It was Śrīla Gurudeva’s habit since childhood to wake before dawn and walk to the Gaṅgā, where he performed ablutions and worship. Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha was a ten-minute walk from the Gaṅgā. Gurudeva would rise around 3:30 a.m., bow down outside the room of Ācārya Kesarī, who was absorbed in devotional meditation at the time, and then proceed to the Gaṅgā.
Ācārya Kesarī once questioned Gurudeva, “Are you going to the Gaṅgā simply for yourself, or for service?”
Gurudeva humbly remained silent. “Wherever you go and whatever you do,” Ācārya Kesarī said, “the purpose of your actions should be to please Kṛṣṇa and serve the Vaiṣṇavas.”
From then onwards, Gurudeva brought a clay pot of Gaṅgā water back for Ācārya Kesarī’s daily rites and another for the Deities’ abhiṣeka and the watering of sacred Tulasī plants.
Ācārya Kesarī was pleased to see this and told him, “Now your bathing in the Gaṅgā is successful. You will never have a problem in life if you do all activities for Bhagavān’s service. When you go to the Gaṅgā, first offer obeisance and ārati while praying for her mercy; only then should you bathe.”
Śrīla Gurudeva accepted this instruction and worshiped the Gaṅgā with great reverence. As Gurudeva offered her ārati, Gaṅgā-devī, the personified Deity of the Gaṅgā, showered him with blessings.
One morning, Ācāryadeva instructed Śrīla Gurudeva, “You must learn verses from the Vedānta-sūtra. If temple residents do not learn the Vedānta-sūtra, it will be nigh impossible for them to enter the realm of bhakti. The purport of the 550 aphorisms of Vedānta is pure bhakti. Memorizing the Vedānta will make you related to the qualities and glories of Bhagavān which will in turn make you spiritually strong and protect you from māyā’s clutches.”
To test Gurudeva, Ācārya Kesarī daily questioned him. “How many aphorisms of the Brahma-sūtra have you memorized?” he asked. Hearing Gurudeva’s answer, he asked, “What is their purport?”
While Ācārya Kesarī discussed Vedānta with Śrīla Gurudeva, morning light gently spread across the holy land. Morning kīrtana and the hari-kathā discourse immediately followed. Afterwards, Gurudeva began his temple services.
Another morning, Śrīla Gurudeva asked Ācārya Kesarī, “O Gurudeva, how can I feel like the dhāma is my true home and the devotees are my family members?”
Smiling, Ācārya Kesarī replied, “After maṅgala-āratī, honor the Vaiṣṇavas by offering them your obeisance. This is not a physical exercise; bow to them with a prayer for realization of your eternal relation with the dhāma and devotees.”
Śrīla Gurudeva began offering daily obeisance in the morning to all temple residents. Later, Ācārya Kesarī asked him, “Have you realized anything?”
“No, Gurujī.”
“When you approach the Vaiṣṇavas,” Ācārya Kesarī said, “don’t merely bow down and leave; request them for mercy. They will then fulfill your desires.”
Śrīla Gurudeva went to a disciple of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda, bowed down, and said, “We are in Navadvīpa, the divine place of Mahāprabhu and His associates. But I can only see worldly things and it is rare to find people who are interested in bhajana. I can’t perceive the spiritual Navadvīpa-dhāma. O Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura! I am offering you my obeisance. Please grant a vision of the eternal land of Navadvīpa.” The Vaiṣṇava smiled but did not say anything.
Ācāryadeva later asked Śrīla Gurudeva, “What did you pray for?”
“I prayed to see the true form of Navadvīpa-dhāma,” Gurudeva said.
“Now you have become wise,” Ācāryadeva answered, and he placed his hand on Gurudeva’s head.
After a week of offering daily obeisance and praying to the Vaiṣṇavas, Śrīla Gurudeva realized that although he was beseeching all Vaiṣṇavas, he was not praying directly to Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja. He immediately went and offered obeisance to him, lying prostrate on the ground for a long time while internally praying.
Ācārya Kesarī understood his heart and, lifting him up, said, “I shall grant your wish.”
Śrīla Gurudeva busied himself in service from the day he joined the āśrama. He assisted the brahmacārīs with their respective duties and was always eager for a task. Moreover, he selflessly served the Vaiṣṇavas; noticing if they required anything, he would see to all their needs with a care and affection that won over their hearts. The senior Vaiṣṇavas blessed Gurudeva, and thought, “In the time of Śrīla Prabhupāda, Vinoda Bihari looked after the devotees’ well-being, serving and maintaining them in all manners. He collected hearts with his affection and offered them to Prabhupāda. Now, this Śrīman Nārāyaṇa is following in Ācārya Kesarī’s footsteps.”
