Tolerating All Difficulties Without Complaint, He Remains Constantly Engaged in Service

In Śrīdhām Māyāpur during Kārtik month’s regulative service, early one morning before 4 a.m., Guru Mahārāj came out of his room. He did not see that there was a dog sleeping on the steps nearby and as it was still dark. I was washing my hands at a tap nearby and when saw that Gurujī had experienced a bad fall, I ran to him. 

Even before I reached, Gurudev had managed to get up by himself. His foot began to swell immediately;  I witnessed that it was difficult for him to take even a single step.  When a doctor came later to apply medicine, the wounded place on his foot was so sensitive that even the slightest pressure resulted in great pain.  I saw that Gurujī was bearing everything quietly.

Even more astonishing was when I saw Gurujī coming that same evening to lead the assembly in Dāmodara-vrata’s regulated services as usual. His foot was so swollen that he could not sit by folding his legs. We tried to offer him a chair, but he refused to accept it. 

He said, “Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is non-different from Sri Krishna. It is not correct to sit on a higher seat in front of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam."

Even with such pain he would go on nagar-saṅkīrtan regularly.

Approximately two months later, Gurujī arrived for a conference at Bhatinda. He was residing at Śri Kundal Lal Dharmshala on the first floor. When I went to accompany him to a God brother’s place for harikathā and kīrtan, I saw him wearing socks and then khaḍāūṃ (wooden pāduka). I know that Gurujī did not like to wear socks along with khaḍāūṃ because the chances of slipping increase with that, so I told him, "Gurujī, wearing khaḍāūṃ with socks is dangerous. There are steps ahead and I don't want you to get hurt and fall." 

Gurujī replied, "The swelling from the injury I received during Kārtik month is still there and without socks, it will become visible. If devotees see it, they will ask again and again what happened to me, so I covered it with socks."

I was stunned. We expect others to inquire about us even when we are in small difficulties, but our Gurujī’s viewpoint is just the opposite. Tolerating all difficulties and sufferings, He is fully engaged in the uninterrupted propagation of devotion to the Supreme Lord. I offer crores of pranams at his divine lotus feet.

— Śri Kṛṣṇananda Das (Kuldeepjī, Bhatinda)

Translated from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Sandesh July-Oct, 1997 (Year 17, Issue No.4, Page 27-39)

Another disciple recalls this incident:

I have noticed that in whatever state he is in, Śrīla Gurudev's mood is always in kathā and kīrtan. This is an adoptable teaching for us. Dāmodara month was being observed in Śrīdhām Māyāpur.  One day, Śrila Gurudev came out of his room early in the morning for niśānta yam-kīrtan.  It was still dark outside.  When he was descending the steps, his lotus feet fell on a dog that was sitting there waiting as if he were waiting for the touch of vaiṣṇava's feet.  How could he know that in bestowing auspiciousness upon him this vaiṣṇava may have to face difficulties?  

Sadly, Śrīla Gurudev fell down.  By the time we reached him he had already gotten up.  When we inquired, he said everything is all right.  But there was injury on his lotus feet.  As a result, there was much difficulty for him to walk. The after-effects of this injury lasted for nearly three months, but it was seen that Gurudev participated in nagar-sankīrtan and yam-kīrtan regularly without fail.  

—Partha Sarati Das (Om Prakash Lumba)

Translated from Sri Krishna Chaitanya Sandesh July-Oct, 1997 (Year 17, Issue No.4, Page 56-60)