Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Once In Gokul, quite a few maṭhavasis and others left. My job was to do the cooking in the morning and later clean the pots and pans. After maṅgala arāti one day, I saw there was a statue of Ambedkar in front of our temple. He had formed the constitution of India and had come from a lower caste and people of those castes considered him godly and almost worshiped him. They installed the statue of Ambedkar pointing his finger in the direction of the temple. They encroached on the maṭha property when they did this.  Politicians would play their politics and later blame it on somebody else, but they also instigated them. They had planned to disfigure the deities of our temple. They had a meeting in Matura and then another in Gokul. One day when I finished the sevā of washing vessels, I went to take bath. Sādhu Mahārāja and two brahmacārīs were doing kirtan and we found a crowd outside the temple making noise.  I woke up Rādhāpriya Prabhu (Bhakti Svarūpa  Akiñcana M...

My śikṣā-guru , founder of Sree Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh, Nityalīlā Praviṣṭa Om Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāj is glorious. The jewel of his eyes and his necklace (garland) around His neck are all non-different from Him. The great personality whose disappearance we honor in this excellent ceremony today, my śikṣā-guru , Tridaṇḍī Svāmī Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj remains ever victorious.  Once we had gone along with Mahārāj on a preaching tour to Haldia. Śrīla Trivikram Mahārāj, Ācārya Mahārāj, Yati Mahārāj and Tridaṇḍī Mahārāj had accompanied him. That program was organized by local devotees who were very poor. We stayed in a two-story, mud house. The stairs were difficult to climb, but Mahārāj was quite happy living there.  When we were having prasād , we criticized it, saying  “This is not good, that is not good..." At that time, Mahārāj came down and chastised us. “This is a poor person’s house. They have organized this program by begging. You are getti...

Suvarna Vihar in Navadvip is a remote, uninhabited place with no villages nearby. If anyone needs to collect alms, they need to go far. Param Gurudeva instructed Gurudeva to stay there when he was a brahmacārī . He was all alone. That place was full of snakes, so no other brahmacārī was willing to stay there. This showed his titikṣava (tolerance). I have personally heard our Śrīla Gurudeva narrate these incidents. At this time our Param Guru Mahārāja was in Śrī Caitanya Maṭh. Suvarna Vihar was, at that time, an almost deserted forest. Gurujī would walk several miles to fetch some rice as alms. In his absence, thieves would come and steal vessels, etc. There was also no availability of firewood for cooking. Gurujī would burn dry banana leaves and somehow prepare kitchari for offering. It is not an easy job to burn banana leaves and Gurujī did not have any prior experience. Whenever he would blow air to burn the fire, all the ash would fly on to his face. When he would sit ...

Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s tolerance was seen as being many times more than the tolerance of a tree during Śrī Navadvip dhāma-parikramā.  Although the road was severely hot from the sun, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj walked with his soft lotus feet on that heated surface as though it was not hot at all while we were lifting our feet up quickly from the pavement and experiencing great difficulty while walking. I was astonished to see Gurujī’s tolerance. Even at an advanced age, he would walk barefoot taking darśana of various holy places and narrating the glories of the pastime places starting from 4 o’clock in the morning until 7 in the evening, often continuing until late in the night. Even after such a long day, he remained in a very peaceful mood. There was no sign of tiredness on the face or any complaints that could be observed. In spite of the devotees' prayers that there could be a vehicle arranged for him, Gurujī always expressed his unwillingness. Similarly,  while wa...

Once I went to Dhanbad along with Mahārāj for preaching. There was a person there named Yasamanta who used to donate coal to the maṭha thrice a year. They invited Guru Mahārāj to stay in their house; it was a good accommodation with air-conditioned rooms. But that particular year, we went to live in the house of a householder devotee in Herapuri who was a disciple of Param  Pūjyapāda  Om  Viṣṇupada  Śrīmad Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj. Narasiṃha Mahārāj, Deva Prasād Prabhu, and  Viṣṇudaivata  Mahārāj (who was a brahmacārī at that time) were also present. There was hari-kathā and kīrtan in the house of Yasamanta, and Mahārāj would go there. I was cooking and washing clothes for Tirtha Mahārāj. Narasingha Mahārāj, who was Achintya Govinda  brahmacārī  then, gave advice to Tirtha Mahārāj. “Mahārāj, please clean your clothes. You are going to the house of a distinguished person.” Mahārāj replied, “They are already clean.” Achintya ...

Everyone is aware of the controversies that have prevailed in the maṭha , but not a single word of abuse from Gurujī’s mouth was ever heard. During one particular incident In Kolkata maṭha , an ordinary meeting was called. Everyone expressed their faith in Guru Mahārāj and decided to take some stern steps toward envious people. They thought he would attend, but he did not. My Guru-varga Vaidya Om Prakashjī said that he went to Gurudev’s room and prayed to him that he should control the disputing parties, but Gurudev replied, “I have come to the maṭha to perform devotion. Our Gurudev will control or discipline others.  Whatever is happening here is all by Gurudev’s desire and we should not be disturbed by this. —Śrī Partha Sarati Das, Bhatinda  Translated from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Sandesh, July-Oct, 1997 (Year 17, Issue No.4)

During the 1979 Vraja-mandala parikramā, we went to Brahmand Ghat and the breakfast prasādam was prepared and brought from our Gokul maṭha. Although Śrīla Mahārāja was the Secretary of the maṭha , he had no dedicated personal servant; I used to serve him a little. That day I forgot to carry Mahārāja’s bowl. I was wondering how to serve prasādam to him. I looked for a leaf plate; it was also not available, but I had carried my bowl. Mahārāja accepted prasādam in that bowl. I was a brahmacārī at that time, but he had no ego of being a sannyāsī or being the Secretary of the organization. The more one is humble, the more Mahāprabhu showers His mercy on him. And also, the more one is advanced the more humble he is. —Śrīmad Bhakti Saudha Jitendriya Mahārāja

It is very clear by observing Guru Mahārāj's activities that he has a great longing to help deliver lost souls. He demonstrates this in all his actions including his responsibilities related to the management of the maṭha, his careful and timely replies to all the devotee's letters, and writing articles for the Bangla Monthly magazine Śrī Caitanya Vani. In addition to that, he accepted great austerities while preaching in Punjab and other places where he was speaking hari-kathā up to seven times a day. We cannot see this kind of tolerance and dedication elsewhere, in anyone else. Once Śrīla Guru Mahārāj took his pracāra party to Assam and we were returning by Kamarupa Express to Kolkata. While nearing the Bangla-Assam border, I listened astonishingly to Śrī Ananta Prabhu narrate an instance from the previous year. He said that this Assam-Bangla border is very dangerous; a deserted area where if a train does not arrive at the scheduled time, dacoits come inside the trains and ro...

I am speaking my heart. There were many instances like when going on parikramā, he [Śrīla Gurudev Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj] would keep our Gurudeva Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī  Ṭhākur in the very front and follow him from behind. Not like [a mood of] "I am Ācārya, I go in the front. " I also saw him keep Trivikram Mahārāj in the front and follow him in parikramā. He would give respect to one and all. This is the characteristic of a Vaiṣṇava.  When Mahārāj left the world I felt a big void has been created in the vaiṣṇavatā of the Vaiṣṇava-dharma. Today it is very difficult to find personalities with such qualities. I have seen this in my life. These days the condition is very bad. Nobody respects each other, but I have seen this in my Guru Mahārāj and Tirtha Mahārāj.  Every day Tirtha Mahārāj would visit Guru Mahārāj in his room after sandhyā-ārati and Gurujī would offer him dandavat praṇāms and Tirtha Mahārāj would offer dandavat praṇāms to him. And every day ...

I had never seen Guruji lose his temper. To even an ineligible fallen disciple like me, Guruji inspires me to become good through his love and affection, just like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did. Most of the time, Guruji would not get to eat and take rest at night, but we have never seen Guruji is disturbed because of that. Many times he had no time for rest also. One would find him all the time engaged in loving conversations with any person, disciple or householder devotee who came to meet him without bothering about his own needs, body, or health. Whenever someone prayerfully requested to Guruji that he needed to take rest, and how essential that was, he would always say that it would be good if life air leaves the body while speaking Harikatha. He would further say that it is good that people always engage him in speaking Harikatha. It was like this for Harinam, Sankirtan, and during prachar, Guruji went from village to village, town to town, and bore various types of difficulties....

