A Humble Submission of My Life Story – Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami

guru-vaisnava-bhagavdn tinera smaran tinera smarana hay vighna vindsan

andydse hay nija vdnchita-puran

“I meditate on my guru, the Vaishnavas and the Lord, for by remembering them, all obstacles are destroyed and one easily attains the fulfillment of all desires.”

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.1.20-1)

I have been inspired by the example of Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami to make this effort to tell my story. In the Bhagavata, there is a verse:

srstvd purdni vividhdny ajaydtma-sahtyd

vrhsdn sarisrpa-pa§un hhaga-dandasuhdn tais tair atusta-hrdayah purusariv vidhdya

brahmdloha-dhisanam mudam dpa devah

“With the help of his mdyd potency The Supreme Lord creat ed this visible world with its trees, serpents, animals, birds and other creatures, but his heart remained dissatisfied. Then He created man, who alone possesses the intelligence to see Brahman, and He was delighted.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.9.28)

Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami has written the following verses in the Chaitanya Charitamrita:

tar madhye sthdvar jarigama-dui bhed jarigame tiryah jala-sthalacar vibhed tar madhye manusya jdti ati alpatar tar madhye mleccha, pulinda, bauddha, sabar vedanistha-madhye ardheh ved muhhe mane

veda-nisiddha pap hare, dharma ndhi gane dharmdcdri-madhye bahu to ‘karma-nistha’ hoti-karma- nistha-madhye eh jndni’ srestha hotijndni-madhye hay eh jan muhta hoti-muhta-madhye ‘durlabha’ eh hrsna-bhahta

“There are two divisions of living entities those that can move and those that cannot. Among those that move, there are birds, aquatics and animals. Among these, the human beings are very small in number and include non-Vedic peoples such as Muslims, tribals, Buddhists and outcastes. Of those who are followers of the Vedic principles (and thus considered civilized), half give them only lip service and engage in sinful activities which are forbidden by the scriptures and give no importance to true religion. Most of the remainder are involved in fruitive activities and a single wise man is rare among them. Out of many millions of such wise men, one may actually become liberated, and out of many millions of such liberated persons, a pure devotee of Lord Krishna is still more difficult to find.”

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.16.144-8)

Another scriptural statement explains how the jiva wanders through 8,400,000 species of life:

jalajd nava-lahsdni sthdvard lahsa-vimsati

hrmayo rudra-sarihhyahdh pahsindvh dasa-lahsanam tririvsal-lahsdni pasavah catur-lahsdni mdnusdh

“There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are also 2,000,000 non-moving living entities (sthavara) such as trees and plants. There are also 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and another 1,000,000 species of birds. There are 3,000,000 varieties of animals, and 400,000 types of human beings.” labdhva sudurlabham idarh bahu-sambhavante manusyam arthadam anityam apiha dhirah turnarh yateta na gated anumrtyu yavan nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat “After many, many births, one finally is born in a most rare and valuable human body which provides an opportunity to attain the supreme goal, but is nevertheless temporary. Therefore, the wise individual should immediately take up the effort to find that which provides the supreme good in all times and circumstances, and not give it up right to the very moment of his death.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.9.29)

Sense enjoyments are available in the other species of life, but only in this human body are we able to achieve the supreme good. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has sung as follows in his song, Jiva jago:

emana durlabha manava-deha paiya hi haro bhavana keha

ebe na bhajile yasoda-suta carame paribe laje

“You have attained such a rare gift, the human body, but does any one of you think of its purpose? If you do not worship the son of Yashoda now, you will feel shame at the time of death.”

Elsewhere, he wrote another song:

jivana-samapti-kale karibo bhajan ebe hari grha-sukh hakhano a hatha nahi bale vijna jan e deha patanonmukh

“`I will wait until the end of my life before worshiping the Lord. For the moment, I intend to enjoy life.’ An intelligent person never says anything like this because he knows that the body can fall at any moment.”

aji va sateh varse avasya maran niscinta na thaho bhai

jata sighra paro, bhajo sri hrsna caran jivaner thik nai

“Whether today or in a hundred years, death is inevitable. Don’t think that you can give up concentrating on this problem, my brother. Worship Krishna’s feet as soon as you can for life offers no guarantees.”

sarhsdr nirvaha hari jabo ami vrndavan ma-tray sodhibare karitechi sujatan

asar nahi prayojan

eman dura§a vase jabe Aran avasese

na hanbe dina-bandhu carane sevan jadi sumarigal cao sada krsna-nama gdo grhe thako vane thako ithe tarka akdran

“`I will go to Vrindavan after dealing with my family responsibilities-I am taking care to repay my threefold debt.”‘ There is no need to aspire in this way, for your life will be wasted in trying to fulfill such distracting obligations. You will never serve the feet of the only friend of the fallen. If you wish true auspiciousness, then sing Krishna’s names constantly, regardless of your station in life. Nothing is gained by arguing the superiority of householder or renounced life.” And once again, here is another of his compositions:

janam maran jard je sarhsare ache bhara tahe kiba ache bolo sar

“Birth, death and old age are inevitable in this life. Can you tell me what is permanent in this world?” dhan jan parivdr keha nahe kabhu kar kale mitra akale agar

jdhd dharibare cai tahe nahi thake bhai anitya samasta vinasvar

“None of this-your possessions, friends and family-is really yours. They are friends during good times, strangers in bad. Nothing that we want to hold on to will remain, my brother; this world is temporary and bound for destruction.”

ayu ati alpa-din krame taha hay ksin samaner nikata darsan

rog sok anibar citta kare char-khar bandhava-viyog durghatan

“Your life is extremely short, and with every day, your death comes closer into sight. Diseases and distress constantly shatter the mind, what to speak of the loss of family and friends and other mishaps.” bhala kare dekho bhai amisra dnanda ndi je ananda duhhher karan se sukher tare tabe keno mayor dds habe

haraibe paramdrtha dhan?

