Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Your appearance day is the most important event in the universe. You have come at the right time
and to the right place to revive Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement and expand it all over the
world.
Lord Kṛṣṇa chose his most qualified sweet and powerful servant to conquer the hearts of all the
sincere and intelligent souls who were intensely seeking love of God. By observing this auspicious
Vyāsa-pūjā day, I deeply feel my appreciation and gratitude for your teachings and example. I met
you in your books and immediately fell in love with you. Every page I read, every picture of Your
Divine Grace I looked at, transported me to the most beautiful place my mind could find and
inspired me to practice my bhakti and follow you.
In my first years as a new bhakta, the Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta became more important to me
than the Bhagavad-gītā itself. I relished every word of each of the volumes that were starting to
come out. Your courage, determination, and pure devotion made me your aspiring servant and
has kept me loyal to you despite the many challenges I’ve endured during the more than four
decades since I met you.
Please keep me under the shade of your lotus feet and allow me, along with your sincere
followers, to contribute to the expansion and development of your glorious ISKCON.
Your humble servant,
Mathureśa Dāsa
Latin America Andean Region GBC Secretary