Pankajanabha dasa, Saranagati devi dasi, and Govinda dasa

Respected Guru Maharaja,

Hare Krsna. Please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

Guru Maharaja, it is a rare opportunity to express our gratitude and loving feelings on your holy appearance day. I am so fallen that I am not able to properly express my gratitude towards you, what to speak about love. As you used to instruct “Gratitude is the seed of love”, this golden rule used to vibrate in my heart always. As I am in the neophyte stage, like a little child I am trying to offer my feelings in some broken words on this auspicious occasion and that too by your causeless mercy only a few words can come out from my heart.

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

“According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.” [Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila 19.151]

After moving in eighty-four lakhs of species, by your causeless mercy in this human birth, my wife and this humble self got the opportunity to get the seed of krsna-bhakti, which is a rarest of the rare opportunity, for which we are eternally indebted to you from the core of our hearts. You have shown us the importance of guru, sadhu, and sastra in our lives, and also very systematically infused within us the four principles of “Books are the basis, Utility is the principle, Purity is the force and Preaching is the essence”, which Srila Prabhupada has enumerated nicely.

Very mercifully, you have convinced us about the sinful reactions of meat eating, intoxication, gambling and illicit sex, which by your causeless mercy my whole family could leave at the gross level and accept the process of Krsna consciousness under the single umbrella of Srila Prabhupada, who has built a house where whole world can live very peacefully. Really, we are able to see vasudhaiva-kutumbakam (i.e all living entities are the sons of Lord Vasudeva) in a mini scale in my relatives, by your mercy. You have also bestowed your causeless mercy on these fallen souls by giving me and my wife Harinama initiation at Mayapur on 3rd March, 2016 in the kirtana capital of the world, the Holy birth place of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu. At very short notice on the special request of Udayananda dasa Brahmacari of Mayapur, you gave us initiation at the time when we were totally hopeless. It was just like a life-saving act of your great compassion on these fallen souls, without considering our innumerable disqualifications, for which we are deeply indebted to you. After initiation, you have given us some service of systematic sastra study and outreach to the people, I am trying to follow these which is possible

only by your unlimited mercy on this fallen soul. You have accepted us as an instrument in your divine hand in the mission of Srila Prabhupada and Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu which is a great fortune for us.

Very mercifully, you are trying to uplift our consciousness and helping us get absorbed in Krsna consciousness by giving us opportunity to hear the nectarian krsna-katha, rama-katha, etc., through the medium of yatras, seminars, webinars, etc., continually. Guru Maharaja, Puri Kartika yatra of 2018 was really a great boon for all but it was definitely a special blessing for me as I got some more opportunity to serve your divine grace as well as other devotees prior and during the yatra which is a memorable incident. I will be always aspiring for more such services in future.

During this pandemic you have extended more time for all the devotees throughout the globe by conducting more online classes, reminding all of us to depend more on Krsna’s mercy. You have taught us that when difficulty comes, we have to depend more on the mercy of guru and Krsna and serve Him more and more. You are spending gallons and gallons of blood for the upliftment of fallen souls like me under the instruction of Srila Prabhupada which cannot be comprehended in my tiny brain.

By your causeless mercy, I am trying to serve Sri Sri Sita Rama Bira Laksmana, Bhakta Hanumanji at ISKCON, Burla, Sambalpur under the guidance of His Grace Amayi Prabhu and by Their mercy, we could hear nectarian Ramayana-katha during earlier yatras from your lotus mouth which is a very rare opportunity for all of us. Also, under the guidance of His Grace Amayi Prabhu we are trying to gift a preaching centre at Malkanagiri in the remotest part of a backward district of Odisha which is around 650 kms away from Bhubaneswar to your kind self, which is possible by your blessings only. This project is in its finishing stage with half of the building finished earlier. Sunday programs are continuing with the help of a devotee couple there who are disciples of His Holiness Bhakti Svarup Damodar Maharaja. This project, as a humble attempt will be a gift from us to your divine grace which in turn, we request you to offer to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada on his 125th holy appearance year. As guided by His Grace Amayi Prabhu, we have got your blessings at the starting of this project. We hope Srila Prabhupada will also be happy at this small gift of ours and so also Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu as it is also His desire to spread His message in every nook and corner of the world. Always eager to receive your causeless mercy for the completion of the remaining portion.

Guru Maharaja, you are a source of inspiration for my family members and especially while facing reversals, your golden words from sastra helps us very immensely and we get new life. During last year when Govinda’s exam was not good, when my health was not good, or in any other situations your words of wisdom boost us very much and keep us on the path of Krsna consciousness, reminding me that Krsna and His pure devotees are our real well-wishers. Your words of encouragement boost us to serve guru and Krsna better even in the midst of reversals for which we are deeply indebted to you from the bottom of our heart.

Please forgive our inadvertent offences, if any. On this auspicious occasion, looking for your causeless mercy life after life.

Your aspiring servants,

Pankajanabha dasa, Saranagati devi dasi, and Govinda dasa