Today is an auspicious Tithi so we should pray for the grace. Today is the appearance Tithi of Parampujyapad Parivrajakacharya Srila Bhakti Gauravaa Vaikhanas Goswami Maharaj, a Sanyas disciple of the founder of Sri Chaitanya Math and Gaudiya Math, Nityalila-pravistha Om Vishnupad 108 Sri Srila Bhakti Siddanta Saraswati Thakur. He was always merciful towards me but I did not get much opportunity to serve him.

Once, along with Guruji, I had gone to his Math at Barhampur. Two years back I had gone to his appearance place Gonju (in Ganjam district, Orissa). He mercifully ordered some service to me. I cannot serve him without his order. It happened all of a sudden. I got the opportunity to do Anukulya (monetary service) for his Sri Vigrah (at his Samadhi temple). He has so many capable disciples, but mercifully, he provided the service opportunity to me. Personally I do not have anything, whatever I have is given by devotees. There his Samadhi temple was constructed. He mercifully gave the service for the temple dome (Chuda) also. This way I got the service opportunity.

Before taking shelter of Srila Saraswati Thakur, he was a royal priest and a scholar in the assembly of the King of Badagad in Orissa. He appeared in 1877 in Gonju Dham on Pratipad-tithi during the dark fortnight in the month of Kartik. His parents gave him a name Ujjvaleswar Ratha. Because of his unrivalled scholarship, the king awarded him the title ‘Pāṭa-yośī ,’ meaning the great scholar. So he was called ‘Ujjvaleswar Pāṭa-yośī’. 'Pāṭa-yośī,’ is not an ordinary designation.

In year 1933, at the age of 56, he saw Srila Prabhupad’s portrait, and just seeing the portrait, he understood that he is his Guru and surrendered to him in that very moment. Can anyone recognise his Guru just by seeing his portrait? He went to Mayapur and accepted Harinam and Diksha in that very year and was given the name Ujjvaleswaranand Das. And just one year after that, in 1934, he was awarded Sanyas by Srila Prabhupad and became Parampujyapad Parivrajakacharya Srila Bhakti Gaurava Vaikhanas Goswami Maharaj. And after Sanyas, until the time Prabhupad had completed his manifested worldly pastimes, he stayed with him. After Prabhupad’s disappearance, he established Ashrams in Gonju and Barhampur.

He was a great scholar even before he took shelter of Srila Prabhupad. He knew all Mantra and Tantra (incantations). Even if one was possessed of evil spirit or ghost, even Brahma-daitya (Brahmins when they become evil spirit), he rescued them with Mantra and Tantra. He was very powerful.

By seeing his scriptural knowledge and knowledge of all rites and ritualistic performances, how to install deity, temple etc, our Gurudev and many of his god-brothers were attracted to him. Our Gurudev took Sanyas from him at Tota Gopinath Temple at Purushottam Dham and Pujyapad Puri Goswami Maharaj also took Sanyas from him at Gaura-Gadadhar Math, Champahati in Nabadwip-mandal. Including Srila Ashram Maharaj many other Prabhupad’s disciples also took Sanyas from him.

Our Gurumaharaj’s character was ideal in all respects. After his Sanyas he never had gone anywhere without his Tridand. He had shown great respect for his Tridand. There are three presiding deities which reside in Tridand—Karnodasayi Mahavishnu, Garbhodasayi Mahavishnu and Kshirodasayi Mahavishnu. We have seen his respect towards his Tridand. He saw Vaikhanas Maharaj as his Guru. Wherever Vaikhanas Maharaj would visit, it could have been Mayapur, Kolkata or Hyderabad, our Gurudev respected him and served him with all great efforts. Nowadays devotees after taking Harinam and even Sanyas do not keep any connection with their Guru. But our Gurumaharaj shown the ideal about respecting one’s Sanyas Guru.

Srila Vaikhanas Maharaj memorised many Stava from Srimad Bhagavatam like Garbha-stuti, Prahlad-stava, Brahma-stava and even the whole Bhagavad Gita. He used to speak in Odia language which was his mother tongue. When there were persons who do not understand Odia language, he used to speak in Sanskrit. Once he was in Mayapur. Many persons came to him and asked him questions. He used to reply to them in Odia language. There is similarity between Bengali language and Odia language so I was able to understand what he spoke. That time I saw that if someone came with the intention of showing his scholarship or for arguments and asks him a question and try to make him speak, he used to smile at such persons and never used to utter a single word to them. He used to perceive their ulterior intentions and used to be silent to the persons who have not come to him for their eternal welfare.

I have desire to visit his place (Gonju) to get his grace. We should go there to offer obeisance. It is his appearance place. By his mercy all our ulterior desires will be removed. I pay my innumerable prostrated obeisances to his lotus feet and pray for his grace. May he forgive all my offenses which I have done knowingly or unknowingly. By Vaikhanas Maharaj’s mercy, the devotees there agreed to accept our service for the dome renovation of his Samadhi temple. It has become possible as Vaikhanas Maharaj has ordered so. It is not easy to get the service of Vaishnava.