He Rested on the Floor with His Arm as a Pillow

I had the good fortune to meet Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja in 1990. I was called by my godbrothers and requested to offer some services to him in Singapore. When I went to receive him, he was staying in an unfurnished apartment in Singapore. I was a bit shocked to see how he was staying. He had no bedding, no pillows, or anything to lie on. He was actually sleeping on a piece of cloth. So I asked, "Śrīla Mahārāja, would you allow me to serve you by giving you some bedding?" He said, “What for? Why do I need bedding? Did Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sleep on a pillow, mattress, or anything? He slept on the floor with his arm as a pillow. I am following His footsteps and I have to follow this also.” 

That answer shocked me as I have met so many sannyāsis in my time, but he seemed to be very simple. He was humble by nature and he attracted me to him when I rendered service to him. And he said, "I request something from you" and I said, "Yes Mahārāja, how can I serve you?" He said, "Please arrange some programs for me." I said, Yes, Mahārāja." That was my good fortune to render some service to him. So whenever he came to Singapore, I arranged some programs for him.

I can describe one of the programs that was held in my place in Singapore. I had invited many of my godbrothers including His Holiness Bhaktivedānta Padmanābha Mahārāja, Tamal Kṛṣṇa Prabhu, and so many others. Mahārāja gave the class while sitting on the sofa and after the class was finished and the question time was over, he said, "Alright, now we shall chant Narasiṃha prayers." And he started Narasiṃha prayers and the kirtana was so ecstatic and wonderful. 

In the midst of the kirtana, Śrīla Mahārāja was standing on the sofa with his daṇḍa. The kirtana grew more and more ecstatic. Padmanābha Mahārāja was playing the mṛdaṅga and he was so ecstatic while playing it that it broke. All of us were circling around Mahārāja.  On that day, we felt that we were in the spiritual world. The kirtana was so ecstatic that most of our bodily hair was standing up and we never felt anything like that during our practice of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. All the devotees agreed on that and Mahārāja was exuberant and his humility was outstanding. Everyone was jumping up and down and Mahārāja was hitting the ceiling and I was getting worried.

One time in Delhi he was coming back after Vrndavana-parikramā and I wanted to meet up with him. He was in Delhi maṭha and was in a meeting when I entered. So the devotees told me to wait, but he received the message and he came out of the meeting halfway and said, "Oh, my friend, you have come!" I said, "Yes, Mahārāja. I wanted to take your darśana." He was so humble, treating me like such a very close friend. I also felt his love and affection were just coming out as he requested the temple president to cook some South Indian dishes and they did. 

Generally he was very friendly and attracted everyone to him like a magnet. He was so friendly and he is not showing that he is a big Ācārya or even a guru. That was the plus point. And I felt that he was really honest and he was always encouraging all of us whenever we met him. Remembering him, we can render service to him even while he is in the spiritual world.

Just before he disappeared, I had a good opportunity to take his darśana again. He was in the samādhi stage at that time did open his eyes when we came before him to ask for his blessings. I am very fortunate that I met such a great soul in my life time and again and again I pray to his divine lotus feet to keep on blessing me and everyone else in this material world to attain a higher level of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

Jai Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja ki Jai!

—Śrī Gaurarāja Das (disciple of Śrīla AC Bhaktivedānta Svāmī Prabhupāda), Australia

Spoken on April 28, 2024 via Zoom