Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami – biography

Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami

Śrī Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Mahārāja writes, “Śrī Mahārāja has strength beyond the capacities of an ordinary man, for at an age of more than seventy years he not only edits a monthly magazine and writes books such as this one, but takes the responsibility for managing a large organization like Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math through which he preaches the gospel of Śrī Caitanya-deva to devotees speaking a variety of languages throughout India, from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin.

Even at his advanced age, it has been possible for him to find the indomitable energy and the tireless enthusiasm to apply himself to tasks that tax his body, mind, speech and intelligence, and he achieves unimaginable results. This is proof that the inexhaustible affectionate blessings of the Supreme Lord, the guru and the Vaiṣṇavas have poured down upon him and that unlimited divine powers, which can make the impossible possible, have descended upon him through their transcendental mercy.”

An Introduction

‘Example is better than precept’ is his way of preaching, as he always practices what he preaches. Whoever came in touch with his transcendental personality could see his compassion towards the living entities, complete detachment, absolute tolerance, intense spiritual blissfulness, unflinching faith in Sree Guru, combined with exclusive devotion and complete surrender to Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

He is known for not deviating even one iota outside of the four corners of the prescripts of the Holy Scriptures. By dint of his all-loving nature and devoutness to the service of Guru and Vaishnavas, he is the role model for acharyas of many Gaudiya institutions.

His Early life

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj appeared in 1924 in Goalpara, Assam, India, on Sree Ramanavami, the most auspicious appearance day of Lord Ramachandra. From his childhood he had a natural affinity towards spirituality and an innate inclination to search for the ultimate reality. He used to spend the majority of his time in meditation. Even as a child he was cognizant of the transitory nature of the material world, and was indifferent to worldly things.

He was very obedient and respectful to his elders and teachers, and became an example for other children. His strong inclination towards the path of self-realization made him take up the study of philosophy at Calcutta University. His peers invariably noted his outstanding qualities of truthfulness, benevolence and non-enviousness.

Taking Shelter of the Divine Master

After completing his M. A. in Philosophy in 1947, he was spontaneously attracted to the divine personality of his Spiritual Master, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhav Goswami Maharaj, and fully dedicated his life to his service.

His Divine Grace excelled in following all the devotional traits of Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj and, due to his untiring service attitude, marked his valuable contribution to the activities of the mission. He very soon became the Secretary of the organization. In 1961 he was awarded sannyas, the vow of renunciation. He travelled extensively with his Gurudev to spread the mission of Mahaprabhu.

His Divine Grace was nominated as the successor acharya of the Math by Srila Madhav Goswami Maharaj. In 1979, after his Gurudev entered into the eternal pastimes of Sree Sree Radha-Krishna, His Divine Grace became the President-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math.

Preaching Activities

“Example is better than precept” is his way of preaching, as he always practices what he preaches. Whoever came in touch with his transcendental personality could clearly see his compassion towards the living entities, complete detachment, absolute tolerance, intense spiritual blissfulness, unflinching faith in Sree Guru, combined with exclusive devotion and complete surrender to Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He is known for not deviating even one iota outside of the four corners of the prescripts of the Holy Scriptures.

At the behest of his Siksha-Guru, Srila Bhakti Promode Puri Goswami Maharaj, in 1997, His Divine Grace embarked upon preaching the message of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu throughout the world. His Divine Grace, during his USA tour in 1997, addressed the United Nations ‘World Conference on Religion and Peace’ and ‘World Peace Prayer Society’ in New York City, offering them a succinct outline for world peace based upon the spiritual tenets of the Vedas. All participants were very much moved by his sweet and humble personality.

His preaching programs included many interesting dialogues with prominent Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu and Baha’I theologians, in such diverse settings as universities, interfaith groups, churches, temples and a wide variety of metaphysical and private educational centers. All were invariably won over by his gentle and affectionate nature. He also spoke on the sublime teachings of Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on many radio and television programs, including a thought-provoking interview on BBC radio in 2000, which was broadcast world-wide.

His preaching engagements have taken him to twenty-five countries including UK, Holland, Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, France, Russia, the Ukraine, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, Hawaii and throughout the continental USA. With the goal of expanding the preaching mission worldwide he founded GOKUL, the Global Organization of Krishnachaitanya’s Universal Love, in 1997, which has many centers all over the world.

By dint of his all-loving nature and devoutness to the service of Guru and Vaishnavas, he is the role model for acharyas of many Gaudiya institutions. During his 50th Sannyas Anniversary celebration in 2011, more than fifty acharyas of various institutions gathered to get his blessings, a number not seen elsewhere in this century.

