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Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana- salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah.
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has
opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance,
with the torchlight of knowledge.”
mukam karoti vacalam pangum langhayate girim
yat-krpa tam aham vande sri gurum dina-taranam
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the deliverer of all fallen souls, whose mercy turn the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains.”
nama om visnu-padaya krsna prestaya bhutale
srimate bir krsna goswami iti namine
“I offer my humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace Bir Krsna Goswami, who is to dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.”
namah hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudrdha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakya nuvadine
“I offer my humble obeisances to my swan like spiritual master who is
serving Srila Prabhupada with great faith and determination.”
guru krpa hi kevalam
Sri Guru’s mercy is everything.
As time goes by I see more and more how this saying is true. My only wish is that one day you may be pleased with me. Every day I pray you may give me the spiritual strength to keep following your directions. May all the obstacles in my worship of the Lord be removed so that at the end of my sojourn in this world also I may sit alone far from the hustle and bustle of material world, and with a steady mind chant the Holy Names with feeling. May the Lord be merciful and allow me to give up my last breath in this way.
Knowingly or unknowingly I have committed so many offenses to His lotus feet, and even now I continue to commit such offenses. O Lord, please forgive all such offenses and give me a place at Your lotus feet. Make my life complete by allowing me to associate with those who are dear to You.
For so long I have simply made a pretense of being initiated. In fact, I have not done that which a surrendered soul should do; I have not strictly followed your instructions; thus I have not made even a little advancement in spiritual life. All the contaminations on my heart prior to initiation are still there today, so how is there any hope of my attaining the divine realization, which is said to be the real sign of initiation? Like a lump of iron, my heart is without feelings. Even though I chant the Holy Names, it does not melt. Because of this I think:
aparadha phale mama citta bhela vajra
sama tuwa name ma labha vikara.
“Due to offences, my heart has become as hard as a thunderbolt. Therefore no ecstatic transformations take place when I chant Your Holy Name.”
tabe jani tahe aparadha achaye pracura
krsna nama bija tahe na haya ankura.
“Thus I know I have committed so many offences to the Holy Name; for though I have planted the seed of the Name, no creeper of love has sprouted.” (Chaitanya Charitamrta 1.8.29)
Oh Guru Maharaja, I have become so forlorn and hopeless. O Lord! O You, who see no fault in anyone! Be generous to me and give me your mercy. Help me to be free of all offenses, so I develop a taste for the Holy Name, which you have instructed to chant. Allow me to earn the right to be called the genuine servant of your servants. With your divine vision, you see me perfectly, externally and internally. You know everything I do; therefore I pray that everything I do – my behavior, my devotional service – be a source of pleasure to you.
O Guru Maharaja, please forgive all of my offenses whether I have committed them willingly or unwillingly. Forever give me a place among all of your servants, at your lotus feet, where there is no more lamentation, no more fear, no more death. Your feet are the only shelter for one like me who has found no refuge anywhere in this world. I have moved from one group to another for so long, just looking for a place where I belong.
Everywhere I look I found nothing but more confusion. So many times I thought that I could be happy with this material world. But time after time of running my head into the wall, I finally was able to find this Krishna consciousness process. From the very beginning, you took me by the hand and led me in my devotional life. You have nursed me to the position I am at now. Your feet are the source of ultimate good for one like me who has found no value anywhere else in this world.
bhumau akhalita padanam bhumir evavalambanam
tvayi jataparadhanam tvam eva saranam prabho.
“Those who trip and fall have only the ground as an aid to get up. O Lord, those who commit offences to You, have no one but You as a recourse.”
I wish to give this vow of service. Everyday I must complete 16 rounds of the Hare Krsna maha mantra. I will offer my obeisances to the devotees and to the deity form of the Lord. I must perform my prescribed service at certain times of the day. I must observe the fortnightly Ekadasi fast. I will wake during the Brahma-muhurta hour. I will worship the deity form of the lord, and study the devotional scriptures, and sing the hymns written by the great devotees of the past. All of these I will do without fail.
I will strive to never entertain any thoughts other than Krishna. I will fight to give up my urges to talk about useless controversy and gossip. I will fight to make sure that I do not waste any valuable time by giving way to laziness and slothfulness. I will not sleep more than what is necessary to maintain this body. I will do everything I can to make sure that I can employ every minute in a way that is spiritually profitable. “If my guru rebukes or criticizes me, I should take it as a great fortune. I should remember that whatever spiritual practice I engage in, all is being done for his pleasure. I should give this consideration pride in my consciousness, remembering Sarvabhuma’s words to Mahaprabhu: ajna gurunam hy avicaraniya
“The orders of our gurus are never to be debated.”
(Chaitanya Charitamrta 2.10.145).
I pray that my intelligence never becomes so contaminated that I criticize your words. May such a wicked mentality never manifest in my heart, not even in my dreams. Any arrangement you make for me is for my ultimate good. I pray that I never consider you to be an ordinary mortal by entertaining negative judgments of you words or your actions.
I know that you are very affectionate with your disciples; I know that if I approach you with my doubts, you will lay those doubts to rest with your answers. You are the source of all my auspiciousness. The Supreme Lord has taken the form in you in order to give me the mercy of initiation and spiritual teaching. I pray that I never forget at any time this manifestation of compassion of the Lord’s revealed form as the guru.
Your servant,
Acyutananda Dasa
Dear Maharaja,
Please accept my obeisances unto your lotus feet.
This material world offers conditioned living entities so many features to be attracted to, but all of them are nothing but innumerable paths to hell. Therefore, I beg Lord Krishna to relieve me from all attachments of this kind that swarm within my heart and give me the most valuable gift – attachment to your lotus feet.
I’m asking for this benediction because this is one’s only hope to become able to see this material world as it is indeed. This is also the only way to understand properly what actual spiritual life is, and what the real meaning is of following principles of religion.
The other thing I beg is to be allowed to sincerely perform the service, which will be accepted by Your Holiness. I also beg that I will be able to perform this service well so that it will please Your Holiness.
And finally I beg Lord Krishna to set me free from desire to mean something by myself, and to give me strong faith, that being the devoted servant of your lotus feet is the true meaning and assignment of this human form of life.
I address my requests to Lord Krishna; however, this is your power to direct to your servant the mercy of the Supreme Lord. So, Dear Maharaja, please be merciful unto me, and allow me to serve you never losing enthusiasm regarding to this service.
Your servant,
Alexander
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to your Divine Grace on this auspicious day of your appearance.
I am elated that I am fortunate enough to be here instead of hundreds of miles away.
It has now been two plus years since my sister and I left for college. I remember being nervous about going to the Boston temple because of all the bad rumors I had heard about it. I found that the majority of the devotees there were young bhaktas and bhaktins who were, and still are, confused about who they should accept as their spiritual masters. They were hesitant to accept a spiritual master for fear that he wouldn’t be the “right one” or that he would have a fault of some sort.
As they worried and stressed, I could sit back and just sigh with relief. I know that I have the most wonderful spiritual master in the entire world, one who cares for his disciples and supports them in any way. I want to thank you for being you. Although I can never repay you for what you have done for me, I can simply remain
Your servant forever,
Amrta Keli devi dasi
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I may not see you much, but whenever my mind starts to wander chasing butterflies, it is easy to remember this strong impression you have left on me. It is of you sitting down firmly during japa period and chanting the maha-mantra with intensity. There is great security that comes from knowing that no matter what happens inside or out in my world or in the world at large that there is someone close to me who can control their mind and fix it at Krishna’s lotus feet through japa. You do this at the same time of day no matter where you are in the world or what is happening. I teach yoga, but this is real Yoga – real linking with the Lotus eyed Lord. It is an example of sincere spiritual practice, sadhana.
Just by remembering this, I become strengthened in my spiritual determination, (I am arrogant enough to think that if you can do it-so can I). That means that there is little room for my vague spiritual seeking, and there is even room for healthy spiritual shame (not a new age!! concept), shame that comes when my chanting is lazy, splayed out and undisciplined. The kind of shame that comes from a desire to do better and knows what is possible.
Nama Sankirtana is the Yuga Dharma, and your chanting steadies me. It steadies me as I, with all of my weaknesses and flaws, try to share the Holy Names with others. In my Yoga classes, your sadhana is in my mind as I try to teach my students the upper rungs of the eight fold path – Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi; or – in other words – withdrawal of the senses from the sense objects and fixing them firmly on the names of God.
When I am all alone and am overwhelmed by my material
responsibilities, I can remember your steadiness and determination to chant. I try to use that as an anchor. Even though I lack the ability and qualities necessary to spread the mercy you have given me, even though I am absolutely unqualified, somehow I still have the strong desire and hope against hope that there is some way that I can enthuse others to enjoy chanting with this intensity.
Even though I lack it, my hope is that through my desire to pass on Krishna Consciousness, I can also develop a taste, some steadiness and eventually come face to feet with Krishna. My enthusiasm seems to be more to pass on real yoga rather than to practice it. It seems the only really worthwhile thing in life to do, the only place of real taste. It seems like a duty, a wonderful one and one that keeps me going. But I am also ashamed that I am a hypocrite and hope that in the process I also can become a Yogi like you are, with the steadiness that you have. I don’t really know that much, but it does amaze me that one such as myself can be so fallen and yet still have the ability to give something so good to others just by being linked to the parampara.
I thank Krishna for making you so brave, caring and practical. And I know that the discipline and openness it takes to chant the way you do also makes you a good guru. Your discipline is manifest in your firm fist with all non-sense. And your openness is manifest in your soft heart towards real devotion and your mercy towards the innocent. Thank you for being such a caring and practical spiritual father to us all.
Your aspiring servant,
Ananda
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
All glories to Sri Sri Radha Golokananda!
Another year has gone by and many things have changed
in my life, and because of your constant spiritual support and personal care, I was able to handle it all peacefully and to stay strong.
I want to thank you for being such a loving father and for your encouraging words.
I am very happy to start my new family near New
Goloka along with your blessings!!!
Happy birthday!!!!
Your eternal servant,
Ananga Manjari dasi
P.S. Arjuna Devata is wishing you a happy birthday!!!
Sripad Swami,
I humbly offer my respectful obeisance.
Let me keep doing my service in Greensboro as that has given my life some purpose and meaning. Your blessings and good fortune can make Govinda’s prosper and grow. This is needed because as the population becomes purified, spiritual life can flourish here as well as everywhere. We have a greatly fortunate opportunity.
ANANTA SESA das
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
You’ve been a well wisher for me. Your classes are very funny, as well as your everyday conversations.
Thank you for your support and starting the Hillsborough
community.
Your servant,
Arjuna Das
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances.
I wanted to say that without you I would not be here at all. And without you I would not have been able to have the association of other devotees and be a devotee my self.
May Lord Krishna forever bless you to continue your work of the Lord, so the people can get to know Krishna like we do.
Your servant,
Aroti devi dasi (Ayasha Alden)
Dear Bir Krsna Maharaja,
om ajnana timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri guruve namah
vancha kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah
In Vrndavana, there are peacocks who are chanting the glories of the Lord, beautiful flowers that decorate the path of their feet and many cows that are affectionately giving their milk as a result of receiving the glance of Govinda – the pleasure of their senses. The breeze of the Yamuna refreshes the kunjas in which each gopi is trying to remember her beloved… Gopinath, this is wonderful this is Vrndavana.
Not far from here there is Radha Kunda, where the synthesis of Vrndavana and Mayapur takes place. There are no words to describe the culmination of all the holy places in the form of the Kunda of Radharani. Maybe we can’t fully enter into it, but it is a fact that by the mercy of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, the beauty of Vrndavana, the wild (ecstatic) aspect of Mayapur and the fruit of prema in the form of the dhama have been presented to us by the acaryas, Sri Rupa, Sri Sanatana, Bhatta Raghunath, Sri Jiva, Gopala Bhatta dasa, Raghunath. Now it is a reality in our life.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada for bringing these holy places to us. Without Srila Prabhupada we cannot approach Vrndavana, and without the mercy of those souls who have surrendered their life to his service (of bringing this message to everyone), we would not have access to Srila Prabhupada’s mercy.
Bir Krsna Maharaja, you are one of those sincere souls who have given your life (body, mind and words) for the service of Srila Prabhupada. We have seen how important the instructions of Srila Prabhupada are to you, how by example you are always trying to bring us closer to him, and ultimately to the dhama.
We want to thank you…glorify your activities full of mercy,
compassion, tolerance, faith…because you are giving (always giving) the opportunity to serve Srila Prabhupada through this sankirtana movement (ISKCON) and because it is Srila Prabhupada’s body (vapu) we are never separated from him, and as a result, Vrndavana, which is in our heart can manifest.
It is said by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja that even a single vaisnava can deliver the whole world. He has such potency. One should hear about, and glorify the vaisnavas’ activities; because by doing so all our sinful reactions will be annihilated- that is the power of the mercy of such pure devotees.
You are such a vaisnava, and we wish to glorify your activities by ourselves taking some small part and trying to help you in your mission to serve Srila Prabhupada. One question arises. Who are our real friends? Krsna says in the Bhagavada-gita that He is the well-wisher of all living entities: “suhrdam sarva bhutanam” Krsna may be merciful, but Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is most munificient because He is giving Krsna prema (indiscriminately):
namo maha vadanyaya krsna-prema pradayate
krsnaya krsna caitanya namne gaura tvise namah
It is said that the devotee may be more merciful than the Lord, because he understands the intention of the Lord. In this connection, the living entities’ real friend is the more merciful Gaura bhaktas, who, in the mood of the manjaris, are assisting Gauranga Mahaprabhu in preaching Krsna consciousness. They are the topmost friends and very dear to Srimati Radharani. In this way, because of your missionary spirit; you are the true benefactor, a well-wisher. Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.
Have an all-auspicious appearance day. We pray that you will be able to serve Radha and Krsna for many more years relieving so many conditioned souls in this movement. Srila Prabhupada is freely giving his mercy (in the form of the fruits of prema… devotional service) that fruit will (eventually) give us full appreciation of the amazing activities of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the way of manifesting the dhama to us.
Your servants,
Avadhuta Siromani das
Candrabhaga dasi
HARE KRSNA
Dear Gurudeva,
Happy Birthday!
Your 52.
Hare Krishna,
Balarama
Most revered and respected Gurudeva
This is not my first year living under the bridge
With bums, meat eating witches and
Disturbed, fermenting souls to whom
I tell about Krsna knowing they’re cut off
From the privileges of becoming devotees
This lifetime. They cannot abandon their false ego
And opinionated minds. Although at the beginning they show
Interest to the subject, they do it only to mock about, argue and try to humiliate.
These people in hell are my daily companions;
They would do anything to bother and destroy my work,
Make me leave, step up to prove themselves superior,
But they have qualification only of ignorance.
They are my friends and I am their friend,
And although reluctant to the wise words I borrowed
From Prabhupada and your Divine Grace, their material
Attachments are greater than sanity of what they suffer.
In writing this letter to your Holiness I asked myself many times
What would be appropriate and proper?
And the answer came from you: “Don’t compromise!”
‘Cause in previous years I glorified you,
You, whose glories are unlimited, and what I learned was
From those who do the same, copy a shloka from the Vedas.
Then, next the focus falls back on “me” and “I”,
“Voilà” -as the Jews would say- how fallen
And all these sensual feelings.
Crying about of how I’m crying – is another point.
This is exhausted!
Next is coming this, telling as it is:
Taking all from you, giving to you nothing
But hypocrisy, for I know I better would be quiet
Still I talk. Better would be glorifying you
Instead I’m praising my trivial walk,
Better would be giving to you
And with every word I only ask for more.
Therefore, I pray and beg
Under the shelter of your lotus hands
To forgive and maintain
For you are my only refuge
And I hold on to the key:
Sixteen rounds daily.
I wrote to you
This few words
as a sign of my all humble reverence to you:
It is good that the war is in my head and the all-powerful leather is the soldier of Krsna.
Your unworthy servant who wishes you the best from his heart,
Balaram das
Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
Whenever I would go out from the Tokyo temple I never
saw any devotees – at the store, at the train station, at the bank – none! Here I always see devotees. When I’m working, devotees are there. When I go to Wal-mart, sometimes I see devotees. When I go to the farmer’s market, some devotees are selling vegetables. If I go to the bank, some devotee is there. When I’m driving, in the next car there is a devotee driving too. If I call a taxi, a devotee may come and pick me up. How wonderful an environment! This is not normal. It is very special. It is all your mercy. Thank you, Gurudev.
ARIGATO.
Your servant,
Bhakta Vatsala das
Dear Bir Krishna Maharaj,
Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Srila
Prabhupada!
By the grace of your disciples we have been allowed a chance to write a few words in your glorification. Krishnadas Kaviraj says that Krishna is situated in the devotees’ hearts, so by glorifying you we get a chance to also glorify Krishna. Someone might say that you are not our guru, but who is “guru” really? Krishna, in the form of a great devotee. It is the same Krishna who manifests through different saints, so in that way one could say that all gurus are the same. Besides, you have always shown us much kindness and affection, so we are much indebted to you.
You have many good qualities, Maharaj, but what perhaps stands out the most is how you care for all devotees. We just read Baladeva’s classification of three kinds of spiritualists: sanistha, those who strictly follow their own vows; parinistha, those who try to help others; and nirapeksa, the completely aloof. Our first thought was that you are the best example of the parinistha. All your energy is directed to persons around you: to Krishna and to the devotees.
We cannot claim to know you very intimately, but we have never seen you spend much time alone. You seem to be always preaching, helping devotees, or simply spending time with them.
Others may have other ways for spreading Krishna-consciousness, and we are not saying that they cannot also be right, but we can easily see that your way is working; your disciples thrive in your company, and also all others.
We also appreciate very much how you always encourage the devotees. This has already given rise to so many nice things here in Finland. Right now we are listening to your disciple Venugopal Prabhu’s excellent devotional music. Could he have created something like that without your support? Rasarani and Gopinath Prabhus are doing a lot of nice service in the temple and are exemplary grihasthas.
