He Remains With Us Through Happiness and Distress

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When I went with my mother for Gurudev's darśan for the first time, my mother told Gurudev that I wished to take initiation from him and that I am already wearing tilak and kāntikar. Then Gurudev told the following verse:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

 -Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi, 7.76

[In kaliyuga there is no other way no other way no other way, except chanting of the Holy Name.]

Whenever I came to meet Guru Mahārāj I saw many devotees enthusiastically coming and wanting to meet Guru Mahārāj, they had a great desire to see him and wait for when the door of his bhajan kuṭir would open. After darśan, all of us would feel very happy. So I was very curious to know what is so special about him and later when I came in his presence he attracted me so much. I started to realize what charm and attraction he has, then I also developed the desire to take hāriṇam and dīkṣā from him.

Mayapur parikramā is a very happy and blissful occasion but there is a lot of travel (walking) in the sun and it is a little difficult for the body also. After parikramā when we came back very tired, but as soon as we saw Guru Mahārāj's beautiful face and charming smile, we would feel all our tiredness is gone.

On certain occasions, Guru Mahārāj would ask "Is everyone ok after the parikramā?" Those simple words are like a tablet curing all our tiredness; all pains would vanish just like that.

The last time we went on parikramā, one day it was very hot during the day and when we were returning, it was raining. That time we remembered Guru Mahārāj's words that in this world both happiness and distress will come, they keep coming like the hot sun and the very beautiful rain; happiness and distress keep coming, but in the middle of all this you should chant the Holy Name. This is the message I felt at that time. Gurudev's portrait was also with us and we felt Guru Mahārāj was telling us, "Go, go on! Chant and walk, chant and walk."

—Satyabhāmā Dāsi 

Spoken in English and Bangla, 15.4.2019, Mayapur








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