His Entrance Into Nitya Lila

n the evening of April 20, 2017, His Divine Grace departed from this world at Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math in Kolkata while devotees were in the 7th day of nonstop sankirtan yagna. The timing of his entrance into nitya-lila corresponded with the conclusion of the 7th and onset of the 8th period of eternal pastimes of Sri Sri Radhakrishna (asta-kaliya yam). Now, his Samadhi temple is in Sree Mayapur, West Bengal.

Pranam Mantra

Remembrance of Guru-Vaishnava-Bhagavan will remove all obstacles of bhajan and can bestow the desired devotional objective. They are beyond the comprehension of material mind and intellect, harir hi nirguṇaḥ sākṣāt puruṣaḥ prakṛteḥ paraḥ— Supreme Lord Sri Hari is transcendental and as such, beyond material comprehension. Through reciting ‘Pranam Mantra’, we pray for the causeless mercy of Srila Gurudev so that he can remember him, Vaishnava and Bhagavan and sing Their glories.

nama om viṣṇu-pādāya śrī gaura-priya mūrtaye
śrīmate bhakti-vallabha tīrtha gosvāmīn nāmine
māyāvāda-vikhaṇḍanaṁ gurorvānyānukīrtanaṁ
paścadeśopadeśakaṁ prasanna-vadanaṁ sadā
śuddha-bhakti pravāhakaṁ śuddha-bhakti-bhagīrathaṁ
bhakti-dayita mādhavābhinna-tanuṁ-namāmyaham
nāma-saṅkīrtanāmṛta rasāsvāda-vidhāyakaṁ
kṛṣṇāmnāya-kṛpāmūrtim ācāryaṁ-taṁ-namāmyahaṁ
gaura-nāma pracārārdraṁ bhakta-sevānukānkṣitaṁ
satīrtha-prīti-sad-bhāva naumi tīrtha mahāśayam

I offer my most humble and respectful obeisances to Om Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhakti Ballabh Tīrtha Gosvāmī Mahārāj, the dearmost of Śrī Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu.

You refute the māyāvāda philosophy through the doctrines of pure devotion. You only recite those divine words heard from your spiritual master and spread them across the globe. Your face constantly shines with a heart-charming pleasant smile.

I bow down to you, who let the stream of pure devotion flow constantly. O Bhagīratha (he who brought Gaṅgā to earth) of pure devotion! You are a non-different manifestation of Śrīla Bhakti Dayita Mādhava Gosvāmī Mahārāj.

O Ācārya! I offer my obeisance to you, who through Nāma-saṅkīrtan relish the sweetest transcendental divine mellows personally and grace others to experience such nectar. You are the grace incarnation of the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the revealed scriptures.

Your heart overflows with the nectar of divine mellows while chanting and propagating the name of Lord Gaurānga. You always yearn to serve the devotees from the core of your heart. You are endowed with affection for your god-brothers. I bow down to you, O glorious one.

His High Standing

It is impossible for an ordinary person of this world to comprehend the true glories of Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya Om 108 Sree Sreemad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj. However, the statements of his highly esteemed Gurudeva and other prominent disciples of Sreela Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad enunciate his unparalleled spiritual standing and exemplary character.

“I have many disciples but one who lives up to my heart’s satisfaction is Tirtha Maharaj.”
Sreela Bhakti Dayita Madhava Goswami Maharaj (1904-1979),
Founder-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math

“You have a readymade acharya! Tirtha Maharaj is an acharya from childhood. We don’t have to make him.”
Sreela Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Goswami Maharaj (1895-1988)
Founder-Acharya of Sree Chaitanya Saraswat Math

“Tirtha Maharaj is a personal associate of Nayanamani Manjari in Golok Dham.”
Sreela Bhakti Pramode Puri Goswami Maharaj (1898-1999)
Founder-Acharya of Sree Gopinath Gaudiya Math

“After the generation of our god-brothers (disciples of Thakur Prabhupad), presently it is very rare to find an elevated Vaishnava like Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj. If you want to learn the conduct of a Vaishnava, then approach him. Consider it good fortune, even if you have to undergo a debt to serve such an exalted Vaishnava.”
Sreela Bhakti Saurabh Bhaktisar Goswami Maharaj (1902-1995)
Founder-Acharya of Sree Nityananda Gaudiya Math

“He has all the Vaishnava qualities of humility, submissiveness and so on, as quoted in the scriptures; he is a true sad-guru. One who surrenders unto him will definitely be benefitted.”
Sreela Bhakti Kumud Santa Goswami Maharaj (1921-2012)
Founder-Acharya of Sree Gauranga Math, Sree Chaitanya Ashram and Sree Gaur Saraswat Santa Gaudiya Math

“It would help me if someone educated and qualified like you could go abroad with me.”
Sreela Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj (1896-1977)
Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

His Teachings

The following are a few frequently quoted teachings of unalloyed pure devotion by Srila Gurudev. Supreme Lord and His associates are transcendental. They possess inconceivable potency. The person who has entered their heart through unconditional surrender can only understand the purport of their teachings. We pray the transcendental words to self-manifest in our hearts and bestow us the strength to accept their grace.

