Dear Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatāka svāmin iti nāmine
nama ācaryapādāya nitāi-kṛpā-pradāyine
gaura-kathā-dhāma-dāya nagara-grāma-tāriṇe
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
On this auspicious day of your appearance. I would like to express a few words of appreciation for all the mercy that you have bestowed upon all the fallen condition souls!
Ones, I was told by one very kind devotee in Gītā-Nagarī, his name is Ekavīra dāsa (Husband of Vrajalīlā devī dāsī- disciple of His Holiness of Bhakti Tīrtha Swami.) he mentioned to me that it is a nice practice to meditate on how Śrī Kṛṣṇa has given me such a wonderful Spiritual Master and how my Spiritual Master has so kindly given me Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
And then I can follow with that by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
So, like this, I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to hear Guru Mahārāja’s classes everyday. I strongly believe that if I can just listen and remember Guru Mahārāja’s vāṇī every day and follow his instructions, I may be able to sustain my spiritual life.
In this connection I am reminded of the verse quoted from Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23:
yasya deve parā bhaktir
yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
"Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed."
So, thinking like this, I am also so amazed how Guru Mahārāja's mercy is sustaining us in so many ways.
There is another verse which comes to mind, from Cc Antya 7.11
kali-kālera dharma — kṛṣṇa-nāma-saṅkīrtana
kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana
“The fundamental religious system in the Age of Kali is the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Unless empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the saṅkīrtana movement.
So, this also shows how very much dependent we are on the mercy of Guru Mahārāja, to make any progress in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
I also have an interesting memory of Guru Mahārāja I wanted to share: Once someone came to Guru Mahārāja to ask for some help regarding her husband’s health crisis. Guru Mahārāja said he could sponsor for his operation that he may need to get done. So the wife of the husband was very emotional and expressed to Guru Mahārāja why he was doing this? (in particular, sponsoring for it.) And Guru Mahārāja responded, “As a sanyasi, I normally would not do. But it is common sense.”
So, like this, in all ways, Guru Mahārāja is helping us eternally. Guru Mahārāja is so much fixed in following so many instructions, personally given to him by Śrīla Prabhupāda. And in this way, so wonderfully serving the mission of the most merciful form of the lord- Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We should feel so grateful that we have the opportunity to assist him in doing so.
Often Guru Mahārāja quotes that how the teachings of Lord Caitanya are so simple:
suno suno nityānanda, suno haridasa,
sarvatra amara ajna koroha prakāśa,
prati ghare ghare giya koro ei bhiksa,
bolo kṛṣṇa, bhaja kṛṣṇa, koro kṛṣṇa śikṣā
“O hear Me, hear Me Nityānanda! Hear Me Haridāsa! Simply disseminate My order everywhere. Go from house to house and beg [the residents as follows]: ‘Speak about Kṛṣṇa, worship Kṛṣṇa and teach [others] about Kṛṣṇa.’” [Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-līlā 13.8-9]
In essence, Guru Mahārāja said that this means we should 1. Chant Kṛṣṇa’s name. 2. Serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa 3. And study Kṛṣṇa’s teachings, like the Bhagavad Gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
In conclusion, I just want to mention that how, by engaging oneself in Guru and Gaurāṇga’s service, one actually becomes fully satisfied. And in this regard, Śrīla Prabhupāda said:
“When a hungry man is given food to eat, he feels satiation of hunger and the pleasure of dining simultaneously. Thus, he does not have to ask whether he has actually been fed or not. The crucial test of hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is that one should get positive enlightenment by such an act.”
Now, having said all this, I must confess that despite having so much mercy and good fortune to follow Guru Mahārāja’s instructions. I feel I am falling too weak in my commitment to do so and I am not doing enough for your pleasure Guru Mahārāja. Please bless me so that I can be steadier and do more service, for your pleasure Guru Mahārāja!
Your servant,
Abhaya Caraṇa Nimāi dāsa
Māyāpur, India