Śrī Paramahaṁsa Mahārāja Enters Nitya-līlā

Composed under the editorship of Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja

His appearance

Pujyapāda Paramahaṁsa Mahārāja appeared in 1893 on Śukla Pratipadā (the first day of the waxing moon) in the month of Vaiśākha, a Sunday, under the constellation of Aśvinī. In other words, he appeared during the first constellation in the first month of the year on the first solar day of the week and during the first lunar day of the month.

The earth’s invaluable jewel

Mahārāja was a Vaiṣṇava always absorbed in nāma-bhajana. He embodied all Vaiṣṇava qualities. All Vaiṣṇavas are truly the Earth’s invaluable jewels, because each one is capable of delivering the entire universe. “Tāhā binā ratna-śunyā hôilô medinī—Medinī (the Earth) has become bereft of jewels without him.”

A recipient of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s profuse mercy

When Mahārāja was a brahmacārī, the supremely worshipful Prabhupāda entrusted him with looking after Bhāgavata Press in Kṛṣṇanagara, and later, with managing Śrī Caitanya Maṭha in Śrīdhāma Māyāpura. By accomplishing all of these services with great expertise, he became the special recipient of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s profuse mercy. It is impossible to fill the void created by the absence of such an exemplary Vaiṣṇava dedicated to pure bhajana.

His induction as an ācārya

After the disappearance of Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Svarūpa Parvata Gosvāmī Mahārāja, the founder of Śrī Vārṣabhānavī-dayita Gauḍīya Maṭha in the suburban Udala development of the Mayura-Bhañja district in Orissa, Śrīmad Mahānanda Brahmacārī was inducted as the ācārya of that maṭha at the proposal of pūjyapāda tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrīmad Bhakti Gaurava Vaikhānasa Mahārāja and in the presence of pūjyapāda tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrīmad Bhakti Vicāra Yāyāvara Mahārāja, pūjyapāda tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Mahārāja and other godbrothers, all of whom expressed their approval, as well as Śrīla Bhakti Svarūpa Parvata Gosvāmī Mahārāja’s disciples and patrons. The next year, 1958, he accepted sannyāsa and became known as tridaṇḍi-svāmī Śrīmat Paramahaṁsa Mahārāja.

His last words

The night before Śrīla Mahārāja left his body and entered nitya-līlā, he frequently and loudly called out the names of nitya-līlā-praviṣṭa Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Mahārāja—the Founder-ācārya of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha—and Śrī Mādhāva Mahārāja’s disciple and current President- ācārya, Śrīmad Bhakti Vallabha Tīrtha Mahārāja. Their names were often heard from his lotus mouth earlier, also, for he nurtured profound affection for them both.

Excerpts from articles published in Śrī Caitanya-Vāṇī

(Year 23, Volume 10 and Year 24, Volume 1)