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EDITORIAL   How Well Do You Know Srila Prabhupad & Narayan Maharaj? BY KULASEKHARA DAS EDITORIAL, Jul 18 (VNN) — Dandavat pranams to all the soft-hearted Vaishnava devotees of the Lord. Over the last eight years, I have observed Srila Narayan Maharaj, spent time with and observed his disciples, and taken some time to read his translations and writings. I have also educated myself as to the history of his relationship with my Guru Maharaj - Srila Prabhupada. I do not know how much my godbrothers know about the relationship between our Guru Maharaj and Srila Narayan Maharaj. The first time I met Narayan Maharaj, I presented him with a nice garland and thanked him for coming to preach in the west. I was impartial, giving him all respect as a Vaishnava sannyasi. I was not looking for a teacher, I had already been with Srila Prabhupad for thirty years. A major concern was the siddhanta, or conclusion. Was Srila Narayan Maharaj bona-fide and fit to ascend the Vyasasana, or was he preaching something different to Srila Prabhupada and the rest of the Parampara? Also, how does "The Final Order" and ritvik initiation relate to the presence of a Maha-Bhagavat devotee? And what are the consequences of insulting a Maha Bhagavat devotee? His Disciples It is said that you do not get a good fruit from a bad tree. Associating with Srila Narayan Maharaj's disciples was the most convincing to me. Over a period of eight years, I found them to be brahminical, fixed, sweet, exhibiting all devotional qualities, all in all - a tribute to their Guru Maharaj and Vaishnava's everywhere. His Sannyasis are fixed, sweet, extremely scholarly, potent and not into politics. In all my conversations on siddhanta, they have convinced me of the validity of Srila Narayan Maharaj's teachings, and their bona-fide relationship to our parampara. His Relationship with Srila Prabhupada Srila Prabhupada said, "I didn't have any desire to take sannyas, but upon the repeated insistance of Srila Narayan Maharaj, Srila Kesava Maharaj bestowed boundless mercy upon this unwilling and blind person." Srila Prabhupada was then assisted with his taking of sannyas by Narayan Maharaj, who dyed his cloth, made his danda and performed his sannyas fire jajna. Narayan Maharaj was a diksa & sannyasi disciple of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaj, and thus a senior sannyasi godbrother to Srila Prabhupada, although he accepted Srila Prabhupada as his Siksa guru. Srila Prabhupad requested in a letter to Trivikrama Maharaj in Navadvip, that he send a picture of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Maharaj, for it to be included in the parampara in all ISKCON temples. (This was never implemented). Srila Prabhupad's negative quotes regarding 'his godbrothers' certainly did not extend to the group that he helped establish - the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti - that included his own sannyas guru! Srila Narayan Maharaj was a cornerstone of this establishment. In a letter to Srila Trivikram Maharaj in condolences for the passing of his sannyas guru - Kesava Maharaj, Srila Prabhupada writes, "I have a very close connection with Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. Yourself, and particularly Sripad Vaman Maharaj are well aware of the fact that I am one of the three persons who founded Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti. We had conceived of the idea of the formation of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti at Bosaped Lane, Calcutta, even before Srila Kesava Maharaj accepted sannyasa." Srila Narayan Maharaj along with Srila Sridhar Maharaj spoke up against their godbrothers in the Gaudiya Math defending him in his use of the title "Srila Prabhupada". (This endearing term was how Bhaktisiddhanta was known). Upon his passing, Srila Prabhupada only wanted Srila Narayan Maharaj to perform his last-rights, and asked him to help his disciples after he passed away. How did Srila Prabhupada feel about Narayan Maharaj? In a letter dated Sept. 28th 1966 from the Gopal Agarwal house, Srila Prabhupada wrote: "I received your letter dated 20.9.66 on time. Our relationship is certainly based on spontaneous love. That is why there is no chance of us forgetting one another. By the mercy of Guru and Gouranga may everything be auspicious for you. This is my constant prayer. From the first time I saw you I have been your constant well-wisher. At his first sight of me Srila Prabhupada (Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami) also saw me with such love. It was in my very first darshan of Srila Prabhupada that I learned how to love. It is his boundless mercy that he has engaged an unworthy person like me in fulfilling some of his desires. It is his causeless mercy to engage me