(05/JUL/2014)
- Kolkata, India
Today morning 11am as usual I reached
Guru Maharaj's flat. Guru Maharaj was getting ready to go to pandal for
initiation ceremony. And I went inside; Guru Maharaj servants were also
preparing things to go to pandal. And Kaliya Gopal Pr was putting tilak on Guru
Maharaj's forehead. And I took the opportunity to decorate his body with tilak.
And every time I make a point that, I put tilak by chanting Mantra; as we have
heard how Yashoda Mayi put tilak on Lord's body and chant mantras to protect
Him. Remembering that, I was putting it. And I love this service to put tilak
to Guru Maharaj. Guru Maharaj like to have big tilak. So we always put big
tilak. He is our deity.
Then Guru Maharaj came out. There was a
group of girls (I don't know where they are from; hindi speaking may be from
Bhakti Vriksha) So Guru Maharaj started to bless them with Jagannath stick.
Somehow, that particular time, that stick got somewhere hidden inside the
Servant bag. And we were searching for it. By the time Guru Maharaj asked them
do you have any questions? Then one girls mother asked, "when I chant my
rounds, my mind is wandering, how to over come this?" Guru Maharaj asked
some questions. "How many rounds you are chanting?"
"21rounds" "How much time will it take to complete one
round?" "6 to 7 mins" "Good" "when do you chant?"
"Whenever I get time, I chant." "You should wake up early and
chant your rounds. Early morning is Suddha-sattva. Afternoon is mode of
passion. Night is Tamo guna. So chant your rounds in the morning." And
Guru Maharaj asked her daughter, "How many rounds you are doing?"
"8 rounds" "Your mom is doing more than you!!!" Then
everyone started to laugh. Then Guru Maharaj blessed and gave prasadam and
said, I am rushing to pandal for initiation. Guru Maharaj was amazing... In few
mins they all just got attracted by his simple talk.
We got into the car, then Guru Maharaj
asked me to read the answers and I read all the answers sent to jpssecrets@gmail.com. Then Guru Maharaj gave the 7th
question of the mercy contest. It is quite difficult one. He asked me,
"How should I ask questions, easy or difficulty?" I said, "one
easy and one difficult."
We reached pandal, Guru Maharaj went to
Gundicha Temple Pandal. There they arranged for initiation ceremony.
Approximately 70 devotees for Harinam initiation. Guru Maharaj gave a short
addressing on the importance of dhiksha in Bengali. After lecture, Guru Maharaj
went inside the Altar to offer fruits to Lord Jagannath and offered Ghee lamp
and took darshan and did prayers. Then he again came back and started to hand
over the beads. Madhava Kanta Prabhu somehow reached the pandal with initiation
names selected by Guru Maharaj and initiation started, every name was unique.
One old lady took initiation for her Guru Maharaj gave the name of Radharani's
grand mother name. And one devotee got the name Rohinikumar das, I was just
wondering how come Guru Maharaj missed out that name all these years. Then
Madhava Kanta said, "we did many search but no one got that name from Guru
Maharaj, so it is given now." Most of the names or related to Jagannath
Baladev Subhadra and Radha Govinda. Guru Maharaj selected in such a way, that
they remain servants of the deities in Kolkata. He is always unique.
Then after initiation, Guru Maharaj
went to Main Pandal for Kolkata Book Distribution Marathon with 2013 prize
distribution, then Guru Maharaj gave 15 mins speech in Bengali, he described
three sankirtan pastimes.am And distributed prizes to 12 winner
groups. Devotees were extremely happy. Guru Maharaj also was happy, Kolkata
Temple Was number 11 in the Marathon. Jagannath Bhakti Vriksha group won the
first prize; they distributed 5000+ Bhagavad-gitas... Then we left from there.
And Guru Maharaj got Into the car, then President Acharya Ratna Pr came and
showed different photo cuttings from different newspapers about Kolkata
Ratha-yatra. Guru Maharaj was seeing one by one. We were forcing to go quick.
