Lava-Mātra: A Moment with Jayapatākā Swami: HG Śiromaṇi Devī Dāsī #JayapatakaSwamiArchives

Hare Krishna. My name is Shiromini Devidasi. I live in Sridhar Mayapur. I am from Delhi originally, but I grew up in Kuwait. I studied in South India in Manipal, studied medicine. And I took to Krishna consciousness when I was studying medicine. So I was in my second year, MBBS and my sister who was also studying medicine in the same university, she gifted me a Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita. She's not connected to Krishna consciousness but. But I think she just thought that it was an interesting gift. So I started reading the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavad Gita as it is. And I found it very interesting. But I was looking for somebody to teach me the Bhagavad Gita. Because I grew up in Kuwait. I didn't have any idea that there was something called ISKCON or the Hare Krishna movement. And I'd never really had never met devotees or even knew about them. But I started already kind of preaching.

To my friends about Bhagavad Gita.

Whatever I read, I would tell them. And I said this much. I understood that we are not supposed to live our life for sense gratification. But I was still looking for somebody to teach me. And somehow I had this idea that I would not be able to find anyone who can teach me. Because I thought whoever follows Bhagavad Gita must be living in the forest or.

In the jungles or leading secluded lives.

So after some months, actually I went to. There was this in our library. There were posters put up and the poster was advertising a six day course on the Bhagavad Gita. It was an audio visual presentation. So this was in the middle of my exams. But I was so happy to see that, that there was a program that I told one of my close friends that we have to go for this.

I cannot miss it. I've been waiting for this.

And so we went. On the first day we went and what impressed me. So there was a. There was a devotee, Brahmachari. His name was Madhav Das, disciple of Bhakti Rag of Maharaj. He was doing the presentation and I was very impressed with the whole. The atmosphere, the presentation, the way the devotee was speaking, his demeanor, everything was so impressive. So Prabhupada's Kirtan was going on the whole time. Of course I didn't know what it was. I just, I mean there was a nice divine voice which was singing the Hare Krishna Mantra. And the devotee, when he presented Krishna consciousness, he didn't preach, he didn't even say it was the first program. So he didn't say that Krishna is the supreme Lord. He just presented very scientifically that you're not the body but the spirit, soul. And being medical students, and they were engineering students, it was very appealing, the kind of examples he used. And he kept saying that in this age it's very easy to realize God. But he didn't tell what is the process because it was a six day.

Program and eventually he would have told.

And I attended the first three days. I couldn't attend more because of my exams. But there I met one girl who was practicing Krishna consciousness. And she told me to come to her room and there were programs going on and there was a local temple there and that I could come to the temple there on Sundays. So I took one book from her. It was the book Origins. It was like a magazine actually. And I liked that book. I mean, we were medical students, so it was appealing to us. And the way she spoke about coming to her room and attending programs, I thought, oh, there's a whole so many girls maybe who are practicing Krishna consciousness, reading Bhagavad Gita. So it was on my mind that I have to attend the program in the local temple. It was a local Krishna temple, Venugopal Temple. But somehow I didn't go the next Sunday and then maybe the Sunday after that I went and I saw that there was only two, three girls. So I thought it will be a.

Huge thing the way she spoke.

But nonetheless it was very sweet. I mean, I met her. There was a very elderly devotee, Govindran Prabhu, Guru Maharaj's disciple, who was taking the class. And again she told me to come to her room for programs. So somehow I didn't go to her room. But my friend who was with me, she came to my room that day and she said, come on, we should.

Go for the program.

So because she took me, I went.

We went again.

I thought there'll be so many girls.

But there was one other girl.

But I really appreciated that girl who was preaching to me her enthusiasm to give Krishna consciousness. She opened the Bhagavad Gita, she read it with us and she started teaching us about Krishna Consciousness, about chanting. And I come from a non vegetarian eating, I mean non vegetarian family. So she told me about vegetarianism. I immediately was able to accept it. So like that I started being in touch with her. And the girl who came with me.

She didn't take up Krishna consciousness, but.

I was able to. And from the first day that I actually met this girl, she told me that I should preach Ka consciousness also. She presented Krishna consciousness. Such as Krishna consciousness does not exist if you don't preach. It was not just about your chanting.

And reading, but you have to preach.

So. So like that I kept meeting her and I started telling my friends also about Krishna consciousness. And that's how I took up to the chanting and being in college, my friends, they got a little bit worried about me because I was, I was very outgoing in the sense going for. I was the class representative. One is over there means the kind of like a class leader. Our class was some 250 students. So I was like very dynamic in organizing things for the class. But now I started just going to the temple. Udupi is 5 km from Manipal and Udupi there is a famous Krishna deity. So I started spending time there. And so my friends started worrying that oh, she's not going out with us to eat, she's not, she gave up non veg, she's going to the temple.

She'S chanting, she's not watching TV in her room.

But anyway, it was very. So what made me take up Krishna consciousness was that Manipal University is a very good university. There are only students there. Having grown up in Kuwait, going to Manipal, Kuwait is a Muslim country. It's little restrictive there just because it's a Muslim country. So going to, coming to India, going to a college, being with friends all the time was a big change for me. So I was enjoying that college life, that freedom just by being not in.

A Muslim country like that.

But after a certain point I started getting very bored with that kind of life. We were doing the same thing every day. I mean, you go, you go to college, you study before exams, you study, you get good grades, you gossip about the same things with your friends in.

The hostel, you go to the same places to eat, watch the same movies.

Very similar. It was becoming very boring, I have to say. So when I came in contact with the Bhagavad Gita just to understand that we're all part and parcel of Krishna. There's another world called the spiritual world which exists where there's only happiness, where people are all centered around Krishna. And basically the idea that there is happiness, unlimited happiness, that was very. It was so nice to. Very appealing. And it was like a breath of fresh air when I came in contact with Krishna consciousness. So that is how my journey started and I continued. And I also had a green card to go to America. My family had a green card. But after coming in contact with Prabhupada's books, I realized that I want to. I have a choice to make. Because till then it was there in our. Generally it was said, okay, you have the green card. So obviously the next step after finishing your college is to go to America and pursue your higher education. But when I read Prabhupada's books and I understood that sense gratification is not.

The goal of life.

