|
"To
show them special mercy, I, dwelling in
their hearts, destroy |
|
"To
show them special mercy, I, dwelling in
their hearts, destroy |
In
Memoriam
Sridhara Swami
|
Srila Prabhupada dipika.org Features Books Contributors Discussions Downloads Padayatra Websites Worldwide Earlier Articles
|
Photos of Sridhar Swami
For me, the most blissful aspect of the Panca Tattva installation was seeing HH Sridhar Swami bathing Lord Nityananda. His embrace was so tender and sublime and truly loved... Photos: Click here or on title
Sridhara Swami I remember first meeting Sridhara Swami in the mid-seventies in Mumbai, India. We were working together under Gargamuni, enrolling life members. In those days we were a bit tough. We had to be because of the circumstances of living on a construction site (the temple) and having very little money or resources but faithfully going out every day to visit Mumbai businessmen and persuade them to give us some rupees and become members of the then fledgling ISKCON. When I first started working with Sridhara Swami, he was quite used to the hot climate and the culture, whereas I wasn't, so sometimes, after a long morning program, when we would head out in our car for an appointment, I would be overcome by sleepiness. Then I would feel a sudden bump or nip on the back. It was Sridhara Swami waking me up. He would have a big smile and pretend nothing had happened.
and Straightforward by Radhanath Swami, Radha Gopinath Mandir, ISKCON Chowpatty Posted March 25, 2004 Today [14/03/2004], Sridhara Swami Maharaja departed this mortal world to enter into the eternal pastimes of Srila Prabhupada. Actually he is always involved in those eternal pastimes, but we can know that Srila Prabhupada has called him to assist on another level. Sridhara Maharaja is noted by all as one of the most faithful, dedicated associates of Prabhupada. He came to our movement in the 1960s, and from that time without break or hesitation he was immersed in service of Guru and Krishna. At Radha Kunda, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur told Prabhupada to print books and distribute them. Prabhupada took that order as his life and soul. Sridhara Maharaja, because of his love and great enthusiasm to serve and please his Guru Maharaja, was on the first traveling book-distribution party in the history of ISKCON. From Yugala Kishor dasa Posted March 25, 2004 It is very difficult to express our feelings for a departed Vaishnava. I have had the opportunity of once witnessing such an event. It is sobering. His Holiness Sridhara Swami has left us here, in this world of strife and discord. But his exemplary life, his love for Srila Prabhupada, his love for his Godbrothers and sisters, his dedication to the mission of our Acarya, cannot but give us immense joy. The attributes and essence of this joy goes beyond the words used to describe the pleasures of this insipid world because it stems from Sri Krishna and it touches the soul. By Bhakta Wallace Dorian Posted March 25, 2004 I have been an aspiring devotee for 24 years, and although I did not know Sridhara Swami intimately, I had the good fortune to meet him on several occasions spread out over that period of those many years. Reading the remembrances of him by his Godbrothers and sisters and his disciples made me very emotional and teary-eyed, I must admit. I first met Sridhara Swami briefly in New York City at the old 55th Street temple in 1979. I was immediately attracted to his demeanor and loved his sense of humor. I found him to be very pure, loyal, sincere, and honest. From Joshua Hawley Posted March 25, 2004 Its funny. I only met Maharaja one time. I was staying at the ISKCON Vancouver temple. He had come and was there trying to recoup. He had been traveling for some time, and his hepatitis was giving him some trouble. I remember him giving Bhagavatam class in the morning, and he was looking at Prabhupada's Murti as if Prabhupada were right there. I knew, "This is a Prabhupada man!"