There is a lot of truth in the saying:
yatha vrksas tatha phalam
as the tree, so the fruit.
However, we must admit, Maharaj, that the extent of your encouragement once bewildered us. “Why does he encourage that devotee to do that?” But after a while we understood you: you have realized that when someone has made up his mind, it is better to encourage him to go on with devotional life in some way or other than to simply wash one’s hands of him. It is so much easier to denounce and demonize, since then one had nothing personally to risk. We have seen you take the risk of getting involved many times. Usually things have turned out well, but not always, and you have even become the subject of criticism for supporting and encouraging persons who later turned against you and ISKCON. But that is your kindness; you do not easily give up on anyone. Please go on like this because it gives us fallen souls a chance to advance.
Thank you for the year that has passed. We hope that we will get the chance to see you many times in the year to come, and that you will continue to shower us with your mercy. We remain
Your servants,
Bhaktin Laura
Bhrgumuni dasa
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
It would seem that destiny has brought me to you at this time. I am sure that this will be an important day in my life from this day on.
Thank you for offering to embrace me as your disciple.
It is my honor to be here with you on the celebration of your day of appearance.
Bhakta Bob
nama om visnu padaya krsna presthaya,
bhu-tale srimate bir Krishna das goswami iti namine.
Mi querido Srila Gurudeva,
Por favor acepte mis mas rendidas reverencias
al polvo de sus pies de loto. Todas las glorias a su Divina Gracia A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami-Prabhupada. Todas las glorias al Senor Supremo. Todas las glorias a Srila Vyasadeva quien es el guru original – y la encarnacion del Senor quien compilo la literatura vedica.
Como el maestro espiritual es el representante de Krsna y su
sirviente mas querido, los discipulos deben ofrecerle todo el honor que se le ofrece al propio Senor.
Actualmente, esta Sociedad Internacional para la conciencia de
Krsna necesita personas que puedan respaldarla, en cuanto a dar
un ejemplo en base a las instrucciones de Srila Prabhupada y se
que si yo recibo sus bendiciones podre en algun momento describir
sus cualidades y glorificar sus grandes esfuerzos por mantenernos
animados, con este hecho de volverme un insignificante ejemplo
para la sociedad de Kali que actualmente sufre por ignorancia de
su posicion eterna, en relacion con Krsna.
Srila Gurudeva, cada dia comprendo mejor lo terrible y lo dificil
que es la existencia, material. Cada dia me doy mas cuenta de lo valioso que es el proceso de conciencia de Krsna y cuanto, nos dio Srila Prabhupada. Sin embargo, algunas veces, no soy muy intensa en esa conciencia y hasta puede que dude; pero porque Usted esta aqui, porque Usted representa perfectamente las ensenanzas de Srila Prabhupada, porque Usted nos da la misericordia de su asociacion, de su ejemplo,de su constancia y excelencia en el servicio devocional, las dudas se disipan y la falta de entusiasmo desaparece.
Su aspirante sirviente,
Caitanya dasi
nama om visno padaya krsna prestaya bhu-tale
srimate bir krsna das goswami iti namine
namahamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudridha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakya nuvadine.
Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.
Todas las glorias a Srila Gurudeva.
Querido Gurudeva,
Hoy es un dia maravilloso. Sin duda Krsna y Prabhupada
estan muy complacidos de tener siempre a sus pies de loto un gran
devoto puro como usted.
Con un corazon tan grande, tan piadoso, tan misericordocio, tan grandioso, tan devocional y tantas cualidades mas que no se pueden describir por que son grandes como usted.
Para mi es mi gran guia espiritual, es mi orgullo, es mi sol
iluminandome siempre con tan solo una chispita de su maravillosa persona.
Yo se que no lo mereico, por que soy tan mala disipula que no he podido corresponder como yo se lo prometi. Soy muy mal agradecida. Sin embargo Usted siempre tiene para mi palabras alentadoras, una sonrisa, una mirada y sobre todo su gran asociacion.
Hoy, en su aparicion tratare de corresponderle y darle buenas noticias.
Su humilde e significante sirvienta,
Candrika devi dasi
It was Fall of 2000. I met ,by accident, a devotee Prema
Manjari chanting (and with a tableful of books about Krisna) along the sidewalk of UNC-Charlotte, which I am a student there. I was invited to come to a mini session of chanting at the university the following week. I did not know at the time where this would lead to but at the time I found it very interesting. I was given Prasadam (I call it
blessed food then) each session. I thought this was very interesting. Not only free lecture about Krisna but also free food. Wow! Today, I have come to realize that such a fine devotee is spreading Krisna all over the place. Not only that I became a friend to a devotee, but also invited to come to the preaching center as many possible meetings
as I can attend. It was a blessing. Through guidance of a devotee via lectures and friendship I have found a more deeper knowledge about spiritual life. I still have so much to learn. I attend much of the events here in the city of Charlotte as much as possible, yet I think it would be pleasing to be close to the temple. It takes about at least
1 1/2 hour drive to come to Hillsborough, but such a drive is nothing compare to what it gives me spiritually.
Bir Krisna, please accept my sincere thanks for sending
such fine devotees Prema Manjari and Syama Dasi. The devotees have spoken to me about what a fine spiritual master you are.
Hare Krisna!
Charito Tubera
of Charlotte, North Carolina
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha-Golokananda!
I am so fortunate to have a dearmost servant of Srimati Radharani as my spiritual master, but as a conditioned soul I don’t always appreciate my good fortune. Krsna and Srila Prabhupada have shown me Their mercy, but I don’t take that mercy to the fullest extent. When will the anarthas in my heart cease to exist, so that I can become a pure devotee and worthy disciple of yourself?
Please bless me to continue in the service to Sri Sri Radha-Golokananda that you have decided is best for me. Please bless me to develop pure love of Godhead. Please bless me to develop compassion for all living entities. Love for Sri Krsna overflows from your heart and fills the heart of others who come in contact with you. You are a transcendental touchstone, converting iron into gold.
Please always look favorably on me and pray to Sri Sri Radha-Golokananda that I may become as dedicated to Them as Mother Krsna-Priya is.
Hare Krsna.
Your aspiring servant,
Mother Cintamani dasi
His Holiness Tridandi Goswami Bir Krishna Goswami-
Please accept this Vyasa Puja offering!!!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I hope you are doing well. I can offer to you, parts of writings from Srila Prabhupada’s books because I feel that I have no real devotion, and am not at all serious. Although you can award me pure devotional service, and love of Lord Sri Krishna! I have again come to another part of the tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, by which I think I can best explain my thanks to you. And also a song from the devotee songbook.
Srimad Bhagatavam [canto 10, ch.14, text28]
“O unlimited Lord, the saintly devotees seek you out within their own bodies by rejecting everything separate from you. Indeed, how can discriminating persons appreciate the real nature of a rope lying before them until they refute the illusion that it is snake?”
Purport, pg.2
“Those who are saintly and wise always cultivate Krishna consciousness, spiritual knowledge, having transcended the foolish misidentification of the body as the self. Such Krsna conscious persons go on to realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who dwells within the material body as the Supersoul – the witness and guide of every living entity. Realization of the Supersoul and the individual soul is so pleasing and satisfying that a self-realized person automatically gives up everything irrelevant to his spiritual advancement.”
Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura
(from Saranagati)
translation
(1) O Vaisnava Thakura, o ocean of mercy, be merciful to me, your servant, and purifying me by the shade of your lotus feet. Your feet I humbly hold.
(2) Controlling my six urges and purifying me of the six faults, please give to your servant the six good qualities. Oh, give me the six kinds of holy association. I have sat down here in the hope of having your company.
(3) Alone, I find I have no strength to chant the Holy name of Lord Hari. I beg you, therefore, please be merciful, and with a particle of faith, give me the great treasure of the Holy Name of Krsna.
(4) Krsna is yours, you are able to give Him to me, for such is your power, I am indeed wretched and simply run after you, crying “Krsna! Krsna!”
Thank you for everything,
The servant, of your servant,
Citta Hari dasa
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Please accept my obeisances in the dust at your lotus feet.
All glories to you and also to Srila Prabhupada who has surely rescued
us all with his mercy.
There is no way for me to express the things that I feel for you. I could not begin to know the proper words as you have so eagerly picked me up from this seemingly endless ocean and given me shelter at your lotus feet.
Any time that I do not know what to do or how to act, I can always find guidance from your shining example in how you are so expertly engaged in the service of your spiritual master and the father of us all, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
It seems so often that I am out here unable to do much of anything for you, and still you always reassure me and encourage me in that which surely I can do, if nothing else–chant nicely.
I am ever praying for help in serving you perfectly for all eternity.
My unlimited obeisances…
blessed to be
Your eternal servant,
Danakeli dasi
Dear Srila Gurudeva
Please accept my most humble obeisances, all glories to Srila
Prabhupada!! All glories to the dust that falls from your lotus feet, I chase after this dust in hopes of catching even one speck.
You’ve given us Srila Prabhupada in so many ways. Watching the way you so faithfully serve your guru-maharaj and his mission encourages so many to the same. You deliver his message and the message of Mahaprabhu without any deviation, only pure devotion.
Just as seeing the ghee lamp that has been offered to the Lord purifies ones vision; hearing the message that comes from his sincere devotee purifies ones existence.
Thank you, Srila Gurudeva for leading us through the darkness of the material world.
An unqualified servant,
Dhanista devi dasi
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
“Did you hear that?” I said aloud to no one in particular; for I was alone in my prison cell. Then, there it was again, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna-Dhruva-Rama Rama Rama Dhruva-va Hare Hare Hare”. Sweetly and gently it echoed, a celestial chorus, carefully calling me away from dreamland to arise and chant! “Yes, Maharaja, I am awake now.” Glancing to the digital timepiece, it winked at 12:40 A.M.! I blinked and I thought, “That gives me just 20 minutes to bathe and put tilaka on before mangala-arati starts in New Goloka!;” the 3-hour Eastern-Pacific time zone gap.
Bathed and with the subtle fragrance of gopi-chandana surrounding me, I was ready with 5 minutes to spare. That’s plenty of time to travel 3,000 miles for transcendental darshan. My eyelids slid to half-mast as the maha-mantra sprang from my heart to my lips. Ecstatic cool warmth pooled & coursed through me as the first drop of sweet caranamrta graced the tip of my tongue. “Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna …”
Hearing the loving devotional authority in the rich timber of your voice offering prayer; I knew I had arrived! Like a luminous morning mist clearing, the temple room brightened in your presence. You didn’t look my way, but acknowledged me with little smile crinkles from the corner of your eye. Lucky for me, because I had clumsily appeared sitting squarely in the middle of a mountain of honeysuckle and delicately fragrant carnations waiting to become garlands for Sri Sri Radha Golokananda.
Embarrassed, I thought, “I should be so fortunate as to be one of these little blossoms whose whole life becomes perfect the moment they touch the Lords beautiful lotus neck.”
Rapt in love and devotion, no one seemed to notice the twelve somnambulating tilaka marks join the line to water beautiful Tulasi Maharani. So, I was able to carefully and softly pad my way back to the little clearing amidst the “wanna-be flower garland” mountain.
Just above a whisper, I could hear my own voice enunciating each syllable of the maha-mantra. Trying to be a good servant, a faithful steward of the treasury of the Holy Names; I determinedly appreciated the brilliant perfection of each Hare gem, Rama gem, Krsna gem before returning it to the safe deposit japa vault in my care. So absorbed in my little yajna task, I hadn’t noticed that the jubilant sankirtan had crescendoed and now all of my godbrothers and sisters were radiantly passing out onto the cool morning through the temple doors.
Looking up, I beamed to report, “Maharaja, all 55, 296 of the beautiful Holy Names you put in my care are safe and counted!” But you had already alighted. So, I offered my obeisances to Their Lordships and came out onto the balcony staircase landing.
You were there at the bottom of the stairs. An endless moment finally passed, and you looked my way filling the short distance between us with a flood of mercy. Awestruck and weak-kneed I reached for the railing as you smiled and beamed one word, “Dhruva!!” I felt my legs strengthen and at that moment; knew for certain that it is you who so sweetly and gently calls me from dreamland to devotional service making each morning more wonderful than the one before.
Thank you so very much.
Your servant,
Dhruva dasa
Jai Sri Sri Radha Golokananda!
Dear Bir Krsna Maharaja,
PAMHO
Although I know you to be an exalted devotee in this great
International Society for Krsna Conciousness, a stalwart sage, a first
class disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, still when I am in your presence, you allow me to relate to you in a very familiar, friendly way. Externally observing the two of us together a non-devotee may think, ‘these two are close friends on an equal footing, intimately relating to one another in friendship’. This is far from the case, as you well know, Maharaja. There is a vast gulf of difference between you and myself, Maharaja. I am a neophyte devotee, if at all I am a devotee. And your advancement in spiritual life is unfathomable to me. Although this is the case, you allow me to relate with you as if we were equals. This is due to your exhibiting some of the opulences of a pure Vaisnava. Humility, absence of false ego etc… But I must never become puffed up and forget your actual position lest I offend you and lose whatever little devotional credits I might have accumulated.
Vipramukya Swami gave class here in New Goloka and reminded us of our debts to the demigods, parents, forefathers, etc…(for those who are not surrendered to the Personallity of Godhead). I certainly must fall into this category. And I was thinking, that not only am I indebted to you for inviting me and my family to live in such a pure and wonderful place as New Goloka, but I must also be indebted to the disciples and pure followers of your holiness who make this transcendental place the wonderful place that it is. I have such an appreciation for the dedication and strictness of your disciples and followers. Karmi’s may become famous for some time, but after awhile we see their fan base gradually decrease over the years. You, on the other hand, seem to attract more and more loyal admirers and devotees who come to see you even from other parts of the world! Devotees, Srila Prabhupada said, are the most famous personalities. This is real fame, lasting fame. So thank you for allowing me to be one of your entourage!
Happy birthday and hopefully many more for the benefit of the whole world.
Your friend and god-brother,
Drumila dasa
Dear Bir Krishna das Goswami
Please accept my humble obeisances!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
What do we need a Spiritual Master for?
In my opinion he is like a father to his disciples. He loves them
without any limits. With his mercy, appreciation and mildness that he feels to his disciples, he leads them and offers shelter to them when they struggle to make progress on the spiritual way. He constantly reminds us of Krishna, Who is in everyone’s heart, but who we often forget. He listens to His disciples’ problems and gives them wise advice. He is a confidential servitor of the Supreme Lord and without his mercy we cannot make any advancement.
I offer my respectful obeisances to such a Spiritual Master.
I really thank you for all the good advice you have given to me. And
I am also grateful for the care you have given to my son, who is very dear to me, and to my daughter-in-law.
I wish a happy appearance day and a blessed vyasa-puja-festival to you!
Your sincere servant
Eeva Ilves
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your Holiness.
Once more I am happy to witness and attend the celebrations marking your glorious appearance. This occasion reminds me of the long road I trod blindly without a goal in life prior to my meeting you. Since my contact with you, you have given me constant guidance and unreserved blessings. As a result the road ahead is opening up to a robust new life that gives me hope and renewed determination to face the challenges that pop up along the way. In addition to that there is a new understanding about the purpose of life.
Still, on a personal level, there are many practical, good things that you have done and continue to do for me despite your vast engagement in preaching Krishna consciousness. For all these,
please accept my deep appreciation.
I would be untruthful if I say I will be able to repay all
these deeds. In the meantime, I will do all I can to add my meager effort in the preaching mission at New Goloka. Together with all the devotees residing here, it is my hope we will be able to assist you in your mission to spread Krishna consciousness.
My happiness also rests on the fact that you have continued to give your blessings far and wide. My prayer to Lord Krishna is that He awards you with good health, long life and all resources needed to spread His message far and wide.
Always under your shelter, at your service and eager to receive your blessings . . .
Your humble servant,
Gargamuni
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to you!
The past year has been just one big test after another. Krishna has been taking everything away, including my stability. It has seemed like all the Krishna-consiousness I had, or thought I had, has been taken away, and instead there are just anarthas and material desires left. But no matter what is going on with me, you never give up on me. That is what I really want to thank you for again and again. I am literally going on just by your mercy.
As an offering to you, I wish to be able to dedicate my life – until the end of it and no matter what situation I find myself in – to sharing this mercy with others. In order to do that, I have to ask you for some help. Please give me strength to ignore my mind and get rid of the envy in my heart, so that I can help others take shelter of Srila Prabhupada and you, his very dear servant.
You told me that “a real disciple is always concerned whether the spiritual master is pleased or not.” I wish to take this to my heart and try to follow your instructions despite the pushings and pullings of the mind.
I have no qualification whatsoever to approach Krishna, but I am confident that by holding unto your lotus feet, you will lead me to the Lord and to Sri Vrndavana Dhama. Please give me strength to hold on tight; I have no strength of my own.
Your aspiring servant,
Gayatri devi dasi
Dearest Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I just want to take this opportunity to tell you thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and for Tilak. I now am finding myself in such a wonderful place with exactly the kind of life I’ve hoped for, and it’s all because of your mercy. I couldn’t be happier and it’s your guidance and advice that have gotten me here. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
But I especially want to thank you for the way you care for Tilak. He needs some nice men in his life, and he couldn’t ask for a better example than you. You’ve shown him the “sweet”ness of Krsna Consciousness.
He wants me to tell you Happy Birthday, and when he gets there, you can play.
Thank you for another year of your mercy.
Your eternal servants,
Bhaktin Ginger and Tilak dasa
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Sri-Sri Radha
Golokananada. All glories to Sri Guru and Gauranga.
On this Vyasa Puja day, I would like to thank you for always
giving us your association in New Goloka. You are the best example of being a great Vaisnava. You have always been a very faithful disciple of Srila Prabhupada.
Year after year you have been strictly following the process of
devotional service with so much determination. Your good example is
worth following. By serving a pure Vaisnava, I will most definitely get a taste for devotional service. Even though I am not serving you as I should be, I pray that one day I will be at your service.
