Shalini Talwar
My dearmost Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories Srila Prabhupada and to you.
It is a very, very auspicious day when every disciple would open their heart and make an attempt to glorify you. I would like to take this opportunity to glorify you with unbounded enthusiasm and excitement but I find myself incompetent to find words in your honor and praise. What capacity do I have to appreciate, or what qualification do I have to honor your grace’s services which are dedicated towards serving Śrīla Prabhupada perpetually? But on the other hand, I also know that only with the blessings of a spiritual master a dumb person can compose poetry and a lame person can climb mountains; so I pray at your lotus feet to bless me so that I can use my minute intellect to adore you and worship you to my heart’s content.
In Caitanya Caritāmrta, Lord Caitanya while instructing Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī spoke the following verse
(Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya Lila 19.151)
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
“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 Kṛṣṇa. By the mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.”
In Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.2.37, it is stated that the disciple should accept spiritual master as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul “bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā.”
Likewise, Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī said that the spiritual master is non-different from Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His devotees (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi Lila 1.45). Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura in his famous Guru Vandana states that it’s only by the mercy of the spiritual master darkness born of ignorance can be dissipated and by attachment to the spiritual master’s lotus feet one can achieve all spiritual perfection.
Also, Śrīla Prabhupada in his purports mention that in order to make spiritual advancement the disciple must not consider his or her spiritual master to be an ordinary being.
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has very mercifully revealed this truth and our ācāryas have presented this axiom unreservedly. I am receiving this unequalled knowledge through you; and this fills my heart with much awe and admiration towards your lotus feet. I feel so indebted towards you that it gives me an intense desire to submit myself in your service eternally. I want to meditate on the deep meaning embedded within these profound statements and form these as the basis of my life.
My dearmost Guru Mahārāja, I see you as a special, special soul descended on this planet to deliver and uplift us from material consciousness and help strengthen our lost relationship with Kṛṣṇa. I see all the qualities of a sādhu manifest in you – “titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ.” It is out of your compassion, mercy and tolerance that you continue with your services to enlighten the conditioned souls even though they show inimical behavior towards you. You, with your love and devotion towards the most munificent Lords, bestow your affection on all living beings.
My dear GuruMahārāja, please bless me and give me the mercy of your lotus feet so that I can continue on this path unhesitatingly and revive my relationship with Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I do feel frail to progress and inept to keep a strong foothold without your mercy and potency. Please be kind upon me and keep me in your service although I am unqualified to seek your benedictions.
I pray to Lord Nityānanda Rāma to protect you and bless you with all the strength and vigor so that you continue with your unparalleled services to Śrīla Prabhupada.
Hare Krsna!!!
Aspiring to be your eternal humble servant,
Shalini Talwar