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
Dear Guru Mahārāja His Holiness Śrī Śrīmad Jayapatākā Swami Gurudeva,
I am offering my respectful obeisances unto your lotus feet on the auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā. All glories to your lotus feet Maharaja!
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Representing Guru Parampara by first serving Srila Prabhupada directly and then continually for years and years, you are an epitome of motivation to demonstrate what a true Prabhupada anuga means. Every glimpse of you and every word coming from you gives solace to struggling souls like me, delivering the mercy of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and our acharyas. In all times good and bad, a thought of your austerity and struggles for the cause of serving Srila Prabhupada’s gives me strength to go on with my sadhna.
Dear Guru Mahārāja, I was in Vrindavan a week ago, waiting eagerly to get your darshan while my elder sister (Santusta Saci DD) was going to receive the mercy of Harinam initiation from you. Seeing the gathering of hundreds of people praying for recovery of your health was a heart-touching moment. Although I pray for your good health each day, this was the time I found myself desperately praying to Lord Narimha to bless you with good health, following up each update coming from your team in New Delhi regarding positive signs in your health gradually.
This was a special year of my life when my elder sister got the mercy of Harinam initiation from you after years of begging to Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada. There were times when she thought it’s too difficult to clear all exams, but Krishna gave her intelligence. She lives far away in New Delhi while all her guidance was provided by your disciples in ISKCON Whitefield (Bangalore). She attended all classes remotely and cleared all Siksha levels though online exams. Right after receiving Harinam initiation she pushed us all to go for Govardhan parikrama that night itself, and we returned at 2AM. Now she feels her real spiritual journey has begun under your mercy, and is chanting with great devotion. Thanks for being so merciful to continue initiations even in such difficult times, Maharaja.
Dear Guru Maharaj, this year was even more special as I was able to offer my Janmashtami services with all my heart this time, after taking up the responsibility of Promotion and Publicity of all 3 Janmashtami events in Kannamangala congregation. With all our heart and enthusiasm into publicity, we conducted apartment level live programs in more than 30 apartment societies, and distribution 49000 pamphlets. More than 10000 people attended these 3 Janmashtami events, which gave us a good number of joinees for Gita course which starts every year after Janmashtami, to cultivate serous devotees.
Dear Guru Maharaja, with your blessings currently I’m serving Sri Gadadhar Sector and ISKCON Bhakti Center Kannamangala in nurturing Bhakti Vriksha leaders, hosting senior Vaishnavas at the Center, and preaching activities. This year during Book Distribution, our Center distributed more than 6000 books across Bangalore and adjoining areas. Devotees were very enthusiastic in chasing a big target.
Dear Guru Maharaja, I have a dream of seeing an ISKCON temple in my home state Himachal Pradesh. I have done the ground work of identifying land and making all connections amongst politics and administration in Hamirpur town. Please bless me that I can get help from nearby devotees to make some progress. Himachal Pradesh is pious land called Dev-bhoomi, but entire state in awaiting for Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s people to come and preach Harinam. Whenever I visit hometown, I feel Lord Caitanya is asking me when will I retire from my material job in TCS and come here to set yp a temple of Sri Sri Radha Madhava there. Young generation is struggling in the lack of Krishna consciousness and Bhagavad Gita.
As I pray for the next Kṛṣṇa-conscious year in your life, I pray to the lotus feet of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to shower his blessings on you in the form of good health and more devotion towards his lotus feet, so that you can go on in your selfless service and mercy for suffering souls like me.On this auspicious 75th vyas pujā, I pray to Kṛṣṇa for your mercy and to draw inspiration through the dust of your lotus feet, to be able to offer better services, and to improve the quality of my chanting. Please be merciful towards me.
Your servant,
Sadānanda Śacīputra Dāsa
ISKCON Whitefield, Bangalore