oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā-svāmin iti nāmine
namo ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpa-pradāyine
gaura-kathā dhāmadhāya nagara-grāma tāriṇe
Hare Kṛṣṇa Dearest Guru Mahārāja,
On this most auspicious occasion of your 74th Vyāsa-pūjā, I take this opportunity to glorify my spiritual master. I am sincerely praying at your lotus feet to bestow your mercy on your spiritual daughter to dedicate my life to assist you to fulfill your desires and your service to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
I have realized that I have not chosen you, rather you have choose me as your spiritual daughter. Neither I have any quality to become your spiritual daughter nor did I help you in any service. But, it is your mercy to choose a fallen soul like me as your spiritual daughter. I really have done something good in my past life that I got your mercy.
Guru Mahārāja, I have no qualification to write about you. This most fallen soul does not even know what to write and how to express my feelings towards you. I was saddened that I could not praise you even a little on the day of your sacred Vyāsa-pūjā. I prayed to you to give me the power to glorify your greatness. Guru Mahārāja, you are so compassionate that you have heard my prayers. You inspired me a lot Gurudeva, so I am trying to write something about you through that inspiration I had in me. Please forgive me if I have written anything wrong with ignorance.
Gurudeva, I have heard from my śīkṣā-guru that the pure devotees who are suffering physically means that it is not their karma, it is Lord’s plan to establish the example of their greatness. Guru Mahārāja in these severe health issues, your devotional service towards Prabhupāda, the way you try to fulfil his dreams, the way you spread the Harināma in every town and village have been doubled. Thank you, Gurudeva for always showing us by your example that we are not this body, we are spirit soul.
Gurudeva, no matter what physical condition you are in, for the service of the Lord, for spreading the Caitanya Mahāprabhu moment all over the world, you are constantly striving for it. Gurudeva, you say that our physical difficulty is not an obstacle to spiritual happiness. It makes perfect sense if you look at it. Gurudeva you are premānanda-sukhī. The way you teach us Bhāgavatam, caitanya-līlā, the way you explain to us with complete ecstasy will always amaze and delight us even more.
Gurudeva, I have heard from our gurus that pure devotees cannot live without the service of God as you are very happy in the service of God even when you are experiencing this pain. You have not slept any day without giving darśana to the devotees and without explaining the dynamics of consciousness to the devotees. I read once your message that you said that you want to wake up and see my disciples. Gurudeva the way you love the devotees is priceless.
Gurudeva, even when you are in hospital, without taking rest, You preach to the hospital staff. I remember one incident, gurudeva, While, you were in the hospital, the physiotherapy doctor was not chanting. You asked him why you are not chanting, He said if you lift your leg then I will chant, you raise both legs. You will gladly accept no matter how hard it is to turn living beings into devotees.
Gurudeva, you used to read Bhāgavatam every day. You share that message to inspire us and tell us how important it is to read Prabhupāda books everyday. Gurudeva By your inspiration and your causeless mercy, now I am reading Bhāgavatam everyday.
Guru Mahārāja, one of my Godsisters, always encourages me to be in your service. She asks me, Guru Mahārāja is so merciful, giving his mercy so freely, why are you all not taking. But Gurudeva I am trapped in these material bonds, and I am unable to take your shelter, your darśana everyday. Gurudeva, bless me so that these material bonds do not hinder my devotional life.
Guru Mahārāja last year I requested in your Vyāsa-pūjā letter and longed for your darśana. Guru Mahārāja you heard my prayers. You fulfilled the dream not only of mine but also of all ISKCON Vijayawada devotees. With the mercy of my śīkṣā-guru Her Grace Cakradhārī Prabhujī, We all got your visit and vapu-sevā here in Vijayawada. Our birth is blessed with the blessing of your visit Guru Mahārāja. When I am offering my obesiences to you, your holy gaze fell on me, experienced the great ecstasy of spiritual power within me Guru Mahārāja, that is the most memorable moment in my life.
