User:John Z/drafts/Bhaktivedanta Narayana

Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, born 16th February, 1921, is a Vaisnava spiritual leader.

Mine
He is a disciple of Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, who was one of the foremost leading disciples of Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada.

He was born in the village of Tewaripur near the bank of the Ganges river in Bihar, India. The area was renowned for being the place where Lord Ramacandra and Visvamitra Muni came and killed the Taraka demon. He was born on the Amavasya (new moon) day of February 16th, 1921, into a very religious Trivedi brahmana family.

Ref to collins

Relationship with Bhaktivedanta Swami
Bhaktivedanta Narayana and his guru, Prajnana Kesava, associated with A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, the founder of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. In 1959 Prajnana Kesava, Bhaktivedanta Narayana's guru, initiated Prabhupada into the sannyasa order. Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja assisted his guru in these rituals.

Published Works

 * The Nectar of Govinda-lila ISBN 81-86737-03-0
 * Going Beyond Vaikuntha ISBN 8186737049
 * Bhakti-rasayana ISBN 81-86737-05-7
 * Sri Siksastaka ISBN 81-86737-06-5
 * Venu-gita ISBN 81-86737-15-4
 * Arcana-dipika ISBN 81-86-737-08-1
 * Sri Prabandhavali ISBN 81-86737-00-6
 * Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindu ISBN 01-86737-01-4
 * Bhakti-tattva-viveka ISBN 81-86737-07-3
 * Sri Upadesamrta ISBN 81-86737-09-X
 * Sri Gaudiya Giti-guccha ISBN 81-86737-12-X
 * Srimad Bhagavad-gita ISBN 81-8678716-2
 * Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami – His Life and Teachings ISBN 81-86737-14-6
 * Jaiva-dharma ISBN 81-86737-39-1
 * Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama ISBN 81-86737-20-0
 * Sri Bhajana-rahasya ISBN 81-86737-11-1
 * Sri Brahma-samhita ISBN 81-86737-10-3
 * Shiva Tattva ISBN 81-86737-74-X
 * The Origin of Ratha-yatra ISBN 81-86737-13-8
 * Sri Camatkara-candrika: A Moonbeam of Complete Astonishment ISBN 81-86737-33-2
 * Sri Manah-Siksa ISBN 81-86737-02-2

afd1
Strong Keep Very Notable On October 31, 2003 in the Vraja village of Uchagaon (Lalita-sakhi's village), Vrajacarya Pith and the World Religious Parliament in Delhi jointly awarded Parama-pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja the title "Yuga Acarya".The person has received significant recognized awards or honors.)(Syama (talk) 04:43, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

afd2

 * Keep, meets Notability basic criteria as the subject of secondary published material (see The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant And Change), and he is quoted in Light on Death: the Spiritual Art of Dying by Phillip Jones, to name a couple sources offhand. -- M P er el 02:16, 7 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Keep Per MPerel, Bhaktivedanta Narayana is the subject of part of a chapter, pp.37-39, subtitled Narayana Maharaja, in The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant And Change and is mentioned on pp138, 215, 249 of that book. One hardly needs a whole book on a person to prove notability!  In addition, cited therein are other works, like The "Routinization of Charisma" and the Charismatic: The Confrontation Between ISKCON and Narayana Maharaja -- Irvin H. Collins (Srila Das), which is chapter 13 of  an academic book published by Columbia University Press.  Just these two are sufficient, and high-quality, reliable sources. In addition, I note that the language of a source is irrelevant to its reliability and whether it can be used to prove notability.John Z (talk) 01:04, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