You are the best leader of this community. You always persevere in all the ups and downs in life.
Once again I would like to thank you for being so kind and concerned for our family. It’s only by your mercy we have been in one place for 12 years!!!! Thank you so much for your encouragmenet and guidance in my spiritual life.
Happy Vyasa Puja!
Your servant,
Golokananda Priya
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
.Please accept my humblest obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Your Divine Grace!
In the spiritual world, it’s said that all things are personal or persons; therefore we often refer to certain individuals as, “the personification of…” But in this material world, you have time and again manifested the quality of tolerance – so much so that you can honestly be called the personification of tolerance. This past year, I’ve made many choices that have been quite contrary to your desires and even contrary to my own well-being. I can clearly see that you are a better well-wisher of me than I am.
As I go blindly traipsing through the dangerous world of Maya, you constantly try to remind me of my real self – servant of Gopal, the transcendental cowherd boy. You’ve always found success in sticking to the basics. That’s remembering Krishna, and never forgetting him, and following the system that supports that consciousness: Srila Prabhupada’s perfect system. Good sadhana, concentrated rounds, following the orders of the spiritual master – these are the things that keep us strong. But despite the failing of this fallen servant to do these things, still you’ve kept me close to your heart, always hoping I’ll one day wake up and stop chasing all these material piles of stool.
You’ve never failed to show me true compassion, mercy, and tolerance though I’ve failed you as a disciple endless times. You are the perfect example of Srila Prabhupada’s disciple: a perfect gentleman. Your behavior is the polar opposite of the norm that we see in today’s society: hatred, vengeance, envy, destructiveness. You’ve always set the example for us “little people” to follow, though we may not follow it.
In these troubled times, it’s so inspiring to see a truly unshaken, self-realized soul, who knows the truth about karma, but can still feel unlimited real compassion for others. According to my karma, I don’t deserve to know you, but despite this, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for allowing me to know you. Hare Krishna!
Your old dog,
Gopal das
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
nama om visnu-padaya krsna presthaya bhu tale
srimate bir krsna das goswamin iti namine
namo hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudrdha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakyanu vadine
In one of your lectures I heard the statement that devotees should
Be wealthy both materially and spiritually. We have also heard Srila
Prabhupada saying, “Think big!”
Yes, we should think big when we are serving Krishna. Srila
Prabhupada wanted that people in general can see and understand that Krishna-consciousness is a glorious thing. He could really understand that everything belongs to Krishna, and that it only depends on our desires how we are using Krishna’s property, to be able to make people attracted to Krishna-consciousness.
Srila Prabhupada tells the story of a man who is eager to get a
Touchstone which Srila Sanatana Goswami has because he has heard that Sanatana Goswami owns something extremely valuable. Sanatana Goswami points to a pile of garbage where the touchstone is. So the man enjoys it for a while until he begins to wonder, “How is it that this stone was kept in a pile of garbage? Maybe this is not the most valuable thing that this Sanatana has.” Then he goes back to
Sanatana Goswami and gets the most valuable benediction, Hare Krishna – Mahamantra.
Similarly, the devotees of the Supreme Lord know the so-
called value of material enjoyment and won’t become bewildered by temporary opulence which is meant for the service of the Lord, Sri Krishna.
When I first met you I didn’t have too much to do with computers. I had only played computer games when I was a schoolboy many years back. In our temple there were only a few persons who were familiar with computers. There was the mood that those who were not would rather not bother with those things either. But when I met you, you first asked me to keep contact with you by e-mail. So, I had my e-mail account, but I also wanted to send
messages to you while traveling around Finland since I was doing
traveling sankirtan those days. I had to struggle hard to learn to use a computer – first in one library. I thought I was wasting my time. I finally succeeded to get another e-mail account which I could use while traveling.
After living in temple for some time, many devotees are not able to get a job with high salary. It is either that they feel spiritually too degraded to go to a regular job among non-devotees, or they are too old to get a proper education. By your mercy I am now getting a good education in Computer Science in the University of Helsinki. That really proves your transcendental qualities. I tried to go to university twice before coming to Krishna-consciousness, so I can see that this has something to do with Krishna’s plan. I sincerely hope that I can support Lord Caitanya’s sankirtan movement in relationship with my studies one way or another so that my studies are not wasted.
Thank you, Gurudeva!
Your humble servant,
Gopinatha das
Jay todas las glorias a Sri Guru y Gauranga.
Todas las gloerias a Srila Prabhupada.
Todas las glorias a Su Gloriosa Aparicion.
Querido: Srila Gurudeva por favor acepte mis mas insignificantes reverercias,todas las glorias a sus bellos pies de loto.
Hoy que es un dia tan especial, en el cual nosotros tenemos mas la oportunidad para glorificarle, a usted quien es un representante fidedigno de la Suprema Personalidad de Dios y quien pose toda la fuerza espiritual del Sr Balarama, no encuentro palabras para descrivir su grandesa ni me siento cualificada para haserlo, pero devido a su infinit a misericordia yo que soy una entidad viviente condisionada en este mundo material y que he tomado refugio en usted para salir
de este mundo material, me siento feliz de ser guiada por alguien , cuya vida esta entregada por completo al plaser del Sr Supremo Sri Krsna, usted tiene maravillosas cualidades que insitan ala entidad
viviente a servir a Krsna, el sendero de la comprension espiritual es indudablemente dificil,por eso, Krsna nos aconseja, por ello, que acudamos a un maestro espiritual, ya que nosotros no podemos llegar
ala comprension espiritual mediante nuestro propio entendimiento, sino por medio del guru fidedigno yo le agradezco a usted una y otra vez el averme aceptado como una insignificante sirvienta a sus bellos pies de loto.
Ya que como la lluvia extingue el incendio del bozque usted, extinge la ingnorancia de las entidades viviente que se refugian es usted.
Que Sri Krsna me permita glorificarle una y otra vez.
Se despide de usted ofreciendo sus respetuosas reverencias,
Su insignificante sirvienta
GOURANGI D.D
Todas las glories a usted mi amado maestro espiritual.
Todas las Glorias, todas las Glorias a su Divina Gracia Bir Krishna Goswami Maharaja.
Por favor, acepte mis humildes reverencias a sus pies de loto
Querido Gurudeva:
En este gran dia todas las entidades vivientes celebramos un gran acontecimiento y no solo aqui sino en toda la galaxia porque una gran alma vino a dar su bendita misericordia a muchas almas caidas; y una de esas almas es la mas humilde de todos sus discipulos y se postra ante sus pies de loto con gran respeto y veneracion, porque antes de conocerlo estaba perdida en la mas oscura y cruel ignorancia. Siempre agradecida con usted,
Su sirviente eternal,
Govinda dasi
Please accept our most humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Our dear Gurumaharaj !
We thank You for giving us shelter and being so kind and merciful for us.
Always Your servants,
Bhakta Gunnar and
Bhaktin Kadri
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Indradhumana das,Saravati devi dasi,Sunil das,Reena dasi,Karan das and Jai das
Dear Bir Krishna das Goswami,
Thank You for letting me stay there. I had a really good time. When I was there I was thinking that I’m not going to have anything to tell my friends about, but I had so many things to tell them.
It was wonderful to see Gayatri and see that she is well. Thank you for taking good care of her.
Have a peaceful and joyous birthday and lots of gifts. I hope many more years to come for you.
Best wishes,
(stubborn) Helena
Dear Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisance to the dust of your lotus feet.
By glorifying you and your activities on this auspicious day, one makes immense spiritual progress. This is the most effective way to please the Bhaktavatsala Bhagvan, Sri Krisna.
You are a true follower of Srila Prabhupada. Your happiness lies in seeing others becoming Krishna conscious. You always want to help others in their spiritual life.
By your presence in New Goloka Dham you bring Sri Vrindavan dham to this place. Sri New Goloka dham ki jaya!!.
Under you direction, I am sure that we would successfully finish our New Temple project. I am simply fortunate to have so easy access to your personal association. You are the source of inspiration to my progressive path of Krishna consciousness.
Your aspiring servant,
Hemant Gandhi
Dear Bir Krishna Goswami,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
I want to thank you for your well-wishing and support. You are always very positive and optimistic, and you’ve guided me through good and bad times.
You’ve reminded me that Krishna is our only shelter and our ultimate goal. You’ve taught me a lot of patience and tolerance and proper behavior in difficult situations, just like a real father.
Kuntidevi, an exalted devotee prays to Lord Krishna: “I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.”
Kuntidevi is very advanced devotee, Krishna’s relative, and she is very surrendered soul. She just wishes all the calamities of the past to happen again so that she and her family could remember Krishna. I wish that I could develop such affection for Krishna that I could also honestly pray like Kuntidevi.
Srila Prabhupada tells us about devotional attitude in The Teachings of Queen Kunti; we should pray: tat te ´nukampam su-samiksamano “My dear Lord, it is Your great mercy that I have been put into this dangerous position.” That is the viewpoint of a devotee. He doesn’t regard danger as danger. Rather he thinks: “It is Krishna’s mercy.” What kind of mercy? bhunjana evatma-krtam vipakam “Because of my past activities, I was meant to suffer very much, but You are mitigating that suffering and giving me only a little.” All the troubles in our life are but opportunities to remember Krishna and surrender to Him.
Dear Gurudeva, you’ve taught me the art of tolerating and patience even though I am a lousy student, and you have to tell me the same thing over and over again. I am still very grateful to you, for this attitude of tolerating is very important thing in devotional service.
I feel privileged for having a rare chance to take shelter from the feet of a spiritual master like you. I wish that one day I’d become your serviceable servant and in that way please you.
I thank you, dear Gurudeva.
Your servant,
Henriikka
Todas las glorias al senor Supremo Radha Krishna!
Todas las glorias a Su Divina Gracia A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
Todas las glorias a Su Santidad Bir Krishna Das Maharaja Goswami!
nama om vishnu padaya krishna presthaya bhutale
srimate bir krishna das goswamin iti namine
namo hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudrddha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakya nuvadine
Por favor acepteme mis mas respetuosas reverencias a Sus Pies de Loto.
Estoy feliz de celebrar a cada ano Su aparicion, mi corazon se regocija con mucho jubilo.
Aungue haya un distanciamiento fisico, para mi siempre esta en mi conciencia con alegria y devocion.
Aunque maya me ataque con las modalidades de la ignorancia y de la passion, para mi siempre esta en mi conciencia con alegria y devocion.
Estoy satisfecha con mi maestro espiritual aungue yo no sea una devota modelo. Gurudeva, yo se gue necesito madurar muchisimo espiritualmente, pero sigo con mis japas, leo los libros y mis cantos devocionales.
Gurudeva, estoy muy agradecida por su bendicion de ser su discipula. Para mi la Concienca de Krishna es el regalo mas grande de mi vida, es el metal mas precioso del mundo. El tener contacto con un Maestro Espiritual es una suerte para una persona en la era de Kali yuga, soy una alma afortunada.
Gracias Gurudeva, gracias Prabhupada y senor Caitanya.
Gracias Gurudeva mil gracias por esa piedad.
Su Sirviente Eterno,
Hladini Sakti devi dasi
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjanana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
nama om vishnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-swamin iti namine
nama om vishnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bir-krsna das goswami iti namine
All glories to Radha-Golokananda. All glories to Sri-Krisna-Chaitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri-Advait, Gadadhara, Srivasadi-gaura bhagta- vrinda. All glories to our spiritual master, Srila Bir Krishana Das Goswami Maharaj. All glories to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupadaji. All glories to Srila Bhakti Sidhanata Sarawati Maharajji. All glories to Srila Gaurakisoradasa Babaji Maharajji. All glories to Srila Bhaktivinod Thakurji Maharajji.
All glories to our all spiritual masters.
We pay our obeisances to all our spiritual masters in the disciplic succession, to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates, to the Goswamis of Vrindavana, to the Gopis of Vrindavana, to different incarnations of the Godhead, to Radha-Golokananda, and to the assembled devotees.
On this occasion of the appearance day of our spiritual master Srila Bir Krishna Das Goswami, I take this opportunity to thank him for everything he has been doing for us and the community. May Radha-Golokananda bless Maharajji with long and healthy life so that persons like us can make spiritual progress in this life.
My family members are very fortunate to learn the purpose of human life, and its duties and responsibilities from our spiritual master Srila Bir Krishna Das Goswami and other ISCKON devotees. In spite of our slow progress we strive very consciously to follow the principles and teachings of vedic scriptures. It has taught us to react to situations in a very positive and constructive way. It is giving us opportunities to reinforce our original value system and lead a very purposeful life.
I take this opportunity to thank our spiritual master, Srila Bir Krishna Das Goswami Maharajji and the devotees of the temple for their association and mercy.
Sincerely your disciples,
Indradhumana Das
Saravatidevi Dasi
Sunil Das, Reena Dasi, Karan Das, Jai Das
Dear Bir Krishna das Goswami,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
What I would like to wish you from the bottom of my heart is good strong health, having wonderful blissful time in Krishna consciousness and being proud of your disciples, that devotees would inspire you and always give you enthusiasm.
I had been in Krishna consciousness for a few months when I first saw you, and I remember thinking that here is a person who must have a miracle in his life; otherwise he could not be so happy, and have such warm sincere care towards every one of us. I met you on my birthday, and it was the greatest birthday present that Krishna could have arranged – seeing and feeling a special different taste, taste for Krishna, wishing to pursue The Miracle.
Thank you for everything, for being you.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Your ever servant,
Bhaktin Jaana
Nama Om Visnupadaya Krishna Presthaya Bhutale
Srimate Bir Krishna das Goswami Iti Namine
I offer my respectful obeisances to his divine grace Bir Krishna das Goswami, who is very dear to Lord Krishna having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Namo Hamsa Nikasaya Prabhupada Priyayate
Sudrddha Suddhi Nistya Bhyam Tasya Vakya Nu Vadine
I offer my obeisances to my swan-like spiritual master, who is very dear to Srila Prabhupada, preaching his mission with great enthusiasm and determination.
In the Prabhupada Lilamrita, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada describes the purpose of the GBC as follows:
“Prabhupada’s legal document went on to set forth general directions for the G.B.C. secretaries. They should travel regularly to the temples in their respective zones to insure that each devotee chanted sixteen rounds and followed a regulated schedule and that the temples were clean. His twelve G.B.C. secretaries would relieve him of management, and they would rectify present and future difficulties within the society. That rectification, Prabhupada’s document explained, would be possible only when the devotees in each temple engaged fully in regulated devotional service: rising early for mangala-arati at four-thirty, attending Srimad-Bhagavatam class and reciting the Sanskrit verses, and chanting in the streets and distributing Back to Godhead magazines and other Krsna conscious literature. This emphasis on strictly following Krsna conscious principles would supersede all material formulas for management. The G.B.C. would insure that in their appointed Zones all the devotees were properly engaged. There would be no maya.”
I would simply like to say thank you for your enthusiasm and determination to serve the mission of Srila Prabhupada, as it is. Despite the endless diversions of Maya, you have stuck steadfast to these words of Srila Prabhupada. Your strict adherence to these principles provides a most refreshing example to both your followers and your peers. Srila Prabhupada often said that example is better than precept.
My wish on this auspicious day is that I, along with my godbrothers and godsisters, may do a better job in following in your footsteps. Sometimes we may become discouraged at the drop of a hat or are remiss in even the basic principles such as rising early, attending magala-arotik, and reading Prabhupada’s books. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. But it is my great hope that through your continued saintly association, we may very soon give up our anarthas and dedicate ourselves fully to your mission and to Srila Prabhupada’s.
Thank you again for all that you do.
Your servant,
Jagannath Dasa
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obiesances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and your Grace.
The other day I came into the guest house to wash my plate. You were fixing the sink. You were upset. You said the devotees needed to take more responsibility. Like a father, you were telling us that we had to fix things ourselves, and not think that it is somebody else’s problem. Later you told me that you don’t mind fixing things that other people can’t figure out, but that everyone should know how to change a washer. Point taken.
The other day I picked you up at the airport. I met you at the gate and offered obiesances standing up as you appeared through the door. You made conversation with me on the way home. I was delighted. You asked me how my spiritual life was going. I said, “OK I guess.” It’s a hard question to answer. Should I look on the bright side or the dark side?
I see you as the servant of Krsna. Prabhupada has said that the guru is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead. If Krsna wants, you will rule Vaisnava communities. If Krsna wants, you will fix the sink. If Krsna wants, you will chastise others so that they will fix the sink. I don’t know what Krsna wants from me except through you and your agent, Mother Krsna Priya.
Thank you for being Krsna conscious and inspiring me to be also.
Your servant,
Jagadguru das
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glory to Srila Prabhupada. All glory to Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. All glory to Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious day of your appearance…
Before the most recent display of human (subhuman) madness, I had a theme for this humble offering. But now as my head is spinning from these worldwide current events, I feel compelled to express my gratitude and appreciation of your divinity as it relates to my heartfelt response.
You, Srila Gurudeva, were the first person I wanted to talk to – You were the first person I wanted to reach out to – You were the sole person I wanted understanding and guidance from.
In the midst of all the turmoil, I sought your words, your wisdom and your kindness. I wished to be in your physical presence to hear you speak, to know of your vision, your ideas, your opinions, your feelings, your perspective in accordance with our most profound Vedic teachings.
It is hard to measure the gratitude I feel – knowing that I have you as my teacher, my guide and my ever well-wisher. It has made being “out here” in the world somewhat tolerable.
Though we are surrounded by the modes of passion and ignorance, there still remain those few and sparse pockets of goodness. I have found a place where yoga, meditation, chanting, vegetarianism and holistic health are a “norm”. There are so many individuals who are open, seeking, awake and willing to learn…
I am so grateful to have this opportunity to render service to you, to Srila Prabhupada, and to our most glorious and divine disciplic succession.
