All glories to Sri and Sri Gauranga

For our Srila Gurudev, Visnupad Sri Srila Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj

A Compilation of Offerings from your Global Community of Aspiring Servitors

On your 77th Anniversary Sri Celebration

December 2006

Editor: Vrndavanesvari Dasi

Designer: Gaurahari Das

Assistant Editors: Ashapurna Dasi, Damayanti Dasi

Translator: Laksmi Kanti Dasi

Photographs: Jamuna Priya Dasi

Advisors: Mahananda Das B.R., Sarvabhavana Das

Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, 2006 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006

Beloved Srila Gurudev,

lease accept my heartfelt dandavat pranams at your lotus feet. With your unending supply of affection and mercy, please forgive my offenses and Pegotistical nature.

I am struggling through this material world, but it is my greatest fortune to have hundreds of -brothers and God-sisters helping me on the path of Consciousness. When I read their sweet words, thoughtfully sent every year for your Sri Vyasa Puja, I am again reminded how lucky I am to be apart of such a warm, global community.

We come from many different cultures and backgrounds, but our most sincere soul-expressions unite in honor of you, Srila Gurudev. Offerings from You are the most attractive leader, pulling our heartstrings as you guide us towards real devotion and service to Sri Krishna. Sannyasis You show us the true meaning of life. You show us, by your example, what it really means to be humble, tolerant, and give honor to others. You show us how to stay 2 0 0 6 together in our spiritual practice.

With my meager attempt at humility, I offer you this book of Sri Vyasa Puja offerings on behalf of our production team: Gaurahari Prabhu in California, Ashapurna Didi in England, Laksmi Kanti Didi in Venezuela, and Damayanti Didi and Jamuna Priya Didi in . Of course, we would be lost without the advice of our well-wishers and senior devotees, Sarvabhavana Prabhu in California and Mahananda Prabhu in Sri Dham.

Trying to be of some small service to your servants,

Your little daughter in San Jose, California, Vrindavanesvari Dasi

 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M S A n n YAS I S gurvvabhista-supurakam guruganair-asisa-sambhusitam “The for the Age of Kali is Krishna’s nama-sankirtan. Without being empowered by cintyacintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam Krishna himself, no one can propagate the chanting of the Holy name.” govindabhidham ujjvalam varatanum bhakyanvitam sundaram vande visva-gurunca divya-bhagavat-premno hi bijapradam Perhaps some unfortunate persons may not know of your unparalleled service to your Guru, your Srila Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Homage to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Maybe as such they cannot understand the import of Srila Narottam Das Thakur’s words, chadiya vaishnava seva nistara peyeche keba: unless one truly serves a Vaishnava, Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, one cannot know what is spiritual advancement.

prostrate myself in the dust of your lotus feet, feeling Yet, you have revealed yourself to us, and we are seeing that those who are greatly myself not only unworthy to serve you, but also one who dedicated to your service, their enthusiasm and dedication is contagious. In this way Ishamelessly cannot remain far from your divine association. You there is some hope even for those who are vaishnava-praya. once commented (citing the words of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur) that unless he will reveal himself to us, we cannot know who is a When I joined the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Srila Sridhar Maharaj affectionately real Vaishnava. referred to the famous verse of Srila Bilvamangal Thakur:

In this respect, you have revealed your compassionate heart to us; your kindness to all advaita-vithi-pathikair upasyah fallen souls, such as myself, is well known to all. You have even forgiven my mistakes svananda-simhasana-labdha-diksah and lack of surrender. To some unfortunate souls who lack sukriti, your ways, like sathena kenapi vayam hathena those of the Lord, may be unknown and unknowable. Your humor and words may dasi-krta gopa-vadhu-vitena bewilder them. As you minimize the overbearing stiffness of vidhi-marg, your actions may be beyond their comprehension. “Although I was initiated into advaita-vad and seated on a Simhasana and worshiped by others, I have nonetheless been forcibly turned into a maidservant by some cunning boy who Still, as Sri himself noted about Sri Adwaita : is always joking with the gopis.” yahara kripate mlecchera hoy krishna-bhakti At that time, it was my great fortune that you gave me your protection, as you have ke kahite pare tara vaishnavata-shakti given your affectionate mercy to so many. You awakened me to the reality of service by your words and by your own example, and you sent me again out into the world “You are such a great personality that by your mercy you can convert even the mlecchas to engage myself in trying to spread Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission of Krishna to the devotional service of Krishna. Who, therefore can estimate the power of your consciousness. And I could always feel your guidance. Although my propensity is ?” always to err, at every step you have practically guided me and kept me engaged.

As it is also noted in Sri Chaitanya-Chaitamrita (Antya 7.11): Srila Sridhar Maharaj remarked that everything must be considered according to its potential. Srila Prabhupad remarked that his work was not finished, and asked Srila kali-kalera dharma-krishna-nama-sankirtana Sridhar Maharaj to help finish and polish his disciples, the very work that he had krishna-shakti vina nahe tara pravartana begun. In his turn, Srila Sridhar Maharaj remarked that he himself was already old and

  S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M S A n n YAS I S asked you to accept the responsibility of continuing with the guidance of the western mat-chittah mat-gatah-pranah devotees who had come seeking shelter. bodhayantah parasparam kathayantash ca ma’ng nityong Speaking for myself, I will say that we are all aspiring to be students and are tushyanti cha ramanti cha undoubtedly unfinished works still in the process of being formed. But still there is full potential there. Were we to minimize that potential, it would be an aparadh to our “The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, Divine Masters: Srila Prabhupad, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, and you. I cannot say that I am and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and without hope; I have so much good fortune. I have taken shelter of my most kind and conversing about Me. affectionate master and guardian. While incapable of enlightening, it is my prayer that my attempt to converse on this On this most auspicious day of your divine avirbhav, your Vyasa Puja and divine matter may bring about some satisfaction in the heart of a devotee. If so, surely I shall appearance, I once again come as a beggar, entreating your mercy. If you will not cast be purified by his grace. your affectionate glance upon me, then that divine light will not illuminate my vision. I again promise to continue in your service and beg for another opportunity to be of In the above verse we find described the awkward plight of the living entity and the some use. remedy for its removal.

Desiring to be eternally engaged in your service, I remain, jive sahkshaht nahi, we cannot directly perceive chaitya-rupe, the Supersoul, although He is always present with us. Without His Divine guidance we are inescapably Only your servitor, manipulated by maya shakti to behave in ways which are always detrimental to our Tridandi bhikshu Sri Bhakti Pavan Janardan own well-being.

Without the means of deliverance, such sufferings of the jiva might be ascribed to the cruel humor of a sadistic God. But God is Krishna, and He is akhila rasamrta murti, the jive sahkshaht nahi tate guru chaitya-rupe embodiment of sweetness, charm and beauty. Although possessed of delightful humor, no shikshah-guru haya krishna-mahahnta-svarupe part of Him is grotesque. What appears to the unskilled observer as cruelty, is no less than His means of honoring the jiva’s innate freedom and affording a means of correcting the “Since one cannot visually experience the presence of the Supersoul, He course of the aberrant soul to guide him back to his transcendental home, where he may appears before us as a liberated devotee. Such a spiritual master is none enjoy the company of his Lord as amrtasya putrah, a son of nectar. other than Kanea Himself.” We are blind to the sight of the Guru within, but Krishna is so merciful that He his verse, as it relates to His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Srila appears Himself in the form of His liberated devotee to instruct us. As the blind Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, is self-explanatory cannot read through the subtle sense of sight but by the physical touch of Braille, the Tand thus requires only and not comment to grasp. unseen chaitya guru appears as the mahanta guru via the Lord’s pure devotees in order to be recognized by the blind but sincere seeker of spiritual knowledge. That said, Krishna tells us in Srimad : Gurudeva cures the blind spiritual eye of the aspirant, not by the introduction

  S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M S A n n YAS I S of any artificial element, but by strengthening his own immune system. As sunshine has been installed in Moscow. Many other places are also hearing the glories of the and nourishing foods strengthen the body’s immune system, the transcendental holy name. rays emanating from the body of Shri Guru, coupled with the nectar of His Divine shikshah, activate and invigorate the jiva’s own inner light, which intensifies in a chain You brought a unique mood of humility, tolerance and self-sacrifice for the reaction to penetrate and destroy the darkness of ignorance surrounding him. The Supreme Lord, and many devotees are now trying to follow your personal example. luminous jiva now sees himself, the Lord and His potencies in Their super-subjective We are witnessing the miraculous spiritual transformation. By your grace we now reality along with Shri Gurudeva, who is seen both within and without according to his have great preachers in Russia like Sripad Goswami Maharaj, Sripad Madhava rasa as a nitya siddha parshada of Shri Krishna. Maharaj, Sripad Akinchan Maharaj, Sripad Bharati Maharaj, Sripad Siddhanti Maharaj and others. By the inconceivable, causeless mercy of the Lord, Srila Govinda Maharaj has appeared in the triple role of pure devotee, mahanta guru and Krishna Himself to accept our Although your health was not permitting you to travel, still, by unique divine service, guide us along the spiritual path and show us the beauty of the Sweet Absolute. potency you came and preached in Russia again and gave the devotees the opportunity to render various kinds of personal service to you. You inspire them Jaya Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s avirbhava for exclusive spiritual life. You not only plant seeds of devotional service but also maha mahotsava, ki jaya. nourish them with great care and endeavor. Now the seeds are becoming beautiful flowers, which produce other seeds and inspire other devotees to participate in The lowly, your sankirttan lila. B.K. Giri The person who is writing this offering is himself a witness and recipient of your causeless mercy. Maybe someone would say this is exaggeration and just nice words. But I can definitely say this is true. There is not enough time and space Dear Srila Gurudeva, to glorify the qualities of the Vaisnava, and what I mention here in this simple offering is just a few words about your divine activity in Russia, what to speak of lease accept dandavat pranams from all the Russian other places in the world that have received the mercy of your lotus feet. devotees and friends. P Even the Supreme Lord Himself confirmed that he delegates pure devotees like We are greatly fortunate that our land has been purified by your yourself to distribute His glories and shelter. So our only prayer is to continue divine lotus feet. As it says in the scriptures, places where Mother existence in the shade of your lotus feet and become true recipients of your Ganga is not flowing, and where the Pandavas have not visited causeless mercy, which can be given only by a pure Vaisnava like yourself. are considered to be simple lands. But they have been purified by associates of the Lord, who appear especially for this purpose. B.B. Avadhut and Russian mission

As we can all witness, only by your divine mercy has Russia been enriched with Krishna consciousness. There are many different missions trying to spread the message of Mahaprabhu, but it is a fact tha, by your special endeavors, Lord - Madhava have become the proprietors of Saint Petersburg, and Sri Giriraj Maharaj

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offer my humble dandavat pranams to Srila Govinda and dying and come to the realization of one’s deathless-ness. Maharaja and all the devotees. I Die to properly live and live to properly die is the supreme goal of life. Our beloved Bhakti Maharaja was a perfect disciple of a and unforgettable Srila Guru Maharaj lovingly paved for us the golden highway to perfect master, Srila Prabhupada. Your Divine Grace is also a tread on to successfully reach that supreme goal. perfect disciple of a perfect master, Srila Sridhara Maharaja. In this age of Kali the Lord descends as His own devotee, and His Therefore with unrestrained joy and happiness from the depth of my heart, loudly I’m devotee’s devotee, just to save the fallen souls. Thus He is doubly blissfully saying: magnanimous. Who cannot love such a merciful Lord? All glories to Sri Guru, Sri Krishna and the pure Vaishnavas headed by Your My misfortune is that I am incapable of being such a perfect disciple, but I can resplendent Personality, Oh my beloved Srila Govinda Maharaj, whose 77th most eternally glorify and offer my pranams to such surrendered souls. auspicious anniversary Appearance Day is being celebrated today throughout the entire creation. pranamami sada sundarpada padam Again and over again accept my heartfelt best wishes. Sincerely, Bhakti Madhava Puri Your ever-fresh well-wisher and faithful aspiring servant, Swami B.M. Ban Maharaj

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, Gurvabhista-supurkam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam Cintyacintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam lease accept my humble obeisances. Another year has passed since I wrote Govindabhidam ujjavalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram an Offering to your lotus feet; it seems like yesterday. They say as we get older, Vande visva-gurun ca divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam Por stay longer in this world, time seems to go more quickly. That is, our perception of it, of course, as we move down the curve towards our inevitable destination, the Dearest and beloved Srila Govinda Maharaj, portals of death.

lease accept my most humble and respectful obeisances at your ever- When we are young, it seems life is all about playtime and hardly we have a thought resplendent lotus feet. of our mortality. With each passing day now we can be more conscious of our P position and more attached to your lotus feet, which, in the end, are the only real and One who came into this troublesome world is sure to leave. And one who is born is substantial shelter in the shifting waves of time and the modes of nature. Without your sure to die: the Truth absolute. connection we are, in the words of Srila Guru Maharaj, simply pushed around by Maya “like balls under the kick.” Only by the causeless grace of Sri Gurudeva can one understand this process of living

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When we realize this we realize our fortune, and we cry for the souls all around The glint of your eyes and the smiling of your face shine more powerfully than the without shelter. We want to try to extend such shelter to them. When we saw your sun, making the darkness disappear from the unfathomable depths of our souls. Divine Grace recently in London we were reminded again that objectively it is indeed difficult to understand what Krishna consciousness is. There are so many apparent The light of your life, Srila Bhakti Rakshaka Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, shines symptoms, but then, as you have often explained, there is something else involved, brilliantly through your every thought, word and deed, miraculously delivering us some other factor which will determine whether it is bhakti or . It is that thing from lifetimes of fruitless wandering. which I believe you have, which you embody, and which by your grace we are trying to find, or rather, discover in ourselves. Oh Gurudeva, make your magic, bring us to the land of that light, and make us your servants forever. If that is possible, then we may be blessed with some idea of the depth of the reality your service to our Srila Guru Maharaj. Seeing you we perceive the truth of the Praying to become your servants’ servant, relationship between Guru and disciple, and our own faith is nourished. B.V. Nyasi UK On this Holy Day we pray for your grace and wish you from our hearts, if we may be so bold, the best of health and success.

Your aspiring servant, Om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya B.S. Tridandi Swami caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave manah

offer my respectful obeisances to my spiritual master who has opened my eyes from the darkness of ignorance by giving h Gurudeva, you are the master of all magicians, wonderfully Ime the torchlight of sambandha-jnana. opening the path of surrender, defying all powers of this Omortal plane. We are very fortunate on this auspicious day, as we have an opportunity to associate with and write something about the glories Your kind benevolence, beyond all considerations of justice and of such a great Guru and personality as His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti equity, passes effortlessly through the thick walls surrounding our Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. hearts. The scriptures tell us it is very rare to get an opportunity to come in contact with a Your unconditional mercy, radiating from your golden heart, fills bonafide spiritual master. our empty hearts with hope, magically infusing true life where there was only delusion and death. brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija From your golden palace of bhakti, far beyond the parching wastelands of material Madhya 19.151 life, you send illuminations, inconceivably making knowable that which could never be known. We wander through many species of life before we have a chance to come to the

1 4 1 5 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M S A n n YAS I S human form, where we are able to have contact with a great personality who is able The few days in London passed quickly. Srila Gurudev met with the devotees that had to lift us from this material world of birth and death. The wheel of karma sometimes come from all over Europe in the front upstairs room of the temple. Sometimes they takes us up to the higher planetary system to live with the demigods, where material had to come in shifts to see him but devotees from Hungary, Norway, Poland, Italy, enjoinment is very great. Sometimes it takes us to the lower species of life like the the Czech Republic, France, Spain, Venezuela, America, and the British Isles had come trees, the tiny living entities, the aquatics, etcetera, where it is very difficult to practice to see him. As always Srila Gurudev gave of himself completely and generously and Krishna consciousness. Material life gives us many different experiences but it is satisfied everyone in all respects. only by some great fortune that we get the chance to have the association of the pure devotees of the Lord. The association of great souls is extremely rare and beneficial and London is a very unique city and has an atmosphere about it that is not seen in any it doesn’t happen very often. This is the meaning of the above sloka. other city. Srila Gurudev reminded everyone that it was once the capital of the British Empire, which ruled the world. Still it is the financial capital of the world. I read As everyone knows, Srila Govinda Maharaj went to London and Russia this past Kartik recently in The Times of India that the people of India refer to London as the “Capital season to give his association to the devotees and sincere seekers there. It is necessary of Greater India” because of its large Indian population. to say something about that glorious preaching program, as never before have we seen Srila Gurudev display the sort of magnanimous pastimes as he displayed on this last I would like to say more about the glorious program in London, and I feel Gurudev’s trip. I know time and space is limited but still I feel a need to say something so I beg visits there are sometimes overshadowed by Russia, but there isn’t space here now. the readers and editors forgiveness for this offering being so long. One highlight I would like to mention is that the temple recently bought a new large van. Every Saturday night Dayanidhi Prabhu takes a group of devotees for Sankirtan Srila Gurudev had been invited many times by Sripad Avadhut Maharaj to visit Russia downtown. When Srila Gurudev was there, many devotees from all over Europe went again. He had been seven times and had considered going again, but his health was on Sankirtan. It was a wonderful experience, as I have never seen so many people on not so good. Recently he felt it was manageable, so he decided to go at the end of the streets in my life. The devotees were led by Dayanidhi Prabhu, Narayan Maharaj September. He was saying he wanted to go and see the great Sankirtan movement from Mauritus, Damodar Prabhu, and Krishna Kanta Didi from Italy. They chanted that has been going on there under the direction of Sripad Avadhut Maharaj. He was and danced their way through the crowd for over four hours. It was a very amazing able to follow the progress of everything through pictures that are regularly sent, but experience, and I feel fortune to have had the opportunity to be present. he wanted to be closer and participate in such a wonderful pastime of the Lord. He actually said Krishna Himself was appearing in Russia through His holy name, and he Time passed quickly in London, and Gurudev had to leave but everyone knew he would wanted to go and see if he could offer some service there. return on his way back from Russia. Actually the main part of the London program took place when he came back, but as I said there isn’t time or space for that now. Early in the morning on September twenty-second, Srila Gurudev boarded a flight to London and began his twenty-second world tour. He arrived in London to a joyful section of devotees St. Petersburg is a three-hour flight north of London. We were met at the airport by Sripad who were waiting to receive him. After a horrendous two-and-a-half-hour ride to the Math Avadhut Maharaj, Sripad Bharati Maharaj, Sripad Madhava Maharaj, Vijay Raman Prabhu through London traffic, he was home and as happy as I have ever seen him. It appeared that and a large section of devotees that had come from all over Russia and the Ukraine. After a when he got to the London Math, a big burden was lifted from his shoulders. He was happy fairly long trip to the temple, Srila Gurudev was safely in his new home. and overflowing with enthusiasm and fresh energy. I thought the trip must have been tiring, but it appeared the opposite. He was very happy and appeared ready to go anywhere and Vijay Raman Prabhu had just finished building a beautiful new apartment complex do anything. The London devotees were showing their enthusiasm with a big in the for Gurudev that was quiet and a little secluded from the rest of the temple. It had a temple room, which continued regularly through out Gurudev’s whole visit. beautiful view of the ocean and was right next to the garden, which was in full bloom.

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At first we were somewhat shocked by the cold, having just come from the hot season spreading our Krishna consciouness movement all over the world and giving shelter in India. But by Russian standards it wasn’t cold. The trees still had their leaves, and the to so many fortunate souls who are disturbed by Kali Yuga. The Krishna conscousness garden was full of fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers. We were also struck by the fresh and movement that Srila Gurudev is spreading and maintaining all over the world is pure air compared to Calcutta. It seemed one could actually breathe properly. directly inspired and maintained by Lord Krishna Himself. Srila Gurudev reminded us of this often. Vijay Raman and Avadhut Maharaj sensed we were cold so they immediately rushed out and brought us many warm cloths. They brought Gurudev an extremely rare, full- At this point I could understand why Srila Gurudev was so happy and enthusiastic, length Italian Kashmir coat. It was extremely beautiful, very warm and, of course, Srila and why it appeared a great burden was lifted from his shoulders. He was coming Gurudev enhanced its beauty a thousand times. Vijay Raman also insisted Gurudev to meet with the Russian devotees and sincere seekers and participate in the great wear it every time he went out even though it was sometimes too warm. Sankirtan movement that is taking place there now. Devotees traveled from all parts of Russia, the Ukraine, and the Baltic States. Even devotees came from Hungary, Turkey After settling in for a few days, Srila Gurudev was performing his miraculous pastimes and America to hear his nectarian words and instructions and to get a glimpse of his as he has done so many times before in Russia and in so many other places in the holy form. Everyone greatly appreciated having his association, and they were so eager world. But this time everything seemed even more special. Every time Gurudev goes to to hear his Katak that every morning they would rise hours before sunrise, bathe, Russia, Avadhut Maharaj likes him to come and meet with the devotees before mangal have a hot drink and wait silently and patiently for him to come. It was a phenomenon arotik. From his first visit this has been the program, and Avadhut Maharaj always I had seen since the first trip to Russia, but I never really understood the gravity and arranges a large darshan hall next to Gurudev’s room. This time was no exception, beauty of it. as Vijay Raman had just built Gurudev’s new apartment and an adjoining darshan hall that could hold several hundred people. Below the darshan hall was a kitchen I was reminded of the description in the Srimad Bhagavatam when Suka where the prasadam was cooked over open fires so the darshan room was warm with Goswami came to speak to Maharaj Pariksit. All the great sages were gathered and natural heat that rose through the floor. On the front side there was a green house that wondering what to do when Suka Deva Goswami arrived, and everyone automatically produced vegetables and flowers for the dieties all year around. knew what to do. They knew that whatever Suka Deva said must be right, as he had the proper opinion on everything. And when he came into the assembly they all Every morning Gurudev would come for an hour before mangal arotik and meet with listened with full attention and full faith. the devotees. If he wasn’t able to come on time he would send Sripad Janardan Maharaj before he came. On some mornings Gurudev spoke spontaneously most of the time, The Russian devotees had this kind of faith and attention and full respect for Srila and on others he would answer questions. On most mornings there was a combination Gurudev. They waited patiently and quietly for Gurudev every morning. When he of speaking and questions, and as always he satisfied everyone two-hundred percent. spoke they felt that whatever Gurudev said must be proper and the truth. No one could say anything any better or higher or more complete than what he could say. Gurudev spoke of many subject matters in the morning, but a recurring theme was his Gurudev’s opinion was final for them. description of Krishna appearing within the hearts of the Russian people and dancing with them with his holy name. The pious and fortunate souls of Russia were taking For the Russian devotees he was the supreme authority on everything. He was their this opportunity to come to Krishna consciousness. They were taking shelter under the Guru, their master and their faithful worship-able Lord as well as their best friend. Vaishnavas that were preaching, like Srila Gurudev, Sripad Avadhut Maharaj, Sripad Even though most had not had very much association with him, and many had not Madhava Maharaj, Sripad Goswami Maharaj, Sripad Akincan Maharaj (who is there even seen him before, Srila Gurudev was their master, shelter and Jagad Guru of the right now), Srutasrava Prabhu, Nyasi Maharaj and others. Actually Krishna Himself is whole world. He had come a long way to see them, and they were extremely happy and

1 8 1 9 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M S A n n YAS I S appreciative. I felt it was this intense mood of devotion the Russian devotees displayed When Kartik month started he would tell stories of Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindaban, that captured Srila Gurudev’s heart and made him so happy to be there. such as the story of Krishna lifting Govardhan Hill and being bound with a rope by Mother Yasoda. As the Srimad-Bhagavatam says, Suka Deva Goswami was sent directly by Lord Krishna into the assembly of sages to liberate Maharaj Pariksit, so it appeared to the Russian On Guru Maharaj’s appearance day he spoke extensively about Guru Maharaj. On Srila devotees that Gurudev was sent directly by Lord Krishna to Russia to give them enthusiasm Prabhupada’s disappearance day he spoke wonderfully about Srila Prabhupada and his and guidance in their practice of Krishna consciousness. The unique attributes of the and Guru Maharaj’s close connection with him. He told how Srila Prabhupada would Russian devotees is that they are already practicing or becoming Krishna consciousness always keep in close contact with Guru Maharaj during his world preaching and how he directly through Lord Krishna’s grace. Gurudev is coming to “put the icing on the cake,” had written a letter to Guru Maharaj from New York in 1966 requesting his permission so to speak. The people in general already have the mood of humility, tolerance and giving to return to to give up his body. But Guru Maharaj told him to stay where he honor to others, and the devotees know Gurudev is their worship-able lord without a was, as he was preaching in the West. He said whereever he was present was Vrindaban. doubt. This is the unique character of the Russian people. By Krishna’s grace they are Eventually Srila Prabhupad did get the chance to leave his body in Vrindaban. becoming Krishna consciousness because Krishna has given His mercy to them. Govardhan Puja fell on a Sunday in Russia, but because Saturday is a special holiday In the afternoon Gurudev would usually go to the temple to see the deities, Radha- in Russia and at the temple, Srila Gurudev said we would have a three-day celebration Madhavasundar. On the way, he would look at the garden or the sea and then go into of Govardhan Puja. Many hundreds of guests came during those three days and took the temple to see and pay respects to Radha-Madhavasundar. The deities stand very Govardhan maha-prasadam. graciously on their throne overlooking the Baltic Sea. After paying respects to their Lordships he would sit for a while in his chair and speak casually and in a relaxed way. Kartik season began soon after Gurudev arrived, so he began to sing various Kartik Then he would spontaneously begin to speak about whatever was on his mind. He songs in the afternoons. Every afternoon he would sing Sri Damodarastakam, Krishna- spoke of many beautiful subject matters everyday, and sometimes he would speak for vandan and Jaya Radha Madhava and usually ended with a very lively kirtan. It was over an hour. It was definitely a highlight the devotees lives, especially mine, to hear a very rare time, as he would sit back and sing completely spontaneously for long him speak so nicely and so freely for so long. periods of time. He said that he didn’t know why but his voice and enthusiasm for singing had suddenly come back in full force. He was amazed he was able to sing so He told the story of how Mahaprabhu began his Sankirtan movement with Haridas much, and of course every one was completely amazed by his singing. He especially Thakur and Nityananada Prabhu. They were Mahaprabhu’s first generals that preached urged the devotees to sing Sri Damodarastakam twice daily during their programs for in Nabadwip and later in Bengal and Jagananth Puri. Through them Mahaprabhu Kartik month and said it gave him great pleasure to hear the Russian devotees sing the began to preach the chanting of the holy name, which has now flooded the whole Bengali . He said when the Bengalis sing those bhajans it is nice, but when the world, has come to Russia and is dancing in the hearts of the Russian people. Russian devotees sing Bengali bhajans, it is even nicer.

