Pioneer of the Present Vaishnava Movement

HDG Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur is the pioneer of the Present Vaishnava Movement, propagating Lord Chaitanya’s mission and established the present Gaudiya Movement, is not an ordinary acharya in our Gaudiya Sampradaya, has traveled to every corner of the world. Sriman Mahaprabhu’s prediction was:

‘pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma’
(Chaitanya Bhagavata, Antya Khanda 4.126)s

My name will spread to all the towns and villages around the world. 

Srila Prabhupada was the first personality to fulfill the desire of Sriman Mahaprabhu. To assist him in his mission to spread the Holy Name around the world, Srila Prabhupada sent Srila Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Hridoy Bon Goswami Maharaj, and Samvidananda Prabhu to go to the West and to plant the seeds for spreading the mission of the Lord through their preaching. Srila Prabhupada then instructed our shiksha guru pad-padma HDG Srila Bhakti Vedanta Swami Goswami Maharaj (ISKCON’s Srila Prabhupada) to go to the West and preach in English-speaking areas. 35 years after receiving this instruction, he journeyed to the West and fulfilled his Gurudev’s (Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur’s) order.

After Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure (on 1st January 1937 at 5:30 am at Calcutta Bag Bazar Gaudiya Math), for expanding Lord Chaitanya’s mission in India, HDG Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj established Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, HDG Srila Bhakti Pragyan Keshava Goswami Maharaj (who gave sannyasa initiation to Srila Bhakti Vedanta Swami Goswami Maharaj (the founder acharya of ISKCON), HDG Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaj established Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, HDG Srila Bhakti Kumud Santa Goswami Maharaj established Sri Chaitanya Ashram, HDG Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Goswami Maharaj established Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission as well as my spiritual master, HDG Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Thakur who established Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math, as well as many others who established centres to spread the mission. 

It is in this way that Srila Prabhupada is the pioneer and real guru of the present Gaudiya movement. ‘Guru’ means universal teacher. My spiritual master, HDG Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Thakur, wrote in his book titled ‘Guru’ that another way to see the spiritual master is as ‘the direct manifestation of Srimati Radharani’ – as Her companion. My dear grand spiritual master Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur identified himself as the beloved servant of Srimati Radharani (Sri Varshabhanavi Dayita Das). He also revealed to his intimate associates that his spiritual identity is Nayana Mani Manjari (the companion of Rupa Manjari in Krishna’s pastimes). This is why we pray to our spiritual master, seeing him as Srimati Radharani’s handmaiden.

In Srila Prabhupada’s pranam mantra, it is written

sri-varshabhanavi-devi-dayitaya kripabdhaye
krishna-sambandha-vijnana-dayine prabhave namah

madhuryojjvala-premadhya-sri-rupanuga-bhaktida
sri-gaura-karuna-sakti-vigrahaya namo ’stu te.

namas te gaura-vani-sri-murtaye dina-tarine
rupanuga-viruddhapasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine

This profound mantra reveals that Srila Prabhupada is the condensed form of Srimati Radharani’s and Sriman Mahaprabhu’s mercy and is the form of Sriman Mahaprabhu’s instructions.

From this mantra, we can appreciate that Srila Prabhupada is not an ordinary Acharya. You may wonder why he did not step outside of Bharat Varsha (India). This is because, as the principal Acharya, he appointed many preachers (his followers) as gurus to spread Lord Chaitanya’s instructions and Holy Name all over the world. We can see that his disciples and grand disciples have visited and are currently visiting various parts of the world to spread the message of Srila Prabhupada. If they are preaching seriously (spreading Lord Chaitanya’s name without deviation), then that means that they are following the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, and therefore also fulfilling the desire of Lord Chaitanya. 

Srila Prabhupada often used to say that we may face hundreds of obstacles, hundreds of criticisms, and hundreds of accusations in the execution of our service, but we should continue with our aim of fulfilling Mahaprabhu’s desire, and ensure that Lord Chaitanya’s mission is expanding with purity. Here, purity means that we must first deserve and then desire. Preachers should first follow the instructions of Lord Chaitanya –  “apani acari dharma jivere shikay, apani na koile dharma Shikha no na jaye”. The Lord is saying here that we must first practice and realize, and only then do we become eligible to preach (according to our realizations). 

When Srila Prabhupada was a Brahmachari, his Gurudev (HDG Srila Gour Kishore Das Babaji Goswami Maharaj) gave him the name Sri Varshabhanavi Dayita Das. When Srila Prabhupada decided to inaugurate the movement to fulfill Sriman Mahaprabhu’s desire, he vowed to complete the chanting of 1 billion Holy Names on his beads. He chanted 192 rounds (3 lakhs) every day. It takes 9-10 years to complete this number of Holy Names. During the time in which he was performing his vow, he resolved to preach and bring any inspired people to follow his two shelters (masters), HDG Srila Sachidananda Bhakti Vinod Thakur, and HDG Srila Gour Kishore Das Babaji Goswami Maharaj. However, in 1914, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur passed away, and in the following year, in 1915, Srila Gour Kishore Das Babaji Goswami Maharaj also left his body.

