Srila Gurudeva:
When our Guru Maharaj was young there were five brothers, like the Pandavas. Yudisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva. Our Guru Maharaja was in his childhood like Bhima. He was strong and he was so beautiful that he was called Jyotsna, meaning like the rays of the moon. He was so intelligent and was so beloved of both his mother and father.
His elder brother, later known as Audolomi Maharaja, was very intelligent, a very learned person, but he used to honor our Gurudeva like he was his siksa Gurudeva, even though our Gurudeva was younger. Guru Maharaja caught hold of him and brought him to the matha of his Gurudeva and he made him the disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and he also told him to take the renounced order from him. So even though he was older he always respected and honored our Gurudeva.
Our Guru Maharaj was so siddhanta-vid, that all used to fear him and they had great respect for our Gurudeva. Though Pujyapad Sridhara Maharaja gave him sannyasa, our Gurudeva was senior in coming to the matha. Gurudeva went to the matha of Prabhupada in 1916 and took first initiation. He took second initiation in 1919 and then became a brahmacheri in the matha.
Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja and all came later on. Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaj took initiation in 1922 and second initiation after some years, and he took sannyasa from my Gurudeva in 1959, after me. I took sannyasa in 1954 and I requested him, Svamiji, repeatedly, to take the renounced order.
Our Guru Maharaja also requested him, they were godbrothers and bosom friends, so our Guru Maharaja told him that, “You are very learned and preach so well, then why not take sannyasa? Your wife and children have rejected you and given you in the dustbin. Why are you attached now? You have not come for these things.”
Then he was so much inspired and he took sannyasa in Mathura, in Kesavaji Gaudiya matha.
So Audolomi Maharaj, though he was elder in age but he used to honor and respect our Gurudeva like his siksa guru. He used to do parikrama of my Gurudeva, I have seen. Not only he, but Pujyapad Sridhara Maharaja was telling to us, when I went once, that when he was admitted in law college, he once wanted to see how is Mayapur and the Caitanya Matha of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He came to visit and at that time he was not a disciple.
He came to the Caitanya Matha and he saw that there is a boy there, aged about 20 or 21, who was very, very beautiful, very smooth, very gentleman like, wearing white silk dress, having a stick in his hand, sitting on the chair, keeping his legs on the table and doing like this…[Gurudeva motions that Param Gurudeva’s feet were swaying on the table and all the devotees laugh] and he seemed to be thinking about something, and a very big and renounced sannyasi came and did pranam on the earth to that brahmachari Vinod Bihari, who was dressed like a gentleman, very well decorated.
The sannyasi asked Vinoda brahmachari something, who then replied and then the sannyasi again did pranam and went away. Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja was telling that at that time he thought, “Who is this young devotee that even such big, big sannyasis are doing pranama and he is just sitting there like that and ordering all. Who is he?”
He wanted to know and they told him, “Oh you don’t know, this is Vinoda Bihari, he is the manager of all Mayapur and he has controlled all the mahajanas there. In one day he turned the Mohammedans graveyard into the Caitanya Matha. Tulasi plants, mango trees and rose plants were planted in one night.
He seems like a very young devotee but he is very dangerous and very powerful. If he will order, then hundreds of brahmacaris will follow him. His siddhanta is so high that he is called the Vedanta Acarya of the whole Mayapura Matha. Prabhupada has given all his books to him, thinking that he is the most qualified to learn all these things, such as the Vedanta of Madhva, Sankaracarya, and all other kinds of Vedanta.”
So then he was called Vedanta Acarya. After Prabhupada left all the devotees were upset not knowing what to do. As it was after the disappearance of Svamiji, some returned to their homes, some stayed, but not doing anything, some went here and there, divided. About 80% left. In the same way when Prabhupada went all were upset, some returned home, or became so weak.
Guru Maharaja again established monthly magazines and gave sannyasa to some. He re-established the Navadwipa parikrama and all things and then again a spirit came in all. Then Pujyapada Audolomi Maharaj, Pujyapada Bon Maharaj, Tirtha Maharaj, Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja and all, began to preach and that is why I think that Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada called Svami Maharaj to our Gurudeva to take the renounced order and after he took, he went to all the Western countries and preached in a very short time everywhere.
So this is our God family or the family of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. We should never forget all these things.
Vyasa-puja is not the puja of just any guru but is the puja of all our acaryas and Krsna is the founder acarya of all, jagat guru, as Nityananda Prabhu did to Caitanya Mahaprabhu.