His Unparalleled Dedication to Loving Service During Sri Navadvīp-dhām Parikramā
I remember how Śrīla Gurudev bestowed his affection to make this soul who had been caught in the quicksand of the material world a servant of the servant of Śrī Hari, Guru, and Vaiṣṇavas. After taking shelter of Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s lotus feet, I got the good fortune of his association for the first time during Śrīdhām Māyāpur.
Throughout the five days of parikramā, I observed Śrīla Gurudev in the morning at the samādhi mandir of Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Mahārāj and maṅgalārati after that.
He was walking barefoot in parikramā the whole day, crying out in ecstatic kīrtans while dancing and then singing glories at various pastime places. His presence could always be seen for the evening kathā even when devotees were not turning up. He was doing all these devotional activities uninterruptedly, without taking rest for the body. I have not seen such a degree of patience and such conduct in anyone else to date.
Most of the time, the parikramā of Vidyānāgar ends late at night. On such an occasion, the sunset was around 8 pm. We were to cross over Ganga by boat to reach the maṭh on the other side. We had to walk nearly three kilometers more to reach the banks of the Ganga.
The pilgrims' physical condition after walking the whole day throughout parikramā was very bad; all of us were dead tired. But Śrīla Guru Mahārāj was not experiencing even a single sign of tiredness—his worry was only for others. Because of their own tiredness, all thought maybe Śrīla Guru Mahārāj is also tired and wanted to hire a rickshaw for him, but Guru Mahārāj declined a ride. Instead, he started performing kīrtans.
Hearing his kīrtans, the tiredness experienced by devotees vanished. After performing kīrtans for about one and a half kilometers, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj asked Śrī Ram Prabhu to perform kīrtans. Those who have done parikramā know the condition of this path that lacks street lights. With one’s own torchlight, one has to carefully transverse this path. When Śrī Ram Prabhu began kīrtans, some vaiṣṇavas appealed once again to Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, praying specifically that he may sit in a rickshaw as the path we were walking was full of pebbles and stones. Somehow Śrīla Gurudev accepted this service.
Śrīla Gurudev was coming from behind the sankīrtan party slowly and gave the order that he should not remain in front of sankīrtan party; he wanted to follow behind. Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu, and Śrīpad Rasbihari Prabhu, and I were following everyone in the sankīrtan party.
While performing kīrtans with the pilgrims, Śrī Ram Prabhu reached the banks of the Ganga hurriedly and crossed with the devotees by boat to bring them back to the math. When we reached the banks of the Ganga with Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s rickshaw, it was around 10 o’clock. The sky was clouded and we did not find a single boat available on the bank.
Śrīpad Bhagavan Prabhu, who was standing at the bank of the river, told us that when Śrīpad Ram Prabhu took everyone across the Ganga and all the boats had gone to the other side but should be back soon. Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s conduct was such that until he ensured all pilgrims reached the other side safely. He would patiently wait at the bank of the river for any length of time necessary.
When Śrīpad Bhagavan Prabhu informed that all pilgrims have safely crossed the Ganga, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj became satisfied and sat on a chair brought by Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu under the shelter of a tin roof while waiting for the boat to arrive. Just as he sat under the roof it started raining heavily. All of us stood around Śrīla Guru Mahārāj to shield him from becoming wet. In spite of Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s objection, Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu started massaging his feet forcibly. After some time when the rain stopped, we saw one motorboat anchoring at the bank and became glad.
We sat along with Śrīla Gurudev in the boat and reached the other side of the river and walked approximately one kilometer to reach the maṭh. Due to the heavy rains, we couldn't see anything either, as there were no streetlights. With one torch in hand, it was difficult to pass through the path. Therefore Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu supported Śrīla Guru Mahārāj while walking slowly.
We were walking just behind Śrīla Guru Mahārāj and reached maṭh by about 11 pm. As soon as he reached, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj inquired from Pūjyapād Śrīmad Parivrājak Mahārāj about the safety status of all pilgrims in the maṭh before entering his room. Due to tiredness, we were all in a bad state, but Śrīla Guru Mahārāj did not feel it the least. I have experienced this in his company.