“Brother! Examine the matter carefully There is no such thing as unadulterated happiness. Indeed, joy is the cause of unhappiness. So why then make such efforts for this incomplete happiness, becoming the servant of illusion and losing the treasure of the supreme spiritual good?”

And there are so many other songs written by the Mahajanas on the same theme. They have written these songs for the benefit of the conditioned souls, placing them on guard so that they may ultimately be delivered. All of these followers of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu have designated the worship of Krishna’s lotus feet as the only source of any true benefit in life. All of the books they authored, whether Chaitanya Bhagavata, Chaitanya Charitamrita, or the Sandarbhas and other Goswami writings, should be constantly discussed in the association of devotees.

Srila Prabhupada repeatedly quoted the following verse from Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s writings: durlabha mdnava janma labhiya saritsdre

krsna nd bhajinu duhkha kahibo kahdre samsar sarnsdr kare miche gela hal

labh na hanla kichu ghatila janjal

“Though I attained a human birth in this world, I never worshiped Krishna. Whom shall I tell of my distress? All I have done isvemain absorbed in family life and hard work, wasting my time in this way. I have gained nothing, indeed, and now the calamity has arrived.”

All of Bhaktivinode Thakur’s writings, such as Saranagati, Kalyanakalpa-taru, Gitavali and Gitamald, as well as Narottam’s Prdrthand and Prema-bhakti-candrikd were constantly on Srila Prabhupada’s lips. All of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s writings, Jaiva Dharma, Caitanya Sihsamrta, Harinama Cintamani, Bhajan Rahasya, etc., are imbued with a deep understanding of the essence of all the scriptures.

sadhu-sarige krsna-nama ei matra cai sarrisara finite ar kono vastu nai

“All I want is association with sadhus and the holy name of Krishna. I need nothing else in order to conquer the world of birth and death.”

Now, after first remembering the lotus feet of my most worshipable spiritual master, Nitya-lild-pravista Om Visnupada 108 Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada, and offering them unlimited prostrated obeisances, I will say a few words about my life.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT MY LIFE

I was born in Jessore district, in a small town called Ganganandapur on the east banks of the Kapotakha River. This place is now in Bangla Desh, but it is not more than about 80 kilometers from Calcutta. There were many educated and cultured people living there at that time. We lived on the south side of the village, which consisted predominantly of brahmin families, but I was born in a poorer household. My father’s name was Tarini Charan Chakravarti and my mother’s, Ram Rangini Devi. I had a paternal uncle named Priyanath Chakravarti. On my mother’s side, I also had an accomplished uncle who had earned three master’s degrees, in Bengali, Sanskrit and mathematics. He also had numerous traditional titles for studies in Sanskrit grammar and poetry, Sankhya philosophy the Vedas and Vedanta, etc. He was thus a great scholar. He taught at a high school in Sri Dham Mayapur, including some time at the Thakur Bhaktivinode Institute. Prior to my birth, my parents had lost a four-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son. Our neighbors in the village were a family of Vedic brahmins who had established a temple of Buro Shiva. My mother went faithfully to worship this Shiva deity and one day was told in a dream about my birth and that of my younger brother. She used to tell us that we were born as a result of Shiva’s blessings, his vara-putras. According to the custom of the time, my nurse “purchased” me from my mother for only three coppers, so I was given the name Tin Kori. People used to call me Tinu. I could never understand the value of a life that could be sold for such a pittance. Anyway, now that I have such a big title, “Founder-President”, people find it amusing. From the time that I was a baby, I was always overjoyed whenever I heard singing or music being played. For this reason, my father gave me the name Promode Bhushan.

From my father, I heard that in the distant past the king of Bengal, Adishur, brought five Vedic brahmins from Kanyakubja to settle his land. Their names were Daksha, Bhatta Narayan, Sri Harsa, Chandora and Vedagarbha. Our family was descended from Sri Harsa. One of my older godbrothers, the reverend Bhakti Hridoy Bon Maharaj was also descended from the same forefather. Bon Maharaj, however, was a Kuhna brahmin. His family name was Mukhopadhyaya. The custom of separating brahmins into these higher and lower categories began under the Sena king, Ballal Sena. The nine characteristics with which the higher class or Kuhna brahmins were supposedly endowed are given as follows:

acaro niyamo vidyd pratistha tirtha-darsanam nistha vrttis tapo danam navadha kula-laksanam “There are nine ways of judging a family: by its treatment of others, the rules it keeps, its learning, its social position, whether or not its members have performed pilgrimage, its steadfastness, the way it makes its money, and whether its members perform austerities or give charity”.

We were Srotriya brahmins, which means that we were Vedddhydyis, or versed in the Vedas. This is a lower ranking in the caste system than Kulina brahmin. I would think that in the Chaitanya Charitamrita story about Sakshi Gopal, of the two brahmins who went on pilgrimage to Vrindavan, the older one was likely a Kuhna brahmin, the younger one a Srotriya.

