Pranamami Guru Tirtha Padam

1997 may be remembered in history for many reasons, but in the minds and hearts of His devoted disciples, this was the year that the most elevated, and most beloved President-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, His Divine Grace Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj toured the Western Hemisphere for the first time. Anyone familiar with the bureaucracy of the Indian government will understand the difficulties involved in obtaining a visa. As a result of such obstacles, Maharaj's departure from India was continually delayed.

Eventually, we were both surprised and delighted when we received a letter in late April of 1997, from Rashbihari das stating that Maharaj and His entourage would be arriving in the US within a few short weeks in mid-May. They would first go to Singapore, then spend a week in San Francisco and Northern California, after which they would come to Phoenix.

By Krishna's arrangement, we had met His Divine Grace in Calcutta, the day after Radhastami, in 1981, …

In Nandagoan, Sri Vidyasagar, a devotee from Hoshiyarpur and also Guruji’s god-brother, suddenly fell ill.He was not even able to get up, so 3-4 devotees of Bhatinda and Jalandhar served him very much, yet his health deteriorated more and more.Guruji started worrying about him much.He even went several times to see him.

When Chidghananda Prabhu returned from Barsana after completing some service in the evening, Guruji called him to his room and told him that Vidyasagar should be taken to a good doctor at Kosi for immediate treatment.The place was such that it was difficult to get a taxi in the night.Somehow Chidghananda Prabhu got one Maruti.Many devotees gathered around the van.Some devotees carried Vidyasagar into the van making him lie down there.Some necessary things like a water bottle, glass, a woolen blanket and some clothes were taken along.Chidghananda Prabhu, Sri Rajesh of Jalandhar and Sri Amarnath Sharma’s son Sri Manoj of Bhatinda also accompanied him.

After the van left th…

One time the deities of Gokul Mahavan math were damaged by miscreants who were later caught.Those people were waiting to be given punishment. Tridandi Swami Sadhu Maharaj was an eye-witness to the incident. I observed all senior sadhus pressurizing Sadhu Maharaj to give witness in the court to make sure the miscreants were punished.I myself was also favoring this stance strongly.

It was during that time that I saw Sadhu Maharaj’s saintly quality and his faith in Acharya Deva (Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj) and was very much surprised.Sadhu Maharaj took his bag and went straight to Acharya Deva at Rajapura to take his advice.When he met Srila Acharya Deva in Rajapura, coincidentally I was also present in Srila Maharaj’s room.

In reply to Sadhu Maharaj’s question about whether we have to proceed with the punishment, Srila Acharya Deva was referring to verses from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta and he explained who we are to punish the Vrajvasis?Vrajvasis are in relation to Suprem…

I heard Pujyapad Tridandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Rakshak Narayana Maharaj say that when our Srila Guru Maharaj gives Jayadwani after mangal arati and sandhya arati, his great concentration and absorption of mind and body clearly indicate that he is having their personal audience. With that feeling, he gives Jai to all of them personally.
Pujyapad Bhakti Rakshak Narayana Maharaj had also mentioned that at the beginning of Nagar Sankirtan when he sings the kirtan Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu daya karo more… followed by Jaya dau Jaya dau loudly with both his hands up, that Srila Param Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupad, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sriman Mahaprabhu and all His associates all manifest there and shower their grace upon him.

That time the persons present there listening to this kirtan sung by Srila Gurudeva in sweet voice and seeing his beautiful form in that great devotional mood, feel their hearts melt and fill with such bliss as though Goloka Vrindavan has descended.

In Sri Mayapur Dham…