Dear HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Dear Maharaj,
I still cannot accept the fact that you have left this world. When I had come to know about your health condition, I was sure that you will recover from it. But Krishna had a different plan. Krishna wanted you to return to his kingdom. And no one can interfere in Krishna’s plan because he being the Supreme Lord knows what is best for all.
Srila Prabhupada had famously said that a warrior does not die on bed. He loves to leave his body on the battlefield. Srila Prabhupada’s battlefield was preaching. You, being a lover of Srila Prabhupada, your battlefield was also preaching. You spent each and every moment of your life in preaching the message of Krishna consciousness all over the world. During this Coronavirus pandemic too, you were trying to spread the message of Krishna consciousness.
You have single handedly inspired thousands of people all over the world to practice Krishna consciousness.
The life we have got is a gift of Krishna to us and the way we live is our gift to Krishna.
And by your example you have shown us how we should live in this world.
When you first met Srila Prabhupada then he told you “Give one life to Krishna and be happy forever.”
And as per the instruction of Srila Prabhupada you dedicated your life completely to Krishna.
You represented the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada at whose lotus feet you dedicated your entire life.
Srila Prabhupada was so impressed by your dedication and purity that he gave you the service of cooking for him. He made you his personal secretary, the highest position available to any devotee during the lifetime of Srila Prabhupada.
You were with Srila Prabhpada during his last moments on this planet earth. You have described so many times Srila Prabhupada’s different pastimes and especially his pastime of leaving the world.
I remember during Kartik Yatra of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj in Vrindavan in 2014 on the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada you narrated his final pastime of leaving the world which touched everyone’s heart.
Srila Prabhupada gave you the responsibility of translating all his books into Bengali language. And he wanted that the translation should be of very high quality. He was confident that you can do it and so he gave you this service. Following the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada you used to get up in the middle of the night and used to translate the books for many hours and you completed this service by 1995. You translated more than 50 books of Srila Prabhupada.
You also made the TV serial Abhay Charan on the life of Srila Prabhupada. You were the director of the serial and you used to make sure that everything happens in a perfect way. In fact, devotees have said that you personally used to act and show the actors how they should act and express their emotions. And this is the reason why the serial has come out so beautifully.
You played an important role in spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world. You have thousands of disciples and thousands of devotees take inspiration from you. But still when someone used to interact with you, it would look as if you had all your time for him. In your presence everyone of us felt that we are special, and we are close to you.
We used to eagerly wait for your classes. And fortunately, you used to come to Kolkata on a regular basis. I learned so much just by sitting and hearing your classes. Whatever doubts I used to have it got cleared just by listening you.
One of my doubts used to be that as a grihastha (householder) “How can I do my prescribed duty properly if I do not have any material ambition?”
And you said that if Arjuna can do his prescribed duty without any motive then why can’t you.
And then you said “DO NOT HAVE ANY MATERIAL AMBITION. IF KRISHNA WANTS, HE CAN MAKE YOU EVEN BRAHMA.”
Your answer completely cleared all my doubts. It showed me how a devotee should do his prescribed duties in this world without any material ambition. Our only ambition should be to serve Krishna to the best of our capability.
But I never knew that this would be my last question to you.
Once you had told me that as a grihastha it is my responsibility that I should make my house a temple. I should make everyone in my house a devotee of Krishna. And whatever money I have should be used in the service of Krishna.
Your answers always touched my heart.
During your classes, devotees used to ask many questions and you used to immediately clear their doubts and inspire them to grow in their devotional journey.
When I first heard you singing, I could not believe that someone can have such a sweet voice. You had a silken voice. Your kirtans and Vaishnava songs are so touching to the hearts.
HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj have said that “Bhakti Charu Maharaj’s kirtan is famous in all the 14 planetary systems.”
We live in Kaliyuga, the age of hypocrisy. So, we see so many people wearing the dress of a sannyasi or of a sadhu and indulging in abominable activities.
But great personalities like you through your exemplary life has shown to the entire world that what should be the character of a devotee of Krishna.
It is famously said that, “If you want to know how rich you are then count the number of things you have which money can’t buy.”
As a sannyasi you did not possess any material wealth but by your spiritual wealth you purchased the love of thousands of devotees from all over the world.
People from all over the world was praying for you when you were in hospital. Today everyone is feeling separation from you. Many have tried but almost everyone has failed to hold back their tears. Because everyone is missing you.
Your innocent smile, eyes full of compassion for all of us, effulgent face and heart inundated with love for Krishna immediately drew us towards your lotus feet. You always looked relaxed and in complete control of yourself, free from all material anxiety, continuously absorbed in the holy names of Krishna.
Your divine presence gave us assurance that you are the ultimate protector for all of us. In your company I felt that a fallen soul like me who is so engrossed in this material world have chance to get purified and return to the lotus feet of Krishna.
I know that you left us physically, but you are always with us through your mellifluous words, through your books, through your heart touching kirtans.
I was recently reading the section “Dhruva Mahārāja Goes Back to Godhead” from Srimad Bhagavatam. The book beautifully described how Lord Vishnu sent jewel studded transcendental plane from the spiritual world for Dhruva Maharaj to take him back to the spiritual world. Even two servants of Lord Vishnu, Nanda and Sunanda, came to take back Dhruva Maharaj.
I am just imagining that in Florida, USA too the transcendental plane from the spiritual world would have descended. The servants of Lord Krishna would have invited you to come and sit on that beautiful plane. And along with them you would have gone to the kingdom of Krishna, Goloka Vrindavan. You would have met Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, many great Vaisnava acharyas, your godbrothers and godsisters. And as per the direction of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada you would have already got engaged in your service.
Each and everyone of us wished that you be with us forever. But I know that great personality like you are required in different universes to preach the message of Krishna Consciousness. You would have already been engaged by Krishna and Srila Prabhupada to spread his teachings in different part of the universe.
I know that one day I will also die.
I do not fear death. I fear life devoid of Krishna Consciousness.
But I hope that throughout my life I follow your teachings and guidelines so that I can also purify myself and return back to the spiritual world to serve you, to serve Srila Prabhupada, to serve all the great souls.
Please shower your mercy upon me so that every moment of my life I can remember and serve Krishna as per your teachings.
With our material eyes we won’t be able to see you, but we will always feel you in our hearts forever.
Your eternal Servant
Purushottam Nitai Das
