Srila
Swami B.G. Narasingha Maharaja at Saranagati Village, July 2001
There is wonderful news we would like to share with you. As you may know, our Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Gaurava Narasingha Maharaja recently returned from a 2 week preaching engagement, held at Saranagati Village - a most wonderful community of devotees, outside of Vancouver, Canada. Sriman Harivilas Prabhu, the GBC of the region, wrote a letter glorifying Maharajas preaching service and welcomed Maharaja in his visit to Canada. Gopal Krishna Maharaja and Bhakti Marga Swami, the other GBC's of the region, welcomed Maharaja the same.
Srila
Guru Maharaja went by
invitation to Saranagati,
also stopping by request
at Sripad Tripurari
Maharajas project in
Mendicino county CA,
to Sriman Agnideva Prabhu
house in Eugene Oregon,
and to Rupa Raghunatha
Prabhus house in Vancouver.
Along with Srila Guru
Maharaja went Sriman
Govardhan Prabhu - who
did the service of filming
Maharajas classes throughout
the whole trip. More
than 33 hours of footage
was caught on tape.
These darshans will
be available through
Mandala Media shortly. 
Departing from Sriman Ramdas Prabhus home, whom I would like to mention here, graciously sponsored our entire journey, we arrived at Sri Audarya Dham, the beautiful ashram of Sripad Tripurari Maharaja, tucked away into the hills and redwood trees of Mendicino county. A wonderful day was spent there as Srila Guru Maharaja and Srila Tripurari Maharaja spoke about their realizations after a life of service under Srila Prabhupada in Krishna Consciousness.
Biding Haribol to the devotees of Audarya Dham the following day, we left for Eugene Oregon, where Maharaja and the devotees were received in a very affectionate way by a small group of his god-brothers/god-sisters - Agnideva Prabhu, Ratna Cintamani Mataji, Satananda Prabhu and some of Maharajas disciple as Prahlad Prabhu & Balaram Prabhu. The next evening Srila Guru Maharaja gave a wonderful class from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta (Madhya lila Chapter 8) on the topic of Sri Ramananda-samvada, the talks between Lord Chaitanya and Ramanda Raya. Maharaja explained how only through Mahaprabhu can one attain the service of Sri sri Radha Govindadev. There were bhajans led by Agnideva Prabhu and splendid Sri Krishna prasadam.
The next day we were off to Vancouver, where Maharaja's god-sister Mother Madhumati Devi arranged a program at the house of Sriman Rupa Raghunatha Prabhu and Srimati Braja Devi. That evening, Srila Guru Maharaja kept about 40 devotees is rapt attention as he gave an enlightening lecture about Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupad, and how the followers of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur are the carriers of that line. We are Rupanugas - the followers of Sri Rupa Goswami. Glorifying Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Srila Sridhardev Goswami Maharaja and Srila Puri Goswami Maharaja, by explaining how these three Acaryas, whom Maharaja had the opportunity to hear from and serve, even though apparently different in their way of preaching, never deviated an inkling from the siddhanta and proper way of presentation of it. Maharaja chose to stress this point as there are other preachers today who claim to follow the same line, but who are in actuallity extemely far from it.
That
night many devotees
learned the glories
of our Acharyas and
asked questions, which
kept the program going
late into the night.
Among the devotees were
quite a few of Guru
Maharajas god-brothers,
including Sriman Dhananjaya
Prabhu, one of Srila
Prabhupadas first disciples.
Prabhu deeply thanked
Maharaja for preaching
on the topics and with
the strong style he
had the privilege to
hear that night. As
the program ended (after
3 1/2 hours or so) the
devotees repeatedly
requested Maharaja to
return to Vancouver
soon and teach them
more and more of the
true siddhanta of our
sampradaya.
Traveling
for four hours the next
day out of Vancouver,
through magnificent
open scenery of snow-capped
mountains, waterfalls
and then through arid
peaks of sand which
seemed as if we were
in the desert, we arrived
at an complete oasis
- both geographicly
and spiritually - the
oasis of Saranagati
Village. A valley of
over 3,500 acres with
lakes, hills, plateaus,
open meadows, beautiful
spruce, oak, pine and
fir trees, is home to
some of the most wonderful
devotees.
Srimati
Jamuna Devi, Srimati
Dina-tarini Devi, Sriman
Yadubara Prabhu, Srimati
Visakha Devi, Sriman
Bala Krishna Prabhu,
Srimati Hari-lila Devi,
Sriman Partha Prabhu,
Srimati Uttama Devi
are some of the devotees
there just to name a
few.
A
large group of devotees
at Saranagati were anxiously
awaiting Maharajas arrival.
