Rama bhakti dasa and Yamuna-stava 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 dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my most humble obeisances unto the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you and Srila Prabhupada.
This is the first time, I am making a humble attempt to make a Vyasa-puja offering following in the footsteps of my spiritual master, all my God bothers and so many merciful Vaisnavas of the disciplic succession. Kindly accept my shortcomings in appreciating the descending mercy I and my family have been receiving in our lives.
My recent meditation that has been giving me purpose and strength is
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”.
By great good fortune by descending mercy, we have been receiving the transcendental gifts which we don’t deserve. You have very mercifully accepted us as your disciples and blessed us with Gaura-Nitai deities for worship at home. By regular hearing from you and looking at your strong personal example of service to Srila Prabhupada, I am beginning to understand a glimpse of four fundamental principles of Krsna consciousness, purity is the force, books are the basis, preaching is the essence and utility is the principle. You spoke about these principles and the responsibility of continuing the legacy of Srila Prabhupada as his grand children in the last year Vyasa-puja. I am very fortunate to witness this strong personal example of a life of devotion and dedication to Srila Prabhupada, your strong faith and preaching of the messages of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhagavad-gita for the benefit of your disciples. I don’t know what is spiritual love, but when you talk and describe about Srila Prabhupada, I begin to see.
I seek your blessings to develop the spiritual strength and the purity to continue the legacy bestowed upon us. Our remembrance and understanding of scriptures is very poor, the only hope I find in these verses:
yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah
[Svetasvatara Upanisad. 6.23]
ohe!
vaisnaba thakura, doyara sagara,
e dase koruna kori’ [Saranagati]
“O venerable Vaisnava, 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”.
yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam [Sri Sri Gurv-astakam Text eight]
“By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master”.
Seek your loving blessings to live by the meanings of some of above verses in our lives and please forgive our offenses in service to you and Srila Prabhupada.
Your eternal servants,
Rama bhakti dasa and Yamuna stava devi dasi