Rati Vilasa devi dasi

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

My most respected Spiritual Master, Eternal Father and Mentor,

Please accept my respectful obeisance on your lotus feet, all glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This is my first Vyasa-puja offering to you and words cannot do justice to my feelings and reverence I have for you. While I write this my mind goes back to when I first met you at Prem Kishore Prabhu’s house back in 2021 July. I shared with you how I have an attitude of controllership and your very glance and astonishing look changed my life for good. During Philly Ratha-yatra in September two months after our first meeting, I took the vow of chanting 16 rounds daily. Although chanting, I had my doubts about almost everything. You were always there to support and clarify my doubts. Your email responses were loaded with mercy and the very same doubts got eradicated from root. I heard stories about hippies becoming devotees by mere glance of Srila Prabhupada’s devotion filled eyes, it was hard to conceive. Since you came in my life Guru Maharaja I am better able to understand how mercy flows.

I have issues with faith and you said faith is intrinsic. All this I could understand only when I surrendered unto you and came under your shelter. I feel sheltered under your umbrella, it gives the sense of security and protection. It feels the dots are getting connected, puzzle of life seems to be getting solved now. Not there yet fully and I pray to Radha Vrndavana-candra on this day to always keep you in our life and give us the strength and capacity to serve you to the best of our ability. I had reservation in submitting to the process thinking what if I am not able to please my guru or follow his instructions. But it is so true that with instruction comes the potency to follow it or in other words guru knows the disciple and their very inner desires. You gave me instructions to do Bhakti-vaibhava and that’s what I have always wanted to do. Guru Maharaja thank you so much for all that you do for us in such an individualistic way.

Your servant,
Rati Vilasa devi dasi