And I also thought that I can practice Ka consciousness nicely here, being in India or being in Mayapur. So I chose citizenship of Mayapur over citizenship of America. People usually feel surprised that I gave up my green card. But I gave it up for something that makes me more happy. And when the first time I met Jaypathaka Maharaj was in Udupi, they had come on a safari there. I think it was the year 2000. I took to Krishna consciousness in 99. And in the year 2000, as far as I remember, either the safari was there or Gurmaraj came for Rath Yatra. I think it was safari. So those days there was no Internet and all. Somehow we got the news that the safari is coming. And we didn't know where to find the devotees. We didn't know who to contact. We were just a few girls practicing Krishna Consciousness in the hostel. There was no temple in Manipal. We just practicing in the hostel ourselves. Among ourselves, we would go to the local temple to have programs. But there was no ISKCON temple. It was a local Krishna temple, not an ISKCON temple. So we just decided, two of us that day in our lunch break from college, we decided we'll go to Udupi, to the temple and we'll see if we see some western bodied devotees, we'll.

Ask them about the safari.

So that's what we did in our lunch break. We went to Udupi temple. And I faintly remember, I think it.

Was Marichi Prabhu who we bumped into.

And we also knew that it was not very easy to meet Jayapataka Maharaj.

So we didn't know how it will be.

But we met, we bumped into, I think it was Marichi Prabhu. And then we told him we are students and he was very welcoming. And he asked us different questions, okay, you all are students here and you all want to meet Jayapadaka Maharaj. And he immediately took us. Actually, I think that must have been.

One of the easiest meetings we had with Jayapatika Maharaj, with Guru Maharaj, because this was even before the stroke. And it was very difficult to meet him.

So he took us there to Guru Maharaj's guest room. And Guru Maharaj was in the lobby. He introduced us to Guru Maharaj. And Guru Maharaj was so kind, so gracious, and just seeing him was very fulfilling.

I think there is no words to.

Describe that when we just met him.

Feeling peaceful, feeling happy, feeling fulfillment just by meeting him.

And he asked us so many questions about who we are, what we're doing. And we invited him to come to manipal, which was 5km away. And he asked us, okay, which direction is Manipal?

Can you arrange prasad for 200 devotees? We were practicing in the hostel, so obviously all that was not possible. But he was open to that.

And that's how my connection with the Guru Maharaj started. And the next time I met him was in Mayapur in 2002. I had come for the. No, I think I met him again in between because he would come for Rath Yatra and all that. But then in 2002, I came for the Gaur Poornima festival to Mayapur, where I spent one full month. And every day we would go with him on his morning walks. And Guru Maharaj was very encouraging. I mean, he knew we were students, we were practicing medicine, and that he also encouraged us a lot to go back and preach. And so on the morning walks, you would have different interactions with him. Once I remember that Guru Maharaj went to the Goshala to drink cow urine.

Which was his daily affair. And he was drinking fresh cow urine. And I think my face was like a little bit very shocked and disgusting at the same time. Because I come from a pure allopathic background. So these things are very new to me. Drinking fresh cow urine. And Gurmart saw my face. I didn't realize that my face was like that. And he looked at me and he started laughing and he said, so what does your allopathy say about this? And he drank it. And I think I got some Maha Prasadam also.

So there are many memories like that with Guru Maharaj. Once, this was in 2006, much later that Guru Maharaj was coming to South India. And we invited him to Manipal and we organized a program for him in our college just for the students. And Guru Maharaj came. Manipal, you have to go out of your way to reach Manipal. You either you have to reach Mangalore and then, I mean, take a flight to Bangalore or Bombay, then to Mangalore. And then from Mangalore, you have to take a car and then reach Manipal. But Gurumaj went out of his way. He came for the program. We organized it only for the students. And Gurumaj came there. He gave his talk. And after the talk, Guru Maharaj was so relaxed. He was sitting outside. The weather was good, and all the students were interacting with him. It's usually not often that you get Guru Maharaj to just sit and be.

Able to talk because there's usually so many devotees around.

I think that time, only Dharesh Prabhu.

And maybe Hemalawanya Prabhu was there. They were in no hurry.

They let Guru Maharaj interact with the students. It was so nice. Guru Mahaj was answering questions, giving blessings, distributing prasadam. And there were some Americans who had come on an exchange program who were Christians, actually. And they came and they were kind of actually arguing with Guru Maharaj. And Guru Maharaj had all the answers. And Guru Maharaj sat there till Quite late, till 8:39. Guru Maharaj was there. I cherish that so much because so much personal association with Guru Maharaj. Another time, Guru Maharaj had come for Rath Yatra to Manipal. It was in Udupi, actually, the Rath Yatra. And then he was flying to Bangalore. So I took the opportunity to fly with him. I booked the same ticket. And fortunately for me, the flight was.

Delayed by three hours after we reached the airport.

So I got some more time with Guru Maharaj in the airport and discussed different things with him about college preaching. And I remember one of the things that Guru Maharaj said that time. I had told him that in Manipal, generally there was a mixed kind of. I mean, girls and boys were together, which didn't look too healthy for me. So I told him that I separated them so that the preaching can go on better. And I told him that the boys were having a problem with that. And then Guru Maharaj told me. He said why they should have a problem. The girls and boys should be separate preaching. Even Radhanath Maharaj does it like that. He was very clear about it. And of course, I reported to him later that after the girls and boys were separated, the girls preaching expanded so much. So much, so much focus was there. So. So these are instructions that I had received at another time. Me and my husband were in Vrindavan, and Guru Maharaj was there. This is all before the stroke. So my husband told me, go and meet Guru Maharaj. So I told him, it's impossible to meet Guru Maharaj.

You know how it is. There are so many devotees around him. And it's Vrindavan.

He said, anyway, you just go. So I went upstairs. Guru Maharaj was staying in the Krishna Balram guest house. And as expected, all the Matijis were waiting out. And Guru Maharaj's room door was closed.

With so many Prabhuji's inside. And they were telling no Matajis allowed. No Matajis allowed. But we were waiting outside and Guru.

Maharaj came out after some time. And first he went to speak to one Mataji. She was blind actually. So first he spoke to her, then he saw me. So Guru Maharaj came and mercifully he spoke to me. And he asked me what is the preaching report from Manipal. So I was telling him what was going on. And then Guru Maharaj told me that for the boys it is very easy to practice Krishna Consciousness because they have a lot of support from the Brahmacharis like Radhishyam Prabhu is doing. But the girls are always struggling. So he was very happy that we were doing some girl youth preaching. And he encouraged very much. And like I said, whenever the girls, Manipal girls, I mean, the students would go to meet, would go to the place where Guru Maharaj is. Gurmaraj would meet them, encourage us in Krishna Consciousness very much. I mean, that has been my strength in Krishna Consciousness. His personal care, not only for preaching, but even in my personal life. Guru Maharaj has given so much care which I have not gotten from others. I mean, in the sense he goes out of his way to make people feel secure, cared for. And he never gives up on any devotee. As long as they have some desire to serve him, he never gives up.

