|
|
|
The Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math was established in 1941 in
Sri Nabadwip Dham, India, by His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Sri Srila
Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami
Maharaj.
Prior
to his departure from this world in 1988, Srila Sridhar Maharaj
publicly and in his Last Will
and Testament named his beloved disciple Om Vishnupad Sri Srila
Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
as his successor.
|
Public
Declaration |
|
by
Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj
[from a recording on Gaura Purnima, 26th March, 1986]
According
to the desire of my Divine Master, I have been maintaining this
Disciplic Succession but it is no longer
possible for me, as I am now too old and an invalid. You all know
from long ago I have chosen Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj
and I have given him sannyasa. All my Vaishnava Godbrothers are
very affectionate towards him and it is also their desire to give
him this position. I have previously given to him the charge of
the Math and now I am giving him the full responsibility of giving
Harinam, diksha, sannyasa, etc., as an Acharya of this Math on behalf
of myself.
Those
who have any regard for me should give this respect and position
to Govinda Maharaj as my successor. As much as you have faith in
my sincerity, then with all sincerity I believe that he has got
the capacity of rendering service in this way. With this I transfer
these beads and from now he will initiate on my behalf as ritvik.
The ritvik system is already involved both here and also in the
foreign land. The ritvik is the representative. So if you want to
take from me, and you take by his hands, then it will be as well
and as good as taking from me.
In
the Mahamandala, Sagar Maharaj and many others are also ritvik of
Swami Maharaj and also myself. They may do so, but in this Math
and in any Math under this Math, he will be the representative.
If anyone cannot accept this, he may leave the Math rather than
stay here and disturb the peace of the Math. With all my sincerity
and good feelings to Guru-Gauranga, to the Vaishnavas and the Acharyas,
Mahaprabhu, Pancha-Tattva, Radha-Govinda and Their Parshadas, with
all my sincere prayers to Them, henceforth he will represent me
in this affair beginning from today's function.
Now
I shall go from here and he will do the necessary. On my behalf,
he will give Harinama, diksha, sannyasa, and everything.
|
Last
Will & Testament |
|
"The
said Sriman Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj, of whom I, Srila Bhakti
Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, am the Godfather, and am by caste
Gaudiya-Vaishnava Brahmin, and am by occupation a Religious Preacher
and Worshipper of the Deities at the address Sri Chaitanya Saraswat
Math, P.O. and Police Station Nabadwip -- the said Sriman Bhakti Sundar
Govinda Maharaj, who, despite temporarily changing his formal position,
was named and recognized by me as Sri Govinda Sundar Vidyaranjan and
engaged by me in all the various services of the Math; and upon whom
on the 6th November, 1985, I conferred the order of sannyasa
whence I again named and recognized him as Sri Bhakti Sundar Govinda
Maharaj; and, since he has tirelessly and whole-heartedly assisted
in the duties of organizing and developing this Math and also in the
duties of establishing and developing Calcutta and Hapaniya Centers,
etc., and since he has arranged many donors and has provided much
encouragement to even myself in the duties of managing the Math, etc.,
and all the above-mentioned tasks he is still performing up to this
day; and since he is still naturally disposed to serve the Math and
its residents, and at all times he is endeavoring for the progressive
development of Sri Math, and above all, he is well-known and unanimously
acclaimed as being firmly established in the philosophy of the Siddhanta
[Perfect Axiomatic Truth] of Bhakti as propounded by both myself as
well as by my Divine Master -- thus, I hereby appoint him as my Successor
Sevaite Acharya, and President.
"In
compliance with the Rules and Regulations of the aforesaid Deed,
all my lawful claims, directorship, and rights will automatically
be inherited by him. In all my Maths, etc., he alone shall as the
Acharya, confer initiation, etc., and shall as the Sevaite
[Guardian-Servitor] and President, manage all the duties of my established
Temples, Ashrams, etc.
"Hereby,
I do reveal my final desire and directives unto all my Eastern and
Western lady and gentlemen disciples, as well as to the faithful
souls devoted to the Divinity, that: they must respect him as the
exclusive Acharya and President, and remain faithful to him and
cooperate with him in the service duties of the Math.
"If
anyone cannot honor these directives and this final desire of mine,
then they shall be bound to dissociate themselves from my established
Maths."
|
|
This website is © Sri Chaitanya Saraswat
Math, Nabadwip.
Founder-Acharyya: Srila B. R. Sridhar Maharaj
President-Acharyya: Srila B. S. Govinda Maharaj
www.scsmath.com - online since 1995. Updated
regularly.
|
|
|