He told the story of Haridas Thakur and how he was beaten by the Kazi in twenty-two Time passed quickly, and the weather began to change. Time is also passing in writing market places but still didn’t die as the Kazi wanted. So the people beating him had to this article. I know it is long but there is one more pastime I would like to tell. Please beg him to die lest they get in trouble for not doing their job. So Haridas “died” and forgive me for being so long. was thrown in the Ganges but came out in Santipur near Adwaita Acharya’s house, where he took shelter in a cave. Gurudev amazed everyone with the long and beautiful Before Srila Gurudev came to Russia he said it would be nice if he could see snow. He stories he told about so many subject matters. had seen pictures of the ocean frozen in front of the temple and devotees walking on

2 0 2 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M S A n n YAS I S the ice pack. Snow and ice were everywhere, and he said it would be nice to see this. he said, “Yes,” but he didn’t seem very interested. I was a little disappointed because I thought he would be so happy. Actually he was doing something else, and I thought As the weather began to turn cold he had to stop going to the temple in the afternoon. maybe his mind was elsewhere. During the last two weeks, the leaves began to fall from the trees, and the garden finished its harvest rapidly. It was actually hard to see the snow falling from the lighted room, and no one seemed interested in turning the lights out and going to the window to see it. Suddenly the When we first arrived Avadhut Maharaj and others said that snow doesn’t usually lights went out due to the storm. Then, in the dark, Srila Gurudev came outside his come until the end of November. Gurudev was scheduled to leave on November 3rd. room to an adjoining room where there is a couch sitting next to a window. He sat So most of us didn’t think it would snow, but because we know many miracles happen down and looked out the window and saw the heavy snow falling. I was still a little around Gurudev, no one could be sure of anything. puzzled because Gurudev didn’t say much. He watched for a while, looked happy, and then the lights came back and he went back to his room. It appeared something else About a week before November 3rd, the weather began to turn quite cold and dreary, was on his mind, and I didn’t know what to think. and it appeared it could snow. The temperature remained several degrees above zero. But being so far north, it wouldn’t take much for the temperature to drop a few degrees By ten o’clock the ground was thoroughly covered with snow, and when Gurudev was below zero, which is required for snow. in bed some devotees came outside his window and made a real life-size snowman for him to see in the morning. They put a hat and shoes on him and a Sri Chaitanya It started to snow briefly on and off several times in the last week but it was always Saraswat Sankirtan flag in his hand, plus some big dark glasses. mixed with rain and didn’t stick to the ground. We were all wondering what would happen and secretly hoping it would really snow and the ground would be covered By morning a lot of rain had fallen so most of the snow had melte. The snowman was so Gurudev could see this. We felt this would make him happy. But most of us didn’t half-standing. Srila Gurudev saw the snowman in the morning and was pleased. really think it would snow. That day, Tuesday, the snow kept falling on and off. By that afternoon, there was On the last weekend we noticed it was suddenly turning very cold. Previously it was heavy snow falling everywhere. It appeared everyone was caught off-guard. They were possible to go for a walk on the beach and enjoy it, but now it wasn’t fun any more. On scurrying around trying to get done what they hadn’t done to get ready for winter. It Sunday afternoons a Sankirtan party from the temple goes downtown to chant, and I actually appeared the snowflakes were singing and dancing sankirtan as they floated noticed on the last Sunday it was extremely cold compared to only a week earlier. Many down and found a soft place to land. guests come on Saturday for the evening program, and I remember thinking the weather had turned so cold I thought few would come. I was wrong. The temple was packed. The snow keep falling all that night. By Wednesday morning winter had come. There was over a foot of snow everywhere. All the trees and branches were completely Srila Gurudev was scheduled to leave on Thursday. On Monday clouds began to appear covered with new snow. It appeared the whole landscape had completely changed over in the sky, and the temperature kept dropping. By early evening it began to snow. As night. With such cold temperatures it hurt to even go outside for a minute. Up to this we were going to the temple for evening arotik, I felt big wet flakes falling but I didn’t point I though the sun could come out and the snow would melt, as before, but now I know if they would stick to the ground. I thought it might be like the other false realized this would not be the case. The sky was thick with winter clouds that would alarms that had happened. Durning arotik the snow really began coming down, and as not go away for a long time. A cold wind was blowing off the ocean that hurt one’s I was walking back to Gurudev’s house after arotik, I thought I should check if he was inner bones. Winter had come and settled in within only one and a half days. There seeing the snow. After offering my dandavats I asked him if he had seen the snow, and was no reversing this, as the Russian winters are not ordinary cold spells or anything

2 2 2 3 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 like that. When they come, they come to stay for a long time. This was the real thing. I felt it was definitely time to go South.

By nighttime it was really cold, and the snow just kept coming down. It appeared the Russian devotees didn’t notice the rapid change, but it was obvious to me, being from Southern California. Life around the temple and in the neighborhood changed. Where once there were green fields, now there were white blankets of snow. The local children were playing outside and throwing snowballs. The birds seemed to be scurrying around as if they were caught completely off-guard. Even Vijay Raman was surprised because there were still some vegetables in the garden and apples on the trees. He quickly harvested everything before it froze.

When Srila Gurudev departed for the airport on Thursday afternoon, a cold wind was blowing off the sea, the ground was completely frozen and covered with two feet of snow, and all the trees had fresh snow on their branches from top to bottom There Offerings from were no leaves anymore and no sign of life anywhere. The Russian winter had come to pay dandavats to Gurudev, as so many people from all over Russia, America and Europe had done. As Gurudev had been telling us, Krishna was appearing in Russia Your Aspiring Servitors and all the living entities were very fortunate to have this opportunity to associate with Him. Krishna was also appearing in Old Man Winter’s heart, who wanted Gurudev’s 2 0 0 6 mercy so he had to come and give proper respect.

But Srila Gurudev had a surprise for everyone because that is his nature. He always gives way more than he receives. When he saw everyone from all over Russia had come to pay him respects and honor and wish him well, He said he would be back. Gurudev is always a man of his word so we will have to see how his transcendental pastimes work themselves out.

As his car pulled out of the driveway with all the Russian devotees offering dandavats, I could see he was satisfied. He didn’t want to just see snow; he wanted to experience the Russian winter. It had come in full force to give him that pleasure.

Jay Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Ki Jay!

B.P. Siddhanti Maharaj

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Dear Srila Gurudev, Dear Srila Gurudev,

Dandavat pranams to your holy lotus feet forever and ever! o celebrate the appearance day of a Vaishnava is a memorable day. But this is a special Vaishnava who happens to be my Guru and a very exalted hank you for letting me be in your heart and for helping Rayarama go Tpersonality. You are the most genuine representative of Srimati Radharani in this home. I don’t really know what to say, except thank you forever for taking care of world. You were trained and carefully prepared by your master throughout your ourT dear Srila Guru Maharaj and fulfilling his dreams. You are the magical one who whole life, starting at a young age. For more than forty years, you were well prepared, could do this. I really need your connection, and I feel it is there, heart to heart. That’s being the intimate servant and secretary of Srila Guru Maharaj. Who could boast of all that is necessary. something like this? Even with our eyes covered, we may follow you just by hearing your glories. Throughout the whole world, your glories are sung. Again and again I thank you for everything! Therefore, on this most auspicious day, I beg Sri Krishna that He will let you stay Love forever, longer and allow us to continue serving under your blessed direction and affectionate Cintamani Devi Dasi guidance so I can upgrade and increase my service capacity. This is what differentiates Hawaii, USA men from boys. The boys don’t take things seriously and for that they are not trustworthy. But a man, due to his maturity, is trustworthy because he is capable of carrying out his responsibilities. Likewise, each of our communities exists because of the committed devotees’ maturity. They differ from other devotees by their dedication. Dearest Srila Gurudev, By setting an example, they inspire me to yearn to become a dedicated service unit. I pray to your lotus feet and beg for this mercy. hank you for continuing to inspire our desire for surrender to the will of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga and for the Your unworthy servant, establishmentT and maintenance of a service lifestyle. We live in relative obscurity in relation to direct service opportunities, Swami Das but by your mercy we have some contact with your servants USA/Mexico and are afforded precious opportunities to serve them.I t is by your grace that we are able to manage in this material world. Please accept our dandavat pranams in the aspiration of being the servants of your servants. All glories to Your Divine Grace, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj.

Humbly, Dear Srila Gurudev, Krsna Prema Das Gaurangi Devi Dasi ’m writing to you these simple words in order to glorify your holy name. Das (now 3 and a half) You are so graceful and because of that, you have given us so many blessings that we Nimai Das (now 2 and a half) receiveI throughout the whole world. Your presence enlightens and inspires everyone USA to offer at least minimal service to your lotus feet. Your glories and blessings are going

2 6 2 7 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S around the world through your agents, and we take shelter in Your Divine Grace. In e all bow down in reverence to seek the dust at the holy feet of our that way, we are blessed with ecstasy. Please take good care of yourself. We need you Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami for many more years, and we are praying for your return to California. Please accept WMaharaj on his 77th appearance year. My family is eternally in debt to our Guru, who my humble obeisances from Chula Vista, California and Tijuana, Mexico, from the Sri made possible our initiation into the devotional service of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga. Chaitanya Saraswat Sridhar Govinda Seva Ashram. This devotional service, handed to us by our Guru, is the only reason for living. On our Guru’s appearance day, we humbly bow down our heads at his lotus feet so that we can Your aspiring servant, forever serve Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.

Prishni Devi Dasi Srila Gurudev, from the deepest part of our hearts: thank you very much for accepting USA/Mexico us as your disciples in the Philippines. Thank you very much, Maharaj.

Always trying to serve Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga,

Jaya Srila Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! Gokulananda Das Yasoda Mati Devi Dasi jiv jago, jiv jago, gaurachanda bole Laksmi Priya Devi Dasi kota nidra jao maya-pisachira kole Vishnu Priya Devi Dasi Srila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram ord Gauranga is calling, “Wake up, sleeping souls! Wake Philippines up, sleeping souls! You have slept so long in the lap of the witch calledL Maya.”

You have woken me up from Maya’s lap and given me guidance in All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! my search back home, back to Godhead. My dear Srila Gurudev, like a lighthouse guiding boats at sea, you are guiding so many devotees All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! of Lord Krishna back to their real homes. Dear Srila Gurudev, Thank you. lease accept my most humble obeisances at the dust Servant of the servant, of Your lotus feet. The Holy Day of Your Divine Appearance Jananivas Das isP a great fortune and opportunity for us to glorify Your Divine Helsinki, Finland Personality, which is radiating such transcendental and saintly qualities as mercy, compassion, love, affection and harmony that attract all the conditioned souls.

Your appearance is auspicious for the whole universe because You

2 8 2 9 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S are the manifestation of the Supreme Lord. You have the power to deliver the poor All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! fallen souls and bring them to their real transcendental home by bestowing them with service to Your lotus feet. You alone show us by Your example how to serve the Sri Vyasa Puja of Srila Gurudev ki jaya! Spiritual Master. Dear Srila Gurudev! It is impossible for me to glorify You properly because I am unqualified and insignificant. It is also difficult for me to wish something for You, who are Yourself a lease let me congratulate You on Your Sri Vyasa Puja wish-fulfilling tree. and wish You good health, optimism and success in Your service.P I also wish you much association of the sincere souls who I just would like to wish You, on the occasion of Your Holy Birthday, good health for help You fulfill Your goals, unlike me. the realization of Your transcendental desires, the increase and expansion of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math Mission, and many faithful followers who can help You to With respects, realize Your good intentions in the service of Lord Gauranga, Sriman Mahaprabhu. Your lowest servant, Jaya Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj and his Vyasa Madhavendra Das Puja day! Czech Republic

Your insignificant, aspiring servant, Anasuya Devi Dasi Czech Republic o you, Oh warrior of a thousand battles, To you, Ocean of goodness and wisdom, To you, Who is only pleased by the higher mellows of transcendental love, I offer this simple praise. It is impossible for me to glorify You properly Glories to Srila Gurudev. because I am unqualified and insignificant. It

is also difficult for me to wish something for Govinda Vilasa Das

You, who are Yourself a wish-fulfilling tree.

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga My very dear Srila Gurudev,

Dearest Srila Gurudev, lease accept my dandavat pranam at your gateway, your doorway, and at your lotus feet. This day honoring your divine appearance is the lease accept our humble dandavat pranams in the dust of your most holy mostP auspicious day of the year for the world. lotus feet on this most auspicious occasion. P You patiently and joyously teach us by your own example how to become a In Madhya-lila, chapter two of Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Srila Swami Maharaj writes in vaisnava. You tell the nature of the divine line of Sriman his purport to text eighty-six: “Whatever is awakened by attachment to one’s predecessor is Mahaprabhu in the same breath that you supply divine the way of devotional service as indicated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.” guidance to all who approach you, with boundless kindness. Gentle and ruffian, child, youth, or aged, devoted sannyasi or While Your Divine Grace exemplifies all the qualities of a pure devotee, I might humbly first-timer—all are excitedly awakened to a higher truth simply say, in attempting to exalt your glories, that unswerving attachment to your Srila Guru by hearing or seeing you. Maharaj is very easy to appreciate in your particular case. “Wait and see” is your basis. You perfectly show us how Although I have no qualification or ability to glorify Your Divine Grace, evenI can see and awaiting direction from the good Lord assures that we will appreciate that your attachment to and affection for Srila Guru Maharaj is what makes you be properly adjusted in this world. You will leave an action the most supremely qualified to represent theR upanuga for the whole world. forever if that direction doesn’t come; nothing matters to you All of your most intimate and sincere followers can much better sing your glories than such but complete, loving submission to your Guru Maharaj’s will. You show us why a very unqualified person like myself. But even from a very great distance (both literally and this is joyful by your ever-twinkling bright eyes, clever smile, and giant laugh. figuratively) your unlimited mercy is greatly appreciated and sincerely hoped for. I don’t know how you are so thoroughly wonderful; I am simply enormously Your unworthy servants, grateful for my good fortune! I try to quote Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Acyuta Priya Das Maharaj, “With all the humility at my command.” By his grace, I became able Krishnalata Devi Dasi to lean in your direction and am protected. By your grace, I might become able to render some service to Sri Rupa Guru-varga in this human life that I now I am the most fallen, but still I have directly have. May Lord Krishna kindly fix me as an atom at your holy feet so that I remain birth after birth in the association of your servitors, aspiring always to Jaya Srila Gurudev! experienced Your loving kindness and mercy. assist them.

our Appearance Day is a vacation from the troubles of this world. To Aspiring to become your humble servant, remember You is to free oneself from suffering for that day and to be thankful of Kumkum Dasi ourY great fortune to have Your blessings and instructions! Jaya Srila Gurudeva! San Jose, California

Your fallen dishwasher, Madhura Dyuti Das

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An offering to His Divine Grace on His Holy Appearance Day Dear Srila Gurudev,

offer my humble obeisances to You, Srila Gurudev, who was chosen by the have one thought: your faith. I have one wish: my spiritual best of the best. He saw in You the unfathomable, supremely excellent qualities that freedom with Sri Krishna. YouI exhibit in Your everyday life in every waking hour: the true example of perfect I mercy, humility, high thinking, simple living, fair dealings and affection. You give freely Bhakta Pedro of Yourself in divine dedication and devotion to Your Guru Maharaj, as Your beautiful Cumana, Venezuela form glides and graces every temple, hall or home built in Your honor. Your hand of friendship comes down to meet all those fortunate souls as a helping hand extended to lift them up, fill them with joy and hope and the beauty of Krishna. Your heart goes out to the whole world, imploring us to sing the song of God. You grace us all with Your glance, Your beautiful voice and smile, and ever-glowing presence. All glories to Parama Karuna Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra! I am the most fallen, but still I have directly experienced Your loving kindness and mercy. You never judged if that kindness and mercy You freely gave was deserved. I All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! am in debt to You, but this is a debt I happily carry. Oh supremely merciful Vaisnava, please bless me and those close to me, that we may all grow in our dedication and ne God, one love, one Gurudev and all the devotees in this devotion in glorification of You. Let us continue to sing unendingly Your praise, speak material world as one brotherhood. unendingly of Your holiness and charm, and pray we live our lives as good devotional O examples, happy in Your seva under Your umbrella and the illustrious Sri Chaitanya Giriraj Das Saraswat Math and Rupanuga Sampradaya. Cumana, Venezuela

Happy 77th Appearance Day, Srila Gurudev. I place myself humbly at Your holy lotus feet. I wish to go nowhere else; my fate is in your hands. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Your most undeserving and fallen servant, All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Dinatarini Dasi All glories to Parama Karuna Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra Australia My dear Srila Gurudev, May You be able to travel throughout the lease accept my humble dandavat pranams, and please world and melt our hearts by Your love. forgive my offenses. I am really happy because the devotees in VenezuelaP always organize a very wonderful celebration honoring your sweet advent. Because of your inconceivable mercy we have a very beautiful brotherhood among the devotees. But there is just

3 4 3 5 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S one thing that I want to ask you: please bless us with your visit to Venezuela soon! presence of Srila Sridhar Maharaj, I say you are my Deity to whom I offer food every day; you are my spiritual father; you are my Guru, my shelter, my well wisher, my Your humble servitor in separation, protector, and I am your aspiring servitor! Laxmi Priya Devi Dasi Cumana, Venezuela Jayadev Das Rio, Brazil

All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam cintyacintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam To my sweet Srila Gurudev, govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram vande visva-gurun ca divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam orever I will thank you and love you for the highest example you have given us all. In my daily life I try to live as I see your Holiness live; you are the living devam divya-tanum suchanda-vadanam-balarka-celancitam scripture,F the sculpture of many hearts and the needed balance on this planet. I must sandrananda-puram sad-eka-varanam vairagya-vidyambudhim apologize for all of our offences towards your grace. You are our savior. sri-siddhanta-nidhim subhakti-lasitam sarasvatanam-varam vande tam subhadam mad-eka-saranam nyasisvaram sridharam My eternal dandavats, gratitude and love, Radha Madhava Das and good wife Marissa Australia My dear Srila Gurudev, Srila Govinda Maharaj,

lease accept my full dandavat pranams at your holy lotus feet. All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! PI am here along with my honorable God-brothers and God-sisters to pay our humble homage on the great occasion of your 77th Sri Vyasa Puja. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! Now that I am writing these short lines your face and the face of Srila Guru Maharaj come to my mind. Now I remember my contact with Srila Guru Maharaj’s books. I first Dear Srila Gurudev, became an aspiring follower of Srila Guru Maharaj, and he bestowed his grace on me and put my soul in your care. n the occasion of Your holy birthday I would like to thank You for Your love and service, for Your exemplary service to Your Srila Guru Maharaj and Throughout all these years I have been receiving your affection, your instructions and forO Your boundless love, which You distribute to all who are fortunate to meet You. I your blessings—not only from you, but from all of your sincere disciples, my God- wish You good health and steady association of Your faithful devotees. brothers and God-sisters. Your fallen servant, Srila Guru Maharaj, the Radiant Sun of the World, has shown us the clear vision of Milita Madhava Das the position of Sri Gurudev in his book Sri Guru and His Grace. Inspired by the sweet Czech Republic

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All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! My dear Srila Gurudev,

All glories to Srila Gurudev and His Sri Vyasa Puja Celebration! would like you to enjoy your birthday. I would like to thank you for the family you have given me. Dear Srila Gurudev, I A bunch of little kisses from the bottom of my heart, lease accept my humble obeisances. Allow me to wish You much health and strength on Your birthday. You are the most important person in our lives, and Bhaktine Sofia weP are very fortunate to have met You. We should not miss this fortune. We should Cumana, Venezuela try to progress in our attempt to surrender by Your mercy. I hope that Your mission flourishes and that You are pleased by Your servants. You are like a sun, full of love. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to warm myself in Your rays this year. May You be able to travel throughout the world and melt our hearts by Your love. May All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga you teach us surrender and devotion. You are our only shelter, and therefore, please give us protection at Your lotus feet. I beg for Your mercy. y entire family sends their love to you. We miss you so much. This is a glorious day for you, and we wish you the best. Please send us all your blessings Your servant, andM know that we never forget you for even a second of the day. We pray every day to Enakshi Devi Dasi see you soon. Czech Republic With lots of love, Morris Munsami Marie My dear Srila Gurudev, Premi Madurmah Marie Jayaluxmi Jennifer Marie would like to thank you for making a lot of people Kesava Merven Govender happy, like me. Since I have known you, I am happier than ever. Anuradha Debra Govender OnI your birthday I would like to give you a few gifts: the soft and Taran Yogeshwar Govender fresh breeze of my hometown sea, the sunshine, and a beautiful Moonsamy Govender white snail. Sundrum Govender Kumaren Govender Bhaktine Enoe Oropeza South Africa Cumana, Venezuela

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Dear God-brothers and God-sisters, and serving such a wonderful and rare devotee. He wears the necklace of “trinad api sunicena” and delivers the holy message of Sri Chaitanyadeva repeatedly and with andavat and . The Supreme Personality of Godhead has clarity. He always invites us to enter the endless world of bhakti. He draws us near so continued to bless us with the guardianship of His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti that we can sample the unworldly taste of love of God, realizing our real place within SundarD Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, a devotee of uncommon qualities at a Krishna. That eternal path is now available to us by his grace alone. And he shows us by crossroads in the history of . Even before the introduction his example that service in separation is union in separation, the finest path of bhakti. of Krishna Consciousness to the western world, Krishna Consciousness was externally challenged by forces that would attempt to politicize the realm of Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad once glorified his Gurudev by saying that Vrindaban. An unfavorable wind came to challenge the family of bhaktas following Sri Gurudev is One. Sri Gurudev is the “transparent via medium” of Sri Krishna. He the passing of the greatest Acharyya of modern times, His Divine Grace Srila incites devotion in others as the dear-most servitor of Srimati Radharani. He has no Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Prabhupad. Discouraged but not hopeless, some of shred of mundanity. He is the life and soul of the aspiring bhaktas, and on this holy the great sons of that Acharyya regenerated the teachings of Srila in occasion of Sri Vyasa Puja, we embrace the Lotus Feet of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda the form of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and the International Society for Krishna Dev-Goswami Maharaj, taking them as our shelter and inspiration, an eternal plea Consciousness, among others. Challenges have continued to come, one after another, for his mercy to give sustenance to our deepest desires for devotional service. Hare as some, blinded by mundane aspirations for power, position, and wealth seemed Krishna. doomed to repeat the apparent errors of the past. Sincerely, Alas, bhakti-devi demands purity beyond deceit. Genuine followers, with Pusta Krishna Das transparent, pure motives and intentions to be mere instruments of their former and Daru Devi Dasi current Vaishnava Acharyyas, are very, very rare indeed. In order to aspire to become Krishnapriya Devi Dasi followers of any quality, we must recognize their quality and worship them in name Chaitanya Das and deed. When the mundane envy toward God and His devotees is cleansed from California the heart and mind, then genuine spiritual health is fostered. It cannot be construed by any mundane adjustment. We are unclean, and we cannot become clean without glorification and service of Sri Vaishnava. Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj! Thus, we are amazed to have the holy association of Srila Govinda Maharaj. His simple way is to demonstrate by his example how a humble vaishnava should live. He is lease accept my respects. Happy celebration of Your most honorable, and yet he is constantly giving honor to others. What he knows, he Appearance Day! Thanks for the opportunity to communicate recognizes as the gift of knowledge from his Gurudev. He reinvests his good fortune withP Your devotees. constantly into his divine service and holy mission, rather than pausing to enjoy. He is eager to assist those who are assisting in the divine Lila of Sri Sri Radha Krishna. Radha Madhav Das Russia We may never be able to avoid the mistakes of the past without appreciating the gifts of the present. We have him here with us, for us, and we are for him. This holy association is so natural with so affectionate a guardian. So we too must live by worshipping

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Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, with all my heart. Please guide me forever.

s your disciple I want to offer you my very true love Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare on this day! I pray that I may always be thankful for Hare Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare yourA transcendental mercy. Wherever Krishna sends me in positive friendship, I pray that I may feel in my heart the bliss Yours sincerely, You, my dear Srila Gurudev, are of remembering (like I am right now) that moment when You Lavanya Moyee Dasi the personification of the divine instructed me to chant Sri Harinam. May I have this forever. Utrecht, Holland qualities, realizations and mercy Thank you so much, dear Srila Gurudev! of Srila Sridhar Maharaj.

Antaratma Das (Hare Aum Babaji) Dear Srila Gurudev, Brazil and Holland n this most auspicious day, I wish I could have the ability to offer suitable prayers and give proper honor to you. UnqualifiedO as I am, I wish only to be engaged in your service and in All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga the service of your servitors.

Dearest Gurudev, Srila Govinda Maharaj, Please Master! I have no other perspective, and maya is very strong. How may I find myself free from the strangling knots ofkarma? I lease accept my sincere obeisances. When I tried to find the right way to pray to receive your mercy, the only way of victory. live, I learned about Krishna consciousness and how to chant the Mahamantra, I learnedP about the holy places, about the Guru-parampara and the glorious Math in By your mercy alone, one can reach the super-objective of human life. I don’t have any Nabadwip Dham. I knew I really wanted to meet You and learn from You. Years later I other shelter or any other hope. Your holy lotus feet shine as the long awaited boat, for me got that chance; I read about a meeting and traveled unexpectedly one afternoon to the and for all the souls of Kali-yuga who are drowning in the miserable conditions of this age. East of Germany some years after the fall of that wall in Europe. Even though I didn’t know where to go or what the map or environment looked like, I found You! I walked O my divine Lord! Please be merciful! O Guru Nityananda! Patita-pavana Sri straight into the middle of nowhere. It was in the mid-nineties. There I woke up and Gurudev! Without your mercy life is useless. May I live under your holy feet that are was allowed to visit You, and You offered meprasadam (ki jaya!) and initiation! showering pure love of God to all. Unfortunately, I cannot taste even a drop of it.

