Simply Astounded by His Vaiṣṇava Humility

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Śrīmad Tirtha Mahārāj engaged himself in Rādhākṛṣṇa-bhajan while being situated in the gracious shelter of Śri Śri Gaur Nityānanda. Being under their merciful shelter, he inspired everyone through his example to follow the same path. In order to have real entrance and make real progress in the bhajan of Rādhākṛṣṇa, he placed special importance on having pure devotion to Gaura Nityānanda and Gaddadhara and accepting their gracious and merciful shelter while engaging in pure saṅkīrtana. He also the importance of chanting and singing Śri Narasigha Stotraṃ and explained the life and precepts of Prahlād Mahārāj. He deeply believed that by faithfully chanting or singing Śri Narasiṁha Stotraṃ the divine glories of powerful and merciful lord Narasighadev that all impediments, obstacles, danger, and sin in the lives of devotees will be destroyed. He emphasized Prahlād's life and teachings as being very beneficial for all devotees, for all time, especially the general devotees advancing from kanistha-adhikār to madhyam-adhikār and eventually uttam-adhikār.

He gave special importance to vaiṣṇava-sevā, tulsi-sevā, and high-quality nāma-bhajan. They were all manifest through his practical life performance and lifestyle. Having a natural love and affection for all his god-brothers and sisters, this had always been one of the characteristics of Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj. He was always had been so affectionate and gracious towards me as I have always had so much loving respect and great admiration and appreciation for his holiness for all time. 

He actually knew me from my very young age when I used to be coming with my Guru Mahārāj to Kolkata Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh during the annual festivals. I remember particularly when I went to Śri Jagganath Puri dhām on the occasion of the festival celebrating of the restoration of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur's appearance place. I went with my Guru Mahārāj to Puri for that celebration as his personal servant. When Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāji saw me, he remembered me as a near and dear happy family member. I have never thought of him as my cousin elder god-brother, rather always my own senior elder god-brother. He was decorated with many vaiṣṇava qualities such as humility, kindness, and graciousness that were often felt prominently in his character. He is an example of an ideal ācārya. 

I remember that in the latter days when I used to go to see him, I'd have darśan of him in his bhajan-kuṭir at Kolkata maṭh. I'd often see him engaged in writing while sitting on a chair in front of a table, using it as a support for his comfortable writing. As I entered his room and offered my daṇḍavat-pranam to him, he cast a smiling glance towards me and would immediately stop writing and come down from the chair to also offer me his pranam in return. I felt so shy and uncomfortable telling him, "No, no Mahārāj— you don’t have to do that, please don't." But he would never listen. 

And not only that, thereafter he would be sitting on the same ground level as me and I would just quickly manage to find an āsan and offer it to him, and he’d be accepting that while trying to offer me another āsan which I could not accept. So as he sat on the ground level with me, he began to speak in a way that would make me feel so welcome with his sweet smile and continued speaking. Although then I was a sannyāsi and also his god-brother by the level of relationship, he was so senior to me holding a position of a great ācārya. Still, he showed the example of ideal vaiṣṇava conduct and I was so moved, so deeply impressed, simply astounded by his vaiṣṇava humility. That’s the way of an ideal ācārya, he follows and teaches everyone with his own example, by his own noble conduct. 

A special characteristic of Śrīla Mādhava Mahārāj was that he received so much love and care from his god-brothers and sisters and Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj also inherited that great quality from his Śrīla Gurudev. I saw him always caring for his god-brothers such as Śrīla Bhakti Vigyan Bharati Mahārāj, Śripad Bhakti Niketan Turyāśrami Mahārāj, Śripad Bhakti Saurav Acārya Mahārāj, Śripad Bhakti Pragyan Rishikesh Mahārāj, and Śrīmad Bhakti Bushan Bhagavat Mahārāj. Besides his own god-brothers, he would also naturally treated the devotees who came from other temples to see him at his maṭh with so much care and affection; a natural vaiṣṇava character. 

Sitting together in his bhajan-kuṭir in Kolkata, we'd simply be absorbed in his beautiful kṛṣṇa-kathā. Sometimes he discussed what he was writing about with me and within that context, gorgeous topics arose and manifested spontaneously. He would stay absorbed in tasting that for a while and then continue his valuable writing after I left. I have very sweet and wonderful memories of his holy association, the association of a pure sādhu. So whenever I remember him, I truly miss him. Not only myself, all like-minded devotees truly miss him and his holy association. May he always bless me and bestow his affection and grace on me.

—Śrīla Bhakti Nandan Swami Mahārāj,  Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

(Part 4, transcription from spoken English)




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