vaisnava tithi

I met Srila Gurudeva for the first time at Devananda Gaudiya Math on this occasion in 1968. Many people were invited to attend the separation day. I met our Guru-varga at this viraha tithi for the first time. People from many different Gaudiya Maths were invited. I came there in 1968; I was twelve or thirteen. I saw how much love these sadhus had for their Gurudeva. They had renounced everything, but they did not renounce their Gurudeva and the Vaisnavas. In that viraha sabha, many acaryas were present like Pujyapada Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja, Pujyapada Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja, Pujyapada Bhakti Bhudeva Srauti Maharaja, Pujyapada Hrisikesa Maharaja, Pujyapada Janardhana Maharaja, and many other disciples of Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura. They had heartfelt love and respect for their god-brother. Everyone had heartfelt love and deep respect for Param Gurudeva during the time of Prabhupada Sarasvati Thakura; their love for Param Gurudeva was undisturbed even after Prabhupada’s disappearance. We cannot define or understand such love. This is called a relationship. Their hearts are not hard like rocks. What do they do for their Guru-varga? Each acarya would offer puspanjali to Param Gurudeva and bitterly weep in separation. Some were elder and senior, but all of their hearts melted in separation from Param Gurudeva, and when they offered puspanjali, they showered everyone with the nectar of their separation-filled harikatha. They wept incessantly as they spoke. Thousands of disciples were there. The temple did not have any towers. There was only the ground floor, and the temple hall was small. There were not so many rooms. Everyone sat outside, like during Navadvipa Parikrama, or Vraja Mandala Parikrama. Everyone was there for the start of Kartika vrata.
We heard how Param Gurudeva was so close to Nayana-manjari, who had appeared as Varsabhanavi-devi dayita dasa in this world. He was very close to her in the spiritual world in his form as Vinoda-manjari. His service to his guru manifested in this world also. Through his immaculate service, he distributed the glories of Prabhupada, Nayana Mani-manjari to the conditioned souls.
Prabhupada gave him the name, “Vinoda Bihari.” He had a brother named Pramoda Bihari who later became Bhakti Kevala Audulomi Maharaja. Prabhupada said, “Unless someone meets with Vinoda, one cannot understand bhakti, bhajana, and Bhagavan. They will never realize eternal happiness. Whoever remembers Vinoda, and makes a relation with him can understand me. And they will never have any problem in life.”
Prabhupada would look to see who respected Vinoda. Ordinary people complained against Param Gurudeva to Prabhupada. They said, “He wears a Santipura dhoti and turban, and rides on a big horse, and he spends so much money. He does not wear tilaka, and he never has his mala or does bhajana. He leaves in the morning and returns at night. He does not follow any rules and regulations of bhakti.”
Prabhupada replied, “A person who follows all good etiquette but has no love only performs karma. This is external.”
People come to perform their duty, but they have no love. After they finish their duty, they return to their loved ones. Another person does not follow the rules and regulation externally, but he has love in his heart, and he has a heart to heart relation and connection with his spiritual master; this love is spotless and unbreakable.
Relationships are comprised of love. For instance, a servant in a palace works from morning to evening, while the prince does not do anything. If the servant has a little fault, he gets suspended or punished. The king’s son may break all regulations, and may destroy many things in the palace, but the king has love for his son, and does not punish him; he overlooks his faults.