Thanksgiving

   My dear Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, 

because of my association with material desires, one after another, 

I was gradually falling into a blind well full of snakes, following the general populace. 

But Your servant Närada Muni kindly accepted me as his disciple 

and instructed me how to achieve this transcendental position. 

Therefore, my first duty is to serve him. 

How could I leave his service?

                                                                                                     --Prahlada Maharaja, SB 7.9.28 

Falling down with straw in my teeth at the feet of my beloved Guru Maharaja Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, I thank him for having the boundless love, courage, tenacity and dedication to come to the West at the behest of his Guru Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, bringing the message and mission of Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the English-speaking countries.  I thank him for the countless hours he spent translating and commenting upon Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam and Caitanya-caritamrta, as well as other important Vedic literatures.  I especially thank him for reintroducing me to my Lordships Sri Sri Sita-Raghunatha, whom I had forgotten because of my heinous sins, myriad offenses and deep material conditioning. 

I also want to thank Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krsna for giving my hand in marriage to their beloved devotee, Sriman Haripada Prabhu.  I bow down at their feet and at the feet of my dear husband and thank them all for their benevolent guidance, their steadfast love and their expert protection.

I wish to thank my husband for all he has done for me, all he has taught me, and all the personal growth and stretching he has done to make progress on his devotional path.  I am grateful for our shared years of loving commitment to one another and to making our marriage a loving offering to Srila Prabhupada.  I am especially grateful to my husband for his constant preaching, his relentless dedication to sharing the Holy Names of Krsna through kirtan and his burning love for and fierce loyalty to the teachings of our beloved Guru Maharaja, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.  His loving encouragement and his dedication to sharing and trying to live Srila Prabhupada's teachings are a constant beacon of light, strength, and guidance for me.  I offer my humble obeisances at his feet and thank Krsna daily for inspiring him to accept me and keep me as his little wife, despite my countless offenses and shortcomings. 

  

Gratitude is extended as well to the ladies and gentlemen whose testimonies, books and writings I quote and take ideas from, including but not limited to the works of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sri Valmiki Muni, Svayambhuva Manu, Canakya Pandita and Helen Andelin. 

I thank the Vaisnavis who have so kindly helped guide me on the path of stri-dharma by sharing their stories, their hearts, their tears, their secrets, their realizations and their laughter with me.  

Special thanks also to all the devotees who worked over the years on that awesome creation, the Bhaktivedanta VedaBase.  It is indispensable to me.

And finally, with straw in my teeth, and falling flat at all your feet, I wish to thank my beloved readers for reading my blog.  I pray for all of you that you will become good dharmapatnis, lovingly and carefully devoted to your husbands in the mood of trying to please Krsna by your devotional husband-service.  I pray that you will ultimately fully reawaken your love for Krsna and return back home, back to Godhead at the end of this very lifetime.