All Glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga
(The following is a glorification by Śrī Śyām Dāsa Bābā Mahārāj)
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda said that— “To carry out the order of my paramahaṁsa gurupādapadma, if I need to go to hell, still I am ready to go with due contract.”
This kind of strong resolution can only be possible by a genuine guru-niṣṭha sevaka, that is why we must remember that—
“Gurur sevaka haya mānya āpanāra – the servant of śrī guru is worthy of my respect.”
A genuine guru-sevaka is surely respectable to me, no doubt in it, because we can discover all the transcendental Qualities of Śrī Gurudeva in him — all in applied form. The order of the spiritual master must be obeyed without consideration or hesitation.’
The order of sat-guru is final, and should be carried out without any argument or judgment. “Guru-darśana”—is the most vital point in the way of bhajana. Because Śrīla Prabhupāda very often used to say that—“Śrī gurupādapadma is the transparent (or transcendental) medium through which we can see perfectly what is what (about aprakṛta jagat) there in the aprakṛta jagat.”
Because we know very well from śāstra that –
aprakṛta vastu nahe prakṛta gocara
veda purāṇete ei kahe nirantara (C.C. Madhya–9.195)
Perception of spiritual objects (aprakṛta-vastu) is not within the range of the material senses and contemplating them is beyond the range of the mind. The Vedas and the Purāṇas proclaim this repeatedly.
Śrīla Śrīnivāsa Ācārya the great Gaura Pārṣada giving the indication about the ideal relationship between a sat-guru and sat-śiṣya, so we see the following śloka:
balavān ādhara yasyo na syāt guru-pādāmbhoje
śrutair api sat-śāstrohy kṛṣṇe bhaktir na jāyate
So long as the disciple has no strong affinity & love unto the Lotus Feet of sat-guru, till then only śāstra-jñāna (scriptural knowledge) cannot give him kṛṣṇa-bhakti at all.
My beloved śikṣā-guru Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Vedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja used to say that— “Guru-Vaiṣṇava can reserve the right of not being exposed to our sense organs.”
All our material sense organs together with material brain and mind can never come out successful in the way of that Absolute Truth, because we know that—“Logical interpretation cannot stand in the way of that Absolute Truth”—This is the advice by Śrīla Prabhupāda. From the Taittirīya Upaniṣad petals 7, we know that—
“yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha”
In the way of that Absolute Truth all our material speech together with mind can come back failure.
I never wanted to apply my estimation power to understand such an exalted personality like Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja, rather I always tried my best to realise all his mysterious comments and activities. The mercy of Śrī Guru–Vaiṣṇava is the only way to attain the ultimate goal of our devotional life. About aprakṛta Guru-Vaiṣṇava Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja has written that— “We are devoid of service mood, so therefore we cannot comprehend this secret of recognizing a Vaiṣṇava by his vaiṣṇavata. Although often we are attracted by a Vaiṣṇava’s other Qualities suitable for us, like his ample affection and kindness or his exclusive excusing mood etc. We can praise his extreme patience, tolerance and the other external virtues, but we should bear in mind that a Vaiṣṇava’s Qualities are not some objects of our sensual gratification. If those Qualities which all we detect in a Vaiṣṇava, like affection and patience or his exclusive excusing mood etc. not going to inspire us to get engaged in the service of Guru–Vaiṣṇava–Bhagavān and not going to lead us to become attracted to his vaiṣṇavata, then it should be understood that we have been unable to see the true aspect of the Vaiṣṇava. On the contrary we have been trying to gratify all our senses.” Guru-sevā or guru-bhoga or guru-tyāga—these are the three different aspects that should be taken into consideration very carefully, otherwise we will be in confusion.”
We are really blind, so we cannot detect what is what there in the transcendental world. Who not, almost everybody try to enjoy Guru-Vaiṣṇava-Bhagavān. Śrīla Prabhupāda used to say that—“Bonded soul can exhibit anugatya (submission) unto the Lotus Feet of gurupādapadma up to that point till his personal interest not going to be disturbed. The moment when personal interest going to be disturbed in the way of Guru-Vaiṣṇava-sevā then and there the real naked picture of his anugatya get exposed in front of us.” This is the true nature of our false devotional life or guru–anugatya.
