Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī His Life and Teachings Life His
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī His Life and Teachings Life His translated from the hindi edition of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyan. a Gosvāmī Mahārāja ĀCĀRYA KESARī ŚRī ŚRīMAD BHAKTI PR AJÑĀNA KEŚAVA GOSVĀMī HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja © 2013 Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. Some rights reserved. EXCEPT WHERE OTHERWISE NOTED, THE TEXT (NOT THE DESIGN, PHOTOS, ART, ETC.) IN THIS BOOK IS LICENSED UNDER THE CREATIVE COMMONS ATTRIBUTION-NO DERIVATIVE WORKS 3.0 UNPORTED LICENSE. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/ Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at www.purebhakti.com/pluslicense or write to: [email protected] Painting on page 5 by Śyāmarāṇī dāsī and photo of Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda on page 393 © Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc. Used with permission. www.krishna.com Painting on page 274 © Śyāmarāṇī dāsī. Used with permission. Translation of quoted verses that are marked with an asterisk (*) are by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja © Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Ācārya Kesarī Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī – His Life and Teachings, 2nd Edition First Edition: 1999 Second Edition: 2,000 copies, 2013 Printed at Samrat Offset Pvt. Ltd., Okhla Industrial Area, New Delhi (India) ISBN 978-1-935428-03-9 Library of Congress Control Number 2013950527 Cataloging in Publication Data--DK Courtesy: D.K. Agencies (P) Ltd. <[email protected]> Ācārya Kesarī Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmi : his life and teachings / [compiled by] Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. -- 2nd ed. p. cm. Translated from Hindi. Includes index. ISBN 9781935428039 1. Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī, 1898-1968. 2. Vaishnavites--India--Biography. I. Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa, 1921- DDC 294.5512092 23 śrī śrī guru-gaurāṅgau jayataḥ ĀCĀRYA KESARī ŚRī ŚRīMAD BHAKTI PR AJÑĀNA KEŚAVA GOSVĀMī HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS by tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja a disciple of the Founder of Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti and the Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭhas throughout India belonging to it, the best amongst the 10th generation of descendants in the bhāgavata-paramparā from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu śrī gauḍīya ācārya kesarī nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja VRindavan ● NEW DELHI ● SAN FRANCISCO iv Dedication I am offering as bhakti-arghya into the lotus hands of ācārya kesarī paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata śrī cid-vilāsa oṁ viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja this supremely purifying account of his divine life and qualities, which is endowed with tattva-siddhānta and his instructions. He is the founder of Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti and the Gauḍīya Maṭhas throughout India belonging to it. He is a completely devoted follower of Śrī Svarūpa and Śrī Rūpa, and is the best amongst the 10th generation of descendants in the bhāgavata-paramparā from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is my most worshipful gurudeva, and the master who fulfils all my innermost desires. O most beloved of Mukunda! O best of the followers of Śrī Svarūpa and Śrī Rūpa! I am your most unqualified servant, but whatever I am, I belong to you alone. O best of gurus, you become pleased by the insignificant service of your servants, considering it to be very great. O Gurudeva! Kindly accept this bhakti-arghya from your fallen, destitute and unworthy servitor and be pleased with it. All glories unto you! Aspiring for the smallest particle of the mercy of Śrī Guru, the destitute and fallen, Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa v Table of Contents Introduction (translated from the Hindi edition) ..........................................................................................xv Part One: Family Lineage Bhāgavata guru-paramparā ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Appearance .......................................................................................................................................................................10 Childhood............................................................................................................................................................................12 Student life, protection of the properties and the beginning of spiritual life ..............................14 Receiving Śrīla Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s darśana and his blessings ....................16 Part Two: A Life of Service Leaving home ....................................................................................................................................................................23 Receiving dīkṣā and guru-mantra ........................................................................................................................27 Ideal maṭha life ................................................................................................................................................................ 30 By the order of Śrī Gurudeva, Śrī Vinoda-bihārī defends the property of his previous āśrama ..........................................................................................................................................31 Hospitality ...........................................................................................................................................................................32 Service to the bṛhad-mṛdaṅga.................................................................................................................................34 Service to Śrī Dhāma Māyāpura .............................................................................................................................35 Ideal service to the spiritual master .....................................................................................................................35 A special contribution to the establishment of Bāgbāzār Gauḍīya Maṭha .....................................38 A Vedāntic explanation of the word paramānanda – supreme bliss ................................................ 40 Śrī Vinoda-bihārī and the Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda Institute ...................................................................43 The title ‘Kṛtiratna’ .........................................................................................................................................................44 Serving the Lord through court proceedings ................................................................................................44 Ideal Vaiṣṇava life ...........................................................................................................................................................46 First meeting with pūjyapāda Śrīdhara Mahārāja ........................................................................................46 Prabhupāda’s opinion of an ideal guru-sevaka ............................................................................................48 The transfer of Śrīla Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja’s samādhi ...............................................49 Preaching of śuddha-bhakti .....................................................................................................................................51 Interest in philosophy ..................................................................................................................................................52 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ĀcĀrya Kesarī Śrī Śrīmad BhaKti PrajñĀna KeŚava GosvĀmī HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS Śrī mahā-mantra and kīrtana ..................................................................................................................................53 Decorated with the title ‘Upadeśaka’ ....................................................................................................................54 His Highness Sir John Anderson, Governor of Bengal, visits Śrī Dhāma Māyāpura ...............55 The inauguration of Śrī Mandira and the deities at Yogapīṭha .............................................................56 Māyāvāda kī Jīvanī .........................................................................................................................................................58 Śrīla Prabhupāda enters aprakaṭa-līlā ................................................................................................................59 Part three: the Ācārya & his mission General superintendent of the Gauḍīya Maṭha and Mission .................................................................65 Obtaining the mercy of Śrīla Vaṁśīdāsa Bābājī Mahārāja ......................................................................65 Foundation of Śrī Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti ..................................................................................................... 68 Complete dependence on Bhagavān ................................................................................................................... 69 Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Mahārāja ......................................................................................................70 Accepting sannyāsa .......................................................................................................................................................71 Preaching in Bengal ......................................................................................................................................................73