Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

Once I went to Dhanbad along with Mahārāj for preaching. There was a person there named Yasamanta who used to donate coal to the maṭha thrice a year. They invited Guru Mahārāj to stay in their house; it was a good accommodation with air-conditioned rooms. But that particular year, we went to live in the house of a householder devotee in Herapuri who was a disciple of Param  Pūjyapāda  Om  Viṣṇupada  Śrīmad Bhakti Vilas Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj. Narasiṃha Mahārāj, Deva Prasād Prabhu, and  Viṣṇudaivata  Mahārāj (who was a brahmacārī at that time) were also present. There was hari-kathā and kīrtan in the house of Yasamanta, and Mahārāj would go there. I was cooking and washing clothes for Tirtha Mahārāj. Narasingha Mahārāj, who was Achintya Govinda  brahmacārī  then, gave advice to Tirtha Mahārāj. “Mahārāj, please clean your clothes. You are going to the house of a distinguished person.” Mahārāj replied, “They are already clean.” Achintya ...

When Kārtika-vrata was taking place in Chandigarh, Gurujī was the first person to arrive at the sabhā at 3:30 am, starting the jayadhvani and mangalacharana . He was also the last to leave at about midnight after the last sabhā . There were never signs of fatigue seen on his face; it was amazing. There were no signs of drowsiness or yawning; he appeared ever-fresh. Some brahmacārīs were given the duty of guarding at night. Out of curiosity, I wanted to peep into Gurujī's room to see what he does in privacy. I was strolling outside his room and checking to see if any of his windows were open.  I saw that indeed one of the windows of his room was open and I looked between the gap between the two curtains and saw that only a dim light was on. Gurudev was sitting inside a mosquito net with a letter in one hand and a torchlight in the other. He was replying to those letters while writing in that dim light.  Once after he delivered hari-kathā and kirtan the whole day in the sabh...

In the Vedic scriptures, it is said that Srila Gurudev is the dearmost of the Supreme Lord; nondifferent from the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord has appeared in this world as Guru. The Supreme Lord says that one must take shelter of the lotus feet of Guru. One cannot surrender to the Supreme Lord directly. The simple meaning of Guru is mother. The mother is the best teacher of the child. The only way to know about the father is through the mother. We have to trust our mother. In the same way, we have to understand guru-tattva. There are multiple names of God. Which name to call out? The mother will teach that you have to pay pranams to father, and father is pleased. Similarly, Gurudev will teach how to pray to the Lord. We cannot get the grace of Guru only by memorizing the scriptures. Often times people go to Gurudev and ask for his mercy. This is not how mercy is given, just by asking and not following. Once we had gone to Krishnanagar ten years ago. Gurudev had been advised by doct...

Astonishingly, it so happens that His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Goswami Maharaj’s appearance day and disappearance day both occurred on the same Navami Tithi, namely the ninth day of lunar cycle. Srila Maharaj appeared exactly on Ram-Navami and the day of his disappearance occurred on Navami day, 6th of Vaishakh 1424 Bangavda (Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 10.15pm). Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita (SCC) is considered the most valuable scripture of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community and was written bySrila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, who is Kasturi Manjari in Goloka Vrindavan, serving Sri Sri Radha-Krishna, the Divine couple in their divine esoteric pastimes. In Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami alludes to the auspiciousness and importance of the appearance and disappearance of the Lord and the Vaishnavas in the following verse: iswarerjanma-tithiye henapavitra vaisnaverajanma-tithirseimatacharitra The divinity and purity attributed to the appear...

I had the good fortune to have the association of Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaja. His spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja was kind enough to allow me to stay in his ashram in Kolkata. He personally 
put me in the care of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Maharaja while I was there. Later, His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja was made a trustee of AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust. After his departure to the spiritual world, His Divine Grace Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja was kind enough to continue the role of being a trustee of the AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Trust. It was customary that he would speak some Harikatha on the occasion of our meeting of those meetings He would speak so that we would all be reminded of our primary purpose of Krishna Consciousness to serve the Pancha Tattva with words, thoughts, and deeds. From then on, year after year, I met with him to work out strategies on how to preserve the holy ...

