from Sundari Priya Dasi – United States, Dallas

Dearest Srila Gurudeva,

Hare Krsna! Please accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of Your auspicious lotus feet! All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to Your Divine Grace!

Happy 71st Birthday and auspicious Vyasa Puja to You, Srila Gurudeva!

nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale srimate indradyumna-swamin iti namine
namah prabhupada-priya dasaya jagannatha-yatrananda murtaye bhakta-sukhaya krishnot-kirtanena narasimhena rakshitaya namah

yasya prasadad bhagavata-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ‘pi

“By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement.”

Srila Gurudeva, this is my greatest fortune and an absolute realization just when the world is in anxiety with the pandemic situation. It is often said that: “When life gives You lemons, You make lemonade!” But during this pandemic, I have realized that when life gives You lemons like this lockdown, You gave us this “spiritual lemonade“ which is the transcendental nectar through Your esteemed association and that to me is a benediction of Krsna. You have taught us to keep our full faith in Krsna and not to be anxious. I feel so grateful for Your mercy through Your potent webinars. Thank You unlimitedly for that! They are a saving grace!

Srila Gurudeva, You are so expert in instructing Your disciples as a spiritual father and caring for their welfare and advancement in spiritual life. During my first initiation, one of the instructions You gave me was to study Srila Prabhupada’s books just like a lawyer knows his law books. In Your first webinar, You also instructed us that when everything is shut outside, we need to go deep inside. I have taken that instruction to heart and I love studying Srila Prabhupada’s books every day and also His letters to different personalities. This practice has me hankering for Krsna katha and improved japa. And as I am reading the pages of these precious books, I can appreciate one of the most important instructions that I have ever received in my life. Thank You again and again!

Srila Gurudeva, I had made great plans for this year, strongly desiring to be able to go on parikrama to Vrindavan during Kartik and take Your association in the holy dham but who knew that Krsna would fulfill my desire even sooner, through Your generous webinars and virtual parikrama through the groves and forests of Vraja, and all the different holy places that You took us through. I love how every place connects us back to Vrindavan where You are currently and where our heart belongs. During my initiation, You did mention that You like to give Vrajvasi’s names, so I thought that is because You are so attached to Vrindavan. Now, I have come to realize that Vrindavan Dham also has a special place for You and that is why despite all the plans that were being made before the lockdown commenced, You stayed in Vrindavan, Krsna’s favorite playground. Srimati Radharani must love You so much because without Her consent, no one can even step inside Vrindavan.

Srila Gurudeva, I love how You are so attached and pukka with Deity Worship and I really desire to follow in Your footsteps so that I can serve my deities with so much love and purity. I am missing my service at our temple to dress our dearest Sri Sri Radha Kalachandji so much right now. I have so much attachment for that service and like we know absence makes the heart grow fonder, I cannot wait to get back to it again. But during this time, I am watching all the videos where You are worshipping Your super sweet deities and that really pleases my heart. Your Nrsimha-abhishek program was so wonderful and most needed on that day! Thank You for sharing that with us and showering Your kindness as always.

I also love how You have such beautiful Vaisnava friendships with so many religious leaders despite their age or background. I recently saw this with Sri Pundarik Goswamiji who is from the Radha Raman temple – one of my favorite deities in Vrindavan. He was doing a Facebook live session and it was so amazing that he spoke to You as a friend, but respected You like a grandfather, offered you his dandavats and had a good discussion with You. This is such an important quality for us to learn on how to cultivate good Vaisnava relationships to make spiritual progress.

Srila Gurudeva, You have always been a great spiritual guide and inspiration to my daughter, Vrinda, as well. She loves You so much! I pray that she can take shelter under Your lotus feet and become a worthy disciple and thus perfect her life. I have also heard in Your lectures that the duty of the parents according to Srimad Bhagavatam is to make their children Krsna Conscious.I do struggle with that sometimes, since she is a teenager but pray sincerely that she makes that choice from her heart.

I am so eternally grateful to have You in my life and hope to never ever lose Your association and service. On this auspicious day, I pray to Lord Nrsimha to protect You, and may Your love for the Divine Couple be ever increasing. May Srila Prabhupada and our guru-parampara always engage You in service and be proud of You! Happy Birthday again!

Your humble servant, Sundari Priya Dasi