Nama om Vishnu padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Jayapataka swamin iti namine,
Nama acharya padaya Nitai kripa pradayine
Gaura katha dhama daya nagara grama tarine”
Nama om Vishnu padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Bhaktivedanta svamin iti namine
Namaste Sarasvate deve gaura vani pracharine
Nirveshesh sunyavadi pashchatya desa tarine
Om agnana timirandasya gnana anjana salakaya Caksur unmilitam ena tasmayi sree gurave namah
My dear spiritual father, GuruMaharaj, please accept my respectful obedience at your lotus feet on this most auspicious day.
This year, I am writing this offering sitting in Bangalore, as part of New Rajapur Jagannatha Dham congregation. Despite my many shortcomings, devotees have accepted my wholeheartedly. They are a constant reminder for me of how wonderful and fortunate we are to have you. I am greatly thankful to Lord Gauranga, Sirla Prabhupada and your causeless mercy to set us a daily example of the fighting spirit to be Krishna Conscious. Sirla Gurudeva, you lead an online army during COVID Quarantine which was set to conquer the world with Krishna Consciousness. One of your instructions at that time for everyone was to take advantage of online preaching. Through your inspiration, devotees around the world held programs consisting of thousands. Following in their example, I too made my little attempt to start preaching. Despite the stumbles encountered, by your mercy, the preaching program to my college friends is continuing.
Last year, while I was recovering from COVID19, you sent a voice message. In that message, you said, “I hope you are 100% alright soon so you can help with online preaching.” That was a profound insight into the mood which I should cultivate. You live to spread Krishna Consciousness. Everywhere you go, you carry Lord Caitanya in your heart. Everywhere you look, you see a soul surrounded to Lord Caitanya. Dear Gurudeva, while you are tirelessly spreading Krishna Consciousness, I am sitting in the lap of Maya being overcome by laziness, lust, greed, and envy. Seeing you as my only hope, I will continue to fight to be Krishna Conscious.
This year will be a big year for me in my academics. I will be graduating medical school and will start looking for a location for my Internal Medicine training. I don’t know where I’ll end up but Gurudeva, life is too painful when you’re not with devotees. Even the smallest thing will disturb you. So I sincerely ask for your prayers and blessings that moving forward, I continuously stay in the association of devotees.
Every year, I ask for your prayers for my siter Divya, who is also a medical student, that she takes up to the process quickly and surrenders to Sirla Prabhupada and your lotus feet. This year, she has become more positive and she has met many wonderful devotees. I can see, with your prayers, that she is becoming serious on this path. I beg that you continue to pray for her. Gurudeva, please also pray for my father that he, too, can surrender to Lord Caitanya as soon as possible. Finally, I ask for your blessing and prayers that I too can follow in your footsteps in developing the most wonderful mood of serving devotees and preaching unlimitedly.
Your useless son,
Hrdaya Caitanya Kirtan Das