His Priceless Instructions to Me

I offer my koti dandavat pranam to my beloved Gurudevas,

Om visnupada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Gosvami Maharaj,

to Srila Bhakti Vedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaj and

to Srila Bhakti Vijnana Bharati Gosvami Maharaj.

I can never repay these Mahajan. How can an insignificant soul like me glorify such great souls? But for my own purification I will repeat their teachings.

I first met Srila Bharati Maharaj in 2011 in Chandigarh. I was very impressed with his humility and affection, he was like an real chachaji (uncle). During one afternoon walk in the small park behind the Chandigarh math I asked him, “Srila Maharaj, can we get bhava bhakti in this life?” He said “Yes” and I started to cry.

Almost every year we would go for Gaura purnima to hear Harikatha from him, he would say parikrama should be done in the association of pranaya bhakta.

In 2017, it was his last time in Puri. We stayed about one month to hear from him. One morning I entered his room for darshan, Madhava Priya prabhu was present there, Srila Maharaj told him, “She is a serious student”. At that time I understood that Srila Maharaj wants me to become serious.

One day I asked Srila Maharaj, “My Gurudeva told me to preach but now almost for 7 years I am staying in Radha kunda and trying to do bhajan.” He answered, “Smarana will come as a result of performing kirtana and at that time bhajan in seclusion becomes possible. For now, you should preach.”

So before leaving for the west (that was the only place where I knew some devotees where we could share some Harikatha) I went to see him in Faridabad and asked him, “Srila Maharaj what if I become proud while preaching?” He said, “Then chant loudly”, I again cried before him.

He then give the example of Vasudeva datta, that he had leprosy. One time Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu embraced him and his disease was gone, he became so beautiful. Vasudeva datta told Mahaprabhu, “What have you done? Now I will become proud of my beauty, high birth etc.” Mahaprabhu told him, “You will not become proud and we will meet here again.”

Till this day Srila Maharaja is teaching me to become serious and not to become proud. I had serious accident while preaching in the West but Srila Maharaj always came to my rescue. One night he even came in my dream to console me, sent by Sri Radha at that time I was convinced that Srila Maharaj was Radha's kinkari. Srila Maharaj's glories are unlimited but not everything can be openly said.

Today I beg at his lotus feet, please forgive all my offenses, and continue to purify me so that one day I can be used in your and my Gurudeva’s seva.

Vaishnava thakur ki jaya!