I even told Gur Maharaj that.

And then so in between there were many interactions. But the next big association I had with Guru Maharaj was during his stroke which was in the year 2008, October. I was working in Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mira Road, Mumbai. At that time. Guru Maharaj himself had told me to go there and work for some time to get some experience. So I was there from July onwards. And Guru Maharaj stroke was in October. But when Guru Maharaj had the stroke, I was not in Bombay. It was Kartik time. So we were in Vrindavan actually when we came to know about the stroke. And I was thinking, there are so many doctors there from Bhaktivedanta Hospital. So I didn't even rush back or anything because I didn't think that I would be able to do Anything, any service as such. There are so many senior doctors, the whole Bhaktivedanta Hospital. So we were just in Vrindavan praying and one day we got a message that Guru Maharaj needs some specific medicine from the West. And my sister, she's a hemato oncologist in America, the one who gave me the Bhagavad Gita. So I thought, I can ask my sister for help. So I called up one of the main doctors who was looking after Guru Maharaj from Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Dr. Shyamlal. And I had worked under him. So I just called him to ask what was the name of the medicine that Guru Maharaj needs. It was for his platelets, they were saying. So I said, my sister is in America. She's a hemato oncologist. I can help to get it. So first he asked me, where are you? I said, I'm in Vrindavan. He said, we need you to come back immediately. He said, because we need doctors round the clock. In Hinduja Hospital where Guru Maharaj was admitted. It was a huge hospital, a very good hospital. So I was so, I mean, I couldn't believe it.

I said, yeah, I'm sure I'm coming back immediately. So I booked my train ticket for.

That night and I left. So I reached Bombay and the next day I reported. So Radhanath Maharaj had this. He wanted that there should be our doctors, devotee doctors in Hinduja Hospital, seeing whatever is going on. Because I think with Shyam Sundar Prabhu or something, they had made some mistake. Not this hospital, but generally. So he wanted devotee doctors to constantly see what is going on with Guru Maharaj. So that's how I got involved. I was in the. So we had three of us doing shifts. I was in the day shift, like 7am to 2pm kind of. Then there was another devotee in the afternoon and another devotee for the night shift. So that's how my service started. So Guru Maharaj was in the ICU in Hinduja Hospital. They have two ICUs. This ICU was the critical ICU, which generally meant that those who are there don't make it. And Guru Maharaj's bed was at the end. You had to cross all the other patients. I mean, it was like an L shaped. So here when you enter, you go through all the patients. And at the end on the left side was Guru Maharaj's bed. So when you're walking, you know, you.

See all these patients, they're really in.

A very bad shape. But when you reach Guru Maharaj. Of course, Guru Maharaj was in coma. He was in the ventilator. He had all these pipes everywhere. But Gurmaj was effulgent. Gurmaj was always effulgent. And everybody could see he was effulgent. Even though Gurumaj was in coma, there were the workers, the lift people, the nurses, the compound boys. Every morning they would come and take Guru Mahj's blessings before starting their work. The patient opposite Guru Mahj, I think they were from Muslim background, but they also would come and take Guru Mahj's blessings. So in the morning when I would reach at 7 o', clock, first I would go to Guru Maharaj, offer my obeisances and speak to him. Of course, Guru Mahju is in coma. But still we would ask, I mean, that's how doctors do. Raise your left hand, left leg, just to see how conscious they may be. Guru Mahj would make little movements some days, some days not. But by the time the main doctor of Hinduja Hospital would come on his rounds, Gurumaj wouldn't respond at all to him.

I don't know why. Somehow he wouldn't respond anything.

And every day the doctor, Dr. PP Ashok, he would come out from the rounds, he would meet us and he would shake his head saying that he's not going to make it. So the kind of stroke that Guru Maharaj had is called a pontine hemorrhage. Pons is a very small area in the brain. And generally it's very rare for somebody to survive that kind of a stroke. So Gurmaj had to bleed in that area because of his high blood pressure. So they had not seen anybody surviving that kind of a stroke. And when they would go to see Guru Maharaj, Guru Mahj would not respond to them. So every day he would come and shake his head. He. And then the ICU intensivist, there was one Dr. Hegde, he would also come and just shake his head and go. But slowly, of course, Guru Mahj started responding. They started seeing changes in Guru Maharaj and they realized that Gurumaj will make it. They didn't know what kind of disabilities he would have. I mean, they had some idea, but not fully what it would be. So I remember one day that Dr. Ppshok came out of the ICU. I was standing there and there were few more devotees. And then he said that, yes, Guru Mahj is improving. And he said, this your Krishna has done. And so like that, Guru Maharaj started Slowly coming out of the coma. Very, very slowly, very slowly. Most of the time, Guru Maharaj was also sedated plus the coma. And then the devotees thought that to help Guru Maharaj communicate, they would use an Alphabet chart. Guru Maharaj was on the ventilator, so he couldn't speak, obviously. And lying in the coma in the ICU bed for so many days, his muscles had become weak. That time we were not sure how much paralysis he had. But just by lying in the bed for so many days, not using the muscles makes somebody weak. But they decided, we'll use an Alphabet chart to make Guru Maharaj spell out what he may want to tell us. So, and Guru Maharaj was the most fresh in the morning hours. So we took me and one more devotee were there. We took the Alphabet chart to Guru Maharaj. So this is one of the first. This was the second time or something we were taking it to Guru Maharaj and Guru Maharaj started spelling it out. So everyday devotees had already been whoever would meet Guru Maharaj, even though he was in a coma, they would tell Guru Maharaj how devotees are praying for him all over the world. Radhanath Maharaj, Karthik Yatra was going on every place Maharaj was praying for Guru Maharaj. So all this information was going to Guru Maharaj. So that day, when we went to Guru Maharaj with the Alphabet chart and he started spelling, of course, I didn't know what to expect, but he started spelling H, A, R, I, B. I said, oh, you're saying Haribol. And Guru Mahj nodded his head slightly. And then I said, are you saying Haribol to all the devotees all over the world? He nodded his head yes. And I just started broke down because.

Here he is lying in the icu, you know, not sure which direction he's going. And he's still thinking about the devotees.

Around the world and encouraging them. Generally, when a patient is in icu.

