Bhadra Bardan Dāsa

My dearest Srila Prabhupada,

Please accept my worthless obeisances at Your lotus feet. It is You who have taught me to pay obeisances, and thus rooted me from the intellectual stool which I, a future pig, was so happy to enjoy. You have gone like Lord Brahma amongst the American hogs, caught us on Your clean white tusks, and taken us from the dirty place we had fallen to.

All glories to Your lotus feet, which the karmis think are located in the material universe, but which are actually in Vaikuntha. Your lotus feet stand always one fraction above the filth, and therefore let me rest my aching head at their stem!

All glories to Your lotus hands, which are stretched out free for all to clasp on to, but which few are willing to take shelter of. Your hands are as soft as the breast of a swan, yet You are unwilling to relinquish even the smallest devotee (me!).

All glories to Your lotus mouth, from which such a stream of nectar flows that I cannot estimate its oceanic extent. Each morning You are presenting one drop of this ocean, in order to instill in my crowish breast a taste for nectar. Therefore You are the Paramahamsa of the Western world.

All glories to Your lotus eyes, whose separation I fear more than bodily death. You see everything through the Vedic spectacle, and thus You are able to sift milk form my soul and leave aside all the filthy water.

All glories to Your lotus head, which contains all the Vedas in that small space. Your head appears to be medium size, but like Krsna it is not contained even within all the materialistic manifestation.

All glories to You, Srila Prabhupada, because by Your touch even my wretched soul is coming alive at last. Because You are uncontaminated, prophylactic, simply by Your contact the mist fallen becomes the most exalted. Therefore You are praised in all the scriptures as even more merciful than the Supreme Person.

All glories to Sri Guru and Gaurahga!

Bhadra Bardan Dasa

(ISKCON Los Angeles)