His Chastisements Come From Affection

In Guruji's shelter, we were fearless, even when he was playing sickness pastimes, we are assured he is there and we had no fear whatsoever. Like a peepal tree protects us from sun and rain, so also Guruji sheltered us under his protective glance so that inauspiciousness could not befall us. In that shelter, we were carefree and fearless. Now we are realizing we are lacking this protection.

In earlier days when we were going with Guruji on prachar, he would not agree to go on the first-class train preferring to stay in sleeper-class along with the devotees. He would sit alongside us and sometimes would make jokes that made us feel a sense of togetherness. We used to go in a group of 15-20 people together on prachar then. One Ekadasi day on the train, our Sacinandan Prabhu (now Bhajanonmukha Maharaj) who was Guruji's sevak then brought two buckets of boiled potatoes, peeled them, and cut them into bits in another empty bucket, sprinkled pepper powder, salt, squeezed lemon, and also added bits of cucumber into it and mixed them well. Guruji jokingly said, '"Dekho, bina aag se rasoyi hota hai,” meaning: without fire cooking is possible. We used to carry our own plate, tumbler, and bedding. Sacinandan Prabhu was joined by others who distributed the prasad. I was sitting on one side and Acharya Maharaj, Janardhan Maharaj, and Guruji were sitting on the opposite side. Guruji said, '"Give some more aloo (potato) to Acintya Govinda Prabhu, he likes aloo." My name is Acintya Govinda. And Acharya Maharaj was repeating "Yes, Yes, give more aloo to Acintya Govinda Prabhu'." Hearing this, I felt shy and they served me double of what they gave others. Guruji was smiling. Like this, he used to joke with us. When I was sitting next to the window, he would point to something outside and ask, "Do you know what this is?" It meant he is so simple-natured and used to have such sweet exchanges with disciples so that disciples did not feel hesitant to speak with him.

I heard from someone who had recently received hāriṇam from Srila Jayapataka Maharaj that no matter how much he tried, he could not go near his Gurudev because disciples always surrounded him and would not allow anyone near always saying "not now," and stop him. He told me I took hāriṇam, but have no strength to go near my Guruji. Even when I try to push myself, they do not allow me to speak to him. With our Guruji, even a common man could approach and speak to him about their problems, seeking his advice. This is because of his very simple nature. His smile is so sweet that even if you would pay crores of rupees you cannot get it anywhere else. His smile is so pure, simple, spontaneous, and unblemished,—untouched by unhappiness or distress. When I go and offer praṇāms, Guruji smiles. By his conduct, we can learn how a guru's dealings should be with his disciples.

Some guru-varga even say Tirtha Maharaj does not control and discipline his disciples (śāsan-karna,) and even relished their own words. They have also said after he leaves, then we will see; we will control. What happened? Tirtha Maharaj is gone, now what is happening? Can anyone control others? They will get tart replies (muhatod jawab) without any consideration of whether someone is senior or junior. Now such times have come. I did not speak till now, I speak now. They said, "Guruji shashan nahi karta hai." Do they know what is the meaning of śāsan? Just chastising someone, or rebuke someone with two words or two slaps does it amount to śāsan? Sāsan means to change the nature of the person. By chastising, giving warnings, or blaming, does a change in nature come about? Has such a thing happened ever?

When I got the seva of managing Mayapur math, I asked Guruji's advice. He told me, to never force anyone to offer service. By force, by compulsion, a person's nature cannot be changed—try to convince them with words. This is our Param Gurudev's practice, he would repeatedly try to convince them because they are conditioned souls, some understand a little faster and some little delayed. Chastisement is necessary, but there is a way to do it. In Bangla, there is a saying: one who loves only has the right to control. Parents love their children, so they have the right, eligibility to control them. If there is no love and only control, can you change a person? I cannot describe Guruji's śiṣya-vātsalya: his affection for his disciples. Guruji controls by his affection. 

Once I went to Agartala because Guruji sent me in advance for the Kartik-vrat observations and for preparing for the celebration of Mahaprabhu's 500th Year Appearance festival. I liked to play mrdanga and Guruji used to like it too. Vaishnav Maharaj (whose name was Venugopal Prabhu before) and I were playing mrdanga when Guruji was singing in nagar-kirtan. I was young then and in great enthusiasm, went a little ahead along with others. Guruji was coming from behind doing kirtan and got disturbed because of a mismatch between the kartal players and our mrdanga playing. Guruji was calling us to come back but we did not notice, absorbed in our excitement. Guruji gave me a few good slaps in a mood of anger. It was a natural reaction as the mood of the kirtan was destroyed (rāsa-bhaṅga.) Thus Guruji chastised me (śāsan-kiya) but I did not get angry, I thought Guruji had never lifted his hand on anyone, and today I got his mercy. Guruji slapped me in front of so many, I did not feel anger even a bit and also did not feel ashamed. From this instance, I realized how much Guruji loves me. Till now he has not hit anyone, but he hit me. When he controls and chastises we can know his real love.