In the Smriti scriptures it is said that if a girl from a Srotriya family marries into a Kuhna family, then the latter becomes glorious. But if a Kuhna girl marries a Srotriya man, the Kuhna family is ruined. In those days, people were still extremely influenced by false pride based on family, caste and lineage. Eventually, by the Lord’s will, I started to get my first understanding of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Srila Prabhupada and Bhaktivinode Thakur as a result of going to the Madanamohan temple on the north side of the village with Bhaktiratna Thakur and conversing with him. Prior to that, I had a superficial understanding of who Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was. I would sit down next to Bhaktiratna Thakur and study the writings of Bhaktivinode Thakur, Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, or other Vaishnava Mahajanas. In this way, I gained a great deal of valuable knowledge about the Gaudiya Vaishnava religious path that Sriman Mahaprabhu taught and practiced. My narrow understanding of his teachings was completely eradicated. Mahaprabhu said:

nica jdti nahe krsna-bhajane ayogya

sat-kula-vipra nahe bhajaner yogya jei bhaje sei tiara, abhakta-hin, char

krsna-bhajane nahi jdti-kuladi-vicar

“A person born in a low caste is not unfit for discharging devotional service to Krishna, nor is one fit for devotional service simply because he is born in a high-caste brahmin family Anyone who takes to devotional service is exalted, whereas a non-devotee is always condemned and abominable. In the discharge of devotional service to the Lord, there is no consideration of caste or social status.”

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 1.4.66-7) And about Hari Das Thakur it is said,

jdti kul sab nirarthak bujhaite janmilen nica-kule prabhur djnate

“He took birth in a low-caste family by the Lord’s order in order to show that caste and social status are all irrelevant.” (Chaitanya Bhagavata 1.16.237)

The meaning of these verses is that one’s only duty is to take shelter of the feet of a genuine spiritual master and engage in the worship of Lord Hari while following the Vaishnava regulative principles or sadacdra. During this time, I also understood how important it was to make an intense study of the scriptures in the association of advanced devotees. Thenceforward, I began to desire to understand more fully what constitutes service to GuruGauranga, Radha-Gopinath, and Madana-mohan; in other words, what is the distinction between the object of worship, the worshiper and the act of worshiping. At this very same temple (Thakura Bari), I had the fortune to receive a great amount of affection from the aunt of my now departed godbrother, Bhakti Vivek Bharati Maharaj. Almost everyone who visited the temple used to call her “Mother” and this was appropriate because she was truly filled with motherly affection for everyone. Both Bhaktiratna Thakur and the temple’s Mata Thakurani were mantra disciples of Bagnapara’s Bipin Bihari Goswami. The Goswami Prabhu had authorized Mata Thakurani to engage in the worship of the Lord in His Shalagram Sila form. At first I was astonished by this because I had never seen her actually touch the deity, only cook His bhoga, which was the rule to which I was accustomed from my family upbringing. You can read about these rules in the Vaishnava rule book (Smrti), Hari-bhakti-vildsa.

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita,

yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate kama-karatah

na sa siddhim avapnoti na sukharh na pararh gatim

“A person who transgresses the scriptural injunctions and acts whimsically can never attain perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.”

The basic point is that even if a person accumulates all kinds of empiric knowledge, if he does not learn how to act from the holy scriptures, he will end up in hell. The entire human race will go down to destruction if it disregards the words of the Lord and neglects the rules He has set forth. And the conclusion of all holy scriptures is that devotion alone is the path of ultimate auspiciousness.

(Gita 16.23)

tarmac chastrariv pramanariv to haryaharya-vyavasthitau jnatva sastra-vidhanohtarh karma hartum iharhasi

“One should understand what is duty and what is not duty on the basis of scriptural evidence. Now that you know what is prescribed in the scripture, you should act accordingly”

(Gita 16.24)

So the conclusion is, sadhu-sarige hrsna-nama ei matra cai sarhsara finite ar hono vastu nai “All I desire is the Holy Name in the association of devotees. I need nothing else in order to conquer the material nature.” Devotional association, the name of Krishna, hearing the Bhagavata, residence in Mathura, and worshiping the deity form of the Lord in full faith-these are the principle practices on the devotional path.

sahala-sadhana-srestha ei panca ariga

hrsna-prema janmaya ei paricera alpa sariga

“Superior to all other forms of devotional practice are these five limbs. Even slight contact with any of these five brings about love for Krishna.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.22.126)

So, I was fortunate enough to have received this wonderful opportunity to associate with devotees and hear Hari-katha from my very childhood. As a result, I never deviated from the ideal behavior for a student. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has written, pare likhe loh krsna-bhakti labhibdre td yadi no hanla tabe vidyd ki hare?

“The purpose of studying is to attain devotion to Krishna. If that result is not achieved, then what is the use of knowledge?”

I remember some of the events of my student life. A college professor, Mahitosh Ray-Chaudhury (M.A., B.L.), who also edited a magazine, was particularly affectionate to me. A very old deity of Krishna named Shyama Raya had been worshiped in his home for generations. His younger brother Paritosh Kumar RayChaudhury was a class mate of mine throughout childhood. It seems to me that at this time my friendship with him and my interest in the Thakur Bar! became stronger and, as a result, I was lucky to rejoice in saintly company even more. The northern section of our village was called Metho Para and was home to a community of non-Hindus. One day, these people decided to ritually slaughter a cow (horbdni) on some Hindu’s property. When word got out, it was not long before an atmosphere of tension spread through the town. Some of the townspeople approached the District Magistrate who then got involved in order to prevent a possible riot. The D.M. at that time was a great devotee named Upendra Mohan Sengupta, who had founded the Sastra-dharma Pracaraka Samiti on Chowringhee Road in Calcutta. His two nephews were named Abani Ranjan and Nalini Ranjan Sengupta. My friend Paritosh knew and respected them both a great deal. He thus knew the District Magistrate personally and called him Na’ Kaka, or “uncle”. When he came to Metho Para, Paritosh took me to see him. We entered the beautiful tent inside which he was seated and when Paritosh paid his obeisances, I did likewise. As a result of this contact, I became involved with the Sastra-dharma Pracaraka Samiti. I don’t remember whether I ever actually heard Upendra Mohan Sengupta talk about Krishna, but I recall that just by seeing him, my heart was filled with a sense of purity. Afterwards, Paritosh and I went on occasion to the Sastra-dharma Pracaraka Samiti and listened to sadhus speak Hari-katha.

