Prajnana Kesava

Infobox ReligiousBio
background = #FFA07A
name = Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja


religion = Gaudiya Vaishnavism
alias = Vinodabihari Brahmacari Kritiratna Prabhu
location = Vrindavan, India
Title = Vaisnava spiritual leader
Period = 1940 - 1968
Predecessor = Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada
Successor = Bhaktivedanta Vaman Gosvami

initiation = Diksa–1919, Sannyasa–1940
date of birth = Birth date|1898|1|24
date of death = death date and age|1968|02|06|1898|01|24
place of death = Navadwip, India
place of birth = Banaripara,East Bengal India (presently Bangladesh)

Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja {IAST Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava) (January 24th, 1898, Maghi Krishna Tritiya - Sunday October 6th, 1968, Sarada Purnima) Was a disciple and follower of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura and a notable friend of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami. [Bryant&Ekstrand, 2004. p. 207] He was born in Banaripara in the district of Jessore of East Bengal (presently Bangladesh) to Sriyut Saratcandra Guhathakurta and Sriyuta Bhuvanamohini Devi.Fact|date=October 2008

After the demise of his guru, a dispute was formed in the institution, followers of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati either fell into the camp of one of the two individuals who started the dispute for leadership or left in disgust. Kesava Maharaja was among the number of other who founded their own independent maths in the 1940s and 1950s. [Bryant&Ekstrand, 2004. p. 77]

Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti

He together with disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati of Chaitanya Sarasvata Math (Nabadvip, 1941) forming Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti (Calcutta, 1940) and its believed that A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was intimately connected with the founders. [Bryant&Ekstrand, 2004. p. 119]

Philosophical works

Following the example of his guru he repeatedly condemned impersonalism in his writings, being encouraged in this direction, as evident from Bhakti Prajnan Keshava's history of Mayavada (Mayavadera jivani) from the Vaishnava point of view. [Bryant&Ekstrand, 2004. p. 129] [Bhakti Prajnan Keshava, Mayavadera jivani va vaishnava-vijaya , 2nd ed. (Nabadwip : Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, 1968) quoted in Bryant&Ekstrand, 2004. p. 159]

quote|The moment a jiva falls into the clutches of maya, they forget their eternal form and their eternal position as servitor of the Supreme Lord Krishna in their own personal and variegated way and become a mere enjoyer of temporal pleasures. The Supreme Lord Krishna is extremely pleased to receive services no matter how big or small from His devotee absorbed in bliss as an independent, individual soul. If any human being envies the Lords supreme position and desires to be situated on that pedestal himself; then that unfortunate living entity due to pride and false ego is in complete bondage and a self surrendered slave of maya. From such a state of obsessive desires a human being becomes spiritually diseased and at that stage of existence becomes eligible to be the voluntary victim of mayavadism.|Bhakti Prajnan Keshava|Mayavadera jivani va vaishnava-vijaya - krishna bahirmukha verse commentary. [ Beyond NirvanaThe philosophy of Mayavadism: A life history, (Mayavadera jivani va vaishnava-vijaya 3rd ed),ISBN 81-86737-81-2 p. 33]

Renunciation and initiation of Bhaktivedanta Swami

He was initiated into sannyasa by his godbrother, after Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's demise. [Bryant&Ekstrand, 2004. p. 159]

Bhakti Prajnan Keshava along with B. R. Sridara Maharaja and Narayana Maharaja, the latter being his disciple, was an associate of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's both before and after he left India for the United States in 1965.Hare Krishna Transformed E. Burke Rochford (2007) p. 169 ] He was god-brother and sannyasa guru of Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja. [The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant,'Edwin Bryant, Maria Ekstrand', 2004. 446p. 'Page 220'] In the authorized biography of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,Cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-8239/A-C-Bhaktivedanta|title=Britannica on A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada|accessdate=2008-04-19|publisher=britannica.com|quote=Authorised biography by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami|format=html|language=engl] this sannyasa initiation is described as follows:quote|Keśavajī Gaudiya Math was located in the midst of one of Mathurā's downtown bazaars. .. He had lived here, written and studied in the library here, edited the Gauḍīya Patrikā, and donated the Deity of Lord Caitanya who stood on the altar beside the Deities of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa (Śrī Śrī Rādhā Vinodavihārījī). But his visit during September of 1959 was not an ordinary one. ... Sannyāsa was for preaching.On the morning of September 17, 1959, in the fifty-by-twenty-five-foot Deity room on the second floor of the Keśavajī Math, a group of devotees sat before the Deities of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. Sitting opposite the two candidates, Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja, Keśava Mahārāja's disciple, prepared to conduct the ceremony of mantras and offerings of grains and ghee into the fire. Akiñcana Kṛṣṇadāsa Bābājī, Abhay's Godbrother, known for sweet singing, played mṛdaṅga and sang Vaiṣṇava bhajanas. Sitting on a raised āsana, His Holiness Keśava Mahārāja presided. Nārāyaṇa Mahārāja chanted the required mantras and then sat back silently while Keśava Mahārāja lectured. Then, to everyone's surprise, Keśava Mahārāja asked Abhay to speak. Abhay had not expected this. As he looked around at the gathering of devotees, he understood that the common language was Hindi; only Keśava Mahārāja and a few others spoke English. Yet he knew he must speak in English.After Abhay's speech, each initiate received his sannyāsa-daṇḍa, the traditional head-high staff made of four bamboo rods bound together and completely enwrapped in saffron cloth. They were given their sannyāsa garments: one piece of saffron cloth for a dhotī, one for a top piece, and two strips for underwear. They also received tulasī neck beads and the sannyāsa-mantra. Keśava Mahārāja said that Abhay would now be known as Bhaktivedanta Swami Mahārāja and that Sanātana would be Muni Mahārāja. After the ceremony, the two new sannyāsīs posed for a photo, standing on either side of their sannyāsa-guru, who sat in a chair|Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta - Satsvarūpa dāsa Goswāmī

The Gauḍīya Patrikā's account of the sannyāsa initiation included a biographical sketch of Bhaktivedanta Swami Mahārāja, listing the major events of his life before his acceptance of renounced order from Bhakti Prajnan Keshava. The article concluded:

quote|Seeing his enthusiasm and ability to write articles in Hindi, English, and Bengali, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja gave him the instruction to take tridaṇḍi-sannyāsa. For nearly one year he had been ready to accept sannyāsa. In the month of Bhadra, on the day on which Viśvarūpa [brother of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu] accepted sannyāsa, Bhaktivedanta Swami at the Śrī Keśavajī Gaudiya Math accepted sannyāsa from the founder of the Vedānta Samiti, Bhaktiprajñāna Keśava Mahārāja. Seeing him accept his āśrama of renunciation, seeing this pastime for accepting the renounced order of life, we have attained great affection and enthusiasm.|The Gauḍīya Patrikācite book | first = Satsvarupa| last =Dasa Goswami| authorlink = Satsvarupa dasa Goswami| title =Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta Vol 1-2| publisher = | date = (1st ed) 1980-82, (2nd ed) 2002 | pages = vol.1 1133 pages vol.2 1191 pages | isbn = 0892133570]

References

ee also

* Gaudiya Vaishnavism
* Hare Krishna
* Svayam Bhagavan
* Jiva Goswami
* Radha Krishna

External links

*cite web
url=http://www.goloka.com/docs/spiritual_leaders/kesava_mj.html
title=Spiritual Leaders - Gaudiya-Vaisnava Acaryas - Srila Bhakti Prajna Kesava Maharaja
publisher=www.goloka.com
accessdate=2008-08-03
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