Gurudeva your spiritual daughter Urmilā Bhāgyavatī Devī Dāsī (my mother) left her body on September 14th. Gurudeva, when you came to Vijayawada, she was very anxious to have your darśana but unfortunately, she became bedridden just few days before your visit. She always worries about that she was not able to take your darśana. She cried a lot to have your darśana before she left this material body.
With the tireless efforts of Her Grace Cakradhārī Prabhujī and Baṅkim Rāya Prabhujī, she received your direct darśana through online and in the call you blessed her and out of your compassion you said nothing will happen and I will send her ayurvedic medicines and we received those medicines also which is only your pure mercy towards her. By Your Grace, she was still little sanctified. She constantly remembers you and Kṛṣṇa. She suffered a lot physically later for two months. But because of Your Grace she did not suffer mentally or spiritually. She used to chat her 16 rounds everyday till the time her body cooperated. Even in a situation where she was not able to do it, she used to feel very bad that I promised Guru Mahārāja that I would chant 16 times as long as I lived. Even though she was in very bad situation, she used to say to everyone about your glories who ever might come to our home. She took her last breath by saying Gurudeva looking at your picture, Gurudeva. You have given her blessings and prayed for her and we have great faith that she will definitely reach the abode of God by Your Grace Guru Mahārāja. Without your grace she would have gone to hell. Guru Mahārāja you gave your instructions to mix her ashes in the river Ganges at Māyāpur. But as my family members are not devotees; they could not cooperate with me and I could not follow your instruction Guru Mahārāja. So please, forgive me and bless my family members to become devotees too.
Thank you, Gurudeva, by your mercy, I was able to teach a summer camp for children online organized by ISKCON Vijayawada last year. After that Gopāla Fun school for young children, I got service as a teacher. Then ISKCON Vijayawada conducted a Gītā-4-u online course. Gurudeva, you have graciously given me the privilege of serving first as a translator and then as a coordinator and now as a speaker. By your endless mercy, I am serving Lord Jagannātha in the newly built city center.
Gurudeva, with your mercy and also with the encouragement and cooperation of the local temple authority, we have been able to do the book distribution and Dāmodara ārati House programs for the pleasure of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Śyāmasundara and Caitanya Mahāprabhu with the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda, I personally distributed 1500 books.
Gurudeva, I pray to Lord Narasiṁha and Śrī Śrī Rādhā Śyāmasundara every day to give you good health and longevity. I, Gurudeva, bless all those who helped me to come into this devotional life. Please bless all the Vaiṣṇavas who are cooperating with me in my devotional life, my parents and all my family and bless us to advance in devotional life.
It has been almost 3 years since I received initiation from you, but still, I am unable to serve with proper provision, Gurudeva, please bless me that without having kāma, krodha, moha, lobha, mada and jealousy, with a pure mind, to serve the Lord with my mind, intelligence, soul, all strength. My devotion and love to serve the Lord should remain in all circumstances without falling into this delusion and not committing any Vaiṣṇava offence. Please bless me with more faith and determination so that I can be an instrument in your hand and can help myself and the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda in a tangible manner and engage myself in propagating Lord Caitanya’s mission in every aspect of my life. May my whole family serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā Śyāmasundara together. I always seek your blessings on me and my family to progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and I always long to be in the association of devotees.
Gurudeva, please bless us to always be in your shelter. We never want to leave Your Divine lotus feet, that is our greatest protection in these three worlds. I am so blissful, grateful and indebted to have found the shelter of a magnanimous spiritual father like you. I will eternally serve and love you, Śrīla Guru Mahārāja!
All glories to Your Holiness,
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda and guru-paramparā,
All glories to Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga!
Yours loving spiritual family,
Prasanna Rukmiṇī Devī Dāsī,
Narendra Kumar,
Pranavi, Sri Nandhan,