How Can He Recognize His Disciples Among Crores of Souls?

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Bhāgavat-kathā and guru-kathā are the same, non-different from each other. Our Vṛndāvan Maṭh's Śrīla Bhakti Prasād Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj would say, “In this world, there are only two nectars: one is śrī hāriṇam-sankīrtan and the other is hāri-kathā, guru-kathā.” Hāri-kathā is so very potent that it can revive life to even a dead, stone-like heart. Hāri-kathā empowers one to perform bhajan, to serve guru and vaiṣṇavas, and to listen more to hāri-kathā in the association of devotees.

In 2013 I took a few of my god-brothers' children to Kolkata Maṭh for hāriṇam initiation from Gurudev. When I met Śrīla Bhakti Vijñān Bharati Mahārāj he said that it is a very great fortune that the boys are getting japa malās touched by Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj. He asked if there is any great personality equal to him in this material world now? He repeatedly said, "It is very good, it is very good."

So, it is my sincere request that these boys should consider themselves very very fortunate. They are fortunate that they can listen to the beautiful recordings of kīrtans and hāri-kathā of Gurudev that are available with total submission and benefit from them. Without sincerely listening to hāri-kathā regularly, purification of the heart is impossible.

Many young fresh initiates who have taken shelter of Gurudev during Gurudev's final pastimes express regret for their delay in taking shelter and for not getting the opportunity to converse or serve Gurudev, hear his hāri-kathā, and wonder whether Gurudev will recognize or remember them or not.

Regarding their questions about whether Gurudev will remember them, I have one instance to share. During the time of Bathinda Maṭh's construction, (about 23 years ago) I visited the home of one of Param Gurudev's disciples. I asked her to speak some glories of her Gurudev and our Gurudev. She recalled an occasion when she expressed doubt regarding whether her Gurudev (our Param Gurudev) would be able to recognize us after our death.

At that time, Param Gurudev arrived in Ludhiana on pracār along with his god-brothers and disciples including our Gurudev. She went for Gurudev's darśan and offered praṇams placing her question before Gurudev. She asked how can a guru who has countless disciples recognize that this soul is my disciple among lakhs and crores of souls?

Then Guru Mahārāj smiled and gave an example. In this material world, we also see there are shepherds each of whom has hundreds of sheep. It is commonly seen in Jammu Kashmir. In the early morning, they take the sheep to open fields and leave them to graze. There is not only one shepherd, sometimes even thirty sit under a tree and chat while the sheep go grazing far away. In the evening, all the sheep return to their respective masters. Each shepherd never loses any of his sheep, he recognizes and collects them. If an ordinary shepherd can manage to gather his sheep from a whole lot of thousands, you should not have any doubt about the power of sadguru coming from the transcendental spiritual world.

Gurudev has given us shelter at his lotus feet. Whether we understand it or not, certainly Gurudev will never leave us. Gurudev's nature is to be extremely affectionate and compassionate. Once he makes someone his own, his nature is that he will never leave him. We should have such firm faith in Gurudev's lotus feet. So my humble request to my young god-brothers is to never get disheartened, never feel discouraged, but to daily listen to hāri-kathā, guru-kathā, and never stop. If not listened to regularly, we will become spiritually ill.

—Śri Kṛṣṇananda Dās (Kuldeepjī)

Excerpted from Hindi to English translation, 27.4.2020

The recording may be heard on the GOKUL YouTube channel




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