(3/8) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (2)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Vyasa Puja of Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, the main festival programme
1 January 2021, part 3, translated from Bengali

…Gurudev would also arrange tours. At first, Srila Sridhar Maharaj was alone, but when Srila Gurudev came, he started arranging tours to South and North India, sending everything they had collected to the temple and using something from there to run his family.

Srila Sridhar Maharaj made Srila Gurudev [Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj] the secretary of the Mission. Although there were many brahmacharis at the temple, some of them had even seen Srila Prabhupad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur (Srila Puri Maharaj) and even studied at Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur’s school (Krishna Sharan Brahmachari; Srila Gurudev later gave him sannyas, and his name became Bhakti Prasun Aranya Maharaj), Gurudev’s position as the secretary never changed – only when Srila Sridhar Maharaj declared Srila Govinda Maharaj the next acharya did they appoint another person as the secretary.

When Srila Sridhar Maharaj gave sannyas to Srila Gurudev, he told him that tridanda-sannyas means three things – to look after the Deities, to look after the temple and to look after the devotees. Do you want to hear how Gurudev protected and looked after the temple? There are many naughty people in Kolerdanga, but Gurudev had such a tight grip on them that when he came downstairs, people saw him and immediately spread the news among each other, ‘Watch out! Govinda Maharaj is coming! Run for your life!’ They were very afraid of Guru Maharaj [Srila Govinda Maharaj].

There is also a story that Gurudev told me.

One time, a clerk came from the municipality to measure the kitchen building to calculate the tax. Guru Maharaj said, ‘This is the Deities’ kitchen, you cannot come inside to take the measurement.’ There were no pillars at that time, so if the man measured outside, he would actually get twenty inches more.

‘You cannot enter inside’, Gurudev said. ‘Measure outside, and even if you get twenty inches more, I do not mind it.’

‘Why cannot I enter inside?!’ the man grew indignant.

‘Because this is the Deities’ kitchen.’

‘So what? I am a brahman!’

Saying this, the man showed that he was determined to go inside, with his shoes on. Then, Gurudev said, ‘If you try to go inside, I will cut off your leg.’

The man got furious and went to complain to Srila Sridhar Maharaj, ‘What sort of man do you keep downstairs? He says he will cut off my leg!’

Srila Sridhar Maharaj replied calmly, ‘You must have done something. Call the boy.’ Then, Gurudev came, and Srila Sridhar Maharaj asked him, ‘What has happened? This man says you want to cut off his leg?’ Gurudev explained, ‘He wants to go to the Deities’ kitchen with his shoes on. What else will I say to him?’

Such was Gurudev.

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Satiating Hunger
2) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (1)
3) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (2)
4) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (3)
5) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (4)
6) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (5)
7) Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (6)
8) Come as a Beggar