On Friday, March 20, 2026, on Gaura Pratipadā tithi (the first day of the waxing moon) of the month of Caitra, marking the beginning of Vikrama Samvat 2083, the traditional Hindu lunar calendar year, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedanta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja, a sincere and loyal disciple of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, departed from this world in the early hours of the morning (brahma-muhūrta, or niśānta-līlā), the time of day he cherished most for bhajana, in his bhajana-kutira at Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa in Vraja-maṇḍala, to continue his service to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga.
Early life and coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness
Śrīpāda Bhaktivedanta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja was born in Toronto, Canada, to English parents on Sunday, 12 June 1949 (the Dvitya tithi of the kṛṣṇa-pakṣa, the waning phase of the moon in the month of Āṣāḍha, that is, on the 2nd day after the Snāna Pūrṇimā of Lord Jagannātha). After completing his studies at a boarding school, he left home at the age of 19 and travelled extensively before settling in Australia in the mid-1970s.
On the first day of Kārtika 1979, he visited New Govardhana farm in Murwillumbah and heard the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness as delivered by Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Mahārāja in his books as well as through his followers. He immediately embraced the path of bhakti with wholehearted dedication, immersing himself in its philosophy and practice. He later served as temple president on that farm for a few years.
Journey to Śrīla Gurudeva
Yearning to deepen his practice of the aṅgas of bhakti and embrace a simple life more conducive to spiritual cultivation, in 1991 he moved with his wife and son to Śrī Vṛndāvana-dhāma. There he immersed himself in chanting śrī nāma, gradually increasing his vow to sixty-four rounds. He initially served in ISKCON Vrindavan in various ways, and in 1994 spent five months at Vṛndā-kuṇḍa near Nandagāon, performing bhajana and serving the deity of Śrī Vṛndā-devī. Between 1991 and 1997, he eagerly attended the hari-kathā of Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja (Śrīla Gurudeva), joined his yearly Śrī Vraja-maṇḍala parikramā, and from time to time resided in Śrī Keśavajī Gauḍīya Maṭha in Mathurā under his shelter. Through such association, he came to realize Śrīla Gurudeva as a mahābhāgavata who could guide him in fulfilling his soul’s eternal aspiration to serve the Divine Couple, and he wholeheartedly surrendered at his lotus feet.
Receiving dīkṣā and sannyāsa
In February 1997, he received harināma and dīkṣā from Śrīla Gurudeva, who gave him the name Nanda-kiśora dāsa. During 1997 and 1998, he had the opportunity to accompany Śrīla Gurudeva on preaching tours to Fiji, Australia, Malaysia, and other countries. Deeply inspired by Śrīla Gurudeva’s illuminating presentations of the profound truths of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, especially the purpose of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s advent, His unparalleled gift to the conditioned souls, and the unique path of rūpānuga-bhajana, his appreciation and attachment to his śrī guru-pādapadma continued to deepen. In 2000, he moved to Śrīla Gurudeva’s Durvāsā Maṭha in Mathurā, on the opposite bank of the Yamunā. Then, on Gaura Pūrṇimā day in 2005, his beloved Gurudeva awarded him the sannyāsa order and gave him the name Śrī Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja.
Publishing service
Among the many services he rendered to Śrīla Gurudeva was publishing English translations of Śrīla Gurudeva’s Hindi editions of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gīta and Jaiva-dharma. After Śrīla Gurudeva’s disappearance, he continued this service by publishing several booklets for preaching and distribution, including Rādhā-kuṇḍa Parikramā, Navadvīpa-dhāma Parikramā, What is dharma? (the first chapter of Jaiva-dharma), and Surabhi-kuñja.
Inspiring devotees to chant
After Śrīla Gurudeva entered nitya-līlā in 2010, Śrīpāda Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja continued preaching in the West. Firmly established in his daily practice of chanting of one lakh of harināma, he became increasingly concerned that devotees develop a deeper taste for the holy name. This inspired him to start japa retreats in various countries throughout the world, such as Italy, England, Holland, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand, where, under his guidance, participants immersed themselves in chanting sixty-four rounds daily. Over the next two decades, these retreats profoundly inspired devotees from around the world, many of whom attended repeatedly as they experienced an increased taste for the holy name and sought to deepen their relationship with it.
Even after suffering two severe heart attacks in a single day in 2015, which greatly limited his strength and curtailed his travels, his concern that devotees develop a genuine taste for the holy name and for the study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam never diminished.
Love for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja lovingly guided devotees around the world in their study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In his daily online classes, he encouraged students not only to read attentively but also to take notes and record audio summaries of what they had understood. Convinced of the transformative power of hearing, studying, and speaking Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, he developed this method to deepen their realization. Over the years, he also gifted complete sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to more than sixty devotees who otherwise could not afford them.
Bringing the holy dhāmas to devotees
Beginning in 2018, he found ways to bring the holy dhāmas to devotees around the world who were unable to visit Vraja during Kārtika. He first recorded audio narrations describing the various pastime places and then emailed them to participants. Later, he conducted several virtual parikramās via Zoom and YouTube and was able to then enrich the experience with pictures, maps, related charts, and drawings as he spoke. These online parikramās enabled countless devotees to deepen their appreciation of the dhāma from afar.