That was in August of 1996. You gave me a beautiful name. You gave me faith. With Eternal victory to you Srila Gurudev! May you be enthroned in my heart and above my Your smile You opened my heart and I got a chance from You. I am so very happy to head forever. have received Your faith and blessings. I will keep on trying to become more sincere, more wise, more conscious and chant the Holy Names properly, Srila Gurudev. Your aspiring disciple, Vraja Kumar Das Thank You so much for guiding me and for the opportunity You gave me. I love You

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Sri Sri Guru-Gaurangau Jayatah! His disciple, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj, was enriched and empowered by the personification ofaudaryya-rasa to export that Holy Conscious Substance throughout Dear Srila Gurudev, the whole of the Earth. When that tidal wave of Krishna conscious prema circled the globe, it returned to its source of manifestation at the feet of Sriman Mahaprabhu in lease accept our most humble and loving Nabadwip where, firmly fixed in the Divine Conception of the Sweet Absolute, that respects on the occasion of Your Divine Guardian of Reality the Beautiful, Srila Sridhar Maharaj, sat peacefully on his veranda. AppearanceP Day. Though speaking softly, Srila Sridhar Maharaj emanated such great potency due to His Words cannot fully express our deep gratitude for Your extremely high qualification (as recognized and publicly noted by His own Master Srila Graceful Shelter and Divine Guidance. When we first Saraswati Thakur), that a transcendental shockwave of divineprema permeated and came to the divine feet of Srila Sridhar Maharaj You were inundated the worldwide devotees with another fascinating installment of beautiful there—always accepting, directing, and nourishing our living realization, elegant poetic tidings of the “All-conscious Transcendent Reality,” service connection. Throughout these past twenty years Your Divine Grace has revealed intoxicated by His own Divine Love Potency: Radha-bhava-dyuti-subalitam naumi newer and greater light in the hearts and lives of the devotees. Like a magnificent shining Krsna-swarupam. lotus blossom, under Your Divine Direction the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math and Mission has opened in full-fledged to expand Sriman Mahaprabhu’s pristine conception of You, my dear Srila Gurudev, are the personification of the divine qualities, realizations exclusive Divine Dedication all over the world. and mercy of Srila Sridhar Maharaj. It is through Your Grace alone that we aspiring souls gain entrance to the service community of rasik-vaisnava-sangha, represented We are certainly lacking proper vision and qualification; however, Srila Sridhar by Srila Saraswati Thakur, Srila Swami Maharaj, Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Yourself. Maharaj, quoting the , told us that it is by the light of Divinity that Divinity To have any slight connection with Your divine service line to Them is the highest is revealed: yam evaisa vrnute tena labhyas. By His Grace and direct expressions boon for all living souls and the greatest treasure for the aspiring devotees. To this day glorifying You, we have become acquainted with some of Your Grace’s unlimited Your Grace continues to bring forth the wave of Divine Truth as is evident throughout Glories. Srila Sridhar Maharaj has stated, “Actually in many ways He (Srila Govinda the world in Your numerous ashrams, centers, publications and travels. Your vast Maharaj) is more qualified than Myself.” This is the statement of the Divine Personality service contribution to Srila Sridhar Maharaj and the worldwide expansion of the Sri whom Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati named the ‘”Guardian of Devotion,” and who Chaitanya Saraswat Math is gloriously self-evident. was universally recognized as the topmost and pre-eminent disciple of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, the repository of the conscious wealth of theRupanuga As Srila Sridhar Maharaj revealed the ticket to the “Vrindavan express train” in the Sampradaya. form of the divine expression of Prabodhananda Saraswati Thakur in his classicSri Chaitanya Chandramrita, verse 88: Dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam—the wealth in the heart of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur, conceptually uncovered and tasted by Him—that transcendental conscious yatha yatha gaura padaravinde substance of Gaudiya Vaishnava Siddhanta, the extraordinary unlimited and vindeta bhaktim krta-punya-rasih fascinating jewel of exclusive Divine Dedication in Love, was expanded, nourished and tatha tathot-sarpati hrdy akasmad propagated throughout India and the European countries by Srila Bhakti Siddhanta radha-padambhoja-sudhambu-rasih Saraswati Thakur. By exclusive devotion to Mahaprabhu, Guru-bhakti Radha-dasyam arises

  4 5 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S spontaneously in the heart. Similarly, we are fully confident that all of the wealth of pay my obeisances to your lotus feet. I feel so blessed to Divine Service engagement will well up in our hearts by the exclusive engagement in have you as my Gurudev. You are very merciful. Please forgive my the service of Your Holy feet. The enrichment and endowment of Divine Service capital offenses.I You are still giving blessings to a fallen soul like me. in Sri Radha-dasyam is the unlimited potency that Your Grace personifies. Fallen soul, Your unwavering kindness, extensive mercy and tender compassion assures us of complete success in our aspiration to remain forever in Your exclusive service. Nandarani Devi Dasi San Jose, California What more could we aspire for than this? Humbly, gratefully, and with the aspiration to remain firmly fixed in Your exclusive service,

On behalf of the assembled devotees of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Ashram of Eugene, Oregon, offer my obeisances to your lotus feet. Thank you for guiding me along this spiritual path. You have guided me to the Mathuranath Das correctI devotional path. Please forgive me for all of my offenses. Krsnangini Devi Dasi You have been very merciful by accepting me as your humble Sundar Syam Das servant. When I was in Nabadwip, your holy presence was so Vinodini Devi Dasi wonderful. I await your arrival in San Jose and Santa Cruz once again, to bring auspiciousness to this fortunate soul that could serve a wonderful Guru like you. Please accept this servant’s offerings to your lotus feet. appy Vyasa Puja! You have shown me the path to Krishna Consciousness. I feel happy when I am serving you. I, your humble Your aspiring servant, servant,H feel blessed to have gotten first initiation from you at such a Rohini Devi Dasi young age. My house and I are blessed by your presence. You are welcome San Jose, California to my house anytime; it is actually your house. I feel blessed because of your inspiration to have so much devotion. Whenever I listen to the CD’s of you chanting, I feel blessed, as if I am at your lotus feet. n this very special date we want to thank You, Beloved Your Humble Servant, Srila Gurudev, from the depths of our hearts for rescuing us Devi Dasi (Age 8) fromO the illusory world and for giving us the opportunity to serve San Jose, California It is an honor to be counted You, now and forever. Since knowing Your Divine Grace, our lives have turned to the sweet objective of always doing something to among your many beloved disciples satisfy Your Holiness. As time goes by, Your teachings and examples as we join our hearts to celebrate of living and how to really serve a Guru are becoming more and more clear to us. your divine appearance.

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We are happy to be a part of this worldwide family that’s main objective is to humbly All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga serve You. We try to follow Your Divine instructions to the best of our capacity. Dear Srila Gurudev, By the grace of Your unlimited mercy we have a chance to associate with the Vaishnavas and chant Your Glories. Someday, maybe we can touch Your Divine Lotus Feet. lease accept my dandavat pranams at your divine feet.

With affection and eternal gratitude, IPt is an honor to be counted among your many beloved disciples as we join our hearts Partha Sarathi Das to celebrate your divine appearance. My sole aspiration is to help with your mission. Shiva Nandini Devi Dasi To that end, I am pleased to announce that as of February 2008, a Krishna conscious All Your disciples from Srila Govinda Maharaj Seva Sangha festival will be staged here in New Zealand. Porto Alegre, Brazil I trust you are in good health at the moment and pray that you take some well-needed rest so that we may be able to celebrate many appearance days such as this one. May Lord Krishna bless me to be able to come to India to see you soon. It is my fervent All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! prayer that this will manifest.

Dearest Srila Gurudev, Until such time I wish to remain ever your humble servant in service to Srila Guru Maharaj and Srila Swami Maharaj. lease accept our most humble dandavat pranams on this most auspicious day. On this day, Your Divine Grace descended into this world of turmoil and Humbly, ignoranceP to rescue all the sincere conditioned souls. And not speaking for Krishna Prajadhara Das Sukhi, but for myself, my prayer is that I one day will be one of those sincere souls and South Island, New Zealand serve Your Divine Grace with my whole heart forever.

Always aspiring to serve Your Lotus Feet, Rama Priya mashing everything left and right and establishing the Krsna Sukhi eternal concept of , you saintly servant of Vishnu— USA YourS Divine Grace—welcomed me into your circle. My gratitude is unlimited. Have a nice Vyasa Puja.

Jivananda Das The Netherlands

    S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! My dear Gurudev, Srila Govinda Maharaj,

Dear Srila Gurudev, ’m writing to you from Georgia, a country where you have never been. In Tbilisi I’m your only disciple. I have seen you, my dear Gurudev, in India of 2001-02, and n celebration of your divine appearance I have written haveI not seen you since then. But there is not even one day that I do not remember the some verses in an attempt to glorify you. I kind looks, words and teachings you gave us during the several months I was there. Manifestation of truth, expressed with love I remember your kind attention to my problems, your childish smile, sincerity and Your divine appearance a gift from above purity, which are granted only to pure devotees of Lord Krishna. Showering flowers on this auspicious day To enter your service the demigods pray I always pray to God to grant me the devotion, my dear Gurudev, like yours for your dear Gurudev, His Divine Grace Srila Sridhar Maharaj. Traveling the world year after year You distribute pure nectar for the humbled ear Although I’m alone here your kind glance never allows me to feel lonely. My Gurudev Without consideration of personal health is always in my heart. You serve those aspiring for your master’s wealth You are blessed by Srila Guru Maharaj and the Lord. I wish you strong health and With a perpetual smile and eyes shining bright Mahaprabhu’s mercy your infinite might happiness. The searching souls you attract and embrace Bestowing an unimaginable grace Humbly in your service, I keep in my heart many scoundrels

By the touch of your feet the path is unfurled Your most useless disciple, that get nourishment from my The wave of devotion inundating the world Madhava Priya Dasi Releasing the beauty within everyone Georgia lack of faith. Only the hope of Your unending glories are eternally sung getting a humble service to your

Embracing your feet, the sincere souls delight lotus feet is keeping me alive. In relishing the joy of such a divine sight Dear Srila Gurudev, In your sweet association they lovingly bathe

Whilst the whole universe shouts Jaya Gurudev! lease accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Humbly aspiring for the desire to sincerely serve the servants of your servants, This day of your holy appearance reminds us of the great fortune andP wealth we have in our lives to have any connection with you, Abhinavasundar Das however small or great. Australia I am always being tossed around and pulled in so many directions

5 0 5 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S by my own senses, desires and mental impulses; and yet, above and before me, in this sorrowful state I always have the beautiful prospect that you magnanimously and I bow before you and before all the Vaishnavas who inspire me to engage in the loving without discrimination mercifully extend to all. This prospect you have given, the way service of our Lordships Sri Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. forward you have shown and the service and association you always surround me with carry me through my days, in my meager attempt to live the “living life.” Give me your blessings. Forgive me for being selfish, but when I look at the needy souls and myself in a mirror, I don’t see anyone else more needy of your mercy than I. I am undeserving of all that you have given me and continue to give me and am unable to offer anything of value in return. I can only pray, with all the sincerity I may have, Hriday Krishna Das that you see me as I am and try to mold me into the disciple that you want me to be; Caracas, Venezuela that you adjust, shape, change me, and treat me however you so wish.

Praying to remain always,

Your aspiring servant, All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Damayanti Dasi India Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

am just hoping to celebrate every Vyasa Puja in sadhu- sanga, in this life and for eternity. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga I Wishing to be your servant, All glories to all the Vaishnavas of the Lord. Haridas Das rila Gurudev, just by your causeless mercy and compassion to the conditioned Cumana, Venezuela souls, a fallen soul like me can get a drop of the service that you are doing for the sampradaya.S

I am indebted to you; because of your compassion and tolerance for me, I find shelter, guidance and support in my weak spiritual life. Who else other than you can give such blessings? I keep in my heart many scoundrels that get nourishment from my lack of faith. Only the hope of getting a humble service to your lotus feet is keeping me alive.

TheAcharyyas have given us everything: our goal of life and dedication. But only you can give us the nectar of serving that aim. Only my lack of perception and my negligence can keep me apart from the True Reality. You mercy is what once and again rescues me from the depths of my ignorance.

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga personally. My best wishes to you and all the devotees who are serving you tirelessly on this glorious day of your Sri Vyasa Puja. Dear Srila Gurudev, Jaya Srila Sridhar Maharaj! Please accept my humble obeisances to your holy feet. Jaya Srila Govinda Maharaj! n this very auspicious day I want to thank you for the infinite mercy you have bestowed upon all of us, for your sweet From Parama Karuna Land, shelterO and for your words that are our life and soul. Mandakini Dasi I hope to always aspire to engage myself in the service of your high Caracas, Venezuela mission in the association of your most dear and lovely devotees.

Dandavat pranams to your lotus feet.

Love, All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Rohini Nandana Das Caracas, Venezuela All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj!

his small offering is for wishing you a very happy Sri Vyasa Puja. Please accept our humble and respectful dandavats to Tyour lotus feet and a very special hug from my son Nrisimha Dev. Dear Srila Gurudev, Madhu Krishna Dasi lease receive my most sincere dandavat pranams. Bhakta Ronall Although it is not easy for me to express my feelings, I want Cumana, Venezuela youP to know that you are the most important reason for me to keep trying to improve myself in this world full of miseries. You are the only reason I have changed my life in order to be capable of serving you. Only because of your mercy, I have been able to educate my son, Hari Das, in Krishna consciousness in association with the devotees. For the rest of my life, that is something I’m going to be grateful to you for. Thank you very much for receiving me in your house in Caracas, Venezuela, in spite of all my offenses and my sinful life.

Dear Gurudev, I only hope I will once again have the opportunity to meet you

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

ll glories to my dearest and remembered-in-every- All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj moment Srila Gurudev. Please accept my most humble and respectfulA obeisances. Dandavat pranams. All glories to Parama Karuna Sri Sri Nitai Gaurachandra

Srila Gurudev, I am very happy because I am sharing more time y beloved Lord of the Universe, owner of my life, please with devotees, and that fulfills me so much. Thanks for all your allow me to serve the dust that comes from your holy lotus mercy to us. Millions of thanks for all your love. Happy Vyasa feet.M On your birthday, I wish with all my heart that you live forever Puja. Jaya Gurudev. in the loving service of Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

At your feet, Humbly yours with all my affection, Vrndavanesvari Devi Dasi Caracas, Venezuela Ananda Krsna Das Caracas, Venezuela

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga!

My dearest Srila Gurudev, All glories to the lotus feet of my dear Srila Gurudev!

andavat pranams. By the causeless and infinite grace of Sri y Gurudev, thanks for giving me service opportunities and Krishna, we are celebrating your Vyasa Puja, a very special for inspiring me in devotional service. mercy.D To find a Vaishnava Acharyya in this material world is very M difficult. May the Lord Krishna keep taking care of you, and may Your humble servant, Srila Guru Maharaj keep inspiring you. These are my desires. Kamalini Devi Dasi With affection from an aspiring servant, Cumana, Venezuela

Shyama Gouri Devi Dasi Caracas, Venezuela

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o the most chaste and dearest servitor of his beloved Guru Srila Sridhar All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Maharaj, on the most merciful day of my life: the marvelous advent of His Divine GraceT Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Symbol of Faith

Lord! Master! Friend! With what words can I speak or sing to he who shines in Dandavats Srila Govinda Maharaj, the world and for whom the world shines? He who gave light to my eyes with that beautiful smile. ll glories to your lotus feet. Everyone wants an answer, for the good or the bad, in fiction or in fact. People are looking for answers in a world of Your beautiful instructions are my prayers. I am short of words to speak your greatness, confusion,A greed and lust for power. They’re looking for answers in a world of the but if it is your will I’ll chant thousands of songs and then I will see your beauty. In my strong oppressing the weak, where it seems the more you know, the more you don’t dreams you have always been full of joy; even in my dreams I never ask for service but know. Escapes to fantasy, refuge in religions wrongly conceived, are in the search for for mercy. You always answer, and I see you with patience and wisdom, as that came the perfect answer to it all, the perfect way of living, for faith in something bigger and from you—and infinite things more that I don’t keep in my memory. better.

My Lord filled with blessedness, blessed are those who have faith in you. And all those That can only be symbolized by personality: that anchor, that lighthouse, leader and great souls in your holy association—I also ask them to bless this poor bad boy. Every friend, an icon of all that’s great in all creation. The greatest philosophy and ideal in all moment of my life I beg for your company, because even from a distance I yearn for existence has declared it: Sadhu Sanga. you, and I think of you. I haven’t seen you face to face, but I yearn for it day by day. The personification of God’s mercy, Lord Nityananda’s non-different form, is you, I bow my head with the most intense desire to your holy feet. You are Sri Krishna Srila Gurudev! Himself, Sri Chaitanya and Nityananda. All together they are reflecting their beauty and giving us their mercy and sweetness. What can I say about meeting you, the most I am not able to repay my debt for what I have received from you. I act the reverse, magnanimous Sri Gauranga? as everyone knows. But yours is the glory and wonder we all cherish, impossible to emulate and maybe impossible to follow as we weakly try. I’m sorry, so sorry, for my I am only a receptacle infected with garbage. With what words can I speak or sing to he weaknesses and lacking. who, with only a glance, makes my soul dance? He who has rescued me from hell? How can I sing, how can I speak? You are the shining light of us all!

All glories to you, receptacle of tenderness! All glories to Your Divine Grace!

From one who aspires to serve the holy feet of Sri Gurudev, Your wayward servant, Dvarakesh Das Omkarnath Das UK Spain

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andavat pranams to your lotus feet, my beloved and My dear Srila Gurudev, benevolent Srila Gurudev. D lease accept my obeisances to your lotus feet. Today the On this day was born the most worthy gem of all Vaishnavas: you, Sunday feast finished, and the devotees took a picture for you on my respected Gurudev. You represents on this Earth a big ocean of yourP birthday. Happy birthday, my Gurudev. I am so happy to play mercy, and your smile is reflected in the sea as millions of moons. I mrdanga for you. I love you so much. worship your lotus feet that are the eternal shelter for conditioned souls. By the blessings of the Big Emperor of the King of Sannyasis, Shankar Das (4 years old) Srila Guru Maharaj, we have the fortune of having our eternal Guru, Caracas, Venezuela who is non-different from Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

All glories and blessings to the most important soul of my life, Srila Govinda Maharaj. Feliz Cumpleanos Srila Gurudev! With affection from your eternal servant, My dear Srila Gurudev, Kamala Nayan Dasi Caracas, Venezuela andavat pranams. I wish you very good health. I hope you are okay. Please send my regards to all the Vaishnavas in your company.D I am so happy because you are my Spiritual Master. I love you so much, and I hope you have a good time in Nabadwip. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga From your eternal servant, lease accept my most humble and respectful obeisances to your holy lotus feet. Today on the holy day of your appearance Little Cintamani Dasi IP feel very glad and fortunate to have you in my heart. This feeling Caracas, Venezuela is the purest and most sincere one. You, my master, with your love, affection, example and mercy have changed my life.

Your aspiring servant, Dandavats Srila Gurudev,

Yasoda Nandana Das lease accept my humble obeisances to your dearest lotus Caracas, Venezuela feet. Please accept my congratulations for your birthday. EverybodyP here in Venezuela hopes that your health is good and you can give us your mercy. I want to see you very soon because you are our Guru and our Guidance. You are always protecting us. Gurudev, please give me the grace to be able to go and see you so I

6 0 6 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S can worship your lotus feet. Dandavats Srila Gurudev,

I love you, Gurudev. Happy birthday. lease accept my humble obeisances to your dearest lotus feet. Srila Gurudev, I also want to wish you a Happy Birthday Little Indumati Dasi Pand very good health. I hope you come very soon. We are waiting for Caracas, Venezuela you. I love you so much.

Happy Birthday.

h Divine Srila Gurudev, I feel unable to express Jaya Gurudev. anything about your glories, which are unlimited and constantlyO chanted by the highest liberated souls. Ananda Bhakti Devi Dasi (10 years old) Caracas, Venezuela I try, but I don’t find the proper words.I only know that you came to this world to bestow your magnanimity, your mercy, to the needful and fallen. By my fortune, I am one of them. My big wealth in this life is to have met you and be blessed by your grace. Dandavats my dearest Srila Gurudev, My innumerable offenses to your holy feet impede me from both appreciating your Divine Personality and rendering myself to your wish you a very happy birthday. Well, I hope you are okay, instructions. I don’t have anything worthy to offer you. and I love you so much. I hope one day, by your mercy, I can go toI India, and then I can see your beautiful eyes. All glories to Srila So, on this auspicious day my sincere and fervent pray is that you never forget this Gurudev, who always protects us under his lotus feet. miserable person. May I always be in a little place of your lovely heart. Please give me the opportunity to one day honestly serve your divine lotus feet. Radharani Devi Dasi (daughter of Shyama Mohini and Gopinath) Caracas, Venezuela Thank you, Master, for coming here to rescue us. Give us grace so we can repay you in some way for your generosity. Thanks for giving us so much patience, love and goodness, for showing us the path that takes us to the holy feet of Sri Gauranga and Sri Nityananda. Thanks for teaching us that Vrindavan is our home, sweet home. Thanks, All glories to Srila Govinda Maharaj! oh Gurudev, for appearing in our lives, which otherwise would be useless and with no All glories to Srila Guru Maharaj! prospect. All glories to Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupad!

Thanks, many thanks, for so much sweetness and love. My Dearest Srila Gurudev,

Nimai Pandit Das and family lease forgive our offenses to your dearest Plotus feet. We hope you are in good health and we 6 2 6 3 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S wish you a happy birthday! Thank you for your infinite mercy and countless blessings gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam to the devotees of Parama Karuna. chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram Srila Gurudev, I ask for your blessings to have the fortune of going to India to take your vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam darshan along with my family (my husband Gopinath and my daughter Radharani).

I ask Nitai Gaurachandra to give me the strength and the intelligence to serve you, as have this opportunity to glorify Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious you deserve, my dearest Gurudev. day of Your Divine Appearance. Because this opportunity is rarely achieved and isI only possible by the soul’s matured spiritual fortune, I must try, even though I am All glories to my beloved Gurudev! immature and spiritually undeveloped.

Shyama Mohini Devi Dasi and family You are friendly to everyone and heartily welcome the most weak and incompetent Caracas, Venezuela persons to approach You. Bestowing Your mercy upon them You give them the wealth of association of Your servants. This kind of mercy can cure the heart of anyone. You are always showing Your Divine qualities, and even if You try to conceal them, they shine through, giving vision to the blind. Your Divine motives are deep like the mysterious ocean, and Your transcendental benevolence is the unstoppable waves. In gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam this world, where misfortune has devoured everyone, Your activities, couched in the chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam most unique genius and humility, fill the universe with the rarest fortune. May the govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram waves of Your Divine Pastimes one day flood upon the desert of my heart. vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam

Dear Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Most humbly, Your fallen servant, lease, please accept my dandavat pranams to your lotus Nrsingha Chaitanya Das feet. What can I say to you, my Gurudev, other than thank you for India/USA yourP huge mercy? I see how you spread your affection to all the fallen souls through your good devotees in all the centers of the Mission. Thanks, Gurudev, for being so merciful. I aspire to some day get a little space at your lotus feet. Meanwhile, I can get Dear Srila Gurudev, your mercy by serving you more along with my Godbrothers and Godsisters. lease accept my humble dandavat pranams on this auspicious day of your My Gurudev, you are the guardian, protector, keeper and giver of life and service for PSri Vyasa Puja. I am unqualified to even begin to sing your glories. I was born into all. At your lotus feet I beg. this world completely under the darkness of ignorance, but by your divine mercy my life was rescued. Your mission is to bring all the lost servants in this world back to the Your aspiring servant from Parama Karuna’s Land, lotus feet of Srimati Radhika, under the auspicious umbrella of Srila Guru Maharaj. Madhurani Devi Dasi On this day of your glorious advent into this maha-mandal I take this sankalpa, that I Caracas, Venezuela will dedicate my entire life in your divine service towards this mission. Please use me

6 4 6 5 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S as an instrument in your service. You are a direct servitor of Srimati Radhika, and there All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga is no sweeter lila than to offer Her seva under your divine guidance. I hope to one day be allowed entrance into that seva. I am so fortunate that my connection to divinity is Dear Srila Gurudev, solely through your divine self. lease accept our humble dandabat pranams. All glories to Your effulgent Vyasa Puja Day! Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya! P We wish You a very happy, loving Appearance Day in grand style and the company of Your most insignificant servant, Your beloved servitors, friends and devotees. Anatha Bandhu Das USA What can we actually understand about Your Divine Appearance in this world? To speak for myself, I think hardly anything. Still I am so shameless as to write some of my feelings.

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Your work seems so miraculous, loving and endless that words or thoughts cannot capture it. Still, You always attract our hearts, although our material minds, bodies and Dear Srila Gurudev, senses always want to go their own way.

e are grateful to Sri Krishna for your presence! The In every aspect of life You reveal Yourself more and more. Very often I am so amazed most splendid thing in our life is to know you. Words are not in what miraculous ways Your Divine Instructions and Guidance to Surrender, enoughW to express our feelings and wishes for your presence. From Devotion and Divine Love manifest themselves. Turkey we receive your divine light and use to it to find our way to our ultimate aim. Please keep on holding your light to our spiritual path so Also I feel that Your Teachings are not only given to some selected group of human beings, that we do not get lost. but are in different ways given to all sincere seekers by all kinds of different media.

