Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Our Guru Maharaj is the incarnate form of Sriman Mahaprabhu’s 3rd sloka of Sri Sikshastakam amanina manadena , not expecting respect for oneself but at the same time giving due respects to others, and this mood of his is unparalleled. Not a trace of desire of respect for himself. We can personally observe these qualities of Guru Maharaj in his day-to-day activities. In Sri Dham Mayapur, ISKCON’s Sri Jayapataka Maharaj submitted to Guruji saying, “Maharaj, you take many devotees to several places during Parikrama while performing sankirtans. So, please come to our place as well.” Guruji accepted his submission. One day Guruji was taking devotees along in Nagar Sankirtan and arrived at Sri Krishna Chandrodaya mandir. Sri Jayapataka Maharaj and math’s other sanyassis and brahmacharis gave a warm welcome to Guruji at the main gate. They expressed great joy on the arrival of Guru Maharaj and blissfully joined the sankirtan. With great respect, Guruji was lead to the Satsang...

I sometimes remember the olden days pastimes of Guru Maharaj when he was sitting alone. In 1993, when I was a pujari in Dehra Dun, I saw the early morning cold weather and severe Winter there. Guru Maharaj gave me warm clothes with his own hands. Feeling the cold winds, he also offered carpets and mats. He took care of me like a mother. Another memory is when I traveled with Guru Maharaj in trains many times. Guru Maharaj used to be always calm and composed and used to even joke. Yet, once I saw his angry mood like Narasimhadev when coming back from Assam to Kolkata. At Kolkata station, the taxi drivers were hurrying them to keep their luggage in the carrier.  Guru Maharaj got angry seeing them giving trouble to the devotees.   That time he manifested that Narasimha form, an angry mood came and he put down his danda and said, "What are you doing?  What do you think about Chaitanya Gaudiya Math!  These are devotees of Chaitanya Gaudiya Math!" All were s...

I was supremely fortunate to have had your association in Sridham Mayapur during Kartik time. Your undeserved remembrance of me and warm affection will forever remain in my memory. I am also eternally grateful for the love and affection that you have shown toward my mother and other family members. You are a greatly munificent and compassionate soul---a genuine representative of the Supreme Lord in a world riddled with hypocrisy and dishonesty. Each day, here in the West, I am confronted with such a lack of interest in the truly meaningful things in life, and an ever-burgeoning indifference or resentment toward God and His Eternal Servitors. However, this only serves, by contrast, to make me realise the greatness and unique position of a pure devotee such as yourself, and my good fortune to have been rescued by you from a similar fate. I am forever indebted to you, and Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Nayananatha who brought me to you so many years ago in Kolkata. You will always r...

On one occasion we were performing Vraj-mandal parikrama with our Guru Maharaj. When the parikrama reached Brahmanda Ghat, Guru Maharaj declared that Krishna Ballabh* is the future acharya . This is at the time when Maharaj had not even got sannyas . Also during his manifest pastimes, Guru Maharaj had given a letter to Pujyapad Jagamohan Prabhu wherein he had written that after his departure Tirtha Maharaj will be the acharya . I see Guru Maharaj’s full grace is upon Maharaj. From beginning to date I have observed from his conduct that he has never anytime criticized anybody before others. His life is always so pure, without a blemish. A long time ago someone in Assam asked Guru Maharaj that at present preaching is going on well, but in the future what will happen to the math ? I personally heard Guru Maharaj's reply that there is no cause for worry; after him, the preaching will be more widespread. Today it can be seen that Guruji’s desire is being fulfilled. The ...