Guru Maharaj in Pune (by Kaustubh, Pune)

Date: 26.09.2003

Camp: Pune

Dated: 23rd & 24th Day of September

Dear Devotees, Hare Krsna! Please Accept My Holy Obeisances! All Glories To Srila Prabhupada! All Glories to Srila Bhagvatpada! This time I am trying to describe a very ecstatic event of visit of our most beloved Guru Maharaj to Pune. I have no qualification whatsoever to describe the glories of Guru Maharaj, but by praying at the most auspicious & lotus feet of Guru Maharaj, I am sure that I would be able to write atleast something which might communicate the essence of the whole story to the devotees all over the world. This visit of Guru Maharaj to Pune was an event of its own class to describe. By the mercy of so many Vaisnava devotees round the world, I am getting an opportunity to enjoy this privilege. Therefore I would like to start with paying my most humble obeisances to all the vaisnavas who will be reading this report & would like to pray at their lotus feets to bless me to accomplish the purpose of this transecendental activity.

Guru Maharaj arrived in Pune in the late afternoon of 23rd day of September 2003 at around 5.00 PM. On theprevious day He had visited Surat and after extensive travelling he left Mumbai at around 1.00 PM for Pune. He was accompanied & assisted by three devotees, Keyur Pr., Dhananjay Pandit Pr., & Prembandhu Pr. from Mumbai. Immediately after arriving he gave a short class of about 30 mins to the IYF boys of ISKCON Pune. After this he sang Gaur Arati. Actually He was having a very bad throat & had decided only to sing Gaur Arati but as usual He was so much absorbed in singing (inspite of his unfavourable physical condition), that He ended up with singing Gaur Ararti, a 45 mins Kirtan & Narsimha Arati. Guru Maharaj is absolutely on a very different Spiritual platform.

He came to His room after the Kirtan, had some hot stuff for His throat & immediately in five minutes time he left for the lecture hall to give a lecture for the Mahasatsang program arranged on Tuesday. In the month of December generally we celebrate the Book Distribution Marathon, but since many of the devotees are likely to go for a Yatra at that time, hence the Temple Management has decided to undertake the Book Distribution Marathon in the month of October. Actually Guru Maharaj had planned to give a lecture on the BG 15.5 verse. But H.G. Radheshyam Pr., the temple president, informed Guru maharaj about the change in the program regarding Book Distribution Marathon & requesed Him to speak something on the topic to encourage devotees here to distribute as much books as possible. And then I Many of the devotees could undertstand that Krsna had arranged some special nectar for them this evening.

Guru Maharaj gave a short lecture on BG 15.5 & linked this with importance of Book Distribution. Finally He ended up with giving a lecture for total 2.00 hrs. with the major part of it alloted to the Book Distribution & its importance. This is the most favourite subject of Guru Maharaj & he would speak for the whole night upon this. Inspite of His bad throat, He continued with His eternal service at the Lotus Feet of Srila Prabhupada. But this was not the end of the day. After 10.00 PM i.e. after the Lecture was over, He gave darshan to devotees, where lot of new devotees met Him & had an opportunity to have His Divine association. He inspired them to chant more & to be associated with devotees. Also to read Srila Prabhupada's books was one of the instruction that He gave to all of them.

He was continuously saying that `I am having a bad throat', but inspite of that He was much more concerned about the fallen souls in this material world, for the benefit of whom, He was like just ignoring His physical condition. In the end at around 11.15 PM some devotees requested everybody to relieve Guru Maharaj & that He still was supposed to have Prasadam. Finally He had little Prasadam & rested at around 12.00 PM. His throat was really becoming a problem for Him & a concern for everybody.

Next morning he was supposed to do Mangal Arati in the Altar of Sri Sri Radha Kunjabihariji, but His throat had become worst by Morning because of which He was resting in His room till 4.30 AM. When he got up from His bed He found it very difficult even to speak. Actually while coming He had plans to leave Pune at around 12.00 noon, visit Indore & then go to Delhi. But due His condition, He cancelled the Indore tour & decided to stay in Pune ..May be till EveningIMay be till Tomorrow morning. He was supposed to give Srimad Bhagvatam Class in the Temple hall. At first He was reluctant to do so, but then upon request of devotees He agreed to give a small class of about 30 mins. He was supposed to give a lecture on the last verse of SB 9.6. The chapter is headed as `The Downfall of Saubhari Muni'. And to add to everybodies surprise His voice got absolutely fine in the course of the Lecture & He ended up giving a Lecture of about 1.5 hrs.

On the 24th i.e Wednesday, he didn't do any Kirtan in any of the programs. The congregation devotees in Pune had planned a nice day with Maharaj. Guru Maharaj insisted to go for a Japa walk, which He never misses, & was taken to a botanical garden nereby the temple, which is commonly known as the Empress garden. About 4-5 congregation devotees accompanied & assisted Him. Now this has some reference to my previous report of `Vyas Puja Celebrations in Pune'. In that I had mentioned we celebrated the most auspicious occasion of Sri Vyasa Puja at the residence of a congregation devotee, KirtiBhai Patel Pr. We had planned that all the initiated disciples would meet Guru Maharaj at Patel Pr's place. Patel Pr. managed a very nice arrangement to welcome Guru maharaj at his residence. About 150-200 devotees attended this Program.

To mention something more. It was the same place where we had celebrated Vyasa Puja exactly a month agoI. It was the same spot in that big hall where Guru Maharaj was seated in the form of His huge Photograph when we celebrated Vyasa PujaI It was the same place where we were watching Caran Abhisheka of Guru Maharaj when it was done in DelhiI. Everything was same. Only the time was different. But this time we were seeing Guru Maharaj in front of us seating on the Vyasasana & automatically the whole atmosphere was once again changed into the one that everybody experienced on the Vyasa Puja Day.

