Glories of Bhakti Srirupa Siddhanti Gosvami Maharaj

Glories of Bhakti Śrīrūpa Siddhāntī Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Harikathā, Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Goswami Mahārāj

Remembering Śrīla Bhakti Śrīrūpa Siddhāntī Mahārāja. Śrīla Gurudeva emphasizes on one of his teachings in regard to paying attention while Jayadhvani is being uttered. Śrīla Mahārāja had made a rule in his Maṭha that if someone is not uttering ‘Jaya’ following the person who is giving Jayadhvani then he will not be given Prasādam on that day! Śrīla Gurudeva also mentions about his Bāṅglā explanation of Govinda-bhāṣya which is written originally in the Sanskrit language by Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu. This is his unique contribution to the Gauḍīya society.

Nityalīlā-praviṣṭa Parama-pūjyapāda Śrīla Bhakti Śrīrūpa Siddhāntī Gosvāmī Mahārāja (disciple of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura) mercifully gave the opportunity to have his darśana. Parama-pūjyapāda Śrīla Sānta Gosvāmī Mahārāja used to go to his Maṭha to listen to his Harikathā.

Once Śrīla Siddhāntī Mahārāja spoke one sentence in his Harikathā, which, after hearing, the general audience became angry and other devotees who were there along with Śrīla Mahārāja were afraid. But Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura joyfully said that he has done the work worth one lakh rupees!

He came to our Kolkata Maṭha many times. He maintained such discipline in his Maṭha which I have not seen in any other Maṭha. In other Maṭhas, I have seen when someone is giving ‘Jaya’, either during Ārati or Pāṭha, other devotees do not pay sincere attention and do not utter ‘Jaya’ following the person who is giving ‘Jaya’. Jayadhvani is for praying for the grace of Guru, Vaiṣṇava and Bhagavān. Jayadhvani is not unnecessary. Without the grace of Guru, Vaiṣṇava and Bhagavān we cannot get their service. Many of the devotees utter ‘Jaya’ without giving sincere attention.

In Śrīla Siddhāntī Mahārāja’s Maṭha, I have seen everybody uttering ‘Jaya’. The person who is giving ‘Jaya’, he is also loudly uttering the names, praying for the grace and all others are giving their approval by saying ‘Jaya.. Jaya..’ When I saw, I asked, “What is this?”

The devotees there said, “This is the rule in our Maṭha.”

“I have not seen this before in any other Maṭha.”
“Our Gurumahārāja has said ‘Whoever will not utter ‘Jaya’, he will not be given Prasādam for that day.’”

So out of fear everyone utters, ‘Jaya.. Jaya..’

Śrīla Siddhāntī Mahārāja has affection for them so he had made such a rule.

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu wrote Govinda-bhāṣya. Śrīla Siddhāntī Mahārāja has translated and explained it in the Bāṅglā language in detail. It is a great contribution to the Gauḍīya society. It is in four volumes. He made a great effort for this service.

Once, persons from a different Sampradāya called the king of Jaipur at a place named ‘Galatā-gaddī’ in Jaipur, and told him, “The Mantra you have taken will not be fruitful as it has not been taken from the Sampradāyas who have their individual commentary on the Vedānta.” Listening to this, the king sent an invitation to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, who was in his advanced age at that time, to comment on this.

The king sent a message, “The assembled people here do not consider the Mantra being given to me as authentic based on the argument that there is no separate commentary of Vedānta for the Sampradāya (Gauḍīya Sampradāya) from which I have taken the Mantra.” Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura sent his disciple Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu to answer their questions.

Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu went there and explained to them, “Vedavyāsa Muni himself has written the commentary of Vedānta as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. What is the need to write any other commentary? The author himself has given Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam which is the detailed explanation of Vedānta.”

But the people there were not ready to accept the Gauḍīya Sampradāya as an authentic Sampradāya without its commentary on Vedānta. Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu was given seven days to write the commentary on Vedānta. It is almost impossible to write the commentary on Vedānta in just seven days. Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu went to the Govinda Deva temple and offered his obeisance to Govinda Deva. He was given the garland of Govinda Deva as His blessings.

Being there in the temple, he completed writing the commentary in seven days. And then there was a meeting held at Galatā-gaddī in which people from other Sampradāyas presented their commentary on Vedānta. At the end Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu presented his commentary which he wrote making the Divine Love as the foundation.

Everyone was astonished to listen to his commentary. Thus, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Prabhu has protected the dignity of Gauḍīya Sampradāya. He wrote the commentary in the Sanskrit language. Śrīla Siddhāntī Mahārāja has explained that in the Bāṅglā language. And therefore, we all are indebted to him.

I pray forgiveness for all the offences I have done knowingly or unknowingly. Why should we leave such an opportunity of praying for his grace and asking for his forgiveness? But the prayers should be from within. He is the personal associate of Śrīla Prabhupāda. I pay my innumerable prostrated obeisances unto his lotus feet. May he bestow the service of his lotus feet and causeless devotion to his worshipable objects Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu and Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.