Vyaspuja Offerings 2023

Sri Vyasa-puja The Most Blessed Event – September 8, 2023
The Appearance Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master

His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad
A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPĀDA

Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Sri Vyasa-puja
Śrī Vyāsa-Pūjā
September 8, 2023
Published by ISKCON GBC

Photos courtesy of The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
Cover design
Bhīṣmadeva Dāsa • hoofprintmedia.com
Text design and layout

Govinda Cordua • eighteyes.com
Sri Vyasa-puja The Most Blessed Event
September 8, 2023
The Appearance Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master
His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda

Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata
Śrī Śrīmad
A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI
PRABHUPĀDA
Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
Contents
Introduction, 1
The Meaning of Vyāsa-pūjā, 3
The Universal Teacher, 7
Homages from the GBC, 13

Acyutātmā Dāsa, 14; Anuttama Dāsa, 14; Badrinārāyaṇa Swami, 16; Bhakti Caitanya Swami, 18;
Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami, 20; Bhaktivaibhava Swami, 20; Bhaktimārga Swami, 21; Bīr Kṛṣṇa
Dāsa Goswami, 23; Candraśekhara Ācārya Dāsa, 24; Devakīnandana Dāsa, 26; Devāmṛta
Swami, 27; Gaurāṅga Dāsa, 28; Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, 32; Govardhana Dāsa, 34; Guru
Prasāda Swami, 35; Hṛdaya Caitanya Dāsa, 36; Jayapatākā Swami, 37; Kavicandra Swami, 40;
Madhusevita Dāsa, 41; Mālatī Devī Dāsī, 43; Nirañjana Swami, 43; Prahlādānanda Swami, 46;
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, 48; Rādhānāth Swami, 49; Rāmāi Swami, 50; Revatī Ramaṇa Dāsa, 52;
Tapana Miśra Dāsa, 53; Vīrabāhu Dāsa, 54
Homages from GBC Emereti, 57

Bhūrijana Dāsa, 58; Girirāja Swami, 60; Hridayānanda dās Goswami, 62; Mukunda Goswami, 63;
Praghoṣa Dāsa, 64; Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa, 65; Tamohara Dāsa, 65
Homages from Non-GBC Sannyāsīs, 67

Bhakti Anugraha Janārdana Swami, 68; Bhakti Bṛhat Bhāgavata Swami, 69; Bhakti
Cārudeṣṇa Swami, 70; Bhakti Dhīra Dāmodara Swami, 71; Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami, 71;
Bhakti Karuṇāmayī Vanamālī Swami, 77; Bhakti Prabhāva Swami, 79; Bhakti Prabhupāda-
vrata Dāmodara Swami, 83; Bhakti Prema Swami, 84; Bhakti Rāghava Swami, 84; Bhakti
Ratnākara Ambarīṣa Swami, 86; Bhakti Vāsudeva Swami, 87; Bhakti Vighna Vināśa Narasiṁha
Swami, 88; Bhakti Vilāsa Gauracandra Swami, 88; Bhakti Vinoda Swami, 89; Candramauli
Swami, 92; Candraśekhara Swami, 93; Dānavīra Goswami, 95; Gaṇapati Swami, 97; Janānanda
Goswami, 98; Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami, 102; Lokanātha Swami, 103; Mahādyuti Swami, 106; Nava
Yogendra Swami, 107; Pārtha Sārathi Dāsa Goswami, 108; Rāma Govinda Swami, 110; Romapāda
Swami, 112; Śacīnandana Swami, 114; Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami, 116; Siddhārtha Swami, 117;
Śivarāma Swami, 118; Śukadeva Swami, 121; Svayaṁ Bhagavān Keśava Swami, 122; Swami Bhakti
Abhaya Āśrama, 123; Varṣāṇā Swami, 124; Yadunandana Swami, 127
Homages from ISKCON Centers, 129

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, 130; Adelaide, Australia, 131; Agra, India, 132; Alibag, India, 132;
Amravati, India, 134; Antwerp, Belgium, 135; Aravade, India, 136; Athens, USA, 137; Attapur,
India, 138; Ayampe, Ecuador, 139; Bali, Indonesia, 140; Bali (Klungkung), Indonesia, 141; Bali
(Singaraja), Indonesia, 144; Baltimore, USA, 145; Bangkok, Thailand, 146; Baramati, India, 148;
Barcelona, Spain, 149; Barrie, Canada, 149; Beed, India, 150; Benin, 151; Bergamo, Italy, 152;
Bergen, Norway, 153; Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK, 154; Bhiwandi, India, 156; Bhopal, India, 156;
Bologna, Italy, 157; Brahmapur, India, 158; Brampton, Canada, 159; Brunei, 161; Budapest,
Hungary, 162; Buenos Aires, Argentina, 165; Burlington, Canada, 166; Calgary, Canada, 167;
Caracas, Venezuela, 169; Centre County, USA, 169; Chandigarh, India, 171; Chile, 172; Chinese
Yātrā, 174; Cologne, Germany, 175; Córdoba, Argentina, 177; Croatia, 178; Dahod, India, 179;
Delhi, India, 180; Detroit, USA, 183; Dhanbad, India, 184; Edmonton, Canada, 186; Eger,
Hungary, 187; El Salvador, 188; Enugu, Nigeria, 189; Fiji, 190; Fredericton, Canada, 190; Gītā-
nāgarī, USA, 192; Glastonbury, USA, 193; Goloka Dham, Germany, 195; Gopināth Dhāma,
Australia, 196; Govardhan Ecovillage, India, 197; Govardhan Farm, Argentina, 199; Govinda
Valley, Australia, 201; Guyana, 202; Habibpur, India, 203; Halifax, Canada, 204; Hare Kṛṣṇa
Valley, Australia, 205; Hawaii, USA, 206; Hong Kong SAR, 208; Ibadan, Nigeria, 208;
Iceland, 210; Ichalkaranji, India, 211; Indore, India, 211; Ireland, 212; Jos, Nigeria, 213;
Kanhaiyādeśa, Kuwait, 214; Kanpur, India, 215; Kanyakumari, India, 217; Khargar, India, 218;
Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa, Qatar, 219; Kṛṣṇa’s Castle, UK, 220; Kukatpally, India, 221; Kumasi,
Ghana, 221; Lagos, Nigeria, 222; Laguna Beach, USA, 223; Ljubljana, Slovenia, 224; Luzce,
Czech Republic, 226; Madikeri, India, 229; Malaga, Spain, 230; Malawi, 231; Mangalore,
India, 231; Manila, Philippines, 232; Manitoba, Canada, 233; Mauritius, 235; Mayapur,
India, 237; Melbourne, Australia, 239; Mendoza, Argentina, 241; Miami, USA, 242; Milton,
Canada, 244; Monterrey, Mexico, 247; Montreal, Canada, 248; Moscow, Russia, 248; Mumbai
(Chowpatty), India, 250; Mumbai (Juhu), India, 251; Mumbai (Mira Road), India, 253; Muskoka,
Canada, 256; Nagpur, India, 256; Nava Vraja Dhāma, Hungary, 258; New Dvārakā, USA, 259;
New Gokula, Australia, 260; New Goloka, USA, 261; New Govardhana Hill, USA, 262; New
Māyāpur, France, 264; New Orleans, USA, 266; New Ramaṇa Reti, USA, 266; New Tālavana,
USA, 268; New Varṣāṇā, New Zealand, 270; New Vrindaban, USA, 272; New York, USA, 276;
New Vrajamaṇḍala, Spain, 277; Newcastle, UK, 277; Niagara, Canada, 278; Nicaragua, 279;
Noida, India, 279; North Florida, USA, 282; Nuremberg, Germany, 284; Oakville, Canada, 285;
Okinawa, Japan, 286; Osaka, Japan, 287; Osijek, Croatia, 287; Ottawa, Canada, 290; Pachora,
India, 293; Panama, 293; Pandharpur, India, 294; Panihati, India, 296; Perth, Australia, 297;
Philadelphia, USA, 298; Phoenix, USA, 302; Prabhupāda Village, USA, 303; Prayagraj,
India, 304; Pune (Camp), India, 308; Pune (Ravet), India, 308; Punjabi Bagh, India, 309; Puri,
India, 311; Radhadesh, Belgium, 312; Red Deer, Canada, 313; Regina, Canada, 314; Richmond,
USA, 314; Romania, 316; Rome, Italy, 317; Saltillo, Mexico, 317; San Diego, USA, 318; San
Juan, Argentina, 320; Sandton, South Africa, 320; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 321;
Śaraṇāgati Village, Canada, 322; Saskatoon, Canada, 323; Scarborough, Canada, 323; Seattle,
USA, 324; Silicon Valley, USA, 326; Solapur, India, 329; Split, Croatia, 330; Srinagar, India, 331;
Srirangam, India, 332; Suriname, 333; Taichung, Taiwan, 335; Taipei, Tawain, 336; Tartu,
Estonia, 337; Teluk Intan, Malaysia, 338; Tenerife, Spain, 339; Thunder Bay, Canada, 339;
Togo, 341; Tokyo, Japan, 341; Toronto, Canada, 342; Toronto, Canada, 344; Tres Arroyos,
Argentina, 344; Trinidad, 345; Tucson, USA, 346; Udhampur, India, 348; Ujjain, India, 348;
Vadodara, India, 350; Vallabhvidhyanagar, India, 355; Vancouver, Canada, 356; Varanasi,
India, 358; Visakhapatnam, India, 362; Vita Rama, Bulgaria, 364; Vṛndāvana, India, 365;
Warangal, India, 367; Washington, D.C., USA, 368; Wiesbaden, Germany, 369; Yamunanagar,
India, 372; Zambia, 372
Homages from Other Sources, 375

Back to Godhead Magazine, 376; Bhaktivedanta Archives, 376; The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
(North America), 377; The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (Northern Europe), 379; Bhaktivedanta
College, Hungary, 380; Child Protection Office, 381; ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry, 382;
Festival of India, 384; Food for Life, Argentina, 385; Food for Life, Hungary, 386; GBC
College for Leadership Development, 388; ISKCON Germany Austria Liechtenstein National
Council, 389; ISKCON Resolve, 392; ISKCON Resolve (Brazil), 393; Kīrtana Ministry, 394;
Ministry of Cow Protection & Agriculture, 395; Ministry of Justice, 398; North America Regional
Governing Body, 400; International Society for Cow Protection, 400; ISKCON Pāda-yātrā
Ministry, 403; Pāda-yātrā Press, 404; All India Pāda-yātrā, 407; Maharashtra Pāda-yātrā, 408;
Pune Congregation, 408; Radio Kṛṣṇa Centrale, 409; Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, 416;
Vaiṣṇavī Ministry, 418
Our Obeisances to You for Your Transcendental Instructions, 421

VIII ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023
Introduction
Dear Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda! And all glories to all
generations of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s sincere followers.
This Vyāsa-pūjā book is the 53rd edition offered to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The first
book was published in 1969, with homages from seventeen ISKCON temples. The 2022 version
contained homages from 155 temples and ISKCON leaders. This year we’re happy to announce
that 288 have submitted, but even that number does not reflect the full number of ISKCON
centers worldwide.
No doubt, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has rapidly expanded to all corners of the
globe in line with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s desire and prediction. This is all due to the grace
and endeavors of Śrīla Prabhupāda and his dedication to the orders of his spiritual master, Śrīla
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. It has been 46 years since Śrīla Prabhupāda enacted his
disappearance pastimes, but perhaps his greatest achievement is still unfolding before our eyes:
that his disciples, granddisciples, and great-granddisciples have wholeheartedly imbibed his mis-
sionary spirit and dedication to spread the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu to every town and
village.
The pages of this book will display this as devotees from Bergen to Benin, Bhopal to Brunei,
Buenos Aires to Brampton, and so many more, offer forth their hearts and services for Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s pleasure.
In this regard, we are beholden to mention the dedication of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s disciple
Draviḍa Dāsa, who for decades has been the rock upon which the annual Vyāsa-pūjā book has
been constructed. This year he has graciously passed on this responsibility to a new team of
granddisciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda while still being available to guide us through this service.
Draviḍa Prabhu has written this introduction for nearly 20 years, and this year has graced us by
writing The Meaning of Vyāsa-pūjā.
For all of us on the new team, it is a profoundly moving and fortifying experience to be the
receptacle of the outpouring of gratitude to Śrīla Prabhupāda from devotees worldwide, as
evidenced in these pages. That Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy is still flowing strongly is plainly evi-
dent. The vast majority of writers had no personal association with Śrīla Prabhupāda, but their
gratitude for his gifts – especially his books – their love for him, their amazement at his sacrifices,
dedication, etc., is what keeps them – what keeps all of us – inspired in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
This love for Śrīla Prabhupāda and keeping his example and teachings as the center of
ISKCON is of paramount importance as the years pass and more of his disciples leave this realm
to join him. Śrīla Prabhupāda is and must always remain in the center of ISKCON to preserve our
unity and stay true to the paramparā.
Dear Readers, please dive deeply into the pages of this Vyāsa-pūjā book, for to remember
a Vaiṣṇava, what to speak of a paramahaṁsa Vaiṣṇava like Śrīla Prabhupāda, is no less purify-
ing than remembering the supreme pure, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. The below verse, as quoted in
Cc., Madhya 20.61, is a good reminder of the power of coming in contact with a pure devotee of
the Lord:
akṣṇoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-darśanaṁ hi

tanoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-gātra-saṅgaḥ
ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 1

jihvā-phalaṁ tvādṛśa-kīrtanaṁ hi
su-durlabhā bhāgavatā hi loke
My dear Vaiṣṇava, seeing a person like you is the perfection of one’s eyesight, touching
your lotus feet is the perfection of the sense of touch, and glorifying your good qualities
is the tongue’s real activity, for in the material world, it is very difficult to find a pure
devotee of the Lord.
Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jai!
Your servants on the new Vyāsa-pūjā book team,

Ānanda Tīrtha Dāsa
Mukhyā Devī Dāsī
Praghoṣa Dāsa
Satyamedhā Gaurāṅga Dāsa
2 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

The Meaning of Vyāsa-pūjā
by Draviḍa Dāsa
Understanding the meaning of Vyāsa-pūjā begins with understanding the full import of the well-
known verse Śrīla Prabhupāda chose to begin his Introduction to Bhagavad-gītā As It Is:
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
“I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of
knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.” That “torch of knowledge” which Śrīla
Prabhupāda acknowledged his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, had
enlightened him with, and which Śrīla Prabhupāda in turn enlightened his disciples with, is the
same transcendental knowledge Nārada Muni imparted to his disciple Śrīla Vyāsadeva, who
in turn bestowed it upon his disciples and embodied in the voluminous Vedic library he wrote,
culminating with Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Śrīla Prabhupāda would often describe the bona fide spiritual master as a “transparent
medium,” through which the transcendental knowledge could flow down from Lord Kṛṣṇa Him-
self through the paramparā, unimpeded and undistorted, to the submissive disciples eager to hear.
So Vyāsa-pūjā is the formal offering of glorification, worship, and expressions of heartfelt
gratitude to Śrīla Prabhupāda on his appearance day because he is the genuine representative
of Vyāsadeva. Śrīla Prabhupāda embodies not only the essence of Vedic knowledge Vyāsadeva
taught but also his mood of compassion, exemplified by his writing down the Vedas, which had
previously been taught and received aurally, to make the knowledge accessible to the benighted
people of Kali-yuga, whose minds would be too disturbed for them to simply hear and remember
the words of wisdom.
At the urging of his beloved guru, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, Śrīla Prabhupāda
courageously undertook the herculean task of traveling alone and virtually penniless to the West
at an advanced age, founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, managing
the latter while circling the world fourteen times and writing commentated English translations
of the essential bhakti-śāstras – the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and (in
the form of a summary study) the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu – and setting up the Bhaktivedanta Book
Trust to publish his books, translate them into all the languages of the world, and provide them
to his growing legions of disciples so they could study them and distribute them by the millions.
Just as attending maṅgala-ārati and singing the Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka should awaken a deep sense of
gratitude in the hearts of all devotees present, whether Śrīla Prabhupāda’s direct disciples or his
grand- or great-granddisciples, every member of ISKCON who participates in the festivities of
Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā should feel that their real treasure is Śrīla Prabhupāda’s boundless mercy, which
impelled him to wholeheartedly embrace the spirit of para-duḥkha-duḥkhī and bestow upon all of
us the many ways we can nourish our Kṛṣṇa consciousness in ISKCON. In this vein I’ve written
the following poem, The Śrīla Prabhupāda Kṛpāṣṭaka:

1
Trapped within saṁsāra’s all-devouring, blazing fire,

We had no hope of rescue till your guru’s strong desire
Inspired and empowered you to boldly cross the sea
And teach the truths of bhakti so some souls would be set free.
O Prabhupāda, your mercy is my only treasure now;
Unto your soothing lotus feet I bow.
Patiently you taught us how to chant the holy name,

And how to dance, and how to sing, and what was life’s true aim.
And thus you gave us Lord Caitanya’s teachings unalloyed,
And saved us from the all-devouring Māyāvādī void.
When kṛṣṇa-bhakti spread and you had centers here and there,
You introduced the worship of the Deities so fair.
And soon throughout the world Their Lordships smiled upon your crew
And nourished strong devotion to Themselves, and unto you.
Prasādam was your special weapon, no one could resist;

Once the Sunday Feast had started, no one could desist.
Halavā, sweet rice, crisp pakorās, subjīs, purīs, rice –
With these and other preps you did our tongues and hearts entice.
The books you showered down upon the masses and on us

Taught scripture’s sacred essence: bhakti pure and nectarous.
And while you wrote you relished Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s name
And form and pastimes, qualities, and everlasting fame.

6
While managing your ISKCON, with the whole world as your stage,
Meeting, preaching, trav’ling like a person half your age,
You served Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa in your heart,
Arranging for Their pastimes in Vṛndāvana’s secret part.
“The guru is as good as God,” you said, and some were shocked.
But you had simply quoted scripture: you did not concoct.
And sure enough, for those who worship you as they would God,
The path of bhakti opens wide and joyfully is trod.
If you bestow your mercy, then Śrī Kṛṣṇa gives His too;
But if your mercy’s lacking, then there’s nothing we can do.
So every day we should reflect upon your life sublime
And vow to serve you always with our body, words, and mind.
I pray that my small hymn, though lacking literary worth,

Presented to remind us of your pastimes on this earth,
May find some favor both with you and with your devotees,
Who hover ’round your lovely lotus feet like maddened bees.
O Prabhupāda, I pray that you bestow your mercy now;

The Universal Teacher
The following speech was given by Abhay Charanaravinda Dāsa
(His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda) before the
members of the Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha in Bombay, in February 1936, on the occasion
of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s Vyāsa-pūjā celebration.
sākṣād-dharitvena samasta-śāstrair
uktas tathā bhāvyata eva sadbhiḥ
kintu prabhor yaḥ priya eva tasya
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam
“In the revealed scriptures it is declared that the spiritual master should be worshiped like the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this injunction is obeyed by pure devotees of the Lord.
The spiritual master is the most confidential servant of the Lord. Thus let us offer our respectful
obeisances unto the lotus feet of our spiritual master.”
Gentlemen, on behalf of the members of the Bombay branch of the Gauḍīya Maṭha, let me
welcome you all because you have so kindly joined us tonight in our congregational offerings
of homage to the lotus feet of the world teacher, Ācāryadeva, who is the founder of this Gauḍīya
Mission and the president-ācārya of Śrī Śrī Viśva-vaiṣṇava Rāja-sabhā—I mean my eternal divine
master, Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja.
Sixty-two years ago, on this auspicious day, the Ācāryadeva made his appearance by the call of
Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda at Śrī-kṣetra, Jagannātha-dhāma, at Purī.
Gentlemen, the offering of such an homage as has been arranged this evening to the Ācārya-
deva is not a sectarian concern, for when we speak of the fundamental principle of gurudeva, or
ācāryadeva, we speak of something that is of universal application. There does not arise any ques-
tion of discriminating my guru from yours or anyone else’s. There is only one guru, who appears in
an infinity of forms to teach you, me, and all others.
The guru, or ācāryadeva, as we learn from the bona fide scriptures, delivers the message of the
absolute world, the transcendental abode of the Absolute Truth. We have heard so many times:
mahā-jano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ (“Traverse the trail which your previous ācārya has passed”), but
we have hardly tried to understand the real purport of this śloka. If we scrutinizingly study this
proposition, we can understand that the mahā-jana is one and the royal road to the transcendental
world is also one. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad [1.2.12] it is said:
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
“In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual master in
disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth.”
Thus it has been enjoined herewith that in order to receive that transcendental knowledge, one
must approach the guru. Therefore, if the Absolute Truth is one, about which we think there is no
difference of opinion, the guru also cannot be two. The Ācāryadeva to whom we have assembled
tonight to offer our humble homage is not the guru of a sectarian institution or one out of many
differing exponents of the truth. On the contrary, he is the Jagad-guru, the guru of all of us; the
only difference is that some obey him wholeheartedly, while others do not obey him directly.
In the Bhāgavatam [11.17.27] it is said:

ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit
na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ
“One should understand the spiritual master to be as good as I am,” said the Blessed Lord.
“Nobody should be jealous of the spiritual master or think of him as an ordinary man, because the
spiritual master is the sum total of all the demigods.” That is, the ācārya has been identified with
God Himself. He has nothing to do with the affairs of this mundane world. He does not descend
here to meddle with the affairs of temporary necessities but to deliver the fallen, conditioned
souls—the souls, or entities, who have come here to the material world with a motive of enjoyment
by the mind and five organs of sense perception. He appears before us to reveal the light of the
Vedas and to bestow upon us the blessings of full-fledged freedom, after which we should hanker
at every step of our life’s journey.
The transcendental knowledge of the Vedas was first uttered by God to Brahmā, the creator
of this particular universe. From Brahmā the knowledge descended to Nārada, from Nārada to
Vyāsadeva, and from Vyāsadeva to Madhva, and in this process of disciplic succession the tran-
scendental knowledge was transmitted by one disciple to another till it reached Lord Gaurāṅga,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who posed as the disciple and successor of Śrī Īśvara Purī. The present
Ācāryadeva is the tenth disciplic representative from Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī, the original representa-
tive of Lord Caitanya who preached this transcendental tradition in its fullness. The knowledge
that we receive from our Gurudeva is not different from that imparted by God Himself and the
succession of the ācāryas in the preceptorial line of Brahmā. We adore this auspicious day as Śrī
Vyāsa-pūjā-tithi because the ācārya is the living representative of Vyāsadeva, the divine compiler of
the Vedas, Purāṇas, Bhagavad-gītā, Mahābhārata, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
One who interprets the divine sound, or śabda-brahma, by his imperfect sense perception
cannot be a real spiritual guru, because in the absence of proper disciplinary training under the
bona fide ācārya, the interpreter is sure to differ from Vyāsadeva (as the Māyāvādīs do). Śrīla
Vyāsadeva is the prime authority of Vedic revelation, and therefore such an irrelevant interpreter
cannot be accepted as the guru, or ācārya, howsoever equipped he may be with all the acquire-
ments of material knowledge. As it is said in the Padma Purāṇa, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te
niṣphalā matāḥ: “Unless you are initiated by a bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession,
the mantra that you might have received is without any effect.”
On the other hand, one who has received the transcendental knowledge by aural reception
from the bona fide preceptor in the disciplic chain, and who has sincere regard for the real ācārya,
must needs be enlightened with the revealed knowledge of the Vedas. But this knowledge is
permanently sealed to the cognitive approach of the empiricists. As it is said in the Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad [6.23]:
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
“Only unto those great souls who simultaneously have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spir-
itual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.”
Gentlemen, our knowledge is so poor, our senses are so imperfect, and our sources are so lim-
ited that it is not possible for us to have even the slightest knowledge of the absolute region with-
out surrendering ourselves at the louts feet of Śrī Vyāsadeva or his bona fide representative. Every
moment we are being deceived by the knowledge of our direct perception. It is all the creation
or concoction of the mind, which is always deceiving, changing, and flickering. We cannot know
anything of the transcendental region by our limited, perverted method of observation and exper-
iment. But all of us can lend our eager ears for the aural reception of the transcendental sound

transmitted from that region to this through the unadulterated medium of Śrī Gurudeva or Śrī
Vyāsadeva. Therefore, gentlemen, we should surrender ourselves today at the feet of the represen-
tative of Śrī Vyāsadeva for the elimination of all our differences bred by our unsubmissive attitude.
It is accordingly said in Śrī Gītā [4.34]:
tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā

upadekśyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ
“Just approach the wise and bona fide spiritual master. Surrender unto him first and try to under-
stand him by inquiries and service. Such a wise spiritual master will enlighten you with transcen-
dental knowledge, for he has already known the Absolute Truth.”
To receive the transcendental knowledge we must completely surrender ourselves to the real
ācārya in a spirit of ardent inquiry and service. Actual performance of service to the Absolute
under the guidance of the ācārya is the only vehicle by which we can assimilate the transcen-
dental knowledge. Today’s meeting for offering our humble services and homage to the feet of
the Ācāryadeva will enable us to be favored with the capacity of assimilating the transcendental
knowledge so kindly transmitted by him to all persons without distinction.
Gentlemen, we are all more or less proud of our past Indian civilization, but we actually do
not know the real nature of that civilization. We cannot be proud of our past material civiliza-
tion, which is now a thousand times greater than in days gone by. It is said that we are passing
through the age of darkness, the Kali-yuga. What is this darkness? The darkness cannot be due
to backwardness in material knowledge, because we now have more of it than formerly. If not we
ourselves, our neighbors at any rate have plenty of it. Therefore, we must conclude that the dark-
ness of the present age is not due to a lack of material advancement, but that we have lost the clue
to our spiritual advancement, which is the prime necessity of human life and the criterion of the
highest type of human civilization. Throwing bombs from airplanes is no advancement of civiliza-
tion from the primitive, uncivilized practice of dropping big stones on the heads of enemies from
the tops of hills. Improvement in the art of killing our neighbors by means of machine guns and
poisonous gases is certainly no advancement from primitive barbarism, which prided itself on its
art of killing by bows and arrows. Nor does the development of a sense of pampered selfishness
prove anything more than intellectual animalism. True human civilization is very different from
all these states, and therefore in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad [1.3.14] there is the emphatic call:
uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata

kṣurasya dhārā niśitā duratyayā
durgaṁ pathas tat kavayo vadanti
“Please wake up and try to understand the boon which you now have in this human form of life.
The path of spiritual realization is very difficult; it is sharp like a razor’s edge. That is the opinion
of learned, transcendental scholars.”
Thus, while others were yet in the womb of historical oblivion, the sages of India had
developed a different kind of civilization, which enabled them to know themselves. They had
discovered that we are not at all material entities, but that we are all spiritual, permanent, and
indestructible servants of the Absolute. But because we have, against our better judgment, chosen
to completely identify ourselves with this present material existence, our sufferings have multi-
plied according to the inexorable law of birth and death, with its consequent diseases and anxiet-
ies. These sufferings cannot be really mitigated by any provision of material happiness, because
matter and spirit are completely different elements. It is just as if you took an aquatic animal out
of water and put it on the land, supplying all manner of happiness possible on land. The deadly

sufferings of the animal are not capable of being relieved at all until it is taken out of its foreign
environment. Spirit and matter are completely contradictory things. All of us are spiritual entities.
We cannot have perfect happiness, which is our birthright, however much we may meddle with
the affairs of the mundane things. Perfect happiness can by ours only when we are restored to our
natural state of spiritual existence. This is the distinctive message of our ancient Indian civiliza-
tion, this is the message of the Gītā, this is the message of the Vedas and the Purāṇas, and this is
the message of all the real ācāryas, including our present Ācāryadeva, in the line of Lord Caitanya.
Gentlemen, although it is imperfectly that we have been enabled, by his grace, to understand
the sublime messages of our Ācāryadeva, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Śrī
Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, we must admit that we have realized defi-
nitely that the divine message from his holy lips is the congenial thing for suffering humanity. All
of us should hear him patiently. If we listen to the transcendental sound without unnecessary
opposition, he will surely have mercy upon us. The ācārya’s message is to take us back to our orig-
inal home, back to God. Let me repeat, therefore, that we should hear him patiently, follow him
in the measure of our conviction, and bow down at his lotus feet for releasing us from our present
causeless unwillingness for serving the Absolute and all souls.
From the Gītā we learn that even after the destruction of the body, the ātmā, or the soul, is not
destroyed; he is always the same, always new and fresh. Fire cannot burn him, water cannot dis-
solve him, the air cannot dry him up, and the sword cannot kill him. He is everlasting and eternal,
and this is also confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [10.84.13]:
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

sva-dhiḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
“Anyone who accepts this bodily bag of three elements [bile, mucus, and air] as his self, who has
an affinity for an intimate relationship with his wife and children, who considers his land as wor-
shipable, who takes bath in the waters of the holy places of pilgrimage but never takes advantage
of those persons who are in actual knowledge—he is no better than an ass or a cow.”
Unfortunately, in these days we have all been turned foolish by neglecting our real comfort
and identifying the material cage with ourselves. We have concentrated all our energies for the
meaningless upkeep of the material cage for its own sake, completely neglecting the captive soul
within. The cage is meant for the undoing of the bird; the bird is not meant for the welfare of the
cage. Let us, therefore, deeply ponder this. All our activities are now turned toward the upkeep of
the cage, and the most we do is try to give some food to the mind by art and literature. But we do
not know that this mind is also material in a more subtle form. This is stated in the Gītā [7.4]:
bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā
“Earth, water, fire, air, sky, intelligence, mind, and ego are all My separated energies.”
We have scarcely tried to give any food to the soul, which is distinct from the body and mind;
therefore we are all committing suicide in the proper sense of the term. The message of the
Ācāryadeva is to give us a warning to halt such wrong activities. Let us therefore bow down at his
lotus feet for the unalloyed mercy and kindness he has bestowed upon us.
Gentlemen, do not for a moment think that my Gurudeva wants to put a complete brake on
the modern civilization—an impossible feat. But let us learn from him the art of making the best
use of a bad bargain, and let us understand the importance of this human life, which is fit for the

highest development of true consciousness. The best use of this rare human life should not be
neglected. As it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam [11.9.29]:
labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte

mānuṣyam arthadam anityam apīha dhīraḥ
tūrṇaṁ yateta na pated anumṛtyu yāvan
niḥśreyasāya viṣayaḥ khalu sarvataḥ syāt
“Human life is obtained after many, many births, and though it is temporary, it offers the highest
benefits. Thus a sober and intelligent man should immediately try to fulfill his mission and attain
the highest profit in life before another death occurs. He should avoid sense gratification, which is
available in all circumstances.”
Let us not misuse this human life in the vain pursuit of material enjoyment, or, in other words,
for the sake of only eating, sleeping, fearing, and sensuous activities. The Ācāryadeva’s message is
conveyed by the words of Śrī Rūpa Gosvāmī:
anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ

nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate
prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ

mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate
“One is said to be situated in the fully renounced order of life if he lives in accordance with Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. He should be without attachment for sense gratification and should accept only
what is necessary for the upkeep of the body. On the other hand, one who renounces things which
could be used in the service of Kṛṣṇa, under the pretext that such things are material, does not
practice complete renunciation.”
The purport of these ślokas can only be realized by fully developing the rational portion of
our life, not the animal portion. Sitting at the feet of the Ācāryadeva, let us try to understand
from this transcendental source of knowledge what we are, what is this universe, what is God,
and what is our relationship with Him. The message of Lord Caitanya is the message for the
living entities and the message of the living world. Lord Caitanya did not bother Himself for the
upliftment of this dead world, which is suitably named Martyaloka, the world where everything
is destined to die. He appeared before us four hundred fifty years ago to tell us something of the
transcendental universe, where everything is permanent and everything is for the service of the
Absolute. But recently Lord Caitanya has been misrepresented by some unscrupulous persons,
and the highest philosophy of the Lord has been misinterpreted to be the cult of the lowest type
of society. We are glad to announce tonight that our Ācāryadeva, with his unusual kindness,
saved us from this horrible type of degradation, and therefore we bow down at his lotus feet with
all humility.
Gentlemen, it has been a mania of the cultured (or uncultured) society of the present day
to accredit the Personality of Godhead with merely impersonal features and to stultify Him by
claiming that He has no senses, no form, no activity, no head, no legs, and no enjoyment. This
has also been the pleasure of the modern scholars due to their sheer lack of proper guidance and
true introspection in the spiritual realm. All these empiricists think alike: all the enjoyable things
should be monopolized by the human society, or by a particular class only, and the impersonal
God should be a mere order supplier for their whimsical feats. We are happy that we have been
relieved of this horrible type of malady by the mercy of His Divine Grace Paramahaṁsa Pari-
vrājakācārya Bhakti-siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. He is our eye-opener, our eternal

father, our eternal preceptor, and our eternal guide. Let us therefore bow down at his lotus feet on
this auspicious day.
Gentlemen, although we are like ignorant children in the knowledge of the Transcendence,
still His Divine Grace, my Gurudeva, has kindled a small fire within us to dissipate the invincible
darkness of empirical knowledge. We are now so much on the safe side that no amount of phil-
osophical argument by the empiric schools of thought can deviate us an inch from the position
of our eternal dependence on the lotus feet of His Divine Grace. Furthermore, we are prepared
to challenge the most erudite scholars of the Māyāvāda school and prove that the personality of
Godhead and His transcendental sports in Goloka alone constitute the sublime information of
the Vedas. There are explicit indications of this in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad [8.13.1]: śyāmāc chavalaṁ
prapadye śavalāc chyāmaṁ prapadye. “For receiving the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, I surrender unto His
energy [Rādhā], and for receiving the mercy of His energy, I surrender unto Kṛṣṇa.” Also, in the
Ṛg Veda [1.2.22.20]: tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayo divīva cakṣur ātataṁ … viṣṇor
yat paramaṁ padam. “The lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu are the supreme objective of all the demigods.
These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.”
The plain truth so vividly explained in the Gītā, which is the central lesson of the Vedas, is not
understood or even suspected by the most powerful scholars of the empiric schools. Herein lies
the secret of Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā. When we meditate on the transcendental pastimes of the Absolute
Godhead, we are proud to feel that we are His eternal servitors, and we become jubilant and
dance with joy. All glory to my divine master, for it is he who has out of his unceasing flow of
mercy stirred up within us such a movement of eternal existence. Let us bow down at his louts
feet.
Gentlemen, had he not appeared before us to deliver us from the thralldom of this gross
worldly delusion, surely we should have remained for lives and ages in the darkness of helpless
captivity. Had he not appeared before us, we would not have been able to understand the eternal
truth of the sublime teaching of Lord Caitanya. Had he not appeared before us, we could not
have been able to know the significance of the first śloka of Brahma-saṁhitā:
īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
“Kṛṣṇa, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual
body. He is the origin of all, He has no other origin, and He is the prime cause of all causes.”
Personally, I have no hope for any direct service for the coming crores of births of the sojourn
of my life, but I am confident that some day or other I shall be delivered from this mire of delu-
sion in which I am at present so deeply sunk. Therefore let me with all my earnestness pray at the
lotus feet of my divine master to allow me to suffer the lot for which I am destined due to my past
misdoings, but to let me have this power of recollection: that I am nothing but a tiny servant of
the Almighty Absolute Godhead, realized through the unflinching mercy of my divine master. Let
me therefore bow down at his lotus feet with all the humility at my command.
ABHAY CHARAN DAS

For Members, Śrī Gauḍīya Maṭha, Bombay

Homages from
the GBC
Acyutātmā Dāsa
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my obeisances.
I am indebted to you forever. In your purport on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.7.7, you point out that
“simply by hearing the Vedic literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, one can have direct connection with
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thereby one can attain the highest perfection
of life by transcending worldly miseries, illusion and fearfulness.”
bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā
Thank you for the unique opportunity to dive into the nectar of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Every morn-
ing I have a unique opportunity to listen to your lectures and instructions, which give me spiritual
strength and support my desire to serve your mission.
Last year, the Moscow saṅkīrtana devotees gave me your beautiful metal mūrti. It was made
using coins that people donated on saṅkīrtana.
Knowing that you were going to visit Moscow, the devotees suggested that you go to Hawaii
during the mango season. But you answered that “preaching in the snows of Russia is sweeter
than mango.”
Your words and your love enter deep into my heart.
In the year of the 50th anniversary of your arrival in Russia, we held a special book distribution
marathon, and devotees from the countries of the former USSR distributed more than 1 million
books in a year. All the devotees tried to please you.
May I continue to be useful in service to the mission of Lord Caitanya.
An insignificant servant of your servants,

Acyutātmā Dāsa
Anuttama Dāsa
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe

nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Just recently, a spacious new ISKCON temple was inaugurated in Naperville, Illinois, in sub-
urban Chicago, and beautiful marble Deities of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara were installed
during a gorgeous three-day festival. With the assistance of a cadre of highly trained ISKCON

priests from both India and the United States, participants observed three days of elaborate
vaiṣṇava-yajñas, rituals, and mantra chanting. ISKCON sannyāsīs, GBC members, gurus, temple
presidents, and other senior devotees were there to honor the event and share words of wisdom.
Youthful devotees (and some not so youthful!) led the thousands of attendees in hours of pro-
foundly inspiring kīrtana. Members of the US Congress, the Illinois House of Representatives,
the County Commissioner’s Office, and the City Council came in person to share their appreci-
ation for ISKCON and to give their support to this community and the new place of worship
established in their state, county, and city.
Later this year, another large and beautiful temple building will be inaugurated by ISKCON’s
community in the Washington, D.C. area, the nation’s capital – one of the most important cities
in the world. Here too, devotees of Kṛṣṇa will welcome this new place of worship with vaiṣṇava-
yajñas, kīrtana, feasting, pūjā, the presence of senior ISKCON leaders, and dignitaries from the
government, academia, and other religious communities.
New temples are also underway in other parts of the United States, including Columbus, Ohio,
and Parsippany, New Jersey. And, of course, other ISKCON initiatives like book distribution,
Ratha-yātrā, Kṛṣṇa House, Vaiṣṇava Care, Hare Kṛṣṇa Food Relief/Food for Life, and more,
continue to flourish, and plant and grow the seeds of bhakti across the country.
All of this growth, enthusiasm, and expansion is due to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. It was you who
had the vision to come to America. It was you who saw fit to engage half-crazed American youth
as your pioneer missionaries. It was you who reached out to the Indian diaspora (and those still in
India), asking them to take up and carry forward the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It was
you who envisioned (and built) beautiful temples in the lands of the mlecchas, who engaged the
downtrodden, who purified the forgetful, and who gave hope to the hopeless.
Now, as your disciples and granddisciples, it is our duty to remain faithful followers of your
mission, your teaching, your mood, and especially your example. Please bless us to know that our
connection to you goes deepest when we hanker and strive to understand your unending compas-
sion, your commitment to the order of your Guru Mahārāja, and your willingness to sacrifice for
others’ well-being.
This brief memory of you below is an eye-opening one. (Recalled by Prabhaviṣṇu Dāsa in the
Prabhupāda Memories series by Siddhānta Dāsa.)
Once I went into Prabhupāda’s room when he was sitting in the corner with his head
in his hand. He sat there for a few minutes with a pained expression on his face. Then
he looked up at me and said, “This Bombay project is such a headache. It is such a
headache.”
He paused and then said, “But it is for Kṛṣṇa, so it is all right.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes ISKCON devotees assume that everything you did to establish the
Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement came easily for you. The insight above, and others like it, give
us a more mature understanding. You bore many burdens, you tolerated many distressful and
painful conditions, and you made many personal sacrifices, all for the pleasure of Lord Kṛṣṇa and
your Guru Mahārāja, and to alleviate the suffering of the forgetful souls of this world.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless me, bless us, bless every member of ISKCON (so-called big
or small) to set aside our personal agendas, our argumentative natures, our petty bickering, our
seeds of sectarianism, and our unwillingness to sacrifice for the sake of cooperation so that we
may better manifest as that transcendental army of mercy you envisioned. We want to help you
carry your burdens for the Lord. We want to willingly and lovingly bear the headaches of awaken-
ing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, pure love of God, across the globe. We, too, want to learn to carry these
hardships as you showed us: “But, it is for Kṛṣṇa, so it is all right.”
HOMAGES FROM THE GBC 15

Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us to become mature sons and daughters, and grandsons and
granddaughters, so that together – despite our differences in generations and in cultures – we
will cooperatively carry forward your mission. Please bless us to always remain a united, strong,
loving, and exemplary International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Your servant,
Anuttama Dāsa
GBC Member and Minister of Communications
Badrinārāyaṇa Swami
“Essential truth spoken concisely is true eloquence.” (Cc., Ādi 1.106)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, due to his being on the highest level of spiritual realization, could present
Kṛṣṇa consciousness concisely and with great power and impact. This is the potency of an
empowered ācārya. Mukunda Mahārāja relates how the London devotees were invited to chant
on a Dutch radio show, but the radio station would only give Śrīla Prabhupāda a few minutes to
speak. When informed of this, Śrīla Prabhupāda replied: “I can explain the whole philosophy in
five minutes.”
Before the publishing of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, there were dozens of ver-
sions of the Gītā in English. However, these had not made one single genuine devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Yet when Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Bhagavad-gītā As It Is began to circulate, it created hundreds and
thousands of dedicated devotees all over the world.
Kṛṣṇa explains the reason why:
That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to
you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the
transcendental mystery of this science. (Bg. 4.3)
In 1974, I was on the campus of the University of Michigan with Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja. We
met a professor who was the chair of the Religious Studies department. Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja
asked him if he had read the Gītā. He replied: “Of course I have.” Mahārāja followed up: “Did
you understand it?” The professor was a little miffed and replied: “Of course I did.” Tamāla Kṛṣṇa
Mahārāja then asked the professor: “So what are you going to do now?” We watched as a look of
bewilderment washed over the professor’s face. The idea that the Gītā was a call to action, that its
message demanded serious changes on the part of the reader, had never entered the professor’s
mind.
Hari Śauri Prabhu relates how once, when Śrīla Prabhupāda was having his massage, his secre-
tary read a letter from a professor reviewing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. The professor wrote: “The
books from The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust are beautifully produced. The only problem is that
the author only stresses kṛṣṇa-bhakti.” Śrīla Prabhupāda slapped his hand on the massage mat and
said: “That is my success. I have written these books in such a way that no one can squeeze any
other meaning out of them but devotional service.”

As the conclusion of their dialogue, Kṛṣṇa asks Arjuna: “O son of Pṛthā, O conqueror of
wealth, have you heard this with an attentive mind? And are your ignorance and illusions now
dispelled?” (Bg. 18.72) Arjuna replies: “My dear Kṛṣṇa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I
have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to
act according to Your instructions.” (Bg. 18.73) What is the essence of those instructions by Kṛṣṇa?
“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me” and
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me.” (Bg. 18.65–66)
As we said at the beginning, one who has understood the message of the Gītā can then explain
it to others. Like an expert surgeon, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s words, infused with the deepest realiza-
tions, can enter the heart of the reader and accomplish the goal of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And
what is that goal?
That literature which is full with descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name,
fame, form, and pastimes of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a transcendental creation
meant to bring about a revolution in the impious life of a misdirected civilization.
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.11)
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu orders:
Distribute this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement all over the world. Let people eat these
fruits and ultimately become free from old age and death. (Cc., Ādi 9.39)
In a darśana in Detroit in 1975, Śrīla Prabhupāda said: “My ‘disease’ is that I cannot think small.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda set as his goal nothing less than to change the downward trajectory of the world
and to open wide the floodgates of the Golden Age of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Shortly before leaving for America on the Jaladuta, Śrīla Prabhupāda visited Śāntipur to pray
for the mercy of Śrī Advaita Ācārya. The mahānta of the temple narrated how he saw Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda quietly chanting on his beads and crying. As he knew Śrīla Prabhupāda, he inquired: “Why
are you crying?” Śrīla Prabhupāda replied: “My spiritual master has given me an impossible mis-
sion, but I must try for it.” Years later, the mahānta was shown a copy of Back to Godhead magazine
by some visiting ISKCON devotees. Looking through it and seeing photos of ISKCON devo-
tees and temples around the world, the mahānta began to exclaim in amazement: “He did it! He
actually did it!”
Mahātmā Prabhu relates how in July of 1970, when Śrīla Prabhupāda visited San Francisco
for the Ratha-yātrā festival, he came to the little ISKCON storefront on Fredrick Street. It had a
small temple room which was packed full of devotees from all over the West Coast and beyond.
When Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived, he hesitated at the front door before entering. Then, when sitting
on the vyāsāsana, instead of singing Jaya Rādhā-Mādhava, he sang the Gurv-aṣṭakam prayers. Later
in the day, devotees asked Śrīla Prabhupāda why he paused before entering and if there was a
specific reason why he sang the prayers to the spiritual masters. Śrīla Prabhupāda replied: “I was
inviting my spiritual master and the previous ācāryas to come and see the scene.”
The fact is that Śrīla Prabhupāda’s bold and “against-all-odds” desire to fulfill the will of Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu is still unfolding before our eyes. The international GBC has a weekly
Zoom call, and before wading into the agenda, each week there is a report by a different GBC
member about the activities in their area of responsibility for the last year. These short reports are
wonderful. Dedicated devotees are producing impressive and innovative results around the world.
Hearing of these is like hearing of the churning of the ocean of milk and all the mystical items
that came out of it.

The Lord brought the desire tree of devotional service to this earth and became its
gardener. He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His will. (Cc., Ādi 9.9)
The branches of the Caitanya tree formed a cluster or society, with great branches
covering all the universe. (Cc., Ādi 9.11)
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in his purport on verse 11: “Our International Society for Krishna
Consciousness is one of the branches of the Caitanya tree.”
ISKCON’s continuing success depends on the degree to which the “branch” of ISKCON stays
connected to the “tree” of Lord Caitanya’s will. That connection of empowerment is maintained
to the degree that we present Śrīla Prabhupāda’s message, standards, and practices without mod-
ification or dilution. Śrīla Prabhupāda said in a darśana in Detroit (June of 1976): “I have given
you the structure, just go and decorate it. Actually, I have even given you the decorations. Just go
and hang them.”
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please let me close with a prayer for your mercy. May we in ISKCON
always hold tight to your bold and determined spirit. May we be infused with your faith in the
power of the holy name. As you were convinced of the potency of your spiritual master’s order,
may we have the same confidence in the potency of your orders. May we share your conviction in
the guaranteed success of Lord Caitanya’s mission. May we always stay under the shelter of your
lotus feet.
Your insignificant servant,

Badrinārāyaṇa Swami
Bhakti Caitanya Swami

My dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you, the savior of the world and of me.
Time passes by. It seems like not long ago that I moved into the temple in London at 7 Bury
Place, near the British Museum and not far from Oxford St, the main street. Actually, it was 50
years ago, on January 7th this year.
You saved me from a fate worse than death. Locked into a way of life full of degradation and
unhappiness, I didn’t know which way to turn, and all the ways I tried turning were dead ends,
full of suffering and confusion.
I was frustrated with materialistic life, and as far as I was concerned, I was now retired, albeit
at the early age of 21 years. But it just didn’t seem worth it to persevere in working life, so I was
trying to find an alternative path, but it was so elusive.
Within about two weeks of moving into the temple I felt my life had become revolutionized.
My anxieties dissolved, and I felt a sense of positiveness I had not known before. As you said,
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in your Vyāsa-pūjā offering to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī in 1935:
Message of service
Thou has brought.