Dr. Nalini Ranjan Sengupta Dharmaratna’s older brother Abani Ranjan was a high school vice- principal at the time. Later, he became an inspector and so came to supervise the Minor Exams at our school at the end of the year. Paritosh and I were chosen by him to sit in the Scholarship Exam. Though we passed, we both missed getting scholarships by a slight margin. Later, however, through the graces of a distant uncle, Khagendra Nath Chakravarti, who had been first in the university matriculation exams, I was enrolled in a high school in Baruipur on the Diamond Harbour railway line. But I had no idea where Paritosh had been enrolled for high school. Arrangements were made for me to stay in the neighboring village, Shason, in the house of the zamindar family of Nani Gopal, Nanda Gopal, and Saroj Kumar Chattopadhyaya. At the time, the youngest of these brothers, Saroj Babu, was studying at Calcutta’s Presidency College where my uncle Khagen had also been admitted. At my uncle’s behest, Saroj Babu engaged me as a tutor for their sister. Meanwhile, at Baruipur High School, the secretary Durgadas Ray Chaudhury heard about my shortage of funds and arranged for me to study without any tuition fees. The following year, my brother Vinode Vihari also passed his Minor Exam.

By the Lord’s grace, everyone was happy with my studies and conduct. After my brother Vinode Vihari had passed his Minors, he came and joined me in Baruipur, staying with me in the same Brahmin household in Shason. At my pleading, the school secretary agreed to allow him to also study without paying any tuition. By the Lord’s grace, no one had cause to complain about his studies or conduct. I think that when I was promoted from the third class to the second, Binu passed from the fourth to the third. Everyone at the school and in Shason village highly praised us both. At this time, however, our father fell extremely ill. When we got the news, I told Binu, who took a great deal of convincing, to remain in Shason while I returned alone to Ganganandapur to see him. Binu was overcome with tears at my departure. In the meantime, a terrifying epidemic of Asian cholera struck Shason. The house in which we were staying was not far from the local crematorium and it seemed as though the area was constantly under a cloud of smoke from the funeral pyres. The sounds of mourning filled the sky. When I arrived at home, I found that my father was indeed ill, but according to my mother his situation was improving. Not long afterward, however, my brother arrived there in an extremely disheartened and sickly state. The situation in Shason had deteriorated terribly and he himself had started to experience stomach cramps. Since school was about to start, I started off on the return journey early the next morning while he remained in Ganganandapur. My Khuro Mahashaya (father’s younger brother) loved all three of us brothers very much and so did everything possible to have my brother Binu treated; even so, he died that same evening. I received a letter from my father telling me to come back home immediately. In his letter my father had not mentioned my brother’s death at all, but only said that my mother was very ill. All the money that I had left, however, was Rs. 1.25 which was insufficient for a train ticket home. I bought a pomegranate and then went to the station where I told the station master that my mother was very ill and that I had to return to see her but could not afford the fare. With tears streaming from my eyes I begged him to arrange for me to travel for free as I was a poor, helpless student. He was kind enough to assist me and so I managed to get home. When I arrived, however, I saw from the bathing ghat the white shrouds of a new bier at the cremation grounds further down the riverbank. Because of my father’s letter, I thought that my mother had died, so I was very surprised when I heard her cry out, “Binu! Look, your brother has come. Come out and say hello.”

She was so overcome with emotion that she jumped down from the four-foot high veranda. My heart still skips a beat when I remember her state on that day. It defies description. I returned to the cremation grounds to pay my last respects to my younger brother, but my heart was extremely heavy. I was inconsolable. Everyone at the school and in Shason village felt great pain on hearing the news of my brother’s death. It was the very day on which he was to be promoted from the fourth form to the third. I was completely overcome with grief when, in the school assembly, I accepted a silver medal and some books from the principal which had been intended as prizes for him. The thunderbolt of anguish broke my heart and torrents of tears blocked out all light from my eyes. From that day, my life changed completely. I did very well on my matriculation exams, placing first in Bengali for which I received a gold medal and some valuable books as prizes on graduation day.

As a next step, it was my intention to study for an LA. in literature and philosophy. However, everyone unanimously decided for me that I should study for the LA.S. in science, as I would be able to make use of Saroj Babu’s books and as it made more sense for my future economic prospects. I was enrolled in Calcutta’s Bangavasi College, but because of the daily travelling and other reasons, my studies suffered and I did not do well on my exams. In the meantime, my family’s poverty-stricken condition had me worried. Since my childhood, I had always wanted to lighten my father’s burden but had been helpless to do or say anything to help relieve that relentless poverty. Now that I was grown up, the situation was different. By the will of God, even though I was still quite young, I had the opportunity to get a good job with the Calcutta Port Commission and so I decided to temporarily quit college. Saroj Babu had a house on Malsa Lane in Bow Bazaar where I stayed. I did my own cooking and went to work. While living there, I became a subscriber to Gaudiya magazine and the Srimad Bhagavatam, which was coming out in installments. I would see devotees from Srila Prabhupada’s mission almost every day, especially Kirtanananda Brahmachari. Gradually, as my material situation improved, I got my own lodgings on Akhil Mistri Lane and arranged for my mother and younger sister to come there and live with me. Every day after work, I would come home and then head for 1 Ultadingi Junction Road, where I would listen to my worshipable Srila Prabhupada himself lecture on the Vaishnava scriptures. But I have forgotten to mention something important in this connection. Even while living in my home village, when I was learning about Sriman Mahaprabhu at the Thakura Bari, I had already accepted my worshipable Srila Prabhupada as guru. I already recognized and felt deeply the absolute need to take shelter of a realized soul as soon as possible.

