Since writing my tribute to His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaja, I’ve read so many beautiful memorials that eloquently glorify his exalted, excruciatingly sweet personality, his softhearted dealings, his vast knowledge of scripture, his tremendous accomplishments, the pure devotion he had for and intimate personal service he rendered to Srila Prabhupada considering the short time he spent with him, and so on. Then I remembered the foreword he wrote to Srila Prabhupada the Founder-Acaraya of ISKCON and how influential Maharaja was during its inception.

When I heard the news of Maharaja having tested positive for COVID-19, I was left speechless. Daily at that time of the morning I am on a zoom Japa conference. I made the announcement to the participants in much disbelief. I checked again with my disciples if this message was in fact authentic and a part of me feverishly hoped that there was some error or this was just fake news. I could not concentrate on any of my services and had difficulty in following the daily routine for the rest of the day and several days thereafter. I was very disturbed and disheartened. All that I could think o...

It is an irreparable loss for all of us. One thought though gives me some solace - he was not of this world. He was like a lotus flower, which grows from the mud in the water, but still is completely unaffected by the muddy environment, not to the slightest extent. Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu gave this sent this perfect servant of His to assist Srila Prabhupada in his mission, and He also showed to all of us by the example Bhakti Charu Maharaja what it means to be a Vaisnava. And now Gauranga Mahaprabhu just called him back.

Listening carefully to all of your instructions, we can understand how closely you followed the disciplic succession. Some of your statements were very close to Srila Prabhupada’s words, and some took the basic principles that Srila Prabhupada gave and sweetened them with beautiful personal realization.

The vacuum felt by Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s departure is immense. And that is how it should be. These feelings of separation are the proper testimony to Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s life—so exemplary, so well lived. What more can we say? “He was a Vaikuntha man”—a saintly Vaisnava and surrendered servant of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. The best way to find solace from the pain of Bhakti Charu Maharaja’s separation is to remember his words, follow his example of a pure Vaisnava’s life, and to redouble our dedication to the mission Bhakti Charu Maharaja gave ...

At the time that I was voted onto the GBC, ISKCON and its governing body was undergoing an excruciatingly difficult period of trial and testing. However, there were compensations for all our trials and tribulations, and for me the main compensation was the opportunity to serve with a number of extraordinary devotees, extraordinary especially in their dedication to Srila Prabhupada and to his mission. And chief among them, for me, was His Holiness Bhakti Caru Swami. Especially, he embodied, in his own singular way, that particular synthesis of opposites seen in the person of Srila Prab...

Mathura-vasa - you were not only living in the Holy Places in India but wherever you went you turned that ordinary place into places of pastimes. Even on your last journey, you were working so tirelessly on establishing a new farm community fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s desire.

One of your most prominent qualities while you were physically with us was your deep love for Srila Prabhupada. Very soon after you met him, he included you in his personal staff and made you his secretary for Bengali and Hindi correspondence. Soon thereafter, he gave you first and second initiation and then sannyasa. And you personally, lovingly served him throughout his last days.

Bhakti Charu Maharaja was a true touchstone. Whoever came in contact with him was given an opportunity to experience a life-changing transformation. I experienced the magic of his presence for the first time in 1979 when we met in Calcutta. He was in charge of the local BBT office, and thanks to our common service as translators of Srila Prabhupada’s books, we immediately connected as brothers in arms, exchanging our realizations.

Just a few days before he departed for the US, he called me in the wee hours of his night. "What are you doing up so early, Maharaja?" It was 2am IST. He was thinking how the society could put Srila Prabhupada more in the center. He was concerned for the future, and was unable to sleep just thinking about it. We spoke for half an hour. I consider that last conversation with him one of the great blessings of my life.

When I was asked to speak something about Srila Bhakti Charu Swami at a kirtan program I said that he was the “personification of Vaisnava culture”. Being quite uncultured myself I could not say much more except to glorifying some of his services to Srila Prabhupada, especially his translating all of Srila Prabhupada’s books.

Seeing all these reverses affect devotees, one should not be disturbed; one should simply understand that in these matters there must be some plan of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhagavatam's conclusion is that a devotee is never disturbed by such reverses. He accepts even reverse conditions as the grace of the Lord. One who continues to serve the Lord even in reverse conditions is assured that he will go back to Godhead, back to the Vaikuntha planets.

Where will I find that loving smile filled with care and affection that made you feel so important though you are worthless...., that caused you to remember Prabhupada in any circumstance..., that was pure sweetness...? I am so angry at you for leaving me here unprotected. Why did you decide to go back to Srila Prabhupada's Lotus Feet not caring for how we would be unable to tolerate your departure?

I had the good fortune of associating with your Guru Maharaja during the 2019 GBC midterm meetings held in Tirupati. Numerous times throughout that visit he would give me a long, warm and loving embrace and say, “My dear old friend, my dear old friend.” And he would reminisce about the times he visited our Hong Kong yatra in the 1980’s when we worked closely together to publish his series of books for children. He called these happy days, when he cooked for the devotees, led kirtan and gave classes to our newly recruited Chinese devotees. He was always very liberal with his associati...

I think that now is the time for us to really take those instructions that we read in Srila Prabhupada’s offering in the Shrimad Bhagavatam to his spiritual master to heart. And that instruction is that he lives forever by his instructions and his disciples and followers live with him. And this is the case for His Holiness Bhakti Charu Maharaj as well. Although it is a great misfortune that we will not have his personal association, his instructions and his example will live for us to get forever. And for myself, Bhakti Charu Maharaj was always an example of intense affectio...

The last time we met was in the month of May, 2018, in California where we were both attending a Cow Culture Conference. It was the first time I was hearing from you about your project in Florida where you explained that in North America we must provide special facilities for cows due to the harsh temperatures. You had recently acquired 120 acres of land for that purpose close to Orlando. I was happy to hear of your initiative to help make more devotees become aware of the importance of cow care.

I will not attempt to imagine the pain and emotions you are going through at this moment after the departure of your beloved Guru Maharaja. I can only join Anuttama Prabhu's memory of the pain and emotions we experienced when His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada left this mortal world. Although we were aware that Srila Prabhupada was very sick at that time, the thought that he could pass away from this world never crossed my mind, not even for a second. Srila Prabhupada was my life and soul - period. When I received the devastating news of Srila Prabhupada's departure...

Today is a day of intense mourning, the day that Srila Bhakti Charu Swami left this mortal world, and has gone to serve in His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada’s pastimes. For a pure devotee such as Bhakti Charu Maharaj there is no lamentation, as he is continuing his service in another location. However, for those of us who will be bereft of his association, it is hard to imagine continuing our lives without him.

Let us offer true homage to Maharaja by continuing his legacy of service in our own lives. Let us commit ourselves, mind, body, and soul, to the service of Srila Prabhupada, following in the footsteps of his beloved servant, His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami.