Guru Maharaja celebrated the most auspicious day of Gaura Purnima in ISKCON
Juhu temple. We arrived there in the afternoon. Guru Maharaja took a short
rest and prepared himself for the lecture that started at 5 pm. He recieved
a warm welcome from the assembled devotees and visitors. He was talking
about Lord Caitanya’s appearence in the house of Jagannatha Mishra. Then he
was explaining about the inner reasons of Lord Caitanya’s appearence in this
material world by telling a story of Rukmini Devi’s talk to Lord Krishna in
the spiritual world, where she was revealing to Lord Krishna her deep
feelings of love for Him, after what Lord Krishna decided to come in the
form of His own devotee in order to taste that same feeling of love, which
His devotees have for Him.
In the same time Narada Muni came to visit Lord
Krishna and begged Him to come in the material world to save all the fallen
souls in the time of Kali yuga. That’s how Lord Krishna decided to combine
these different purposes of saving the fallen souls and tasting the nectar
of pure love that resides in the heart of His pure devotees, and take the
form of most mercyful Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Guru Maharaja’s talk was
full of emotion and enthusiasm to glorify Lord Gauranga by loud shouting:
GAURANGA…
After the lecture the abhisheka started. Guru Maharaja was invited to do
initial aroti before the abhisheka. The servants drove Guru Maharaja’s
wheelchair in the front of the altar. With the help of the servants Guru
Maharaja stood up and leaning his body on the altar fence he offered incense
sticks, ghee lamp and the flowers to Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. All the devotees
were vary much happy to see that and were incouraging Guru Maharaja by
shouting: Haribol! After that Guru Maharaja was sitting in the front of the
altar during the whole abhisheka, in the humble mood with his palms folded
and very carefully whatching the sacred bathing ceremony for Their
Lordships. HH Gopal Krishna Maharaja was on the altar togather with 10-15
other devotees performing abhisheka. The temple room was extreemly
beautifuly decorated with many flowers, flower baskets hanging from the
ceiling and on the branches of the trees in the courtyard, and many banana
trees all around. Sweet kirtana of the Holy Names was surcharging the
atmosphere with all the auspiciousness. After the abhisheka Guru Maharaja
went in his room to break the fast by honouring prasadam feast cooked by
Ivesvara Dasa. During the day he was eating only the fruits and roots.
During prasadam time a few devotees came to meet Guru Maharaja and had a
short conversation with him. Before he went to give the lecture one famous
Bollywood movie actress came to see Guru Maharaja with her son. Her name is
Dimple Kapadia. Some years ago she was very famous actress in India, but now
she’s not playing anymore. Siromani mataji told me how she met Guru Maharaja
in the Hinduja Hospital just before Guru Maharaja left to Bhaktivedanta
Hospital. It happened that her sister was admited to the Hinduja Hospital in
the same time as Guru Maharaja was. Since she was coming to visit her sister
regularly she was wondering what so many people are doing in the front of
Guru Maharaja’s room. One day she approached Siromani and inquired about who
is in that room. Siromani mataji told her about Guru Maharaja and she
expressed desire to have a darshan of him. That’s how she met Guru Maharaja
and from that meeting she has developed some attraction to him and kept
inquiring about him through Siromani mataji. On the Gaura Purnima day Guru
Maharaja asked Siromani about her, since she lives in Juhu area, and
Siromani informed her that Guru Maharaja will be in the ISKCON Juhu temple
the whole afternoon. Upon hearing that she immideately came in the temple to
see Guru Maharaja with her son. She brought many fruits for him as a
present. Guru Maharaja had a nice conversation with her. She said she’s
regularly following his health updates from the internet. She expressed her
joy of how Guru Maharaja’s condition improved since their last meeting in
the Hinduja Hospital. She seemed to be very much wellwhishing towards Guru
Maharaja.
Since Guru Maharaja came back from Mayapur his daily scedule became more
intense in terms of different types of therapies. Now he has advanced
phisiotherapy for 2 hours in the morning; occupational therapy for 1 hour in
the evening (right now he’s practicing writing); bed therapy for 1 hour in
the evening; 2 sessions of face therapies 2 times a day, half an hour each.
Three days ago he started with ayurvedic oil and steam massage for 1 and
half hour every morning. Durung eating he practice to eat by himself and his
right hand is improving. His stability of the hips and the whole body is
better. His face started to show expressions on the right side which was
frozen. Guru Maharaj is very often in a jolly mood and enthusiastic to
practice his therapies, and always eager to have association of devotees and
to preach.
Just yesterday before lunch 5 matajis who are working in the Bhaktivedanta
Hospital Spiritual Care Team came to see Guru Maharaja and to tell him the
new stories about their preaching in the hispital. Guru Maharaja was
listening them with a great attention. After they left Siromani mataji told
how they are missing Guru Maharaja’s association since now Guru Maharaja is
not in his room in the time of their evening visits with their Lordships
Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra. They revealed to Siromani mataji how they
feel greatly encouraged by Guru Maharaja’s listening stories of their
preaching activities and by his telling that stories on almost every lecture
he’s been giving. Now they feel how their efforts has a meaning, and they
are more able to appriciate it. Siromani added how one mataji who is working
as dermatologist in the hospital said the same thing: how she is encouraged
by listening the stories from the hospital on Guru Maharaja’s lectures to be
more in the preaching mood herself. Now when she meet the patients she is
thinking more about to give them Krishna consiousness then to cure their
material desiese. Guru Maharaja was loughing on that. He said that
Madhavananda Prabhu said that’s way it’s good that Guru Maharaja spend his
time in Bhaktivedanta Hospital. We all agreed how Guru Maharaja’s preaching
mood is so overwhelming that in whatever condition he may be it’s touching
the hearts of people. Siromani just confirmed that even when Guru Maharaja
was laying uncounsious in Hinduja Hospital so many people, who are working
in the hospital or just visiting, were attracted by him, moved by him, and
many started to chant the Holy Names. She said it was amazing to see it. In
that way we were glorifying Guru Maharaja in front of him, and he was
listening like he’s also amazed. He was in a very sweet mood, not taking
credit for himself. He’s preaching by his example in each and every
situation. Like he tell us many times: “I’m not this body. I’m servant of
the servant of the servant of Krishna.”
your servant,
Teja Gaurangi dd