Pran Gauranga dasa and Dana-ghati devi dasi

Dear Guru Maharaja,

Please accept our respectful humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Your Divine Grace!

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva
guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

[Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya 19.151]

 “According to their karma, all living entities are wandering throughout the entire universe. Some of them are being elevated to the upper planetary systems, and some are going down into the lower planetary systems. Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Krsna. By the mercy of both Krsna and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of devotional service.”

We have also been wandering in the cycle of birth and death, considering insubstantial life as substantial and trying to become successful in this world in our own way. By some good fortune we have come into Your association and our lives have got some meaning since then. The precious path of devotional service has come in our lives, by Your kind mercy, after forgetting it completely since time immemorial. Trapped in illusion, we could have never, even in our far stretched imagination, come close to understanding the reality of life. You have very kindly gifted us this path and have been guiding us patiently to move ahead.

We would like to humbly present how effective the process of hearing is in the association of sadhus. When a person comes in contact with devotees, his devotional service begins, albeit initially it remains very mechanical. However, with time and continued hearing in association, slowly one begins to understand that devotional service is not simply meant to carry out certain activities externally, but it is meant to be rendered from the heart. When the heart is not involved in devotional service, the whole process remains on an external platform and does not bring deep satisfaction and transformation. In order to get the maximum benefit of devotional service, one’s heart needs to be activated and that is most easily accomplished by taking the association of those whose hearts are already activated and surcharged with devotional feelings. In such association, one becomes inspired to move forward from mechanical bhakti to devotional bhakti. At that time the process of devotional service becomes very pleasing and satisfying.

Example of an activated heart is given in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.33)

‘krsna, tomara hana’ yadi bale eka-bara
maya-bandha haite krsna tare kare para

“One is immediately freed from the clutches of maya if he seriously and sincerely says, ‘My dear Lord Krsna, although I have forgotten You for so many long years in the material world, today I am surrendering unto You. I am Your sincere and serious servant. Please engage me in Your service.’”

Calling upon Krsna with such feelings does not come on its own but is awakened only when one hears from a saintly devotee and renders devotional service. We are very fortunate Guru Maharaja that we have Your merciful association in our lives and that has helped us move forward on this path of devotional service. We are trying to move from mechanical bhakti to devotional bhakti. We stumble and falter, however You are holding us by Your instructions and encouraging us.

On this auspicious occasion, we beg for Your blessings that we can move forward from mechanical devotional service to heart felt devotional service. Please bless us Guru Maharaja.

Your aspiring servants,
Pran gauranga dasa and Dana-ghati devi dasi