In the earlier days, Guruji used to come to Dehra Dun twice a year. He would say, "Gangasagar ek baar, Dehra Dun baar baar." It meant that we go to Gangasagar once and to Dehra Dun repeatedly, twice a year— once in Summer and once during winter. It was rare for him to any other math twice, but he went to Dehra Dun because lot of his god-brothers are there and he liked to meet them. At that time, there were not many facilities in the math. They used to get supply tankers for water and it would come late at night. Now it is Gurudev’s mercy that water facility is good but at that time it was like that. One time during the night, at about 2 AM, Guru Maharaj saw that water had come. He wrapped a gamcha (towel) around his waist, and did not wear his khadao (wooden slippers) because they were noisy and he wanted to go quietly. He wanted the devotees to get nice rest without disturbance. He cleaned each of the pots one at a time and without making any noise. He was very care...

Once in 2005, Śrīla Bhakti Kumuda Śānta Gosvāmī Mahārāja and other vaiṣṇavas were invited to our Māyāpur maṭha. Gurujī went to the main gate to welcome the Guru-varga. There was a crowd of devotees and Gurujī was standing among them. He showed that he is like any other disciple welcoming his Guru-varga.  That day, Gurujī was not seen to be the Ācārya of the maṭha. All the vaiṣṇavas were warmly welcomed and were made to sit on the āsana (seat) spread on the stage. Śrīla Santa Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrīla Trivikrama Mahārāja sat on the āsana and told Gurujī to come and sit with them, but Gurudeva sat on the floor facing them. He did not even accept the āsana put for him on the floor.  Gurujī is the Ācārya of our maṭha and is respected by all the revered vaiṣṇavas, but he sat on the floor in front of his Guru-varga just like an ordinary disciple. This is mānaśūnyata, (no desire for respect from others). Whether he gets respect from anyone or not, it doesn't make any difference to ...

Once Srila Gurudeva mentioned to me that His Gurudeva, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj is not an ordinary human being. He is a personal associate of Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. He said that my Gurudeva, Paramaradhyatam Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj was once engaged in preaching programs across Assam (a state in India.) One of our Godbrothers requested Him to come and perform shraddha (ceremony ritual to pay homage to departed souls) of his deceased father. Although his father was not a devotee, his son felt he would be greatly benefited if his Gurudeva conducted this ceremony. Gurudeva replied after referring to His schedule that He would be in Kolkata at that time, where preaching programs would be going on. He said that He will send some competent person or devotee for the ceremony. Again, the disciple politely requested to his Gurudeva to personally attend the ceremony. Srila Gurudeva explained that during the pr...

The Founder Ācārya of Gopīnātha Gauḍīya Maṭha, Śrīla Bhakti Pramode Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāja, who is considered an outstanding personality of this world once commented, “All the Gauḍīya-vaiṣṇavas, sannyāsīs, and saints are parts of my body, but Śrīmad Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Mahārāja is the core of my heart.” We are compelled to think about how he has won the heart of this ideal personality. It is due to his dedicated service attitude since his early life.  Gurujī gives emphasis to practice the instructions of the scriptures before preaching to others. He says, "Don’t follow me, follow my lecture only" is only applicable in the field of politics. Regarding preaching of dharma, he would say that our words will become impactful only to the extent that we follow them in our own lives. Preaching without conduct is lifeless. It will only be entertainment and no one will be benefitted from it. —Śrī Bhakti Vibudha Muni Mahārāja (2015) Srila Gurudeva receiving blessings of Srila ...

