Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

By causeless mercy of Our Most Revered Srila Gurudev, the Kartik-Vrat at Ludhiana started yesterday. To our surprise, only shortly after our arrival, Srila Gurudev suddenly joined evening Harikatha and spoke for more than an hour, during which He gave an introduction to Gajendra-Moksha dialogue in the 8th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Gurudev expressed His desire to participate in the Nagar sankirtan this morning. He woke up and got ready when we entered His room and said that He wants to join the Nagar sankirtan for a very small distance. Devotees could not control their emotions when they heard this and became blissful. Pujyapad Madhusudan Maharaj lead the kirtan with "Jai dau Jai dau" while Srila Gurudev lead the devotees for about 50 m distance. Later, devotees danced in front of Srila Gurudev and proceeded further, while Srila Gurudev went back to His room. Another surprise came with Srila Gurudev's arrival at the house of Sri Anil Dave Prabhu, where Nagar ...

One time I came to Chandigarh to meet Guru Mahārāja right after Kārtika. His sevāks said, “No, actually, Guru Mahārāja is tired now. Kārtika is finished, so there is no more darśana.” But then they said, “No, no, okay, come. Guru Mahārāja’s darśana is open.”  When they opened the door, the whole room was so bright and effulgent and Guru Mahārāja was sitting there with a smile on his face. And I was so happy, so relieved to see him; it was like a shower of relief after burning in the sun of the West.  I sat at his lotus feet and I said, “Guru Mahārāja, I feel so lonely, you’re so far away, I don’t have your association.”  Guru Mahārāja looked a little confused. He looked at me and said, “You are never alone. Kṛṣṇa is always in your heart.”  I said, “But Guru Mahārāja, I feel so far away, please give me your blessings.”  And Guru Mahārāja said so humbly, “Okay, I will pray to Guru-varga for you.”  He is never taking the position of guru, always the position o...

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 ...

I would like to share an experience from 2007. During my first M. Tech examinations, my friend and I went together for darśana . She was on one side and I was on the other side. We told Gurudeva that it was time for our exams. Gurudeva looked at me on the other side and said, "Before exams, one has to study." That particular semester, I did not study at all but I never told anybody! How could he know? After that, I studied and somehow passed my exams. I also remember I asked Gurudeva a question: "How can we develop śaraṇāgati to Bhagavan?"  He said, "Ei gulo diye habe na," by these material sense organs, nothing will happen.  Then he said, “If I look upon these buildings with my eyes closed, I will not see anything."  Finally, he spoke the verse granthera ārambhe kari maṅgalācaraṇa . A few days later, I asked, "How can one remember them?" (Guru, Vaiṣṇava, Bhagavan, as instructed in the above verse from Caitanya-caritāmṛta , Adi 1.20)  He sa...

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....

I remember an incident when Tatpara Mahārāja was cleaning Gurudeva's bathroom. He had to go somewhere, so he asked me to finish it. I waited outside and Gurudeva took a long time to come out.  Finally Gurudeva said, "I tried to clean it, but some marks are there. You please be careful."  Gurudeva had been cleaning it himself! When I went to the bathroom, it was completely clean. There were no marks. Gurudeva never thought, these are my sevāks. He called them "our helpers." Once we went to a devotee's house. Many devotees cooked, so there was not a burden on a single devotee.  When we came out, Gurudeva asked, "Have you taken all your utensils or not?" Gurudeva was recording and making note of each and every thing. He was so careful—so considerate. —Hari Prasād Dāsa, Delhi

Many devotees spoke the glories of Gurudeva. Guru Mahārāja is not an ordinary person.  Whatever qualities are told in the scriptures, all of them are manifest in Guru Mahārāja. I am too young to realize who or what a sādhu is, but in spite of that, Guru Mahārāja gave me some mercy to see some of those qualities in him. I heard one particular incident of Guru Mahārāja that resonated with me. Guru Mahārāja was in court, and so many discussions were going on, so many people were abusing Guru Mahārāja. But Guru Mahārāja answered very softly no matter what they yelled at him. Guru Mahārāja came back and it was time for prasād. He said that some more devotees are coming, so please reserve some prasād for them. These were the persons who were abusing Guru Mahārāja in the court. I realized that even for those persons who were abusing him, he had so much love and affection for them that he reserved prasād for them. He is Ajātaśatru, one who has no enemies.  —Rukmiṇī Dāsi