Unto His Holiness Sridhara By Prabhupada dasa Adhikari Posted March 24, 2004 We first met in July 1969 in Vancouver in front of the Hudson Bay Company at Georgia and Granville. The Hari Nama Party had just finished chanting, and he stood before a crowd of perhaps 50 people. Just then I walked past and heard his talk about the nature of the soul. He was the first devotee I ever heard speak, my first contact. He is my vartmapradarsaka guru, eternally. We last met in July 2003 in the Vancouver Temple on South West Marine Drive. The aratika had just ended and he sat before a group of perhaps 50 devotees and spoke of the nature of the soul. My shiksa guru. By Bhakta Moe (Sridhar Maharaja's brother) Posted March 22, 2004 So much poorer are we who stay behind All your life you sowed the Sannyasi
seed Appreciations of Sridhar Maharaja A talk by Niranjana Swami on the Appearance Day of Srivasa Thakur Posted March 23, 2004 I'm always happy to come to Kiev, especially here at the Sunday Feast and see that there are always new faces coming to hear about Krsna. This is always very inspiring for me to see. Although I am going to speak about a few different subjects, hopefully we will be able to connect them to Krsna, because ultimately any topics that are connected to the Lord are beneficial for everyone to hear. As explained by Suta Goswami, only questions and answers that are related to Krsna will be able to fully satisfy the self. But connected to Krsna, one will always see that He is surrounded by many devotees. To discuss the devotees of the Lord are also topics that are related to Krsna. Today happens to be the appearance day of Srivasa Thakur. So we hope to have an opportunity to speak a little bit about that. But today also happens to be another day, which I haven't been able to fully digest, and therefore I beg your forgiveness if I become emotional, because at 6:15 AM my Godbrother H.H. Sridhar Maharaja left this world. So it is also his disappearance day, and he was a very dedicated servant of Srila Prabhupada. He gave his life to serving Srila Prabhupada's mission. From Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami Posted March 22, 2004 Dear Sridhar Maharaja, Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. I'll miss you, Maharaja. When we embraced that last time in Mayapura, you said, "Any longer and it will mean good-bye." We both knew it did. I'll especially miss your charming sense of humor, you know, the one that prompted you to say, with your impish grin, to the doctor as he looked at your swollen tummy, "It's a boy!" In the face of the pain you went through in the last part of your life with us, that jolly spirit told us a lot about your spiritual position. From Subhadra-mayi dasi Posted March 23, 2004 Sridhar Maharaja, you are a person who has meant a lot to me, from the moment I first met you. You are a real devotee— practical, down to earth, objective, and so normal, which is a rare thing nowadays. I really cared about you so I never let a chance pass by where I could ask you, "Anything I can do for you?" Sometimes there was something; other times there wasn't. But it always felt so nice that you knew you could count on me when you needed some help. Because of the kind of person you are, I did it with so much pleasure. You never had this trip of "I'm a senior devotee, and you are so fortunate to serve me..."
"We Are Pals" By Hari-sauri dasa Posted March 23, 2004
A day or two after the departure of our beloved Godbrother Srila Sridhar Swami, I was asked if I might write something about him for the Mayapur website. I was happy to have been asked, and happy to have the chance to glorify a dear friend and servant of Srila Prabhupada. But I couldn't get to it immediately. I mulled it over for a few days, thinking what I might say. Then I got a message from our Godbrother Brahmananda prabhu in Vrindavana: <I very much miss Sridhar Maharaj. Why is it that I only appreciate someone when I can never again be with them? I understand you were attending him in Mayapur. I think you must have benefited from that.> It seems like a good starting point, and so I am glad now to be able to add a little something to the tributes and praises of a wonderful Vaisnava who was universally liked among the community of devotees. From Nrsimhananda dasa Posted March 23, 2004 Dear Sridhar Swami, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Yesterday, before you left your body, my son and I were discussing his "favorite" friends in Krishna consciousness. First from his lips were, "I really like Sridhar Swami." How many voices have said the same words? Who amongst those that have had the good fortune of knowing you has not said the same thing? "I really like Sridhar Swami." Practically, that phrase has become a traditional ISKCON mantra. In or out of the ISKCON camp, "I really like Sridhar Swami" is a commonly held opinion. Somehow you transcended all designations that separate the conditioned souls; in fact, you remained a unifying figure in a variegated universe of diversity. Everyone can agree on at least one point: "We really like Sridhar Swami." From Braja Sevaki Devi Dasi Posted March 23, 2004 There is no doubt HH Tamal Krishna Maharaja was waiting for HH Sridhara Maharaja, because he said himself that he would be there to do that. I've just finished editing the first Nectar Book that the disciples of Tamal Krishna Goswami are publishing in Dallas. The books are produced in the exact same style as the Prabhupada Nectar books, those little red ones Satsvarupa Maharaja did all those years ago. Same format, little stories by disciples, Godbrothers and sisters, just nectar. There is one story told by Bhakti Caitanya Swami: |
Send
articles to news@dipika.org
Send comments to webmaster@dipika.org
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2002 - 2004 by www.dipika.org
