Bhagavata Dharma – the E- Magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 2
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
All Glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga! Founder Acharaya His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Thakura BHAGAVATA The e-magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Issue No.21 November 2019 DHARMA President & Acharaya His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan Goswami Maharaja In this issue: Guru-prīti: Love for The Spiritual Master 2 A Song of Separation 11 The gopīs’ Description of Krishna’s Flute Melodies 17 His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Thakur (Srila Gurudeva, Founding Acharya of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math, was born Invitation on Wednesday, 19 October, 1898 (Bengali calendar: 2 Kartik 1305). Srila We, the devotees of Sri Gopinath Gurudeva first met with his spiritual master, the founder of all Gaudiya Gaudiya Math, cordially invite Maths, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur you along with your associates, Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada) on the day of Srila Gaura Kishore Das friends, and relatives to attend Babaji Maharaja’s disappearance in 1915 at Sridham Mayapur. Srila st the 21 disappearance day Gurudeva joined Srila Prabhupada’s mission in 1921 and officially, took first and second initiation as well as saffron robes from Srila Prabhupada festival of Srila Gurudeva on Monday, 11 November, 2019 at on the day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami in the year 1923 at No. 1 Ultadanga Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math, Junction Road which was the first preaching center of the Gaudiya Math located in Kolkata. Since the time of initiation, Srila Gurudeva became Ishodyan, Mayapur. engaged in taking dictation from Srila Prabhupada for publishing devotional literatures as well as editing various publications until Srila Schedule of events Prabhupada’s final departure. After Srila Prabhupada’s physical - 4:15 AM Mangal Arati departure, Srila Gurudeva used to help all of his godbrothers without any - 7:00 AM Special puja and arati discrimination in various services such as publications, deity of Srila Gurudeva installations, temple inaugurations, and so on. Eventually, in 1987, - 9:00 AM Kirtan and sharing the according to the desire of Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Srila Gurudeva glories of Srila Gurudeva by received a piece of land at Mayapur and gradually, established Sri eminent vaishnavas Gopinath Gaudiya Math on that land in 1989. From 1989 to 1999, Srila - 12:30 PM Prasadam feast Gurudeva established several branches of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math - 5:30 PM Sandhya arati followed throughout India. On Monday, 22 November 1999 at 2:10 AM (the day by sharing the glories of Srila before Rasa Purnima), Srila Gurudeva physically passed away while Gurudeva residing at Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Matha, Jagannath Puri. On behalf of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math, B. B. Bodhayan (President) Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 2 GURU-PRĪTI: LOVE FOR THE We know that Sri Gurudeva is the non- SPIRITUAL MASTER different manifestation of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord can make the impossible possible. Similarly, according to His desire, by HDG Srila Bhakti Bibudha Bodhayan He can make the possible impossible. In the Goswami Maharaja same way, Srila Prabhupada, who is the non- Pranavananda Dasa Brahmacari used to different representative of the Supreme Lord, follow each of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions showed living proof of the scriptures through with utmost love. One day, during the giving the editorship responsibility to his dear morning walk, Srila Prabhupada told disciple Pranava. Pranavananda, “It would be good if we had a mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ daily spiritual newsletter. Let it be called the paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim Dainika Nadiya Prakasa.” After saying that, yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande Srila Prabhupada said, “Pranava (the name śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāriṇam that Srila Prabhupada used to lovingly address Pranavananda), you’ll be the editor and In other words, by the mercy of the spiritual journalist of this Dainika Nadiya Prakasa.” master, even a dumb person can become an Hearing this, stunned Pranava replied, “Srila eloquent speaker, and a limp person can cross Gurudev, I do not understand what the words over a mountain. Srila Prabhupada’s Pranava editor or journalist means.” Srila Prabhupada had a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. Writing immediately replied, “I will write the first was not Pranava’s subject-matter at all. journal. Thereafter, you will gradually be able However, by Prabhupada’s mercy, in a short to do everything. By singing and singing, one period of time, Pranava became extremely becomes a singer. By playing and playing a skilled and efficient in writing journals, musical instrument, one becomes a musician. editing and adroitly performed all of the If you try, you