HH Bhakti Charu Swami visits Pune, 15 March 2016

After attending the intense meetings in Sridham Mayapur, Guru Maharaj came to Ujjain on 12^th March 2016. Then on 14^th March Guru Maharaj came to Govardhan Eco Village, Wada, Mumbai for giving classes at the GBC college. There he spent time together with his very dear god-brother HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj.

As many other cities all over the world, there is always the great eagerness and excitement to receive Guru Maharaj at ISKCON Pune. Very mercifully this year Guru Maharaj visited Pune for two days.

Devotees were expecting Guru Maharaj at 5 PM on 15^th March, however Guru Maharaj arrived early at 3.30 PM! Devotees ran to finalize the preparations and decorations for Guru Maharaj’s welcome. After reaching at the house of HG Parshuram Prabhu, Guru Maharaj had a small conversation with the assembled devotees and then took Prasad.

In evening, Maharaj came and gave very wonderful class to the present devotees at home. Some points from the class:

1. One cannot stay without working. Soul’s nature is to be active.
2. We feel need to sleep as soul becomes fatigued by carrying the load of dead matter – body.
3. Bhakti means service as an expression of our love for Krishna
4. Love means service.
5. Become very good servants of Krishna

After class, Guru Maharaj led very intense Kirtan for about 20 minutes.

Next day, on 16^th March 2016, Guru Maharaj came to Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra Mandir (New Vedic Cultural Centre, Pune). Guru Maharaj was welcomed by the temple devotees with roaring Kirtan. As Guru Maharaj, offered garland to Srila Prabhupada, HH Bhakti Marga Swami Maharaj entered the temple. Both Maharajas embraced each other and together offered their obeisances and prayers to Sri Sri Radha Vrindavanchandra, Sri Sri Jagannath Baladeva Subhadra and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

As Guru Maharaj sat on vyasasana, he saw a verse selected for the class. Guru Maharaj asked devoees, “We should discuss today on book bhagavata or person bhagavata?” Then Guru Maharaj started singing the verse form Gopi gita – “Tava Kathamaritam.” Guru Maharaj so wonderfully explained the connection of this verse with Srila Prabhupada and how Srila Prabhupada is the most munificent as His Divine Grace distributed Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Some points from the class:

1. Gopis in the verse 10.31.9 actually foretells about Srila Prabhupada as he distributed the glories of Krishna all over the world
2. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also was exclaiming “Bhurida! Bhurida!” indicating the one who will distribute Krishna Consciousness all over the world – Srila Prabhupada.
3. As we are very close to Srila Prabhupada, we may sometimes fail to recognize his greatness just as when we are very close to a big mountain we fail to appreciate its real greatness. Even a small hill can obstruct our vision.
4. Familiarity breeds contempt. More close we go to a spiritual personality, we may fail to recognise his greatness.
5. Envy makes one blind to see the greatness of a saintly personality.

After class, Guru Maharaj met with HH Bhakti Marga Maharaj and then went to the temple kitchen for inaugurating the new organic burners. Guru Maharaj personally lit the fire with cow dung cakes and then initiated cooking on the burner. After the inauguration, Guru Maharaj distributed sweets to all the devotees.

Then Guru Maharaj gave another amazing class on “Importance of Harinaam Sankitan.” Some points from the class are:

1. Dharma means the way to get situated in one’s constitutional identity.
2. Yuga dharma for Kaliyuga is chanting of the holy name as other methods of sacrifice, meditation are not possible
3. Krishna wants to make our journey back to him very simple. Therefore he gave us the simple process.
4. Just as father will be the most attentive and affectionate to the youngest child (who is also sick) in comparison to his grown up and well established children, Krishna is more merciful on the living entities of Kaliyuga who are naturally spiritually handicapped.
5. Best Sankirtan is to spread the glories of Krishna

In evening Guru Maharaj, met all disciples and aspiring disciples in Pune. Guru Maharaj instructed all devotees to become very good devotees and to always remember three things:

1. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
2. We are souls and our nature is to be servants of Krishna
3. The best way to experience endless bliss is to be in our constitutional position – to serve Krishna through devotional service.

After the disciples’ meeting, Guru Maharaj gave a common Maha Satsang program in the temple congregation hall filled with hundreds of devotees. Guru Maharaj sang the song “Krishna Jinka Naam Hein” and told how this song is the very simple version of whole Gaudiya Vaishnava siddhanta which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu taught.

Then Guru Maharaj gave class on “Srila Prabhupada gave us everything” relating with this song. Guru Maharaj told:

1. Krishna was in trouble that
   1. How can anyone come to Goloka Vrindavan when the world is worshipping Krishna with Sadhana bhakti (with rules and regulations)?
   2. In Vrindavan there is spontaneous love and with Sadhana Bhakti no one can enter in Vrindavan.
   3. If no one can enter Vrindavan then what is the use of displaying braja lila?
2. To solve this problem Krishna came as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. By worshipping Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is in the mood of a devotee, with Sadhana Bhakti one can go to Goloka Vrindavana.
3. If residents of Vaikuntha will get to know about Goloka Vridavana then they will also aspire to go there and then Vaikuntha will become empty! Therefore this opportunity of serving Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is so rare.

