Excerpts from the Harikatha (SBen 190428) given on the appearance day of Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhi Pati Paramahaṃsācārya Varya Śri Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākur Prabhupāda said that—“Bonded souls can exhibit submission unto the lotus feet of guru-vaiṣṇava up to the point if personal interest is not disturbed, when personal interest is disturbed or hampered then the exhibition of anugatya became closed. In that case first they can start non-cooperation with Guru-Vaishnava, secondly they can start competition with them and finally they can start confrontation.
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam (ŚB 11.3.21)
Anyone who seek for the absolute mangal must approach a bonafide Sat-guru who is completely vers in both shabda brahma and para brahma and at the same time who is completely saturated due to his direct realisation of sevananda of the absolute (Parabrahma).
Guru-Vaishnava they are never interested about labha-puja-prathista
Guru-vaiṣṇava they are the emobodyment of trinad api sunic sloka, so they are less interested to collect labha-puja-prathista because all their activities are for the complete satisfaction of Bhagavan. But bonded souls they are always busy to collect labha-puja-prathista in the name of Haribhajan, they are just like business man, because without any self-interest they are less interested to do anything. So we can find the following sloka from Srimad Bhagavatam spoken by Srila Prahlad Maharaj.
nānyathā te ’khila-guro
ghaṭeta karuṇātmanaḥ
yas ta āśiṣa āśāste
na sa bhṛtyaḥ sa vai vaṇik (ŚB 7.10.4)
Otherwise, O my Lord, O supreme instructor of the entire world, You are so kind to Your devotee that You could not induce him to do something unbeneficial for him. On the other hand, one who desires some material benefit in exchange for devotional service cannot be Your pure devotee. Indeed, he is no other than a merchant who wants profit in exchange for service.
Those who are expecting self-interest from prabhu surely they are not sevak but a business man
guror anugraheṇaiva pumān pūrṇaḥ praśāntaye
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 10.80.43)
“Simply by the grace of Sat-Guru, a person can fulfil the absolute purpose of his life and can attain eternal peace.”
By the mercy of pure guru-vaiṣṇava we can get complete satisfaction in our life because of the complete saturation of mind. Bhagavān Sri Kṛṣṇa and his Gurukul friend Sudāmā Vipra in course of their personal discussion at Dwaraka Dham wanted to unveil the mystery of Guru-seva. Actually total satisfaction of mind is only possible when we are established in Bhagavat bhakti. Because bhakti is the nectar of our life and soul. In this regard we can remember one sloka from tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam spoken by Sri Krsna Bhagavan Himself—
mayi bhaktir hi bhūtānām
amṛtatvāya kalpate
diṣṭyā yad āsīn mat-sneho
bhavatīnāṁ mad-āpanaḥ (ŚB 10.82.44)
Devotion unto my Lotus feet is called amrita (nectar). But by your good fortune you have developed a special loving affair toward Me, by which I am your’s.
From Srimad Bhagavatam 11.3.21 Sloka we can see the following siddhanta vichar –
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta
jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ
brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam (ŚB 11.3.21)
Anyone who seek for the absolute mangal must approach a bonafide Sat-guru who is completely vers in both shabda brahma and at the same time who is completely saturated due to his direct realisation of sevananda of the absolute (Parabrahma).
Śabda-brahma is the sound incarnation of Supreme Lord Himself and is equal to Parabrahma. Śabda-brahma reaches us through the authentic channel of guru-vaiṣṇava. “Sābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ” means one should have a direct feeling (clear conception) about shabda brahma and para brahma.
The guru from whom we are taking initiation should have direct feeling about both Śabda-brahma and Parabrahma; I mean the knowledge of direct feeling or realisation of Supreme Lord.
Upaśamāśrayam means complete remedy from material disease which can otherwise put us in to the ocean of misery. No feeling of dissatisfaction can be there at this stage and complete transcendental bliss can prevail inside heart.
At present, people are suspicious and they do not have cent per cent belief in guru-vaiṣṇava. Srila Prabhupāda and Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura said that according to the degree of our submission, we can get kṛpā of Sadhu-Guru-Vaishnava.
