May His Blessings Shower on Us Always
Our first Rāmanavamī celebration was a big revolution, a great struggle, because we knew our Gurudev would not accept Guru-puja from us. Gurudev had always fixed in his mind that he is an akiñcana disciple of his Gurudev (akiñcana meaning a person who considers his Gurudev his only wealth and nothing else of this material world) and this was unchallengeable.
Śrī Dandi Mahārāj is witness to our first attempt to offer Vyāsa-puja to Gurudev in Chandigarh maṭha. With great difficulty, 3-4 devotees came into Gurudev's room with a plate full of lamps to match his years and as a huge plate of glowing lamps waved before him, we saw his head moving round and round following its direction. He felt afraid that the burning lamps may perhaps fall on his bed. We were in an awkward situation and not looking at his face we were performing arāti singing “Jai Gurudev, Jai Gurudev.” This type of program had never occurred. Now we realize the lost opportunity we had all those years before when Gurudev was conversing with us in person. It is regrettable to consider why this type of program was not organized by us when Gurudev would adorn the stage and give us his words of blessing.
Guru Mahārāj knows very well how much trouble you have all arrived here for his Guru-puja. Our Gurudev is binu sevā jo drave deena par, he who is always so very merciful despite our disqualifications. It is a struggle now for you household devotees to arrive here in Kolkata for Gurudev's Vyāsa-puja, making so many adjustments with family, work, or job duties and only being able to come and stay a short time. All these struggles will not go unrewarded.
In 1983 in Shastrinagar (Jammu) where I reside, I heard the sounds of kirtans in the neighborhood and went there. This was before I had become Gurudev’s disciple. I found Guru Mahārāj with a large group of saints performing saṅkīrtana and I went in. After saṅkīrtana, Gurudev asked me in a very pleasant mood, “Where do you stay?” I replied, “I stay close by, you please come.” Immediately Gurudev got up and with his group of saints, he came to our house walking. My family members were very astonished to see so many saints in saffron clothes stepping into our house and they also felt a little anxious too. My mother started crying hearing Gurudev's beautiful kirtans. Talks ensued later and Gurudev assured her that there is nothing to fear, your son will serve you, he will stay at home. I do not know whether it was a blessing for me or what.
We went on a tour to America and stopped at the University of Hawaii at Honolulu. Gurudev was adorning the stage and I was to introduce him. I had never spoken with a microphone before. With great difficulty, I spoke a few words. I was thinking that I could not speak in front of Gurudev.
After a few days, our Jagadguru Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Vyāsa-puja day arrived. Gurudev called me near and gave me a hundred dollars and told me this is my sevā for the festival. Then told me about all the preparations to be done, and the people to be invited. At that time we were residing in Mr. Kapoor's residence, a householder. And in the evening Gurudev tells me, tomorrow you also speak for about ten minutes. I said, “Oh Gurudev, how can I fulfill your order?” I could not sleep for the whole night worriedly thinking about what I will speak in front of Gurudev. The next day, of the 10 minutes, I spent some 7-8 minutes doing prayers, singing glories and kirtans, and spoke only for about 2 or 3 minutes.
Guru Mahārāj gave us the feeling of how Lord Rāmachandra showers blessings upon His devotees without considering their qualifications. Like Tulasi Dāsa said, “krpa karo gurudev ki nayi,” no one in this world will bless us like Gurudev. Examples are all who are sitting here, from where we started, how we got harināma, dīkṣā, and how we are here now.
I remember one Matajī who was hesitant to take harināma from Gurudev because her husband was not very supportive. Nevertheless, she came forward boldly to take harināma because Śrīla Gurudev whom she had not seen before came in her dream and gave her darśana. Even today if you have any desire in your heart and go for darśana of Guru Mahārāj, he will confirm your heart's desire. But we are in a difficult situation now because we are not able to communicate with our Gurudev easily as before.
Like our Param Gurudev and Gurudev recovered Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhakti Siddhantha Saraswati Thakur's appearance place after spending some ten long years, our Gurudev's appearance place in Goalpara is calling us. At least we should reserve one day in a year to go to Goalpara, our Gurudev's birthplace and offer praṇams and seek his blessings. What sevā can we do for him? At least we can offer praṇams. In his final days of active life, Guru Mahārāj's desire was to go to Goalpara and repeatedly took the name of Goalpara which he regarded as his Gurudev's place where he installed Param Gurudev's deity form and never considered it solely as his appearance place.
You are all very dear to Gurudev and Gurudev's mercy is showering here. May it continue to shower on us always.