A healthful life
As Caitanya wrought.
Unknown to all
It’s full of brace.
That’s your gift
Your Divine Grace.
Where would I be if you had not entered my life, Śrīla Prabhupāda? I hate to think, but there’s
no doubt it would be far worse than where I am now. Where would the world be if you had not
come? Actually, the world is in a disastrous condition, and it just shows what can go wrong if
people do not follow your instructions. But even so, if you had not come, it would be far worse
than it is.
So now I have to try to follow you and make your mission my mission in life. People can
respond when Kṛṣṇa consciousness is presented to them, and many have. We just have to keep on
giving it to them and praying for the potency to become worthy instruments in your hands.
By your mercy, so much in my life has changed in these 50 years, but much more has to change.
I pray at your divine lotus feet to help me remain in your service until this body drops.
Your lowly servant,

Bhakti Caitanya Swami

Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami
Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace.
On the event of your appearance day celebration, I am going to remember some of your glories
by which I can be purified. You are very special, and your appearance in this material world has
brought so much auspiciousness. One of your godbrothers had said that Your Divine Grace is a
śaktyāveśa-avatāra. In scripture, it has been mentioned that, “Brahmāṇḍa tārite śakti dhare jane jane.
One person being empowered by the Lord can deliver the whole universe.”
Your Divine Grace is a perfect example of this scriptural verdict. No one in previous days
has done what you have done by bringing Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the globe. No previous
ācāryas have done it. But being empowered by them, you have been able to do this. That’s why it
is confirmed that Your Divine Grace is a śaktyāveśa-avatāra.
A Purāṇa has mentioned that once Bhakti Devī had told Nārada Muni that she would leave
Vṛndāvana and go to foreign countries. Your Divine Grace lived in Vṛndāvana for 12 years, then
carrying Bhakti Devī within your heart, traveled to foreign countries, fulfilling the desire of
Bhakti Devī to go to foreign countries.
Now Bhakti Devī has reached each country of this world. In recent days many religious leaders
and spiritualists are recognizing your greatness and glorifying Your Divine Grace in public during
their lectures. The ācāryas of other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas are feeling proud of Your Divine Grace,
who has spread the holy name all over the world.
Thank you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving me shelter at your lotus feet.
Your humble servant,

Bhakti Puruṣottama Swami
Bhaktivaibhava Swami
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
I am sitting here in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma to write my annual offering to His Divine Grace
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. As we are getting older now and our health is deteriorating,
Śrīla Prabhupāda, at the time at a similar age and fragile health condition, set off to the Western
world to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness far and wide. This is simply inconceivable. What austerities
he had to accept due to lacking any facilities compared to today’s well-established ISKCON
temples and congregation communities.
On his first visit to Hamburg, Germany, in 1969, the small temple had only a few devotees, who

greeted Śrīla Prabhupāda at the airport. They were sitting on a rug in the airport’s arrival hall and
holding kīrtana. When Śrīla Prabhupāda passed by the sitting devotees, they didn’t know whether
they should continue chanting or to get up and follow him. They were inexperienced and some-
what confused. No preaching engagements were arranged, except for with one Indology professor
from Hamburg University, who came to talk to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda tolerated. He
wanted to inspire the few newcomers in their practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In a small living
room, he sat on his bed with a harmonium and sang the ārati prayers while pūjā was being offered
to his small Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deities.
On his morning walks, only one devotee or sometimes a few accompanied Śrīla Prabhupāda.
One time, when he was accompanied by only one devotee, that devotee, in the middle of the walk,
paid his obeisances and said that he had to go to work. When Śrīla Prabhupāda visited Hamburg,
it was pretty chilly in the early hours. One morning, after returning from the morning walk, we
were waiting for the elevator, and Śivānanda was rubbing his hands together because of the cold.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “Are you cold?” and touched Śivānanda’s hands. “Feel my hand,” he said.
Śivānanda was surprised by how warm they were. Then Prabhupāda put his hands on Śivānanda’s
chest and said, “If you keep this part of the body warm, then the rest will be automatically warm.”
Prabhupāda was so kind and affectionate to his disciples. At the same time, he could be heavy
when it was necessary to train his disciples not to become slack and inattentive in their practice
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We greatly miss Śrīla Prabhupāda, and we pray to him for his mercy
and blessings to be able to properly continue with our spiritual life and serve his wonderful
International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s servant,

Bhaktivaibhava Swami
Bhaktimārga Swami


You Are Near
It does occasionally come to mind

That if you were to drop by at any time
Would you be pleased with what you see?
Is the house in order as it should be?

I’m sure you would witness some growth
The standing in queue for many taking their oath
Numbers have always been important to you
Whether people, land, schools, books, buildings anew
You may be informed many people have come and gone
At the same time, so many have just stayed on
Apostasy is a reality that would stir in you a reaction
For you are so thoroughly a person of compassion
You taught us to always take note of figures
Because it means we duly reflect on our mirrors
Deserving our count are sacred wisdom, food, and sound
These items identify our three stakes in the ground
Another gauge that would indicate we are moving
In our expansion, that māyā is so disapproving
Are the happy faces that destroy duress
Happy servants are a clear indicator of success
Conversely, you would not be proud of us when we fight
When the tyranny of “either/or” declares “I am right”
You made it known that bhakti is cooperation
A harmony of honey-coated hearts in collaboration
Frankly, it is odd to think you are not already here
Your laser perception breaks barriers, keeping you near
Our love for you is shown through our surrender
When we drop the tendency to be a big self-defender
We love you because you are the emblem of acceptance
Prabhupāda, in your equal vision, you make all of us dance
Your servant,
Bhaktimārga Swami

Bīr Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Goswami


Please accept my prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace.
I often tell the devotees that if they want to understand pure devotional service, they need to
study your qualities and pastimes so that they can appreciate your care for others, your determi-
nation in all circumstances, your dedication to the pleasure of your beloved spiritual master, Śrīla
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, your loving relationship with your godbrothers, your attach-
ment to the holy names, your love for the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and bhakti scriptures, your transcen-
dental humor, and your tolerance. I am certainly not capable of listing all of your qualities.
Daily I delve into the nectar of connecting with you. Daily I deepen my understanding and
appreciation of you. Daily I endeavor to follow your example.
I regularly watch the Śrīla Prabhupāda memory videos in which your other disciples reveal
their hearts and minds in relation to you by recalling their interactions with Your Divine Grace.
This soothes my troubled heart and enables me to come closer to you. My appreciation for you
increases exponentially by hearing these memories. I pray that I can serve you by always acting
devotionally with others as you have done.
Daily I listen to the recordings of your classes, morning walks, and conversations. In this way,
I learn how to present Kṛṣṇa consciousness properly according to time, place, and circumstance.
I can see that you were always conscious of the mission that you descended to this world to
perform. Your focus on your mission helps me understand the Gītā’s verse 2.41:
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām
“Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the
Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.”
By reading your books regularly, I appreciate more and more your deep understanding and
realization of Lord Caitanya’s teachings. Your ability to concisely present the ācāryas’ commen-
taries in a way that is understandable to us is amazing. Kṛṣṇa has empowered you to present the
highest spiritual truths to the world in a way that the common man can understand. This is amaz-
ing, considering that you are on the highest level of devotional service, yet out of your compas-
sion for us, you are taking us by the hand and leading us to the highest realizations.
I often marvel at nursery school teachers who can patiently teach at the level that 4-year-olds
can understand. Your reaching out to us is comparable to these teachers. We were infants yet, you
patiently, lovingly guided us and empowered us in many ways.

Gurudeva, give to this servant just one drop of mercy. I am lower than a blade of grass.
Give me all help. Give me strength. Let me be as you are, without desires or aspirations.
I offer you all respects, for thus I may have the energy to know you correctly. Then, by
chanting the holy name in great ecstasy, all my offenses will cease.
When will such mercy fall to this one who is weak and devoid of intelligence? Allow
me to be with you.
If you examine me, you will find no qualities. Your mercy is all that I am made of.
If you are not merciful unto me, I can only weep, and I will not be able to maintain
my life.
(Gurudeva! kṛpā-bindu-diyā, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura)
I pray that somehow or other I can obtain that determination to able to please you as you have
pleased your spiritual master. You have often told us that this is the secret of success. I know that
all my spiritual advancement is contingent upon my pleasing you.
Your servant,
Bīr Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Goswami
Candraśekhara Ācārya Dāsa

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace, all glories to your
ISKCON Society, and all glories to your followers.

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His
lotus feet.

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī.
You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western
countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
One of my favorite prayers, among the many wonderful prayers written by generations of great
Vaiṣṇavas, is the prayer written by Your Divine Grace upon your arrival in America on September
17th, 1965, entitled Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma or “Preaching Bhāgavata-dharma in America.”
So as not to make this offering too long, I summarize your prayer below.
My dear Lord Kṛṣṇa, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have

brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. But I guess You have some busi-
ness here; otherwise, why would You bring me to this terrible place? O Lord, I am simply praying
for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message. I am very unfortunate,
unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore, I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince
them, for I am powerless to do so on my own. O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply
repeat Your message, so if You like, You can make my power of speaking suitable for their under-
standing. O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance,
then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like. I have no devotion,
nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. I have been des-
ignated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
On the day of your appearance, we endeavor to better remember you, your qualities, character,
and mood in fulfilling the mission given to you by Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. As your
followers, we aim and pray to be able to imbibe this mood in our own small efforts to assist you in
fulfilling the instructions of your spiritual master.
Among your numerous wonderful qualities, this prayer reveals some of them, your humility,
determination, faith in the message of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the holy name, dependence on
Lord Kṛṣṇa, as well as your compassionate heart. It is because of all these qualities that we had,
and many in the future will continue to have, the opportunity to come into contact with Lord Cai-
tanya’s mercy and teachings.
Another favorite prayer is Ohe! Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura. I include verses 3
and 4 in this offering.
I do not find the strength to carry on alone the saṅkīrtana of the holy name of Hari.
Please bless me by giving me just one drop of faith with which to obtain the great trea-
sure of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is yours. You have the power to give Him to me. I
am simply your servant running behind you shouting, “Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!”
In this difficult material world and the more difficult Kali-yuga, we can be reminded of and take
shelter in these words. Without your blessings and strength, we are unable to do anything mean-
ingful. I thus pray to you to continue to bless and empower all your followers, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
so that I/we can better represent you, your example, qualities, and mood, and continue to assist
you, in whatever small way possible, in fulfilling the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Your unworthy servant,

Candraśekhara Ācārya Dāsa

Devakīnandana Dāsa


lotus feet.
On the occasion of your blessed Vyāsa-pūjā, I recall a powerful verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
that suitably describes your transcendental qualities. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.14.16, Lord Kṛṣṇa
declares to Uddhava as follows:
nirapekṣaṁ muniṁ śāntaṁ nirvairaṁ sama-darśanam

anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ
With the dust of My devotees’ lotus feet I desire to purify the material worlds, which are
situated within Me. Thus, I always follow the footsteps of My pure devotees, who are free
from all personal desire, rapt in thought of My pastimes, peaceful, without any feelings
of enmity, and of equal disposition everywhere.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you displayed all the above qualities when you traversed the world spread-
ing the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement far and wide. You were nirapekṣam – free of all material
desires. Your only desire was to establish Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and
invoke the love of God in the hearts of the living entities. You never demanded anything for
yourself, but were prepared to perform any service so that Kṛṣṇa consciousness could advance.
This was because, all that while, you were munim – always thinking of assisting Kṛṣṇa in His
pastimes. You tolerated all other personal considerations and bodily difficulties; you tolerated
all the challenges the movement faced, both externally and internally, just so you could serve the
Lord and your spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. And
because you were absorbed in serving the Supreme Lord, you remained śāntam – peaceful – in all
situations. No matter how pressing matters were in ISKCON, whether it was the challenging legal
situation in Juhu, Mumbai, or the insidious attempts to minimize your position as ISKCON’s
founder-ācārya, you continued your devotional service and programs wherever you went, teaching
us that devotional service to the Lord must continue uninterrupted and unmotivated in the midst
of all material challenges.
Even when you were as heavy as a thunderbolt with your disciples or others who challenged
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you had no enmity toward them, only compassion for the fallen souls who
had become misguided in Kali-yuga and veered away from their constitutional position as eternal

servants of the Lord. While you had to wear the hat of discrimination to preach Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness, you often showed us that, deep inside, you possessed an equal disposition – sama-darśanam –
to everyone, only as a pure devotee – uttama-adhikārī – can. Anyone who had the fortune of
meeting you felt touched by your purity, your humility, and your genuine concern, care, and com-
passion for them – the hallmarks of a pure devotee of the Lord.
As Kṛṣṇa explains to Uddhava, because of all these qualities that you displayed, Kṛṣṇa Himself
followed your hallowed footsteps to purify the material world, and He no doubt continues to
bless this movement you so carefully and with great effort started.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your actions are ours to follow. The symptoms of Kali-yuga deepen and
worsen every day, and sometimes they threaten the society you carefully nurtured and built.
Despite these challenges, I remain confident that, with your blessings, the Supreme Lord will look
favorably on us as your followers to continue to share Kṛṣṇa consciousness with one and all in the
mood of love and compassion that you established in our hearts.
I can never repay you for granting me an opportunity to serve the Lord in my current service,
and I pray to the Lord that I stay forever under the shelter of your lotus feet and always remain
engaged in the sublime service of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.
Your servant,
Devakīnandana Dāsa (MVG)
Singapore
Devāmṛta Swami
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet, my only shelter in the unremitting
storm known as material existence.
When I contemplate the utter wreckage of my life before encountering your mercy, I shudder
and shake.
During BP – the appalling years before Prabhupāda – I superficially thrived as a Manhattan
enjoyer, externally living a privileged, educated life of elitist benefits. Internally, however, I was a
desert, an existential wasteland.
Society goaded and pressured me, reassuring: “You’ve scaled the mountain to the pinnacle –
now breathe the rarified atmosphere and delight.” Nevertheless, the thought terrified me: “Is this
all that be – the one who dies with the most toys and acclaim wins?”
The overpowering cosmic reality seemed “nothingness is.” A nihilistic pseudo-siddhānta reigned
supreme: “On this crazy planet, devise your own truth, make your own light, as your brief life
fades in and out of the vast darkness, coldness, and indifference of the universe.”
The paribhāsa śūtra guiding whatever Kali-yuga fleeting relationships: “Don’t try to lead me,
don’t try to follow me; just walk together with me through the chaos.”
Dispelling the spiritual and material deadliness of such massive inner devastation, you brought
me back to the infinitely attractive Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, especially as They combine as Śrī Cai-
tanya Mahāprabhu. Not only did you give us the consciousness of Them, but also you lavished
upon us knowledge of Their pure devotional service, the most precious gem.

Among the six characteristics of pure devotional service that Rūpa Gosvāmī describes, the trait
of rareness is stunning. Knowing this, how can we ever dare to think we deserve the opportunity
to render even neophyte bhakti – what to speak of a possibility to serve in spotless devotion?
Our material qualifications and achievements cannot even interest Kṛṣṇa, to say nothing
of attracting Him to us. Consequently, I seem trapped in a paradox, a spiritual cul-de-sac, no
through road ahead.
The standard of pure devotion is so atypical and anomalous it sounds beyond supernatural. Yet
nothing else can attract Kṛṣṇa. What to do?
Only your eternal status as a pure devotee can resolve my dilemma. Nothing else will suffice.
If I selflessly serve your lotus feet, the impossible attainment of śuddha-bhakti becomes within
reach. Because of you, Kṛṣṇa can agree to notice me and my juvenile attempts at pleasing Him.
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura declares the reality of your place in my life: “Kṛṣṇa is yours; you have
the power to give Him to me. I am simply running behind you shouting, ‘Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!’ ”
Please establish this fallen soul in your service, which will allow Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and
Śrī Pañca-tattva to shine Their grace upon me.
Your hopeful servant,

Devāmṛta Swami
Gaurāṅga Dāsa
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Most respected Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you, Gurudeva! All glories to Śrī Guru and
Śrī Gaurāṅga!
I consider myself extremely fortunate to be writing this Vyāsa-pūjā offering, and I request you
to please accept it at your lotus feet. I see this as an opportunity to learn from your pastimes, seek
inspiration, and share some of those, learning to cleanse my heart.
Your earthly pastimes are a lesson on how to embrace diversity and inculcate unity in the
populace in a world rampant with conflict and chaos. It’s indeed a miracle to read the story of
a 70-year-old person boarding a cargo ship to New York to successfully start a movement that
would stand the test of time and constantly expand across geographies, ethnicities and races,
different lifestyles, and across multiple language-speaking communities. I am blessed to receive a
droplet of your mercy as I got to serve you in the mission.
In material parlance, for someone to achieve such a scale of success at that phase of life is
unprecedented. Steve Jobs, a beneficiary of your movement, once remarked, “we are here to put
a dent in the universe.” No one created as deep and as wide a dent as you did, Śrīla Prabhupāda;
you have transformed the hearts of thousands of people, who in turn transformed the hearts of
millions of people. You set in motion a chain reaction that would last through the Golden Age of
this Kali-yuga, as predicted by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Today, there is a lot of talk about remote work, hybrid work, proximity bias, etc., and what it
takes to run a large organization using people-centric AI technologies. You are a pioneer here,
too, as you remotely managed an organization as global as ISKCON in the 1960s–70s, running
tens of temples, preaching centers, and farm communities through letters, which would reach

innumerable recipients after many days and years. There were no emails or messenger apps for
instant communication in those days. Yet, the devotees felt listened to, connected, and felt a sense
of belonging to a community that spread worldwide. What made this happen (sometimes seen as
a miracle) was your personal purity, your unflinching faith in Kṛṣṇa, and your submissiveness to
the instructions of your Guru Mahārāja.
To run a global organization of the scale of ISKCON requires intent and leadership to estab-
lish unity in diversity. While there are many instances, let me quote just one letter of yours (and
deep-mine the richness within it,) that clearly demonstrates your broadmindedness and leadership
to inspire unity in diverse communities. With this analysis and dissection, I humbly attempt to
share my learning, inspiration, and appreciation for you, which will contribute to my purification.
The following are some excerpts from your letter to Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami, dated Novem-
ber 2, 1973.
With regard to Dallas Mohanananda has now come to Bombay, and because our Giriraj
is returning to the U.S.A. on account of his health. Mohanananda is advised to act as
acting president. If you have no objection, he may stay for at least three months.
Your words “If you have no objection …” show your deep respect for the devotees and the servant
leadership you have demonstrated before your disciples, ensuring everybody feels listened to
and that every voice matters. As the leader of the movement, you could have just instructed, but
you wanted to factor in the convenience of the other person. In such a diversely cultured society,
respectfulness is the fulcrum, and you have demonstrated this time and again. One such example
is the above.
Regarding the black lady in Cleveland, if she is actually serious about Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness, give her a little freedom. Just behave with her a little gently, so she may be encour-
aged to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness amongst the blacks. Actually, if she preaches the
importance of this movement amongst the blacks, it will be more effective. This racial
color distinction may continue, but when a devotee is actually advanced, these things
will disappear. As your President Lincoln gave the blacks equal rights, let us cooperate
with them.
Black Lives Matter protests are the order of the day even today, nearly six decades after the civil
rights movement in the United States between 1945–1968. The George Floyd protests of July
2020 sowed seeds for #Blacklivesmatter, but the discrimination against this community has been
a topic of deep concern for centuries now. Amidst all that happened, before your appearance,
during your earthly pastimes, and today, after your disappearance, to read this excerpt of your
letter is heartwarming. How forward-looking you were, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
There is a lot that we can learn from this excerpt. This shows your compassion for the lady
belonging to a discriminated community when you request for a little freedom to be given. In
fact, the theme for 2023’s International Women’s Day was #EmbraceEquity. You practiced this
way back in 1973, fully aware of the social challenges women in that community faced. When you
asked for a little freedom to be given in that “equity,” you were willing to contextualize it appro-
priately. Besides, quoting Lincoln showed your willingness to align with the political order of the
day then, which was extremely important for preaching programs to achieve groundswell support
among the masses.
Last but not least, you demonstrated practicality in preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness when you
suggested that the lady preaches only to the Blacks – a well-demonstrated instance of the chain
reaction you set in motion.

Regarding the rascal Bharati, yes, capture this rascal and defeat him in debating, and
prove him as a rascal Number one.
In total contrast to the tone of the first two excerpts is in the third one above, where you show
absolutely no compromise in presenting philosophy; you show no mercy to bogus philosophers,
and you always urge your followers to expose them so that the common public is not cheated, but
rather saved from Māyāvādīs. This shows your conviction in the philosophy and your leadership
to ensure followers walk the path right without deviation, and you lead by example on all fronts.
As I read of many such instances in the Līlāmṛta, I sometimes wonder how I wish I had had the
physical association of my grand–spiritual master. Having said that, let me recall your words of
instruction on this matter, and I shall follow this to the tee and seek guidance accordingly.
Just as a devoted wife becomes afflicted at the passing away of her husband, when a spir-
itual master passes away, the disciple becomes similarly bereaved. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
4.28.50, purport)
However, the disciple and the spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual
master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple strictly follows the
instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vāṇī (words). Physical
presence is called vapuḥ. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple
should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is
no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual
master. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.47, purport)
In the Śīkṣāṣṭakam prayers, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu calls out,
ayi nanda-tanūja kiṅkaraṁ

patitaṁ māṁ viṣame bhavāmbudhau
kṛpayā tava pāda-paṅkaja-
sthita-dhūlī-sadṛśaṁ vicintaya
O son of Mahārāja Nanda (Kṛṣṇa), I am Your eternal servitor, yet somehow or other I
have fallen into the ocean of birth and death. Please pick me up from this ocean of death
and place me as one of the atoms at Your lotus feet.
I seek your blessings, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this auspicious day of your divine appearance so that
one day, by your mercy, I can reach the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa as one of the atoms there.
Having said this, I am also aware of the prized position I am already in by getting the opportu-
nity to serve you in this eternal mission.
As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.3):
manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye

yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who
have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.

I consider myself very fortunate to be in the association of exalted Vaiṣṇavas in your mission, and
I seek your blessings to guide me in my service.
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Daṇḍavat praṇāmas unto your lotus feet, Gurudeva!
Your ever-humble servant,

Gaurāṅga Dāsa
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
This year we are celebrating your 127th appearance anniversary. With the passage of each day,
your fame is increasing in every corner of the globe. Leaders around the world are appreciating
your contribution to humanity.
After Rūpa Gosvāmī resigned from his government service, Lord Caitanya instructed him to
go to Vṛndāvana and write books on devotional service, identify places where the Lord performed
transcendental pastimes, and construct temples. You also gave similar instructions to your disci-
ples. Currently, we have nine temples under construction in North India. By your mercy, all these
temples have unique architectural designs. In March and April, we opened two more temples.
One was in Gurgaon, the other the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma temple and gurukula. The Chief Minister of
Uttar Pradesh appreciated the society’s work in spreading Vedic culture, including taking care of
cows.
The important instructions you gave are:
1) Always stay in ISKCON and never leave ISKCON.
2) Chant 16 rounds every day and read your books.
3) Distribute your books.
4) Keep our temples neat and clean.
5) Worship our temple Deities opulently.
6) Distribute kṛṣṇa-prasāda. You wanted everybody who came to our temple to be served
prasāda – as they do in gurudwaras and Tirupati temples.
7) Follow the GBC – “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with one another.”
Everything you wanted us to do is there in your books, in your dialogues while preaching to devo-
tees and friends. Recently we celebrated the silver jubilee of your Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathi temple
and the golden jubilee of Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathi’s installation. The Deities were installed by you in
Delhi 50 years ago. Your Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathi temple opened in 1998. This temple, now known
as the mother temple, has given birth to temples in Punjabi Bagh, Noida, Rohini, Bahadurgarh,
Dwarka, Faridabad, 2 in Ghaziabad, two temples in Ludhiana, and Chippiwada, your office
before you sailed to America.
The honorable Prime Minister of India sent a powerful message to your ISKCON. He said:
It is heartening to learn about the Silver Jubilee celebrations of ISKCON Delhi.

