Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Is Gurudeva's darshan possible on internet? Gurudeva also used to tell no to photos. By only seeing a photo of the body, will it serve any purpose? Puri Goswami Maharaj said: what is the use of tape recording? Tape record here (pointing to the heart.) There cannot be any attachments to those who had darshan of Guru, Vaishnav, and Bhagavan. Guru is the mercy embodiment of Bhagavan, so to have the darshan of Guru we need internal eyes, eyes with which we can have darshan of Bhagavan. Gurudeva's katha itself is Gurudeva. Inside katha, he is there! Bhagavan's katha itself is Bhagavan, so Gurudeva says, give your ears and hear katha, through ears you have darshan, not by eyes. Sri Rupa Goswami said: a tah Sri Krishna namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiah ... We have heard Sakshi Gopal's story... do we see Him so? Is Gurudeva's photo and Internet darshan not the same? What is not an object of material senses, can you see with your material eyes? Without his darshan, do ...

Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah! Jaya Sri Sri Sita-Rama! Offerings to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja (from Brahmidevi dasi and Akincana dasa) Your Holiness Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet, on the auspicious occasion of your appearance. It is with feelings of extreme affection and humility that I offer you my gratitude and eternal devotion, and, despite my lack of qualification, I want to express the happiness caused by the great mercy you have bestowed upon this fallen soul. How fortunate I feel that you have shown such compassion toward me. Your letters of instruction and encouragement are everything in the world to me. I live by your kind and valuable instructions; they are my life and soul. I read through your letters in your book, ‘Affectionately Yours’ and am able to find all the guidance necessary for a struggling living entity. You are the sadguru, rare in this world and the only true frie...

Today is the most auspicious day to the entire universe for the dearest of the Lord and Lord Krishna himself in the form of Sri Rama appeared in this mortal world to grace all conditioned souls. Who can imagine how much sweetness and grace are on them? How much of a fool I am, that in spite of having received many instructions from Him and had received His infinite and causeless love and affection I still pass my days 'happily' in this miserable world?  It seems that a stone-like heart as mine takes bath on His holy sweetness of love and affection only when 'bound' by His glorious appearance day. Who can imagine when, on this earth, such an Acharya will appear again to rescue the souls of this world? Who can have the attitude of Bharat, when he was given the whole kingdom by his father? Who can have the attitude of Patit Pavan Guru Maharaj when he was asked to be Acharya of all of His Gurudev Maths?  In the present day when almost all are eager to become guru and ac...

One should take complete shelter of Guru's lotus feet, as one would have for Bhagavan. Gurudeva is Paramgurudeva's most favorite and loving disciple.  A disciple may have many good qualities, but no sharanagati.  Param Gurudeva, Prabhupada do not see qualities in disciples but see only sharanagati.  Unless there is sharanagati, Gurudeva's qualities will not descend into a disciple.  In ananya bhakti, Bhagavan's qualities descend to a devotee.  If you become a favourite of Gurudeva, then you are favorite of Bhagavan too.  Yasya prasadat bhagavat prasado...  Wherever our Gurudeva speaks Harikatha he speaks only His Gurudeva's words.  He speaks so much about Param Gurudeva that no other disciple of Param Gurudeva speaks. Before speaking, he often says, I  have orders from my Gurudeva that we have to hear and speak about what our Gurudeva has said." This is his special quality. Guru is Krishna's grace, the incarnate form.  So through Gu...

In 1993, we gathered in a religious assembly that included a program of early morning Nagar Sankirtan.  The time was fixed at 5:30 am.  Slowly devotees started gathering.  It was around 6:30 am and Srila Guru Maharaj had not come out of his room yet.  Madanlal, the chief of Sri Sanatan Dharma Mandir, (New Model House, Ludhiana) told me, “Kochar Sir, you go and inform Maharaj that it is already late.  If it gets delayed further, walking in the Sun will be difficult.”  I told him that I cannot give instructions to Guruji, He is all knowing.  Whatever happens by His will will be all-good. Around 6.45 am, Guruji came out of his room and came to the assembly hall of the temple. Jai-dwani and Vandana began.  The sun was shining then. After that, Srila Guru Maharaj started sankirtan in an intense mood.  When we all came out from the hall, we found that there had been a slight drizzle and the road became wet. But Suryadev (Sun god) was peeping th...

I experienced the glories of Harinam in Punjab where I stayed in a dharamshala (lodge) with Guru Maharaj, Sri Trivikram Maharaj, and Sri Krishnadas Babaji Maharaj. In that lodge, Gurudev and all Vaishnavas used to get up early morning at about 4 AM, but we were young boys who liked to sleep late. At that time, Gurudev started singing kirtans such as Shadgoswami Ashtakam and verses from Gita. It used to be so nice and so loud, we could hear him from a long distance. There was silence and all were hearing Gurudev’s stava . It was nice, so pleasing and soothing to the heart to listen to the clear sound of Gurudev giving such long "jais" to Thakurjis of various maths like Krishnanagar, Kolkata, Assam, etc.  We asked Guruji why he gave "jais" to all Thakurjis from all maths, since usually we only give "jais" to the Thakurji of the math we're staying in. He replied that different maths have different Thakurjis and different sevaks are serving them....

Our Srila Gurudeva is redeemer of the fallen, the personal associate of the combined form of Sri Sri Radha Krishna—Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu, a devotee in the mood of topmost sweet mellows. In the external view, he is also in a very high position. Inspite of being such a great personality, he has conferred his supreme compassion on this ordinary soul who is proud and a seeker of prestige.   He speaks with a smiling face. He inspires and encourages me by engaging me in small services. Seeing my physical and mental condition, he gives his suggestions and teachings in a very natural and loving way so that I progress spiritually.   He does not see any faults in me.   Keeping a faultless vision always, overlooking my thousands of offences, he always guides me.   Once during a festival in Janakpuri (New Delhi), I could not go for 3-4 days for some reason.  Srila Guru Maharaj asked his sevak Sripad Achintya Govinda Prabhu (Anu Prabhu), “What is the matter? Wh...