Our Janmā-siddha Ācārya
Śrīla Gurudev's father gave him a kurta to wear to college. He wore it even though it was so long that the sleeves extended past his arms. When his friends saw this, they laughed at him and asked, "Are you wearing your father's kurta?" The only thing he replied was "My father gave me this with a lot of love."
During his childhood in Goalpara (his appearance place), the Śiva mandira near his home was his favorite place of worship and meditation. After he completed his MA in Philosophy at Kolkata University, he was offered a job as a District Magistrate. In one of his visits to maṭha to hear Param Gurudeva's hari-kathā, one maṭhavāsī told him "You will soon become a District Magistrate; will you get time for hearing hari-kathā? You will only hear the public going on with their civic complaints."
Śrīla Gurudev felt the truth in these words and refused to join this duty. When Param Gurudeva came to their place, he quietly followed him to the maṭha without telling anyone at home. Param Gurudeva secretly sent Gurudeva from the back door to Medhnipur maṭha when his family came to search for him. Param Gurudeva told them, "Yes, he had come here, but he has left. We do not know anything more."
Gurudeva's brahmacārī name was Kṛṣṇa Ballabh Brahmacārī. I recall one instance spoken by Pujyapada Bhakti Rakṣaka Nārāyaṇa Mahārāj regarding when Param Gurudeva and Gurudeva were in Tejpur attending some function. When Gurudeva went to fetch water from a public tap, one lady unnecessarily started abusing Gurudeva. When Gurudeva returned with the water, Param Gurudeva asked why the lady was insulting him, but Gurudeva said, "No no, nobody said anything." He did not notice it at all. But Param Gurudeva had heard and it hurt him that such a nice person was unnecessarily blamed. It was later heard that the woman died within a month of this incident. Though Gurudeva had not taken offense, the incident had hurt Param Gurudeva who is a favorite person of Bhagavān.
Once Param Gurudeva sent Gurudeva from Guwahati to Bhuvaneshwar. Gurudeva got ready to leave, and Param Gurudev saw that Gurudev had cut a plastic water bottle and hung it around his neck with coconut coir. When Param Gurudeva saw such a simpleton, he laughed and showed it to others saying, "See how this fellow is going to travel in the train." Although Gurudeva said, "It is alright," Param Gurudeva got him a new water bottle. This was a sign of his vairāgya (renunciation) at such a young age.
On another occasion, when Param Gurudeva saw Gurudeva tie a mosquito net before sleeping, he noticed there were many small knots in it here and there. Gurudev had tied the holes in the net with thread. Although Gurudev assured Param Gurudeva saying, "It is okay, it is okay," Param Gurudeva immediately called and asked the maṭha-in-charge to give him a new net.
When Śrīla Gurudeva's clothes became discolored, dirty, or torn, he said, "Ok, they are fine." And he went out for work with those clothes. Once the cloth draped around his waist fell down during Nagar saṅkīrtana, and he did not even notice. One prabhu ran and tied it around his waist. He was so engrossed in kirtan; this is the ultimate demonstration of śaraṇāgati.
Once he was going out to do some work for Param Gurudeva, one prabhu asked him to take prasādam and then go. When he was taking prasādam, Param Gurudeva came and saw. He just said, "Oh! You didn't leave yet to do the work?" That was enough to make Gurudeva immediately start to cry. He left prasādam and went to do the work.
There were other times when he continuously accepted as much prasādam as was offered. He would not say,"Enough!" because it was prasādam and therefore a rejection of the Lord mercy. So Param Gurudeva then asked one person to sit next to him to tell the person serving that it is enough. If this person was not there, he would eat all leaves, chilies, and other things that are usually left on the plate and not consumed.
Our Gurudeva is janmā-siddha guru (a guru from birth), and we are his fortunate disciples. Param Gurudeva had many qualified prominent disciples like Ācārya Mahārāja, Bhāratī Mahārāja, Giri Mahārāja, etc., but asked Śrīdhar Deva Mahārāja's advice when he was considering who to select as his successor. Śrīdhar Deva Mahārāja suggested our Gurudeva's name and said you have a janmā-siddha ācārya (born ācārya) in Kṛṣṇa Ballabh Brahmacārī.
