Praṇamāmi Guru Tīrtha Padaṁ

When Guru Maharaj came out to offer water Tulasi ji, he used to take the darshan of the bhog offering to the Lord, seeing it from the balcony on the first-floor corridor. He could not get Thakurji's direct darshan from that angle, but he could see the offerings placed on the floor in front of them. When he saw their offering plates, he would say, Oh! Today there’s a very nice offering to God. He would be extremely pleased. Later he would remark, But I cannot honor that prasad, what to do? Pure devotees relish prasad just by the sight of it, for they have no enjoying tendency. They want to relish it, they have that particular consciousness. On particular festival days like Lord's appearance day, anniversary festivals, etc. he would make a point of requesting us to bring prasad directly from Thakurji's plate. Even if we had his plate ready (from what was separately prepared for him separately due to his special diet) he would not eat that unless we first gave him som...

Those persons who advent from the transcendental world to this material world as spiritual preceptors (acaryas) have certain symptoms. We cannot call anyone as Bhagavan (Supreme Lord). There are certain symptoms of the Supreme Lord mentioned in the scriptures. In the same manner, one who is an Acharya will exhibit symptoms from his very childhood. I heard from Maharaj's younger brother and sister that he was very detached since his childhood. In spite of being good at studies, he never wasted his time. His renunciation was such that he never demanded clothes for himself and was satisfied with whatever was given to him by his father. When our Guru Maharaj [Sri Srimad Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj] went to preach in Goalpara, he got his audience first at the house of Radha Mohan Prabhu who was the Godbrother of my Gurumaharaj and a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. As an iron gets attracted by a magnet, he got attracted by Guru Maharaj. After seeing him, his detachment towa...

Once in our Kolkata Math, a bramhachari did not behave respectfully towards a householder devotee during a festival program, and Srila Tirtha Goswami Maharaj was not pleased with that.  He said: Household devotees come to math for a few days leaving aside all their material duties. They come to associate with the sadhus. It is not appropriate to be disrespectful towards them. If we have an ego that I am a brahmachari, I am a sanyasi, and they are grihastas, then we will not get the grace of the Supreme Lord.  We should give up all types of false ego. Mahaprabhu has instructed: yei bhaje sei bada, abhakta—hina, chara krishna-bhajane nahi jati-kuladi-vicar Anyone who takes to devotional service is exalted, whereas a non-devotee is always condemned and abominable. Therefore in the discharge of devotional service to the Lord, there is no consideration of the status of one’s family.  (Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya-lila 4.67) Whoever performs bhajan is exalted; there is n...

Once during Mayapur parikram after the day we go to Vidyānāgar, I was very tired. I was leaning against a pillar and I started sleeping. Then Gurudev came and gave a whole lecture. One thing I have observed that Gurudev had so much endurance and energy. Even after being up so late, he never neglected to attend mangal arati. Even in his own room, he wouldn’t rest because devotees would keep coming to his room. We have never seen Gurudev being sleepy or drowsy. He has such a taste for Harikatha. I’ve never even seen him yawn. Once in Ramdas' house, a sannyasi spoke for two hours. Gurudev was always silently listening. Even though the other sanyassi spoke so long, Gurudev was also not short, he gave a long katha after that. There was another program where all the speakers were giving 15 minutes lecture. Gurudev said, in 15 minutes I can only give vandana! He took 15 minutes to give vandana, and his katha after that was so good that nobody stopped him. Once we went to Ramakris...

When I first saw Srila Gurudev it was in Kolkata math. He was seated on a little mat and he just looked up and he said to me: you sit down please you sit down. So I sat down. I was young at that time and more stupid than I am today. I hope not as bad anyway— hopefully, the chanting has done something I didn’t know what to say to him. The devotee who had brought to him was named Sudama Brahmacari. On the way to meet Maharaj he had told me they had 28 temples across India. Since I didn’t know what to say [to Gurudev] the first thing I blurted out was, "So, I understand you are head of 28 temples."  He just looked at me. If you know the kind of smile he has, he is never critical never condescending, always... bemused. So he turned to me and , simply said,  "I’m not the head of anything, I am the servant." So from that moment, my affection for Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj started—right from there. —Akincana Das, UK

Sometimes Guruji would call me and make me sit in front of him. He would tell many stories about his childhood, or sometimes he used to speak about Param Gurudev. One day I asked Guru Maharaj, how do I know if Gurudev, Bhagavan, or Vaisnavas are pleased with my activities? Bhagavan never comes and says, I am pleased with your services, and Vaisnavas also do not. Guru Maharaj gave a very very simple answer to that. He said, there is only a very simple formula: if the object of our worship is pleased with our service, then he will award more and more service. If you are getting more service, and if you are also feeling blissful by getting that service, then you will know that Guru, Vaisnav, and Bhagavan are pleased with your service. How much inclination you are getting to perform chanting, to perform circumambulation of the temple--the more you are getting an inclination to perform these activities, the more you can understand that Guru, Vaiṣṇav, and Bhagavan are pleased with t...

During Vyasapuja after Guru puja, Srila Gurudev invariably speaks about Bhaktivinod Thakur and says, ye mana durmati samsar bhitare:  I am such a bad man, neck-deep in the material world. You sent your representative to me. Srila Gurudev said that Param Gurudev came to Goalpara for me. Did we go to the forest like Druva? Guru Maharaj came to us in this very city of Chandigarh. Srila Gurudev said that this kirtan Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote is for me.  He saw me fallen and poor, without the name of the Lord with me. He came to give me the good news. He told me to liberate people like you, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu himself has descended in this world.  Do not worry, he has liberated millions like you. Srila Gurudev says, "this kirtan is for me." —Sri Bhakti Vichar Vishnu Maharaj transcribed from Hindi, spoken in Chandigarh, 12/6/2015