nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine
namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine
gaura-kathā dhāmadhāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe
Dear Guru Maharaj His Holiness Śrī Śrīmad Jayapatākā Swami Gurudeva,
I offer my respectful obeisances unto your lotus feet on the auspicious occasion of your 72nd Vyasa-puja celebration.
All glories to your lotus feet!
Dear Guru Maharaja, being a beloved disciple of Srila prabhupada, and with your personal example of surrender unto Srila prabhupada’s lotus feet and devotional service, you are an inspiration and hope for all fallen souls like me. Being a true representative of Guru parampara and by offering your life of to the service of Guru Parampara, you have been merciful in line with the causeless mercy of Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Dear Guru Maharaj, I am a struggling soul seeking shelter of your lotus feet to save myself from the powerful Maya. I heard in one of your lectures that our advancement in Krishna consciousness can be measured by seeing how much attraction has decreased for material desires. I see myself struggling to develop a deep devotion and love towards Krishna’s lotus feet. It’s because of this lack of devotion that I’m unable to destroy anarthas in my heart and develop a higher taste for Krishna consciousness. Even more so in times of COVID, the in-person association of devotees has become difficult, and this is leading to more miseries in life.
Dear Maharaj, your mercy has flown into my life and family indirectly through your disciples. I’m very fortunate to have got one of your merciful disciples as my siksha guru HG Acyuta Arjunsakha Das (Śrī Śrī Narasiṁha Giridhari Mandir Bangalore), who has literally pulled me out of anarthas and brought me into the association of great devotees in Bangalore. Within just 3 years, he has got me associated to high class devotees, took me for yatras to Mayapur and Vrindavan, and has guided my wife and 8-year-old daughter on the path towards Krishna’s lotus feet.
Other disciples of yours too in Śrī Śrī Narasiṁha Giridhari Mandir, Bangalore have been very merciful towards me and my family by forgiving our ignorance and sinful past to sit beside them and allow us to do small services. Your disciples are following your orders of making Bangalore a Krishna conscious city and are showering mercy on fallen souls like me by pulling us out of anarthas and showing the path of Krishna consciousness though their own personal example. They are working very hard to touch as many souls as possible, and also making efforts towards building a temple near to my residence.
As I pray for the next Krishna-conscious year in your life, I pray to the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahāprabhu to shower his blessings on you in the form of good health and more devotion towards his lotus feet, so that you can go on in your selfless service and mercy for suffering souls like me.
Guru Maharaja, I beg you to shower undeserved mercy on me to burn the anarthas in my heart and plant the seed of devotion, so that I can clean my consciousness, and begin to serve you and your servants with complete chastity and thorough obedience by overcoming obstacles in my spiritual life.
Yours eternal servant,
Sanjeev Thakur (Shelter aspirant),
Śrī Śrī Narasiṁha Giridhari Mandir,
Bangalore, India