With our prostrate obeisances at your lotus feet, I feel it is Your Grace that these Instructions are flowing everywhere around the world and are accessible to all sincere persons in so many different planes and stages of life. On behalf of the Turkish devotees, You are truly the umbrella of the whole world, as one great devotee wrote about You. Your servant, Srila Gurudev, whose This feeling all Your devotees must have about You, and I pray that this realization will Ramaray Das become more and more clear to all living beings in all universes. Ankara, Turkey transcendental and sacred existence has taught me to Your aspiring devotees, Yasheswari Devi Dasi understand the meaning of my Seva Sundar Das own life. Holland

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Most dear Srila Gurudev, All glories to His Divine Grace. Srila Gurudev!

hank you for allowing me to assist in your mission. I am he only thing I can feel is a deep gratitude for your infinite mercy by looking forward to a great Vyasa Puja celebration. accepting me as your disciple. Please send me your blessings to remember you and T serveT you eternally. Your aspiring servant, Tharmoyee Devi Dasi Thank you, Cumana, Venezuela Hriday Chaitanya Das Cumana, Venezuela

Srila Gurudev, Srila Gurudev ki jaya! lease accept my most respectful obeisances. I honestly thank you for allowing me to be a part of your great mission of preaching Krishna consciousness y your infinite mercy I was initiated into Krishna consciousness and have andP love for Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. received the opportunity to practice devotional service in association with the BVenezuelan devotees under your divine guidance. I am looking forward to your visit. You have saved me from losing faith in devotees and Srila Gurudev. You have taken away the Dandavats! distance of sadhu-sanga and prema bhakti, which are essential for surviving in this material world. Because of your mercy, your devotees and the darshan of Sri Sri Parama Karuna, I am Srimati Devi Dasi able to know what it means to have a reliable Guru of the sampradaya of Gaura Nitai. Cumana, Venezuela This western world is becoming more immersed in illusion and non-preaching.I t is necessary that you give your grace to people through your devotees to raise their consciousness for love of God. That is the only thing that makes us different from other living entities. ll glories to His Divine Grace, Srila Gurudev, whose transcendental and sacred existence has taught me to understand the meaning of my own life. Happy It is hard for one who experienced a touch of your divine association, who doesn’t express birthday,A beloved Gurudev! all his feelings and wants to spread this to all the people, to stay connected. We feel that everything is happening now, and because of this we can reach out to all the lost souls in Anandita Devi Dasi this world. We can communicate this devotion from heart to heart by preaching. Cumana, Venezuela I wish you all the glories of Sri Sri Radha-Gopinath. You can count on my smallest preaching service to people. Thanks for your causeless mercy.

With affection from your aspiring servant, Abhimanyu Das Caracas, Venezuela

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga ere at Govinda’s kiosk on the University of Hawaii Manoa Campus, when customers inquire about the name “Govinda,” they are told about four gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam booksH translated by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The name “Govinda” chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam is described as the Original Name of Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead. govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram Then they are told that His current representative has the same name and can be found vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam at www.scsmath.com.

Humble Sri Vyasa Puja offering toH is Holiness, Srila Govinda Maharaj Hoping everything is well, Jonathan nother great chance for us to glorify an extraordinary Hawaii, USA Vaishnava, who is surrounded by masses of faithful disciples, Afriends, followers and well-wishers. In thought we try to be there where His footsteps touched and blessed the soil with His presence. That is the place to be to get some relief from our impurities and offenses. h Srila Gurudev, you are most merciful. You are an ocean of mercy. You are Who else can give this kind of medicine in silence and from a distance? most merciful. You are an ocean of mercy. You are the most merciful ocean To honor a pure devotee of the Lord in humility is not an easy thing. ofO mercy. Won’t you please accept my humble obeisances. Only through you can I Due to deep and endless contamination with material nature our approach Sri Krishna. Only with your mercy can I get Sri Krishna’s mercy. Without vision is very limited and unclear. Only our desire to serve Sri Guru you, I have no hope. Without you, I will be lost. Without you, I will drown in the ocean and Vaishnava is the way out of this material entanglement. Without of misery. My sins are many. My offenses are great, and my shortcomings are very the kind help from above our situation is insolvable. That is why we take any opportunity serious. In spite of them you came into my life and picked me up. How can I ever thank to glorify an outstanding Guru, Vaishnava or Great Spiritual Personality, to show our you? Nothing I can ever do will repay the favor you have granted me. Nothing I can say appreciation and honor. can ever express my gratitude. I will forever be a beggar at your lotus feet, and you will always be my benefactor. Please give me a blessing that some day, somehow, I will be Today it is the 77th advent of the holy appearance of Srila Govinda Maharaj, who is a firm and able to do some insignificant service at your lotus feet. Please tell me that you will not faithful follower and servitor of His Guru Maharaj Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami abandon me. If you abandon me, nobody else will pick one like me who is abandoned Maharaj, our spiritual well-wisher, father, friend and savior in this material plane of struggle and by the most merciful. quarrel. We are happy to have this opportunity to wish His Holiness, Srila Govinda Maharaj, many more years of full and blessed service unto the lotus feet of the Lord and Sri Guru and the Suresh Durgam Das Vaishnavas. May this day be for Him full of happiness and in the ecstatic association with other USA honorable Vaishnavas and spiritual aspirants, well-wishers and dear friends.

With prostrated dandavat pranams, Bilvamangala Das

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Dear Srila Gurudev, gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam cintyacintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam lease accept my most humble obeisances and best wishes on the anniversary govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram of Your Holy Appearance day. I am becoming a little more aware of Your Grace in vande visva-gurun ca divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam myP life, and I am very grateful. Please allow me to keep trying to serve You despite my offenses and inabilities. “Applying the soothing salve of sambandha-jnana, a proper acquaintance with the environment, my spiritual master has opened my inner eye and thereby rescued me from the Aspiring to be Your servant, darkness of ignorance, fulfilling my life’s aspirations. I offer my respect unto Sri Gurudev. Prema Das Australia The lotus feet of the spiritual master are the abode of pure devotional service. I bow down to those lotus feet with care and attention. It is through the grace of the spiritual master that we can cross over this material existence and obtain Krsna.

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga I worship the lotus feet of the Divine Master, who is the ocean of auspicious qualities. Just to deliver all planes of life that are suffering in the forest fire of the material world, We all love you from Singapore! Jay Srila Gurudev! he, as the rain-cloud of mercy, melts to shower down the waters of compassion. I worship the lotus feet of the Divine Master, ever singing his glories and meditating K. Jayaram upon him at the three junctions of the day. By his grace alone does one gain grace of the Vasanta Lord. And if he is displeased the soul has no shelter anywhere.” Shanti Gurusharan My very dear Srila Gurudev, Arjun Santanu Ram Das lease accept my most humble obeisances at the dust of your Plotus feet again and again. All glories to your Divine Grace. our most beautiful form made me weep, All those years I was seeking this thing called “real love.” Later in my And a deep desire arose to serve your life you came, and my heart jumped when you appeared. It was quite YHoly lotus feet. compelling and powerful. I could not resist the intense feeling of your And now in angst I patiently wait presence. To have the association of your most holy grace. You inspired me all the time, and I felt the meaning of that “real love.” Yours in separation, I even wondered if I was worthy of it. But sastra says “regardless.” Krishna Charan Das Lord Chaitanya is so wonderful. He opened up the storehouse of Love of Krsna. He Portland, Oregon proclaimed, “Come everyone, don’t hesitate, taste it and see it for yourself.” You are an embodiment of that Golden Lord; freely you distributed, and I was so fortunate to get a

7 2 7 3 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S speck of that mercy even though I am the worst and the most unworthy. comparable to a vast ocean of causeless mercy, as they deliver the fallen souls from material existence. I offer all respects unto them.” Srila Gurudev, on this wonderful Vyasa Puja of yours I only pray for your good health. My only desire is to serve at your merciful lotus feet. Although I am not qualified to Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, serve you, because you’re so merciful to every living entity you bestow your loving affection and mercy to the conditioned souls. wish you a happy appearance day, and am sorry I am not able to be with you Ionce again. I pray that you will be with us always and that your health is good. I am When I offered the books to you I saw your sweet smile while looking at them. I am so always praying for your mercy. happy. Thank you very much, Srila Gurudev, for allowing me to do seva. Although I am not worthy to serve at your lotus feet, still you bestow your merciful glance on me. Every year I make some excuse to not surrender at your lotus feet. I know I am just Please forgive me; I cannot offer anything acceptable to you that is of significant value, cheating myself. When I am in your presence, I feel I displease you. I am too shy to talk for even my life is nothing. My only desire is to serve you with love and devotion. with you about how I can make amends for my former wrongs and offenses to all. Please give me the wonderful glance of your mercy so that I will be worthy to serve you In my prayers I am always repenting for my disturbance to you and the vaisnavas. On unconditionally. your appearance day, which is so special and so wonderful, many will come to offer respects at your holy lotus feet; I wish I was one of them. Please forgive me for all my offenses, knowingly and unknowingly committed. Not many will realize how wonderful and magnanimous you are. When I see your sweet, Happy Vyasa Puja Day! smiling face, which is like the full moon illuminating the whole sky and irradiating spiritual Jaya Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda-Dev Goswami Maharaj! knowledge for all those Jiva souls who are able to understand and accept, I know you are the one and only to whom I can give my body, life, heart and soul. With love and affection, Isani Devi Dasi So now I will finish by saying you have so many offerings at your lotus feet on your Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Philippines Branch special day, and I hope they all bring you joy and happiness. I pray I have not offended you with my words, praying always. Pranamami sada prabhupada-padam.

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s appearance day ki jaya! Jaya Om Visnupada Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Ratnanabha Das Philippines “Applying the soothing salve of sambandha-jnana, a proper acquaintance with the environment, my spiritual masters have opened my inner eye and thereby rescued me from the darkness of ignorance, fulfilling my life’s aspirations. I offer my respects unto Sri Gurudev.

I bow down unto the holy feet of the pure Vaisnavas, who are like desire trees able to fulfill all the devotees’ aspirations. The Lord’s devotees are

  7 5 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S gaura-vag-vigraham vande, gaurangam gaura-vaibhavam that necessity arises, when by transcendental grace there will be some lack in the field gaura-sankirtanonmattam, gaura-karunya-sundaram of devotion? At your call the necessary ingredients of consciousness will manifest from your humbled servant and actually satisfy you. make my obeisance unto the Deity, Gaura-Saraswati—the personified message of the Golden Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu—whose bodily luster is of a O master, I pray these words do not become hollow promises to suit selfish Ibeautiful golden hue, like that of the selfsame Lord Gaurasundara; who is the personal purposes. Let them be a living substance matched by quality and dignity in practicing expansion of that Supreme Lord Gaurahari; who is always intoxicated by preaching life of sacrifice for you. the message of that Golden Lord; and whose divine beauty blooms in the revelation of Lord Gauranga’s mercy potency. Ishabandhu das Australia guru-rupa-harim gauram, radha-ruci-rucavrtam nityam naumi navadvipe, nama-kirtana-nartanaih With affection, joy and love from Indrani Devi Dasi, Djamila, and Ekaya Svarupa.

Perpetually do I sing the glories of Lord Gauranga, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Hari, embraced by the heart and halo of Sri Radhika, and who has descended as the Divine Master. In this holy abode of Sri Navadvipa Dhama, He is Dear Srila Gurudev, absorbed in the pastimes of profusely chanting the holy names, dancing in ecstasy. n this Holy and Auspicious Day I would like to thank You for Your endless Oh master! Mercy. I know I am the most fallen soul and maybe I don’t deserve Your Grace, butO somehow I have this immense luck to have a connection with You. My only desire A sincere exploration of divine sound will find oneself deafened by the resonance is that, life after life, I can have Your holy connection and serve You, Your associates of your glories. Any revelation of the supreme Lord Chaitanyadev as the combined and the devotees. The true desire of my heart is to walk always, life after life, and form of Sri Sri Radha Govinda will find a mystical vision of you, shining in a service progress, as best as my fallen soul can do, in spiritual life and in the way You show us. form of absolute sweetness—so sweet it has attracted absolute grace where no doorway Please bless me with Your Lotus Feet. is closed to you. Oh master, today is the best of days and the ultimate moment where a Your Servant, disciple can create sankirttan of thankfulness from the core of the heart—a sound that is echoed throughout the three worlds, a sound so sweet because it is in honor of you. Syamavallabha Devi Dasi Italy Yet the hope of a faithful connection is always clouded by the clash of one’s ability to properly reciprocate your quality of devotion. Let the scales of exchange tip in your servant’s favor and the goddess of providence grant the skills of devotion to serve you more than your service to us. o Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda-Dev Goswami Maharaj Happy Vyasa Puja, Srila Gurudev! Without you what wealth do we have? Without you there is no beauty to be found in all T of reality. Without you the black night of kali overtakes us and forces you to come and nikunja-yuno rati-keti-siddhyai serve your servants in the pastime of the savior of the fallen. When will the day come ya yalibhir yuktir apeksaniya

7 6   S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S tatrati-daksyad ati vallabhasya Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! vande guroh sri - caranaravindan From your practicing devotee, I worship the lotus feet of the Divine Master, who is extremely dear to the Supreme Godruma Bihari Das Divine Couple who sport in groves of Vraja, because he is greatly expert in those Sweden appropriate engagements that are performed by the sakhis in order to serve the amorous pastimes of the Divine Couple. saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga Jayatah uktas tatha bavyata eva sadbhih kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya Dearest Srila Gurudev, vande guroh sri - caranaravindan On this fine day Happy Birthday

I worship the lotus feet of the Divine Master (who is the simultaneously inconceivably ith all our hearts we jump and shout distinct and non-distinct manifest embodiment of the Supreme Personality of Joy, joy, happy birthday, Jaya Srila Gurudev! Godhead). All the Scriptures sing the glories of his being the direct, non-different form WeW adore for evermore of the Supreme Lord Sri Hari, and the pure saints also concede this; yet he is the most Your descent divine, enriching sublime beloved of the Lord. All lives entwined As by your grace we embrace Jaya Srila Gurudev! The path of Gaura-Gadadhara. The gift of your vision, Prema dharma mission Sri Tota Gopinathje Das and family Has fulfilled our heartfelt desires England With your advent, a divine descent, your pastimes ever-new We stand benumbed, struck deaf and dumb By your beautiful golden complexion.

Jaya Srila Gurudev! Your insignificant servants wishing to remain a part of your holy mission, Navasundar Das, y dandavats to you, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! Subhadra Devi Dasi Happy 77th Appearance Day! Shivananda Sen Das M Australia I hope that all Divine Grace and Glory will prosper even more for you on this day and beyond, Srila Gurudev! This is a day where everyone can embrace that fortunate mercy given from you, Gurudev, where one can’t think of anything else other than trying to find any kind of service to please you. This is a day when all devotees will especially remember the Grace, Glory and Mercy given by you, Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar

    S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Dear Srila Gurudev,

My most loving dandavats! Dear Srila Gurudev, tvam nah sandarsito dhatra Please accept my dandavats at your lotus feet. dustaram nistitirsatam kalim sattva-haram pumsam ll glories to this day of your divine appearance, which brings great joy to karna-dhara ivarnavam all your followers! Service is your life. You are always serving the lotus feet of your (S.B. 1.1.22) GuruA Maharaj and all the Vaisnavas! You have fulfilled all the cherished divine desires of your Guru Maharaj! “We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean You have so much compassion for the fallen souls that without any consideration of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.” you bestow your mercy upon them by giving the seed of divine love. If not for your causeless mercy, how can a fallen soul like me, devoid of any good quality, get oday is certainly the most auspicious day, for we have got hope in the deliverance? Coming to your lotus feet soothes the heart and brings great happiness shelter of your beautiful lotus feet. We have all drifted through many universes and fulfillment. withoutT a real home, but Sri Krishna is the most merciful and has sent you to rescue us all from our nonsense and misconceptions! Srila Gurudev, by your grace I am beginning to realize how low and mean I am. Your grace is my only hope! So with all humility I am praying to you on this auspicious Every morning you appear like the beautiful rising sun, and you give us the nectar of day to please forgive my offenses and give your mercy. Please give me the strength to your words even though must of us cannot grasp their substance. You speak ever so realize your glories and to serve and worship your lotus feet eternally. lovingly of your Guru Maharaj, and you show us that there is an ecstatic world of love far away from this plane of exploitation. Everything that’s auspicious in our limited With repeated obeisances at your lotus feet, existence has come through your unlimited mercy. Your eternal humble servant, Suvasini Devi Dasi I know I might never understand the grandness of your grace or your infinite beauty, India (currently living in Ireland) but I’m certain that I am sheltered by your mercy. It’s my humble prayer that I may never forget that I have no other home but your lotus feet.

You have given me so much hope and so much happiness, and yet there is nothing I can offer you. So please, once again, be merciful and forgive my offenses and receive my heartfelt dandavats!

Yours affectionately, Vrinda Devi Dasi Venezuela

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Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga appy birthday! Please accept my respectful dandavat pranams. I hope this day is Ha joyous one for you and the devotees around the world who are celebrating! Dear Srila Gurudev, Dandavats, lease accept my obeisances at your holy lotus feet. I Gaurahari Das cannot begin to describe your endless, infinite glories. However, Fairfax, California onP this most holy day of your appearance, I pray that you accept this offering from your lowly servant. You are a fountain of mercy, and you have given your causeless grace to this fallen soul. You are all-accommodating, and simply by being in your presence one Dear Srila Gurudev, finds peace and inspiration. Your words are like a shower of sweet nectar to the soul. The mere glance of your beautiful lotus feet fills lease accept my humble obeisances to your lotus feet. I audaciously beg my heart with an indescribable joy. You speak and give instruction with such affection that I will be able to take shelter at your feet. I thank you for your loving associates and kindness that I find myself desperately striving to serve your divine, inconceivably whoP live in service of your mood and vision and personality, and who remind me of wonderful personality. You have taken care of me with such love and generosity my you. Apart from service to you, all prospects are bleak and without taste. Without whole life and in lifetimes that have passed. I wish there was some way I could show service to you, happiness is unobtainable. I pray to never forget your lotus feet. you my appreciation.

Aditi Nandana Das Although I cannot serve you properly, your devotees have given me so much affection UK and are allowing me to serve them. Through their connection in service to you, I am given new life. The glories of your devotees are limitless. As I am unable to chant your glories in my ignorant state, I will try to speak something of their most dedicated moods. Living here in your care and in your service, I have been graced with the Haribol! inspiring association of Bhakti Lalita. She has taught me so much and has helped me in so many ways. Her calm, sweet, loving mood is like nourishment to a starving soul. e offer our respects and reverences to the lotus feet of Srila Gurudev. He Vrinda Devi Dasi and Damayanti Devi Dasi have also given me so much help and is blessing humanity with his presence and sweet love. He is the only way we warm care in my time here. canW go back home, back to Godhead. Please accept my sincere dandavat pranams. Mahananda Prabhu has been a saving grace. He has given me so much service to do, Yogindranath Das and he is always encouraging me to continue with the strength and dedication he so Indumukhi Devi Dasi perfectly emanates. Patita Pavan Das Das I could praise your devotees forever and ever, but I will end here simply by saying they Curitiba, Brazil have given me everything, and they truly are like desire trees, fulfilling all aspirations.

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I am forever praying that you may accept the small service I am offering to you. I am wish to be granted the sincerity to desire to serve Your lotus feet. Without this, I am nothing without your mercy, and I fall at your gracious lotus feet on this most holy day. lost. Without You, I am lost. For all of my lifetimes I pray to be under your perfect, loving guidance. Your aspiring servant, Your aspiring servant, Kadi Aberle Annapurna Devi Dasi North Carolina, USA Soquel, California

All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! Dear Srila Gurudev, Dearest Srila Gurudev, lease accept this meager offering that I lay at Your lotus feet, hoping you will forgive my many and varied offenses. lease accept my obeisances with love and affection. P I wish to offer you a thousand obeisances on this day, your Srila Gurudev, when I first saw Your picture, I felt You to be so appearanceP day. I’m just a small voice added to all your glories and beautiful, and I wanted so much to come in contact with Your praises sung by surrendered souls throughout the universe today. sweetness. Now I am here in Sri Nabadwip Dham, and each day I am newly astounded by the glories of Your temple and ashram. The Math Your humility and love of all is so magnanimous and attracts sincere shines so resplendently. I am inspired by the sheer depth of its beauty, although my souls from all quarters. Sri Govinda Kunda is such a beautiful example of little mind cannot even begin to comprehend the pure transcendence of this holy place. this with so many visiting each day. Your affection for visiting pilgrims is evident in the lengths you undertake to make them such comfortable accommodation. Your devotees are so amazing, charming, and helpful. They have a constant serving mood that astounds and humbles me; any tiny service I have done here is pitiful and insignificant I am most fortunate to have some connection with you and the ever-glorious Sri Chaitanya compared to their selfless attitude and non-stop seva. With devotees as beautiful as they, Saraswat Math. I feel extremely blessed to have recently visited Sri Nabadwip Dham and Your own qualities must be magnificent beyond words and conception. Kolkata Math. Both myself and Zachary received such welcoming hospitality from your devotees who are undoubtedly endowed with your loving spirit. Srila Gurudev, I feel as though without Your mercy I would be totally and fully lost in the mire of material existence. You have given me life, a real life, and I feel that even a I pray that my sincerity will develop so I can write a proper glorification of you on your glance from Your lotus eyes in the direction of this lowly and rebellious child is a grace holy appearance day. that will save me and turn me to the right direction. Jaya Srila Gurudev’s Vyasa Puja, ki jaya! You are so merciful to the fallen souls, we who are running hopelessly in circles, lost and wicked and foolish. Your abundance of mercy is causeless and showers down upon With love, us. We know you are the glowing incarnation of Sri Nitai. Subhakti Devi Dasi Srila Gurudev, I am very sinful and unfortunate; I have no taste for Your glories. I only Australia

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To my most glorious Srila Govinda Maharaj, I am fully indebted to you. Srila Gurudev, you have given so many things: the highest conception of the Holy Name of Krishna, the highest form of sound which contains the send my most humble thanks for your appearance in this world highest form of thought, aspiration, ideal, everything. and the mercy extended to me. I will always relish our moments of associationI and the mercy extended from you and from your most dear I do not know what is going to come for me in the future but one thing is for sure, that devotees worldwide. if you are with me I can win in any challenge of Mayadevi.

Amiya Krsna Das When I saw you this time in the London Math, I could not talk but I was really busy New Mexico, USA admiring you. Now let me grab this opportunity to tell you that I love you very, very, very, very much.

From your son, All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Chit Ghnanand Das Mauritius Jaya Om Vishnupada Paramahamsa-Parivrajakacharyya-varyya astottara-sata-sri Srimad Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya!

Long live Srila Govinda Maharaj! Dear Srila Gurudev,

Happy birthday Srila Govinda Maharaj! ere I am again being given the opportunity to glorify your lotus feet. However, I wish that instead of being able to glorify you love you very much. Please always be blissful upon me and give me the chance to inH words, I am somehow able to overcome my misgivings and glorify you stay in your chatra chaya. through my actions and serve those devotees that are situated eternally I at your lotus feet. I am not fit to have come in contact with the teachings saksad-dharitvena samasta-sastrair of Srila Guru Maharaj, but you have mercifully distributed this highest uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih conception of love and beauty, even though I have neither qualification kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya nor desire to receive it. Such is your mercy that, like Lord Nityananda vande guroh sri charanaravindam Prabhu, you are taking the Holy Name and His glories all around the world and giving Him to everyone, even though they are not fit nor have desire to serve theL ord. Please give me You are the only one who knows everything, what is good and what is bad for us. You the desire to serve the Vaishnavas. If I don’t have this desire my life will be like that of a dog are our Godfather, in whom we all have faith, as you are the only pure soul I have or cat, only concerned with my own selfish bodily related desires, completely ignorant to encountered in all my life. Srila Gurudev, you are so kind that you gave such a fallen the divine reality that exists, where you and Srila Guru Maharaj eternally reside. soul like me shelter. Srila Gurudev, even if you do not talk, the way you smile and your glance are sufficient for us. Your eternal servant, Krishna Kishore I am offering you my respectful obeisances at your lotus feet, oh my Lord, my Gurudev. UK

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Dear Srila Gurudev, mat-tulyo nasti papatma naparadhi cha kaschana et me offer my affectionate devotion at Your Precious Lotus Feet for this parihare ‘pi lajja me wonderful occasion, Your 77th Appearance Day. kim bruve purusottama IL am a 23-year-old disciple in Hungary in Aninda Sundar Krishna Prabhu’s association. I am very grateful and happy that by Krishna’s Grace I can know Sri Chaitanya hat can I say that hasn’t been Saraswat Math for one and a half years. Doing service more and more to Krishna so acutely expressed by the real through the association and the Math makes me very happy, and Your Grace and Vaishnavas,W the only difference being that this Presence helps me lots and lots. I am thankful to Your Holiness for accepting me as statement is a reflection of the genuine mood Your disciple! Your Energy guides my whole life more and more every day! I wish I of Srila Rupa Goswami, whereas in my case it could have Your Holy Association more and more as in St. Petersburg! is a sad case of fact?

I wish I could transmit your Unconditional Love to other people and plant the seeds You are indeed my only hope, Srila Gurudev, and I pray continually for both your of Loving God to help them to find the way to Krishna and transcendental bliss. I wish mercy and the ability to digest it. I could be a better servitor to give more and more devotion to Krishna through giving love and understanding to people around me. Your insignificant aspiring servant,

I pray, let Your Pure Blissful Presence be among us for as long a time, as it is possible Kesavananda Das in good health and energy. We need Your blessing and support so much. Please help Utah, USA me to be able to go my way according to Krishna’s will in my life; I long to follow my Lord’s plan. Please help me to find it and to keep on this path towards Krishna and reconstruct my relationship with Him! Dear Srila Gurudev, Your affectionate and grateful servitor,

Jayasri Devi Dasi n this most holy day I offer you my repeated and sincere obeisances with the Hungary Ohope that you will continue to glance favorably on this fallen soul. Your eternal daughter,

Your words are like a shower The first warming rays of sun, Kishori Devi Dasi of sweet nectar to the soul. The Utah, USA giving their blessings free of

mere glance of your beautiful charge, encourage us to get up

lotus feet fills my heart with an and act. You are like this early

indescribable joy. morning sun, dear Srila Gurudev.

    S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

yad-bhava-bhavita-dhiyo manujas tathaiva Dear Srila Gurudev, samprapya rupa-mahimasana-yana-bhusah suktair yam eva nigama-prathitaih stuvanti lease accept my humble dandavat pranams at Your govindam adi purusam tam aham bhajami Pbeautiful lotus feet. Dearest Srila Gurudev, It is not humanly possible to glorify such a precious jewel as You. All Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I can do is grasp at words that merely reflect Your beauty. I always remember You walking into a room of devotees and seeing everyone’s y beautiful Srila Gurudev, this mind is so empty when it comes hearts light up so much that there was no need for artificial light. Mto putting words together to express my joy and gratitude for Your Not to speak of Your bright, effulgent smile as You floated across the amazing presence in my life and in the lives of those who are dearest to me. room. The mercy that You bestow upon all of us is our only life line as It is a feeling of a little confusion that comes from the disbelief that I was able to receive Your we make our way through life. shelter and mercy. It is a feeling of great relief, as if some overwhelming burden has been lifted from my shoulders, a burden from years of running blind and empty. With Your presence You spread Your mercy so lovely and to worthless beings such as myself. Although all my wishes have been fulfilled.I have received so much affection and have seen so much devotion. I desire to please You by so many wonderful devotees. My family is so special, as embarrassed by my unworthiness, I still try to grab hold of your lifeline. As I fail special as my beautiful Gurudev. to grab hold, one of Your blessed devotees comes by and helps me hold on to Your merciful lifeline. I can give back so little at this time, yet I maintain my full faith in You, my beautiful Gurudev, that pleasing You will be my sole goal and desire life after life. On my daily morning walk There are no words, songs or prayers adequate enough to express my gratitude for your to pick up flowers for my beloved deity of Sri Giriraja, the shapes of early morning sunrays shelter. I feel so indebted to Your mercy. Thank You for appearing. become visible, birds start their talk, and the world awakens to a new day. The first warming rays of sun, giving their blessings free of charge, encourage us to get up and act. You are like Your useless servant, this early morning sun, dear Srila Gurudev. This is my most fulfilling time of the day when by Radha Raman Das Your Grace and encouragement I can get up and act, to appreciate more and more Your gift Santa Cruz, USA of devotion, as my eagerness increases to glorify this Beautiful Reality, this Land of Sweetness where You are most at home. I’m very hopeful that I will meet You there some day. Thank You my Beautiful Srila Gurudev for the gift of Life.

