Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Śrīla Bhakti Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāj appeared on the day of Rāmanavamī, the appearance day of Lord Rāmachandra. Rāmachandra is Maryādā Puruṣottama, an incarnation of the principle of honoring the established order. I have seen in his entire character how he gives due respect and honor to everyone like Lord Rāma did. Rāmachandra's nature and Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj's nature are the same. I have seen how he was always respectful towards his godbrothers and how he taught this to his disciples also. This is an exemplary teaching to give due respect to everyone. It is also my personal feeling that his teachings are most valuable for the Vaiṣṇava community, especially amongst our societies as well as all of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu's Mission. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura gave the instructions to us that in order to chant happily, we have to keep due respect to all vaiṣṇavas, and Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj is an embodiment of that example. He was not...

Sometime around 2005 when I was in Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mission Mandir in Vienna, Austria, Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj phoned me with the help of his sevāk and was asking, "Where are you? Why have you not come to meet me?" I was abroad and Mahārāj was thinking I was in Kolkata.  He called to speak to me from Kolkata and my heart melted thinking when I'm abroad I never get calls from anyone from India. Mahārāj personally called me and said, "Nothing in particular, just called to speak to you." My heart was filled with emotions and my eyes were filled with tears thinking that there are people in this world who still love me.  In 2001 when the World Trade Center disaster occurred I was in San Jose, Costa Rica. Tamal Prabhu sent me an e-mail saying Mahārāj wants to speak to you, where are you? Then I called Mahārāj over the phone and he said, "You come back immediately. It is a very difficult situation." I thought that if a world war occurs...

Śrīla Gurudev's departure was a painful loss not only to Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh but to all Gauḍīya organizations worldwide. He inspired unity among all, both in an official capacity as President of the World Vaiṣṇava Association for 18 years (1999-2017) and with his perfect example of personal and sincere affection towards all devotees, completely free of any kind of bias .  If anyone spoke ill words about a devotee he became upset and said he did not wish to hear it. As an example of this, his disciples narrate one incident that occurred when someone was complaining to him about corruption within a particular devotee organization, saying they are causing offense. Guru Mahārāj responded by telling him that when he has those kinds of feelings or thoughts the best thing to do is leave there right away in order to avoid exposing them to his own offensive mentality.  The following letters were offered after Śrīla Gurudev's disappearance. They were selected from the archi...

During the centennial celebrations of Vyāsa-puja of our Guru Mahārāj Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj in 1997, many stalwart Vaiṣṇavas came to Śrī Gopīnath Gauḍīya Maṭh, Mayapur. In that ceremony, Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāj, Ācārya Mahārāj, Bhakti Vijnan Bhārati Gosvāmī Mahārāj, Bhakti Sarvasva Niṣkiñcan Gosvāmī Mahārāj, and so many other ācāryas came. We made two stages: one stage only for our Gurudeva with a siṃhāsan (throne), and another stage for Vaiṣṇavas . When it was full, additional sannyasis were sitting down in the audience. Then Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj came and offered puṣpāñjali to Guru Mahārāj, went on the stage, and started kirtan . His kirtan offering was in such an enchanting mood that the entire venue turned into a saṅkīrtan hall, the atmosphere filled with the loud spiritual sound of big kartals . Mahārāj was joined by Rasabihārī Prabhu, Śrīkanta Prabhu,  Bhūtabhāvan  Prabhu, and others.  As I was very much junior to the ...

I am speaking my heart. There were many instances like when going on parikramā, he [Śrīla Gurudev Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj] would keep our Gurudeva Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī  Ṭhākur in the very front and follow him from behind. Not like [a mood of] "I am Ācārya, I go in the front. " I also saw him keep Trivikram Mahārāj in the front and follow him in parikramā. He would give respect to one and all. This is the characteristic of a Vaiṣṇava.  When Mahārāj left the world I felt a big void has been created in the vaiṣṇavatā of the Vaiṣṇava-dharma. Today it is very difficult to find personalities with such qualities. I have seen this in my life. These days the condition is very bad. Nobody respects each other, but I have seen this in my Guru Mahārāj and Tirtha Mahārāj.  Every day Tirtha Mahārāj would visit Guru Mahārāj in his room after sandhyā-ārati and Gurujī would offer him dandavat praṇāms and Tirtha Mahārāj would offer dandavat praṇāms to him. And every day ...

