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Vyāsa-pūjā 2025

Patita-pāvana Balarāma Dāsa (Ohio - United States of America)

Hare Kṛṣhṇa Dear Guru Mahārāja,

Please accept my respectful obeisances at Your lotus feet. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

2024 is the most memorable year for me and my family thus far because we visited Mayāpur for the first time in our lives and also got Your personal blessings. We had previously seen a few pictures of Mayāpur, but it was a transcendental experience to actually be there.

On the way to Mayāpur, we saw along the way all the villages that are not so very developed. But when we reached Mayāpur, we were struck with wonder seeing the temple and the infrastructure around it. Our tiny brains could not fathom the amount of effort it took from all the devotees for such a huge temple to manifest there. But we understood that when there is the right instrument, Kṛṣhṇa's will shall manifest immediately.

Guru Mahārāja, we know for certain that You are that instrument in Kṛṣhṇa's hand. You are the guide, the direction, and the source of inspiration for everyone in Mayāpur. You are the Kṣetra-sannyāsī of Mayāpur.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's grand vision has been brought to fruition because of Your determination and purity. You never compromised on either.

Śrīla Prabhupāda had set "Purity is the Force" as one of ISKCON's pillars. You showed what it meant by Your example. By remaining faithful to ISKCON in all circumstances, You proved that You are a Kṣetra-sannyāsī of ISKCON.

Therefore, whether You are in Mayāpur or travelling around the world in Your preaching mission, You have always remained a Kṣetra-sannyāsī in the Kṛṣhṇa Consciousness movement.

It is for this reason that whoever came in contact with You, and however brief Your association may have been, our lives immediately transformed (lava-mātra sādhū-saṅga). In spite of Your health condition, You always want to give Your mercy to everyone and thereby bring everyone closer to Kṛṣhṇa and the Guru-paramparā.

This material world is a place of calamities. Just when we may be thinking that things seem to be going smoothly, the very next moment some misfortune strikes. Everything becomes upside down. If we have any expectations in this material world, we will only be disappointed. You said that we should always have a pessimistic attitude towards the material world. That anything worth having is available for us in Kṛṣhṇa Consciousness, and anything that is not available in Kṛṣhṇa Consciousness is not worth having. And that, therefore, we should never lament for anything in the material world and always be optimistic that whatever is happening is for our own spiritual benefit.

It seems hard sometimes, but nothing comes even close to what You had and have been facing in Your life for us. When we look up to You, we get the courage and spiritual strength to tolerate any reversals in this world, and determination to continue progressing on the spiritual path.

You always warn and remind us to guard ourselves against committing any offenses towards Vaiṣṇavas, including our god-brothers/sisters and god-cousins. By offenses, You mentioned that we should not be negligent, demanding, or disrespectful towards anyone. You always keep thinking of the welfare of Your disciples and all devotees.

The only way we can express our gratitude to You and Kṛṣhṇa is by putting our best efforts to fulfill Your instructions and Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions to You. You said every disciple should not only fulfill the instructions of his/her spiritual master but also fulfill the desires of the previous ācāryas. You said that Śrīla Prabhupāda established ISKCON with the impetus and the means for us to fulfill the desires of the previous ācāryas. By following Your example and remaining faithful to ISKCON, we get the opportunity to attain the same mood of a Kṣetra-sannyāsī that You embody.

You want all of us to attain that mood and bring others to the free-zone by preaching. There, everyone can be freed from the reactions of previous karma and serve Kṛṣhṇa in transcendental love and ecstasy.

Thank You, Guru Mahārāja, for saving me. Words are not enough to express my gratitude. My efforts fall short in showing my gratitude.

Your insignificant servant,

Patitāpāvana Balarāma Dāsa