Srila Gurudeva (The Supreme Treasure)
by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja | 2010 | 179,005 words
This page relates ‘Pastimes with Shrila Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvami Maharaja’ of the book dealing with life and teachings of Srila Gurudeva, otherwise known as Shri Shrimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. Srila Gurudeva is a learned and scholar whose teachings primarily concern the spiritual beauties of Bhakti—devotional service and the qualities and pastimes of Shri Krishna.
Chapter 2.16 - Pastimes with Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Puri Gosvāmi Mahārāja
Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja was a disciple of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda and god-uncle of Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa (Śrīla Gurudeva’s brahmacārī’s name). He also sometimes came to stay at Devānanda Gauḍīya Māṭha with Parama Gurudeva, and Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa was his first personal assistant. Other times he would stay in Chinchura (a city in India near Kolkata) in West Bengal, and at those times also, Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa would assist and serve him in many ways. When Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja went to bathe in the Ganges, Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa would accompany him and assist him by carrying his cloth, etc. After taking bath, Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa would wash and carry his wet cloth back to the Chinchura māṭha, where he would arrange his tilak, a mirror for applying it, and clean dry cloth. In this way he used to serve, caring for Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja’s every need.
One of the only things Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa had brought with him when he joined the māṭha was a lota, a small round pot used for carrying water. One day, Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja and Śrī Gaura Nārāyaṇa were bathing in the Gaṅgā when all of a sudden, for some reason, who can tell why, the water rose and a wave of water carried the lota away. Śrīla Purī Mahārāja commented positively that this was a good thing. He laughed and said, “Gaṅgā-devī has carried away the last rememberance and last attachment of your purva-āśrama (life before joining the māṭha). That means Gaṅgā-devī wants to cut off your attachment to previous memories; it is very auspicious for your bhajana and for your guru-sevā.”
When Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja was about one hundred years old, in around the year 2000, Śrīla Gurudeva went to Jagganatha Purī to pay his obeisances and to visit him. Śrīla Purī Mahārāja asked if Gurudeva remembered this incident. Śrīla Gurudeva said he did and they both laughed in heartened memory of it.
Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja was very fond of Śrīla Gurudeva’s books, and he requested regularly that whenever he published a new book that he sends it to him. Śrīla Gurudeva always used to arrange that he would get those new books. Śrīla Bhakti Pramoda Purī Gosvāmī Mahārāja was very loving to Śrīla Gurudeva and would always tell others that Śrīla Gurudeva was a pure vaiṣṇava-sevaka and guru.