My dear spiritual father Śrīla Guru Mahārāja,
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
Śrīla Guru Mahārāja, on this auspiscious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, I humbly beg that Your Divine Grace kindly allow me to glorify you. I am finding it impossible to put words in order.
I don’t know how many millions of lifetimes I have been wandering in this material world, suffering three-fold miseries by identifying myself with the body. By the mercy of my sister, Amṛta-sakhi Devī Dāsī, I had the unimaginable good fortune of getting your merciful glance. Your Divine Grace was giving mahā flowers to the devotees on the day of Ratha-yātrā, when my turn came, Guru Mahārāja said, “I didn’t see you yesterday!” and took your hand back. I felt deprived, I didn’t know about mercy, but I felt my ego hurt. Then, Guru Mahārāja, as merciful as always, gave the flower to me saying “Anyway, I will give you”.
Guru Mahārāja, this has been my life since then. Even though I don’t qualify or deserve anything, Your Divine Grace gives me your causeless mercy. I don’t know anything (literally), still somehow Your Divine Grace engages me in some service.
Guru Mahārāja, I am ever grateful to you for picking me up from the ditch of material suffering. You could have left me to rot, but you were unimaginably kind to this useless soul.
Wherever he goes, a Vaiṣṇava immediately makes that place a tīrtha, a place of pilgrimage. The Vaiṣṇava sannyāsīs travel all over the world to make every place a place of pilgrimage by the touch of their lotus feet. (SB 4.2.11, purport)
Whole world has been transformed to a place of pilgrimage because Guru Mahārāja has travelled. Anywhere we go, be it the most sanctified places of Vṛndāvana, Jagannātha Purī and Guruvāyur, or the most hellish places like the streets of central London, Your Divine Grace has left your energy there that even a wretched soul like me can feel your presence.
I can’t fathom our good fortune to be able to have darśana of, hear from, and serve the personal associate of Lord Nityānanda! Just like parents bring up their children by providing everything, by your merciful glance, you bring us up in our spiritual life.
Guru Mahārāja, please let me always think, speak and act as per your mano’bhīṣṭam.
Please bless me to overcome all the impurities and anarthas so that I can offer a better version of myself to be your instrument in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission.
On behalf of all the disciples who has not submitted their offering for this Vyāsa-pūjā, I offer my respectful obeisances at your lotus feet. Please bless us to be self controlled, disciplined and obedient, so that we can successfully execute your instructions and progress in our spiritual life.
Your insignificant spiritual daughter,
Amala Mañjarī Devī Dāsī
Dīkṣā – Reading, UK