Viñëu-citta Däsa

nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale

çrémate bhakti-vikäsa-svämin iti nämine
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-svämin iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
Dear Guru Mahäräja,
As a perfect disciple of Çréla Prabhupäda, you are constantly engaged in his service to his
glorious spiritual master. You are constantly absorbed in thoughts of how to please him and you
infect others with the same desire. Thus, by your strong desire you spread Lord Caitanya’s
message all over the world.
In his purport to SB 2.9.6, Çréla Prabhupäda, while explaining the meaning of transcendental
penance, gives the symptoms of a bona fide guru and disciple:
Penance is the beauty and wealth of the brähmaëas and the renounced order of life.
According to Bhägavata philosophy, every human being is meant simply for this tapa
and for no other business, because by penance only can one realize his self; and self-
realization, not sense gratification, is the business of human life. This tapa, or
penance, was begun from the very beginning of the creation, and it was first adopted
by the supreme spiritual master, Lord Brahmä. By tapasya only can one get the profit
of human life, and not by a polished civilization of animal life.
Taking the path of tapa is the second birth of the desiring disciple. The word
upäçåëot is very significant. It is similar to upanayana, or bringing the disciple nearer
to the spiritual master for the path of tapa.
One who is thus initiated in the disciplic succession is able to achieve the same result,
or power of creation. Chanting of this holy mantra is the only shelter of the desireless
pure devotee of the Lord. Simply by such tapasya, or penance, the devotee of the
Lord achieves all perfections like Lord Brahmä.
Guru Mahäräja, as a bona fide spiritual master, you are the best of the brähmaëas and the
renounced order. Thus, following in the footsteps of Lord Brahmä, your execution of divine tapa
is evidence of you being a gosvämé, the master of your senses. Unlike those who execute dry
penance, your tapa is the constant engagement of your senses in the service of the Lord. You
have no other business and are thus fully situated on the transcendental platform. Your most
glorious spiritual master, Çréla Prabhupäda, brought you closer to him by initiating you on the
path of tapa and giving you the shelter of the holy Hare Kåñëa mahämantra and simply by such
tapasya you have, like Lord Brahmä, achieved the ultimate perfection of life, the perfection of all
perfections, divine love of Godhead.
Çréla Prabhupäda continues speaking on the same theme in his purport to SB 2.9.8:
 One has to receive the transcendental sound from the right source, accept it as a
reality and prosecute the direction without hesitation. The secret of success is to
receive the sound from the right source, a bona fide spiritual master. Mundane
manufactured sound has no potency, and as such, seemingly transcendental sound
received from an unauthorized person also has no potency. One should be qualified
enough to discern such transcendental potency, and either by discriminating or by
fortunate chance if one is able to receive the transcendental sound from the bona fide
spiritual master, his path of liberation is guaranteed. The disciple, however, must be
ready to execute the order of the bona fide spiritual master as Lord Brahmä executed
the instruction of his spiritual master, the Lord Himself. Following the order of the
bona fide spiritual master is the only duty of the disciple, and this completely faithful
execution of the order of the bona fide spiritual master is the secret of success.
Çréla Gurudeva, once you heard the transcendental sound from the lotus lips of Çréla
Prabhupäda, you immediately accepted it as reality and proceeded to execute his instructions
without hesitation. Your reception of transcendental sound, that you first received in the form of
the Kåñëa book, was not blind. Clearly perceiving manufactured sounds produced by
unauthorized persons to be lacking in potency, you were able to discriminate and discern the
transcendental sound to be different. Yet, as a genuine sincere disciple, you determined your
reception of that transcendental sound to have occurred by fortunate chance, the causeless mercy
of Çréla Prabhupäda. Following his order is the secret of your success, a secret you are most
enthusiastic to share with anyone who is willing to hear from you.
Çréla Prabhupäda sums this subject up very nicely in SB 2.9.24:
såjämi tapasaivedaà
grasämi tapasä punaù
bibharmi tapasä viçvaà
véryaà me duçcaraà tapaù
I create this cosmos by such penance, I maintain it by the same energy, and I
withdraw it all by the same energy. Therefore the potent power is penance only.
