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<P align="center"><font color="660000" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sridhar
Maharaja — The Divine Life History of Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Dev
Goswami Maharaja</font></P>
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<P><img src="../../graphics/sridhara_mj.jpg" alt="Sridhar Maharaja" width="162" height="236" hspace="22" vspace="6" border="1" align="left">Sridhar
Dev Goswami Maharaja, affectionately known as Srila Guru Maharaja, was born
in Hapaniya, West Bengal, India in 1895. His pastimes of youth were spent in
learning and he naturally excelled in every subject that he took up. From very
childhood Srila Sridhar Maharaja's tendency was towards the culture of the orthodox
section, the Vedas, Upanisads, etc.—faith in God and all such things.
He received his sacred thread in the family tradition when he was fourteen years
old and his affinity for the divine world kept on increasing. In his early years
Srila Guru Maharaj was especially attracted to Lord Ramachandra. Later, when
he came in contact with the doctrine of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he began to
read Bhagavad-gita and developed an attraction toward Lord Krishna.</P>
<P> In 1930 Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura awarded him <i>sannyasa</i> and
bestowed upon him the name <i>Bhakti Raksaka</i> meaning “guardian of
devotion.” Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura saw in him the ability to
perfectly protect the Gaudiya Vaishnava line from misrepresentation and misconception.
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<P> After reading Srila Guru Maharajas Sanskrit compositions glorifying Bhaktivinode
Thakura, Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura remarked, “Now I am satisfied
that, after I leave, there will be at least one man who can represent my conclusions
(<i>bhakti-siddhanta</i>).”</P>
<P> Sometime after the passing away of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura in 1936,
Srila Guru Maharaj established his own temple, Sri Caitanya Saraswata Math,
on the banks of the sacred Ganges in Navadwipa Dhama, the holy land of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu. </P>
<P> Having deeply assimilated the teachings of Sri Caitanya, Srila Guru Maharaj
began composing original texts. His first work, <i>Sri Sri Prapanna-jivanamrta,</i>
was a comprehensive scriptural study of <i>saranagati</i> (surrender). Srila
Guru Maharaj composed numerous songs, prayers, and commentaries in Bengali and
Sanskrit. </P>
<P> Among these important works are his commentaries on Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s
<i>Saranagati,</i> Bengali translations of<i> Bhagavad-gita</i> and <i>Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu,</i>
and his own original Sanskrit poem summarizing Caitanya-lila,<i> Prema-dhama-Dev-stotram.</i>
An outstanding contribution to the Rupanuga Gaudiya Sampradaya is Srila Guru
Maharajas commentary on <i>gayatri mantra</i> in the line of <i>Srimad Bhagavatam,
Sri Gayatri Nigudartha.</i></P>
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