Sundari Radha devi dasi
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to You! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
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.”
As I sit and reflect upon what a sacred opportunity I have to write a Vyasa-puja offering to You, I am genuinely overwhelmed, feeling unqualified to write Your glories. I pray to all Your beloved disciples who always keep me in Your shelter as I turn to the prayers of the most merciful and poetic Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura to call out to You on Your appearance day with all my heart.
O venerable Vaisnava, devotee of Krsna, O dear Gurudev! O ocean of mercy, be merciful unto your servant. Give me the shade of your lotus feet and purify me. I hold on to your lotus feet.
Please, teach me to control my passions; rectify my faults, bestow upon me devotional qualities, and bless upon me Your holy association.
I do not find the strength to carry on alone the sankirtana of the holy name of Hari. Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great treasure of the holy name of Krsna.
Krsna is yours. You have the power to give Him to me. I am simply your servant running behind you shouting, “Krsna! Krsna!”
Gurudeva! By a drop of your mercy make this servant of yours more humble than a blade of grass. Give me strength to bear all trials and troubles, and free me from all desires for personal honor.
O lord and master! Invest me with the power to properly honor all living beings. Only then will I sing the holy name in great ecstasy and will all my offenses cease.
O lord and master! When will this devotee be blessed by obtaining your mercy? I am low, fallen, and devoid of all strength and intelligence. Please make me your beloved servant.
When I examine myself, I find nothing of value. Your mercy is therefore essential to me. If you are not merciful, I will constantly weep, and I will not maintain my life any longer. [Translation of song by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura – Ohe Vaisnava Thakura]
Srila Prabhupada is the most merciful, for he has blessed such a fallen soul as myself with the opportunity to glorify You, His beloved disciple. I am in awe at how clearly you have understood Srila Prabhupada and how clearly you continue to transfer his love into our hearts. I’ve always seen you, with every waking moment, listening to Srila Prabhupada’s lectures, reading His books, and singing his glories. Your life is a genuine tribute to His Divine Grace. You spend every ounce of energy serving his mission.
Your consistent, patient, and resilient love is the rope I hold onto ever so tightly as you drag me to Krsna. I pray to You dear Gurudev, on this most auspicious occasion of your Vyasa-puja, that I can truly understand your mission to serve Srila Prabhupada. I pray that I can be a useful tool in your mission. You’ve spent countless hours into cultivating me, please bless me so I can be worthy of Your time.
I have such a long long long way to go, but your love will never let me give up. I am forever grateful to You.
Your aspiring servant,
Sundari Radha devi dasi