20231126 Homage to Śrīla Bhakti Pramode Purī Goswami Mahārāja

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: As His Holiness Bodhayan Mahārāja mentioned, I am not in very good health. Because I was staying in the Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha and at the same time His Holiness, His Divine Grace Bhakti Pramode Purī Goswami Mahārāja was also staying there, even though I don’t know much Bengali then, I thought I would buy some yogurt and other things for him. At that time, I used to take guidance from His Holiness Bhakti Pramoda Purī Mahārāja. At that time my spiritual master came, and we had invited all his godbrothers to welcome him and offer him a big reception. His Holiness Bhakti Pramode Purī Goswami Mahārāja, he was very happy to go. So later he came here and stayed here in the Gopīnātha Gauḍīya Maṭha.

My spiritual master told me that you should go and learn from him how to worship the Deity. He had vast knowledge on this subject. So we have our book on the Pāñcarātrika system on Deity worship in which a lot of information was given by His Divine Grace Bhakti Pramode Purī Goswami Mahārāja. In the beginning he stayed in Purī, I did not know about this. I was walking on the street in Purī and somehow, he saw me. He said, come here. I was very happy to see a venerable Vaiṣṇava. Then he said I will give you a blessing. So if I am here in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Caitanya consciousness in the mission of Lord Caitanya, it is because of the blessings of His Divine Grace Bhakti Pramoda Purī Mahārāja.

When I started the SGVA, the Sārasvata Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Association, to associate all the followers of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, he came to a lot of the meetings. He said charity begins at home, there must be unity amongst us, the SGVA. My spiritual master instituted the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust, BSCT, and he had two Gauḍīya Maṭha members as well. First was Bhaktidaita Mādhava Mahārāja and other was Madhusūdana Mahārāja. After the departure of Madhusūdana Mahārāja, Bhakti Pramode Purī Goswami Mahārāja joined. Now, Bodhayan Mahārāja is in his place.

He had given me a lot of advice. This Trust is required and there are many objectives. One of them is to renovate and maintain all the śrīpāṭs, places associated with the associates of Lord Caitanya. Many may not be aware of the deep relation I had with Bhakti Pramode Purī Goswami Mahārāja. I cannot speak for long, but I wanted to offer my homage and respects to him on this auspicious day. I was in Māyāpur when his disappearance took place. I remember that his mortal remains were brought here from Jagannātha Purī and then we all took part in placing him in samādhi. Hare Kṛṣṇa!

@ Śrī Gopīnātha Gauḍīya Maṭha