His whole life was full of guru-sevā, right from the beginning when he came unto the Lotus Feet of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda (in Śrī Caitanya Maṭha) in his boyhood. Luckily he got harināma from Śrīla Prabhupāda and he was successful to dedicate his whole life for Hari–Guru–Vaiṣṇava-sevā. Śrī Caitanya Maṭha was his complete shelter. First he came to Māyāpur with all of his relatives to join Navadvīpa-dhāma Parikramā party. After the parikramā utsava was over then huge pressure was created by father, mother and relatives to take him back at home, but he was not at all ready to go back to home. Even he was successful to get enough love and affection or kṛpā of Śrīla Vinoda Bihārī Prabhu (Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja) to deprive them.
Śrīla Prabhupāda allowed him to take admission at Śrī Bhaktivinoda Institute school to continue his further education. But it was really strange that his school lesson (task) usually would complete at the school period time itself, he was so much intelligent that we cannot even imagine. But the rest of the time of the day nonstop Guru–Vaiṣṇava-sevā was his life. Which Vaiṣṇava need what sevā that was his full attention. Cleaning prasādam place or annika place of Guru–Vaiṣṇava, or cleaning their pañcapātra or arranging Gaṅgā water for them or cleaning their cloth etc. or bandāra room management sevā etc. everything were his daily duty, all square— that boy was a masterpiece. Still the educational progress of the boy was so heavy, that he used to take the topper rank of the class every year.
The very special care and affection of his eternal spiritual master—then time who was known as Śrīla Vinoda Prabhu (Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja) was the most vital nourishment factor in his life. Not only that but also he was successful to have received the full kṛpā of Śrīla Prabhupāda—his harināma-guru. Sometime Śrīla Prabhupāda would have played a sweet joke with the small boy to test him—his sevā-mood. Suppose when sometimes Śrīla Prabhupāda used to do harināma-mālā by walking around in the lawn of Śrī Caitanya Maṭha garden, then he used to take green peas from the small boy directly collected from the field — to provide big enthusiasm to him.
Harikathā & harikīrtana was his life and soul. Specially his extraordinary memory power was really spectacular. One time one thing hearing means this must have gone directly to the storage of his memory bank. Really! Later on he was well known as Gauḍīya dictionary. Which book, which page, which chapter, which śloka etc. all as it is he could say very easily.
Usually his relationship with his disciples were very friendly, but still his gigantic personality was always reserved by his exclusive sevā-mood. Even with us he was always very frank yet reserved. He was a great Ācārya in our Sarasvat Gauḍīya Guru-paramparā, no less than our Guruvarga. Really I feel that—I am nothing in front of him. I always wanted to treat him as my Gurudeva. Because guru-tattva as a whole is akhaṇḍa-tattva (undivided unique tattva). If I can see my Gurudeva in him then it is complete guru-darśana, which is quite natural.
My puṣpāñjali unto the Lotus Feet of Śrīla Bhakti Vedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja always going to reach the Lotus Feet of my dīkṣā-gurudeva Śrī Śrīla Paramahaṁsa Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. This is called actual Guru-pūjā and puṣpāñjali. Divisive attitude can make us a street beggar in the way of our bhajana life. Such sādhu is really rare, who never wanted to deprive us.
Though I used to stay (physically) there at Śrī Vṛndāvana and he used to stay here at Navadvīpa-dhāma, still surely there was an internal link among us. From Vṛndāvana one day I went to Hāldār Bhāgān Gauḍīya Maṭha directly from Howrah station, to pay daṇḍavat-prāṇāma unto his Lotus Feet. I requested him to bless me so that I can grow more and more patience. He said to me well—“That is the most vital factor in the way of Gauḍīya bhajana.”
One devotee came to him there to give him a new car for his preaching purpose but he simply took the key of the car from him to give him back. The devotee could not realise his mood. Śrīla Mahārāj started speaking that—“I cannot accept that car, if I start using car, then they also can try to get habituated, which is really very dangerous for bonded souls, also too much headache can be there with the car, like where is driver! Where is petrol! Where to keep the car etc. I have my No.11 car (two legs), so I can go to station easily to catch train, which is more practical for me.”
I was wonder to see the case. Really a niṣkiñcana sādhu like him can teach us that way. Always he used to avoid taking pūjā from others. Then what to speak about the Vyāsa–pūjā day. Without speaking anything to anybody, only with the sevaka he used to go away to some other place on that particular day, very early in the morning or even sometime previous day. Nobody could trace out about the whereabout of Śrīla Mahārāja, who knows where he gone.
