Dear Srila Jayapataka Swami Gurumaharaj
Nama Om Vishnu padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Jayapataka Swamin iti namine,
Nama Acharya padaya Nitai kripa pradayine
Gaura katha dhama daya nagara grama tarine
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet.
All glories to Your Divine Grace!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Your achievements this past year have been more exceptionally brilliant than every previous year. We are constantly in awe of your illuminating qualities to overcome the most challenging difficulties and pull through stronger than before. Every year these obstacles seem more impossible than the last, yet our observantion is that you are facing them with grace and surrender to Srila Prabhupada.
I was drawing parallels to the life of Bhismadeva in relation to overcoming these hardships. Bhisma Pitamah took three terrible vows to please his father Maharaj Shantanu. The first was to forego the throne so that his younger step-brothers could superceed him. The second was to live as a naistika brahmacari so he would not have descendants who will take the throne. The third vow was to see his fathers image in the kings who occupied the throne, and to protect him. As a result of these terribly austere vows he was granted a wishful death by his appeased father. He had to witness the fall of many generations of his dynasty leading up to the Kuruksetra war. He was the central personality in maintaining peace and prosperity across his father's kingdom. He lived until he fulfilled his vows and saw his father's kingdom in safe hands. He was fully Krishna conscious throughout. Thus he attained the goal of life - residence in the Lord's transcendental abode and a place in His eternal pastimes.
Within ISKCON we are blessed to witness the same pastimes again no less. Your Divine Grace is taking up unequivocal hardships as an offering to your beloved spiritual father Srila Prabhupada. From your early years in ISKCON as a humble brahmacari running the ISKCON Montreal temple, to taking up Indian citizenship and serving as one of ISKCON's dancing white elephants. You quickly took the vow sannyas and are still an examplar in the renounced order of life, giving sannyas diksa to so many others. In the same mood you have taken up a long list of responsibilities and leadership positions given by Srila Prabhupada and his representative GBC Body. You have unfailing held up your every commitment beyond our belief and are sacrificing your everything for service to Srila Prabhupada and Lord Gauranga. Even amidst a decade of health issues you are unstoppable - as if Srila Prabhupada has blessed you with wishful death. It is impossible to think that anyone can ever replace you. You are keeping us all together and pushing on ISKCON by your strong example, preaching the glories of Caitanya Mahaprabhu to one and all in every situation, in new and dynamic ways, yet remaining strictly in the line of Srila Prabhupada's mood and mission. We are looking forward to your Krishna Caitanya book. We are looking for your biography of Srila Prabhupada. We are looking forward to the Temple of Vedic Planetarium opening ceremony with you. We are always inspired by your every movement which is resplendidly full of Krishna consciousness.
There is a great deal more to be said. I am only able to eulogise the pinnacle of your splendour although your devotion has deep foundations. Please bless me so that I am always able to remember your divine personality and pastimes, and remain steadfast in following your sterling role model characteristics. Mahajano Yena Gatah Sa Panthah (CC Madhya 17.186).
Your insignificant servant
Sacinandana Karuna das
Harinama diksa disciple
Bhaktivedanta Manor, London, UK
