is Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the most influential spiritual emissary of Vedic culture, has many sincere disciples throughout the world. Sripada Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja is one such disciple and his relationship with Srila Prabhupada and the instructions he received from him are unique.
We, the disciples and friends of His Holiness Sripada Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Maharaja, were desirous of commemorating him on his 65th appearance year by producing a publication that would present his life’s activities and achievements with a specific focus on his service to his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada .
As a youth Maharaja faced many hardships which, due to his steady nature, he managed to overcome. Throughout his student life, because of his respectful conduct, he developed life-long relationships with his various teachers. Possessing the ability to become an expert in anything he sets his mind to, he won scholarships that allowed him to further his education in Calcutta and ultimately in the United States. In the 1960s, for an individual to come from the small state of Manipur, India and make it all the way to the United States on scholarships was almost impossible. It was in the United States, while he was doing his Ph.D. work, that Maharaja finally met Srila Prabhupada. Upon meeting him, Maharaja decided to dedicate his life in service to Srila Prabhupada and his mission. From that point on Srila Prabhupada proceeded to give Maharaja numerous specific instructions on a multitude of subjects. A large portion of this publication is devoted to presenting Maharaja’s life’s mission of attempting to fulfill those instructions.
In the Vedic or Bhagavata Culture, a mature and loving relationship between the spiritual master and the disciple is paramount for achieving success in all endeavors. Through depicting Maharaja’s life we are attempting to present an example of this sublime teacher-student / master-disciple relationship.