We have to encourage them.

But Gurmaj has always the other way. It has always been the other way. He's always been encouraging others. So then that message was sent out and like that. Then slowly, Guru Maharaj's recovery, very, very slow recovery started. Some of the other things, there were few, few small, small incidents also here and there. Guru Mahj was surrounded by a lot of pillows. So Gurumaj said, I mean, pillow loka.

Because surrounded by so many pillows.

And I may not remember things exactly in sequence, but Guru Maharaj was having a very hard time coming off the ventilator. Devotees were praying intensely the anesthesiologists were trying, the intensivists were trying very hard to get him off the ventilator. And I remember different Prabhupada disciples were coming to meet Guru Maharaj. And I remember Devamrit Maharaj came and he told Guru Maharaj, your breathing is the breathing of the Sankirtan movement of Lord Chaitanya.

You have to breathe. It was so encouraging.

And they were telling Guru Maharaj that you have to. After you come out from this stroke, you have to stay in Mayapur and compile all of Lord Chaitanya's pastimes. And they said, only you can do it.

So remember, many God brothers were telling.

Guru Maharaj to stay in Mayapur and compile all of Lord Chaitanya's pastimes in.

One, which Gurmaj has done now.

And so like that, very, very slowly, Gurmaj came off the ventilator. And it was a very long journey. But anyway, Gurmaj came off. And so some small things here and there. Guru Maharaj was on a feeding tube. He was on so many tubes, actually. And every day he would ask the doctor when he can come off the feeding tube. But when we were there, I remember I was next to Guru Maharaj and it was lunchtime and he would ask me, did you take Prasadam? And again, I would think, here he cannot even eat.

Actually, he's on a tube, but he's still thinking about others.

Guru Maharaj is. I mean, his personality was just the same.

Caring about others, thinking about others, that's all.

And I was wearing a sari, which was kind of saffron.

So Gurmaj told me two, three times indirectly, not to wear a saffron sari.

And my phone, that time when it would ring, it had a regular ringtone, you know.

So Gurumaj again told me two, three times to change it to a Hare Krishna ringtone. Now, I have a Hare Krishna ringtone now.

So every alternate day, Dr. Shyam Lal from Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai would come to see Guru Maharaj. So like I said, we were keeping a track of everything that was going on with Guru Maharaj. We would see his file, his blood test, everything. We knew everything that was going on. And we would report it to Dr. Shyamlal and Dr. Madhavananda Prabhu, Madaranda Prabhu is the director of Bhaktivedanta Hospital. So they knew everything going on and they would give some suggestions what to do. So these were some side stories also going on. So Guru Mahaj was in the ICU. And we told the ICU intensivist he was an elderly person, easily in his 60s. ICU intensivist of Hindija Hospital. Well placed. And we are like small people. But we told him, we want this and this test. So he was generally very soft spoken, very quiet. That day, me and Dr. Shyamalal Prabhu were telling him, sir, we request if you can do this particular test. We want a hemato oncologist to see Guru Maharaj. Something we were telling him and he.

Got so angry with us, he started shouting. He said, what do you think? I don't know what I'm doing? He said, you think I'm just an intern? Like that? I mean, these are some side leelas going on. Of course, we were not affected by that. But we were still determined that we wanted to do what we wanted to do. So he arranged for what we wanted, but some fun on the side, so to speak, like that.

So this Dr. Shyamla, like I was saying, he was coming every alternate day. So one day he came to Guru Maharaj. And Guru Maharaj said, I want to go to the temple. Because before that, Guru Maharaj would frequently ask me, how far is the temple from here? How far is Juhu Temple? And I would tell him, actually, it was not far, but because of traffic. But Guru Maharaj is not in a position to go. He was in the icu.

He was on the ventilator.

He was on tubes.

He's not. How could he go?

But Guru Maharaj, I want to go there and take Prasadam. Said, I'm a sanyasi, I should live in the temple.

He would say all these things.

So Dr. Shyamlal came that day and he told Dr. Shyamalal, I want to go to the temple. So Dr. Shyamalal told him, okay, get up and walk. Till then, Guru Maharaj did not know that he was actually weak. What we call paresis. Not paralyzed, exactly. Not that he could not move anything. It's called paresis means weakness. And Guru Maharaj himself used to tell later that that time he realized that.

He could not actually walk.

And you can imagine that a person is coming to know that he cannot walk anymore, or at least for some time or whatever. But. And Guru Maharaj was somebody who used to. He was supposed to get the Guinness World Book of Records for the most traveling person in the world. But Guru Maharaj's reaction was nothing. He just accepted it. Nothing. There was no reaction in the sense.

Oh, what happened to me?

Or what is this? Nothing, nothing. It's as if somebody is just telling him just something, oh, you got a cut on your leg or something like that. It was so surprising, so surprising. And every day it was like this. One day the doctor would come on rounds. Dr. Pipeshok came, the Hindu, ja doctor. And Guru Maharaj told him, my face feels stiff. And then the doctor told him, okay, because of the stroke, this nerve of yours is paralyzed. So. So that's why you have a stiff face. And it's going to stay like that till you do physiotherapy. Again, no reaction from Guru Maharaj. Okay, that's what's happening. Then the other day the doctor came. He said, I'm seeing double and I can't. My eyes are fixed, I can't move them and things are shaking. So again, something new because of the stroke. Actually, Guru Maharaj's eyes don't move sideways and they used to bob a lot continuously. Guruma's eyes used to move, actually. And he used to see double for a very long time. Again, the doctor said, okay, this is how it is. This is what happens in this stroke. Gurumaj accepted. Nothing. No. Oh, what happened to me? Nothing. Nothing. Very amazing. Very, very amazing. I mean, inconceivable, actually. And of course later Guru Maharaj said he was shocked that he couldn't walk. But it didn't come across in any manner. He continued with what he had to do. And another day, Dr. Shyamlal, when he came and he was talking to Guru Maharaj, he told him, he said, maharaj Shyamalal Prabhu is a disciple of Radhanath Maharaj. So he told Guru Maharaj, maharaj, I've been working in the icu. I've seen so many patients in a condition which is even better than you. But I've not seen anybody as positive as you. He told Guru Maharaj. And Guru Maharaj replied, my blood type is B positive.

The doctor was even more surprised at Guru Maharaj.

So these things just show us how.

Guru Mahja accepts everything as the mercy of Lord Chaitanya. There is everything. I mean, there is no shock for anything.

