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Vyāsa-pūjā 2024

Bṛhat Gaurahari dāsa (London - South Norwood - United Kingdom)

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya Kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine

namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine

gaura-kathā dhāma dāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe

Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Śrīla Guru Mahārāja,

Please accept my most respectful obeisances unto the dust of your lotus feet!

All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!

All glories to your holiness!

Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, on this auspicious occasion of your milestone Vyāsa-pūjā, I beg that Your Divine Grace shower your mercy that I use appropriate words to even glorify you in the right spirit.

Guru Mahārāja, seeking for better material prospects I ended up in Birmingham in 2008 and somehow by your disciples (Nitāi Caran prabhu, Jagannātha Kirtanānanda prabhu, Nitāi Kīrtana prabhu, Māyāpur Mādhava prabhu, Madhur prabhu, Rasika Jagannātha prabhu, Audārya prabhu, Hetal mātājī and Sunandinī mātājī) mercy I was given the opportunity to serve you during your visit to the UK in 2009. Although no good qualifications materially or spiritually, I was the recipient of your blessings and mercy ever since my first sevā opportunity. Things just happened, I was given so many sevā opportunities, so much love, so much association, that also opened the door for my first visit to Śrīdhāma Māyāpur in 2010. That visit, your darśana and instructions to your disciples helped me nurture my faith a bit more to take things a bit more seriously. Looking back, I feel how I was protected from the onslaught of māyā by your unfathomable mercy.

Guru Mahārāja, I had the privilege yet again by your mercy to serve you during your visit last year. On the day of your arrival, Mahā Varāha prabhu was explaining your health condition in Italy and how uncertain it was for to travel to UK. But you decided to risk your own life and came for us to give your association and encouragement. Arriving that night, I could see how exhausted you were and yet never missed any chance to check on your disciples’ well-being.

Guru Mahārāja, in one of the classes there was a question raised, how you manage the enthusiasm to do and encourage devotees to do book distribution, Karthik programs, harināma saṅkīrtana and many other activities continuously for over 50 years now. You answered that you are ever indebted to Śrīla Prabhupāda for whatever he has given to you, and the activities that you have done and continue to do still are not enough to pay the debt. Following your footsteps, we also are taking very tiny steps in our spiritual practice to fulfil your desire to please Śrīla Prabhupāda. Recently one of our Bhakti-vṛkṣa members attending the session on a weekly basis encouraged her father to go nearest ISKCON temple. Her father living in Delhi is now regularly visiting the ISKCON temple and takes part in all the activities. I am very pleased to inform the local devotees are also helping their elderly father by picking and dropping him back home.

Guru Mahārāja, over the last many years my wife’s health was bad and we couldn’t contribute as much that we want to. As I reflect on my journey, your unconditional love and care have given me the strength to overcome my fears and face life’s challenges with courage and determination. You have shown me that even the most difficult situations can be transformed into opportunities for spiritual growth. With her health getting better, we beg for your mercy to be your insignificant servants to engage in any service the local temple demands.

Praying to Lord Narasiṁhadeva to protect you so that you can bring many many more souls to Kṛṣṇa.

I'm eternally very grateful to you.

Your insignificant spiritual son,

Bṛhat Gaurahari dāsa