The Disappearance Day of Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura

Today is the disappearance day of Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.

Before Prabhupāda, many ācāryas opened many centers in many places, all for the worship of God—Lord Nārāyaṇa and His expansions. But there was no center for Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. The time had come for Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura to open the Gauḍīya Maṭha. Prabhupāda envisioned the Gauḍīya Maṭha being full of students. Maṭhanti vasanti chātrāḥ. Which type of students? Only Gauḍīyas.

He opened two things—the Gauḍīya hospital and the Gauḍīya Maṭha. All conditioned souls have weakness of the heart, false ego, and so many anarthas. Prabhupāda first opened a place for them to receive treatment, to remove anarthas, and free them from false ego. But after treatment, protection and care is necessary. A proper diet and other regulations are needed. Without drinking this nectar one will be very weak. Therefore Prabhupāda opened this special hospital, which he gave the name ‘Gauḍīya Maṭha’.

The meaning of the word gauḍīya is given by Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He explained this with the words of Caitanya-caritāmṛta Ādi-līlā 1.19—

ei tina ṭhākura gauḍīyāke kariyāchena ātmasāt
e tinera caraṇa vandoṅ, tine mora nātha

These three Deities (Madana-mohana, Govinda and Gopīnātha) are situated in Vṛndāvana, and They only accept the Gauḍīyas, no others. This is their promise. Our ācāryas like Rūpa Gosvāmī, Sanātana Gosvāmī, Madhu Paṇḍita, and in modern times, Prabhupāda, opened these centers to give a special opportunity to the jīvas.

Prabhupāda gives all souls the chance to become Gauḍīyas, meaning nearby Rādhārānī, in Vraja-maṇḍala, enrolled for training in Sevā Kuñja. He opened many education centers. What was his first starting class? Daivi varṇāśrama—the science of transcendental varṇa and āśrama. If you come and learn in these centers, you will not get any mundane benefit. For worldly profit, worship God’s expansions. Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura opened this Gauḍīya Maṭha for us to have benefit of the soul.

If anyone comes to this Gauḍīya Maṭha, their ever-swelling fund of sin, mundane piety, and false ego will be terminated. These things will never disturb them again. Ever! Not just in this life, but for millions of lives, they will never be able collect these mundane things if they are in the shelter of the Gauḍīya Maṭha.

In the name of any temple that Prabhupāda opened, he included the words Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha, marking it as a recognized Gauḍīya Maṭha branch-office. Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura started this spiritual research center. It is transcendental. Anyone who comes into contact with Prabhupāda’s society, their nature automatically changes. They no longer run for mundane work and business. They will not be greedy for these things. They will cross material society and enter daivi-varṇāśrama. They will get relation with mantra and mantra devatā. This is svarasik rāga. Then with anurāga, and the guidance of their divine master, they will continue to progress. This relation with Śrī Guru and mantra is permanent. Mundane temporary relation is useless

Simply by coming to these centers, a person can achieve what munis and yogīs fail to get by many years of austerity and penance. By the merciful arrangement of Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, you can cross māyā and develop this sweet relation, which having been received, will never be lost. You will never go back to māyā. You will understand that māyā is very bitter.

Without the help of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī (svarūpa-śakti), the snares of māyā like mundane attachment and attraction can never be crossed. This is impossible.

Our material body and nature are from external illusionary energy of the Lord, but how can we go beyond this conditioned existence? This can happen only by the mercy of svarūpa-śakti. The Gauḍīya Maṭha and its branch-offices are svarūpa-śakti centers. If we don’t have relation with the followers of svarūpa-śakti, no affection or attachment for them, and if we don’t take their shelter, then who will help us? Even after millions of lifetimes of austerity, one cannot cross māyā.

Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura approached Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja for dikṣā. Bābājī Mahārāja used to stay at Surya-kuṇḍa or Rādhā-kuṇḍa. Then later, he went to Navadvīpa-dhāma, Kuliyā Navadvīpa.

Prabhupada did not go to anyone else. He searched the land, and wondered, “Who is the follower of Mahāprabhu and Gaurī. Who is gauḍīya?”

Now what did Prabhupada give? He collected this from Śrīla Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. Kiśorī and Kiśora, and Gaurī and Hari together are Gaurahari. Who is the dāsa of Gaurahari? Gaura Kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja. He knows how to offer anyone who comes near him to Rādhārānī’s lotus feet.

