Divine Life of Srila Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Goswami Maharaj
In the year 1890 (Bengali calendar year 1306), a ray of Srila Prabhupada was born in Dhaka in an aristocratic family. This boy, named Indubabu, was renounced from childhood, showing indifference towards food, distaste in games, and was of a grave disposition. He used to associate with saintly persons and took much interest in religion and spirituality. His parents were worried, thinking the boy was cursed by some higher entity or that he had some bad effect from some planets. They used to anxiously pray to the Supreme Lord for their child to have an auspicious life. In Kartik month November 1912 (Bengali calendar year 1328), Srila Prabhupada, Srila Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Goswami Maharaja, and various saints came to a wealthy landowner’s home and gave discourses on the Srimad Bhagavatam, which were attended by Indubabu. Shortly thereafter, Indubabu received initiation from Srila Prabhupada and was given the new name Sri Gaurendu Brahmachari. In 1922 (Bengali calendar year 1328), Sri Gaurendu Brahmachari published the fourth edition of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur’s book, Sharanagati, from Sri Madhva Gaudiya Math, Dhaka. In 1924, he preached with his godbrother, Srila Bhakti Vijnana Ashram Goswami Maharaja in Ganjam, Odisha. In 1925, during the Navadvipa Mandal Parikrama, Sri Gaurendu was instructed by Srila Prabhupada to give a discourse on the pastimes of Lord Hari in the English language at Antpur station near Sri Paramesvari Thakur’s sripat, which was appreciated by all.
In 1925 (Bengali calendar 29 Bhadra 1332), he received sannyasa from Srila Prabhupada and received the name Srila Bhakti Sarvasva Giri Goswami Maharaja. He was a fearless orator and preached all over India under the instruction of Srila Prabhupada. He met with the British government’s viceroy and was greatly appreciated along with a certificate. Srila Prabhupada was very happy and mentioned how he was so pleased with Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj’s spreading the message of Lord Chaitanya all over. Many government officers, governors, and viceroys glorified Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj’s preaching efforts and expressed enthusiasm in the spreading of Lord Chaitanya’s philosophy of non-sectarian and non-judgemental divine love. Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj’s style of speaking and writing in English was unique and was glorified by scholars such as Raven’s College’s Professor of History, Sri Nishikanta Sannyas (Sri Padmanarayana Das Bhakti Sudhakara Prabhu) from Cuttack, Odisha. Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj was of pure character, had a childlike simplicity, was pleased with whatever he had, strongly fixed in service to his spiritual master, and glorified the Supreme Lord everywhere.
Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj served in various ways throughout Srila Prabhupada’s established centers in Mayapur, Kolkata, Dhaka, Patna, Allahabad, Kurukshetra, and so on, looking after preaching Mahaprabhu’s teachings in the form of discourses, books, weekly magazines and also engage in various services related to Mayapur, Vrindavan, and Puri. Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj was instrumental in establishing the Gaudiya Math center in Rangoon, Myanmar. He was also instrumental in establishing the Lucknow and Haridwar Gaudiya Maths.
After Srila Prabhupada’s physical departure in 1937, Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj began to also serve as a member of the managing board of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj’s Sri Gaudiya Sanskrta Vidyalaya located in Ishodyan, Mayapur. Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj also used to attend as the chairman of the yearly Gaura Purnima Chaitanya Vani Pracharini Sabha and give discourses. He used to also attend the biannual preaching programs of Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math located in South Kolkata. Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj gave his Kaliya Daha Mandir which he had established to Srila Bhakti Madhava Goswami Maharaja towards the end of his life. Srila Madhava Goswami Maharaj used to always take care of Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj’s health expenses and needs by sending various people from his Vrindavan branch of Sri Chaitanya Gaudiya Math to take care of Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj whenever it was required. On Friday, 3 November 1967 (Bengali calendar 16 Kartik) at the age of 68, Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj departed from this world at Vrindavan at 8:05 PM after having completed the Giriraja Govardhan Puja and Annakut Mahotsav earlier that day. At the last moments of his physical presence, Srila Giri Goswami Maharaja cried out, “Prabhupada, protect me! Have mercy on me. Forgive me for all of my offenses. Give me a place at Your lotus feet. His god-brothers including Srila Bhakti Hrdaya Bon Goswami Maharaja (who had taken sannyasa on the same day as Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj), Srila Bhaktyaloka Paramahamsa Goswami Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Saurabh Bhaktisara Goswami Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Subrata Paramarthi Goswami Maharaj, and many other devotees had come to see him just before his passing. According to Srila Bon Goswami Maharaj’s instructions, Srila Giri Goswami Maharaj was placed in samadhi at Sri Vinoda-Vani Gaudiya Math near Srila Sanatan Goswami’s samadhi and Sri Sri Radha Madanmohan’s temple.
