He is The Morning Star to a Lost Traveler

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Today is the appearance day of a great personality, a mahanācārya. Advaita Ācārya has observed the appearance day of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī. Many devotees contributed on that day. Even a person who honors prasādam on that day will get devotion to Śrī Govinda. Therefore we all will be benefited from observing the appearance days of vaiṣṇavas.

What is the meaning of appearance day? When a traveler is wandering in the desert, he is able to find the direction by looking at the Morning Star. This material world is also like a desert. Similarly, the Supreme Lord has sent His own person who is like a Morning Star. We do not know the path, but because of his appearance, we have seen the path. There are many kinds of gurus, but not all are the same.

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj is an associate of Śrī Gauranga Mahāprabhu and he is very dear to his Gurudev. Today so many devotees from India and all over the world are fortunate souls present here due to their attraction to him. The Vaiṣṇava-ācāryas are so merciful that they invoke deep inner respect in us when we see them. When I see even a photograph of Śrīla Tīrtha Mahārāj it gives so much happiness and joy. The name he has been given is Tīrtha. He is actually a tīrtha. Tīrtha means holy place of pilgrimage.

His kirtans were so lively; he would make everyone dance. His writings, his books, his scriptures— all  Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas are reading his books. Gaura Parṣads (Śrī Chaitanya: His Life & Associates) is such a beautiful book.

It is very necessary for us to worship our Gurudev. The guru is like water, the disciple is like a lotus, and the Supreme Lord is like the Sun. When the lotus is in water, the Sun will nourish the lotus but if the lotus does not stay in water then the same Sun will burn the lotus. We are disciples and when we take shelter in Gurudev's lotus feet, then the mercy of the Supreme Lord who is like the Sun will nourish us. So it is very necessary for us to serve and worship Gurudev.

Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākur has said:

śrī-rūpa-mañjarī-pada, sei mora sampada,
sei mor bhajana-pūjana

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur said:

rādha-bhajane jadi mati nāhi bhelā
kṛṣṇa-bhajana tava akāraṇa gelā

Guru is non-different from Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī because he knows how to serve the Supreme Lord. And so for one who has no faith in Gurudev their worship of the Supreme Lord is in vain. Gurudev is non-different from Śrīmati Rādhārāṇī and so it is necessary for us to serve him.


—Śrīla Bhakti Prapanna Tīrtha Mahārāj

Translation from Hindi: Śrīla Gurudev's 93rd Vyasapuja Celebrations - streamed live on 5 Apr 2017



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