From Surottama Dasi – Kazakhstan, Almaty

Dear Srila Gurudev,
Hare Krishna! Please accept my respectful obeisances to Your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All glories to You!
On this blessed day, celebrating Your appearance, please accept my eternal gratitude, to You, that You allowed me to become Your disciple and for the opportunity to serve Your lotus feet.
Only because of You my life is being filled with happiness and joy throughout all past thirty years.
In Caitanya Caritamrita [Adi Lila, 1.35] it is said:

mantra-guru āra yata śikṣā-guru-gaṇa tāṅhāra caraṇa āge kariye vandana
“I first offer my respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of my initiating spiritual master and all my shiksha gurus, instructing spiritual masters.”

Without direction of Spiritual Master one is helpless like a ship without a wheel in the open ocean of material existence, and he will never reach his destination.

īśvara-svarūpa bhakta tāṅra adhiṣṭhāna bhaktera hṛdaye kṛṣṇera satata viśrāma
“A pure devotee constantly engaged in the loving service of the Lord is identical with the Lord, who is always seated in his heart.” [Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi Lila, 1.61].

sādhavo hṛdayaṁ mahyaṁ sādhūnāṁ hṛdayaṁ tv aham
mad-anyat te na jānanti nāhaṁ tebhyo manāg api
“The saint, pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.” [Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.4.68].

Dear Srila Gurudev, You are such a saint, fully dedicated Yourself to the service to Srila Prabhupada and Krishna. You inspire us, Your disciples with Your selfless service and we try to follow Your instructions. I continue my service, given by Srila Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami, distributing prasadam to the needy people. During the past year we have distributed over 4.5 thousand prasadam portions to the orphan children, disabled, veterans. Please, accept my gratitude for engaging me, in the service to the mission of Srila Prabhupada! All glories to You!
Your servant, Surottama Dasi