Tirtha

Bhavananda: It starts off with big print: "Acaryadeva Tridandi Swami Srila Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Maharaja. All learned men are aware that in the dark days of India when the Hindu religion was in great danger..."    (More...)

Prabhupada: Just see now: "He got a great personality." He is that personality. He'll also prove that.    (More...)

Bhavananda: "...who shouldered the burden of the mighty mission of Srila Sarasvati Thakura. That great personality is President Acaryadeva, His Holiness Sri Srimad Bhaktivilasa..."    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Yes. If one proclaims himself to be the king and no one...    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: What kind of king?    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: That person is insane.    (More...)

Prabhupada: Nobody cares for him, and he is thinking that "great personality." Where is his greatness? Who knows him? Just see. So he is making a plan to declare himself a great personality.    (More...)

Bhavananda: It goes on to explain why he is such a great personality.    (More...)

Prabhupada: So why explain? If he is great personality, everyone should know. Why he is trying to explain? What is the use of explanation? If a great personality is unknown, and he has to be known by explanatory notes, then how he is great personality?    (More...)

Bhavananda: Just like the President of the United States. He doesn't have to say, "I am the President." Everyone knows.    (More...)

Bhavananda: "...Tirtha Maharaja, who was then known as guru-prestha, "most dear to his guru," and also known to the disciples of Srila Sarasvati Thakura as Kunjada, giver of shelter. In all the missionary works and the management of the mathas, Srila Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Gosvami Maharaja was the right hand of his Gurudeva. By his constant, unstinted service rendered to Srila Prabhupada, whose most intimate disciple he was, he almost became a counterpart of that great saint."    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Oh. This is not... "Counterpart." Jumping. Trying to equal...    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: This is very bad, Prabhupada. It says he wanted to be... He almost became counterpart. That means he is trying to become equal or superior to guru.    (More...)

Bhavananda: In this first sentence, superior; that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, his whole mission was dependent upon this great personality, Tirtha Maharaja. Not that Bhaktisiddhanta was a great personality, but that the great personality is Tirtha Maharaja.    (More...)

Bhavananda: He said, "In proper time he got a great personality who readily shouldered the burden of the mighty mission of Sarasvati Thakura." That's implying that he is the one responsible.    (More...)

Bhavananda: "In all preaching work, everybody felt the sober but encouraging hand of Srila Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Gosvami Maharaja. Srila Prabhupada never did anything without consulting him first or without his consent. So all the desires for future work of Prabhupada Srila Sarasvati..."    (More...)

Prabhupada: He does not mention his name. He says... All right, go... His sannyasi name is... All right. Then?    (More...)

Bhavananda: "All the desires for future work of Srila Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura used to come to the present acaryadeva as an impulse first, which he translated into action at once. In spite of a hundred hindrances from so-called religionists with a vision of a future worldwide mission, Srila Prabhupada established Sri Caitanya Matha at Sri Mayapur, the birthplace of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, on the Phalguna Purnima day, the seventh March, 1918, which was a red-letter day in the history of theistic religious revival in this age. He started a countrywide movement to carry the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to every door. In a hectic manner, within a couple of years, he preached Gaudiya Vaisnavism throughout India and sent disciples to England, Germany, and other parts of Europe and Burma to preach the message of Sri Caitanya and establish sixty-four branches under the name of Sri Gaudiya Matha throughout India and abroad, and a vast literature flowed through his versatile pen. The large number of publications in different languages and the vigorous missionary activities and door-to-door preaching by the sannyasis and brahmacaris of the Matha, who held meetings in the remotest villages, duly spread Sri Caitanya's teachings, which today are followed in every part of India. His songs are sung in chorus, and a great interest is created among the intelligentsia of India. After having become the president of the institution..." In this last paragraph, all of these activities of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, there is no mention of his name. His whole mission, there is actually no mention of his name, that he is the one who has done it. "After having become the president of the institution, Srila Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Gosvami Maharaja has been traveling throughout India and Pakistan preaching the devotional cult of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and he has come in contact with many savants of present India who are all struck with reverent admiration for his deep knowledge of philosophy. Dr. Radhakamal Mukherjee, vice- chancellor of Lucknow University, remarks, 'There is no more distinguished and erudite interpreter of Sri Caitanya's Vaisnava thought than His Holiness Srila Bhaktivilasa Tirtha Gosvami Maharaja.' "    (More...)

Prabhupada: And what is Radhakamal Mukherjee?    (More...)

Bhavananda: " 'He has been a prolific writer and commentator and has traveled and discoursed widely in different parts of India. His profound illuminative discourses have everywhere created a genuine interest in Vaisnava philosophy and in the dynamic religious movement he represents.' There may not be any doubt among the well-informed people that the Sri Caitanya Matha, with its branches, Sri Gaudiya Mathas, throughout India and abroad, have been propagating the greatest religion, which, from a realistic point of view, has helped to build up a true civilization. Today, due to the activities of Sri Caitanya Matha, a spiritual thirst has been created, especially among the deep-thinking and educated people of the world, for people from all over the world are coming to this institution to learn and follow the great religion of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and to understand the practical Indian way of life. Today the headquarter extends over a mile, with beautiful temples, yet standing in an atmosphere of absorbing silence of meditation and worship, surrounded on all sides by emerald green paddy fields and the Ganges flowing hard by, far from the madding crowd's strife and strain. Mayapur is now an enchanted place, the abode of peace. The atmosphere of the place is charming. The chanting of the holy name of Hari all day and night takes one to a celestial place."    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: We don't hear the chanting from their matha all day and night.    (More...)

