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App Ann. of Srila Srivasa Thakura Disapp Ann. HH Sridhar Swami
Today marks the most auspicious anniversary appearance of Srila Srivasa Pandit or also known as Srila Srivasa Thakura and it also coincides with the anniversary disappearance of one of our Commanders in Srila Prabhupada's army - Srila Prabhupada is our General - Srila Sridhara Swami. App Ann. of Srila Srivasa Thakura Disapp Ann. HH Sridhar Swami582 Views / EMail This Post / Print This Post / Home » App Ann. of Srila Srivasa Thakura Disapp Ann. HH Sridhar Swami
Today marks the most auspicious anniversary appearance of Srila Srivasa Pandit or also known as Srila Srivasa Thakura and it also coincides with the anniversary disappearance of one of our Commanders in Srila Prabhupada’s army - Srila Prabhupada is our General - Srila Sridhara Swami. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Adi Lili chapter 7, entitled, Lord Caitanya in Five features, text 15 ei tina tattva, — ’sarvaradhya’ kari mani caturtha ye bhakta-tattva, — ‘aradhaka’ jani [Adi 7.15] TRANSLATION: The three predominators [Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu and PURPORT: In his Anubhasya, Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, describing the truth about the Panca-tattva, explains that we should understand that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the supreme predominator and that Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu are His subordinates but are also predominators. Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Supreme Lord, and Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu are manifestations of the Supreme Lord. All of Them are visnu-tattva, the Supreme, and are therefore worshipable by the living entities. Although the other two tattvas within the category of Panca-tattva srivasadi yata koti koti bhakta-gana ’suddha-bhakta’-tattva-madhye tan-sabara ganana [Adi 7.16] TRANSLATION: There are innumerable pure devotees of the Lord, headed by Srivasa Thakura, who are known as unalloyed devotees. HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami: Srila Prabhupada said that Srila Narada Muni is a perfect brahmacari because his sole purpose is pure devotional service and to distribute pure devotional service. But Srila Narada Muni gave up his brahmacari life and he entered into household life as Srila Srivasa Thakura. So why did he do such a thing? Just like the gopis of Vrindavan gave up their chastity and they ran to Vamsivata to associate with Krishna consciousness is not about moral, social or ethical values of life. We have to transcend dharma to actually enter into real dharma, the eternal identity of the spirit soul. Therefore just as the gopis gave up their chastity and ran to Vamsivata when Krishna played His flute, similarly Narada Muni gave up his brahmacari vows for Vraja-bhakti, to enter into devotional service in terms of the love of the gopis for Krishna. That is the appearance of Srivasa Thakura. Acc to Narada Purana (2.80.9-32), Skanda Purana (2.6.2-3), & Padma Purana In other words from His vantage point(like a map-view) he can see anywhere and everywhere whenever he likes. When he came over Vrajamandala he could not see, although he is an accomplished yogi himself. He is full of mysticism. Although he is trikala-jna - he knows everything, but when he came above Vraja he was completely bewildered. He couldn’t see. Therefore he had to ground himself. In Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 51, Srila Prabhupada says that when Narada Muni came to the Bhandiravana forest, he saw in one of the trees the famous parrot couple that always accompanies Lord Krsna. The parrots were imitating a discussion they had heard upon the Vedanta philosophy, and thus were seemingly arguing upon various philosophical points. Narada Muni was wonderstruck and he stared at the parrots without moving his eyelids. This is an example of anurasa, or imitation. Then the two parrots got into an argument. They got into such a heated argument that Narada Muni was trying to intervene and say, “Don’t fight.” But they were not interested in seeing him or neither hearing him. Then he said to himself, “Who are these parrots? They are absorbed in their own consciousness and they cannot see me and I am Narada Muni and I am grounded and I had to see up!” So in other words he lost all his mysticism as a traveling transcendental spaceman. In the heated discussion the two parrots got into some argument about gramya-katha. That