Govinda Mohini devi dasi

Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to you!

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

I was born in darkest ignorance and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge, I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.2.37 says:

bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad
isad apetasya viparyayo ’smrtih
tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam
bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma

 “Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.”

We read this verse in our reading group. The word guru-devatatma caught my attention immediately, which Srila Prabhupada translates as “one who sees his own spiritual master, his lord and very soul.” You are a perfect example for me that signifies this verse. You demonstrate for your disciples the unflinching surrender to the Lord that this verse is glorifying. You have been engaging tirelessly in the service of Srila Prabhupada’s mission, you demonstrate that the shelter of the spiritual master is not just a mere formality, but the very essence of spiritual life.

You are a perfect example, you are my eternal guide, you are my inspiration. In your shelter, I find courage; in your words and wisdom, I find clarity; and in your causeless mercy, I find hope—the hope that I may one day serve my spiritual master with full heart and soul.

This verse reveals your unmatched role in my life. Without your guidance and vani, I can remain absorbed in maya, misled by many false identities, and continue to stay in illusion, life after life. Yet by your compassion, your steady reminders through your classes help me consistently to turn back to my true identity — an eternal servant of Krsna. The instructions and careful direction I receive from in book distribution service, helps cut through the dense fog of illusion and awaken my heart to the joy of serving you despite many of my shortcomings.

On this auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja, I bow with immense gratitude at your lotus feet for the invaluable gift you have given: the chance to redirect my life toward devotional service. I pray for the intelligence and humility to follow your guidance unhesitatingly, to serve your mission which is non-different from Srila Prabhupada’s mission, with sincerity, and continue to see you and your instructions as my very life and soul.

Your aspiring servant,
Govinda Mohini devi dasi