Greetings and best wishes to everyone associated with ISKCON Delhi, as well as the
innumerable devotees of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa not just in Delhi but across the nation and
the world over.
For the last two-and-half decades, ISKCON Delhi has bound together the fraternity of
devotees of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the strand of Bhakti. Guided by His divine inspira-
tion, it continues to work with a collective spirit.
The selfless efforts of ISKCON Delhi to render service to humanity through commu-
nity service are commendable. ISKCON temples are spiritual and social hubs, upholding
the highest traditions of service and devotion.
The moving force behind the establishment of ISKCON, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s life and
teachings, continue to resonate across the world. His endeavor to further spread the
divine message of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is truly inspiring.
A beacon of hope for every individual and society, the essence of Bhagavad Gītā
continues to guide humanity the world over. Drawing strength from this scripture, the
ISKCON family has made innumerable efforts to promote compassion, harmony and
brotherhood.
During my visit to ISKCON Delhi, I was deeply impressed by the manner in which
the temple has become a symbol of ‘Bhāratiyata’.
The President of India’s message was also encouraging. In her address, she stated:
I am delighted to know that ISKCON New Delhi is celebrating its Silver Jubilee on
April 5, 2023.
ISKCON has been at the vanguard of a global spiritual revival, especially by estab-
lishing Sanātana Dharma as the way of life. ISKCON’s temples across the world act as
centers of spiritual learning, nurturing values, peace and prosperity through invoking
love of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Every temple is a ‘spiritual shelter’ built to liberate us from fears and ignorance
through knowledge and lift our spirits. ISKCON is now a world-famous destination for
visitors and tourists to learn more about Hindu culture and the great teachings of the
Vedas and the Bhagavad-gītā as well as the chanting of ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa’.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you were a true Vaiṣṇava who appeared to save the suffering humanity. Your
followers are trying their best to take your message to every corner – including tribal and village
preaching. On this auspicious day, I beg you for your mercy so that I may continue to serve
you. I do have some health issues, but by your causeless mercy, it seems to be in control. May I
become a servant of all the Vaiṣṇavas and continue to serve in your ISKCON movement, which
is non-different from your body. You often stated that ISKCON was your body and book distri-
bution was your heart. You will be pleased to hear that in Pakistan, your BBT and ISKCON are
legally registered. They are working actively to publish your books in the Urdu language. All over
the world, your books are being appreciated.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, since I first met you in Montreal on June 1st, 1968, you have always been very
compassionate toward a fallen soul like myself. I want to beg that you may continue to be merci-
ful to a fool like myself. May your fame and preaching continue to spread in every corner of the
globe. May you be recognized as the most compassionate preacher who appeared to propagate
Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement.
Your eternal servant,

Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami

Govardhana Dāsa
The Greatest Ambassador of Benevolence

Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace. All glories to your ISKCON. All glories to your BBT. All glories to all your devotees.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I come before you again, as I have done over the last decades, on the occa-
sion of your Vyāsa-pūjā celebration, to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude. You wrote
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.10, mandāḥ sumanda-matayo manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ – that man is
most unfortunate; they have short lives, are misguided, and most of all, they are upadrutāḥ, always
disturbed. Yet out of your love and compassion you set out to reverse this pitiful situation.
Somehow, I have met Your Divine Grace through the pages of your books. You saved me from
pursuing a misdirected life. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the greatest ambassador of benevolence.
You carried in your heart the evangelistic spirit and determination to share the most valuable
knowledge of devotional service with the world. This desire – to share, give and save – permeates
our Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya-sampradāya.
At the time of creation Lord Brahmā, the first citizen of this material universe, held in his
hands a book and japa beads. Śrīla Vyāsadeva, in his deep samādhi, foresaw the devastating effects
of Kali-yuga and gave the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Then the Six Gosvāmīs wrote over one hundred
books on the science of devotion. Śrīla Kavirāja Gosvāmī, at an advanced age, wrote the Caitanya-
caritāmṛta. Noting that a version of the Rāmāyaṇa, written in Bengali, was greatly appreciated in
West Bengal, he wrote the Caitanya-caritāmṛta in the Bengali language, although he was a great
Sanskrit scholar. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sent the first book on Lord Caitanya to the West,
and he taught his son Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura about paper and the printing
press and he, in turn, ordered you to preach in the English language.
In essence, your mood and mission were informed by the previous ācāryas. Your love and com-
passion for humanity flow through the pages of your books. You wanted to give the most unfor-
tunate the most valuable gift. And so, you gave the galitaṁ phalam – the ripened fruit of the Vedic
knowledge in the form of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. You translated and commented on the emperor
of all scriptures until your last breath. You started Back to Godhead magazine in 1944. Today over
a million copies a month are distributed. In 1972, you formed The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
and directed that it should “print as many books in as many languages …” Since then, someone
on the planet has received one of your books every three seconds. Anxious to give us the Tenth
Canto, you paused your translation and gave us the Kṛṣṇa book. Anxious to give us the Caitanya-
caritāmṛta, you paused your translation of the Third Canto and gave us the Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
All the while, you gave us 2,200 recorded lectures, 1,300 recorded conversations, and you
penned over 6,000 letters. You also gave us prasāda, chanting of the holy names, a global home
to live in, and the association of wonderful Vaiṣṇavas. Devotees of every nationality are all united
in their diversity due to their intense love for you. There is no record of anyone giving as much
as you did, and for this, the world remains indebted. Just as the beauty of a mountain cannot be
appreciated when we are in close proximity to it, its towering beauty and prowess become more
distinct to us as we go further away from it. In a similar way, the world will fully grasp your glori-
ous contribution with the passing of time.
While your movement is institutionally an infant, it is destined to redirect the course of history.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you will be celebrated as the transmitter of the highest truth. You had so little
facility, but your conviction was great. You were able to multiply that faith capital, and today we

have a worldwide community of dedicated Vaiṣṇavas working tirelessly to fulfill your order. Your
inspirational and navigational leadership will continue to inspire your followers to share this
most valuable gift for generations to come. You were an inspirational leader who empowered your
followers to do the impossible. And for you, they would carry a mountain on their back. Śrīla
Prabhupāda, you influenced art, literature, Vedic ecology, diet, and lifestyle.
You were so aware of the state of the free-spirited world that you expertly framed your purports
and messages, keeping intact the doctrinal integrity and message spoken at the time of creation.
The same message is being delivered to the most disqualified hedonistic society.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are a genius in the way you have conceived and developed your move-
ment. By divine dispensation, your movement continues to grow and strengthen. In your pur-
port to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.15.15, you proclaim that ISKCON is the sound incarnation of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Your movement is a safe house in this age.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I thank you again and again for everything you have done and for every-
thing you have given us. Please forgive me for my unlimited offenses, and I pray that I will one
day become a useful instrument in your service.
All glories to Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
Your struggling grandson,

Govardhana Dāsa
Guru Prasāda Swami



My offering to you this year is from the perspective of my present service as a GBC member,
as well as a member of the Executive Committee. I have found that in these services I vicariously
experience the rewards and difficulties that occur during our devotional service by seeing it
reflected in others.
Your life, which I consider has been orchestrated by the divine energy Yogamāyā to give an
example of how to conduct every aspect of a Vaiṣṇava’s life and behavior, is the sterling and ideal
standard for all devotees in ISKCON. At every stage of your manifested external pastime, you
created a precedent for the world to follow.
Apart from all your glorious preaching, the perfect example of strictly following the process
of bhakti and your unwavering determination to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the world, your
life was fraught with difficulties. We see the same in the lives of our paramparā and those of all
great Vaiṣṇava devotees. Such difficulties also manifest in the lives of every progressing devotee.
You have given us the solution to accepting the transcendental knowledge coming from your
books, lectures, and writings. However, your example, at least in my case, has been the source

of fortitude and determination to continue unaffected by the external circumstances. It is very
easy in an atmosphere of so many challenges that we are facing at this present moment to simply
go off on one’s own, seeing the differences between ISKCON when you were present and the
multifarious trials and tribulations that we are facing today. Difficulties will always be there, but
as Queen Kuntī expresses, we can envision them as opportunities to become more attached and
dependent on Kṛṣṇa and your guidance:
vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat tatra tatra jagad-guro

bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād apunar bhava-darśanam
I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You
again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and
deaths. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.25)
We cannot expect those affected by the results of errors and misjudgments by our leadership
throughout the years to accept it and go on as if nothing has happened. I can’t presume that
those of us in leadership positions will come up with viable solutions so that ISKCON can go on
and accomplish what you desired it to do. Therefore, I see your life and examples as the beacon
and the anchor that allow us to act in such a way that to be inspirational for the present devotees
and future generations. I can only beg you to help me develop the sensitivity to properly apply
your instructions and examples in such a way that devotees will see how ISKCON is the very best,
and for the major part of the world population, the only opportunity to go back home back to
Godhead. Certainly, everything you have written and spoken is sufficient in itself. Nevertheless,
only by deep prayer, introspection, and increasing our dependence on your teachings can I hope
to achieve to be part of an outcome that will be pleasing to you.

Guru Prasāda Swami
Hṛdaya Caitanya Dāsa

Dear most Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you on your auspicious Vyāsa-pūjā day.
I am very confident that you, as my spiritual grandfather, are the direct representative of Śrīla
Vyāsadeva because you are distributing the nectar churned out of the ocean of the Vedas by Śrīla
Vyāsadeva.
The Vedas state that the spiritual master is the most important representative because he
reveals the ultimate objective of the Vedas, namely to reveal the identity of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.
By your blessings, that revelation can become manifest in the heart of the conditioned souls
because you have become empowered by the Lord to bestow that mercy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the most qualified to decide what are the best books for us to study.
You defined Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Caitanya-caritāmṛta as the primary, secondary,

and postgraduate study to help us in the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with the ultimate aim to
develop love of Godhead.
You gave us the holy name and the beautiful process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the spiritual
morning and evening programs, and the vows to enhance and protect our sādhana.
You gave us the nine processes of devotional service, which invite us to be fully engaged in
Kṛṣṇa’s service in a variety of ways.
You taught your followers the importance of cooking for Kṛṣṇa, and serving and honoring
prasāda.
You explained the importance and benefits of living in the association of devotees.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is sitting in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul,
waiting for the living entity to turn toward Him and recognize Him as his dearest friend.
Your mission is fulfilled if you see that your disciples, granddisciples, and further generations
of devotees come to the point of realizing that this material world is a place of misery, that we
are not this body, and that we are eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, and we ultimately
develop genuine and spontaneous love for Kṛṣṇa.
When you were asked about the difference between mind and soul, you explained that the
mind is not spiritual; it’s a subtle material form, while the spirit soul, the jīva, is superior energy.
You further explained that when the soul becomes captivated and enjoys in the material world
instead of rendering service to Kṛṣṇa, that’s the beginning of his falldown, his false ego.
The mind and senses become repositories of lust, and the next step is that the intelligence, the
immediate next-door neighbor of the spirit soul, becomes the capital of such lustful propensities.
This then results in the spirit soul becoming addicted to enjoying the material senses and mistak-
ing this as true happiness.
I pray to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this auspicious day that I may realize your teachings and
become free of this polluted intelligence, because it is a great obstacle and diametrically opposed
to what we want to achieve in our spiritual life.
Your servant,
Jayapatākā Swami
My dear spiritual father,


You have brought the mercy of Nitāi-Gaura around the world. Lord Caitanya told Lord
Nityānanda that “We have descended from the spiritual world with the express promise and
purpose of delivering the foolish, the fallen, the lowborn, and the distressed.” I qualified in all

four aspects before becoming a devotee. You have made good fortune for all devotees around the
world by giving them the divine glance of Lord Nityānanda.
I saw how tirelessly you woke up at midnight, every night, and for 3–4 hours, you were writing
your translations and purports for the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and different kinds of literature. This
was a great sacrifice you made, and you chose your words very carefully while writing these books.
So in your presence, you held the Bhakti-śāstrī exam, which I took, and by your mercy, I could
pass and receive my Bhakti-śāstrī degree. I noticed that you wanted everyone who takes second
initiation to have the Bhakti-śāstrī degree. For sannyāsa, they should have Bhakti-vaibhava, and
even in some letters you said that to be a guru to give initiation, a person should have the Bhakti-
vedānta degree, and you were hoping that everyone, men and women, would read your books and
would take these degrees.
Actually, in 1969, the definition of a Bhakti-vedānta was someone who had studied the whole
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam plus Teachings of Lord Caitanya. And now Bhakti-Sārvabhauma would mean
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta. You wanted that people should read your books, and
they prove they are reading your books by having these exams. I have been trying to fulfill your
desire, I have a Bhakti-vaibhava degree, and I am studying now for my Bhakti-vedānta degree.
Although I have read your books many times, you told us that to get the first initiation, we had to
read the Bhagavad-gītā ten times. You were very insistent that we should know the philosophy and
should read your books, and I see this as a very important milestone that we should implement
in ISKCON. I am praying that by your mercy, we can make your vision come true, that everyone
in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement reads your books and gets their degrees. Sometimes devo-
tees are very proud that they have not read your books and they don’t have any degree. Maybe
this is not as important for the disciples who knew you personally. But as the generations go on,
the only way they can realize they can associate with you is mainly through your books. So, I do
hope that reading your books becomes a preoccupation with everybody. I remember how you
were explaining that if someone asks a book distributor what is in the book, and the distributor
says, “I don’t know, I just sell the books” – you did not want that. They should know what is in
the book; they should believe, they should preach it, they should give it out – how can we achieve
that? Your vision was that we have degrees. So I want to see that your vision is implemented. Our
present Minister of Education also wants to encourage everyone to read your books. I think this
is very enthusiastic and encouraging. And I pray for your mercy that we can base our growing
society on your Kṛṣṇa conscious teachings. Everyone has some different aspect or different idea
based on the same scriptures.
The scripture is Kṛṣṇa Himself, which is absolute. But different scriptures say different things
in different situations. So we need a judge to understand how to apply the scriptures. You are the
judge – you are the person who tells us how to understand the scriptures and how to apply this
transcendental knowledge. I want your glories to be understood by all the generations.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

All glories to your sincere followers.
Your servant of the servant,

Jayapatākā Swami

Kavicandra Swami


Devotees ask about my experiences with you. I have to say that for intimate vapuḥ, almost none. I
was blessed to attend many classes and to follow along on a few morning walks. We were told not
to write to you so you could translate and compose your Bhaktivedanta purports. You kindly gave
unlimited access to your vāṇī with your books and made sure that your lectures were recorded.
Also, we were able to hear about you from those who did serve you personally. No one tires of
hearing your glories.
So I have to answer that my association with you is the same as what is available to anyone:
vāṇī and service. In the early days, it was mostly reading your books and distributing your books.
The recordings came later.
Recently we were reading about Lord Śiva drinking the ocean of poison:
Thereafter, Lord Śiva, who is dedicated to auspicious, benevolent work for humanity,
compassionately took the whole quantity of poison in his palm and drank it. (SB 8.7.42)
It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the
suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart. (SB 8.7.44)
Immediately I thought of you. The purport makes it clear why:
Here is an explanation of how those engaged in activities for the welfare of others are
very quickly recognized by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord says in
Bhagavad-gītā (18.68–69), ya idaṁ paramaṁ guhyaṁ mad-bhakteṣv abhidhāsyati … na ca
tasmān manuṣyeṣu kaścin me priya-kṛttamaḥ: “One who preaches the message of Bhagavad-
gītā to My devotees is most dear to Me. No one can excel him in satisfying Me by
worship.” There are different kinds of welfare activities in this material world, but the
supreme welfare activity is the spreading of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
You risked everything crossing the ocean to remove the “impersonal calamity” that was spreading
widely, nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. You saved us who were foolishly trying to imitate
Lord Śiva.
Devotees ask me how I have kept going for so many years. Just remembering what you did
for us is enough. You were named Abhay, “fearless,” by your father. Like Lord Śiva, you were not
afraid.
Recently it was Rāma-navamī, so we heard much about the glories of Hanumān. I also remem-
bered your qualities and how you are like Hanumān. You fearlessly crossed the ocean for the
pleasure of your Lord. You faced and conquered many obstacles along the way, notably two heart

attacks. You were surprised at how many joined you. Hanumān also was not fully aware of his
own power.
You are fully loyal to your Guru Mahārāja, considering yourself to be his servant. Hanumān
told Rāvaṇa that he was simply a servant of Lord Rāma. You gave all credit to your Guru
Mahārāja. Like Hanumān, you are a great scholar, a perfect gentleman, and undefeatable.
I remember the day after Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma’s installation in Vṛndāvana. On the walk you
were so blissful; you said, “So now Balarāma is here. When you are feeling weak you can pray to
Balarāma, He will help you.” I am also weak, although too often I think that I am strong. I pray
that I can do as you advise. You repeated that three times on a morning walk in 1968:
So the processes recommended, they’re very valuable, but it is not possible to follow
them all in the present age because everything is reducing. So our method is to pray to
Kṛṣṇa to give us the necessary strength. That’s all. Otherwise, by regular practice, for this
age is very difficult. Unfavorable. First thing is memory is very short. We cannot remem-
ber. Life is very short.
Therefore, this one practice – chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and hearing – that is very nice.
And praying to Kṛṣṇa, “Please give me strength.” Hare, “O Energy of Kṛṣṇa, O Kṛṣṇa,
I am fallen; I have no strength. Please accept me.” That’s all. “I have no qualification.
I am frail. I am trying, but I am failing.” All these appeals should be made. And Kṛṣṇa is
all-powerful; He can do anything. Even … we do not perform, trying our best, if we fail,
Kṛṣṇa will help us. Just like a child tries his best, but he falls down. The mother takes up
and “All right. Come on. Walk.” Like that. Yes?
The best thing is to pray Kṛṣṇa, “Please pick me up very soon and let me go back to
Your place.” If you have to come back again, oh, you do not know how much miseries we
have to undergo. (Morning walk – Stowe Lake, San Francisco, March 23, 1968)
Please allow me to always associate with your serious followers, continue trying to serve you, and
follow in your footsteps.
Your aspiring servant,

Kavicandra Swami
Madhusevita Dāsa
Please accept my most humble obeisances. All glories to your divine appearance day.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.3.22, purport, you wrote:
As Kaṁsa was not expected to kill the beautiful child of Devakī and Vasudeva, the unciv-
ilized society, although unhappy about the advancement of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement, cannot be expected to stop it. Yet we must face many difficulties in many
different ways. Although Kṛṣṇa cannot be killed, Vasudeva, as the father of Kṛṣṇa, was
trembling because, in affection, he thought that Kaṁsa would immediately come and kill

his son. Similarly, although the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement and Kṛṣṇa are not differ-
ent and no asuras can check it, we are afraid that at any moment, the asuras can stop this
movement in any part of the world.
This statement always gave me full confidence that even though the external situation may have
become unbearable, our ISKCON family ultimately could not be harmed.
But elsewhere, you said: “Our movement can only be destroyed from within.” In a naive way, I
thought that this could never happen as “destroyed from within” meant by us, by the devotees.
How could that ever be?
We were not going to change your impeccable instructions and instead do away with the GBC
body as the Gauḍīya Maṭha did, or twist the way we initiate and nurture devotees, or identify with
our gender, with our country of birth, or, worse, exploit other devotees out of depraved, mean
desires …
Unfortunately, by underestimating the impact that your ISKCON could have had on the soci-
ety, we underestimated the potency of Kali’s counterattack.
You mention in a purport to the third chapter of Bhagavad-gītā: “The enemy has captured differ-
ent strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul.” This is true in the body of ISKCON
as well. In Kali-yuga the devotee and the demon live in the same body.
Some of our members, in their efforts, couldn’t go beyond good intentions, and therefore they
paved their way to hell by acting as demons; our movement is deeply suffering for that.
Stupidity has no particular āśrama, varṇa, nationality, gender, age, seniority, or level of pop-
ularity. Since a cancer is the same in the body of a devotee as in that of an innocent person or in
that of an envious one, so the cure must be the same for all of them.
The cancer of attachment to bodily designations, in some cases down to monstrous manifes-
tations like those we have witnessed in some of our schools, has to be cut off from the body of
ISKCON.
A limb of the body that has become cancerous has to be cut off, never mind how dear it might
have been when it was really or apparently properly functioning.
My prayer to your lotus feet on this auspicious day is that the “fight on account of diversities,”
being on the material platform, may stop for the sake of the unity of your movement and that we,
especially your deputed agents, will have the courage to cut off the anomalous limbs of ISKCON,
thereby preventing Kali from infiltrating further.
Please protect us from ourselves, Śrīla Prabhupāda, because like never before we are now real-
izing how we depend on you.

Madhusevita Dāsa

Mālatī Devī Dāsī

As explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda:
According to the Vedic literature, the moon is regarded as a star. The scientists say that
the stars are all suns, but according to Bhagavad-gītā the stars are of the same nature as
the moon. In Bhagavad-gītā (10.21) Lord Kṛṣṇa says, nakṣatrāṇām ahaṁ śaśī: “Of stars I am
the moon.” Thus the moon is just like the many stars. What is the nature of the moon? It
is bright because it reflects light from the sun. Therefore, although the scientists say that
the stars are many suns, we do not agree. According to the Vedic calculation, there are
innumerable suns, but in every universe there is only one.
You, Śrīla Prabhupāda, are our only sun. Around you, many moons appeared, and many moons
are also disappearing from our vision these days, but you will forever be that only shining sun
guiding ISKCON, giving credence to those moons who faithfully reflect your teachings and
mercy. We know that there are other ācāryas, and we honor them and their contributions, but you
are our sunshine, our only sunshine, without whom our lives would wither away. I cannot profess
to know who you are, but I do know that my life has no meaning without you.
Once, a former disciple criticized that ISKCON members are too focused on you; it was
intended as criticism, but I felt it was and is a glorious fact. I am surrounded by your grace in all
directions, your bigger mṛdaṅga books, and your vāṇī deeply embedded in my heart. I will never
stop running after the dust of your lotus feet; there is nothing more for me to aspire for.
A fallen servant,
Mālatī Devī Dāsī
Nirañjana Swami
Please accept my prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace.
I’m writing this Vyāsa-pūjā offering to you a few days before the 126th anniversary of your
divine appearance in this world.
The year is 2022, and certain events of this year have created an unprecedented disturbance in
the lives of thousands of your servants, many of whom have had their faith shaken from all that

you both taught us and perfectly demonstrated to us about every living entity’s eternal relation-
ship with Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your faith in Kṛṣṇa, your purity, your conviction in the order of your Guru
Mahārāja, your example as an ideal Vaiṣṇava, and especially your instructions have formed the
bedrock of the movement you began in 1965.
“Back to Godhead” was the goal you personally set for everyone who would take shelter in your
movement. You then left this movement here in this material world in the hands and hearts of
your followers when you returned to your eternal service in the spiritual world.
However, I have observed that it has become very difficult for some of your followers, includ-
ing myself, to prepare ourselves for all the warnings you also gave us about calamities yet to come
within this world. You consistently reminded us not only about the temporary and miserable
nature of the material world, but about the inevitability of hardships human civilization would
face due to sinful activity and exploitation of this planet’s resources simply for economic develop-
ment and sense gratification.
The following is only one such short example:
Similarly, this world … Nobody wants war, nobody wants famine, nobody wants earth-
quake, nobody wants disease, nobody wants death, but these things happening. It will
happen. Even if you do not want, you cannot, I mean to say, combat all these, I mean
to say, attacks of the material nature. That is the way of material nature. (Lecture at
Brandeis University, Boston, April 29, 1969)
But because the material world is a place of forgetfulness, we tend to forget that there can never
be any real shelter here in this material world. We tend to think, “Oh, the calamities about which
Śrīla Prabhupāda was talking were about some distant future events and certainly not something
that will happen in my lifetime.” We also tend to think that “Back to Godhead” is to be thought
about at the end of this lifetime.
Devotees recently asked me, “Why does Kṛṣṇa make it so difficult here in the material world?”
I believe I could give and have already given answers to this question philosophically. But on
such auspicious days as the anniversary of your divine appearance in this material world, I prefer
to respond to this question with another question: Why has Kṛṣṇa made me so fortunate to have
come into contact with Śrīla Prabhupāda in this lifetime, here in this material world?
Our good fortune is incalculable. Not only have you given us all the tools required to handle
events yet to come, but you have given us the instructions and hope to achieve the shelter of
Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet in this life.
This one Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.2.31) verse and your purport says it all, Śrīla Prabhupāda:
svayaṁ samuttīrya sudustaraṁ dyuman

bhavārṇavaṁ bhīmam adabhra-sauhṛdāḥ
bhavat-padāmbhoruha-nāvam atra te
nidhāya yātāḥ sad-anugraho bhavan
Translation: O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the
desire of Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree [vāñchā-kalpataru].
When ācāryas completely take shelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce
ocean of nescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they cross, and
because You are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help
them.

