Rama-Kanta dasa
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.”
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate romapada-svamin iti namine
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Srila Romapada Swami, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.”
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.”
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 the fallen souls. His mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross mountains.”
My dear eternal Spiritual Master and Spiritual Father,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of Your Divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace and Srila Prabhupada!
I am very much indebted to your divine grace for giving shelter, association, care, guidance and personal association through the letter exchanges, hearing to recordings and many more invaluable gifts given by your divine grace.
The past year was really rough with turmoil all over the world especially with the Covid-19 pandemic. Your divine grace is very benevolent and kind enough to give his personal association during this pandemic situation through digital platform. May it be Srimad-Bhagavatam or Bhagavad-gita classes, retreats, Sunday feast classes or webinars, it has been a really wonderful opportunity to associate with you daily through the online platform and continue receiving association, teachings, and answers to questions.
You have been especially very much merciful upon me right from the day when I accepted the shelter at your lotus feet. I have gotten the rare opportunity to write letters and ask mundane questions through email exchanges. I have expectation of a research-oriented solution you’re your side. I am begging forgiveness at your lotus feet for being too demanding or setting expectations from your side. But you have been very much kind and merciful upon me by giving detailed answers to my mundane questions, which can be found out by reading scriptures.
Every morning, after waking up it has become a practice to remember your divine grace by Krsna’s divine mercy, may it be a loving reciprocation from my side. I am well aware that your blessings, mercy, and benevolence is flowing every day, every moment in my life, whether or not I am remembering you. Now I have to be thoughtful – how can I be a fit recipient of this fullest mercy? How can my heart’s disposition be favorable to receive and fathom the importance of having the Spiritual master in one’s life?
Thank you so much for giving us training through your personal example and through your transparent representatives, so that one day we can become fixed in our devotion to guru and Krsna in any situation and we can practically deal with onslaught of material nature without losing our goal – loving devotional service to Krsna.
By divine arrangement, at times I can feel the presence of a protective shield provided by you, protecting me from the onslaught of material nature. Sometimes at work I take a small Krsna break, remembering your guidance and training.
Thank you for encouraging us to deeply study Srila Prabhupada’s books to preserve the legacy of ISKCON, to better understand the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada, and to strengthen our connection with our eternal spiritual grand-father.
Thank you for reading and replying to my letters and answering my questions in midst of your super busy schedule. Your response encourages me to write regularly and at the same time not to expect your attention.
When I started writing this year’s offering, I was completely blank what to write. Now I have some idea what to write in your glorification. It is next to impossible to glorify your divine grace with my words, capacity, and understanding. The pure devotee’s glories are sung by three worlds, and not only by animate but by inanimate entities also.
ebe jasa ghusuk tribhuvana
“Your fame is spread all over the three worlds.”
[Sri-guru-vandana 4]
In Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 10, Chapter 87, the personified Vedas are glorifying the Lord, in the similar way, the Vedas, especially Srimad-Bhagavatam, glorifies the pure devotees of the Lord.
ayur harati vai pumsam
udyann astam ca yann asau
tasyarte yat-ksano nita
uttama-sloka-vartaya
“Both by rising and by setting, the sun decreases the duration of life of everyone, except one who utilizes the time by discussing topics of the all-good Personality of Godhead.”
[Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.3.17]
The above statement is applicable to your divine grace, as the pure devotee of the Lord, who is constantly engaged in discussing the topics of pastimes of the Lord and His devotees. When I am hearing your recordings, especially yatra or retreats classes, it seems that, time has just frozen and I am mentally placed in some other dimension. It is only possible when the message about Krsna is delivered from the lotus lips of a pure devotee.
I am begging for your blessings and mercy to deepen my attraction in reading and understanding Srila Prabhupada’s books. Begging at your lotus feet to please engage me in your service, so that I have no attraction for anything else other that your lotus feet.
In the advanced age also, your divine grace is having enthusiasm of a young man giving us the motivation to move forward in our spiritual lives. Your dedication to Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON is unfathomable and indefatigable. I didn’t have the opportunity to have physical darsana of Srila Prabhupada, but through your divine grace and his books, I am able to see and have a connection with our founder-acarya.
As the bonafide representative of Lord Nityananda, you are even more kind and merciful than Him. He is freely distributing the holy name and the price is only faith. Your divine grace is very much kind enough to give the holy names and preach the message of Lord Caitanya even when the person who is receiving has no faith.
On the most auspicious day of your divine appearance day I am begging for your forgiveness and pardon if I have done any offenses knowingly or unknowingly at your lotus feet. Please engage me in service at your lotus feet.
Your ever indebted and aspiring servant,
Rama-Kanta dasa