gramya-katha means they reduced the philosophy to say that, “We cannot understand.” Narada Muni said, “These parrots are bewildering me.” And the parrots started to speak about how so many young girls are running after one boy. Immediately Narada Muni tried to close his ears. He said, “Hearing this will make me break my brahmacari vows.” But he couldn’t. He was already contaminated. From there he wandered through many forests trying to forget what he heard. But the more he tries to forget, the more he remembers. It is paradoxical. The more he forgets, the more he remembers. So with great intensity he ran through every kunja feeling, “The only person who can resolve this is this Syamasundara.” And he started looking for Him, looking for Him, looking for Him. So that is the feature of the mood of the six Goswamis, he radhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-suno kutah [SVA 1: Sri Sri Sad-gosvamy-astaka (krsnotkirtana-gana-nartana-parau)] Nanda-suno - “O Beloved of Nanda Maharaja, where are You, where are You? Are You at Govardhan? Are You there, here and everywhere?” He was doing that. So he was becoming purified by hearing from the eternal associates or the Lord, these two parrots. So he became purified by their association and he took on the mood of vipralambha-bhava of separation from Krishna. But there is a difference. He did not meet Syamasundara so how can he feel separation? So this type of vipralambha indicates that he is feeling separation by eagerness to meet him for the first time. It is a different type of vipralambha. It is not the vipralambha of the eternal associates of the Lord where they meet (sambhoga) and then vipralambha, separation is there. Narada Muni became contaminated by anurasa. That means when these parrots were imitating a philosophical discussion and started speaking of gramya-katha, about how so many girls are fighting over one boy. He became contaminated simply by the imitation of the parrots of Vrindavan. So it is called anurasa. Imagine if he gets the real thing! Therefore it is vipralambha-bhava, not with first meeting Krishna, because he is only getting an abhasa or shadow of the reflective consciousness of the eternal residents of Vrndavana. So Narada Muni became completely disturbed that, “I need to see this boy!” So he performed tapasya to please Lord Narada Muni meditated and meditated and meditated through austerity, not even drinking water. He was not interested in doing any other activity except the eagerness and earnest desire to get Krishna, Syamasundara Krishna. So at the time, in that particular area, one little girl came with her friends. Prior to this her mother said, “I noticed in this area one Baba is there. You go and see what he needs because he has been there for weeks and months but he is going on without eating. He is always sitting one place. So you go and see.” She went to Narada Muni and Narada Muni could understand that somebody is around by the tinkling of the ankle bells. So he felt, “My meditation has been broken by some simple tinkling of ankle bells. That must be more powerful than my meditation.” So he opened his eyes and he saw the leader of these girls. When he saw the leader of these girls she entered into his consciousness and he broke his brahmacari vows for the second time. Immediately he tried to compose himself and closed his eyes and go into internal meditation and when he went back into internal meditation he became agitated by the impression, samskara of that little girl. It was in his consciousness. Just like sometimes when we are disturbed, when we try to chant with attention, but we remember more the person or the situation that disturbed us rather than hearing the mantra. So the same thing happened to Narada Muni. He was trying to chant the mantra given to him by Lord Siva but it was not working because he was disturbed by the impression or samskara of that girl. So he pretended he was chanting and slowly he started opening his eyes a little bit and he saw the girls were still there. Then the leader of the girls said, “Baba my mother sent me. What do you need for your prasada?” So Narada Muni opened his eyes fully. He was not interested in the prasad. He was getting darsan. He said, “How is it I am meditating and now I have come to you and you are the result of my meditation?” So then he explained himself. So the little girl said, “Oh you want to see this Syamasundara?” Narada Muni said, “Yes. Can you show me?” “Oh yes. I will show you. I know this boy. I will show you.” And she said, “Follow