was born into a family of Vaisnavas in Midnapur, West Bengal, in 1956. He has been a full-time practising monk in the Gaudiya Vaiṣṇava tradition since 1979 and accepted initiation in disciplic succession from Śrī Srimad Bhaktivedānta Vāmana Gosvāmi Mahārāja, a Vaisnava of the highest level with all the characteristics of a true guru described in the scriptures. Madhava has served continuously as t
he sevaka, or personal servant, of his instructing guru, Śri Śrīmad Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvami Mahārāja. Like his initiating guru, his instructing guru is also a Vaiṣṇava of the topmost calibre and a true guru, as described in the sacred texts of the tradition. In March 2000, the Srila Bhaktivedanta Madhav Maharaj was given the sacred order of sannyāsa, the highest level of a renunciant. In 1977, Svāmī B. Madhava graduated in Sanskrit with honours from the University of Kolkata. Thus, the he is fluent in Bengali, Sanskrit and Hindi. . He has dedicated the better part of his life to serving his guru directly as his sevaka. Thus, he has met all the requirements of a disciple, as set out in the Vaiṣṇava scriptures.