One such incident I can remember, Śrīla Mahārāja went to the house of a very very poor disciple in a village at 24 Pargāṇās. Even in dream they cannot expect that Śrīla Gurudeva can come to our house to accept sevā on this particular day. Impossible! When they could discover that Śrīla Gurudeva coming towards their house, then they became overflowing with joy like a mad. That was his specialty. Irrespective of caste and class, rich or poor he was always merciful to all.
Another incident I can remember, he was very sick in fever at the time of his Assam preaching tour. Assamese poor village men they are very very simple-hearted by nature. Whatever simple sevā were possible for them, that all were more than enough for him. This is the symptom of a genuine sādhu. Always satisfaction, no grievance at all.
Watching Śrī Gurudeva very sick, the mother of the house was so much anxious and nervous that she immediately started massaging the head of Śrīla Gurudeva Mahārāja to give him some relief of his headache. In the mean time sevaka started shouting—“Don’t touch Gurudeva”. But Śrīla Mahārāja started giving green signal, which is really impossible to understand.
We can remember the case of Ādi-vāsya woman (one tribal lady), who without proper knowledge and information started climbing the shoulder of Śrīman Mahāprabhu at Jagannātha temple to watch Jagannātha Deva properly, because there was too much rush inside the temple. Specially that time Śrīman Mahāprabhu was favorable for that poor Matajī. Why? He told—“Let her see Jagannātha Deva up to her full satisfaction, don’t disturb her, even I don’t have that kind of tremendous attraction for Mahāprabhu Jagannātha,” whereas the sevaka Govinda and other devotees they were very much upset to see the case. They wanted to make Matajī come down immediately.
We know that Śrīman Mahāprabhu was very very strict about woman related matters. Then why He was suddenly so soft and kind hearted. That is the main question. Bhagavān or Guru–Vaiṣṇava can realise our heart, so accordingly they can respond.
We can see Śrīman Mahāprabhu was so strict—so strict that he was not at all ready to excuse Choṭṭa Haridāsa. Whereas He was very much proud of Śrī Rāi Rāmānanda, even when he was found in direct link or contact with some young girl group (Devadāsī). We can realise all those siddhāntas.
About guru–sevā, about Caitanya–vāṇī preaching or about bhikṣā–sevā always he was so energetic that even the whole group of Vaiṣṇavas in Vedānta Samiti could not make any competition with him. Without any smell of self-interest or pratiṣṭhā, his vāṇī–sevā was so much effective and heart touching that I am speechless to describe.
One incident I can remember when he was busy in his preaching tour at 24 Pargāṇās at some villages. Backward area, poor people, still it matters little for Śrīla Mahārāja. Some foolish sevaka was found passing some unusual remark that–“No profit here, only wastage of time and bhajana.” Immediately Śrīla Mahārāj started speaking in a protesting mood that—“You all cannot do preaching sevā, because for preaching sevā enough patience and mercy you need to have for all bonded souls.”
Another such incident was in Assam, due to torrential rain, a big Dharma Sabhā was totally disturbed. All his important Godbrothers were there in the preaching team, they all refused to go to attain the Dharma Sabhā due to natural calamity, but Śrīla Mahārāja with big hope and enthusiasm went alone to attain the Dharma Sabhā by holding one umbrella on head.
Really it was a great surprise that thousands of common people of Assam—they all went to attain the Dharma Sabhā with a great hope to get sādhu–saṅga, even by ignoring that kind of unexpected natural calamity. It was really strange that the Dharma Sabhā was a great success with a lengthy powerful speech delivered by Śrīla Mahārāj out of his causeless mercy for those innocent common poor people of Assam.
Unparallel and unique Ācārya-ship, no doubt in it. I was really moved by his unique Guru–sevā mood. So it is rightly said that—“keśava dhṛta–vāmana–rūpa ………”
kṛpā-sindhu susampūrṇaḥ sarva–sattvopakārakaḥ
niṣpṛhaḥ sarvataḥ siddhaḥ sarva–vidyā–viśāradaḥ
sarva–saṁśaya–sañchettā ‘nalaso gurur āhṛtaḥ (Hari–bhakti–vilāsa 1.45–46)
Such person is called Guru who is an ocean of mercy, who feels pain on seeing the unhappiness of others, who is always satisfied (saturated) and who works for the welfare of others, who does not desire sense gratification, who is perfect in all respects, who is expert in all scriptural knowledge, who removes the doubts of his followers and who is not lazy (always busy in serving the Lord).
