Uddhava dasa and Vraja seva devi dasi
Most Respected Guru Mahārāja,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
We are feeling extremely fortunate for the shelter provided to us in devotional service, where we are learning the importance of genuine surrender and the true satisfaction of heart it bestows. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gīta (18.66):
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender to me. I will deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.”
Fear comes due to claiming false proprietorship and false conception of our identity. The process of surrender brings us to our natural position as eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. Thus, it frees one from fear and bestows ultimate satisfaction and bliss.
The process of surrender to Krsna is the causeless mercy of a true representative of the paramparā. By his association and pure vibrations, he removes the ignorance from the heart and awakens knowledge of our true identity. In this endeavor, the obstacles come from rebellious conditioned soul, who is attached to his false hope of happiness in material pursuits. Thus, the devotee exercises unlimited tolerance, compassion and forgiveness. He patiently accepts the faulty attempts as service and offers it to Kṛṣṇa. He stands by one’s side in every walk of life, carefully protecting and encouraging. Thus, the qualities manifested by a true representative of the parampara are beyond human comprehension, and are by the causeless mercy of the previous acaryas and Krsna.
Many times we heard from Sir, how you have always been an inspiring example to him of manifesting these transcendental qualities. Sir has also expressed many times to us his utter dependence on the mercy and blessings of you and the previous acaryas, to do this service of training us in the process of surrender. By the empowerment thus received, Sir is similarly manifesting these amazing qualities in training us. He is compassionately providing us repeated opportunities to learn the principles of surrender. His tolerance, forgiveness, patience and love is making us see how one can be happier by trying to do services as recommended, than pursuing our own ideas. It is helping us lead a simple life and spend quality time in devotion. It is inspiring us to become humble, and gain confidence in Krsna’s protection, by following His system. It is smashing all our attachments and inspiring us to surrender out of our own choice. This is giving us so much satisfaction of heart.
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyasa-puja, we deeply beg and pray that we feel genuinely grateful to mercy we are receiving and develop the attitude to always please Kṛṣṇa.
Your aspiring servants,
Uddhava dāsa and Vraja seva devi dāsi