Tarini Radha Devi Dasi

“How are you?”

This simple question has been the cause of a great deal of embarrassment for me. Every time GM asked this, I did not know how to answer because it just didn’t seem appropriate to say, “Fine, thank you”. GM began to notice that I was not giving a reply and made it a point to ask me the question every time we met. To my horror, it was no more a casual question but a question that really required an answer.

Once he asked “How are you” as he was passing by. And as I struggled to mumble something, he walked on, and I was happy that he had gone past. But! Since a proper reply had not come, Guru Maharaj, who had crossed the threshold stepped back, and asked again, “how are you?” I mumbled something and he went on. My confusion remained.

A senior mataji said that she responded with “Your mercy” meaning that whether she was well or not, it was his mercy. But I was faar away from such an elevated stance and so did not want to imitate by saying that. Later another devotee related how he had met GM in the railway station. He told us how GM had asked him, “How are you” and he had replied, “Fine by your mercy Guru Maharaj”. I was delighted to hear this. This seemed the right thing to say! I was very happy and now I awaited the chance to hear Guru Maharaja’s question.

So, it was a beautiful day with simple services for GM. And then, it was time for GM to leave. I stood in the temple office room, where I was serving, to hand over the airport sweets to the devotees. GM came into the room, and as if he had all the time in the world, holding his hands on his walking stick and tilting his head lightly, he asked, “How are you?” Brimming with the happiness of being in his presence and with full confidence, I said clearly, “Fine by your mercy Guru Maharaj”. GM burst out laughing! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! The whole temple resounded! The room seemed to be flying in the skies. My smile covered my entire face in the delight of seeing his happiness. As the sound of that laughter rings in my ears, that beautiful spring scene always stands before my eyes. GM was so satisfied that at last this girl has learnt the right thing to say!

GM completed this education at our next meeting in Mayapur the next year. After the evening Vyasa Puja glorifications, as several of us followed him up the first flight of stairs to the lotus building, GM turned back to wish us Hari Bol. His eyes noticed me. He suddenly called out to one mataji, (I forget the name) and asked, “How are you?” The mataji called out loudly from somewhere among the crowd, “Fine by your mercy Guru Maharaj”. GM looked back at me and nodded his head to confirm that that was the right answer. What an education! Filled with humour, love and personal care! The best of my memories.

 “Where is your son?”

Once during the one-day parikrama after Vyasa Puja, one prabhu helped carry Gauranga, my one year old son. He got to the boat ghat ahead of me and got into Guru Maharaja’s boat. A six feet long plank of wood connected the boat to the land. I stood on the land and called out to the devotee guarding the boat to allow me to come in and collect my son. He refused. I tried to make him understand that all I wanted was to collect my son, I didn’t want to get into the boat. The devotee said so many things without making any attempt to help me. Suddenly he became quiet. I looked behind and there was Guru Maharaj. “Where is your son”, he asked me. “Inside, Guru Maharaj”, I said. “O.k. Go in”, he said. I was very happy but I wanted to follow the dictum of following the Guru, not going ahead. So I said, “After you, Guru Maharaja”. Then he said, “After me? I don’t know if they will let you in”. I said I would get in and stepped into the plank of wood right after Guru Maharaja. At a later time when Gauranga was five years we again missed each other in Mayapur, and Guru Maharaj said that we should have a walkie-talkie to keep track of each other!

Got My Answer

On March 6, 1992, ISKCON Chennai arranged a pandal program. Guru Maharaj was to deliver the evening class. At the temple, after finishing one set of services I approached Guru Maharaj with two questions in his room. One was related to the choice of service – which service to choose out of three options that were given to me. Guru Maharaj did not give any definite answer. Then I asked a philosophical question from the Bhagavad-gita. Guru Maharaja said “You can ask this in class”. Though I said I could not attend any class, he did not answer my question. I left the room and got back to my services wondering that I would have to make my own decision regarding the service.

After getting together Guru Maharaja’s dinner, I filled up his milk in a flask and got to the pandal program. Guru Maharaj wound up the class and asked for questions. I sat in the fourth row. The hall was quite full. Whatever the question was, Guru Maharaj narrated the incident about Lord Chaitanya meeting Kurma dasa. Very emphatically, Guru Maharaj, in the mood of Lord Chaitanya, put out his hand, with his pointing finger extended and shouted, “You stay at home and do bhakti!”  Hari bol! That was THE answer to my service related question. The extended hand seemed to drive the point straight to my head.

After answering the first question, Guru Maharaj said, “One person asked me a question. That….” Guru Maharaj repeated my question and gave the answer! I felt so honored and acknowledged.