Sri
Gauranga
Ashram

(Narrated by Braj Gopal Das, Radha Kund, Oct.2022)

Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami Sri Srimad Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj ki Jai !!

Hari Gopal Das was a resident of Radha Kund in District Mathura. He was a disciple of Tridandi Swami Srimad Bhakti Pradip Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, the then Head of Gaudiya Mission. 

He lived with his wife and son in a mud hut in Radha Kund where he had a small vegetable shop that supported his livelihood. They also had some cows. A native Brijwasi, he was content to live a simple life and do his bhajan. 

One day while sitting in his shop, he saw a young sanyasi (Gurudev Baba) in white garments with his head covered, passing by his stall and recognised him as a guru-bhai, i.e., disciples of the same spiritual master. 

“Oy..!” Hari Gopal called out in typical gruff Brijwasi style. The monk turned around and recognised his guru brother. Happy to see him, Hari Gopal learned that after the passing of their Guru Maharaj, Baba was appointed as the Head of Gaudiya Mission. However, the resultant politics in the Math saddened Baba and he quietly left one day. Baba came to Radha Kund with the intention of pursuing his bhajan there. 

Hari Gopal insisted that Baba stay with him and perform his bhajan. Baba was happy to accept his hospitality, but requested Hari Gopal to not tell anyone of his (Baba’s) stay there, particularly not to other Gaudiya Math people who would definitely come looking for him. 

Hari Gopal took Baba home and told his wife that at Gaudiya Math, Baba used to be the star attraction. He was loved by all and visitors were particularly attracted to him. He would sing kirtan soulfully and their Acharya Gurudev was very fond of him.

Baba’s routine was to do japa for 12-15 hours a day, have a simple meal with Hari Gopal and walk the Govardhan Parikrama doing japa, late at night when the path was dark and practically empty. He performed the Govardhan Parikrama in this manner every single night for six months in Gopi vesh. Hari Gopal’s wife once asked him “Baba I don’t see you ever sleeping…when do you sleep?” Baba laughed it off.  

Braj Gopal’s mother used to make thick hand patted chapatis from coarse flour along with kadhi (as there was enough milk and curd due to the cows), which Baba relished.

Once during his Giriraj parikrama in the dead of the night, Baba saw a big gang of monkeys in the middle of the path. They appeared to be excited and agitated. There was no one else around. It was dark and deserted. He was a little apprehensive and slowed down wondering how to proceed. Just then a voice from behind said, “Chalo, chalo Baba. Woh kachhu na karenge” (Go on Baba, keep walking. They won’t bother you). It was a sadhu who appeared out of nowhere. Much later Baba revealed that it was Giriraj Maharaj Himself. 

Another time, when he was walking and chanting his beads, a lovely little girl came up to him and said in Brij-bhasha, the local dialect, “Baba, tero bhajan siddh hai!” That was Srimati Radharani. 

Braj Gopal, who was around 4-5 years of age at the time, was the object of Baba’s affection. Baba would seat him on his lap and feed him from his plate. Holding his hand, Braj Gopal would walk with him around the lanes of Radha Kund. Having no money however, Baba was unable to buy the child anything by way of candy or toffee and he felt sad about it. Braj Gopal was initiated by Baba in 1973 when he lived there with them. 

Braj Gopal, who narrated the above said that one day Baba gently dropped a hint to his mother while sitting in the open kitchen area, “Ma…. one day if you don’t find me here, don’t get concerned about me…okay…please don’t go looking for me…” Mataji didn’t get his drift and later that night told her husband about it. 

Hari Gopal at once sought out Baba and said in his gruff fashion…”Oye…! Yahan koi takleef pareshani hai kya?! Kyon jane ki baat karte ho!” 
(Do you have any problems here? Why do you talk of going away?!) Baba appeased him and the matter ended there. 

As hinted by Baba, one day he was gone. Hari Gopal looked for him everywhere but could not find him. 

Time passed. Braj Gopal grew up.  He had siblings. Many years later one day, Hari Gopal was at home when he heard some commotion from outside….the sound of cars and honking etc.  When he stepped out of his house, he saw a fleet of cars trying to negotiate the narrow lane. 

