Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī

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Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Mahārāja appeared in this world in the village of Hapaniya, West Bengal, in 1895 within a high class Bhaṭṭācārya brāhmaṇa family. After studying philosophy at Krishnanath College in Berhampore, he met his guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and accepted initiation from him in 1926 and sannyāsa in 1930. In 1942 Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Mahārāja founded the Śrī Caitanya Sārasvata Maṭha and remained there until his departure from this world in 1988. He was recognised by his godbrothers for his dispassionate nature and common sense, as well as for his superlative Sanskrit compositions and profound philosophical insights.

Articles by Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī

A Rūpānuga’s Constant Meditation Concerning Śrī Ratha Yātrā

This article, ‘Śrī Ratha Yātrāya Śrī Rūpānugānucintana,’ by Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja, was first published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśana magazine, Vol. 13, issue 1 in August 1969 the name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Govinda Dāsa Adhikārī Bhakti-kovinda, and was written in response to certain maṭhas performing Ratha Yātrā in the dhāma.

Ten Prayers to the Foot-Dust of Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmī (Śrīmad Rūpa Pada Rajaḥ Prārthanā Daśakam)

With the forthcoming observance of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmi’s disappearance, we present ‘Śrīmad Rūpa Pada Rajaḥ Prārthanā Daśakam’ (Ten Prayers to the Foot-Dust of Śrīmad Rūpa Gosvāmī), a Sanskrit composition by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja. first published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśana magazine, Vol.11, Issue 1 in 1965.

By |August 25, 2023|Tags: |

‘The Best of Thieves’ – An Illumination

Śrīla B.R. Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī comments upon a Sanskrit prayer attributed to Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura entitled Caurāgragaṇya-Puruṣāṣṭakam (Eight Prayers to that Personality Who is the Best of Thieves). In his explanation, Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja explains that Kṛṣṇa’s inherent nature as a thief is in the jīva’s best interests.

Introduction to Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu

In this introduction to the Śrī Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu written in 1947, Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja gives a brief explanation of the importance of Rūpa Gosvāmī’s magnum-opus, how it is the king amongst all other rasa-śāstra, Śrī Jivā Gosvāmī’s commentary on it, as well as the unique features of this particular publication of Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. This was translated from Bengali by Swami B.V. Giri.

By |May 19, 2023|Tags: |

Introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā

This introduction to the Bhagavad-gītā by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī was written for the Bengali edition of the Gītā published by Śrī Caitanya Sārasvata Maṭha in 1961. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja expounds the glories of the Gītā and explains how śaraṇāgatī (surrender) is its ultimate message. This article was translated into English by Sanātana Dāsa.

By |April 14, 2023|Tags: |

Śrī Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam

On the occasion of the upcoming Gaura Pūrṇimā festival, we present this Sanskrit song, ‘Śrī-Gaura-hari Kusuma Stavāṣṭākam’ (‘Eight flower-like Prayers to Śrī Gaura-hari’) which was composed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja and originally published in Śrī Gauḍīya Darśana magazine, Volume 8, Issue 9 in 1963.

Who is Qualified to Succeed the Ācārya?

This important article from 1939, published in the Gauḍīya magazine after the disappearance of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, consists of a series of questions and answers between a householder disciple of Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja concerning guru-godbrother relations, succession, and guru-tattva. In the original Bengali, some sections of the article were given emphasis with bold text and we have maintained the same formatting in the English version. This article was translated into English by Swami B.V. Giri and Sanātana Dāsa. (Note: The title ‘Prabhupāda’ in this article refers to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura)

Śrī Kusumañjalī (An Offering of Flowers)

The following Bengali poem, in glorification of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda, was composed by Śrīla Śrīdhara Deva Gosvāmī Mahārāja prior to his acceptance of sannyāsa, and first published in the Dainika Nadīya Prakaśa on Sunday, 11th June, 1927. This poem was translated into English by Sanātana Dāsa and edited by Swami B.V. Giri.

The Ontological Position of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda

In 'The Ontological Position of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda', Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja describes the glories of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govindadeva, and the special characteristic of Govinda within the Gauḍīya sampradāya in relation to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhu and in comparison with Gopīnātha and Madana-mohana. This article is based upon a talk given in January 1982.

Śrī Nāma Māhātmya (The Glories of the Holy Name)

In Śrī Nāma Māhātmya (The Glories of the Holy Name), Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja gives a detailed explanation of the gradual development of the Holy Name according to the eight verses of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s ‘Nāma Māhātmya’ from ‘Śaraṇāgati.’ This edited transcript was originally spoken on October 2nd 1981.

Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhara Maharaja
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