Today is the appearance day of our Gurudev’s elder God-brother, Srila Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj who is the chief amongst the personal associates of Nityalila-pravistha Om Vishnupada 108 Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada, the founder of world-wide Sree Chaitanya Math and Sree Gaudiya Math organizations. I have visited his Math many times with Srila Gurudev and he also used to visit our Math while he was physically able to. There are many Sanskrit scholars, but the sweetness in his writings is unique.

At the time of his departure, Srila Saraswati Prabhupad had expressed his desire to listen to ‘sri rupa-manjari pada’ Kirtan from him. He used explain devotional doctrines with such thorough scriptural evidences that nobody could refute them at any time. But his voice was so soft that one has to listen to him very attentively. He wrote many English articles. The language and the ontological aspects of his writings are such that no ordinary person can even think about them. His face looked as if he was constantly meditating on something from within.

He used to go for preaching with our Gurudev to various places. We used to go with Srila Gurudev and Srila Yayavar Goswami Maharaj to his Math at Navadwip to take part in the celebration there every year. All those days are gone now.

After establishing the Math in Madras, Srila Prabhupad desired to have a Math in Mumbai. So Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj and our Gurudev travelled to Mumbai after the preaching program at Madras. Meanwhile, one person with the name M.P. Engineer, a retired officer of Central Government and the president of Theosophical Society at Mumbai, came to know about Srila Sridhar Maharaj and our Gurudev’s presence in Mumbai. He came to meet them and told, “You have established a big Math in Madras. Why are you depriving Mumbai? It will be beneficial for all of us to have one Math in Mumbai also. To establish a Math here you will have to get acquainted with the people here. If they know about you only then they will come to the Math. Many renowned personalities come to our Theosophical Society. It will be great to give a lecture there.” Srila Gurudev replied him, “The Supreme Lord has sent you for this service.”

As Srila Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj was senior to our Gurudev, he was sent there to speak. Srila Maharaj spoke almost for one hour. He explained, "No one can know or get Supreme Lord Who is an unlimited, infinite, perfect and complete entity. If anybody can know Him then that Absolute will lose His position. He becomes subordinate to something. Therefore the infinite is unknown and unknowable.”

He was given the time until 9 PM. Before he could speak further, the time was over and he stopped his speech. Hearing him speak so about attaining and knowing the Supreme Lord, M. P. Engineer stood up and asked him a question, “Your speech was very grave, but I have a question. You told that the Supreme Lord is unlimited and complete. No one can know Him. He is inconceivable. If someone can know or get Him then He will lose His Supremacy. Then why did you accept Sanyas order of life and practicing so hard renunciation? What is the use of doing so if you are not going to get Him?”

Srila Maharaj replied, “You have put a restriction of time. Time was over so I had to stop. If you desire to hear then I can speak about it but you have to give me some time.”

Then he was given more time to speak about it. Srila Maharaj continued the topic, “No one can know or conceive the Supreme Lord by his own strength. If one can do so then there is loss of His Supremacy but if the All-Powerful Supreme Lord cannot make any one know Him then also He loses His Supremacy. We cannot know Him by our strength but He can make us know Him by His mercy.” Listening to him everyone there became satisfied.

In this way he used to speak so expertly with thorough scriptural evidences.

Once I went to meet Srila Maharaj at his Math. That time Maharaj’s health was not good so I was notified by his servants that it is not possible to have his darshan. I became disappointed. But then by his mercy some arrangement happened and I could have his darshan. I offered him obeisance and he spoke Harikatha that time. Today on this holy Tithi, I offer innumerable obeisances to his lotus feet and ask for forgiveness for all the offences I have committed knowingly or unknowingly to his lotus feet. He is very merciful. I pray to him that he forgive me.

Today is also disappearance Tithi of Srila Sakhicharan Das Babaji Maharaj. The monetary service for Sri Yoga Pitha temple was done by Sakhicharan Das Babaji Maharaj. He was a household devotee before. He contributed greatly to Sri Chaitanya Math. He used to serve Vaishnava and hold Utsava in his house. I went many times to pray his mercy. Later, he took Babaji-vesha and stayed at Imali-tala, Vrindavan. On today’s Tithi he performed the pastime of disappearance. A small temple is there at the entrance of Sri Yoga Pitha, so we get the opportunity to pay obeisance. He was a very rich man but did not have any pride or ego for that. I offer my innumerable obeisance to his lotus feet and pray for his mercy.