Purport: This statement reveals how the merciful ācāryas and the merciful Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead together help the serious devotee who wants to return home, back
to Godhead. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, in His teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī, said:
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
(Cc., Madhya 19.151)
One can achieve the seed of bhakti-latā, devotional service, by the mercy of guru and
Kṛṣṇa. The duty of the guru is to find the means, according to the time, the circumstances
and the candidate, by which one can be induced to render devotional service, which
Kṛṣṇa accepts from a candidate who wants to be successful in going back home, back
to Godhead. After wandering throughout the universe, a fortunate person within this
material world seeks shelter of such a guru, or ācārya, who trains the devotee in the suit-
able ways to render service according to the circumstances so that the Supreme Personal-
ity of Godhead will accept the service. This makes it easier for the candidate to reach the
ultimate destination. The ācārya’s duty, therefore, is to find the means by which devotees
may render service according to references from śāstra. Rūpa Gosvāmī, for example, in
order to help subsequent devotees, published such devotional books as Bhakti-rasāmṛta-
sindhu. Thus it is the duty of the ācārya to publish books that will help future candidates
take up the method of service and become eligible to return home, back to Godhead, by
the mercy of the Lord. In our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this same path is being
prescribed and followed. Thus the devotees have been advised to refrain from four sinful
activities – illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling – and to chant sixteen
rounds a day. These are bona fide instructions. Because in the Western countries con-
stant chanting is not possible, one should not artificially imitate Haridāsa Ṭhākura but
should follow this method. Kṛṣṇa will accept a devotee who strictly follows the regulative
principles and the method prescribed in the various books and literatures published by
the authorities. The ācārya gives the suitable method for crossing the ocean of nescience
by accepting the boat of the Lord’s lotus feet, and if this method is strictly followed, the
followers will ultimately reach the destination, by the grace of the Lord. This method
is called ācārya-sampradāya. It is therefore said, sampradāya-vihīnā ye mantrās te niṣphalā
matāḥ (Padma Purāṇa). The ācārya-sampradāya is strictly bona fide. Therefore one must
accept the ācārya-sampradāya; otherwise one’s endeavor will be futile. Śrīla Narottama
Dāsa Ṭhākura therefore sings:
tāṅdera caraṇa sevi bhakta sane vāsa

janame janame haya, ei abhilāṣa
One must worship the lotus feet of the ācārya and live within the society of devotees.
Then one’s endeavor to cross over nescience will surely be successful.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all that you have done for us.
Your eternal servant, follower, and debtor,

Nirañjana Swami

Prahlādānanda Swami
There are three stages of developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness: believing, belonging, and becoming.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has given us plenty of books, numerous instructions, and copious examples
to help convince us that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and that we are all
His eternal servants. Prabhupāda has given us the association of devotees in ISKCON so we can
belong to Lord Kṛṣṇa’s family. He’s given us service in Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission so
we can become pure devotees.
Advancement in devotional service cannot be judged only by what we know – it has to be
measured by how we act. Many devotees quickly obtain a theoretical understanding of what devo-
tional service and Kṛṣṇa consciousness are, but only through consistent practice and determina-
tion can a devotee gradually experience what life on the spiritual platform really is.
Lord Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself as the Supreme when a devotee becomes a pure devotee. A pure
devotee has the highest devotional character and spiritual qualities. By cultivating pure devo-
tional service, gaining experience in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and receiving the Lord’s mercy in our
hearts, we develop such character and qualities, which culminate in the awakening of transcen-
dental knowledge, perspective, conviction, and skill.
Transcendental knowledge “refers to understanding what is spirit and what is matter. Ordinary
knowledge obtained by a university education pertains only to matter, and it is not accepted here
as knowledge. Knowledge means knowing the distinction between spirit and matter. In modern
education, there is no knowledge about spirit; they are simply taking care of the material elements
and bodily needs. Therefore academic knowledge is not complete.” (Bhagavad-gītā 10.4–5, purport)
Perspective is the ability to understand Lord Kṛṣṇa and His various energies and to see their
comparative importance. This means seeing everything from Lord Kṛṣṇa’s point of view. Perspec-
tive deals with understanding, wisdom, and discrimination. It is one thing to study what hap-
pened in the lives of the Pāṇḍavas; it’s another to understand why these things happened.
As Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (9.4.47, purport) about Ambarīṣa Mahārāja:
Nārāyaṇa-parāḥ sarve na kutaścana bibhyati (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.17.28). A pure devotee

of Nārāyaṇa is never afraid of any material danger. There are many examples of devo-
tees, such as Prahlāda Mahārāja, who was tortured by his father but was not at all afraid,
although he was only a five-year-old boy. Therefore, following the examples of Ambarīṣa
Mahārāja and Prahlāda Mahārāja, a devotee should learn how to tolerate all such awk-
ward positions in this world. Devotees are often tortured by nondevotees, yet the pure
devotee, depending fully on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is never
disturbed by such inimical activities.
Conviction includes values, commitments, and motivation. It is said that a belief is something
you will argue about; a conviction is something you will die for. We may know what to do (knowl-
edge), why to do it (perspective), and how to do it (skill), but nothing will be done unless we have
the conviction to do it.
Especially in Kali-yuga, our values are blurred, our priorities are jumbled, and our commit-
ments are diffused. People without conviction often just follow the crowd. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s life
was absorbed in a deep conviction about his purpose in life. He was completely convinced that he
had no other purpose in life than to serve his spiritual master, who desired that he spread Kṛṣṇa
consciousness around the world. Śrīla Prabhupāda was not distracted by other agendas. Members
of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must burn with the conviction that there is no greater

accomplishment in this world than becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious through pure devotional service. It
is in the association of experienced, convinced devotees that others also easily become convinced.
In the Bhagavad-gītā (6.8, purport), Śrīla Prabhupāda writes: “A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has
realized knowledge, by the grace of Kṛṣṇa, because he is satisfied with pure devotional service. By
realized knowledge, one becomes perfect. By transcendental knowledge, one can remain steady
in his convictions, but by mere academic knowledge, one can be easily deluded and confused by
apparent contradictions. It is the realized soul who is actually self-controlled because he is surren-
dered to Kṛṣṇa. He is transcendental because he has nothing to do with mundane scholarship.”
Skill is the ability to do something with ease and accuracy. This is developed by practice and
experience. Lord Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that he can conquer his mind if he performs yoga with suit-
able practice and detachment from material distractions. Knowledge and perspective relate to
knowing; conviction and character concern being, and skills are related to doing.
Many devotees constantly hear about the importance of studying but are not taught how to
study. Whenever there is an encouragement to do something, there should also be instructions
on how to do it. Without skill in studying, serving, loving exchanges, and time management, we
cannot be completely effective in developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness or pure devotional service.
Only when we have a clear understanding of what Lord Kṛṣṇa does and doesn’t want us to do
can we decide to act with conviction to serve His instructions and not be deviated by the allure-
ments of the illusionary energy. Only then can Lord Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master see our sin-
cerity of purpose and give us – by revelation – a true insight into the meaning of pure devotional
service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And only then can we develop skills in our services and relation-
ships with Lord Kṛṣṇa, His devotees, the innocent, and those opposed to Lord Kṛṣṇa to actually
be situated on the spiritual platform of existence.
The character cannot be developed by hearing a lecture. In a lecture, we can hear the theory of
who are pure devotees and how we can develop their qualities. However, Kṛṣṇa can manifest pure
character in His devotees when they apply themselves with sincerity to pure devotional service. As
Śrīla Prabhupāda writes in the Bhagavad-gītā (10.4–5, purport):
All these qualities are manifest throughout the universe in human society and in the
society of the demigods. There are many forms of humanity on other planets, and these
qualities are there. Now, for one who wants to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Kṛṣṇa
creates all these qualities, but the person develops them himself from within. One who
engages in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities, as
arranged by the Supreme Lord.
When we understand that Lord Kṛṣṇa puts us into different circumstances in life to develop our
character, then we can learn how to respond correctly to situations that can build our character.
Whenever we respond to our circumstances the way Lord Kṛṣṇa would expect of us instead of fol-
lowing the demands of our mind and senses, we develop character. It is easy to love people who
are lovable, but actual love can fully develop when we have to love people who appear unlovable.
Lord Kṛṣṇa teaches us how to attain peace within ourselves by placing us in the midst of chaos.
We can see that the actual character of pure devotees like the Pāṇḍavas or Prahlāda Mahārāja
was revealed when they faced what seemed unfavorable external circumstances. When they used
those seemingly adverse circumstances to develop their spiritual character, those circumstances
turned out to be favorable for their advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We should see every circumstance as another opportunity to show Śrīla Prabhupāda and Lord
Kṛṣṇa our sincerity of purpose. Therefore, we should welcome whatever they arrange for us in life
as another opportunity to advance spiritually and thus go back to Lord Kṛṣṇa and His spiritual
kingdom.

Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Dāsa
Please accept my respectful obeisances! All glories to Your Divine Grace!
2022 was an intense year, to say the least. We barely got out of COVID, the Russia-Ukraine
war started, refugee crises during the whole year, census and governmental elections in Hungary,
three of my close devotee friends left their bodies, and on top of all these, I got diagnosed with
cancer in February. I got into the usual protocol: changing of diet, coping with stress, trying to
find the cause, surgery, isotope treatment, in and out of hospitals for checkups and treatment.
I can say that I’ve been tested. My faith, my dedication, my determination, my preaching, my
inspiration, my knowledge, my life.
Having said this, I can say that it was one of the most impactful, and yes, I can say, good, expe-
riences in my life. I was surrounded by caring, loving, and inspirational devotees starting with my
wife, my children, my mother, my spiritual masters, and my friends.
So much happened during this year, but I’d like to speak about my second stay in the hospital
and the isolation for three weeks afterward, because it clearly tells me the importance of your
teachings and the power of your own examples. I was in the hospital in a room with a gentle-
man named Bela. We were there for five days in complete isolation because we were admitted to

radiation capsules that could be harmful to others if they got close. Bela and I spoke a lot about
our lives, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, religion, duties, and responsibilities in our respective areas of
work. He is a highly trained economist who was working for religious organizations in restructur-
ing and reviving their activities and making management and leadership more effective.
It was interesting that he was reading a lot while we were there. I asked the devotees who
brought lunch for me to bring some books I could give away. So I gave Bela a Science of Self-
Realization. He immediately started reading it, and then that was the basis of our discussions.
I had the opportunity to talk about you every day – how you lived, how you were following
your spiritual master, how you lived a simple life although you had much more opportunities.
I explained how your daily routine inspires me and why it is so important to have a structure in
our life, and that we have to consciously work on ourselves to become better human beings. He
almost finished the whole book within two days. He started to appreciate what we do more and
more. We became friends, we stayed in touch, and we talked to each other regularly.
After I got released from the hospital, I still had to stay in quarantine for another three weeks
so that I did not cause any problems to others while still being highly radioactive. I could spend
that time at the Budapest temple, in Śivarāma Mahārāja’s quarters. I am ever grateful to the devo-
tees in Budapest for taking such good care of me. Just imagine, I had three weeks to myself when
I had no possible personal interaction with anyone, just through the phone or the computer. I
used that time to continue what I had been doing in the hospital – reading, writing, studying,
chanting, and taking rest. I tried to read more about you and studied śāstra; I was listening to
your ’77 talks and lectures. It was like a Prabhupāda retreat that was organized by Rādhe-Śyāma
for me.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you for everything you gave me. You gave me faith and inspiration,
but I realized that above everything else, you gave the most valuable gift to me: peace and
calmness of mind – peace and calmness that I’m on the right path, and if I stay true to the path
and the practices of it, then no matter what happens in life, Rādhe-Śyāma will arrange the best
possible circumstances for spiritual development so that at the end of my life I have the best
opportunity to go back home back to Godhead.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your servant,
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Dāsa
Rādhānāth Swami
Please accept my unworthy life in the service of your servants.
Our life’s essence is in the opportunity to express gratitude to you with sincere surrender and
devotion. I pray for the humility to recognize that pleasing you in the service of the Lord is our
highest purpose, above all the inconceivable transformations in the world around us.
In the sea of material existence, we are sometimes charmed by tranquil sunsets. Sometimes we
are tormented by turbulent storms. They are both distractions unless we seek shelter in Kṛṣṇa’s
names with gratitude and devotion.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, your life and teachings are our compass leading to the shore of the Godhead.
I believe that your voyage on the Jaladuta is like a metaphor for life. As our revered and beloved
ācārya, you taught us how to surrender to Kṛṣṇa with love and remain devoted to the will of the
spiritual master through the apparently insurmountable changes in the sea of life.
In these times, we are surrounded by almost continuous waves of despair, including wars,
quarrelsome divisions, diseases, and the loss of loved ones. More than ever, we need each other to
share strength and wisdom to seek shelter in hari-kīrtana, hari-kathā, vaiṣṇava-sevā, and jīva-dayā.
It is possible if we earnestly seek shelter in Your Divine Grace as our highest aspiration.
Striving to be a servant of your servants,

Rādhānāth Swami
Rāmāi Swami

Śrīla Prabhupāda, one time in Melbourne, you told us that for the general mass of people, there
should be kīrtana and prasāda distribution. Those who are more serious will understand the
philosophy by reading our books.
In a letter to a disciple, you wrote:
Yes, kirtana and prasada will appeal to even the uneducated. We have means to preach
to both the educated and uneducated, the sinful and the pious - dhiradhira-jana-priyau.
(Letter to Dvārakeśa Dāsa, Vṛndāvana, September 29, 1976)
In a Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (4.24.10) purport, you wrote:
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has started performing saṅkīrtana-yajña in different

places, and it has been experienced that wherever saṅkīrtana-yajña is performed, many
thousands of people gather and take part in it. Imperceptible auspiciousness achieved in
this connection should be continued all over the world.
We are certainly seeing the results of performing saṅkīrtana-yajña. So many have taken up the pro-
cess of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. For example, at this year’s Gaura-Pūrṇimā festival in Māyāpur, tens
of thousands came to dance and chant in ecstasy. However, much more needs to be done. Today,
there are billions of people still suffering from disease, mental distress, natural disturbances, and
war. We must always plan to increase our efforts.
One time a disciple said: “Śrīla Prabhupāda, I always want to sit by your holy lotus feet!” You
replied: “That will be very difficult because I am always moving.”

That should be our attitude, Śrīla Prabhupāda, always moving, spreading Lord Caitanya’s
saṅkīrtana movement.
Around the world, he made his way

To lands that were under Māyā’s sway
His guru instructed him once before
To distribute the divine honey store
Lord Caitanya, he wanted to please
But he knew it would not be with ease
Anything was possible by the Lord’s mercy
Even if it caused some controversy
Still, Śrīla Prabhupāda tried his best
And all along, his attempt was blessed
At the beginning, just a few persons came
And were fortunate to receive the holy name
After a while, the gatherings increased
Especially when he served a sumptuous feast
Rice, dal, subjī, and chapatis they relished
Thoughts of the next serving they cherished
It became apparent the movement would spread
Because they had Śrīla Prabhupāda at the head
On and on to every village and town
A transcendental flood of rain came down.
Everyone was amazed to see the effect
Lord Caitanya’s desire could not be checked
One man’s effort would not go in vain
To transfer all to the spiritual domain
What is the duty of a disciple who is faithful
He must show that he is always grateful
To his guru, who gave him a precious jewel
Follow in his footsteps; that’s the golden rule
We should never imitate the powerful ācārya
Otherwise we will be captured by māyā
Nevertheless, we should try our very best
To forward the mission so that he’ll be impressed
Satisfying him is our desire and success
The more we do it, the more we progress
For what is advancement in spiritual life
If not to please the guru who frees us from strife

I pray to always remain at his holy feet.
That one day, I may again directly meet
The wonderful person who guided me well
To the abode where I may eternally dwell
guru-pādāśrayas tasmāt
kṛṣṇa-dīkṣādi-śikṣaṇam
viśrambheṇa guroḥ sevā
sādhu-vartmānuvartanam
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.74)
The first and foremost limbs of sādhana-bhakti are taking shelter of Śrī Guru, accepting dīkṣā,
receiving śīkṣā, serving Śrī Guru with intimacy and affection, and following the path of the
previous ācārya under his guidance.
Your insignificant disciple,

Rāmāi Swami
Revatī Ramaṇa Dāsa

Please accept my obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
I was a very hard-core materialist wandering in this world, hoping confidently to become a
successful materialist. The whole materialistic society fanned me to achieve that end in order to
become happy in this world. I thought I got the formula to be happy and peaceful in this world.
In this way, I was uselessly investing all my time and energy in that direction. My actual life did
not start when I was born, but when your books and teachings came into my life. That was my
real birth and real life.
When I read your books, I found that they were filled with pearls of wisdom. For the first time
ever in my life, I found that your books and lectures have all the answers to all my questions. The
answers were convincing, filled with logic. The more I read your books, the more I heard your lec-
tures, the more I read about you, the more my love for you kept on increasing.
Now, Your Divine Grace has given me, this insignificant servant to serve as Chairman of the
GBC. With all my intelligence, I will not be able to serve the best in a way that pleases Your
Divine Grace and your followers. So I sincerely seek your sincere blessings that you may use me as
an instrument in fulfilling all your desires and the way you want all the GBCs to function as the
topmost managerial body.
Please bless me with the right intelligence to be just in my decision-making and to have spir-
itual wisdom to establish appropriate strategies, policies, guidelines, procedures, and measures
in line with your vision and mission for the successful running of the institution ahead with more
dynamics and accuracy.

You revealed to me that I belong to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is my father, my mother, my friend, my best
well-wisher. You told me that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord; He is the Supreme Truth.
You also revealed to me the spiritual world and told me that I belong to the spiritual world,
which is eternal and full of bliss. This temporary material world is not my original home, but
the spiritual world is my original eternal home. So you are everything to me. Please use me in
whatever way you want; I’m a sold-out servant of your lotus feet. Please grant me pure devotional
service and always engage the best in me to serve your glorious movement, ISKCON.
Your eternal insignificant servant,

Revatī Ramaṇa Dāsa
Tapana Miśra Dāsa

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On your glorious appearance day, it is my good fortune to reflect on the ways in which Your
Divine Grace has guided me every step of the way on my spiritual journey.
When I first came in touch with devotees, I came to realize the tremendous impact your preach-
ing has had on thousands of people all over the world. I heard many senior devotees glorify you,
and I would sometimes lament that I was born the year after you left this planet. At that time, I
was taught the importance of vāṇī-sevā and indeed felt connected to you through your books and
lectures. But perhaps I never felt the connection as deeply as I have over the past few years, and
the reason is simple – that I have been taking shelter in your books with renewed enthusiasm.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said, “If you want to know me, read my books.” Whenever I read your
books, it is as though I am having a one-on-one conversation with you, and just by your pure
divine association, I get respite from the greatest of challenges that life presents, and I feel all my
doubts and distress dissolving.
Just as Lord Viṣṇu is the maintainer of the whole world, your books are the maintainer of the
devotees who have taken shelter in ISKCON. You sustain us through your example, through your
disciples, and most powerfully through your books. If it were not for you, we would not even
know ABCD of spiritual knowledge, and here you are – freely handing over to us the great trea-
sure house of the complete science of knowing God and achieving him. Any sincere practitioner
of spirituality is encouraged by the words, “Seek and you shall find.” We can understand that we
don’t have to seek far and wide; you have condensed the essence of all scriptures and handed it to
us on a silver platter through your Bhaktivedanta purports.
When asked how the devotees will manage when you leave, you declared that you will never
leave; you will live forever in your books. I feel this vividly because these books are filled with
precious instructions that guide us about every aspect of our spiritual life. More than one dev-
otee has had the experience that when grappling with a particular problem in their devotional
life, they have turned to your books and found the answer. Your ISKCON, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
has been facing some challenges in these recent years. I pray at your lotus feet that you please
continue to guide us all through your books to rise above the mundane and cooperate with one
another to expand ISKCON to every town and village.

