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Vyāsa-pūjā 2025

Haridhvani Devī Dāsī (New Talavan, Mississippi - United States of America)

All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
All glories to you, our beloved Guru Mahārāja!

Dearest Guru Mahārāja,

Please accept my koṭi-koṭi praṇāmas again and again on this most blessed day of your Vyāsa-pūjā!
We are always praying for your well-being. We are always begging for your mercy.

What would life be like without you and our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda? A terrible thought!

When I first met you, I was the mother of two young children. For years I had been reading Prabhupāda’s books and trying to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness on my own. Then finally, the day came and my prayers were answered. The only way to become a devotee in 1981 was to move into the temple. So we found ourselves taking shelter at the ISKCON farm, Murāri Sevaka, Tennessee, USA. I was so happy and relieved to finally have the association of the devotees.

We came there in April, and you visited in early June for the first time. Your visit was a big event, as Murāri was “off the beaten path.” I remember when you entered the temple room—the excitement, the kīrtana, the smiles were explosive! I didn’t know that, even then, you were famous for your sevā and your dedication. But everyone else knew about Jayapatākā Swāmī—how you had gone to India and spent many years there, building Māyāpur for Prabhupāda.

I got to witness my first greeting of a saintly person, with offerings of garlands, foot bathing, and pūjā. Then, I went up with my three-year-old daughter and my son, who was little more than a baby, and we offered flower petals to your lotus feet, getting mahā cookies in return.

But the best was yet to come. When everyone had offered petals and there were still cookies on the tray, you began throwing them to the excited devotees, who were smiling and jumping and laughing! I wanted one! I held up my hand eagerly. You would look at me, get a puzzled expression on your face, and then throw the cookie to someone else! Several times it happened like this.

Then suddenly, I realized I was holding up my mūcī (unclean) hand because I had my baby on my right hip—and because I was just so ignorant. As soon as I moved my son to the other side and held up my clean hand, you got a big smile on your face and… whoosh! You threw that cookie right into my hand. I got it!!

I’ve always felt so grateful for that first meeting. You were instructing me from the very beginning. And even more importantly, Prabhupāda explains, “Even by a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can achieve all perfection.”

So it had begun—and would continue—by your mercy, because you have come to assist Nitāi-Gaura in bringing the fallen, the foolish, the low-born, and the distressed back to the lotus feet of the Lord. That was me, Guru Mahārāja, and you saved—are saving—me.

Please, dearest Guru Mahārāja, please bless and empower me to be more proactive in giving Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. My children and I are still sheltering here at New Talavān, “keeping the faith” and trying to serve Their Lordships, the Vaiṣṇavas, and the cows. That we are all still here after 40 years is testament to your extreme mercy.

I post about you five times a week on my Facebook page, trying to encourage devotees and help them feel connected to you, but I also want to do more outreach and active preaching. I know this is something that really pleases you. I beg for your blessings.

Thank you for everything! Words fail to express how much we love and appreciate you. Praying that you stay with us for many more years and that we can assist you in fulfilling Prabhupāda’s orders.

All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda and to you, our beloved Guru Mahārāja!

Your spiritual daughter,
Haridhvani Devī Dāsī