Mercy of Vaishnavas are The Crest Jewel in Our Life
On the holy appearance day of Srila Bhakti Vigyan Bharati Maharaja:
When I joined Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math in 2008 from that time I have seen Srila Bharati Maharaj and several times got the opportunity of listening to his beautiful harikatha at Kolkata Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math. During that period most of the time, Srila Maharaj was residing in Kolkata so we would get the chance to hear from him every day. I would like to share some sweet moments with Srila Maharaj on this day. I offer these words as a pushpanjali unto the feet of Maharaj and its a request to the readers if you find any mistake in my writing please forgive me thinking to be an insignificant person. The best thing I have ever seen is the beautiful loving exchange between Srila Gurudev (Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja) and Srila Bharati Vigyan Bharati Maharaja. I have seen when they would meet each other how Srila Gurudev would softly start patting on Maharaja's shoulder and chest with so much love and affection like a brother and Maharaj would relish it. I have seen that moment several times inside the Bhajan Kutir of Srila Paramgurudev (Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaja) in Kolkata Math. When everyday Narottam Prabhu(Sevak of Srila Maharaj) would come to have darshan of Srila Gurudev in the evening. Srila Gurudev would inquire every day about the health conditions of Srila Maharaja. Srila Gurudev was always concerned about Srila Maharaja and his other god-brothers. Later, by the grace of Srila Gurudev (Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja) and Srila Bhakti Vigyan Bharati Maharaj, I started to translate Maharaja's harikatha from Bengali to English every day at the temple hall. In 2011 Purushottam Month Srila Maharaj was residing at Kolkata Math and the entire month he spoke harikatha and I got the service of translating his Katha online and to all the western devotees. The last day of Purushottam Month after the Katha I went up to him to pay my obeisances while one of my godbrothers commented: "Maharaj you should bless Sundar Gopal maybe by your blessing he can go to the west" Srila Maharaja replied looking at me "If Krishna desires he will definitely no one can stop him". I remember another sweet exchange in Jagannath Puri during the Annual Rathayatra Festival 2013. 2012 Ratha-yatra was tragic for me. I fell in front of the chariot of Jagannath and I lost all hope of surviving I was being stamped and very badly I was hurt so the next year 2013 I didn't take risk of going and pulling the chariot. I thought I will rather stand on the terrace of the math and will take darshan of the deities. So after Jagannath's chariot crossed our math I came down from the terrace and I saw Srila Bharati Maharaj was sitting on the wooden bench just outside the temple office. I went to pay my obeisances then he asked: "Did you pulled the chariot?" I said " No, Maharaj last year I fell so I was scared to go in between that huge crowd. I was standing on the terrace and had darshan." Maharaj immediately chastised me so sweetly I still remember. He said " If you are coming to Puri during Rathayatra and not participating in the kirtan on the road or not pulling the rath then for what you have come?. If I would have been not this old I would run to pull the chariot in-between that huge crowd. You are a young boy, you are not old that you will have to stand on the terrace and have to see the chariots from there. You have the strength go and pull- Jagannath will rescue you." When Srila Maharaja said like that- I got some courage and then I ran to pull the rath. The words of the devotees have so much power that immediately it inspires one from inside to do the task.
Another moment I remember with Srila Maharaj when I took my mother Ranga Manjari Dasi to have darshan and receive blessings from Srila Maharaja in . It was Janmashtami Festival at Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Kolkata 2013. Many devotees gathered at the math to celebrate the festival and Srila Gurudev and Maharaj would both speak on the Janmashtami Day in the temple hall of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math. On the evening of the preliminary festival of Janmashtami, I and my mother went inside the bhajan kutir of Srila Maharaja. I introduced Maharaj to my mother and after she paid her obeisances Maharaj said " I have never seen your mother before. This is the first time she is coming?. I said: " Yes, Maharaja, as she is working she doesn't get much time to come but today she managed to come." Then Maharaj gave khaja prasad of Jagannath to both of us. I further asked, "Maharaj please bless my mother" then Maharaj by giving a broad smile blessed her by saying "May she attain devotion unto the lotus feet of Krishna". After she received the blessings from Srila Maharaja she was extremely happy. Without the mercy of the Vaishnavas, it is very difficult to attain Krishna Bhakti. The devotees of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math were very fortunate to have Srila Gurudev (Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja) as their Guru and Srila Bhakti Vigyan Bharati Goswami Maharaja as their Siksha Guru. Whenever Srila Maharaj was in Kolkata we all were benefitted by his beautiful and inspiring harikatha. Till date, Srila Maharaja is being remembered and respected in the hearts of the devotees of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math. Srila Gurudev and Srila Maharaja are happily united in Sri Dham Mayapur with their most worshippable object, their Srila Gurudev (Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaja) and Srila Prabhupada Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Goswami Thakura. So, on this auspicious occasion of his holy appearance festival, I pay my dandavat pranam unto his feet and whatever offences knowingly or unknowingly I have committed unto his feet may he forgive all those and bless me with one-pointed devotion unto the lotus feet of my Sri Guru, Vaishnavas, and Bhagavan. aspiring to be vaishnavadasanudas Sundar Gopal Das (Kolkata)