Gurudeva would spend time writing lectures of Param Gurudeva and keep himself busy with that service all day. Sometime around nine in the morning, he would take some rest. On one particular occasion, Param Gurudeva called for one brahmacārī at that time, but the brahmacārī was sleeping. Later when asked for an explanation he said, "Tirtha Mahārāj also sleeps at that time." Param Gurudeva did not say a thing to him, but later in hari-kathā , he said, "A surrendered devotee's any activity is sevā , even sleeping also is sevā . But our following should not be an imitation." He had so much love for Gurudeva and that day in the whole  hari-kathā  he spoke on his beloved disciple—our Gurudeva. When doing kirtans , our Gurudeva goes to a different plane altogether, he would be so engrossed in the kirtan that he would not have any awareness of his clothes or anything else around him. He is  avadhūta —completely unbound by this world. Once in kirtan , hi...

One time the deities of Gokul Mahavan math were damaged by miscreants who were later caught.   Those people were waiting to be given punishment. Tridandi Swami Sadhu Maharaj was an eye-witness to the incident.    I observed all senior sadhus pressurizing Sadhu Maharaj to give witness in the court to make sure the miscreants were punished.   I myself was also favoring this stance strongly.    It was during that time that I saw Sadhu Maharaj’s saintly quality and his faith in Acharya Deva (Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj) and was very much surprised.   Sadhu Maharaj took his bag and went straight to Acharya Deva at Rajapura to take his advice.   When he met Srila Acharya Deva in Rajapura, coincidentally I was also present in Srila Maharaj’s room.    In reply to Sadhu Maharaj’s question about whether we have to proceed with the punishment, Srila Acharya Deva was referring to verses from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta ...

Once during Mayapur parikram after the day we go to Vidyānāgar, I was very tired. I was leaning against a pillar and I started sleeping. Then Gurudev came and gave a whole lecture. One thing I have observed that Gurudev had so much endurance and energy. Even after being up so late, he never neglected to attend mangal arati. Even in his own room, he wouldn’t rest because devotees would keep coming to his room. We have never seen Gurudev being sleepy or drowsy. He has such a taste for Harikatha. I’ve never even seen him yawn. Once in Ramdas' house, a sannyasi spoke for two hours. Gurudev was always silently listening. Even though the other sanyassi spoke so long, Gurudev was also not short, he gave a long katha after that. There was another program where all the speakers were giving 15 minutes lecture. Gurudev said, in 15 minutes I can only give vandana! He took 15 minutes to give vandana, and his katha after that was so good that nobody stopped him. Once we went to Ramakris...

When I first saw Srila Gurudev it was in Kolkata math. He was seated on a little mat and he just looked up and he said to me: you sit down please you sit down. So I sat down. I was young at that time and more stupid than I am today. I hope not as bad anyway— hopefully, the chanting has done something I didn’t know what to say to him. The devotee who had brought to him was named Sudama Brahmacari. On the way to meet Maharaj he had told me they had 28 temples across India. Since I didn’t know what to say [to Gurudev] the first thing I blurted out was, "So, I understand you are head of 28 temples."  He just looked at me. If you know the kind of smile he has, he is never critical never condescending, always... bemused. So he turned to me and , simply said,  "I’m not the head of anything, I am the servant." So from that moment, my affection for Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj started—right from there. —Akincana Das, UK

During Vyasapuja after Guru puja, Srila Gurudev invariably speaks about Bhaktivinod Thakur and says, ye mana durmati samsar bhitare:  I am such a bad man, neck-deep in the material world. You sent your representative to me. Srila Gurudev said that Param Gurudev came to Goalpara for me. Did we go to the forest like Druva? Guru Maharaj came to us in this very city of Chandigarh. Srila Gurudev said that this kirtan Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote is for me.  He saw me fallen and poor, without the name of the Lord with me. He came to give me the good news. He told me to liberate people like you, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself has descended in this world.  Do not worry, he has liberated millions like you. Srila Gurudev says, "this kirtan is for me." —Sri Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaj transcribed from Hindi, spoken in Chandigarh, 12/6/2015

