Remembering His Guwahati Lila as a Precedent for These Current Sickness Pastimes
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atah sri krishna namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuratyadah
The pastimes of Supreme Lord and His dear associates are beyond the comprehension of a material mind. But only to a surrendered soul performing loving devotional service, They are revealed.
Pure devotees descend from the Lord's Abode by Their own will and perform many extraordinary and seemingly ordinary pastimes. In the course of their every activity, they instruct and inspire the souls of the world diseased with material vanity to perform loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. But by playing the special pastimes of sickness they intensify the mood of loving exchange of surrendered disciples.
Srila Gurudev spoke volumes and enchanted many, especially those who were in His close vicinity, with His unending glories during the 30-day hospitalization. He was diagnosed with acute hematoma inside the brain, chronic subdural hematoma and severe chest infection when brought to the hospital on 28th November 2013.
The doctors did not give much hope at that time, but what followed after that indicate just a glimpse of His Divine Grace's extraordinary powers. Though we are totally incapacitated to understand all of His glories here are few glories we could comprehend by His own grace. The following are the devotional highlights of our 30-day stay in the hospital.
Doctors realize the power of spiritual doctor: "Such saints have powers by which they cure themselves. I believe that," said Dr. Borah after Srila Gurudev showed remarkable signs of improvement on the third day of hospitalization and repeated the same on the 29th day. Another doctor said he had seen a glow in His Divine Grace's face on two or three occasions.
Hospital Math-ized: "Why is there no kirtan today? Call your devotees and ask them to sing kirtans everyday. It will be good for us and for others also" another treating doctor said almost every day. The staff and visitors of other patients offered obeisances to Him and prayed for their diseased kin everyday.
The all-attractive force: The nursing and working staff in the hospital came daily to greet His Divine Grace. They were extremely pleased even at His simple gesture towards them. They used to become happy when He showed some improvement in His health and morose when His Divine Grace was low in energy.
Actions speak louder than words: Though Srila Gurudev spoke very few words during those thirty days it was clearly evident from the course of events that everything was directed by Him. We planned and submitted many treatment steps considering them to be best for the betterment of His health but we could realize that everything went the way He wanted.
Kirtanya sada hari: His Divine Grace would not respond to our greetings and calls on many occasions but as soon as kirtans were played He used to start clapping. On three occasions when devotees sang kirtans in front of Him, He waved hands as if appreciating the act and indicating this to be our highest service to Him.
Painful separation: All the staff in the hospital assembled when Srila Gurudev was discharged at 1.00 PM IST on the 28th of this month. They realized that their next few days are going to be painful in His Divine Grace's absence and expressed through their words and sorrowful faces.
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Additional excerpts from individual mails not included in the above summary:
"Harinam is the only shelter. In all maths there should be continuous chanting of Harinam. Devotees should take one hour turns and continue to chant all through the day, without fail. The chanting should be in loud voice while sitting on the same asan."
Srila Bhakti Bhushan Bhagavat Maharaj
The sadhus and now the doctors say only one thing 'PRAY' - anather nath daki tava nam ekhona bharosa tumi (Oh! Lord of the destitute I call Your names loudly, You are my only hope.)
—excepted from email update 28th Nov. 2013 @ 3.21 PM IST
Doctors said that the prayers of all His followers are working and are praising His glory and the power of meditation.
—excerpted from email update 30th Nov. 2013 @ 7.38 PM IST
Last night devotees performed loud sankirtan outside the hospital premises and His Divine Grace listened very attentively. When there was a break in between and a message was being conveyed revered Gurudev asked, "What is he saying?" But soon the kirtan started and He got absorbed. After the sankirtan stopped He asked, "Is it over?" I said, "Yes." He questioned again, "No more?" I took out a mp3 player and started to play some kirtans. Slowly His Divine Grace entered in to rest. The message He probably wants to convey through this pastime is that we should perform nonstop sankirtan (kirtanya sada hari), which He told several times during Harikatha and personal conversations in the past. The message has been conveyed to all the branches of our Math in India and devotees are performing sankirtan round the clock at most of the Maths. In the hospital we are playing kirtans of our revered guru varga all 24 hours.
