Akhila-dhara dasa, Deepika, Rukmini, Jayanti and Vrnda
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate romapada-svamin iti namine
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
Most respected and dearest Guru Maharaja,
Hare Krsna!!!
Please accept my most respectful prostrated humble obeisances. All glories to Founder-Acarya of ISKCON His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada. All glories all glories all glories at the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to You.
Guru Maharaja jogyata-vicare, kichu nahi pai, tomara karuna-sara: I have no qualification to glorify your magnanimous personality, I am fully dependent on your mercy to write this offering for the purpose of purification.
Daily in the morning your association in the vani form is the greatest treasure in my life, it is very elevating although I am not fully attentive. I hope to focus, pay more attention and meditate on it throughout the day. Your japa recordings are my constant companion for my japa walks. I pray and wish that one day I can reach the stage of chanting pure holy name following your footsteps.
In our meetings after Winter Retreat at His Grace Vamsidhari Prabhu’s house. I shared a lot of things with you as I had transitioned from India to US. After patiently listening to me you asked, what I wanted from you? You mentioned it feels like I am throwing fire crackers as on fourth of July weekend. Your biggest advice for me in the US was, to not put my visa situation at risk. I am grateful for having the treasure of a magnanimous personality like you in my life who hears me patiently and gives guidance.
I am very grateful to you for giving me and my family the association of wonderful Vaisnavas as mentors, His Grace Jagadananda Prabhuji and Her Grace Ananda Vrndavana Mataji. When I shared that His Grace Jagadananda Prabhuji was visiting me in Peoria, you mentioned he is very kind. During his stay with us he very gratefully accepted our services and participated in cooking, other devotional and social activities. He advised Deepika to hear transcendental messages during her daily household duties. We as tiny servants are trying to fulfill his recommendations and as conditioned soul we fail many times. On my request Prabhuji discussed with Rukmini and Jayanti about how they are feeling in America and schooling here. He kindly spent time with my daughters watching some instructive movie on weekend, like he would do with his son Gaura. Her Grace Ananda Vrndavana Mataji’s presence inspires me and fills my heart with Joy. She listens very lovingly to Deepika and Deepika loves to be in her presence. During the last trip to India we got chance to associate with Mataji. We are eagerly awaiting her coming to the USA, being in their association and serving them in menial ways.
By the grace of our mentors we got the association of His Grace Padmanabha Prabhuji and felt elevated. The association of Her Grace Krsna Lila Mataji is a blessing very few people have in their lives and I am one such fortunate soul. In her presence we get to know what real practical Krsna consciousness is. Her answers are relatable based on life lessons and her realizations in Krsna consciousness using anecdotes, practical teachings. Recently in Detroit retreat she shared how a guru disciple relationship is a relationship of conversation. The association with Mataji, Lila Purusottam Prabhu, Hemangi Mataji, His Grace Jagadananda Prabhuji and many other like- minded devotees was amazing. I got the chance to live in your room at Rasamrta Prabhu’s house, the humble setting and feeling of your presence there was elevating.
After the wonderful association during Vyasa-puja in Naperville last January we started reading Bhagavad-gita five to seven slokas every day as a family and completed the whole Bhagavad-gita in five months. I learned that with determination and focus if we start something we can fulfill and do wonderful things. I hope to resume the same after returning from India. I see that I have started procrastinating things that are important to me.
India trip is tiring, I work in the night shift acknowledging it not being conducive for Krsna consciousness although maintained my japa. It is very empowering to spend some time with Indore devotees in Sunday Program. The most wonderful part of the whole trip was the five days we spent in Vrndavana and offering obeisance to sad-gosvamis samadhi. By your blessings we got Gaura-Nitai Deities from Vrndavana and looking forward to welcoming Them as the centre of our family wanting to cultivate the mood of servant of the servant of the servant towards the Lordships. I am a weak and sensuous person and have no qualification to serve Them but it can be possible only and only by your causeless mercy when I can develop some genuine service and loving attraction towards Them. I seek your prayers and blessings to purify my existence and become a qualified recipient of the mercy of all Vaisnavas, you, Srila Prabhupada, guru-parampara and of the Lordship Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai in this lifetime.
One of the greatest treasures when I associate with devotees is listening from them about you. Your small exchanges with each and every devotee are filled with so many instructions and reveal how merciful you are. I heard many such anecdotes from His Grace Dhananjaya Pandita Prabhu in Naperville, Adisakti Mataji and Krpamoya Prabhu from St Louis.
We are very grateful to you Guru Maharaja from core of our heart for the numerous valuable gifts in our life. May I never take this association lightly and allow the contamination of familiarity to creep in. I seek forgiveness for my knowingly or unknowingly committed offenses at the dust of your lotus feet.
vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namua
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.”
Your insignificant servants,
Akhila-dhara dasa, Deepika, Rukmini, Jayanti and Vrnda