Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

How can we learn to speak and listen to Gurudeva? In Bhagavad-gita  it says: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ (BG, 4.34) Translation:   Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.* Praṇipāta is offering prāṇam  in a surrendered mood. Paripraśna questions should be posed for our eternal welfare, ātyantika-śreya . Questions should be asked as Śaunakādi Ṛṣi and Parīkṣit Mahārāj did. Śrī Rāmānujācārya asked his disciple, how far is death?  The disciple replied that we sleep in the night and do not know whether we will get up in the morning.  But Śrī Rāmānujā said this is very far,  but death can be very near. Actually, we are not sure whether we will take our next breath.  Pūjyapāda Bhakti Hṛday Bon Mahārāj went to hear hari-kathā...

In 2011 I went for Jagannath Purī Ratha-yātrā and had planned to stay with Gurudev until Guru-pūrṇimā, but learned that Gurudeva is going to Agartala after Ratha-yātrā. I was a novice then, I had my dīkṣā in 2010. When Gurudev proceeded to Agartala after Ratha-yātrā, as per my booking, I went to Kolkata and went to Mayapur for darśan . I had not consulted any senior vaiṣṇava , if I had done that I also could have attended Agartala Annual function and be with Gurudeva. I was only following my own whims and fancies, so I did not know Gurudev's program. In Mayapur, I visited Yogapīṭha, Sri Caitanya Maṭh, and went to a few other places until finally reaching Rudradvīp. When I was offering pranāms there, one prabhuji asked me to come later and meet the Ācārya of the maṭh there, Pūjyapāda Bhakti Vaibhav Sagar Mahārāj. When I went to his bhajan-kuṭir and offered pranāms to him, he said that mostly devotees came during Gaura-pūrṇimā or visit in groups from various maṭhs, and very r...

What can I speak about Gurudeva? How much ever I speak it will be like a small bird taking water in her little beak from the magnificent ocean of mercy of Gurudeva. I am so insignificant. Nitai Das Prabhu is unable to speak at all. He lives in Vardhman, sixteen kilometers from Goalpara.  Nitai Prabhu's mother waited patiently for four years to see her child start speaking and then took him for Gurudev's  darśan  and blessings.  When he was around six or seven years old,   due to a good neighbor’s advice, she left him in Gurudev's care at the maṭh .  Gurudeva placed his lotus hands upon his head and blessed him and gave him hāriṇam , he slowly started speaking a little.  After he started chanting the dīkṣā mantras from Guruji, he started speaking so much, singing kīrtan and participating in saṅkīrtan .  This is purely by the mercy of our Gurudeva.   mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim yat kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī guruṁ dīna...

Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Maharaj is my śikṣā-guru.  I understand that he is the replica of Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvāmī Maharaj. Madhava Maharaj was so dedicated to serving his Gurudeva and Sri Sri Radha Krishna so much so that his physical appeared as being similar to Srila Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākur Prabhupad. Similarly, Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Maharaj is also dedicated to his Gurudeva, to the entire paramparā , always thinking how to serve Guru Maharaj. His nature, actions, and everything appeared like Madhava Gosvāmī Maharaj. Even his physical form appeared to invoke respect like Bhakti Dayita Madhav Gosvāmī Maharaj. Therefore he has also taught us how to serve Gurudeva who is the source of our spiritual practice. Vamsidas Babaji says, "Mercy of Gurudeva is the root of our devotional practice." That exemplary character is our Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Maharaj. I observed that he was always giving examples from his Gurudeva. He l...

We have to first surrender ourselves to Gurudeva and then we receive mantra from him.  As much as we surrender to him, that much we get.  Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante  tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11)  [Translation]: As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly.  Our Gurudev has given himself one hundred percent to his Gurudeva and so Pūjyapād Kṛṣṇa Keshava Prabhu (our Param Gurudev's god-brother) told us that our Gurudev is tape recorder of Madhav Maharaj, meaning his bhāva (mood) is as it is of Param Gurudev.  Pujyapad Puri Gosvami Maharaj said whom you see as Śrīla Tirtha Maharaj, I see him Madhava Maharaj. How did he get the bhāva of Param Gurudev? By gurugata-prāṇa (belonging to the spiritual master with one’s whole heart and soul). He knows nothing but guru .  He gave his everything to guru, cent percent. By simply following Gurudev's orders, did not do anything of his own will or desire. Param Gurudev also said Tirtha Maharaj is my he...