SRILA PRABHUPADA'S DISAPPEARANCE

foto : Srila Narayana Maharaj in Samadhi of Srila Prabhupada


CHAPTER TWO

SRILA PRABHUPADA'S DISAPPEARANCE

SRiLA PRABHUPDA DESIRED TO GO TO GOVARDHA

(excerpts from Mathura class, 1993)

In his last days Swamiji requested all of the devotees, "Take me to Govardhana. I want to go there just now. I don't want to go by car. By bullock cart I will go, like Nanda Baba, Yasodamaiya, like all the Vraja-vasis, like the gopis." He wished for this opportunity; I knew this fact. But he could not go. Actually he went there with his soul and transcendental body. He is always there amongst Sri Rupa, Sanatana, Raghunatha, by tad-anuragi jananugami (following those eternal residents of Vrindavana who possess inherent spontaneous attachment for Sri Krsna." Nectar of Instruction"- Verse 8 ). So this was his last wish.

Swamiji expressed his real intention: "Govardhana, please give me residence near you." Swamiji's desire was to go to Govardhana especially. In all of Vraja-maadala, Gokula is the best because Gokula is where Krsna was born from the womb of Yasoda and where He performed His childhood pastimes. In Gokula there is a multitude of cows, gopis, and gopas, and the main gopa is Krsna. He resides in Gokula, which includes Nandagaon, Varsana, Kamyavana, and Vrndavana. In all of Gokula, Vrndavana is the best, and in Vrndavana, Govardhana is best. In all of Govardhana, the two eyes, Radha-kunda and Syama-kuada, are the best. The sweetest, most attractive pastimes of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna take place there. Swamiji wanted to go to Govardhana because the best of all of Their pastimes is performed in that place. There the rasa-lila takes place in a special way. So much attractive Krsna-lila is enacted at Giriraja Govardhana. Devotees pray, "Hey Giriraja, please fulfill my desire to witness these pastimes."

Srila Swami Maharaja wanted to go to Govardhana with the same idea in mind. His life's ideal and principal desire was to give this prema to the world, but first he had to spend a long time preaching vaidhi-bhakti and cutting away the jungle of atheism and mayavada. He desired to translate the Srimad-Bhagavatam in full, and especially to elaborately describe the pastimes narrated in the Tenth Canto. But Bhagavan did not agree and He called him back to His nitya-lila. Perhaps Krsna did not want him to remain in separation from Him any longer. Therefore Swamiji's desire to go to Giriraja Govardhana was fulfilled by Bhagavan's calling him back to Giriraja Govardhana in Goloka Vrndavana.

Giriraja Govardhana is our primary shelter because prema-bhava, the mood of pure ecstatic love, is the highest there. Swamiji came to relish this pinnacle of Krsna-prema and to distribute it to the residents of this world. Therefore, like Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada and my own worshipable Gurudeva, Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, Srila Swami Maharaja also wanted residence near Govardhana. Govardhana is the best place in Vraja for both sadhakas and siddhas. If a sadhaka who does not have prema does bhajana there, he will get prema; and if a perfected devotee goes there, he will relish Radha-Krsna's nitya-lila. He will also receive darsana of the mahabhava which is most dear to Radha-Krsna and which he himself also aspires to attain.

Those who are most intelligent want to serve the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna on the bank of Radha-kuada. Swamiji explains this in his "Nectar of Instruction".

Such devotees want to be there. If they cannot be there in their body, they can live there by mind and heart. Those who are always doing like this are devotees like Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Jiva Gosvami, Srila Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, Srila Raghunatha Bhatta, and Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Gosvami. They all have permanent seats there. Have you gone there? If you go there with any high-class advanced devotee, you may see something. Everything is there. The Paadavas and Draupadi are also there. They are doing aradhana (worship) of the gopis there. Those who are always there in their transcendental bodies, under the guidance of Rupa-manjari and Rati-manjari, they are the topmost. We want to follow them. This is the mood of Sri Rupa and Raghunatha dasa Gosvamis and also the mood of Swamiji.

Actually this is the highest glorification of Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. If anyone is not understanding this glory he is unfortunate because he is not actually touching the glory of Swamiji. Such a person cannot glorify him properly. Everyone must appreciate him for these high-class qualities, describing his highest love and affection to Srimati Radhika especially. We should not desire that all high-class devotees, uttama-bhagavatas, come down to the level of kanisnha-adhikaris. I know that Swamiji wanted to be there in Govardhana forever and to serve. He actually realized this poem (Sri Upadesamrta) of Srila Rupa Gosvami.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj



Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaj leading kirtan, Je anila prema dhana, after Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj departure


Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj with Iskcon



Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaj performing Nagar Sankirtan with Iskcon



Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaj and Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj



Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaj performing samadhi with His own Hands for Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj


http://www.youtube.com/user/shubz1

jaya srila prabhupada !