Engana-se quem afirma que um Vaishnava morre, quando ele esta ainda vivendo no som! O Vaishnava morre para viver, e vivendo dedica-se sempre em espalhar os santos nomes por todo a parte. (Esse verso foi composto por Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura e esta exibido no samadhi de Srila Haridasa Thakura em Sri Purushottama Kshera, Jagannatha Puri). by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara-sataSri-Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada The following speech was given by Abhay Charan Das (His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) before the members of the Sri Gaudiya Math in Bombay, in February 1935, on the appearance anniversary of His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada: saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrairuktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhihkintu prabhor yah priya eva tasyavande guroh sri caranaravindam"In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the spiritual master should be worshiped like the Supreme Personality of Godhead and this injunction is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord. The spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of our spiritual master."Gentlemen, on behalf of the members of the Bombay branch of the Gaudiya Math, let me welcome you all because you have so kindly joined us tonight in our congregational offerings of homage to the lotus feet of the world teacher, acaryadeva, who is the founder of this Gaudiya Mission and is the President-acarya of Sri Sri Visva Vaisnava Raja Sabha -- I mean my eternal divine master, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Maharaja. Sixty-two years ago, on this auspicious day, the acaryadeva made his appearance by the call of Thakura Bhaktivinoda at Sri Ksetra, Jagannatha Dhama at Puri. Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the acaryadeva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva or acaryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any question of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else's. There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me and all others. In the Mundaka Upanisad (1.2.12) it is said: tad-vijnartham sa gurum evabhigacchetsamit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham"In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth."Thus it has been enjoined herewith that in order to receive that transcendental knowledge, one must approach the guru. Therefore, if the Absolute Truth is one, about which we think there is no difference of opinion, the guru cannot be two. The acaryadeva to whom we have assembled tonight to offer our humble homage is not the guru of a sectarian institution or one out of many differing exponents of the truth. On the contrary, he is the jagad-guru, or the guru of all of us, the only difference is that some obey him wholeheartedly, while others do not obey him directly. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.17.27) it is said: acaryam