Heartfelt appreciation for an exemplary godbrother.
By Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Translated from a Bengali editorial,
published in Sri Gaudiya Darsan,
Volume 1, Issue 7,
Friday, 10 February 1956.
and
Volume 11, Issue 6,
Wednesday, 11 February 1966.
His peaceful, pleasing, serene, devotional conduct, reflecting in the mirror of his life, has given great enthusiasm for service to fallen souls like myself; every step in the line of his conduct would alleviate all the fatigue felt by his godbrothers on the path of spiritual practice; and his endeavours to please the Lord, Sri Guru, and the Vaisnavas were exemplary for all spiritualists; today, being separated from the direct affection of Srimat Yadavendu Bhakti Chandan Prabhu and feeling as though half of a pair has disappeared, we are bearing jewel-less hearts. Personally, I received so much of Sri Bhakti Chandan Prabhu’s auspicious association. In daily life, whenever I remember him in the midst of my various activities and thoughts, a lightning bolt of sweet remembrance in separation strikes and makes my fickle heart steady and sober for a moment. When we have teeth, we do not understand their value. Today, if I could meet him again, then, just by getting a touch of his good association, I would attain even greater good fortune.
His unerring wisdom, the keenness of his intellect, the steadiness of his aim, the firmness of his resolve, his courageousness, his vigorousness, his discretion, and above all, his thirst for the Absolute, his earnestness for Truth, and his sincere and successful aspiration to faithfully serve Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharva Govindasundar throughout his pure spiritual life—when we remember his virtues, our hearts become filled simultaneously with joy, humility, sadness, gratitude, enthusiasm, hopelessness, and hope.
His endeavours to give affectionate, spiritual advice to his relatives; his sincere care to demonstrate the importance of spiritual knowledge and regulated life in his conversations with his social and professional friends; his humble, service-based observance of etiquette amongst the sadhus; his extraordinary, sincere, and profound love for Sri Guru-pada-padma; his uninhibited and loving desire to collect funds for the service of the Lord; and his heart-touching, intimate friendship with the glorifiers of Sri Guru’s feet—remembering his virtues in his separation, we feel ourselves to be extremely poor and unfortunate. On today’s date, to convey our sympathy for the sadness of his partner in dharma (wife), who adhered to his ideal, and that of the heirs to his uncommon brilliance, fondness for Truth, and other virtues, who are intent upon worshipping their holy father, Sri Prakasachandra Datta Mahasay and family, in the company of the sadhus we are drawing attention to the direction of the ideal of this great soul.
