Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Tamal Prabhu told us an incidence that illustrates the special way that Srila Gurudev applied his intelligence in service even when he was apparently displaying the pastimes of forgetfulness. During that time some observers may have thought that Srila Gurudev was forgetting things and that he is an old person.  Material intelligence is the wrong term, he has nothing material, but still in the material world what we call this intelligence.  For example, we do not want to accept the root cause, we want only symptomatic treatment; therefore, allopathy as more popular than any of the ancient medicines. So he told us that once he reported to Srila Gurudev that there is a flood in some of the cities of Assam from Brahmaputra river. including Srila Gurudev's janmasthan village, Goalpara. After he reported this, he left Gurudev's room.  After some time, Gurudev rang the bell.  So Tamal Prabhu went inside and then Gurudev spoke to him.  He told, "See, if there is floo...

I remember one senior god-brother of ours approached Guru Maharaj, long back and explained that he was not able to get along with his god-brothers, and asked what should be done.  He explained the reply Gurudev had given.  He repeated what Gurudev had said, that even he had this problem in the beginning.  But then, he continued," I completely surrendered myself to the lotus feet of my Gurudev and then all my problems were solved." And this god-brother of mine said that he still I hadn't understood what, how it is done; what it means.  It is a fact, complete surrender, probably till that happens, will not be understood by any of us.   Different devotees recollect how his answers are so unique and something which is irrefutable.  It is complete in itself and is direct.  And sometimes this also happened to us.  In fact, I remember there was a sort of complaint against Guru Maharaj that people would ask him some questions and the reply would b...

The effect of Srila Gurudev’s sound is unlike anything I have ever heard. Even today when a recording of the same mangalacharan prayers is being played, there is a deep kind of seriousness that is conveyed. That sound is out of the world.   In fact, I remember there was one senior sanyassi, a disciple of Srila Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami Maharaj told us about when Srila Gurudev was going on Kshetra mandal and Vraj mandal parikrama. He said when our Guru Maharaj describes anything in Vraj mandal—about the place, about the pastimes; it appears as if he is giving live commentary.   He is seeing it and he is telling us what he sees in reality. I have practically experienced the difference in the speech of Gurudev and how it affects me—completely different than when I hear from others.   If I am calling out the holy names or repeating pastimes that we have heard, or singing mangalacharan, it is not at all the same feeling than when we hear from Guru Maharaj. ...

One thing I witnessed that is very touching to my heart is an event  I recall that took place in Mayapur. There was an acarya from Sri Vaisnava mission that came with his disciples. He was much younger than Srila Gurudev. When Srila Gurudev came from his bhajan kutir to see him, he walked all the way. I remember Srila Gurudev paid prostrated obeisances to someone that could be the age of his son. He was shaken and could not reciprocate. I was not feeling good to see that, thinking it should be the other way around. But we saw that Srila Gurudev was so blissful. The reciprocation was not sufficient, but he was happy anyway. Maybe even happier than if those respects had been paid to him. Even when he was sitting in the car to leave, Gurudev paid obeisances again outside the car. The humility he was expressing and the bliss on his face is the opposite of an ordinary person. At an advanced age and having so many big positions in the World Vaishnava Association and GOKUL, he taught t...