Śrīmad Tirtha Mahārāj  engaged himself in Rādhākṛṣṇa-bhajan while being situated in the gracious shelter of Śri Śri Gaur Nityānanda. Being under their merciful shelter, he inspired everyone through his example to follow the same path. In order to have real entrance and make real progress in the bhajan of Rādhākṛṣṇa, he placed special importance on having pure devotion to Gaura Nityānanda and Gaddadhara and accepting their gracious and merciful shelter while engaging in pure saṅkīrtana . He also the importance of chanting and singing Śri Narasigha Stotraṃ and explained the life and precepts of Prahlād Mahārāj. He deeply believed that by faithfully chanting or singing Śri Narasiṁha Stotraṃ the divine glories of powerful and merciful lord Narasighadev that all impediments, obstacles, danger, and sin in the lives of devotees will be destroyed. He emphasized Prahlād's life and teachings as being very beneficial for all devotees, for all time, especially the general devotees advancing ...

The great Vaiṣṇav-ācārya Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāj was another prominent disciple of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur and intimate godbrother of my Śrīla Guru Mahārāja and Śrīla Mādhav Mahārāj. He is also my own sannyās guru . He also had so much loving affection and appreciation for Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāji, his śikṣā disciple. Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj was always seeking his affectionate blessings. I remember whenever Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj came to pay his obeisances to Śrīla Puri Mahārāj, he would spontaneously speaking in praise of Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj. He would speak about his nice vaiṣṇava qualities, his qualities of an ideal ācārya . I saw this often take place at in Gurudev's bhajan kuṭir in Kolkata Sree Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭh.  I used to stay in a small room next to his, so I could witness all these beautiful interactions.  I remember seeing Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj's extreme shyness upon hearing some praise about himself. Nonetheless, Puri Gosvāmī...

Śrīla Guru Mahārāj offered a long-standing, open invitation for Śrīla Mādhav Gosvāmī Mahārāj to visit him in Navadwip-dhām. Whenever he came to his Mayapur maṭh , Śrīla Mādhav Gosvāmī Mahārāj would happily come to visit Śrīla Guru Mahārāj at his maṭh . I witnessed their morning and afternoon sessions when they would be absorbed in nectarian harikathā for hours; wonderful and beautiful exchanges of higher feelings related to their own great Śrīla Gurudev, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākur, Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur, Mahāprabhu, and the Divine Couple, Śri Rādhākṛṣṇachandra. There was such a flow of nectar; such taste in their exchanges of hari-kathā . There was a personal touch to their behavior with each other that was heart captivating.  As I recall in the flow of their conversations, sometimes the name of Śrīla Tirtha Mahārāj would spontaneously arise. Guru Mahārāj was really satisfied that dear Tirtha Mahārāj had been chosen as his successor and showed his support with ...

I have seen Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāji many times in my life on different occasions, at various temples and other places. Overall, it was a joyful experience being in his holy association. I saw and experienced that he was a pure sādhu , pure vaiṣṇava . We found some great qualities and characteristics of a vaiṣṇava in his life conduct and practices. The vaiṣṇava qualities such as simplicity, kindness, graciousness, compassion, broad-heartedness, generosity, knowledge of siddhānta , humility, spirit of tolerance, forgiveness, overall loving affectionate feelings for all devotees, and above all—his exemplary devotion, dedication, and service to Śri Guru, our Rādhākṛṣṇa, and guru-varga . I offer my respectful pranam to that Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākur and dear ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava world, my dear elder godbrother, Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāji. I lovingly pray for his blessings and grace to be bestowed upon me. I remember first seeing him at All-India Sree Chaitanya G...

One day Tirtha Maharaj got ready to leave for Chakdah math but it became afternoon, so Maharaj said we will go by train. Then I told him, Maharaj please wait. I have a friend who can send us his vehicle. I called him and we went by vehicle to Chakdah. When we were returning, I called the friend again to use his vehicle, but he could not send it. So, from Chakdah we came by truck—my Gurudev and I and, Tirtha Maharaj with his sevak Madan Gopal.  On the way, the tire got punctured and the truck stopped. What to do? I saw Tirtha Maharaj's simple nature as he sat by the roadside and started chanting Harinama.  I asked my Gurudev who was in his advanced age to sit in the vehicle itself and I remembered Prabhupad's words: 'One of the qualities of a Vaishnava is simplicity. Another name of Vaishanvata is Saralata, simplicity. If one is not simple natured, it will be very difficult for him to understand Vaishnav dharma.' There is a saying in Bangla that till one b...

During Vrndavan Parikrama in 1990, a sannyasi [Srila Gurudev's godbrother] who was sitting for prasad was asked to leave.  One disciple did not allow another disciple to take food and lifted the leaf and threw away. My mind got disturbed very much because even an enemy should be asked to leave when taking prasad and [in this case] it was also a sannyasi. During kirtan, the god-brother had hit Maharaj with his elbow. Still, Maharaj held the view that he should not have been asked to leave when taking food, and moreover he is our god-brother. Where you will find such feelings?  We cannot see, we will not find. This is Vaishnava nature. Mahaprabhu said the first Vaishnava quality as trinadapi sunicena . Keep your feet on the grass and the grass will bend, become submissive. Does it say a word, raise an objection?  A Vaishnava's nature should be like this. I saw this in Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj. In his company, I feel very peaceful and blissful... ...

