Srila Gurudev sings the glories of his Gurudev, “Srila Gurudeva’s single-minded allegiance to his spiritual master is an example to be followed by everyone. Srila Gurudeva’s entire being—his meditation, his thoughts, his japa, everything—was fully devoted for fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desires. Srila Prabhupada generally sent Srila Gurudeva as the advance man to do the groundwork for all his big service events. He had complete faith that whatever task he gave him would be carried out to completion. Srila Prabhupada used the words ‘Volcanic Energy’ for Srila Gurudev, witnessing his unflinching resolve, application and success in all endeavors entrusted to him.”
An Introduction to Srila Paramgurudev
Utthāna Ekādaśī is the tithi which marks the end of the Chāturmāsya period, when Lord Viṣṇu wakes up from his four-month long sleep. It thus brings joy and auspiciousness to the world. Similarly, the appearance of the most compassionate dear associate of Lord Hari, our most worshipable Sreela Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Goswāmī Mahārāj (herein referred as Sreela Gurudeva), on that tithi had the effect of bringing joy and good fortune to the world’s conditioned souls who are suffering from the three-fold miseries.
Utthāna-ekādaśī is the tithiwhich marks the end of the Cāturmāsya period, when Vishnu wakes up from his four-month long sleep. It thus brings joy and auspiciousness to the world. Similarly, the appearance on that tithiof the most compassionate dear associate of Lord Hari, our most worshipable Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj, had the effect of bringing joy and good fortune to the world’s conditioned souls who are suffering from the three-fold miseries.
From a very early age, Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj began to display extraordinary qualities. He would never, under any circumstances, tell a lie. He would explain to his friends and companions the moral value of truth and the unsoundness of telling falsehoods. People who observed the extent of his generosity and wisdom were convinced that he would grow up to be a great personality of extraordinary character.
In 1925, when Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj was in Kolkata for his higher studies he began to feel great separation from the Supreme Lord calling out the names of the Lord and crying in the middle of the night. He would eat only haviṣyānna (an unspiced khichuri) once a day. In this state of absorption in the Lord, he one day had a dream in which Narada Muni came and reassured him. Narada gave him a mantra and told him that by chanting it he would achieve all perfection. However, upon awakening, try as he might Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj was unable to recall the mantra he had been given in its entirety. The loss of the mantra bewildered and distressed him immeasurably. His irritation with life in the household reached an intolerable degree and he became determined to abandon it. With an intense desire to have a vision of the Supreme Lord, he set off for the Himālayas. While at Himālayas when he had practically lost all awareness of the external world, he was given a divine order to seek out a spiritual master. He was also told that his guru would appear to him in the very place he had left.
Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj came to visit Mayapur for the first time where he saw Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakur and got attracted by his superhuman personality. After hearing the Vaishnava doctrines from Srila Prabhupad, he became convinced of their reasonableness and superiority over other religious dogmas. He took shelter of Srila Prabhupad and on September 4, 1927, on Radhaṣṭamī, received initiation in the Holy Name and mantra at the Ultadanga Math. After initiation, he was known as Hayagrīva Das Brahmachari. Not long after being initiated, he decided to commit himself completely to the service of Krishna and his devotees by moving into the Math.
Itwas not long before Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj was counted amongst Srila Prabhupad’s leading disciples as a result of his dedicated service to his guru, his unflagging enthusiasm and his competence in a variety of services. Srila Prabhupad used the words “Volcanic Energy” to describe his unflinching resolve to accomplish the tasks given him, his application and his success in all endeavors.
At the age of 40, he took sannyas on the grounds of the Ṭoṭā Gopinath temple from Sree Sreemad Bhakti Gaurava Vaikhānasa Maharaj according to the Vaishnava rituals. He was thenceforth known as Parivrājakācārya Tridaṇḍi-svāmī Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj.
Of all of Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj’s virtues, his attachment to his spiritual master and his affection for his god-brothers were exemplary. After Srila Prabhupad’s disappearance, whenever any of his god-brothers were faced with hardship, he would immediately step forward without considering his own happiness or distress in order to give them a helping hand.
Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj pierced the fortress of impersonalist philosophy in Punjab, where he was first to introduce the Divine Love of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He wandered from village to village, travelling by foot and sometimes by oxcart, simply to bring the greatest good to every living being to turn them toward Krishna. He founded Sree Caitanya Gaudiya Math Institution in the year 1953 and established many big preaching centers in various parts of India.
He also took over the service of the 500 years old temples of Lord Jagannath at Jasra, Chakdah and at Agartala, Tripura. He established Sri Chaitanya Vani Press in Kolkata. He preached extensively in different parts of India spreading the divine message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu irrespective of caste, colour or creed.
On Tuesday, February 27, 1979, at 9 A.M., in the midst of the singing of the Holy Names, Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj entered the eternal pastimes of the Lord, at the time of his morning lila with Radha, leaving his god-brothers and disciples in an ocean of grief.