Haladhara Rupa dasa

Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept my humble obeisances. You gave me this spiritual name (Haladhara Rupa dasa) in most merciful and munificent way. You also explained this name is one of the names to address Lord Balarama and instructed me to understand the glories of Lord Balarama and achieve strength from this for the perfection of life. As a result, I was given this precious opportunity of second birth, but this is a child who has been disobedient and mischievous since birth and needs to grow up under the shelter of his spiritual parent!

O Guru Maharaja! Undoubtedly, you are real representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna, intimate servant of Krsna, Srila Prabhupada’s sincere follower and intimate disciple. I, this proud fool, cannot describe your glories in words but pray for your causeless mercy and beg you to give me chance to serve you. I am so immersed in sense gratification, so attached to family and work that I get lost in material mire. I am a faithful fan of maya. O Guru Maharaja! You hold the sword of truth and torch of knowledge in your hands to cut off unnecessary weed in living entities’ hearts and illuminate and dispel darkness of ignorance! Please allow me to constantly meditate on your glories!

O dear Guru Maharaja! O most merciful person! My heart is hard as iron without compassion! You gave me this name (Haladhara Rupa dasa—servant of the wielder of the plow), I consider this as most merciful blessing. Balarama is the original spiritual master, His plow is the most powerful and is used for cultivating the devotees’ field of heart, crushing and clearing away obstacles until hard and indifferent things such as false ego, pride, illusion, lust, anger and greed are powdered and become soft. Only soft heart can be planted with seed of love! There is no doubt that you are also the divine representative of Lord Balarama!

I offer my respectful obeisances unto the dust of Your lotus feet!

Your most immature child,

Haladhara Rupa Dasa