The soil is fertile – the seeds are being sown – and yes!, it must be said that this is all because of you. Your desire, your enthusiasm, your determination, your love for Srila Prabhupada is what has given me any hope, any strength to embark upon this most valuable and desperately needed mission to help save the fallen conditioned souls (including myself) from this mire of illusion.
You have brought me up in spiritual life – and it is my greatest wish that someday soon, I will make you proud so you may know that all the time, all the energy, all the love you have given me throughout the years – has not been in vain. Thank you, Srila Gurudeva.
Your ever-aspirant servant,
Jahnavi devi dasi
Querido maestro Bir Krsna Maharaja,
Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias a sus pies de loto; espero que al leer la presente se encuentre usted bien de salud. Es mi deseo.
Discúlpeme por favor al no saberme expresar, a una alma tan pura y rendida como usted.
Gracias a Krsna por haber usted venido a este mundo material.
Grandioso es el día de su vyasa puja pues se alegra toda la creación.
Auspiciosos son los tres mundos y más la tierra en el momento de su aparición.
Gracias a Krsna le doy al aceptarme como su sirvienta así con tantas miserias que tengo yo.
Su humilde sirviente,
Jambavati devi dasi
Jai Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All
glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to the lotus feet of His Divine Grace, Srila Praphupada.
Pure in spirit
Firm in faith
Constant in repeating
Your Divine Grace
Deep in devotion
Full of grace
Generous in mercy
Your Divine Grace
Loyal in love
Blind to race
Shelter of shelters
Your Divine Grace
May Lord Jaganatha bless and keep you. May He make His countenance to shine upon you, and give you peace.
Your worthless servant,
Jamuna
Dear Srila Bir Krishna Goswami,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
At first I did not write an offering for your Vyasa-puja book but
because Gayatri dd asked me to do it I would like to do it now.
I have so much that I would like to say to you but I just do not know how to do it. I am forever grateful to you that you have given me shelter at your lotus feet and that you have been so kind and merciful to me. I can not believe how lucky I am that I am able to be in this Krishna consciousness movement and that I have an opportunity to associate and serve a great devotee like you. Although I have so many material attachments, I hope that one day I will obtain affection for Krishna and His Holy Name.
I thank you for all your instructions and I try to follow them with
all my heart. I apologize for all the aparathas that I have made.
I also thank you for your blessings because attaining pure love for
God is my only desire.
I wish that I could always remain at your lotus feet,
Your humble servant,
bhn Jandra
Merciful Bir Krishna das Goswami,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
First time when you were in Tallinn, I didn’t know that starting from that moment in my life there was going to happen something that was not there before. Thanks to it, my spiritual life develops new taste, new understanding and, what is most extraordinary, my heart softens. Then it got to me that the heart I have isn’t made of stone after all, and at last Krishna gave me the opportunity to feel this warm feeling towards Him and to cry because of Him.
You talked about Srila Prabhupada, how communicating with him gives an opportunity to not feel that we have a material body. I am excited about your enthusiasm to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission, and by your wish to give maximumly, with maximum love, maximum personality to give the taste of devotional service to everyone. There is so much spiritual nectar and taste in your lectures that after that it is very hard for Maya devi to offer something more attractive. The words you said help me very much – It is very easy to be a pure devotee, it is more difficult to be in the material world -.
What is most important, when you hear with how much taste for Krishna one talks about Him, faith in the Holy Name gets bigger and bigger.
I want to thank you for being so attentive towards us. In the beginning it was just a shock for me, so much warmth and care; my heart is little to understand such big things.
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I pray to Krishna that you would have strong health, and that we would have the opportunity to hear your lectures and have your association. I need this spiritual nectar very much.
Forever in debt to you,
Your ever servant,
Jayaradhe dasi
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble and sincere obeisances on this the most glorious day of your appearance! I do not have the words to properly express gratitude; therefore I included the words of His Holiness Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s famous bhajan “Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura” in this offering to your lotus feet.
Ohe! Vaisnaba thakura, doyara sagara,
e dase koruna kori’
Diya pada chaya , sodho he amaya,
tomara carana dhori
2) Chaya bega domi’, chaya dosa sodhi’,
chaya guna deho’ dase
Chaya sat-sanga, deho’ he amare,
Boshechi sangera ase
1) O venerable Vaisnava, O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.
2 )Teach me to control my six passions; rectify my six faults, bestow upon me the six qualities, and offer unto me the six kinds of holy association
I am most fortunate because you have accepted me as your disciple although I have nothing of value to offer nor do I have any chance of ever repaying your kindness and mercy. For this I will always be greatly indebted. Over and over again I count my blessings that you continue to give your association. No matter where I am, the Indian Subcontinent or the emergency room, your instructions give me hope and encouragement.
3) Ekaki amara, nahi paya bala
hari-nama-sankirtane
Tumi krpa kori’ sraddha-bindu diya,
deho Krsna-nama-dhane
4) Krsna se tomara, Krsna dite paro
tomara sakati ache
Ami to’ kangala, ‘Krsna’ ‘Krsna’ boli’,
dhai tava pache pache
3)I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the Holy Name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the Holy Name of Krsna.
4) Krsna is yours; you have the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting “Krsna ! Krsna!”
Srila Gurudeva, you give all of us the strength to go on. Time and time again I am amazed by your qualities of compassion, sincerity, determination, one-pointed-ness, enthusiasm, and chastity to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. I cannot and do not want to imagine the state of things had Krishna not sent you. The ‘Triangle’ would most certainly be a bleak place to reside. We are all truly blessed by your presence. By Krishna’s continued mercy, soon Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Golokananda will have a wonderful new temple and the Holy Names will resound even louder in a larger kirtana hall filled with more recipients of Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mercy. I pray that you include me in this number and engage me more fully in your service.
Although I do not know what the future holds, I continue to hope and pray that through the days and years to come, Muralidhara and I will be drawn deeper and deeper into your service, and closer and closer to your lotus feet.
Hare Krishna.
Your daughter and servant,
Jayasri devi dasi
Dear Guru Maharaj,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Shri Shri Radha Golokananda!
Guru Maharaja, you are a pure devotee engaging your mind, body, and soul in the service of Lord Krsna. You are the perfect being and we aspire to follow your footsteps; especially in spreading Krsna’s Holy Name around the world and beyond. In spite of shouldering various responsibilities for Prabhupada’s ISKCON, you care for and look after your disciples all over the world.
Srila Prabhupada conveyed the desire of Lord Caitanya that the harinam movement will spread all over the world – in every town, village, and city and you are spending your life to fulfill the desire of your spiritual master. Fallen souls like us take shelter at your lotus feet in order to obtain forgiveness from the life times of sins by your mercy and the enlightenment of the path of our spiritual life.
Over last eight years, we are always delighted to notice that you have inherited from your spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, all his spiritual qualities, commitment, and determination to carry on his mission. It is stated in the scriptures that Krsna can be pleased only through His pure devotees. Guru Maharaja, you are well on your way to fulfill this goal. Please give us strength so that we can follow your instructions without fail, stay as your eternal servitor, and fulfill the same goal.
Your eternal servants in Krsna’s service,
Kardama Muni Das and Family.
Please accept my respectful obeisances at your Vyasa puja day! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Although I have been not very long time in Krsna Consciusness, I can still understand that you are very great and special soul.
Thank you for your help! I hope that in future I have an oppurtunity to serve you more and get to know you more!
Your servant,
Bhaktin Karin
Nama om Visnu padaya Krsna presthaya bhutale
Srimate Bir Krishna Goswamin iti namine
Namo hamsa nikasaya Prabhupada priyayate
Sudrdha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakya nuvadine
Dear Bir Krishna Goswami,
I offer my respectful obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to you!
What a lucky day it is for all the people on this planet, when you were born. You are so mercifully spreading the knowledge of Sri Krishna Caitanya, so that people can realize what the truth is and so become happy.
In that way it seems that Krishna is not so far away, because we see him through you, who are so close. And I can see how my life has changed.
On this most auspicious occasion of Your Vyasa-puja, we thank Lord Krishna for giving us the opportunity to think of His pure devotee and worship him. Therefore, I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean of auspicious qualities.
Your servant,
Keshava das
Dearest Gurudeva,
Please accept my respectful obesiances. All Glories to Srila
Prabhupada.
I am so happy to be able to celebrate your special day with you and my wonderful God-sisters and God-brothers.
On my long journey back to Godhead I am so blessed that I have such an extraordinary, most compassionate, bona fide spiritual master like you. The maps & guides are great, but your Krishna consciousness and personal example, show that you are competent in leading your disciples back home to Godhead.
You have taken on such a great responsibility, working so hard to guide your disciples & empower them to become eligible candidates for the perfect position, as humble servants. I am so very grateful and so very happy to know I have a guru like YOU.
I am such a fool. I am so much in darkness, struggling very hard to survive, and I am so poor in devotional service, but I am trying to have a better life in Krishna consciousness. Somehow you, Gurudeva, have given so much shelter & mercy to a fool like me.
My debt can never be re-paid. So I pray that when the time comes in your last stage of life, I will have been trained up to become one of your bona fide disciples to take up and follow your instructions along with my inspiring God-sisters and God-brothers, into preaching
activities so that you, Gurudeva, can sit down in a peaceful place and render nirjana-bhajana. If I could just come to that platform & totally please you that would be my heart’s desire.
Your Undeserving Servant,
Kirtida
Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my most humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to your
divine appearance day.
How can I glorify the rare qualities of a pure devotee who is always engaged in Lord’s service and always preaches the glories of Holy Name everywhere and every time? I am very fortunate to have the shelter of your lotus feet, and I am so happy for being protected by your servants.
I humbly pray to Sri Sri Radha Golokananda and your divine grace to give me shelter with my husband under your lotus feet for the rest of our lives.
Your servant,
Krishna priya
My dear eternal father Srila Bir Krishna das Goswami Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to you.
I am very grateful to Krishna that during this past year I have been able to have more of your personal association, and I was allowed to do more service.
As I have been growing up in Krishna consciousness, having you as my spiritual guide and father, gradually more and more I have come to understand what the proper way is to serve Krishna. Seeing you using your spiritual intelligence applied in your disciples’ lives in a very practical way, and seeing how much time and energy you give to individuals who are approaching Krishna, I have been amazed.
As I remember two years back when I was allowed to serve you in Nava Srivas Angam, Denmark, I understood that you were the first person I had ever met who is completely selfless. When I came to New Goloka I met a few other ones, too. They are like expansions of your mercy. I hope that I can also become your servant in this regard, helping others approach Krishna without desire for personal gain.
In one class Srila Prabhupada was saying how he had asked his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati how he could serve him. The answer was, of course, to distribute Krishna consciousness in English. From this Srila Prabhupada continued that everyone should take their spiritual master’s instructions in their hearts, and not think whether their personal happiness is increasing or decreasing. This really made me think that how unqualified I was to serve you. I have hope in my heart, though, that one day I will actually be able to serve you like this, full-heartedly.
When we come to this movement, some of us bring all kinds of things with them, such as the materialistic mentality to exploit others for one’s personal happiness. Many times I have heard the example of watering the root of the tree, but still it is hard to do that 24 hours a day since this mentality is very deep rooted in me.
But now finally, I have hope in my heart because of seeing how you live, how you serve others, how you are always willing to help, how you get up every morning to see the Deities, how you enthusiastically serve Srila Prabhupada with every step you take. Having seen all these things, I have become jolly at the thought that by at least trying to serve you with my mind, body and soul, there is hope for me also in the future to help people with their Krishna consciousness without personal motivation.
I feel that this is a gift that you are sharing, and I pray that you will forgive all my offenses and that you will let me assist you.
Thank you so much for your guidance.
Your servant and daughter,
Krsangi dasi
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
and Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. All glories to your Divine Grace.
I am eternally indebted to you because you have taken it upon yourself to guide me back to Krishna, even though I am completely undeserving of this mercy. I do not understand Krishna consciousness, but I do know that seeing you is seeing the embodiment of Krishna consciousness and of Srila Prabhupada’s mission. Anyone who takes shelter of you is completely guaranteed to achieve the most supreme happiness in existence, because you understand the essence of Krishna consciousness, and you always bring everyone toward that with your constant encouragement, instructions and personal example. Every moment of your life is dedicated to the mission of bringing others to Krishna. And the most amazing thing is that pleasing you is so simple. You only ask that
people chant Krishna’s names sincerely and associate with devotees. I used to take serving you for granted, but being away for so long sometimes makes it difficult to meditate on seeing you smile when you hear that I have preached to someone or done some service for Radha Golokananda.
Standing back and looking at the whole picture has, however, helped me to see on some level that pleasing you, simple as it is, is the most important thing I can ever do. Making you happy is the only thing that has ever lifted me above the multiple miseries of this world. Your shelter, your instructions, your disciples, these are the things that have always protected me and given me a glimpse of real, true, pure happiness.
I want to always serve you and Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya and the most beautiful Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. Especially now, I take shelter of you, praying at least for the desire to desire to be your regulated, determined and most importantly, eternal servant…
Krsna devi dasi
Dear Bir Krishna das Goswami!
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I would like to thank you with all my heart for the advice and help you have given me during these few months. It inspires me so much that whatever the “problem” I might have, in your letters you always emphasize the importance of focusing on the final goal – love for Krishna.
I really admire your tenderness and deep compassion for your
disciples, being ready to answer them twenty four hours a day and to
pray for them even if some slight worry occurs.
Thank you for this mercy that you have given me a chance to become your disciple. I pray that I would have enough devotion to follow your instructions and to serve you with all my faith.
Your servant,
Krsnanandini dasi
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. May you always reside at Their Lotus Feet. All glories to your unalloyed devotional service. All glories to you on this most auspicious day of your appearance.
Before writing this offering, I was thinking that I wished I were
poetic, so that I could write a beautiful poem glorifying your dedicated
service. Then I began to think of how many countless offerings I had written over the years, and I began to fear that over time, I had become complacent, and out of familiarity, lost the proper vision and respect. At this point, I realized that first I must turn to Srila Prabhupada’s books and understand from him what the proper mood is to have on this most special occasion.
1. In the CC AD1 text 44 purport, Srila Prabhupada explains that the spiritual master’s eternal occupation is to expand the service of the Lord by training the disciples in a service attitude. By this statement, I could reflect on how you are always sacrificing your own life to teach and train others in Krsna’s service. How can I ever repay you for the patience you have had with me? You are always enthusiastic in devotional service. Thank you for setting such a wonderful example.
2. The spiritual master is a most faithful and confidential servant of
the Lord, and therefore, deserves as much respect as Krsna. From this statement, I can understand how, in order to please Krsna, we must please His dear devotee. Yet, you are so humble that you tolerate all of our nonsense, and still try to point us in the right direction. You have given up all sense gratification and focused your life on giving pleasure to Krsna. By this example you are leading us back to Krsna’s Lotus Feet. You are traveling all over the world just to give others the chance to hear about Krsna.
3. The spiriutal master is asraya-vigraha, or the manifestation or form
of the Lord of whom one must take shelter. When we realize that by our independence, we have only hurt ourselves and others, you are there to show us the right way. Thank you for turning my life around.
4. Gaudiya Vaisnavas worship Srila Gurudeva in the light of his being
the servitor of the Supreme Lord. He is seen to be one of the
confidential associates of either Srimati Radharani or Lord Nityananda.
By your dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, you are teaching us not to try to jump prematurely to higher levels of devotional service, but to first take shelter of the spiritual master, who is a representative of Srila Govindadeva Vigraha and can give us the proper guidance and instructions.
5. One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the
Personality of Krsna. Lord Krsna manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord. Thank you for being my instructing spiritual master and guiding me through the dense forest of material illusion. Thank you most of all for allowing me to assist you in the service of Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. Thank you for trusting me to help train your dear disciples.
I pray that Lord Krsna will give you a long life of service to Srila Prabhupada. Please forgive me for all of my offenses.
Your servant,
Krsnapriya devi dasi
nama om visnupadaya krishna prestaya bhu-tale
srimate bir krishna das goswami iti namine
namahamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudhridha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakyanuvadine
Todas las glorias a Prabhupada; todas las glorias a Srila Gurudeva
Srila Gurudeva acepte mis humildes reverencias ante sus divinos pies de loto.
Le ruego al Señor Supremo Krishna que en este día y siempre goce usted de gran salud, para que siempre pueda usted servir a Srila Prabhupada sin ningun obstáculo.
Su aparición de usted en este mundo tiene mucho significado para mi,porque vino usted para enseñarnos como servir al amado maestro espiritual y lo hace magistralmente. Usted con su ejemplo me motiva para cantar diariamente el santo nombre y a llevar los cuatro principios regulativos, es usted un oceano de misericordia sin causa.
Srila Gurudeva solo puedo verlo una sola vez al año, pero yo todos los días estoy con usted, atendiéndolo con mis insignificantes e inútiles ofrendas en mi pequeño altar, cantando con usted sus hermosas canciones, siento que me libero de este mundo mientras las escucho, su influencia espiritual en mi vida ha sido maravillosa, yo no se como podré pagarle.
Gurudeva, como usted ya sabe, este año perdí a mi padre, al padre de mi cuerpo, fué una pérdida muy grande, sin embargo usted, con sus divinas y gratificantes palabras de aliento, mitigó mi dolor, y realmente comprendí que no estaba solo, que tenía aún un padre espiritual en usted y que me estaba consolando.
Por todo eso, le oro muy humildemente al Señor Krishna, al Señor Caitanya y a Srila Prabhupada para que lo colmen de bendiciones en este glorioso día de su aparición, y espero que algún día pueda estar capacitado para ayudarlo a servir a Prabhupada.
Srla Gurudeva, deseo que sea muy feliz en este su vyasa puja, en esta vida y en la otra, al lado de Srila Prabhupada.
Glorioso vyasa puja de mi amado maestro espiritual, Srila Bir
Krishna.
Maharaja Ki, Jai!
Su muy humilde aspirante a sirviente,
Kurma das
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Dear Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Please don’t read this out loud. Here are a few jokes so you can have a happy Vyasa Puja.