Bhavananda: No, it's only from here. "It is more heavenly than heaven itself. It is the sacred Vrndavana of Bengal, hallowed by the dancing steps of the Lord, and its air is purified by His noble call to prayer. Whoever pays a visit to her will leave her with regret, and those who have not yet visited the place will carry their regrets unto death."    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Yes, just like in the woods the jackal is always crying that he is the king, but who cares for him? What is his qualification?    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: No, our answer is all of these books.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Our answer is twenty-four-hour kirtana, prasadam distribution...    (More...)

Prabhupada: And you keep it very carefully in the file.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: We should answer him by our preaching, by our vigorous preaching.    (More...)

Bhavananda: Many people must be asking him, "What about this ISKCON matha?" That's why he is... It's driving him mad.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: He's speaking against us all the time. He never says anything good about us.    (More...)

Prabhupada: No, he is very envious about us.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: But I think now he must have come to the conclusion that there is no way to stop us, so he is thinking how he can... I have a hunch he is thinking how he can become connected in some way to get some benefit. That's why he is sending this man, this matha commander. Because he sees now there is no way he can stop us, so he is thinking, "How can I connect somehow with them? Because they have so much money, and they're going to be doing so many big things, I must establish a connection with them."    (More...)

Prabhupada: So he wants to establish connection with us and...    (More...)

Prabhupada: ...and describe that he has... Just like Madhava Maharaja also attempted. This is the attempt. So, what we have to do in this connection? Let them do whatever nonsense they want. We shall do our own business. And we have no business to propagate that we are making... People already know us all over the world. So... But suppose if he makes an attempt to mix with us so that he can take advantage, his main policy is that we may go there. That is his... Because if we do not go, then all their propaganda makes him not very important if we go there..., if we do not go there.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Why does he depend upon our going there to become important?    (More...)

Prabhupada: Because he is visualizing that by our propaganda throughout the whole world, people will come here. That he has already seen. And if we do not go there, then he becomes insignificant.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: "If we don't" means if anyone from all over the world who comes...    (More...)

Bhavananda: People are attracted by the Westerners coming to the matha. So if we're up at that matha, any of us, and then they say, "Just see." They say in Bengali, "Just see. They are coming. To see our Guru Maharaja, they are coming."    (More...)

Prabhupada: That was the policy of Madhava Maharaja and Sridhara Maharaja, that "Although Bhaktivedanta Swami is propagating throughout, he is subordinate to us, under our instruction." So all these three...    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: A real dream world they are living in.    (More...)

Bhavananda: Here they have even included our temple in their domain. "The headquarters extends for over a mile, with beautiful temples and paddy fields." When we put up our wall, then they will not be able to include us. [laughter]    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: So what we should... The point is that no matter how much they press for any kind of mixing, our first point is: "You come here and visit us." And he'll never do that. Never do that. And we should not... We already invited him twice, so we don't have to give any more invitation. We should simply say verbally, "Let Tirtha Maharaja come here, as we have come so many times. Then we can speak about some kind of cooperation."    (More...)

Bhavananda: I remember, Srila... You walked there.    (More...)

Bhavananda: From here you walked all the way...    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Twice Prabhupada has visited and personally requested, and he won't come here. And now... The thing is, now he might say, "If you give it to me in writing, I will come," but we'll say, "We have already personally come. Our spiritual master has come twice personally, and now you have to simply come. The invitation is already given. Now Tirtha Maharaja should come here." He'll never do that.    (More...)

Bhavananda: He'll never come.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: Right. So then that way we don't have to cooperate.    (More...)

Prabhupada: So this paper you keep, because these rascals, they may create some trouble.    (More...)

Tamala Krsna: What kind of trouble?    (More...)

Prabhupada: Trouble like this, just like he was detained.    (More...)

Prabhupada: They can file some complaint inducing something.    (More...)

Bhavananda: Srila Prabhupada, it was very interesting. Last night that complaint... My lawyer was this man who was sitting right here last night, this old man, Nandulal? He was my lawyer.    (More...)

Bhavananda: And he is the one who asked me, "Who is behind this case?" He asked me when we brought him from Krishnanagar. Because he is considered the best lawyer in Nadia, so we brought him in, and as we were leaving, after the first time I appeared, he said, "There is someone... This man is a farmer, laborer. Who has put him up to this?" He said, "There is someone behind this." So he asked me, "Was it Sridhara? Someone of the Gaudiya Matha is behind this." But he came last night with them, this lawyer, old man. He came with them. So they were definitely the ones behind it.    (More...)

Bhavananda: They were definitely the ones behind that case. They somehow got their hands on that man and had him bring charges, even though the whole thing was dropped, you know.    (More...)

Bhavananda: Well, this man, he mentioned Sridhara Maharaja's name. He said, "Some Gaudiya Matha person."    (More...)

Bhavananda: Yes. He's retired, but he's the most respected lawyer in Nadia. So he mentioned.    (More...)

Bhavananda: Yes. So he had mentioned, "Someone from the Gaudiya Matha." He said, "You have many enemies." He said, "This man would not have thought of this kind of thing, to do this kind of thing. Someone had to..."    (More...)