As Guru Maharaj have to take his lunch. And it was already 3pm. Then he invited
Guru Maharaj to see the photo display of Kolkata Ratha Yatra Photo Grapher's contest
in the evening. Guru Maharaj said, "He will." Then we went back to
flat. Guru Maharaj started his lunch at 4pm and ended very late. He said,
"He Is not feeling hungry" so Maha Varaha Pr was trying to contact
some doctor's in Kolkata to arrange some scan. As this was scan was done six
months back in Coimbatore. And I thought, okay let me read some of the answers;
while Guru Maharaj eating; so I started reading then, Maha Varaha Pr said,
"while eating, you some hold fully concentrate on prasadam, this reading
will divert; so don't read it now." Then I thought okay, and I want to
leave that place, without facing Guru Maharaj. I was trying to go out from
there. Guru Maharaj slowing shared his head asked in sign language, where are
you going? I also did the sign language and said, "He is there, I wil read
later." Guru Maharaj raised his thumb. I left... After lunch, even
though Guru Maharaj was tired, no energy. He gave Brahmana dhisha to second
initiation candidates. And went to bed at late for afternoon rest.
Then I came back, at 7:00pm to Guru
Maharaj's room. I asked Maha Varaha Prabhu that, "we will skip evening
program as Guru Maharaj is tired. He said, "I don't have any
problem." So I went to convince Guru Maharaj to stay back and take rest.
Before i start to speak, Guru Maharaj asked Goloka Prabhu, "if Shyama
Rasika get four hands, what he will have? Then Guru Maharaj started to say, in
one hand Mango, in one hand yogurt, in one hand idly and in one hand dose!
After that he was laughing at me. I asked Guru Maharaj, "I need to two
more hand's for Sambar and Chatney" Then again he started to laugh, he is
our Jagannath, we are his panda.
I said what Maha varaha pr said, but he
said, "I have a different plan, call Maha Varaha, I want to discuss."
Immediately I thought okay, some other plan, so pandal cancel. Maha Varaha Pr
came, Guru Maharaj said, "I am thinking to go to durga-Nagar RathaYatra
evening program." Then Guru am Maharaj asked how much time it will take to
reach there? Then Guru Maharaj's driver called in. He said, "Evening hours
due to traffic it will take 1:15hrs. So that plan hot cancelled. And then Maha
Varaha Pr was explaining about getting about getting a special wheel chair. So
Guru Maharaj was discussing and it was 8:15 pm. We all servants discussing,
"if we delay some more, Guru Maharaj won't go to pandal. As public will go
by 9pm. And darshan will be closed by 9pm. There is no point in going."
Soon after Meeting with Maha Varaha Pr, Guru Maharaj said, "hurry up!!!!"
We have to go to pandal. Then we rushed. Guru Maharaj reached at 9:10pm.
Immediately he went to Question and answer booth and started to answer
questions. Many devotees took part In that. But Guru Maharaj was super.tired.
His voice went too low. Somehow, with that difficulty he gave answer to 4
questions. In one question, Guru Maharaj just made practical session. He asked
some devotees praise the devotees, find good qualities. who is next to him. So
few did. Then the devotees said their realisations. Like this question and answer
session was enlivened by Guru Maharaj.
Then while coming back, Guru Maharaj
went to Kolkata Ratha-yatra Photographer contest gallery. And saw the pictures
one by one and the got Into the car. While sitting in the car Acharya Ratna Pr
was giving a report on this Ratha Yatra. He said, "more than 1000 devotees
engaged in service, cooking, stalls, prasadam distribution etc." Guru
Maharaj was so happy. More than one lakh public visited today. And Guru Maharaj
blessed and said, "Srila Prabhupada wanted this Ratha Yatra to be world's
biggest Ratha Yatra." Then at 10:45pm we left pandal.
At 11:30pm Guru Maharaj started his
dinner. And after that he did his Gayathri chanting and went to bed at 1:10pm.
Tomorrow morning we are leaving from
Kolkata to Durga Nagar, Habibpur and then finally Mayapur. I got lot of time
here In Kolkata, but when I get back to Mayapur, I have to be in Archives, I
don't know how much I will miss. You will just forget yourself, when you be
with Guru Maharaj... I pray to the Lord to keep me always in his shelter. Being
a JPS Servant is something that cannot be expressed in words...
-(Shyama
Rasika Dasa - Personal Diary)