Presently a car door opened and out stepped a clean shaven sanyasi wearing shining orange silken dhoti and a brilliant Vaishnav tilak on his forehead. “Hari Bhai! Hari Bhai!” the sanyasi called out. Hari Gopal immediately recognised Baba and the next minute, both guru brothers were locked in a tight embrace that lasted several minutes. Neither was willing to let go! It was like the meeting of Krishna and Sudama.

All the accompanying people simply stood by wide-eyed, awe struck looking at the unfolding scene. Baba, whom no one even dared to touch, was embracing and back slapping these simple rustic villagers. 

Baba went inside and met Mataji, saying “Ma! Pehchana kaun ..?” She looked at him for a few minutes and said “Baba!” “Ma! You looked after me so well when I was here. I will always be indebted to you and Hari Bhai. You will never want for anything”, Baba blessed them profusely. 

Baba turned to Braj Gopal, then in his 20s, and hugged him fondly. “I didn’t even have a penny to buy you a candy” he recalled. Baba spent some time talking with them and then took Braj Gopal inside alone. Braj Gopal said Baba pointed to the chakra on the centre of his shaven head and told him, “See this? Now you know who I am. Ask me any boon today. It will be granted..” Braj Gopal was overawed and simply offered his pranams to Baba. Baba blessed him abundantly saying “You will never lack for anything; all your good intentions (sankalp) will be fulfilled.”  After spending some time with them, Baba invited them all to visit his ashram in Delhi and took leave.  

Braj Gopal recounted that they went to Baba’s ashram in Kundan Farm Delhi a couple of times in the following months, where they were warmly welcomed and enjoyed Baba’s warm hospitality. Patting the bed beside him Baba told Braj Gopal, "Aao mere paas baitho..." (Come, sit near me here). Braj Gopal demurred but Baba said "Arey! tu toh mera beta hai! Baith jao" (You are my son. Sit, sit). Baba then showed Braj Gopal his special shaligram shilas, which were normally kept inside. One particular shaligram, Braj Gopal recalled, was soft and spongy to the touch. Baba insisted that Braj Gopal hold it in his hands.

Braj Gopal narrated another incident. In the years that followed, on another trip to Radha Kund, Baba called him one day and said to reach the Kund with puja materials by 9 o’clock in the morning. Baba was coming from Delhi with a group of devotees to do a puja at Janhva Thakurani’s ghat in Radha Kund. When the convoy reached Manasi Ganga, Baba asked everyone get down to have darshan. When they got down, what do they see? Radha Kund!! They had a full vision of Radha Kund and all the activities occurring there at the time! After some time, Baba said, “Let’s go to Radha Kund!” Everyone was puzzled because they thought they were already there. But nevertheless they scrambled into their cars and followed him and reached Radha Kund after 12 noon.  

It was midday in peak summer and the kota stone steps all around Radha Kund were burning hot. The accompanying devotees were told to go into Raghunath Das Goswami’s Samadhi temple as it was too hot by the lake. Baba came and sat on the burning stone at Jahnva Ma’s Baithak and went into trance for a good 20 minutes. Even Braj Gopal, well accustomed to walking barefoot on the hot stones, couldn’t stand there for more than 10 minutes. He entered the ghat steps and stood in the water. After 20 minutes Baba opened his eyes and he walked down the steps to do the puja.
The purport being that since the devotees could not go down to Radha Kund and have a good darshan because of the heat, Baba gave them a vision of Radha Kund at Manasi Ganga itself! Where can one find such a compassionate Guru!

Hari Gopal Das, now 96 years of age, and his wife live with their other son in Ghaziabad because of his advanced age and better healthcare facilities available there. Braj Gopal Das and his wife continue to live at the same place where Baba stayed, but now in a “pucca’ brick house. He is a Guru Maharaj in his own right and has many disciples in Bengal, Orissa and Maharashtra.

Close to his house, Braj Gopal Das has constructed a yatri nivas (pilgrims’ lodging quarters), where in this 2022 Kartik month, he is providing free accommodation and meals twice a day to pilgrims who are on Govardhan/Radha Kund parikrama. He also gives Bhagavat katha pravachan (spiritual discourses) every evening there.

Jai Gurudev!

Sri Shyam Kund Radha Kund ki Jai !!

Jai Jai Sri Radhey !!