Why did the cow go to Hollywood?
It wanted to become a mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooovie star!
Why don’t Aliens have door bells on their space crafts?
They’re trying to win the NO-BELL prize.
Where is the best place to hold an All Star Game?
In a planetarium.
Your servant,
Lalita Madhava
P.S.Hope you like the jokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Mooooooooooooooo!!!!!
Dear Gurudeva,
Happy Appearance day!
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to your divine activities in this world. All glories to your careful adherence to Srila Prabhupada’s mood and teachings.
Each year that I am able to remain under your shelter, I see more and more the expansive nature of your care, compassion and
tolerance, as well as your precise ability to know what individuals need in order to become encouraged to go in devotional service.
The one point that has hit me the hardest came though in a class you gave recently. Speaking about devotees in comparison to children learning to walk, I sat watching your understanding and compassion. You said that when a child is learning to walk they may fall, get up, walk some more and again they may fall. But they are learning to walk and this is expected. It does not come automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to learn to walk, with you as my guide. Thank you for your gentle encouragement and highest example. I am ever indebted to you and sincerely hope to be able to bring others to the exciting process of waking up to spiritual reality.
Praying to remain your servant,
Lilasuka dasi
Dear Gurudeva,
On this Vyasa-puja, I wish to properly express my boundless gratitude for your presence on the planet and in my life. Each year, each day, each minute, you strictly carry out the instructions of your spiritual master and manifest pure love of Godhead through your words and actions. Spreading the eternal gift of Krishna Consciousness, you tirelessly work to deliver fallen souls all over the world. I thank Sri-Sri Radha Krishna everyday that you have found me.
May I learn to serve you with increasing strength and intelligence. May I open to receive your precious mercy through faithfully chanting, hearing, and remembering. I pray to become your devoted disciple that remains eternally mindful of her duty to satisfy you.
Your aspiring servant,
Lisa Marie
nama om visnu padaya krsna presthaya bhutale
srimate bir krsna das gosvamin iti namine
namo hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
su drdha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakyanuvadine
Dear Bir Krishna Das Goswami,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All
glories to you on this special day. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
ayi nanda-tanuja kinkaram
patitam mam visame bhavambudhau
krpaya tava pada-pankaja-
sthita-dhuli-sadrsam vicintaya
As your causeless mercy and compassion seem to be unlimited and without any selfish discrimination, they must be coming directly from Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya. Your genuine respect and loving concern serve as the most effective cleansing agents for the hearts of those fortunate persons who have got your association. It is quite obvious that you truely live your mission of saving the fallen souls from the horrible ocean of nescience.
I am one of those helpless, depending on your mercy in the
storming ocean of materialism. I survive the miseries just due to Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai’s transcendental effulgence, which reaches me through your inspiring words. My position as a fallen rascal is very insignificant, but without your caring guidance and spiritual support it would be hopeless indeed.
Struggling with all kinds of reactions and unwanted desires I
recall your advice to become pure in Krishna consciousness. Sticking to the Holy Name, I go on the path of chanting and remembering Krishna. Although I see neither increase in my devotion nor progress in my surrendering to you, I keep on trying to become a Vaisnava.
It is difficult for me to express the gratefulness I feel for
your faith in my possibilities to approach the spiritual goal of becoming a pure devotee one day. I am the embodiment of ignorance and impurities and still you pour your causeless mercy on me by treating me with endless tolerance and patience. I feel like a child doing useless things, who despite of all the stupid behavior gets protection and affection from the father. My speeches of thanks are never able to describe your transcendental Vaisnava qualities as they are.
I thank you over and over again for your most valuable
association. I hope that with the help of your purifying mercy I will learn how to serve Vaisnavas in the most beneficial way, so that you and Srila Prabhupada and Lord Krishna will be pleased.
Your humble servant and siksa-disciple,
Mamata-mayi dasi
Dearest Gurudev,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to your
divine grace. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I always find myself at a loss for the proper words to glorify you on this day, no doubt due to my spiritual immaturity. My spiritual advancement is quite slow, and sometimes it seems almost nonexistent-yet, you are always there to encourage me and my family.
Sometimes I feel like grhastha life is an impediment to
spiritual advancement but you are always reassuring me that it is my service to raise my children properly and to not neglect my family responsibilities. For more than five years now, you have been guiding me along the path of bhakti-yoga, yet I am just now starting to realize how much patience and kindness you have always shown toward me.
You planted the seed of bhakti right here in NC, and it has blossomed and grown by leaps and bounds. How fortunate we are to be seeing the results of all your hard work and your devotion to Srila Prabhupada. It is by your mercy that we are able to live in this
wonderful community of vaisnavas.
Thank you Gurudev!
Your aspiring servant,
Mandakini devi dasi
Mi querido Gurudeva Bir Krsna Goswami Maharaja:
Por favor acepte mis mas humildes y sinceras reverencias a sus divinos pies de loto. Todas las glorias a su divina gracia Srila Prabhupada.
Es mi mejor deseo que se encuentre bien de salud, no
solamente por sur su Vyasa Puja sino porque este dia es muy especial en todo el Universo pues Krsna con su infinita misericordia sin causa lo envio a este mundo; y asi se apiado de almas tan caidas como la mia y me acepto como su discipula.
Si Usted me permite, quiero pedirle que me de sus bendiciones para seguir con determinacion y entusiasmo con la conciencia de Krsna. Tambien quiero decirle que lo llevo en el corazon y que me permita refugiarme por siempre bajo la sombra de sus pies de loto.
Con amor y devocion,
Su mas humilde servidora,
Manmohini devi dasi
Please accept my obeisances,
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Dear Srila Gurudev, I cannot express in words what it meant for me to meet and hear you talk about Krishna. I felt that everything started to make sense in my life, and of course I wanted to run and tell everybody about it and how you can explain them also, but then I realized that not all of us have the chance to get across such elevated soul and get their eyes open so we can see the absolute truth.
Ever since I heard you, I have perceived most things differently, now when I see the sunlight, I remember, and when I drink some water I can taste it. I will never be able to thank you and repay enough for all your love and your teachings.
Now I have realized that I have so much to learn in order to serve you, I just ask Krishna to please let me serve you as much as I possibly can in this life.
Your servant,
Bhakta Marco
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Dearest Gurudeva:
Happy Vyasa-puja on this most glorious of auspicious
days!
I know not the mood of my godbrothers and godsisters in honoring you, Gurudeva. So I will just try to reveal my heart.
On or just after the 18th of June, I received a letter from you, Gurudeva, giving my first born daughter the name Lila. My wife and I are eternally grateful for even this one act, which is the most powerful.
But how could we just stop there with our love and praise. Bir Krsna Goswami has to be and must be the most merciful of souls coming to direct and save the fallen conditioned souls. Always direct
and thoughtful, full and complete in action, non-judgmental yet
firm. These are the wonderful qualities of guru.
I was away from Guru’s pranam prayer this weekend because I was stuck somewhere due to weather conditions. Upon arriving back, I quickly reached for Gurudeva’s pranam prayer, and with full confidence and determination, I was able to recite it so perfectly. All of a sudden I felt so much of Krsna’s causeless mercy, and it was as if Gurudeva was sitting there with me protecting me from the evils of the material world.
Everyday, if we aspire to honor guru through his pranam prayer, and we learn and protect and honor Gurudeva’s teachings, Guru will be sitting next to us when we need him, and we will be protected in this material world.
How well Gurudeva knows all of us, all of his children. Yet we are still struggling to know him. How well Srila Prabhupada knows all of us, his children. Yet we are still struggling to know Srila Prabhupada. Even after he built a house in which the whole world could live.
I aspire to know you and learn from you everyday, Gurudeva. Please continue to protect us.
Your rascal of a servant,
Bhakta Marcus
Dearest Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to
Srila Prabupada!
What can this aspiring disciple say to do any justice
on this auspicious day of your Vyasa-Puja? Actually, for a genuine disciple every single day should be a new and fresh awakening in regards to his relationship to you. I only hope to be able to serve you in this mood, so that your mercy becomes more and more manifest
in this contaminated soul’s heart, and only by constant vigilance in the daily application of meditating on your instruction will I be able to purify this heart, thereby giving me the strength to serve you more!
There are so many praiseworthy activities in this Krsna
conciousness movement that we can do to please Krsna;
however, Krsna himself has given a specific opinion in this regard; He states:
naham ijya-prajatibham
tapasopasamena va
tusyeyam sarva-bhutatma
guru-susrusaya yatha
I, the soul of all beings, am not as satisfied by ritual worship, brahminical initiation, penances or self-discipline as I am by faithful service rendered to one’s spiritual master.
Please, by your mercy, help me to make this my life and
soul because after all, I am to serve you eternally!
Thank you so very much!
Trying to be the servant of your servants,
Markandeya Rsi dasa brahmacari
Guru Maharaj,
Your ability to help and console the devotees is great.
Always keeping strong enthusiasm to glorify Radha and Krishna while teaching others how. Your mission is the most sacred!
Mathura Dasa
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Thank you for being so soft with our little family even though we are such lousy disciples.
Thank you for visiting our home and eating our food.
Thank you for making us feel so special even though we actually are just junky people.
Thank your for being a grandpa to our little girl.
You are very kind.
That is all we have to say.
Your servants
Mayapurcandra das and
Campakalata Devi dasi
Hare Krsna!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Dear Gurudeva,
Por favor acepte toda mi obediencia y respeto y mis mejores deseos por que Krsna le de salud y lo ilumine siempre.
Alejandro creció con sus abuelos en un pueblo en donde la gente bebe el agua del Río Yuruparí y solo toma de los árboles aquellos frutos que le permitan calmar su sed. Su abuela muy religiosa le contaba historias sobre un ser supremo tan viejo y tan arrugado como la misma eternidad. Así que Alejandro se imaginaba a alguien con el cabello muy largo y muy blanco de cara gentil y voz apacible.
Un día llegaron al pueblo hombres jóvenes vestidos de zafrón, con caras igualmente apacibles y música extraña a los oídos de Alejandro. Atraído por las palabras se atrevío a preguntar de dónde venía la música, quién la había escrito y qué significaba?
Es Krsna!, respondió uno de los músicos.
Quién es Krsna?, preguntó Alejandro.
Krsna es el más gentil, bello y joven de la creción!, continuó el músico.
Joven?
Sí, y el más viejo también.
Pudiera verlo?, dijo el niño.
El hombre le mostró a Krsna y Alejandro quedó fascinado con lo que vió. Siguió a los músicos…se fue detrás…su abuela sonrió.
Feliz cumpleaños! Hare Krsna,
Your servant,
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Hare Krishna! Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
As a guru you have taught us many things. You have always stood by the need for regulation, persistence, optimism, and humor. From the beginning you have embraced the process of Krishna consciousness with determination and conviction, and this we can all admire. We know that you still have many hopes and ideas for spreading this sankirtana movement. We pray that, as they please Krishna, they may be fulfilled, and that we may be of some assistance.
Your servant,
Muralidhara dasa
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Narottama das,Nagaratram,Adilakshmi,Sridhar(Syamananda das)
Ramanuja das (Sekhara Rao Basavaraju),Suvarna Latha,Sridevi ,Sailaja and
Srikala
GAITHERSBURG, MD, September 27, 2001
Dear Srila Bir Krishna Maharaj:
Reference: Your Appearance Day Celebration – October 2001.
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. We are all slowly progressing in the spiritual path by your blessings. You are working tirelessly to spread the glories of Lord Krishna and preach the Absolute Truth. You are an exemplary vaishnava saint.
As is evident from the recent demoniac and terrorist acts that destroyed so many innocent human lives, this age of Kali is degrading exactly as predicted in Srimad Bhagavatam. In the name of religion, people are acting irreligiously with demoniac mentality. The only hope, that can save people from this, is to take shelter of a guru like you who has completely dedicated his life for spreading Krishna Consciousness. You place Krishna ahead of your health. It is certainly by Srila Prabhupad’s mercy and divine arrangement, that you are in a key leadership role in GBC to tackle the various problems.
We are very fortunate to have you as our spiritual master. Many a time, we have observed that by the power of your eloquent statement of the message on Lord Krishna, people, including the first time listeners become very attached to Lord Krishna.
On the auspicious day of your appearance, we pray Lord Krishna to bestow His mercy.
Hare Krishna
Very Sincerely Yours,
Narottama Das (Chakrapani Basavaraju)
Nagaratnam
Adilakshmi
Sridhar (Syamananda Das)
Dearmost Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances on the most auspicious day of your appearance. All glories to your Divine Grace! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
The gift of Krishna consciousness is invaluable, and therefore, it is impossible to repay one’s debt to the spiritual master for giving us
that gift. Similarly, I find it difficult to find words which would properly glorify you and express my gratitude to you for giving me shelter and guidance in my spiritual life. If didn’t have that guidance, support and loving care from you, I would not be able to chant the holy names and engage in other devotional practices with faith and the right attitude.
Before I met you and started to take guidance from you, I was full of doubts, and I was stuck in spiritual life. But since I started to take guidance from you, my life began to change very positively; my doubts were destroyed and I became spiritually enlivened again.
Besides that you are always so compassionate, encouraging and understanding, what I appreciate very much in your personality is that you are so simple and practical, and that you don’t ask us to give up our material nature.
Because you are situated in yukta vairagya, you know how to engage everything in Krishna’s service, and thus you encourage us also to do so.
You don’t train us only in spiritual life, but you also teach us to
follow sub religious principles. You teach us to be honest and humble and to understand that for most of us it’s a long way to go and hard work to do before we become so pure that we can transcend the material world.
You are not only the spiritual master to your disciples, but you are also a loving and caring father. I must say that I haven’t met anyone else before who is so strict in devotional practices, but who can simultaneously relate so well and is compassionate to those who are beginners in spiritual life.
Because of your simplicity and humility, one doesn’t feel ashamed to approach you no matter how fallen and unworthy one may feel oneself. You see and encourage whatever little good qualities one may have.
My biggest desire and prayer is that I may always remain faithful to you and your instructions, and that they may always be my main shelter. I pray that my appreciation for you and the vaishnavas will continually increase, and that I will never take for granted your association and mercy on me.
I wish that I will always continue attempting to assist you in
connecting the conditioned souls back to Lord Krishna’s lotus feet and that I may be able to please you.
Thank you, Gurudeva; thank you for everything you are doing for us!
Your eternal servant and daughter,
Nitai-lila devi dasi
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Hare Krishna!
Please accept my deepest respects on your Appearance Day!
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I hope you have a wonderful day. On a small personal note I would like to say that is difficult to live in distance from my spiritual master and devotees. However, should I have never met you, then that would have been the biggest tragedy and struggle of all of all.
I pray this finds you in good health, and that Gopala behaves.
Thank you my dear spiritual master and friend.
Your aspiring disciple,
Nityananda dasa
I often wonder, how little I know,
of spiritual life, and my need to “make show”
The disciplic succession, offers the link,
so I am praying every day for my duty not to shrink.
And take up such mercy, without discrimination,
or finding fault, drying up all saturation,
with example and guidance, instructions profound,
I acquire a glimpse, of one who’s life is never bound
by the conditioning of time, or the great material space,
the objects of the senses, a swan-like touch of grace,
yet strong and determined, with practical expertise
my bitter unresolve, surrenders to those who please
the guru of my darkness, whose servants pass the torch
glorious as I look, or doubting feel the scorch
conjure up no meaning, truth can only be heard
from the lips of such a servant, transmitting holy word
Panca Tattva dasa
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my greetings on your appearance day and my respects. May all glories go to Srila Prabhupada, and may his glory continue to shine through your life.
As you know, as well as my god-brothers and god-sisters, I have an addictive personality type. This limits what I am free to do, in some respects. For example, I really do not trust myself to use the internet responsibly. You can take my word for it, that what I would do on-line in the privacy of my own home would not be very uplifting, thus I am the odd man out. At times I feel cut off from my god-brothers and god-sisters and from what is going on in ISKCON as a whole, but it beats the alternative. But you know all this about me or at least highly suspect it.
Anyway, what I am getting at is this:
Once upon the time, some time last year in Atlanta, a devotee friend of mine was giving me hell about not being on-line. “Why, I bet you don’t even know what your own guru is doing!” My friend chided me.
“But I do.” I said.
“Oh, yeah, what then?” My friend responded back to me.
I said back to her, “Yes, you are right that I do not know what are the most recent stamps in his passport, but I do know what he is doing. I know that wherever he is in the world, he is waking up at such-and-such time. Then he bathes. Then he attends a morning worship program, where he may or may not give a class on Srimad Bhagavatam. I know that he chants most of his japa in the early morning hours. Then after the morning program and until he goes to bed at night, he is constantly serving Krsna and Krsna’s devotees 100% to the best of his ability.
“As far as his other activities like where he is at and who he is with, I haven’t a clue, but I do take great comfort in knowing what stays constant in his life. These core things do not change.”
Again, happy appearance day and thank you for being you.
Your fallen devotee and friend,
Parasurama dasa
Dear Bir Krishna das Goswami,
Please accept my respectful greetings.
I want to honor your appearence day by thanking you for all the help you have given to me and my daughter.
I wish you all the best and very good health!
With my best regards,
Pirjo
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
nama om visnu padaya krsna presthaya bhutale
srimate bir Krisna das goswamin iti namine
namo hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudhrida sudhi nisthabyam tasya vakya nu vadine
All glories to you, Srila Gurudeva!
At your auspicious appearance day I would like to submit to you a
prayer.
At first I would like to thank you for being so patient and tolerant with me, despite all my shortcomings. I deeply appreciate your compassion for the fallen souls and your willingness to reach out to them and bring them to the highest platform with complete selflessness.
There is one lecture of yours that I have been listening to and
meditating on for a long time this year. You say there that we generally always trying to get something from others because we are always in need, not being self-satisfied and, therefore, we try to exploit others through our relationships. We will not become self-satisfied until we truly take shelter of the Holy Names of Krishna and until we chant and hear attentively and purely. Only then our hearts will be satisfied and we will become tolerant, merciful and able to help others selflessly.
