Pran Gauranga dasa and Dana Gati devi dasi

Please accept our respectful humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to your Divine Grace!

Writing Vyasa-puja homage is a very wonderful opportunity to deeply contemplate the gifts which one has received from the representative of Srila Vyasadeva. The gift of receiving the opportunity to practice devotional service is most sublime in all the gifts which one can ever receive in this material world. This gift is very different from other material gifts which one may receive in this world. The other gifts may give one temporary happiness and shelter however when it comes to satisfying the need of the soul they all fall very short. This particular gift, however, if received properly, has the capacity to completely satisfy the longings of the soul for complete happiness and freedom. It gives one ultimate benefit.

Before we met you, we were living this very valuable human form of life just for the purpose of fulfilling our animalistic pursuits. We were not at all developed in our understanding of the value of human form of life and the gain which we could get from this. The Lord has given the human species a special privilege in the form of developed intelligence which is actually to be utilized for solving all the problems of life. Unfortunately, in this dark age one is badly caught up in the program of unrestricted sense gratification. The whole advancement of civilization is to facilitate better sense gratification. Where does one even get the opportunity to consider if there is anything beyond this material way of life?

Guru Maharaja, we are fortunate that by Krsna’s arrangement you came in our lives and provided us with an opportunity to practice devotional service. You not only provided us with an opportunity for practicing devotional service but supported us all the time on this path as and when we kept getting off the track. You helped us come again on the track and practice devotional service with determination. We came to you with our contaminated hearts which were infested with unwanted desires. However, you always focused on that seed like desire which we had for pursuing the path of devotional service and did not focus on our shortcomings and anarthas. This we have experienced consistently in relationship with you.

The most valuable understanding which we have received by your association is understanding the need for training one’s consciousness towards purity. It is much easier to practice devotional service externally however externals do not remove deep rooted anarthas of the heart. It takes a very systematic and diligent practice to address the unwanted elements of the heart. These anarthas if left unattended can completely block the growth of the seed of devotional service. Getting rid of these anarthas is not within the capacity of conditioned souls. It requires very expert guidance and support. Only by receiving superior help coming from Krsna’s representative can one be in a position to see the impurities of heart and address them.

Srimad-Bhagavatam explicitly provides the way to address these impurities. It is by serving the Bhagavatas. We are very fortunate that we are receiving the training to understand the value of person Bhagavata and the book Bhagavatam. The book Bhagavatam is to be heard from the person Bhagavata. This process of hearing if taken seriously can completely transform one’s consciousness. It is by this hearing process that one can get the required impetus to move forward on the path of pure devotional service and can come to the stage of offence-less chanting. The spiritual strength required to become free from offences comes from this hearing process. Thus, if a conditioned soul submits humbly to a bona fide spiritual master and in the spirit of submission hears from him then he can be assured of all good spiritual fortune.

Though we are very dull in our consciousness nevertheless by attempting to hear regularly from Your Divine Grace has been helping us. It is giving us nourishment and the needed support to remain enthusiastic on the path of pure devotional service. Thank you for providing us a means by which we can feel connected to you.

We are very grateful to His Grace Jagadananda Prabhu and Her Grace Anand Vrndavana Mataji for their presence in Indore.

We humbly request unto you for your blessings that we can increase our submission for this hearing process and continue to move forward on the path of pure devotional service. It will be only by your causeless mercy that we can fully receive this most wonderful gift which Lord Caitanya came to distribute.

Please accept our humble obeisances again and again.

Your aspiring servants,
Pran Gauranga dasa and Dana Gati devi dasi