10/19/1998 - 2382

Prabhupada's Godbrother Sripad B.H. Vana Maharaj

Editorial (VNN) - by Hrsikesananda das

I lived with Vana (Bon) Maharaj for six years ('68-'73) in his veryaustere Vrndavana Gaudiya-matha (Bhajan-kutir) and I am qualified to speakon this subject.

First let me offer koti dandavats unto the divine feet of Param GurudevaSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, and again to the feet of myeternal spiritual masters, His Divine Grace Srila Abhay CharanaravindaBhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his eternal associate His Divine GraceSrila Bhakti Hrdaya Vana Maharaj (----- ------ manjari), who blissfullyresides together with him at the feet of Srila Saraswati Thakura (------manjari) within the Divine Couple's Nitya-lila.

 Without going into many details, Vana Maharaj was born Narendra NathMukherji in 1901 in East Bengal, the Gaudiya Vaisnava Brahman son ofBrahmarishi Rajanikanta, who was a renowned Vedic scholar and devotee. VanaMaharaj was a life-long celibate and as a brahmacari he joined and tookinitiation from Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada in 1918.

 Later, in 1924, at the age of 23, he became the 3rd person to takelife-long Tridanda Sannyasa from Srila Saraswati Prabhupada and quicklybecame one of his leading preachers. Under his Gurudeva's order he preachedthe message of Lord Caitanya delivering literally thousands of lectures allover India, including the Royal Albert Hall in Calcutta. He alsoestablished new Gaudiya Maths for his Gurudeva and he organized theisticexhibitions in Calcutta and Dacca which drew 100,000 visitors daily.

 He was so successful and aggressive a preacher, introducing the messageof Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada up to the highest levels of social andintellectual society, that some of his Godbrothers even appeared envious.

 Because of his high-education he was sent by BSSP to UK and Germany topreach. Unfortunately the 1930's were not like America during themid-1960's "counter-culture" revolution, and although he took LordCaitanya's teachings to the very top of mleccha society and gave manylectures throughout England and Europe, still it was (to quote LordZetland) "impossible" (to make mlecchas of that time and place turn intoBrahmin-Vaisnavas). NOTE: Our Srila Prabhupada also was not able to convertmlettchas at that time in the 1930's).

 Still, Vana Maharaj did convert two German gentlemen (Dr. E.G. Schulzeand Baron Koeth) whom he brought back to India and offered at the feet ofSrila Sarasvati Prabhupada, his Gurudeva, for initiation. [NOTE: Dr.Schultz (Sadananda Maharaj) later took sannyas from Srila Vana Maharaj].

 In 1942, after the disappearance of BSSP and becoming dismayed with thebreakup of the Gaudiya-matha into factions, Vana Maharaj went on a solitarypilgrimage into the Himalayas for years of severe tapasya (only chantingHare Krsna!). His vows were (1) not speaking to anyone, (2) eating onlyfruits and nuts off of trees, (3) sleeping bare-bodied on the ground, and(4) not taking a single step without chanting the Maha-mantra. He journeyed650 miles on foot and lived at the source of the Yamuna River under verysever circumstances. During these years alone Vana Maharaj describes how hehad a vision of his Gurudeva, received his siddha-pranali, and was orderedto go serve Sri Vrndavana-dhama.

 Thereafter he retired in Vrndavana where he constructed a smallbhajan-kutir on land donated to him. He also excavated an under-groundcave-room where he spent many years performing secluded bhajan.

 By the age of 70 Vana Maharaj had many thousands of initiated Bengaliand other Indian born disciples. I personally went on a tour of severalEast and West Bengali villages where the entire populations were hisdisciples. And all Vana Maharaja's disciples worship, respect and serveLord Krsna through him. He is considered a siddha-purusa by all hisdisciples.

Near the end of his life, after the disappearance of HDG Sraman Maharaj,HDG Vana Maharaj was appointed as head of Sri Caitanya Gaudiya Math whichincluded all preaching centers formally under HDG Srila Bhakti Vilas TirthaMaharaj, including Sri Yoga-pith Mandira, and the original "Four Acaryas"temple with Samadhi's of Srila Sarasvati Thakura, and Srila Gaura KishorDas Babaji Maharaj in Mayapura.

 During his life Vana Maharaj wrote and translated some excellent booksincluding Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, The Gita As a Chaitanyite Reads It, SriCaitanya, Viraha-vedana, On the Way to Vaikuntha (Hindi & Bengali), andseven more books in German, English, Hindi and Bengali.

 Vana Maharaj also served Vraja-dhama by offering the Vraja-vasi's localaccredited education...

1) He built the Vaisnava Theological University (later became affiliatedwith the University of Agra as the Institute of Oriental Philosophy), inVrndavana, where many Vrajabasi's received BA, MA and Ph.D. degrees(without leaving the Dhama);

2) He also constructed the Sri Krsna Caitanya Primary School next toSanatana Goswami's bhajan-kutir in Nandagrama (first school there in over5,000 years; the local kids used to take a bus to Kosi in order to evenbegin studies);

3) He also maintains Sri Sanatana Gosvami's bhajan kutir in Nandagramawhere many of his Godbrothers would stay, and even now this sacred tirthais still under the care of his babaji disciples. It is also the sacredspot where Akincana Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj left his old body...

...I would say that Srila Vana Maharaj carried out his Prabhupada's orderto serve Vrndavana-dham! Bhakti is the attempt, NOT the material result!---If we attempt to serve Sri Gurudeva then our attempt is our success,regardless of any material results. Bhakti is it's own reward!