So then like that, Gurumaj was recovering. And then one day, as Gurmaj was recovering, he was much better. By now he was speed. Ventilator was off and the ICU doctor came on rounds. And as soon as he came to Guru Maharaj's bed, Gurumaj asked him, how are you?

And the doctor started laughing. He said, I'm supposed to ask you how you are.

And then Guru Maharaj said, I want to get out. I want to put me on the fast track so that I can get out from here and go and preach. And the doctor said, we have put you on the slowest track because we have gotten you out with very great difficulty. You have survived. So we want to be very careful.

With you, he said. And Gurmaj would repeat that so many times. He put me on the slowest track. I wanted to be on the fastest track.

But they knew that this was a miracle situation. So they were very careful with Guru Maharaj. And there was then gradually, as far as I remember, it was December 20th. After two months of Guru Maharaj being in Hindija Hospital, Guru Maharaj was discharged and he was taken to Bhaktivedanta Hospital. So it was a very big day.

I remember that like so, you know, like, finally victory.

And on the way, Guru Maharaj stopped in the Juhu temple, Shishiradharas, Vihari. So many devotees were there to welcome him like a wounded soldier back on the battlefield. And Gurmaj took darshan. And then in Bhaktivedanta Hospital, so many.

Devotees to receive him, to welcome him. I mean, of course, Guru Mahat deserved.

That and much more. So in Bhaktivedanta Hospital, things were of course, much more better because they're all.

Devotees and they know Guru Maharaj's position.

Before I get into that, I remember few more things because once devotees were asking us from our perspective how we dealt with Guru Maharaj. So I was narrating to them that when Guru Maharaj was in Hinduja Hospital, they were very strict about the food. They wanted the patients to eat only food from the hospital. They didn't allow food from outside. So for Guru Maharaj also, actually they were restricting. They said, you can't bring food from outside. And so then the devotees contacted Gopal Krishna Maharaj, who would speak to Hinduja. But in the meantime, till all that work was done, we had to figure out a way to get the prasadam to Guru Maharaj. So in the morning breakfast, I was staying with this devotee couple, his grace Adikeshav Prabhu and his good wife Premli Lamataji. Adikeshav Prabhu himself is a doctor in Bhaktiyananda Hospital. They're very senior devotees in Iskcon chapati. I was staying with them. So Mataji would sometimes cook some breakfast for Guru Maharaj. So I remember we made rava idli and some sambar and chutney and all that. So how to take it in? So what I had done was Hinduja Hospital was air conditioned. So anyway, I would wear a thin jacket. But that day I put a jacket and I put a shawl and inside my jacket I had hidden the idli.

And the chutney and the sambar in different bottles. So when I entered the hospital, obviously they'll not check inside. They check my bag, but they won't check me. And I had a shawl on so they can't make out that I'm hiding food. So like that we would smuggle the food prasadam inside. Different devotees figured out different ways to bring Guru Maharaj prasadam inside. I remember Ekanath Prabhu also.

He would come from. There was another entrance. Also it was the OPD entrance. So he would come from there. So he would come from the other entrance and because he's white and he.

Would just smile very charmingly at the watchman and something and the watchman would let him go. Different things devotees did. Finally we got permission and then we didn't have to do all these things. But sometimes devotees like to hear how, what are the different things we did.

Also I also remember when Guru Maharaj got discharged from the ICU to the regular room, then the bed was too small for Gurmaraj actually, because Guru Maharaj's.

American body, I mean, he's huge by Indian standards.

And there was one devotee there, Mahesh Prabhu in Hinduja Hospital, and he helped us. It was almost 10:30, 11. His duty was over. But he stayed back till 11pm to get the right size for Guru Maharaj, the bed. He worked so hard. And when finally the bed came according to Guru Maharaj's size, Guru Maharaj said, you're a lifesaver.

He told.

So yes, now you remember Hinduja Hospital, there's so many more things. So Gurmaj started doing physiotherapy there because Gurmaj really wanted to walk and get out and preach. That's all. Gurmaj had just very single pointed focus.

He didn't care what's going on with his body. He needs to get out and preach.

So for physiotherapy, Gurumaj had to go to the physiotherapy rehabilitation center which was in the ground floor. And Gurumaj is so determined to go there on time, do the rehab. And once the, I mean, one time the physiotherapist came to the ICU and she told Guru Maharaj, she gave him a table and she told Guru Maharaj, you just hold the table and sit straight for 15 minutes. Guru Maharaj couldn't do that also. He couldn't sit straight. Even holding a table. He would keep going like this. So that was his morning physiotherapy. So she gave the table, she made Gurmat sit and she told Mahavara Prabhu too count and make sure that Gurmaraj does this. So Gurmaj was there sitting and you know, he would go like this. And Mahavara Prabhu tell him to sit up. And Mahavara Prabhu is encouraging him. Come on, you have only this 10 minutes left. You're winning. Come on, you're doing very good. Like just encouraging Guru Maharaj. And Guru Maharaj said, yes, this is the Olympics for the paralyzed people.

Guru Maharaj is also making fun of it, actually. So it is so different with Gurmarj. There was no sense of depression or anything.

Gurmaj himself was making everything so light, even though his situation was so different. And when he would go to the physiotherapy department, there also they said that they had never seen anybody as enthusiastic.

As Guru Maharaj to do physiotherapy, to.

Walk, push himself to somehow do the.

Physiotherapy and go out and walk. He was so determined to start walking again.

And yeah, I think, anyway, as I talk, so many memories come up. I actually have three books full written.

With Guru Maharaj's memories from that time. Because I used to make notes, I didn't want to forget these memories. So anyway, if I remember, maybe I'll revisit.

But going to Bhaktivedanta Hospital. So Guru Maharaj was given a very nice room, VIP treatment. And there only the doctors would come and see Guru Maharaj. I mean, they would personally come. Even if it was to just give an injection, they would not even send the nurses. The doctors themselves would come. So one time Guru Maharaj joked with one of the doctors and he said, do you even have any nurses in this hospital?

I don't see any nurses.

Because in the other hospital he would.

See only nurses and rarely the doctors. So.

