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Vyāsa-pūjā 2018

Amṛta Gopāla dāsī (London - Soho Street - United Kingdom)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine
namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine
gaura-kathā dhāmadhāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe

My dear Guru Maharaja:

Please accept my obeisances again and again. All glories to you, most wonderful, determined and kind Spiritual Master! All glories to your effulgent Spiritual Father, Srila Prabhupada!

Remembering you at this time of year is especially joyful. I am thrilled that you were at home in Sridham Mayapur for Gaura Purnima. The all-auspicious appearance day of our Lord is the best time to be in Mayapur, and the fortunate souls who hanker for your association only wish to see you there, relaxed, joyful and always serving the devotees with great care and enthusiasm. My greatest and most cherished memories of Mayapur shine in my heart, and it is by your compassion only that I, too, consider that cintamani-dusted land to be my only real home. In my mind, there is no other devotee in our movement who loves and serves the Dham the way you do.

Reading Sri Caintanya-caritamrta this evening and meditating on what I would like to say to you on this blessed occasion of Vyasa-puja, I came across two verses that caused me to remember you with so much affection and fondness. Here are the slokas that brought you into my mind’s eye:

prataparudera ajanaya padicha-tulasi
jagannathera prasada-vastra eka lana asi

Following the orders of Maharaja Prataparudra, the temple superintendent, named Tulasi, brought one of Lord Jagannath’s used cloths.

bahu-mulya vastra prabhu-mastake bandhilo
acaryadi prabhura ganere paraila

This valuable cloth was wrapped around the head of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. The other devotees, headed by Advaita Acarya, also had cloths wrapped around their heads. (CC, Madhya 15, 27-28)

Among your unlimited sublime qualities is your love for the beautiful and festive aesthetics of our glorious Vaisnava culture. I adore how you respect and love the Lord’s remnents, and the playful and dashing way you wear the Lord’s garlands, cloth and other articles reveals your great attachment to the Lord. These two verses stimulated so many impressions I have in my heart of being in the Holy Dham with you and your disciples and begat a new understanding of the totally transcendental way you traverse this planet. May these realisations melt your fallen and ungrateful daughter’s icy heart.

Praying to be in your service eternally,

Amrta Gopala Dasi