Search For Sri Krishna Reality The Beautiful - Preface

Preface
by Śrīla Bhaktivedanta Swāmī Prabhupād
Founder-Āchārya of the International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

We are very fortunate to hear His Divine Grace, Om Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrajak Āchārya Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Mahārāj. By age and by experience, in both ways, he is senior to me. I was fortunate to have his association since a long time, since perhaps 1930. At that time he had not accepted sannyās, but had just left home. He went to preach in Allahabad, and on that auspicious occasion we were connected.
Śrīdhar Mahārāj lived in my house for many years, so naturally we had very intimate talks. He has such high realizations of Kṛṣṇa that one would faint to hear them. He was always my good advisor, and I took his advice very seriously because from the very beginning I knew that he was a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. So, I wanted to associate with him. Kṛṣṇa and Prabhupād, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhākur, liked him to prepare me. Our relationship is very intimate.

After the breakdown of our spiritual master’s institution I wanted to organize another institution making Śrīdhar Mahārāj the head. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhākur told me that Śrīdhar Mahārāj is one of the finest preachers of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness in the world, so I wanted to take him everywhere. This was my earnest desire. But since he could not go around the world and preach, at least the people of the world should come to hear from him.

For spiritual advancement of life we must go to someone who is actually practicing spiritual life. So if one is actually serious to take instructions from a śikṣa Guru, or instructing spiritual master, I can refer him to one who is the most competent of all my Godbrothers. This is B.R. Śrīdhar Mahārāj. I consider Śrīdhar Mahārāj to be even my śikṣa Guru, so what to speak of the benefit that others can have from his association.