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
Hare Kṛṣṇa Dear Guru Mahārāja,
Please accept my respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet. All Glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! All Glories to You! All glories to Your Vyāsa- pūjā!
How are You doing Guru Mahārāja? How is Your health?
I am an insignificant soul trying to glorify You. I am nothing in comparison to Your vast ocean of mercy and so, please give me the intelligence to glorify Your Grace with my small, insignificant and anartha-filled brain and mouth. I have never written my own Vyāsa-pūjā offering and hence, along with giving me the intelligence and golden opportunity to do this, please also forgive any offenses that I might make unto Your lotus feet.
Guru Mahārāja, recently I saw a clip of You doing kīrtana in the Māyāpur Kīrtana-melā. Every time, I look at You- either on video or photo - I get so perplexed as to how you manage to do so much in this health condition. Sometimes, when my faith is shaken and I try to see proof of Kṛṣṇa’s existence, I only need to think of You and my faith is re-instilled. To me, the fact that You are able to do so much service to Śrīla Prabhupāda and Gaurāṅga is proof enough of God’s existence. You are truly an example that I would be honored to follow.
You are also so merciful, Guru Mahārāja. I keep hearing Your pastimes from Susevinī Mātājī and Amānī Prabhu (my śīkṣā-gurus). Just listening to Your pastimes inspires me to also be compassionate towards everyone. You also serve Śrīla Prabhupāda and his instructions with so much enthusiasm. I wonder if I will ever be able to be so dedicated to you as a disciple. More than anything, Guru Mahārāja, I feel so ashamed of myself because I can’t appreciate the work You and Śrīla Prabhupāda have done for souls like me. Please bless me so that I can appreciate what my ācāryas have done for me and that I can serve unto Your lotus feet to the best of my capability.
As far as my current devotional service is concerned, I have been doing 16 rounds since Janmāṣṭamī 2021. Currently I am doing Bhakti-vṛkṣa under Amani Prabhu and Susevinī Mātājī. By Your mercy and my seniors’ wonderful guidance, I have been taking weekly kids’ classes for the last few months. I have read a few of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s small books and am currently going through Teachings of Lord Caitanya. I have read the Bhagavad-gītā two times and started Bhāgavatam Canto one. Unfortunately, I only got up to 10 or 11 chapters and then left it. Hopefully, Kṛṣṇa willing, I will be able to read it soon. I also try to attend Sunday maṅgala-ārati at Susevinī Mātājī and Amānī Prabhu’s house. I am trying to learn kīrtana on harmonium so that I can serve Gaura-Nitāi and You better by doing kīrtana.
Finally, Guru Mahārāja, please bless me so that I can progress in my spiritual and material life. I ask You to bless me in material life so that I may do well there because if I don’t do well, everyone will think that my devotional life is the cause for it. If I do well, people will accept me as a role model and come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That way I will be able to serve You better. Last, but not least, please bless me, Guru Mahārāja so that someday I can do something that will make You proud of me. I don’t want it for fame or glory, but as Your daughter, it is my duty to please You and I can only do that with Your blessings. Thank you for everything You have done for me, Guru Mahārāja!
Your sheltered disciple,
Tishya Savla