Vyāsa-pūjā 2022

Hare Kṛṣṇa Dear Guru Mahārāja,

Please accept my most respectful obeisances at Your lotus feet.

All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to express our thoughts to You, on the occasion of Your Vyāsa-pūjā.

I had always wondered how one can get into the path of Bhakti. In my case, I mused that I was a small fish swimming randomly in the vast material ocean and by some good fortune I got stuck in the gigantic net that You threw into the ocean (Your outreach and Bhakti-vṛkṣa programs) to catch hold of clueless souls like me and set them on the right path. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura confirms that only Bhakti causes Bhakti. Only a pure and empowered soul like You can bring insignificant souls like me into the path of Bhakti.

The unique thing about Bhakti, devotional service, is that it is both the means and the destination as well. If we want to achieve the ultimate goal, pure devotional service to Kṛṣṇa (sādhya-bhakti), then we must perform devotional service to Kṛṣṇa (sādhana-bhakti). But how can one render service to Kṛṣṇa? It’s only by rendering service to one’s spiritual master. The more service we can do to our spiritual master the faster we can make progress in our sādhana. Śrīla Prabhupāda had mentioned in his lectures and letters that vāṇī-sevā is more important vapu-sevā. With vāṇī we can constantly remember our spiritual master through his instructions.

On the occasion of Your Vyāsa-pūjā celebration last year (2021), You instructed Your disciples to pursue degrees and keep reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. You instructed Your first-initiated disciples to take Bhakti-śāstrī course. With Your mercy through that instruction, I got the motivation and registered to Bhakti-śāstrī course. I have completed 2 modules successfully so far.

You also requested Your disciples to help You fulfill Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions to You. I’ve signed up for a few instructions projects in Your mobile app. Please bless me so that I can render service to the best of my ability in those projects when given the opportunity.

Once we take up the path of devotional service the only thing that could make us not progress is the Vaiṣṇava-aparādha. Please also bless me and all Your disciples so that we never commit any offences against any Vaiṣṇavas and be always engaged in Your service.

Your insignificant servant,

Patitapāvana Balarāma dāsa

Cleveland, Ohio, USA