Sri Visnuji Sastri Maharaja enters the Eternal Pastimes of Sri Krsna.
With a heavy heart, we regret to inform you that the incomparable embodiment of Srimad Bhagavatam, the great Sri Visnuji Sastri departed from this mortal world and entered the eternal pastimes of Sri Krsna on the evening of April 28th 2021, on the first day of Madhusudana Masa.
No words can describe the impassable void left by his absence. Sri Visnuji Sastri was a True Vraja-vasi brahmana vaisnava and a close friend of my Gurupada-padma, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. In his youth, he studied the Vedas and sad-darsanas (six classical systems of philosophy) in Benares, just as Srila JIva Gosvami had done on the order of Sri Nityananda Prabhu. Then he studied Vedanta in Bombay before returning to his home in Vraja Mandala to dedicate his life exclusively to the service of Srimad Bhagavatam. He was so highly respected that even famous speakers of Bhagavatam among the Gosvamis of Sri Radha-ramana considered him to be their Bhagavata-guru. My Gurudeva used to send his senior preachers in their formative years, such as Srila Bhaktivedanta Tirtha Maharaja, to study Srimad Bhagavatam under his expert guidance.
When I resided in Sri Keshavaji Gaudiya Matha at the lotus feet of my Gurudeva in the 90’s, I used to see Sri Visnuji Sastri every day. He used to come for the darsana of Sri Sri Radha Vinoda Bihari and meet with his dear friend, my Srila Gurudeva. Whenever there was a Dharma-sabha (religious assembly) in Vraja to discuss the pratipadya-visaya (established subject matter) of Srimad Bhagavatam or the avadana-vaisistya (unique achievement and contribution) of Srila Rupa Gosvami, my Gurudeva with great love and respect would always request Sri Sastriji to enlighten the audience with his profound explanations.
Once in a large assemble at Govardhana, a pandita gave an impersonalist interpretation of Srimad Bhagavatam. In response, Srila Gurudeva requested Sastriji to speak. He would often lecture in pure Sanskrit. Sastriji demolished all the points raised by the impersonalist pandita with an impeccable grammatical analysis of Srimad Bhagavatam and then established prema-rasa as its highest fruit. Srila Gurudeva often used to fondly recall this moment and he and Sastriji would laugh together, relishing the victory of vaisnava dharma.
Sri Visnuji Sastri, while wholly dedicated to the lineage of Sri Vallabhacarya, was fully conversant with all the writings of Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. He was also especially conversant with scriptures dear to both the Gaudiya and Vallabha sampradayas such as Sri Jayadeva Gosvami’s Sri Gita Govinda and Sri Bilvamangala Thakura’s Sri Krsna Karnamrta. He mercifully explained to me interpretations of these poems so rasika that to this day I have never dared to speak them out loud, except to repeat them back to him for his pleasure.
Sastriji Maharaja was well-loved by all the vaisnavas throughout Vraja-mandala. All the saints and acaryas in the Nimbarka Sampradaya, Radha-vallabhi sampradaya, Harirama Vyasa sampradya, Vallabha sampradaya and Gaudiya Sampradaya honoured Sastriji as one who had embraced all 18,000 verses of Srimad Bhagavatam to his heart. Living alone without family or money, as a completely niskincana-vaisnava (detached saint), He was never aware of anything going on this this world. His mouth was incapable of speaking anything but the glories of Sri Krsna. He was never in the habit of even saying “Hello” or “Goodbye,” what to speak of any worldly topic. If by chance he would see me coming from far away, he would call out a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam – yasam hari kathodgitam punati bhavana trayam – “The loud vibration of Sri Krsna’s glories sung by the Vraja Gopis purifies the three worlds!” Kaivalyaika prayojanam! “Pure love is the only goal of life!”
Every year we would invite Sastriji to bless our Annakut Mahotsava and Govardhana Puja. On that day, following the order of Sri Gopala, we worship Giriraja Govardhana, the cows and the brahmanas. It was always a special opportunity to directly worship Sastriji and receive his blessings. Sastriji never appeared to be a person of the 20th century. He seemed to be a person from a distant bygone age. We all felt as if Bhaguri Rsi, Sri Nanda Maharaja’s brahmana priest had appeared in person to accept our worship. When Sastriji bestowed his hearty blessing on anyone, even very new devotees, they would immediately become empowered to memorize dozens of nectarine verse of Srimad Bhagavatam!
Towards the end of his pastimes in this world, Sastriji used to visit our ashrama almost every day. We even set up a bed for him in my Gurudeva’s bhajana-kutira in Ananda Dhama next to my room, so that after speaking hari-katha in the morning and honouring maha-prasadam, he could take some rest before speaking again in the afternoon. No one who was present in those meetings can forget the ocean of joy that flooded all directions when Sastriji began to explain Venu Gita, Pranaya Gita, Gopi Gita, Yugala Gita, and Bhramara Gita of Srimad Bhagavatam. I am sure that Sastriji is still there today, sitting in his chair, waiting for us all to assemble and sing Sri Madhurastakam.
Sastriji was so merciful that even when I had to leave Vraja Mandala to preach the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the world, he would often call me (from someone else’s phone) and encourage me in the divine service of speaking Srimad Bhagavatam. In fact, he called five times this week just before his disappearance. I wanted to go back to Vraja, but circumstances did not allow. I can never repay his causeless kindness upon this unworthy soul.
There is so much more to write, but I cannot go on today. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to my Holy Master, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami, for teaching me the essential words of Srila Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami – gurau gosthe gosthalayisu sujane bhusura gane – “Oh my dear mind! If you want to enter into raga-marga, please give up all hypocrisy and develop unprecedented love for Sri Guru, for Vraja Mandala, for the Vraja Vasis, for the vaisnavas of other sampradayas and for the brahmanas of the dhama!”
My dearmost Sastriji, in my life you are that Vraja-vasi, that vaisnava and that brahmana of the dhama. I offer my obeisances millions and millions of times. Please always keep me in your prayers.
(Sri Prem Prayojan Prabhu 29.04.2021)
