Everything Happens According to His Desire

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In 2007 Sri Ramanavami festival was grandly celebrated in Goalpara. Before Guruji arrived, I thought that we have kirtan books in Bengali, Hindi, and English, so if we have it in Assamese also then it will be good. Later I tried two to three times to speak to Guruji about this, but could not because I found Guruji is surrounded by so many devotees, or when got the chance, I forgot to speak. On the festival day in the hari-kathā, Guruji said, "Bhakti is not propagated through language, bhakti is transmitted through conduct." I was dumbfounded as the question that was within my mind for so many days was answered by Guruji perfectly. Then I realized that there is no need to express all our thoughts or ideas to Guruji verbally, he can read our minds.

There was a time when I was unable to perform my services well in the maṭha and I was sick too. I went to Kolkata, but at that time, Guruji was playing pastimes of sickness and not speaking to anyone; we could see him, but not speak with him. Earlier he would ask so many questions like how is the Goalpara maṭha? How is the guest house running? like this. Returning I was feeling unhappy thinking while offering praṇāms that I should have spoken about my problems before Guruji, it would have done me good. So in Goalpara Guruji's bhajan kutir before his photograph, I spoke my heart to him. But still was feeling I should have spoken this before him in Kolkata.

 I had almost forgotten this, but after a few days, I got a call from Kolkata instructing me to do certain things and I did not feel good hearing it. Late in the night when lying still on the bed it suddenly flashed to me that Guruji has given a solution to my problem that I had placed before two to three days prior and all my unhappiness vanished; I felt greatly pleased. After a few months, I realized that Guruji had responded to my prayers placed even before his photograph. Then a question arose in my mind as to why Guruji took a few days to respond. The answer I got was I was not very convinced about my prayers before his photograph and was feeling it would have been good if I spoke it before him in person. Probably because I saw a difference between his photograph and him, Guruji took two days to respond to my prayer and made me get that required faith.

Once during the annual function in Goalpara maṭha (January/February), our maṭha-in-charge, Sri Bhakti Niloy Brhadvrati Maharaj was engaged in Guruji's seva full time. We maṭhavasis made all the arrangements. There were not sufficient funds on hand then. I think as a family man, so I was worried. Then a maṭha brahmachari said that this is Guruji's maṭha and he will manage. From these words, I gathered some strength. I requested the local provision stores to please supply us with the required provisions for the festival and we will settle the bills after the festival is over. They agreed, but I felt if some maṭha brahmachari had approached they would have supplied provisions even free of cost. The festival went off grandly in the auspicious presence of Guruji and many devotees attended. After the festival when I opened the praṇāmi box I was surprised to find it exceeded the amount we spent for the festival. I went and bowed down to the brahmachari and told him that you have so much faith and if we develop faith in whatever you people speak then everything is possible.

At the time that the foundation laying ceremony took place for the temple at Guruji's janmasthan, the landscape was very hilly. I came with my mother and saw Guruji sitting on a chair. When we went and offered praṇāms, his face lit up like the sun; so very shining. Then he asked, did you ever even dream this will happen? I answered, "No!" and he started laughing. After the ceremony, Guruji did vigorous kirtan moving from one side to another and I was alarmed thinking it is an uneven hilltop and he is moving this way and that. My thinking is small, and now we see such a beautiful maṭha standing here.

Once Guruji came to our big maṭha at Goalpara for the annual function. At that time there was no good accommodation for maṭhavasis. Guruji said he wanted to see the residential quarters for devotees, so I took him there. He saw the rooms and told me this room was earlier used for hāriṇam-diksha, and noted that the arrangements have improved, but still devotees are staying there. It was my feeling that he felt a bit unhappy. I did some minor repairs there and the festival was over. Later I expressed to Guruji that we need to renovate the quarters of the maṭhavasis also he agreed, stating that it is necessary. I told him we will need some funds for this and he said, "He knows.” I asked him again and he replied the same way, “He knows." Then I asked Guruji if he was referring to our Pujyapad Brhadvrati Maharaj, and he said yes. Guruji was sitting in the maṭha and says Pujyapad Bhakti Niloy Brhadvrati Maharaj, maṭha-in-charge, knows when and how the building will commence. From this lesson, I learned about the greatness of the person to whom he has allotted the seva. I went and told this to Maharaj and he asked how much funds you have on hand. I said some sixty or seventy thousand. Then he told when you have three lakhs on hand, then maybe the building construction can begin. I am astounded to witness that a beautiful guest house stands there now just because Gurudev wished for it.

I do not know about Guruji's pastimes at the maṭha, but when at home if he gets angry everyone would know something is grossly wrong. At home, he used to be very quiet; he didn't speak much, always busy with his studies and doing some work. Once a drunken sweeper was beating his wife on the street in front of our gate. When he heard this news, he speedily ran out of the house towards the front gate. Just by seeing him angrily approach, the drunkard fled. Father had told us that he is so quiet at home and never angry, but we later realized that his anger that day was very right, justified.

In 1946 in Bharatpur when Guruji was doing his Masters at Kolkata University, our grandfather, my father, Guruji, and my aunts resided in a rented house on the main road. It had a big veranda in the front and no fencing or compound wall around it. There were riots in Bengal then and one time the British Army came in the middle of the night and knocked on our door. Two of my aunts who were just one 17 and 14 years old at the time fainted in great fear while 3 even younger aunts stood by. Seeing their plight, Guruji took a big stick in his hand and sat on a stool near the door, and gave assurance to all his sisters saying, "I am here, you all take rest." He sat through the whole night keeping watch.

During this lockdown time in Goalpara, our Lamba Prabhuji, Sridhar Prabhuji, and Bittu Prabhuji offered the seva of distributing masks to all as Guruji's prasad on Ramanavami tithi. Also on Tirobhav-tithi, they distributed prasad at everyone's homes while following all of the government rules such as wearing masks, keeping distance, etc. They also distributed biscuit and milk packets to the poor residing in the outskirts of Goalpara. Photos of this were uploaded. When we were distributing prasad on Guruji's Tirobhav-tithi, a police van came and stopped near us, but they only asked for prasad and also masks. Here lockdown is observed very nicely. Everything is happening as per Guruji's wish.

—Sri Abhimanyu Prabhuji (Sri Arindam Guharay, Srila Gurudev's nephew and disciple)

Spoken on a Zoom call conducted by GOKUL India,/ Rasabihari Prabhu, 23.4.2020

Original Hindi audio:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfO88-OfKak



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