Afterwards, I frequently went to visit him at his bhajan kutir at Vraja Pattan in Sri Mayapur. I recognized him to be one of the Lord’s eternal associates who had taken on the extremely difficult task of chanting a billion names while strictly observing celibacy, all for the intention of saving the world. I can still remember the three or four times I saw him while he was observing this sacrifice and how I would contemplate his effulgence in a state of astonishment. I heard that the tulasi mala on which Srila Prabhupada performed this billion-name sacrifice had been chanted on by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur who then gave it to him with his blessings. I remember also taking Mahaprabhu’s prasad on one occasion underneath a bel tree filled with fruits which stood behind the Yoga Pith temple Bhaktivinode Thakur had established. My spiritual master, my most worshipable Srila Prabhupada, gave me initiation in the Holy Name and the mantra on Janmastami, 1923, at the center on Ultadingi Junction Road. At that time, Srila Prabhupada said to me, “Your name is Promode Bhushan (“decorated with delights”), but it is not proper to have material delights as a decoration. So I am giving you the name Pranavananda Brahmachari.” Prabhupada addressed me with the polite pronoun apani, which gave me some pain, but later I heard from my godbrothers that Srila Prabhupada was following in the footsteps of Mahaprabhu who had revealed the true transcendental identity of the soul:

naharh vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro naharh varni na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir vd

hintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamrtdbdher gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanuddsah

“I am not a brahmin, nor am I a ksatriya; I am not a vaishya nor a sudra. I am not a brahmachari, nor a householder, not a vanaprastha, nor a sannyasi. But since Lord Sri Krishna, the maintainer of the gopis and the overflowing ocean of nectar, is the only source of universal, transcendental bliss, I claim to be a servant to the servant of the servant of His lotus feet.” (Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.13.8, Padyavali 74)

Srila Prabhupada addressed all his disciples and everyone else as apani. For some reason, he called a few disciples tuminamely Paramananda Prabhu, Vinode Vihari Das Brahmachari, Narahari Das Brahmachari, Vaishnava Das Babaji and some others. And, it is true that Vinode Vihari Prabhu and Narahari Prabhu were the very life of the Mayapur ashram. They deservedly received unlimited affection from Srila Prabhupada as the devotees’ hearts would be filled with joy at their sweet, affectionate behaviour towards them. I don’t know whether I ever encountered such unprepossessing, sincerely affectionate treatment from anyone in my entire life. If anyone ever paid prostrated obeisances to Srila Prabhupada, he would pay his obeisances in return and say, daso’smi-“I am a servant.” My worshipable Srila Prabhupada had said that he was going to give me sannyas at the time of the opening of the Tridandi Gaudiya Math in Bhuvaneshwar (July 3, 1933). However, before that could happen, Prabhupada displayed one of his divine pastimes by saying, “You know, Pranavananda is always calling for his mother, saying `Ma! Ma!” (editor’s note: Srila Prabhupada often joked with Pranavananda Prabhu with great love and affection) So, it was my misfortune not to be able to take sannyas directly from Srila Prabhupada himself. Even so, his mercy is unlimited and I was blessed to receive the sannydsa-mantra directly from his holy lips in a dream. I immediately wrote it down in my diary and later on, after Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance, I had the good fortune to take sannyas from my junior Godbrother, Srimad Bhakti Gaurava Vaikhanas Maharaj in front of the Gaura-Gadadhar deities established by Mahaprabhu’s associate Dvija Vaninath at Champahati in Rudradvipa, i.e., the Gaura Gadadhar Gaudiya Math. The most reverend Vaikhanas Maharaj and another godbrother, Anandalilamaya-vigraha Das, put a great deal of effort into the ceremony and on March 3, 1947, which was the Maghi Purnima, I was given the name Srimad Bhakti Promode Puri. Satish Prabhu also helped by cutting the bamboo and making my danda. Later on, at his special request, I gave him the babaji dress in Srila Prabhupada’s name. His name is now Nayanananda Das Babaji Maharaj.

There is one incident which I will never forget. A few days prior to his disappearance, Srila Prabhupada was sitting alone in his easy chair and I took the opportunity to place both of his feet on my chest and make some heartfelt prayers to him. Srila Prabhupada mercifully looked at me with moist eyes and blessed me. When my most worshipable spiritual master returned from Puri, he displayed a pastime of being gravely ill. He took to his bed, but even in that condition he gave us all instructions in a feeble voice. In those days I always carried paper and pen with me wherever I went. I was just about to write down what Srila Prabhupada said when Sundarananda Prabhu came in, and so I handed the pen and paper to him because he could write more quickly. So it was he who noted everything that Prabhupada said. Afterwards, he showed these notes to Srila Prabhupada who approved them. Other than that which he said about Krishna, much of what Srila Prabhupada had said has been somewhat twisted and transformed. These last words have been printed elsewhere. Thanks to Kunja Da, several brahmacharis-of whom I was one, took turns serving Srila Prabhupada in his last days. On December 31, 1936, my turn happened to end a few moments before Srila Prabhupada left this world. I was handing the fan li and oxygen funnel to Krishnananda Brahmachari when Prabhupada called out, “Who is there?” I answered, “Prabhu, it is I, Pranavananda.” My lord Srila Prabhupada said in a very weak voice, “Oh, oh, Pranavananda Prabhu.” I immediately asked him, “Prabhu, how are you feeling?” Then my lord and master said feebly; “And… and… Krishna… Krishna…” I hand-ed over the fan and oxygen funnel to Krishnananda Prabhu and went and sat down by the door. I was thinking, “What will happen to us all after Srila Prabhupada leaves?” At that very instant, Krishnananda Prabhu came to me and said, “Pranava, come quickly. It’s over!” The sound of crying and lamentation spread out in every direction; it was a fearful sound that permeated the ether. It seemed as if the world was covered with darkness. The most amazing thing was that every clock in the matha stopped at this exact moment. It is beyond comprehension. It was as though the clocks were telling us that he had gone to a place beyond time, where the ravages of time could do no damage.

