All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga: Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Header
Srila B.S. Govinda Maharaj, Sevaite-President-Acharyya
Founder-President-Acharyya, Srila B.R. Sridhar Maharaj


Declaration of the Spiritual Succession
of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math


by Srila Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

 

 


 

 

The Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math was established in 1941 in Sri Nabadwip Dham, India, by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

Prior to his departure from this world in 1988, Srila Sridhar Maharaj publicly and in his Last Will and Testament named his beloved disciple Om Vishnupad Sri Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj as his successor.


Public Declaration
  by Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
[from a recording on Gaura Purnima, 26th March, 1986]

According to the desire of my Divine Master, I have been maintaining this Disciplic Succession but it is no longer possible for me, as I am now too old and an invalid. You all know from long ago I have chosen Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj and I have given him sannyasa. All my Vaishnava Godbrothers are very affectionate towards him and it is also their desire to give him this position. I have previously given to him the charge of the Math and now I am giving him the full responsibility of giving Harinam, diksha, sannyasa, etc., as an Acharya of this Math on behalf of myself.

Those who have any regard for me should give this respect and position to Govinda Maharaj as my successor. As much as you have faith in my sincerity, then with all sincerity I believe that he has got the capacity of rendering service in this way. With this I transfer these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as ritvik. The ritvik system is already involved both here and also in the foreign land. The ritvik is the representative. So if you want to take from me, and you take by his hands, then it will be as well and as good as taking from me.

In the Mahamandala, Sagar Maharaj and many others are also ritvik of Swami Maharaj and also myself. They may do so, but in this Math and in any Math under this Math, he will be the representative. If anyone cannot accept this, he may leave the Math rather than stay here and disturb the peace of the Math. With all my sincerity and good feelings to Guru-Gauranga, to the Vaishnavas and the Acharyas, Mahaprabhu, Pancha-Tattva, Radha-Govinda and Their Parshadas, with all my sincere prayers to Them, henceforth he will represent me in this affair beginning from today's function.

Now I shall go from here and he will do the necessary. On my behalf, he will give Harinama, diksha, sannyasa, and everything.


Last Will & Testament
  "The said Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, of whom I, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, am the Godfather, and am by caste Gaudiya-Vaishnava Brahmin, and am by occupation a Religious Preacher and Worshipper of the Deities at the address Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, P.O. and Police Station Nabadwip -- the said Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, who, despite temporarily changing his formal position, was named and recognized by me as Sri Govinda Sundar Vidyaranjan and engaged by me in all the various services of the Math; and upon whom on the 6th November, 1985, I conferred the order of sannyasa whence I again named and recognized him as Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj; and, since he has tirelessly and whole-heartedly assisted in the duties of organizing and developing this Math and also in the duties of establishing and developing Calcutta and Hapaniya Centers, etc., and since he has arranged many donors and has provided much encouragement to even myself in the duties of managing the Math, etc., and all the above-mentioned tasks he is still performing up to this day; and since he is still naturally disposed to serve the Math and its residents, and at all times he is endeavoring for the progressive development of Sri Math, and above all, he is well-known and unanimously acclaimed as being firmly established in the philosophy of the Siddhanta [Perfect Axiomatic Truth] of Bhakti as propounded by both myself as well as by my Divine Master -- thus, I hereby appoint him as my Successor Sevaite Acharya, and President.

"In compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the aforesaid Deed, all my lawful claims, directorship, and rights will automatically be inherited by him. In all my Maths, etc., he alone shall as the Acharya, confer initiation, etc., and shall as the Sevaite [Guardian-Servitor] and President, manage all the duties of my established Temples, Ashrams, etc.

"Hereby, I do reveal my final desire and directives unto all my Eastern and Western lady and gentlemen disciples, as well as to the faithful souls devoted to the Divinity, that: they must respect him as the exclusive Acharya and President, and remain faithful to him and cooperate with him in the service duties of the Math.

"If anyone cannot honor these directives and this final desire of mine, then they shall be bound to dissociate themselves from my established Maths."

 

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Founder-Acharyya: Srila B. R. Sridhar Maharaj
President-Acharyya: Srila B. S. Govinda Maharaj
www.scsmath.com - online since 1995. Updated regularly.