He Embodies a Place of Pilgrimage

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I have seen so much strength in the life of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, you cannot even imagine how much patience he showed. Really I am bound to confess that I am always receiving kṛpā from Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. They are watching me, blessing me from above.  I remember the glories of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja because they are my Gurus. 
  
I learned so many things from Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāja's character, behavior, and perseverance. His enduring power continues to revive me even today. If any of you were in my place, you may die due to heart failure. I am still living today because I have one example in front of me, our Tirtha Mahārāja.  

With tears rolling down my cheeks, I wrote one letter to Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja that I confidently promised by touching this Vṛndāvana-dhāma that I am the only person to get his kṛpā. Following this, I understand so many instances are testing me in my life and my whole these tests can continue. 

Oftentimes wherever I went, the situation was arranged so that people complained against me and made me go away. My whole life I am like a vagabond. But now the Lord is giving me everything. I never expected the kind of honor I receive sometimes, but it can never touch my heart. I wonder what kind of pratiṣṭhā my Guruvarga is giving me in order to cheat me. I know, that is why I do not touch it.   

In the present times, it is shocking to see some people can fight with their Gurudev. Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja never used to look directly into the eyes of his Gurudev; he was always shy and looking down. Whenever he spoke to him, he was only looking down, saying, "Yes, yes;" he had this kind of humbleness. 

If his Gurudev told him to call Narottam Prabhu (Śrīla Bhāratī Mahārāja), he would not call out loudly. He had such a humble attitude that he thought a Vaiṣṇava should not be called that way. He would climb the stairs up several floors and knock on the door very gently. When asked why he had come, he would say, "Gurudev is calling you, please go." I can never forget his humble attitude ever in my life.  My Gurudev used to say, "I have never seen anyone so humble as Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja."

When I was a brahmacārī, Mahārāja used to give me sevā. Very often our Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja (in-charge of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, Kolkata and disciple of Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja) used to ring to our maṭha and say, "Immediately you can send Śyāmal Kṛṣṇa." Tirtha Mahārāja needs one sevā. I immediately ran as Tirtha Mahārāja was calling me. I was very lucky. Most of the time I used to stay in Sree Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha with Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja and when I would come back, I would be with Guru Mahārāja. Most of the time I used to be with Tirtha Mahārāja, Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja, and Bhāratī Mahārāja because my place was there in Kolkata.  

When Tirtha Mahārāja spoke to me, he said apni, the way to address someone with honor.  Several times he asked me to go to the airport. Sometimes devotees were coming to take initiation.  I told him, "Yes, why not? I can go," He used to give one placard with the name of the person I was to receive so that we could recognize each other since they were coming from abroad.  I spoke hari-kathā to them during the car ride to help them prepare their mood before meeting with Tirtha Mahārāja.  When I reached the temple before Gaura Pūrṇimā, Tirtha Mahārāja was in the sabhā (assembly). Seeing me coming, he signaled with his hand to confirm that everything was ok.  In this way, I used to get sevā on behalf of my Guru Mahārāja and Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja. I am very lucky. 

Anyone can try to fight with me; let them make a group against me. I am depending on the mercy of Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Mahārāja. Today I pray to the lotus feet of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my Gurupādapadma, to please bless me.  I am facing countless problems in my life, but I am not fed up. Please save me and guide me, so that I can reach my goal of nitya-sevā.  This is my prayer unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja. 

King Yudhiṣṭhira said to Vidura:
 
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā

(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 1.13.10)

“My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry Supreme Lord within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.” 

Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja is himself a real pilgrimage. If we go and take bath in his transcendental life history (aprākṛta jīvān darśana) and listen to his hari-kathā, we can then become great devotees.
 
—Śrī Shyamadās Bābājī Mahārāja 

Spoken in English on April 9, 2022 in Mayapur (excerpted and edited)



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