Srila Gurudev's Pastimes (4)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Sri Vyasa Puja of Srila B.S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj
Sri Nrisingha Palli, the main festival programme
1 January 2021, part 5, translated from Bengali

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj Prabhupad came to Srila B.R. Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Moreover, Pujyapad Bhakti Hriday Bon Goswami Maharaj, Pujyapad Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj, Pujyapad Bhakti Prajnan Keshav Maharaj and others affirmed, "If you want to hear Hari-katha, you must go to Sridhar Maharaj." Gurudev also said that he had learnt everything from his Guru Maharaj—Gurudev always did what his Guru Maharaj told him to do, he always lived in whichever way his Guru Maharaj arranged for him.

Many of you are older than me, and you have seen there was a big flood in 1978 (there was an even a greater flood later, in 2000). I had not yet come to the temple in 1978, so I did not see that flood, but I heard at that time there was no bamboo at the temple—the temple was poor, you know all know it. That year, Gurudev came to Nabadwip from Kolkata specially to protect the temple—he made a raft from some banana tree trunks and would go around the Math in that raft the whole day (to guard the temple). At that time, some thief came to the temple to cut banana trees for their cows' food. Gurudev noticed the man and asked him, "Hey, what are you doing here behind the temple?" The man explained, "I wanted to take some banana trees. Will you give them to me?" Gurudev said, "No, I will not. Why must you take these banana trees? I am the guard now, and you have entered as a thief—you came from behind to steal! Let me see if you dare take these trees forcefully! If you are to take these trees, you have to steal them, but you must do that in front of me! If you had come to me directly and asked, I would have given you these trees, but if you come to steal, then I must guard and we shall see how you take them!"

This is how Guru Maharaj [Srila Govinda Maharaj] protected the temple...

   
Srila Govinda Maharaj managing a raft from his Acharya Bhavan house to Srila Guru Maharaj's house, at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip (during another flood in 1987).

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