Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try to remember the unlimited glories of His Divine Grace Śrīla Gurujī Bhakti Ballabha Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja. To glorify the Vaiṣṇavas is the perfection of speech, the perfection of the eyes is to behold the śuddha-bhakta , and the perfection of the ears is to hear their glories and the glories of the Supreme Lord. I heard that Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Mahārāja said, "I have many disciples, they are like the limbs of my body, but Tirtha Mahārāja is my heart." He lived up to my heart’s desires. He has given everything and because by giving his kāya , mana and vākya (by body, mind and words) and his very soul in the service of his Guru. He achieved all the wealth that was in Guru’s heart transmitted into his heart and therefore he was made the successor Ācārya after his departure in 1979. He was naiṣṭhika-brahmacārī his whole life. He never got married or had children, just like Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja who ...

I had the good fortune to meet Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja in 1990. I was called by my godbrothers and requested to offer some services to him in Singapore. When I went to receive him, he was staying in an unfurnished apartment in Singapore. I was a bit shocked to see how he was staying. He had no bedding, no pillows, or anything to lie on. He was actually sleeping on a piece of cloth. So I asked, "Śrīla Mahārāja, would you allow me to serve you by giving you some bedding?" He said, “What for? Why do I need bedding? Did Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sleep on a pillow, mattress, or anything? He slept on the floor with his arm as a pillow. I am following His footsteps and I have to follow this also.”  That answer shocked me as I have met so many sannyāsis in my time, but he seemed to be very simple. He was humble by nature and he attracted me to him when I rendered service to him. And he said, "I request something from you" and I said, "Yes Mahārāja...