—excerpted from email update, 4th Dec. 2013 @ 00.25 AM IST
Most Revered Gurudev seems to be answering and responding to our multifold service attempts— playing the recorded kirtans of guruvarga in His room, sankirtan of all the devotees and the medical treatment. He was made to sit for close to 30 mins without any discomfort and hence this is going to be repeated in the evening as well. The past two to three days He has been uttering few words that are unclear to our material mind, many times we heard Him chant "Hare Ram Hare Ram," but most of the time He listens to kirtans.
We are in the tenth day of hospitalization. It is not an exaggeration to say that the hospital atmosphere is spiritualized just by the mere presence of His Divine Grace. Imagine what would have happened if He were speaking Harikatha, singing kirtans or actively giving His personal association!
Relatives of many patients come to visit, inquire about His health and offer obeisances to Him everyday. The doctors, the nursing staff and the working staff are impressed by His divine personality. They request to perform kirtan daily and also listen to the recorded kirtans of revered Gurudev. The nursing staff are doing their service with more attachment to His Divine Grace. They feel very happy when they see any improvement in Him and feel disturbed if they see Him in low energy. In brief, they are performing service to His Divine Grace with love and affection. Such a charismatic and lovable person. Jai Gurudev!
—excerpted from mail sent on 7th Dec. 2013 @ 2.40 PM IST
While sitting, Most Revered Gurudev responded very well to kirtans. In the morning when the kirtans of guruvarga were played He attentively listened and mildly clapped. Meanwhile few devotees came for darsan and Srila Paramhamsa Maharaj, one among those devotees, led the kirtan. Srila Gurudev waved the hands as if He was encouraging us to perform kirtans. He then waved the hands in a gesture of blessing. Devotees were extremely pleased by the sight of this divine exhibition. During the visiting hours in the evening when revered Gurudev was made to sit on the wheelchair He was taking rest. Many devotees came but neither He opened the eyes nor did He move a bit. A few minutes later, Srila Tridandi Maharaj came and led kirtans in front of Gurudev. Devotees gathered slowly and in the ICU an absorbing kirtan started. Srila Gurudev woke from His resting pastime and acknowledged the kirtans by clapping. The kirtans went on for more than 30 mins. The nursing and the working staff and relatives of other patients observed the entire episode with great faith.
—excepted from mail sent on 10th Dec. 2013 @ 11.20 PM IST
Fortunate are all of us whom Revered Gurudev is engaging in a very intimate mood of loving devotional service. There should not be any trace of doubt that the illness pastimes of Guruji are meant only to give service opportunities to all His dear and sincere disciples. Many disciples approached His Divine Grace in the past asking Him how He will be pleased and how He could be served. Srila Gurudev's answer was always, "This human birth is very rare. You should worship Supreme Lord from the core of your heart." Even at this stage where He is exhibiting the pastimes of speaking very few words of this material world His bodily actions and gestures in response to kirtans - patting His right hand at the place where the heart is located - only reiterate, "Chant from the core of your heart." The doctors daily ask us to do kirtans and even comment to the extent that your people have a very cold approach towards doing kirtans. Why can we not take this message to be from Gurudev Himself through His own chosen medium, the doctor? Pure devotees have many ways of conveying a message and the messenger need not necessarily be a qualified sadhu. A sincere disciple should have the capacity to accept his Guru's words from any source. Otherwise, he is connected only on a body level with the Guru without understanding the deep implication of each of the Guru's acts. The understanding is that revered Gurudev can be served from wherever we are located geographically by chanting from the core of our heart.
—excepted from mail sent on 23rd Dec. 2013 @ 08.00 PM IST
The following are photos that were taken approximately 1 month prior to the pastimes described above during Kartik Mas of 2013 in Guwahati Math:
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