Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

We received the message that Gurudeva is performing the pastimes of illness and whoever wants darśana should go to Guwahati. I was in the office then. The next day six of us traveled by flight from Pune to Guwahati. In the afternoon we arrived in Guwahati and went straight to the hospital (GNRC). We had darśana of Gurudeva from very far as he lay inside the room. That time he was fully unconscious. We had gotten a message from the sevāk team that the situation was very serious.   Gurudeva was on the fourth floor initially. We came back and there was a hall nearby the hospital where devotees would just sit and have conversation. The only topic of conversation was centered around Gurudeva. Everyone's attention was on the floor where Gurudeva was—that was the point from where the soul of that environment existed, the soul of the hospital. There was not even a single time I felt that I am visiting a hospital. It was an environment like the maṭha. Everybody was concerned about Gurudeva...

During my first visit to India in 2008, I happily took harināma initiation from Śrīla Gurudeva in Māyāpur-dhāma. Some senior devotees urged me to immediately take dīkṣā then also. I didn’t really understand the reasons to take dīkṣā, and also felt unqualified to even ask for it.  Nevertheless, I went to Śrīla Gurudeva and asked. He gravely inquired why I wanted it, and feeling a little bit conscience-stricken to ask so soon after having received harināma initiation, I replied that the devotees urged me to take it. Śrīla Gurudeva then told me to do some devotional practice first.  After that, I went back to the Netherlands and started, according to my limited capability, and despite my manifold drawbacks and anarthas, to perform devotional practice with a bit more intensity than before. Even though I felt my efforts were inadequate, by Śrīla Gurudeva's blessings, I was able to attend the Navadvipa-dhāma parikramā of 2009. It was a purifying and auspicious time. I went again to...

Someone may have looked at Gurudeva and thought he was an old and sick man. No! If you can see him, then you can see he is not an old and sick man; he looks very beautiful. In the whole world, you cannot find anyone like this. Each interaction with him I felt was the best and entirely fulfilling; I felt that it could not be better than that. All these things such as his realized logical explanations, his kīrtans, his hari-kathā, his care for us, his beauty—every time I'd meet him I felt that it could not get better than that, but still, it would be better next time and again better next time—beyond all our expectations.  By Guru Mahārāja’s mercy, I could understand, I could directly see that his qualities are unlimited; you can never finish that. Not that you can think, "Now I know Guru Mahārāja." The next time I would meet him, it would be a new higher experience, ever increasing. For our benefit and to teach us by example, most of the time Guru Mahārāja would express hi...

Our Radha Mohan Prabhu was clerk to my uncle who was an advocate (lawyer). When Guruji stayed at his (Radha Mohan Prabhu's) house, I wanted to see him. Sri Radha Mohan Prabhu said, "Guruji is a great saint. Because we worship Radha Krishna and Mahaprabhu at house, all devotees like us. So he is in our house. We also do not eat items that are not offered." So, I went to see Gurudeva. Along with me was my college friend. I listened to Guruji speak there. I did not understand anything that Gurudev spoke. The language (philosophy) was totally new to me. Now I use those words, but at that time I did not know that terminology. I used to wear shoes and have hair on my head. I was a student then. Listening to Gurudeva, I only understood that he is a Krishna Bhakta. I thought, I want Krishna Bhakti, so I'll go. I did not understand anything more than that. Wherever Gurudev went, I followed him. After a few days, Gurudev was supposed to go to another village and a rive...

Our Guru-varga, Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda's most prominent disciples such as Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti Kumuda Santa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Śrīla Bhakti Sarana Trivikrama Mahārāja, and many others used to say, "Your Guru Mahārāja is not an ordinary soul and should never be underestimated for His spiritual powers."  
Our Gurudeva considers Himself as humbler than of blade of grass and is much more tolerant than a tree. He is the true follower of Mahāprabhu’s teachings and conduct–therefore he can educate others. 
I recall the above-mentioned Guru-varga performed the parikramā of Vraja-maṇḍala, Śrī Kṣetra-maṇḍala and Śrī Gaura-maṇḍala along with Gurudeva. In the year 1993, they advised their disciples to follow our Gurudeva in performing parikramā. They also taught that under his guidance, all will get true knowledge. 
Gurudeva has been very kind to all living entities. Everybody used to get attracted by his sweet ...