me.” Narada Muni said, “I am brahmacari. If somebody sees me in this forest following young girl.” Meanwhile her friends went away. “And you are alone now. Problem!” The girl said, “This is Puspavan. You are a Baba. You are a great sage so therefore how can I cheat you? You will curse me. I don’t want that. So I will go forward and then you come but you must keep distance in such a way that you can see me but I cannot see you.” He said, “How? What if you run away? How will I know?” She said, “Ankle bells tinkling.” So they came to a clearing where they saw a massive kunda. It was as if the waters were overflowing the banks of the kunda, big lake that was flowing so beautifully. So she was sitting on the banks and she said, “Baba come.” Narada Muni looks this side and that. Nobody is around so then he comes closer. And then she says, “Closer, closer, closer, closer, closer.” He said, “I have already broken my brahmacari vow so many times. Now it is a problem.” She said, “Come sit right next to me now.” Narada Muni was saying, “No”, but he was going nearer because he is eager. “No.” But he is going near. So immediately when Narada Muni comes close this little girl stands up. He sits down and she pushes him in the lake with her hands. When he goes in the lake he becomes completely submerged and he comes out. When he comes out he sees, “Am I a he or a she?” So he sees that his body has become the form of a little girl and then this little girl laughs at him. “You are not Narada. You are Naradi.” [Laughter.] So Narada has become gopi Naradi, little girl. Internally he is Narada Muni and external he is looking, “How is this. This has completely broken all my brahmacari vows. Now I have become one of them. I have become a girl!” Then this other little girl takes Naradi, he/she - he inside but she outside to another kunda and says, “You sit here. He will come.” And he is embarrassed that he is being instructed by a So she, Naradi is about to go into the water and this other gopi says, “No. You cannot. You stay here. You cannot go.” She(Naradi) says, “Why?” This little gopi said, “You only said you want to see. You want to witness but you cannot participate.” So Naradi is feeling, “Oh I have come so far and I am so near yet I am still so far. In other words I am so near yet I am so far. What is this?” And Naradi became angry. This other gopis said, “You cannot be angry. It is not good for you. This is kama. This is lust.” So Naradi had to compose himself internally and herself externally. Immediately when Naradi became angry and he looked again, because anger means you get bewildered, you get blinded - then she Naradi composed herself again externally and she sees that everything has disappeared. Then Syamasundara spoke to Narada(in the form of Naradi), “You go back and as Naradi, in that consciousness you write what you saw.” So this other little girl brought Naradi to this huge lake where Narada was transformed into a little girl and she said, ” Nobody will say anything. Just sit next to me now. You are gopi Naradi and if anyone sees us we are two little girls on the bank.” So while this other girl was speaking to Naradi, bewildering Naradi, she pushed her(Naradi) into the lake again. Coming out of lake, Naradi transformed back into Narada Muni and there was no one to be seen around. That area is called Puspavana. That main lake in Puspavan is called Kusuma Sarovara and those twin lakes that Naradi went to with that little gopi, her name is Vrndadevi, who took Narada as Naradi and those twin lakes are Radhakunda and Symakunda. Narada Muni felt, “I cannot stay here, it is too much!”. So he entered deep into the forest and that area today you can go to is called Naradavana. He bathed there, not to be purified from all these samskaras, but he bathed there to get that darsan again, internally. So that is called Naradakunda. You can go there today. There is a little temple and therein there is a beautiful deity of Narada Muni, in Naradavana, not very far from Kusuma Sarovara. There he followed Syamasundara’s verbal instructions and he wrote the bhakti-sastras. The principle bhakti-sastra that he wrote there is called Narada-bhakti-sutra, which is printed by our BBT. In Narada-bhakti-sutra, Narada Muni says in text 19, naradas tu tad-arpitakhilacarata tad-vismarane parama-vyakulateti Narada, however, says that bhakti consists of offering one’s every act to the Supreme Lord and feeling extreme distress in forgetting Him. [NBS 19] yatha vraja-gopikanam The cowherd women of Vraja are an example of