Please forgive me my countless offenses and bless me with wisdom and strength to be there every morning and remember You, my eternal Well Wisher, my very life. All glories to You, my Beautiful Srila Gurudev, on this most special day of all days!

With my head at Your Lotus Feet always, Your useless servant, Enakshi Devi Dasi and family, Santa Cruz, California 9 0 9 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

n this most auspicious and holy day, I offer my dandavat Our Dear Srila Gurudev, pranams to the holy lotus feet of our dear Srila Gurudev. Gurudev,O you show me everything and you have given me s usual on this most glorious of days we are everything. I pray to be your devotee one day. left devoid of words to properly express our heartfelt gratitudeA to be part of your family that now spans the world Dandavats, and beyond. In Australia we have seen your mission grow, Tunga Prema Devi Dasi and every day by your Grace we are seeing examples of giving USA honor, tolerance, and humility. It inspires us to go deeper also. Srila Gurudev, may we stay with you forever and serve under your guidance.

With love and devotion, Beloved Srila Gurudev, Parananda Das and Lila Moi Devi Dasi Australia Please accept my millions of prostrations.

hrough Your Mercy I was led to You, and through Your Mercy I was blessed with the Holy Names. The fact that one so fallen as myself has been the recipient Sri-Choroneshu Govindo-Moharaj, ofT these treasures is a demonstration of Your Causeless Grace. Apnar jonmo-tithi upolokkhey amar sosroddho pronam janai. Apni jokhon-i San Jose When I awake in the morning, Your Holiness is on my mind and in my ashen, tokhon apnar choritrer binoy madhurjo, apnar smito-mukher hanshi, ebong heart. Throughout the day thoughts of You occupy my mind. At night I feel Your sishu-shulobh shorol byabohar dekhe ami mugdho hoye jai. Ami apnar dikkhito howa presence when I retire. toe durer kautha, achare onusthaney boishnob-o noi. Tobu apni amar oporadh khoma koray apnar koruna-ghono-hridoyer odhyatmo-upodesh amaye akdin diyechilen, Please accept my love and reverence offered, as a bouquet of flowers, at Your Holy Feet. shei kautha upolobdhi koray tokhon amar chokhay jol esechhilo. Aaj tar jonye amar aukritrim kritoggota janai apnakay. Ishworer kachhey prarthona kori jano tini apnakey In loving surrender, dirgho jibon daan koren. Iti apnar guno-mugdho bhokto, Arun Banerjee Achutananda Das Palo Alto, California Los Angeles, California

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

Dearest Srila Gurudev, Thanking you!

lease accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Your divine rila Gurudev, your twenty-second tour has inspired us throughout the world, grace is the sole perfect guide of humanity. Your holy self is the only sincere friend showing us your dedication to your Guru Maharaj in your service. Thank you for andP supporter of everyone in this miserable mundane world. yourS sacrifice. Thank you for bringing Nabadwip Dham to the western world. Thank you for accepting us as your disciples and kindly allowing us entry into this service As soon as I was born in this material world my parents cherished high hopes for world. my future material achievements. As I grew up I was sent to primary schools and Thank you for your compassion for all us fallen souls. secondary schools where the teachers did their best to shape my vision of material exploitations. At the temples, the priest implored the to fulfill my material desires! Thank you, Patita Pavana: In brief, everyone, from family members to friends, relatives and all those surrounding me, prayed for my welfare in this world! But I was not happy! Many worries and yasya prasadad bhagavat prasado different types of fear hung over me! yasyaprasadat na gati kuto pi

Your divine grace stepped in my life at the right moment. Your grace showed me that Thank you, thank you for being our Guru. this world gave only old age, disease and death as rewards for our hard work. Your holy self—who is always genuinely leading everyone to the perfect world, whether rich or Your servants, poor, young or old, man or woman—demonstrated by quotation from holy scriptures Prema Sindhu Das and family that real happiness lies only in the service of our beautiful Lord Sri Krishna and His South Africa devotees. Your divine grace favored us not only by teaching, but by engaging us in various forms of service unto the Lord. Your grace has shown us the real planet fit for living: the kingdom of God, Sri Krishna, where there is no death, disease, or misery, but only love and bliss. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

My only prayer at your lotus feet on this most auspicious occasion is that your divine o my beloved master on this most auspicious day of your Sri grace accepts this lowly self as your servant for all my lives to come. Vyasa Puja: T Your humble servants, In the storm of life you are our shelter, Adhoksaja Das In the desert of life you are our oasis, Champaka Lata Dasi You are the hope for us all, Yogesvara Krsna Das Your lotus feet our refuge, Devesananda Das Oh beloved of Radhika give us your shelter, Mauritius We are blessed to serve you. You are our life and soul, and this poor fellow is destitute without your mercy.

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Oh this unprecedented opportunity to glorify the Lord’s beloved. Oh deliverer from All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga darkness and bestower of devotion, I, a foolish soul, bow down with all the humility that I hope to embrace and worship you on this most auspicious day of your merciful appearance. Dear Srila Gurudev,

Your aspiring disciple, ll glories to your divine advent day in this world. Please accept my Asraya Vigraha Das dandavat pranams at your holy feet. Only by your grace and mercy and favorable New Zealand glanceA will I be able to do anything. Without them my life is useless. I hope one day I can please you through some real devotional service and completely surrender to your lotus feet.

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Your unworthy servant, Deva Krishna Das Srila Gurudev! USA (currently in Nabadwip)

wish you a happy, happy 78th anniversary appearance day. Although I am far, far, far behind, please mercifully allow me to worship your lotus feet and follow your radiantI footsteps. Srila Govinda Maharaj,

And please kindly direct me so that one day I may be fully at your service. any happy returns to you on the auspicious occasion of your Vyasa Puja. I am meeting you for the first time butI have heard Your lowliest disciple, Myour glories for five years from my friends at Sri Govinda Dham in Ajitasha Devi Dasi Australia. Amazed by their dedication, love and devotion to you, I Japan (currently in Nabadwip) wanted to meet you personally. I feel blessed to be here in the Holy Dham and to have your association and the association of your servitors. The scriptures stresssadhu sangha to be most important, and this is a wonderful opportunity. I am grateful for the love, shelter and friendship All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga that the Australian sangha has given me. They are an inspiration to me, and without them I would not have made it here. Whether or not I become your disciple I will treasure this lease accept my humble obeisances. By your mercy your devotees experience. All glories to your service to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! have found this fallen soul, and in such a short time I have seen that thereP is some hope still left in this world. Through the service of your Delta devotees who serve you, I feel a sweetness in my heart like never before. Australia (currently in Nabadwip)

Hoping to be your disciple, Terry Australia (currently in Nabadwip)

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krsna-bhakti-rasa-bhavita matih Dear Srila Gurudev, kriyatam yadi kuto ‘pi labhyate tatra laulyam api mulyam ekalam andavats at your holy lotus feet on your Divine janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate appearance day. I am so incompetent to express even a drop -Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 8.70 ofD your glories. You have given us so much. You are our only source of nourishment, and our only Savior and Guardian. You teach us sadhu-sastra-krpaya yadi krsnonmukha haya by example in such a soft and kind way that our hearts melt with sei jiva nistare, maya tahare chadaya affection and love for you. I am so grateful that you have allowed -Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 20.120 me to come here for the sweet association of your surrendered and dedicated servitors. By their association I can see how I don’t have dadati pratigrhnati a speck of devotion in me. But if you are merciful to me, I can learn guhyam akhyati prcchati from them. Actually, it is also by the mercy of the sweet and compassionate devotees bhunkte bhojayate caiva in Australia that I could come here. So you are everything to us. Without you, our lives sad-vidhan priti-laksanam would be an endless desert, only full of mirages. Thank you for your mercy on this -Sri Upadesamrta 4 fallen and useless soul. tasmad gurum prapadyeta, Aspiring to serve your devotees, jijñasuh sreyah uttamam Sulocana Devi Dasi sabde pare ca nisnatam Australia (currently in Nabadwip) brahnany upasamasrayam -Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.3.21

tad viddhi pranipatena All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga pariprasnena sevaya upadeksyanti te jñanan satan prasangan mama virya-sanvido jñaninas tattva-darsinah bhavanti hrt-karna-rasayanah kathah -Bhagavad-gita 4.34 taj-josanad asv apavarga-vartmani sraddha ratir bhaktir anukramisyati brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva -Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.25.25 guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija -Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 19.151 krsna-bhakti-janma-mula haya ‘sadhu-sanga’ krsna-prema janme, tenho punar mukhya anga Nimai Chandra Das -Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 22.83 Venezuela (currently in Nabadwip)

    S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! Jaya Srila Govinda Maharaj!

Dear Srila Gurudev, Begging to always be your humble servants, You are the universal umbrella of Vrndavan Das ’m offering my respectful devotion in front of Your Lotus feet. shelter to the children of this I’m Anukrishna Devi Dasi from Hungary. I’m 20 years old, and I Radhanuja Devi Dasi studyI in the music academy. Through Krishna’s unaccountable grace Avani Suta devi Dasi Kali Yuga. You are like the Bengal Parijata I got ritvik initiation one year ago. Recently I had the opportunity to tiger gently bringing her battered travel to St. Petersburg and receive Your Holy Darshan! You gave the Vanarottama devotees and I such beautiful and sweet light. When I play the violin, Brajendra Kumar cubs to safety. You are our life force Washington, USA the piano, and conduct music, that beautiful light is in my heart. The that gives us strength and meaning. people who listen to me in concerts get it too. I love to see this energy go into other people’s hearts. It’s really wonderful! Thank You very, very much for giving me this service to Your Holy Grace. There is another sweet delight, and that is meeting Jamuna Priya Devi Dasi. I didn’t talk with her very much, but still she showed me something Most dear and beloved Srila Govinda Maharaj, wonderful with her pure light. She is very kind to me. I wish Your body to be as strong and healthy as it most possibly can to let Your Holy offer my heartfelt dandavats to my beloved Spiritual Light be present in Your Wholeness among us. Maybe my wish is selfish, but I feel so Master. All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar miserable and tiny that I need the opportunity to be Your servitor. GovindaI Dev- Goswami Maharaj on His 77th anniversary appearance day. I am attempting to write this offering for my own purification, and Your sincere and loving servant, I beg forgiveness for all my glaring blunders. Anukrishna Devi Dasi Hungary You and only you can make my useless life worth living. I myself do not have anything whatsoever to offer you. My only possession is my embarrassing, twisted ego that is always acting like a snake. Truly, you are the only reason to breathe. My prayer today is that I may someday become a fit candidate for your mercy. Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, Dearest Srila Gurudev, again I must beg you even for that prayer. I am full of pretense, lease accept my dandavats at your lotus feet. All glories to the auspicious and what I think is sincere is just business. You and only you are my reason to continue day of your appearance. I recently was blessed to experience your divine grace and in this life. Your loving glance sends a wave of hope through my black heart. Your loving mercy.P It happened at a time when I was being helplessly pulled by illusion. Suddenly smile nourishes every cell of my being. The mood of self-sacrifice that you display to the my attention was drawn to a small piece of paper on my desk. It looked blank. I whole world is beyond my comprehension. You are a teacher with every move you make. picked it up and turned it around, and suddenly your beautiful smiling face filled my Everyone can feel your loving encouragement without uttering one word. vision. Just that vision alone was enough to bring me back to reality. Thank you for your love and mercy. I am safe under your umbrella. Radhanuja, Avani Suta, Parijata, You continuously bring us back to the basic concepts of Mahaprabhu. Why I cannot Vanarottama and Brajendra Kumar also offer their dandavats and beg for your grace. hear or follow is my own suicide. But once again your loving glance sends a tsunami

1 0 0 1 0 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S of hope into my steel-covered heart. You and only you will bring me home where I am are all the living entities within your circle of existence. Who can be afflicted by desperately searching. You have the powerful floodlight to find me in my darkness. material maladies when your merciful glance falls upon them? Sometimes within that nescience I can hear you calling. Just for a slight moment I will Srila Gurudev, on this very special day we extol your glories on this earthly plane up to turn, but so quickly I dive into that deep well I feel so comfortable in. the highest spiritual planet. We carry your divine instructions on our heads and look forward to the day for your satisfaction to express itself. But my dearest well-wisher, I know you are there, and just knowing that gives me the greatest comfort. You are the universal umbrella of shelter to the children of this Kali Yuga. Merciful Srila Gurudev, please know that to serve exclusively the orders of your You are like the Bengal tiger gently bringing her battered cubs to safety. You are our life beloved spiritual master His Divine Grace Bhakti Raksak Sridhar Dev-Goswami force that gives us strength and meaning. I am all yours because I don’t know what is good Maharaj and your transcendental instructions are the only reasons for our existence. for my own self. Please keep me in the view of your real devotees so that I may learn. Keep me in your view for your entertainment. For whatever reason you see fit, please keep me in Rejoice my brothers and sisters, rejoice my friends, for we are blessed now and forever your view. You are my lifeline, my savior. You are my Lord and Master. to have a spiritual connection in the most merciful and admirable form of His Divine Grace Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Begging to be accepted, Your servant, Diksavati Devi Dasi Santa Das Soquel, California Durban, South Africa

Merciful Srila Gurudev, Dear Srila Gurudev!

n this auspicious day we praise you. We beg you will allow aribol, dandavat. I pay my obeisances to your lotus feet. I am sitting us to offer you our respected and repeated dandavat pranams in my room before your photo and listening to Sri Guru Carana-padma, inO the dust of your holy lotus like feet. whichH you are singing. Thank you, Srila Gurudev, for having been with me Srila Gurudev, you descend to this mortal world to give joy and since we met in London. I feel very fortunate because I could understand guidance to both the common man and devotee alike. Brushing away something of what you mean for me. I feel as if I was newly born from the clouds of illusion you allow for the illuminating sun of pure divine darkness; thank you for opening my eyes. I wish you a happy Vyasa Puja day wisdom to shine through. Who can tell how much value you have with many nice pictures and devotional letters. Thank you for your mercy. manifested in our lives?

Whomever you meet and whomever you touch immediately Dandavat, becomes eligible to serve the Vaisnavas and the Lord. Wherever you place your lotus Madubala Devi Dasi Hungary like feet becomes sanctified and is immediately transformed into a place of pilgrimage.

Anyone who remembers you is purified, and his entire home is purified. What to speak of those who directly see you, touch your lotus-like feet and wash your lotus-like feet.

Ah, those fortunate souls! Merciful Srila Gurudev, blessed are your associates; blessed

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Vande Ham Sri Guru

Sri Vyasa Puja Offering to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar bhavantam evanucharan nirantarah Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj prasanta-nihisesa-mano-rathantarah kadaham aikantika-nitya-kinkarah My humble obeisances to the lotus feet of Sri Jagat-Guru Srila Bhakti praharsayisyami sanatha-jivitam Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj on this most holy day of your appearance in this world. “When will I bloom in a life of servitude as Your eternal devotee, my heart pacified due to all other desires being consumed by engagement ou are the embodiment of the teachings of Srila Bhakti in Your uninterrupted service?” Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who is himself the -Sri Yamunacharyya (Sri Sri Prapanna Jivanamrtam, 3.17) embodiment of the Yteachings of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, who is the manifestation of the prayer of Srila Sachchidananda Bhaktivinod Thakur, who largely h Divine Master, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj: inaugurated this grand wave of Krishna consciousness that has swept the entire world. BelovedO Srila Gurudev, Your Unlimited Glories are constantly sung by Your own Daily reading the Scriptures of our Sri Guru-varga we are reminded of the supreme inconceivably glorious Srila Guru Maharaj, by all Rupanuga bhaktas in eternal time, by fortune granted by the Lord and His devotees in this current age. The key to that all the devas, headed by Sri Gangadhar Sadashiva himself. fortune is to gain the association of the pure devotees, to render them service and to receive their causeless Vaishnava glance. Lacking any personal qualification to glorify Your infinite Greatness, all I can do is beg for drops of Your sweet mercy to fall upon me. Srila Guru Maharaj saw Your Theory may give direction and be inspirational, but to practice is the necessity. By the presence true Suddha Rupanuga Paramahamsa form. You’re the exclusive source of that divine of Your Divine Grace in this world the Lord has graciously given all the opportunity to put into Rupanuga current in this world, backed by the full power and affectionate mercy of practice the conclusion of the Scriptures: association of, and service to, the pure devotee. Srila Guru Maharaj and the natural genius of Your own beautiful heart where Sri Govinda has taken permanent residence. Through Your heart, Absolute Divine Love is Your presence in this world is of inestimable value and beyond proper estimation by transferred to the hearts of Your pure devotees. those of my stamp. By the grace of the Vaishnavas I feel blessed to be aware of that. The wonderful sound of Your voice singing the glories of Sri Sri Guru Gauranga Indeed, today I feel most fortunate to be allowed to add my small voice to the grand Gandharvva Govinda Sundarjiu and Their expansions andparishads is heard in the hearts wave of the congregational chanting of your glories taking place in remembrance of of true devotees throughout the three worlds—penetrating through . In Goloka your all-auspicious Appearance in this world. the deep devotional resonance of Your sweet voice brings joy to the hearts of all.

With full obeisances at your lotus feet. I pray to be forever within your gracious You’re surrounded by kalpa-vrksa like devotees, whose lives are wholly offered to the Vaishnava glance of causeless mercy, service of Your beautiful lotus feet. By the power of Your Love, everything in Your connection is given transcendental qualities and entrance into Srila Guru Maharaj’s Mahananda Das B.R. eternal lila. Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip

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Oh Srila Gurudev! I pray You will someday bring me close and keep me as Your My sincere dandabat and hug pranams to You Srila Gurudev! personal servant. Your love and affection are my only wealth. Your pure servants are my only true friends. Affectionately Yours, Haryyananda Das Please help to purify this being so I may someday be qualified to live in the company of Hawaii, USA Your family, constantly serving Your servants with a happy, humble heart. Your Grace has opened my eyes to see the sanga and seva of Your devotees to be the only true goal of my existence. Dearest Srila Gurudev,

Mercifully You have given this fallen soul Your personal gift of the Holy Name and lease accept my best wishes for another wonderful appearance connection to Srila Guru Maharaj. So there is hope for this otherwise hopeless person. day. When I think of you, surrounded by dear friends and Because of my extra fallen condition, I must beg Your Grace to please grant extra servants,P with everyone fully satisfied being near you, it makes me mercy to this fallen soul. very happy. Some of us are blessed to be thinking of you, wanting to offer you nice preparations and gifts on this day. You are in our hearts, Your beautiful dancing form is eternally and unlimitedly beautiful, absorbed in and we are hankering to be nearer. Please allow me to approach your Your eternal loving Pastimes with Srila Guru Maharaj. Please somehow help me to beautiful feet with flowers on this auspicious day, dear Srila Gurudev. constantly, eternally see, hear and serve Your Divine Grace, as You constantly see, hear Yours with affection and love, and serve Srila Guru Maharaj. Puspanjali Dasi You are the Lord of my heart eternally. Please allow me to someday attain the constant sanga Hawaii, USA and seva of Your beloved devotees, never thinking of illusory material prospects again.

By Your Grace, may I become sincerely humble and tolerant as You are, honestly giving Dear Srila Gurudev, honor to all living beings, kind and affectionate to all. By Your Grace, may Hari Nam be lease accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine someday fully revealed in my heart and dance ecstatically on my tongue. Grace. I pray that you continue to bless me so that my false ego canP dissolve a little, so that I can consider that this life has had at least Thank You, Srila Gurudev, for everything You do. You’ve affected my heart and the a moment of worth. For me you are present in your instructions, and whole world in most wonderful ways that words cannot express. I consider this to be the most valuable treasure in this world. By your mercy and by connection with the saintly devotees, I want to make These are some of my regular daily prayers to Your Divine Grace. Also I regularly pray every effort to become self-realized. for You to feel well and pain free, I always hope that You are sleeping well, feeling good All glories to you. All glories to all the devotees. oxygenation, drinking plenty of pure water, feeling good digestive power, etc. Very hopefully I pray to Lord Shiva and Srila Guru Maharaj to keep You feeling well always. Your humble servant, Nilachal Chandra Das Wishing You the most happy Vyasa Puja day possible! Your happiness is the happiness Hawaii, USA of all Vaishnavas.

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Dearest Srila Gurudev, and most of all your soft-hearted nature, overlooking our so many faults and trouble- mindedness. We are happy, glad and proud to be a part of this eternal, sweet love ll glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga. Please accept my dandavats at song of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, and I pray on your day of Divine Appearance Your lotus feet. The strength that you show is abundant in every way; Your whole that my heart may become soft and clean so that you may sit in a non-disturbing lifeA you have given us. You have come to help the fallen souls, and all around the world atmosphere while I constantly serve your Holy Lotus Feet. May I be so blessed and now the devotees sing Your glories. On Your birthday here in Australia at Govinda fortunate today to engage in real selfless service. May thatseva blessing and complete Dham the devotees will be celebrating Your grand Vyasa Puja with a great appreciation surrender of mind, body and words manifest itself within my heart. I pray that mood for what You are giving. and consciousness may forever possess my soul.

I offer my respects on this holy day at Your sweet Lotus feet. Happy birthday. All glories to your surrendered servitors, your Sannyasis, your children, your disciples and all your sincere and affectionate followers. Jamuna Devi Dasi Australia All glories to you, Beloved Gurudev, for you are holding the flag that flies high at Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math.

Goptrtve-Varanam Tara priya mano ‘bhista sthapane sadasachesta ll glories, all glories, all glories to you, Beloved Gurudev. I bow down bhakti sundara sri govinda nama humbly at your soft, full-blossomed lotus feet. The devotees sing your unending ei parampara dhana A glories around the world on this most lovely occasion, a most sacred sabe gaura-nijajana day, no doubt. For it is you, Beloved Gurudev, leading the way and tandera uchchhiste mora singing the Flute-Song of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Because of Your Divine Inspiration so many centers have manifested, for you have He who is a very dear disciple of that Srila Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who is instilled within the hearts of your affectionate followers that desire of establishing his divine conception, and who is fulfilling his desire continuously, he is Srila your Beloved Srila Guru Maharaj. I think of all your stalwart devotees Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. This is our grand preceptorial line, and all of who stand like strong pillars to represent you and this Mission. For it them are very dear to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. My sustenance is their remnants alone. is you, Beloved Gurudev who took on your head and into your heart the desire of Srila Guru Maharaj to have the responsibility to care for Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya! the devotees, the Mission and the Deities. This is all manifesting and Srila Gurudev ki jaya! going on because of you. I am sure that Srila Guru Maharaj is so happy on this day, for Srila Gurudev ki jaya! it was him, Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyya-varyya Astottara-sata- sri Srimad Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj, who wrote your very own Your ever-fortunate, pranam . Divya Shakti Devi Dasi USA You are so much great and have astounded us all with your determination, stamina, sacrifice, tolerance, humility, beauty, love, compassion, strength of mind and heart

1 0 8 1 0 9 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S nama-srestham manum api sachi-putram atra svarupam Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, rupam tasyagrajam uru-purim mathurim gostavatim radha-kundam giri-varam aho radhika-madhavasam Please accept my dandavat pranams at your lotus feet. prapto yasya prathita-krpaya sri-gurum tam nato ’smi his is a beautiful, special and eternally fortunate day for all Karun Krsna Das living souls, the appearance day of your sweet personality. All Maracaibo, Venezuela TI can say is, Happy Birthday and only the best for you! I wish you happiness, true friends, sweetness and good health!

Thank you very much for all your affection and protection that I felt All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga after receiving initiation from Sripad Trivikram Maharaj and Rohini Shakti D.D. in Brazil about two years ago; this is something that I hope to keep with me forever. f you wish, please accept my obeisance at your ever-giving lotus feet. I hope to meet you in person as soon as possible. I know that will be something I eternally graceful and beautiful. This offering is simply a plea for your attention, as this finite conditioned living entity wishes you a happy birthday on this With affection and my deep respect, wondrous and increasingly fortunate day. Madhavi Devi Dasi Brazil You have blessed us all with your sweet presence, your dedicated service to your Guru Maharaj, and your limitless radiation of affection.

I simply pray that one day I may be able to somehow honor your merciful gift and All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga affectionate guidance properly. lease accept my sincere greetings on this coming Sri Vyasa Puja. I am also All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. very grateful for the opportunity I received last year to visit and be part of the lifeP and history of all connected with the glory of Sri Mahaprabhu. I was particularly Glories to Srila Gurudev who is always with us, guiding us bit by bit to our home and moved and inspired by the visit to Ekachakra Dham—the auspicious home and serene forgotten wealth. birthplace of Sri Nityananda with its beautiful surroundings and neighboring villages. I pray that their grace befriends me always. Jaya Gurudev! Vaidehi Devi Dasi With humble obeisances, Residing in Soquel, California Shyama-priya Dasi

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

Jaya Gurudev!

would like to offer my humble respects and admiration to Srila Govinda Maharaj. Meeting Srila Govinda Maharaj and taking my first initiation was the most importantI moment in my lifetime. Although I don’t follow Sri Guru, and I live very far from the transcendental plane, I cherish the opportunities I had at Sri Chaitanya Seva Ashram in Soquel and the mercy I received from Srila Gurudev and the devotees. I do know that Srila Govinda Maharaj and his Mission are my truest friends in this world. I hope through Sri Guru’s mercy I can find some way to be of service. I wish I knew how to glorify Srila Gurudev properly but know through his great mercy even this feeble attempt will be accepted graciously.