Life in Vraja and Navadvīpa
Inspired by The Hidden Path of Devotion, a compilation of Śrīla Gurudeva’s lectures on Rāga-vartma-candrikā by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja developed a strong desire to understand rāgānuga-bhakti more deeply. He resided at Govardhana from 2012 to 2016 and Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa from 2016 to 2017. Realizing by the mercy of his guru-varga that one cannot enter the service of Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa without the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His dhāma, he moved to Godrumadvīpa in Śrī Navadvīpa-dhāma, where he lived first near Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s Svānanda-sukhada-kuñja and later at Surabhī-kuñja. While residing at Godrumadvīpa, he would do parikramā in different islands once a week with his students. In 2025, he returned to Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa, where he resumed his parikramā of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, and sometimes, by motor bike, would perform parikramā of Girirāja Govardhana.
His personal example
He was known for his highly disciplined daily routine, taking rest early and rising at 1:00 a.m. each day. He chanted a minimum of sixty-four rounds daily and immersed himself in reading his beloved Bhāgavatam and other books by our guru-varga. By his own example, he inspired countless devotees from all over the world – both individuals and also groups of devotees – to deepen both their chanting and studying śāstra daily.
Although he maintained exceptionally strict sādhana throughout his devotional life, particularly during his thirty-five year residence in Vraja, and although he encouraged devotees to make more effort in their practice, he did not hold high expectations of those who were unable to practice like he did. Rather, he offered words of encouragement and performed acts of kindness to motivate others to take their spiritual life seriously.
Those who approached him for spiritual guidance found that he always had time for them, offering practical, thoughtful, and deeply relevant advice. Though he himself was absorbed in a different world, he never lost his genuine warmth and heartfelt connection with others.
His distinctive approach to teaching
Those who met Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja, even briefly, often found themselves inspired to chant more attentively, study more deeply, and take their spiritual practice more seriously. His enthusiasm for Śrī Guru, the guru-varga, Śrī Gaurāṅga and His associates, Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, the holy name, the dhāma, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the other śāstras was deeply contagious. As increasing numbers of devotees joined his live classes on YouTube and Facebook, he welcomed thoughtful discussion and encouraged students to explore each subject in depth.
He conducted several live streams each week, covering books such as Jaiva-dharma, and most recently, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, while continuing to personally guide devotees in person, online, and through email. He felt it was his guru-sevā to share with others what he has received from Śrīla Gurudeva. Rather than simply lecturing, he often invited devotees to prepare short presentations, which he would carefully hear before offering corrections, insights, and encouragement. In this way, he trained devotees not merely to hear hari-kathā, but to thoughtfully study, articulate, and live its conclusions. Nearly a thousand of his recorded classes remain available at bvtridandi.com, where devotees continue to benefit from his teachings.
The Golden Avatāra Gurukula
During his years in Godrumadvīpa, Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja dedicated much time and energy to the development of the Golden Avatāra Gurukula, which he regarded as a cherished desire of Śrīla Gurudeva. From its earliest days, he encouraged its vision and played an active role in its growth, helping shape both its physical development and its spiritual foundation. He planted trees on the gurukula grounds, advised on the design of its facilities, supplied books and other necessary educational resources, and lovingly guided the children in their devotional practices. Seeing each child as an individual soul to be nurtured, he cared for their practical and spiritual well-being, always encouraging them to deepen their relationship with Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Through his guidance and support, the Golden Avatāra Gurukula has grown into a thriving community that now serves more than 120 families.
Teachings he often emphasized
Śrīpāda Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja would often emphasize that sevā is the symptom of love, and that love must be ecstatic rather than static. He would explain that “to love” is a verb, requiring an active relationship. Thus, our relationship with Śrī Guru and Kṛṣṇa must be living and active. He taught that our connection with guru is nourished and established by guru-sevā; that every individual is on his own path to Kṛṣṇa, just as one can only walk single file through Sāṅkarī-khor in Varsānā; that it is the presence of a pure devotee that makes an institution effective; and that although the path may be shown to us, we must ultimately walk it ourselves.
His departure
Although devotees knew that his health had become increasingly fragile, the news of his departure on March 20 brought deep sorrow to devotees around the world. In accordance with his wishes, his body was cremated at the Shiva Khera cremation ground in Rādhā-kuṇḍa amidst the loud chanting of the holy name, and his bodily ashes were placed in the Yamunā, in Vṛndāvana-dhāma, following the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition. His separation festivals were held in Gopināth Bhavan, New Braj (Badger, CA) and Hawaii. The outpouring of appreciation from devotees around the world was so great that sixteen consecutive online remembrance programs were held, allowing devotees to share their gratitude for his profound impact on their spiritual lives.
Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja will be remembered for his unwavering dedication to Śrīla Gurudeva, for his steadfast practice of bhakti, and his heartfelt desire to help others develop a genuine taste for the holy name and the study of scripture. Particularly noteworthy was his concern for the spiritual well-being of everyone, regardless of whether they were his followers or not.
Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja ki jaya!
Śrīla Gurudeva Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja ki jaya!
Guru paramparā ki jaya!
[Courtesy of disciples of Śrīpāda Bhaktivedānta Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja]
