Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyāṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja | |
|---|---|
| File:Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja.jpg Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja lecturing in Houston, Texas (United States of America) during the late 1990s. | |
| Personal | |
| Born | February 7, 1921 Tiwaripur, Bihar, India |
| Died | December 29, 2010 (aged 89) |
| Resting place | Sri Navadvipa Dhama, Bengal, India |
| Religion | Vaishnavism |
| Denomination | Gaudiya Vaishnavism |
| Lineage | Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya |
| Sect | Rupanuga Gaudiya Vaishnavism |
| Philosophy | Pure Bhakti-Yoga |
| Senior posting | |
| Teacher | Śrīla Bhaktiprajnāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja |
| Initiation | Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Harināma and Diksa, 1947, by Śrīla Bhaktiprajnāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja in Sri Navadvipa Dhama, Bengal, India |
| Ordination | Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Sannyasa, 1952, by Śrīla Bhaktiprajnāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja in Sri Navadvipa Dhama, Bengal, India |
| Post | Guru, Acārya |
| Website | Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nārāyāṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja's Official Website |
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Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja (7 February 1921 – 29 December 2010) was an Indian guru (spiritual teacher) recognized as an authority on the philosophy, culture, and practices of bhakti-yoga in the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] He founded a global movement dedicated to bhakti-yoga known as the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society and propagated bhakti-yoga through published writings and public lectures around the world.[13][14][15][16]
Srila Narayana Maharaja was born on February 7, 1921, to a devout Brahmin family in Bihar, India. From a very young age, he displayed a propensity for religious study, which continued throughout his early adulthood. He was a regular attendee of local discourses on Vedic philosophy, one of which brought him into contact with Gaudiya Vaisnava followers of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, who would eventually become his guru.[17]
In 1947, he traveled to Sri Navadvipa Dhama during the annual festival honoring the birth of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and there met Srila Kesava Maharaja for the first time. He dedicated his life to the mission of his guru and accepted both harinama and diksa initiations from him. Five years later, he also took the vows of sannyasa from Srila Kesava Maharaja, which led him to begin traveling around India, and later the world, to educate people on bhakti-yoga and the worship of Sri Krsna.[18]
From 1996 to 2010, Srila Narayana Maharaja circled the globe over thirty times and introduced his teachings on a global scale. As his followers grew in number, more than seventy of his written works were translated into all the world's major languages. He is regarded by adherents of Gaudiya Vaishnavism as one of the foremost teachers of bhakti-yoga in the modern age.[19][20][21][22]
Life[edit]
Early life[edit]
Srila Narayana Maharaja was born in a village named Tiwaripur, located near the bank of the Ganges River in the Buxar district of Bihar, India, to a very religious Trivedi Brahmin family. His parents were devout Vaisnavas belonging to the Sri Sampradaya tradition and named him Sriman Narayana. From the time he was a baby, his father used to take him regularly to recitations of the Ramayana, for which he had great affinity. Throughout his early years, he would accompany his father whenever he attended kirtan and pravachan assemblies.[23] As a child, he began to study the ancient Vedic scriptures.[24]
Meeting his guru[edit]
During his boyhood, teenage years, and early adulthood, he maintained the practice of listening to religious discourses, particularly on the subject of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Eventually he came to meet a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura and associate of Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja named Srila Narottamananda Brahmacari, who had traveled to Bihar in order to propagate the message of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu there. After engaging in various discussions with the devotee, he developed firm faith in philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism promulgated by Srila Rupa Gosvami and decided to leave his home and join the mission.[25]
