Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

I observed how Guru Maharaj behaved with his guruvarga. I could see this particularly when Srila Sant Goswami Maharaj would visit him in Mayapur and also on with Srila Bhakti Sharan Trivikram Maharaj was in Kolkata math. In 2004 when Srila Gurudev’s Vyasa puja was organized in Kolkata, Srila BS Trivikram Maharaj was present. Only one chair was put on top and they wanted Gurudev to sit there, but he would not. We saw that Gurudev did not sit there. He made Sripad Trivikram Maharaj sit on the chair and he just sat near his feet on the floor. He was not accepting the special seat or anything; he was not ready to accept any respect, even after being in such a highly exalted position. In front of his guruvarga, especially in front of his godbrothers, he would always identify and present himself just as an ordinary disciple of Most Revered Paramgurudev Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj. Paramgurudev recognized his position by saying, I have many disciples, but the one who lives up t...

In 2005, we had grand celebrations of Paramgurudev’s Centennial in Mayapur and invited 108 mrdanga players. Pujyapad Madhusudan Maharaj made all the arrangements with devotees and we assisted him in that event. In 2011, we celebrated the 50th sanyass anniversary of Srila Guru Maharaj. The excitement and interest which Gurudev showed in 2005 during the centennial celebrations of Paramgurudev were hardly seen when the event was planned for 2011 for his sanyass anniversary. His sanyass celebration was so big, but for him, it appears as not very significant compared to the event in 2005 where he was seen monitoring each and every activity we were preparing for the centennial of Paramguru Maharaj.  For Srila Paramgurudev's festival, we purchased so many shirts for the mrdanga players and volunteers, nearly 500. We wanted to make some printing with a color image of Paramgurudev on the shirt with the idea that when we were seen walking on the road, it can be good publicity. When this news...

I heard that Most Revered Guru Maharaj was in Germany and a program was organized but in the auditorium, but no one came. Not one single person was there, and the organizers were embarrassed and worried about what to do. With no change of expression in the face of Srila Gurudev, he started speaking harikatha and I heard that Gurudev spoke for one full hour.  By the mercy of Most Revered Srila Gurudev, I got this chance to witness something similar in Cochin in  2004 at the Centennial celebrations of Paramgurudev. Although we organized a program, not a single person was present. It was a big auditorium and many chairs, but only one person was sitting. We didn’t even know how to react, what to do, but when Srila Gurudev arrived there, he spoke harikatha in the empty auditorium for one full hour and did so happily. Gurudev always said he is not preaching, he is doing kirtan, I was invited for kirtan. These are not mere words, but what he sees and what he teaches to the world. Whe...

Śrila Gurudev has a very special quality of not wasting a moment of his time; he does nothing but devotional activity. Every time we would go see him, he was always at his study table and constantly speaking harikathā or listening to harikathā . Śrila Gurudev is the personified form of these particular words: a pure devotee is always engaged in service. He was always spending his time writing or reading books. We got this chance to witness that divine darśan . I would see him constantly engaged in giving guidance to devotees. In Chandigarh or other parts of Punjab where there are so many devotees, he gave advice all day long and all the while he was  speaking harikathā . When there was no one there, he was busy in reading books, studying notes, and listening to harikathā of Most Revered Paramgurudev. One time I even got the chance to see this in Śrila Gurudev’s bhajan kuṭir in Chandigarh. In 2000, we were engaged in guarding the maṭh so that no thieves will come because Śri...

The first time I met Srila Gurudev was very special. It was more than something just emotional. When I was young in my home my father used to take me to visit saints in South India and they are all very powerful, opulent, very special. Yet somehow my heart was never attracted to any of them. But the first time I came to see Srila Gurudev, in that first meeting, my heart went exactly to him because he is simple and saintly. Vaishnavas are simple, not opulent. They don’t go behind any opulence. I saw this simplicity even before I even conversed with him; his first glance made me feel how easy it is to approach this personality. We read in the scriptures that by whose darshan the holy name starts to come out from your heart, understand he is not an ordinary person. In the first meeting when I saw him in the station, suddenly my heart told me he is your Gurudev, he’s your Gurudev, and that is all because of the simplicity seen in him. A few years after I got initiated by Srila Gurudev I sa...

I remember in my initial discussions with Srila Gurudev the question came up regarding how I came to Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math. I said earlier I joined an ISKCON temple in South India and started speaking that I was not inspired there; I was thinking something negative to justify why I came to our math. Gurudev very clearly objected saying that it is very harmful to criticize, you have to restrain yourself from criticizing others, especially Vaishnavas. Don’t blame and criticize Vaishnavas and also don’t criticize the organization.  We take it so lightly, but Gurudev never saw ISKCON as a group of devotees. His vision of ISKCON is nondifferent from the personality of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj. He was seeing the name of the organization as nondifferent from the founder of the organization. Math does not only mean some building by an organization, but the banner presented and installed by the acharya to preach the ideals and standards of the mission; in this, the achar...

One day Tirtha Maharaj got ready to leave for Chakdah math but it became afternoon, so Maharaj said we will go by train. Then I told him, Maharaj please wait. I have a friend who can send us his vehicle. I called him and we went by vehicle to Chakdah. When we were returning, I called the friend again to use his vehicle, but he could not send it. So, from Chakdah we came by truck—my Gurudev and I and, Tirtha Maharaj with his sevak Madan Gopal.  On the way, the tire got punctured and the truck stopped. What to do? I saw Tirtha Maharaj's simple nature as he sat by the roadside and started chanting Harinama.  I asked my Gurudev who was in his advanced age to sit in the vehicle itself and I remembered Prabhupad's words: 'One of the qualities of a Vaishnava is simplicity. Another name of Vaishanvata is Saralata, simplicity. If one is not simple natured, it will be very difficult for him to understand Vaishnav dharma.' There is a saying in Bangla that till one b...

I had darshan of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj in India a couple of times and in the USA when he went to Phoenix one year. I remember being in so much anxiety to see him. I drove 7 hours from LA to Phoenix where He spoke at a new age center one evening. It was like heaven to see him, an oasis in the desert—literally! The evening went by very quickly but it was magical. I have 2 outstanding memories of that evening. One guest asked Maharaj to bless his special crystal.  Maharaj said no, we put our faith in the Holy Names, we do not give power to external things.    What he said was beautiful and so perfect. I remember that the guest with crystal was taken aback at first but was melted by the pure devotee before him . Then, after the class , I got an opportunity to speak with Maharaj alone. It was at the time when My Divine Guru Maharaj, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj became ill—toward the very end of our ability to se...