One may proclaim himself to be a Hindu, Muslim, Jew or Christian. However, this can change. Just by altering one’s rituals, dress and language, a Hindu can become a Christian and likewise. But the essential element which lies at the root of these different faiths is devotion to God.

Whether one is a Hindu, a Jew or whatever – to claim to be religious must mean that one considers himself as a servant of God. Bhakti (devotion) is the link between God and His devotees.

Our senses, intellect and mind, being material, can only have knowledge of the morphological aspect of a thing but cannot know the thing-in-itself. It can be realised only through its descent or grace to us.

Sin is the cause of all sufferings, and the cause of sin is the desire to commit sin. Misconception of self is the cause of this desire. Nescience is the cause of misconception of self, and aversion to Absolute Knowledge (Sree Krishna) is the cause of nescience. So, the root cause of sin is aversion to Sree Krishna.

We have become indifferent even towards murder (killing of innocent beings). Deadly sins of all sorts are no longer being branded as sins. To stem this tide, to dam the downward flow of human society, spiritual discussions are imperative.

Sadhus have no personal grudge towards anybody in this world. They refute the anti-devotional contentions only for the eternal benefit of all, and to save the sincere souls from being misled.

Everything depends upon determination of the self. If anybody realizes that the real self is neither the physical body nor the subtle body but beyond the two—that it is a particle of the eternally existing blissful principle, he will surely strive for spiritual development. Therefore, if we really want to get actual bliss, we need to give up the arrogance of our ability to achieve it by our own efforts.

In our devotional spiritual cultivation we are to practise detachment from the worldly objects and attachment to Sree Krishna simultaneously. We are to give more stress to positive practice (attachment to Sree Krishna) than to negative practice (detachment from worldly objects). This is because remembrance of the things of the world comes to our mind when we try to withdraw ourselves from them. On the other hand, if we always remember Sree Krishna, devote ourselves to the service of Sree Krishna, Who is All-Good, All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss, we will be automatically withdrawn from worldly objects.

Real aspirants utilize their time for their actual benefit. They find no time to find faults and criticize others.

Any serious endeavor for our eternal benefit will be successful when performed by invoking the grace of the Divine Master, Revered Vaishnavas and Supreme Lord and with the purpose of propitiating Them only and not for any other purpose. Any desire for mundane name and fame, or for any other ulterior motive, will frustrate our devotional and spiritual life.

Wherever we shall devote our energy there we shall go. So the wise always devote their mind, intelligence, senses, words and all to the service of Sree Krishna.

We should not blame others for the afflictions we get due to our own Karma. Others may be instrumental, but not the cause.

Chanting and listening to the pastimes of the Lord are the limbs of devotion unto Him. The meaning of devotion is ‘seva’, which cannot be attained by any force. It is not that whatever we speak becomes bhakti. Only when the Lord accepts our speech, it becomes bhakti. If the Lord is not satisfied by our chanting or listening, then that chanting and listening is not bhakti.

His Writings

His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami always engaged in writing articles and books of spiritual nature in native languages as well as in English, for the eternal benefit of the souls of the world. Many of his writings are in the Bengali language but have been translated into many other languages. It would not be exaggerating to say that all bona-fide spiritual questions are answered with each turn of the page. His is the accumulated devotion, knowledge and wisdom of many generations of self-realized souls, extending backward through time without deviation from truth due to self-interest.

Sreela Gurudev has written numerous books in native languages as well as English. Some of the most acclaimed titles in English are:

1. Sri Chaitanya – His Life and Associates
2. A Taste of Transcendence
3. Sages of Ancient India
4. The Philosophy of Love
5. Suddha Bhakti
6. Affectionately Yours
7. Dasavatara
8. Guru Tattva 9. Sages, Saints and Kings of India
10. Hari-katha and Vaishnava Aparadha
11. Lust – The disease of the Heart
12. Nectar of Hari-katha
13. Puranic Charitavali

Some of the most acclaimed titles in Hindi are:

1. पावन जीवन चरित्र (परमाराध्य श्रील भक्ति दयित माधव गोस्वामी महाराज)
2. गौर पार्षद एवं गौड़ीय वैष्णव आचार्यों के संक्षिप्त जीवन चरित्र
3. संक्षिप्त पौराणिक चरितावली
4. भगवद् अर्चन विधि
5. गुरु तत्व
6. ध्रुव चरित्र
7. प्रहलाद चरित्र
8. श्रीहरिकथा सुधा
9. दशावतार

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