I offer my humble obeisances at the lotus feet of my beloved Gurudeva, Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja.

My dearest Srila Gurudeva,

You are the embodiment of pure causeless mercy and kindness.

We came to you by your causeless mercy, we saw you and we fell In love with you. Once you caught us, we could never leave; even if we were far away, you trapped us with your love and kindness. Who can understand this? The world will point at me and say I am mad. But this relationship is eternal, and you are my master birth after birth.

The pure love and mood of vraja-bhava you have given us shines more brightly than a thousand palaces of gold. You have given love and water to the seed of bhakti in our hearts. That seed will grow to a creeper taller than the highest mountain peak and take us all the way to Goloka Vrndavana.

You accepted me even when I had no qualification. And even though I am so lowly and fallen, you showered me with a flood of your mercy.

Everyday I put your feet on my head. I have no qualification to glorify you. Everyday you taught me and fed me like a baby, one verse at a time.

Gurudeva, you stole my heart so many moons ago when I was still just a boy and yet today the same moon is shining. I am still here, still your same Acyutananda; yet I am not happy here. I am still waiting for you to come back from your morning walk so I can bow my head at your feet and learn another verse. I am waiting for you to make jokes with the devotees. I am waiting for you to take prasadam so we can honour your remnants. I am waiting for you to wake up from your nap so I can bring your books and your pen and table so you can write sastra. I am waiting so that I can massage your feet. I am waiting for your gentle chastisement to chant my japa, to do my ahnika, to learn verses, to shave my head on purnima, to respect all vaisnavas, to wake up for brahma-muhurta, to be pakka.

Gurudeva, how can I glorify you? I am an uneducated person. All I can say is I am still that same boy who fell in love with you so many moons ago.

Happy 100th birthday, my dear Gurudeva.

Your son,

Acyutananda Das

Sri Kesavaji Gaudiya Matha - Mathura