Dear His Holiness Jayapatākā Mahārāja and dear devotees,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Respected Mahārāja, on your 72nd appearance day, we think of your exemplary devotion to Śrīla Prabhupāda, your kindness and generosity as a devotee and preacher and your determination to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has remarked that he drew a lot of inspiration from Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s commentary on Bhagavad-gītā 2.41. For me you are an example of this comment. I quote the verse and the commentary:
“Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.”
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravatī Ṭhākura comments: “This verse specifies how, amongst all types of intelligence, the intelligence which is related to matters of bhakti-yoga is certainly the best. In this bhakti-yoga, the intelligence is one-pointed, and is described in the following words: ‘The divine instructions of my guru to perform kīrtana and to remember and serve the lotus feet of the Lord are my only practice (sādhana). They are my only goal (sādhya). These services are the only sustainers of my life. To give up this sādhana and sādhya is impossible for me, for these activities are my eternal and only work. Even in my dreams I don’t desire anything else. Let there be happiness or distress! Let the world live or die! I shall not be affected by it.’ This sort of unadulterated, one pointed intelligence is possible only in a devotee whose devotion is pure…”
One of my favourite memories of you is when we took the same plane from Krasnodar/Russia to Vienna/Austria. You were the last passenger to board the plane, as you had preached to the very last minute in the devotee Black Sea festival. On the plane you took generous amounts of time to give me your kind and precious Vaiṣṇava saṅga, and then when we disembarked the plane in Vienna to go to our separate connecting flights – you quickly left the airport to preach outside to a few a Austrian devotees. 108% occupied in service!
I saw with my own eyes: there was no time for yourself. All your time and energy was engaged in spreading Krishna Consciousness – just like Śrīla Prabhupāda would want us to do. You are famous for engaging every ounce of your time/energy in service to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Even now, where you are physically not as mobile as before you hardly slow down your exemplary sevā.
For us godbrothers it is obvious: You are running on spiritual energy and divine mercy.
My dear godbrother, His Holiness Jayapatākā Mahārāja ki jaya!
Wishing you all the best and hoping to see you soon
Your humble servant
Śacīnandana Swami