Descending from the eternal world where he is Nayaṇa Mañjari, Prabhupāda came and took dīkṣā-mantra from Śrīla Gaura-kiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja in the purest sense. Dīkṣā means, “I am completely yours, Gurudeva.” To just receive the mantra and run away without any relationship is not actually dīkṣā. Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura had a strong relation with Bābājī Mahārāja. This relation between Śrī Guru and the genuine disciple is permanent.

Bābājī Mahārāja gave him all blessings. Then Prabhupāda opened his center. As soon a person comes to this center, the mercy of svarūpa-śakti, hlādinī-śaktī, begins to work on them.

If a lazy and crazy person came, Prabhupāda would change him and give him service tendency with the power of svarūpa-śakti. The tendency to serve is very important. Without it, people will be hopeless and weak. Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gave this power.

He is addressed by all as ‘Prabhupāda’. He knows how to bring the jīvas to the feet of God. He arranged all facility for us to come close to God and serve Him eternally. Prabhupāda gives this qualification.

Following the desire of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Prabhupāda lived in Māyāpura. His father instructed him, “Collect, reprint and distribute the books of the Gosvāmīs. Open a center for service. There are many jīvas, but how can they learn of the program of bhakti and its rules and regulations.”

Śāstra has instruction, but śāstra does not give direct inspiration. It gives advice, but how can this practically be followed? For practice and practical application, there is the necessity for a center. This is called maṭha. Maṭhanti vasanti chātrāḥ. If anyone joins this maṭha, they will be a student. Prabhupāda opened them to help those students learn and practically apply bhakti in their life.

Many have knowledge of theory and thesis. There are many big so-called ācāryas who give classes on bhakti. Hearing their classes is very sweet to the ears, but they cannot really change the nature, behavior or character of a person.

But what did Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura do? He cleaned people of their anarthas and false ego, and gave them pure knowledge of their relationship with God. He also gave the power to practically apply this knowledge in one’s own life. He did not look at one’s caste or gender. He did not care if a person was young or old. He gave an opportunity to everyone who came.

If you take mantra from a so-called Guru or Ācārya, how can you make relation with the mantra as it is? So-called siddha-praṇālī is given by the Sahajiyā Bābājīs, but their followers don’t actually change. They take tobacco, smoke, drink alcohol, tea and many other things. They are not servants of God, rather they are the servants of their senses.

Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura did not give anyone an opportunity for serving their senses. When he gave dīkṣā and mantra, he cut off their relation with the senses. He made them understand that the senses are for God’s service. How could they continuously serve God and never lose their energy and enthusiasm? Therefore Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura collected this power from svarūpa-śakti and distributed this.

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said, “Preaching is necessary. You should preach everywhere. Don’t be selfish. You know many things, but if you don’t distribute it, if you are a miser, then God will not be happy. Don’t be lazy. Go to everyone and distribute this news. Then Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s movement will spread everywhere. People preach everywhere to steal and cheat everyone, but you should go and bring them all to God, and their eternal home. Give them this news of their permanent address and family. How can they come home? Arrange all this.

“You are not alone. Devotees are never alone. God’s family is very big. If one has no relation with them, then one can’t understand this. If someone has relation with God, then he will see how big God’s family is.”

Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura continued. “All jīvas are like flowers. Bimalā Prasāda, Siddhānta Sarasvati, like a gardener you must collect flowers, and make garlands for offering to Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. She will then offer these garlands of jīvas to Kṛṣṇa. This is necessary. Otherwise Kṛṣṇa will not be pleased. Flowers will blossom, but if the flowers are not collected and taken care of, they will dry out and fall, or be destroyed. In this world, there are many nice souls who have come, and they have the desire for service. But alone they have no strength. Ekākī āmāra, nāhi pāya bala, harināma-saṅkīrtane. Alone they wander here and there. Collect them, and offer them to Rādhārānī.”

Then Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura started his program.

Mahāprabhu had started this. He closed the doors of Śrīvāsa-aṅgana and with his party and followers He practiced harināma-saṅkīrtana.

If Śrī Gurudeva gives you mantra and dīkṣā, but you do not cultivate your relation with the mantra and the mantra devatā, you will try chant it for a few minutes but feel disinterest. Day and night you will chant other mantras and other names. You will accept many people as gurus, as they advise you, “Follow me! Follow me!”

