Madhumangala dasa, Prema-rasa devi dasi, and Hari Charan
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate romapada-svamin iti namine
mukam karoti vacalam pangum langhayate girim
yat-krpa tam aham vande sri gurum dina-taranam
Our dear and respected Guru Maharaja,
Hare Krsna. Please accept our humble obeisances unto the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
In Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated:
srutasya pumsam sucira-sramasya
nanv anjasa suribhir idito ‘rthah
tat-tad-gunanusravanam mukunda-
padaravindam hrdayesu yesam
“Persons who hear from a spiritual master with great labor and for a long time must hear from the mouths of pure devotees about the character and activities of pure devotees. Pure devotees always think within their hearts of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who awards His devotees liberation.” [Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.13.4]
Srila Prabhupada explains in the purport: “Such pure devotees of the Lord are as glorious as the Lord; they are, in fact, recommended by the Lord as more worshipable than He Himself. Worship of the devotee is more potent than worship of the Lord. It is therefore the duty of the transcendental students to hear of pure devotees, as explained by similar devotees of the Lord, because one cannot explain about the Lord or His devotee unless one happens to be a pure devotee himself.”
It is our greatest fortune that we are blessed with the opportunity to hear of the transcendental topics related to the Lord and the pure devotees through your mouth. Always thinking of our welfare, you painstakingly award us this opportunity, at least twice a day, sometimes even more.
Vyasa-puja is a most auspicious occasion for us to remember your glories, and, most importantly, worship your lotus feet, for you carry the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada and the lotus feet of Lord Krsna in your heart. Whatever success we could achieve in life is manifested simply through your worship.
Both during the times I was pursuing higher studies as well as a professional career in the USA, there were times when I experienced difficulties in life. Although I would keep many of those situations to myself, occasionally whenever my father would get to know of them from me, he would always say, “Do not worry, if nothing works, please remember that you have a father and a home right here (in India) and you can always come back. I still have energy and strength to take care of you all and we can live peacefully within whatever means.” Such is his unconditional love and affection.
Thankfully, hearing from you, we understand how Krsna and His unconditional love for all of us is even more powerful and real. As I reflect on my father, I feel grateful that I have a spiritual master who, always nurtures my faith in Krsna, through thick and thin, explaining how loving the supreme father is: who doesn’t impose any restrictions, who doesn’t see our imperfections, who doesn’t judge our frailties, but always within open arms is willing to embrace us for who we are, waiting eagerly for us to return to His abode. Through our failures, and through our hardships, your merciful shelter has protected us.
On this day, we pray to your merciful lotus feet that may we be attached to them always and if you so desire, kindly bless us so that we could become qualified to be counted among their unlimited eternal servants.
Thank you very much!
Your aspiring servant,
Madhumangala dasa, Prema-rasa devi dasi, and Hari Charan