Upon reaching Sri Navadvipa Dhama in Bengal, he took part in the annual parikrama of the birthplace and historical sites of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. After completing the parikrama on Sri Gaura Purnima (the birthday of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu) in 1947, he received both harinama and diksa initiations from Srila Bhaktiprajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, who was a prominent disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. Following tradition, at the time of his initiations, his guru gave him a new name by which he would be known, namely Sri Gaura Narayana. Later, his guru also awarded him the title of Bhakta Bandhava, which means "friend of the devotees," because he demonstrated continual dedication to serving the devotees of the Gaudiya Vaisnava community.[26]
Accepting sannyasa[edit]
Throughout the next five years, he traveled all over India with Srila Kesava Maharaja, stopping from place to place as a means to remind the people of India about their Vedic heritage and introduce them to the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaisnavism and the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In 1952, on the day of Sri Gaura Purnima, his guru granted him initiation into the holy order of sannyasa.[27]
In 1954, Srila Kesava Maharaja encharged him with managing a newly opened temple in the holy city of Sri Mathura Dhama named Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha. Going forward, Srila Narayana Maharaja would divide his time between Mathura and Bengal with the aim of serving his guru's mission in both areas. Srila Kesava Maharaja named him vice-president of his institution, Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, and also editor of all its Hindi publications, including a monthly periodical called Sri Bhagavat Patrika.[28]
Srila Kesava Maharaja requested Srila Narayana Maharaja to translate the books of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura from Bengali into his native language, Hindi, the most commonly spoken language in India and the official language of the Indian government. Accordingly, Srila Narayana Maharaja fulfilled his guru's order by translating Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura's most famous books, including Jaiva-dharma and Bhakti-tattva-viveka. These books were subsequently translated from Srila Narayana Maharaja's Hindi versions into English and other world languages by his followers.[29]
Outreach in India[edit]
After he was instructed by his guru to manage Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha (the temple in Mathura), Srila Narayana Maharaja began concerted efforts to disseminate the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu within Mathura and throughout the regions of India where Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy was less familiar. He lectured extensively in Hindi, Bengali, and English throughout Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India, giving two or more discourses a day.[30]
When not speaking, Srila Narayana Maharaja continuously wrote books and articles. Endeavoring to follow the wishes of his guru to render the Vedic scriptures into his mother language of Hindi, he translated and commented upon classics such as Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam along with the books of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and other prominent Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas such as Srila Rupa Gosvami.[31]
Srila Narayana Maharaja also began to organize the annual Sri Vraja Mandala Parikrama, a parikrama during the holy month of Kartik of the sites sacred to Vaisnavas for their connection to the activities of Sri Krsna. He continued this service for the next five decades.[32]
Srila Kesava Maharaja passed away in 1968. Along with his godbrothers Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gosvami Maharaja and Srila Bhaktivedanta Trivikrama Gosvami Maharaja, Srila Narayana Maharaja conducted the rituals for his samadhi.[33]
Relationship with Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada[edit]
An important relationship in the life of Srila Narayana Maharaja was his decades-long friendship with Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada received sannyasa from Srila Kesava Maharaja in 1959. Srila Narayana Maharaja was present during the ceremony and assisted with the rituals. [34] They maintained close association until the passing of Srila Prabhupada in 1977.[35][36][37][38][39]
Establishing a global mission[edit]