While engaged, Śrīla Gurudeva’s only motive was to please Bhagavān, for he knew that the Lord is pleased with those who serve His devotees more than those who worship Him directly. As a result of his service tendency, a spirit of camaraderie developed between Gurudeva and the other residents of the aśrama.
Of the devotees, Śrīla Gurudeva developed close friendships with Sajjana-sevaka Brahmacārī and Rādhānātha Prabhu. He respected them as his senior godbrothers and had complete faith in them. They, too, offered him respect and had affection for him, without thinking of him as a junior. Gurudeva observed the services performed by Sajjana-sevaka and Rādhānātha. They had possessive affection for the temple and engaged in all activities with enthusiasm, not thinking of any service as higher or lower. Sajjana-sevaka and Rādhānātha were engaged in cooking, going to the market, cleaning the temple, begging alms, editing, typesetting, and publishing Ācāryadeva’s articles and books. As a result of the friendship and similar ages between Gurudeva, Sajjana-sevaka, and Rādhānātha, the other temple residents began to call them brothers.
Of the three, Rādhānātha Prabhu was eldest, but Sajjana-sevaka had been in the temple with Ācārya Kesarī since childhood while Rādhānātha had come as a young man. Śrīla Gurudeva and Rādhānātha Prabhu both regarded Sajjana-sevaka as a śikṣā-guru, or instructing teacher, for he taught them literary Bengali and challenging aspects of Sanskrit. Sajjana-sevaka had a grave temperament and was composed as he served. On the other hand, Rādhānātha Prabhu and Gurudeva joked casually and often became absorbed in heated discussions. They often went to Sajjana-sevaka as an arbitrator, and he calmly pacified his brothers with an appropriate solution. The debates sometimes turned into vociferous quarrels, yet afterwards they sat together and ate off the same plate with affection.
Śrīla Bhakti Prajñāna Keśava Gosvāmī Mahārāja was considered the father of Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha and his dear godbrother Śrīpāda Narahari Sevā-vigraha Prabhu was like the caring mother. Narahari Prabhu arranged all necessities for Gurudeva when he first arrived at the temple. Gurudeva served in the temple under the affectionate guidance of Narahari Prabhu. Together they purchased vegetables, and cut and washed them for the head cook.
On the road outside Devānanda Gauḍīya Maṭha there was a small market where farmers sold their produce. Many of these farmers had a harsh and belligerent temperament. They looked for trivial excuses to start an argument. When Narahari Prabhu and Gurudeva went to purchase vegetables, the farmers raised their prices. Since the temple was under financial strain, the brahmacārīs would get into arguments with the farmers about the price of the vegetables. The farmers held bamboo sticks to keep animals away from their stalls, and in the confusion of a disagreement one morning, a farmer struck Narahari Prabhu on the head. Seeing that Narahari Prabhu was bleeding, Gurudeva grabbed a bamboo rod and struck the offender with such force that the bamboo shattered. The farmers gathered around with a natural desire to retaliate against Gurudeva, but Narahari Prabhu expertly pacified them with his sweet demeanor and the matter was settled.
Narahari Prabhu was renowned for his expertise in dealing with the locals. He served in the temple all morning and in the afternoons he went door to door and spoke with the villagers. He asked how their health was, if they had any problems, and how he could help. The residents of Navadvīpa regarded Narahari Prabhu as a dear friend and relative just as the Vrajavāsīs had previously felt for Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī. Narahari Prabhu’s sobriquet was Ajāta-śatru—he who has no enemies. His pleasant behavior with people created a good reputation for the temple and the villagers offered gifts such as fruits and sweets for the Deities and devotees. However, he never took anything for himself. Upon returning to the temple in the late afternoon, he would call Gurudeva, “O Tiwārījī, you have been serving all day. You must be tired and hungry. I can see that your mouth is dry. Here, take this juicy mango. But don’t tell anyone. Go hide and eat it alone.”
Narahari Prabhu served all the devotees like a mother, conquering their hearts with affection. During the day he made sure the devotees were well in all manners and at night he checked to see that they had mosquito nets and blankets. His tenderness encouraged devotees and gave them spiritual willpower. Simply giving someone food, facilities, or advice is not enough. How will food be nourishing and how can one follow advice if it is not coming from a place of loving care and personal relation? Love engenders strength and enthusiasm.
[Excerpted from the Bhakta Bandhav Publication “Sri Guru Darsana“]