from bh. Naman Kumar Bahri

Namah om vishnu padaya krishna presthaya bhutale
srimate srila indradyumna svamin-iti namine
namah prabhupada-priya-dasaya jagannatha yatrananda murtaye
bhakta sukhaya krsnottkirtanena nrsimhena raksitaye namah

Hare Kṛṣṇa Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupāda! All glories unto your Holiness!

Last year, I had the most incredible fortune to attend this most blessed event of your holiness’ Vyasa Puja Day. At that time, the primary reason to attend was to hear more of your holiness’ unlimited glories from your holiness’ dear disciples. However, this year, along with hearing these most inspiring glorifications and begging adhikāra (permission) and śaktī (strength) from all your holiness’ dear servants, disciples and wellwishers, I would also like to make a humble offering unto your holiness’ lotus feet.

Now wondering what I can offer a most beneficient personality- a ‘bhūridā-janaḥ’ as one’s spiritual master- a most appropriate verse comes to my mind.

yair īdṛśī bhagavato gatir ātma-vāda
ekāntato nigamibhiḥ pratipāditā naḥ
tuṣyantv adabhra-karuṇāḥ sva-kṛtena nityaṁ
ko nāma tat pratikaroti vinoda-pātram

Pṛthu Mahārāja continued: How can such persons, who have rendered unlimited service by explaining the path of self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose explanations are given for our enlightenment with complete conviction and Vedic evidence, be repaid except by folded palms containing water for their satisfaction? Such great personalities can be satisfied only by their own activities, which are distributed amongst human society out of their unlimited mercy. [ŚB 4.22.47]

In the Bhaktivedānta purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupāda elucidates:

“Knowledge of Kṛṣṇa is such a great gift that it is impossible to repay the benefactor. Therefore Pṛthu Mahārāja requested the Kumāras to be satisfied by their own benevolent activities in delivering souls from the clutches of māyā. The King saw that there was no other way to satisfy them for their exalted activities. The word vinoda-pātram can be divided into two words, vinā and uda-pātram, or can be understood as one word, vinoda-pātram, which means “joker.” A joker’s activities simply arouse laughter, and a person who tries to repay the spiritual master or teacher of the transcendental message of Kṛṣṇa becomes a laughingstock just like a joker because it is not possible to repay such a debt. The best friend and benefactor of all people is one who awakens humanity to its original Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Factually there is absolutely nothing this fallen soul can offer to your holiness. However, as I mentioned a ‘bhūridā janaḥ’- a beneficent personality, such as your holiness, is so kind and compassionate that they accept an ‘obstinate clown’ like myself for my benefit only. I can say ‘my benefit’- because even though your holiness’ glories reached me as early as 2016, yet like a fool I didn’t want to get out of the andhakūpaṁ, the dark well of material enjoyment I was falling into, even though your holiness’ glories extended the rope of mercy. I believe this obstinacy on my end compelled your holiness to step down in this stinking, filthy, dark well and grab me by the hand to lead me out of it, when your holiness visited ISKCON Punjabi Bagh personally on Rama Navami 2022. I can never be grateful enough for this unparalleled act of kindness compelled by Lord Nityananda’s and Srila Prabhupada’s compassion.

Your holiness once shared the lines of HG Gaurāngī Mātāji’s Vyāsa Pūja offering to HH Sivarama Svami Mahārāja in the lecture “Sitting On The Corner Watching All The Girls Go By”. Those lines seem so relevant in this context. Therefore my prayer to your holiness is- “Guru Mahārājaj, It took you so long to find me, please never kick me away” In other words as Srila Narottama-dāsa Thakur prays to the Lord: Narottama-dāsa koy, nā ṭheliho rāńgā pāy, tomā bine ke āche āmāra- “My dear Lord, please be merciful upon me. Don’t kick me away, because I have no shelter other than You.”

Talking of shelter, indeed this did happen by the mercy of so many of your holiness’ disciples and the desire of Srila Prabhupada. On 23rd October last year, your holiness accepted me as an aspiring disciple. Your holiness’ words “I will accept them” reminded me of the happiness Lord Caitanya’s eternal associate Mukunda must have felt when he heard that the Lord will accept him koti janma pare- after 10 million lifetimes. As the verse goes, “Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu blessed Mukunda Datta with punishment and in that way vanquished all his mental depression.” [CC Adi 17.65] May I also have the greatest fortune of being capable of your holiness’ chastizement, so that all my material desires vanish in fear.

