Bhakti Field

The Divine Masters & Guru Parampara

The Unbroken Chain of Knowledge

In Bhakti Yoga, knowledge is received through the 'Guru Parampara,' an unbroken disciplic succession of spiritual masters. This ensures the purity and potency of the teachings, passed down directly from the Supreme Lord through authentic representatives. Understanding this lineage is crucial for grasping the depth and authenticity of the path.

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth."
- Bhagavad-gita 4.34

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Asraya Kesava Maharaja

Srila Bhakti Asraya Keshava Maharaja is a native to New Zealand and appeared in this world in Invercargill in 1967. At the young age of 17 he quickly developed attraction to the path of Bhakti and joined with the Vaisnava tradition in 1985, under the teachings of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaja Prabhupada. For 10 years he lived in ashrams and travelled throughout the world receiving vital lessons on the path of Bhakti (Vedanta) by various teachers and well-wishers, he also lectured and taught in numerous ashrams around the globe.

In 1995 he met his eternal Master Om Vishnupada Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaja and received Harinama initiation, then in 1997 Diksha Gayatri mantra from his Gurudev personally in Navadwipa, India. For many years he was assisting his Gurudev's mission in the UK, Ireland, India and Sweden.

In October 2012 Srila Keshava Maharaja entered into the sacred order of Sannyasa. Although in separation from his beloved Master, the attempt to try to serve in separation became an inevitable inspiration for Him to enter the renounced order.

Srila Keshava Maharaja is currently based in New Zealand and Australia and is friend and teacher to an international community of students. Srila Keshava Maharaja is our initiating Guru and founder of The Bhakti Field Foundation. The aim of our mission is to further expand the Divine path of Bhakti Yoga, as revealed and taught by Srila Govinda Maharaja, Srila Sridhar Maharaja & Srila Swami Maharaja Prabhupada.

"Srila Gurudev is the transcendental Medium and embodiment of pure service to Lord Krsna, by aspiring to please and serve him by our humble service offerings we are supremely blessed. He offers our ingredients and love upward to his Guru and on toward the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. Dayala Nitai!"
- Srila B A Keshava Maharaja

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

As the chosen successor of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj dedicated his life to his Guru's service from the tender age of seventeen. Known for his loving, affectionate nature and dynamic preaching style, he traveled the world extensively, establishing over fifty centers and inspiring thousands of people in the practice of Bhakti Yoga.

Foreseeing the need for a guiding light, Srila Sridhar Maharaj appointed him as his successor to ensure the mission's continuation. After his Guru's departure in 1988, Srila Govinda Maharaj carried the sweet nectar of those teachings around the world with his loving, affectionate nature. Acclaimed by his own spiritual master as his "most precious gem," his grace continues to nourish devotees worldwide. He carried the legacy of his spiritual master with great charm, warmth, and dignity.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj

His Divine Grace Sri Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the founder of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, was born in India in 1895, in a respected Brahmana family of the Bhattacarya order, at Hapaniya, District Burdwan, West Bengal. He received his education at Baharamapur University. Having taken his pious birth in Sri Gauda-Mandal, the holy lands where Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu exhibited His divine pastimes on this earth, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, from his very childhood, had a natural affinity for the mission of Sri Chaitanya Sankirtan - the Grand Congregational Chanting of the Holy Names of the Supreme Lord.

In 1926, Srila Sridhar Maharaj joined the Sri Gaudiya Math, and became an initiated disciple of its founder, the illustrious Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Goswami Prabhupad (1874-1937). He later accepted the holy order of sannyasa in 1930. Recognizing him as a faithful stalwart preacher of the perfect precepts of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad conferred upon him the name "Sri Bhakti Rakshak," which means "Guardian of Devotion".

A highly respected scholar and revered Gaudiya Vaishnava saint, Srila Sridhar Maharaj was the dear most intimate godbrother of Srila Prabhupada. He founded the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math in Nabadwip, West Bengal. he travelled extensively throughout India and preached fluently in Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, and English, spreading the teachings of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many levels in universities, public seminars, and Sankirtan festivals. Known for his deep philosophical insights and poetic realizations, he provided profound guidance and inspiration to devotees from around the world, emphasizing the sweet, intimate aspects of devotion.

His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

A towering intellectual and spiritual giant of the early 20th century, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was the beloved spiritual master of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. He was a powerful preacher who revitalized the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition in India by establishing the Gaudiya Math, with sixty-four branches throughout the country. His mission was to spread the teachings of Lord Chaitanya with great vigor and scholarship, countering misunderstandings of the philosophy.

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Born in Calcutta, India in 1896, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada became a formally initiated disciple of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami in 1933. His spiritual master encouraged him to spread Vedic knowledge in English, a mission Prabhupada embraced. Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Srila Prabhupada played a pivotal role in bringing Bhakti Yoga to the Western world. He translated over sixty volumes of classic Vedic scriptures into the English language, making their profound wisdom accessible to millions worldwide and establishing a global spiritual movement.

His Divine Grace Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji

Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji was the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. He was a great renunciate and a pure, realized soul who was completely absorbed in devotional service. Although he was illiterate, his spiritual wisdom was profound. He lived a life of extreme austerity and humility in Navadvipa, avoiding worldly association and constantly chanting the holy names.

His life serves as a powerful example of pure, unalloyed devotion. Despite being illiterate, he was considered vastly learned and self-realized. He became the spiritual master of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami, a pivotal figure in the Gaudiya Matha tradition. Babaji Maharaja's teachings emphasized the sole importance of chanting the holy name for realizing the Supreme Lord and warned against material distractions, even refusing an offer for eye treatment in Calcutta, stating he would never go to the material world.

An artistic depiction of Srila Gaura Kisora Dasa Babaji

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur

A crucial pioneer and spiritual reformer, Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur is revered as the father of the modern Krishna consciousness movement. In the 19th century, at a time when the pure teachings of Lord Chaitanya were obscured, he worked tirelessly as a government magistrate by day and a prolific writer, poet, and preacher by night. He authored over one hundred books, composed hundreds of devotional songs (bhajans), and rediscovered the long-lost birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Mayapur. His efforts laid the essential groundwork for his son, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, to expand the mission globally.

He received a robust education, excelling in English and Bengali literature. His intellectual pursuits led him to compare various theologies, initially finding Christian thought more appealing than Hindu monism. However, a pivotal spiritual awakening led him to deeply embrace and propagate Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's pure Vaishnava philosophy. Notably, he was the father and spiritual mentor of Bimala Prasada (later Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada), a child he considered a divine blessing to spread Sri Chaitanya's message globally.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura's life was a harmonious blend of devoted scholarship, administrative acumen, and unwavering commitment to the pure teachings of Krishna Consciousness, leaving an indelible mark on the Vaishnava tradition.