His Glories Are Reflected in His Disciples' Good Conduct
It is a very fortunate day for all of us that we are listening to and speaking the glories of Gurudeva and his remembrances which have the power to keep all our material problems and difficulties far away.
Once I went from Dehradun to Jagannath Puri taking a group of eighty pilgrims in two buses. After darshan of Jagannath Puri, we wished to visit Konark and Bhuvaneshwar. I had the practice of informing Gurudev about our travel and when I returned, I reported to him. As Gurudev was in Puri then, I went early in the morning and informed him about that day's travel. That day Gurudev told me especially to take care. After Bhuvaneshwar darshan, some pilgrims desired we visit Zoo Nandan Kanan as the time was only 4pm. But then a group of 4-8 guys came along on their bikes and stopped our bus saying that they will not allow them to go further as some of the installments of payments are pending. As Gurudev had cautioned me in the morning, I sensed some danger and called the police. When they came, the boys fled away on their bikes. We did not register any police complaint as we were pilgrims and returned to Jagannath Puri by about 10pm. When I went to offer pranams to Gurudev, he smiled and asked me how was the day. I also smiled back and told you had cautioned me in the morning itself. Only by Gurudev's mercy, we returned from the travel safe.
Remembrance of these instances gives me enthusiasm in my devotional practices. May I remember and feel Gurudev's affection and mercy showered in such many instances. May our right conduct and practice of devotion become examples to other new devotees who are deprived of Gurudev's darshan and association to enable them to see and feel the wonderful personality and charisma of Gurudev. Like how Arjun's arrows can speak about the greatness of his guru, so also may the present generation devotees see through us our Gurudev, his ideals, his conduct, and his teachings and get inspiration to follow the path of Krishna Consciousness.
If I am staying in the math now and serving deities and Gurudeva, this itself is Gurudev's glory. I have witnessed many wonderful, marvelous activities of Gurudev. When I was in Chandigarh math, there was one sweeper by the name of Khushiram who would clean the premises. He had a simple and jolly nature and would not speak much to anyone. One day while offering pranams to Gurudeva after Mangalarati, my feet touched Khushiram who was also offering pranams and was very close by. I thought, so what if my feet touched him, he is an ordinary man, not any great Vaishnava, just a servant of the math who does the cleaning. So I did not bother much. But Gurudeva had seen me.
Later when Gurudeva was climbing upstairs to go to his room, I followed him and he turned around and smiled at me. I felt greatly pleased and thought Gurudev had graced me and felt happy, but Gurudev wanted to give me a teaching, a message. As soon as I reached his room and all were leaving offering their pranams to him, Gurudev indicated to me to come near him and asked, "Did your feet touch Khushiram?" I said, "Yes Gurudev." He asked, "Did you seek forgiveness?" I said, "No," Gurudev replied, "First go, beg his forgiveness, and then come to me.". I searched for him in the whole math and finally found him in cow-shed and offered him prostrated obeisances and sought his forgiveness as my feet had touched him. After that, I came to Gurudeva and told him I sought his forgiveness. Then Gurudev told, "No servant is inferior. Whoever serves in the math is a Vaishnav." Gurudev considers even the most ordinary servants as Vaishnavas. I got the message right by his mercy and from then on I have never given any distress or pain to anyone, even to Khushiram. There is no instance I have not sought forgiveness of Vaishnavas if I have offended anyone.
On my birthday I would offer pranams to Gurudev in person or call him to seek his blessings. I called him once from Mumbai and asked whether it is my birthday as per Vedic calendar tithi or date as per English calendar and he told me it should be observed as per tithi. Over the next two to three years I called to seek his blessings and observed that he would invariably ask me, "Is it raining there or not?" Because it was the rainy season I would answer in the affirmative. When this question was repeated every year, I felt Gurudeva intends to say something more. So the next year when he asked this question I said, "It is raining here outside, but I am eagerly waiting for your rain of mercy." Then he asked how I celebrated my birthday. I told him I prepared bhog, offered it to Thakurji, and had prasadam. Then Gurudev told, you should remember Vaishnavas and offer them pranams like Rupa Goswami used to do daily remembering thousands of Vaishnavas. Prepare nice offerings for Thakurji and also please Vaishnavas offering prasad to them." This is Gurudev's shower of mercy on me, teaching me how to please guru, Vaishnavas, and the Lord and get their mercy. After this, he never asked me the question of whether it is raining there.
Gurudev's glories can manifest through our conduct. Gurudev was speaking Harikatha in Chandigarh math and I happened to come out of the hall for some reason. There a visitor asked me can you tell me about some mystical glories of your Gurudeva. I told him there are many wonderful glories of our Gurudev. Giving my example I told him, I was happily enjoying my material life in this world but Gurudev by his sweet smile attracted me to him, freed me from material bondage, and made me a sadhu like him. What more can I say?