pure bhakti. [NBS 21] And in the purport it is stated that the topmost devotees of all are the gopis of Vraja. So why is he writing these bhakti-sastras like Narada-bhakti-sutra? He is writing in vipralambha bhava because he could not participate. And because he could not participate he was writing in separation and he was craving to participate in So that craving to enter into Radha Krishna lila is the form of Srila Srivasa Thakura. And He does enter. So we find that Narada Muni is a brahmacari eternally and Srivasa Thakur is a householder. Narada Muni is the musician with vina and in the courtyard of Srivasangan, just up the road from our Mayapur Temple, here this sankirtana movement was in full swing of Srivasa Thakur had a younger brother named Sri Rama Pandita and he is an incarnation of Parvata Muni who is the eternal associate and accompanying friend of Narada Muni. Srivasa Thakura’s wife’s name is Malini and she is an incarnation of Syamasundara’s nurse named Ambika who fed Syamasundara personally with her breast milk. Srivasa Thakur had one niece. Her name is Narayani and immediately Mahaprabhu in His ecstasy said, “Chant the holy name.” And when she chanted she could not stop and she was dancing in ecstasy. And the ecstatic feature of Narayani became Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakur, her son. Therefore we know that Srila Vrindavan dasa Thakura, has written so much lila about the Panca-tattva Themselves. So we can understand that after Lord Caitanya’s accepting of sannyasa Srivasa Pandit left Navadvip and he went to another area called Kumarahatta and Mahaprabhu personally visited him there in Kumarahatta. It is not very far from our Mayapur Temple. Srila Gadadhara is Radharani in separation from jaya jaya srivasadi gaura-bhakta-gana [Adi 9.3] but at the same time when we say, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda And that ‘vrnda’ is the form of Vrndadevi who contaminated Narada Muni with gopi bhava in separation from Krishna although not participating - gaura-bhakta-vrnda. Therefore ’srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda’ That Srivasa is that person who heads up all the devotees of Lord Caitanya, Gaura-bhakta. So practically our general in the Panca-tattva is Srivasa Thakura. Therefore ’srivasadi’, adi indicates all others. And who are they? Those devotees of Lord Caitanya headed up by Srivasa Thakura, ‘gaura-bhakta-gana or gaura-bhakti-vrnda.’ So what he wants to do with us? What he wants us to do with him? It is that we have to enter into Vrnda - Vrindavana. Therefore it says all glories to the devotees of Lord Caitanya headed up by Srivasa Thakur. So we are in his line fully. There is another verse: jaya jaya srivasadi yata bhakta-gana pranata ha-iya vandon sabara carana Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Srivasa Thakura and all the other devotees of the Lord. I fall down to offer them respect. I worship their lotus feet. [Adi 8.4] There in the purport Srila Prabhupada says, “Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami teaches us first to offer respect to the Panca-tattva — Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. At the beginning of every function in preaching, especially before chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra - Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare — we must chant the Panca-tattva’s names and offer our respects to them.” Sometimes I see that devotees only chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra for long hours but they actually forget to chant the Panca-tattva mantra. This is an instruction from our founder acarya. You can see it in CC, Adi 8.4. There is a very interesting thing. When you see the Panca-tattva on the altar what is Srivasa Thakura doing? Is he facing Lord Caitanya? Who is he facing? All of us! Why? Because he feels that he is not worthy to be a member of the Panca-tattva, at the same time he feels that he is not worthy to be called a devotee. Therefore he is praying - that is another meaning of srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. That means, “I am heading up all of you for you to give me your mercy to some day become a devotee.” So if he is heading up all the devotees srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda what does it mean? It means that we have to get his consciousness because he is heading up all the devotees. But he is saying, “I am heading you all up because I am praying to you that someday I will become a devotee by your