All glories to Sri Sri Guru & Gauranga
By Śrī Śrīla Shyām Dās Bābā Mahārāj
Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda Paramahaṁsa Jagat Guru told that—“When one can get established in guru-tattva then and only then can he start hari-bhajan in true sense, not before that.” What we cannot see, or what we cannot feel, how is it possible for us to worship that object? To rectify our darśana is the prior need. So, when we can see the transcendental beauty of the Lotus Feet of Śrī Gurudeva, then and only then can we try to do our actual sevā (effective sevā) from heart. Today is the avirbhāva tithi of my Guru Pāda Padma. Excuse me, actually I have no right to say the word “my Guru Pāda Padma”. Because when my life and soul will be totally harmonized with śrī guru charan and when I can accept śrī guru charan as my only property (or only support), then it will be possible for me to speak that way.
The main question is how much sacrifice I have done in my life for my Guru Pāda Padma, or how much dedication I have unto the Lotus feet of Guru Pāda Padma so that I can have the right to say “my Guru Pāda Padma”—that is the most vital question. Śrīla Prabhupāda used to say that usually inside the heart of a sat-śiṣya every fraction of second guru-pūjā (vyāsa–pūjā) going on. So nonstop guru-pūjā in the life of a sat-śiṣya, can prove that there is no trace of māyā-darśana in his life. When each and every object or each and every man and women can be felt as an object of guru–sevā, then surely Māyā cannot be there to make any disturbance in the way of bhagavat-sevā (vaikuṇṭha–sevā). All the actions or activities like eating, sleeping, going, looking, etc. in the life of a guru das should have a link with guru-sevā. Each and every action in his life should go on smoothly for the satisfaction of Śrī Gurudeva. Such a sat-śiṣya of a Sad Guru will surely attain success in his bhajan life. Also, from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we can see the following śloka —
vettha tvaṁ saumya tat sarvaṁ
tattvatas tad-anugrahāt
brūyuḥ snigdhasya śiṣyasya
guravo guhyam apy uta (ŚB 1.1.8)
Because of the complete loveful submissive mood of gentle disciple, those sad gurus (tattva vit puruṣas) can unveil all the secret mysteries relating to bhajan in front of such disciple without keeping any privacy.
Again Śrīla Śrīnivas Acharya told that —
balavān adara yasyo na syat guru padamboje
srutair api sat sastroyh kṛṣṇe bhaktir na jayate
So long as the disciple has no strong affinity and love unto the Lotus Feet of Sat-Guru, till then only śāstra-jñāna (scriptural knowledge) cannot give him kṛṣṇa bhakti at all.
Gaura Hari Hari Bol