VIRAHA SMARANA
By SRI BHAKTI KAMALA GOVINDA MAHARAJA
A Great Śrī Rūpānuga-ācārya
My dīkṣā gurupāda-padma, nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, as well as my śikṣā and sannyāsa-gurupāda-padma, nitya līlā praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Jīvana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, had a very affectionate mood of friendship with nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. Their loving dealings with each other were profound. Because of this, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhakti Jīvana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja also had an intimate relationship with Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārājajī.
Nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa oṁ viṣṇupāda aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja was a great rūpānuga-ācārya. His guruniṣṭhā and guru-sevā are most noteworthy.
Assisting in Various Services
Whenever my gurudeva, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, would come to Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha in Mathurā, Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārājajī would attend and serve him with great joy. Many times Śrīla Guru Mahārāja took Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja with him to various places to preach and also to accomplish tasks such as vigraha-pratiṣṭhā (installing deities). In August 1979, Śrīla Mahārāja came to the place where Śrīman Mahāprabhu’s met with Rāya Rāmānanda on the banks of the Godāvarī in Kubur, bringing Śrīman Śeṣaśāyī Prabhu, Śrīman Kānāī Prabhu, Śrīman Śubhānandna Prabhu, Śrīman Premānanda Prabhu and other brahmacārīs with him. There he assisted in the activities of vigraha-pratiṣṭhā, yajña, hari-kathā, kīrtana and other services.
A Preacher of the Pure Transcendental Message of Śrīla Prabhupāda
Many times I had the good fortune of the association of Śrīla Mahārāja in Rājamahendrī, Āndra Pradeśa [a South Indian state]. At that time, Śrīla Mahārāja gave much harikathā, so filled with specialties that all present relished its rasa deeply. Śrīla Mahārājaī’s kathā had a potency that was so attractive. If someone heard kathā from his lotus mouth just once, his heart and mind became naturally attracted to him.
When Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Vaibhava Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Jīvana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja discussed the glories of Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī among themselves, all three would weep. These great personalities were the actual preachers of the śuddhavāṇī of Śrīla Prabhupāda
One who Awakens Knowledge of One’s Transcendental Relationship
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja came for the festival of vigraha-pratiṣṭhā in the Gauḍīya Maṭha situated in Baharamapura, where he enthusiastically performed
vigraha-pratiṣṭhā, kīrtana, lectures and other services. During this festival, a conference of Vaiṣṇavas worldwide was organized, and many Vaiṣṇavas from over the world came, as well as big-big sādhus and sannyāsīs. That was a memorable time for me, because Śrīla Mahārāja gave me his association and bestowed great mercy upon me. After the festival I went with him to Śrī Kṣetra, where I had the
good opportunity to perform parikramā with him. I had darśana of many places and from him heard their glories.
After the departure of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s associates, it was Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja who, by speaking kathā related to the confidential pastimes of Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, would awaken divine sambandha-jñāna in the hearts of the listeners. Akin to my dīkṣā-guru and śikṣā-guru, I always saw Śrīla Mahārāja as my guru.
The Propagator of Kathā Related to the Moods of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī
Śrīla Mahārāja had very intimate dealings with Śrīla Bhakti Jīvana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and he heard from him rasa-kathā, especially kathā related to the moods of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. He would listen with great zeal and retain what he heard in his heart, with great care. Śrīla Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja did not go away preaching much, but Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja shared those moods received from him, with the entire world.
Whenever Śrīla Mahārāja went to Khaḍagapura [the residence of Śrīmad Bhakti Jīvana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja] he would hear this kathā from him. And when
Śrīmad Bhakti Jīvana Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja would come to Mathurā, both mahārājas would lovingly perform Vraja-maṇḍala parikramā together, and express the moods of their hearts to each other. The relationship of Śrīla Guru Mahārāja and Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja cannot be expressed with words, because the language of love is silent.
The Bestower of Sad-śikṣā
Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja had an intimate connection with our Śrī Caitanya Mission. Whenever any brahmacārī in our Mission became dissatisfied for any reason and went to Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Śrīla Mahārāja would give him sad- śikṣā (proper and beneficial instructions) and send him back.
Affectionate Upon the Destitute
Whenever I met Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, he would assure me, “Be patient. Śrīla Janārdana Mahārāja has bestowed profuse mercy upon you.” Many times, Śrīla Mahārāja came to Khaḍagpura for darśana of Śrīmad Janārdana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, so sometimes I had the good fortune Mahārāja again became healthy and began to perform astonishing preaching activities in the Eastern and Western countries. I had never before seen him preach like this.
Endowed with A Glance Full of affection
The activities Śrīla Mahārāja performed for the auspiciousness of the world through the medium of bṛhad-mṛdaṅga will be the source of inspiration for many generations to come. I have greatly benefited from his association. He always spoke on topics about Śrī Śrī Rādhā- Kṛṣṇa to his listeners, and he looked upon all devotees in his shelter with an affectionate glance.
The enthusiastic speech of Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja has greatly inspired us all. It is our incalculable misfortune that this crest jewel of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas is no
longer visible to our eyes. Although we cannot have his direct audience, his vāṇī will continue to stir in our hearts for ages to come, inspiring us to progress in the realm of bhajana.
Finally, with deep emotion and tears in my eyes, I bathe the lotus feet of Śrīla Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja with this prayer, “Please bestow upon me causeless devotion for you and the for the divine lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
May I sink in the ocean of that nectar with which you have drowned the entire world.”