In Hinduja Hospital, the main thing, I mean, sorry, in Bhaktivedanta Hospital, again, the main thing was physiotherapy. Gurnath's blood pressure was still high. So there were mainly two things to bring his blood pressure down because that high blood pressure is what had caused the stroke in the first place. And the other thing was the physiotherapy to get him to walk again as much as he could. So the physiotherapist there. He's a very good physiotherapist Dr. Chako. And initially when Guru Maharaj went there things were Guru Maharaj could not do things on time obviously because with the Paris's and with the situation everything would take time. He cannot walk on his own. People had to make him stand. And Guru Maharaj was getting used to that kind of body. I mean what to say. So his appointment with the physiotherapist was at 9am he was supposed to go down to the department. And I remember that the physiotherapist called on the hospital number for Guru Maharaj's room and they told the nurse called me that the physiotherapist wants to talk. So I took the phone and he said that he wants Guru Maharaj to calm down. And he was a little bit like, you know, I've cancelled all my appointments for his sake so he should come on time and all that. But Guru Maharaj is getting late. So Dr. Chakra is a very good physiotherapist. He didn't use much equipment but he would hold Guru Maharaj and make Guru Maharaj walk. And over the days he built such a nice relationship with Guru Maharaj. I mean it was so sweet. Initially he didn't know Guru Maharaj but over time he said he cancelled all the patiences for Guru Maharaj's sake and all. So I mean basically like that he was like that. That no Gurmaj should come on time and all and sacrificing other things for him. But over the days when Gurumaj would come and he started walking with Gurmaj, he would make Gurmaj walk. He'd say 1, 2, 3, 2, 3.

4 to make Gurumaj do more. Then Gurumaj would joke with him, he would joke with him.

And they built such a nice bond.

By the end of it that one.

Day we had to go somewhere far, one and a half hours away to get some prosthesis for Guru Maharaj. And the doctor voluntarily said, I will.

Come with you all. He was ready to give up his clinic just to come.

And he even visited Mayapur later when Guru Maharaj was here, he flew all.

The way just to give Guru Maharaj treatment.

Guru Maharaj touched everybody's heart over there. So there in Bhaktivedanta Hospital they have, they have a cart with Jagannath Baldev, Subhadra and every evening there's a spiritual care department which takes, I mean the Mataji's from the department takes this rath with Jagannath, Baldev, Subhadra to all the patients. And the patients get to offer flowers. And in return they get some prasadam. So they started going to Guru Maharaj's room also in the evening. And Guru Maharaj also would wait for it. And they would wait to take, take Jagannath to Guru Maharaj. So the Mataji, there were some three Bengali sisters actually. So Guru Maharaj started speaking to them in Bengali. Every day they would come. And so they belong to the spiritual care department. So that department is focused on the preaching part in the hospital. So these Matajis go and talk to patients, the patient's relatives distribute books to them, give them Krishna consciousness in the hospital. So Guru Maharaj started asking them to tell him stories of how the patients became devotees. And they had so many stories to tell and nobody had asked them in so much detail. So every day they would have a story to tell Guru Maharaj. And Guru Maharaj started telling these stories in his classes. But they were so encouraged that somebody.

Is asking them about their preaching.

And of course they're Bengalis.

So even more Guru Maharaj would talk to them in Bengali.

And that was one of everyday Guru Maharaj thing. And Guru Maharaj would go, when he would go for the physiotherapy downstairs to the ground floor, he was on the fifth floor. Physiotherapy was in the ground floor, fifth or fourth floor, Guru Maharaj was. So when after physiotherapy, when Guru Maharaj would go back to his room, he would take darshan off on Hanuman. There was a Hanuman outside the operation theater on the second floor in the hospital. So then devotees started carrying bananas to offer to Hanuman these little things which became regular for Guru Maharaj stay there. Then the devotees there also knew where to find Guru Maharaj at what time.

Where we can get his Darshan like that.

Now In January of 2009, it was every year in Pune, Radhanath Maharaj organizes a huge yatra. Pune Yatra of three days. It is during the 26th of January, Republic Day. So 5,6000 devotees come to Pune and it's a three day yatra. Basically Radhanath Maharaj and some other senior disciples of Prabhupada there. So Radhanath Maharaj was flying into India. I don't know where he was for this yatra. So on the way from the airport to the temple, he called Guru Maharaj. So he told Guru Maharaj that there's this Pune Yatra and there'll be so many devotees coming and Very casually, he invited Guru Maharaj, it'll be nice if you can come.

Like that kind of a thing.

Guru Mahj immediately caught on to that. He said, yes, I would like to come. And Maharaj was little bit surprised because Guru Mahj had not gone anywhere. He was still. He needed physiotherapy intensely. His blood pressure was still very high. Everybody was still very careful that Guru Maharaj should not go anywhere and all that kind of a thing. So when Guru Mahj said he would like to come, then Radhanath Maharaj asked him. He said, but will the doctors allow you to go? Then Guru Maharaj said, the doctors in Bhaktivedanda Hospital are all your disciples.

And he kept quiet. Ranan Maharaj started laughing so much. Guru Maharaj is indicating, if you tell them, they let me go.

So then Guru Maharaj started telling all the doctors, radhanath Maharaj has invited me.

For the Poorne Yatra. I have to go.

So the doctors who were mainly looking after Guru Maharaj, mainly Shamlal Prabhu, he was very worried. He said, how will he go? His blood pressure is still so high and all that. And Gurumaj was saying, no, I've been invited to go.

I have to go.

And like that, it was going back and forth. Actually, the main doctor, I mean, the director of the hospital, Madhavananda Prabhu, he didn't know about this. He said later if he knew about.

It, he would have let Guru Mahaj go.

But he didn't know. So it was just, you know, they just assumed. I mean, the doctors who were looking after Guru Maharaj, they just knew that his physical situation was not such that he could travel at all. And Poorne was a few hours away with Guru Maharaj in the ambulance. It will be even more difficult, more long. Then there was a visiting doctor, medicine doctor, who would come to Bhaktived Hospital two, three times a week. So his role was just to oversee the patients. Generally, the junior doctors, Shyamlal Prabhu, they would report to him and take his advice. He was a very senior. He was a retired person, a doctor.

Actually.

He had already worked in big hospitals and all that. So he would just come casually, just take a look, just make sure all the treatment is going properly, give his advice and leave. So Dr. Shamlal Prabhu went to him and he told him his name was Dr. Tilve. He told him. He said, jayapatha Maharaj wants to go to Pune. He was telling more out of distress that how can we let him go? And he's so insistent. He wants to go. Please help us, like to deal with him kind of. That was his approach. But when Dr. Tilwe heard that, that Guru Mahju wants to go to Pune, he wants to attend the Yatra, he told Shyam Lal Prabhu, you should let him go. He said, you are a doctor, your place is in the hospital. He's a preacher.

His place is out there with those people. So the moment Dr. Tilvai said that.

