GBC SPT: Glorifications of HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja

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Glorifications of HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja - Part 11

HH Giriraj Swami shares his appreciation of HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja

Dear Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. And all glories to your wonderful service to him.

One of your most prominent qualities while you were physically with us was your deep love for Srila Prabhupada. Very soon after you met him, he included you in his personal staff and made you his secretary for Bengali and Hindi correspondence. Soon thereafter, he gave you first and second initiation and then sannyasa. And you personally, lovingly served him throughout his last days.

You were also devoted to ISKCON. You always considered ISKCON to be a unique creation of Srila Prabhupada's and always wanted to serve ISKCON--both the devotees in ISKCON and ISKCON as an entity, a manifestation of Srila Prabhupada. You loved anyone who loved Srila Prabhupada.

You were a very pure-hearted, loving person. Your love for Srila Prabhupada was seen in your love for the devotees and for people in general, whom you wanted to bring to Srila Prabhupada--and in how you encouraged devotees to increase their engagement, take on more responsibility, and become more loving, humble servants. The more responsibility one accepts, you once explained to a devotee in Mauritius, the bigger servant of the devotees one becomes. This reminded me of something Srila Prabhupada once said when a disciple came into his room in Mayapur one day and began to complain about the management. Srila Prabhupada said, "If you think you can do better, why don't you?" Somehow, the disciple came out and announced that Srila Prabhupada had made him the temple commander, and he began to boss around the other devotees. Some devotees complained to Srila Prabhupada that the devotee had said that Prabhupada had made him the temple commander and that now he was barking orders at everyone. So Srila Prabhupada called for the devotee and instructed him: "First you become the servant of everyone; then you become the temple commander." Thus Srila Prabhupada expressed the same idea, that a bigger position means becoming a bigger servant. And you, in parampara, had that same understanding.

Listening carefully to all of your instructions, we can understand how closely you followed the disciplic succession. Some of your statements were very close to Srila Prabhupada's words, and some took the basic principles that Srila Prabhupada gave and sweetened them with beautiful personal realization.

Another of your many fine qualities was your offenselessness. You were very careful not to commit any offense against any devotee, or any living entity, and if you felt you had committed an offense, you immediately tried to mitigate its effects by approaching the person, apologizing, and asking forgiveness. Somehow or other you tried to rectify the offense. From our point of view, we wouldn't think you had committed an offense, but within your pure heart you may have felt that you had, and immediately you would try to approach and please the person you feared you had offended, to remove the effects of the offense.

You exemplified the principle found in The Nectar of Devotion of "Not Giving Pain to Any Living Entity," which was supported with a reference from the

Mahabharata: "A person who does not disturb or cause painful action in the mind of any living entity, who treats everyone just like a loving father does his children, whose heart is so pure, certainly very soon becomes favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead." That was you: so pure, just like a loving father to everyone--and favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

You were a perfect gentleman--and Vaishnava. Once, an interviewer asked Srila Prabhupada, "How would I recognize a true follower of the Krishna consciousness movement by his behavior? What would his traits be? What would his outward expressions be?" And Prabhupada replied, "His behavior--he is a perfect gentleman. That's all. You cannot find any fault in him. That is perfect Krishna consciousness." That was you: a perfect gentleman--one could not find any fault in you.

Your heart was pure and very sensitive--full of appreciation for other devotees and sensitive to your own faults, which again, from our point of view, wouldn't even have been considered faults. That's really the heart of a Vaishnava--full of love and appreciation for others but sensitive to one's own deficiencies or mistakes.

As stated by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (12.13-14), "One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me--such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me." You exemplified all those qualities described by Lord Krishna and thus were very dear to Him--and to us, to all others.

Now you have left this world and gone to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna.

As Srila Prabhupada said, when a Vaishnava departs we feel both happy and sad--happy because the Vaishnava has gone to serve Lord Krishna and sad because we will miss the Vaishnava's association. Sometimes the pain of separation is so intense that we can only recall Raya Ramananda's exchange with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Cc Madhya 8.248):

"duhkha-madhye kona duhkha haya gurutara?"

"krsna-bhakta-viraha vina duhkha nahi dekhi para"

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked, "Of all kinds of distress, what is the most painful?"

Sri Ramananda Raya replied, "Apart from separation from the devotee of Krsna, I know of no unbearable unhappiness."

Still, we will try to be happy serving in separation. As Srila Prabhupada wrote to one of his disciples, "Please be happy in separation. I am separated from my guru maharaja since 1936, but I am always with him so long I work according to his direction. So we should all work together for satisfying Lord Krishna, and the feeling of separation will transform into transcendental bliss."

By serving Srila Prabhupada's--and your--instructions, we will feel his presence, and yours. And in fact we will live with you both. As Srila Prabhupada wrote in his dedication to Srimad-Bhagavatam: "To Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja, my spiritual master:

He lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him."

Please look kindly upon us and guide and inspire us, following in your footsteps, to serve Srila Prabhupada and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and when we have done what you want us to do here, bring us back to you and Srila Prabhupada's lotus feet.