You are indeed showing how this is true also with your personal example. You make me see how turning away from the Lord is an offense in our eternal relationship to Him, and how trying to put someone else in the center of our life always proves to bring distress, especially for one who is trying to reestablish his relationship with the Lord. This is so for all the relationships in this world, especially conjugal, which is nothing but an attempt to imitate the Lord as the enjoyer and controller in the highest degree.
Thank you so much for letting me see this! Please let me become firmly fixed in this understanding, which protects one from so much suffering.
The conditioned soul like me is maddened by the illusion that he can find happiness in this world. But there is no happiness in this world. This is a desolate place which is very hard, cold and empty. The material world, without service to Krishna, is just like a desert, where the illusory energy constantly attacks the conditioned souls in unlimited ways.
You told me once, that ultimately we will have to learn that there is no shelter in this world. The only real shelter is in Krishna’s Holy Names. By chanting in a desperate, prayerful mood, we can attain the shelter of Krishna’s lotus feet. And then it no longer matters if outside it is freezing cold, if everyone is nasty to us or if our body is giving us trouble. Then we are situated in another world, being connected to Krishna, and the pains and miseries of this world become insignificant.
I pray to be able to fully take shelter of your lotus feet and always be connected with you and Krishna through my service.
On my own, I am very fragile and weak, and even a little bit of bad
association pulls me down into darkness. Therefore I depend very much on you for strength. Thank you for protection, which you are giving me so mercifully, and thank you for giving me association of your most dedicated assistants.
I beg you to let me know you properly and always be able to honor you. I beg for your mercy so that I may be able to improve my chanting of Krishna’s Holy Name. And I also beg you that I may somehow or other always continue to assist you in preaching.
Your insignificant servant,
Prema manjari dd
Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Your Divine Grace!
My dear spiritual father, my master, please accept this offering on your Vyasa-puja day. Let me congratulate you on this day thousands of times. All glories and compliments to His Divine Grace Srila Bir Krishna das Goswami!
You enlighten my mind and heart because you give me the truth about Krishna, the truth that guides me to Krishna`s residence, and that gives that right taste of pure love of Krishna which makes me spiritually satisfied.
You, my spiritual father and master, and Srila Prabhupada are enabled to give that right knowledge about Krishna. All glories to you!
You give the life energy and happiness. When I hear your words, I feel purified. How wonderful it is to live a life where there are rules for
what I can do and what I should not do, so that I do not live in ignorance.
You, my spiritual father, give the right explanations so that we can find the way home. What would our life be without you? You are the most important person in this world for me. How would my
days be without you?
I am so happy to be your servant, to be the servant of one who is serving the Lord so beautifully as you do. All glories to you, my spiritual master, Srila Bir Krishna das Goswami!
Your servant,
Pundarika das
Please, please accept my most humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!!
This is my deepest apology for all those offenses I have made toward Your Holiness.
I have started to keep you, as my spiritual father, and I feel that I could tell anything to you. Sometimes it just feels like my things are nonsense and rubbish, which they, unfortunately, are.
I really do hope that we could keep this relationship through this lifetime and also the next ones!! Though Your Holiness is not going to take birth at this terrible planet anymore.
I also hope that I could follow you, wherever you go, though I am just a silly young girl. Please accept me the way I am.
At the dust of Your Lotus Feet,
Your humble servant,
Radha
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
This blessed appearance day of yours is the time to focus the mind on the relationship with you. Such thoughts come to mind like were would I be without the shelter of your lotus feet which are purifying me and giving me the real aim of life. As darkness disappears by the rays of sun, you destroy the illusion of your disciple. Whenever there is the opportunity to take your association or to do direct service, everything becomes auspicious and successful.
As you are the faithful disciple of Srila Prabhupada, you give intelligence to us grand disciples to understand Srila Prabhupada s instructions and desires. Under your guidance everything starts to become clear and evident, “so it should be and that way we should act and work.” By your enthusiastic service to Srila Prabhupada, you give us a good, inspiring example how we should serve spiritual master.
Thanking you for everything you have given me during this short time and praying that I can continue to serve you and praying that your instructions would come my life and soul.
Ending this with Srila Prabhupadas commentary to the verse stated by Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His instructions to Rupa Goswami (CC. Madhya 19.151)
brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
“…The seed of devotional service fructifies and becomes a transcendental creeper. Finally it reaches the lotus feet of the Lord in the spiritual sky. This seed is obtained by the mercy of the Lord and the guru. By the Lord’s mercy one gets the association of a bona fide guru, and by the mercy of the guru, one gets a chance to render devotional service. Devotional service, the science of bhakti-yoga, carries one from this material world to the spiritual world.”
Your servant,
Radha-kunda dasi
.
Dear Bir Krishna Maharaja!
Please accept my humble obeisances ! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Over the years I have met many sannyasis and gurus, but you are unique in many ways. You are a deeply Krishna conscious personality, always keeping a simple and low profile. You never make a great show of charisma or externally displayed spirituality and devotion. Though you have many spiritual and also material qualities and skills to be proud of, you remain genuinely humble.
In spiritual as well as material life there is the great danger that the more we advance in some field of achievement the more proud we get. But only in the heart of the humble can the bhakti-lata flourish, ripen and bloom.
You are immune against this fatal snare of Maya for various reasons.
First, you always engage in serving and taking care of the devotees which is your greatest pleasure. You take care of everybody, not discriminating between the so called important ones and the ones who are by some often called “useless” as they are of no direct gain and profit for the institution. Based on your extraordinary devotion to Srila Prabhupada, great discipline in sadhana and above all your commitment to taking care of people, you have built up together with other wonderful devotees a Krishna conscious community that is the nicest and sweetest I have seen so far.
On Tuesday morning I happened to watch you in the kitchen from a hidden position. It is rather unusual that gurus cook on a regular basis for the Deities and devotees, it was even more unusual to see you clean the whole kitchen afterwards. You always engage in the Lord’s service, even when nobody sees. When you were going to fix the temple’s heating system the other day, Srinitamba summarized your ability to do everything for Krishna’s service in the both deep and emotional exclamation: “Gurudeva, you are such a plumber!”
You are a committed facilitator. Often great personalities are not very much interested in the personal growth of other persons, but your greatest pleasure is in facilitating the personal growth of other devotees, helping them to advance as devotees and human beings.
Second, with your outstanding sense of humor, you make others and yourself laugh full-heartedly. You often laugh about yourself, taking a humours distance to yourself, not taking yourself too serious and important. In this way you set a wonderful example that we should never take ourselves too serious and great, nor the sometimes very difficult material situations we may be temporarily in.
When Srinitamba and I were speaking about your sense of humor, she came to the conclusion that it is based on great detachment and the deep realization that this material world ultimately is a big joke. I remember how Srila Prabhupada started to laugh when his business was plundered and he had lost practically everything. You react in the same way to the adversities of life, always seeing and accepting Krishna’s hand behind everything.
Lord Krishna here in Golokananda is the most naughty I have ever seen, and if I may say this, so are you as His dearmost servant. The other day an illustrious godbrother who likes to tell far out stories called, and you explained to him that you are having your 63rd birthday party on Saturday. And when he did not buy it, at once you kept explaining it so convincingly and vividly until he bought it, naughtily smiling to us. Or when you scared your mother with your upcoming preaching mission in Afghanistan. Well, you really love teasing people – in a loving way J
You have been taking care of my dear wife in such a kind and selfless way. You have given her very, very much in so many ways. I especially want to thank you for this.
I am also very thankful that you inspire me in Krishna consciousness by your example and personality, and for enabling us to be here with you and the other wonderful devotees.
I pray that for many, many more years we will continue to joyfully celebrate your birthdays.
Your servant,
Radharadhya das
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to your divine grace. Happy Birthday!!!
I’m so fortunate to be here this year. For two years I have been unable to participate in this awesome day. I’m honored to be able to tell you in person what an incredible spiritual master you are. No matter what your disciples do, no matter how they hurt you, deceive you, or fail you, you always stick by their sides. That is why you are a true spiritual master. I have and always will have faith that you will guide me back to the spiritual world, whether it be in this life or another one. Thank you for being you.
Your daughter and servant,
Radhe devi dasi
Hare Krishna
Dear Sri Sri His Divine Grace, Tridandi Goswami Srila Bir Krishna das Maharaj:
All glories to Sri Radha-Golokananda
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries and Indian and other communities in the whole world. We are very grateful for your unique service to Lord Sri Krishna.
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavaneswari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
I offer my respects to Srimati Radharani, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of king Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.
Chanting the Holy Name, dancing in ecstasy, singing, and playing musical instruments, you are always gladdened by the sankirtana movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I offer my obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.
We thank you for your service to Lord Radha-Golokananda and your guidance to your disciples. By your mercy, we are able to progress spiritually. Your service to the whole world is evidenced by your frequent trips abroad in order to preach and visit temples. You are a great leader in ISKCON movement and helping the whole world to advance in Krishna consciousness. Your true belief in Sri Krishna is giving unlimited benefits to your sincere desire of spreading Lord Caitanya’s message of pure devotion and love of Bhagavan Krishna.
Your dedication to Sri Krishna’s service, devotion and guidance to several Krishna temples are well-appreciated by the leading authorities in ISKCON movement. I applaud your accomplishments to the great ISKCON movement, which is the only hope for liberation of the fallen souls in this material world.
You have worked very hard and you are responsible for all of the improvements in New Goloka.
I admire and appreciate your dedication and commitment to the growth of Krishna consciousness, and I am sure that our vision for a new large temple will be successful soon. You are very merciful and freely distributing the Hare Krishna mahamantra to all qualified and deserving disciples. Your adherence to strict Vaishnava principles is highly commendable. It is my sincere hope that all of our Hindu friends will realize that Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and chant Hare Krishna mahamantra. We are greatly benefited by your association, discourses, and melodious bhajans. You are always with us in times of happiness and distress. Your kind words have been a source of strength and inspiration in uplifting us in the path of devotion and trust on Lord Sri Krishna.
Harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasti eva gatir anyatha
In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is chanting the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way.
Therefore, we must chant the following mahamantra recommended in the Brahmanda Purana, Agni Purana, and Kalisantarana Upanisad.
Hare Krsna hare Krsna Krsna Krsna hare hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Your explanations of the complex Vedic literatures continue to inspire us in gaining the true message of the holy scriptures. As a pure soul, you have been assisting us in making spiritual progress. The tranquil and blissful atmosphere of New Goloka always gives us peace of mind and security in advancing in Krishna consciousness. We commend you for your sincere efforts in spreading the message of Lord Sri Krishna. May Lord Sri Krishna and Srimati Radha-rani show their mercy and support to your beloved mission of spreading the Hari Nama sankirtan in this world. My family members, Suvarna Latha, Sridevi, Sailaja, and Srikala, offer their respectful congratulations, best wishes, and appreciation to you on this happy occasion of your appearance, and we all wish you happiness, good health and spiritual enlightenment.
Hari Bol, in the service of Lord Sri Krishna.
Your disciple and humble servants,
Ramanuja das (Sekhara Rao Basavaraju)
Suvarna Latha
Sridevi
Sailaja
Srikala
Greensboro, North Carolina
September 27, 2001
My Dear Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your merciful lotus feet. All glories, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Days go by
and I wonder why
Prabhupada sent you to us.
It must be mistake –
we are not noble persons
not worth your company
still You tolerate
still You tolerate
Please still keep us in mind
don’t leave us behind
for you are like a rock
always there
always present
willing to talk
associate
negotiate
In your huge heart
we can live all
and never apart
we know
you walk with Lord Krishna
as your eternal companion
“vaya con Dios”
don’t say us adios
Please wait –
make us follow
in your golden heart
we can live all
and never apart
Your worthless servant and daughter,
Rangadevi devi dasi
(from Finland)
namo om vishnu padaya krishna presthaya bhutale
srimate bir krishna goswamin iti namine
namo hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudrdha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakyanuvadine
Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to you! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
This year I was struggling to find the right words to glorify you and express my gratitude when mother Krishna Priya requested me to write a song. By the mercy of the devotees and Sri Sri Radha-Golokananda, I wrote this little song.
Dear father,
how have I become
so young and unworldly?
Dear father,
how will you turn one so sinful
into one who is godly?
(refrain) The seed of bhakti you sow,
but only in the heart of
the humble will it grow.
Yes, only in the heart of
the humble will
the bhakti-lata grow.
Dear father,
again and again you’ve
saved me from my fate,
although for purity,
I’ll have to wait.
The path is safe,
the way is clear,
If only I am faithful
year after year. (refrain)
Dear Father,
I am afraid
of this foolish pride,
By which all good sense
is swept aside.
You are my master;
you are my guide.
I pray a real dependence
may grow inside. (refrain)
Dear Father,
Mine is a simple prayer-
That I may see your
service everywhere.
I desire to achieve
that happy position,
and thus I beg
for your benediction
that
lower than a blade of
grass I’ll be.
Can tolerate more
than a tree.
And within my mind
respect for all beings
You will find.
Within my heart
desire for prestige
Will never start. (refrain)
trnad api sunicena
taror api sahisnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harih
In this humble mentality
One can chant the names constantly!
Thank you for allowing me to engage in your service,
Your aspiring servant,
Rangadevi dasi
My dear most Spiritual Master,
I bow down to your lotus feet. All glories to you! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
I have known you only for eight months. When I met you the first time, I wasn’t serious about spiritual life. Actually I was on my way out of the temple door and never to come back. But somehow, by Krishna’s mercy, instead I got the opportunity to talk to you.
That changed my whole life. From that point I don’t have my life any more. You took it away from me. Thank you for saving me from myself!
If I didn’t get that mercy, where would I be now?! I’m eternally indebted to you, and I want to become your servant.
You are giving me more and more opportunities to deepen my understanding about Krishna consciousness. By your mercy I have learned many things that will help me to become fixed in devotional service. Even though I secretly keep the desire to remain a toy in Maya’s hands, please don’t leave me alone! Please let me really follow you.
I’m nothing without your help. Without you I have no strength. I’m so much indebted to you for guiding me in my spiritual life. Dear Srila Gurudeva, my only wish is to constantly water the seed of our spiritual relationship and carefully remove the weeds of offenses. I am a child in spiritual life. But I have deep, firm faith in you. I’m happy because of this faith, and I’ll be keeping it as a great treasure.
Your humble servant,
Rasaparayani dasi
Dear Srila Gudeva,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
nama om vishnu padaya krishna presthaya bhutale
srimate bir krishna das goswamin iti namine
namo hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudridha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakyanuvadine
Narottama Das Thakura didn´t get initiation so easily from Lokanatha Goswami, but he was very eager to serve his spiritual master. During the night when everybody was sleeping, Narottama Das would go to the place where Lokanatha Goswami would pass stool and urine. Narottama Das would cleanse the spot, maintaining everything there very nicely. After a year of serving in this way, his service was recognized by Lokanatha Goswami, and he bestowed his mercy upon Narottama Thakura.
This is a perfection of humbleness. One must have this characteristic to be able to serve one’s Guru perfectly. Still Narottama would sing to his spiritual master:
ki-rupe paiba seva mui duracara
sri-guru- vaisnave rati na haila amara
Since I have no attachment for my spiritual master and the
Vaishnavas, I am very sinful, how will I be able to serve You?
O, Narottama Das, please shower your mercy upon me, that I would finally understand the importance of my spiritual master. Please help me to serve him nicely through out my fallen life. Make me as his puppet, that when he pulls the strings, I’m moving according to his instructions. This puppet has her own mind, intelligence and false ego. They are so much present in this
useless body of mine! But when my Srila Gurudeva again pulls the right strings, the puppet body, mind, intelligence and false-ego of mine will be again moving to the right directions: in the service of Lord Sri Krishna.
tomara hrdaye sada govinda-visram
govinda kahena – mama vaishnava paran
Govinda is Always resting in your heart, so Govinda says: – The
Vaishnavas are My heart.
By taking shelter at the lotus feet of a great Vaishnavas, like you, Srila Gurudeva, one can attain Govinda, Who is tending His cows eternally in Goloka Vrndavan. By purifying systematically your heart for so many years, like Lord Caitanya cleaned the Gundica-temple for Lord Jagannatha, Govinda is sitting there on a throne made of jewels, which is shining clean.
This concrete heart of mine cannot offer The Lord proper place to sit without your mercy. The Lord’s lotus feet would become hurt so badly that He would leave elsewhere to sit! He prefers to sit in the hearts of the pure devotees, like you Srila Gurudeva, whose hearts are prepared ready for Him. My heart is still untouchable and dirty, but in your association it will be polished as shining as the Gundica-temple. And finally the Lord can properly take rest there.
Dear Srila Gurudeva, thank you so much for showing your mercy upon me.
prati-janme kari asa caranena dhuli
I desire the dust of your holy feet in every birth I may take.
Your eternal servant.
Rasarani Devi Dasi
Dear Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
All glories to Your Holiness.
On this auspicious day of your holiness’ appearance, I would like to say few words even though I am not qualified.
My first acquaintance with Your Holiness was in the year 1993 during the Mayapur festival. Those days I used to sell incense for the
Bangalore Temple. In the name of selling incense, I used to visit almost all the sanyasis in their rooms and take their wonderful association and blessings.
When I met your holiness for the first time, I was very much
impressed by your casual “out of the world” transcendental laughing
style. I used to wonder and think – look at this Maharaj, he laughs so
freely like a child without any Kalmashas.
And also I can’t forget your straight forward talk. For incident, I approached Your Holiness to sell some incense for your temple with the price list at Mayapur, then you looked straight into my eyes and said Oh! your are behind me to empty my wallet, smart trader Haa,Ha Ha and laughed loudly. I liked your holiness’ openness and simplicity.