Aspiring in service,

Brajeshwara Das USA

Srila Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj’s Vyasa Puja ki jaya!

All glories to Your Sweet Lotus Feet on this most auspicious and Holy occasion of Your divine appearance day.

lease accept our humble obeisances and forgive all our offenses in trying to glorify Your Divine Grace and YourP Transcendental Qualities.

You are everything to us. You are infallible (as your associates always say), and You are our only shelter.

Only You and Your serving group can give us so much hope in our spiritual life.

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We belong to the group of the most fallen and yet, taking no consideration of our All glories to Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, my bad qualities, You are causelessly extending Your mercy and super transcendental Divine Guardian. connection to us. h Sri Gurudev, what can a poor fellow, as coldhearted as I, All glory to You, Srila Gurudev, and all glory to the Divine Mission of Sri Chaitanya say about Your Divine Merciful Glance. Srila Guru Maharaj Saraswat Math! hasO explained the condition of such an abject soul as myself as He introduces an expression of Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati in Sri Sri Your presence on this Earth is cooling like a million full moons and attractive to the Prapanna-Jivanamrtam (8.22): hearts of all. May our hearts always dwell in attraction for Your service. maha-prema-piyusa-bindu-prarthinah svadainyanubhutih With love and affection, “One who begs for a drop of the nectar of divine love supreme quickly Deva Bandhu Das perceives his own destitution.” Nanda Priya Devi Dasi Brazil Therein Srila Prabodhananda Saraswati expresses the position of such destitute souls whose hearts remain unsuitable resting places for the Lord.

prasarita-mahaprema-, piyusa-rasa-sagare My dear Srila Gurudev, chaitanya-chandre prakate, yo dino dina eva sah (Sri Sri Prapanna-Jivanamrtam 8.22 & Sri Chaitanya Chandramrtam, 36) lease accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I know I remain full of all kinds of faults, and my days are full of “With the rising of the Gracious Moon, Sri Chaitanyachandra, all directions have offenses.P I know it is only out of your infinite grace you have come been inundated with the unlimitedly expansive ocean of the joy of divine love supreme. to me. I pray to you to please give me the ability to offer everything Anyone who remains destitute and hesitates to imbibe this nectar is surely a first class to you, to work for you only and give myself to you totally. I ask you fool and genuine pauper.” for a thousand things every day but on this most auspicious of days please give me the ability to pray to you only for the capacity to give Your Divine Grace and Glories are no doubt connected with and comparable to those myself to you completely. of Sri Chaitanyadev:

Your servant, isvara-svarupa bhakta tanra adhistana Anand bhaktera hrdaye krsnera satata visrama Maryland, USA (Chaitanya-charitamrta, Adi-lila 1.61)

“A pure devotee constantly engaged in the loving service of the Lord is identical with the Lord, who is always seated in his heart.”

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With whatever sincerity a pauper such as myself may feel, that itself being a gift of All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga Grace from Yourself, I pray that I may not be so stonehearted as to remain aloof to the Flow of Mercy emanating from the Miraculous Advent of Your Divine Grace here in Dearest Srila Gurudev, this world and personally in my life. I am enchanted and inspired by the hint You gave about Your Divine Service Position when commenting on one of your favorite slokas of lease accept my humble dandavat pranams at Your most soothing and Srila Guru Maharaj: merciful Lotus Feet. I am still unable to believe the limitless good fortune that is bestowedP upon this unworthy aspiring servant of Yours to be in Your presence and sri-srimad-bhagavat-padambuja-madhu-svadotsavaih sat-padair have Your most needed, most wanted, most pleasing, and most inspiring association. niksipta madhu-bindavas cha parito bhrasta mukhat gunjitah Our thirsty hearts absorb like chataka birds the most pure nectar emanating from Your yatnaih kinchid ihahrtam nija-para-sreyo rthina tan maya Lotus-like Mouth, from Your sweetest smiles, from Your charming gestures, from Your bhuyo-bhuya ito rajamsi pada-samlagnani tesam bhaje unlimited tolerance and patience. By Your grace we are able to receive Your boundless (Sri Sri Prapanna-Jivanamrtam, 10.14) love, Your endless affection, Your pure sweetness, and Your deep understanding. By Your grace, we are aware of how we are being loved. By Your grace we are being The bee-likesuddha-bhaktas, inseparable from the unlimited nectarean ocean that is immersed for the very first time in this life in a real glimpse of what is real happiness, the Lord’s lotus feet, eternally feast upon that nectar and relentlessly chant the glories of real divine substance flowing unstoppably from Your holyassociation , making us aware Sri Krishna. As dictated by the love play of the Lord and His devotees, that You are serving us, nourishing us and allowing us to see Your example. some of the nectar streaming from the mouths of those eternally positively engaged, liberated souls may escape and drop down into the hearts of their most ravenous servitors. We realize that it is only by Your grace that we can have any aspiration that One time, Sri Gurudev, eternally united with, while in a state of separation from, those spiritual One day, we will be able to reciprocate. By Your grace only may we some day offer You personalities, has collected those cascading dewdrops of spiritual elixir and lovingly some service. Please Gurudev, allow us to be able to do that. All glories for all eternity, arranged them into an enchanting bouquet, thereby attracting the hearts of all lost souls of to Your holy Lotus Feet. Please always keep us close to those life-giving Lotus Feet. the world blessed with spiritual fortune. Upon freely distributing those beads of nectar, All- Merciful Sri Gurudev then causelessly engages in their (the disciples) maintenance. Sowing Dandavats again and again, the bhakti-lata-bija in their heart’s garden, Sri Gurudev cultures within them sublime sraddha through the process of sravanam-kirttanam, which blossoms into a flower of pure Your aspiring servant, We are all together to celebrate dedication. Then Sri Gurudev reciprocates with thosenitya-siddha bhaktas constantly Kalindi Devi Dasi engaged in the Lord’s Spiritual Service, offering amala of fresh servitors to the lotus feet. Soquel, California you. All your family members, wherever they are, are around you, All glories to You and Your Divine Appearance, Om Vishnupad Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, the Personification of Sriman Mahaprabhu’sSiksastakam! close to you, reunited in all the Please consider this fallen soul, Kamal Krsna Das, a particle of dust at Your lotus feet. corners of world, to celebrate your

Jaya Srila Gurudev. holy appearance day. Humbly, Kamal Krsna Das Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Seva Ashram, Soquel, California

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Dear Srila Gurudev, Your servant, Mohita Krishna Das lease accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. I wish you a happy Italy Pbirthday with all my affection and veneration. During your last journey to Europe, I could see how much depth of affection is in the relationship between you and us, your disciples. You were looking at every All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga one of us with full affection as a parent looks at his children with his heart in his hand, ready to give it to every one of us. We are all together to celebrate you. All om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya your family members, wherever they are, are around you, close to you, reunited chaksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-guruve namah in all the corners of world, to celebrate you holy appearance day. My Dear Srila Gurudev, It is not easy to find the proper words, to choose the best one or to organize them in a way that enables me to express the feelings that are arousing in my heart. So the lease accept our most humble obeisances and forgive our offenses at your Scriptures and the Saints are helping us to understand. In this way the discourses Holy Lotus Feet. about your glories become nectar for the heart and the ears. It is told in the P Scriptures that the Guru appears as the guide for the sincere disciple and as the dear Everyday we thank Lord Sri Krishna for having Your Divine Grace as not only a devotee of the Lord. All the Scriptures proclaim that Sri Guru is Lord Hari Himself, Spiritual Master, but a real father who is concerned about our spiritual advancement. but is also the dearmost devotee of the Lord. On one side you are seen as the dearmost devotee of the Lord because you possess transcendental realization about Sri Vyasa Puja is a special chance for fallen souls like me to meditate on and renew Sri Krishna, but your disciples consider you as the direct manifestation of the Lord commitment to the service of Your Divine Grace. There is no doubt in my mind that Srila because you impart realization of devotional service in their hearts. Gurudev wants the Glories of Srila Sridhar Maharaj and Mahaprabhu to be spread to every town and village. Therefore it’s becoming more and more prominent in my mind that we You destroy the different obstacles that we find in the execution of devotional here in Sitiawan, Malaysia need to establish a proper Ashram, as Sri Chaitanya Saraswat service by giving your blessings and by taking us to the lotus feet of Sri Krishna. Math’s Glories started from here. It’s occupying more and more of my time, energy and So we surrender to you. As it is told in the Scriptures, the human form of life thoughts. However, there are many impediments. The biggestI can see is my own lack of is very rare to obtain and is like a boat; the Guru is the captain and the Lord purity and dedication. Therefore, on this most auspicious day,I pray to your Holy Lotus provides the favorable wind to guide the boat in the right direction. Feet for blessings. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to work on improving my sadhana.

So, by the grace of Sri Krishna and by following your instruction, we have the Happy Sri Vyasa Puja, dear Srila Gurudev. opportunity to engage in devotional service. The descriptions of your glories are innumerable, and I am so small and unqualified to describe and glorify your Humbly, extraordinary activities. So, with much respect and joy, I join the other devotees The Most Fallen, to wish you a happy birthday in the celebration of this day. Rama Ratan Das and family Sitiawan, Malaysia Again and again I prostrate myself at your lotus feet, begging for your grace.

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Srila Gurudev, I hope to always have the desire to serve you eternally, life after life. I love you and miss you. My life has sense now, close to you. All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Your eternal servant, Dhira Krsna Das Beloved Srila Gurudev, Caracas, Venezuela

lease receive my humble and respectful obeisances at your ever-lotus feet. P et the worldwide mission of Srila Bhakti Sundar Dev- Srila Gurudev, you are the most beautiful thing that exists in this world, and you are Goswami Maharaj be all-victorious! Flooding the entire planet the highest mercy. You are so loved by our dear Srila Guru Maharaj, and you are saving withL the mercy of Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami so many souls causelessly, bestowing on them your grace and then allowing them to Maharaj, you tirelessly preach, teach, and offer the perfect example of serve you eternally. It is my biggest desire to never be apart from the comfort of the service to Sriman Mahaprabhu. Engaging people from all walks of life, umbrella of your lotus feet. You are our true reason of existence. You have been the you extend your Mission to even the remotest corners of the globe. light that has enlightened my path, taking me where I have to go, which is to serve you, With more affection than any father, you lead them to their ultimate my Srila Gurudev. goal. Constantly traveling is your grace, giving us the opportunities to be charmed by your smiling face. Let me always recite your glories If I made any offense in anything I wrote here, I beg you to forgive me. and die in the harness of service to your servants.

Chintamani Devi Dasi Ramai Das Caracas, Venezuela Soquel, California

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga chaksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-guruve namah

All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale srimate goura-govinda-svamin iti namine My dear and beloved Srila Gurudev, Dear Srila Gurudev, am eternally grateful for all the infinite mercy that you have showed me. Every single day I realize more and more about your elegance and pureness. Because lease accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. ofI this I have no choice other than to take shelter in the shade of your lotus feet, which shine like thousands of moons and suns covering my soul, taking away the anxiety of OnP the most auspicious day of your divine appearance, I would like to dedicate myself this material world. at your divine lotus feet. All the Scriptures proclaim that devotion to Sri Guru is most

1 2 0 1 2 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S important for one’s bhakti. In Hari-bhakti-vilas (4.360) it is stated: Prabhupad’s service for Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad, I remember your service and Guru-nistha for Srila Guru Maharaj, and I become so proud to be your harau ruste trata, gurau ruste na kaschana aspiring servant. How you are eternally serving Srila Guru Maharaj is a lesson and tasmat sarva-prayatnena gurum eva prasadayet example for all devotees for all times to follow. If one wants Guru-bhakti and wants to know how to advance nicely in bhakti, they only have to study your life and example. In Even if a person incurs the displeasure of the Lord, the Spiritual Master may still give this regard you are maryada and the example for all Vaishnavas throughout eternity. him protection, but if the Spiritual Master is displeased, there is no one to give him protection. Therefore, one should please Sri Gurudev by all endeavors of one’s body, So on this most auspicious day of your divine appearance, I beg you to continue to mind, and words. inspire me more and more to serve you and our Guru-parampara and to bless me with just an infinitesimally minute particle of Guru-nistha and seva-vrtti, which is flowing yasya deve para bhaktir, yatha deve tatha gurau from your heart. tasyaite kathita hy arthah, prakasante mahatmanah Your Aspiring Servant, For one who has para-bhakti toward the Supreme Lord and toward Sri Gurudev, all With Love, the conclusions mentioned in the Sastras regarding the supreme, ultimate reality, Sri Atreya Das Bhagavan, become manifest in his heart. For the conclusions of the Sastra are not Nigeria (currently staying in Mayapur, India) revealed.

Finally, Hari-bhakti-vilas (4.344), quotes Krishna’s words: prathamas tu gurum pujya tatas caiva mamarccanam kurvvan siddhim avapnoti hy anyatha nisphalam bhavet Karuna Sagara To the ocean of compassion One’s first duty is to worship Sri Guru and please him in all respects; after this you can worship Me and do My . If anybody adopts this process, they will easily om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya achieve perfection. But for those who don’t follow this process everything will go in chaksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-guruve namah vain or be fruitless. vancha-kalpatarubyas’ cha krpa-sindhubhya eva cha I am so immensely blessed to have associated with an exalted and wonderful Spiritual patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah Master as your divine self. Devotees’ hearts are effortlessly attracted to you by your transcendental qualities, and devoting oneself to you is natural and spontaneous. Dear Srila Gurudev,

As Lord Ramachandra is maryada-purusottama, I see you as a sterling example ou extend your compassion and kindness to this patita jiva of ideal Vaishnava, ideal Guru and, most definitely, ideal disciple. When I think of Ever nourishing and sustaining our hope examples of ideal disciples, like Sri Kuresh to Ramanujacharyya; Upamanyu and Aruni BestowingY soothing relief like some divine mystical diva to Dhaumya Rishi; Srila Narottam Das Thakur to Srila Lokanath Goswami and Srila Inspiring a purpose to live for and the way to cope

1 2 2 1 2 3 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S tomara hrdoye sada govinda-visram Ever aspiring to serve an atomic particle of dust that takes shelter under the jeweled govinda kohena—mama vaisnava parana toenails of your lovely lotus feet, where all auspiciousness congregates Where the fulfillment of life’s purpose is found. In your heart Sri Govinda takes rest Where the beelike devotees gather and share with the Earth the nectar of their divine fortune. Transmitting life to the hearts of the blest Where revelations abound. ye tu dharmamrtam idam, yathoktam paryupasate prema bhakti jaha hoite avidya vinasa jate sraddhadhana mat-parama, bhaktas te ’tiva me priyah You defeat illusion with the power of devotion and love Among those fortunate souls adored by Him as His very own By distributing the grace of Guru and Govinda sent from above You shine resplendent, guiding the honest back to their real home Spreading the glories of the Holy Names to one and all Bestowing His refuge through your faith sublime Like a tidal wave of bhakti breaking down the mayavad wall Worshiping the path of devotion, Oh so divine Upholding the dignity of the Gaudiya conception Thru example of humility, tolerance, giving honor and affection. acharyyam mam vijaniyam nava-manyeta karhichit ye chayaya jagata juday He lives and gives through you, showing us His grace The example of love and devotion for the whole human race And the whole world can find soothing relief there. It’s told, where would we be without Sri Mahaprabhu But equally how could we live without the mercy of you rakho ranga-charanera pasa yogyata-vichare, kichu nahi pai So kindly cast your gracious glance upon my painfully separated existence. tomara karuna—sara Endeavoring to be yours in whatever capacity you see fit. For your mercy truly puts animation in our heart And without it we ever remain worlds apart By your affection I offer mykoti dandavat pranams to this the blessed occasion of From any good quality, company or cause your appearance—and to time and Srila Guru Maharaj for giving us these moments in Subject to the material world’s merciless laws eternity when you came into our lives, thereby extending his love to us all. archayitva tu govindam, tadiyan narchayet tu yah Yours, na sa bhagavato jneyah, kevalam dambhikah smrtah The lowlydasanudas of Madhura Krsna Professing to worship Sri Govinda will do us little good Without service to the servants of His servant you make clearly understood

Srila Govinda Sundara-pada sada koro asa

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Jay Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! and this is my eternal hope. Please forgive my offenses and engage me in the service of the servants of the servants of your servants. Dear Srila Gurudev, Yours, praying to become a servant of the servant, ope you are doing well. On the most auspicious occasion of your 77th Jivana Dasi appearance day, I, Shanta Krsna Das, Radharani Devi Dasi and our children— San Jose, California BhaktinH Radhika, Diksha and Bhakta Chaitanya‑—are conveying our heartiest greetings to Your Divine Grace. May all your divine wishes in the service of your Spiritual Master be fulfilled in the near future. All glories to the Appearance of His Divine Grace Sri Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Here in the Mauritius Branch of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, good signs are Dev-Goswami Maharaj! showing up as your disciples are serving Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga and Sri Sri Radha- Rasabiharilaljiu with utmost determination, sincerity and love. On this holiest of all Dear Srila Gurudev, occasions, we only pray to have your mercy eternally. lease accept my humble obeisances at your holy lotus feet, by whose May this find you in sound health. affectionate dust anyone may become Krishna-conscious. Srila Gurudev, today at your SoquelP Seva Ashram the young adults had their weekly class, and each took turns speaking Jaya Gurudev! about you. There is so much affection and gratefulness in their voices, so many beautiful, sincere words poured from their mouths and their hearts. All in all each one concluded that to serve Your significant servants, you and the devotees and see Your loving, merciful smile is the very best situation in this life. Shanta Krsna Das & family Mauritius I have to agree with them wholeheartedly. Service is all-in-all. You have taught that by your supreme example. Every day you are asking for more and more service to Srila Guru Maharaj. So many wonderful, fantastic and magnificent feats have manifested by your sincere desire to serve Srila Guru Maharaj cent per cent. Our Math in Sri Dear Srila Gurudev, Nabadwip Dham is like a heavenly planet where the glories of Sri Mahaprabhu are sung twenty-four hours a day. All over the world and even in countries previously adverse to lease accept my most humble obeisances on this most religion people are yielding to your humble yet determined and affectionate gaze. Divine and Glorious day of your Holy Appearance. You are theP perfection of devotional service. Every moment you are fully I can only pray on this day and every day to continue to have the fortunate association absorbed in serving your divine master in the most perfect way of your sincere followers and servitors so that I may one day remember my true nature. and in the most perfect mood. You are unlimitedly bestowing that That is to serve the Vaishnavas, you Srila Gurudev, and Sri Gaurangadev. fountain of nectar to everyone in the most affectionate and brilliant of ways. I am so unfortunate and miserly to be addicted to misusing Again my repeated obeisances at your feet, my independence, and I cannot follow or serve in any proper way. Your Krsna Priya Devi Dasi You never waver from your divine service to save the fallen souls Soquel Seva Ashram, California

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prayer to the underside of your lotus feet, my Srila Prabhupad. Your Dear Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaja, merciful grace is the only hope of this broken fool. A Please accept my unworthy dandavats. Dear Srila Maharaj, who art in Nabadwip, Hallowed be thy names. y your mercy I have been living at your Soquel Seva Thy kingdom come; thy will be done, Ashram now for three years, under the affectionate guidance On Earth as it is in Vaikuntha. Bof Sripad Bhakti Pavan Janardan Maharaja and Hasyapriya Prabhu. I Please, this day, let me serve you am so happy with the service I have been given. I would like to thank And forgive me my trespasses you for sending me the association of Sushila Didi, who assists and As much as I forgive those who trespass against me. inspires me in my service everyday, for Cinmoy Dev Prabhu, who Let me live with you in spirit always makes me want to work harder for my service, and for Kamal Free from all temptations of ignorance and evil Krishna Prabhu, who reminds me of the power of the holy name. I For thine is the kingdom and the power am so grateful and so shamelessly happy here with the association of And all glories. For ever and ever. such wonderful devotees such as Sureshvari Didi, Swarnangii Didi, Vidura Prabhu, our smiling pujari Ramai Prabhu, and all the other wonderful devotees at the Soquel Seva Amen. Ashram. I feel I only have this association by your endless mercy. On this auspicious Om tat sat. day of your Sri Vyasa Puja I take the opportunity to thank you for your blessings. I pray that I can someday do some real service. Only by Your Divine Grace’s wish may I write, otherwise I am too fallen and incapable. Hoping against hope that you may accept my worthless dandavat pranam and heart’s Aspiring to be the servant of your servant, prayer. Vaidehi Devi Dasi Soquel, California Humbly yours, a fallen, Chatuhsan Das Australia Dear Srila Gurudev,

lease accept my dandavat pranams! I’ve wanted to write to you for so long, but I have been afraid and have allowed that fear to keep me from writing to you. IP have recently been feeling the pull of my faith and feeling like there is something I lack. It seems obvious to me now that the thing I am lacking is being active in my service to my Guru and overall in my service to Krishna.

Over the twelve years that have passed since I was first initiated by you at the temple in Soquel, many things in my life have changed. I have been challenged by my life and by the lives of those around me. My mata, Padmavati, was diagnosed with a complicated

1 2 8 1 2 9 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S heart and lung condition. However, she has continued to defy all predictions about her Sri Sri Guru-Gaurangau Jayatah life and how long she will remain on this planet. Being involved in her life and her care has affected me significantly, and I hope for the better. Sri Vyasa Puja Homage

During this time, we have watched her ups and downs and chanted and prayed, and even My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Faith prepared for the end by dripping a few precious drops of water from the Ganges on her forehead. Her karma has not been to leave the planet yet, and in her staying, she has taught My obeisance to you all. me about what strength really is. During this time, I have also observed how doing service and chanting the holy name has brought her hope, but at the same time has also brought lease let me try to sing the Glory of my Divine Master, Srila Bhakti solace and acceptance. She has inspired me endlessly to renew my faith and celebrate it by Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami, the giver of pure Devotion to Sri Radha and sharing it with anyone who wants to know. She gave me the greatest gift by encouraging me Shyamasundar.P Let us worship this most holy day as the Mother of all Transcendental to accompany her to Soquel in 1994, when I was initiated. Goodness, for today the all auspicious son of Bhagavan Mahadev appeared in the Holy Land of Gauda, from the womb of Srimati Tarangini Devi, just as the Moon is born from the Ocean. To be honest, at first I did not want to go. I was not interested in staying at the temple. I was not inspired. But when I heard you speak, when I walked the land with you and the Please let me try to sing the Glory of my Divine Lord and Master, Srila Bhakti Sundar devotees, when my mata and I helped clean the kitchen, prepare the meals and serve Govinda Dev-Goswami, the perfect disciple of the greatest devotee of Sri Rupa Goswamipad, the devotees, I knew a peace that I had not known before. I felt accepted and honored. Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami—the gatekeeper to the overflowing treasure- I found my humility and realized how insignificant I was. I learned to value my faith house, which is filled with the gems ofL ord Gauranga’s Divine Love. Those who are and to celebrate it. I am awed by your light and your love for us all. surrendered at the lotus feet of Srila Govinda Maharaj are easily given entrance there.

Please accept my small offering and my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All Please let me try to sing the Glory of my Divine Master, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda glories to Srila Gurudev! Jai Srila Govinda Maharaj! Dev-Goswami, the savior of all fallen souls who are lost in the darkness of illusion. That Srila Govinda Maharaj happily lifts those who are wretched and forlorn and offers them Your servant, as beautiful flowers at the lotus feet of theL ord of Goloka, Who cannot be reached even Malini Devi Dasi after thousands of lifetimes of mystical . That Master of all Devotional perfection, Srila Hawaii, USA Govinda Maharaj is easily approachable by everyone because he is truly the friend of all. when I heard you speak, when I

walked the land with you and the Please let me try to sing the Glory of my Divine Master, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami, who knows the deepest inner purport of the revealed Scriptures. He is devotees, when my mata and I helped the perfect ambassador of the Golden Lord, Sriman Mahaprabhu. He eternally revels clean the kitchen, prepare the meals in pastimes of intimate Love enjoyed by the Divine Couple, Sri Sri Radha Madhava, but like his own Master, he is the Guardian and Protector of that realm, ever vigilant that the and serve the devotees, I knew a disease of imitation and degraded imagination can never pollute the pure waters of Divine peace that I had not known before. Aspiration and thereby ruin the devotees’ future prospect of communion with Divinity.

Please let me try to sing the Glory of my Divine Master, oh gentle Vaishnavas. Srila

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Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami is the personification of humility, always Dear Srila Gurudev, considering himself as an ordinary man even though his Guru Maharaj many times told us that he is a “Natural Paramahamsa.” As tolerant as a tree, Srila Govinda Maharaj Please accept our humble dandavats. accepts all aspiring souls, never looking to anyone’s disqualification or offenses, only seeing the golden heart within. He always honors everyone as only a real saint can, e are still here by your infinite grace. Even knowing that we don’t never expecting any honor for himself. deserve it, you still send it. Now, one more year has passed of tolerating and Wteaching us with your divine example. We hope some day by your grace we will stop Please let me try to sing the Glory of my Divine Master, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda taking your energy and become servants. Dev-Goswami. Traveling the Earth only for the service of his beloved Guru Maharaj, he shows the noble form of the Gaudiya Sannyasi. Ever holding the banner of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, he is the Guru of the whole universe, and his affection for Mayeshvar Das the devotees is boundless like the ocean. He distributes the nectar of Sri Chaitanya’s Ragamayi Devi Dasi religion of Divine Love to one and all, revealing the Hidden Treasures of the Sweet Absolute, Sri Krishna, Reality the Beautiful. Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva Ashram, Brazil

Please let me try to sing the Glory of my dearest Lord and my loving Guardian, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami, by whose grace we got the eternal service connection with the Guardian of Devotion, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev- Dear Srila Gurudev, Goswami. By the grace of that Srila Sridhar Maharaj we obtained our most cherished fortune, the sympathy, affection and the love-filled opportunity of devotional service ou are always in our hearts, minds and dreams to our Lord, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Maharaj. May we always be able to see where with Sri Krishna’s Grace. We want to send our best our life’s perfection can be realized. wishesY for Your Sri Vyasa Puja.

I am truly fallen and eternally unfit, but the Vaishnavas are so much filled with mercy. Their Eternally Your Servants, dealings are all mercy, and it is my profound conviction that if I may get the grace of even one devotee of Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, then my life will not Murali Mohan Das be wasted. I pray that you will all consider me as only the humble servant of the Vaishnavas’ Suddha Moyee Devi Dasi servants. Although I am covered by ahankara as huge as a planet, I know that it is only Ankara, Turkey imagination. Deliver me from my illusion and kindly make me as a humble soul. Accept my service attempt although flawed and full of wrong motive. You may all purify me and bring me finally to the feet of myL ord, Srila Govinda Maharaj. This is my hope and my prayer.

