Hare Kṛṣṇa dear most Guru Mahārāja
please accept my respectful obeisances at your divine lotus feet
all glories to you Guru Mahārāja and Śrīla Prabhupāda and Lord Nityānanda prabhu and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu
I am just remembering your causeless mercy (favor) showered on me last year and before years by allowing me to engage in your vapu sevā even though I am unworthy and unqualified. I always felt the warmth, care and love of Śrīla Prabhupāda to me by being in your service, association. Lord Caitanya said to Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī in Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya Līlā 22.51
mahat-kṛpā vinā kona karme ’bhakti’ naya
kṛṣṇa-bhakti dūre rahu, saṁsāra nahe kṣaya
(51). “Unless one is favored by a Pure devotee one cannot attain the platform of devotional service. To Say nothing of Kṛṣṇa-Bhakti, one cannot even be relieved from the bondage of material existence.”
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti
na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam –
“O King Rahūgaṇa, without taking upon one’s head the dust from the lotus feet of a pure devotee [a mahājana or mahātmā], one cannot attain devotional service. Devotional service is not possible to attain simply by undergoing severe austerities and penances, by gorgeously worshiping the Deity, or by strictly following the rules and regulations of the sannyāsa or gṛhastha order; nor is it attained by studying the Vedas, submerging oneself in water, or exposing oneself to fire or scorching sunlight.’ I am feeling greatly indebted for always kindly lovingly engaging me in your service and instructing me on how to conduct and increase the preaching activities. I am realizing that by serving you, by remembering your lotus feet and by following your instructions everything will be revealed in the heart as Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his letter on Jan 26th 1970 to His Grace Jananīvāsa, Columbus - “Perhaps you remember the verse in the tenth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that the Lord Himself supplies the light and intelligence from within the heart of a devotee who is constantly engaged in His transcendental loving service. So, the secret of success is that one should be eager to serve the Spiritual Master and Kṛṣṇa simultaneously with the same regard and things will become automatically revealed in the heart of the devotee.” By your causeless mercy I am able to increase the preaching in last 1 year - by daily giving Bhāgavatam class in the morning and daily night Kṛṣṇa book and NOD reading and weekly Gītā class and regularly speaking Gaura kathā in many of the classes and also trying to give more time/care to students/practitioners in answering their questions as you always desired and expected of your disciples to care and guide others in our preview. By your mercy I am able to regularly read Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Gītā, Caitanya-caritāmṛta/Caitanya-bhāgavata, Nectar of Devotion, Kṛṣṇa book and listening to Śrīla Prabhupāda lectures and your daily lectures other than trying to chant minimum of 16 rounds and taking care of various deity services and temple services. By your mercy your spiritual daughter Haripriyā Gaurāṅgī devī dāsī also able to engage in various deity services other than chanting minimum 16 rounds and giving full support in preaching.
doya karo vaiṣṇava thākura Śrīla ācāryapada!
tava kṛpā-bale ācārya paramparā!!
tava kṛpā-bale pāi Caitanya Nitāi!!
My dear most revered Guru Mahārāja (Vaiṣṇava thakur), Śrīla Ācāryapada, You are so kind. Please be merciful to me. If You are kind to me, naturally ācārya paramparā and Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda will also be kind to me. I have no other hope or shelter other than you. Please always keep this ignorant fool at your lotus feet and kindly allow me to engage in your service as menial servant.
Only by your dust of your lotus feet, I can engage in favorable devotional service. Otherwise, I have no hope. Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākura sings –
śuddha-bhakata-caraṇa-reṇu,
bhajana-anukūla bhakata-sevā parama-siddhi,
prema-latikāra mūla”
The dust of pure devotee’s lotus feet is favourable to devotion. Serving the devotees is the supreme fulfilment and the root of the creeper of divine love.
Your glories are unlimited what this tiny ignorant servant can describe but I will still attempt to describe
JAYAPATĀKĀ - Victory flag - (As I had described elaborately glories of JAYAPATĀKĀ name in Māyāpur JSSS last year I am going to offer another version of it in short form) - JAYA in short form
J - Jīva Uddarana - Day in day out you are always thinking how to deliver the conditioned souls - It is just unfathomable for us to realize your glorious preaching and to see you while being in wheel cair you want to give your time to everyone, you want to care for everyone, - epitomizing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s compassion
A - Always ready to execute Śrīla Prabhupāda instructions and making impossible to possible - be it installing Lotus footprints of Lord Caitanya, be it Book distribution, be it Gaura maṇḍala bhumi expansion, be it writing/printing books, be it TOVP, be it unlimitedly preaching/travelling despite physical bodily situation. Even while sitting on hospital bed going through so much but still concerned how to deliver others. Where else can we find such a glorious ācārya
Y - Yearning to describe Gaura kathā / Nityānanda kathā - with such an absorption every day - I can understand as I observe you in CC classes that you are witnessing the pastimes of the lordships directly and revelations are flowing like nectar. Hope one day I can get a drop of mercy and realize your inner mood of
“gaura-vihita, kīrtana śuni',
ānande hṛdoya nāce “
as Śrīla Bhaktivinoda ṭhākura describes. As I heard recently even while going through painful operations on body, you were relishing the reading of Caitanya-līlā and not feeling the pain. Also Guru Mahārāja you are ready to do anything and everything even if its embarrassing situation while sleeping down on bed or eye closed, ready to give class - where else can we find a such a glorious ācārya.
A - Always leading by example such as reading and writing exams like Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti śāstrī at this age of 74 and while supported by servants and sitting in wheel chair. Showing to whole world how to follow Śrīla Prabhupāda instructions on reading his books. Always ready to taking on more responsibility to assist other leaders of ISKCON.
You are the Leading major general in the army of Śrīla Prabhupāda and Lord Nityānanda prabhu - you have set the most significant preaching platforms in ISKCON by setting up Bhakti-vṛkṣa, Damodar program, Nāmahaṭṭa program - fulfilling the desires of previous ācārya’s
Please forgive my offenses I have committed knowingly or unknowingly and please kindly bestow your causeless mercy to carry out your desires and mission till my last breath.
Your insignificant servants
Kṛṣṇa Nāmānanda Dāsa
Haripriyā Gaurāṅgī Devī Dāsī
Panngayukta and Kṛṣṇasaketh (grand spiritual daughter and son)
236 Fletcher street, Edison, NJ 08820
ISKCON of Central NJ