Kasturi Manjari devi dasi

My most respected and beloved Guru Maharaja and eternal father,

nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate romapada-svamin iti namine

 om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

Please accept my most humble and most respectful obeisances in the dust of Your most merciful divine lotus feet. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Your Divine Grace!

On this most auspicious day of your appearance, I want to express my deepest heartfelt gratitude to you for accepting me as your spiritual daughter, for saving me from drowning down in material existence by giving Vaisnava association, spiritual strength to practice devotional service, retreats, yatras, letters and recorded lectures. I pray that I carry deep gratitude in my thoughts, words and actions every moment.

After many years of hankering for devotee association, especially of my mentor Her Grace Prema-tarangini Mataji, finally by special mercy I have been gifted with her association in Alachua for last 2 years. I feel very fortunate and greatly blessed to have the loving association, guidance and friendship that has been nourishing my heart.

Guru Maharaja, in one lecture you mentioned, “We should be so exemplary of our spiritual master that when people see us they are reminded of our spiritual master. We should be such followers of our Founder-acarya that when people see us, they smile and think highly of our Founder-acarya. It’s not just the shape of the tilaka that you wear, but the character and qualities that you exhibit.” I deeply desire to follow this very important instruction from my heart. I understand that descending mercy is abundantly available for me, I humbly beg that my heart be fully open to gratefully acknowledge and deeply receive that abundant mercy and can act in such exemplary manner not just by external behavior but internally with full heart.

Many times, I hear that the whole spiritual world is in the bead bag. I humbly beg for Your mercy and blessings to be able to chant from my heart with pure love and devotion to serve and please guru and Krsna.

Every morning we sing-

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasada
yasyaprasadanna gatih kuto ‘pi
dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam [Guru-astakam 8]

 “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.”

In one class, a devotee asked, how do I know if I am pleasing my spiritual master and your Divine Grace answered, if you have intention to please, then it is pleasing to guru and Krsna.

I beg for Your mercy and blessings to keep the pleasure of guru and Krsna in the center in my thoughts, desires and deeds.

Guru Maharaja, on this auspicious day I humbly pray at Your divine lotus feet to please bless me so that I can somehow become humble and insignificant instrument in serving you in the mood of servant of servant of servant.

I offer prayers to Lord Nrsimha-deva for your perfect health and protection from envious force.

O my eternal father, O the ocean of mercy, O the deliverer of most fallen, … I bow down onto Your most merciful divine lotus feet again and again and again …

Please accept my most humble and most respectful obeisances in the dust of Your most merciful divine lotus feet.

Aspiring to be Your eternal humble servant,

Your insignificant spiritual daughter,
Kasturi Manjari devi dasi