In this devotional memorial address delivered on Guru Purnima, Srila Gopal Krishna Goswami honors the life and service of Srila Bhakti Charu Swami, who passed away two years earlier. The speaker recounts Bhakti Charu Swami’s early encounter with Srila Prabhupada’s teachings, his pivotal role in translating Prabhupada’s books into Bengali, and his dedicated personal service to the founder (including cooking and close assistance). He highlights Bhakti Charu Swami’s achievements in media (securing a Doordarshan documentary on Prabhupada), rapid temple construction (the Arooj Jain temple built in ten months), musical contributions (recorded kirtans), and his instructional work on Vaishnava etiquette. The talk repeatedly stresses the importance of following the guru’s spoken instructions (vāṇī) over temporary physical presence (vāpū), urging disciples to cooperate, remain united, and continue spreading Krishna consciousness in the spirit of Srila Prabhupada’s vision.
Chapters
Hare Kṛṣṇa. So we are assembled here to remember our dear godbrother Bhakti Charu Swami, who passed away On this auspicious day, 2 years ago, today was very auspicious. It's Guru Purnima, beginning of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu's year, and Śrī Nādhana Gosvāmī's birthday. So he passed away on a very auspicious day. So I'm not a good storyteller. I don't know so many stories that Śrīmad-Bhāgavata-kīrtanam. So Bhakti Charitra Swami was very close to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda was very impressed by his sincerity. He Even the few devotees who got their brahman and first initiation the same day, isn't it? And soon later he got his sanyāsa initiation also. Bhaktijjara Swami was Bhībhi had gone to study in Germany. When he came back from Germany, he had a friend called Sarubhūma, who introduced him to Prabhupāda's books. And after reading Nectar of Devotion, he was inspired to dedicate his life to Prabhupāda's mission. Prabhupāda, when he came to India, he wanted his books to be published in all the Indian languages. And when he, and when he found out that Bhaktisiddhānta Swāmi was good in Bengali, he gave him the task of translating Prabhupāda books in Bengali language. So amongst Bhakti Charu's various achievements, what I would say is he worked hard to realize Prabhupāda's vision that his books be published in Bengali. And under his supervision, most of the Bengali translation took place. So this was— you all know how Prabhupāda cared, or Prabhupāda wanted, the book translated. And Bhagavānacārya Swāmī also served Prabhupāda in various positions. He was Prabhupāda's personal servant for some time. He was Prabhupāda's personal cook, and he was very interested in preaching everyhood. He served with Prabhupāda for many years. In abhishrīla Prabhupāda's pāccha, Bhakti Charu had a strong desire to publicize Prabhupāda's achievements. So he worked hard to get a contract with Doordarshan. In that time in India, there were not so many TV channels as you see now. So getting Getting something on TV darshan was, of course, considered a big achievement. So due to his hard work and contacts, the abheda-charan serial that featured Prabhupāda's life and his activity was shown all over India. And all over India People became aware what Prabhupāda had done. This was a very significant contribution. And Bhagavān Caitanya Mahāprabhu got this translated. And after that he built a very beautiful temple Arooj Jain. He had obtained some land from the government and he built that temple in record time. In how much time, who knows? 10 months. 10 months. I always say, "Aroog baki charu." He built the fastest temple in ISKCON. In nearly 10 months, whole center was built. And it was very beautiful, attractive center. Bhagavat Charu Swami was also a very sweet singer. He had little recorded lot of kīrtan. And He had inspired a lot of people everywhere, the Prāsada devotees. So he was very fond of lecturing on Vaiṣṇava etiquette. All right. He had courses on by Śrīmatī Kīrtikā in different parts of the world. And there was regular programs in, in Bhūjān. And the Āupaniṣads, Āupaniṣads quote Prabhupāda. What is that famous quote? "Your love for Me will be shown." Hāve Cooperate with each other. Remember that? Your love for Me has been proven and shown. Now you have to cooperate together. So Prabhupāda had great faith in Bhaktisiddhārū Swāmi. He gave him various assignments and he did it. And he had made it dedicated to Śrīla Prabhupāda's instruction. In the scriptures we read that the spiritual master is manifested in two ways. One is vāpū and the other is vāni. Vāpū is temporary in the sense that we're all here for some time, then we'll have to depart. That is vāpū. Vāṇī are the instructions of the spiritual master. Just like we have Prabhupāda vāṇī, we have devotees also there. Bhagavad-caru-sāmya-vāṇī. Vāṇī means instruction. Prabhupāda Rādhāmān said following the instructions is more important than vāpū. If we see that, Mahāprabhupāda, 2 years ago, But his disciples are working very cooperatively with Nisargadatta Maharaj. The disciples are enthusiastically pushing the movement everywhere. The Ujjain center is being run nicely because the disciples took the guru's instruction to heart. Āpa dedicates the 4th canto of the Bhāgavatam to his spiritual master. He says, "He lived forever by divine instruction and the follower lived with him." Prasad Raaval said, "I never felt that I was not with my spiritual master." So I work with a lot of Bhakti-jñāna-sāmmita disciples. And was a jīvī-sīnu-jī. And all the disciples are very, very cooperative, and everyone's working together to push on this movement. So no doubt it's painful when we lose a Godbrother, any Vaiṣṇava. But on the other hand, we have to realize All this, everything is temporary, and we should live by the instructions. So I've come here to offer my obeisances. Actually, Śrīla Rādhārāṇī Swāmi was noted as a humble devotee and who was very obliging to everyone and was very gentle in dealing with he was. And he also took great interest in devotee care, taking care of devotees. The disciples of Śrī Bhagavān Caitanya Mahāprabhu should have full faith in his instructions and carry out whatever orders Mahārāja gave them. And our business is to dedicate ourselves to Prabhupāda's instruction. Prabhupāda in the first canto says, he dedicates the first canto to his Guru Vrāndā by saying, "He lives forever by divine instructions and the follower lives with Him." So the spiritual master is present in divine form and one who follows that, he always feels the presence of the spiritual master. Wanted to offer my obeisances, bhakti-jari, bhakti-caru Swami. We have many of Mahārāja's disciples serving in the Vṛndāvana Temple, and they're serving very nicely. And his disciples should remain attached to Mahārāja's instruction. And Prabhupāda wanted us to work together to spread this movement. One astrologer told Prabhupāda, "He'll build a house for the whole world to live in." Prabhupāda really built that house in which devotees of different backgrounds come together and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The— I departed 2 years ago. I remember we had We were taking part in our bureau meeting in Ahmedabad, and then Śrīla Jagadgūrū Swāmī moved from Ahmedabad to Hooghly and then to North America for the project he was working on. And we heard from Śrīla Caitanya Mahāprabhu always, gave priority to preaching. Bhagavan was also a very dedicated preacher, and even though Mūrī Śrīla didn't want to go to Europe, he was so keen to preach and he went there. So I offer my obeisances on this day, and we wish that we all work together for Prabhupāda's pleasure and Mākīcāra Swami's pleasure. Mākīcāra Swami ki? Chai.
