You Are the Personification of the Third Verse of Śikṣāṣṭakam

My dear Gurudeva,

Ever since I first me you, you have been a great source of inspiration, knowledge, and encouragement. This is true even in separation. Everyone on the spiritual path has their personal inspiration but there are three extremely bright beacons of light in my spiritual life: Śrīla A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swāmi Mahārāja (my vartma-pradarśaka-guru), Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhara Deva Goswāmī Mahārāja (my harināma initiating guru), and yourself (my dīkṣā guru). You are also my śikṣā gurus and you have taken me from the darkness of ignorance by opening my eyes with the torchlight of transcendental knowledge. I have

learned so much and the learning continues, even in separation. 

When I hear from my gurus I feel that I am hearing directly from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, from pure devotees; the transparent via media. My faith in my gurus is very strong and without you I am lost. My respect for you all is equal because you are Kṛṣṇa’s pure devotees. It is guru-varga. You have all touched my life in a profound way. 

I was astounded when I first met you. You had come to my house for a devotional program but as soon as

I heard you, I knew that this was my Gurudeva. I felt that Kṛṣṇa had sent you to me and I very strongly

felt the need for a connection. I had taken harināma initiation from Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja in 1985

and I felt no immediate need for dīkṣā. “The Holy Name of Kṛṣṇa is sufficient” I thought. Then he left

the planet in 1988. So, in a way I waited 20 years to meet you and then I requested dīkṣā. Although I

see all my gurus as one, I fully acknowledge that you all have different styles and characteristics but

all have the qualities of a pure devotee.

I am unable to properly describe your glories. You are an ocean of good qualities and I can only mention one drop in this short offering. To describe you fully would require a vast book.

The qualities that I see in you are also listed in the scriptures:

śamo damas tapaḥ śaucaṁ

kṣāntir ārjavam eva cas

jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ

brahma-karma svabhāva-jam

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and

religiousness —these are the natural qualities by which the brāhmaṇas work.

(Bhagavad-gītā 18.42)

You have all these qualities because you are sattvic. More than this you are pure – suddha sattva –

because you are a suddha bhakta. Guru, Śāstra, and sadhu explain the qualities of suddha bhaktas so

that we can recognize you. More of your qualities are listed in Bhagavad-gītā such as 16.1. Of these

“aversion to fault-finding, compassion for all living entities, freedom from envy and the passion for

honor” stand out strongly.

Of course, I have respect for all vaiṣṇavas. There are many vaiṣṇavas and there are many stages as

we progress from neophyte to the most advanced. But all must be respected for they are all on the

path leading to divine love. But a Vaiṣṇava like you is very rare. This must be recognized. The path

of devotion is simple but it is not easy. “sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ” you are a great soul and such a

soul is very rare. “He who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause

of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." (Bhagavad-gītā 7.19)

I have been very much impressed by the strength of your faith as mine is weak. But somehow, when

I am in contact with you my faith becomes strong. It is a strange thing but when you say something it

has more impact on me than it does when some other practitioners say the very same thing. It is the

underlying faith that makes a difference. When you say it, it is absolutely clear that you fully believe

it and when some others say it there may be some doubt in their mind. Such as “The Supreme Lord

is watching all that we do."

Your knowledge of scripture is vast and you are always talking about Kṛṣṇa. Whatever I may have

said to you, you always brought Kṛṣṇa into it. For example, once when I visited Mayapur I was telling

you about the mosquitos and you told me “If you forget Kṛṣṇa then they will bite you but if you

remember Kṛṣṇa, they will not”. You always made the difficult to understand easy to understand. I

remember once a devotee asked you “How can Vṛndāvana be infinite if it is only 8 miles in size?”.

You said, “Every place is infinite”. You always had the perfect answer to any question. Your knowledge was vast and you could “talk the talk." But you could also “walk the walk." By this I mean you are a Vaiṣṇava real and not a Vaiṣṇava apparent. You are an ācārya real because you teach by example. It is relatively easy to learn the philosophy and quote Śāstra but it is very much more difficult to live by the Śāstra. But in addition to quoting Śāstra you were living the Śāstra and exhibiting perfect behavior. Once I saw you give a lecture in Hindi and although I don’t know Hindi I was still moved by your speech because of observing your behavior.

I have always thought that you are the personification of tolerance humility and respect as mentioned in the third verse of Mahāprabhu’s Śikṣāṣṭakam:

tṛṇād api sunīcena

taror iva sahiṣṇunā

amāninā mānadena

kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ

“One who is humbler than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree, who gives due respect to

others without desiring it for himself, is qualified to always chant the holy name of Krsna."

Whenever I hear that verse, I immediately remember you. Whenever I have been lucky enough to have your personal association I have felt that you genuinely care about me, though I am not worthy. You radiate well-being and Divine Love. It is not false. At first I thought “Why does he like me so much? I do not deserve it." But now I realize that this is how you make everyone feel because you love Kṛṣṇa and thus all His parts and parcels.

yoga yukto viśuddhātmā

vijitātmā jitendriyaḥ

sarva bhūtātma bhūtātmā

kurvann api na lipyate

“One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses is dear to

everyone and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a soul is never entangled”

(Bhagavad-gītā 5.7)

Whenever I hear this verse I immediately think of you. I will never forget you and I am eternally grateful for the mercy you have given me. I do not even fully understand how fortunate I am but as time goes by I realize more and more. I am not alone in being inspired by you and I take great comfort and strength from the wonderful association of your other disciples and other Vaiṣṇavas in our family coming from Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura and Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākura.

Your humble servant

Trilokanātha Trivikram Das

Vyasa puja offering 2024