22 April 2017
My dear respected Sri Srimad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja. All glories to His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada Thakur. All glories to your spiritual uncle and my diksa guru His Divine Grace Abhayacaranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
My good fortune was when I stayed at the Sree Caitanya Gaudiya Matha in Kolkata and you helped me adjust, finding me a sitting place based on my initiation date. You took me to meet Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja and he told you to take care of me. Since then in 1970, I was connected with you. Soon after that, I was given the sannyasa order by my diksa guru, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who in 1977, created the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust and in which your guru, His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja, was made one of the trustees. When His Divine Grace Bhakti Dayita Madhava Maharaja entered into his eternal lila with Lord Krsna, we asked you to take up the responsibility of being a trustee for the Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust. You were kind enough to take up this responsibility. Moreover, you accepted a leadership role in the Sarasvat Gaudiya Vaisnava Association. You did all these services while you were leading your institution and preaching widely. Even some foreign devotees have also taken your shelter. I was honored to attend your 50th anniversary of sannyasa. You would give us spiritual and philosophical inspiration talks at our Bhaktivedanta Swami Charity Trust. Not having you present will be a vacuum difficult to fill. You are entering into the eternal lila. You will be in spiritual bliss but we will be missing you, being deprived of your transcendental association and friendship. I and the ISKCON movement feel proud that a vaisnava like yourself has graced the earth. At the same time, we feel separation, feeling deprived of your spiritual and encouraging association. I hope that the members of your matha whom you leave behind will be able to take ahead the institution and that our friendship and collaboration will continue.
Yours in divine service,
Tridandi Goswami Jayapataka Swami