Hare Kṛṣṇa Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda and your loving eternal service for his pleasure.
All glories to your Divine Grace!
All glories to your appearance day!
My Dear Guru Mahārāja,
It is completely a miracle to get shelter at your Lotus Feet. Śrīla Prabhupada says in the introduction to Śrīmad Bhagavatam that the beloved devotee of the Lord can favor a neophyte more liberally than the Lord. You mercifully accepted the fallen soul, me as your disciple. So, You are inconceivably magnanimous more than Gaura-Niāi who delived Jagāi and Mādhāi.
It is not possible to measure the complete glories of the Supreme Lord, who is unlimited. Even the Lord Himself in His incarnation as Ananta, or Śeṣa, cannot describe His own glories. His pure devotees like Your Devine Grace possess the unlimited qualities just like the Lord.
Dear Guru Mahārāja, it’s said
bile batorukrama-vikramān ye
na śṛṇvataḥ karṇa-puṭe narasya
jihvāsatī dārdurikeva sūta
na copagāyaty urugāya-gāthāḥ
[ŚB 2.3.20]
One who has not listened to the messages about the prowess and marvelous acts of the Personality of Godhead and has not sung or chanted loudly the worthy songs about the Lord is to be considered to possess earholes like the holes of snakes and a tongue like the tongue of a frog.
But Lord Himself is serving His Devotees – [Śrīmān Mahāprabhu says to Sanātana GosvāmI as he was asking not to touch while Mahāprabhu was trying to cleanse Sanātana Gosvāmī’s body]
tomā dekhi, tomā sparśi, gāi tomāra guṇa
sarvendriya-phala, — ei śāstra-nirūpaṇa
akṣṇoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-darśanaṁ hi tanoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-gātra-saṅgaḥ jihvā-phalaṁ tvādṛśa-kīrtanaṁ hi su-durlabhā bhāgavatā hi loke
“By seeing you, by touching you and by glorifying your transcendental qualities, one can perfect the purpose of all sense activity. This is the verdict of the revealed scriptures. [CC. Madhya 20.56]
“‘My dear Vaiṣṇava, seeing a person like you is the perfection of one’s eyesight, touching your lotus feet is the perfection of the sense of touch, and glorifying your good qualities is the tongue’s real activity, for in the material world it is very difficult to find a pure devotee of the Lord.’” [CC. Madhya 20.61]
So, on this most auspicious day, I am trying to use a few words to mention a few of your unlimited glories – which is the real activity of my senses, for the purification of my existence.
Dear Gurudeva,
yasyāsti bhaktir bhāgavaty akiñcanā
sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. [ŚB 5.18.12]
Your Divine Grace is personification of those qualities with unalloyed devotion onto Kṛṣṇa.
(1) Kṛpālu (Merciful)—Dear Gurudeva, despite of risks you mercifully accepted us, innumerable suffering souls all over the world as your disciples to take to Kṛṣṇa.
Not only You fulfilled the desire of Śrīla Prabhupāda but as a Spiritual Father You always shower Your mercy with Your personal reciprocation by zoom darśanas and extensive travels not caring your personal discomforts and even the lethal COVID situation. Who can measure your kṛpā-śakti.
(2) Akṛta-droha (compassionate to everyone or harmful to noone)—Dear Gurudeva, You compassionately forgive our ignorant and offensive behaviour and understanding our nature/interest engage us in the service of the Lord for our ultimate benefit.
tiraskṛtā vipralabdhāḥ śaptāḥ kṣiptā hatā api
nāsya tat pratikurvanti tad-bhaktāḥ prabhavo ’pi hi
The devotees of the Lord are so forbearing that even though they are defamed, cheated, cursed, disturbed, neglected or even killed, they are never inclined to avenge themselves. [ŚB 1.18.48]
Despite all the attacks you faced, Your Divine Grace with a great compassion and concern, gives everyone the opportunities of experiencing the Absolute Truth. Thus you are the true friend of all.
(3) Titikṣu (Tolerates offenses against oneself)—Dear Gurudeva, being at a completely transcendental platform You completely ignore our obnoxious behavior and ignorance of proper reciprocation with you, a pure devotee but showers unconditional love as a spiritual father.