They don’t tell you to chant guru-mantra. They don’t tell frankly and don’t give an opportunity to chant. They tell, “Follow me. This is your service, this is your mantra. Work for me 8 or 10 hours. Don’t waste time chanting the mantra given by Gurudeva.”

When Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī were working in their government posts in Rāma Keli, they did not spend so much time working; rather they chanted mantra. They knew that by chanting mantra, they could have darshan of their mantra devatā and be accepted by him.

Mahāprabhu came Himself to Rāma Keli. He took sannyāsa and was in Jagannātha Purī. He had the desire to go to Vṛndāvana, but Rūpa and Sanātana were chanting so strongly in Rāma Keli that Mahāprabhu had to come and gave them His darshan.

When they met Mahāprabhu, He instructed them saying, “Enough of this government service! Go to Vṛndāvana where Govinda and Gopinātha are waiting for you. The holy dhāma is waiting for you.”

It is necessary to have a relation with the mantra devatā. If he doesn’t come and meet with us, then everything we have or do is useless.

Prabhupāda now started his vrata to chant one hundred crores of harināma.

Now, we take dikṣā from one guru and follow someone else. Now our śikṣā-gurus tell, “How long will you chant and read? How long will you do parikramā? No. Do this, do that. Do everything. This is your guru-mantra.”

But what was Prabhupāda’s desire? First I will practice the mantra given by Gurudeva. Prabhupāda followed Nāmācārya Haridāsa Ṭhākura. First harināma, and after that any other nāma.

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-
smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya
tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī
kālaṁ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

Upadeśāmṛṭa Verse 8

“While living in Vraja as a follower of the eternal residents of Vraja, who possess inherent spontaneous love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one should utilize all his time by sequentially engaging the tongue and the mind in meticulous chanting and remembrance of Kṛṣṇa’s names, form, qualities and pastimes. This is the essence of all instruction.”

The meaning is clear. Sukīrtanānu. If I can’t continuously chant harināma and mantra, then I am neglecting mantra and the mantra devatā. I chant other names and have desire for other services. My brain works day and night thinking of other things. But I have no time for chanting. Others don’t give me the chance. Then, are these others my friends or enemies?

Prabhupāda says, “They are rascals. If they cause me to forget harināma then they are my enemies, and I must not keep any relation with them. They are asat-sāṅga. They take me away from harināma and mantra.”

Therefore Prabhupāda stopped talking, or meeting with anyone, and sat in a small straw hut on the bank of the Gaṅgā. He bathed in the Gaṅgā in the early morning. Wearing the same one cloth all the while, he sat and continuously chanted.

God’s nāma, rūpa, guṇa and līlā, and guṇa will be my property. Other persons’ nāma, rūpa, guṇa and līlā will not be my property. Others’ orders are not my wealth and others’ advice is not my food. Avoid these things in this way and then you can start su-kīrtanānū.

Krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya. First, engage your tongue and mind. If you don’t chant harināma with your tongue, but only chant others’ names such as Ulli, Billi, donkey, monkey, then you will forget Kṛṣṇa’s name. First correct your tongue, and then your mind.

Then tiṣṭhan vraje. Don’t stay in any other place. Your conviction must be, “I will continuously be in Vraja-maṇḍala and nowhere else. I will have no more desire for recreation, enjoyment, or business. I have squandered billions of lives in these things. This life I am a Guaḍīya. I am a follower of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī, svarūpa-śakti. If it is not in the interest of Her service, I will not talk or meet with anyone.”

This is called niṣṭhā, firm faith. When you have niṣṭhā then over world power love will come. Then you can be called a disciple. To be a disciple is to follow discipline. Otherwise you are not a disciple at all, you are nothing. You are a bogus imitation—a disciple of māyā, running here and there only for enjoyment, like dogs.

Therefore, Prabhupāda performed strong practice. He followed his nāma vrata continuously for or many years, chanting day and night nonstop. Now, even while sleeping, his harināma would continue.

etāvān eva loke ‘smin
puṁsāṁ dharmaḥ paraḥ smṛtaḥ
bhakti-yogo bhagavati
tan-nāma-grahaṇādibhiḥ

Śrīmad-bhāgavatam 6.3.22

“Only the worship of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa performed through nāma-saṅkīrtana is called bhakti-yoga. This alone is the supreme dharma, occupation, for the living entities.”