The first time I was going abroad [I was] leaving for Europe in December 4, 1998. Maharaj was [at that time] in Delhi Math, so I went for his darshan. The first question he asked was "Who is accompanying you.?" I said I am going alone. He said... "Why are you going alone? Why not you take some one along with you?" [I replied,] "Maharaj, I have no money." "Don’t worry about money," he continued, "That can be arranged." After that, when I took his blessings, he asked, "Do you have sufficient warm clothing?" I said, "Yes, I have." Then he asked me to show them. And I showed him. Then he said, "This is nothing." I did not even know that it will be very severe winter there. He said, "If you wear this and go, then even your blood will freeze and become ice." I felt afraid within. I went to the airport, but was not at all familiar with the airport’s setup and was going all alon...

I am compelled [to reflect on] why  Mahārāj  appeared on  Śrī   Rāmanavamī  Tithi.  Śrī  Ramacandra is  Maryādā Puruṣottama , giving respect to one and all. I saw this same nature of giving respect to all in  Mahārāj  too. But some of his god-brothers were not respectful towards him and I said once, "Why have you kept them all in the math? Send them away." Then he said gravely, "I am not here in the  maṭh  to chase them away, I am here to unite all." Seeing his line of thoughts I was stunned. Our thinking is: one who is troublesome— send him off! But see his thoughts. Ganesh has a mouse near him, Kartikeya has a peacock, Shiva has a bull and snake with him, and Durgaji has lion—all are enemies of the other. But how are they kept together? On the strength of the Holy Name. So also, if we chant Name with faith, our thinking also will become like this. —Srila Bhakti Vibudha Bodhyan Maharaj Transcribed from a translat...

I met Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja many times around the world when he was traveling in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Some of the places I met him were San Francisco, Russia, Singapore, and UK. I consider His Divine Grace to be one of the most exalted sanyassis of the modern era who distributed the vani of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the world. He is also one of the most profound kirtaniyas of Gaura kirtan. When he led kirtan with hundreds of devotees, He was like a volcano of divine energy. His lectures were always full of perfect siddhantic authority and profound realization, utterly heart captivating. I feel so blessed to have had his divine association and I consider him to be one of my prominent siksa gurus. All glories to His effulgent Lotus Feet. —Sripad Bhaktivedanta Padmanabha Maharaj, USA (disciple of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad, siksa disciple of Srila Bhakti Rakshak Shridar Goswami Maharaj and sanyass disciple of Srila B...

Dear Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj, All glories to His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaja, All glories to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada, All glories to His Divine Grace Abhaya Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and all glories to your Divine Grace, We are deeply aggrieved to hear about your disappearance from this planet. Although most of us did not have the good fortune of meeting you personally, we heard from those that did, about your affectionate dealings and sincere support for the activities of our institution. Our spiritual master, Srila Abhaya Charanaravinda Bhaktivednta Swami Prabhupada, had a very close relationship with your Guru Maharaja and his godbrother, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaja. He requested your Guru Maharaja to be a trustee of the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust that was created to support the activities of different Gaudiya Vaishnava institutions. When your spiritual master ...

22 April 2017 My dear respected Sri Srimad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja. All glories to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada Thakur. All glories to your spiritual uncle and my diksa guru His Divine Grace Abhayacaranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. My good fortune was when I stayed at the Sree Caitanya Gaudiya Matha in Kolkata and you helped me adjust, finding me a sitting place based on my initiation date. You took me to meet Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja and he told you to take care of me. Since then in 1970, I was connected with you. Soon after that, I was given the sannyasa order by my diksa guru, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who in 1977, created the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust and in which your guru, His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja, was made one of the trustees. When His Divine Grace Bhakti ...

His Holiness Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja,  I bow my head and prostrate my body at your lotus feet.  Upon being invited to share my heart on the holy occasion of your Vyasa Puja, I am grateful.
  I am remembering the precious times that we spent together, sometimes in the hills of Sri Brajabhumi or at other times in the hills of Marin County, California. Wherever in the world you are, you are ever absorbed in dispelling materialistic and impersonal misconceptions while sharing your heart's love for the divine service of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga. We have all been blessed by your heartfelt humility, deep wisdom of the Bhakti Sastras, and profound compassion to all beings.  Your lifetime of loving service is a brilliant light that reveals, for people in this world of darkness, the infinite flow of grace that is forever descending from the hearts of Sri Sri Radha Gopinath and floods the world through the merciful Acaryas of our Gaudiya Parampa...