After explaining about the fact that Srila Prabhupada gave us everything, Guru Maharaj told all devotees to take a vow that they will never leave Srila Prabhupada’s shelter. Guru Maharaj ended the program with ecstatic Kirtan where everyone danced.

On 17^th March 2016, after his morning japa walk, Guru Maharaj came to Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari temple, Pune. Devotees welcomed Guru Maharaj with ecstatic Kirtan. Guru Maharaj took the most beautiful darshan of Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihari and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

Guru Maharaj gave class on SB 4.7.57 where description of Daksha Yagya is given. Guru Maharaj told whole pastime of the fire sacrifice of Daksha and how Lord Shiva was offended. Some golden points from this class are:

1. Daksha saw Lord Shiva with materialistic point of view and thus on basis of Lord Shiva’s external appearance and behaviour, he considered Lord Shiva uncivilized. So, the materialistic person similarly give more attention to the externals.
2. Lord Shiva acts and lives like a madman as he is mad in the ecstatic love of Krishna
3. Lord Shiva lives so austere life as he don’t have any attachment to this material world.
4. Increase in one’s material opulence means increase in wasting more and more time in maintaining the material life. As time get wasted in the material activities, doing glorification of the Lord becomes so difficult.
5. Ashes on the body of Lord Shiva are the ashes of the bodies of devotees who left this world. Lord Shiva loves devotees so much that when they leave their bodies, and their bodies are burned, Lord Shiva puts on that ashes.
6. Daksha yagya pastime tells us what all can happen if we commit Vaishnava aparadh
7. Devotees’ nature is that even if the offence is there, they don’t take offence. But the offender surely get affected.
8. Never judge a vaishanva. Maintain respectful attitude, especially with senior devotees. Among equals you should have friendship and for juniors you must be exemplary.
9. By glorifying Srila Prabhupada we can develop relationship with him. Glorifying Srila Prabhupada is actually seeing him.
10. Srila Prabhupada taught that our real love for him will be displayed by how we co-operate with each other to propagate Krishna Consciousness all over the world. Love doesn’t means any sentimental expressions.
11. No matter whatever happens, never ever leave ISKCON.

After the class Guru Maharaj personally signed the Bhagavatam books for those who purchased full set of recently released Marathi Srimad Bhagavatam. Then Guru Maharaj gave another class on Vaishanava Sadachar. Some points from the class are as follows:

1. Vaishnava sadachar – how vaishnavas act and how they should act
2. Difference between spiritual and material is very small. Spiritual means Krishna is in the centre whereas material means “I” is in the centre.
3. We naturally becomes humble when we become devotees. This is because we see the greatness of Lord.
4. Material relations are centred on the body. But spiritual relations are centred on Krishna.
5. Relation with devotees will grow only with love. Don’t keep any enmity or envy with the devotees.
6. Love develops by the six exchanges:

(1) Giving charity to the devotees,

(2) Accepting from the devotees whatever they may offer in return,

(3) Opening one’s mind to the devotees,

(4) Inquiring from them about the confidential service of the Lord,

(5) Honouring prasada, or spiritual food, given by the devotees, and

(6) Feeding the devotees with prasada.

Always accept whatever devotees offer you with great respect.

7. Relations don’t develop by living in the same room. Relations develop by the six loving exchanges
8. To become devotee is only 50% but another 50% is to preach Krishna Consciousness
9. Krishna Conscious management should be with love and with mood of serving and helping other devotees.
10. Material world is the world of exploitation but spiritual world is the world of service
11. Higher you go in spiritual life, bigger servant you become.
12. In ISKCON, to remain united, base all your relationships with Srila Prabhupada in centre.

After class, Guru Maharaj came to the house of HG Parshuram Prabhu. In evening Guru Maharaj personally taught cooking to the devotees.

In evening Guru Maharaj visited to the house of HG Radha Vridnavanchandra Prabhu. This devotee’s mother is very sick and bedridden from many months. She can hear but cannot talk and or move herself. She and the whole family is initiated by HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj. Guru Maharaj led Kirtan for her and talked with her and the other family members telling them how suffering in this material world is also to bring us closer to Krishna. One of the best qualities of a devotee is that he always remain grateful. We have to remember always our ultimate goal i.e. to remember Krishna always.

In night, Guru Maharaj met various devotees came from temple and congregation. Then after Guru Maharaj gave personal time to HG Parshuram Prabhu’s family.

Next day, early morning Guru Maharaj prepared himself to leave for the airport. Before leaving he sat and talked with all the devotees present. He told them to be good devotees and to serve Krishna nicely. There is no measure to what devotees received with these 2 days association of Guru Maharaj. It is the very impetus and elixir for their spiritual lives.

Guru Maharaj then left for the airport for his next destination – Bangalore, whereas devotees bid him farewell with the tearful eyes.