This is the topmost (perfect) definition of guru–tattva shown by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmipād in Hari–bhakti–vilāsa, which is properly applicable in the case of the Ācārya-ship of Śrīla Bhakti Vedānta Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja. This much I can say safely.
I like to draw the final touch of my writing with a sensitive feeling he developed before leaving his transcendental body which is just matching with my painful experience in my life.
“To tell the truth, seeing the present state [of the world] I do not have the desire to go anywhere anymore. Man’s heart is extremely polluted. No one is accustomed to seeing the good in others. Hatred, violence, envy, blasphemy, flattery, and hopes of profit, worship, and prestige have turned the life of the people upside down. There is at present a dearth of love, affection, and goodness amidst mankind. Self-absorption and bravado have gained solid establishment in every field. If there is no patience, tolerance, and simplicity among mankind, then what is sādhana–bhajana for? Seeing all of this, I have personally become very reserved. I am just trying to go forward with what little humanity I have. After a great deal, by the blessings of Guru and Vaiṣṇavas, I have become human. Therefore, I do not wish to waste time with inimical people. Hence, my sole aspiration is to lead a solitary life. I am accustomed to leading a solitary existence even in the midst of many people.” (Patrāmṛta, Letter 48)
[Herein is proven his limitless ability to remain unaffected. He would say, “I am in the middle of everything, but also not in the middle of anything—without adopting this sort of attitude, it is not possible to perform hari–bhajana.” He was the embodiment of this statement.]
When he was almost going to express sick līlā during his staying at Hālādarbāgān, one day I saw him paying daṇḍavat–praṇām to Śrī Śrī Rādhā–Vinoda Bihārī Vigraha. I was really moved to see his heavy loveful emotional exchange of views with those vigrahas. As if he was talking with them very freely just like my Paramahaṁsa Gurudeva Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Pramode Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
Almost last stage—in his old age while he was at Seorāphuli–Nimāi–Tīrtha Ghāṭ—Śrī Nimāi–tīrtha Gauḍīya Maṭh, then one day one of his aged famous Godbrother come to meet him there at his bhajana–kuṭīra. That Mahārāj asked him—“Mahārāja! Can you identify me?”
Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāja replayed him very gently that—“Yes I can identify you. You are Kṛṣṇa dāsa.” Then that Mahārāj again asked him that—“If I am Kṛṣṇa dāsa then what is your identity?” Then Śrīla Vāmana Gosvāmī Mahārāj replayed that—“I am Guru dāsa.” This way he wanted to indicate us his Rādhā–dāsya.
Due to my continuous publication sevā, very often I was bound to go to Kolkata press, so naturally Hālādarbāgān Maṭh darśan was a frequent event for me. Later on when he took decision to stay at Seorāphuli Nimāi Tīrtha Gauḍīya Maṭh at the bank of Gaṅgā Jī—the place which I too like very much was my pilgrimage. My late night return journey from Kolkata press was not at all approved by devotees, so naturally I was bound to stay at Nimāi Tīrtha Gauḍīya Maṭh to take darśan of Śrīla Mahārāj there.
Very often he was found speaking with somebody invisible at the night time when he was supposed to go sleep. When he was asked politely by the sevaka about this matter, then he started giving answer that—“My master coming to advice me. I am always controlled by my Guruvarga, I am never independent.” Really he was a very orthodox Gauḍīya sādhu.
He never used to maintain any bank account. Once being asked by one of his Godbrother about his bank deposit amount. The question was—“How much amount you have in your bank account?” Śrīla Mahārāja straightway pointed out his own pocket bank only. This way he used to maintain the whole Gauḍīya Vedānta Samiti.
“Kṛṣṇaika–śaraṇa” is the most vital and central point of all the qualities that a Vaiṣṇava can have, he was totally established in this quality—“kṛṣṇaika–śaraṇa.” I am also trying my best to follow the same principle in my bhajana life. Śrīla Vāmana Deva Gosvāmī is the complete embodiment of the “tṛṇād api sunīc bhāva.”
Truly yours in the service of Guru–Gaurāṅga and Go–mātā
All your beloved Śyām Bābā
Gaura Hari Hari Bol