(4) Satya-sāra (Truthful)—Dear Gurudeva, you always serve to fulfill the instructions of Your beloved Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda as his servant to please him and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate enjoyer of all activities.
Whatever the success or glory You receive You sincerely pass it on to Your Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda and Kṛṣṇa. And teaching us how to faifully serve Guru and Kṛṣṇa
(5) Anavadyātmā (Who never criticize)—Dear Gurudeva, you never try to agitate others or criticize them unnecessarily and always encourage and glorify the service rendered even if it is very small. You even mercifully saves by correcting who have the tendency to criticize.
(6) Sama (Equipoise)—Dear Gurudeva, you are beyond the material dualities. Pleasure or pain, Your only interest in all circumstances is distributing your only wealth, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness to the fallen.
(7) Sarvopakāraka (Works for everyone’s benefit)—Dear Gurudeva, you always work for the pleasure of Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the resting place of all living entities by preaching his message around the world. You help, encourage and reciprocate with even a normal devotee who has no special qualities. I personally saw You inquire a visiting devotee about his stay in Māyāpur.
(8) Kāmair ahata-dhī (Devoid of Sense-gratification)—Dear Gurudeva, considering all material things as Kṛṣṇa's energy with your personal example you always instruct us to utilize them in Kṛṣṇa's service - yukta-vairāgya.
(9) Dānta (Sense control)—Dear Gurudeva, For more than half a century following strict sannyāsa vows you are fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. But in reality, You are an eternal associate of Mahāprabhu.
Just being in your association by vpuḥ or vāṇī and having your darśana on zoom or directly, we are able to purify our senses and engage in the service of the Lord.
(10) Mṛdu (Gentle)—Dear Gurudeva, As an ācārya, being harder than the thunderbolt in your practice of devotional service – walking the talk – setting an example for us. Being softer than the rose with your loving reciprocation, You are nourishing our lives in Kṛṣṇa's service.
(11) Śuci (Pure)—Dear Gurudeva, Your presence makes us Kṛṣṇa Conscious - the supreme pure.
prabhu kahe, — “tomā sparśi ātma pavitrite
bhakti-bale pāra tumi brahmāṇḍa śodhite
[Śrīmān Mahāprabhu says to Sanātana GosvāmI as he was asking not to touch while Mahāprabhu was trying to cleanse Sanātana Gosvāmī’s body] “I am touching you just to purify Myself, because by the force of your devotional service you can purify the whole universe. [CC. Madhya 20.56]
bhavad-vidhā bhāgavatās tīrtha-bhūtāḥ svayaṁ vibho
tīrthī-kurvanti tīrthāni svāntaḥ-sthena gadābhṛtā
My lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage. [ŚB 1.13.10]
You continuously purifying the contaminated whole world by Your visits and darśanas to the people.
(12) Akiñcana (Free from possessiveness)—Dear Gurudeva, Śrīla Prabhupāda says…
“A factual devotee, or mahātmā, does not give anything material to anyone because he has already left all material assets. He can, however, deliver the supreme asset, namely the Personality of Godhead, because He is the only property of a factual devotee. Unless one is able to see everything as spiritual in relation with the Supreme Lord, one must always distinguish between spirit and matter.” [Excerpt from ŚB 1.8.27 purport]
Though you were born in an aristocratic family You renounced everything for – Your only property - Śrīla Prabhupāda and for his service to Kṛṣṇa.
And You continuously encourage us to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books and follow his teachings. You are a Pamahaṁsa!
(13) Anīha (Aloof from worldly affairs)—Dear Gurudeva, though you are not interested in world affairs, as an ācārya with suitable examples you make the people Kṛṣṇa Conscious who approach with worldly problems.
(14) Mita-bhuk (Accepts material sense objects if necessary)—Dear Gurudeva, you never accept or reject anything for your personal prestige but for Kṛṣṇa’s service and inspire everyone with same motive.
Śrīla Prabhupāda to Jayapatākā Swami Guru Mahāraja, 6th October, 1968: “Your body is dedicated to Krishna, therefore you should not be neglectful about your body. You should always think that your body is no more your body, but it is Krishna's body. Therefore you should take care of it.”
