nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine
namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine
gaura-kathā dhāma dāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe
nāma oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
jaya śrī kṛṣṇa caitanya orabhu nitya nanda
śrī advaita gadadhara śrīvasādi gaura bhakta vrinda
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāj!
Please accept my fallen obeisances. All glories and gratitude to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations are just the most beautiful of opportunities to rewind and remind ourselves how one’s spiritual master has graced one’s life. I would like to take this opportunity to write a few words in appreciation and gratitude to glorify Your grace but I am in no qualified position to do so.
Every time I have been fortunate to get Your darshan, You have mercifully glanced at me. Not just that, You have but looked through my eyes, right into my true identity, a dirt-filled soul, burdened and buried in past life’s contamination of sinful deeds. Yet instead of looking away, You accept me as I am and bless me by striking the heaps of dirt like a thunderbolt, with Your compassionate glances.
I have come to realize the following - We, fallen souls, drowning and struggling to catch a breath, swim pathetically in the ocean of material miseries. Pure, transcendental souls like Śrīla Prabhupāda, Yourself and our Ācārya - gana, take it to dip their hands into the filthy garbage to pull out worms like me, who don’t even know that they are suffering and that we are living in the worst deplorable conditions. Divine souls like Yourself really do not have to get their hands dirty and yet you take it upon yourselves to do so in order to safe innumerable misfortunate jivas.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes this -
“tava nija-jana, kono mahājane,
pāṭhāiyā dile tumi
(prabhu he!)
emona durmati, saḿsāra bhitore,
poḍiyā āchinu āmi “
A recent health treatment made me realize how painful immobility would be. I felt horrible and that paved way for Maya's attack (once again…) But this ordeal made me understand to a small extent, the determination and dedication You have towards Śrīla Prabhupāda and toward preaching Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Immense pain and limited movement have not deterred You even a pinch from serving Mahaprabhu. You are unstoppable, Gurudev!
The period of anxiety leading to Your transplant surgery and during its course kept us on our toes. Actually, those exact days Kerala was affected by heavy rains and my parents and I had to evacuate, as the house was flooded. We temporarily moved to a relative’s place. But all our worries were about Your well-being, we barely thought of our condition. In fact, our relatives (who aren’t devotees), were also truly concerned about You and they prayed for your health and speedy recovery, along with us. As a part of the prayers, we would like to offer 108 times recitation of Śrī Narasiṁha Kavacha and Śrī Nārāyaṇa Kavacha, at the lotus feet of Śrī Narasiṁhadev for healing You and let Your dream of dancing in front of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava come true very soon.
I’m reminded of a verse from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s song -
“tomāra se śakti pele guru-sebāya bastu mile
jībana sārthak jadi hoy
sei se sevā paile tāhale sukhī hale
taba sańga bhāgyate miloy”
(Kṛṣṇa tava punya habe bhai..)
On being bestowed by the Divine power, one attains the factual substance which is service to the spiritual master - and life becomes successful. If that service is obtained then one becomes fully satisfied and ultimately receives Kṛṣṇa's association and good fortune.
Hoping that one day I can attain service to be able to please You, Guru Mahārāj.
The Bhāgavatam states that the Lord directly protects the dvijas, go and demigods. Because You accepted me as Your daughter, I am sure the Lord will protect me. My identity in front of the whole creation is You, Guru Mahārāj. I fail to remember this huge fortune I have recieved.
Begging at Your lotus feet to forgive me for every wrongdoing I have committed and hoping that I shall be of better use to You.
Praying to Narasiṁhadev vehemently for Your health.
Your ever fallen daughter ,
Kamalā Hemāṅgī devī dāsī (diksa),
Kerala, India.