Param Pūjya Param Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace on this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
Param Gurudeva! How can a small insignificant person like me describe the glories of a spiritu-
ally elevated personality like Your Divine Grace? Still, with your mercy, I will try to do so.
Param Gurudeva! I always feel your presence and mercy. Sometimes while reading Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam I don’t properly understand some passages in your purports. Then I offer prayers to
your lotus feet and read again. Surprisingly, I understand the intent of your explanations. This
assures me of your divine presence.
Śrī Rāma-navamī is approaching as I write this – on April 6, 2025. I was reading the Śrī
Rāmāyaṇa of Śrī Vālmīki Maharṣi, where in the Bāla-kāṇḍa (18.28) sage Śrī Vasiṣṭha was explain-
ing the qualities of Śrī Lakṣmaṇa. Śrī Vasiṣṭha Maharṣi says, lakṣmaṇa lakṣmi sampanna. He did
not use the same comments to Lord Śrī Rāma. I could not understand why he was talking about
lakṣmī –money, as a quality of Śrī Lakṣmaṇa. I prayed to Your Divine Grace to help me under-
stand the intent. I could understand that Śrī Rāmāyaṇa has nothing to do with the material lakṣmī.
So, here it means devotional service is the treasure, Lakṣmī, for the devotees. Lord Lakṣmaṇa,
being jīvācārya, ādi-guru, will bless the devotees in development of devotional service, bhakti.
Param Gurudeva! You introduced so many spiritual festivals in ISKCON, so the devotees have
always engaged in celebrating and hearing the transcendental pastimes of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This
enthusiasm in celebrating helps the devotees to remember (smaraṇa) the pastimes of the Supreme
Lord. These celebrations are certainly helpful tools in lakṣmi vardhana, the development of spiri-
tual life. Universally appreciated, with your blessing, is the yearly Lord Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā.
People love it and chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, knowing or without knowing its glories,
and get the mercy of Lord Jagannātha. This is part of your mission of propagating the Hare Kṛṣṇa
mahā-mantra and the teachings of Lord Caitanya.
Param Gurudeva! Not many ācāryas from other sampradāyas gave the depth of philosophical
explanations that enable everyone, irrespective of caste or creed, to understand the Vedic teach-
ings. But Your Divine Grace, even in the advanced stage of your life and health, wrote many
commentaries in English on our Vedic scriptures, like the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Bhagavad-gītā,
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and others, something no one had done before. Your efforts helped estab-
lish ISKCON centers throughout the world. One may preach, but on what basis? Can devotees
understand, practice, and preach if we don’t have supporting explanations or commentaries on
the scriptures? But because of your efforts, the preaching and establishing of new ISKCON cen-
ters is flourishing. In ISKCON, everyone can see your blessings and mercy in action.
I feel proud to be a member of your International Society for Krsna Consciousness, where
we get, by your mercy, to learn a lot about devotional service and the wonderful pastimes of the
Supreme Lords Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Please bless me so I may continue to serve this wonderful
preaching mission of yours.
The servant of your servants,
Rāma Govinda Swami

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