BAPS HINDU MANDIR
JOHANNESBURG

AFRICA's JEWEL OF HOPE & UNITY

Pramukh Swami Maharaj had arrived in Sankari. He was scheduled to stay there for three days. His schedule was very tight as many devotees had come to meet him and get his blessings. Despite, Swamishri took the time out to visit Lallu, a very poor devotee who had worked as a servant for several years. Due to his diabetes, he was bedridden. Swamishri garlanded the bedridden Lallu and placed his hand on Lallu’s head and blessed him. As Swamishri was leaving, Lallu heard Swamishri tell Prabhuswarup Swami, “Take care of Lallu. He has no one other than us.” At that time Lallu whis­pered, “Swami, you have considered me to be yours. Now it matters not if I have no one else!”Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.13, Purport

Guru Shastriji Maharaj had fallen ill and was resting in Sarangpur. Despite using different medications, his illness did not subside. Shastriji Maharaj said that if “Naranda (an affectionate name he used for Swamishri) came to recite the Bhaktachintamani scripture then his illness would go away.” Pramukh Swami Maharaj was in Atladra and upon hearing his guru’s wish, he immediately got onto a train and travelled over 200km in heavy rain to reach his guru’s side. As soon as Shastriji Maharaj saw Swamishri, his face lit up with joy on seeing Swamishri’s pure devotion even in extreme conditions.

Earth - endures to give only good

“There was nothing comparable to the bodily features of Lord Krishna when He was present in this world. The most beautiful object in the material world may be compared to the blue lotus flower or the full moon in the sky, but even the lotus flower and the moon were defeated by the beauty of the bodily features of Lord Krishna

Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.2.13, Purport

A Czech Professor named Yaroslav once said: "I have taken photos of Kings and great men but seventy per- cent I had to reject because they were not due to tension or worry. On the other hand, I had taken 600 photographs of Pramukh Swami, and I could not reject any of them. Not one! It was very difficult to choose which one to use. Whenever we have met Swamiji his selfless love makes us feel that he is a great power. Forgive me, that love cannot be described in words.”