In Honor of Great Uncles

First of all I would like to offer my unlimited pranamas to my Guru Maharaja, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja. Please bless me to post something of value.

This morning I visited various temples. While at Radha-Damodara temple, a brahmacari was cleaning the pushpa-samadhi of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Gowami Maharaja, so the door was open (see pic below). It is custom to give obeisances at the samadhis and pushpa-samadhis, so I did. Many times my obeisances are mechanical and rote, there is not much thoughtfulness that goes into them, but this time I took the time to consider a little bit about who this Acarya is.

Pushpa-samadhi of Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami

Appearance: 21/12/1921 and  Disappearance: 14/11/2004

         First of all I realized that in the spiritual line, he is the equivalent of my great uncle, being the god brother of my Param Gurudeva (grandfather), nitya-lila-pravista om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaja. I started to consider that my great uncle in my birth family, Uncle Joe, is one of my best friends. Great uncles seem to hold a unique position. The are loving and supportive off us, not seeing the faults in us but only the good- so in that way they are are similar to grandparents. But they are a little more removed than grandparents, which makes room for them to be our buddy, too. Also since they are older and have loads us life experience, they are like guru.  Does this hold true for most families, I wonder?

Close up of Radha-Gopinathji and Lord Caitanya

     What I remember most (from hearing and reading) about Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami's life is the selfless love his parents had for him and the Gaudiya Math. His mother was a disciple of jagad-guru Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, and his father was a disciple of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja. From infancy, they could see that their son was very patient, peaceful, intelligent and religious (from the book Acarya Kesari Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja: His Life and Teachings). So when he was just nine years old, his mother fully entrusted her son to the care of Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja- she donated him.
    I don't know all the intricacies of giving a child to a math (temple), however, I believe it is not something that can be undone nor can it be negotiated, like "Oh I want to see my son a couple times a year." It is not like that. It is forever, all tangible bonds are dissolved, and essentially, she offered her child to the greater good- to serve Vaisnavas, serve Sri Krsna, and essentially to serve the world. Can you imagine how must faith it takes to offer your child like that?! My Guru Maharaja has said, "A mother and father who keep us from bhajana (prescribed process for spiritual growth, e.g., chanting Holy Name) are not real parents, that is real maya (illusion), whereas a mother and father who help us in bhajana, that is not maya."
      ...After Radha-Damodara I visited Sri Gopinath Ji Gaudiya Math, established by Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami. Here are beautiful deities, a serene courtyard, and nice morning bhajanas (see pics below).

Sri Radha-Gopinathji on right and Lord Caitanya on left

Brahmacari singing bhajanas (songs) for the deities

Courtyard with many Tulasi plants

Devotees may want to read the three prayers to Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja (source: Sri Gaudiya Giti-Guccha):

namah om visnu padaya kesava presthaya bhutale
sri-srimad bhaktivedanta-vamana iti namine

I offer pranama to om visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja, who in this world, is most dear to Sri Kesava-deva (or Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja)

guru-dhamni ca sevasu vasnave sarvada mati
granthe bhagavate saksat goswami vedante rati

His heart is perpetually devoted to the service of sri guru, the dhama, and the Vaisnavas and he has unalloyed attachment for Gaudiya Vedanta, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the literatures of the Goswamis.

gaura-bhava-mayo dehah ujjvala-rasa-bhavakah
bhaktivedanta vamano raga-bhakti-pravartaka

Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja's divine form is comprised of gaura-bhava, he is immersed in ujjvala-rasa, and he establishes raga-bhakti.

Jaya Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaja!