His Strength in Humility

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Guru Mahārāja [Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja] did not leave us with his intentions written only in his heart. Already during his manifest pastimes, even two years before his disappearance, he declared and broadcast everywhere: 

“If I die, or if for some reason any other difficulty occurs, Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Mahārāja shall sit in my position. I am seating him as my successor. No one can have any objection to this.”

As Guru Mahārāja is antaryāmī (inward-knower), having received Prabhupāda's mercy, he also foresaw that in his absence, Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāja would have no difficulty running the maṭha. For this reason, Guru Mahārāja declared Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāja as the next Ācārya before his own departure.

When our Gurudeva disappeared, dark clouds in the form of adversities or misunderstanding were cast over the maṭha, but the way that Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāja has preserved Śrīla Guru Mahārāja’s vani (instructions) is beyond words. We have been with him and witnessed that he did not deviate even one bit from any of Śrīla Gurudeva’s words. 

He said, “As long as I live, I won’t cross one letter of Guru Mahārāja's vani, whether you all are satisfied or angered.” 

No one can match The way Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāja has foregone eating and sleeping by personally staying in the middle of disturbances from all corners to preserve Guru Mahārāja’s vani in its original and perfect form.

The śloka 'trnad api su-nicena taror api sahiṣṇunāamanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih' is often repeated; I myself repeat it and tell it to others. We cannot act according to the śloka, but Śrīla Mahārāja is the direct embodiment of that śloka. He is beyond our imagination of human capacity. 

Every now and then, I have appealed to him, “Mahārāja, please give some response to all this. If this can be done it would be good; in this way, what needs to be handled can be handled.” 

Mahārāja said, “No! I won’t say anything! What Gurudeva will do will put them in their place. No one should tell me anything in this regard.”

How many can have such courage? Is it possible for an ordinary human being? Impossible. In such a way, he has preserved Guru Mahārāja’s vani. 

—Śrīpad Bhakti Niketana Turyāśramī Mahārāja


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