afd3
(Edit conflict, so I repeat some of Nsk92's points) Some of your above statements are not correct. The Collins article is not the only clearly high-quality RS source being used in our article, as you seemed to realize during the last AfD, when you said "These are two sources," - the other one having been The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant And Change. That the book with Collins' article was published by a major university press is sufficient guarantee of independence. The guideline does not demand that biographies of rabbis be written by christians. The introduction to this CU Press volume, not written by Collins, notes that the schism with Bhaktivedanta Narayana was the "most recent and divisive." - more argument for his notability, as are passing mentions in the book by other authors. There seems nothing wrong with using the bio at www.vnn.org to show notability and as a source, or even purebhakti.com as additional source to help write the article. The proper course is to make sure the article is not a puff piece mindlessly praising him, not to eliminate a clearly quite notable subject and sourced and uncontentious material about him. If there are genuine concerns about the reliability of a source, I suggest taking the matter up at WP:RS/N. Yet other unimpeachable sources are Hare Krishna Transformed By E. Burke Rochford, from NYU Press, with a couple of relevant pages, or The Hindu World By Sushil Mittal, G. R. Thursby, from Routledge, a single volume reference on all of Hinduism, relevant page not viewable online. Again, this article should be speedily kept, per the many arguments of the many different experienced editors in the three AfDs. This is not a close call.John Z (talk) 05:59, 16 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Well, by usual standards, "just pp 37-39" (which are subtitled Narayana Maharaja) is more than enough for one RS.  A "lone chapter in a book" is much, much more than enough. Look at other AfDs.  Collins counts and is independent because it is in an academic book, because of the editors and the press. There are the two other academic works I cited above, one a general work on all of Hinduism!, and www.vnn.org with a short biography, which satisfy the conditions. There's also this article,  The Perils of Succession: Heresies of Authority and Continuity In the Hare Krishna Movement in the ISKCON Communications Journal, which had been presented to the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion, and which covers him in several paragraphs under the heading The Rasika-bhakti Heresy.  That's 5 scholarly sources and one news source. Finally, it should be speedily kept because this 3rd AfD was started only 4 days after the 2nd, with very little new argument; this is not the normal or proper procedure.John Z (talk) 16:44, 16 June 2008 (UTC)
 * Comment on merge to Gaudiya Matha From what I have read, Bhaktivedanta Narayana leads a sub-group of the Gaudiya Matha called the "Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha." Thanks. Ism schism (talk) 12:04, 17 June 2008 (UTC)
 * An example of how this could be done is the page on the Swaminarayan Faith. In this article the original group is mentioned, Swaminarayan Sampraday. This is followed by its major divisions since, with the analogous Swaminarayan Gadi. In a merge the original Gaudiya Matha could be discussed as it is in the article with a new section on present day communities that identify as being part of the Gaudiya Matha added for each one that has reliable sources. Thanks. Ism schism (talk) 12:23, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

vnn
About the Author: A Short Biography of Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Gosvami Maharaja

"About the Author" (From Venu-gita, The Song of Krsna's Flute)

His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja is the disciple of Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, who was one of the foremost leading disciples of Om Visnupada Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada.

Srila Narayan Maharaja was born in a village named Tewaripur located near the bank of the sacred Ganges river in Bihar, India. The area was renowned for being the place where Lord Ramacandra and Visvamitra Muni came and killed the Taraka demon. He was born on the Amavasya (new moon) day of February 16th, 1921, into a very religious Trivedi brahmana family. Throughout his childhood he had many opportunities to regularly accompany his father when he would go to attend kirtana and pravachan assemblies.

In February of 1947 he had his first meeting with his Gurudeva in Sri Navadvipa Dhama, West Bengal. He had traveled there from his village after meeting a disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura named Srila Narottamananda Brahmacari, who was touring and preaching the message of Sri Caitanyadeva in the area. After initial discussions with this devotee, he was convinced of the paramount position of the philosophy given by the acaryas in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, and within days he left home to join the mission of his spiritual master and surrender his life.

When he arrived in Sri Navadvipa Dhama, the annual parikrama was under way and he joined with the group. Upon its completion on Gaura- purnima, he was given both harinama and gayatri initiations by Srila Kesava Maharaja and received the name Sri Gaura Narayana. Very soon afterward, his Gurudeva also awarded him the title of Bhakta-bandhava, which means "friend of the devotees," because he was always serving all of the Vaisnavas in a very pleasing manner.

He traveled extensively along with Srila Kesava Maharaja on preaching tours throughout India over the next five years, and in 1952, on Gaura- purnima, his beloved Gurudeva awarded him initiation into the sacred order of sannyasa. In 1954 Srila Kesava Maharaja posted him in charge of the newly opened temple in Mathura named Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha. Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayan Maharaja began to spend part of the year in Mathura and the other part in Bengal, carrying on extensive services in both areas. This went on over the period of the next fourteen years. He was also appointed by Srila Kesava Maharaja as Vice-President of his institution, the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, and Editor-in-Chief of its Hindi publications and the monthly magazine Sri Bhagavat Patrika. In 1968 Srila Kesava Maharaja passed from this world, and Srila Narayan Maharaja performed all the necessary ceremonial rituals for his samadhi burial.

