CC – Glorification of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura—CC Concluding Words

Giriraj Swami: Yesterday was the disappearance day celebration of the His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and since we are continuing to remember him and glorify him today, I wanted to read some words about him written by our own spiritual master and founder-acharya Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada translated so many books and he said that he was writing his purports mainly for sincere disciples, for the whole world, but mainly for his sincere followers. So we should do, we should give honor Srila Prabhupada’s endeavor in writing the books by both distributing them and studying them. Not studying them just for theoretical knowledge but for practical application and realization.

One of main work is Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And he happens to complete Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in Bombay on Sri Rama-Ekādaśī in 1974. At the time, His Holiness Harikesh Swami Maharaja was Srila Prabhupada’s secretary. Every morning when Srila Prabhupada was in Bombay, we would go to his quarters at about six o’clock and would accompany him on his morning walks. So, that morning when we went to Srila Prabhupada’s quarters, His Holiness Harikesh Swami Maharaja was an extremely ecstatic mood and he said that Srila Prabhupada has just completed the Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. And he has written most wonderful glorification of his spiritual master in conclusion. So both for the glorification of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada and His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I will read some excerpts from it.

CONCLUDING WORDS

Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974—corresponding to the 10th of Kartik, Chaitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rama-Ekādaśī — we have now finished the English translation of Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorized order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide, and friend.

COMMENT

So, as His Holiness Jaya Advaita Swami Maharaja mentioned that Srila Prabhupada founded Back to Godhead in pursuance of the order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja. And if we examine Srila Prabhupada’s life carefully, we will find that everything he did was to fulfill the order of his spiritual master and to please his spiritual master. By saying how Srila Prabhupada endeavored to serve his spiritual master and please him, we can understand how at least we should try to serve Srila Prabhupada and please Srila Prabhupada.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vāṇī, his words. There are two ways of association—by vāṇī and by vapuḥ. Vāṇī means words, and vapuḥ means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vāṇī continues to exist eternally. Therefore, we must take advantage of the vāṇī, not the physical presence.

COMMENT

In the first volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Srila Prabhupada wrote dedication to his spiritual master in which he says that he lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower of those with him. So everything in the material world is temporary, even the body is temporary, but the relationship with the spiritual master is eternal. It is not based on the body, but it is based on the transcendental sound vibrations which are spoken by the spiritual mastery and which are received through the years by the disciples. From the ears, it should enter the heart and disciple should dedicate his life, soul, mind, body, and hearts to fulfill the orders of the spiritual master.

So, Srila Prabhupada never felt separation from his spiritual master. He was always associating with spiritual master by endeavoring moment to moment to fulfill his will which he did so extraordinarily. Then Srila Prabhupada discusses how he first met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and how although in the very first meeting, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura order him to preach in the English language in the western world. But Srila Prabhupada felt that he was unable to do so, that he was not qualified to do so. But even though he couldn’t immediately take out the instruction of His Divine Grace, he only kept his instruction in his hearts and thought, “How can I do it? How can I do it?” He would pray for the strength, intelligence, and mercy to be able to do it.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through this magazine.

COMMENT

We have read in Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta that Srila Prabhupada personally used to take Back to Godhead to the restaurants and tea stalls in Delhi, and he used to go table to table, appealing to the people to take one issue. He was so humble and so determined to serve his spiritual master.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Then I attempted to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before that, when I was a householder, I had written on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and had completed about eleven hundred pages, but somehow or other the manuscript was stolen. In any case, when I had published Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, in three volumes in India, I thought of going to the U.S.A. By the mercy of His Divine Grace, I was able to come to New York on September 17, 1965. Since then, I have translated many books, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya (a summary) and many others.

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would simply read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when foreigners would learn the Bengali language to read the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The work on this translation began about eighteen months ago. Now, by the grace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, it is finished. In this connection I have to thank my American disciples, especially Sriman Pradyumna dasa Adhikari, Sriman Nitai dasa Adhikari, Sriman Jaya Advaita dasa Brahmachari and many other boys and girls who are sincerely helping me in writing, editing, and publishing all these literatures.

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.

COMMENT

Here Srila Prabhupada is saying something very significant that he was always being guided by his spiritual master’s words in his heart, where the Lord is situated with all of His associates. So, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is one of the eternal associates of the Lord. So, Lord is manifesting in the heart of the pure devotee, to Srila Prabhupada, not alone but along with his associates. And Srila Prabhupada visualize the Lord within the heart along with his spiritual master, and then writing his spiritual master was guiding him within his hearts by his words. Both of sense, Srila Prabhupada kept the instructions of his spiritual master in his heart, but also in the sense that his spiritual master was living in his heart and able to guide him by his words there.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. Certainly, if His Divine Grace were physically present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very much pleased by this work of translation.

COMMENT

Now, I am coming to the specific message that Srila Prabhupada has for all of us.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Krishna consciousness movement. Therefore, our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been formed to execute the order of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Chaitanya all over the world enjoy this translation, and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future. On this occasion, therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists, and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

COMMENT

So I was also impressed by how His Holiness Jaya Advaita Swami Maharaja taking this service of Back to Godhead to his heart, and really here what Srila Prabhupada exposed his appreciation that this scholarly universities were ordering those books. I also recall on the instructions that Srila Prabhupada gave me that it should see that his books are accepted in the universities. So being. . . well, I don’t want to go into the details of why I am not doing it, but I’ve come to the point then I would like some of you to help me to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s instruction given to me. And at the same time that we are preaching in the universities and also try to get libraries to take the books if they haven’t and get the professors to take the books into their courses.

I think it is time for ārati.

CONCLUDING WORDS (continued)

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dated November 10, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Bombay.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Back home back to Godhead ki jaya!
Nitai-Gaura premānande Hari Haribol!