We have accepted mahāmantra from Gurudeva and our duty is to serve Him by doing japa well.
During his childhood in Goalpara (his appearance place), the Śiva mandira near his home was his favorite place of worship and meditation. After he completed his MA in Philosophy at Kolkata University, he was offered a job as a District Magistrate. In one of his visits to maṭha to hear Param Gurudeva's hari-kathā, one maṭhavāsī told him "You will soon become a District Magistrate; will you get time for hearing hari-kathā? You will only hear the public going on with their civic complaints."
Śrīla Gurudev felt the truth in these words and refused to join this duty. When Param Gurudeva came to their place, he quietly followed him to the maṭha without telling anyone at home. Param Gurudeva secretly sent Gurudeva from the back door to Medhnipur maṭha when his family came to search for him. Param Gurudeva told them, "Yes, he had come here, but he has left. We do not know anything more."
Gurudeva's brahmacārī name was Kṛṣṇa Ballabh Brahmacārī. I recall one instance spoken by Pujyapada Bhakti Rakṣaka Nārāyaṇa Mahārāj regarding when Param Gurudeva and Gurudeva were in Tejpur attending some function. When Gurudeva went to fetch water from a public tap, one lady unnecessarily started abusing Gurudeva. When Gurudeva returned with the water, Param Gurudeva asked why the lady was insulting him, but Gurudeva said, "No no, nobody said anything." He did not notice it at all. But Param Gurudeva had heard and it hurt him that such a nice person was unnecessarily blamed. It was later heard that the woman died within a month of this incident. Though Gurudeva had not taken offense, the incident had hurt Param Gurudeva who is a favorite person of Bhagavān.
Once Param Gurudeva sent Gurudeva from Guwahati to Bhuvaneshwar. Gurudeva got ready to leave, and Param Gurudev saw that Gurudev had cut a plastic water bottle and hung it around his neck with coconut coir. When Param Gurudeva saw such a simpleton, he laughed and showed it to others saying, "See how this fellow is going to travel in the train." Although Gurudeva said, "It is alright," Param Gurudeva got him a new water bottle. This was a sign of his vairāgya (renunciation) at such a young age.
On another occasion, when Param Gurudeva saw Gurudeva tie a mosquito net before sleeping, he noticed there were many small knots in it here and there. Gurudev had tied the holes in the net with thread. Although Gurudev assured Param Gurudeva saying, "It is okay, it is okay," Param Gurudeva immediately called and asked the maṭha-in-charge to give him a new net.
When Śrīla Gurudeva's clothes became discolored, dirty, or torn, he said, "Ok, they are fine." And he went out for work with those clothes. Once the cloth draped around his waist fell down during Nagar saṅkīrtana, and he did not even notice. One prabhu ran and tied it around his waist. He was so engrossed in kirtan; this is the ultimate demonstration of śaraṇāgati.
Once he was going out to do some work for Param Gurudeva, one prabhu asked him to take prasādam and then go. When he was taking prasādam, Param Gurudeva came and saw. He just said, "Oh! You didn't leave yet to do the work?" That was enough to make Gurudeva immediately start to cry. He left prasādam and went to do the work.
There were other times when he continuously accepted as much prasādam as was offered. He would not say,"Enough!" because it was prasādam and therefore a rejection of the Lord mercy. So Param Gurudeva then asked one person to sit next to him to tell the person serving that it is enough. If this person was not there, he would eat all leaves, chilies, and other things that are usually left on the plate and not consumed.
Our Gurudeva is janmā-siddha guru (a guru from birth), and we are his fortunate disciples. Param Gurudeva had many qualified prominent disciples like Ācārya Mahārāja, Bhāratī Mahārāja, Giri Mahārāja, etc., but asked Śrīdhar Deva Mahārāja's advice when he was considering who to select as his successor. Śrīdhar Deva Mahārāja suggested our Gurudeva's name and said you have a janmā-siddha ācārya (born ācārya) in Kṛṣṇa Ballabh Brahmacārī.
We have accepted mahāmantra from Gurudeva and our duty is to serve Him by doing japa well.
—Śrīla Bhakti Kuśala Padmanābha Mahārāj
Translated from harikathā spoken on 11.10.13, Mathura
Translated from harikathā spoken on 11.10.13, Mathura
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