During this time period, as a humble servitor of the Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, Srila Narayan Maharaja began to organize the annual Karttika Vraja Mandala Parikrama, which he continues to carry on up to the present day. Srila Narayan Maharaja was requested by his Gurudeva to translate the books of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura from Bengali into his native language, Hindi. He has carried out this request by translating some of the Thakura's most prominent books, such as Jaiva Dharma, Caitanya-siksamrta, Bhakti-tattva-viveka, Vaisnava- siddhanta-mala, to name only a few. All these books are also presently being translated into English by his followers. He also continues to lecture in Hindi, Bengali and English throughout India. All of his discourses are tape- recorded and are gradually being transcribed as well as translated into English for publication.

A significant relationship in the life of Srila Narayan Maharaja was his association with His Divine Grace Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja Prabhupada, the world-famous preacher of Gaudiya Vaisnavism and Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness. They first met in Calcutta in 1948 on the occasion of the inauguration of a new branch of the Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti (co-founded by Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja) on Ghosh Para Lane, where they had both come to render their services. Their association continued a few years later when Srila Narayan Maharaja accompanied Srila Kesava Maharaja to Jhansi where Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja had been attempting to start a Vaisnava society named The League of Devotees. A few years later in the early 50's, Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja came to reside at Mathura in Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha, by invitation of his godbrother, Srila Kesava Maharaja, where he stayed for some months. By having regular devotional exchanges with him and deep discussions of Vaisnava siddhanta, Srila Narayan Maharaja developed a very intimate relationship with him during this time period, regarding him both as his senior and superior, as well as his friend.

In 1959 Srila Kesava Gosvami Maharaja initiated him into the sacred sannyasa order, giving him the sannyasi name and title Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja. The ceremony of Vedic fire yajna and all the rituals were performed by Srila Narayan Maharaja.

Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja was already residing in Vrndavana during this period, first at the Vamsi Gopala Mandira and a few years later at the Sri Sri Radha Damodara Mandira. Srila Narayan Maharaja would often go there to visit with him. He would cook for him, honor the prasada with him, and have intimate discussions on Vaisnava philosophy.

When Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja went to preach in the West, and succeeded in starting the first Radha Krsna temple in America, Srila Narayan Maharaja sent the first mrdanga drums and karatalas to him to be used for sankirtana. Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja maintained regular correspondence every month or two with Srila Kesava Maharaja and Srila Narayan Maharaja up until 1968 when Srila Kesava Maharaja entered nitya-lila. And after that, he continued to write Srila Narayan Maharaja until his own divine departure.

Toward the end of his life, he personally requested Srila Narayan Maharaja several times to kindly give his association to his Western disciples and help them to understand the deep truths of the Vaisnava philosophy in the line of Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada. Srila Narayan Maharaja humbly agreed to honor his request, considering him to be one of his worshipable siksa gurus. He also requested Srila Narayan Maharaja to take complete charge of performing all the rituals for his samadhi burial after his departure. Both of these requests by Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja clearly demonstrated the firm and utter confidence that he held in Srila Narayan Maharaja.

For a period spanning over two decades since his departure in November 1977, Srila Narayan Maharaja has unwaveringly been carrying out this final request by providing insightful guidance and loving shelter to all who come to him seeking such, and through the medium of his English books he is now giving his purifying association and divine realizations to sincere searchers of truth all over the globe.

For half a century Srila Narayan Maharaja has demonstrated and exemplified the pure, unadulterated life of utter dedication and loving service to his Gurudeva, Sriman Mahaprabhu, and the Divine Couple, Yugala- kisora, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Srila Narayan Maharaja, as Their intimate servitor, continues to illuminate the path for those who wish to discover and dive deep into the ecstatic ocean of radha-dasyam, service to the radiantly beautiful lotus feet of Sri Krsna's dearly beloved, Srimati Radhika.