Guru-vaiṣṇavas are vāñchā-kalpataru–wish yielding tree. Sometime guru-vaiṣṇava become bound to make an ācārya. That does not mean that ācārya become equal to Gurudev. But somebody thinking otherwise. One appointed acharya must come up to the level of Gurudeva regarding siddhanta vichar, bhava and acharan. As long as one is going to follow Gurudev in toto, then he can get total power from Gurudev. There is no question of manipulation. When one is in constant connection with Gurudev, then he can get total power to act as ācārya, otherwise not. Ultimately one can become a sahajīya-guru and can get lost forever in the ocean of maya. By perfect acharan one can be known as ācārya. A tree is known by its fruits.
When he was appointed as Ācārya, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja thought he was a most unfit person and had no good qualities. He wanted to express himself as a most wicked personality. Gurudev wanted to correct me so he gave so much sevā. His feeling was that–I am bound now to pay so much attention to my seva as an acharya, and I cannot do any non-devotional activities. He accepted this in the following way that for this reason Gurudev has given me the leadership position.
Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja is a living embodiment of tṛṇād api sunīcena bhava. My Gurupādapadma, Śrī Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāja also said that he is a living example of taror api sahiṣṇunā bhava.
Without the mercy of guru-vaiṣṇava we cannot do anything. We have dirty darśana, we have no idea who is a vaiṣṇava. Those Vaishanvas they can have all the pratiṣṭhā of the world within their grip, but they can easily avoid it.
Guru Mahārāja used to say to me that, “You are a servant. Servant means you should not have any free will. Your duty is only to serve Gurudev and Kṛṣṇa. If you have any free will which is not favorable, then you are not śiṣya, not a disciple of sadguru.” Practically we see this in the life of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja. The surrounding situation in which he was put was completely reversed, but he always took this as favourable. So many people, even his disciples, his godbrothers wanted to make a fool of him.
He used to say, “Zero, zero, zero, everything is zero.” Mahārāja used to shout that way, emphasizing how easily one could finish their spiritual life due to foolishness. Everything is zero in our life when we are all doing the opposite of what we are to follow, so we cannot get any benefit. Guru-vaiṣṇava is more powerful than Sun God, guru-vaiṣṇava is more powerful than fire, Guru-vaiṣṇava is more powerful than brahmin, we do not know—that is why we like to play with them. If we are burnt up by fire, somehow we can apply medicine and can recover after some time. But to play with guru-vaishnava is dangerous.
By the mercy of Srila Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, I could realize something of guru-vaiṣṇava. Externally we cannot understand him. Mahājanas may appear to be doing everything just like the average person, but they are beyond material limit.
King Yudhiṣṭhira said to Viduraji:
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā (ŚB 1.13.10)
“My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.”
I never think that Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja is my god-brother. Not only is he the Ācārya of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, but he is also my Ācārya. Although others may not agree, but I think Sree Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha is my maṭha, and I remember the glories of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrīla Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja because they are my siksha gurus.
I learned so many things from their character, behavior, and perseverance. His enduring power continues to revive me even today. If any of you were in my place, you would have died due to heart failure. I am still living today because I have vivid example in front of me in the form of SrilaTirtha Gosvami Mahārāja.
I have seen so much strength in the life of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, you cannot even imagine how much patience he showed. Really I am bound to confess that I am receiving kṛpā from Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. They are watching me, blessing me from above.
With tears rolling down my cheeks, I wrote one letter to Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja that—“I am the only person going to get your full kṛpā.”
Due to my strictness and absolute siddhanta vichar people could not accept me as their friend. My whole life I am like a vagabond. But now the Lord is giving me everything. I never expected the kind of honor I have received in my life, but it can never touch (contaminate) my heart. I wonder what kind of pratiṣṭhā my Guruvarga giving me to test me!
In the present times, it is shocking to see some people can fight with their Gurudev. Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja never used to look directly into the eyes of his Gurudev; he was always full of shyness and used to look down. Whenever he spoke to him, he was only looking down, saying, “Yes, yes;” he had this kind of humbleness.
If his Gurudev told him to call Narottam Prabhu (Śrīla Bhāratī Mahārāja), he would not call out loudly. He had such a humble attitude that he thought Vaiṣṇava should not be called that way. He would climb the stairs up several floors and knock on the door very gently. When asked why he had come, he would say, “Gurudev is calling you, please go.” I can never forget his humble attitude ever in my life. My Gurudev used to say, “I have never seen anyone so humble as Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja.”
