My dearest Srila Gurudev,
On this most auspicious occasion of your 72nd Vyasa puja, I offer my most heart-felt and respectful obeisances to your Divine Lotus Feet. All glories to you, Srila Gurudev!
Srila Gurudev, this year, 2021 would be the 5th year of your presence in my life. Ever since you have come in my life, my life has changed completely. I could have never imagined the good fortune that was awaiting me. I am very grateful to the Lord for giving me the gift of Your Lotus Feet. Your Lotus Feet are my source of shelter, my means of sustenance, and my purpose of living. Please accept me eternally as the servitor of your Lotus Feet, Srila Gurudev. Please give me the competence to surrender to you cent-percent Srila Gurudev. Please be my master birth after birth and let your pleasure be my only reason to live.
Srila Gurudev, when I was just beginning my journey in Krishna consciousness 6 years back, I read a quote of Srila Bhaktisiddanta Sarasvati Thakura, which said, “Those favored by God find their paths set by thorns.” Being just a new aspiring devotee, I couldn’t understand that much. Now as I am growing a little in Krishna consciousness day by day by your mercy, I am getting the knowledge to understand these things a little and have realizations on this, Srila Gurudev. Now remembering this quote, I am thinking further that beyond those people who are favoured by God, there are also those people, who willingly walk on the path of thorns, voluntarily, without any complaints! Our whole Guru Parampara is an example of this Srila Gurudev. Right from Bhaktivinoda Thakura to Bhaktisiddanata Sarasvati Thakura to Srila Prabhupada to you – everyone has walked on the path of thorns voluntarily in the service of the Lord, never once caring for your own personal comforts. Srila Gurudev, when I see your life and the lives of our previous Acharyas, I think how can I accept an easy and comfortable life for myself when you and Srila Prabhupada understook so many sacrifices, without any complaints, just to benefit eternally conditioned souls like me.
Srila Gurudev, when the master walks on the path of thorns, he may not feel those pricks, but Srila Gurudev, those thorns, they pierce the heart of the disciple. It is something similar to when Lord Ramachandra was walking in jungle after his exile and thorns were pricking His Lotus Feet – he did not feel it much, but actually they were pricking the heart of Lakshmana. Therefore, even though I am weak and incompetent Srila Gurudev, I don’t want to take things easy, comfortable, and for granted, Srila Gurudev. Even though I am a fledgling, the only fair price for me to pay for your sacrifices is full surrender on my part, Srila Gurudev. Please give me the competence and strength for it Gurudev.
Srila Gurudev, I know I have your full mercy, all I need to do is keep making my endeavors. Your mercy never stops flowing Srila Gurudev, but my endeavors get exhausted after a point. But Srila Gurudev, I do try to get up again whenever I fall in my efforts, because I know that I have your helping merciful hand always waiting for me to get up. Therefore Srila Gurudev, I can only pray to You that please continue to accept me, despite my imperfections, so that one day I can reach the goal of full surrender.
I have many spiritual desires Srila Gurudev, and all of them are centred around developing my relationship with you. Srila Gurudev, you have so many disciples, who have had decades of time to develop their relationship with you. But I am a new disciple, and in my heart I do lament sometimes that I only have a few years. Srila Gurudev, please take my life into your hands, and twist it anyway you like, so that I can make most of whatever time I have, to develop my relationship with you. I submit myself to you, my eternal master. Please help me to develop my relationship with you, so that in years to come, I can sustain myself with this relationship and keep cementing it further in decades and lifetimes to come. I once again bow down to you in utmost reverence and helplessly plead you to accept me as your eternal servant, birth after birth, despite all my imperfections.
Your aspiring disciple,
Paridhi Rathi
Mumbai