Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī's definitions of Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha:
- the primary trunk of the great kalyāṇa-kalpataru (desire tree of auspiciousness);
- the imperial court that propagates the independent sovereignty wherein resides in His own form Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the transcendental tattva superior even to that considered best;
- the charitable hospital of non-malefic mercy administered by the best of doctors—the genuine guru—along with the highly effective medicine of Kṛṣṇa-nāma and the complete diet of mahā-prasāda;
- the grand temple of knowledge received by the descending system of guru-paramparā and pertaining to the Supreme Lord, who is beyond mundane sense perception; the censurer of the attempt to ascend the platform of knowledge by one's own experience based on sensual perception and empiricism;
- demonstrating the harmony of the pāñcarātrika and bhāgavata paths;
- the seat of ekāyana (the single path of the Vedas), namely exclusive devotion to Kṛṣṇa based on the spiritually rasa-saturated literature of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, and in accord with tradition, based also on the specialties of diverse Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, scripturally ascertained philosophy, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vedānta, and Sarasvatī;
- the unparalleled instructor of sevā to the dhāma, nāma, and kāma of the fully independent Lord, Vrajendra-nandana;
- the eastern mountain wherefrom the sun is seen to rise, and wherefrom emit Śrī Sajjanatoṣaṇī, Gauḍīya, and Nadia Prakash, bearers of news from the spiritual world;
- in a world inundated with ajna-rūḍhi, the sacred place of the descent of the vidvad-rūḍhi of words;
- the abode of service to the five best methods of bhakti which totally cleanse the effects of the five abodes of Kali [places of meat-eating, gambling, illicit sex, intoxication, and goldhoarding];
- the temple resounding with the tumult of Kṛṣṇa-nāma within a world resounding with the tumult of quarrel of this talkative age, Kali-yuga;
- the educational institution imparting knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti, and Kṛṣṇa-prema in the divisions of sambandha, abhidheya, and prayojana;
- a Vedic research laboratory for searching out the genuine reality, received by the process of hearing Vedic sounds, and which is devoid of duplicity;
- the residence beyond the modes of nature for sadhus who are non-envious, non-duplicitous, and free from desires for material enjoyment, liberation, or mystic powers;
- the one and only university for teaching the superhuman economics of how all endeavors should be undertaken for Kṛṣṇa's sake;
- the treasure chest of the siddhānta of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Six Gosvāmīs that the form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord manifest from nāma-bhajana, and that smaraṇa is subservient to kīrtana;
- a field ever flooded with the erudition of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya that flows in thousands of streams; the pleasure arbor of kīrtana as approved by Lord Caitanya, which glorifies the pure name, form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord;
- a grand temple that forbids phalgu-vairāgya, and on whose imposing spire is inscribed the fundamental mantra upholding yukta-vairāgya;
- the place of worship for the servants of the āśraya-jāti (Śrī Rādhā, or the guru) who are in the shelter of Śrī Brahmā, Nārada, Vyāsa, Madhva, and Nityānanda Prabhu.
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