Later Gurudeva sent me to Mumbai math to offer seva, but a time came when my mind got so disturbed and I felt I should leave the math and go home. I confided my feelings to Madhusudhan Maharaj and despite his good advice, I did not feel convinced to stay on. So I decided I will submit it to Gurudev and as his advice, I will follow. When Gurudev came to Mumbai I went to give him the daily newspaper one morning. Gurudev was sitting on his bed and I sat at his feet as he started speaking to me. I was in a dilemma and trying to gather strength to tell Gurudeva that I do not like to stay in the math and want to leave. Then Gurudev asked if I had read today's paper. I said I will read it later. As he was reading the paper he told me, "World is very bad, never go there." I hadn't spoken my heart yet, but hearing his words brought tears to my eyes. He called me near and showing his finger on the newspaper he said, see somewhere there is fire, somewhere else dacoits, theft, and again said, "The material world is very bad, never go into it. There is no happiness there, no benefit, so never go into it." I told him I will never go, you please keep me in your shelter. Then, Gurudev's abundant mercy came, and never such a thought of leaving the math came in my mind.
When I joined Chandigarh math, in the initial days once my father, uncle, and friends came and asked me to go with them to the local market for some shopping and said they will drop me back to the the math within an hour. I had been following the practice taught to me in the math to go to Param Gurudev's bhajan kutir and also Gurudev's bhajan kutir and offering them pranams, taking their permission to go out of math and informing them of the time I'd be back. So, I followed this and got into the vehicle with them. But instead of the market, the vehicle was moving towards our house. First I tried to convince them lovingly that if you wanted to take me home, I would have taken suitable permission from the math to hand over the keys of my room, and also bring my clothes along with me. They did not listen to me, then I expressed anger but they did not pay heed. Then I sat quietly thinking let me see what will happen when I reach home.
Later when Gurudeva was climbing upstairs to go to his room, I followed him and he turned around and smiled at me. I felt greatly pleased and thought Gurudev had graced me and felt happy, but Gurudev wanted to give me a teaching, a message. As soon as I reached his room and all were leaving offering their pranams to him, Gurudev indicated to me to come near him and asked, "Did your feet touch Khushiram?" I said, "Yes Gurudev." He asked, "Did you seek forgiveness?" I said, "No," Gurudev replied, "First go, beg his forgiveness, and then come to me.". I searched for him in the whole math and finally found him in cow-shed and offered him prostrated obeisances and sought his forgiveness as my feet had touched him. After that, I came to Gurudeva and told him I sought his forgiveness. Then Gurudev told, "No servant is inferior. Whoever serves in the math is a Vaishnav." Gurudev considers even the most ordinary servants as Vaishnavas. I got the message right by his mercy and from then on I have never given any distress or pain to anyone, even to Khushiram. There is no instance I have not sought forgiveness of Vaishnavas if I have offended anyone.
On my birthday I would offer pranams to Gurudev in person or call him to seek his blessings. I called him once from Mumbai and asked whether it is my birthday as per Vedic calendar tithi or date as per English calendar and he told me it should be observed as per tithi. Over the next two to three years I called to seek his blessings and observed that he would invariably ask me, "Is it raining there or not?" Because it was the rainy season I would answer in the affirmative. When this question was repeated every year, I felt Gurudeva intends to say something more. So the next year when he asked this question I said, "It is raining here outside, but I am eagerly waiting for your rain of mercy." Then he asked how I celebrated my birthday. I told him I prepared bhog, offered it to Thakurji, and had prasadam. Then Gurudev told, you should remember Vaishnavas and offer them pranams like Rupa Goswami used to do daily remembering thousands of Vaishnavas. Prepare nice offerings for Thakurji and also please Vaishnavas offering prasad to them." This is Gurudev's shower of mercy on me, teaching me how to please guru, Vaishnavas, and the Lord and get their mercy. After this, he never asked me the question of whether it is raining there.
Gurudev's glories can manifest through our conduct. Gurudev was speaking Harikatha in Chandigarh math and I happened to come out of the hall for some reason. There a visitor asked me can you tell me about some mystical glories of your Gurudeva. I told him there are many wonderful glories of our Gurudev. Giving my example I told him, I was happily enjoying my material life in this world but Gurudev by his sweet smile attracted me to him, freed me from material bondage, and made me a sadhu like him. What more can I say?