Your eternal servant,

Giriraj Swami

HH Badrinarayan Swami shares some meditations HH Bhakti Charu Maharaja

July 7th, 2020

Dear disciples, followers, and friends of Bhakti Charu Maharaja:

Hare Krishna.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

I offer my obeisances to the lotus feet of His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami, who is very soft-hearted and expert at compiling devotional literature.

He eloquently speaks the pastimes of Lord Krishna, his heart is full of the mellows of devotional service, and his life and soul is Srila Prabhupada.

Hare Krishna. What follows are a few meditations on the departure of Bhakti Charu Maharaja. We have all been deeply affected by this sad event—and that is testimony to the power of his exemplary life and association.

Let me begin by mentioning a few of his qualities that come mind:

Although a powerful and influential person, he was always humble, easily approachable, and friendly to all.

He was a strong and consistent voice for how we all needed to respect and cooperate with each other.

At the same time, he could be like a lion when it came to protecting ISKCON, the system of governance that Srila Prabhupada put in place, and Srila Prabhupada’s mood and teachings. I was so proud of him, re-assured, and inspired when we were able to see him in this mood.

One of the qualities of his I hear mentioned again and again is how he was always such a gentleman. Srila Prabhupada said that this was a symptom of an advanced devotee.

He embodied sweet Vaisnava loving exchanges.

He was a refined person, expert at bhajans, drama, philosophy, and of course cooking. He was so happy when he could cook for the devotees, personally serving the prasadam, and seeing to it that each guest was filled to the neck with their favorite dish.

Others have narrated how Bhakti Charu Maharaja arrived as a young devotee, new to ISKCON, and Srila Prabhupada quickly raised him to brahmin initiation, sannyasa, and to serving as Srila Prabhupada’s personal secretary and servant. Tamal Krishna Maharaja told me that he asked Srila Prabhupada at the time “Why is it that you have brought this new devotee up so quickly?”

Srila Prabhupada replied “I can see purity. You cannot”.

We hear the question: “Why did he have to leave now?”

In reply, we know from shastra that pure devotees are under the divine energy of the Supreme Lord. My conviction is that Srila Prabhupada needed him and therefore he called Bhakti Charu Maharaja to his side.

We hear the question: “But why did he leave due to Covid?”

We should first note that Bhakti Charu Maharaja left this world, by Krishna’s arrangement, on Guru Purnima / the disappearance day of Srila Sanatan Goswami. This is most auspicious and not by chance.

Srila Prabhupada gives the analogy that “The housewife teaches the daughter-in-law by teaching the daughter”. Srila Prabhupada explains that sometimes devotees are put into suffering so that the rest of the world can learn a good lesson. The devotee’s internal meditation on the Lord’s lotus feet is not broken and the conditioned souls learn by seeing the devotee’s example. All we have to do is think of the struggles of the Pandavas, Kunti devi, Draupadi, Prahlad Maharaja, as well as Srila Prabhupada’s several heart attacks while coming to the West and starting ISKCON. Because these exalted souls were put into difficulty, by the arrangement of the Lord, we have their examples to learn from. I am convinced that Bhakti Charu Maharaj left the world as he did in order to make the rest of the devotees see this horrible disease as the grave threat that it is. There is symmetry here. Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s core mood was service to the devotees. I see his departure due to Covid as Krishna using him in one final act of service to the devotees—to wake us all up to the dangers of this vicious disease.

Krishna accomplishes many purposes with one act. That is often the style of His lila. As Ranchor, His leaving the battlefield was to deliver Rukmini, shame Jarasandha, kill Kalayavana, and deliver Mucukunda. We can see the same in the departure of Bhakti Charu Maharaja, that is to say several purposes accomplished by one act. Krishna took Bhakti Charu Maharaja as He did because Srila Prabhupada needed him and to serve as a severe warning about Covid to the rest of us. We can also see that Krishna confirmed Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s exalted spiritual stature by taking him on Guru Purnima / Srila Sanatan Goswami’s disappearance day.

I remember the wave of grief that washed over me when I heard that Srila Prabhupada had left this world. One element of that grief was the fear that Srila Prabhupada might gradually fade into the background of my life. I can assure you, from my own experience, that the opposite will happen. For those who sincerely follow Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s instructions and example, you will find your relationship with him becoming sweeter and deeper with every passing year. Rather than fading away, he will become your constant guide and companion.

Srila Prabhupada confirms this in his closing words upon completing his translation of and commentary on the Chaitanya Charitamrita:

Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupada passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vani, his words. There are two ways of association-by vani and by vapu. Vani means words, and vapu means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vani continues to exist eternally. Therefore, we must take advantage of the vani, not the physical presence.

I think that His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Srimad Bhagavatam, tene brahma hrda ya adikavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramatma feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.

Certainly if His Divine Grace were physically present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very much pleased by this work of translation.

The vacuum felt by Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s departure is immense. And that is how it should be. These feelings of separation are the proper testimony to Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s life—so exemplary, so well lived. What more can we say? “He was a Vaikuntha man”—a saintly Vaisnava and surrendered servant of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.

The best way to find solace from the pain of Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s separation is to remember his words, follow his example of a pure Vaisnava’s life, and to redouble our dedication to the mission Bhakti Charu Maharaja gave his every breath to—Srila Prabhupada’s ISKCON.

His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaja ki jai.

Your grieving servant,

Badrinarayan Swami

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