—Devakīnandana Das
Translated from Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Sandesh July-Oct, 1997 (Year 17, Issue No.4, Page 53-55)
https://tirthagoswami.blogspot.com/2020/02/his-unparalleled-loving-service-during.html?m=0
Throughout the five days of parikramā, I observed Śrīla Gurudev in the morning at the samādhi mandir of Param Gurudev Om Vishnupad 108 Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Mahārāj and maṅgalārati after that.
He was walking barefoot in parikramā the whole day, crying out in ecstatic kīrtans while dancing and then singing glories at various pastime places. His presence could always be seen for the evening kathā even when devotees were not turning up. He was doing all these devotional activities uninterruptedly, without taking rest for the body. I have not seen such a degree of patience and such conduct in anyone else to date.
Most of the time, the parikramā of Vidyānāgar ends late at night. On such an occasion, the sunset was around 8 pm. We were to cross over Ganga by boat to reach the maṭh on the other side. We had to walk nearly three kilometers more to reach the banks of the Ganga.
The pilgrims' physical condition after walking the whole day throughout parikramā was very bad; all of us were dead tired. But Śrīla Guru Mahārāj was not experiencing even a single sign of tiredness—his worry was only for others. Because of their own tiredness, all thought maybe Śrīla Guru Mahārāj is also tired and wanted to hire a rickshaw for him, but Guru Mahārāj declined a ride. Instead, he started performing kīrtans.
Hearing his kīrtans, the tiredness experienced by devotees vanished. After performing kīrtans for about one and a half kilometers, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj asked Śrī Ram Prabhu to perform kīrtans. Those who have done parikramā know the condition of this path that lacks street lights. With one’s own torchlight, one has to carefully transverse this path. When Śrī Ram Prabhu began kīrtans, some vaiṣṇavas appealed once again to Śrīla Guru Mahārāj, praying specifically that he may sit in a rickshaw as the path we were walking was full of pebbles and stones. Somehow Śrīla Gurudev accepted this service.
Śrīla Gurudev was coming from behind the sankīrtan party slowly and gave the order that he should not remain in front of sankīrtan party; he wanted to follow behind. Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu, and Śrīpad Rasbihari Prabhu, and I were following everyone in the sankīrtan party.
While performing kīrtans with the pilgrims, Śrī Ram Prabhu reached the banks of the Ganga hurriedly and crossed with the devotees by boat to bring them back to the math. When we reached the banks of the Ganga with Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s rickshaw, it was around 10 o’clock. The sky was clouded and we did not find a single boat available on the bank.
Śrīpad Bhagavan Prabhu, who was standing at the bank of the river, told us that when Śrīpad Ram Prabhu took everyone across the Ganga and all the boats had gone to the other side but should be back soon. Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s conduct was such that until he ensured all pilgrims reached the other side safely. He would patiently wait at the bank of the river for any length of time necessary.
When Śrīpad Bhagavan Prabhu informed that all pilgrims have safely crossed the Ganga, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj became satisfied and sat on a chair brought by Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu under the shelter of a tin roof while waiting for the boat to arrive. Just as he sat under the roof it started raining heavily. All of us stood around Śrīla Guru Mahārāj to shield him from becoming wet. In spite of Śrīla Guru Mahārāj’s objection, Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu started massaging his feet forcibly. After some time when the rain stopped, we saw one motorboat anchoring at the bank and became glad.
We sat along with Śrīla Gurudev in the boat and reached the other side of the river and walked approximately one kilometer to reach the maṭh. Due to the heavy rains, we couldn't see anything either, as there were no streetlights. With one torch in hand, it was difficult to pass through the path. Therefore Śrīpad Damodar Prabhu supported Śrīla Guru Mahārāj while walking slowly.
We were walking just behind Śrīla Guru Mahārāj and reached maṭh by about 11 pm. As soon as he reached, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj inquired from Pūjyapād Śrīmad Parivrājak Mahārāj about the safety status of all pilgrims in the maṭh before entering his room. Due to tiredness, we were all in a bad state, but Śrīla Guru Mahārāj did not feel it the least. I have experienced this in his company.
—Devakīnandana Das
Translated from Śrī Krishna Chaitanya Sandesh July-Oct, 1997 (Year 17, Issue No.4, Page 53-55)
https://tirthagoswami.blogspot.com/2020/02/his-unparalleled-loving-service-during.html?m=0
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