Once Parama-gurujī asked Parama-pūjyapāda Śrīdhara Gosvāmī Mahārāja that I have made many big maṭhas, whom should I give the responsibility of them? Whom should I make Ācārya?  Śrīdhara Gosvāmī Mahārāja replied, "You have a readymade Ācārya." Parama-gurujī asked, "Who? He said, Tirtha Mahārāja. He is an Ācārya since childhood. We don’t have to make him [an Ācārya]." I heard from Parama-pūjyapāda Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāja that Gaura Nityānanda Themselves dance when Tirtha Mahārāja sings Kirtan." During the inauguration of Puri Mahārāja’s newly established maṭha in Mayapur, our Gurudeva was invited for the feast in the maṭha.  The celebration, which is being celebrated to date, falls during the Holi festival. During that occasion, I was with Gurujī along with other devotees. Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāja ordered his disciples to welcome our Gurudeva with kirtanas by standing at the gate. He further said that you see him as Tirtha Mahārāja, but I see him as Mādhava Mahārāja....

Once a devotee came to Gurujī and started criticizing another person. Gurujī heard him patiently and then replied, “From where do you get time to see all this?”  His priority in life was different. His life is all about the Supreme Lord, His Name, His kathā, His kīrtan, and so on. We see his detachment from the material world and attachment to the Supreme Lord. We see that he is detached even from his own body. He would get up early in the morning, lead all the sabhā, and then retire late. He said that his body is for the service of his Gurudeva.  When he exhibited the pastimes of sickness he used to feel sad saying, “I am no longer able to serve my Gurudeva properly. If I am not able to serve my Gurudeva then what is the use of keeping this body?” - Śrīla Bhakti Kiṅkara Dāmodara Mahārāja

The following incident occurred at a time when there was a lot of terrorism in Punjab. As a result of this unrest, many public programs were discontinued or their timings were changed. Gurujī never discontinued any of his preaching programs, although he might have changed the schedule. Gurujī was about to come to Chandigarh by train. One brahmacārī in the maṭha knew some police persons and arranged for police security in the maṭha and at the station for Gurujī’s arrival. Many devotees used to go to receive Gurujī at the station. As soon as he got down from the train, he was surprised to see the police arrangement and asked whether any VIP was arriving. When he was told that the security was for him, his face which usually wore a soft and beautiful smile became very grave but he did not want to disrupt the enthusiasm of the organizers also. He took them aside to speak to them. "We should have faith in the Supreme Lord. I left my house with a firm faith that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is our pr...

When I was staying in Chakdah maṭha, an astrologer saw my palm and told me that I will get married. I was 28 years old then. I showed it to another palmist and he also confirmed that I will get married before I am 30 years of age. A third astrologer also said the same thing. Those days I was serving Lord Jagannātha in Chakdah by the order of Gurudeva. I was not fickle-minded before. But when I became 28-29 years, I became a little restless. I tried to chant  harināma intently and also chanted a lot of narasiṃha-mantra , but my mind did not calm down. I was feeling that I would fall down and might enter in the family life. I tried a lot, but my mind was not calming down. I had no desire to enter mundane life. I thought to convey the condition of my mind to Gurujī. I thought only Gurujī can bring me out of that state of mind.  Guru Mahārāja was in Tezpur maṭha for the annual function. I wrote my heart's feeling in a letter and posted it to Gurujī. Usually, it takes 6-7 days for...

Once we were in Dehradun and it started to rain heavily before nagara-saṅkīrtana was about to start. Gurujī came with Amarendra Prabhu under an umbrella. The hall was filled with devotees and the band was playing music. Many scattered because of the rain. but Gurujī called Śrīkanta Prabhu and asked him to sing the kirtana that began "kripa karo hum pe shyam sundara." After that, Gurujī sang "śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda" and as soon as he started singing "Nitai Gauranga," the rain stopped. The sky became clear and the sun was seen. Then all the devotees went for nagara-saṅkīrtana started. As soon as the nagara-saṅkīrtana reached back to the maṭha , it started raining heavily once again. —Śrīla Bhakti Vilāsa Tridaṇḍī Mahārāja (2015)