mercy.” trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih [Cc. Adi 17.31] So that is one meaning. Another meaning when he prays to all the devotees in front he says, “I am begging you. You please come to the lotus feet of Gadadhara, Mahaprabhu, Nityananda and Advaita. You please come to them. You go first and until all of you go first then I will follow. That is how I am qualified to come last.” So he is begging. So srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda, this is the consciousness. Therefore he is the personification of humility, trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna. Why is this so important? When we chant the Panca-tattva mantra, jaya sri-krsna-caitanya, what does it begin with? Sri-krsna-caitanya. It is implicit that the devotees are there. Krishna Caitanya is a devotee and how does it end? Gaura-bhakta-vrnda. The devotees are there at the beginning and at the end and everything else is Visnu-tattva expansions and rasa in the sandwich. You cannot just eat dry bread. What makes the two slices relishable is the filling, paneer or some subji. But the devotees sandwich that. Mahaprabhu Himself becomes that and the devotees headed up by Srivasa Thakur. So when we chant: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. The mantra begins with Hare and it ends with Hare - again devotees, gaura-bhakta-vrnda. When we chant the prema dhvani prayers, jaya om visnupada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri-srimad His Divine Grace Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki jaya. And next is ananta koti vaisnava vrnda ki jaya. And how does it end? Samaveta bhakta-vrnda ki jaya. How many times is “all glories to the assembled devotees”? Three times. And who are those devotees? Those devotees are those devotees who live with you in your immediate community. That is what it means. Not that ananta koti vaisnava vrnda ki jaya is devotees who visit us. No. They are there with you. So this is srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. One such devotee who lived in our midst’s and still lives in separation and in lila in our midst’s is HH Sridhar Swami Maharaj. When at that time Sridhar Das brahmacari, Prthu-putra Das brahmacari and Lokantha Das brahmacari accepted sannyasa from Srila Prabhupada in Vrndavana, they went to Srila Prabhupada’s quarters to ask for blessings and direction. Srila Prabhupada did not give them the name Swami in the yajna. He just gave them sannyasa danda. He didn’t say this is your name. So they were thinking, “Prabhupada forgot to give us the name Swami.” So they asked Prabhupada the first question, “Prabhupada we didn’t get our names.” He said, “Just add Swami.” In his room, “So Lokanath Swami, Sridhar Swami and Prthu-putra Swami. Just add Swami”. So then they asked, “Give us some blessings and direction.” And Prabhupada said, “You have to do four things without duplicity. That is sannyasa.” They said, “Four things without duplicity?” Without duplicity means what you are inside you are the same outside. So therefore a sadhu’s life is an open book. Nothing to hide! There is nothing under the carpet, no dirt and there is nothing in the closet. If there is any dirt, “This is me.” Expose yourself without duplicity. “This is me as I am. Please help me.” So then they asked, “What are the four things?” So Srila Prabhupada said, “man-mana bhava mad-bhakto is the first thing. Mad-yaji mam namaskuru is the second thing, mam evaisyasi satyam te is number three and pratijane priyo ’si me is fourth.” [Sanskrit from Bg So I asked HH Lokanath Swami, “What does it mean?” He said, “The only way you can be without duplicity is to not be duplicitous with the devotees. That is what Srila Prabhupada actually meant.” And HH Sridhara Swami Maharaj was like that. He would call a spade a spade and he said, “You can call me also, like a spade is a spade”. He was inside the same and outside the same. His life was an open book. If he wanted to eat pizza in a public place he would do it. “Why should I hide and eat?” he loved pizzas. “Why should I hide and eat pizzas? I am a sannyasi. I should be open.” He was like that. Wonderful personality. So it is most auspicious that HH Sridhara Swami left on the most auspicious anniversary appearance day of Srila Srivasa Thakura, in the most auspicious place, Sridhama Mayapur. When Sridhara dasa brahmacari was serving Srila Prabhupada in Juhu, When the news came that Srila Prabhupada wanted him to do that, HH Giriraj Swami went to HH Sridhar Swami and he said that Srila Prabhupada wants you to