Hare Kṛṣṇa, Dear Guru Mahārāja,
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to Guru and Gaurāṅga. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatāka svāmin iti nāmine
nama ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpā-pradāyine
gaura-kathā-dhāma-dāya nagara-grāma-tāriṇe
Guru Mahārāja, I wish you a very happy appearance day. You have come to this material world to save fallen souls like me.
I am so inspired by your dedication to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. In spite of your health challenges, you always come to give class every evening. You are so kind to give Zoom darśana and bless the devotees far and wide. You are carrying so many responsibilities and have a packed daily schedule, which you carry through with great enthusiasm. Your compassion and love for fallen souls like me is immense—it is demonstrated in the way you are distributing harināma freely, far and wide. You are giving every moment of your life to the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda. You are a role model for us, showing us to "never give up and rise against all odds to serve with your heart and soul." There can be no better example of this than you, Guru Mahārāja.
Guru Mahārāja, I pray to Rādhā-Mādhava Aṣṭa-sakhī, Rādhā-Śyāmasundara, Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā, Pañca-tattva, and Śrī Prahlāda-Nṛsiṁhadeva for your good health. I try to chant in a group who offers daily Nṛsiṁha prayers for your protection and strength. I also try to circumambulate Tulasī Mahārāṇī regularly.
Guru Mahārāja, I feel so fortunate to have you in my life. It is by your mercy and blessings that I am improving as a person and reducing bad qualities like anger, lust, and pride. I am learning to be more satisfied with what Kṛṣṇa has given me and not crave for material things. I am trying to look more carefully at my own defects and how to improve, rather than having expectations from others. I try to chant my 16 rounds daily sincerely and follow the four regulative principles. This is because of your instructions and guidance, Guru Mahārāja. Hopefully one day, I may become qualified to take brāhmaṇa-dīkṣā.
Guru Mahārāja, your vāṇī is purifying my antaḥkaraṇa, which is covered with thick layers of ignorance that I have gathered over many lifetimes.
Guru Mahārāja, I received harināma initiation on 3rd August 2024 in Śrī Māyāpur-dhāma by your mercy. I was flying to India and got the news of the initiation at the airport. I had thought I would do the online initiation when I reached New Delhi, as I was landing on the night of 1st August. I assumed there wouldn’t be enough time to reach Māyāpur. But by your mercy, and through the encouragement and guidance of my mentor HG Lalitāṅgī Rādhā Devī Dāsī and her husband HG Sevananda Caitanya Dāsa from Canada, I flew to Calcutta on 2nd August and then to Māyāpur with my brother Pradip, who came from Chandigarh to Delhi so we could go together. Everything happened so fast with no pre-planning—it felt like divine intervention. It was like a movie, Guru Mahārāja, and suddenly, I was in Māyāpur! I was so fortunate to receive your darśana and get my chanting beads from your divine hands. It was the best moment of my life. Suddenly, life felt complete and blissful.
By your mercy, I am doing the Bhakti-śāstrī course and also leading Bhakti-vṛkṣa in my small city of Sault Ste. Marie, which currently does not have a temple. We presently have three families and two more people who have joined our Bhakti-vṛkṣa. We are hoping to have a temple in our city someday by the grace of Mahāprabhu. Your mercy is flowing, Guru Mahārāja—help is coming from all directions to support us. HG Prem Kiśora Dāsa from Thunder Bay, who looks after outreach, is planning to hold Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā in our city this year. Please bless us, Guru Mahārāja, so that we are successful in creating a strong congregation here.
By your grace, my husband Inderpaul Gupta and son Anirudh have also started attending the Bhakti-vṛkṣa. Please bless them, Guru Mahārāja, so they too may make steady progress on the path of bhakti.
Guru Mahārāja, I am coming for Navadvīpa-maṇḍala parikramā this year during Gaura-pūrṇimā, along with my sister Varuṇā Gugnani. I am praying to Pañca-tattva that I may complete it successfully and also receive your darśana in person.
Please bless me, Guru Mahārāja, that I may continue to stay determined on the path of bhakti and always be able to serve you and the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda eternally.
Your servant,
Hemāṅgī Gopēśvarī Devī Dāsī