The Holy Power From His Dedication to Devotion

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I have seen Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāji many times in my life on different occasions, at various temples and other places. Overall, it was a joyful experience being in his holy association. I saw and experienced that he was a pure sādhu, pure vaiṣṇava. We found some great qualities and characteristics of a vaiṣṇava in his life conduct and practices. The vaiṣṇava qualities such as simplicity, kindness, graciousness, compassion, broad-heartedness, generosity, knowledge of siddhānta, humility, spirit of tolerance, forgiveness, overall loving affectionate feelings for all devotees, and above all—his exemplary devotion, dedication, and service to Śri Guru, our Rādhākṛṣṇa, and guru-varga. I offer my respectful pranam to that Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākur and dear ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava world, my dear elder godbrother, Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāji. I lovingly pray for his blessings and grace to be bestowed upon me.

I remember first seeing him at All-India Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh in Kolkata. The founder of that organization, Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī lovingly invited my Guru Mahārāj [Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Gosvāmī Mahārāj] every year for the annual four-day festival. During that festival, I saw Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāj respectfully engaged in important conversations with his own Gurudeva, Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī. I also found him very respectfully approaching my Śrīla Guru Mahārāj offering his humble daṇḍavat-pranams to his holy feet and seeking his divine blessings and grace on his head. 

Inspired by his own great Gurudeva, he would often come to see Śrīla Guru Mahārāj in his room humbly seeking his valuable guidance and instructions on different important service responsibilities as well as topics relating to siddhānta. Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj often sublimely understood the intimate relationship between his Gurudeva and my Guru Mahārāj. Therefore he has always accepted Śrīla Śrīdhar Gosvāmī Mahārāj as one of his glorious śikṣā-gurus. 

I regard Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī as an exalted pure devotee of the Lord and my own glorious Śikṣā Gurudeva. As a young boy, I was my Guru Mahārāj’s personal attendant and servitor. Seeing my service relationship to Guru Mahārāj, my Śikṣā Guru, Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī, was so kind, compassionate, and gracious towards me and blessed me with so much affection. Sometimes he’d touch my head to bless me and my Guru Mahārāj would be so pleased. It was my wonderfully blessed experience to see my Gurudeva and Śikṣā Gurudeva reciprocating with each other in an intimate and friendly way. I adore having had that spiritual experience. 

The annual festival at Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh (dharma-sabhā) was attended by many exalted vaiṣṇava-ācāryas such as Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī, Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Gosvāmī Mahārāj, Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj, Śrīla Bhakti Vicāra Yāyāvara Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti Ālok Paramahaṃsa Mahārāj, Śrīla Bhakti Bhudev Śrauti Mahārāj, Bhakti Kumud Sant Gosvāmī Mahārāj and others that decorated the august assembly of that great harikathā convention. 

I clearly recall the way Śrīmad Tirtha Mahārāj would stand up before the microphone, sannyāsi-daṇḍa in hand, and give his conclusive speech. He was the general secretary of all India Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh then, so as per tradition, it was his duty to give the closing speech. He looked brilliant and confident. His conclusive speech was always to the satisfaction of all the guru-varga present in that august assembly. 

I remember the sweet glances that Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj exchanged with his Gurudeva Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī for the purpose of accepting his blessings before speaking. In reciprocation, his Gurudeva cast his affectionate blessed glance on him, and he felt so much confidence to begin speaking. Śrīmad Tirtha Mahārāj has always had so much guru-bhakti, loving devotion to his great Gurudeva. As per established tradition, he would start chanting maṅgalācaraṇa before speaking, sweetly singing the verses from Guruaṣṭakaṃ. We all loved his unique style which was so pleasant because of his devotional mood and meditation on his Gurudeva while he was chanting maṅgalācaraṇa. 

During those annual festival days at Kolkata Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh, Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī and Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj would both come to see Śrīla Guru Mahārāj in his room from time to time. They would receive his counseling, take his valuable advice, and accept guidance on different practical missionary matters, preaching programs, etc. Due to their intimate friendly relationship, they frankly discussed many important things. In response, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj happily gave them some necessary appropriate advice which they appreciated so much. 

Śrīmad Mādhav Gosvāmī Mahārāj was actually a great preacher, a very successful preacher of that time. He shared the details of his successful programs throughout India and Śrīla Guru Mahārāj reciprocated by expressing his special happiness, satisfaction, and appreciation. Śrīla Mādhav Mahārāj often indicated to Śrīla Guru Mahārāj that Śrīla Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj was his dearest and most dependable disciple. He told him how expertly assisted him in all his preaching activities and wanted to select him as his next successor ācārya. Upon hearing that, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj would simply express his natural happiness and satisfaction for his quality selection and instantly, spontaneously blessed Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj with such an affectionate glance; so much loving affection. Being in the same room with them, I witnessed these great moments.

Following in the divine footsteps of Lord Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya and his glorious saṅkīrtana movement, Śrīmad Tirtha Mahārāj joyfully lead kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtan. One of Śrīla Mahārāj's special features and characteristics was he would often lead kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana with so much enthusiasm and potent devotional energy. Devotees would feel the holy power from his dedication to devotion deeply in their hearts. He was so dedicated to singing he devotional songs with the saṅkīrtan party and all were dancing joyfully; what a wonderful, marvelous experience of hāriṇam-saṅkīrtan. His chanting of Narasiṁha Stōtraṃ was another wonderful experience he would be absorbed in.

—Śrīla Bhakti Nandan Swami Mahārāj,  Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

(Part 1, transcription from spoken English)



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