from Ananda Tirtha Das – United Kingdom, London

Dear Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

The day of Vyasa Puja is the most important day for the disciple in the relationship with Guru. We can share with You our appreciation, love and admiration we feel for whatever You are and for all Your actions in service to Prabhupada’s mission.

I pray for Your wellbeing, so You can stay with us and give Your invaluable instructions. In recent times, with all the drama happening, Your webinars are giving me a hope, a goal to achieve and a lots of fun, thanks to Your sense of humor. The highest knowledge showed in the simple form, so anyone can understand what the spiritual life really is. For the world this pandemic is a disaster, but Your lectures change it for us into an opportunity to learn, practice and preach.

For some time, a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam [11.05.32] resonates in my mind:

kṛṣṇa-varṇam tviṣākṛṣṇam sāńgopāńgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ sańkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ

“In the Age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions.”

Congregational chanting of the Krishna’s names, along with prasadam distribution, is the heart of Your numerous projects. We, Your disciples, are most fortunate to help You in spreading Krishna’s mercy in this world. Helping You to fulfill Prabhupada’s desires is the sweetest way we can serve You; giving Krishna to others in form of His name and prasadam is the most auspicious charity one can give or receive. Lord Caitanya is Krishna Himself and He came with His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions. He brought His brother and numerous friends to take part in establishing sankirtana movement. A general preparing for the battle always brings his trusted officers.

This reminds me a verse from Locana dasa Thakura’s Caitanya Mangala [Sutra- khanda, song 12, text 565]:

yadi papi chadi dharma dure dese yaya mora senapati-bhakta yaibe tathaya

“If some sinful people escape and giving up religious principles go to far off countries, then my Senapati Bhakta will come at that time to give them Krishna Consciousness.”

We have our Senapati Bhakta, a devotee-general. We got Srila Prabhupada, who had brought the science of Krishna Consciousness to us, in ‘far off countries’. Would it be wise to think, that this glorious commander would come without His officers? Certainly not; why should He be less prepared than Lord Caitanya? He came here on His orders to continue Lord’s mission. How close associate of Krishna is Prabhupada? When someone asked Him: “Who are you?” he said, “If I told you, you would faint.” And I’m completely sure, that I would faint if You told me who You really are, Srila Gurudeva.

Dear Gurudeva, thank You for all the opportunities to serve You and to assist in Your preaching. It may be sad, that this year Your travels and programs have to be limited or cancelled, and so our participation in them, but it only means more nectar when things go back to normal!

Trying to serve You, Ananda Tirtha Das