(2/5) Gurudev's Love for the Temple

His Divine Grace
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj,
Sri Nabadwip Dham, 1 April 2010, part 2

I have heard many things about Gurudev's pastimes. I remember a story about Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj. Prabhupad Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had a big gun, and he would only allowed Srila Bhakti Saranga Goswami Maharaj to use. Srila Goswami Maharaj had a very good character – he was always heavy and stern, so everybody was afraid of him. One time, our Gurudev asked him for that gun. Srila Goswami Maharaj immediately gave it to him, saying, 'Here, but do not kill anybody!' Gurudev sometimes used that gun [for security purposes] but not with a view to kill anybody. He received very much love and affection from his guru-varga: from Srila Goswami Maharaj, Srila Madhusudan Maharaj, Srila Jajavar Maharaj, Srila Madhav Maharaj and others. Actually, they all came to Param Guru Maharaj, and because Gurudev was his servitor at that time, he got much affection from his guru-varga (from Param Gurudev's godbrothers).

You have heard that when Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad was staying at Sita Kanta Banerjee Lane, our Param Guru Maharaj (Srila Sridhar Maharaj) and our Gurudev went there and lived together with Srila Swami Maharaj during several years. Sometimes, when there were some house (Nama-hatta) programmes, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj would take our Gurudev with him. Gurudev was wearing saffron clothes (he was a brahmachari at that time), so Srila Swami Maharaj told him, 'Gaurendu, you sit on the vyasa-asan and read verses from Srimad Bhagavatam, and I will explain them.' Through that, Gurudev received from Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj much good advice and association in the line of Sri Rupanuga Sampradaya.

There are many pastimes that happened during Gurudev's life. I have heard so many things about his pastimes. Gurudev always thought about his gurudev's wish: he always wanted to fulfil his gurudev's desire. When he was in Saint Petersburg in Russia, devotees took him to the bank of the Baltic Sea. I was there, too. Devotees bought us some ice-cream – although it was a little cold, Gurudev took it. That day, when he saw the Baltic Sea, he told me, 'I wish I could make this kind of staircase in Govinda Kunda, but who will do it? I have no manpower...' I thought to myself at that time, 'He is so far from India – in Russia! – but he is thinking about his gurudev's desire.' Gurudev always thought about his gurudev's sevice, about how his gurudev could be pleased. At that time Param Guru Maharaj had already left this world, but Gurudev was thinking, 'My Guru Maharaj had this desire, so I must fulfil it.' Now, too, we must fulfil whatever wish or desire Gurudev had – we must finish whatever work Gurudev had not finished. We must fulfil his desire.

Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj and devotees on the shore of the Baltic Sea in Saint Petersburg, Russia (the place where the conversation took place).

Gurudev always thought about his temple from his young age when he joined the temple. He also protected his temple, fighting so much. So many things happened. Gurudev told me that when he was making the boundary wall at Govinda Kunda, many enemies from a neighbouring society disturbed him very much. He handled everything with his own hands. That is why our Param Guru Maharaj handed the temple over to Gurudev. He always believed in Gurudev. Even when Gurudev was in Kolkata, he eventually brought him back. At first, he waited, waited, waited, but in the end he brought him back to the temple and handed it over to him. The day when his final will was registered, Param Guru Maharaj said, 'This night I can sleep peacefully. Now there is no burden on my shoulders. I have given everything to Govinda Maharaj, so today I can sleep peacefully.' Gurudev told me about it – I heard it directly from his mouth.

Gurudev dealt with everything himself. I have heard about many things. One time, some people had spread some bad rumour at Dum Dum Park, Kolkata. They complained that the temple had kidnapped a boy. Many disturbances came to our Dum Dum Park temple, so much so that Gurudev had to go to the local political party and make arrangements with the party to solve the problem. There were many problem like that. Also at Dum Dum Park, there is a house adjoining our nat-mandir, and the people from that house used to throw egg shells at our temple. Everybody was afraid to deal with those neighbours, but Gurudev took a big knife, came downstairs from his veranda and went to fight with that neighbour alone. When Gurudev bought the land in Kailkhali also, there was some man who had been renting a place at the territory and who had refused to leave the property. Gurudev came to fight with the man. He told him straight, 'Will you leave my house or not? Tell me. I want to hear only one thing from your mouth. If you leave my house, I can give something to you, but if you do not leave, I will see to it that you will leave.'

Gurudev loved his temple and personally handled so many things. There were many problems in Hapaniya also. Actually, Param Guru Maharaj would always say about Hapaniya that it was Srila Govinda Maharaj's temple. When Gurudev told Param Guru Maharaj that he was going to Hapaniya, Param Guru Maharaj would often say, 'Yes, yes, you can go there, no problem. It is your temple, not mine.'

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READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Gurudev's Early Days at the Temple
2) Gurudev's Love for the Temple
3) Gurudev's Love and Affection
4) Our Desperate Hope
5) Our Hopeful Determination