—Śri Rasavihari Das
source: https://www.youtube.com/live/tUXlyR6VYmQ?feature=share (appox.1.21)
Excerpt translated from Hindi
Śrī Dandi Mahārāj is witness to our first attempt to offer Vyāsa-puja to Gurudev in Chandigarh maṭha. With great difficulty, 3-4 devotees came into Gurudev's room with a plate full of lamps to match his years and as a huge plate of glowing lamps waved before him, we saw his head moving round and round following its direction. He felt afraid that the burning lamps may perhaps fall on his bed. We were in an awkward situation and not looking at his face we were performing arāti singing “Jai Gurudev, Jai Gurudev.” This type of program had never occurred. Now we realize the lost opportunity we had all those years before when Gurudev was conversing with us in person. It is regrettable to consider why this type of program was not organized by us when Gurudev would adorn the stage and give us his words of blessing.
Guru Mahārāj knows very well how much trouble you have all arrived here for his Guru-puja. Our Gurudev is binu sevā jo drave deena par, he who is always so very merciful despite our disqualifications. It is a struggle now for you household devotees to arrive here in Kolkata for Gurudev's Vyāsa-puja, making so many adjustments with family, work, or job duties and only being able to come and stay a short time. All these struggles will not go unrewarded.
In 1983 in Shastrinagar (Jammu) where I reside, I heard the sounds of kirtans in the neighborhood and went there. This was before I had become Gurudev’s disciple. I found Guru Mahārāj with a large group of saints performing saṅkīrtana and I went in. After saṅkīrtana, Gurudev asked me in a very pleasant mood, “Where do you stay?” I replied, “I stay close by, you please come.” Immediately Gurudev got up and with his group of saints, he came to our house walking. My family members were very astonished to see so many saints in saffron clothes stepping into our house and they also felt a little anxious too. My mother started crying hearing Gurudev's beautiful kirtans. Talks ensued later and Gurudev assured her that there is nothing to fear, your son will serve you, he will stay at home. I do not know whether it was a blessing for me or what.
We went on a tour to America and stopped at the University of Hawaii at Honolulu. Gurudev was adorning the stage and I was to introduce him. I had never spoken with a microphone before. With great difficulty, I spoke a few words. I was thinking that I could not speak in front of Gurudev.
After a few days, our Jagadguru Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Vyāsa-puja day arrived. Gurudev called me near and gave me a hundred dollars and told me this is my sevā for the festival. Then told me about all the preparations to be done, and the people to be invited. At that time we were residing in Mr. Kapoor's residence, a householder. And in the evening Gurudev tells me, tomorrow you also speak for about ten minutes. I said, “Oh Gurudev, how can I fulfill your order?” I could not sleep for the whole night worriedly thinking about what I will speak in front of Gurudev. The next day, of the 10 minutes, I spent some 7-8 minutes doing prayers, singing glories and kirtans, and spoke only for about 2 or 3 minutes.
Guru Mahārāj gave us the feeling of how Lord Rāmachandra showers blessings upon His devotees without considering their qualifications. Like Tulasi Dāsa said, “krpa karo gurudev ki nayi,” no one in this world will bless us like Gurudev. Examples are all who are sitting here, from where we started, how we got harināma, dīkṣā, and how we are here now.
I remember one Matajī who was hesitant to take harināma from Gurudev because her husband was not very supportive. Nevertheless, she came forward boldly to take harināma because Śrīla Gurudev whom she had not seen before came in her dream and gave her darśana. Even today if you have any desire in your heart and go for darśana of Guru Mahārāj, he will confirm your heart's desire. But we are in a difficult situation now because we are not able to communicate with our Gurudev easily as before.
Like our Param Gurudev and Gurudev recovered Śrīla Prabhupāda Bhakti Siddhantha Saraswati Thakur's appearance place after spending some ten long years, our Gurudev's appearance place in Goalpara is calling us. At least we should reserve one day in a year to go to Goalpara, our Gurudev's birthplace and offer praṇams and seek his blessings. What sevā can we do for him? At least we can offer praṇams. In his final days of active life, Guru Mahārāj's desire was to go to Goalpara and repeatedly took the name of Goalpara which he regarded as his Gurudev's place where he installed Param Gurudev's deity form and never considered it solely as his appearance place.
You are all very dear to Gurudev and Gurudev's mercy is showering here. May it continue to shower on us always.
—Śri Rasavihari Das
source: https://www.youtube.com/live/tUXlyR6VYmQ?feature=share (appox.1.21)
Excerpt translated from Hindi
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