Srida dasa and Krsna Mohini devi dasi
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate romapada-svamin iti namine
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Holiness Romapada Swami, who is very dear to Lord Krsna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.”
Dear and respected Guru Maharaja,
Hare Krsna! Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and unto you!
Guru Maharaja, your appearance day marks the beginning of great fortune, bringing auspiciousness to many conditioned souls like us. Like many of our God brothers and God sisters, we are indebted to your teachings and have the good fortune of the association you have given us through your vapuh and vani. Although my first contact with Krsna consciousness was not directly through you, I got a glimpse of your good qualities, sincerity and mood of service which were showcased through your disciples. You were the source of happiness in their devotional lives. It is your mercy that you have graciously accepted both me and Krsna Mohini devi dasi as your disciples. Please accept our humble obeisances.
Guru Maharaja, on your auspicious appearance day, we fall at your lotus feet to take shelter of your lotus feet life after life. Lord Krsna and His representatives like Srila Prabhupada and your Divine Grace, Srila Gurudev, exhibit boundless kindness. In the hour of our dire need, you extended your compassion to all of us by manifesting in this material realm, Srila Gurudev. Your purpose was to reconnect lost souls like us with our Supreme Father, Sri Krsna. Your role in this regard is the epitome of profound service, surpassing any other services in this world. And this makes you the most munificent person. This is why we believe that celebrating your appearance day through worship and glorification is entirely befitting for us, Srila Gurudev.
Guru Maharaja, you have taken the mission of your spiritual master, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and are teaching us bhakti-yoga (devotional service). Your classes on Ramayana, entering into deeper understanding of Krsna’s pastimes in Canto 10, gita values, Festival of the holy name are all very dear to us. They always help us to reinstate our purpose in this world and again connect to our mission of life.
Guru Maharaja, you are an ocean of all-auspicious qualities (gunarnavasya). All your life, we see in you nothing but complete dedication and loyalty to spreading the mission of your spiritual master. Just hearing about your commitment against engaging in the Vietnam War and the subsequent transformative path you embarked upon to understand your true conviction and embracing Krsna consciousness continue to inspire and uplift us. We are very much inspired by your presence, your character, your demeanor, your choice of words, and your entire personality. Please accept our humble obeisances.
A few days back, you gave a class about one who is a sama-darsi – a humble sage who has equal vision. You briefly elaborated on how by being Krsna conscious, a realized person sees the soul everywhere and actually sees all souls as parts and parcels of Krsna, irrespective of their bodily covering. A subsequent discussion between God brothers and God sisters ensued after the class, and we discussed Srila Prabhupada’s purport from Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.12, which enumerates twenty-six qualities in a sadhu.
Krsnadasa Kaviraja lists the following twenty-six good qualities of a Vaisnava: (1) He is very kind to everyone. (2) He does not make anyone his enemy. (3) He is truthful. (4) He is equal to everyone. (5) No one can find any fault in him. (6) He is magnanimous. (7) He is mild. (8) He is always clean. (9) He is without possessions. (10) He works for everyone’s benefit. (11) He is very peaceful. (12) He is always surrendered to Krsna. (13) He has no material desires. (14) He is very meek. (15) He is steady. (16) He controls his senses. (17) He does not eat more than required. (18) He is not influenced by the Lord’s illusory energy. (19) He offers respect to everyone. (20) He does not desire any respect for himself. (21) He is very grave. (22) He is merciful. (23) He is friendly. (24) He is poetic. (25) He is expert. (26) He is silent.[Purport of Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.18.12]
We could understand how Your Holiness exhibits all these transcendental qualities in full. Among these qualities, two qualities that particularly resonated with me are quality #10 (working for everyone’s benefit) and quality #25 (expert). It is impossible for a material person to do good to his own self, what to speak of his family, society, country, or even human race. But the sastras tell us that sadhus like you work for everyone’s benefit by spreading Krsna consciousness.
You constantly fan the spark-like inclination by guiding us and engaging us in the service of the Lord. You are a person bhagavata or mahabhagavata living life of Bhagavatam moment-to-moment. And due to this, even a moment of your association is all-good for all the living entities who come in contact with you. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.18.13 as well: “The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.”
Like an expert physician knows how to treat his subject, you give the antidote for materialistic tendencies—which is to chant the holy name and engage in hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam. By constantly harping on the message from Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.16: “O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vasudeva.”
You expertly engage us in various services of the Lord, such as, worshipping the Deities and distributing Srila Prabhupada’s books, thereby cutting layers of false ego rooted in our hearts.
It is completely beyond our ordinary comprehension and we cannot fathom how at this advanced age you are tirelessly moving around the world and giving Krsna consciousness to others. Your recent visit to Singapore and spending time with the congregation here discussing the book “Light of the Bhagavata” has certainly invoked interest and seriousness in reading the book in many people.
When one of our Godbrothers relayed to you his feeling that your qualities inspire him a lot, you responded that you cultivated them, hinting that we can also cultivate them if we stick to the spiritual master’s instructions by staying at his lotus feet. Your answers are all very practical and help us to navigate material problems and keep Krsna at the center.
On this auspicious occasion, we kindly seek your blessings and strength to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s transcendental books. We earnestly pray at your lotus feet for your kind blessings to become an instrument in spreading the Krsna consciousness movement, because on our own, we do not have any spiritual strength.
We pray for your wellbeing to Lord Nrsimha-deva. Please forgive our inadvertent mistakes.
Your servants,
Srida dasa, Krsna Mohini devi dasi