for his seniority and advanced realisations. With affectionate regard, many of these, such as Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Saranga Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja, and Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaja, considered him their siksa-guru. (Sri Caitanya, p. 291)
Once Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada had established his mission in the Americas, he wrote to his editors, " What Sripada Sridhara Maharaja has directed, I take it on my head. He is my ever well-wisher. After the departure of Prabhupada [Saraswati Thakura] it is appropriate that I should accept his direction. I got direction from him that I shall live in this country forever." When Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami became ill, he wrote to Sridhara Maharaja asking if he should remain in America, or return to Vrndavana. Sridhara Maharaja through Sripada Govinda Maharaja replied, " Swami Maharaja is always in Vrndavana. And the West is his prabhu-datta-desa [guru-given country; his field]. Wherever he leaves the world--that is also Vrndavana. So he can stay there and continue his glorious work."
Srila Swami Maharaja also ordered his disciples and followers to take guidance from Sridhara Maharaja and to complete the construction of his assembly hall at Sri Caitanya Saraswata Matha. During his sojourns in India, Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada would stay with Sridhara Maharaja, where they would share intimate pastimes together,and discuss lofty topics of siddhanta. Their fond relationship is documented in many places. It was Sridhara Maharaja who first determined Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada' s position as saktyavesa-avatara: " I consider him to be saktyavesa-avatara. Krsna came down to help him... Divine Power came down to help him, otherwise it is impossible. It is not a thing of the ordinary level that anyone will do, but the highest thing has been carried down to the lowest position, distributed so extensively by him. It cannot but be the Divine Power embodied and in a great intensity and magnitude. So, saktyavesa-avatara--I cannot but take him to be so."
After the passing of Saraswati Thakura in 1936, Sridhara Maharaja founded his own temple in Sri Navadwipa Dhama in 1941: Sri Caitanya Saraswata Matha on the banks of the Ganga. Although, honoured as an exalted representative of the parampara, Srila Sridhara Maharaja would take a junior position, considering himself everyone' s servant. Following their requests, he bestowed the sannyasa order upon many of his eminent godbrothers, including Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaja,Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Aloka Paramahamsa Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Kamala Madhusudana Maharaja and others.
During a vraja-mandala parikrama, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaja, regarded by many as the most senior preachers and disciple of Saraswati Thakura, personally worshipped Sridhara Maharaja with 108 lamps, incences, etc.,or Sridhara Maharaja' s appearance day. In performing this, Srila Goswami Maharaja was joined by many of his disciples and other godbrothers.
Being deeply steeped in Sri Caitanyadeva' s culture of bhakti Sridhara Maharaja began writing his own Sanskrit and Bengali compositions. Among these Sri-sri-prapanna-jivanamrta (a comprehensive scriptural study of saranagati, surrender), and Prema-dhama-deva-stotram (a Sanskrit poem summarising caitanya-lila), are well known. Sridhara Maharaja also wrote commentaries on Bhaktivinode Thakura' s Saranagati, the Bhagavad-gita, and Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. His outstanding commentary on gayatri mantra, Sri Gayatri-nigudhartha, is regarded as the supreme wealth of Gaudiya Vaisnavas. On this matter, Srila B.P. Puri Maharaja wrote:
" Sridhara Maharaja' s explanation of brahma-gayatri, the mother of all the Vedas, indicating how it is centred on the meditation of Srimati Radharani, was revealed to him in the depth of his realisation. It is the result of Paramaradhya Sri Srila Prabhupada [Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura]' s divine grace on him. This explanation is deeply appreciated by those fortunate intelligent devotees, who are aware of the relishable beauty of pure devotional service.
" Parama-pujyapada Sridhara Deva has presented the world with this most beautiful, full-fledged explanation of gayatri, the mother of sruti, after realising the deepest meaning of Srimad Bhagavatam. He has shown us the treasure of the supreme reality: that the loving adoration of varenya bhargo, who is the supreme loving worshipper, ecstasy giver and internal potency of the supremely worshipable Sri Lila Purusottama Deva, is the best way to attain the grace of Sri Krsna. Gayatri is the benevolent source of pure devotional inspiration and intelligence required to attain the grace of Sri Krsna, the Divine Lord of this universe, and is the exclusive meaning of the expression savalac chyamadam prapadye [Upanisads]." (ibid., pp. 291-292)
The renowned disciple of Saraswati Thakura, Srila Akincana dasa Babaji Maharaja, was oft to say, " I find the writings of Sripada Sridhara Maharaja to be non-different from those of Narottama dasa Thakura". Original verse compositions by Sridhara Maharaja can be found in the book Kirtana-manjusa, among other places, and his Gayatri-nigudhartha is contained within the volume Sri Gayatri-mantrartha-dipika by Mandala Press.
Though at an advanced age, Sridhara Maharaja spoke extensively from his mature and developed realisation to devotees who had come from around the world to hear from him the teachings of the gurudeva and of other acaryas before him. Following the passing of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sridhara Maharaja opened his matha and heart to his disciples, encouraging them and providing them with solace and sound instruction in the conclusions of siddhanta in the spirit of their gurudeva. These talks are available in book, audio and videotape form from Sri Caitanya Saraswata Matha, and from Srila Sridhara Maharaja' s many affectionate followers and admirers (e.g. Mandala Press, etc.).
Srila Sridhara Maharaja was an inspiration and example to many. Fully absorbed in the vipralambha-bhava of separation, and hankering for the divine service of the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, Srila Sridhara Maharaja withdrew from our vision on this earthly plane on the Amavasya (dark moon) in July 1988, entering the nitya-lila of the Supreme Lord.
[Adapted from Sri Caitanya: His Life & Associates, (Mandala Press, 2001) Srila Guru Maharaja: His Divine Pastimes & Precepts in Brief (Sri Caitanya Saraswata Matha, 1994) and other sources.
EDITORIAL, Jul 30 (VNN) — 
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