As Srila Narayana Maharaja continued to spread the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu throughout India, increasing numbers of devotees from around the world traveled to see him. Starting in 1996, he also began to travel outside India for his preaching, which brought him into wider contact with an international audience. As more of his books were translated into English and other world languages, larger groups attended his lectures, often numbering in the hundreds and thousands.[40]
He established the International Pure Bhakti Yoga Society and a variety of other organizations to assist with his mission to propagate understanding of pure bhakti-yoga. He opened numerous temples and centers throughout India and the world. He received various honors and recognition from secular and religious leaders for propagating a message of tolerance, peace, and love,[41] including being given the World Peace Flame in 2001[42], being designated Yuga Acharya (Acharya of the Millennium) by the Vrajacarya Pith and the World Religious Parliament in New Delhi, India, in 2003,[43] and being named an Honorary Citizen and Goodwill Ambassador in the city of Houston, Texas (United States of America) in 2003.[44]
Legacy[edit]
Srila Narayana Maharaja continues to inspire adherents of Gaudiya Vaisnavism all over the world along with those seeking to learn more about the Vedic tradition and Eastern spirituality.[45][46][47][48] His books continue to be translated into additional world languages and read by people around the globe.[49][50] His followers also continue to open new temples and educational centers in various nations, including the prominent Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Matha in Houston, Texas (United States of America).[51]
Publications[edit]
Srila Narayana Maharaja was a scholar of Sanskrit, Hindi, and Bengali. He wrote prolifically and published over a hundred original Hindi texts or translations of various scriptures from the Gaudiya Vaisnava canon. The following is a partial list of the English translations of his books along with a few original compilations based upon his lectures or shorter articles. These books have been translated into dozens of world languages.[52]
| Title | ISBN |
|---|---|
| Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami – His Life and Teachings | 978-1-935428-03-9 |
| Arcana-Dipika – The Light which Illuminates the Process of Deity Worship | 978-1-63316-156-6 |
| Beyond Liberation | 978-1-935428-83-1 |
| Bhagavad-gita | 978-1-935428-92-3 |
| Bhajana-rahasya | 978-1-63316-170-2 |
| Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu | 978-1-63316-125-2 |
| Bhakti-rasayana – The Nectar Tonic of Pure Devotion | 978-1-935428-37-4 |
| Bhakti-tattva-viveka – Deliberation Upon the True Nature of Devotion | 978-1-935428-55-8 |
| Brahma-samhita | 978-1-63316-124-5 |
| Brhad Bhagavatamrta Vol. 2 | 978-1-935428-31-2 |
| Butter Thief | 978-1-935428-04-6 |
| Camatkara-candrika - A Moonbeam of Complete Astonishment | 978-1-935428-21-3 |
| Daily Kirtan Handbook | 978-1-63316-142-9 |
| Damodarastakam | 978-1-935428-20-6 |
| Discerning the True Sentiments of the Soul | 978-1-935428-76-3 |
| Durvas (Maharsi) | 978-1-935428-57-2 |
| Essence of All Advice | 978-1-935428-64-0 |
| Essence of Bhagavad-Gita | 978-1-935428-05-3 |
| Fearless Prince | 81-86737-40-5 |
| Five Essential Essays Refuting Common Misconceptions in Our Vaisnava Community Today | 978-1-63316-154-2 |
| Gaudiya Giti-Guccha | 978-1-63316-143-6 |
| Gaura vani | 978-1-935428-89-31-935428-89-6 |
| Gift of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu | 978-1-935428-34-3 |
| Gita Govinda | 978-1-63316-163-4 |
| Going Beyond Vaikuntha | 978-1-935428-40-4 |
| Gopi-gita - The Gopis’ Song of Separation | 978-1-935428-06-0 |
| Guru-devatatma | 978-1-935428-48-0 |
| Harinama Mahamantra | 978-1-63316-155-9 |
| Harmony | 978-1-935428-98-5 |
| Hidden path of Devotion | 978-1-935428-42-8 |
| I Am Spirit | 978-1-935428-93-0 |
| Impressions of Bhakti | 978-1-935428-36-7 |
| Jagannatha Ratha-yatra | 978-1-63316-129-0 |
| Jaiva-Dharma | 978-1-935428-63-3 |
| Journey of the Soul | 978-1-935428-19-0 |
| Krsna - Lord of Sweetness | 978-1-63316-137-5 |
| Krti-ratna – Jewel Among Guru-sevakas | 978-1-63316-173-3 |
| Letters from America | 978-1-935428-00-8 |
| Life of Humble Service | 978-1-935428-88-6 |
| Madhurya Kadambini | 978-1-63316-169-6 |
| Manah-siksa | 978-1-935428-54-1 |
| My Siksa-guru & Priya-bandhu | 978-1-935428-49-7 |
| Namacarya Srila Haridasa Thakura | 978-1-63316-157-3 |
| Navadvipa-dhama Mahatmiya | 978-1-935428-09-1 |
| Navadvipa Pocket Guide | 978-1-935428-87-9 |
| Navadvipa-dhama and the Prominent Holy Places of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas in Sri Gauda-mandala | 978-1-935428-02-2 |
| Nectar of Govinda-lila | 978-1-935428-38-1 |
| Our Eternal Nature | 978-1-935428-56-5 |
