His Gurudeva's Tape Recorder

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Our biggest misfortune is we do not see Gurudeva as Guru, we see him mortal, human. This is the greatest obstacle in the path of bhajan. If we do not see him Guru, how we will serve him? Despite serving Gurudeva, in spite of being very near to him, one may fall down. Why? We see him as a mortal, by this, we go to hell. So first we need to know who is Guru, (Guru tattva).

The way we worship Supreme Lord, in the same way, we have to worship Gurudeva. We are fortunate to have Guru non-different from Supreme Lord, we have to follow his instructions, imbibe his teachings.

Srimad Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami Maharaj had said when Tirtha Maharaj does kirtan, I feel as though Gaur Nitai dance in that kirtan. Also had said whom you see as Tirtha Maharaj I see him as Madhav Goswami Maharaj.

He also said that our Gurudeva is tape recorder of Param Gurudeva. Why a tape recorder? Because he would note down and repeat the very words of his Gurudeva, even examples, illustrations and would not put any of his words or ideas or thoughts, though himself is a post-graduate in MA Philosophy, a gold medalist in fact.

But Param Gurudeva did not make Gurudeva acharya because of his education, but because of his surrender. Without surrender, any limb of devotion is not devotion, it is karma. We pray we get such surrender as our Gurudeva has for Param Gurudeva.


—Srila Bhakti Kushal Padmanabha Maharaj

spoken originally in Bangla during 2015 Vyasa Puja in Kolkata




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