Eternal Bond between Gurudeva’s
Sri gurave Sri gaur Chandraya sah parikar yugal kishoraya ca
Brajdhamaya purushottam kshetraya radha vanayacha namo namah
Vrindayai tulsi-devyai priyayai kesavasya ca
Krishna bhakti prade devi satya vatyai namo namah
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare .
First of all, I pay my humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of my paramaradhya guru padpadma Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Swami Astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Srila Vamana Goswami Maharaj, Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa Swami Astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj, Srila Trivikrama Goswami Maharaj and associaties of Prabhupada Saraswati Thakur and all Guruvargas and I convey my dandavat pranam according to gradation of devotees all over the world.
Today is a very very auspicious tithi (day) for us.
One – my Diksa Guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaj Appearance Day. On the other hand, my Siksa Guru, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Goswami Maharaj Disappearance Day.
When Gurudev joined in Math,…
Gurudev in his beginning life was a police officer. Police duty shifts like 10pm to 6am, 6am to 2pm, 2pm to 10pm. So Gurudev duty has changed. Now his shift will start 10pm to 6am. Gurudev thought, “Oh, my office is only walking distance, 5 mins away from here. Better I chant some rounds. So he was chanting, chanting and he forgot completely that he has to attend his duty. At that time, India was ruled by the British. On that very day, the Inspector was supposed to come for inspection. At about 4.30am, Gurudev came to his external senses. Gurudev thought, “Oh my God, fie on me, fie on me. I forgot to attend my duty. Today the Inspector is supposed to come. …….. My father has a lot of cultivated land. I joined this police department as a hobby. No matter, let’s go to the spot what happened to check.
Gurudev came and asked his friends, “My dear friends, today the Inspector came and what happened?”
So his friends said, “Yes, the Inspector came for inspection. You saluted him. Being very smart, you answered all his questions that he could not answer. He became very happy and he gave you high promotion.”
Gurudev told, “My dear friends, I was not there.”
His friends said, “Oh Tiwariji, don’t tell lies. Being a Brahmin boy, why are you lying?”
Gurudev said, “No my friends, I am not lying. I am speaking the truth, I was not present.”
His friends told, “Do you think we don’t recognise you? Only you got a high promotion, so you are joking with us. You may joke, no harm.”
Gurudev said, “No, no, no, I was not present, I was very busy in my personal work.”
Then they(friends) brought that copy.
His friends said, “Oh Tiwariji, who signed here? You yourself? Or did we imitate your signature?”
Then Gurudev wondered, “This is my signature?” Gurudev could not recognise that it was his signature or whose, because Krishna signed on behalf of Gurudev, so it will be same.
Then Gurudev with tears dropping down so much (from his eyes and made up his mind), told, “Ok, no more service, now I have to give up and quit my job.” So next day, Gurudev quit his job and came to Sri Navadvip dham.
So Gurudev (BV Narayan Maharaj) came and he deboarded in Nabadwip station. The dark night, Gurudev thinking, “O My God! What to do? Maybe I have to spend the night in this railway station but next day, where shall I put my first step? East, West, North, South – which direction? I don’t know Bengali at all and they don’t know Hindi, so what to do? And general people could not understand English, what shall I do now? Let me stay overnight and in the morning when the sun will shine then I shall leave.” When Gurudev came from his office, in complete police dress with one lota and one blanket and a few passengers also deboarded there but they gone. Then Gurudev heard, “Tiwariji is here! Tiwariji is here!” Gurudev thought, “Who is calling out my name?” Then Gurudev said, “Yes I am Tiwariji! I am Tiwariji!” Gurudev saw one light coming but could not see who is coming. When they came close to each other then Gurdev did pranam and they both did pranam to each other. Then Gurudev asked, “Who are you?” Then my Guru Maharaj (BV Vaman Maharaj) told, “I am Sajjana-sevaka Brahmacari.” My Guru Maharaj (Srila Vaman Goswami Maharaj) brahmacari name was Sajjana-sevaka Brahmacari. Gurudev (BV Narayan Maharaj) knew that because Gurudev always on every 7 days or 10 days would write letters to Param Gurudev (BP Keshav Goswami Maharaj) and Param Gurudev always replying. Gurudev would write in English and Param Gurudev would also write in English. But Param Gurudev gave dictation to my Guru Maharaj and time to time he would mention his name Sajjana-sevaka Brahmacari so Gurudev heard and read his name a few times. Gurudev told, “O Prabhu, I never wrote to Guru Maharaj that I am coming this very day, how you knew?” Then my Guru Maharaj told, “This morning early morning at about 4am, Mahaprabhu appeared in front of our Gurudev, Srila BP Keshav Goswami Maharaj and told him, “Your sevak Narayan Tiwari will come this time. You can send someone to bring him to your ashram so Guru Maharaj sent him. So then they came and joined the Devananda Gaudiya Math.