Of course he argued a little bit.

But, but, but, but finally they accepted.

It and they started making arrangements for.

Guru Maharaj to go to Pune.

So that was really. I mean, so they started arranging the ambulance which is suitable for Guru Maharaj. I think they removed some parts and they put some parts and they did all these things and finally the journey took place. So it was long for Guru Maharaj, of course, because so many stops and all that. Finally we reached Pune. And the idea was that Guru Maharaj would take rest as soon as he reaches Pune. Because such a long travel and after so long with Gurmart's situation. The moment we reached Pune, I remember Chandra Molly Maharaj was there. Radhanath Maharaj was there. They greeted Guru Maharaj and they told him to rest. So before resting, we checked his blood pressure. Gurmaj's blood pressure, it had come down.

So then they were very worried that the trip would increase the blood pressure. But actually it didn't.

So then Guru Maharaj asked, what is the program now? So they told Guru Maharaj that the devotees are going to do a drama on how Lord Narasimhadev came to Mayapur. The moment Guru Maharaj heard that, he said, I want to watch the drama.

There was no way Guru Maharaj would miss a drama on what led to Narasimhadev coming to Mayapur and the coming of Narasingadeva. So they said, okay, Guru Maharaj can watch the drama.

So where Guru Maharaj's room was, there was a door which directly opened to the stage and down were the devotees facing the stage. So when Guru Mahj was ready, they opened the door and they wheeled Guru Mahj to the stage. And I will never forget the sound that the devotees made. They all said Haribol so loudly and crying and it was so emotionally surcharged spiritually. So happy to see, like I was saying, a wounded soldier back on the.

Battlefield and again leading from the front.

It was very overwhelming.

The devotees were so happy to see Guru Maharaj there and such a loud.

Haribol devotees crying out of happiness just to see him anyway. And then Guru Maharaj watched the drama, which was very intense because they showed how the dacoits were attacking Mayapur Bhakti Raga. Maharaj losing his leg. There was one devotee as Guru Maharaj.

All the in the drama.

But anyway, that was the Pune Yatra.

Gurmaj gave class the next day.

It was excellent. Everything went very well. So one of the services that I ended up taking during that time, besides being the being on day duty in Hinduji, I was on day duty in Bhaktiyanda Hospital. Doctors were with Gurmaj all the time.

So I went back to work for some time.

So one of the main services that I took up was repeating for Guru Maharaj. Well, I didn't exactly take up, but how it happened was Guru Maharaj was when he was in Hinduja, when he was on the ventilator, he could not speak. But there is a system where you can remove the main piece and put something called a speech valve, which helps the patient to talk for some time. It's not a very clear voice with the speech valve, but at least the patient can communicate. He's still on the ventilator, but for a short time you can use the speech valve and talk. So that is what the doctors did there. So somehow when Guru Maharaj would speak, it was not very clear. And by Guru Maharaj's mercy, his kindness, by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mercy, I was able to understand a lot of what Guru Mahj was saying. And so naturally, if I was next to Guru Maharaj and he was telling somebody something and they would say, what then? And if I understood it, I would just naturally repeat that Guru Maharaj said this. So that's how organically I just started repeating like that. When devotees would come to meet Guru Maharaj, then they would tell me, okay, you go in with them. And if they don't understand something, you can repeat. So I started doing like that, which for me was ecstatic.

I couldn't have asked for anything more, being next to Guru Maharaj, hearing him.

So that's how I started repeating. When devotees would come, it was not.

In a formal sense repeating. I would just do like that. They would just say, okay, you go in now. And this Maharaj has come to meet Guru Maharaj. Go and repeat like that.

Then when Guru Maharaj came to Bhakti Yanta Hospital one day, they asked him to come and give a class on the fifth floor. Yes, Gurmas is on the fourth floor. Actually, this is the fifth floor. So Fifth floor is meant for preaching. Actually, in Bhaktiyanda Hospital, they have a huge hall where they do programs for the patients, the patient's relatives. So much preaching goes on in that hospital. It's unimaginable. So much preaching. So anyway, so Gurumaj was asked to give a class. And Gurumaj started speaking on Lord Chaitanya. And there was nobody repeating for Guru Maharaj because it was a new thing.

I mean, nobody thinks like that.

Okay, he's giving a class. But at one point, I told Ekanath Prabhu, I told Ekanath Prabhu that you please go and repeat what Guru Maharaj is saying because the devotees are not able to understand.

Ekanath Prabhu told me, you go said, okay, why not? So I went. Then I took the mic so Gurumaj would say, and then I would repeat. So it just became like, okay, she's repeating. So from then on, it became little bit official, kind of, okay, when Gurumaj gives classes, she will repeat.

One time, I remember Gurumaj was lying down and he said something and I answered his question. I understood what he said. And then Guru Mahj told me, he said, how can you understand what I'm saying?

Even I can't understand what I'm saying. I said, gurmaj, it is your blessings only. So. So I don't know what's happening. But so that's how I started this service.

And it was such an endearing service for me because medically my involvement was.

Lesser because Guru Maharaj is anyway with other doctors.

But by Krishna's mercy, Goringama Prabhupada's mercy, I got this other service. And I developed so much attachment to hearing from Guru Maharaj. And because sometimes it may look like what Guru Mahj is saying is so simple. I mean, usually Guru Mahj tells a lot of pastimes, and Guru Mahj makes philosophy very simple and acceptable to devotees. But there is so much depth in it when Guru Mahaj speaks. And for me, I could realize all that. And to be next to Guru Maharaj when he's speaking Chaitanya Mahapu's pastimes is.

A completely different feeling. Because Guru Maharaj is always in ecstasy when he's speaking about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And when you're next to him, you can see it.

You can see his eyes with tears. You can see him so enthusiastic to just tell the pastime about Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And every class has Lord Chaitanya it's just.

I mean, it's just natural for Guru.

Maharaj to bring Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's leela or.

Katha in his classes.

And.

So that's how I got that service of repeating. But after some time, of course, I mean, I couldn't. I couldn't, like, travel with Guru Maharaj all over the world or something.

I remember once the devotee doctors in Bhaktiyantha Hospital, they kept telling Guru Maharaj, your blood pressure is not coming down. They started giving him a medicine which affected speech even more. And Guru Maharaj was quite upset, actually, that he couldn't speak properly and devotees are not able to understand him. And he told them, I cannot travel.

All over the world with her repeating all the time.

