The Glories of His Books

Most merciful Gurudeva attracted me to his transcendental personality through his books. The first of his books that I read was Harikathā and Vaiṣṇava Aparādha, and such was the impact of his words on my heart that I decided to take shelter of his lotus feet without even personally meeting him. Later I came to know that Guru Mahārāja had withdrawn from the external world and was no longer communicating through spoken words. I only had the first darśana of Gurudeva at his bhajana kuṭīra in Kolkata during my harināma initiation. Even though I never had personal communication with Gurudeva, he continues to instruct me through his vāṇī.

After his departure from the manifest pastimes, I could sustain and relish my relationship with Gurudeva through connection with his vāṇī. So I always nurture my relationship with Gurudeva through his vāṇī. I always had the impetus to distribute his books primarily as a means to water the seed of bhakti sown by Gurudeva in my heart.

We have many of Gurudeva's books kept in the waiting room of the clinic that I run. Patients as well as their relatives pick up the books to read while they are waiting, especially the Hindi books, Bhagwan ki aur and Snehmayi Shiksha. Many of them get so engrossed in reading that they forget the anxiety of sitting in the hospital. When I ask them whether they like the book, so many of them spontaneously say oh yes! These are indeed wonderful books. And almost all of them accept those books from us as gifts. Gurudeva's vāṇī is spreading by its own potency and in such a way, even if I happen to distribute a single book in a day, I feel that day was blessed.

I have had many such incidents where the words of Gurudeva have touched the hearts of people in a sublime way after reading these books. So many people connect their own lives with narrations in the book. And few of them even willingly donate for the books. Many people share their spiritual queries to me and through them, I get the opportunity to discuss the teachings of Gurudeva with them for my own purification.

One devotee related to ISKCON saṅga liked these books so much that they distributed these books during Ratha-yātrā along with their own Bhagavad-gītā. And later devotees of that saṅga so graciously accepted all the books written by Gurudeva from us. They have even introduced teaching Bhagwan ki aur in their own gurukula and spiritual workshops for children. Whenever devotees from this saṅga come to meet us, they express their deep regard for us for introducing Gurudeva and his books to them.I always feel obliged to them for giving me an opportunity to serve the vāṇī of my Gurudeva.

I have also heard from the lotus lips of Gurudeva that the holy biographies of Bhakta Prahlād and Dhruva should be taught to young children in schools. We have also made efforts to make books of Guru Mahārāja available in school libraries especially Dhruva-caritra and Prahlad-caritra, through the school teachers who come to the clinic. I firmly believe that by making all the efforts to spread guru-vāṇī, we will be able to please Guru Mahārāja by fulfilling his heart's desire.

—Ajita Govinda Dās