I would like to close this offering by begging forgiveness from Your Divine Grace for any
offenses I may have committed in my service to ISKCON. I also pray at your lotus feet that Your
Divine Grace will continue to send me help in the form of your sincere followers to guide me on
the path of pure devotional service.
Your servant,
Tapana Miśra Dāsa
Vīrabāhu Dāsa


Prostrated at your lotus feet, paying my humble obeisances, I have come once again to beg for
your mercy and request that you please accept my attempt to chant your glories. On this most
blessed occasion, I humbly offer the prologue I wrote to the Spanish version of your Śrī Īśopaniṣad,
a book that we subtitled Secrets From Other Times.
Prologue
Were Other Times Better Times?
We placed our hopes in technology with the belief that its inventions would fill all the gaps. Can-
didly we entrusted ourselves to the “Space Age” to organize our societies and order our lives. And
we were feeling very proud of the first results: there began a parade of devices and artifacts prom-
ising that, unlike other ages, this one was really the age.
You didn’t have to think anymore. “Science knows everything. Science will fix everything.” You
didn’t have to think anymore. Philosophy … just for leisure … religion … for the elderly … and
for the fools. We needn’t take life so seriously anymore … we were just to enjoy the advancements.
Ideals, habits, morality … everything changed, and everything became modern: “Down with
all prejudices!” We were all feeling so fortunate to have taken birth at this precise moment. The
entire human history had been looking for it. It was what man had always been looking for. “And
it just happened to be for us” – or so we thought.
Yes, we thought ourselves very different from the men of all other times. In our case, the dream
had come true: we would have eternal happiness in this world!
But time has taken care of undeceiving us: we’re not happy, and much less eternal. What we
called reality was just the last part of the dream – the dream that man has been romanticizing
about for thousands of years. The dream is that you can be happy with only the body and matter.
But the dream is over. The age has failed us. What we regarded as knowledge was just our

playing with ignorance. And now we are just left with the ignorance part. We thought of ourselves
differently, but we ended up the same … or worse! There’s even those who say we are on the
threshold of the extinction of man, just one step away from the destruction of the entire planet.
“Is it now too late?” we ask.
But fortunately, not everything about the age has been fatal. Something very good it brought
us: His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, and with him the Vedic scriptures,
the oldest known to man. Śrīla Prabhupāda came with the mission to teach the West the essence
of those scriptures and how to put this knowledge into practice. Both things he accomplished: he
translated into English from Sanskrit and Bengali the fundamental texts, and he established and
saw the growth of an international society which would serve as a model and guide for the appli-
cation of the principles presented in those works.
The importance of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s coming to the West can be found in the Vedic scriptures
themselves. According to them, Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Being, never leaves His creation adrift. The
original Vedas and their supplementary literature say that the world and life do not appear by
chance, nor are they maintained or annihilated by chance. Absolutely each and every thing, entity
and activity of the world, is subjected to superior laws, and their combined interaction puts
together an individual and collective masterplan – all of it under the final supervision of Kṛṣṇa.
We are not, therefore, independent. We cannot act and live as we like if we want to be happy. We
have to live in harmony with the higher laws. If not, society faces self-destruction. That is today’s
impending danger.
Śrīla Prabhupāda came to mitigate the ills of the age. In his preface to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (also
known as “the ripened fruit of Vedic literature”), he made an accurate analysis of the situation:
Human society, at the present moment, is not in the darkness of oblivion. It has made
rapid progress in the fields of material comforts, education, and economic development
throughout the entire world. But there is a pinprick somewhere in the social body at
large, and therefore there are large-scale quarrels, even over less important issues. There
is a need for a clue as to how humanity can become one in peace, friendship, and pros-
perity with a common cause. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam will fill this need, for it is a cultural
presentation for the re-spiritualization of the entire human society.
It was the year 1962. Śrīla Prabhupāda had not yet come to the West, but nevertheless, he under-
stood the situation perfectly. Today, those words are more valid than ever. And what has caused
this catastrophic state of affairs?
He adds in the same preface:
Disparity in human society is due to lack of principles in a godless civilization. There

is God, or the almighty one, from whom everything emanates, by whom everything is
maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest. Material science has tried to find
the ultimate source of creation very insufficiently, but it is a fact that there is one ultimate
source of everything that be.
And, we insist, Kṛṣṇa doesn’t leave His creation adrift. Later on, in the same Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(3.32.38), we find these clarifying words from Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Once one enters into the continuation of material existence, it is very difficult to get
out. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes Himself or sends His bona
fide representative, and He leaves behind scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, so that the living entities hovering in the darkness of nescience may take

advantage of the instructions, the saintly persons and the spiritual masters and thus
be freed. Unless the living entity receives the mercy of the saintly persons, the spiritual
master or Kṛṣṇa, it is not possible for him to get out of the darkness of material existence;
by his own endeavor it is not possible.
Śrīla Prabhupāda proved to be that bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, and he left with us spiritual
masters, saintly persons, and the scriptures. Among the latter, the Śrī Īśopaniṣad, which constitutes
part one of the book, stands out. The Upaniṣads are very ancient Vedic texts that form a collection
of 108 philosophical dissertations, out of which the Śrī Īśopaniṣad (or Īśa Upaniṣad) is chief. In it, a
study of the Absolute is made, and Śrīla Prabhupāda, through his purports, goes on to apply it to
our lives and the present world. Upa-ni-ṣad means “to sit near,” and this work certainly enables us
to “sit near” the most prominent spiritual master of our times to receive his wise teachings about
the Truth that can fix our world.
For the second part of the book, we have selected an article by Śrīla Prabhupāda that com-
plements the message of Śrī Īśopaniṣad, a message that intends to give encouragement and bring
order and agreement in these turbulent times. It’s not a message that he has manufactured, but
instead, one he has brought from other times, times that were unknown to the West but that, of
course, were better times.
(End of Prologue)

Out of many millions of wandering living entities, one who is very fortunate gets an
opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of Kṛṣṇa. By the
mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the
creeper of devotional service. (Cc., Madhya 19.151)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please keep me always in the shade of your lotus feet. May I always remain
there as one of your innumerable and fortunate servants. Eternally grateful, may I go on inces-
santly chanting your glories in your service, all of which have made me forever fortunate.
Your lowly servant,

Vīrabāhu Dāsa

Homages from
GBC Emereti
Bhūrijana Dāsa


lotus feet.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, your mission was vast, so very vast. You insisted that human life is rare and
valuable, a gift from Kṛṣṇa, and without the attempt to realize one’s eternal identity, a human is
merely a so-called human and is actually no better than a dog or cat running on two legs instead
of four. And, how could one expect peace from an institution such as the United Nations, with
its halls filled with leaders who identify themselves with their bodies and places of birth and thus
possess mentalities that are little different from those of dogs and cats?
Your desire, Śrīla Prabhupāda, was to lift the suffocating curtain of illusion and spread
throughout the world true knowledge of the soul’s eternal identity, knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, God,
and knowledge of how a soul can live practically in such a way that spiritually uplifts, not
degrades.
The key to this was the chanting of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, reading and hearing your books,
eating kṛṣṇa-prasāda, and associating with persons who would act and speak as exemplars of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Toward achieving this goal, you enacted plans to establish temples, to create ideal brāhmaṇas,
to publish and distribute your books, to establish varṇāśrama-dharma, to build big temples in
Mumbai, Vṛndāvana, and Māyāpur, to set the practical example of cow protection, to undermine
the lynchpin of contemporary atheism by preaching through science, to establish self-sufficient
rural varṇāśrama communities and thus promote a viable, śāstra-based way of simple living and
high thinking, to operate Kṛṣṇa-centered primary and secondary schools, to establish varṇāśrama-
college training institutions, to run a university, to have your followers write further books, to
spread the chanting of the holy names to every town and village in the world through Pāda-yātrās
and fleets of traveling temple-buses, to establish the spiritual technology of gorgeous Deity
worship, to preach and distribute books and prasāda everywhere from colleges to prisons, to ren-
ovate holy places, to show that art and culture and science and business and even politics could
and should be used in Kṛṣṇa’s service, to hold Ratha-yātrā in the world’s major cities, to offer
festival-filled Sunday feasts and powerful Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā classes in all your
temples, and to create a post-postmodern standard of true spiritual morality through the personal
conduct of your local and international leaders, who would effectively manage it all!
In truth, you desired in an organized way to create a revolution that would uplift the entire

world to purposeful, Kṛṣṇa-centered living from its deadly, suicidal plunge into nihilistic materi-
alism followed by inevitable destruction.
Such a vast vision gave hope and purpose in life to countless souls who became inspired by
your words and actions. They then desired to please you, as your servant-assistants, by acting to
fulfill some aspect of your most noble mission.
But within the vastness of these great services was an irresistible essence that was simple and
sweet but also so difficult to obtain. You desired that souls take advantage of the gift of Śrī Cai-
tanya Mahāprabhu and develop love for Kṛṣṇa in the mood of the residents of Vṛndāvana. You
even said, to conclude your Bhagavad-gītā As It Is preface, that “if even one man becomes a pure
devotee of the Lord, we shall consider our attempt a success.”
To Professor O’Connell (in Toronto, 1976), you commented about the Bhāgavatam’s Tenth
Canto: “Yes. There are ninety chapters. All other cantos, at most, thirty chapters. But Tenth Canto
is ninety chapters. That is Kṛṣṇa’s face, Kṛṣṇa’s beautiful face. Everyone is attracted by the smiling
face of Kṛṣṇa.”
Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your mission, and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission also, was to
expand the natural attraction of humanity to the “smiling face of Kṛṣṇa.”
For the past two years I have been reading and studying the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, a book that
you rushed to publication in 1975. It truly is an amazing book, alive with spiritual potency and
infused with the all-attractive “smiling face of Kṛṣṇa.” It simultaneously entertains and uplifts my
flickering mind with its unlimited depth, sweetness, practical instructions, and the unique and
inimitable pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers.
It carefully guides readers to the most esoteric of goals, which Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī
dared, as the author of the book, to have Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself speak: “My plenary portions can
establish the principles of religion for each age. No one but Me, however, can bestow the kind of
loving service performed by the residents of Vraja.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 3.26)
As you explained in your purport to Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 3.20: [W]hen the Lord took
the place of the incarnation of Kali-yuga to spread the glories of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa – the
system of worship recommended in this age – He also distributed the process of devotional ser-
vice performed on the platform of transcendental spontaneous love. To teach the highest princi-
ples of spiritual life, the Lord Himself appeared as a devotee in the form of Lord Caitanya.”
In speaking these and other esoteric truths, Kṛṣṇadāsa said: “All these conclusions are unfit
to disclose in public. But if they are not disclosed, no one will understand them. Therefore, I
shall mention them, revealing only their essence so that loving devotees will understand them,
but fools will not. Anyone who has captured Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Lord Nityānanda
Prabhu in his heart will become blissful by hearing all these transcendental conclusions. All these
conclusions are like the newly grown twigs of a mango tree; they are always pleasing to the devo-
tees, who, in this way, resemble cuckoo birds. The camellike nondevotees cannot enter into these
topics. Therefore, there is special jubilation in my heart.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 4.231–35)
Dear sublimely qualified Śrīla Prabhupāda, whom Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu personally chose
to spread His glory, I am humbled that my own camellike qualities reveal my lack of ability to
enter into this ultimate, fragrant mystery you are offering.
Getting a glimpse from a distant place of Mahāprabhu’s gift through the Caitanya-caritāmṛta
and thereby the value of your magnanimous toil of devotion in carrying, translating, publishing,
and distributing it throughout the world – even to me – I offer my most humble obeisances at
your lotus feet and beg to eternally serve you and your sincere servants.
Your servant,
Bhūrijana Dāsa
HOMAGES FROM GBC EMERETI 59

Girirāja Swami
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace and to your unparalleled service and mercy.
When I joined the Boston temple in 1969, Satsvarūpa Dāsa was the temple president and also
the editor of BTG, and he always wanted articles for the magazine. So I wrote one, entitled “The
Genuine Spiritual Master,” and by the time the issue with my article reached you in February of
1971, I was with you in Gorakhpur, India.
After reading my article, you called for me. The temple room was dimly lit – only some narrow
shafts of light pierced through the slim openings in the wooden shutters along the side. Sitting
alone on your raised cushion at the far end of the room, you were the very image of the eternal
spiritual master, and your voice resonated with the truth of eternal time. I sat at your feet, eyes
and ears wide open.
“I saw your article in Back to Godhead,” you said. “It was very nice. You should write. This is
your first business. Go on writing. We require many, many such articles about Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness. So you should devote yourself to writing.”
“I will try,” I said. “But why are you asking me? I have no special qualification.”
“We require many to do this work, and we need you also. So, you travel with me, and I will
guide you. You come and stay with me.”
I felt thrilled and honored. You had never before given me a direct instruction. In fact, we had
hardly ever spoken, and now you were inviting me to stay with you. I felt a little intimidated and
wondered how it would work. Also, I had always worked under my authorities. Who would tell
them about your proposal? So, I asked, “How will we decide whether I should travel with you or
what I should do?”
You replied, “By mutual consultation.” And you instructed me, “See that my books are
accepted in the universities, by the scholarly class.” Then you asked if I ever thought of getting
married.
“No,” I said. “I never think of getting married.” And after a moment, I added, “The only time I
ever thought of getting married was when I saw that all the GBCs were married.”
“You will never be GBC,” you said. And you continued, “It is best to avoid marriage. Sex
desire is like an itch. If you have an itch and you scratch it, it just becomes worse. Similarly, sex
desire is there, and if you try to satisfy it, it becomes worse. So it is better to tolerate. Not only
sex desire – all the demands of the senses – eating and sleeping also. Better to tolerate. So, you
remain brahmacārī, and after two or three years I will give you sannyāsa.”
In a matter of twenty minutes, you had given me my whole life’s program in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
I was always thinking of you then; sometimes, at night, I couldn’t even sleep – I would just
be thinking of how wonderful you were. I would stand on the balcony near your room and look
out over the surrounding fields at the stars and the bright moon. I was in so much ecstasy that
you had read my article and invited me to travel with you, and I experienced an awakening in my
heart of a type of affection I had never felt before.
Over the years, you repeated your instruction for me to write. In a letter to me dated August 12,
1971, you wrote, “In the midst of your heavy duties, go on writing something glorifying the Lord
and put our philosophy into words. Writing articles means to express oneself how he is under-
standing the whole philosophy. So this writing is necessary for everyone.”
In 1973 I sent you my Vyāsa-pūjā offering, and on August 23, from Bhaktivedanta Manor, you

sent me an encouraging note: “I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter and the nice Vyāsa-pūjā
offering you sent. I have sent it to Satsvarūpa Goswami for printing in the BTG. Writing is a
very important part of our work, and Satsvarūpa is always anxious to have new material from the
devotees for expanding the BTG. You have a nice talent for writing, and practice makes perfect,
so continue. It will be appreciated.”
Eventually, BTG published my offering, in which I described my first meeting with you and
how it – you – had transformed my life:
All glories to you “Or in Kurukṣetra,

Who have given me light He’s God all the same –
To open my eyes, It’s not that by yoga
Which were firmly shut tight. The Lord He became.
When we first came to you “You are a spark,
In the darkness of night And God is the fire:
The words from your lips You can be godly
Made everything bright. If you truly desire.
“What is your goal – “Your qualities match His,
Godhead to find But the quantity’s different,
Or God to become? For God’s nature is infinite,
Please make up your mind. Whereas you’re insignificant.
“If you want to become God, “I cannot be God,
You can’t be God now. For I truly am small,
Can a non-God become God? But He kindly allows me
Please let me know how. To serve Him. That’s all.
“God is within you, “That is His mercy,
Sitting there in your heart, Transcendent and sweet.
Just waiting for your Take it! Be happy!
Loving service to start. That’s all I entreat.”
“But if you insist Thus Your Divine Grace
That you want to be Him, I was blessed to meet,
You’re cheating yourself And thus I was forced
And have nothing to win. To fall at your feet.
“If the seed of devotion You poured nectarlike words
With chanting you sow, Through the holes of my ears
Then God will give sunlight To clean out my heart
To help make it grow. And vanquish my fears.
“But if to become God Arousing within me
Remains your ambition, My love for the Lord,
Why then should God My actual life as
Help His own competition? His servant restored.
“Kṛṣṇa is God, Now I beg to remain
And God He is always, An individual soul,
On Yaśodā’s lap Serving the servant
Or in Dvārakā’s hallways. Of the one Spirit Whole.

All glories to you Taking me from the darkness,
Who have given me this: Cold and alone,
A life that’s eternal, Back to Godhead,
Full of knowledge and bliss. Back to home.
* * *
In recent years I have edited Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic Perspective and written
Watering the Seed—With Teachings from His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda; Many
Moons: Reflections on Departed Vaishnavas; I’ll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story; and now Dancing
White Elephants: Traveling with Śrīla Prabhupāda in India, August 1970–March 1972.
On this occasion, I pray to you to bless me that I can continue to serve you, the devotees, and
the world by writing about Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the right consciousness. As you wrote in Śrī
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.132, “It is certainly not good to write literature for money or repu-
tation but to write books and publish them for the enlightenment of the general populace is real
service to the Lord. That was Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s opinion, and he specifically told
his disciples to write books. He actually preferred to publish books rather than establish temples.
Temple construction is meant for the general populace and neophyte devotees, but the business
of advanced and empowered devotees is to write books, publish them and distribute them widely.
According to Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, distributing literature is like playing on a great
mṛdaṅga. Consequently, we always request members of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness to publish as many books as possible and distribute them widely throughout the
world. By thus following in the footsteps of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, one can become a rūpānuga
devotee.”
Thank you very much.
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your eternal, grateful servant,

Girirāja Swami
Hridayānanda dās Goswami


My Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

I bow to you. Jaya Prabhupāda! All glories to your matchless devotional service to Śrī Śrī
Gaura-Nitāi. As I progress on my spiritual path, which you mercifully revealed and bestowed
on me, I am increasingly in awe of your superhuman spiritual qualities. The clarity, simplicity,

profundity, and power of your teaching and preaching are unmatched. Your words reveal your
pure devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Your words and conduct reveal that you are truly a great mahā-
bhāgavata, an exalted pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Once, in the privacy of your darśana room in Los Angeles, you revealed to me that never was
there a time when you did not know Lord Kṛṣṇa. Your words confirmed what I had always seen
in you. Even at the beginning of my spiritual life, Lord Kṛṣṇa showed me that you are a pure soul
who is seeing God face to face.
My consolation is that my debt to you is eternal, and thus I will be serving you always. Thank
you.
Your servant,
Hridayānanda dās Goswami
Mukunda Goswami

“Your prime minister has been stoned!” shouted Bob.

Bob Jensen had stormed into your quarters unannounced, and with shoes still on he threw a
newspaper onto your desk.
Bob was a sympathizer of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.
A 1967 article in the paper was headlined, “Indira Gandhi stoned.”
You read the article expressionless and remained silent for a few moments.
He stood, hand on hips, and waited for your response.
After a brief silence, you smiled and told him, “The rāja-ṛṣis of yore cared for all the citizens’
needs.” You went on, “The citizens had plenty of food and rainfall, they weren’t harassed by
rogues. They didn’t even suffer from scorching heat or excessive cold, and they were always peace-
ful. The kings were called rājas and the citizens prajās. The prajās were always protected by the
rājas. The people were free from anxiety.”
Hundreds of farmers had driven their tractors from the nearby Bihar province to attend the
prime minister’s public appearance. From 1964 until 1967, there had been an unforgiving drought
in their nearby state, and the local cultivators, most probably throwbacks from earlier days,
blamed the prime minister for their misfortune. You knew about the drought, but the newspaper
didn’t mention it. The farmers cast rocks at her, one stone causing her nose to bleed, another
caused her upper lip to swell. However, she continued to speak and even rebuked the violent
hecklers.
After a while, Bob sat down. He had become pacified, understanding the situation behind the
headline and the article. At last, he sat, having calmed down considerably and learned from you
an important Vedic truth.

Praghoṣa Dāsa
Please accept my sincerest obeisances at your lotus feet on this most special and important
occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
You once said: “Keep always in your front that there is death, there is birth, and try to save
yourself from this. This is philosophy.” While there are so many things that you spoke which
were profoundly meaningful, unforgettable, and far-reaching, these particular words of yours are
deeply and forever etched in my memory.
These days we find many opinions as a result of, I guess, so much exposure to all things Indian,
all things Vedic, all things devotional. However, as a result of all those opinions, I ever increas-
ingly find your deep, clear, straightforward, pure, and unmotivated presentation of Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness even more attractive, if that is indeed possible. I personally have zero attraction or less
for hearing from the myriad other sources available these days (Mr. Google, take a bow). I simply
cannot understand what the appeal is. Rather, my fervent prayer is to somehow hold onto your
coattails as death closes in (not just in front of me but all around, too), as the prevailing weather
of Kali gets evermore treacherous.
I know we are not meant to live in fear, and rather, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is an ever-increasing
ocean of bliss – advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Brahma-saṁhitā 5.33). Still, the fact that
your words about keeping death in front of us resonate so strongly with me, I just remain so ever
grateful that you spoke them. If you hadn’t, and instead just focused on the pleasure groves of
Vraja and all the transcendental pastimes between the Lord and His pure devotees, I’m not sure
I’d have been able to stick around. Or if I had, I probably would be a bigger pretender than I am
today.
Of course, I know that we are meant to advance to the degree that qualifies us for such exalted
service, where we will experience nothing but susukhaṁ kartum avyayam (Bg. 9.2), but I will remain
ever indebted to you that that was not your starting point.
I also know that to be considered a devotee of any worth, I must at least get to the point of
being more selfless than selfish and to keep pushing that ratio higher and higher to a level where
my selfishness no longer exists. Not sure how long that is going to take, but for sure, I have the
absolutely 100 percent perfect role model to follow in your good self, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
It never ceases to amaze me, not how, not even why, but simply that you boarded the Jaladuta
all those years ago. What “normal” seventy-year-old would do such a crazy thing? These days
people zip around the world with all mod cons and comforts. Now we can have video calls with
someone on the other side of the planet while we are 30,000 feet above the earth in a plane trav-
eling at 1,000 kilometers an hour or more. Yet you came to America in a well-used, if not dilapi-
dated, cargo ship! I cannot imagine too many of your devotees opting to do that, and for sure, I
would not do so. Of course, that was just the start, and while it would be too long for me to write
down all of the challenges you faced, the simple fact is you were not normal, not by any stretch
of the imagination. Rather, you were and are one of a kind, completely unique, and no doubt we
will never ever see your kind again. Totally pure, totally surrendered, totally committed, totally
fearless, and 100 percent selfless.
You are simply no ordinary guru and no ordinary ācārya!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this day of your appearance, can I just say that you are my hero, and
while I have too many shortcomings to ever be worthy of your recognition, I just hope and pray

that I can somehow serve you until my dying day. If I achieve that, then hopefully, I will be able
to serve you forevermore.
Your yearning servant,

Praghoṣa Dāsa
Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa

Please accept my fallen obeisances.
I am older now than you yourself were when you undertook your journey, solitary and unsup-
ported, to the United States.
Now, at this time, both body and mind give me trouble, and I know from experience that such
hardships will only get worse.
No less an authority than the Bhagavad-gītā (13.9) sets this down as one of the items of knowl-
edge: “recognition of the afflictions of birth, death, old age, and disease.”
However, you yourself have vividly demonstrated what can be accomplished, with Kṛṣṇa’s
mercy, in spite of these impediments.
And in at least one instance, you offered a remark that we devotees strive to apply generally:
“Discouragement is not allowed.”
So I will continue to do the best I can to please you and your followers (especially by writing)
without discouragement.
I beg for your blessings.
Your fallen servant,

Ravīndra Svarūpa Dāsa
Tamohara Dāsa
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you were here but a moment –
Scantly a decade of earthly time, a flicker of light in cosmic eternity.
Though brief in time, your impact was mighty, swaying the battle of Kali toward light, toward
truth, toward complete transcendence.
And diving deeper, in full spiritual glory, you unveiled that great secret, that rāja-guhyam, of
pure loving service to the Lord.