Sanatana Gosvami asked Jagadananda Prabhu for advice because he felt ashamed that Mahaprabhu embraces him regardless of the pus-filled, bad-smelling sores all over his body. Jagadananda advised him to go to Vrindavan to avoid such a situation. When he offered praṇāms to Mahaprabhu and asked for permission to go to Vrndavan, Mahaprabhu got angry at Jagadananda telling him that he was junior and ineligible to give such advice: "Maryada langan prabhu sahite na pair." Sanatana Gosvami replied that you gave Jagadananda nectar to drink and you made me drink bitter neem juice. Why he said so? You have affection for Jagadananda, so you chastised him. And for me, you praise instead of chastisement. See their vision and thought. So, śāsan is seen where there is affection. Guruji gives us śāsan on us out of affection. Such śāsan results in a change in our nature is called anuśāsan. Guruji gives teachings through his own conduct— this is his śāsan. Param Guruji is also like this; by their own conduct, they give teachings. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda (Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.14.2): acharya is one who teaches by his own conduct how to conduct with disciples, god-brothers, and guru-varga and also how to behave with people averse to Supreme Lord; He knows everything. 

So once when I was in Chakdah, Guruji told me, you do not know how to conduct yourself with others. When I went to offer praṇāms to Guruji before going to Puri, he told me to never make anyone your enemy. Is this his śāsan (teaching, instruction) or not? Is it only that scolding, chastising, blaming, hitting is śāsan? Sasan is to convince one in polite words and also in loud a loud, angry voice; guru and vaishnavas do this sometimes. Like Narada Goswami showed his anger and chastised, cursing Nalakuber and Manigriva, was it in anger or was it to change their nature? So Guruji may sometimes use a loud voice on us, but that does not mean Guruji is angry with us. Never think that way. According to the degree of our disease, the doctor administers the dosage for our cure. 

One who does not know the affection of guru and vaishanvas only sees their external anger. An illustrative example of this is if you give someone a coconut and tell them it's sweet and tasty, he will see the hard outer skin and fiber and understands it will break his teeth to bite it. He thinks this is not a thing to eat. Someone must teach him how to reach the sweet fruit inside by first peeling the outer skin and then cutting open the hard shell. So, one cannot know what is inside a vaishnav's heart; he will not manifest it outside. He may use harsh words or harsh behavior, but you have to analyze it to know what is inside his heart. Pundarika Vidyanidhi externally looks like a big sense-enjoyer (maha-bhogi) but inside is a great Krishna-bhakta and it later self-evident. So there is a process to manifest the inner mood of a vaishnava. 

Shivananda Sena dances in great bliss when Nityananda Prabhu angrily kicked him because he realised today Nityananda Prabhu has made me his own, so he gave me blessings with his lotus feet. To attain those lotus feet, rishis and munis do penance for thousands of lives, and today he gave those feet on Shivananda Sena so easily, with anger. Shivananda sena knows the way Nityananda Prabhu graces and he dances in joy thinking now I have no fear, but his nephew Srikant got angry for he could not understand it. So it is very difficult to understand the inner mood of guru and vaishnavas. So Guruji and also Param Gurudeva were misunderstood. Param Gurudev's disciples told our Guruji is supporting injustice misunderstanding his intentions of forgiving someone repeatedly hoping his nature will change. His praṇām mantra says he is kshama-guna-avatārāya: the manifest form of forgiveness. After wandering in lakhs of species for crores of lives, a conditioned soul takes shelter because of some good fortune. How can I send him again into the ocean of material life of birth and death, how can I save him? This was his mood. Without understanding his good intentions, some of their disciples used such wrong words saying he is supporting injustice. When Guruji informed him about this, he quietly listened to it. So also with Guruji, he is blamed for not controlling his disciples and so everything gets destroyed. Guruji's nature is like that of a child, he meets with us so naturally and always smiling. When we go to meet him he sometimes asks, "Is everything fine?" 

What I remember is Guruji's conduct with me. He heard that I had become diabetic, and when I came from Mayapur to Kolkata for some work, Guruji told me to take prasad before leaving. He also asked, "Do you have anyone with you? You have sugar, so keep a sevak with you."  I thought I am a servant of Guruji and for me he's saying I should have a sevak? So much affection he has for me. Today I am feeling a lack of such pure affection, honest love, and mercy; compassion like his I never see anywhere.

—Srila Bhakti Kushal Padmanabha Maharaj

translation from Hindi 

Transcribed from early morning Harikatha delivered on Srila Gurudev's Viraha Mahotsav, Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Chandigarh, 5.5.2021