With both of these personalities no longer physically present, Srila Prabhupada decided to continue with his chanting instead of progressing his idea of preaching. Soon after deciding this, one morning, whilst chanting in Yogapith (in Mayapur), in Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur’s Bhajan Kutir, a bright light shone from a jackfruit tree onto Srila Prabhupada. He opened his eyes to see that all of the Guru Varga, the Six Goswamis, and Pancha Tattva were present before him. They instructed Srila Prabhupada by saying ‘Sri Varshabhanavi Dayita Das, you have to spread the loving message of Lord Chaitanya. Reject your current idea of just continuing with chanting. You must preach all over the world. He replied, ‘Who will give them shelter?’. They all said, ‘You will give them shelter on our behalf’. 

Hearing this divine instruction, as soon as his vow to complete chanting one billion Holy Names was complete, and on the day of Gour Purnima 1918, he established the first preaching center called Sri Chaitanya Math in Mayapur. A second preaching center was established called Sri Bhakti Vinode Asana at 1 Ultadanga Junction Road, Calcutta. Gradually, he established 64 centres across India. 

Srila Prabhupada never left ‘dharma bhumi’ – India, but spread the movement through his followers. The scriptures state that the principles of an acharya are that they should always be engaged in Vishnu’s service, travel on pilgrimage, and describe the message of the Vedas to everyone. Without serving the devotees of Gouranga Mahaprabhu, reaching Vrindavan is unattainable even by studying the Vedas.

Acharya dharma paricharjja Vishnu, bichorjo tirthani, bicharjo vedam
Bina na gaura-priya-pada-sevam vedadidushprapya-padam-vidanti
Chaitanya Chandramrita Text 22

Srila Prabhupada never considered his followers as his disciples. He would say that they are ‘amar bipod udharan bandhav’ – ‘they are my friends protecting me from the various dangers of this material society’. He also used to say ‘ami kahakeo shishya korinei, shakal ke guru koriachi’ – ‘I have not initiated any disciples, I initiated them as my guru’. Srila Prabhupada’s followers are gurus and acharyas, but he is the foremost acharya. According to Srila Prabhupada’s pranam mantra, he is the condensed form of Radharani’s mercy (She is the topmost acharya in the Krishna consciousness movement), and Lord Chaitanya’s mercy and instructions. Although he never left India, he spread the mission around the world through his ‘bipod udharan bandhav’ (disciples). 

Rare known stories of Srila Prabhupada:

Presently, his grand disciples and great grand disciples who are preaching around the world, are all representing Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur (given that they are truly following his instructions). Srila Prabhupada once declared that whoever follows his instructions will be delivered by him in this lifetime – ‘If it is required to come down again to deliver them, then I will come down’.

There is a well-known incident that took place with one of his disciples named Ramgati Prabhu which demonstrates that Srila Prabhupada is true to his words. This phenomenal incident was explained by Ramgati Prabhu to his family, and I have heard it from the lotus mouths of Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, as well as my Gurudev.

Ramgati Prabhu took initiation from Srila Prabhupada but his wife created many obstacles in his spiritual path. Feeling despondent at being unable to follow the instructions of Srila Prabhupada properly, Ramgati Prabhu fell ill and died. His deceased body was taken to the cremation ground and the necessary rites were taking place. Suddenly, Ramgati Prabhu opened his eyes and came back to life.

The people that were present there thought that Ramgati’s body had been possessed by a ghost and they tried to hit him with bamboo sticks. Ramgati explained that he is not a ghost and that in fact, his soul had reached the abode of Yamaraj (the God of Death), where Chitragupta (Yamaraj’s attendant) saw that Ramgati had some pious credit even though he was unable to follow spiritual instructions. Yamaraj asked many questions but, out of fear of the ferocious beings and the scary atmosphere, Ramgati could not answer. Yamaraj then asked, ‘Who is your guru?’, and Ramgati replied ‘Srila Prabhupada’. Immediately, Yamaraj sent Ramgati’s soul back into the same material body.  After this extraordinary incident, Ramgati Prabhu left his home and went to Gurudev’s ashram (Sarbhog Gaudiya Math in Assam), where he performed his sadhana for 12 years before leaving his body for the final time.

Ajamil, the sinful character from Srimad Bhagavatam also performed sadhana for 12 years in Haridwar after the messenger of Lord Vishnu saw that he had no spiritual practice so they could not take him back to the spiritual abode. Srila Prabhupada never said anything casually, he would always be true to his words. We are his grand disciples and his followers. We should try our utmost to follow in the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur so that we can please Lord Chaitanya and the Divine Couple – Sri Sri Radha Krishna. This is the goal of our practice. We can please all of the members of our Guru Parampara by following the instructions of Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur. 

I humbly request all the present Acharyas and previous teachers to kindly bestow their mercy on me so that I can carry the instructions of Srila Prabhupada for the rest of my life under his direction. I also pray that I become free from all unwanted mundane desires – anartha – and become the eternal servant of the Divine Couple in my eternal form. 

I have no adequate words to express my gratitude to the ISKCON society and HH Srila Jayapataka Swami Maharaj, (the convenor of Saraswat Gaudiya Vaishnava Association) for the publication of this magazine on the occasion of Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur’s 150th appearance anniversary. 

I feel indebted to all those attending this event with firm faith and acknowledge the title ‘Srila Prabhupada’ beside his name. 

An unworthy servant of the servant of the servant of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s loving mission.

B.B.Bodhayan.
Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math