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
Hare Kṛṣṇa Guru Mahārāja. Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Dear Guru Mahārāja. Happy Vyāsa-pūjā!
I first met you in Ipoh Malaysia on 1993 Christmas. I was a new bhakta of two months old that time. When all were excited for your visit, and I saw all devotees enthusiastically preparing for your arrival. I was wondering why people are that excited and secondly, I was curious to know how American Swami looks like. I was lost and wondering what to do. Then a group of devotee went out for saṅkīrtana and I choose to follow them. I was left alone and don’t know what to do. So I knock every door and beg for little coins saying that a great saint is visiting Ipoh and I want to give him dakṣiṇā by collecting from people. So I manage to collect some RM 8 all coins.
When I saw you in person, I was mesmerized and was so attracted to you. I was only 15 years old that time. Later I had a chance to meet you in person and I gave you the coins collected. But before me, I saw a devotee gave you a good sum of dakṣiṇā. When I pass the coins to you, you were so excited and shouted Haribol! I was confused. When a devotee in front of me gave a good sum of dakṣiṇā, you just smiled and accepted it. But me, a mere coins you were excited. I was puzzled. Then you, Guru Mahārāja, got up and hugged me, looked deep into my eyes and told me, “Just do this and nothing else!”.
Ever since then, Guru Mahārāja, the one and only sevā I do is saṅkīrtana.
With your unlimited mercy, I distributed 5400 Gītā and 200 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam along with many hundreds small books during last pandemic on year 2021. All this through online and via my Gītā-jñāna students whom are not devotees but curious Gītā-jñāna students. I was wondering how I’m going to fulfill the pledge I did after being inspired by His Grace Cirañjīva Prabhu my mentor. But you came in dream many times and inspired me. I have no words to say further Guru Mahārāja. But I truly sense and feel that you’re always with me encouraging all my endeavor. And Guru Mahārāja, I am still wondering how I ever did that feat of distributing that sum of books. It’s purely your mercy my Dear Guru Mahārāja.
With your mercy, my wife have taken initiation on your last visit to Malaysia on 2022. Her name is Sevaprāyaṇī Nandarāṇī Devī Dāsī and my first born, Saṅkīrtana Punithan is going to complete her Bhakti-śāstrī in another two months. She’s only 16 and the youngest so far to complete her Bhakti-śāstrī Degree.
Every day I count my blessings an on how fortunate I am to be in Śrīla Prabhupad’s movement and also to have your lotus feet as my spiritual master and eternal father. When my father passed away on 2018, I was very sad indeed. But surprisingly in one of your lecture I heard you saying to a devotee, your material father has left but I’m your spiritual father are there always for you. I was mesmerized! It’s as though you spoke to me.
Anyway, Guru Mahārāja, please bless me with abundance of enthusiasm and excitement in saṅkīrtana and book distribution. I hope I can fulfill your lotus feet instruction upon this most fallen soul.
Eternally indebted to your lotus feet Guru Mahārāja,
Your insignificant servant,
Patita Tāraṇa Jagannātha Dāsa and Sevaparāyaṇī Nandarāṇī Devī Dāsī
Ipoh Malaysia