I beg to remain as a humble servant, Devashis Das (with Ishanuga Devi Dasi, Nadiarani Devi Dasi and Malini) London Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

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Dear Srila Gurudev, Dearest Srila Govinda Maharaj,

All glories to your Sweet Divine Form on this Most Joyous of Days! lease accept my dandavat pranams at your sweet and holy lotus feet. For someone All glories to Srila Param-Gurudev! All glories to all the Vaishnavas! Pas fallen as I, to properly glorify someone as pure as you is not really possible but I will try. n a world where many so-called political leaders are Compassion, affection and kindness are central to you. You show us by your example how to spreading a message of fear, uncertainty and doubt in order to treat others, and expertly you are following Sriman Mahaprabhu’s teachings of humility, toler- betterI exploit and cheat the masses, you are bringing Mahaprabhu’s ance and giving honor. When in your presence these principles seem almost easy, but outside of sweet message of hope from your Guru Mahraj to quench the great your presence they seem like mountains. Remembering you they become surmountable. thirst of the suffering souls. While others seek to divide people and pit them against their siblings in sectarian struggle, you spread the harmony of Sri How I was able to receive the incredible mercy to be able to have even a moment of Krishna’s flute-song, calling all of the lost souls to their true home and eternal family. association with Your Divine Grace is even more proof of your mercy. Such a generous heart is not seen in this mundane world. I am so grateful for your mercy that you have While so many of us work like dogs in hopes of living and enjoying like a king, you bestowed upon me, and I pray that I may be worthy and someday useful. show us that our true wealth (which cannot be stolen) lies on the Plane of Dedication, and that the highest satisfaction comes from serving the Center through the Vaishnava, Begging forgiveness for my offenses, the Archa-Vigraha, the Holy Name, Sri Krishna Prasadam, etcetera. When so many With full affection, distractions draw our attention away from the Lord, you kindly and gently (and Swarnangii Devi Dasi vigorously, when necessary) shepherd us away from the ephemeral back to the eternal, Soquel, California blissful, and fully conscious One Who is Simultaneously Many.

For myself, I can offer little defense. Despite your ceaseless mercy,I remain very fallen and All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga Jiu! afflicted by illusion. I do not adequately take the medicine you have prescribed. Still, I know it is solely by your mercy that I can endure this life at all and remember, on occasion, to take lease accept my humble obeisances and simple offering. As you are theL ord of my the soothing balm of the Holy Name in the company of the Vaishnavas. How wonderful it life, I can only pray and hope to give some service and happiness to your Divine Grace. is to be able to catch glimpses of your sublime pastimes over the Internet and hear your PPlease continue to guide and shelter me as I crawl forward toward devotional life. I am truly glories from the exalted pilgrims coming from your lotus feet! too fallen to make progress, but my chastity to you is most certain! I hope to be in your association very soon and that all your travels and plans bring forth victory and success! I pray that I will develop a hunger for service and that you may find some use for me. You are the Greatest amongst Guardians, and I am most fortunate to have you in my life. I On this Thanksgiving Day in Santa Cruz,I am most thankful to Param-Gurudev for hope this reaches you in the best of health and broadest of smiles! blessing the world with the most beautiful and charming Servitor of Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga Gandharva Govinda Sundar, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. All glories to you on this most auspicious day! Jaya, Jaya Srila Gurudev!

Aspiring, Sincerely, Murali Mohan Das Jaya Gauranga Das Santa Cruz, California Soquel, California

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ou once said that if there is no humor and laughter in this devotional and many others—we learned about our true destination: life in service to Sri Krishna. service why would a jiva soul bother? Y You always inspire us by Your own example, showing how love and affection to Sri To our ordinary family, this captures our feelings for you. You make us happy and Guru and Vaisnava allows one to overcome all difficulties, conquer tiredness and welcome even though, as we once said, “We are small in number but big in spirit.” disease. We cannot see Your transcendental appearance but firmly believe that only by Your mercy the original Sri Vrindavan Dham, where the soil is decorated by the We love you always. footmarks of the divine feet of Srimati Radharani, may open to us. You are an intimate Param Pada Das servant of Sri Sri Radha-Govindaji, and we cannot recognize how fortunate we are. Lindy Kalindi Devi Dasi We hope that in this and future lives we will continue our service to Your lotus feet, Ben Purtle avoiding traps and dangers, especially the main one: Vaisnava-aparadha. Although Kalila Rani we have no necessary qualities, by Your mercy they will come to us because in Your Krista Mati Dasi generosity You are non-different from Sri Nityananda. Tulasi Devi Dasi “The Brennans” Srila Gurudev, we all were happy to see You here in Russia this year, and we hope that next time we will meet Your Divine Grace here in Russia or in Sri Nabadwip Dham. However, we understand You are always with us and blessing everyone for service to the Mission, Deities and Devotees.

Jaya Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharya-varya Asottara-sata Sri Srimad Yasya prasadat bhagavat-prasado Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jaya! yasyaprasadat na gatih kuto ‘pi dhyayam stuvams tasya yashas trisandhyam Dear Srila Gurudev! vande guroh sri-charanaravindam

lease accept humble obeisances from all Your disciples practicing Krishna With full respect and affection, Consciousness here in Smolensk, Russia. On this holy Day of Your Divine Your disciples from Smolensk, Russia Appearance,P we again and again thank Sri Krishna, for he saved us from a whirlpool of mundane illusion and sorrow by coming in the appearance of Acharyya. Even performing auspicious activities for millions of lives, we could not be fit to receive the gift of you, given by the don’t speak good English, but I’m going to try to show my humble devotion to causeless mercy of Sri Rupanuga Guru-varga. Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Our great master, the truthful successorI in the line of Sri Rupa, has great compassion for the conditioned souls like Most of us took birth in the land of mlecchas; we did me. Despite his advanced age, he still travels around the world distributing the seed of not hear anything about Vaisnavas and Sri Chaitanya Bhakti. He brought the highest, like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and his associates, to Mahaprabhu. But by the mercy of Your exalted servants— the most polluted. That’s why my desire is to be an eternal servant of his divine grace. Sripad B.B. Avadhut Maharaj, Sripad Vijay Raman Prabhu, Sripad B.A. Madhav Maharaj, Sripad B.C. Bharati Maharaj My dandavat pranam, Sankirtana Dharma Das 1 3 6 1 3 7 Brasilia, Brazil S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

My dear Srila Gurudev, om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave manah Please accept my dandavat pranams at Your lotus feet a thousand times. I hope You are well. My merciful Spiritual Master, ereft of any qualities to glorify you, I beg to offer my most sincere and humble he affection that I feel in my heart grows fonder with obeisance at your lotus feet. I am a grateful recipient of your causeless mercy, through time and with your association. I have returned from Russia noB work or pious credit on my part. You kindly and mercifully give me your instruction and feelingT very inspired, renewed and with lots of love to share. Thanks guidance. You are my well-wisher, my guide, and my connection with Reality. However, I am to your grace I have made a lot of friends on Earth and in Heaven. presently only a servant of my senses. I do not follow your instructions. My mind only looks Your charm is incomparable, your hands are royal, and the look in for the next fleeting pleasure. I know in my heart what is best for me. I know this world, this your eyes is effulgent. I adore you! I love you from the bottom of my heart. I kneel body, this mind, are ultimately illusory, yet I continue to identify with them. By your grace I in veneration at your lotus feet with my warmest feelings. Thank you for everything. have had a glimpse of true reality, and I have been touched by your loving glance. I know in Thank you for awakening the best of me. my heart what my duty is. I know where my real happiness lies. I know that I am actually an eternal loving servant of the Source: Sri Krishna. You have placed that seed in my heart. Your servant forever, Rohini Shakti Devi Dasi Yet I have no attraction for the Holy Name. I have no attraction to pious activities or sad- Brazil hana, and thus I remain mired in illusion. I am diseased. You have provided the medicine, and I refuse to take it regularly. Constantly pursuing physical and mental pleasures, I make offenses to other creatures and cause them harm through my unclean thoughts and selfish actions. My mind only contemplates your instructions, but will not follow.

Dearest Srila Gurudev, Please forgive the offenses that I have made, due to my ignorance, towards you and the Vaisnavas. Because my mind is so polluted, I cannot properly glorify you, and my All glories to Your auspicious Sri Vyasa Puja day. words are inadequate. Although I am your most fallen disciple, I beg that you not cut me off from your mercy. Please give me the will to take shelter of your instructions. I our mercy has no limits. Your treasures are absolute. You are the savior of am eternally grateful that you accepted me, a most degraded soul, as your disciple. I am the ignorant, and You are the pride of Your Guru’s mission. Your every breath is grateful for your patience with me and beg that you remain patient as I gradually, life Ysacrificed for Srila Guru Maharaj and His mercy for our salvation. after life, become your completely devoted servant.

You break my heart. On this auspicious day, the day of celebration of your material manifestation, I wish to express my sincere gratitude for your causeless mercy. It is a day of celebration for me Long live the King! and fallen souls like me who have been given the shelter of your lotus feet. I shudder to think of my situation without your causeless mercy and love. I pray that I may one day Acintya Krishna Das be able to please you by fully following your instructions. Please continue to guide me. Melbourne, Australia Your most fallen servant, Nayanananda Das 1 3 8 1 3 9 USA S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

The Most Exalted Guru All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga

Dear Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri rupa-panthanugam ou are the most exalted Guru in the universe govindabhidham ujjvalam vara tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram Accepting us with all our faults and misconceptions vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam EncouragingY us to serve the Vaisnavas and cleanse our hearts. Dear Srila Gurudev, In the Spiritual world your glories are proclaimed by Srila Guru Maharaj In the material world you are protected by Lord Siva n this auspicious day, despite our shortcomings, No can harm you, no demigod can ignore your position we would like to be present in glorifying the Indeed you are the most exalted Guru in the universe. occurrenceO of Your divine appearance, praying that You should accept these few lines as a form of thanks and Propagating the glories of Sriman Mahaprabhu gratitude for having accepted us as Your disciples. We As the Yuga and our only hope pray to always be connected with You through service and To serve the Vaisnavas and the Holy Name to give great importance to Your instructions. With tolerance, humility and giving honor to others. The example of Your life allows us to understand the opportunity that Krishna offers to You are faith and fearlessness personified every living being of human form. You are the source of much inspiration for us. You The most courageous servant overcoming all obstacles before you represent the personification of the mercy of Krishna, and only through Your love may Marching onward you bless us with your Divine Grace we reach the supreme goal. You are our eternal benefactor, and we would ask You to Filling our hearts with hope, love, beauty and harmony. kindly consider us.

Only you know the full teachings of Srila Guru Maharaj and Sri Rupa Your aspiring servants, Protecting the nobility of our Sampradaya through your life of service and knowledge Atula Krsna Das You are the best father, son, husband, servant, friend anyone could ever have Tulasi Priya Devi Dasi Indeed you are the most exalted Guru in the universe. Lasyamayi Devi Dasi Italy Emperor amongst kings, maker of Gurus Beloved servant of Srila Guru Maharaj, blessed by all pure devotees Favored by Mahadev and all the Gods Indeed you are the most exalted Guru in the universe

We lost, unqualified servants beg for your mercy and forgiveness. Pranashis Prabhu Syamakanta Devi Dasi Germany 1 4 0 1 4 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

Dear Srila Gurudev,

offer my humble obeisances and dandavat pranams to your lotus feet, and I wish you happy returns on this very special day. I feelI very fortunate because I think of you a lot, and I pray to you. Please enlighten our hearts and minds, so we can be able to love each other here in Hungary regardless of conflicts. Please bless us to be able to follow you and the Math and accept each other.

Dandavats, Aruna Krsna Das Hungary

Dearest Srila Gurudev,

lease accept my humble obeisances at your beautiful lotus feet. You have planted a seed of hope into this heart of stone,P and I pray that I will forever cherish this hope as the greatest gift and light of my existence. Despite my offensive nature, you have guided, protected and nurtured me throughout my life, forever affectionate and forgiving. On this most happy and auspicious day, my prayer is that you will never cast me out; that you will keep this tiny soul forever close to you and always give me a chance to aspire for your service.

May I remain eternally, Your aspiring servant, Ashapurna Dasi London

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Dear Srila Gurudev, All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga!

lease accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your divine lotus feet. Dear Srila Gurudev, All glories to you on this most auspicious day of your divine appearance! FirstP of all, I want to thank you for all the mercy you are causelessly bestowing upon so Please accept my humble dandavats at Your lotus feet. many sincere souls throughout the world, giving them the opportunity to serve in this most confidential line of Srila Guru Maharaja. Your mercy is so inconceivably great All glories to You! All glories to Srila Guru Maharaj! that it has reached the most faraway corners of the Earth. As Mother Ganga’s waters overflow onto her banks and flood vast areas during the rainy season, your causeless have no qualifications, so I can only express my eternal mercy has flooded the entire world, reaching even the modern Jagais and Madhais. gratitude to You. You are so merciful that You even accepted a rascalI like me as Your disciple. The last time You were in London You Pure Vaisnavas are such a rare thing in this world. Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami were so kind that you gave me Gayatri initiation, even though I didn’t Prabhupada once compared the chances of a conditioned soul taking shelter at the deserve it. I just hope by Your mercy I’ll keep serving You and the devotees who are feet of a pure devotee to the chances of a turtle of passing its head through a hole serving You directly. I pray to Krishna that He will keep You in good health for many in a log floating at random on the surface of the ocean when emerging to breathe. It years to come so that all Your disciples and I can keep having the great honor of Your is a fantastically improbable event indeed, and having the association of an uttama association and can listen to Your teachings directly from Your lotus mouth. maha-bhagavata of the Lord, even for a moment, is far more improbable. Even after wandering about within this cosmic manifestation birth after birth, in an endless Happy Birthday Srila Gurudev! recurrent process, it may not be possible for a conditioned living entity to aspire to such divine association. The appearance of such a pure devotee in our lives means that Your insignificant and useless servant, our material bondage will come to an end and our dormant love for Sri Krishna will be Jyoti Sundar Das awakened very soon. Such is the power of a pure devotee. London, UK

Dear Srila Gurudev, your divine presence in our lives is the source of all auspiciousness and a transcendental joy that knows no bounds. I consider myself most blessed to be counted amongst those extremely fortunate souls who have taken shelter at your divine All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga lotus feet. Dear Srila Gurudev, Your unworthy servant, Amrtananda Das All our obeisances in front of your lotus feet. Buenos Aires, Argentina y your Mercy, our lives have changed and improved. We have improved our ways of thinking about life and about ourselves. You have made us stronger and healthier.B You have given us the link to feed our soul and give peace to our agitated minds. We are improving more everyday.

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Thank you very much for these precious moments that we have been in your company Dandavat dear Srila Gurudev, with other devotees. We carry with us so many beautiful pictures and memories from those times. They give us hope, serenity and happiness. here are many words I could use to attempt to express my feelings, but actually none could. Yet I will try, although Happy birthday, Srila Gurudev. We wish you all the best and a long life. Tdeep down I know that You already know everything. You have appeared in this world to save many souls, and yet it is my incredible Jaya Gurudev! Haribol Gauranga! fortune to be the receiver of Your divine mercy. You have given Prita Krishna Das me everything that is substantial in my life, and yet it is my great Alhadini Devi Dasi misfortune to be incapable of dedicating every moment of it entirely Nanda-Lala Das in Your service. However, I trust that by Your divine grace I may be Jagannath Das Your aspiring servant because without that prospect I have no hope. Thank You for the Syamangini Devi Dasi sweetest gift You have given to all. UK Your aspiring servant, Malini Devi Dasi Dear Srila Govinda Maharaj, Malta

lease accept my humble dandavats at your Lotus Feet. All glories to your Divine Grace on this great occasion of your Sri Vyasa Puja. P All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga From long ago, when we met at the time of Srila Guru Maharaja, I always remember your unique kindness and friendliness to me. I think it was near 1984. Not a day goes Dear Srila Gurudev, by that I don’t remember your kind mercy on me. Please accept my dandavat pranams at your lotus feet. Now, being older and somewhat more mature in spiritual practice, I see how it was genuine spiritual mercy to all of us who met you. I become embarrassed when I think ou are the best Guru in the whole world. You have the best and the most of my previous immaturity and lack of understanding in relation to the Holy Dham and beautiful God-brothers and God-sisters and the best disciples. You have the best your association. I beg for your forgiveness and continued kindness to have a relation- andY the most beautiful deities and Maths. You have the sweetest and the most beautiful ship with a real sadhu, such as your holiness. devotees. Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of your divine family.

Everyday I think of you and Srila Guru Maharaja as I study the holy Vedic scriptures Your aspiring servant, and carry on in life. I never worry for things, as I know that being in our great Ramananda Das sampradaya under your protection and the brilliant line of reasoning you present, I am San Jose, California safe. Everyday is joy and happiness, and all is reflected in your words. Forever concentrating on your infinite mercy,

Krishna Mohan Das 1 4 6 1   S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

Srila Gurudev, We are all so fortunate. Just by Your Divine Glance we are receiving so much mercy My obeisances. and so many blessings it is inconceivable. I wonder where my life would be had I not stumbled upon the Divine Glance of Your Grace and how, by some causeless Mercy, ast year I was in Nabadwip celebrating your holy Sri Vyasa Puja with was I so fortunate to find Your Lotus Feet and all of Your worship-able devotees. you. I can say it was the best experience of my life. I really was very happy. Now I’m Lfinishing my studies at the university as you asked me to. I can feel your blessings every You are always giving us all so much inspiration, and it is so beautiful to see the deep love day, giving me so much inspiration to think of Krishna, to chant the holy names, and to and admiration all of Your beautiful devotees have for You. It brings tears of joy to my eyes serve our Guru Maharaj. Thanks for your effulgence in my life and in my family. to see it and feel it. It unites us always even if some difficult situation may arise within our community because of our fallible human nature. When we talk it all comes back to Your From your very insignificant servant, Divine Grace, and it is so nice because we remember that we are forever unified.

With love and affection, Hopefully, if it is Your will, I plan to come to India in February and stay until after Gopinatha Das Gaura Purnima. It has been five years since I have been there. Brazil Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math ki Jay!

Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki Jay! All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Your eternal servant, Dandavats Srila Gurudev, Krsna Madhuri Devi Dasi Soquel, California Please accept my humble obeisances.

hope this letter finds You in good health and happiness. We are doing well here in Santa Cruz, although we are always feeling so much separation from My dear Srila Gurudev! YourI Divine Grace. You are always giving us so much mercy, and we are so grateful for everything. The Jumping Monkey cafe is moving along nicely, and all of the people who ’m longing for that day come seem to be happy. This I know is only because of all of the blessings You have When by your grace I’ll worship and serve you given us. WithI every thought, word and deed, With every life breath of mine. So many times my family tells me that I have so many things, and I am so fortunate to be so successful. Then I am always telling them that it is only by Your Mercy and When all the lures of the world Your Grace. I show them Your picture and say, “Remember when you met His Divine That hamper this service fade away Grace?” They smile and say, “Yes.” Then I tell them how fortunate they were to have the And I become truly pleasing to you, chance to meet You and hear You speak. With my heart pure and faithful

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I’ll hear every single word Forever I remain hoping for Your causeless grace, which will give the highest and Of the you gave me. noblest goal of life.

Only then I’ll be able to lovingly sing Your servant, The Glories of your Divine Grace. Aditya Krsna Das India, currently living in Texas, USA You’ve given me everything. Please, give me the strength To become your sincere follower Life after life. Dear Srila Gurudev!

I pray for eternal shelter Please accept my humble obeisances. In the cooling shade of your lotus feet. et me to congratulate you on the blessed day of your Appearance. This Happy Birthday to you, my dear Srila Gurudev! great day is important for all of us because our lives without your Divine Grace wouldL not be possible. It is impossible to comprehend that inconceivable Mercy which Your aspiring servant, you spilled on all of us when you arrived in Russia. I hope that you have been satisfied Mahima-moyi Devi Dasi with this your time spent in Saint Petersburg. Sweden Every day of my life convinces me that I am not worthy of the tenderness that you give me. Every day I understand more and more that without the hope of service to you, my life is not meaningful. Only connection with you supports my existence. But I am so All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga miserable that I can only take something from you. Please, Srila Gurudev, I ask for your blessing of service to your feet and the feet of your beloved disciples. When, at last, will Dear Srila Siksa Gurudev, that day come that I can give myself to your Sweet Divine Will without any calculation?

lease accept my humble dandavats. Due to Your causeless nature, I have With humility, gratitude and the best regards, been able to become a recipient of a drop of Your mercy, which is like an ocean Nalina Sundari Devi Dasi andP which knows no bounds of time and space. It has made me on some occasions Tomsk, Siberia appreciate that Sri Gaurasundara and Sri Krishna cannot be pleased by any physical, mechanical, mental or intellectual endeavor. Bhakti Devi is of a much higher Dear Srila Gurudev, dimension. She only resides in the heart of exalted personalities such as Yourself. lease accept my best wishes on your Divine Appearance Day. I know the gloom of my anartha-filled heart can go away only when a shadow of Your Bhakti can give me some nourishment. SincerelyP from an aspiring devotee, Kirtan Mani Oregon, USA 1 5 0 1 5 1 S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna eternal greatness of her majesty Tulasi Devi. Srila Gurudev thank you so much for Krishna Krishna Hare Hare perpetuating love of God. Thank you for Paramahamsa Maharaja and Bhakti Premik Hare Rama Hare Rama Siddhanti Maharaj, and all devotees around the world. Thank you for teaching so Rama Rama Hare Hare exquisitely this Vaisnava science.

His Divine Grace Mahaparamahamsa Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Yours in truth, Maharaja ki jay! Your eternal well-wisher, Dharma Dhyaksa Das Srila Mahaparamahamsa Bhakti Rakshak Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay! Rama Priya Devi Dasi With family and friends Srila Mahaparamahamsa Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur ki jay! USA

Srila Mahaparamahamsa Bhaktivinod Thakur ki jay!

Sri Rupanuga Guru-Varga ki jay! All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga.

Srila Govinda Maharaj, Dear Srila Gurudev,

hank you very much for your special blessings and ultra-appreciated lease except my most humble dandavat pranams to your lotus feet. I am eternal love. We are so tremendously appreciative of your super-power website unqualified to describe your unlimited pastimes, as you are our only shelter from andT all the excellent perfections of the marvelous, sincere Vaisnavas from around thisP dark well of life, from which you give us relief by your golden rays, awakening our the world. We are so grateful for the Internet sankirtan. We are so thankful for the souls and pushing us in the right direction. magnificent, omnipresent, omnipotent pictures of the transcendental world and wonderful teachings each day. Many thanks for your indefatigable Goswamis who From this “land of down under” New Zealand, we pray for your divine mercy that are entrusted with a divine preaching service with cosmic love and Mahabhagavata we remain in a particle of dust in your divine service. We pray that you forgive our endurance. offenses at every step, due to our lack of experience.

Thank you Srila Gurudev for your everlasting love. Thank you for being the first Jay all glories to you, Srila Gurudev, on your divine Sri Vyasa Puja day. Back to Godhead distributor in 1944. We thank you especially for your non-stop glorification of his Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Aspiring to serve your lotus feet,

Jai Prabhu Nityananda ki jay! Jay Srila Gurudev for your maha maha karuna directed Namacharya Das towards this world and each of us fallen souls. Thank you Srila Gurudev for your Kamalanundini Devi Dasi special lessons and teachings. And family New Zealand Jay Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and eternal transcendental love. Maha jay to the

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All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga he lotus feet of the spiritual master are the abode of pure devotional service. I bow down to those lotus feet with great care To my dear Srila Gurudev, Tand attention. It is through the grace of the spiritual master that we cross over this material existence and obtain Krishna. ou have built a home for my heart, The heart to hear the sweetest song, Please accept my most sincere dandavat pranams on this special day, Guru’sY gift everlasting. Srila Govinda Maharaj. A heart not big enough to contain the gratitude and love. I offer my humble obeisance and love on the most auspicious day, your blessed Hoping to remain in the shade of your lotus feet. appearance day. Your most fallen servant and friend, Jyotirmoy Devi Dasi and family Maladhari Devi Dasi Australia Portland, Oregon

Dear Srila Gurudev, All glories to His Divine Grace Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj!

lease accept my respectful obeisances on Your appearance day. I got Dear Srila Gurudev, Harinam initiation recently in London. It meant a lot to me, and I feel very fortunateP to get Your mercy. I am immeasurably happy because I could spend some am fully aware that without your kind mercy I am next to days close to such a great and wonderful soul as You are. I hope that by the causeless nothing. Your kindness allows me to come to the service platform mercy of the Lord Krishna You will be able to show the way Home, to the Sweet Home toI your Divine Personality, to Srila Guru Maharaj and your Divine for many true souls. Mission of the Glorious Sankirtan of Sri Gauranga Sundar.

Please accept my sincere dandavat pranams. Haribol. I am useless to express anything valuable on this day of your glorious appearance in this world. I can only say it is my real fortune to have Jay Krishna Devi Dasi you as my guide, beacon and well-wisher in the dark night of this Hungary civilization, for you are the enlightening, living shelter of my otherwise useless life. You have come to this world to be the topmost example of discipleship, showing yourself fully dedicated in deep love to Srila Guru Maharaj. You served him untiringly and intimately while he was visible in this world and are deeply united in separation after his departure. You give that same opportunity to the sincere surrendered souls.

You are the incarnation of humbleness, tolerance and honor to others. Thus, all

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Vaisnava love, affection and wisdom has taken shelter at your lotus feet, shelter I Nabadwip feels separation when you travel to other places. continuously aspire for. Distributing hope and affection, you are winning the hearts of everyone. Antaranga sakti is the dimension where you live. I pray you will always consider me your servant in your seva to Srila Guru Maharaj and Rupa Goswami’s feet are the objective of all your activities. Sri Gaura Gandharvika Govinda Sundar—your very life—and that you will allow me to become ever-closer to your divine self in the twenty-four-hours-a-day seva group. Gopal the cowherd boy is always chanting your glories and desiring to play with you. Of all transcendental and wonderful places, Vrindavan is your home, sweet home. May you remain with us healthy and happy for many, many years for we need your shelter. Inspiring and inviting, you are bringing us nearer to that inaccessible realm. Your servant, Nanda Kumara plays his flute through your words, creating a beautiful and Bhuvana Mohan Das enchanting melody. Brazil Desiring your association, He devises many plans to embrace you. And all of us want to chant your endless glories and qualities.

