nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate jayapatākā svāmin iti nāmine
nama ācāryapādāya nitāi-kṛpā-pradāyine
gaura-kathā-dhāma-dāya nagara-grāma-tāriṇe
Dearest Guru Mahārāja,
Please accept my humble and respectful obeisances.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda and to Your Divine Grace!
Wishing you a very happy 76th Vyāsa-pūjā and Appearance Day!
Seventy-six glorious years of your presence in this material world have resulted in the transformation of innumerable fallen souls like myself, whose eyes you have opened with the torchlight of knowledge and love of Godhead. This beautiful time of the year presents the opportunity to glorify you, to offer my most sincere gratitude for the spiritual influence you have had on me, and to wish you a healthy and spiritually absorbing Kṛṣṇa conscious year ahead.
It is stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.2) that the process of devotional service is su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam—everlasting and joyfully performed. Despite all the material obstacles you continue to face with your physical health, your mind remains strong and your consciousness pure. You forge ahead each day with vigor and spread the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda with immense joy and focus. It is confirmed in Vedic literature that ācāryavān puruṣo veda—even a person uneducated in the Vedas, by the mercy of an ācārya, can gain full understanding of self-realization. You continue to deliver the most fallen souls like myself by distributing love of Godhead and imparting the intelligence needed to develop self-realization. You are an embodiment of mercy and humility. Just like the sun that never fails to spread its rays of light and energy all around—come rain or storm—similarly, despite the many trials and tribulations caused by your health, you continue to spread the mercy and love of Nitāi-Gaura in all directions, all over the world.
As I think about places of pilgrimage, Śrī Dhām Māyāpur forever holds a special place in my heart. Even though I joyfully glorify Gaura-Nitāi in my prayers each day, I am certainly not very spiritually advanced to have developed true love for Their Lordships. And so, when I reflect on why I love visiting Māyāpur Dhām so much, I realize it is only because of you. Your home is where your heart is, and your heart is in Māyāpur. You remain steadfastly committed to Śrīla Prabhupāda and the previous ācāryas, and your mission to develop Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir and establish the TOVP is your heart’s desire. That intense desire is manifesting beautifully with the many milestones we’re seeing accomplished toward the grand opening of TOVP.
Dear Guru Mahārāja—you are the connecting link between me, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and ultimately Gaura-Nitāi. There is no other shelter in the fourteen planetary systems as merciful as Śrī Dhām Māyāpur, and to comprehend the depth of your attachment to the dhām is to glean a glimpse of your eternal identity. I simply pray that I can render a little service under your guidance as an aspiring resident of the dhām.
On this auspicious day of your 76th Vyāsa-pūjā, I pray to Their Lordships and to Śrīla Prabhupāda to bless you with good health and renewed strength to serve the mission of inspiring countless souls to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and spread the saṅkīrtana movement all over the world.
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
With deep love and respect in my heart for you,
Your eternally grateful spiritual daughter,
Sugopī Saumyā Devī Dāsī