My lord and master is the spiritual master of the entire world. He is capable of delivering the unlimited universes. Therefore I respectfully say to all of you, as his initiated children, that I am not your guru. Only Srila Prabhupada is your spiritual master and protector. I am one insignificant servant of his servant’s servant. I am nothing but their slave and assistant. Only the Jagad Guru Srila Prabhupada can maintain and deliver you. Therefore everyone that Bodhayan Maharaj requests me to accept, whether they are white or black, of high or low social status, rich or poor, I offer up to the feet of my own master, Srila Prabhupada. Whenever I give initiation to anyone, I always tell them to closely follow the disciplic succession, the Bhdgavata-parampard.

I would like to say a few more words about following in the Bhagavata-parampard as taught by Srila Prabhupada. Srila Vedavyasa, the incarnation of the Supreme Lord’s potencies, came to his Shamyaprash Ashram on the banks of the Saraswati River and began to think deeply.

durbhagdrhs ca jandn vihsya munir divyena cahsusa sarva-varnasramdndrii yad dadhyau hitam amogha-drk

“Through his transcendental powers, the great sage who was equipped with unfailing vision, perceived the unfortunate condition of the people and began to contemplate how to achieve the welfare of people in all statuses and orders of life.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.4.31)

Vyasa was especially disturbed by their misfortune. He could understand that by the influence of time, all the religious practices and duties would be destroyed. As a result, he very cleverly wrote down the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Brahma-sutra, the Mahabharata and the other Puranas, separating them according to appropriate classifications. Even so, he was not entirely satisfied and he soon realized the reason for it:

hint vd bhagavata dharma na prdyena nirupitdh priyah paramaha»rsana»r to eva by acyuta-priyah

“Perhaps the reason for my dissatisfaction is that I did not sufficiently describe the religion of devotion to the Supreme Lord,

which is dear to both the perfect beings and the infallible Lord.” (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.4.31)

Vyasa continued to wonder why he had been unable to find complete peace of mind when at that exact moment, Narada Rishi happened upon the scene. He began to instruct Vedavyasa, telling him to compose the Srimad Bhagavatam, the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge, in which the spotless religion devoid of all false goals would be embodied. It is non-different from the Lord Himself and is the only bestower of pure auspiciousness. He taught him the four vers- “This teaching known as the Vedic knowledge was lost in the es known as the catuhslohi Bhagavata which encapsulate its essence. He brought about the dawning of the sun-like Bhagavatam, which is full of the nectarean pastimes of Lord Sri Krishna and the destroyer of all sinful propensities. This is the very same religion of devotion to the Supreme Lord, the Bhagavata Dharma which the Supreme Lord Himself had instructed to the four-faced Brahma, which was later spoken by Sukadeva Goswami, and which in the course of time was spread throughout the world in four streams, the Nimbarka, Ramanuja, Vishnuswami and Madhva sampradayas-the original founders of which are respectively the Four Kumaras, Lakshmi, Rudra and Brahma. The Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself accepted the authenticity of these four streams of the Bhagavata Dharma and we, who are His spiritual heirs, identify ourselves as members of the Brahma-MadhvaGaudiya line. According to the Puranas, any mantra which is not received in disciplic succession has no value-sampraddya-vihind ye mantras to nisphald match. From the scriptures we find that the Supreme Lord is not dependent on others. In the Chaitanya Charitamrita it is written, prabhu hahe-isvar hay parama svatantra isvarer hrpa nape veda-paratantra

“Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, `God is the supreme independent. Therefore the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not subject to any Vedic rules or regulations.”‘

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.10.137)

If Shankara can be ordered by the Supreme Lord to start a new sampradaya in order to teach an unholy scripture for the deception of those with a demonic mentality, then some other powerful devotees may also make some minor or superficial changes to external features of the religion at the Lord’s behest. For example, Shyamananda Prabhu implemented a unique tilaka marking on the order of Srimati Radharani herself, but there is no question that he slighted his guru Hriday Chaitanya, who never wore this specific marking. None of Mahaprabhu’s associates, nor any of His nitya-siddha companions whom He sends into this world, are conditioned souls, dependent on matter. So, if out of foolishness or ignorance anyone ascribes flaws to the teachings which come down in disciplic succession from them, their qnly profit will be an untimely death.

halena nasta pralaye vartiyariv veda-sarivjnitd

mayadau brahmane prohtd yasydrh dhar-mo mad-dtmahah tena prohta sva-putraya manave …

yabhir bhutani bhidyante bhutdnartt patayas tatted evariv prahrti-vaicitryad bhidyante martayo nrnam

