Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krsna! All glories to Srila Prabhupada and all Vaisnavas. Please accept my humble obeisances and blessings. I pray that this meets you well and in the service/mercy of Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.
My Dearest Nitaipada Maharaja, on this most wonderful day of your of your appearance, I struggle to find words which could adequately describe my feelings for you. You are the one I was led to, whom I have not only become fast friends with, but the one whom I trust and love unconditionally. I have taken shelter at your lotus feet, and will diligently follow your guidance, for I know you will never steer me wrong. I pray I will always be your servant, your disciple, and in some small way be pleasing to you and Lord Gauranga. I pray to the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Prabhu that He will bless you with long life and health so that you may continue your service to Their lotus feet. May your every day be blessed as you continue in the spreading of the cult of Sri Sri Nitai-Gaurahari. I pray my words, thoughts, and actions everyday will be pleasing:
"I offer my humble obeisences to Shri Arjunananda Gauranga Das Nitaipada Maharaja, who is dear to Lord Gauranga, having taking shelter of Lord Nityananda's lotus feet"
"I offer my pranams to him, who is the servant of Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami and of all the Vaisnavas (sadhu deve). He serves Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu's primary instruction by chanting 100,000 Holy Names daily and is engaged in relishing the mellow of transcendental service to Shri Shri Nitai Gaurahari and Shri Shri Radha Gopinatha;"
"I offer my humble obeisances unto His Holiness Tridandi Bhikshu Shrila Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada, who is very dear to Lord Shri Nityananda Prabhu, having taken shelter at Lord Shri Gauranga Mahaprabhu's lotus feet."
"He is instrumental in preaching, spreading and distributing the glories of the most merciful Holy Names, Pastimes, Associates and Abodes of the Supreme Lords Nityananda Gauranga and the distribution of the ebooks and paperbooks of Their divine glories."
I would like to honor you for all of this with the words from the song Guru-vastakam:
“By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.” Thank You for being such a merciful Guru!
Forever in your service, lovingly and unconditionally,
Lakshmi Priya Devi Dasi
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His Holiness Arjunananda Gauranga dasa Nitaipada Maharaja was born in Atlanta, Georgia, USA on 12 March 1962 into a very loving and devoted family of both Jewish and Christian belief. He learned from an early age the love of both Christian scripture and the Jewish Torah. Steeped in the religious principles of Judeo-Christian belief, Nitaipada Maharaja learned from a young age love of God, respect for religious principles and diligent study.
Through his studies, especially in his teenage years, Nitaipada Maharaja realized that religious intolerance was against what was written in the scriptures, and has since attempted to teach this doctrine to those around him. In June 1977, Nitaipada Maharaja met several ISKCON devotees at the airport in Atlanta, Georgia. He was quickly drawn to the devotees of Sri Krishna and talked to them at great lengths while waiting for his flight.
During this time, Nitiapada Maharaja asked many questions, that for the first time he received an acceptable answer to the typical questions that trouble the minds of most youth. "If God is such a loving God, then why is there so much suffering in the world?" In his conversations, Nitaipada found himself on a quest of learning, which continues to this day. He quickly informs his disciples, "never stop asking questions, never stop learning!"
While at the airport, Nitaipada Maharaja received a copy of the First Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This wonderful book opened his mind to the great world of the Vedas, and a wonderful man that would change the world.
Nitaipada Maharaja received harinama from the hands of Swami Kirtanananda and served under him until his fall in 1986. Like most of Swami Kirtananda's disciples, Nitaipada was devastated and was forsaken by most of the devotees of ISKCON.
For the next ten years, Nitaipada Maharaja returned back to his home town in Georgia and farmed with his maternal grandmother.
During this time of self-exile, Nitaipada Maharaj learned much on the strength of chanting the Holy Names and living an austere lifestyle. "Much can be learned concerning one's self and also Krishna while living quietly in farm life."
At the death of his Grandmother, Nitaipada Maharaja moved to Portland, Oregon, USA, believing that it was the desire of Sri Krishna for him to do service. Once again in Temple service, Nitaipada once again taught the devotees of Krishna that chanting and simple lifestyle were greatly important and desirable in the spreading of the Holy Names.
Nitaipada Maharaja's long time friend, Srila Tridandi Bhikshu Bhaktiratna Sadhu Swami Gaurangapada (World Pioneer Spiritual Preceptor of Gauranga Dharma). Their's is a fast friendship of love and devotion. Nitaipada Maharaja has stated that having Srila Gaurangapada in his life is such a wonderful fulfillment of years of disappointment and sorrow. His heart overflows and his eye's water whenever he dwells upon the sweet mercies that Srila Gaurangapada has bestowed on him.
Nitaipada Maharaja accepted reinitiation into the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and the Gayatri Mantras from Srila Gaurangapada and surrendered himself to the mission of spreading Gauranga Dharma and the Names of the Lord all over the world.
Srila Gaurangapada bestowed the title of "Laksheshvara His Holiness Nitaipada Maharaja" on him for his completing the daily chanting of 100,000 Names of the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra which is the topmost ideal of Gauranga Dharma and for his desire in spreading the Holy Names of Sri Nityananda and Sri Gauranga all over the world.
He was also empowered by Srila Gaurangapada as Initiating Spiritual Preceptor for Gauranga Dharma and can thus accept disciples all over the world and impart and guide them in the science of chanting of the Nityananda and Gauranga Mantrarajas and the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and thus give them entrance to Gauranga Dharma
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