When I was a brahmacārī, Mahārāja used to give me many sevā. Very often Srila Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja (in-charge of Śrī Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, Kolkata the disciple of Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja) used to ring to our maṭha and say, “Immediately you can send Śyāmal Kṛṣṇa. Tirtha Mahārāja needs one sevā”. I immediately used to run to meet him. I was very lucky. Most of the time I used to stay at Sree Caitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha (Calcutta) with Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Mahārāja and when I would come back, I would be with my Paramahamsa Guru Deva. Most of the time I used to be with Srila Tirtha Gosvami Mahārāja, Hṛṣīkeśa Mahārāja, and Bhāratī Mahārāja because most of my vani seva was there at Kolkata.
Whenever Srila Tirtha Mahārāja spoke to me, he said apni, the way to address someone with honor. Several times he asked me to go to Kolkata airport to receive some foreign devotee. Sometimes devotees were coming to take initiation or to take darshan of his highness. He used to give one placard with the name of the person I was to receive so that we could recognize each other since they were coming from abroad. I spoke hari-kathā to them during the car ride to help them prepare their mood before meeting with Srila Tirtha Mahārāja. In this way, I used to get sevā on behalf of my Guru Mahārāja and Srila Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja. I am very lucky.
Anyone can fight with me; let them make a group against me. I am depending on the mercy of Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and Srila Bhakti Vijñāna Bhāratī Mahārāja. Today I pray unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja, my shiksa Gurupādapadma, to please bless me. I am facing countless problems in my life, but still I am not fed up. Please save me and guide me, so that I can reach my goal of nitya-sevā– this is my prayer unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās
tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni
svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja is himself a real pilgrimage. If we go and take bath in his transcendental life history (aprākṛta jīvān darśana) and listen to his hari-kathā, we can then become great devotees.
I wrote one book named—“In search of a real pilgrimage”, by the order of Guru-Vaishnavas on the most auspicious moment of his 50 years of compilation of his sannyas taking.
Gaura Hari Hari Bol
Additional Text Spoken on April 9, 2022 in Mayapur
Excerpts combined from these 2 classes:
SBen180325 Appearance of Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī
SBen220409 In search of real pilgrimage, Glorification of Śrīla bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja
Today I feel myself lucky to attain the assembly (Dharma Sabha) to honor his tirobhava tithi. My śikṣā-guru Śrīla Bhakti Ballabha Tirtha Gosvāmī Mahārāja was a great Vaiṣṇava according to the symptoms written in śāstras. Tremendous love for Guru-Vaiṣṇava to serve them from heart can give the real identity of a true Vaiṣṇava. By birth he was a sādhu (Vaiṣṇava). Near his previous house (Assam Gualpara) an ancient Śiva Mandire was there to give him a scope to serve Vaiṣṇava Raj Shyambu daily with water and Bilvapatram to satisfy him. Sometime parents used to express anxiety about the whereabouts of the boy. Usually, he used to go to the Śiva Mandire to do meditation. A pair of snakes male/femal, very long figure where there in the temple to serve Shivji Mahārāja. The first darśana of Śrīla Bhakti Daitya Madhava Gosvāmī Mahārāja–his Gurudeva was a miracle. In course of his return journey from high school he could realise the presence of sādhu in one house by watching saffron cloth drying on the roof of the building. An inquiry in this regard confirmed the fact, so he took decision to attain the hari-kathā that day evening time. But by the first darśana of Śrīla Gurudeva , it was more than sufficient for him to sell himself unto his lotus feet. Then onward he done his BA., MA. both the courses from Kolkata University. Finally he took decision to take admission in the Barista ship legal course with the Kolkota University, but after someday his meeting but after someday his meeting (double) with Śrīla Gurudeva and his associate Śrīla Kesava Prabhu (a disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda) he was bound to change his decision, because he could realise that it would be more practical to join the mission of Śrīla Gurudeva to avoid all dirty association in the form of legal prosecution like murder case, rape case or robbery etc. etc. as a judge or judicial head. He left his home to join Śrīla Gurudeva to serve him from heart. He took harinama and dīkṣā from Śrīla Gurudeva. His nonstop seva mood was so remarkable that even Śrīla Gurudeva was very much impressed. He never wanted to get control over anybody. Always with humble submissive tṛṇād api sunīc bhava he exposed himself in front of everybody, that was the only reason for why his hari-kīrtana was heart touching. Śrīla Gurudeva selected him as the future successor of Śrī Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha, but after Gurudeva gone from this material world when he was appointed as the ācārya of the society, then he did not want to take the post. Then he started lamenting that I am the worst of all, qualification so that I can take the charge of Ācāryaship. He started speaking that Śrīla Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Gosvāmī Mahārāja is a suitable candidate for this post of ācārya as a Brahman born guru-sevaka. With a deep feeling of separation together with a feeling of pain for being appointed as ācārya he left for Govinda Kunda Govardhan Vṛndāvana to hide himself. But shortly he was found by the father by Giridhari Panda (Gauḍīya Maṭha panda) who was successful to bring him in front of GBC members of the Maṭha by showing him a false panic of suicide. So, he was bound to take up the responsibility given by Śrīla Gurudeva as an ācārya of the Maṭha–the main sevaka of the Maṭha with the feeling that this is one kind of severe punishment given by Śrīla Gurudeva to me a most wicked personality to rectify me.
