Complied by Damaghosa dasa and Yasoda nandana dasa
Srila Prabhupada gives all credit to his Guru Maharaja
Books : Bhagavad-gita As It Is – Macmillan 1972 Edition : Bg: Preface :
"…In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Krishna consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Krishna consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Krishna Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja Prabhupada.."
Srila Prabhupada explains his birth in a family of transcendentalists and his meeting His Guru Maharaja
Books : Bhagavad-gita As It Is – Macmillan 1972 Edition : Bg 6: Sankhya-yoga : Bg 6.42 : PURPORT :
Birth in a family of yogis or transcendentalists – those with great wisdom – is praised herein because the child born in such a family receives spiritual impetus from the very beginning of his life. It is especially the case in the acharya or Goswami families. Such families are very learned and devoted by tradition and training, and thus they become spiritual masters. In India there are many such acharya families, but they have now degenerated due to insufficient education and training. By the grace of the Lord, there are still families that foster transcendentalists generation after generation. It is certainly very fortunate to take birth in such families. Fortunately, both our spiritual master, Om Vishnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, and our humble self, had the opportunity to take birth in such families, by the grace of the Lord, and both of us were trained in the devotional service of the Lord from the very beginning of our lives. Later on we met by the order of the transcendental system
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB Introduction : SB Introduction :
Many devotees of Lord Chaitanya like Srila Vrindavana dasa Thakura, Sri Lochana dasa Thakura, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, Sri Kavikarnapura, Sri Prabodhananda Sarasvati, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Sanatana Goswami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami, Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Goswami and in this latter age within two hundred years, Sri Vishvanatha Cakravarti, Sri Baladeva Vidyabhuṣana, Sri Shyamananda Goswami, Sri Narottama dasa Thakura, Sri Bhaktivinoda Thakura and at last Sri Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (our spiritual master) and many other great and renowned scholars and devotees of the Lord have prepared voluminous books and literatures on the life and precepts of the Lord. Such literatures are all based on the shastras like the Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, Ramayaṇa, Mahabharata and other histories and authentic literatures approved by the recognized acharyas. They are unique in composition and unrivaled in presentation, and they are full of transcendental knowledge. Unfortunately the people of the world are still ignorant of them, but when these literatures, which are mostly in Sanskrit and Bengali, come to light the world and when they are presented before thinking people, then India's glory and the message of love will overflood this morbid world, which is vainly searching after peace and prosperity by various illusory methods not approved by the acharyas in the chain of disciplic succession.
Srila Prabhupada credits His Guru Maharaja for helping him to revive his old habit of deity worship
Books : Srimad-Bhagavatam : Canto 1:"Creation" : SB 1.12: Birth of Emperor Pariksit : SB 1.12.30 : Purport :
Srila Jiva Goswami remarks in this connection that every child, if given an impression of the Lord from his very childhood, certainly becomes a great devotee of the Lord like Maharaja Parikshit. One may not be as fortunate as Maharaja Parikshit to have the opportunity to see the Lord in the womb of his mother, but even if he is not so fortunate, he can be made so if the parents of the child desire him to be so. There is a practical example in my personal life in this connection. My father was a pure devotee of the Lord, and when I was only four or five years old, my father gave me a couple of forms of Radha and Krishna. In a playful manner, I used to worship these Deities along with my sister, and I used to imitate the performances of a neighboring temple of Radha-Govinda. By constantly visiting this neighboring temple and copying the ceremonies in connection with my own Deities of play, I developed a natural affinity for the Lord. My father used to observe all the ceremonies befitting my position. Later on, these activities were suspended due to my association in the schools and colleges, and I became completely out of practice. But in my youthful days, when I met my spiritual master, Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, again I revived my old habit, and the same playful Deities became my worshipful Deities in proper regulation. This was followed up until I left the family connection, and I am pleased that my generous father gave the first impression which was developed later into regulative devotional service by His Divine Grace.Maharaja Prahalada also advised that such impressions of a godly relation must be impregnated from the beginning of childhood, otherwise one may miss the opportunity of the human form of life, which is very valuable although it is temporary like others.
To be continued……