 Among his disciples only men could stay at his bhajan-kutir in Vrndavanawhere he lived a quiet life with brahmacari and sannyasi disciples. VanaMaharaj was always very strict with the four regulative principles, and henever acted or spoke sahajiya or fallen in any way; he was a fixed-up,life-long celibate sannyasi disciple of BSSP who mostly performed privatebhajan after returning from his tapasya. He was very concerned about theNitya-lila pastimes of the Divine Couple and his own service therein.

 Because of my constant badgering Vana Maharaj did reveal to me hisspiritual self. But normally he would never discuss such topics withanyone. Due to his exalted life, character, and realizations I feel certainthat Vana Maharaj has gone home, back to Godhead.

 I personally saw and also met so many of BSSP's disciples who wouldoften come to visit Vana Maharaj in Vraja; we also went to visit hisGodbrothers in Bengal every couple years. Vana Maharaj was clearly dearfriends with his many Godbrothers, and both Srila Krishnadas Babaji Maharajand Srila B.S. Ashram Maharaj would come to live with Vana Maharaj everyyear for many months at a time.

 At Vana Maharaj's bhajan-kutir, ashram life was VERY VERYaustere,...All the devotees (about 10-15) were fully KRSNA Conscious andfollowed the daily Gaudiya Matha seva/bhajan program. Everyone chanted 16rounds or 64 on ekadasi, studied the CC, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, & CB, SB,etc. in their free time. All the temple activities and Deity worship werefirst class and fully bona fide. Most of the devotees had no contact withkarmis especially females. It was a bhajan life of going back to Godhead.

 They observed all the festivals, and I personally saw Vana Maharaj (andother of his Godbrothers) exhibit bhava on many important occasions likeBSSP's Vyasa-puja or disappearance. It was the ideal life inVrndavana-dhama exactly as described by Srila Rupa Goswami and everythingwas Gaudiya-matha system. The head pujari was an 80 year-old sannyasi namedMadhava Maharaj, and the cook was a real mahatma brahmacari named Gopesaprabhu. There were other sannyasis and brahmacaris but they never leftVrndavana except to beg provisions in Agra every year. It was a realbhajan-kutir and the Dhama worked it's wonders on all of us as humble andrenounced devotee's living there...

"Of course anyone living in Vrndavana Dhama is fortunate,because the Dhama itself has it's own power."
---Srila Prabhupada 13/11/72

 Vana Maharaj gave me shelter when I was a penniless fugitive, and heanswered many of my questions about KCon. He was a shiksa guru for me. Ilearned the essence of KCon from him and his Godbrothers, and from his vastVaisnava library, plus the full-time association of expert renounceddevotees. I saw their devotion and perfect Gaudiya practice ofVraja-sadhana (Nam-smarana) for 6 years.

 In the end our Srila Prabhupada (to set the example) personally askedVana Maharaj to forgive him for any offenses, and Vana Maharaj told H.D.G.there was no offense. Actually Vana Maharaj and Srila Prabhupada are verygood friends eternally.

 Once I asked Srila Vana Maharaj why he was taking so much trouble forhis Institute of Oriental Philosophy and he replied, "I am serving myGurudeva's order and Srimati Radharani!" In spite of the fact that hisdream of attracting intellectuals to Vrndavana didn't pan out, still, whois prepared to say that Srila Vana Maharaj wasn't serving Radharani? Afterall, it is a matter of KRSNA consciousness, NOT material results; and whocan blame Vana Maharaj, or any of his Godbrothers, for not beingsuper-empowered like Srila Prabhupada? Srila Vana Maharaj did his fairshare of preaching Srila Saraswati Prabhupada's message during his life onEarth!...

 Please accord full respect to the sacred memory of H.D.G. Srila BhaktiHrdaya Vana Maharaj* and ALL the disciples of Srila Sarasvati Prabhupada!

 Once I greatly offended the feet of Srila Vana Maharaj by imaginingthrough my filthy lust-covered mind that he was fallen, and without a shredof evidence. I humbly fall at his feet and beg forgiveness!

 *His vapu-samadhi temple is located on Madan-mohan Ghera in SridhamVrndavana, and the murti is a very good likeness of Srila Vana Maharaj.

Appreciation's

"A very nice glorification of a great Vaisnava. Thank you very much. No onedoubts your sincerity and experience and none of us can compare with VanaMaharaja's background and preaching attempts, so we should surely abstainfrom finding fault."---Sridhar Swami

"We (ISKCON) have a tendency to take the warnings Prabhupada gave about notassociating with Gaudiya Matha all the way, but then Prabhupada also saidthat He could say things about them but 'we' could not."---Bhanu Swami

"It is always nice to hear glorification of a Vaisnava. The story showsmore of what a lusty fool I am. I hope that some day I can get a tastefor glorifying devotees."---Kavicandra Swami

AND ANOTHER EYE-WITNESS: "My heart is experiencing great joy to hear yourwonderful appreciation of Srila B. H. Bon Maharaj. Please know thatwhatever you have written in your message to me I share the sameunderstanding and appreciation. Thank you very much."---Radhanath Swami

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 Richard S. Brown, Jr.
 Gemologist & Designer
 Astral Gemstone Talismans,
 Bangkok, Kingdom of Thailand
 mailto:hrisi@ksc15.th.com
 http://www.agt-gems.com/AGTbook/AGTrsb.html
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