look after the construction materials. He said, “Why me? I want to preach. You go back to Srila Prabhupada and you tell him that.” So back and forth Giriraj Swami was going to Prabhupada and Sridhar Swami. “He wants you to do this.” “No I want to preach.” Then eventually Srila Prabhupada seeing his determination to preach gave him sannyasa. And we see that his desire to preach was without duplicity and he became one of the best preachers practically in India and the whole world. He spent considerable time here in India itself. At one time HH Sridhar Swami joked about the zonal acarya system, So he joked, “If they make me guru, I will only take three disciples.” And he joked, “One to cook, one to do my laundry and one to collect money for me.” He said, “Why should I take many? I only need three. That is all.” So here in this Room 851 in the Conch Building, where he left us in his manifest pastimes, the doctor came to him and his stomach was quite bloated. So the doctor was examining him and he was feeling his stomach to asses the situation. While he was doing that he was watching HH Sridhar Swami’s face and Sridhar Swami slowly opens his eyes and he looked at the doctor and said, “You know it’s a boy!”[Laughter.] Because his stomach was swollen. Amazing personality. In the most grave situation he could joke. He just cracked up. Therefore he is known as the Jolly Swami. He told HH Giriraj Swami on the phone when he was still considering what to do now that it was eminent that he has to leave. And he said, “You know I only have three desires. Everything else is fulfilled. I just want to survive to want to be in Mayapur. And then survive to see the installation of the Panca-tattva. And therafter, if Krishna wills I should leave after Gaura-purnima.” Lord Krishna, Lord Caitanya and the Panca-tattva fulfilled all three desires. He lived beyond Gaura-purnima for the installation of the Panca-tattva and Srivasa Thakur was One of Them. So Krishna fulfilled all three desires. Therefore we see in the same way when one disciple asked Srila Prabhupada in his last days, “Srila Prabhupada, your Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, he left early because he was disgusted with the leadership of the Gaudiya Math. Is this the same with you, is it true of you now? That you are leaving us?” And Srila Prabhupada said, “No! If Krishna allows I will be most happy to stay in your company. In fact you all are the best association.” And that includes great personalities like HH Sridhar Swami Maharaj and that also includes all of us even as grand disciples or great grand disciples. Srila Prabhupada is eager for our association. And how is he eager for our association? Provided we are eager to stay in ISKCON. And why we are eager to stay in ISKCON? When Siddha Svarupananda Swami wanted to leave ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada finally laid down the line. He said, “ISKCON is me”. Then Siddha Svarupananda Swami came to Mayapur and said, “I can’t stand your ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, but I will always remain faithful to you,” and Srila Prabhupada said, “ISKCON and myself are nondifferent.” Therefore if we really want Srila Prabhupada’s association and we really want Prabhupada to be the best association for us and to reciprocate, we can only find this in ISKCON - The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, just as that great personality, Sripada Sridhar Swami Maharaj who also mercifully gave us his association and has left us on the anniversary of this day. Srila Prabhupada ki jaya! Ananta-koti-vaisnava-vrnda ki jaya! Srila Sridhar Swami Maharaj ki jaya! Srila Srivasa Thakur ki jaya! Nitai-gaura-premanande, hari-haribol! [To receive Mayapurlive transcripts by email, write to Mayapurlive@pamho.net ] [Audio of this lecture and others are available on mayapur. com/downloads.]  convert this post to pdf. 582 Views / EMail This Post / Print This Post / Home » App Ann. of Srila Srivasa Thakura Disapp Ann. HH Sridhar Swami Home » App Ann. of Srila Srivasa Thakura Disapp Ann. HH Sridhar Swami More Recent Articles |
By Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami
Date: March 8th, 2010 Class: Special class on Appearance Anniversary of Srila Srivasa Thakura and Disappearance Anniversary of His Holiness Sridhar Swami Speaker: HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavata Swami Click here to safely unsubscribe now from "Dandavats" or change your subscription or subscribe
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