Bhaktivinoda dasa and Naradi devi dasi
Hare Krsna Guru Maharaja,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. On this auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja, we feel immensely fortunate and grateful to be your disciples. As it is said in the sastras,
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.”
You are the true embodiment of this verse. Through your daily nectarean classes, day in and out, you are uplifting us and enlightening us with spiritual knowledge without any selfish motive. As a true father unconditionally does good for his children, you are spreading love of Godhead through your classes.
In one of the classes, you mentioned the three things which keep you going in Krsna consciousness: Srila Prabhupada, Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the love of the holy name. Through your personal example, you are teaching all your disciples and the entire world how Srimad-Bhagavatam can transform lives. Your surrender to Srila Prabhupada is sublime. And your retreats on glories of the holy name (festival of the holy name) move hearts and are enlightening.
This year, we have been extremely fortunate to hear so many wonderful series of classes from you. The Manah-siksa series was simply heart touching and very deep. Your presentation style and knowledge of scriptures is sublime. You captured our hearts and mind with the wonderful pastimes of Radharani with the Radhastami sessions. Classes on the six Gosvamis and gita values were equally nectarean. Your deep devotion to this movement and your love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes out through these wonderful classes.
The question-and-answer sessions are simply wonderful as well. Your answers set many things in the right perspective. Many difficult questions are posed to you, but you always give answers based on sastras. Your answers are practical and have so many teachings in them.
We had the wonderful opportunity to hear from you in person this year. The sweet pastimes of Krsna you spoke about, took us to Vrndavana. I look forward to the Vrndavana yatra this year and having your divine association.
We are truly fortunate to have received harinama diksa from you this year. We are extremely grateful to have found a loving father in you. Because of you, we are now connected to our guru-parampara and are receiving Krsna’s mercy through you. We now have a loving family of our god brothers and god sisters. We are eternally grateful to you.
On this auspicious day of your Vyasa-puja, we pray to Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Sri Sri Laddu Gopala to bless you with good health so you can keep enlightening us through your nectarean classes and uplifting fallen souls like us. Please bless us and empower us so that we can serve you and follow your instructions. Please bestow your blessings on us so that we can be an instrument in spreading Krsna consciousness.
Your eternally grateful servants,
Bhaktivinoda dasa and Naradi devi das