Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami
sundarananda das
To clear any doubts that may linger in some persons minds about the
relationship between Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupada I have collected a few quotes. I have also included a brief
history of the Gaudiya Math episode regarding the election of an Acharya.
From a conversation between SSM and SP in 1973:
"Srila Sridhara Maharaja: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. So, our Swami Maharaja has
done a
miracle! (Laughingly) He has done a miracle. What Bhaktivinoda conceived and
[Srila
Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati] Prabhupada tried according to his conception to
translate into action -- we find that through Swami Maharaja in his last
days these revelations have been fulfilled.
We are happy, we are glad, we are proud of Swami Maharaja, and of you all
too. When any
person comes to take diksa and stay at the Math, we say that after wandering
for a long time in
a foreign land he is again coming back to his home. Home means homeward,
back to God --
"back to home, back to Godhead." Back to Godhead means back to home, sweet,
sweet home.
Our home and life is there and nowhere else. So we may be quite free there
of any misgivings
or misconduct -- with such bold and clear faith we can go on, onward and
onward. Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna. Vancha kalpa tarubyas ca, krpa sindhubya eva
ca ....
Srila Prabhupada: Jaya om visnu pada parivrajakacarya ....So we are thinking
we are very
much fortunate to hear His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa
Parivrajakacarya Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja. He is, by age and
experience, in both ways he is senior to me. I am also always fortunate to
have his association for a very long time -- perhaps since nineteen hundred
and thirty or something like that. At that time, he did not accept sannyasa;
he just left home, vanaprastha. In his white dress he went to Allahabad.
(Aside, to Srila Sridhara Maharaja:)
Maharaja, I think you remember this incident when you went to Allahabad."
"Srila Prabhupada: (Chuckles) Then, there was a long history at that time,
but I had the opportunity of associating with His Holiness Sridhara Maharaja
for several years. I had the
opportunity. Krsna and Prabhupada liked [him] to prepare me...
Srila Sridhara Maharaja: ...as a sannyasi.
Srila Prabhupada: (Laughs) He lived in my house as a sannyasi for a few
years. So naturally
we had very intimate talks and he was my good advisor. I took his advice and
instruction very
seriously because from the very beginning I know he is a pure Vaisnava
devotee and I wanted
to associate with him, and I tried to help him. He also tried to help me, so
our relationship is very intimate. After the breakdown of the Gaudiya Math,
I wanted to organize another organization making Sridhara Maharaja the head.
And I wanted to arrange at that time for [Bhakti Saranga] Goswami Maharaja
to have the house of one of my friends at.... Maharaja, you may remember
those things. I wanted to organize in so many ways, but somehow or
other...."
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur on Srila Sridhar Maharaj:
"Rasa-seva
When Prabhupada was sick I attended his sick bed. Anyhow, just one day
before his
departure he called for me and he asked me to chant Sri Rupa Manjari Pada
and at that
time I was not sitting in the front. I was hesitating and Kunja Babu, Tirtha
Maharaja, asked
Puri Maharaja to sing. Then he began singing and Prabhupada, he felt
dissatisfaction, "I don't
like to hear the tune, the sound. " So Puri Maharaja stopped and I had to
chant Sri Rupa
Manjari Pada. And the others said that Prabhupada has given you admission to
Sri Rupa
Manjari rasa. Rasa-seva section, you have been given admission thereby.
Before this, about
one year back, I composed a Sanskrit poem about Bhaktivinode Thakur and he
was very
happy to find this sloka. When I first showed it to him he remarked, "very
happy style." Then
next I heard that he told Sravati Maharaja that, "this poem is so fine, it
is not written by him, it
is written by Bhaktivinode Thakur himself, through him, it is so very nice."
Then once he told to another gentleman, Aprakrta Prabhu, Bhakti Yadav
Goswami, that "I am satisfied that after
me what I came to say, that will stay, that will remain, I find in this
sloka the siddhanta. "
Then, before this also, I wrote some article in Gaudiya Prakash. And he
remarked to
Sravana Maharaja, the editor of Gaudiya Prakash, "If you can gather these
types of articles
and publish them in your paper, then the standard of your paper will be
raised. Such articles
are desirable to be published." Anyhow, Prabhupada appreciated my
understanding, my
realization.
