Nama Om Vishnupaday Krishna presthay bhutale Shrimate Jayapataka Swamin eti namine
Nama acharya paday nitai kripa pradayine Gaur katha dham day nagar gram tarine
Nama Om Vishnu paday Krishna presthay bhutale Shrimate Bhakti Vedant Swamin iti namine
Namaste saraswate deve Gaur vani pracahrine nirvishesh shunyavadi paschyatya desh tarine
Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Shrila Prabhupad..!!!
All Glories to Shri Guru and Shri Gauranga..!!!
Kindly accept my following broken words as your glorification.
Last year, while writing offering on your Vyas pooja celebrations, all of us were worried due to your health condition as you, Your Holiness, were in Chennai and getting ready for transplantation of your liver and kidney. Finally, your surgery was done on 15th August. You have always given love and affection to everyone and as a result, devotees and many well-wishers, all around the world, prayed and chanted whole day for you. People, in general were celebrating National Independence Day and remembering freedom fighters on this occasion. We were remembering you, as a fighter, who has shouldered the responsibility of giving all of us a freedom forever.
I am very grateful to sweet Lord Krishna and protector of all devotees, Lord Nrsimhadeva to allow you, dear Gurudev, to be with us for our benefit. Although, I am unable to take that benefit.
Gurudev, we continued with our Bhakti Vriksha at our home in Baroda for whole year and few families attended it regularly. Now most of them are chanting Hare Krishna mahamantra and engaged in devotional services, one or the other. We all along with Bhakti Vriksha members, some of my friends and relatives, we visited Shridham Mayapur (off course, in your absence) and Jagannath Puri during month of Kartik. I hope most of the youngsters, who were part of our dham yatra , are now very favourably placed in Krishna Consciousness. Although, we felt your absence there in Shridham Mayapur, I know that without your blessings our yatra would not have been possible.
Later, some of them were very actively participated in Book distribution in the month of December.
Dear Gurudev,
On my personal front, it was very critical year due to health issues of Preetimayi, my wife. Last year, on the day of Ram Navami, she was operated for dreaded disease cancer. Her treatment had to be continued for next 7-8 months.
By your mercy, protection of Lord Ramachandra, Laxman and Sitamai and Lord Nrsimhadeva’s She ultimately came out of this dreaded disease and now completely cured of it. Although, she faced another major accident and her misery continued, from which she is yet to recover fully.
Gurudev, I do not have complaint about anything. I genuinely feel that, although it was difficult time for all of us as family to face such dreaded disease and later accident, it must have been due to our sinful activities done in the past. Lord just made this whole thing to minimum. This experience also made us aware of our hriday granthis or sneh-pash. We realized the unbeatable power of material nature.
Gurudev, I am very grateful to all the devotees of Mathuradesh and Baroda yatra for praying for all of us throughout the period of her illness and giving lots of love and care in this testing time. This mood of devotee care is result of your efforts in inculcating such qualities in your disciples, Guru Maharaj.
It was very heartening to see that some of the devotees visited us all the way from Mathuradesh to Baroda, some of them genuinely offered all sorts of help, many of them took out time to call us and enquire about her. These genuine feelings of love and affection, for each other are possible only in the family of Shrila Prabhupad of which you, your Holiness, are strongest branch.
Gurudev, this huge tree of Shrila Prabhupad has many, small and big branches. You are one of the strongest branch of that tree. This branch of yours has many sub-branches and it is fully laden with nice fruits, scented flowers and leaves. Leaves are green and fresh but on one of sub sub branch, there is dried leaf. That dry leaf has no strength to remain attached to this branch, neither it has determination to be part of that branch. All fruits, flowers and leaves are nicely being nurtured and this dry leaf does not want that nourishment. Although it’s weak, it wants to become free from that tree, and enjoy independently even though it knows that, it stands no chance of living in this way. Gurudev, I am that weak, pale and dry leaf. There is hardly any strength that has remained which will keep me attached to this branch.
Seek your blessings and nourishment so that I remain useful part of this Shrila Prabhupada’s huge, well-nourished Bhakti Vriksha.
Also, seek your blessings so that I can contribute, in whatever insignificant capacity, to carry forward Shrila Prabhupada’s Krishna Consciousness movement in Mathuradesh.
Your insignificant servant
Mahanand Caitanya Das, Diksha Disciple, Mathuradesh / Baroda
Wife – Preetimayi Radhika Devi Dasi
Daughters – Rasapriya Radharani Devi Dasi and Riya