In the end, Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu came to him and said, “Oh Bimalā Prasāda, do not sit here any longer. Go and help all jīvas. Inspire them to serve God. Give them His love and affection, which they have lost and misused. Bring them back and offer them to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa.”

Prabhupāda is called, Vārṣabhānavī dayitā dāsa.

mādhuryojjvala-premāḍhya-śrī-rūpānuga-bhakti-da
śrī-gaura-karuṇā-śakti-vigrahāya namo’stu te

“Again and again I offer obeisances unto Śrīla Bhaktisiddānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, who is the mercy incarnate of Śrī Gaurāṇga Mahāprabhu (who descended upon the earth to bestow ujjvala-mādhurya-rasa, full conjugal prema), and who is the embodiment of the line of śrī rūpānuga-bhakti.”

“Distribute this transcendental rasa.” Gaura-Nitāi ordered. “Then they will have no more desire to taste mundane rasa. They will not run here and there like animals. Now call and bring everyone.”

After this, Prabhupāda started his mission in pursuance of the orders Nityānanda Prabhu, Mahāprabhu, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. Without having to wait long, many began coming to him. Who came? Vinoda Bihārī Brahmacārī, Paramānanda Prabhu, and Narahari Sevā Vigraha Prabhu, and following them thousands came one after the other. The family of Mahāprabhu came.

They took this message of Prabhupāda Sarasvatī Ṭhākura who is Vārṣabhānavī dayitā dāsa, the very expansion of svarūpa-śakti, and set out to distribute it. They did not take any pay or contract. Some people demand a contract of hari-kathā, prasādam and travel fare. But Prabhupāda said, “No, we will not distribute by any ordinary contract. Our contract is only faith.

śraddhāvān jana haya bhakti-adhikārī

Only those who have faith are eligible to perform bhakti.

If anyone has even a small desire to accept, and a just little bit of faith, that is enough. How can faith come? How can it increase? Therefore they first gave mahā-prasāda, and then sweet advice and association. They had love and affection. They hated no one. They offered obeisance to anyone they met. Anyone who came near them, immediately received pure advice, in the form of hari-kathā and the words of Guru-pāda-padma.

Prabhupāda gave classes and this was printed in magazines such as Dainika Gauḍīya Prakāśa. The Bṛhad-mṛdaṅga printing was constantly running and many publications came out daily, weekly, fortnightly, and monthly. They did not have a facility like offset printing that we now have. At that time they had to do it all by hand. But those servants of Prabhupāda collected his every word and distributed to the world. This is necessary.

Realized souls are nivṛtta-tarṣair.

nivṛtta-tarṣair upagīyamānād
bhavauṣadhāc chrotra-mano-’bhiramāt
ka uttamaśloka-guṇānuvādāt
pumān virajyeta vinā paśughnāt

Śrīmad-bhāgavatam 10.1.4

Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parikṣit, “Glorification of Uttamaśloka Śrī Kṛṣṇa is performed in the paramparā system; that is, it is conveyed from spiritual master to disciple. Such glorification is relished by those no longer interested in the false, temporary glorification of this material manifestation. Descriptions of the Lord are the right medicine for the conditioned soul undergoing repeated birth and death. Therefore, who will cease hearing such glorification of the Lord except a butcher or one who is killing his own self?”

They have no relation or attachment to their senses, family, or anything. They are free from anarthas and related to God. They are equipped with the medicine that cures all anarthas. If a conditioned soul takes even one drop of this medicine then, having been purified they come nearby Prabhupāda who then offers them in the service of God. This is called siddha-praṇālī.

Now people are hopeless and weak. Why? They have no realization. They have no relation with mantra. They are not chanting Gāyatrī. They only have relation with their anarthas. They always think, “How much praṇāmī, donation, has come to me? How many temples do I have? How much opulence has come?” But how can these anarthas help them. Therefore all is lost.

Now there is no more time. In the evening, come at five, and there will be another class.
Tad-anurāgi-janānugāmī

 

Following in the footsteps of Bhakta-bāndhav Śrīla Gurudeva,
Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja

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Verse translations from Gaudiya Vedanta Publications. Used with permission

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