Jaya Srila Gurudev! Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj ki jay!

lease accept my dandavat pranams at the dust of your Srila Gurudev, there is a sloka that makes me feel your affection and love, even being so wonderful lotus feet. I’m asking the blessings of mother far from you: SarasvatiP Devi so that my words will be pleasing to your divine grace. Please overlook my offenses and mercifully accept this darsana-dhyana-samsparsair humble offering. --vihangamah svany apatyani pusnanti Because of your incredible tolerance and compassion, tathaham api padma-ja unlimited fallen souls like myself are receiving the shelter of Sri Harinama and Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu. “By vision, by meditation and by touch only do the fish, the tortoise and the birds Hara, who steals the mind of Hari, is the Queen of your heart maintain their offspring. Similarly do I also, O Padmaja!” And you are always giving great happiness to her heart. Srila Gurudev, if you only think of me this will be my great happiness. Thank you so much! Krishna Chandra Hari, the most beautiful blackish boy, loves you deeply. Transcendental mellows are always submerging you in an ocean of bliss. Always aspiring for your mercy, In great ecstasy you are forever glorifying your Guru Maharaj, Srila Bhakti Rakshak Radha Krishna Das Sridhar Dev-Goswami Maharaj. Ananda Maharani Devi Dasi

Seva is the real wealth, so you are the richest person in the three worlds. Under your guidance and protection, jivas who are duhkhi are becoming sukhi.

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Dear Srila Gurudev, Forever servants at your lotus feet, Krsna Bandhu Das Please accept my dandabats at your lotus feet. Sudevika Devi Dasi And your London shopkeeper, Braja Sundari Dasi hat can I say that has not been said a million times before by Your UK most gracious and saintly disciples. No doubt I am a crow amongst these swan- likeW men, so I have a prayer to You on this most special day (Your birthday). Please cast Your grace on this dark one, and grant me continued association with You and Dear Srila Gurudev, Your beloved disciples. By their Grace I too will have some chance for Your eternal association and will be carried to Your Lotus Feet. am so fortunate that everyday I can wake up and realize that you are still performing loving service all over the world and that you have accepted me as your My heart, my soul, to You, my Gurudev, servant.I Please allow me to continue to serve you in a small way.

Anadi Krsna Das Kriti Ratna Your fallen servant, Sri Govinda Dham Vrajavala Devi Dasi Australia

All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga

e worship the holy lotus feet of he who Dearest Srila Gurudev, perfectly fulfills the most cherished wish of his“W divine master, who is adorned resplendently with Please accept my most humble dandavat pranams and my very best wishes on this the blessings of his guru varga; who is adept in all Vedic auspicious occasion. conceptions, both conceivable and inconceivable; who is the faithful follower in the line of Sri Rupa; who is known as sincerely hope that you are well. Although I am unable to be in the Holy Srila Govinda Maharaj; whose beautiful divine figure revels Dham to celebrate your Sri Vyasa Puja, my thoughts and heart are with you always. I in the mellows of divine love; who is the guru of the entire Itold Rohini Nandan (who now is 4 years old) that it is your birthday and he proceeded universe and the bestower of the seed of divine love for the to sing “Happy Birthday To You,” followed by the Pancha Tattva. So the spirit of Sri Supreme Lord.” Guaranga is with him also. I feel very blessed to have a young devotee in my care, and I do my very best to encourage and nurture these qualities. Thank you, Srila Gurudev, for Dear Srila Gurudev, opening my heart, spirit and soul to the gifts that Krsna Consciousness so amply provides.

Please accept our dandavat pranams. We are forever thinking of you and how fortunate Forever in your service, we are to have your sweet blessings and friendship. It is with great affection that we Your faithful servitor, write this message to you, hoping that your appearance day celebration brings you Krsna Mita Devi Dasi and young Rohini Nandan Das much joy and happiness. Australia

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All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam cintyacintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa-panthanugam My dear Srila Gurudev, govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram vande visva-gurun ca divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam andavat pranams. On this happy day of your birth, I hope you feel fine in the association of your beloved devotees. Sri Krishna was very good with me because To our beloved spiritual master, Srila Gurudev, heD gave me the most beautiful jewel of my life, which is you, Srila Gurudev. You came into my life at a very important moment to fill me with ecstasy by your great ongratulations on your birthday. We thank you and all your devotees of the association. Thank you, Srila Gurudev, for guiding me and making my life so Holy Math for accepting us as your beloved disciples. We wish that Sri Caitanya sweet. May Krishna always protect you. Mahaprabhu,C who is Krishna himself, keeps blessing you, our master, so you can offer us his causeless mercy. With all my affection for you, my beloved Gurudev, We send you our respectful obeisance with affection on this auspicious and special day. Aditirani Devi Dasi We have you always in our hearts. Caracas, Venezuela Thanks for you mercy.

With love, Dear Srila Gurudev, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Madhukrishna Das Gourkishor Das lease accept my obeisances at your lotus feet. In these last Vrindarani Devi Dasi few months, I have been participating in the programs in Caracas, Colombia partP of your beautiful mission. Since Parama Karuna and the devotees have taught me that without a genuine Guru our search for Krishna is empty, I have no words to thank you for the way they have guided me Hare Krishna Srila Gurudev, Srila Govinda Maharaj. in the process. ll glories to Krishna and his pure devotees, servants of wonderful hearts. I am so happy. I hope to be your disciple. AI would like to thank you deeply for all you have done for this foolish and stubborn Humbly, your aspiring servant, imitation of a devotee. Leynami Angela Ferrer Avendaño Caracas, Venezuela I’m working every day to improve my condition, so one day I will aspire to be an excellent servant, as you and the great Vaisnavas are.

I thank you with all my heart for the great service you offer to us, the fallen souls, who suffer for our obstinacy. You radiate your causeless and kind mercy on our souls.

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Thanks for sharing with us the seed of faith, of love for God, Sri Krishna. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga

Thank you for everything, dear Srila Gurudev. Thank you. Dear Srila Gurudev,

Unto your lotus feet, lease accept my humble obeisances at your holy lotus Divya Krishna Das feet on your holy Sri Vyasa Puja. P Dear Srila Gurudev, it has been eight years since your Grace planted the rare seed of Krishna bhakti in my heart. And since then, in spite of my ignorance, e are so very fortunate to have your divine misunderstandings and foolishness, you have given this fallen soul your connection all the way over here in Eugene Oregon! mercy, your blessings and encouragement. In return, you are only asking for ThankW you for your devotion and service. We thank God for sincerity and faith. you today and forever! On this most holy day, I bow down to your Grace again and again and beg forgiveness Matthew Douglas Reed for all the disturbances that I might have caused; please permit me to bow down to On behalf of the Conjugal Visitors (musical string band) all the fortunate souls of your great devotee family who are chanting the Holy Name happily. It is proof that through your mercy and guidance, and through the care of your pure associates, a harmonious, happy, devotional service life is possible. May your effulgence open my eyes, remove my ego and melt my heart.

Dear Srila Gurudev, Always aspiring to humbly stay in the shelter of your lotus feet, act under your guidance, and serve your Grace through your servitors, lease accept our dandabat pranams at your Krishnendrani Devi Dasi holy lotus feet. Thank you for the association of Turkey theP devotees here in San Jose and Soquel.

Your aspiring servants, Ananta Rupa Das Lila Shakti Devi Dasi San Jose, California May your effulgence open my eyes, remove my ego and melt my heart.

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Dear Srila Gurudev, We surrender to your lotus feet and offer our sincere dandavats!

Please accept our humble dandavats. Hare Krishna!

e are still here by your infinite grace. Even Hemakanti Dasi knowing that we don’t deserve it, you still send your Gopal Das Wmercy. Now one more year of tolerating and teaching us with Nityananda Rama Das your divine example has passed. Colombia/Miami

We hope some day, by your grace, we can stop taking your energy and instead become servants. Jaya Gurudev, Jaya Gurudev, Jaya Gurudev, Jaya Gurudev! Mayeshvar Das Ragamayi Devi Dasi Dandavat Srila Gurudev, Sri Chaitanya Sridhar Govinda Seva Ashram, Brazil lease forgive my many offences. Nothing makes us happier than your glorious appearance and glorification. P All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga! You are giving us everything: hope when we are hopeless, strength when we are weak and enthusiasm when we are depressed. Just by your smiling glance we feel great and All glories to Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj! want to push forward.

Dear Srila Gurudev, Newcomers, old-timers, sannyasis and children—all the devotees are growing affection for you and for each other. Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, with all its followers and lease accept our dandavat pranams. It is a big honor to have the opportunity branches, is respectable, clean and progressing. to glorify a Master as great as you. It is only possible by the mercy of the lovely Pvaisnavas. So I offer to them my respects and dandavats. Like a simple gardener you are always so patiently waiting for us to mature and bear fruit. You water us with the glories of Srila Guru Maharaj, nourish us with maha Oh Srila Gurudev, you have all the qualities of those who have been surrendered prasadam and shelter us in beautiful ashrams. unto the divine service of his spiritual master, but you were specially selected by your spiritual master to be a Guru when you were a teenager. Even as a child your spiritual And what a great harvest: Mahananda Prabhu, Sripad Janardan Maharaj, Sripad Goswami potential was big enough for you to have been recognized as a Guru! Those are Maharaj, Bhakti Lalita Didi, Sripad Paramahamsa Maharaj, Sripad Acharya Maharaj, qualities of big devotees, and of course you are one of those! Sripad Tirtha Maharaj, Sripad Mangal Maharaj, Sripad Siddhanti Maharaj, Sripad Akinchan Maharaj, Yamuna Didi, Sripad Trivikram Maharaj, Sripad Avadhut Maharaj. Therefore this day is so auspicious. Your Birthday is a gift from God to the Earth and the whole universe. I feel safe under your care.

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Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Bhakta Vrinda Ki Jaya! You see everywhere your Guru’s fame, You never see everything the same. Parampujapada Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Ki Jaya! You’re always fresh and young at heart, Nitai Gaura Premanande Hari Bol! You’re never tired with our offering art. You see good in all our attempts, Your servant, Your loving heart only love accepts. Dinartiharadas Soquel, California You were there always to protect us all, You were there always to answer our call. You gave us answers to all our questions, Always kindly giving suggestions. Our Dear Srila Gurudev and Us Everyday you ask about our welfare. e spent our lives loitering in the street Whom else we should take full shelter? But you gave us hope at your Lotus Feet. Everyday when you see the mission growing, YouW allow us to be your many dust specs, We see your face blissfully glowing. Teaching us true vaishnava respect. Some of us did wonders and miracles, You are our light, you are our guide, Others are still a little bit fickle. Within your heart you give us a sight. But you love us all equally, just like Lord Shiva, We might not know who you really are, When you say sweetly, “How are you Prabhu?” to jiva (like me). But we’re certain of your Love Divine. You’re our master, you’re our father, You made us love, you made us serve, You’re our friend and everything that matters. You gave us things, which we do not deserve. You are the sunshine of our pitiful lives. You made us laugh, you made us shout Without you we’re like those dying stars. The Divine Name in our hearts out loud. Your Divine Birth Day we celebrate, We always think of you our Divine Guide. Today the whole world will elevate. You speak to us directly and also inside. Everyone will chant the Holy Name, We see you everywhere in our lives, Seeing your true Vaishnava fame. Directly and in Divine disguise. Vidya Sundar Das Sometimes you smile, sometimes you’re sad, Amiya Kanti Devi Dasi Your heart is at the devotees command. Canada

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fraid to say wade in gloom, But can’t be silent Go round in a circle, IA hide my words I don’t know who am I and why What can I give you? I bunker into traps. Only mercury What’s the purpose? Of loving heart I have just a knot And all these endless walls, Of jealous grudges, I thought I built a house, A frozen clod, But now I can’t find doors, The splinters of junk, And mirrors are in place of windows. And only you, The Fearless, Could plant in such soil They reflect the face of a madman, A tender, dreamlike flower. I can see the selfish image, I can see the ease and envy, The fortune But I’ve never seen myself. That has come to me I saw it in a dream. Once I heard the song Oh Bhakti, little sprout, Wafting from the other side of the wall, I will not let you die. That time I yearned to become free, For the first time fear has stepped back, I searched for answer to, “Who am I?” For the first time I go to sleep with hope And then again I went to a jungle maze, To find soil. The fog of theories and crafty plans, With such repose in my heart, I swim across the bog of pleasures. I live with joy and feel secure. I have no strength to make a step, One prayer only do I have: I am fooled by mind, “Please let me serve you.” I dreamt of seeing the Sun, But I am imprisoned in this house. Isharupa Devi Dasi Saint-Petersburg, Russia That time You took my arm and said: “It’s easy—just believe! Have faith in the Divine Sound, The Holy Name is the only Door! Be tolerant, respectful, gentle.” You gave me a Clue, the mala-pathway.

I rushed to the Door

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Again I crashed my brow on rugged bricks, Jaya Srila Gurudev! I became stuck. You said that I should follow those ongratulations on the anniversary of your divine appearance. The Who are tolerant, respectful, and gentle; mercy of your lotus feet is essential for my life. I am studying to be a lawyer, “Serve and become their faithful friend, soC I am unable to do much service at the moment. I offer the results of my future Then you will find the Door!” profession to you. Please be merciful to me and lead me to the route of service at the I couldn’t make myself believe, lotus feet of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna. I have no faith in the Holy Name, But your sincere service camp, Your humble worshipper, I hope I’ll soon become their friend. Manohar Das Anantadev Das Sao Paulo, Brazil Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Dear Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, Haribol Srila Gurudev, aster, forgive me for my deficient English. Accept my try to think of you, Srila Gurudev, not only when most respectful obeisances, Your infinite mercy shows me times are bad and I am in need of comfort, but also when everydayM how to follow so that my devotion grows and prepares me somethingI in an ordinary day fills me with joy. to be an instrument to spread the Krishna Consciousness movement. I feel myself very happy in writing to You, Master. I am in debt to you Then I think of Sri Krishna and the great fortune that you are for illuminating my life. All glories my beloved! spreading Krishna consciousness. I think of the great, great, great fortune that it somehow reached me and Viktoria in Rupanuga Das Stockholm. I wish you the best of days on your birthday. We Alagoas, Brazil will of course think of you on all the other days of the year.

My warmest greetings and happy celebration wishes from Stockholm, Sweden.

Jay Madhava (son of Premamoy and Lilamoy) Viktoria (spouse)

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Happy Birthday Srila Gurudev! ear Srila Gurudev, beloved Divine Master and like you from here to the sky, Gurudev! Dprotector of the line of Srila Rupa Goswami, BhanaviI Devi Dasi Please accept our humble obeisances prostrated at your Lotus Santa Cruz, California Feet on this auspicious day when you made your appearance in this world.

You are an eternal associate of Srila Guru Maharaja, and like My dearest Srila Gurudev, the sun you give light to everyone in the form of pure love for Lord Krishna. But if we shut the door and your mercy cannot lease accept my most sincere dandavat pranams to you on this very enter, it is our fault. You have embraced us all like a Father. auspicious anniversary day of your Divine Appearance. P Please forgive us if we have showed some familiarity or disrespect. Proud as we are, You are the Lord of my heart, nourishing and sheltering. I am yours; although of we could not understand or recognize your greatness. We are most fortunate that you no value, my heart is yours and yours alone. I pray that even from my present ever- came here to awaken us from this illusory happiness. clouded vision that you may use me for your divine service. You are full of joy when you see us happy, but you are sad when you see that we cannot Your Vision is clear, broad and loving. You are ever-fulfilling your service and giving practice Krishna consciousness. This is your good heart’s nature. We hope you can ask shelter to all who seek it, deserving or not. I yearn for your love and shelter for all Lord Krishna to remove the obstacle in the form of our false ego so that we will not eternity. My heart aches for even the slightest attention from your deep, overflowing cheat you again. well of affection. Your most poor servants, I offer all my respect to all the beautiful devotees who serve your Divine Grace. May Jayanta Krishna Das one day come that I may truly please you, my most dear, divine master of my heart. Braja Mohini Devi Dasi Shyama Mohini Devi Dasi Yours, San Jose, California Sita Devi Dasi Santa Cruz, California

gurvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri-rupa panthanugam govindabhidham ujjvalam vara-tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam

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nce, a few years ago, I shyly came before Your Divine Grace to offer you my show us the path of Bhakti. You are the highest goal in pure devotional service. You are obeisance. It was mid-morning, and earlier in the day I had failed to make it the conscious plane in this world. You are the only safe shelter for those who want to toO both Mangala Arati and your morning darshan. Upon seeing me you asked what serve Sri Sri Radha-Krishna. I wanted and when I said that I’d just come to offer you my obeisance, you looked You are the embodiment of all auspiciousness, of all virtue. With the example of your surprised and smiled. The expression on your face at that moment made me think that holy personality, the treatment of humility, tolerance and giving of respect and honor the very last thing on your mind was that I might have come to do that. to every one else is evident. Only by being in touch with your Divine personality is any soul purified. You are the most magnanimous of all the devotees of the Lord, and only By your grace, that morning I glimpsed something of what it means to not expect by your infinite mercy will we reach our last goal: service in devotion to the lotus feet honor for one’s self. of Srimati Radharani.

Oh effulgent emissary from the land of love, I chant infinitely the glories of the giver of the treasure of the holy name in the line You often surprise and, at times, even baffle us by valuing us more than we feel we are of Srila Rupa Goswami. You are waking up all of the stone hearts of the fallen souls worth. in the whole world. You have fulfilled the desires of your Divine Spiritual Master, Srila Guru Maharaj. With unassuming humility your heart is full, So how natural for you to give honor to all, even to this dishonorable one. It is our sincere desire that on this auspicious day you will be in good health and spirit With your causeless mercy, infinite grace and tolerance beyond belief, for the goodwill of all of us who depend on your divine inspiration. Take pity on me, with your broad loving heart, as I bow down today at your feet. All glories to His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Parivrajakacharyya Srila All glories to Your Divine Grace. Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj Ki Jay!

Your aspiring servant, Patita Pavan Sri Gurudev Ki Jay! Krishnachandra Das UK With deep affection,

Your aspiring servants, Hriday Krishna Das, Only by being in touch with Divine Srila Gurudev, Lakshmi Rani Devi Dasi Chaitanya Das your Divine personality is any lease accept my humble obeisances. I put the dust of your And the community in Paipa lotus feet over my head, and I beg for your mercy. I pray to the Colombia soul purified. DivineP Lord to keep me forever as the servant of your servant. All glories to the Divine day of your appearance in this world.

I pray to Divinity to allow this contaminated soul to try to glorify the pure devotee of the Lord. I chant your glories, My Divine Lord, you who descended in this world to

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your wisdom and knowledge of all has been chosen by Mother Saraswati, Vyasadeva All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga and Srila Guru Maharaj to be their most humble representative and successor. Your sweet chanting eradicates all obstacles of the material life and opens the path of My dear spiritual master, spiritual life.

n this day I am happy to engage with so many devotees who are glorifying Oh servant of God, you are yasnasty bhagavat akinchana; you have all the demigods’ the auspicious and holy arrival of your Divine Grace to this world to release the good qualities and much more, even though you keep yourself very humble. You teach fallenO souls just like my humble self. I am thanking you once more for the opportunity us humility, tolerance and offering respect to all the living entities. that you have given me to know this path and being able to practice everything by your infinite mercy and the mercy of your intimate associates. I also bow down to them with Remaining an aspiring servant at your feet, a spirit of gratitude in my heart. Kanta Krishna Das All glories to you and your Divine Master, the powerful guardian of devotion. I bow Caracas, Venezuela humbly at your lotus feet, wishing that a drop of your mercy falls over this fallen aspirant of devotion.

Your servant, Dear Srila Gurudev, Madan Gopal Das Quito, Ecuador n this Glorious Day of Your birthday and merciful appearance, I beg You to receive humble dandavats at Your beautiful Lotus Feet from these fallen, aspiring servantsO of Yours: Atmarama Das, Tulasi Devi Dasi, Harijan Das, Satyavati Devi Dasi and Vrindarani Devi Dasi. All glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga Srila Gurudev, I’m sure people know me as a degraded soul, but in spite of my All glories to Srila Govinda Maharaj on this most auspicious day of his Sri Vyasa Puja miserable condition, caused by the reactions of my fatuous activities, I prayed for the infinite goodness of God. My condition was so down in the dark well of so-called My Gurudev, family life that nobody listened to my moans. Since my condition was so irremediable I was helpless, but by the infinite reach of His Divine Grace and by the faith of His ou have made my life very sublime and rescued me from this darkness of Beloved Devotees, I was recommended to receive the shelter of His Divine Lotus Feet. ignorance, of lust and envy that I’m living now. I please beg you to forgive all of my offensesY to all the vaisnavas, made due to my envious nature. Due to my contaminating sins, I couldn’t receive your divine darshan, nor give an offering, because my envious nature trapped me in the world of greed and offense.H owever, I have I’m not doing my best, but I want to become your slave, to serve you eternally. My heard that the Divine Day of your Appearance is purifying and magnanimous. Taking Lord, I have a Rudraksa on my neck in honor of you because you are the son of Lord advantage of my exploitative nature since I don’t have any other qualities, I’m approaching Shiva. You have come from sambhu, and you so much resemble Lord Ganesha. Your Your Beloved Devotees to send my prayer to Your Saintly and Merciful Feet, which are the lotus-like eyes are like his eyes; your round and beautiful belly is exactly like his belly; supreme shelter of the pure Devotees. Your shine is eternally distributing the Divine Gift of

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Sri Nitai Gaurachandra in all directions of the Universe. created by my materialistic mind. Every word coming from you is like a sharp-edged Again I pray to you, Srila Gurudev, please don’t remove me from your Divine and arrow hitting my materialistic activities and destroying my anarthas. Refreshing Lotus Feet. I offer my reverences to my Savior, Srila Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj, on this Holy and Merciful Day of His Sri Vyasa Puja. Without your mercy I cannot even have the desire to surrender myself to Krishna. Without your help, I’m not capable of taking even one step towards the devotional Praying that one day, You will allow us to kneel down at Your Beautiful Lotus Feet and path. Just to have the desire is so difficult, even though we know there is no other way offer You some service, to obtain pure devotion without the causeless mercy of the spiritual master. You can empower us with all divine qualities only because you have them already. You can Your disqualified aspiring servants, give us the pure understanding of the mission because you have it already. You can Atmarama Das empower us with the taste to become part of Sri Krishna Chaitanya’s mission because Tulasi Devi Dasi you are completely absorbed in it. But, of course, we can’t have it easily. Therefore, I Harijan Das beg you to concede me this particular mercy—to obtain the desire to serve you in the Satyavati Devi Dasi proper way. Vrindarani Devi Dasi Ohio, USA For a devotee, perfection is to obtain this mercy. In spite of my faults and disqualifications I want to always serve you, until my attempts grow and become real devotional service, without interruption. I beg you to give me the strength and courage to follow this path, because there is nothing more valuable than the devotional service All glories to Srila Guru Maharaj to You and Sri Sri Radha-Krishna.

All glories to Srila Govinda Maharaj On this Sri Vyasa Puja 2006, I can only be happy to have you, and I pray to the Lord that we may have your merciful presence for the good of the Sri Chaitanya Saraswat gurvvabhista-supurakam guru-ganair asisa-sambhusitam Math’s family and for all of humanity. chintyachintya-samasta-veda-nipunam sri rupa-panthanugam govindabhidham ujjvalam vara tanum bhakty anvitam sundaram Aspiring to serve you, vande visva-gurun cha divya-bhagavat-premno hi bija-pradam Harindu Das Srila Sridhar Swami Seva Ashram, Quito, Ecuador n my condition, I can’t find the words to express my most humble respects and reverences. I’m not qualified in any way to glorify you theI way you deserve, but I’m going to try to express my gratitude for all your mercy and for giving your blessings every day. Your blessings All glories to Sri Sri Guru-Gauranga! have given sense to the life of this conditioned and fallen soul. Dear-most Srila Gurudev, You have firm faith in your Spiritual Master, Srila Guru Maharaj. Thanks to your firm faith and determination for devotional service, lease accept my obeisances at your Holy Lotus Feet. each word of yours removes the numerous obstacles and problems PLike always I cannot sing your glories properly and feel so foolish 1   1   S r i VYASA PUJA 2006 OFFE r i n G S F R O M Y O U R A S P i r i n G S E R V i t O R S in this attempt, but, my beloved Gurudev, you are everything to me. My dear beloved Srila Gurudev, You are the incredibly sweet, beautiful and merciful Lord in my life. It is so great a fortune, I cannot conceive. My prayer is that one day, I will be able to humbly serve Please accept my dandabat pranam. sincerely, with love and affection, and make you happy. ou are the love and life in my existence. Always and I wish I could do so much for you, everything you would want me to do, and for eternity, there is nothing else for me other than this become everything you would want me to be. But because of my foolishness and Yconsciousness, in this life and all lives to come, although I am disqualification, I am still so ignorant. By your loving mercy I am so happy with just painfully more aware of my total insignificance and ignorance. But somehow trying. the desire to be of any help to your devotees with humility, affection and tolerance is very strong in my heart and soul. I pray that I will always be able to have the transcendental shelter of your Holy Lotus Feet, the association of your dear devotees and the opportunity to serve in your Dear Srila Gurudev, I hope and pray that this New Year a bigger and beautiful Sri glorious mission. Chaitanya Saraswat Temple in London will be realized very soon and the desire and will of you and Srila Guru Maharaja will be fulfilled. You have my heart. Beautiful Srila Gurudev, everyday and especially on this glorious Sri Vyasa Puja day we With my affectionate dandabat pranam on this most auspicious day of your Divine sing your unlimited Glories with ecstatic hearts full of love and affection for you, our Appearance, savior and Lord of Love. Rasa Mayi Pandita Devi Dasi UK Happy Sri Vyasa Puja day Srila Gurudev.

With all my love, your I pray that I will always be able Sachidevi Dasi UK to have the transcendental

shelter of your Holy Lotus Feet, on this glorious Sri Vyasa Puja

the association of your dear day we sing your unlimited

devotees and the opportunity to Glories with ecstatic hearts full

serve in your glorious mission. of love and affection for you.

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