And into each heart, and into my heart, the mantra implanted, the Gītā was sung, and truth was
revealed – as a dark blue cowherd boy.
His names are Kṛṣṇa, Gopāla, Govinda, and numberless more. He offered delight to His
mother, joy to his cowherd friends, and sweetness to the young girls of Vṛndāvana.
He plays carefree in Vraja’s forest, yet is the Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth, creator of
the worlds, the oldest, and yet an eternal youth.
But how could we understand such truth, schooled in knowledge of only Durgā’s domain? We
had merely vague notions of transcendence, an uncertain glimmer of the inner self, and surely
nothing of the Personality of Godhead.
Philosophers and theists strive to grasp God, but he is not found through logic or study or aus-
terity or meditation.
Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (3.2.4) says, “The Lord reveals his form to whomsoever He chooses.” And
who does He choose? In Gītā, Kṛṣṇa states that “only by undivided devotional service can I be
known as I am.”
But how to pursue and practice and perfect this esoteric art of bhakti? Pure devotional service
seems impossibly elusive, beyond our outstretched grasp.
The answer seems simple yet is deep and sublime. Take shelter of the guru, the pure sage, who
is tattva-darśinaḥ – he who has seen the truth. Guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja. “By the
mercy of both Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, such a person receives the seed of the creeper of
devotional service.”
And the Absolute Truth that lives in the heart of the guru, is given to the sincere disciple fully
with love. The only price is our faith.
Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual
master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed. (Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad 6.23)
Faith is increased by association with advanced devotees. And there is no better advanced
Vaiṣṇava than His Divine Grace. Association means we feel close to him – through his service, his
worship, his words, books, and instructions. The heart becomes purified, and faith blossoms.
Implicit faith, total faith, in his words and instructions is an order, not an option, for the dev-
otee. Rather, it is our lifeline to the boat of transcendence over the turbulent dark waters of this
material energy.
My prayer is simple – that somehow or other, I may stay on the path of perfection to
bhakti-yoga. This is the path of Lord Kṛṣṇa, of Mahāprabhu, the saintly ācāryas, and our beloved
guru, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Let me always follow your instructions, which are the gateway to realization. Let me take up
your mission to retrieve the deluded souls, thus inspiring your compassion and the mercy of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa.
Let me dive deeply into this eternal philosophy, which you have presented purely but which is
easily understood by our meager intelligence. And through this divine knowledge, the curtain is
opened toward understanding the Divine Couple, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara.
These prayers and goals seem lofty, but what is our choice? To linger another few lifetimes in
this dark world of suffering? In the waning years of our life, let us do more than simply recall past
deeds and acts of service. Let us rededicate our lives to you, giving freely our love, our apprecia-
tion, and whatever small service we may perform.
Your most fallen servant,

Tamohara Dāsa

Homages from
Non-GBC Sannyāsīs
Bhakti Anugraha Janārdana Swami
My dearmost param-guru, Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Please accept my utmost humble obeisances unto the dust of your lotus feet on this Vyāsa-pūjā
day, the most auspicious 127th anniversary of your appearance.
As a pure representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Your Divine
Grace is being duly given unlimited glorifications and praises on this day, for without you, we
would still be lost, wandering in illusion in this world.
Without your able guidance and protection, we would not be able to be relieved from the
scorching heat of the fire which pervades the material forest of existence.
Your greatness is as deep as the unfathomable depth of the deepest ocean and as high as the
unlimited sky …
The spiritual master is the mercy representative of the Lord. Therefore, a person burning
in the flames of material existence may receive the rains of the mercy of the Lord through
the transparent medium of the self-realized spiritual master. The spiritual master, by his
words, can penetrate into the heart of the suffering person and inject transcendental
knowledge, which alone can extinguish the fire of material existence. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
1.7.22, purport)
It is by your mercy alone that we can get out of this predicament of being slaves of our senses,
which include the mind, by your simple formula of strictly following our agreement at the time
of initiation: following the four regulative principles (no illicit sex, no intoxication, no gambling,
and no meat-eating), chanting the Hare Krsna mahā-mantra, the holy name of the Lord, a min-
imum of 16 rounds daily without any offenses, reading daily your transcendental translations of
the ancient Vedic texts along with your purports, and performing practical devotional service
according to our propensity and ability.
Being under the influence of the modes of material nature, I am still in māyā’s grip of illusion
and bewilderment. I am covered up by my false ego, thinking I am an advanced devotee even
though I am the most neophyte and degraded fallen soul. I am only trying to imitate your gen-
uine devotees. I am still trying to resist the dictations of the flickering mind and always finding
ways to fulfill my desire to enjoy the sense objects with my senses. It is only by your mercy and
grace that I will be able to come back to my right senses sooner by following in your footsteps
and those of the predecessor ācāryas in our disciplic succession.
Our only business is to cleanse our hearts so that the Lord’s pastimes can re-enter our hearts
once they become purified by our constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord while avoiding
offenses to His devotees.
To attain vraja-bhakti, pure devotional service in Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma, is no cheap thing. In
one of your purports, you write:
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura summarizes this growth of love of the Godhead as a

gradual process. A person becomes interested in the devotional service of some good
fortune. Eventually, he became interested in pure devotional service without material
contamination. At that point, a person wants to associate with devotees. As a result of
this association, he becomes more and more interested in discharging devotional ser-
vice and hearing and chanting. The more one is interested in hearing and chanting, the
more he is purified of material contamination. Liberation from material contamination

is called anartha-nivṛtti, indicating a diminishing of all unwanted things. This is the test
of development in devotional service. If one actually develops a devotional attitude, he
must be freed from the material contamination of illicit sex, intoxication, gambling, and
meat-eating. These are the preliminary symptoms. When one is freed from all material
contamination, his firm faith awakens in devotional service. When firm faith develops,
a taste arises, and by that taste, one becomes attached to devotional service. When this
attachment intensifies, the seed of love of Kṛṣṇa fructifies. This position is called prīti or
rati (affection), or bhāva (emotion). When rati intensifies, it is called the love of Godhead.
This love of Godhead is actually life’s highest perfection and the reservoir of all pleasure.
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 23.13, purport)
My only wish on this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā is that my mind may become clear
of all misgivings and that you kindly purify my heart of all anarthas, for without these blessings, I
will consider this human form of life to be incomplete and wasted.
I understand that I cannot be happy in this material world without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is
only by understanding the teachings in your books that I will become happy and be transported
to the spiritual sky. I pray that someday I will make some progress in my spiritual pursuit and
ultimately make you happy and proud to be my spiritual grandfather.
Thank you for everything that you have given to me. I could not ask for anything more. Still,
though I do not deserve them, I am constantly begging for your love and mercy, birth after birth.
Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Bhakti Anugraha Janārdana Swami
Bhakti Bṛhat Bhāgavata Swami

My Dear Srila Prabhupada
In a letter dated on 6th October, 1968, you wrote,
In the transcendental platform, actually separation is more relishable than meeting.

But either separation or meeting, the state is always absolute. Actually in the spiritual
platform, there is no separation, but it is a different stages of rasas.
I miss you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. However, I feel your presence in the favourable association and
service to your followers in ISKCON.
In your purport to Sri Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi-lila 8.39 you write,
The secret in a devotee’s writing is that when he writes about the pastimes of the Lord,
the Lord helps him; he does not write himself. As stated in the Bhagavad-gita (10.10),
dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te. Since a devotee writes in service to the
HOMAGES FROM NON-GBC SANNYĀSĪS 69

Lord, the Lord from within gives him so much intelligence that he sits down near the
Lord and goes on writing books.
How amazing and wonderful it is that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is personally dictating and you are writing!
Again, I feel your continuous presence in your purports.
Thank you very, very much for mercifully allowing me (and millions of others) into the tran-
scendental association of chanting the Holy Names, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Your servant of your servants,

Bhakti Bṛhat Bhāgavata Swami
Bhakti Cārudeṣṇa Swami

Please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet.
With all admiration, I meditate on the greatness of your personality.
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 9.41 states:
bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari’ kara para-upakāra
One who has taken birth as a human being in the land of India (Bhārata-varṣa) should
make his life successful and work for the benefit of other people.
This verse is an instruction for those who have taken birth in the holy land to be more conscious
of their duty to help others spiritually. Similarly, you mentioned in your purport to Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam 4.22.23: “The Kṛṣṇa conscious movement is started for this purpose, so that hundreds
of ISKCON centers may give people a chance to hear and chant.”
We can see that you were in the same mood to save people and help them to reconnect to
Kṛṣṇa. You didn’t come to preach religiosity.
As an empowered soul, your mission was to empower everyone that comes in contact with you
in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to realize their spiritual identity as a servant of Kṛṣṇa. There is no excuse;
everything needed to progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is available in your books and in the way
you lived your life. I am so much concerned about this reality that I always feel morose when I see
that I am not doing much to push on your precious mission to save mankind.
Although your mercy is available for everyone, I feel that I am still very far from it, but I have
the strong hope that one day I will be eligible for it by association with those who love you and
have mastered the art of pleasing you by enthusiastically propagating the chanting and hearing of
the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa.
The aspiring servant of your servants,

Bhakti Cārudeṣṇa Swami

Bhakti Dhīra Dāmodara Swami
Please accept my humble and respectful obeisances at your divine lotus feet.
I am eternally grateful and thankful to you for so many reasons. You gave me a divine and
sweet life in Kṛṣṇa, which I did not have. You gave me a religion that teaches me who God is and
how to serve and worship Him. You gave me the most comprehensive scriptures that show me
where I belong in the universe, how it functions, how it is controlled and who controls it, and
for what purpose it was meant. The duration and varieties of beings with various grades are all
described. You gave me my eternal occupation, places to visit, and personalities to associate with.
You gave me intelligence, knowledge, devotion for Kṛṣṇa, and full shelter for eternity. You gave
me freedom from material life with its sufferings and complexities.
You gave me everything, and now I am begging Your Divine Grace to please give me the
wisdom, strength, intelligence, mind, and everything necessary for perfecting everything you have
given me to your full satisfaction. Please do not allow me to do anything that is not devotional,
and please forgive all my unlimited mistakes, offenses, dullness, weaknesses, foolishness, madness,
and my other shortcomings.
Please find some ways to help me become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and may your mercy be my shelter.
May you live forever in my heart.
THANK YOU!
Your grandson,
Bhakti Dhīra Dāmodara Swami
Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami



Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
You once compared the words in Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s songs to thunder bursts
whose cracking sound is self-evident when resounding in the heart. No need for an elaborate
explanation.
Your words act much in the same way. In your books, lectures, and conversations, there is a
treasure trove of hundreds of sūtra-like statements, each one of which has the power to act like a
powerful burst of thunder, capable of dispersing the dense dark clouds of ignorance and illusion
in the heart.

For you and the assembled Vaiṣṇavas’ pleasure, I present a small selection of these pearls of
wisdom.
108 Prabhupāda sūtras
1. “The cult of bhāgavata-dharma can be spread in all circumstances, among all people and in all
countries.” (Cc., Madhya 25.120, purport)
2. “If the infinite reveals Himself, then it is possible to understand the nature of the infinite by
the grace of the infinite.” (Bg. 11.4, purport)
3. “The Lord does no wrong in any circumstance because He is absolute, all-good at all times.”
(SB 1.9.35, purport)
4. “Nothing is created out of nothing, but everything is created from the person of the Lord.”
5. “Self-realization is the responsibility of every living entity developed in consciousness.”
6. “Human life is especially meant for self-realization – “self” refers to the Superself and the
individual self.” (SB 4.22.32, purport)
7. “Self-realization means to become indifferent to the needs of the gross and subtle bodies and
to become serious about the activities of the self.” (SB 1.3.33, purport)
8. “There is no stronger obstruction to one’s self-interest than thinking other subject matters to
be more pleasing than one’s self-realization.” (SB 4.22.32, purport)
9. “Hearing or associating with devotees is the most important function for self-realization.”
10. “The atmosphere of the subtle body at the time of death is created by the activities of the
gross body.” (SB 6.1.54, purport)
11. “The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is educating people to enlighten the subtle body.”
12. “Liberation means getting out of the clutches of the subtle body.” (SB 4.29.61, purport)
13. “The real interest of the living entity is to get out of the nescience that causes him to endure
repeated birth and death.” (SB 4.29.37, purport)
14. “Voluntary endeavor is the only qualification for spiritual perfection.” (SB 3.9.38, purport)
15. “Faith is created by association with devotees.” (Bg. 9.3, purport)
16. “In less than even a moment, a perfect devotee can return home, back to Godhead,
immediately after giving up his material body.” (SB 6.2.44, purport)
17. “Spiritual activities performed early in the morning have a greater effect than in any other
part of the day.” (SB 3.20.46, purport)
18. “The highest perfectional work of charity is to give people in general immunity from the
anxieties of material existence.” (SB 3.7.41, purport)
19. “The eternally conditioned soul is eternally conditioned because he is controlled by the mind.”
20. “The Lord’s feet act like thunderbolts hurled to shatter the mountain of sin stored in the
mind of the meditating devotee.” (SB 3.28.22, purport)
21. “The mind is naturally restless, going hither and thither, but it can rest in the sound vibration
of Kṛṣṇa.” (Bg., introduction)
22. “Satisfaction of the mind can be obtained only by taking the mind away from thoughts of
sense enjoyment.” (Bg. 17.16, purport)
23. “Except for the uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this world.”
(SB 7.8.9, purport)

24. “There is one easy weapon with which the mind can be conquered – neglect.” (SB 5.11.17,
purport)
25. “Mind is the instrument for feeling different material experiences, but intelligence is
deliberative and can change everything for the better.” (SB 2.10.32, purport)
26. “We should know for certain that the cause of all painful life is sinful action.” (SB 6.1., chapter
summary)
27. “Sense gratification is the root cause of material existence.” (Bg. 4.30, purport)
28. “Unless one conquers the modes of passion and ignorance, and comes to the platform of
goodness, there is no chance of one’s becoming a pure devotee.” (SB 6.14.1, purport)
29. “A devotee should never make compromises with nondevotees.” (Cc., Madhya 12.135, purport)
30. “Kṛṣṇa’s hearing the devotee’s words of love in offering foodstuffs is wholly identical with
His eating and actually tasting.” (Bg. 9.26, purport)
31. “A devotee should be blameless because any offense by the devotee is a scar on the Supreme
Personality of Godhead.” (SB 3.16.5, purport)
32. “Simply surrendering at the lotus feet of the Lord is the cause of all a devotee’s enlightenment
and awareness.” (SB 7.13.22, purport)
33. “The curse of a great saint or devotee is not a curse but a benediction.” (SB 8.4.1, purport)
34. “An unalloyed devotee is never disturbed by any kind of trying circumstance.” (SB 6.12.19,
purport)
35. “The Lord is so kind to His devotee that when severely testing him the Lord gives him the
necessary strength to be tolerant and continue to remain a glorious devotee.” (SB 8.22.30,
purport)
36. “No one is competent to serve the Lord, but even if a devotee is not competent, the merciful
Lord accepts the humble attempt of the devotee.” (SB 6.16.25, purport)
37. “All power is obtained from the Lord; therefore each particular power must be utilized to
execute the will of the Lord and not otherwise.” (ISO, mantra 4, purport)
38. “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as bhāva-grāhī janārdana because He takes
only the essence of a devotee’s attitude.” (SB 8.23.2, purport)
39. “Everyone has dormant kṛṣṇa-bhakti—love for Kṛṣṇa – and in the association of good
devotees, that love is revealed.” (Cc., Madhya 19.151, purport)
40. “The arguments offered by pure devotees to their disciples are so convincing that even a dull-
headed disciple is immediately enlightened with spiritual knowledge.” (SB 5.13.22, purport)
41. “For spiritual advancement of knowledge a suitable place and atmosphere are definitely
required.” (SB 1.7.2, purport)
42. “When a demon associates with devotees engaged in glorifying the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, he gradually becomes a pure devotee.” (SB 8.22.36, purport)
43. “Knowledge is meant for distribution.” (SB 10.2.19, purport)
44. “Agriculture and cow protection are the way to become sinless and thus be attracted to
devotional service.” (SB 8.6.12, purport)
45. “There is a miracle in milk, for it contains all the necessary vitamins to sustain human
physiological conditions for higher achievements.” (SB 1.16.4, purport)
46. “Devotional service begins when the mind, intelligence and ego are completely purified.”
(Cc., Madhya 6.235, purport)
47. “If we are not attached to devotional service to the Lord, then we cannot become detached
from the modes of material nature.” (Bg., introduction)
48. “There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord.”
(Bg. 2.72, purport)
49. “The Lord is always within the heart of the living being, but He becomes manifested by one’s
devotional service.” (SB 2.8.5, purport)

50. “Devotional service itself is so powerful that by one’s service attitude, everything is revealed.”
51. “Mantras and the process of devotional service have special power, provided they are received
from the authorized person.” (SB 8.16.24, purport)
52. “One should know for certain that without chanting the holy name of the Lord offenselessly,
one cannot be a proper candidate for advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (NOI, text 5,
purport)
53. “A sādhu is one who is engaged in devotional service to the Lord without deviation (bhajate
mām ananya-bhāk).” (SB 10.10.18, purport)
54. “Endeavor for material opulence is against the principle of devotional service.” (Cc., Madhya
12.135, purport)
55. “One must be satisfied with whatever privileges are given to him by the mercy of the Lord.”
(ISO, mantra 1, purport)
56. “Unless one is completely freed of all material desires, which are caused by the dense
darkness of ignorance, one cannot fully engage in the devotional service of the Lord.”
57. “When it is recommended that one be desireless, it is understood that one should not desire
things which are destructive to spiritual values.” (SB 3.12.26, purport)
58. “One must fulfill one’s desires by surrendering unto the Supreme Lord, for He knows how to
fulfill them.” (SB 7.13.24, purport)
59. “One’s desires and ambitions develop according to the company one keeps.” (NOI, text 4,
purport)
60. “The disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always
keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the
spiritual master.” (SB 4.28.47, purport)
61. “A devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail
to execute the spiritual master’s mission.” (SB 4.28.50, purport)
62. “To honor the spiritual master means to carry out his instructions word for word.” (SB 3.24.12,
purport)
63. “One should not accept a spiritual master without following his instructions.” (NOI, text 5,
purport)
64. “If a devotee or so-called devotee purposefully commits sinful activities continually in the
hope that Kṛṣṇa will give him protection, Kṛṣṇa will not protect him.” (Cc., Antya 9.65,
purport)
65. “As Kṛṣṇa never falls, when we revive our spiritual consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we
never fall again to material existence.” (SB 7.7.54, purport)
66. “The best friend and benefactor of all people is one who awakens humanity to its original
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (SB 4.22.47, purport)
67. “Even in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, separation and enmity take place due to the prominence of
material propensities.” (SB 5.14.37, purport)
68. “One who is not free from the contamination of envy cannot advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
69. “A living entity is so made by the will of the Almighty that he is most happy when placing
himself in a condition of absolute dependence.” (SB 1.9.22, purport)
70. “When one’s instrument of action is broken and cannot function, that is called death; again,
when one gets a new instrument for action, that is called birth.” (SB 3.31.46, purport)
71. “Instead of allowing one to forget one’s real position, Kṛṣṇa can revive one’s original identity
at the time of one’s death, even though the mind may be flickering.” (SB 10.1.41, purport)
72. “The duty of a pure Vaiṣṇava devotee is to act for the welfare of others.” (SB 10.8.4, purport)

73. “A Kṛṣṇa conscious person does his duty to the best of his ability and leaves everything to
Kṛṣṇa.” (Bg. 4.20, purport)
74. “Our duty is simply to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and let Him take
charge, for He knows what is good for us.” (SB 4.20.31, purport)
75. “A person who is in pure bhakti-yoga does not arouse the senses while meeting the demands of
the body.” (Bg. 6.23, purport)
76. “Once engaged in the bhakti-yoga process with all sincerity, one will have no chance of falling
down.” (SB 4.28.38, purport)
77. “The time of bereavement is a suitable time for appreciating bhakti-yoga.” (SB 6.5.35, purport)
78. “Just as a father sacrifices many things out of affection for his son, great saintly persons
sacrifice all kinds of bodily comforts for the benefit of human society.” (SB 5.1.26, purport)
79. “Our very existence is in the atmosphere of nonexistence.” (Bg., introduction)
80. “Matter dovetailed for the cause of the Absolute Truth regains its spiritual quality.” (Bg. 4.24,
purport)
81. “We should be satisfied with whatever is offered and supplied by Kṛṣṇa without much
personal endeavor.” (SB 3.31.47, purport)
82. “Avidyā, or ignorance, is undoubtedly dangerous, but vidyā, or knowledge, is even more
dangerous when mistaken or misguided.” (ISO, mantra 9, purport)
83. “Our hearts are meant for the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (SB 5.1.38,
purport)
84. “The eternally liberated living beings are in the Vaikuṇṭha jagat, the spiritual world, and they
never fall into the material world.” (SB 5.11.12, purport)
85. “The more we engage in austerities, the more we become powerful by the grace of the Lord.”
86. “Unless one is meek and humble, to make progress in spiritual life is very difficult.” (SB 7.9.8,
purport)
87. “By humility and meekness one attracts the attention of Kṛṣṇa.” (Cc., Antya 4.71, purport)
88. “Although every man and woman is actually eager to enjoy life through sexual unity, the
result is disunity and distress.” (SB 7.13.26, purport)
89. “The Supreme Personality of Godhead does not disappoint anyone who takes shelter of His
lotus feet.” (SB 8.3.19, purport)
90. “In the material world, all distresses are due to extravagance.” (SB 8.19.17, purport)
91. “There is nothing to be lamented when a matter is beyond the control of any human being.”
92. “Everything can be used to the extent that it can be engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service.” (SB 9.4.27,
purport)
93. “Unless one is spiritually advanced he cannot influence an audience.” (Cc., Ādi 7.105, purport)
94. “It is a completely mistaken idea that one can worship Kṛṣṇa in any form or in any way and
still attain the ultimate result of receiving the favor of the Lord.” (Cc., Madhya 8.90, purport)
95. “When one is actually advanced in ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa, he does not try to advertise himself.”
(Cc., Antya 20.28, purport)
96. “By nature and constitution, every living being – including the Supreme Lord and each of
His parts and parcels – is meant for eternal enjoyment.” (ISO, mantra 7, purport)
97. “As long as the living spiritual sparks manipulate the dead lumps of matter, the dead world
appears to be a living world.” (ISO, mantra 10, purport)
98. “Without purification of heart, sannyāsa is simply a disturbance to the social order.” (Bg. 3.4,
purport)
99. “Detachment from matter and attachment to Kṛṣṇa are one and the same.” (Bg. 5.5, purport)
100. “Unless we have a pessimistic view of this material life, considering the distresses of birth,

death, old age and disease, there is no impetus for our making advancement in spiritual life.”
(Bg. 13.12, purport)
101. “Avidyā (ignorance) perverts the ability to relish the transcendentally palatable name, quality,
form and pastimes of Kṛṣṇa.” (NOI, text 7, purport)
102. “As men are made after the form and features of the Supreme Lord, so also the cows are made
after the form and features of the surabhi cows in the spiritual kingdom.” (SB 1.17.09, purport)
103. “Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service to the Lord are the
transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of the Lord revealed to him.” (SB 6.16.50,
purport)
104. “True religion instructs people to be satisfied with the bare necessities of life while cultivating
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” (NOI, text 2, purport)
105. “Sacrifice means denying the interest of the senses.” (ISO, mantra 17, purport)
106. “On the spiritual platform, one does not unnecessarily care for the body.” (Cc., Antya 6.314,
purport)
107. “Every Vaiṣṇava is a spiritual master.” (Cc., Madhya 24.330, purport)
108. “A spiritual master is recognized as an actual guru when it is seen that he has changed the
character of his disciples.” (Cc., Antya 3.143, purport)
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am forever grateful for your wonderful gift of presenting the science
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in such clear and concise instructions. Any one of these 108 sūtras, when
applied in one’s life, can lead to the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Begging to remain eternally engaged in your service,