in preaching the message of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha..." (After reading this, how can any Srila Prabhupada disciple harbor any negative thoughts regarding Narayan Maharaj?) The Siddhanta As Rupanugas, followers in the footsteps of Rupa Goswami, our prime business is to first understand what it means to be/live as a devotee. What is the path of pure-bhakti, where does it take you, and how do you attain perfection. (The goal). It behooves us to educate ourselves with the knowledge flowing from the lotus lips of our predecessor acharyas, and to understand their conclusions. After years of study, I can assure you that their conclusions are one. Everything written in Srila Prabhupad's books reflects this conclusion, and Srila Narayan Maharaj supports and preaches the same conclusion. i.e. nikunja-yuno rati-keli-siddhyai, ya yalibhir yuktir apeksaniya, tatrati-daksyad ati-vallabhasya. (He serves Sriman Mahaprabhu's Sankirtan mission on this planet - previous verses), and assists the gopis in the loving pastimes of the Divine Couple in the higher realm. Guru must be "there". Ritviks & "The Final Order" I have always had some nagging doubts about "The Final Order", some anomaly's if you like, for instance: Why would the Parampara stop with Srila Prabhupada when Krsna say's in the Bhagavad Gita "This knowledge comes in an unbroken chain of masters". I believe it will continue, regardless of whether or not I - do not have faith in there being another pure devotee after Srila Prabhupada - just because I cannot become 'that'. Also, Srila Prabhupada said that you should take up this sankirtan movement and take it to every town and village, but if you do not, then someone else will do this job, but it will happen because Sriman Mahaprabhu has predicted this. Being convinced that ISKCON has failed to do this I can only conclude that others ARE doing this, with Narayan Maharaj, BB Tirtha Maharaj, Puri Maharaj, Bodhayan Maharaj, all travelling and preaching in the west. Very exalted vaishnavas, sweet men preaching the mission of Sriman Mahaprabhu - Lord Chaitanya, it is continuing. (Also Srila Prabhupada was a founder of the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti - it is also his movement!) By saying that Srila Prabhupada is the last pure devotee on this planet, you limit Krsna and Lord Chaitanya. I will accept that Srila Prabhupad's books will be the lawbooks for the next ten-thousand years. (Narayan Maharaj tells his disciples to read them, and teach from them daily). Srila Rupa Goswami advised that if your Spiritual Master leaves the planet prematurely, (which means before you have attained Bhava) then you should take shelter of another Maha Bhagavat devotee. You may not agree with Rupa Goswami, but that is your decision. Ritvik initiation is bona-fide - when the Spiritual Master has asked his disciples to act in this capacity, and only while he is alive on the planet. Otherwise the Parampara would have ended with Lord Chaitanya, or Srila Bhaktivinode, or Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati. etc. What are the consequences of insulting a Maha Bhagavat devotee? Srila Narayan Maharaj knew Srila Prabhupada since 1947. After Srila Prabhupad's sannyas, for five years he spent much time with Narayan Maharaj, going on parikram daily, discussing Srimad Bhagavatam and the writings of the Goswami's. Srila Narayan Maharaj is a very advanced and much loved Siksa disciple of Srila Prabhupada. By denying him access to the Math's and an invitation to ascend the Vyasasana in all of Srila Prabhupad's temples, the devotees of ISKCON have denied themselves an opportunity to please His Divine Grace - that's putting it mildly - you could say "greatly displeased" or "greatly offended!" How can they advance? In the presence of a more advanced devotee one should not accept disciples, but refer them to the oldest/most advanced Vaishnava. Srila Narayan Maharaj used to refer people who came to him for initiation to Sridhara Maharaj. Only after Sridhar Maharaj passed away did he start accepting disciples. (Not until 72 years of age - mature and qualified - definitely - super-aggressive - I would say not! Compassionate - incredibly!) So I encourage all of my godbrothers to associate with Srila Narayan Maharaj - Srila Gurudeva; you can only gain more love for Srila Prabhupada. I am convinced that he loves Srila Prabhupada more than me - and that Srila Prabhupada loves him more than most! If you love Srila Prabhupada, you have nothing to fear from Srila Gurudeva. His bhakti is amazing... Your servant, Kulasekhara das Srila Prabhupad's first initiated European Disciple. Unqualified Siksa disciple of Srila Narayan Maharaj. Related VNN Stories Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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