Our Eternal Spiritual Teacher

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja (1921-2010) was a principal Bhakti-yoga teacher for thousands of people around the world. He is regarded as the principal authority in Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition.

Sacred Lineage 

Srila Narayana Maharaj was born on February 7, 1921, in a highly respected brahmana family in the village of Tiwaripura, near the sacred river the Ganges, in the Buxar district of Bihar, India. During his childhood and early adulthood, he was constantly immersed in religious discourses of Ramayana, which he loved. It was, however, a meeting with a prominent scholar and spiritual teacher Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja which proved most influential on young Narayan’s future calling. He first met his guru in 1947 in Sri Navadvipa Dhama, and within days he left his material life to join the mission of his spiritual master and surrendered his life in service. 

For the next five years, He traveled all over India, preaching together with his spiritual teacher. In 1952, he was awarded a sacred order of sannyasa, giving him the name Sri Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Goswami Maharaja. He continued to serve his guru for the rest of his life. At the age of 86, he had traveled over 30 times around the globe and wrote commentaries for more than 35 books in Sanskrit with extremely deep philosophical meanings. Every second of his life was an embodiment of the teachings he was preaching. On December 29th, 2010, our beloved Srila Gurudeva left the material world and entered a spiritual world. Today, we take shelter of Srila Gurudev’s dear servant, Sripad Premananda Prabhu, who resides in Vrindavan. Like the Northern Star, he continues to guide us in the right direction. 

Read more: bhakta.org & purebhakti.com

The Meaning of Guru

“Do you know the meaning of Guru?

“A spiritual teacher?”

“Yes,” Srila Gurudeva said, “but more than that. A real guru is someone very powerful. He is not an ordinary teacher. He is so powerful that he can even control God with his love. How? In the spiritual world, the Supreme Person, the all-attractive Krsna,  is controlled by the love  of the residents of Vraja. They do not think of Krsna as God, but as  their best friend, child or dearmost beloved. A pure guru is from that eternal world. He teaches this highest platform of love by which the soul will be united with God, Do you understand? 

She clasped her hands respectfully and nodded. Srila Gurudeva also folded his hands and said. 

“Do you know what this gesture means?”

“It’s a symbol of prayer.”

“Yes,” Srila Gurudeva said. “Holding the hands together like this is an appeal to God, common to all faiths. This also symbolizes our highest aspiration.” 

Srila Gurudeva opened his hands and said, “Sri Guru is the agent who brings about the meeting of the soul with God. Look, one hand represents the soul, and the other the Supreme Soul.” He again joined his palms. “We fold our hands in devotion, praying to be unified in a loving relation with God. This is the process of bhakti-yoga.”