My dear Srila Gurudev,
On this most auspicious 71st Vyasa Puja of yours, I offer my most respectful obeisances unto your Divine Lotus Feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, our previous Acharyas and you!
Srila Gurudev, you once said in a lecture of yours that gratefulness is the basic foundation of a Guru-disciple relationship. On your auspicious Vyasa Puja, I want to express my immense gratitude to you, Srila Gurudev, even though I cannot fully describe it in words ever.
Srila Gurudev, this material world is a very horrible and fearful place to stay. However, your Lotus Feet are the safest place in this universe. I find so much shelter at your Lotus Feet. I feel so protected and comforted by Them.
I have taken so much from you, Srila Gurudev, but still I am always struggling and in need of more and more shelter of your Lotus Feet. I feel guilty that I am incompetent of returning and reciprocating with you for all the profuse blessings that you have given me. Please enable me to give you more and more so that I can keep taking shelter of your Lotus Feet at every moment without feeling guilty of not returning enough. At every moment, I want to take shelter of your Lotus Feet, Srila Gurudev, because this is the only way of being fearless in this dangerous material world.
Srila Gurudev, in this material world, we are put into so many tests and tribulations. Sometimes, it feels overwhelming. But everything seems so little when I remind myself of your Lotus Feet and that the only goal of my life is to serve Them. Srila Gurudev, this is the only source of my strength and the only source of my bliss in this overwhelming ocean of material existence.
I am very thankful to you to have accepted me as your spiritual daughter despite my imperfections. My good fortune is incalculable and I don't want to waste such a golden chance, Srila Gurudev!
I am also thankful to you to have blessed me with such a wonderful family of Godsiblings. Srila Gurudev, please always bless me with the association of those who are dear to you, and those who have taken your service as their life and soul. Let me always hanker for such an association, Srila Gurudev, for by doing so, I can always associate with your Lotus Feet.
Srila Gurudev, on this 71st Vyasa Puja of yours, which falls in the year where the whole world is celebrating your glorious 50th Sannyasa Anniversary, I humbly beg at Your Lotus Feet to please take my life in your hands and mould it in whatever way you like, such that I can deepen my relationship with you as much as possible, so that I can sustain myself for the years to come.
Thanking you, always,
Your spiritual daughter, always,
Paridhi Rathi (aspiring)
Mumbai, India