Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami

When my Gurudeva was in this world, I could not realize his glories, but now I am realizing them. I am very unqualified and unworthy, and I am without knowledge of any Western languages besides a little English. Still, due to the very small amount of service I rendered to the lotus feet of my Gurudeva, you see that so many devotees throughout the world are hearing from me. Also, I am writing volumes of books, and when I read those very same books, I am in great wonder how they could have come from my hand and heart...

Minute by minute people are changing their wives and husbands. They are divorcing so many in one life, and therefore no one is happy. If you want to be happy, you must accept a qualified guru and guru-parampara. If you do not do so, you will have to experience the miseries of old age and death. When you die, whatever you have collected in your life cannot be taken with you. Always remember that death is sure. No one can save you from death...

It is only by my Gurudeva's mercy that I was able to translate Jaiva-dharma from Bengali to Hindi. Now, by his mercy only, Jaiva-dharma and other books of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, like Sri Bhajana-rahasya, are being translated in so many languages, like English, French, German, Spanish and Chinese. This is all his mercy...

The Esoteric Meaning of Annakuta
and
Sri Vyasa-puja

The backbone of bhakti is guru-nistha (strong faith in one's spiritual master), and those who have no guru-nistha can never develop in Krsna consciousness. We have seen his guru-nistha. He wanted to glorify his Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, but he became overwhelmed simply by beginning to utter the word 'Prabhupada'. He would begin to weep loudly, and then he would call upon us (Srila Vamana Maharaja, Srila Trivikrama Maharaja, myself and others) by some signal to glorify his Gurudeva. Having heard from him about his relationship with his Gurudeva, we glorify him in connection with his absorption in his Gurudeva's service...

Nowadays, many people in the sārasvata-bhaktivinoda-dhārā, or the line of thought of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, stray from the line of thought following Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī (rūpānuga-vicāra-dhārā), and licking the feet of the ‘īcaḍe-pākā’ sahajiyās, say, “What’s the use of preaching? What is there in performing kīrtana? Do bhajana, just do bhajana.”..

Once, I was in Mathura. I was like the president of that matha – matha-raksaka (matha commander). There, in the month of Kartika [1955], Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja, Pujyapada Yayavara Maharaja, Pujyapada [Bhakti Dayita] Madhava Maharaja, and so many learned sannyasis of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati were assembled....

Once, after taking the permission of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, my Gurudeva went to visit Srila Gaura Kisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. At that time, Babaji Maharaja had closed the door of his bhajana kutir, which was a municipal outhouse. He had locked himself inside and refused to meet anyone...

One should take sat-sanga, giving up all types of asat-sanga. By the influence of sadhu-sanga, in other words, by the sharp words emanating from the pure devotees lotus mouths, the hidden fantasy of the mind in the form of desires for sense enjoyment, and also the covered desires for sense enjoyment in the form of desire for renunciation, are dispelled from the heart forever...

One has to accept the renounced order from another person who is in renounced order.  So I never thought that I shall accept this renounced order of life. In my family life, when I was in the midst of my wife and children, sometimes I was dreaming that my spiritual master was calling me, and I was following him. When my dream was over, I was thinking,... I was little horrified...

Although my Gurudeva has unlimited transcendental qualities, his wonderful speciality, his best quality, was his unprecedented guru-nistha, his faith and loyalty to his Guru. Such faith and loyalty is the backbone of bhakti. Unless one has faith in one's own spiritual master, one cannot come even close to having bhakti. We could see the guru-nistha of our Gurudeva, especially at the samadhi place of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, in Mayapura-dhama...

Our Gurudeva is the manifestation of jagad-guru Srila Vyasadeva. It may also be said that he is a manifestation of akanda-guru-tattva Baladeva Prabhu or Nityananda Prabhu. Since Vyasadeva is Lord Narayana Himself, we can surely say that Sri Gurudeva is a manifestation of Vyasadeva...

"We pray at the lotus feet of that form of Radhalingita-Radhacihnita Sri Krsna, who is embraced and marked by Sri Radhika. When Srimati Radhika, the personification of mahabhava, displayed mana (Her mood of jealous anger), and He became thoroughly immersed in separation from Her, His own dark complexion vanished and He assumed Her bright, golden luster...

Despite his being very rasika, if someone would say anything against his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, my Gurudeva would become like a thunderbolt. Once someone (from the group of sahajiya babajis) *[See endnote 2] wrote an article and made some propaganda, saying, "Oh, members of the Gaudiya Matha don't know anything. They only suck on the dry skin of the mango, while we babajis are drinking the rasa of Krsna's pastimes...

We do not understand the value of guru, and especially of siksa-guru. If diksa and siksa-guru are the same person, that is a wonderful position. The importance of siksa-guru should be realized. He teaches his disciple in visrambha-bhava, intimacy. He does not have the awe and reverence relationship with his siksa disciple. I was very open and frank with my Gurudeva. I asked him many questions from texts such as Sri Ujjvala-nilamani...

This very day, Saradiya- rasa-purnima (the full-moon day on which Krsna’s Autumn rasa-lila began), is important in so many ways. On this day my Gurudeva entered nitya-lila, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna’s eternal pastimes. It is because he has entered nitya-lila that we address him as “nitya-lila pravista om visnupada astotara-sata Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja.” He is one of the dearest associates of jagad-guru Srila Prabhupada Bhakisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Thakura. He served Srila Prabhupada throughout his life.

If someone criticizes our guru, or we hear criticism of Vaisnavas or criticism of bhakti – and we simply sit and hear – this is not the etiquette of a Vaisnava. We have seen many times that during Navadvipa parikrama, the smarta brahmanas, the gosvami caste, were against Gurudeva and created obstacles for the devotees. Why did they become against him?

by Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja

❝It is better that with the help of competent persons we put in the energy to build the boundary wall on our own land. And we have to keep some strong persons for few days to guard the place. We are not doing anything illegal. If the two Biharis (persons from Bihar) come to bully us, we have to teach them a good lesson. We will not let anyone bully maṭha residents. We have to give ample lesson to those who illegally try to obstruct the activities of our maṭha, so that they never, for the rest of their life, cause the maṭha any disturbance. I do not feel it is fitting to involve the police and take out a court case like cowards.  It will cost money, cause botheration and waste time. Instead we can fully accomplish this task spending only half the amount and very soon, in one or two days. “Vīra-bhogyā vasundharā – the earth is enjoyed by powerful persons.” If the Bihari rogues can adopt this policy, why would you withdraw? ❞...