He Receives Everything from Guru-varga as Prasādam

I want to recall the beautiful memory that arose from Śrīla Tapasvī Mahārāj's kathā when he said our Gurudev considered Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj as Śrī-vigraha by keeping him in the front and following him along with all the devotees during dhāma-parikramā. This is also like how Mahāprabhu went ahead in a palanquin during Navadvīpa parikramā and was followed by devotees. Or we may also understand that Śrīla Puri Mahārāj was walking in the front and Śrī-vigraha, his worshipable deity, is splendidly sitting (enthroned or manifested) in his heart. Thus he expressed that our Gurudev had such firm faith and dedication in his guru-varga. Śrīla Tapasvī Mahārāj himself has served Gurudev with great dedication and with a pure heart that he could realize and relate to the respectful conduct and sentiment of our Gurudev for his worshipable guru-varga.

I heard this instance from Śrī Yati Mahārāj, the present Āchārya of Śrīla Bhakti Kumud Sant Gosvāmī Mahārāj's Maṭh at Behala. He has such great regard and faith in our Gurudeva which is revealed in his eyes in the form of tears as he remembers and speaks about our Gurudev. Śrī Sant Gosvāmī Mahārāj used to send him to go on Vraja-mandal parikramā along with our Gurudev. Seeing Gurudev sitting for evening kathā-kirtan after a long, arduous parikramā of Kāmyavan, all the youngsters who were feeling exhausted including Śrī Yati Mahārāj  were spell-bound and uttered "Arrey, baba! What a wonderful ācārya he is! It's unbelievable that he has not a trace of tiredness!" 

He told us that one day he got a call from our Gurudev who said he was coming along with about twenty devotees to your maṭh for Śrīla Sant Mahārāj's blessings and he gladly accepted. Then Pūjyapāda Bhakti Sharan Trivikram Mahārāj, Hrishikesh Mahārāj, Sannyāsī Mahārāj, and our Gurudev, along with other maṭh brahmacārīs arrived. Śrīla Santa Gosvāmī Mahārāj ordered, "You make them all sit here in front of me and feed them."  Śrīla Santa Mahārāj was sitting on his wheelchair and our Gurudev and Pūjyapāda Trivikram Mahārāj were offered a table and a chair while others sat on the floor in the Veranda. Gurudev told Yati Mahārāj, "Today I am at the feet of Śrīla Santa Gosvāmī Mahārāj. My sevāks do not give me rice on the doctor's advice. So please feed me with hot rice and whatever happens let it happen, I have no fear, for I am in front of Sant Gosvāmī Mahārāj." So I fed them all and they finished prasādam. Śrī Sant Mahārāj was sitting there and observing and supervising the service the entire time. 

When it was time to serve sweets, Gurujī said, "I do not take sweets, just give me plain chenna (curdled, soft milk solids.) I told him this is from the best sweet stall of Behala, the best sweet they make, and pressed him to accept little. Then he told, "I do not take any outside sweets, but if you really wish to serve me, please get it touched by Śrīla Santa Mahārāj and then I accept—then let anything happen." When blessed by the Sant Mahārāj's holy touch, he honored it as kṛpā-prasād, not as a sweet.

I heard a similar instance from Pūjyapāda Śrīmad Bhakti Vāridhi Parivrājaka Mahārāj who is present in-charge of Kolkata Maṭh. He said that our Kārtik month observations were going on in Mayapur and Gurujī was also with us. We got an invitation from Param Pūjyapāda Govinda Mahārāj for prasād on Śrīdhar Dev Gosvāmī Mahārāj's appearance day, which comes in Kārtik. And we all talked amongst ourselves "Oh, our Kārtik vows will all break if we go for prasādam at Śrīdhar Mahārāj's Maṭh because they may be including some of the food items in prasādam which are excluded items in our maṭh." Nobody discussed this with Gurujī, though.

Gurujī took all the sannyasis and brahmacārīs and presented himself in Śrīdhar Dev Gosvāmī Mahārāj's Maṭh. And what we anticipated happened; we were served few items which we do not accept in our maṭh in the Kārtik month. Gurujī was sitting in the very front and everybody started looking at Gurujī to see whether he will accept or not. So, Gurujī said to all, "We have not come here to eat rice, dhal, or vegetables, we are here exclusively to accept the causeless transcendental mercy of Param Pūjyapāda Śrīdhar Dev Gosvāmī Mahārāj. Remembering him, we should honor the prasādam." Saying this, he began taking prasād. Seeing him, everyone followed and started taking prasād.

Śrī Chaitanya Ashram's present ācārya Śrīla Bhakti Sundar Yati Mahārāj is a very dear disciple of Param Pūjyapāda Śrīla Santa Mahārāj. Srila Santa Gosvami Maharaj desired that Yati Maharaj learn under the guidance of our Gurudeva.  Later he made him ācārya before leaving the world. When he was to take the ācārya post, he went to our Gurudeva at Kolkata to seek his blessings. He later told me, "Your Gurudev expressed great pleasure hearing the news and gave his blessings that I carry out the orders of my Gurudeva and continue the good work of prachar of my Gurudeva. Then he insistently put ten thousand rupees in my hands and said there should be a festival celebration on your taking ācārya's position. With this amount, serve the Vaiṣṇavas. Taking it as his blessings and mercy I accepted the amount and returned to the maṭh. After 2-3 days Gurujī himself arrived in Śrī Chaitanya Ashram and gave thirty thousand rupees more saying what festival is possible in just ten thousand rupees? Again he forcefully placed the additional amount in my hands." While speaking about this instance to me, his eyes became wet remembering our Gurudeva and his blessings upon him.

It is in the nature of our Gurudev to serve vaiṣṇavas by feeding them well. His conviction was that by serving vaiṣṇavas, all things are achieved. I have also noticed that whenever I went from Bhatinda and would hand over amounts given by my god-brothers in the name of their deceased parents, Gurudev would instantly call his sevāk and handover the amount and say to utilize it for vaiṣṇava-sevā immediately or the very next day.


—Śrī Kṛṣṇananda Das (Kuldeep Prabhu)

Guru-kathā via Zoom on 14-04-2020, Gokul India

translated from Hindi to English