Mathura Prasad

Mathura Prasad Goswami was a rare Brajabasi to take shelter of a Gaudiya Guru. He took diksa at a young age from Prabhupad Tinkuri Goswami. He was the most prominent tirtha Guru of Radhakund. Sadly he passed away today.

Here are the entries about him in my Vraja-diary -

February 1990 - Once I sit at the kuṇḍa in front of the Gopīnāth Mandir, where Vaiṣṇavas like to chat with each other. Mathurā Prasāda, the big pāṇḍā, sits down next to me and tells me in Hindi how, as a little child, he visited Tin Kuḍi Bābā, and Tin Kuḍi Bābā asked him to read Caitanya Caritāmṛta to him. Little Mathurā said he didn’t know Bengali. When Tin Kuḍī Bābā assured him that he could read it, Mathurā opened the book and to his great surprise he suddenly knew fluent Bengali.

March 19, 2000 — We take a kuṇḍa snāna and do pūjā to Rādhākuṇḍa in front of Bābā's smṛti phalaka. Mathurā Prasād is satisfied with the dakṣiṇā we give him and blesses us. Bābā always taught me brāhmaṇa bhakti and vrajavāsī bhakti, it feels that he is very pleased also. Mathurā Prasād calls Nikunja Prabhu his kākā, brother of his guru.

October 9, 2000 — On this first day of Niyam Sevā we do pūjā with Mathurā Prasād, who blesses us with viśuddha rādhā prema and rādhākuṇḍa vāsa. He invites us for prasād on Bahulāṣṭamī.

October 20, 2000 — On Bahulāṣṭamī we do pūjā with Mathurā Prasād and take prasād at his home. Like in 1985, 1987 and 1988 I again have a cold, so I don't go into the kund. The crowd is also twice as large as in the 1980s, so one can even drown. Mathurā Prasād says that taking a bath at midday has equal value, so we do that.

March 12, 2001 — First kuṇḍa-snāna this year. After that I do kuṇḍa pūjā with Mathurā Prasād, who tells me that milk should not be put in copper bowls. He tells me the milk cannot be used and I must pour it over the Śiva liṅga outside the Rādhā Ramaṇa Mandir. 

November 18, 2001 — kuṇḍa pūjā with Mathurā Prasād. He offers a blue sārī, āltā, kuṅkuma and other items to Svāminī in my name, my parents and my Guru. I make aparādha by spitting the ācamana water back into the kuṇḍa. Later in front of the samādhi he embraces me. I make sure he is santuṣṭa. A deep bliss descends over me. guru kṛpā, despite the kulla aparādha.

November 19, 2001 — After brahma-muhurta-time's kunja bhanga kirtan, kirtaniya Tribhaṅgī Das crows like a peacock and Mathurā Prasāda embraces him in ecstasy. He then pats me on the head and blesses me with Rādhākuṇḍa bāsa.

March 10, 2002 — Rādhākuṇḍa pūjā with Mathurā Prasād, Atul and Mālati. He prays for manjarī siddhi and kuṇḍavāsa for us to the Kuṇḍa. 

October 20, 2002 – kuṇḍa kā pūjā with Mathurā Prasād, who offers me manjarī svarūpa and rādhākuṇḍa vāsa. This time I do take ācamana from the Kuṇḍa but I throw it back in without sipping it.

7 march, 2003 – Kuṇḍa kā pūjā with Mathurā Prasād. He blesses us with smaraṇa of madhyāhna rādhākuṇḍa līlā (Radha-Krsna's midday-Radhakund pastimes).

12 march, 2003 – Mathurā Prasād comes back from Barsana-Holi and tells me that Bābā was doing Holi both in Nandagrāma and Barsānā, around 1973, with Boṛo Haridās from Boṛāl Ghāṭ. They were handing out clothes to 125 Brajabāsīs, and were giving big feasts with kṣīra, puri and laḍḍu. They stayed for a few days in the Dharmshala of Barsāṇā.  All the Brajabāsīs were very impressed by Sādhu Bābā.

October 23, 2004 – I at once do a Kuṇḍa Puja with Mathurā Prasād on arrival at Rādhākuṇḍa (there was no warm bathing water available yet, and the Kuṇḍa-water was  warm enough in the afternoon). I forget that the doctor forbade me to bathe in stagnant water without earplugs. Mathurā Prasād gets on my case for objecting to all the moss in the kuṇḍa. I get no infection. 

12 November, 2004 - Diwālī on the bank of the kuṇḍa. Mathurā Prasād embraces me and says he is Viṣṇu I am Shiva and Karunāmayī is Brahmā. Rows of lamps illuminate the kuṇḍa. 

March 3, 2005 – Again lotā snāna at the kuṇḍa. I meet Mathurā Prasād, and agree to do kuṇḍa-pūjā with him on Shiva Caturdaśī. 

March 9, 2005 – Shiva Puja for the Bengalis. I do Shiva Puja with Beal leaves, fruits, half a litre of milk and incense. At 11 a.m. I do pūjā with Mathurā Prasāda. He prays for the redemption of my mother and father, aptly so, considering my mother’s condition. He also prays for mañjarī sevā under Nikunja Prabhu and Rādhākuṇḍa Vāsa. He will bring Vrajabāsī prasād afterwards.

March 10, 2005 – Mathurā Prasād brings Vrajavāsī prasāda – roti, rice, curry and sweets. As always it tastes great.