Vaisnava biographies

“We are in the party of the most worshipful Śrīmatī Rādhikā, and our special sevā is to arrange for Her meeting with Kṛṣṇa. On one occasion, Śrī Kṛṣṇa went to meet with Candrāvalī in her kuñja. Rādhā’s sakhīs made up some excuse to extricate Him from there, and they brought Him to Śrī Rādhājī’s kuñja at Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa. There, in front of Kuñjeśvarī Śrīmatī Rādhikā He was made to write, ‘I am the servant of Rādhājī. I will never leave Rādhājī and go elsewhere.’ Then He had to sign this declaration. A few days later, though, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, compelled by His nature, neglected His promise and again went to Candrāvalī’s kuñja. Rādhā’s sakhīs, seeing that Śrī Kṛṣṇa was so opposed to Śrī Vṛndāvaneśvarī Rādhikā, filed a court-case against Him.

Guru-sevaka Śrī Vinodabihārī Brahmacārī, the foremost amongst the disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda, later became well-known by the name Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti-prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and he preached the words of Śrī Gaurasundara all over the world, fulfilling Śrīla Prabhupāda’s manobhīṣṭa (inner desire). (Some Vaiṣṇavas say that the incident at Kuliyā was an excuse for Śrīla Prabhupāda to give his dear disciple the tridaṇḍa sannyāsa dress, even though his sannyāsa ceremony was held later in Kaṭvā, after Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disappearance.) For such guru-sevā, Śrī Vinoda-bihārī Brahmacārī’s name will be written in gold in the annals of the Sārasvata Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas.

In accordance with the needs of the times and for the welfare of the world, the supremely merciful Sri Bhagavan and His dear associates descend, bringing the gifts of their instructions. They drive far away all godless persons, whose atheistic thoughts are averse to dharma, and they establish sanatana dharma in the form of suddha-bhakti, which is the means for the eternal welfare of the jivas. In the present yuga with its powerful influence of Kali, Sri Gaurasundara, the munificent incarnation of Kali-yuga, saves the fallen souls by bestowing prema (love of God) which had not been given previously. His followers, who are themselves in the line of Sri Svarupa Damodara and Rupa Gosvami, have appeared on this earth as Sri Gaurasundara’s potencies in the form of acaryas. They appear in order to immerse the ignorant jivas, who are intoxicated by materialism, in suddha prema-dharma (pure love of God).

It is said that the grandfather is much more affectionate than the father. We surrender at the lotus feet of Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, whose preaching has helped to save us from a dark destiny and to bring us towards the light. We humbly pray that he will bless our very feeble efforts to serve his beloved disciple Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, his dear Godbrother and sannyasa disciple Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja, and our whole Gaudiya vaisnava parampara.