From Sakhi-rai das – Australia, Brisbane

Dearest Srila Gurudeva,
Nama Om Visnupadaya Krsna presthaya bhutale,
Srimate Indradyumna Swamin iti namine
Namo Prabhupada priya dasaya, Jagannatha yatra anandena
murtaye, bhakta sukhaya Krsnotkirtanena , Nrsimhena raksitaya namah .
Nama Om Visnupadaya Krsna presthaya bhutale,
Srimate Bhaktivedanta Swamin iti namine
Namas te Sarasvate deve Gaura vani pracarine,
nirvisesa sunyavadi Paschatya desa tarine.
Today as I reflect on the past year, I can see that this year has been extraordinary in many ways. The world was just opening up after the COVID 19 pandemic. ISKCON as a movement was going through some challenging times. Srila Gurudeva, you were personally on the receiving end of unfair criticism. But you stood as a pillar. A pillar of purity, a pillar of truth and a pillar of strength. On the basis of mercy flowing from your Guru Maharaja, Srila Prabhuapada and the guru parampara, I personally saw how you handled all these delicate matters so compassionately – maintaining your dignity while exhibiting empathy to those who were criticising you. You were simultaneously working on many other fronts. As always, you lead by example. You took care of the devotees who were traumatised, you made sure that your own disciples felt safe under your shelter and the shelter of our glorious parampara. We were in close contact
during that time and I personally saw how compassionate you were towards one and all, and also how you could anticipate what could happen if things were not taken care of properly. Your love for everyone including your detractors was very evident from your actions. And you continue showing that compassion even today.
Giving your life to make sure that seasoned devotees felt safe, while continuing to help new devotees develop attraction to Srila Prabhupada’s movement.
This is your 74th Vyasa Puja and you are making sure that every moment in your life is used to serve Srila Prabhupada’s mission. While researching extensively so that you can transport us all to the spiritual world through your classes, you were also working on projects like Kirtanfest in Rsikesh, Sadhu Sanga in the US and many such innovative preaching initiatives. I recall your servant Vraja Candrika, telling us that you do not waste a single moment. The only time she has seen you taking proper rest was on one occasion. You were in your room resting for a mere 6-7 hours – and that too after months and months of serving tirelessly and resting very little. A sadhu is friend to everyone, and we see that from your life. – From Pundrik Goswami to Vinod Baba, all the devotees within and outside of ISKCON. I remember, you so compassionately initiating 2 elderly devotees from Bihar who could not communicate with you directly,
due to the language barrier, but you so lovingly took them under Srila Prabhupada’s umbrella.. So many examples can be given of your mercy and compassion to everyone you meet.
Currently, I am going through an interesting time in my devotional life where, with your mercy and under your guidance, I am assisting in taking the Holy Name “wide and deep”. I am just following in your footsteps, Srila Gurudeva. You, like Narada Muni are spreading the holy name “wide and deep” – wide by doing amazingly big festivals and deep by taking us through the confidential pastimes of the
Divine Couple through your classes. I remember you quoting Srila Prabhupada, sometime back: “Who said preaching is easy?”.
Today, while I write this homage, I consider myself very fortunate, that you have taught us to be loyal, but independent, to be thoughtful more than to be comfortable, to be kind more than to be right. I reflect on the verse which Prahlada Maharaja spoke to Lord Narsimhadeva:
ahaṁ tv akāmas tvad-bhaktas
tvaṁ ca svāmy anapāśrayaḥ
nānyathehāvayor artho
rāja-sevakayor iva
O my Lord, I am Your unmotivated servant, and You are my eternal master. There is no need of our being anything other than master and servant. You are naturally my master, and I am naturally Your servant. We have no other relationship.
I remind myself of this relationship when I am chanting my japa in the morning. I start chanting my rounds by praying to you every morning Srila Gurudeva, I am praying that I can somehow develop the sincerity to chant in a way that pleases you. O my spiritual master, your pleasure is also mine. You are the giver of the holy name (to me).
I then chant and pray to you to include me in your family of devotees who are serving Srila Prabhupada with their lives.
Then I chant and pray to you to give me some menial service, like how your spiritual master did for you.
Srila Gurudeva, thank you for being there with me, our family in all times. I pray to you that please please make me an instrument in your hands, so that I can assist you in your mission to serve Srila
Prabhupada. Your glories are unlimited and I take shelter of your lotus feet.
Your insignificant servant, Sakhi-rai das