Chandigarh

Dear Srila Prabhupada, please accept our humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. As long as there is sunshine in this material world, please accept our respectful obeisances.

tvam nah sandarsito dhatra
dustaram nistitirsatam
kalim sattva-haram pumsam
karna-dhara ivarnavam

"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 of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.22)

We are very fortunate to come in contact with your grace. Otherwise we were simply suffering the cruel kicks of maya, being forced to serve our senses. You are such a powerful Vaisnava that you are delivering the whole world.

As it is stated in the Caitanya-caritamrta, by the grace of both the spiritual master and Krsna, one receives the seed of devotional service (bhakti-lata-bija), and by the watering process of sravanam kirtanam this plant can be made to grow all the way up to Goloka Vrndavana.

We can see very clearly that you possess all of the qualifications of a bona fide spiritual master. Eight basic stanzas explaining the spiritual master are given by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura in his famous Gurvastaka prayers.

First of all you are able to deliver the fallen conditioned souls from the wheel of birth and death. So many previously sinful people are now following the restrictions of no meat-eating, no gambling, no illicit sex, and no intoxication by your teachings, and along with chanting Hare Krsna, they are becoming free from birth and death.

You are always engaged in chanting and hearing the message of Lord Caitanya. By your potency people all over the world are chanting Hare Krsna. Also in accordance with the will of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, you are spreading the teachings of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the world.

You are always engaged in worshiping the eternal forms of Sri Sri Radha Krsna and teaching us to do the same.

You are teaching also the simple and sublime method of eating and distributing Krsna-prasada. Before, we were engaged in eating so many sinful things. But by taking Krsna-prasada we can become purified in body, mind and soul. And the process is so joyful.

You are always hearing, chanting and serving Their Lordships Sri Radhika Madhava.

By these symptoms of a bona fide spiritual master you are worshipable on an equal level with God. This is because you are teaching the message of God and are therefore very dear to the Lord. We should always remember your lotus feet and at least three times a day we should offer you our respectful obeisances unto your lotus feet.

Thank you for giving us Bhagavad-gita. Thank you for giving us the work of Saṅkirtana. Thank you for giving us Krsna-prasada. Thank you for giving us the association of devotees.

As stated by Uddhava to Lord Krsna in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam: "O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science could not fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahma, for You appear in two features-externally as the acarya and internally as the Supersoul-to deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You." (Bhag. 11.29.6)

All glories to your lotus feet, Srila Prabhupada.

Your unworthy servants at ISKCON Chandigarh, India

Trivikrama Svami / Rapuganatha dasa / Bhakta Mahadeva / Caitya-guru dasa / Laksmana Asraya dasa / Bhakta Jagadisa Mehta / Ruci dasa / Bhakta Indra Sagar / Bhakta Krsna Kumara / Devarsi Raj dasa