Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Goswami Maharaja

Srila Maharaj appeared as the son of Mother Srimati Yogamaya Devi and Srimat Durgacaran Prabhu in 1900. He graduated from Dhaka Mitford Medical School as a medical doctor, and came to Prabhupada Srila Sarasvati Thakura in 1927 and received mantra diksa and Sri Harinama and started serving the devotees in Sri Mayapur as ordered by Srila Prabhupada.

He had exhibited extreme tolerance and possessed the greatest humbleness, emphasizing “trinadapi sunicena” and merged into the worship of Sri Harinama continually. He remained unaffected by the nuances caused by a small group of so-called god-nephews. Even being the president and Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Math, he gracefully signed on papers brought in by some of those god-nephews stating, “my disciples will have no authority in managing and directing the services of the Math in the future.” When inquired by his disciples as to where they will live in the future, Srila Maharaja assured that if they continue to engage in service, Sri Krishna Himself will provide them with shelter.

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If any resident would come to complain about another resident, Srila Maharaj would say “you are aatma, how come any words or deeds towards your body or mind would affect you?”, quoting “nainam chindanti sastrani…” His own response to external disturbances toward himself was to surrender to Sri Krishna and continue to chant Sri Harinama.

One resident had offended Srila Maharaja by cursing loudly using foul words. Maharaja was silent on this and continued his chanting. Noticing that Maharaja was not objecting or responding, this resident became louder and ultimately raised shoes toward Srila Maharaja. After three days, while the offender was maliciously engaged in offensive talks with others, a ferocious snake fell on his head and bit him causing immediate death. Srila Maharaja prayed for forgiveness for and on behalf of the offender with a melted heart. This reminds us of Namacharya Sri Haridas Thakura.

What to speak of us, even heavenly demigods do not recognize a Vaishnava: “vaishnava cinite nare devera sakati”. We see an external appearance of a Vaishnava through our material senses and experiences. However only the Vaishnavas may recognize each other. The best of the Vaishnavas, Sri Shivji, had once sent in his own devotees, a shaiva couple, advising to accept shelter at the feet of Srila Sraman Goswami Maharaja. In another occasion, Shivji, Tarakeswar, had directed a person suffering from a disease, to get Srila Maharaja’s feet-water for his cure.

Srila Bhakti Kusum Sraman Goswami Maharaja established Sri Giri Govardhan at Sri Chaitanya Math in Sri Mayapur to fulfill his Gurudeva’s desire and paved the path around Sri Radhakund and Sri Shyamkund. He appeared on the day of Sri Govardhan puja and got bhajan-samadhi on the bank of Sri Radhakund in Sri Mayapur on Moksada ekadashi.