Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to you!
On your Vyāsa-pūjā, we would like to follow the principle: glorify first, then report. So before
sharing news from your Serbian yātrā, please accept this poem, offered in gratitude.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, our teacher divine,
Our spiritual guide and savior sublime.
Without you, lost we all would be,
Just fragments in dark Kali’s sea.
In the material world reigned the gloom of ignorance,
Yet you unveiled the light of knowledge hence,
Kṛṣṇa’s grace and hope in our strife,
You showed us the path to bliss and eternal life.
Across the vast and deepest sea you sailed,
The ancient wisdom of the Vedas unveiled.
Your heart burned for people in every land,
Your devotion illumined hearts by your stand.
You showed the pathway leading us to God,
Gave meaning to this life we have trod,
Revealed bhakti’s road of pure devotion,
Without which we’d wander without direction.
In shadows we groped, on a path unclear,
We spoke of life’s cycles, but prayer held no cheer.
One truth would remain forever concealed,
“You belong to Acyuta-gotra” – you revealed.
How can we thank you for the path you showed,
Where Kṛṣṇa’s wisdom, sweet devotion flowed?
Indebted deeply by the mercy showed;
How can we clear what even Kṛṣṇa can’t unload?
Spiritual debt can never be fully repaid,
All we can do is be grateful, unafraid.
To serve the devotees and in their company stay,
You are our hero, Prabhupāda, we pray.
For everything you’ve done, our thanks we give,
Help us, dear master, faithfully to live.
At this festival to you we humbly pray,
That devotion to you may grow each day.
“In the spiritual world, we all shall meet,”
You told us this, astounding and so sweet.
“Have faith you are mine,” your words so true,
We pray to be yours in all that we do.
O Prabhupāda, devotion beyond measure,
Your faithful love for Kṛṣṇa, timeless treasure.
Within your books, we found illumination,
A gift for devotees and every nation.
Thank you for mercy that never did cease,
Books, temples, and grace bringing inner peace.
May all devotees praise you for all time,
Please wake within our hearts devotion sublime.
And now, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, here is the report of how the devotees in Serbia are striving to
carry on your divine mission:
The devotees of the Serbian yātrā would first like to thank you for coming to the West to save
us, to give us the most precious and highest knowledge, to tell us who we are, to whom we belong,
and what our main duty in life is. You came to give us your guidance, mercy, a wonderful life, and
even direct support through your loving sons and daughters, your surrendered disciples.
When our yātrā was first established, you showered so many blessings upon us that Kṛṣṇa
consciousness flourished in our country. We experienced what the mercy of a spiritual master, a
spiritual guide, means. Later, because we were immature, we made many mistakes, the greatest
of which was the one neither you nor Lord Kṛṣṇa can tolerate: we became proud and committed
many offenses to the precious devotees who took shelter of your lotus feet and had begun their
Kṛṣṇa conscious journey. We didn’t know then how precious each devotee is, and we didn’t appre-
ciate devotees as we should, with a humble heart.
Then we obtained a greater mercy from our Lord. Many devotees fell down, our yātrā fell apart,
our temple was literally half-burned down, and a long period came when we didn’t have any spiri-
tual programs or any association with devotees. But you and our Lord didn’t abandon us. Every-
one continued to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness as much as one can in one’s own home, and also
maintained association with a few devotees and yourself, as you have been our greatest shelter at
all times.
Slowly we attained many realizations, the biggest of which is how difficult life without devo-
tees is. We started to gather in the houses of kind devotees and share kṛṣṇa-kathā, ecstatic bhajanas,
and prasādam. More and more devotees joined, and now we know how precious and important
devotees are in our lives. We started to cooperate and organize festivals and regular gatherings. In
one town, we hold regular harināmas. Every year we have summer camps with some of your dear
disciples. Some devotees distribute books online, and prasādam distribution is going on regularly.
We do it all, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, for your satisfaction. There is no pressure, and everyone con-
tributes as much as they can from the heart. Of course, our hearts have to be purified more and
more to be able to advance, and the best place for purification is among the devotees who under-
stand what is going on and, therefore, can help us.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are the independent and unsubmissive type of devotees, and it is
difficult for us to accept authority, especially after the disappointment we had in the beginning,
but we know that you love us as we are and that we love you too, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, as much
as we can in our present state of consciousness. We beg you to please continue to shower us with
the special mercy you have for such fallen devotees as us. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we would like
to contribute, by your mercy and through our services, what we can to make sure that your glories
are proclaimed to every soul in Serbia, and we would like to be your servants eternally. Please
unite us more by engaging us all in your mission.
With love,
the devotees of the Serbian yātrā
P.S. Thank you once again for bestowing the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu upon us, which,
according to your words, follows the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. Religious remuneration is
devotion to the ācārya with the purpose of acquiring spiritual instruction. The ultimate message
of your commentaries is to lead us to accept this singing and chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa,
which is the meaning and goal of this movement. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!