All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Excerpt from the article

Lotus Eyes — Lotus Tears
Gadadhar — Mahaprabhu's Ecstatic Correlative

by Sri Bhakti Sudhir Goswami
posted on his earlier website, 3rd February 2003.

Sri Chaitanya Saraswata Krishnanushilana Sangha,
Kolkata, India.

[Excerpt]
...As Srila Govinda Maharaja recalls, "Sometimes Srila Guru Maharaja would share a sloka jewel the way a boy tosses you one of his favorite marbles." Only these gems are consciousness embodied (cintamanis carana bhusanam angananam). Srila Sridhar Maharaja: "The scriptures (slokas) are an objective posing of the subjective. Actually they want to be preached. We shall offer ourselves as carriers to become their instruments (hrdaye pravesa)."

Srila Sridhar Maharaja would jest that he couldn't complete the work [of condensing Srimad Bhagavatam to 300 slokas] because he was an "ease lover" (ananda lilamaya vigrahaya). He later revealed the only person he felt qualified to complete this task, in terms of spiritual heart and depth, is Srila Govinda Maharaja:

What Srila Guru Maharaja wanted, that I cannot do. In which way I shall do this? That is the question. Srila Guru Maharaja wanted to make Srimad Bhagavatam within three hundred slokas. And he gave me some consciousness — a clue how to do it. That he has given me. He told lastly, 'I cannot do it, but you will try to do.'

But I have become a businessman! [Laughter] And over the whole world I make business! But my business is a good business — distributing Krishna consciousness.

[The telephone rings with an order for Krishna consciousness.]

Hello, Govinda Maharaja speaking…

The call ends and Srila Govinda Maharaja connects it to his train of thought:

Actually in the world there are so many problems. And my nature is to take the problem in my head. I have been doing this my whole life — since my youth. Willingly or unwillingly, they involve me and I also get involved with that.

Otherwise, if I shall get one clean bed… and it is my desire also… for that I am making one small house in Govardhan for me and my friends: like Ashram Maharaja, Goswami Maharaja and others. We will stay there and relish slokas. I shall stay there in one room and beside there will be another four rooms for my guests. When they will come, they will stay there. And downstairs five rooms are there for other devotees to stay.

In this way I am making one house in Govardhan at Sri Dayita Das Seva Kuñja. In resonance with the mood of devotion of Narottam Thakur, I have planted trees bearing champaka, bakula, kadamba, and tamal flowers. I will drape them with madhavi, malati, and jasmine creepers, creating a charming kuñja.

But my real bhajan is preaching. What is Krishna's plan I do not know. He gave me a push and sent me to the hospital — stroke happened. And the doctors revealed that I had suffered two strokes. One had already happened before this one. "And now a third is waiting for you — to send you to Goloka Vrindavan!" [Laughter]

Then Srila Govinda Maharaja became grave. As Mahaprabhu sang an inexplicable song before the chariot of Jagannath, Srila Govinda Maharaja paraphrased a poem of Rabindranath, anticipating the chariot of Yamaraja:

'Preme esechilo chole gelo… Love came into my life but quietly departed… Now I have nothing to do but wait for that guest (death) who will come one day, blow out the sunset of my life like a lamp, and take me away in his chariot.

'I know not when, nor whether we shall go down or ascend…'

All is the will of Lord Krishna — I believe by his will everything is possible.

Having consecrated his entire life in service, in his final days, the deepest sort of divine feeling rose up from the heart of Madhavendra Puri. Paraphrasing Srila Govinda Maharaja: from the heart an offering will appear.

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajante kalevaram...