Day before yesterday was the appearance day of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaj. He is the guru of A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami. Srila Prabhupada commented on his guru as “Vaikunta man” and “simha guru”.
Those two words pretty much summed up his aura and persona. He was the fourth son of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur. He was born in Jagannath Puri in Orissa in 1874. He was a pure Vaishnav who spread the glories of Radha and Krishna worldwide. It is through him that we have ISKCON today.
Personally, I derive immense inspiration from his works and life. I remember reading one of his quotes (do not remember where I read it), he said “spiritual life starts with vairagya”, meaning we have to be determined to quit our material hankerings and be fixed in our pathway to God and for that we need vairagya. The resolute determination will certainly take us back home back to Krishna. His whole life is an inspiration for students such as me. Another point of reverence I have towards His Divine Grace is his command on modern day literature. He was not some old-fashioned swami who stumbled with modern views. He was pretty much in the system and was completely aware of its short comings.
His brilliance was showcased in many of his works but one conversation with a western scholar stands up. A Prof. Suthers from Ohio State University visited India sometime in the early 1900s (do not remember the exact date) where he interviewed His Divine Grace. The interview started with some cynicism on the part of the professor regarding the swami and Vedic culture in general. At the end of the interview, the professor was, let us put it this way, dumbfounded and flabbergasted at the length and breadth of His Divine Grace’s knowledge on western thought and Vedic science.
He was dynamic and a personification of renunciation. His disciples gave their lives for him and Srila Prabhupada is one such disciple who gave his life. I am, personally, indebted to Bhaktisiddhanta Goswami Maharaj for more ways than one.
I wish he blesses me with the mood to serve as das anu das unto all the Vaishnavas and my guru and Srila Prabhhupada!
Thank you Maharaj and Happy Birthday!
I offer my full prostrated obeisance unto your Divine Lotus Feet!
All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga!
Hare Krishna
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