Badarinatha dasa
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
Respected Guru Maharaja,
Hare Krsna! Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to your lotus feet!
Guru Maharaja, Your divine appearance is a priceless treasure in my life. I firmly believe that Lord Krsna, out of His infinite mercy, has led me to your shelter for my ultimate upliftment. Despite my lack of qualification, you have graciously accepted me under your care—this is a manifestation of your boundless compassion. As Lord Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita 10.10:
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
“To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me”. [Bhagavad-gita 10.10]
Guru Maharaja, it is only by your shelter and guidance that I have the opportunity to engage in devotional service and remain on the path of spiritual progress. It is impossible to continue this journey without the association of devotees, and by your mercy, that association has also been made available to me. The devotee community established by Srila Prabhupada is truly extraordinary. His books are a divine treasure, and you constantly inspire us to perform devotional service with sincerity and vigilance, cautioning us against negligence.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.33, the Pracetas pray:
yavat te mayaya sprsta
bhramama iha karmabhih
tavad bhavat-prasanganam
sangah syan no bhave bhave
“Dear Lord, as long as we have to remain within this material world due to our material contamination and wander from one type of body to another and from one planet to another, we pray that we may associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your pastimes. We pray for this benediction life after life, in different bodily forms and on different planets.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.33]
Guru Maharaja, whenever we are fortunate to associate with you—during yatras or seminars—and hear the pastimes of the Lord, it feels as though we are always immersed in divine narrations, regardless of our external circumstances. Your association also blesses us with the company of other devotees. As Lord Krsna tells Narada Muni in Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.35 purport
naham tisthami vaikunthe
yoginam hrdayesu va
yatra gayanti mad-bhaktah
tatra tisthami narada
“My dear Narada, actually I do not reside in My abode, Vaikuntha, nor do I reside within the hearts of the yogis, but I reside in that place where My pure devotees chant My holy name and discuss My form, pastimes and qualities.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.30.35]
It is only by your association, Guru Maharaja, that I have developed a taste for hearing the Lord’s pastimes. If you had not come into my life, I would have remained lost in ignorance. In Bhagavad-gita 4.34, Lord Krsna says:
tad viddhi pranipatena
pariprasnena sevaya
upadeksyanti te jnanam
jnaninas tattva-darsinah
“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.” [Bhagavad-gita 4.34]
By the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, through his books and the guidance of sincere devotees, I have received your shelter—and that is the most valuable gift of my life.
I recall the wonderful discourse you gave in Bangalore on the Sundara-Kanda of the Ramayana, especially glorifying the qualities of Hanuman. Hearing the narrations of the Lord and His devotees in such company brings a deep spiritual joy, as though we are present in the Lord’s eternal abode.
Guru Maharaja, you labour tirelessly for our spiritual benefit—preparing lectures, creating presentations, and always substantiating your points with scriptural evidence. You travel around the world to glorify Krsna and deliver souls from ignorance. This is your extraordinary mercy upon all of us.
As the Vaisnava acaryas sing:
jogyata-vicare, kichu nahi pai,
tomara karuna-sara
karuna na hoile, kandiya kandiya,
prana na rakhibo ara
“When I examine myself, I find nothing of value. Therefore, your mercy is essential to me. If you are not merciful, I shall simply weep and weep, and I shall not maintain my life.”
Guru Maharaja, this heartfelt cry of our acaryas teaches a disciple how to make life successful—everything depends solely on the mercy of the spiritual master. The guru is a true representative of the Supreme Lord and can bestow knowledge only when the disciple surrenders with full sincerity. This, I have learned from Jagadananda Prabhu.
As Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings:
enechi ausadhi maya nasibara lagi’
harinama-mahamantra lao tumi magi’
“I have brought the medicine that will wipe out the disease of illusion from which you are suffering. Take this maha-mantra – Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”
Guru Maharaja, you have given us this holy name as your greatest mercy. I now pray to sincerely take full shelter of it within my heart. I remember one of your lectures where you instructed us to chant the holy name with our hearts, because Krsna has invested all His potency in His name. There is no difference between the Lord and His name.
Guru Maharaja, as an expression of your compassion, you have given us Jagadananda Prabhu and Ananda Vrndavana Mataji as mentors. They began translating your lectures into Hindi during morning sessions, which helped deepen my connection with you. Both of them are truly wonderful personalities clear in their explanations and deeply caring toward devotees. We are forever grateful to them.
Thank you, Guru Maharaja, for accepting me under your shelter.
Your aspiring servant,
Badarinatha dasa