I need to speak. So it was like that in Bhaktivedanta Hospital once on Nithyananda Trayodishi, there was a Mataji there. She was Gurmar's eye doctor, Nikonja Vyani Mataji. So she said that we have Gornitai deities. Let's bring Gornitai to Guru Maharaj's room that day. Because Gurmat was not able to go out on Nithyananda Trayodashi. So they brought the temple's Goranitai, the hospital's Goranitai deities to Guru Maharaj. They're very beautiful deities. I mean, very beautiful. About this high, from what I remember, brass deities. And in the evening, some devotees, Tejagorangi, Devaki, Ekanath, Prabhu, they had practiced a drama, the meeting of Lord Netyananda and Lord Chaitanya. So in the evening, they did that drama for Guru Maharaj in his room. It was very sweet. And of course, there were other devotees. Were there so many now? Ishwarapuri, Maharaj, Padaval, Ram, Prabhu, so many devotees, because they don't remember. So when they were doing the drama, I think Tejo, Gorangi and Devaki were Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nithyananda. So they were mainly acting. And of course, it's the meeting. So Lord Nithyananda was still hiding. Correct. And in the meantime, the devotees are going around asking, you know, have you seen Lord Nithyananda? Have you seen Lord Nithyananda? And at one point, just spontaneously, they went and asked Guru Maharaj, have you seen Lor Nithyananda? And Guru Maharaj completely, as though he was part of the drama, said, no.

No, I've also not seen him.

He just as though he had already.

Rehearsed in the drama. He also took part in the drama. It was very sweet.

And in the end, we all offered.

Flowers at Gurmar's lotus feet.

So the devotees in Bhaktiyanda Hospital took very good care of Guru Maharaj. So another thing which this Mataji only started, Nikunja Viharni Matthi, she was ophthalmologist there. She said, why don't we do kirtan for Guru Maharaj when he's having prasadam? And she started that. And that went on for many years. Even when Guru Maharaj came to Mayapur, devotees used that opportunity to do kirtan for Guru Maharaj when he was eating. So it had started there in Bhakti Rantha Hospital. Another thing I remember is that in the evenings they decided to show Guru Maharaj some of these Chaupatti dramas. So every year they have a drama festival where they do a drama very nicely done. So they had it all recorded. And those days it was TV and all. So they decided to show Guru Maharaj some of these dramas. So one day, I remember it was the drama of Haridas Thakur. And Gurmatra is watching it.

And it is very intense.

I mean, they show the beating of.

Haridas thakur in the 22 marketplaces.

The two people who beat Thakur and.

Haridas Thakur, they're all doctors in Bhaktiranta Hospital. They are acting. So they showed Gurmaraj that one because they are acting in that. But it was so intense. Gurmat constantly had tears when he was watching that drama. And at the end, Guru Mahaj said, it's too intense, the drama, because it's really the beating of Aidas Thakur and these two devotee doctors. That was Giriraj Prabhu and Mishuru Prabhu. And Dwarkadish Prabhu is Haridas Thakur. And they're beating him. Dwarkadish Prabhu is a little small. They're huge. And they're beating him in the drama. It was very intense. But they did different things too. For Guru Maharaj, I have to think of more incident pastimes. I mean, there are so many I have to go through my book to recall.

So to bring Guru Maharaj to Mayapur, since we had been seeing Guru Maharaj every day, we were used to Guru Maharaj's change in external appearance, so to speak. I mean, now when I look at the pictures, of course, it looks like, oh, Guru Maharaj's body really changed. I mean, his face was frozen. So like the different Things that happen. He couldn't walk, obviously. His one side was very. Both sides were weak. One side was much more weaker than the other. And his face was frozen kind of because there's one nerve, facial nerve, which also got paralyzed and all that. So when Guru Mahj would smile also it would be only one side smiling. His eyes wouldn't move. Guru Mahj's whole appearance changed actually. But because we were seeing every day, for us it was not such a contrast. So and we didn't think and those days, not so much social media to circulate photos and all that. This was 2008, so it was not so much rampant. So it was February during festival time that Guru Maharaj came to Mayapur. He was not going to stay for the whole time. The idea was he would come visit and go back to Bhaktivedanta Hospital. So when Gurumaj arrived in Mayapur in his car or van, I can't remember what it was, but they had him arrive directly at the entrance of Radha Madhav. But all along the way I was not sitting with Guru Maharaj in that car. I was in another this thing.

But I saw how the devotees were crying. I mean, because it was such a change.

I mean there are thousands and thousands and thousands of devotees obviously waiting to greet Guru Maharaj. All the GBC were there at the entrance of the Radha Madhav temple that time hold Maipur was a little bit different.

But I remember the devotees reactions and.

Obviously because like I said, we were seeing Guru Maharaj. But for them it was such a change. The last they saw, Guru Maharaj was walking healthy, smiling, with thousands of people walking with him and trying to catch up with him. Because Guru Maharaj was very fast walker and now he's being pushed in a wheelchair. His face is changed, he's not able to even lift his hand to give blessings. Completely changed.

The devotees were crying like anything.

But all the GBC were there to greet Guru Maharaj at the entrance. And they took Guru Maharaj all the way.

And when Guru Maharaj took darshan of the deities, I mean, of course, how can I describe what it was for Guru Maharaj? But Guru Mahaj had a lot of tears and the temple was crowded. I mean even to take Gurmaj, there was no space. So many devotees everywhere.

But still Guru Mahj gave a speech, he gave a short talk. I repeated that, but I can't remember the content of the talk. But they took Guru Mahj up on the stage in front of Radha Madhav.

Where Gurmaj usually gives class now, I.

Mean, sits during festivals. And I could also see the audience.

And in all the way everywhere they were devotees, devotees.

And Gurumaj gave a short talk and.

Then he went to the room.

So his room that time there was no elevator, so Gurmaj went to the ground floor conch. They made one room for Gurmaj, the last room. Gurmaj was staying there.

But yeah, it was, I mean, very.

I think both the things for the devotees to see Guru Maharaj like this and for Guru Maharaj to finally come.

Back to Mayapur and see the deities after so long and his God brothers. And yeah, it is. I mean, it's indescribable. That is the emotions was just. And then anyway, from then, yeah, then.

Guru Mahj was still giving class.

I think every day in the evening.

Guru Maharaj is always thinking about encouraging others.

There's no question of himself.

He had his therapy time, the physiotherapy and all that. But evenings, from what I remember, Gurmaj would come out of the conch, he.

Would give a talk to the devotees still going on preaching that. This is what I remember. Smile for visit.