Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

I heard Pujyapad Tridandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Rakshak Narayana Maharaj say that when our Srila Guru Maharaj gives Jayadwani after mangal arati and sandhya arati, his  great concentration and absorption of mind and body  clearly indicate that he is having their personal audience. With that feeling, he gives Jai to all of them personally. Pujyapad Bhakti Rakshak Narayana Maharaj had also mentioned that at the beginning of Nagar Sankirtan when he sings the kirtan Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu daya karo more … followed by Jaya dau Jaya dau loudly with both his hands up, that Srila Param Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupad, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, Sriman Mahaprabhu and all His associates all manifest there and shower their grace upon him.    That time the persons present there listening to this kirtan sung by Srila Gurudeva in sweet voice and seeing his beautiful form in that great devotional mood, feel their hearts melt and fill with such bliss as though Goloka Vri...

About 6-7 years ago, Ashwaniji and I went to math by Rajadhani to Calcutta and reached at about 11 AM. That day, Guru Maharaj was quite busy.   His sevak told that he became free just 2 minutes before completing his writing work which was very huge.   He also told us he'd be going out to complete some important work then.    In spite of all this, after enquiring about our well-being, he took out a five rupee note from his bag and asked Madhu Prabhu to get some rasagullas for us, telling that we have come from far.   Madhu Prabhu brought 4 rasagullas. Guru Maharaj himself gave both of us rasagulla prasad and asked us to sit there and eat.   Later, Guru Maharaj said to make aloo parathas (potato pancakes) with ghee for us.    He also asked to get curd along with that.    Then he himself came down from the 3 rd floor and asked to spread leaf plates for us saying that it was quite late for their breakfast.   I understand su...

Srila Gurudeva gave me some deep lessons, unexpectedly using samosas as a medium. The first time he handed me one, it was during evening darshan time in his bhajan kutir in Kolkata. He asked, “Do you know what is it?” I answered, “It’s a samosa.” I thought he asked me that because I’m a foreigner and I wouldn't know what it is. So, I simply reported the name of it to him. The next time he was distributing samosas, he asked me another question: “Do you know how to make it?” I looked at his most adorable face and tried to figure out why he was asking me this. I blurted out, “No, Gurudev, I have never cooked them, but do you want me to learn? I can learn.” He didn't respond to me. When I went home, I looked at Youtube to see how to make samosas. I thought he wanted me to learn so I could use it for service somehow. After another week or two went by, there was yet another samosa waiting for me in his sweet hand. He looked in my eyes this time when he spoke to me. It seemed he ...

Is Gurudeva's darshan possible on internet? Gurudeva also used to tell no to photos. By only seeing a photo of the body, will it serve any purpose? Puri Goswami Maharaj said: what is the use of tape recording? Tape record here (pointing to the heart.) There cannot be any attachments to those who had darshan of Guru, Vaishnav, and Bhagavan. Guru is the mercy embodiment of Bhagavan, so to have the darshan of Guru we need internal eyes, eyes with which we can have darshan of Bhagavan. Gurudeva's katha itself is Gurudeva. Inside katha, he is there! Bhagavan's katha itself is Bhagavan, so Gurudeva says, give your ears and hear katha, through ears you have darshan, not by eyes. Sri Rupa Goswami said: a tah Sri Krishna namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaiah ... We have heard Sakshi Gopal's story... do we see Him so? Is Gurudeva's photo and Internet darshan not the same? What is not an object of material senses, can you see with your material eyes? Without his darshan, do ...

Sri Sri Guru Gaurangau Jayatah! Jaya Sri Sri Sita-Rama! Offerings to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja (from Brahmidevi dasi and Akincana dasa) Your Holiness Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet, on the auspicious occasion of your appearance. It is with feelings of extreme affection and humility that I offer you my gratitude and eternal devotion, and, despite my lack of qualification, I want to express the happiness caused by the great mercy you have bestowed upon this fallen soul. How fortunate I feel that you have shown such compassion toward me. Your letters of instruction and encouragement are everything in the world to me. I live by your kind and valuable instructions; they are my life and soul. I read through your letters in your book, ‘Affectionately Yours’ and am able to find all the guidance necessary for a struggling living entity. You are the sadguru, rare in this world and the only true frie...

Today is the most auspicious day to the entire universe for the dearest of the Lord and Lord Krishna himself in the form of Sri Rama appeared in this mortal world to grace all conditioned souls. Who can imagine how much sweetness and grace are on them? How much of a fool I am, that in spite of having received many instructions from Him and had received His infinite and causeless love and affection I still pass my days 'happily' in this miserable world?  It seems that a stone-like heart as mine takes bath on His holy sweetness of love and affection only when 'bound' by His glorious appearance day. Who can imagine when, on this earth, such an Acharya will appear again to rescue the souls of this world? Who can have the attitude of Bharat, when he was given the whole kingdom by his father? Who can have the attitude of Patit Pavan Guru Maharaj when he was asked to be Acharya of all of His Gurudev Maths?  In the present day when almost all are eager to become guru and ac...

One should take complete shelter of Guru's lotus feet, as one would have for Bhagavan. Gurudeva is Paramgurudeva's most favorite and loving disciple.  A disciple may have many good qualities, but no sharanagati.  Param Gurudeva, Prabhupada do not see qualities in disciples but see only sharanagati.  Unless there is sharanagati, Gurudeva's qualities will not descend into a disciple.  In ananya bhakti, Bhagavan's qualities descend to a devotee.  If you become a favourite of Gurudeva, then you are favorite of Bhagavan too.  Yasya prasadat bhagavat prasado...  Wherever our Gurudeva speaks Harikatha he speaks only His Gurudeva's words.  He speaks so much about Param Gurudeva that no other disciple of Param Gurudeva speaks. Before speaking, he often says, I  have orders from my Gurudeva that we have to hear and speak about what our Gurudeva has said." This is his special quality. Guru is Krishna's grace, the incarnate form.  So through Gu...