Today is the awakening of Sri Hari. His awakening is for the eternal benefit of all the living beings in this world. And His Absolute counterpart, grace-incarnate form Srila Gurudeva appeared on this holy day of Utthan Ekadashi. Supreme Lord rises from sleep of four months of Chaturmasya, from Shayan Ekadashi to Utthan Ekadashi. On this holy day our Gurudeva has made the pastimes of appearance in Kanchanpada Dham in Bangladesh. It is situated on the bank of Padma River where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave Divine Love to Narottam Das Thakur. His appearance is for the benefit of all the conditioned souls of this world. We cannot speak for long as time is short. You can go through his biography. If we remember all the transcendental qualities of Gurudeva then we will be sanctified. It is said in Chaitanya Charitamrita,

guru, vaiṣṇava, bhagavān,—tinera smaraṇa
tinera smaraṇe haya vighna-vināśana
anāyāse haya nija vāñchhita-pūraṇa
(Sri Chaitanya-Caritaamrita Adi 1.20-21)

By remembering Guru, Vaishnava (pure devotees) and Bhagavan we can get everything. But we cannot remember them with our own capability. Supreme Lord is transcendental. His absolute counterpart Gurudeva is transcendental. How we can think about transcendental qualities and how we can remember the transcendental reality by our material mind? Only by the grace of Gurudeva and the Supreme Lord we can remember them. We have to submit to Him unconditionally and pray to Him. Then by His grace everything is possible. He is All-Merciful and Gurudeva is even more merciful. Krishna graces in the form of Guru. He is grace-incarnate. We have got direct connection with Guru. Through the rays of the Sun we see the Sun. Through the light of the Sun we see the Sun. Ignoring the light how can we see the Sun? If we ignore Guru, a pure devotee, how can we go to Supreme Lord? First, His grace-incarnate form will come to us. Nobody can get Krishna ignoring Guru and Vaishnava. It is impossible. I am referring to a real Guru, a bona fide Guru. By remembrance we shall get the grace of Supreme Lord, we shall get the grace of His absolute counterpart, then we can remember and then we can speak about the transcendental glories of Supreme Lord and His grace-incarnate form. Though we have to pray for grace, we do not know how to pray. Therefore, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has taught us how to pray for the grace (the fourth verse of Shiksastaka). We should pray from the core of the heart. Supreme Lord says, "What do you want from Me? Do you want to enjoy this world? I have given it. You do not want Me then how can I come to you? I had to create these infinite Brahmandas and all these species to satisfy you.”

We do not know how to pray for grace. Even for that you have to receive the grace of Krishna and pure devotees. We even do not know how to pray for the grace to receive grace. Everything depends upon the grace-incarnate form.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written a hymn which directly applies to my life.

emȏna durmati, saḿsāra bhitare,
pȏd̯iyā āchinu āmi
tava nija-jana, kȏno mahājane,
pāṭhāiyā dile tumi

doyā kȏri’ more, patita dekhiyā,
kahilȏ āmāre giyā
“ohe dīna-jana, śuno bhālȏ kathā,
ullasita habe hiyā

“tomāre tārite, śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya,
navadvīpe avatāra
tomā' henȏ katȏ, dīna hīna jane,
kȏrilena bhava-pāra

“vedera pratijñā, rākhibāra tare,
rukma-varṇa vipra-suta
mahāprabhu nāme, nadīyā mātāya,
sańge bhāi avadhūta

“nanda-suta ĵini, caitanya gõsā̃ī,
nija-nāma kôri’ dāna
tārilô jagat, tumi-o ĵāiyā,
lahô nija-paritrāṇa”

se kathā śuniyā, āsiyāchi, nātha!
tomāra caraṇa-tale
bhakativinoda, kā̃ńdiyā kā̃ńdiyā,
āpana kāhinī bôle

This song is appropriate to me. I was in the hell of worldly entanglements, in total darkness. At that time, our Gurudeva, the grace-incarnate form of Supreme Lord, set his holy footprints in our place. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu sent Him to our place. It was complete darkness. We did not know what the ultimate goal is and how to attain it, how to attain salvation or emancipation. At that time the grace-incarnate form, Gurudeva, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the form of Gurudeva, set his holy footprints there and I had the opportunity to come in contact with him because of his stay in the house of one person who was related to us. I was attracted to him. It was not by chance or coincidence. To rescue me Gurudeva set his holy footprints there and I came in contact with him. I put some questions to him. He answered a few of them that time and later on he continued answering them through letters. Ultimately he accepted me.

We heard from his mother that even in childhood he always used to speak truth and taught others to always speak the truth. He used to teach his friends that by deceiving others they themselves will be deceived. Whenever he got any good food, he would first distribute it to others and afterwards he would take whatever remains. When he was young, he was always trying to do good to others, good to the poor. Everywhere he is made the leader. Because his behavior and appearance is such, he is so affectionate to all and morally so strong that everyone used to get attracted to him. In every sphere, he has been made the leader. He was expert in sports also. He did not want to become leader but they all would make him the leader. In every sphere, all people were making him leader. He did not seek leadership. His life and character is such that by seeing him, all are attracted. We have heard from Narayan Mukherjee, one of his friends during his graduation study, “Your Gurudeva used to weep the whole night (for Supreme Lord) and would take food only once. Whenever I woke up, I saw him weeping.”