Entering the Sri sri
Gaura-Nitai Mandira
built by Sriman Kulashekar
Prabhu (Srila Prabhupadas
first initiated brahmacari
diciple from Canada),
Maharaja was welcomed
by many devotees as
kirtana was going
on.
Dina-tarini
devi
One of the eldest residents of Saranagati, Sriman Bala-krishna Prabhu (along with his daughter Krishna-devata Devi who had flown in from California with other devotees and has been working for Mandala Publishing, had coordinated much of Maharajas tour along with her kind mother Srimati Madhumati Devi) had arranged for Maharaja to show the first public showing of the newly finished video documentary - Kumbha Mela (available from Mandala Publishing Group). So, for the first evening, after a little introductory talk - and reciprocating in appreciation his welcome, Maharaja presented the video to the devotees. Maharaja later answered questions and the evening ended with kirtana.
By
the request of the devotees,
Bala-krishna Prabhu
and Krishna-devata Devi
arranged a three day
seminar at the schoolhouse
on "The Authorized Sri
Chaitanya-Saraswat Parampara."
That began the next
morning at the schoolhouse.
To
our amazement, we found
out that the Canadian
government had done
wonderfully in funding
a school for the children
in Saranagati Village.
All the facility of
a complete school was
given to the devotees,
as well as the support
for teaching Krishna
Consciousness and the
sanction of teaching
any other vedic sciences,
such as sanskrit, etc..
Some of the students
mothers with teaching
degrees teach there,
along with another teacher
hired by the government
that comes in from the
nearest town, about
half an hour away. After
seeing the schools facility
and how expertly it
ran, Guru Maharaja became
very impressed and commented
that it is by for the
best schooling facility
the movement has ever
had. Between 30 to 40
children between the
ages of 6 and 16 study
there.
Jamuna
devi
Being
vacation time for the
kids, the school was
empty and available
for the seminar. There,
Srila Guru Maharaja
gave a group of about
40 devotees, of whom
about half were disciples
of Srila Prabhupada,
a wonderful presentation
of the authorized philosophy
of Suddha Bhakti - Sri
Gauranga Mahaprabhus
movement of divine love.
Writing on the chalk
board "pujala ragapatha
gaurava bhange,"
Maharaja explained in
great detail how this
is the motto of our
sampradaya -
from the followers of
Sri Chaitanya down to
disciples of Srila Prabhupada
Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati
Thakura. Showing that
this line had been carried
by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada, Srila
Sridhardev Goswami Maharaja
and Srila Puri Goswami
Maharaja, Srila Guru
Maharaja explained why
it is so important to
keep this concept our
focus, and pray to never
be steered away from
it. "Pujala ragapatha
gaurava bhange," the
verse Srila Bhakti Siddhanta
composed at the beginning
of his preaching mission,
meaning - the intimate
pastimes of Sri Sri
Radha-Govinda which
are aprakrta or completely
divine, we must keep
high above our heads
and worship with all
our existence from some
distance. We should
not try to barge our
way into the intimate
circle of the Lords
love affairs. We should
not think of ourselves
of having any qualification
to serve within that
highest quarter. Rather
we should try to aspire
to be a speck of dust
at the lotus feet of
the lords true devotees.
We should move in our
service with this ambition
alone. And then, according
to the desire and pleasure
of the divine couple,
Sri Sri Radha-Madhava,
we shall be placed eternally
in Their Lordships service.
Asking
questions and revealing
their hearts, the devotees
began to develop an
eagerness to hear more
and more from Maharaja.
After three days of
an intense and illuminating
seminar, Srimati Jamuna
Devi and Srimati Dina-tarine
Devi, requested Maharaja
to give the following
programs at their ahrama
and residence - Sri
sri Radha-vana-bihari
Mandia - the residing
place of the gorgeous
Sri sri Radha Krishna
deities that were personally
given to Srimati Jamuna
Devi by Srila Prabhupada
in 1976, sometime after
her husband had accepted
sannyasa.
Four
days of Srimad Bhagavatam
class which started
at 7 am and never ended
before 10 am moved the
devotees hearts and
brought tears of appreciation
to many. Having the
devotees choose the
verse for the daily
class, Maharaja spoke
on a variety of subjects.
Maharaja spoke in particular
on matters relevant
to todays confusion
is the Vaisnava world.
Some of the topics discussed
were, who is a true
follower of Srila Prabhupad?,
what is the qualification
for hearing higher topics?,
how to recognize a siksa
guru in Srila Prabhpadas
line?, what is the importance
of guidance throughout
our devotional lives?
And many many other
topics. The last day
of Bhagavatam
class, was the day before
the villages' annual
Ratha Yatra festival.