pdramparyena hesdmcit pasanda-matayo’pare

Course of time during the universal dissolution. Then at the i ferent from the other. According to their different natures, they time of creation, I instructed the same teachings of the have widely differing perceptions of the world and so explain Bhagavata religion to Brahma. He then transmitted them to his son Manu, etc …. All living beings are distinguished from each other by the material qualities of goodness, passion and igno rance, as are their forefathers. In the same way, human beings have come to differ according to their nature and their opin ions. Some of them have even come to possess atheistic views as a result of the improper transmission of knowledge.” From this account, it is clear that the Brahma sampradaya exists (Srimad Bhagavatam 11.14.3-7) since the beginning of creation. This disciplic succession has preserved the pure, eternal message of devotion to the Supreme Lord, also known as the Vedic knowledge or Bhagavata Dharma. Those who accept Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s religious school, but secretly reject the perfect channel of its guru-parampard are This teaching was given by Sri Krishna to Uddhava: “I first taught this knowledge to Brahma. It contains the religion of all living beings-the jaiva-dharma, which in essence is pure devotion to my original form. These Vedic teachings are eternal. Though apparently lost at the time of the annihilation of the universe, I instruct Brahma in this knowledge whenever creation takes place again. He in turn teaches it to his son Manu, who instructs the gods, the sages and seers, and human beings, so that everyone has the opportunity to learn about this religion of devotion to the Supreme Lord. All creatures and their forefathers have different natures according to the three modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, and according to the mixtures of these material qualities they are each dif it differently. O Uddhava! Those who have heard this message explained in direct disciplic succession from Brahma accept the purest doctrine. All the rest get involved in a wide variety of differences of opinion until finally they become subservient to some atheistic doctrine.”

Kali’s emissaries-what else can we conclude? i Jiva Goswami first establishes that dpta-vdkya or authoritative testimony is the best source of knowledge. Then, after showing that other Puranas do not exclusively teach the supreme religion, he establishes beyond argument that the Srimad Bhagavatam is the best source of such authoritative testimony. Jiva Goswami also names the scriptures quoted by Madhvacharya, who is the tattvaguru of Vijayadhvaja, Brahma Tirtha, Vyasa Tirtha and other acharyas of the sampradaya which descends from Brahma, Narada, Vyasa and Sukadeva as authoritative on the same basis as the Srimad Bhagavatam. From the statements in all these scriptures, it is clear that the Brahma sampradaya is the disciplic succession accepted by the servants of Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Kavi Karnapur Goswami has strengthened this claim in his Gaura-ganoddesadipika, where he has recited the entire disciplic line. The same line has been confirmed by the commentator on the Vedantasutra, Baladeva Vidyabhushan. Anyone who doubts this disciplic connection is the worst enemy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya’s followers. Can there be any doubt of this? It is clearly seen in the Srimad Bhagavatam that Sukracharya’s disciple Bali Maharaj did not attain his status as a Mahajana or great spiritual leader from his guru, but from the king of the Lord’s devotees, Prahlad Maharaj. So the Bhagavata’s conclusion is that the Bhagavata-parampard is the true bestower of the supreme good because it is free of all deception-it is completely free of any cheating proclivity. The story of Gokarna is told in the Padma Purana’s Bhdgavata-mahdtmya. Gokarna was not Dhundhukari’s mantra disciple but he took instruction in the Bhagavata from him. It was as a result of these teachings that he achieved svarupa-siddhi, or the perfection of achieving his eternal identity. Pariksit also considered Sukadeva Goswami to be his’ guru in the Bhagavat Dharma, even though he was not his mantra-sisya. It was the teaching he received from Sukadeva which resulted in his achieving spiritual perfection. So it is advised to abandon the superficial argumenta- tive mentality and to examine the matter with a little finer or subtler vision. If one does so, he will understand that the Bhagavata-parampard is the most important vehicle of divine transmission, for it is through this succession that the teachings of the Bhagavat Dharma, given by the Supreme Lord himself, become alive and vibrant in our hearts. So, may the storm caused by unorthodox doctrines be pacified and the disciplic succession taught by Srila Prabhupada, the Bhagavataparampard, be ever victorious. Now there is one other thing that needs to be said about another area of controversy I think that something briefly needs to be said about some aspects of the teachings of Rupa Goswami. Srinath Chakravarti writes, summarizing Mahaprabhu’s teaching in one verse:

dradhyo bhagavan vrajesa-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam ramya kacid upasand vraja-vadhu-vargena ya kalpita

srimad-bhdgavatam pramanam amalam preman pum-artho mahan sri-caitanya-mahdprabhor matam idarii tatradaro nah parah

“The ultimate object of worship is the son of the king of Vraja, Krishna, and Vrindavan is his abode, as worshipable as he. The supreme form of worship is that which was devised by the wives of Vraja. The best scriptural evidence of this is to be found in the spotless purana known as the Bhagavatam. The ultimate goal of human life is love for the Supreme Lord. These five things constitute Sri Chaitanya

Mahaprabhu’s teaching for which I have the highest respect. I do not have the same regard for other doctrines.”

Sri Krishna of Vrindavan is the eternal object of our worship. The wives of the cowherds in Vraja worshiped Krishna on the raga-marga, or path of passionate devotion. This particular path has been called ramaniya in this verse, which means “particularly attractive”, or the best. But this kind of worship depends on one’s qualifications, for it is said in the Chaitanya Charitamrita:

iste svdrasiki ragah paramdvistatd bhavet tanmayi ya bhaved bhaktih satra ragatmikodita

“The natural impulse to serve the object of worship in extreme absorption is called raga, or passion. If one’s devotion to Krishna is essentially passionate according to this definition, it is called ragatmika bhakti.”

