Srila Bhagavat Maharaj Sings the Glories of Srila Gurudev
Srila Bhakti Vallabh Tirtha Maharaj is my elder Godbrother. He is a saint (Mahatma) since childhood. The cravings for acquiring wealth, women and prestige of this material world is never present inside his heart which is indeed the most precious quality of a Vaishnava. In this manner he is a ‘Paramhamsa’ or a ‘Guru’ since his childhood. In his childhood he used to remain immersed in meditation at all times.
Once I saw, while he was a ‘Brahmachari’ and was immersed in chanting the Holy Name, another Bhramachari called him repeatedly by uttering his name and finally when he realized that someone was calling him, he asked that Brahmachari, “When did you come?”
He used to remain immersed in meditation all times exactly like a ‘Paramhamsa’. He is a ‘Maha-Bhagavat’ since his childhood.
Guru Maharaj himself used to say, "Pay attention when Krishna Vallabh honors Prasadam."
While uttering ‘Mahaprasadam’, ‘Mahaprasadam’, he even used to eat the banana leaf in which he was served Prasadam. Such behaviors are found in Maha-Bhagavat devotees. Madhavendra Puri Pada also ate the earthen pot in which Lord Gopinath stole and kept ‘Kshira’ (milk preparation) for him.
When I was a priest in Rash Bihari Math (Kolkata), I observed that Tirtha Maharaj used to live in a small room and chant Harinam in a loud voice. There are lots of glories of chanting Harinama loudly. Prabhupada has said himself, “One should know that the loud chanting of the Mahamantra, comprising of sixteen Names and thirty two letters i.e. ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’, is devotion itself.
Thus, Maharaj is a reservoir of all the divine qualities of a topmost Vaishnava. Once I saw while we were in Tezpur Math, Tirtha Maharaj had gone outside for performing the service of fetching water and one person started rebuking him very badly and loudly. Gurumaharaj heard the noise from far. When Tirtha Maharaj came back after fetching the water Gurumaharaj approached him and started asking him, “Hey Krishna Vallabh! What has happened? What was that person speaking by shouting at you so much?” Tirtha Maharaj was taken aback on being asked because he did not hear anything, nor was he aware that any person was rebuking him. On seeing Tirtha Maharaj hesitating, Gurumaharaj asked me what had happened and I related to him everything. On hearing this, Gurumaharaj was deeply saddened that somebody can behave with such a saintly person like that. Two to three months after this incident that person who abused Tirtha Maharaj, along with his entire lineage, got ruined. Such a powerful Mahatma (Tirtha Maharaj) he is.
Observing the conducts and the behavior of Tirtha Maharaj, Srila Gurumaharaj made him the Acharya of the institution. Maharaj is the embodiment of the word ‘Maha-Bhagavat’. You all are really fortunate to get such a Guru like Tirtha Maharaj. It is really difficult to get such a Guru like him. In present days Guru’s are mostly servants of money, women and prestige. But Tirtha Maharaj is situated very far away from the above mentioned things. Maharaj is such a person that even if someone possesses enmity towards him, he would honor that person. You all have got such a Guru by immense good fortune and so all of you should chant Harinam and serve Guru and Vaishnavas with bliss and love. There are so many evidences mentioned in the scriptures about the glories of service to Vaishnavas that by performing such service one gets all the attainments. Lomash Rishi, who was a very big saint, proclaimed loudly,
“If somebody wants to please the Lord he first of all has to please the Vaishnavas. The Lord will undoubtedly become pleased with such a person who serves Vaishnavas.”
Lomash Rishi, who has got a life span many crore times than Brahma, has said this. You all are immensely fortunate to get Guru like Tirtha Maharaj. You all are really blessed.