Gurudev got Krishna’s darshan, these were the last words of Aniruddha Prabhu
We with Gurudeva Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami came every year to Chinkidhani, a village near Jaipur. There have been programs where devotees with Gurudev were all very happy, seeing the serving spirit to Krishna of the villagers that all were disciples of Gurudev or Param Gurudeva Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami. Aniruddha Prabhu was the head of the community and, along with his real brother, he organized all the Seva. When were leaving with Gurudev by bus from there, the villagers followed us and cried, begging Gurudev to stay longer. It reminded me of a scene from Brij-basi when Krishna were leaving Vrindavan. The gopis were crying and followed the chariot of Akrura. Gopis of Rajasthan were the same (part of Rajasthan belongs to the Braja-mandala), they also followed the bus of Gurudeva and wept. Gurudev also cried seeing their separation grief.
Once Aniruddha Prabhu walked with me in their village and showed me their lands. I was the only foreign brahmacari in the Math at the time, who traveled all the time with Gurudev in India as his secretary for the English literary works of Gurudev. Seeing my solitary status of a foreigner in the Math and all the difficulties that I had to endure, Aniruddha Prabhu was very merciful to me and blessed and inspired me to continue to serve Gurudev no matter what goes around.
We came to Jaipur to get the darshan of Govindaji Deities and other Deities, that centuries ago were transported from Vrindavan and saved from destruction by Muslims. Aniruddha Prabhu saw me after lunch with the rosary on the roof of a guest-house, where all lived and began to tell how he came in the Math and met his Gurudeva Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami. He said that when Srila Gurudeva Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj was a young brahmacari named Krishna Ballabh Brahmachari, he after lunch climbed onto the roof to chant Harinam in seclusion. Aniruddha Prabhu, too, so they did it together with Gurudev –chanted Harinam.
Aniruddha Prabhu being grihastha sometimes came to the Math and all the time was watching a picture that Srila Gurudeva unlike other mathavasi did not lie down to rest in the afternoon, and walked on the roof for chanting of Harinam. This went on for ten or fifteen years. Gurudeva took sannyasa and continued his practice. Aniruddha Prabhu said that Gurudev’s complexion was dark at that time. But one day when he came to the Math again and saw Gurudeva, he could not recognize him. Gurudeva’s body became bright, it turned out from dark-skinned to pale gold color. Gurudeva was illumined with an extraordinary radiance and kindness, he became very peaceful and blissful.
Aniruddha Prabhu stated, this is what happens when we begin to sincerely and in a concentration chant Harinam. Gurudev got Krishna’s darshan, these were the last words of Aniruddha Prabhu. I was extremely impressed and inspired in the practice of chanting and even began to chant one lakh of Harinama.
In Jaipur Srila Gurudeva gave lectures and kirtans in the temples of Govindaji and Gopinathji. To listen them regularly came a lot of locals, inhabitants of Jaipur. And when it was announced that today is the last lecture in the course, and Gurudev would be leaving tomorrow, they began to stand up and cry and asked Gurudev to stay a few more days and continue Hari-katha. They were ordinary citizens, whom we never knew before and not even members of our Sampradaya. But they had a spontaneous attraction to Govindaji and pure devotee of Krishna.
In the morning, we all went together to mangalarati of Govindaji. I was placed for the night at Aniruddha Prabhu’s nephews flat who lived in Jaipur and worked in a bank. When we were in the temple, I saw a huge crowd of townspeople converged to 4 am on mangalarati. They sang to each his own, offered lamps –dhups and deeps, bhoga-sweets and immediately distributed prasadam to everyone. I asked a local resident, why they go to the temple every day, he said that if the whole family even miss a day, they feel that the day passed in a vain without the mercy of Krishna and feel very unhappy. Deity Govindaji was installed by Rupa Goswami, and now blesses by Their mercy simple Jaipur residents and pilgrims.
Srila Gurudeva ki Jaya. Srila Aniruddha Prabhu ki Jai!
Written by humble servant of all Vaishnavas, first Western disciple of Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami,
Vrindavan Das
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dlae2idhHks&list=PLHgJjji31_ob47_ik152PN3wCb6rtK6je&index=1