So when Gurudev departed from this world in 2010, on 30th December, in Kartik, he became very sick, and then we thought on which day or on which tithi, my Guru Maharaj (Vamana Goswami Maharaj) and Trivikrama Maharaj departed from this world, maybe Gurudev can depart on the same day. So all of us were chanting the Nrsimha mantra, and all the Mathvasis and all the devotees in the Kartik month were doing kirtan. Gurudev did not depart; he had another idea. So we were in Jagannath Puri, and Gurudev departed on the Appearance Day of my Guru Maharaj early in the morning at 3 am. All over the world, they arranged my Guru Maharaja’s Vyasa Puja, and Gurudev departed, so everybody had to come forgetting the Vyasa Puja. All came to Nabadwip Dham, and then we brought Gurudev from Jagannath Puri. We had to take police permission for this and that. We came to Nabadwip dham, and the next day, 31st December, we put him in samadhi. Guru Maharaj brought him from the railway station, and my Guru Maharaj said, “Oh Narayana Maharaj, now no more to stay here. Gurudev Keshav Goswami is calling you. Come with me.” So Gurudev is going. Guru Maharaj, on the Appearance Day of him, took him to Goloka Vrndavan. So they have so much intimacy. So my Guru Maharaj and Gurudev had so much intimacy and Trivikrama Maharaj so much intimacy.
When Trivikrama Maharaj departed from this world, and he had no disciples, my Guru Maharaj made up his mind, “Trivikrama Maharaj has no disciples, I have so many disciples and Narayana Maharaj has so many disciples – they are bound to glorify me. If I depart from this world on the same tithi of Srila Trivikrama Maharaj, when my disciples glorify me, they are bound to glorify Srila Trivikrama Maharaj also. So my Guru Maharaj chose the same tithi of Kartik month of Trivikrama Maharaj Disappearance Day – Guru Maharaj disappeared on that tithi so all are bound to praise him. On the other hand, my Guru Maharaj Appearance Day is Srila Gurudev Disappearance Day, same tithi. How interconnected they are to each other, this is not my chance; it’s pre-planned by them.
Srila Guru Maharaj and Srila Trivikrama Maharaj, once they came to Mathura. At that time, there was no telephone, so they wrote a letter, “We’re coming this very day and reserve our return ticket for this very day”. Gurudev sent me to the railway station, and at that time, there was no computer, so I made the ticket. I never checked if the date was okay or not, I gave it to Gurudev and Gurudev never checked the date and, when Srila Guru Maharaj and Trivikrama Maharaj came, Gurudev gave the ticket to them and they also never opened it. At that time, there was only one train “Tufan Express” from Mathura to Howrah. So when they went to the railway station, we had cooked earlier and packed some prasad for them to take in the train. So when they went to board, the train ticket inspector (TT) came and said, “Swamiji, this is not your compartment.” They said, “Why not?” He said, “Your train’s date is one month later, not today”. They became surprised and came back.
Myself, Tirtha Maharaj, and Premananda Prabhu were very unhappy that for only a few days they (Srila Vamana Maharaj and Srila Trivikrama Maharaj) were there. Every day there was a festival and so many people were coming. We were weeping and became morose and when Guru Maharaj and Trivikrama Maharaj were coming, we became very pleased and immediately cleaned everything, set up. Guru Maharaj & Trivikrama Maharaj came and Guru Maharaj (Srila Narayan Gosvami Maharaj) was resting and his room was closed.
Guru Maharaj called me, “Navin!” My name at that time was Navin Krishna Brahmachari. He said, “Come here. So the ticket was wrong, one month later. You can hide under my bed, and unless and until I order you to come out, don’t come out. Narayana Maharaj will be very very angry and beat you bitterly”.
“But if you are under my bed, he will not be so desperate to pull you out from my bed to beat you. So if you’re under my bed, you’re safe.” I replied, “Okay”, and I entered under the bed. So everyone was sitting there and all were talking there.
Gurudev woke up, “What happened?”
