nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine
namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine
gaura-kathā dhāma dāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Guru Mahārāja,
Please accept my humble obeisance unto your lotus feet.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
All glories to Your Divine Grace and Gaurāṅga!
I understand from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s lectures that how Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and Śrīla Prabhupāda Himself all have served their Spiritual master for a long time and begged them for initiation. But you have accepted me so quickly even though I have no taste for the holy names, no humility, no tolerance and no good qualities.
I’m extremely grateful to you for giving such a fallen soul like me an opportunity to be your disciple and serve you. It is said that a disciple can never repay His Guru for the thankless service of giving initiation and I am eternally indebted to you for the same. Though I am an insignificant soul I am overjoyed in writing this offering unto your lotus feet on the auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda throughout His teachings either in the book form or lectures always stated that the Centre of spiritual life is the acceptance of the order of the spiritual master. You are always a role model of how a perfect disciple should serve the Guru in any circumstance to his full ability.
Last week while I was discussing the concluding part of Chapter 6 of Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in our Bhakti-vṛkṣa class I have come across the verse below from Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad that Śrīla Prabhupāda has quoted in his purport to highlight the faith one should have over his spiritual master
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau
yathā deve tathā gurau, tasyaite kathitā hy arthaḥ 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.”
Guru Mahārāja, with your own example you have showed us that pleasing the spiritual master is the secret of spiritual success. As a dedicated disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda, in your nectarine classes, you have never stopped teaching us about the importance of the spiritual master. Even in periods in which the position of the spiritual master was being attacked, You, despite all criticisms and difficulties, firmly defended this most secret principle.
Not only that, but you are also such an inspiration to the devotional community at large, and one of the strongest and most important soldiers of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s movement! You have taught us by your own example how to navigate through the problems in Vaiṣṇava community without offending the devotees and solve the issues. Thank you so much for inspiring us to always push through and engage ourselves in Kṛṣṇa’s service no matter what the situation is.
The intense enthusiasm and excitement with which you deliver the Caitanya-līlā classes every day without fail never ceases to amaze me. I am waiting eagerly for the book to take shape, with Lord Gaurāṅga and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy!
Whenever I get a chance, I truly enjoy watching you do virtual home visits with so many devotees around the world bestowing Nityānanda Prabhu’s mercy and relishing all the different offerings and wishes from devotees - your heart is so big and generous! Your daily interaction with your disciples around the world through the Jayapatākā Swami app is just amazing!
Every walk of my life you make me realize how much fallen I am. Unless I realize your mercy there is no hope for me. Every time I face a difficult situation, I immediately bring the scene of your compassion towards the fallen souls, how you bless them with the dātun māhā-prasāda of Jagannātha and provide sweet and simple instructions according to their nature. This remembrance helps me cent percent to get over the difficult situation and focus on the devotional service.
I have lots and lots of desire to serve, and please you and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission but then I realize I also have lot of false ego, insincerity, undetermined and careless nature that is either stalling or pulling me back. Your grace is always available to me in the form of your sweet and deep lectures, in the form of your disciples, and in the form of the systems that you have instituted in support of your disciples.
I sincerely pray Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu to provide me the strength to constantly meditate and make use of your grace to fulfill your instructions and by doing that imbibe at least little bit of one of your several qualities such compassion, humility, tolerance and sincere service
Thank you, Guru Mahārāja, for being a wonderful role model and inspiration for all of us to take up whatever services available proactively to fulfill your mission towards fulfilling Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions to you and wider ISCKON family.
Your fallen servant whose only hope is your lotus feet to regain the mercy to support your mission.
Śyāma Vrajapati Dāsa