On this day Maharaja
spoke about the esoteric
meaning of Lord Jaganatha,
His divine lila and
how the Srimad Bhagavatam
as well as the Srimad
Bhagavad-gita point
to the same thing -
surrendering in service
to the lovesick Sri
Govinda in the mood
of the residents of
Sri Vrndavana. All classes
were recorder/filmed
and will be available
through Mandala Publishing
Group.
Sriman
Bala-krishna Prabhu
and his very kind wife
Srimati Hari-lila Devi
hosted Srila Guru Maharaja
and party of 6 for their
entire 10 day stay in
Saranagati. Maharaja
and the devotees were
extremely touched by
the serving nature and
wonderful hospitality
of their hosts. Bala-krishna
prabhus home in Saranagati
is known as a gathering
place for kirtan and
krishna-katha, so with
Maharaja there, it became
especially active, with
devotees visiting throughout
the day and evening
asking questions and
revealing their concerns
of the direction the
movement was going.
Maharaja would tirelessly
give his insight into
the matters of their
concern and was able
to inspire many devotees
by sharing his realizations
with them.
Swami B. G. Narasingha & Ramadasa at Saranagati Farm
By invitation, Maharaja visited the homes of many devotees during his stay there and took mid-day prasadam at the homes of Sriman Yadubara Prabhu and Srimati Visakha Devi, Srimati Jamuna Devi and Dina-tarine Devi and others.
On a couple of occasions, there were showings of videos which Maharaja compiled of Srila Sridhara-dev Goswami Maharaja and Srila Puri Goswami Maharaja (now available from Mandala Publishing Group). This was the first time the majority of the the devotees would see these great Vaisnava Acaryas in person and hear the issue of Krishna Consciousness from their own lotus lips. Just about all who had the opportunity to watch and hear, were moved to tears by the purity, humility, and immensely spiritual-depth of these exhalted Vaisnavas, and realized that they have indeed always been none other than our spiritual affectionate guardians and dear brothers of our Srila Prabhupada. Some devotees came forward to Maharaja to express their gratitude of having been able to have their eyes widened by his grace.
The
last day of Maharajas visit, was the Lords
Ratha-yatra festival.
Maharaja participated
in the parade barefoot
as he chanted and danced
for hours. After Their
Lordships reached their
destination - an altar
under a pavilion near
one of the larger lake
- Maharaja took a seat
not far away and spoke
with different devotees
as Sriman Nara-narayana
Prabhu and Sriman Makhan-lal
Prabhu. Maharaja answered
many philosophical questions
that day as the talks
went on into the late
evening and different
devotees would gather
around to hear. Mandala
Publishing Group was
given a very nice space
for a book/cd &
video table as many
devotees purchased copies.
Title such as Of Love
and Seperation, The
Art of Sadhana and Heart
of Krishna by Srila
Bhakti Promode Puri
Goswami Maharaja and
Follow the Angels, Sri
Guru and His Grace,
Loving Search for the
Lost Servant, The Golden
Volcano of Divine Love,
The Search for Sri Krishna
- Reality the Beautiful
by Srila Bhakti Raksaka
Sridhara Dev-Goswami
are some just to name
a few. Many copies of
other titles as The
Authorized Sri Caitanya-Saraswat
Prampara, Prabhupada
Saraswati Thakura, Sri
Gayatri Mantrartha Dipika,
Illuminations from the
Bhagavad-gita, and Form
of Beauty were also
sold. Booklets of Srila
Guru Maharajas essays
wire also distributed
there. Meanwhile, the
other children, Mothers
and Prabhus sang, danced,
and performed dramas
for the pleasure of
Lord Jagannatha, Sri
Baladeva and Lady Subadra.
Wonderful prasadam was
prepared for Lord Jagannath
and the devotees feasted
in bliss.
By the end of Maharajas stay, the devotees had developed a very strong attachment to his presence and instruction. Some devotees approached disciples of Maharaja with the desire for his formal guidance and spiritual connection. Some of the devotees offered Maharaja land to build an ashram of his in Saranagati. Other devotees offered to provide funding for the construction of the ashram and others committed to raising more funds to maintain it. Maharaja accepted the invitation to return to Saranagati within a few weeks in order to meet with the devotees again and make solid plans of starting an ashram and temple in Saranagati by the end of the year.
So, there is surely much more to unfold at Saranagati. In the service of Srila Guru Maharaja - Tridandi Goswami Sri Srimad Srila Bhakti Gaurava Narasingha Maharaja and by the blessings of all the dear Vaisnava-devotee readers of this humble report, I beg to remain in your service by being able to present any future events.
Sri Hari-Guru-Vaisnava
sevaka,
Tridandi-bhiksu,
Bhakti Sri
Rupa Madhava