20240720 Remembering His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami Mahārāja

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

jaya śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda

śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare

hari haraye namaḥ kṛṣṇa yādavāya namaḥ
gopāla govinda rāma śrī-madhusūdana

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
harihi oṁ tat sat

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhakti cāru-swāmin iti nāmine

Jayapatākā Swami: Should I speak in Bengali or English?

In the beginning, there was only a Bhajan-kuṭīr in Māyāpur and Śrīla Prabhupāda stayed there. Then, Śrīla Prabhupāda moved to stay in the Lotus building. After that gradually the Cakra building was constructed. The Gauḍīya Maṭha invited the President of India and for that there was a very big program. So, we did not have that many devotees here. When His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami came, then it was very nice, because he had many good qualities. That time, we would go traveling in a bus and do saṅkīrtana. Bhakta Kiśora (His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami) would go with me.

One day, when His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami was a new devotee, he suddenly left. I knew where his house was. He used to live in South Calcutta. I had been to his house three times. But his father said that he had gone out to see his friends. So then I came back to 3C, Albert Road and then His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami came to see me at 3C, Albert Road temple. I told him that Śrīla Prabhupāda would be coming and he would want to meet him (His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami). So he agreed to come back to Māyāpur. After a few days, Śrīla Prabhupāda came. And Śrīla Prabhupāda liked him very much! And he gave him some of his personal services. So Śrīla Prabhupāda kept His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami (Bhakta Kiśora) close to him. This way His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami was brought to Śrīla Prabhupāda. And in Vṛndāvana, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave him first and second initiation together. Maybe sannyāsa also, I wasn’t there.

His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami used to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda very nicely and Śrīla Prabhupāda had a special relationship with him. His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami knew how to cook different preparations. After that he made preparation called bhaṭṭi-chachuri, which requires a lot of chilies. But Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “there is no chili! Why not?” Then His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami said, “You are sick. How could I give you chilies?” “How would it be digested? If I don’t have chilies,” said Śrīla Prabhupāda. This way, there was an intimate relationship. His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami then added chilies and brought the baṭṭi-chachari back for Śrīla Prabhupāda. This way, how many pastimes are there like this, there is no end to them!

His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami would always come to observe every occasion of Śrīla Prabhupāda like appearance and disappearance day celebrations. And he also agreed to promote new festivals like the day when Śrīla Prabhupāda went to the West. This way, His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami would conduct different festivals. I had been to Ujjain and he took care of me in different ways, and one time he gave me a special room to stay in his quarters. Then there was an Ayurvedic doctor in the nearby building and His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami arranged for him to come and see me. In various ways, he would take care of us very personally. He gave special prasāda to all the GBC members. Because it was not possible for me to go there, he sent me prasāda in a tiffin carrier! He would give special class for the different saṅkīrtana devotees. He had a very good relationship with me and he would always embrace me.

When he left suddenly in this way, we became very sad. I created an email id especially for His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami’s disciples and for those who wrote me letters there, I would give special high priority to them. He was extremely dear to Śrīla Prabhupāda. I think that this is why Śrīla Prabhupāda called him back. Śrīla Prabhupāda has given us many instructions. So, I wanted and prayed for some time for me to fulfill those instructions. His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami, if he had stayed amongst us, we would have been very happy.

His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami used to do various services for Śrīla Prabhupāda. He produced a movie series called Abhaya Caraṇ on Śrīla Prabhupāda. And I heard that this has been translated into Bengali as well. And tomorrow it will be released. It is a secret! Anyway, His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami used to love Śrīla Prabhupāda and all the devotees in many ways. One time we had a mid-term meeting in Ujjain. And His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami wrote to His Holiness Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami that there was no mistake on his part.

So, His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami was very dear to all the devotees. His disciples are carrying out his legacy. So today in Māyāpur this festival is going on in a very grand way. This is a very wonderful thing! Hare Kṛṣṇa!

(Guru Mahārāja released the Bengali version of the series “Abhay Charaṇ” officially.)

Guru Mahārāja then did kīrtana for a few minutes.