In executing penance, one must be determined to return home, back to Godhead, and
must decide to undergo all types of tribulations for that end. Even for material
prosperity, name and fame, one has to undergo severe types of penance; otherwise no
one can become an important figure in this material world. Why, then, would there
not be severe types of penance for the perfection of devotional service? An easygoing
life and attainment of perfection in transcendental realization cannot go together. The
Lord is more clever than any living entity; therefore He wants to see how painstaking
the devotee is in devotional service. The order is received from the Lord, either
directly or through the bona fide spiritual master, and to execute that order, however
painstaking, is the severe type of penance. One who follows the principle rigidly is
sure to achieve success in attaining the Lord's mercy.
Like Bhéñma, you are unshaken in your vow to serve the order of Çréla Prabhupäda to spread
Kåñëa consciousness all over the world. In executing this penance, you are prepared to face all
opposition and undergo all tribulations. You stand out amongst the disciples of His Divine Grace
for being expert in pointing out anything that is opposed to the mood and mission of Çréla
Prabhupäda. Although you are sometimes vilified, slandered and loathed for repeating the words
of Çréla Prabhupäda, since you are fixed in the understanding that there is nothing of value in
this world other than the path of pure devotional service, you fearlessly carry on with your
mission. You constantly lecture and write about the dire need to undertake penance to please the
guru paramparä and how it is the sure means of attaining success. You preach by example and
demonstrate the standard and quality of such penance, thus inspiring the devotees to take up to
such a process themselves.
Like Çréla Prabhupäda and all the predecessor äcäryas, you are pleased by the attempts of
devotees to execute such penance and offer them the guidance and blessings they need to
improve their service. As your disciples, we are most fortunate to have such guidance and it is
our first and foremost duty to constantly hear from you. In New York, we are trying to execute
this penance to please you and simply by your mercy we are able to be of some service to the
guru paramparä. With the order of the spiritual master comes the strength to execute it. You
were pleased by the efforts of devotees to revive saìkértana in New York City and desired that
such a program get a proper place to stay. Because you are very dear to Kåñëa, Kåñëa blessed us
with a wonderful townhouse to stay that is perfect for us in all respects. You maintain our daily
harinäma by encouraging us and sending us men. You desired to see book distribution increase,
and our book distribution has tremendously increased with the introduction of the Saptarñi and
similar stacks of books. This has now become a phenomenon that is inspiring many devotees
around the world. You envisioned the distribution of Çrémad-Bhägavatam sets on the streets to
spark a revolution in book distribution in the Western world. Impelled by your strong desire, our
devotees have tasted some success in this regard. Mahotsaha Prabhu, upon whom you have
bestowed your profuse blessings to distribute Çréla Prabhupäda’s books, goes up to random
people and tells them, “My spiritual master, HH Bhakti Vikäsa Swami, said that if we distribute
Çrémad-Bhägavatam sets on the streets it would revolutionize book distribution in the Western
world. Can you please be an instrument in fulfilling this order?” And people actually say “Sure!”
and take a set! One woman took both the Çrémad-Bhägavatam and Caitanya-caritämåta sets
from us in Union Square Park and dropped a donation of $450.
And simply by your mercy, we are able to carry on serving Lord Caitanya in this very difficult
and materialistic place. By following your orders, we can feel tangible improvement in our
devotional service and experience bliss and steadiness in the execution of our services. Guru
Mahäräja, you desire to see many more services established in North America for the
glorification of Çréla Prabhupäda. Specifically, you desire to see the establishment of daiva-
varëäçrama farm communities in the Western world. On the auspicious occasion of your Vyäsa-
püjä, I pray that you bless me with the service of assisting you in fulfilling these desires of yours.
I pray for the benediction to simply serve your lotus feet life after life. My existence in realm of
devotional service is simply because of your causeless mercy and strong desire to engage very
fallen souls like myself in the service of Çréla Prabhupäda. Therefore please do not kick me
away. Please place me as one of the atoms of dust at your lotus feet. Your mercy is my only hope
of survival and advancement in Kåñëa consciousness.
Your servant,
Viñëu-citta Däsa