(Chaitanya Charitamrita 2.22.150, quoting BRS 1.2.272)

This verse is broken down as follows by Srila Prabhupada in the Anubhasya: Raga is defined here as being paramdvistatd or “the impulse to engage in service with complete absorption.” That is further modified by the adjective svarasiki, indicating “according to one’s own particular spiritual taste” and further, “with a naturally occurring, deep enthusiasm or thirst” for the ista, or “desired object”. If this devotion is tan-magi, referring back to the word raga, or, “essentially of the nature of passion”, then atra, “here in the scriptures dealing with pure devotional service”, it goes by the name of ragatmika bhakti. The kind of natural passionate devotion described in this verse is found in the eternal associates of Krishna in Vraja. Devotion which follows in the footsteps of this passionate mood is called raga- svarupa bhakti, or the devotion which identifies with the passionate mood of Vraja. The worship of Krishna according to raga-svarupa bhakti is said to be superior to all other modes of worship. When the Lord is worshiped according to the vidhi-marga, then one’s affection towards Him becomes inhibited, and such an enfeebled love is not pleasing to Him. It is only through the Holy Name that one develops the qualifications necessary to enter into the stream of devotion in the spirit taught by Rupa Goswami. Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur has stated this most wonderfully in the song: Krsna-nam dhare kata bal?-“How much power is contained in Krishna’s name?” isat vikasi punah dekhay nija rupa guna citta hari lay krsna pas purna vikasita hang vraje more jay land dekhay more svarupa-vilds “When the Name is even slightly revealed, it shows me my own spiritual form and characteristics. It steals my mind and takes it to Krishna’s side. When the Name is fully revealed, it takes me directly to Vraja, where it shows me my personal role in the eternal pastimes.” The Lord has placed all his potencies into his own names. Thus, by taking exclusive shelter of this all-powerful Holy Name, we can obtain the good fortune to leave the vidhi-marga behind and enter into the path of passionate devotion. Sriman Mahaprabhu told us that in this matter the Srimad Bhagavatam is the best source of evidence, as the supreme form of spiritual sound, or sabda-Brahma. According to the supreme source of evidence, the Srimad Bhagavatam, simply by performing the activities of hearing and chanting, sravana-kirtana, the good fortune arises by which we enter into the supreme goal, the paramartha. The Bhagavatam is the Supreme Lord’s body, as is stated in the following verse from the Padma-purdna. In other words, the Bhagavatam is the embodiment of the transcendental Lord.

padau yadiyau prathama-dvitiyau

trtiya-turyau kathitau yad-uru nabhis tatha pancama eva sastho bhujantaram dor-yugalam tathanyau kanthas to rajan navamo yadiyo mukharavindarii dasamah praphullam ekadaso yasya laldta-pattam siro’pi to dvadasa eva bhdti tam adidevam karund-nidhanam

tamala-varnarii suhitavataram apara-samsdra-samudra-seturii bhajamahe bhagavata-svarupam

“I worship the original Lord, the fountainhead of compassion, whose color is like that of a tamal tree. He incarnates in the form of the Bhagavata, the bridge which spans across the limitless ocean of birth and death, for the benefit of the entire world. The first and second cantos are said to be His feet; the third and fourth, his thighs. The fifth canto is his belly and the sixth his chest. The seventh and eighth cantos are his arms and the ninth his neck. The tenth canto is his ever smiling, blooming lotus face. The eleventh canto is his forehead and the twelfth, the crown of his head.”

The equivalent of the Rdsa-sthali in Mahaprabhu’s lila is Srivas Angan, which Srila Prabhupada used to call “the site of the sacrifice of the Holy Name”. The Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya there lit the flame of the Holy Name’s sacrificial fire; if we can throw ourselves as an offering into the seven flames of that sacrificial fire, we will become qualified to receive the seven benefits of the sacrificial act. These seven results are cited in the verse ceto-darpana-marjanam. Once we thus gain those qualifications, we will be able to enter into the site of the Rasa dance in Vrindavan and participate in the lila which is going on there. In other words, without the mercy of the Ndma-Brahma, we will never gain the qualifications necessary to enter into the Rdsa-sthali in Vrindavan. The proof of this is once again found in the Bhagavatam: krsna-varnariv tvisdkrsnam sdrigopdrigdstra-pdrsadam

yajnaih sarikirtana-prdyair yajanti hi su-medhasah

“The most intelligent worship Lord Krishna, whose color will not be black, who is accompanied by His associates, primarily through the performance of the sankirtana-yajna.”

(Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5.32)

So, within the book Bhagavatam, which is the spotless testimony and the sound incarnation of the Lord, we find this verse which tells us that in the Age of Kali, Krishna will always be uttering the two syllables, Kr-sna (krsna-varnarh); His bodily hue (tvisd) will not be black (akrsnarft), in other words, golden. He will be surrounded by His sdnga, updnga, astra and pdrsada-the other members of the Pancha Tattva. The intelligent persons in this age of darkness will worship Him through the performance of the sacrifice of the Holy Name.

This verse completely describes the incarnation of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the sacrifice of the Holy Name which he instituted. Thus, if one abandons useless arguments and simply takes up this path, he will certainly attain all good fortune. I have full faith in all the devotees. I wanted to say a great deal more about the Bhagavatam, but I am obliged to stop here. I pay my prostrated obeisances to all of Srila Prabhupada’s followers whether still living or passed away-the founders and acharyas of all the different monasteries and temples as well as his other servants. May they continue to give their blessings and forgive the shortcomings of an old and sickly man like myself. I am in so many ways indebted to my godbrother, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj and his disciples, headed by Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaj. I stayed in his matha for 33 years, during which time I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit nearly all of India’s holy sites. I once again give greetings to and pay my prostrated obeisances to all my godbrothers, whether living or gone to join the eternal pastimes, and to my disciples and servants. May they bless me with their causeless mercy. Today at the twilight of my life, I simply remember Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s morning prayer, Udila arena puraba bhdge:

ebe nd bhajile yasodd seta carame paribe ldje

“If you do not now worship the son of Yashoda, you will feel shame at the time of death.” It is true that I have not been able to do any Hari-bhajana in this life, and so today I am very much ashamed. I

humbly beg to all tl;e devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu that they grant me the following boon: that in the little time I have left, I may worship the Lord and behave courteously to all.

The servant of the servant of Varshabhanavi-dayita Das, Sri Bhakti Promode Puri