Acarya Nistha dasa
Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
This year, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation for your deep taste and relish for krsna-katha, which has both instructed and nourished us as progressing sadhakas.
Because of your deliberate emphasis on the power of hearing and chanting, I have been able to develop firm/focused faith and dedication to this practice, without being distracted/deviated by secondary processes. I, unfortunately, have seen many bhaktas fall away from the path, but your strong conviction in this process has helped me overcome hurdles and stay fixed on that which is most important. You have often quoted the perennial wisdom of our sampradaya acarya, Lord Brahma, echoed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
jnane prayasam udapasya namanta eva
jivanti san-mukharitam bhavadiya-vartam
sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhir
ye prayaso ‘jita jito ‘py asi tais tri-lokyam
“Those who, even while remaining situated in their established social positions, throw away the process of speculative knowledge and with their body, words and mind offer all respects to descriptions of Your personality and activities, dedicating their lives to these narrations, which are vibrated by You personally and by Your pure devotees, certainly conquer Your Lordship, although You are otherwise unconquerable by anyone within the three worlds.” [Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.3]
And the teachings of Lord Kapiladeva:
satam prasangan mama virya-samvido
bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah
taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani
sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati
“In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge, one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin.” [Srimad Bhagavatam 3.25.25]
These verses, being etched into my memory, are becoming increasingly relevant and relishable with each passing day. This year, I can but offer you my continued dedication to these guiding lights of our bhakti siddhanta, in this dark ocean of illusion.
Your aspiring servant,
Acarya Nistha dasa