Somebody told Navin Prabhu did the wrong date, one month later ticket, and at that time there was an iron net in the middle of Mathura Temple, and, now it’s very beautiful. Whoever has not seen, come and see, how beautiful it is now, by the causeless mercy of Guru Vargas, it’s constructed. So one side, the northern side of the iron net, there’s Gurudev’s bhajan Kutir, and southern side of the iron net was my Guru Maharaja’s room, and Trivikrama Maharaj took off his shirt and sitting on easy chair outside of my Guru Maharaja’s room. He was very fair skin and very chubby, out of three of them. When Gurudev woke up, he got very angry. “Where is Navin? Where is Navin? Navin! Navin!” shouting so much, and Guru Maharaj (Srila Vamana Gosvami Maharaj) leaning under the bed and telling me to keep quiet, don’t respond, don’t respond. Then Gurudev asking other brahmcharis, “Why is Navin not coming? When I call immediately he comes. Where is he?” They replied, “Under Guru Maharaja’s (Srila Vaman Gosvami Maharaj) bed.” Gurudev (Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaj ) became very angry and he’s coming inside and Trivikrama Maharaj told, “What!? You want to beat my son? Come out in the field, I will wrestle with you! I am Gopa! If you defeat me in wrestling match then enter the room and Navin is under Vamana Maharaj’s bed! Come on!” Hearing this, Guru Maharaj is smiling again Gurudev is going back again coming running and again. Trivikrama Maharaj saying, “Come on!” Wrestle with me, 3 times it happened. After that why Gurudev is doing this? Gurudev is thinking that, “What my Godbrothers will think Navin is so responsible and so learned scholar. How he did this mistake!? This is Gurudev thinking. This is a prestige hamper for him and for the whole matha. This is irresponsible person’s behaviour so Gurudev want to beat me, but I am under Guru Maharaja’s bed, not responding. So after that Gurudev drank some water and I understood I am not taking at all.
Then I told my Guru Maharaj, “ Guru Maharaj, now Gurudev’s anger has subsided I can go and ask for forgiveness. Guru Maharaj said, “Okay go.”
I got its full prostration and told Gurudev, “This is my mistake, please excuse me.” Gurudev said, “Okay, don’t do any mistake like this in future. Take the ticket and check from which date you have to reserve again and reserve the ticket and check carefully.”
I don’t know even today this is my mistake or the mistake of the station master at the railway station. At that time there was no call log or manual, but I was there so I had to take the responsibility. Then I asked my Guru Maharaj Trivikrama Maharaj that which day you want to go back please tell me and I took the ticket and later went to Nabadwip.
My Guru Maharaj, he joined the Math in 1930 at the age of 9. When Nabadwip parikrama done, his Aunty telling, “Boy, let’s go back.” He said, “Why I will go my home? This is my real home, I will not go back.” His Aunty tried her level best to make him understand but my Guru Maharaj was determined that he will not go back anymore. Then his Aunty was thinking, “What will his parents say? He came and they will keep my boy there? What will they think?” Guru Maharaja’s Uncle used to live there as a Brahmacari. Then he told, “My dear elder brother, this boy is stubborn, not willing to go back so please take care of him.” Then my Guru Maharaja’s Uncle told, “Don’t tell me. Talk to Vinoda (means Keshav Goswami Maharaj).” he’s in charge then Guru Maharaja’s Aunty told Vinodda, (i.e Bhakti Prajnana Keshav Goswami Maharaj) and my Guru Maharaj took Harinam from Prabhupada. He was very young and all used to call him “Santosh”. His name was Santosh. “Santosh, Santosh, Santosh” my Guru Maharaj for all mathvasis Bramacari Sanyasi he’ll arrange banana leaf plate wash them and give it to everyone. Keep lemon, salt and water and if any festival then mainly keep some rice, sweet rice, paneer for Santosh, Santosh this is for you, literally everyone keeping some and some handing it to Guru Maharaj. Whenever Guru Maharaj read or write or listen once, he never forget he is so like photographic memory, never forget. So today is my Guru Maharaja’s Appearance Day and today is my Gurudev’s Disappearance Day. I pray to them they should bestow their mercy upon me and all of you.
Now Nabadwip parikrama is coming soon and I request you all as much as possible come it’s start 8th of March Sankalpa and 9th start parikrama and 14th Gaurapurnima. We’re arranging special tent for foreign devotees. It’s very very special; it seems that you’re staying in a hotel room, so nice tent; very expensive arrangments for Western devotees so you all can arrange each other who will come and let me know how many are coming understand? SO
Guru Maharaj Srila Bhaktivedanta Vamana Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!
Gurudev Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!
Srila Trivikrama Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!
Gaura Premanande Hari Haribol!
Date – 24.12.2024
Place – Siliguri