Your Divine Grace, with only motive to serve the instructions of Śrīla Prabhupāda tolerates all the material inconveniences and pain.
(15) Śānta (Peaceful)—Dear Gurudeva, by distributing your ever-increasing wealth, Glories of Lord – especially Caitanya Līlā - for the real peace of the world you always make us blissful.
(16) Sthira (Steady)—Dear Gurudeva, the lord residing in your lotus heart, makes us steady in our devotional practice as we hold your lotus feet in our hearts. - śrī-guru-caraṇe rati, ei se uttama-gati, je prasāde pūre sarva āśā
(17) Mat-śaraṇa (Taking only Kṛṣṇa's shelter)—Dear Gurudeva, you always instruct us – ‘bala kṛṣṇa, bhaja kṛṣṇa, kara kṛṣṇa -sikṣā’ – to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and his holyname and to preach the message Kṛṣṇa
(18) Muni (Thoughtful)—Dear Gurudeva, you always think of plans to make us Kṛṣṇa Conscious and meticulously engage us in the Lord's service to progress in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
(19) Apramatta (To be sane)—Dear Gurudeva, you are always enthusiastic to share the mercy of lord Nityānanda to the whole world. We are surcharged when you chant the Lord’s holynames – Gaurāṇgā!!! Nityānanda!!!
(20) Gabhīrātmā. (Deepness in awareness)—Dear Gurudeva, who can fathom Your magnanimous heart, the deep ocean of love for Mahābhāva Gaurāṅga!
(21) Dhṛtimān (Strongly situated)—Dear Gurudeva, with your strong faith and love for Śrīla Prabhupāda you are leading our worldwide community against the insurmountable force of material energy.
(22) Jita-ṣaḍ-guṇa. (Ability to conquer the 6 pushings)—Dear Gurudeva, your staunch desire to make everyone Kṛṣṇa Conscious in the world made even the death bow down at Your Lotus Feet many times.
(23) Amānī. (Not expecting respect)—Dear Gurudeva, your only expectation is to make everyone in the world to chant the Holyname of the Lord Kṛṣṇa.
(24) Māna-da (Giving all respect)—Dear Gurudeva, your every action – supreme compassion - is to engage everyone in the service of Lord Kṛṣṇa as you see all belong to Kṛṣṇa.
(25) Kalya (Expert in teaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness)—Dear Gurudeva, you always bring down the intricacies of Kṛṣṇa Conscious Philosophy for us, even a layman can easily understand.
(26) Maitra (The true friend of everyone)—Dear Gurudeva, you not only brought the unity in our ISKCON/Gauḍīya family but also you bring a stranger into Kṛṣṇa's family being a compassionate of all.
(27) Kāruṇika (The most merciful)—Dear Gurudeva, though externally you are in critical health condition, we see your magnanimity in caring for the soul of the patients and doctors nearby.
(28) Kavi (The most learned)—Dear Gurudeva, your words make us become Kṛṣṇa Conscious in all the contradictory and bewildering situations.
You are a Paramahaṁsa, inconceivable to our tiny brain. Though I am unworthy in anyway, I took this opportunity to glorify Your Divine Grace. Please forgive me if I committed any offences in this process at Your Lotus Feet.
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
Dear Gurudeva, you mercifully gave shelter at Your Lotus Feet to this wandering and suffering soul on 26th September 2021 in Māyāpur. It’s a miracle I never had, happened only because of Your Divine Grace’s inconceivable mercy and blessings of dear Vaiṣṇavas. All glories to You, Gurudeva! All glories to Srila Prabhupāda!
My only prayer to Śrī Śrī Rādhā Mādhava, Śrī Śrī Pañca-tattva, Śrī Śrī Prahlāda Nṛsiṁhadeva and Śrīla Prabhupāda is to give You good health to travel and spread their glories around the world.
On this most auspicious day of your appearance, I am begging for your mercy to be engaged in serving your lotus feet each and every moment eternally.
Jaya Gurudeva!!!
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!!!
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Daṇḍavat Praṇāma.
Your eternal servant-son,
Rasasāgara Govinda Dāsa (MāyāpurTV) (Dīkṣā)