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
Dearest Gurudeva,
Please accept our respectful obeisances unto your lotus feet. Wishing you a very happy appearance day. All glories to your lotus feet. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Today is the most special day for all disciples of yours. Though a disciple should always contemplate his spiritual master’s divine qualities and contribution to his life, being insignificant disciples at least today we want to do so.
As we are aging day by day, year by year, I realize how difficult it is to continue daily sādhana with care and sincerity. But it is you who are always a source of great inspiration in fulfilling your commitment to your spiritual master as well as fulfilling his desires. In one of your recent classes, you were sharing your thoughts on TOVP, where you said, “I will beg door to door to fulfill Prabhupāda’s desire”. In this old age, with so many physical challenges, you are ready to beg door-to-door while not having any tinge of personal interest. O divine spiritual master, it melted our heart!
You are living on this planet to benefit others. You are always thinking about how to encourage people to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For example, while traveling on trains, flights, etc., while staying in the hospital, while conversing with doctors, and so on. Every single day, your schedule is hectic, and you have to attend many meetings regarding Māyāpur, GBC, CPO, TOVP, etc. You have your daily sādhana, physical activities, replying to emails, giving classes, etc. Still, you make sure to give class on Caitanya-līlā every day. During Caitanya-līlā classes, sometimes it gets very late when your personal servants want you to take a rest, but you are there to take up some questions. For that sometimes they have to lie that there is no question, or the audience has no question! But you address some devotees by name and ask if they have any questions. Oh Guru Mahārāja, who is more merciful than you!
Your dealing with different devotees is different. For example, if two devotees approach you with the same questions and ask for the same blessings, you reply to them differently according to their requirements to progress in devotional service. As in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.29.6, Uddhava says, “You appear in two features-externally as the ācārya and internally as the Supersoul to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You, “you exactly know what a particular devotee needs and you instruct him accordingly. O kind-hearted master, thank you for being available and giving the required instructions whenever we approached you though you have thousands of disciples!
O most merciful one, on this auspicious day we take shelter at the dust of your lotus feet and beg forgiveness for the offenses we committed and pray for spiritual strength to carry on your instructions. We pray to Śrī Śrī Lakṣmī-Narasiṁhadeva for your healthy long life on this planet to liberate hundreds and thousands of souls like ourselves.
Your spiritual Children,
Aniruddha Nitāicanda Dāsa
Trilokinī Sakhi Devī Dāsī