Later Gurudeva sent me to Mumbai math to offer seva, but a time came when my mind got so disturbed and I felt I should leave the math and go home. I confided my feelings to Madhusudhan Maharaj and despite his good advice, I did not feel convinced to stay on. So I decided I will submit it to Gurudev and as his advice, I will follow. When Gurudev came to Mumbai I went to give him the daily newspaper one morning. Gurudev was sitting on his bed and I sat at his feet as he started speaking to me. I was in a dilemma and trying to gather strength to tell Gurudeva that I do not like to stay in the math and want to leave. Then Gurudev asked if I had read today's paper. I said I will read it later. As he was reading the paper he told me, "World is very bad, never go there." I hadn't spoken my heart yet, but hearing his words brought tears to my eyes. He called me near and showing his finger on the newspaper he said, see somewhere there is fire, somewhere else dacoits, theft, and again said, "The material world is very bad, never go into it. There is no happiness there, no benefit, so never go into it." I told him I will never go, you please keep me in your shelter. Then, Gurudev's abundant mercy came, and never such a thought of leaving the math came in my mind.
When I joined Chandigarh math, in the initial days once my father, uncle, and friends came and asked me to go with them to the local market for some shopping and said they will drop me back to the the math within an hour. I had been following the practice taught to me in the math to go to Param Gurudev's bhajan kutir and also Gurudev's bhajan kutir and offering them pranams, taking their permission to go out of math and informing them of the time I'd be back. So, I followed this and got into the vehicle with them. But instead of the market, the vehicle was moving towards our house. First I tried to convince them lovingly that if you wanted to take me home, I would have taken suitable permission from the math to hand over the keys of my room, and also bring my clothes along with me. They did not listen to me, then I expressed anger but they did not pay heed. Then I sat quietly thinking let me see what will happen when I reach home.
I started praying to Gurudev and also recited Nrsimha prayers within my mind. We had almost reached the border of Chandigarh, a drive of five more minutes we would enter Punjab. Then my father told me I am not taking him back home, we will leave him at the math. Others argued you came with some intentions and why are you changing your mind? But my father did not budge. My uncle got down and took a bus and went his way. My father turned the vehicle around, drove back, and dropped me back at the front gate of the math. He also told if you wish to see us, you may come home any time. And when I came back to Param Gurudev's bhajan kutirto offer pranams, I looked at the clock and saw there were still seven minutes left to finish the one-hour period of time related to the permission I took. All that time, Param Gurudev made them wander within Chandigarh and bring me back to math within an hour.
Once I went from Dehradun to Jagannath Puri taking a group of eighty pilgrims in two buses. After darshan of Jagannath Puri, we wished to visit Konark and Bhuvaneshwar. I had the practice of informing Gurudev about our travel and when I returned, I reported to him. As Gurudev was in Puri then, I went early in the morning and informed him about that day's travel. That day Gurudev told me especially to take care. After Bhuvaneshwar darshan, some pilgrims desired we visit Zoo Nandan Kanan as the time was only 4pm. But then a group of 4-8 guys came along on their bikes and stopped our bus saying that they will not allow them to go further as some of the installments of payments are pending. As Gurudev had cautioned me in the morning, I sensed some danger and called the police. When they came, the boys fled away on their bikes. We did not register any police complaint as we were pilgrims and returned to Jagannath Puri by about 10pm. When I went to offer pranams to Gurudev, he smiled and asked me how was the day. I also smiled back and told you had cautioned me in the morning itself. Only by Gurudev's mercy, we returned from the travel safe.
Remembrance of these instances gives me enthusiasm in my devotional practices. May I remember and feel Gurudev's affection and mercy showered in such many instances. May our right conduct and practice of devotion become examples to other new devotees who are deprived of Gurudev's darshan and association to enable them to see and feel the wonderful personality and charisma of Gurudev. Like how Arjun's arrows can speak about the greatness of his guru, so also may the present generation devotees see through us our Gurudev, his ideals, his conduct, and his teachings and get inspiration to follow the path of Krishna Consciousness.
A family was traveling with me from Mumbai to Delhi and all through I discussed with them about Lord and did a lot of kirtans with them. When we reached Delhi, the family told us we heard so much from you about Lord Krishna, but we did not hear anything about your Gurudev. I told them I am a very insignificant servant of my Gurudev. You think for yourself. If whatever I spoke had even the least impact on you and you felt satisfied, you may know what great personality is my Gurudev. I gave them my contact number and said if you desire you may call me and I can bring you to my Gurudev as Gurudeva was also in Delhi then. Then they called me after a few days and came for Gurudev's darshan. By his grace, they joined our math.
—Srila Bhakti Sundar Bharati Maharaj
—Srila Bhakti Sundar Bharati Maharaj
From Vyasa-puja offerings via zoom, Apr 24, 2021
spoken in Hindi, translated to English
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