By the causeless mercy of my paramahaṁsa Gurudeva Śrīla Bhakti Pramode Puri Gosvāmī Mahārāja I took with veṣa (paramahaṁsa veṣa) on rasa pūrṇimā day in the year of 1998
Kartik at the most sensitive vipralambha kṣetra Śrī Nilachal Dham. He was the first person with whom I wanted to meet after taking veṣa. That time he was at Kolkata Śrī Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha Satishmukeerji road. I was assured about my meeting with Śrīla Mahārāja at the nighttime same day by Śrīla Hrisikesh Mahārāja –the then time Maṭha in charge there—who was a ex-service holder at Writters building, as the secretary of the Finance minister of Bengal Ashok Mitra, who used to love me very much. Nighttime around 10 pm when I entered the room of Śrīla Mahārāja with very shy full mood together with Śrīla Hrisikes Mahārāja then he was just surprised to see me in white veṣa and started speaking— “Why Shyamal Kṛṣṇa white veṣa! He should have taken sannyāsa veṣa for preaching purpose”. I answered with a soft humble mood that preaching is only possible for a self-realised sādhu like you, how it can be possible for me. But he confirmed with full confidence that though you are in white veṣa still you should preach about that absolute truth (Gaura vani). So what I am today. But because of my habit of speaking about that absolute siddhānta vichar under the guidance of Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda I could not get any favour anywhere to stay for long time. So my life was just like a Vagabond. One day I wrote one letter to him with tears rolling down my cheeks from Śrī Dham Vṛndāvana (Śrī Chaitanya Gauḍīya Maṭha where I used to stay to speak hari-kathā in the Maṭha by the order of Śrīla Mahārāja) because of the same bad treatment received there due to my absolute speech. I wrote to him that – “Be sure that I am the only person to receive your full kṛpā, nobody else, not even any one of your disciples” In my whole life the only blame that I received that I am very strict (no compromise with wrong siddhānta vichar or wrong acharan). Once I wanted to put one vital question for my conformation that – “How a sādhu can go on doing bhajana with full rigidity in a very negative situation”. He with a smiling face started speaking to me that – “A sādhu never feel disturbance due to adverse situation, because as per the opinion of a sādhu all happening for good, all favourable, that is called Vaikuntha darśana “. I was very much happy to get consolation inside my heart. Once he asked me my opinion about going to America with him in a preaching tour. I answered him very politely that— “I am in māyā, so I should not go there to any foreign country”. He was very much satisfied hearing my answer. Once at Kṛṣṇa Nagar Branch Maṭha he told me that you are my god brother, but I rejected by saying that you are my guru. I was very much lucky to receive different kinds of seva from him time to time like vani seva or to receive some foreign devotees from Kolkata airport to make them half mould before they meet with Śrīla Mahārāja. Time to time according to his instruction I was bound to join his preaching team, but I never wanted to speak in front of him because of my lowness or shyness. The only problem I had to meet in preaching tour was the non-availability of soft light prasādam suitable for my health, but he could realize the problem and wanted to solve this by providing the same prasādam blade what he used to accept. I was really very much delighted to see his endless mercy on me