Dear God-family and well-wishers of Guru Maharaja, 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Guru Maharaj is doing quite well since the extubation (being off the ventilator) but not up to the expectation of the doctors. The doctors were planning to shift him this afternoon from the ICU to the normal ward but they still want him to do better in regards to his breathing. They don’t want to take any chances given Guru Maharaja’s delicate condition. 

He is still retaining some extra amount of carbon dioxide in the blood and this can only be gotten rid of by improving his breathing pattern and efforts. This has always been a great challenge as I have explained in my previous messages. However, his other parameters are all stable and he has been allowed to consume a soft-food diet today. He is conscious and communicating well. There is an improvement in his energy level. 

Today, Shyam Madhusudan Prabhu asked Guru Maharaja if he would like to read any book. Guru Maharaja thought for a long time and then told Shyam to read chapters 11 and 12 from Narahari Sarkara Thakura’s “Bhakti Ratnakara”. As Shyam opened his phone, he saw that it was the disappearance day of Sri Madhu Pandit and the appearance day of Sita Devi and Jahnava Mata and informed this to Guru Maharaja. Guru Maharaja was content to hear this news. Then, Shyam began reading the 11th chapter of “Bhakti Ratnakara” and it turns out that the contents were completely about the glories of Jahnava Mata and Her pastimes in Vrindavan with Krsna and all the Gaudiya devotees. Neither of them knew whose appearance and disappearance day it was and Guru Maharaja had already specifically chosen the chapters to be read before either of them looked at the Vaisnava Calendar for today. But Guru Maharaja specifically chose these two chapters saying that he wanted to hear about the Vrindavan parikrama. All this must be some form of Jahnava Isvari’s special mercy, She who is none other than Lord Nityananda’s Sakti. 

Kindly maintain and/or intensify your prayers and sadhana for Guru Maharaja’s speedy recovery and well being.

On behalf of Guru Maharaja’s Health Team and JPS Seva Committee 

Maha Varaha Das