nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine
namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine
gaura-kathā dhāmadhāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
All glories all glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Guru Maharaj!
Dear Guru Maharaj,
They said distance makes the heart grew fonder and that is exactly true when it comes to you. Waking up everyday anticipating news from your team to know your health and thinking what can I do to ensure I don’t contribute to the condition of my Guru Maharaj never escaped my mind. Maharaj, last year, around the December, I was fortunate enough to head to Vrindavan Dham and immerse myself in the glories and past time of Sri Krishna by your mercy. Walking pass the place Sri Krishna played, killed the demons and performed his rasa lila, I could only thank one person who had given me this opportunity. You my Dear Spiritual Father. But the trip couldn’t have ended on a better note Maharaj. When we was in Delhi to take our flight back to KL, we decided to stay few days at ISKCON Delhi. And that decision was proven to be one of the best decision, as I wouldn’t have able to meet you otherwise. They was so much I wanted to proudly tell you Guru Maharaj. But your Darshan alone was amazing that I felt blessed getting to see you right before starting a new year!
Guru Maharaj,
I would also like to take this opportunity to report a program that I managed to do over here in Malaysia. Over 3 years Guru Maharaj I was staying in another state of Malaysia, Kelantan whereby it is a Muslim dominant area and has a population of only 2% Indian community. My devotional service plunged into a deep hole. Coming from KL where my main service was the Deity Kitchen seva as well as handling the Gokul Garden of Sri Jaganath Mandir it was a abrupt stop. But just as stated in Bhagavatam, Krsna puts us to test just to see how resilient we are, and taking this as a challenge a decided to groom up my service right here at Kelantan. Every major festival, I would cook up sweets and cake and offer to Krsna and distribute it among my Muslim friends, giving them a taste of prasadam. I would also occasionally organize a feast, preparing few course of banana leave prasadam sending everyone home satisfied.
However Guru Maharaj,
The peak was when I decided to conduct a Damodara program here involving the Indian Community here in Kelantan. There was a center of Shridi Baba which had the deity of Hanuman. Using that place the Damodara program was conducted where everyone was actually chanting the Holy Name of the Lord with Damodaraastakam being sung. I managed to get my friends to help me out in this service as it was the auspicious month of Damodara. Everyone benefited so well that I couldn’t help but think, I have definitely made you proud Maharaj. Over the span of 3 year here Guru Maharaj, I have managed to cultivate few of my friends to pic up chanting and even had friend became a devotee. You have always emphasized the importance of association and today I a realized mind I finally understood what it means. Thank you Guru Maharaj for that.
All of this would not have been realised if not for the dedication and sacrifice of my good mother who taught us the important of spiritual education as well as service while maintaining our material education and still shining. She took it as a challenge to bring up all her 4 children in a Krsna Consiousness environment even with many hurdle.
Guru Maharaj, I pray to Sri Narshinga Dev to constantly protect you for you are always my roaring lion pounding to save your children and leading us to Krsna and for without you, we are nobody.
Divya Vrndavana Devi Dasi