Sastra-Nipuna Sridhara Maharaja
What I would read, I would read carefully. So I caught some errors in The
Gaudiya, the
weekly reading paper and also in the Brahma Samhita that we published. I
took the errors in
the Brahma Samhita to Vasudeva Prabhu, but he said, "You have found some
errors, but I
cannot find hundreds of errors in my own work." In this way; and I did not
take it to
Prabhupada's notice. But it must have come to his notice, that Sridhara
Maharaja detected all
these things. So, on the Vyasa-puja occasion, Prabhupada published an
address and there he
mentioned before my name Sastra-nipuna Sridhara Maharaja--that he has very
deep
knowledge of the scriptures.
From 'Our affectionate guardians' by Swami BB Vishnu:
"GBC Elects Vasudeva as Acarya
After the disappearance of Guru Maharaja, there were the trustees and they
said that a Governing Body (GBC) must be formed, so on the tenth day after
his departure a Governing
Body was constructed. The governing body decided to elect an acarya and the
majority of the Governing Body voted for Vasudeva Prabhu to be acarya.
[Srila Sridhara Maharaja declined
being a member of the Governing Body].
One of the trustees was Vasudeva Prabhu and the other two trustees wanted
Kunja Babu to
become acarya. Many senior disciples like Nemi Maharaja objected. He said
that when a
branch is directly connected with the trunk and he is then asked to connect
himself with
another branch, is that possible? This was the argument he forwarded. My
advice was asked
by Professor Sanyal [as impartial and respected by all]. I started pleading
the case of
Vasudeva because he was like my elder brother. I said, "According to Srila
Rupa Goswami
the service to a devotee is the greatest and it is at the same time service
to the Supreme Lord.
Although the bhakta is only a part, but yet by serving the bhakta even Lord
Krsna is
receiving the service, is being served. By trying to serve the Lord
directly, the Lord might be
served or may not be served. But by serving the Lord's devotee, definately
both the devotee as
well as the Lord, is served thereby. The Srila Rupanuga vicar according to
Srila Rupa
Goswami is that once you serve the sadhu, the guru, vaishnava, then the Lord
is also being
served. So that is how I approached this particular situation. That if an
elder godbrother is
being served and through him our guru is being served, then we are being
successful in our
devotional life and when the senior godbrother is a very favorite of the
Lord, is dear to the
Lord, then I am serving the guru through him and ultimately the Lord
Himself. This is the
conclusion. My own speculation might say so many things but this is the
actual conclusion of
the sastras. So when I am approaching such a subject I should be very
careful so as to not
commit any mistake. I should always see the brighter side to avoid any
mistake. We must
eliminate all the undesirable elements and try to see the brighter side of
everything. Judging it
very exhaustively in order not to make any mistake and then even if we fail
in that endeavor,
then of course there is nothing left for us to do. There is no recourse to
that. Do you
understand?"
Srila Sridhara Maharaja further related, "I do not know sannyasi or grihasta
or anything else.
We are attracted not by the external grandeur of Gaudiya Math, but by the
teachings. The
siddhanta has attracted us and whoever knows the siddhanta, he must be
acarya, whether
he be a brahmacari or any other thing. The siddhanta, according to that;
therefore,
Vasudeva Prabhu [who could best represent the siddhanta ] is the best
choice." And
Professor Sanyal and Sundarananda all supported Vasudeva Prabhu. But several
older
sannyasis were already very eager to get independence, they and both the
trustees were on
the other side, opposing Vasudeva Prabhu. Bon Maharaja was excluded from the
Governing
Body at first--he had been passing his days in something of a revolt, with
some difference of
opinion with Prabhupada about western preaching. He was living a little
separately from the
mission. But after the demise of Prabhupada, when he came he hankered so
much, so he was
included on the Governing Body. There were already twelve in the Governing
Body and when
Bon Maharaja was added it was thirteen. Then Bon Maharaja went against the
side of
Vasudeva Prabhu, making five votes on that side and eight votes on the side
of Vasudeva
Prabhu. That meant a three-fourth majority or more on the side of Vasudeva
Prabhu. So, they
were defeated. They left and rented a house. But unfortunately, later a
defect was found in
the character of Vasudeva Prabhu.