A senior disciple of Guru Maharaj amongst us H.G. Saci Kumar Pr. requested Guru Maharaj to allow them to wash his LOTUS FEET. At that time I was sitting just in front of Guru Maharaj. I heard the conversation between Maharaj & Saci kumar Pr. AndII was shocked to hear the quick OKAY from Guru Maharaj to the request of Saci Kumar Pr. regarding Caran Puja of Guru Maharaj. I was totally convinced that Guru Maharaj was extremely pleased with the Vyasa Puja celebrations we had here. This conviction came to me when I analysed the whole situation. Same place, same time, same environmentI.. & Guru Maharaj appeared there exactly after one month to fulfill the wish of deovotees who had felt bad about not been able to do Caran Abhisheka on the most auspicious appearance day of Guru Maharaj. This showed us that there is no difference between Guru Maharaj & His Photograph. After the Caran Abhisheka, we did Guru Arati of Maharaj. It all was so wonderfull to witness what could be called as the second Vyasa Puja celebrations.

This time Guru Maharaj was so pleased with devotion & Shraddha of devotion of His disciples in Pune. For the last few visits, Guru Maharaj was visited Pune only for hardly 24 Hrs. time. But this time He himself admitted that He feels bad about not been able to give us sufficient time. He daclared that seeing devotion of His disciples here, in future every visit of His to Pune would be for atleast 2-3 days. It was so wonderful for all of us over here to get a vouch like this from our Spiritual Master. Later on Guru Maharaj was taken on the upper floor where He was offered some Prasadam, & then devotees who wanted to offer him Guru Dakshina approached Him one by one, to serve Guru Maharaj. After this he held a meeting with the counscelors & the Temple President Radheshyam Pr. In this he gave some instructions about increasing the preaching activites & solved a couple of problems relating to some management issue. This all happened only because Guru Maharaj decided to stay till evening. Nothing was possible if He would have decided to go by 12.00 noon. But even Krsna wanted Him to take some rest. The Lord himself personally takes care of pure devotees like our beloved Guru Maharaj. If His throat didn't had turned worst in the morning, then He would have left by 12.00 noon to Indore & then to Delhi which would have proved more hectic for Him. But Krsna arranged things for Him. His Throat turned worst in the morning which made Him to cancell His Indore trip & surprisingly he started feeling better as he proceeded with His Srimad Bhagvatam Class. Such is the grace of Guru MaharajI He doesn't care for Himself if it is a question of serving Srila Prabhupada. But Krsna Himself cares for Him. He is always resting in the lap of Krsna.

After finishing His meetings He left from there & had to visit Patel Pr.'s brother's house. He just got initiated this year. His name is H.G. Deenbandhu Caitanya Pr. Guru Maharaj visited His house & was very pleased with the service rendered by these two brothers at the Lotus Feet of Guru Maharaj. From there He returned to the Temple & gave darshans to devotees there. There he decided the He would fly to Delhi the same evening. Hence we got a ticket for Him for the 18.40 Hrs. flight to Delhi. He had Prasadamat around 5.00 PM & Left for the airport at around 5.45 PM. Many devotees from the temple had been to the airport to see him off. Thus one more hectic & usual day of Guru Maharaj in Pune come to an end. Guru Maharaj was only for 24 Hours in Pune, but in such a short time He has charged everybody over here & inspired to preach more & distribute Srila Prabhupadas books. This is the most important aspect of association with such a pure soul as our most beloved Guru Maharaj.

Devotees here in Pune have tried to capture these divine moments in form of photographs & Video recording. We would try our best to share these transcendental moments with all of you in due course of time. You can relish this nectar when it will be put on Guru Maharaj's Home Page. For this I would request some mercy of H.G.Gita Mataji, so that everybody of us can always remember our Guru Maharaj & glorify His Transcendental qualities for years ahead to come. I am avery unqualified soul to describe any of such transcendental events but I would always keep on attampting to do so by the mercy of Guru & Gauranga. If you think that I have commited any mistake or offended Guru Maharaj or any other Vaisnava, please let me know so that I can rectify it & beg for mercy of Guru Maharaj & Vaisnavas. In an endevour to serve Guru Maharaj eternally, Vaisnava Dasanudas Kaustubh Pune.

A Transcendental Punishment On 24th i.e Wednesday, after Guru Maharaj left, at Kirtbhai Patel Pr's place everybody had delicious Krsna Prasadam. At the end when almost everybody had Prasadam, a Person came & sat there to had Prasadam. He was served Prasadam thinking that he was one of the servant working in the shop of Patel Pr. He had Prasadam & at the time of leaving he robbed a hand bag of H.G. jugal Kishore Pr. & was leaving the place. Jugal Kishore Pr. saw this & ran behind hin to catch him. He was successful in catching hold of him & getting him back into the premises of the venue. There, previously he was denying that he had robbed it & started making excuses that he lifted it up by mistake. He was a drunket & upon a little threatening, he accepted that he had robbed the bag intensionaly & that he would be let to go as he had a family behind.

Couple of devotees were very furious & decided to hand him over to the Police. But Jugal Kishore Pr. then decided to make him chant Hare Krsna Mahamantra. He was totally panic & was terrified as he knew that if we hand him over to the Policemen, then it would be a nightmare form him. He was looking to be innoscent & that he had commited this mistake only due some circumstances. We then decided to make him chant for atleast half an hour. He sincerely chanted for half hour. & then we let him free. Actually he had done a crime by robbing, but at the same time he had been to a place which was totally purified by Guru Maharaj's presence out there. Moreover he had Krsna Prasadam feast in honour of Guru Maharaj. All these activities of his made him such a pious thief to receive this transcendental punishment by the mercy of Vaisnavas.