Every Gaurapurinama festival I made it a point to spend some time with your holiness till 1996, when there was a service transfer for me from Bangalore Temple to Tirupati. Your Holiness’ recent visit to Tirupati was a memorable one. We devotees always cherish those wonderful moments, especially your wonderful sankirtana on Gaurapurinama day with guitar, which awestruck the entire congregation.
One more point I would like to mention is, at Tirupati when ever I used to walk into your room, you used to ask me ” Revati Raman is everything OK, everything is fine?” with concern. I used to think, Maharaj knows the position of the Temple President and how tough the management can be. I used to achieve great satisfaction and comfort just by these few words.
Maharaj, on this auspicious day, I sincerely pray to Sri Sri
Radhagovindji and Sri Sri Padmavathi Balaji to give you good health and long life, so that your holiness can help and guide lot of conditioned souls like me. I once again thank your holiness for your association and blessing to this useless servant of yours.
Your Humble Servant,
Revati Raman Das.
Muy querido y respetable Bir Krsna Goswami Maharaja,
Acepte por favor mis mas repetuosas reverencias a sus pies de loto. Todas las glorias a Srila Prabhupada.
Me dirijo a su santa persona para expresarle mi mas sinceros sentimientos de alegria y felicidad en este aniversario del inicio de su visita a este mundo. Esta caída alma que le escribe une su voz a las voces de todos sus discipulos alrededor del mundo para festejar la misericordia de su asociacion.
Agradezco al Señor Supremo que lo haya hecho a usted depositario de Su bondad, comprension conocimiento trascendental e infinita piedad para con todas las almas que buscamos refugio en sus pies de loto.
Oro a Krsna para que esta trascendental relación con todos sus discipulos sea eterna; y en lo personal para que me de la fuerza y determinación para vivir siempre en el servicio de los pies de loto de usted Maharaja.
Su sirviente:
Bhakta Roberto
Leon, Guanajuato Mexico
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
On this special day, I want to express my gratitude for the degree you have shown mercy on my soul. Just when I think I have failed you again in some way, you encourage me. You have brought me closer to Krishna by bestowing unlimited mercy, and I am always amazed. How do you express that kind of gratitude to your spiritual master, who continues saving one’s soul over and over again and seems to never weary of the downtrodden individual? I am blessed.
Thank you Gurudeva again and again.
Most sincerely your humble servant,
Bhaktin Rosemary
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Jaya Gopi devi dasi, Priti devi dasi and Sraddha
Srivas Thakur das, Malini devi dasi and Rukmini
Subal das and Mahamantra devi dasi
Sukhada das, Subhadra Gopi devi dasi and baby Darsaan
Sundar Gopal das, Reema, Baladeva and Kalindi
Barbara, Thava, Max Darshan and Neelan Mahadevan
Visvanatha das and all of the devotees in Fiji
Vrndavan devi dasi, Balarama, Subhadra and Hanuman
Dear Srila Prabhupada’s Bir Krsna Maharaj,
Please accept my most humble obeisances, and thank you for tolerating my head at your feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, our merciful father.
I was praying to Sri Sri Radha Golokananda to please empower me to make an offering that would inspire and engladden you, but somehow, all that was manifesting is a letter to Srila Prabhupada that tells on you – so here is is:
Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept my most humble obeisances in the shelter-giving dust of your lotus feet.
All glories to your most merciful and reassuring words in your books.
Because you have come with only the pure desire to reawaken us as eternally happy loving servants of Krsna, all your instructions and guidance in the best books in this world are always right there -ready for us to grab on and act upon and progress towards the supreme goal of life. I’ve been reading them again and again daily since many years, and I never get tired, for your words are ever fresh and nurturing to the soul.
But when it comes to act upon them, I so often felt paralyzed and guilty, especially when around me, many of your disciples were somewhat still following their own minds instead of simply obeying you. And I know from experience that if I don’t start the day with the solid morning program you gave us, maya wins a whole lot more in all my other activities.
So I’m so very grateful that somehow, by you mercy, I’ve gotten the good example and preaching of your dear son Bir Krsna Maharaj, who kept repeating your instructions very patiently and compassionately until I got the strength to start acting upon your words more and more. This is the greatest charity.
As I am writing this, those 2 verses spoken by Vidura to Maitreya SB 3.1.39-41 keep coming back to my mind. You translated them as follows: “Spotless devotees of the Lord have mentioned the source of such knowledge. How could one have knowledge of devotional service and detachment without the help of such devotees?” and “O spotless one, your answers to all these questions will grant immunity from all material miseries. Such charity is greater than all Vedic charities, sacrifices, penances etc.”
So I’m very indebted to you and to your representative Bir Krsna Maharaj, whom you have kindly sent to help me take more shelter of Krsna’s lotus feet.
I pray to increase and strengthen my desire to assist him in his preaching and in maintaining this wonderful temple of Sri Sri Radha Golokananda, where souls are being taught to live according to the instructions in your books.
I pray to become and remain his good servant and the servant of his sincere and dedicated devotees in this life and in the next.
Your very fallen servant,
Sadhvi devi dasi
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeicances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, and all glories to your divine appearance.
Thank you for all of the mercy, instructions, and association you have given me. Anyone who is fortunate enough to have your association can see that you are always thinking of how to help Krsna’s
devotees who are struggling in this material world come back to His lotus feet. You never deviate from the instructions of your spiritual master Srila Prabhupada. One can easily observe that you possess
all of the gems of pure Vaisnava qualities. Yet your are so humble and unassuming that an unintelligent person like myself can easily forget your exalted position of being a pure representative of Srila Prabhupada who always resides in the hearts of Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. I pray to be able to fully appreciate your transcendental association.
Thank you for always setting a perfect example of how
to practice Krsna consciousness strictly in the disciplic line of Srila Prabhupada and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. In these troubled times it seems that there are so many ideas of what it
means to preach Krsna consciousness according to time place and circumstance and what it means to be a follower of Srila Prabhupada in Lord Caitanya’s sankirtana movement. But fortunately through your
preaching and example you make these points so clear for us to understand. And you show us that practicing Krsna consciousness in this way is blissful and fun.
Thank you for making yourself so accessible in order to give us your guidance and care. What would we do and where would we be without you? Srila Gurudeva, thank you for being my eternal spiritual father and best friend.
Please forgive me for my offenses and for not always following your instructions. I will endeavor to improve my sadhana so that I may better serve you.
I pray that I may be able to serve you and have your
association eternally.
Your disciple,
Sankirtana dasi
Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my respectful obeisances at your feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
So much has happened in this world in the recent past, and it all really makes one reflect on how important the spiritual master really is to the disciple.
One thing that is brought to mind is your ability to always see the good and to encourage positivity in those around you. You always used to yell and say “be positive!” Every day you tried to melt my frozen heart and create the true vision of happiness in my eyes that exists in yours. Knowledge of the Self and of Krsna gives you the ability to see the truth of the BIG PICTURE. Many have remarked about how positive I have been lately, and I really chuckle inside knowing it is you that they see.
Another quality that is so remarkable in you is your patience and tolerance. Even when others are critical or petty, you are able to see past these things and accept even the most offensive and fallen, and to engage us in Krsna’s service.
Every day since the attacks on this city and the capital, I have really chanted constantly, and this taste for chanting is coming directly from you. It is the lifelink, the yogic process that truly frees the mind of the anxieties of this world and enables the intelligence to rule the self. It is by this chanting that knowledge from the supersoul is able to cross the ocean of ignorance that separates me from Krsna and binds me here to this body and to this world. When the soul is so lost and saddened, it is such a cooling and sweet relief to know that the spiritual master is there, steering the ship home, one mantra at a time. Thank you for this chanting and thank you for your guidance.
The last quality I would like to recognize is loyalty. Your loyalty to the sankirtan movement and to Srila Prabhupada is so pure and all-pervasive that you are constantly attracting everyone that comes in contact with you to the lotus feet of Srila Prabhupada. I hope one day to have even an ounce of that loyalty to Guru and Krsna.
Dearest Gurudev, please always keep me at your feet and in your service. I wish you the happiest of appearance days and so many more in the service of Guru and Gauranga.
Your teeny daughter,
Saranam dasi
Dear Bir Krishna Maharaja
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
All glories to your divine grace who are most merciful.
We should spend every moment of our lives in glorifying your divine self because it is due to your causeless mercy that we can get even a drop of the Lord’s mercy, so what to speak of glorifying you on the very auspicious day of your Vyasa-Puja.
On this blessed day, we can celebrate your divine appearance, which transformed the whole world from a dark hole of sinful activities into a place of hope where people have the chance to go back home, back to GODHEAD. Your presence and strong association keep us in devotional service and Krishna-consciousness. Your dedication keeps on going to help the fallen souls and also carry on the mission of Srila Prabhupada’s. We are very fortunate to have you as our guide in our spiritual life.
We wish you all the best on your Vyasa-Puja day. And beg you to keep us under your shelter.
Your Humble Servants,
Satyavrat dasa & family
Dear Gurudeva,
Please accept my most respectful obeisances, all glories to your divine grace.
My wholehearted thanks to you, and to Krishna, for the auspicious day of your appearance, and also that you came to Sweden to teach us Krishna consciousness in the original way.
To get a pure devotee as a spiritual master is the greatest gift
one can get in their life time. It is said that this gift is so great that one will never be able to pay back, the debt for everything the spiritual master is giving. But if we can preach, and help you in your mission, then you will be pleased.
My dear Spiritual Master, I am very thankful to you for everything you have done for me. Please continue to guide and protect me even though I am so unqualified to serve you.
Saumyarupa devi dasi
Dear Srila Bir Krishna Maharaj,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prahupada. All glories to Sri Sri Radha Golaka Nanda.
On this most auspicious day, we want to thank you for your guidance in our life. We are completely dependent upon your mercy to help us on our path back to Godhead. You are always encouraging us in our Krishna conscious. It is rare to find a great devotee like yourself who is very sincerely preaching Srila Prabhupada’s mission. You are setting a perfect example to the world to follow.
We beg you to destroy all our anarthas, so that we become instruments in Lord Caitanys’s sankirtana mission and in the service of Srila Prabhupada. Please bless us to become humble and tolerant. Please bless us so that we may chant Mahamantra offenselessly. Please keep continuing to use us in your service. Thank you again for your kind mercy on us.
Your Servants,
Jaya Gopi devi dasi,
Priti Devi Dasi,
Shraddha
nama om visnu padaya krsna prestaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedanta swami iti namine.
nama om visnu padaya krisna prestaya bhutale
srimate bir krsna swami iti namine.
Jaya Srila Gurudeva !
All glories to you and Srila Prabhupada.
It is very difficult for us to find the words to glorify all your
divine qualities, but we know, you have the most superior quality which is the mercy, exactly like Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This is true, because you introduce us, to HIM, without any qualifications; therefore, now we have this consideration: ” OH LORD CAITANYA CAME IN A FORM OF OUR GURU.”
Srila Gurudeva, every time we think about you, immediately
we feel the heart melt because we love you very much. Please keep us always in devotional service for your gurudeva,Srila Prabhupada, and the Supreme Lord, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna because we have not other’s shelter, we wish to serve you life after life.
Your insignificant servants,
Srivasa Thakura Dasa
Malini D.D and Rukmini
My Dear Srila Gurudev,
nama om visnu padaya krsna presthaya bhutale
srimate bir krsna das goswamin iti namine
Srila Gurudev! On this most auspicious day, I bow down to your
beautiful lotus feet, by whose causeless mercy I have obtained the supreme Holy Name, the divine mantra, the service of the son of Sacimata, the association of Srila Svarupa Damodara, Rupa Goswami, and his older brother Sanatana Goswami, the supreme abode of Mathura, the blissful abode of Vrindavana, the divine Radha Kunda and Govardhana Hill, and the desire within my heart for the loving service of Sri Radhika and Madhava in Vrindavana.
This is the first time, that I have written an offering to you, Srila Gurudev. I would like to thank you for accepting me as your disciple even though I’m fallen and full of material desires.
Srila Gurudev! I’m really very fortunate to have a guru like you. I was in darkness, but you show me a light, you give me your mercy and you are my hope to defeat an illusionary energy and come back to Krishna.
I would like to ask you to kindly forgive me all my offenses. I
pray to you for help to deliver me from committing offenses and beworthy represent you, Srila Gurudev.
Please bless me to make a progress in my spiritual life. I will do my best to never disappoint you.
amso bhagavato ‘smy aham
sada daso ‘smi sarvatha
tat-krpapeksako nityam
tat-presthasat karomi svam
I’m a tiny part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and I am always and in every way His eternal servant. As I am always hoping for His mercy and kindness, I offer myself to His most dear servitor, my spiritual master.
Your insignificant servant,
Stoka Krsna das
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to
Srila Prabhupada!
We truly appreciate how you are serving Srila Prabhupada nicely by preaching around the world. But even more important to us is your attending the morning program every day and being kind to the devotees. These two things are the base of Krsna consciousness
and cannot be stressed too much. Please continue your strict example and encouragement of others to come up to the basic standard. We apologize for not keeping your standard. We understand the importance of good sadhana and good association and are trying to achieve these goals. Thank you for your loving support, and we promise to try harder.
Your servants,
Subal and Mahamantra
Dear Bir Krsna Goswami,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Thank you very much for all your kindness.
Here is a quote from Nectar of Devotion by Srila Rupa Goswami that I
thought would be appropriate to honor you: Characteristics of Pure Devotional Service, Attracting Krsna:
Srila Rupa Goswami has stated that devotional service attracts even Krsna. Krsna attracts everyone, but devotional service attracts Krsna. The symbol of devotional service in the highest degree is Radharani. Krsna is called Madana-mohana, which means that He is so attractive that He can defeat the attraction of thousands of Cupids. But Radharani is still more attractive, for She can even attract Krsna. Therefore, devotees call Her Madana-mohana-mohani – the attractor, of the attractor of Cupid.
To perform devotional service means to follow in the footsteps of Radharani, and devotees in Vrndavan put themselves under the care of Radharani in order to achieve perfection in their devotional service. In other words, devotional service is not an activity of the material world: it is directly under the control of Radharani. In Bhagavad-Gita it is confirmed that the mahatmas, or great souls, are under the protection of daivi prakrti, the internal energy–Radharani. So, being directly under the control of the internal potency of Krsna, devotional service attracts even Krsna Himself.
Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1
We very much appreciate that you are bringing so many souls to engage in devotional service by the excellence and power of your own devotional service to Srila Prabhupada.
We wish you all the very best in this life. We can never repay you or thank you for all you have done, but we can only offer sincere prayers and obeisances.
Your humble servant,
Mother Sucharya devi dasi
nama on visnu-padaya
krsna-presthaya bhutale
srimate bir krishna-goswamin iti namine
Please accept our humble obeisances unto your lotus feet.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Srila Sripada.
On this very auspicious day, we would like to glorify your glories, which are unlimited. Though we don’t have any quality to glorify a pure devotee, we would like to get mercy by glorifying you, so that we can render our services unto the lotus feet of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Prabhupada.
guru krsna rupa hana satrera pramane
guru rupe krsna krpa karena bhakta gane
“According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is non-different from Krishna. Lord Krishna, in the form of the spiritual master, delivers His devotees. Without the mercy of the spiritual master, nobody can improve his spiritual life.”
You have been always so kind to us, and your causeless mercy has enabled us to get more strength to serve Lord Krishna. So, please continue bestowing your mercy on me and my family, and relieve us from all problems so that we can dedicate ourselves completely to devotional service. Help us to overcome all obstacles that come in our life, so that we can remain in the eternal service of Sri Guru and Gouranga.
This year we were so fortunate to get your association during our 2½ months stay in Raleigh. As you always desired that we stay close to your temple, we could finally get land (under closing stage) in Hillsborough. By Radha Golokananda’s mercy, I was able to find a job in a very reputable company having locations in NC, so that in the next few years we can move to serve Their Lordships and get all your blessings. You have always been so merciful to our family members and took care of our spiritual needs whenever we needed. Though you are not physically present with us, in every step you guide and advise us. I can never forget how much you have protected us during our extreme bad phase. Without you, it was completely impossible to get myself untangled from the net I was trapped in. At every stage you have given both of us courage and blessings to move forward. We are both so grateful to have you as our Sikhsa Guru who is guiding every time and showing us the light in darkness. By your blessings we are sure that we can be a great help in raising funds for the new temple project.
Though, we don’t have any quality to glorify your glories, still I want to do, because, I feel satisfied in glorifying the pure devotee.
Scripture also says that,
hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam
bhaktir ucyate
” By engaging in Krsna’s service, one’s senses become pure, and if he engages his senses in serving the senses of Hrsikesa, that is pure bhakti.”
But without guru’s orders one cannot engage in Krsna’s service, as he knows how to engage the senses, so that the Lord may be pleased. So, we both pay obeisances to your lotus feet and beg you to bless us, by giving mercy. By your blessing, we can render services to Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission and the previous acaryas, so that it will please you, my diksha guru – HDG Jayapataka Swami and our jagat guru – Srila Prabhupada.
Your servants,
Sukhada das
Subhadra Gopi devi dasi
And baby Darsaan.
I offer my respectful obeisances to his divine grace Bir Krishna Goswami.
Thank you for taking personal interest in my spiritual life. You come to Charlotte as often as possible. Thank you for your association. By your mercy we are always connected to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. We are humbly worshiping Radha and Krishna, having programs in different homes weekly.
Kalindi offers her obeisances and wishes she could be here today. She appreciates you visiting her in the hospital and is doing well now.
Thank you for giving us “Hanuman, Oh Hanuman…..”. Baldeva loves this and always asks to hear it.
By Srila Prabhupadas mercy you are preaching not just in North Carolina , but all over the world. We are proud of your great service.
By your inspiration we had a very nice Rathayatra and everyone in Charlotte had the mercy of Lord Jaganatha.
We pray to the lotus feet of Radha Vrindavanachandra for your good health and for the accomplishment of Radha Golokanandas new temple. Our obeisances to the entire New Goloka community.