| Pinnacle of Devotion | 978-1-935428-13-8 |
| Prabandhavali | 978-1-935428-35-0 |
| Prema-Pradip | 978-1-63316-171-9 |
| Prema Samputa – The Treasure Chest of Pure Transcendental Love | 978-1-935428-10-7 |
| Radha Krsna Ganodesh-dipika | 978-1-63316-148-1 |
| Radha Our Supreme Shelter | 978-1-63316-146-7 |
| Raga-vartma-candrika – A Moonbeam to Illuminate the Path of Spontaneous Devotion | 978-1-935428-94-7 |
| Ramanda Raya samvad | 978-1-935428-16-9 |
| Rupa Gosvami | 978-1-935428-84-8 |
| Sankalpa-kalpadrumah | 978-1-935428-97-8 |
| Secret Truths of the Bhagavatam | 978-1-935428-85-5 |
| Secrets of the Undiscovered Self | 978-1-63316-176-4 |
| Siksastakam | 978-1-935428-47-3 |
| Siva Tattva | 81-86737-91-x |
| Slokamrta bindu | 978-1-935428-50-3 |
| Soul of Book Distribution | 978-1-935428-51-0 |
| Svarupa of the jiva | 978-1-63316-174-0 |
| Ujjvala-nilamani-kiran | 978-1-935428-66-4 |
| Upadesamrta – The Ambrosial Advice of Sri Rupa Gosvami | 978-1-63316-172-6 |
| Utkalika Valari | 978-1-935428-22-0 |
| Vaisnava siddhanta mala | 978-1-935428-29-9 |
| Venu-Gita – The Song of Krsna’s Flute | 978-1-63316-168-9 |
| Vraja-Mandala Parikrama | 81-86737-34-0 |
| Way of Love | 978-1-935428-75-6 |
| When Kindness and Compassion Take a Form | 978-1-63316-134-4 |
| 2007 Walking with a Saint – Morning Walks & Darshans | 978-1-935428-61-9 |
| 2008 Walking with a Saint – Morning Walks & Darshans | 978-1-935428-26-8 |
| 2009 Walking with a Saint – Morning Walks & Darshans | 978-1-935428-46-6 |
| 2010 Walking with a Saint – Morning Walks & Darshans | 978-1-935428-99-2 |
References[edit]
Footnotes
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Haas 2013, p. 92-93
- ↑ Rosen 1993, p. 42-50
- ↑ "Satyaraj Das Glorifies Srila B.V. Narayan Maharaj". Vaisnava News Network. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ↑ Rosen 2013
- ↑ "Review: Hare Krishna in the Modern World". Harmonist. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ↑ De Backer 2013, p. 15-16
- ↑ Bloch 2007, p. 4-11
- ↑ Dasi 2019, p. 5-28
- ↑ Svami 2010a, p. xxxv
- ↑ Murphy 2010, p. 9-11
- ↑ Pinkney 2008, p. 116
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Holland 2014, p. 222
- ↑ Bandhav 2016, p. 5-16
- ↑ Svami 2010b, p. 1-2
- ↑ Svami 2010a, p. 43-77
- ↑ Svami 2010a, p. 135-138
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Svami 2010a, p. xxxv
- ↑ Svami 2010b, p. 1-2
- ↑ Dasi 2019, p. 5-28
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Haas 2018, p. 194-195
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Gosvami 2007, p. 1-16
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Goswami 2002a, p. 185-186
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Broo 2003, p. 149
- ↑ Collins 2004, p. 220
- ↑ Gosvami 2013, p. 1-72
- ↑ Goswami 2002b, p. 241-250
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
- ↑ Svami 2010b, p. 1-10
- ↑ "High Commissioner Chants Hare Krsna in Victoria Square". Vaisnava News Network. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ↑ "Yuga Acharya (Acharya of the Millennium)" (Certificate of Declaration). New Delhi, India: Vrajacarya Pith and the World Religious Parliament. 2003.
- ↑ "Srila Narayana Maharaja" (Certificate of Declaration). Houston, Texas: Lee P. Brown, Mayor of the City of Houston. 2003.
- ↑ Svami 2010a, p. xxxv
- ↑ Svami 2010b, p. 1-2
- ↑ Haas 2013, p. 1
- ↑ Haas 2018, p. 1
- ↑ Svami 2010a, p. xxxv
- ↑ Svami 2010b, p. 1-2
- ↑ "Grand Opening of Sri Govindaji Gaudiya Math Temple". Indo American News. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- ↑ Rao 2013, p. 86-89
Sources
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- Broo, Mans (2003). As Good as God: the Guru in Gaudiya Vaisnavism. Abo: Abo Akademi University Press. ISBN 9789517651325. Search this book on
- Collins, Irvin H. (2004). "The Routinization of Charisma and the Charismatic". In E. F. Bryant, M. I. Ekstrand. The Hare Krishna Movement, The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant. Columbia University Press. p. 214-237. ISBN 978-0-415-33311-5. Search this book on
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External Links[edit]
- Official Website of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
- Online Library of Books by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja (Contains Translations in Varous Languages)
- Online Library of Audio and Video Recordings by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja (Contains Thousands of Recordings)
- Website Dedicated to Projects Initiated by and Inspired by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
- Website Dedicated to the Books of Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
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