Naval Krsna dasa

Our most respected Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my most humble obeisances unto your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and the entire parampara!

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija
[Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya Lila 19.151]

Translation – “According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.”

I had been traveling in different yonis across the universe and by extremely good fortune I have been able to receive your mercy in the form of a seed of bhakti that you implanted in my heart. It is hard to fathom how I got your association, Krsna is extremely kind is all that I can say. You not only implanted the bija but you have carefully protected and nurtured the small seedling of bhakti that is beginning to sprout in my heart, through your association – both vapu and vani. You are constantly pouring torrents of mercy, its my misfortune that I was standing with an umbrella! But the torrents are so strong that the umbrella is beginning to blow away and drops of your mercy are beginning to touch me and provide a soothing, calming effect.

I am eternally grateful to you for giving us Gaura-Nitai Deities in the recent Bengaluru yatra. I am beginning to realize how important deity worship is, especially for grhastas like me. When we have Lord in our house to serve, our mind automatically goes to Their seva. It is such a simple way of fulfilling the injunction of “Always remember Krsna and never forget Him.” I am beginning to realize as I become more and more attached to the Deities, that how much extraordinary gift you have given us. If we become attached to the Deities, we will somehow or the other be able to remember Them at the last moment of our life – anta-kale ca mam eva, smaran muktva kalevaram (Bhagavad-gita 8.5). “And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body remembering Me alone at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt”.

Guru Maharaja, I am trying to resonate with your eternal mission of serving Srila Prabhupada by trying to cultivate college students. Education of college youth is especially dear to your heart because, as you keep mentioning, that once you were yourself a college student and you became attracted to the movement because of college preaching. In that spirit, under the guidance of Abhirama Prabhu and through the presentations that he has made, I am trying my bit to make students understand the value and urgency of this mission of Srila Prabhupada. Abhirama Prabhu, under your instruction, is also preaching Srimad-Bhagavatam to us daily. I have started a small group of my extended family members and am trying in my own humble way to preach to them the same message. Even if one person takes to the mission and the message seriously, I will consider it my service to you. I seek your blessings to please empower me to make them understand the message so that they get inspired by Srila Prabhupada’s teachings.

krsna-sakti vina nahe tara pravartana
“Unless empowered by Krsna, one cannot propagate the sankirtana movement”
[Caitanya-caritamrta Antya Lila 7.11]

I visited Japan recently and distributed Bhagavad-gita to some Japanese professors in the spirit of – yare dekha, tare kaha ‘krsna’-upadesa [Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya Lila 7.128].

Translation: “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land”.

There was an old Japanese lady, literally on her death-bed and I handed one to her and she was very grateful and appreciative. I sincerely believe in the statement of Srila Prabhupada that even if we keep the Bhagavad-gita at home, it is so potent that it will add spiritual credits.

I humbly seek your eternal shelter and pray to you to bless me – to give my blood in fulfilling Prabhupada’s mission. I humbly seek your blessings to become instrument in assisting you in this exalted service as a most humble servant – nimitta-matram bhava savya-sacin “O Savyasaci, can be but an instrument in the fight” [Bhagavad-gita 11.33].

Your aspiring servant,
Naval Krsna dasa