[Sundarananda´s note: This character flaw was that he left his sannyasa and
got married. Latr on he also left his guru Srila Sarasvati Thakur.]
Worldly Elements
Then I thought, I tried my best to purify the mission according to my
conscience but it is not to be so, so I must leave the mission, go on, go
outside the mission, go and try to fight again to
purify the mission according to my ability. That was my mentality, but
Madhava Maharaja,
Vinod Babu, Kesava Maharaja, and Goswami Maharaja said "No, we can't
tolerate that a
false man will be in the place of our Guru Maharaja. We can't tolerate that.
He is the Acarya
of the Gaudiya Math. That is the next position of Guru Maharaja. That this
position is
overthrown by such a character as Vasudeva Prabhu, we can't tolerate that. I
was indifferent
and they were fighting. Then Vinod Babu and others made a case. But like a
coward, I
couldn't meet them at that time. [Satsvarupa Maharaja writes in The
Lilamrta, Vol. 1, p. 100,
that "Sridhara Maharaja disaffiliated himself from the factions of the
Gaudiya Math."] I went
to Vrndavan leaving the association of the Math. I didn't fight. They tried
their best to keep me with them, but I told, "No, it is not possible for me
to remain in the association of these worldly elements." Then I went to
Govardhana and stayed in Vrndavana for a month, finishing the Kartikka
there. I took Govardhana shila and came here and rented a house for two
rupees a month. And here I began my life."
From the same book:
"Only Sridhara Maharaja Can Approach Vasudeva
Krsnadasa Babaji was sent to me. No one could approach Vasudeva
Prabhu, they are all very
much afraid of his personality. "Only Sridhara Maharaja can
approach him. Though he is his
greatest enemy, still he has some affection for Sridhara Maharaja."
Vasudeva told me that
Prabhupada had done many things that cannot be supported according
to the scriptures and he
incited that, "your name is Sridhara Maharaja. Where is this name
mentioned?" I told him "in
Gaudiya Kanthahara, you have all printed this and Ananta Samhita.
You have this
collection of quotations and one hundred and eight names of
sannyasis." Vasudeva said, "Oh,
that is all false, concoction. No Ananta Samhita. We have concocted
this name and Sachin
Pandita has given the Sanskrit. So, it is all false. Therefore, we
cannot follow strictly the
principles of Prabhupada." Then I gave him this answer. In the Veda
and Upanisad, there is
sin also. The first consideration is Risi, but if we consider that
Srimad-Bhagavatam is
full-fledged theism and that it is the primary conception of
theism-full fledged theism is given in
Bhagavatam and Mahaprabhu. And those persons who preach that
full-fledged theism and
find expression within their heart, anything added to that, it
appeared to me, is greater sastra
than the Veda and Upanisad. I asserted this before him. Then he
remarked, "of course what
you say may be true, but that man who feels any suggestion to
create new things to help this
movement of full-fledged theism must be svarupa-siddha. If he is
svarupa-siddha, then
what you say is true." That means that he thinks that Prabhupada is
not svarupa-siddha. I
thought that this was a hard thing, so I became silent. He also
became silent. But anyhow, in
my talk with him, I found that he may have some compromise with
Kunja Babu. I wrote to
Madhava Maharaja, saying that I have talked with Vasudeva Prabhu
and I felt that a
compromise may be affected very soon.
Compromise Affected
After some time a proposal came to me that I approach Vasudeva and
try to make a
compromise; otherwise, by the way of litigation we won't be able in
our lifetime to reach the
solution. Then I approached Bhag Bazaar Math and I asked them that
if any compromise was
possible, I had come to take that. They said that they were not
bold enough to approach
Vasudeva with any proposal or compromise. They said that if I was,
I could write him in
Allahabad. I wrote a letter from there, the Bhag Bazaar temple, to
his Allahabad address.