will be able to do everything by works associated with publishing. repeated practice.” Gradually, Srila Prabhupada gave Pranava various responsibilities. He would give Pranava dictation which Pranava would write down. Pranava was also entrusted with the responsibility to have the Dainika Nadiya Prakasa ready every day at the time of maṅgala-ārati and he would explain the contents to the devotees who would distribute the newsletters at bus stands, railway stations, and in various villages. Apart from this, Pranava had to research and compile new information throughout the day from various sources for the next day’s newsletter. This was not an easy job. There was no advanced technology at that time. It is not an easy task to physically engage the body in running from place to place to collect all Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 3 the information. There were no computers or bāndhiyā nikaṭe, amāre pālibe, tape recorders in use at that time. The only rahiba tomāra dvāre option was one-pointed focus in order to pratīta janere, āsite nā diba, achieve the tasks at hand. rākhiba gaḍera pāre tava nija-jana, prasāda seviyā, Through love for the spiritual master, one ucchiṣṭa rākhibe yāhā easily attains the Supreme Lord’s mercy, and āmāra bhojana, paramānande, power through the spiritual master who is a prati-dina habe tāhā medium of receiving the Lord’s mercy. Pranava was a chemist by education. “Having surrendered everything at your lotus Possessing a peaceful character, Pranava had feet, I have fallen at your house. You are the become a servant of the Gaudiya Matha, master. Treat me as your dog. You will take following the instructions of Srila care of me, tying me nearby you at your Prabhupada. At every moment, Pranava doorstep. I will not allow anyone and carried the instructions of Srila Prabhupada everyone to enter your house, and I will keep on his head, as his all in all. Once Srila them at the doorstep. Having honored your Prabhupada told the chemist, Pranava, “What prasāda, you will leave some remnants which do you think about the idea of me having you will be my meal. I will relish those remnants, study the scriptures of logic (nyāya-śāstra)?” daily, in supreme bliss.” Pranava put his palms together and said, “Prabhupada, you are the instrumentalist. I In other words, it is possible to become the am your instrument. By your mercy, I will dog of the spiritual master only if one has true perform exactly the way in which you use love for the spiritual master. Pranavananda me.” Hearing these words coming from was genuinely Srila Prabhupada’s dog. After Pranava’s mouth, Srila Prabhupada became having served as the editor of the Dainika extremely pleased. After a few days, Srila Nadiya Prakasa for three years, Pranavananda Prabhupada called Pranava and said, “The was engaged in the department of nyāya-śāstra makes peoples’ minds extremely publications of the Gaudiya Matha, under the complicated. Thus, it will not be proper to guidance of Sripad Sundarananda Prabhu and transform your simple mindset into one of Sripad Ananta Vasudeva Prabhu. great complexity. The scriptures say that one Pranava used to see all of his god-brothers as who is simple can understand and take up the being representatives of Srila Prabhupada. All teachings of Gora.” of his god-brothers were as dear to him as his Pranava, who was a follower in the footsteps life. Gradually, Sundarananda Prabhu and of Srila Prabhupada, waited at every moment Ananta Vasudeva Prabhu became busy in for the instructions of Srila Prabhupada. writing various works in the publications Pranava’s character reminds us of the words department under the instructions of Srila of a kīrtana written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Prabhupada. Under Srila Prabhupada’s Thakura: instructions, Srila Bhakti Kusuma Sramana Goswami Maharaja, Sripad Satya Govinda sarvasva tomāra, caraṇe saṁpiyā Dasa Brahmacari and other devotees came to paḍechi tomāra ghare the publications department to assist tumi to ṭhākura, tomāra kukura, baliyā jānaha more Pranavananda. Along with the help of his god-brothers, Pranava, under the Bhagavata Dharma – The e- magazine of Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math Page | 4 publications department, began publishing Whatever it may be, the mercy of the Lord is weekly, fortnightly, and monthly Gaudiya attained through having love for the spiritual newsletters. Furthermore, various literatures master. We know that the mercy of the Lord of the Goswamis as well as new books began follows the mercy of the devotees. In this to be published in the Bengali language context, Pranavananda Dasa who was later through the Gaudiya Matha publications known as Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami department. Thakur, had written an article which is translated into English, below. Through Srila Prabhupada’s mercy, Pranava began to rise as the personification of the Gaudiya Matha’s bṛhat-mṛdaṅga. Srila Prabhupada’s bṛhat-mṛdaṅga entailed The mercy of Lord follows the mercy of the publishing devotional literatures with purity devotees and having those literatures reach large The great vaiṣṇava, Trihutapandit Sri audiences. The bṛhat-mṛdaṅga service was Raghupati Upadhyay has said, extremely pleasing to Srila Prabhupada.