Srila Gurudeva, I would also like to mention that all the devotees of ISKCON and all the living entities in the creation cannot thank your holiness enough, for if it wasn’t for your holiness’ struggle and sacrifice at the Heathrow Airport in London, we wouldn’t have previous acharya’s commentaries like that of Srīdhara Gosvāmī, Srila Visvanātha Cakravartī Thakur and Srīla Baladeva Vidyābhusna so wonderfully tailored by our beloved and respected Srila Prabhupāda in the Bhaktivedānta Purports, the manuals of humanity for its darkest hour. On everyone’s behalf, thank you so much Srila Gurudeva!

HH Haladhara Swami Mahārāja was once describing the demographic situation of modern-day ISKCON. Mahārāja mentioned how ISKCON temples in foreign countries are being managed by the Indian-expatriate community of devotees and that it is extremely difficult to preach in foreign lands, a feat that was achieved expeditiously by the empowered lion ācārya, Srila Prabhupada. However, the cub of a lion must roar, not yelp and squeal like a hyena. Therefore, when we see that your holiness’ life and soul, the preaching festival programs like Krsna’s Village of Peace, the Baltic Sea Coast Tour, the Sadhu Sanga Retreat, the Rishikesh Kirtan Fest and others are touching millions of conditioned souls in foreigners’ bodies and providing them the positive alternative of Krsna consciousness, we are assured of the fact that your holiness is truly deserving of the most prestigious title in ISKCON- a ‘Prabhupada Man’ for your holiness is really an empowered son of Srila Prabhupada.

How do we know this- well, the following excerpt from the Diary of a Travelling Preacher says it loud and clear- “Praise from an enemy is the most pleasing of all commendations.”:

Finally, the mayor (of Czluchow) said, “There’s another, more important reason why
we cannot allow this festival to take place in our town.”
“What could it possibly be?” Nandinī demanded.
“It’s Indradyumna Swami,” the mayor replied.
Nandinī and Rādhā-sakhī-vrnda were shocked that the mayor knew me by name—he even pronounced it properly.
“We can’t allow your leader to come to our town.”
Gathering herself, Nandinī asked, “Why not? He’s simply a priest representing the spiritual culture of India.”
“That may be so,” the mayor said, “but he’s also a charismatic American preacher. Many of us have heard his lectures and we don’t want him speaking in our town. We are Christians.”
Surprised, Nandinī said, “You’ve heard his lectures?”
“Of course. He’s been lecturing at your festivals in Poland for over a decade, and you know as well as I do that your festivals are famous throughout this country. I heard him speak personally in Kolobrzeg two summers ago.” (Diary of a Traveling Preacher vol. 4, Ch 16: Into the Belly of the Beast)

His Divine Grace’s chest must be swelling with pride for your holiness has given meaning to the proverb- “like father, like son.” I would also like to offer my thanks for the Diary of a Traveling Monk, an account of the modern-day pastimes of Lord Caitanya, which gives us the confidence that Krsna consciousness is not some phantasmagoria or illusion of the bygone ages.

Srila Gurudeva, out of humility your holiness at times feel that your holiness’ lectures are too simple and that they could be more intellectual. However, the fact is that your holiness is the most scholarly and rasik devotee I have ever come across. Your Holiness laboriously delivers the Vrndāvana series just to arise our attraction towards the spiritual world, giving so much ‘insider information’ from the most confidential sāstras of the Gosvāmīs. And your holiness exudes such behavior to show by example and lead like an ācārya- especially your holiness’ loving exchanges with Vrajavasis.

Srila Gurudeva, it is quite evident that you like to invest in the youth and future of ISKCON. So today, I would like to pitch or rather beg the spiritual ‘angel investor’ like your holiness to please invest in me as well. May by your holiness’ blessings I become a ‘bonafide’ disciple of ISKCON. I know this offering is full of thank yous (though lacking ample gratitude), but what is a vyasa puja offering if it doesn’t have these two words in repetition? So thank you so much Srila Gurudeva for giving me the warmth of a blissful spiritual family- a family with senior godbrothers and godsisters to serve and take guidance from on how to serve your holiness; a family with dear godbrothers to associate in friendship with, who I am sure will one day save me during my lows in bhakti. May the services rendered by all of us to your holiness give your holiness pleasure and satisfaction. May Lord Nrsimha grant you best of the health and may our bond of Guru-disciple strengthens incessantly. May by your holiness’ desire, I eternally achieve the status of the servant of the servant of the servant of your holiness’ lotus feet.

Your aspiring servant
Naman Kumar Bahri
ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, Delhi (India)