Bussing Not Allowed During Parikramā

Before his cardiac problem, Śrīla Gurudeva would go everywhere on parikramā by foot. Śrīla Gurudeva said, “Only those who are sick and old may use a vehicle during parikramā, otherwise everyone should go by foot.” Following Śrīla Gurudeva’s example, all the devotees would also go by foot. Later on however, because of his advanced age and heart problem, it was no longer possible for Śrīla Gurudeva to go by foot to the pilgrimage places. He therefore started going by car.

One time, back in the earlier days of parikramā, we were on our way back from Nṛsiṃhapallī to Devānanda Gauḍīya Māṭha in Navadvīpa. Śrīla Gurudeva was walking with so many of us sannyāsīs and brahmacārīs—a large group of us. In the distance we saw a bus coming, loudly honking its horn. Śrīla Gurudeva noticed that there were some brahmacārīs and even a few sannyāsīs inside the bus and also on its roof. In a playful mood, Gurudeva immediately blocked the road and stopped the bus with his dāṇḍa. Knowing Śrīla Gurudeva’s rule and seeing him with his raised dāṇḍa, the brahmacārīs quickly jumped out the windows or speedily climbed down from the roof and started running away. Even the sannyāsīs that were on the bus were very fast to run from Gurudeva, fearing him and his dāṇḍa.