This is a narration of a nectarean activity of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj that took place during His 1999 US tour. It describes a distressful, but spiritually instructive situation. His Divine Grace and His devoted followers left the New York area after many successful programs and arrived without incident at the Miami airport at approximately 2:30 PM on Thursday August 5, 1999. However, upon checking the status of their baggage, they found to their utter dismay that Srila Gurudeva's tridanda, which was in its own protective flight case, had not arrived with the rest of the luggage. Due to the ignorance and lack of sensitivity of the airline personnel, who did not realize the transcendental position of the person to whom they were speaking, no great effort was made to confirm the whereabouts of the sacred tridanda. This only made the situation worse. Maharaj would not take any sustenance, either liquid or solid, and would not leave the baggage area under ...

One must surrender to a person who is the most generous, magnanimous, merciful, and affectionate – closer than any mother or father you could think of. We got Harinām from such a guru who is both spiritually and materially very well-conducted throughout his life. For this reason, he has got tons of mercy from so many associates of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. It wasn't just that they gave mercy, but they were so happy to be in his company. He had so much service mood, he was always ready to carry out any order. He never thought, "Yes, I have done enough." At any time, even in the middle of the night, he was always ready. Śrīla Gurudev would not only consistently perform activities slowly, but he would also always say all the names of the āchāryas of our line. He would say all the names with so much feeling, very carefully. He was standing before me but I could see that he was in a completely different realm. Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev Goswāmī Mahārā...

During Vrndavan Parikrama in 1990, a sannyasi [Srila Gurudev's godbrother] who was sitting for prasad was asked to leave.  One disciple did not allow another disciple to take food and lifted the leaf and threw away. My mind got disturbed very much because even an enemy should be asked to leave when taking prasad and [in this case] it was also a sannyasi. During kirtan, the god-brother had hit Maharaj with his elbow. Still, Maharaj held the view that he should not have been asked to leave when taking food, and moreover he is our god-brother. Where you will find such feelings?  We cannot see, we will not find. This is Vaishnava nature. Mahaprabhu said the first Vaishnava quality as trinadapi sunicena . Keep your feet on the grass and the grass will bend, become submissive. Does it say a word, raise an objection?  A Vaishnava's nature should be like this. I saw this in Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj. In his company, I feel very peaceful and blissful... ...

I remember one senior god-brother of ours approached Guru Maharaj, long back and explained that he was not able to get along with his god-brothers, and asked what should be done.  He explained the reply Gurudev had given.  He repeated what Gurudev had said, that even he had this problem in the beginning.  But then, he continued," I completely surrendered myself to the lotus feet of my Gurudev and then all my problems were solved." And this god-brother of mine said that he still I hadn't understood what, how it is done; what it means.  It is a fact, complete surrender, probably till that happens, will not be understood by any of us.   Different devotees recollect how his answers are so unique and something which is irrefutable.  It is complete in itself and is direct.  And sometimes this also happened to us.  In fact, I remember there was a sort of complaint against Guru Maharaj that people would ask him some questions and the reply would b...

One thing I witnessed that is very touching to my heart is an event  I recall that took place in Mayapur. There was an acarya from Sri Vaisnava mission that came with his disciples. He was much younger than Srila Gurudev. When Srila Gurudev came from his bhajan kutir to see him, he walked all the way. I remember Srila Gurudev paid prostrated obeisances to someone that could be the age of his son. He was shaken and could not reciprocate. I was not feeling good to see that, thinking it should be the other way around. But we saw that Srila Gurudev was so blissful. The reciprocation was not sufficient, but he was happy anyway. Maybe even happier than if those respects had been paid to him. Even when he was sitting in the car to leave, Gurudev paid obeisances again outside the car. The humility he was expressing and the bliss on his face is the opposite of an ordinary person. At an advanced age and having so many big positions in the World Vaishnava Association and GOKUL, he taught t...