Then Vasudeva came suddenly to the Bhag Bazaar Math. I was living
there with Swami
Maharaja at Sita Kanta Bannerji Lane, Calcutta. They told me that
he had come and I went
and met him. Then he told me that he didn't care for any future
consequence. "Yes, I know
that."
I told Vasudeva that "you are in the chariot, well equipped and
Kunja Babu is on the
earth standing with no weapon, but the law is on his side. Still he
will compromise. I
also think you should do that. They also rendered important service
at the time of
Prabhupda as you did, we think.
They should not be cheated from their future service of the
mission. Kunja Babu is almost the
co-founder with Prabhupada. And the court case will come very soon
and attract many people
and a few things will come against you, your character. You mind
that." "I don't care for that,"
he said. "That also I know, that you don't care for anything, but
there is another party that has
got their society--high society--and they will be very much
blasphemed in faith. Will you be
able to tolerate that? The blasphemy of the other party who has got
their good society in
Bengal." Then he was calmed, "yes, you try. I am your friend, not
your enemy. Still I am your
friend. Then you try for compromise." Then I tried and in the
middle of the negotiations, Kunja
Babu said, "you please take me to him and then everything will be
finished." I knew better.
Still, I told him that if he wanted I could take him to Vasudeva's
quarters. Vasudeva Prabhu
and Kunja Babu met together, and the negotiation fell totally. But
I hadn't run to Vasudeva's
Math; I am here and I must affect compromise. So I said to the both
of them, "You don't go
from here. I pray to you." And again I connected both the Maths.
The Bhag Bazaar Math was
the most valuable, so both the parties demanded the Bhag Bazaar
Math. Kunja Babu himself
had tried his best to construct that temple. So he wanted it. And
Vasudeva Prabhu, his party
saw that Mayapura was under direct control of Prabhupada's will. If
this compromise fails and
in the future is again introduced into court, then they won't be
able to keep possession of
Mayapura which is under direct will of Prabhupada, but Bhag Bazaar
has a separate
document. The lawyer prepared a separate deed that the successer of
Prabhupada will occupy
it. So, basically, the Bhag Bazaar Math party thought that it would
be safe to keep possession
of the Bhag Bazaar temple and were uncertain of the position of
Mayapura. They both also
said that Bhag Bazaar Math was a preaching center of the whole
world, an important position.
So both demanded it.
I put a proposal, in other places outside Bengal the temples will
be divided equally,
but in Bengal, it is Bhag Bazaar Math versus all other temples in
Bengal. I gave this
formula to them.
Only Bhag Bazaar Math on one side and all other Maths including
Dakka, Mayapura, and
others. Then they consulted and the devotees at Bhag Bazaar Matha
did not leave Bhag
Bazaar Math. And Kunja Babu reluctantly took Mayapura. I told him,
"the Bhag Bazaar Math
can again be created in Calcutta, but a second Mayapura, the
birthplace of Mahaprabhu, that
can never be created. So this is a good portion."
During negotiations some promise had been given that we could again
form a Governing
Body--that we shall go on preaching together again, but after the
case they did not agree that it
would be taken to the Governing Body. Later, another litigation was
started, and that is in the
court, going on, espoused by others. A 92 case, that is in high
court going on, whatever, moving
slowly. Hare Krsna. And now Kunja Babu is gone [left this world]
and again there is a split.
Anyhow, they continued in the possession of Mayapura. That is
there. Hare Krsna."
Srila Sridhar Maharaj considered Ananta Vasudev Prabhu to be the most
qualified person to be the Acharya of Gaudiya Math at the time, which he
also was. In his Gaudiya Math days AV Prabhu was one of the most intimate
and most learned disciples of Srila Sarasvati Thakur, and no flaw in
character was visible in him. When later on AV abandoned his sannyasa and
left his guru, Srila Sridhar Maharaj did not accept AV any longer. Neither
did anybody else among his godbrothers. It should be noted that Srila Sridha
r Maharaj did not choose nor did he elect AV Prabhu as Acharya, he only
suggested to the GBC, when asked by them, that he is the most suitable
candidate, which he also was at the time.
y s
SD