Once in a dream, he got darshan of Narada Goswami and got Mantra from him. But after he woke up from the dream, he could not remember the full Mantra and was disappointed. At that time he went to Nadia district to take permission of his mother to go to Himalaya Mountain. He told her, “I cannot stay here anymore.” (He was unable to bare the separation of Supreme Lord). His mother allowed him. Then he went to Himalayas. There, continuously for three days, he stayed without food and sleep and was incessantly crying for Supreme Lord.

Then, he heard the oracle, “Why you are so much distressed? Your Gurudeva has appeared at the place from where you have come, you go there, you will get him there.”

On hearing this, our Gurudeva decided to go back. But on his way back, he stayed a few days in Haridwar. As Srila Gurudeva was very young and beautiful, once while he was taking bath there, a rich Marwadi couple saw him and got attracted to him. They sent him fruits and many things.

He thought, “I am not a Sadhu then why are they sending all these things to me? What is the matter?”

Then once, the Marwadi couple asked him to come to their house. When any person gives something to you then it is not good to not fulfill his desire.

Guru Maharaj went to their house. There, they again fed him and said, “We have got no son and we have a lot of wealth. You become our adopted son. You will get everything. Will you accept our proposal?”

Guru Maharaj thought, “I have renounced everything and now Maya has come to attract me in another form. What is this?”

Then Guru Maharaj fled from their place. But the couple continued to request him to accept their proposal. So Guru Maharaj thought, “I shall not remain here, I should return back.”

In 1925 he returned, then in 1927 he went to Mayapur. There, with his other friends, Narayan Mukherjee and others, he met our Param Gurudeva Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. There were so many friends along with him who had gone to Nabadwip, but all did not go to Mayapur. Only 3 or 4 friends with Gurudeva went there and met Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. By seeing his dazzling appearance, he became attracted to him.

Srila Saraswati Thakur asked him, “What for have you come?”

“We have heard about the glories of Sri RadhaKrishna deities of this place (Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Gandharvika Giridhari Jiyu). We have come to have the darshan of the deities.”

“Have you not seen the deities before?”

“Yes. We have seen.”

“Where?”

“We have seen in the holy places.”

“Did you get benefited by that?”

“I do not know what benefit I have got but I have been to different holy places and seen the deities.”

“Yes, you have to get the darshan of deities but before that you should know how to get Their darshan. By these lustful eyes, which have tendency for enjoyment, one cannot get Their darshan. Kāma (Lust) means any activity for the satisfaction of gross and subtle senses. You can see Krishna with the eyes of love (prema-netra). If you see Him for Him then you can have His darshan. If you see for your own sake then māyā will come to you. You have to learn how to see.”

Guru Maharaj’s initiation took place in Kolkata at Ultadanga junction. His name was changed to Hayagriva Brahmachari. And after one year he renounced the worldly life and joined the institution. He used to be there in every advance party doing the service of Prabhupada. Whatever services were given to him by his Gurudeva, he successfully completed all of them. Therefore, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur used to send him to every place in advance. He also wanted to send him to Western countries and applied for his passport also. Our Gurudeva’s passport and visa were made ready but one household devotee, Shardindu Narayan Rai came and submitted his prayer to Srila Saraswati Thakur, “He (Our Gurudeva) is very beautiful and such a person should not be sent to Western countries. There is some fear.”

Our Guru Maharaj had a very strong character and for that reason Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur decided to send him but when Shardindu Narayan Rai said this then he accepted his prayer and did not send him.

And Guru Maharaj was thinking, “As the health of Srila Gurudeva is not good, he might not remain in this world for long, and if I go elsewhere then I shall be deprived of his darshan. So it is good that Shardindu Narayan requested so. Now everything is alright.”

Srila Saraswati Prabhupad then sent Srila Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Maharaj, an older person. You will find this in Srila Gurudeva’s biography. If you go through his biography you will know so many things about how he served his Gurudeva at all the places. Prabhupad called him ‘VOLCANIC ENERGY’. He used to be engaged in service from morning till night.

He was sent to Dr. C. V. Raman, the renowned scientist. He had a debate with our Gurudeva. A big scientist was defeated by our Gurudeva. He could not answer the questions of our Gurudeva.

He said, “I don’t believe anything without scientific experimentation and observation.”

Then our Guru Maharaj told, “You cannot see beyond this wall, can you say there is nothing, no Kolkata beyond this wall?”

“I have got my instruments to see.”

“Instruments have got limitations. Beyond that can you say there is nothing?”

“Can you show Krishna? If you can show then I will come.”

“You have got the scientific knowledge. If your students say that first you show the scientific truth then I shall take admission, what will you say to them?”

“First I shall make them realize. They have to follow the procedure. They have to read the subjects in B. Sc. then M. Sc. and then study that subject under me for five years then I can make them understand.”

“Risi Munis have said that there is a procedure for realization of Supreme Lord. You accept the procedure and then if you cannot see Him then you can reject Him. Why do you want to see Him first? You cannot give the knowledge of your own scientific truth to the students without them following the prescribed procedure.”

He would not spare anybody’s question. He would answer them immediately. I have gone to different places with Gurudeva, so I know. We had to think, but Guru Maharaj did not have to think. Immediately, he would reply. The whole Punjab was full of Mayavadis and that fort of Mayavad has been destroyed by our Gurudeva. Many people became devotees in Punjab because of his personality.