These days while writing about compassion i was remembering about our most reverend Gurudev, the ocean of mercy, when, after Sri Nabadwip-parikram, he used to spend about 10 days in Sri Govardhan and everyday he would walk with some disciples to his matinal walk. This year (2009) i happen to be there, and could be testemony to his infinite compassion to all poor fallen souls of this world. One day, just after he got out of his room in our Giridhari G.Math, there were some devotees waiting for him and one particular lady, his disciple brought someone from Iskcon temple to see him but this other lady was reluctant to even pay respect to Gurudev. Understanding her heart, being oniscient, Gurudev looked to her and directly told her pointing with his fingers saying, "Come, pay your respects here and you will be blessed very soon to go to Goloka Vrindavan." The lady´s heart changed in a second by Gurudev´s grave transcendental words and ashamed she went to him and paid her respects. Another day we were walking, and after some 15 minutes, Gurudev would enter right side, would stop walking, look deeply and gravely in everyone eyes and ask if someone had any question. Even at his advanced age, i was impressed how he would walk so fast that even young boys could not follow him, we could notice tears in his eyes too. After answering the questions he would again walk a little bit inside this right side rote and do his exercises. It was on this right side rote- 5 min. walking that one day for everyone surprise, a shepherd was with his group of about 20 or 30 sheeps in the fields of Govardhan when all of them saw Gurudev and changed their rote and started to follow Gurudev. The road there is very near to the fields and the sheeps left theirs owner to follow Gurudev. That time i remembered about Christ who used to walk along with sheeps too. Gurudev observed this and stoped his walk, asked some questions to Narasimha M. about the sheeps, what they were doing, to where they were going etc... It made us remember Mahaprabhu in Jarikhanda forest, where all animals also followed him. Another day, we were walking trough the same path, and a poor person with a dirty clothes was coming. Nobody knew the person, it seems that it was just a poor person, with some spiritual hankering who came to Govardhan for some spiritual purpose or so, no body gave any atention to the poor man, when he aproached Gurudev and looked to him, he imediatelly paid obeisances with folded hands to Gurudev and to all of us surprises Gurudev just embraced the poor man with lot of afection. A brahmin would not even touch such a person but here we see a transcendental soul, he embraced the poor man with such an afection that i doubt that the person didnt change after that minute of contact with Sri Gurupadpadma. Then while coming back to Math, a young boy, son of a lady disciple of Srila B.V.Puri Goswami, who use to have a computer shop near the Math came to give garland to Gurudev, and Gurudev stoped, acepted the offering and asked for the wellfare of his whole family, this way, Sri Gurupadpadma used to give love and afection to all rresidents of the holy tirthas-dhams and was worshiped and loved by all, whether they were disciples, no disciples, whether they knew him, or not, his devotion, prema, power was such that none could escape to at least pay respect to this great personality who with ultmost humility and compassion, was wandering in this mortal world, tolerating everything, all of our ofenses, disqualifications, just to inspire us to go back to home, to be with him in that eternal happy world where the Lord is always playing with His eternal associates. May we honor His infinite efforts to give us these most valuable things by trying to follow His instructions with the maximum of our hability and qualification, and by doing this iam sure He can do miracles in our lifes.
This photo i took from these walks in Govardhan, when he would stop for a while to do his exercises.
baladev das