Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Everyone is aware of the controversies that have prevailed in the maṭha , but not a single word of abuse from Gurujī’s mouth was ever heard. During one particular incident In Kolkata maṭha , an ordinary meeting was called. Everyone expressed their faith in Guru Mahārāj and decided to take some stern steps toward envious people. They thought he would attend, but he did not. My Guru-varga Vaidya Om Prakashjī said that he went to Gurudev’s room and prayed to him that he should control the disputing parties, but Gurudev replied, “I have come to the maṭha to perform devotion. Our Gurudev will control or discipline others.  Whatever is happening here is all by Gurudev’s desire and we should not be disturbed by this. —Śrī Partha Sarati Das, Bhatinda  Translated from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Sandesh, July-Oct, 1997 (Year 17, Issue No.4)

There was a very dedicated, sincere Vaiṣṇava who was outwardly not very rich named Kṛpāramjī. He was told that he should get a clean shave and remove his mustache before Guru Mahārāj gave him initiation. He made Guru Mahārāj laugh by saying, "I am ready to remove my head for initiation."  He always brought Śrīla Gurudev nuts, cashews, walnuts, and other such items. But Guru Mahārāj said, "I don’t eat all these things." When Kṛpāramjī inquired from Guru Mahārāj about what he did like to eat, Guru Mahārāj simply said, "I eat cucumber."  Guru Mahārāj knew his background and wanted to spare him the expense he incurred buying dried fruits. Cucumber is very cheap, so he told him he liked cucumbers. When my son was a very small child, we were on Mayapur parikramā . At Yoga Pith, my son picked up an apple that was in front of Mahāprabhu on the palanquin. One brahmacārī took the apple back from him and returned it to the palanquin. Guru Mahārāj must have seen this...

In 2005, I was serving in the maṭh itself. In the Vraja-maṇḍal parikramā, I was given the service of translating for the Western devotees. When we hear, we may not be attentive, but when we translate, we must be very attentive. That year there were so many Westerners that they filled an entire bus. This was the first year that Śrila Gurudev was not there in Vraja the entire time as he was performing the pastimes of sickness. When he arrived, he explained what he was seeing directly how Śuka and Śārikā competed, and how Kakkhaṭī was given the service. I was finding it difficult to translate, not because of words, but because I was so ecstatic. I could see that Gurudev was speaking not because of the books or something, but because he was actually seeing. —Hariprasād Das

I've been given this opportunity to glorify his Divine Grace Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tīrtha Mahārāja who I consider my foremost śikṣā-guru . There are so many things to glorify. I remember some glories connected from his visits to Singapore and Malaysia. My remembrances may seem like very small and trivial things, but behind the small things are opportunities to understand the deeper meanings.  When Gurudeva was in Singapore on one or two occasions, I was given the service of being a chauffeur (driver). I had a white Mercedes Benz and I took him wherever he wanted to go— That was my duty. So in going from point A to point B, sometimes to temples or to devotees' houses, some words would be exchanged between Śrīla Gurudeva while I was driving.  Rasabihari Prabhu from Jammu was there; I believe he was the secretary while traveling. Viṣṇu Mahārāja was there too before he took sannyās , and another American sannyāsi named Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja. Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja was the one who introduc...

One time at the Delhi math annual function, Guruji began nagar-sankīrtan with "Jai dau Jai dau ," but did not continue because devotees and doctors urged him to rest as he was unwell. The sankīrtan moved on, and when it was completed, Guruji started harikathā at Hari Mandir. There he told, "Among all forms of devotion, kīrtan is the best; superior to kīrtan is sankīrtan where a few persons join together for kīrtan , and superior to that is nagar-sankīrtan. This is because senior Vaishnavas are leading the kīrtans and their foot-dust will sprinkle on the devotees following behind, destroying our sins ad making our human lives successful. But today my human life is spoiled." Everyone was surprised to hear this. He said, "When I surrendered to my Gurudeva, I had surrendered my body for the Lord's service. Gurudeva had instructed me to do kīrtan and harikathā for all the twenty-four hours daily and here I was told you are ill, so you go back to the maṭh ...

I got maximum mercy and good association from my śikṣā-guru Ramanath-ji, father of Shyam Sundar-ji. There were many opportunities to accompany him to the railway station to welcome and later see Guruji and his prachar party off. As we reached the station, I would run towards the platform and Guruji would smile seeing me. Holding my shoulder he would get down the steps. While going to the maṭh Guruji would converse with me about prachar programs, hāriṇam initiations at previous places he visited, and enquire about Delhi weather. That time it was a small maṭh and Guruji's room was downstairs. Seeing him often taking his pocket watch out to see the time, I told him I would get him a wristwatch. But he denied my offer, saying sannyasis do not wear a watch or good clothes, what will people think if they see us like this? Such was his conduct. I went for Mayapur parikramā in 1991 for the first time. I hadn't had my initiation yet. Guruji was pleased to see me and arranged for my s...

My father used to say that Pakistan was made only for our family. If Pakistan were not there, then we would not have left there to come to Delhi and have the fortune of meeting Param Guru Maharaj and Guru Maharaj. They would often visit Delhi on prachar a nd we received their blessings. Param Guruji would advise his disciples not to even ask for water when they went for preaching at any devotee's home so as not to inconvenience them in any manner. Many of the devotees would go to see Guruji off at Delhi Railway Station, but Guruji would ensure that we all have bought platform tickets. By his conduct, he taught us how devotees should be honest in our daily affairs. On the same day he arrived in Delhi, he called me and cleared all the payments of the previous journey tickets. I still have some two and five rupee small notes he gave to settle payments from the praṇāmi received. He gave me small services such as sending seva (money orders) to various maṭhs. Up to 2004, I observed ...

During the first Day of Hyderabad Math's Annual Function, Guruji and all other Maharajis came to the temple which was finely decorated and filled with devotees. It was just before his sickness pastimes. My mother who was then already initiated was present in the temple from morning time, serving Guruji and Their Lordships. My sisters and I went to school and came to the temple in the evening for Guruji's darshan, but we were late and were told that we could come the next day. My mother was visibly sad and started pleading Radhakant Prabhu to let us have darshan. He went and asked Guruji about it, and then Guruji being all-merciful told him to let us come in. As soon as he opened the door, my mother was happy and we entered the room. I saw him for the first time, blissfully sitting on the wooden chair, talking to someone else. We took his blessings, then prasad from His hands. He questioned us very sweetly about our whereabouts and then told me very distinctly and clearly: ...