Your spiritual children,
Sundar Gopal das
Reema
Baladeva and
Kalindi
Dear Maharaja,
Happy birthday. I hope you keep in devotional service and serve Prabhupada more and more. Good luck.
Svakartahanam
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to
Prabhupada.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my
gratitude to you for your personal guidance, insight, tolerance, mercy, and inspiration. Thank you for allowing me to attempt to serve you and Srila Prabhupada. I pray that I can simply please you by my preaching endeavors, and by living a life full of Krishna consciousness in all that I do.
As you are solely dedicated to serving Srila Prabhupada, I
realize that the perfection of life is to bring a smile to your face. I pray I can gain this benediction.
Thank you eternally.
Your servant,
Syama dasi
Dear Bir Krishna Goswami,
This is a note to offer you my very best wishes on your birthday. I can’t thank you enough for making me feel so welcome at the temple and for taking the time you have to speak with me. I have learned so much through the talks we have had, your beautiful statement of faith through music, and your inspiring lectures at the temple and on tape. The wonderful association with you and all of the devotees have brought a new light into my life. I feel especially blessed and honored that you have trusted me enough to allow me to help Gayatri and Rangadevi in the kitchen.
I have been very scarce at the temple lately, but I’d like you to know how much chanting and listening to your tapes, rare encounters with Gayatri and Rangadevi on campus, and emails from Mother Tulasi and Mother Krsna Priya have been helping me get through what have been some pretty hard times. I know that without your incredible efforts to build the ISKCON community here in North Carolina, none of these blessing would be in my life. Thank you from the bottom of my searching heart.
May your next year be full of joy and may more souls than ever before be touched by your faith, knowledge, wisdom and love.
Hare Krishna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tanya
Dear Srila Bir Krishna Maharaj,
Hare Krishna. Please, accept our humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
Once again it is our heart felt pleasure to offer our humble respects on this Vyasa-Puja day celebration.
Your full dedication in service of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada has remained a great source of an inspiration in service of Lord Sri Krishna.
This years Ratha-Yatra in Charlotte has been a unique, mixed and rewardable experience in service of Srila Prabhupada.
It was an excellent opportunity to realize and feel the greatness of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada for all his best vaisnava qualities as supreme spiritual master of ISKCON mission. It is beyond our imagination what he went through with all his disciples who never had any previous background of vaisnava philosophy – He certainly deserves our dandavat obeisances.
On this day we pray our supreme father Lord Sri Krishna to offer you many more Vyas Pooja days, so Lord Chaitanya’s unique loving network can be spread around.
With all our best wishes-
From:
Thakor Topiwala and family
To our dear Guru Maharaj,
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone and that it is time again to write something on behalf of your appearance day.
Both of us were born and spent the first 20some years of our lives in different continents (Europe and Asia), only to come to meet and live here, on a 3rd one. It is here also that we have found our spiritual home: New Goloka.
What a wonderful place you have established with so much struggle in the beginning, and what a fantastic job you are doing in maintaining and now even expanding it! New Goloka is like a shining jewel, a very precious thing in our lives, and we have truely come from far to find it. It stands out among all the churches, all the temples, all the other places of worship we have ever seen. It’s a wonderful spiritual home to us. For that we are eternally grateful to you.
May you have many more appearance days that find you in good health!
Barbara,
Thava,
Max Darshan and
Neelan Mahadevan
Dear Srila Gurudeva,
Please accept my obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All
glories to your divine grace on this most auspicious day of your
appearance. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada.
I was remembering the first time I wrote you a Vyasa Puja
offering. It was in 1979. Even though you were not officially accepting disciples at that time, you were doing what a spiritual master does by giving guidance to whomever Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya would send to you. To be seriously empowered to help others you completely renounced all personal sense gratification, which I was able to personally observe from the very beginning in my devotional career.
So even though I wasn’t an initiated disciple, I quickly realized
that by seriously following the instructions you gave me, that I was
and am able to walk the fine edge of devotional service. Directly experiencing the lights going on in my little brain with spiritual knowledge, and developing detachment. I found as seriously as I follow your instructions is as seriously as I make advancement. And whatever I don’t do as seriously is as I don’t make advancement. That simple.
Srila Gurudeva, my debt and gratitude to you is only increasing.
I must only guard against offenses to you and the devotees and even to the non devotees. And also against complacency. Even though I don’t do much service, I think how Sivananda Sena gave shelter to a stray dog that was just hanging around him. He did not discriminate, “Oh, this living entity can do so much service, and this living entity is just a dog” This is real compassion, real love. I know that all the devotees who are trying to take shelter of you have experienced your true concern for them, and your ability to help them. We can see the compassion and love you have for us is the opposite of the so called love of this nasty material world.
Srila Gurudeva, you have always said that the best present to
give to the spiritual master is to become a pure devotee. So, by your mercy I am still in the ballpark. Meaning day after day, year after year, I keep on hearing, chanting, following all the regulated principles and serving with whatever little I have. Gradually becoming the pure devotee that you want.
So great is what the Guru gives us that we should be thanking him
in our heart of hearts at every moment. Especially on your appearance day we must meditate on what mercies you are giving us, and how serious or not so serious we are in taking those mercies you are giving us.
Thank you millions and billions of times again and again.
All glories to you.
I pray to remain always at the shelter of your lotus feet,
your servant,
Mother Tulasi
My Dearmost Gurumaharaja,
Please accept my useless obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada, who built a house to shelter so many in a land of mlecchas. All glories to you as you continue to build a caring, Krishna-conscious community for so many to take shelter.
On your glorious appearance day, I wish to offer you this slight token, which will attempt to summarize this past year of unexpected events, teaching me that Krishna is, indeed, the Controller.
‘Twas two nights before Christmas, when all through New Golok
There went up a cry, “My ankle is broke!”
More rapid than eagles, devotees they came-
And helped me to walk, for I was quite lame.
On the way to the car, we made such a clatter
That you came by to ask us what was the matter.
The calm in your eye and the twist of your head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
And cared for all the while by disciples you’ve trained,
I was reminded again to chant Krishna’s name.
And then I was sheltered by my god-sister so true
Who first brought me here where I could meet you.
‘Twas the actual day of Christmas itself
Your already-wrapped gift was retrieved from the shelf.
As I lay in a bed with my foot in a cast,
I was quite sure that the party had passed.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But Uttara saying, “He’s coming here!”
As she drew in her head and was turning around
You and your disciple arrived with abound.
You were dressed all in saffron from your head to your toe
And for sure you were going where others don’t go!
For who else treats disciples in this personal way?
With a particular visit on so busy a day.
You preached to us all, for there were quite a few
And gave me some gifts – one was from you.
And I got that special gift for which I had prayed
Seeing you in person as you opened your gift on that day.
‘Twas four days past Christmas, and what happened next?
I was allowed to move into the house for the guests.
To move in with devotees so special and rare
I was permitted to live in their midst – right there!
And see from inside how much you have done
How you personally train and care for each one.
They helped me each day to chant and to learn
And it was your teaching I could clearly discern.
Allowing me to stay where real devotees are living
Soon gave me to see how little I’m giving
How selfless disciples serve you each day
And how much they welcomed an unworthy stray.
‘Twas three months after Chrtistmas, and I had to leave
Being back on my job soon caused me to grieve.
Now my job matters often keep me away.
“How are things in St. Louis?” you asked me one day.
Though the difference is stark, living outside or in
I pray for some service that I may begin.
And I wish to exclaim, ere I fade out of sight.
Hare Krishna to all, and to all a good night!
Still attempting to be worthy of the name disciple,
Tungavidya devi dasi
Todas las glorias a Srila Bir Krsna Goswami,
Acepte por favor mis mas respetuosas reverencias a sus pies
de loto.
Querido Gurudeva:
En este dia tan glorioso de su aparicion, el mundo entero se alegra porque aparecio una alma que vino a darnos su misericordia sin causa. Usted vino a darnos la luz del conocimiento, en
especial a mi, que estoy sumida en la mas profunda ignorancia, permitame postrarme a sus pies de loto y servirlo eternamente.
Usted siempre esta en mi corazon, por lo tanto lo debo
honrar y respetar tanto como al Señor Supremo.
Su eterna sirviente
Urmila devi dasi.
¡ Hare Krishna !
León, Gto., México
Dear Gurudev,
Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
To teach by example is no easy task,
but you do it, and make the impression last.
You steadfastly engage in your service day by day.
May my service develop this quality one day.
Your faith is unwavering and unfathomably strong.
May my faith become this way before very long.
Your pure heart belongs solely to His Divine Grace.
May mine find peace and wander to no other place.
Care, love and kindness you offer to all who seek.
May I gain this compassion for the weak.
Your humor is charming, witty and sublime,
to have the honor of being your daughter is divine.
You have given me stability and great peace of mind,
For this I am grateful, for it was no easy find.
I have nothing worthy to offer your grace,
but still I pray at your feet you will give me a place.
Your servant,
Uttara devi dasi
Dear Gurudeva,
When celebrating the great person, everyone is totally
happy and without distress, and auspicious activities are various:
offering prayers and gifts, bathing his lotus feet, chanting, dancing, hearing and feasting etc. These kinds of activities are transcendental, full of bliss, joy and ecstasy, and they are be revealed by the mercy of the great devotee.
Your Holiness’ personal example is encouraging devotees to use their best endeavors to become more like you are. Every single day of our lives can be full of nectar of Krishna – consciousness if we just follow the footsteps of your lotus feet. There is no other way.
Dear Gurudeva, last February the undersigned and his brother had an unforgettable experience in India with Your Holiness and your “gang”. Before the trip you told me this is going to be “Once in a lifetime journey,” and so it was! We visited so many holy places and we saw Deities, rarely seen by the people outside India. During the journey wonderful pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Caitanya-Caritamrita became more familiar and vivid for us. This great adventure was possible only by your causeless mercy. Because of your transcendental presence, dear Gurudeva, we all had a livening
and lightening experience, which holds in our hearts for all eternity.
Dear Gurudeva, in divine word and deed, you help conditioned living entities, who are full of distress and sorrow. Regardless of their
situation, soon they become joyful and ecstatic in chanting the Holy
Name. No one else than absolutely pure devotee of Krishna can receive this kind of miracle. Observer can tell how all divine qualities are manifested in your personality. You are a perfect representative of guru-parampara and the founder-acarya, His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Dear Gurudeva, please give me the shelter of your lotus feet!
Your servant,
Venu Gopala das
Dear Gurudeva, my beloved spiritual father,
Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your divine lotus feet, the shelter where one can feel safe. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
On this occasion of your Vyasa-puja day, I shall try to glorify you although I don’t feel myself at all qualified to do so. You are such a great source of inspiration for me in my spiritual life by seeing how your service to Srila Prabhupada has become your life and soul. By seeing how much you are caring for all of us, regardless if we are
newcomers, or whether we have been around for years.
I am amazed with all the letters you are getting daily, and still you are answering them immediately. I hear from other devotees that sometimes they wait 3-5 months for an answer from their spiritual master – how fortunate we are! That shows the great compassion you have for all of us.
You are always there to help and guide us in our attempt to serve Krishna by following your instructions. Selflessly and tirelessly, you are pushing forward Srila Prabhupada`s mission.
And your wonderful music I’m relishing daily – please Gurudeva, continue to produce more nectar, so that we can become more absorbed in Krishna and His Holy Name by listening to your CD`s, because this is the only salvation from this wicked world.
You posses all good qualities; you are an ocean of mercy; please allow me to dive in into that ocean.
I beg for your mercy, Gurudeva, so that I can help other forgetful souls to reawaken their forgetfulness of Krishna. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a wonderful spiritual master, who is a bonafide representative of Sri Krishna.
Thank you for everything, Gurudeva.
Your eternal servant who will always try to please you,
Visakha devi dasi
Dear Bir Krishna Maharaj Srila Gurudev,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to SriSri Radha Golokananda!
On this most auspicious occasion of your appearance day celebration, I am praying to Sri Sri Radha Golokananda for your good health, happiness and long life. I am also praying to them that I may be fortunate to serve you properly.
Srila Gurudeva, you have delivered me from this ocean of
unlimited miseries and given me an opportunity to become a sincere
devotee. You are teaching by your personal example the ideal Vaishnav character and behavior, the ideal sadhana and preaching principles and the principles of yukta vairagya. I am praying to their Lordships that I may become eligible to follow your wonderful example, to serve the mission of ISKCON society.
Since I left North Carolina for Chicago, I have been preaching in colleges and universities in the Midwest, giving classes and seminars and helping with the congregation development preaching in the area. I am sure that with your blessings, I can definitely perform better and become a fit candidate for the sannyasa order.
Begging for your blessings and mercy, I remain,
Your eternal servant,
Vishvambhar Das
svacchah prakrtitah snigdho
madhuryas tirtha-bhur nrnam
munih punaty apam mitram
iksopasparsa-kirtanaih
“O King, a saintly person is just like water because he is free from all contamination, gentle by nature, and by speaking creates a beautiful vibration like that of flowing water. Just by seeing, touching or hearing such a saintly person, the living entity is purified, just as one is cleansed by contact with pure water. Thus a saintly person, just like a holy place, purifies all those who contact him because he always chants the glories of the Lord.”
Dear Bir Krishna Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble obeisances unto the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories unto you on this most auspicious occasion of your Vyasa-Puja. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
Please also accept many many dandavat pranams from all the devotees of ISKCON Fiji.
Once again that time has come when all your dear ones get together to glorify their dear benefactor. The unfortunate thing is that I am so fallen and dull that I do not even qualify a little bit to sing your glories. What to speak of myself, I am sure that even very intelligent brains will run out of words in its several attempts to glorify your divine personality, which has been blessed by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, and which has and is giving shelter to so many conditioned souls.
I am very much unqualified, therefore, am begging for your mercy to allow me to write a few words in your glory. Maharaja, you are an ocean of mercy. You are the representative of the guru parampara in the line of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You took shelter of Srila Prabhupada and surrendered your whole mind, body and soul unto him.
In so many ways, you have touched our lives and make it meaningful. By your personal example, you have shown us how to achieve perfection through service to the spiritual master. By your instructions, you have taught us how to be Krishna conscious in a practical way. By your classes and kirtans, you have given us knowledge and spiritual inspiration. And, by your personal association and kind words, you have given us spiritual bliss.
Maharaja, you gave us so much in such a short visit that in your separation, we are always discussing your transcendental qualities. Your tolerant, merciful, friendly and peaceful nature are all symptoms of a sadhu, and your personal association meant more purifying than repeated bathing in the Ganges or visiting Holy places. We all are looking forward to your next very inspiring visit.
I pray for your mercy to never loose Vaisnava seva and to always remain attached to the shelter of your lotus feet. May your glories be sung all over the world. Please forgive me if I have committed any offenses in my attempt to glorify your divine personality.
Your insignificant servant,
Visvanatha dasa
and all of the devotees in Fiji
Querido Srila Gurudeva,
Por favor acepte mis humildes reverencias.
nama om visnu padaya krishna prestaya bhutale
srimate bir krisna goswami iti namine
nama hamsa nikasaya prabhupada priyayate
sudhridha suddhi nistabhyam tasya vakyanuvadine
En este dia tan auspicioso de su aparicion todos nos reunimos a celebrar su vyasa puja con gran alegria y felicidad y Radha Golokananda se complace de ver a su devoto puro que esta salvando a las almas condicionadas de este mundo material dandoles su misericordia sin causa, y una de ellas soy yo le pido que me perdone soy una ingrata que no le he correspondido correctamente a sus instrucciones le pido me perdone por cometer ofensas a sus pies de loto.
Sus insignificantes sirvientes,
Discipulos Hanuman
Subhadra
Balarama
Vrindavan.
10-27-01
Dearest Bir Krishna Maharaja;
Please accept my most respectful obeisances,on your Vyasa-
Puja day. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. Jaya Radha Golokananda !
It is often said among Vaishnavas, that a guru is known by his
disciples, that is to say, his charactaristics, qualities, his nature
is imbibed through his disciples. Well, this ever well-wisher has seen,
infinite compassion, magnificent tolerance, complete humility, patience
to move rocks, and incredible enthusiasm, whose strength is very
contagious!
Do you know how inspiring that is to associate with, and be
influenced by? The force of that purity causes one to be Krishna conscious, not Krishna un-conscious !
Can you think of any greater gift to give a godbrother or
godsister?
How very special it is to be in that atmosphere of surcharged
disciples, so dedicated to fulfilling the desires of their dear Srila
Gurudev, and in so loving a mood that is inclusive, not exclusive !
What devotional joy to be encouraged, so emphatically !
Thank you so very much for the open wing policy, Bir Krishna
Maharaja, to give this ever well-wisher such sincere shelter, which includes your special kindness, gentility, overwhelming compassion, and ever-expanding generosity, are very much appreciated!
Thank you also for having disciples that truly listen, are
brahminical, and first class association !
By the mercy of my dear Gurudev, Jayapataka Swami, in the line of parampara, may Lord Sri Krishna Bhagavan bless you with all facility, whatever your endeavor may be to serve Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya’s mission!
Gratefully, Respectfully Yours in service,
M. Yogarupini devi dasi
Dear Bir Krishna Maharaja
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I am glad to have the opportunity to write something in honor of your appearance. Certainly you are a bonafide representative of Srila Vyasadeva. This is the great fortune Srila Prabhupada left sincere disciples, such as yourself. You have utilized this opportunity to render valuable service to your guru maharaja, Srila Prabhupada, by preaching on the authority of his Bhagavad Gita As It Is; thus, you have made conditioned souls into devotees, the true mark of a Vaisnava. You have firmly established a temple in an important technological academic part of the US beginning with zero. At an expense to yourself, you have served Srila Prabhupada for years as GBC for the welfare of ISKCON. This is all to your transcendental credit. I am very happy to have worked with you as our GBC at New Talavan and New Orleans. I hope in the future I can continue to have your association and I pray for your constant safety and continued ecstasy in Krishna Consciousness.
YS,
Yogindra Vandana das
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