Bhakti Gauravāṇī Goswami
Bhakti Karuṇāmayī Vanamālī Swami



You are the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, you are
the eternal śikṣā-guru for all the devotees in ISKCON, and you are the topmost authority for
ISKCON.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you appeared in this material world 128 years ago; today, we are hap-
pily celebrating your 128th appearance day. In Bhagavad-gītā 4.7 Kṛṣṇa speaks:
yadā yadā hi dharmasya

glānir bhavati bhārata

abhyutthānam adharmasya
tadātmānaṁ sṛjāmy aham
Kṛṣṇa very clearly says that He appears (sṛjāmy aham), manifests Himself or His pure loving devo-
tees, like your great self.
The meaning of aham Kṛṣṇa also gives in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.18):
udārāḥ sarva evaite

jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam
āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā
mām evānuttamāṁ gatim
He says jñānī tv ātmaiva, the jñānī is just like His own self. And also to Uddhava in Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam it’s written that “ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān,” so Kṛṣṇa comes or sends great devotees
like your great self, ācāryas or jñānī-bhaktas or premī-bhaktas, so that the religiosity (dharma) can be
reestablished.
What is dharma? Caitanya Mahāprabhu told Sanātana Gosvāmī , “Jīve dayā nāme ruci vaiṣṇava
sevana iha chāra dharma nāhi śuna sanātana.”
Dharma means jīva-dayā. O Śrīla Prabhupāda, even though you say, “I have a problem, … very
big,” you worked globally, although you also acted locally. His Grace Nara-Nārāyaṇa Prabhu
is one of your dear disciples whom you called “the Viśvakarmā” of the Ratha-yātrā chariot. He
narrates how the first time he got a chance to be with you because he had built many rathas, he
remembers one pastime when he was in the room alone with you, serving you. You told him to
look for an ant on the glass table and said our movement would be successful if we delivered this
small ant.
So you not only work globally but also act locally; in this way, you show what jīva-dayā is.
For spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you used everything, and the fastest
means of your time was the airplane. You were called “jet-age ācārya.” Śrīla Prabhupāda, if you
had been doing your pastimes today, then you would have used digital media, which is the fastest
means of spreading the message, and you would have been called the “digital age ācārya.”
Nāma-ruci: Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is no doubt that you are the chosen one to spread the
Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra all over the world. Pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra
haibe mora nāma (CB Antya 4.126). Who at the age of 70–73 would like to sit in a park in New York,
leaving Vṛndāvana, India, and chant for two to four hours a day, but you did that for many days
unnoticed, and one day many hippies danced, and the rest is history.
Vaiṣṇava-sevā: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are an embodiment of vaiṣṇava-sevā; before becoming a
sannyāsī, you took very good care of your godbrother brahmacārīs and sannyāsīs. As a sannyāsī and
a guru, you very humbly took care of the devotees who were coming, your great self’s disciples.
Thus you are the chosen ācārya to spread the yuga-dharma and eradicate adharma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your secret of success is that you followed the instructions of your spiritual
master ācārya as they were given.
These are Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s, your dear spiritual master’s, final three
instructions: (1) Do not try to be hero. Simply try to be a speck at the lotus feet of the spiritual
master; (2) Take shelter of harināma and hari-kathā; (3) Beware of disunity.
1. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are always in the mood of dāsānudāsa. You never tried to be a hero;
whenever achievements came to you, you gave credit to your dear Gurudeva.
2. You always took shelter of harināma and hari-kathā. During your journey on the Jaladuta to
the USA, you had Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and japa-mālā.
3. Be careful of disunity.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, as you always emphasized and quoted, the need of the day is cooperation.
As you said in your January 5, 1976 letter to Satsvarūpa Mahārāja, “everything should be done
cooperatively. Our and yours are material conceptions and have no have no place in our Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. If the members of our movement are unable to cooperate it will be very
difficult to spread the mission of Lord Caitanya.”
The need of the day Śrīla Prabhupāda, as you said, is to work cooperatively, and you men-
tioned at the end of your pastimes that “your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate
with one another.” This is the need of the day, and this is what Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura, your dear spiritual master, instructed in the final instructions.
Beware of disunity. Thus you are guiding us and making us alert that we have to be together.
Now in our movement, the first generation really pleased your great self by serving your great
self with full heart and soul, spreading the movement and carrying the legacy. The second gener-
ation is also working hard and serving with full heart. Now the third generation is also ready, and
the fourth generation is on the verge of coming up.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, today on your 128th Vyāsa-pūjā, I am begging at your lotus feet that please,
please help me so that I can render some service cooperatively and spread the message of the
Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda, jīva-dayā will only be possible if there is cooperation among devotees.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Bhakti Karuṇāmayī Vanamālī Swami
Bhakti Prabhāva Swami

I offer my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
The Vedic scriptures see the worship of the Lord’s devotees, and especially the worship of the
spiritual master, as the most essential principle for making spiritual advancement:
yasya deve parā bhaktir

yathā deve tathā gurau
tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ
prakāśante mahātmanaḥ
Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual
master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed. (Śvetāśvatara
Upaniṣad 6.23)
All ISKCON gurus, whether śikṣā or dīkṣā, are your representatives. Their prime duty is to repeat
your teachings and guide disciples to the extent of their realizations. Your Divine Grace estab-
lished daily guru-pūjā as a standard practice for all ISKCON devotees. By your mercy has Kṛṣṇa
consciousness spread all over the entire globe, and by your mercy will the present and future gen-

erations flourish in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, provided they apply your teachings and engage in your
mission. As you write in the purport to Bhagavad-gītā 2.41:
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo

yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ
By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes sat-
isfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to
the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Rāmacandra Purī displeased his spiritual master Mādhavendra Purī and became a dry mental
speculator, and Prajāpati Dakṣa displeased Lord Śiva and ended up with the head of a goat and
later took birth as the son of the Pracetās, followers of Lord Śiva. But Īśvara Purī, who pleased
Mādhavendra Purī by taking care of his body in his last days and helping his spiritual master to
remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of leaving his body, received pure love for Lord Kṛṣṇa and became
the spiritual master of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
You bestow your mercy on everyone who follows your teachings, which you exemplified by
your own example. As such, Your Divine Grace taught us, in the most practical and personal ways,
the application of the principle of yukta-vairāgya, as enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-
rasāmṛta-sindhu, verse 1.2.55:
anāsaktasya viṣayān
yathārham upayuñjataḥ
nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe
yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate
When one is not attached to anything but at the same time accepts everything in relation
to Kṛṣṇa, one is rightly situated above possessiveness.
In a very personal way, you showed how even anger can be accepted in relation to Kṛṣṇa. When in
Amsterdam in 1972 the devotees did not prepare for the installation of Jagannātha, Baladeva, and
Subhadrā properly, you chastised them severely. The anger in your voice made everyone freeze
as you said: “What is this? No fruits? No flowers? What are these pots that you want to bathe the
Deities in?” You did not care for the TV cameras and guests.
On another occasion, His Holiness Nava Yogendra Mahārāja told us that he witnessed you
chastising a Bengali security guard in Māyāpur. When you angrily shouted at the guard in Ben-
gali, Nava Yogendra Mahārāja was shivering in fear. After the guard left the room, you became
very peaceful again. The anger did not control you, as it does with conditioned souls. You con-
trolled the anger and used it in Lord Kṛṣṇa’s service, a perfect practice of yukta-vairāgya. After
using anger, you give it up instantly, which indicates your liberated position.
The principle of yukta-vairāgya implies anāsaktasya viṣayān or being unattached. This is a state
beyond bewilderment, which is caused by the absorption of our consciousness in the duality
of desire and hate (Bg. 7.27). The absence of desire for so-called “good” and avoidance of what
is considered “bad” in this world indicates a state of consciousness without material desire. In
Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma, prior to getting off the cargo ship Jaladuta to enter the United States,
you expressed your desire in your prayer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa:

I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore, if You so desire their deliverance, then only
will they be able to understand Your message.
When Śrī Nārada Muni cursed the sons of Kuvera, Nalakuvera and Maṇigrīva, he desired that
they be liberated by the Supreme Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa is eager to fulfill the desires of His pure devo-
tees. Therefore, we have faith that Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa will reciprocate with your desire. All
your desires, including your wish for our liberation and your desire for engaging us in devotional
service, are only for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord,
Recently, during the VIHE Bhakti-vedānta course, I engaged the students in discussing the
pastime of the brāhmaṇa Sudāmā visiting Lord Kṛṣṇa in Dvārakā. It appears that Sudāmā’s
aversion to sense gratification was the last snare of illusion in his consciousness. But Lord Kṛṣṇa,
by showing the opulence of Dvārakā and giving His darśana to Sudāmā, gave him an expert
medicinal dose, removing his pride of being renounced and avoiding sense gratification. Thus,
Sudāmā, instead of being averse to sense gratification, became indifferent, and thus his practice of
yukta-vairāgya became perfect. Despite this subtle anartha, the elevated consciousness of Sudāmā
has no comparison with our contaminated consciousness. Regardless of our being most unquali-
fied, you nonetheless engaged us in pure devotional service, the pure engagement of the spiritual
soul, by teaching us how to act on the spiritual platform based on the formula of pure devotional
service, as outlined by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu verse 1.2.187:
īhā yasya harer dāsye

karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body, mind, and word is to
be considered liberated in all conditions of material existence.
The conclusion of Bhagavad-gītā is that we should always think of Lord Kṛṣṇa, become His devo-
tee, worship Him (Bg. 18.65), offer our respects to Him, surrender to Him (Bg. 18.66) and preach
Kṛṣṇa consciousness (Bg. 18.68). You gave us ISKCON as an instrument to fulfill the Lord’s
desire for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaging us on the liberated platform. When we
are sincerely engaged in your mission, then we act spiritually. The Lord explains to Uddhava in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.11.14:
yasya syur vīta-saṅkalpāḥ

prāṇendriya-mano-dhiyām
vṛttayaḥ sa vinirmukto
deha-stho ’pi hi tad-guṇaiḥ
A person is considered to be completely liberated from the gross and subtle material
bodies when all the functions of his vital energy, senses, mind, and intelligence are per-
formed without material desire. Such a person, although situated within the body, is not
entangled.
These are your blessings upon us, which are available not only to us but also to future generations.
This is in line with Lord Kṛṣṇa’s purposes in Bhagavad-gītā, and it is the seed of all purposes of
ISKCON. This process of yukta-vairāgya, or constantly engaging the body, mind, and words in the

service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, is eternally applied by the residents of Dvārakā and Vṛndāvana. You con-
firm this in Kṛṣṇa book, chapter 82:
The family members of the Yadu dynasty and the cowherds of Vṛndāvana had their minds
fixed on Kṛṣṇa. That is the symptom of perfect knowledge. And because their minds were
always engaged in Kṛṣṇa, they were automatically freed from all material activities. This
stage of life is called yukta-vairāgya, as enunciated by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.
On this day of your appearance, I pray for the benefit of ISKCON and all its leaders to grant us
the intelligence and empowerment to fulfill your desire so that we can please Your Divine Grace,
which is our only hope for receiving the Lord’s merciful glance.
Despite so many adverse conditions, I continue trying to act as your surrendered devotee.
Please use me as your instrument.
Your servant,
Bhakti Prabhāva Swami
Bhakti Prabhupāda-vrata Dāmodara Swami

Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, chapter 14, texts 19 and 23, Lord Kṛṣṇa emphasizes the exceptional
influence of the three modes of material nature. And in chapter 3, text 27, we find His famous
statement exposing our foolishness in thinking that we are the doers of activities that are actually
carried out by these three modes. Yet the conditioned soul nonetheless remains responsible for
his underlying material desires. These, in turn, impel material nature to set up ongoing bodily
situations to fulfill such desires, although usually in ways he hardly expected.
Through your books, your lectures, and your ideal example, Your Divine Grace has so clearly and
transparently revealed this type of crucial information, along with higher truths. You have indeed
“opened our eyes with the torchlight of knowledge.” Under your guidance, we are gradually retuning
our vision to see through the eyes of guru, sādhu, and śāstra, to hope against hope that some sweet
day we’ll find our eyes anointed with premāñjana, the essential yet elusive salve of love of God.
Yet … alas! My own plight is to languish in the miserable pool of materialism. I see, but do not
see. I possess cognition and knowledge yet fail to recognize and to acknowledge. I want ambrosia
yet persist in licking the outside of the bottle. Moreover, struggling for reform, I merely offend.
So, what will become of this “Prabhupāda mercy case”?
Meanwhile, the lower modes of material nature, and the concomitant tendencies of lust, greed,
and anger, are ever more dangerously rocking today’s world. O Śrīla Prabhupāda, O Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, O all strong Prabhupādānugas, please keep saving the world in its darkest hour!
And while you’re at it, please patiently uplift this wretched wannabe Vaiṣṇava.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, despite my lament, kindly allow me to continue to support the glorious
saṅkīrtana movement in some tiny way, in whatever measure I can, however stunted, however
faltering.

By your great mercy, I shall better concentrate on the holy name. Therein lies my hope.
All glories to Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious day!
Your most insignificant aspiring servant,

Bhakti Prabhupāda-vrata Dāmodara Swami
Bhakti Prema Swami

Dearmost Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances unto the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace.
Your divine appearance day is one of the greatest opportune moments for the whole world.
This world is blessed with your most auspicious appearance as a beacon of light and mercy for the
entire world. We are very happy to see that the whole world is recognizing your matchless gifts.
We are always dependent on your merciful glance for the protection of your merciful gifts.
By your mercy and guidance, your ISKCON is flourishing all over the world under the super-
vision of your disciples and sincere, loyal followers.
For the last three years (since 2020), I have been studying your books daily in Hindi and
Bengali in the association of devotees. It has been a transforming experience for me as my appre-
ciation for your books and your message has grown multifold. I want to continue studying and
inspiring others to read your books in the association of devotees.
Also, I am trying to distribute your books, especially Caitanya-caritāmṛta, to fulfill your mis-
sion (ghara ghara gaurāṅga). Please bless me so that I can become an instrument in serving your
ISKCON society eternally by becoming a humble servant of your servants.
Your servant,
Bhakti Prema Swami
Bhakti Rāghava Swami


I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master, His Divine

Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having
taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī
Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanya and delivering the
Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace on this
127th appearance anniversary.
Despite the advancement of Kali-yuga, the glories of Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement are
being heard and sung by more and more fortunate souls who come in contact with your mis-
sion. I remain eternally indebted to you for having given me this opportunity to meet your sweet
devotees. Please help me to understand how every single Vaiṣṇava is a rare jewel to be eternally
treasured and valued.
It is exactly 50 years this year that in the summer of 1973, I first stepped into the Ottawa temple
at 222 Besserer Street in the capital city of Ottawa. By the end of that year, I would join as a
full-time devotee, and on July 21st of the following year, the very birthday of my mother, I would
be initiated as Rāghava Paṇḍita Dāsa by you, along with some 40 other devotees, mostly from
Canada and the USA, at the fledging community of New Vrindaban.
Those years that you were physically present with us on the planet were so mystical, so
unique, and so amazing. It’s difficult to describe how your very presence, like a powerful magnet,
attracted hundreds of thousands of people, mostly young lost souls seeking real meaning in life.
And your magic continues today.
Your two books Nectar of Instruction and Nectar of Devotion both had a powerful impact on me,
as did Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I remember attending my first Sunday feast and hearing the often-
quoted aphorism from the Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā. On that very first day, I also came
to know about the king of all scriptures, grantha-rāja Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. To this day, I continue
to marvel at the deep and extensive purports that you so mercifully gifted to the whole world for
eternity as you mercifully shared your deep “emotional ecstasies.” Those same ecstasies are also
wonderfully displayed in your every lecture.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please help me to continue concentrating on the 50 percent of your unful-
filled mission, that of assisting in establishing daiva-varṇāśrama-dharma. You were such a visionary
that you could understand years ago, even before going to the West, how society could only be
saved if we return to be basic principles outlined in our Vedic culture by protecting our three
essential mothers, Mother Cow, Mother Nature, and Mother Sarasvatī, knowledge – all three
being the basis for reestablishing sanātana-dharma.
As you so wonderfully wrote in your essay on Gītā-nāgarī: “There is no other practical solution
of the scientific basis of universal brotherhood or of universal religion without understanding this
simple truth of the fatherhood of Godhead, motherhood of Nature, and childhood of all living
entities.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless all of us who are endeavoring to fulfill your sacred mission. As
stated in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Antya 7.11) kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana: without being
empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot spread the Lord’s mission.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all that you have given and continue to give today. May your
glories be ever spread so that more and more conditioned souls take shelter at your divine lotus
feet and engage in your devotional service.

Bhakti Rāghava Swami

Bhakti Ratnākara Ambarīṣa Swami
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please accept my humble obeisances unto the dust of your lotus feet!
In your class on Bhagavad-gītā 2.7 from August 1973 you are saying:
So this knowledge required, how to find out real guru and how to surrender unto Him.
The guru does not mean that I keep a guru, so, as order-supplier. “My dear guru, I am
suffering from this. Can you give me some medicine?” “Yes, yes. Take this medicine.”
“Yes.” Not that guru. If you are suffering from some disease, you go to a physician. It is
not guru’s business to give you some medicine. A guru’s business is to give you Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa sei tomāra, kṛṣṇa dīte pāra (Bhajana-Lālasā, Song 7). A Vaiṣṇava is praying, guru: “Sir,
you are devotee of Kṛṣṇa. You can give me Kṛṣṇa if you like.” This is the position of śiṣya.
Guru’s business is how to give you Kṛṣṇa, not any material things. For material things,
there are so many institution. But if you want Kṛṣṇa, then guru’s required. Who is, who
requires a guru?
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsu śreya uttamam

śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upasamāśrayam
(SB 11.3.21)
Who requires a guru? Guru is not a fashion, “Oh, I have got a guru. I shall make a guru.”
Guru means one who is serious. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to seek out a guru.
Why? Jijñāsu śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive of the Supreme. Not guru make
a fashion, just like we keep a dog, fashion, similarly, we keep a guru. That is not guru
dharma[?]. “Guru will act according to my decision.” Not like that. Guru means one who
can give you Kṛṣṇa. That is guru. Kṛṣṇa se tomāra.
We came in contact with ISKCON only by the great fortune created by you. You took the risk to
come to Russia in 1971. You inspired the first person in Russia to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and
you sent your disciples to continue the preaching, and now we have thousands of people practic-
ing Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Russia. Book distributors in Russia are very eager to increase saṅkīr-
tana and try to teach this service to new devotees. Devotees are also using the internet to present
your books, and it also helps to increase book distribution.
On this auspicious occasion, we are praying for your mercy to please you more and more by
increasing book distribution.
Servant of your servants,

B. R. Ambarīṣa Swami

Bhakti Vāsudeva Swami
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace, ISKCON’s
founder-ācārya.
I hereby present my academic and corporate preaching report for September 2022 to February
2023 on this glorious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
1. Leading change for higher performance in academia and research. Presented at Teerthanker
Mahaveer University on 15 February 2023, Moradabad, India.
2. Mind management for sustainable success. Presented at the Indian Institute of Technology
on 3 February 2023, Kharagpur, India.
3. Sonic therapeutic intervention for high job performance. Presented at BIOCON (India’s
Leader in Bio Pharmacy) on 27 January 2023, Bengaluru, India.
4. Sonic therapeutic intervention for mental health. Presented at Rajarajeshwari Medical Col-
lege on 28 January 2023, Bengaluru, India.
5. Self-leadership for career growth. Presented at SJB Institute of Technology on 24 January
2023, Bengaluru, India.
6. Sonic therapeutic intervention for preventing financial fraud: A phenomenological study. Pre-
sented at the Indian Institute of Science on January 29, 2023, in Bengaluru, India.
7. Sonic therapeutic intervention for self-leadership. Presented at the Indian Institute of Tech-
nology (IIT), on 28 October 2022, Kharagpur, India.
8. Sonic therapeutic intervention for global peace and harmony. Presented at Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) on 15 September 2022, Durgapur, India.
Comments:
At Teerthanker Mahaveer University, the presentation was for professors and Ph.D. research
scholars, and 79 participated in the program. The professor who hosted the program has become
deeply interested in devotional practice and so attracted to ISKCON that he wants to take dīkṣā in
ISKCON.
I had a favorable-outcome meeting with some Kharagpur IIT professors on 26 March 2023 at
the Tourism office, Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma. They were part of the audience at my presentations at
IIT Kharagpur. They chant daily and were satisfied with clarifications about devotional service.
One Ph.D. research scholar at IIT Kharagpur, became so enthused about devotional service
after attending the 28 October presentation that he contacted me on LinkedIn (social media). He
said that he would like to give his life to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
The professor who hosted our presentation at IIT Durgapur, has been chanting japa steadily
and observing Ekādaśī after the September 2022 presentation.
Sonic therapeutic intervention (STI) is a scientific expression used to indicate chanting the
Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, kindly bless me with sus-
tainable progress in this preaching endeavor of spreading the holy names to the professors and
corporate executives.
Your servant of the servants,

Bhakti Vāsudeva Swami

Bhakti Vighna Vināśa Narasiṁha Swami
My dearmost spiritual master and preceptor for the entire world, I offer my most prostrated obei-
sances unto your divine lotus feet.
Thank you for coming into my life and saving me from the materialistic civilization. I am just
another example of your causeless mercy on conditioned souls. Your mercy is unlimited. You
kindly traveled far and wide to present the message of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. You saw no
difference between lecturing to Africans in a stadium in Nairobi and lecturing to an auditorium
full of Scottish people in Glasgow or sophisticated young people in Los Angeles. You saw the
Lord in the hearts of all, and you desired their welfare.
Your mission continues under the empowered disciples and granddisciples of Your Divine
Grace. Through their steady commitment to your service, we see the Kṛṣṇa conscious communi-
ties around the world flourishing. With the changing economic policies in India, more temples
have been constructed in many cities as well as in holy places. Outside India, there is also some
progress, but it can never be compared to the development of the Indian yātrā. Now we also see
the Indian yātrā helping to strengthen the preaching overseas. Your books are being studied
more diligently than ever before, and more and more come forward to take the Bhakti-śāstrī and
Bhakti-vaibhava courses. We see wonderful schools opening with an emphasis on spiritual edu-
cation. There are farming projects with herds of dairy cows. We find saṅkīrtana parties across the
globe, so no one can say they have never heard of Hare Kṛṣṇa.
This is all your glory Śrīla Prabhupāda.
You did the real work and got the movement rolling. We offer all at your lotus feet. Thank you
for everything Śrīla Prabhupāda. May I always bathe in the dust of your lotus feet.
Your insignificant disciple,

Bhakti Vighna Vināśa Narasiṁha Swami
Bhakti Vilāsa Gauracandra Swami

When the fire is ablaze in the hearts of people unable to discriminate between good and evil,
when the whole world loses its lasting peace and prosperity, when the custom and practice of reli-
gion in a country becomes damaged, only then does a dedicated noble soul like Śrīla Prabhupāda
appear to extinguish the affliction and scorched hearts by establishing the spiritual message from
the Supreme Planet. You appeared to introduce the summum bonum as a senāpati-bhakta through-
out the universe. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you changed the contaminated consciousness of human
beings and transformed each person with your external association as a messenger of Vaikuṇṭha.
On the auspicious occasion of your 127th appearance day, I wish to offer my humble obeisances
unto your lotus feet and imploringly pray for your causeless mercy.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are so merciful toward people irrespective of caste and creed that you
have explicitly expressed the teachings and conclusions of the previous ācāryas in your transcen-
dental books in such an easy and lucid way to understand, like infants’ food. So people in general

can grasp the idea, which paves them the way to go back home back to Godhead. As a result, with
the help of śāstric knowledge, they are relishing and realizing the Personality of Godhead. That is
why your anticipation that your society will continue for 10,000 years is right.
We often see that your disciple His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami, in his lectures, stresses and
inspires us to complete śāstric courses like Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, etc., only to increase
the foundation of our spiritual knowledge. Another extension of your power of mercy is that even
most ordinary people throughout the world who are not experts in knowledge and devotion are
still scrutinizingly studying and relishing your philosophical transcendental books. Such a day
will come when everyone, with the help of your weaponlike knowledge, will easily tear up the
hard knot of uncivilized heart attachment for men and women and will go back to Godhead.
Also, hearing your various teachings from my Guru Mahārāja has made me blissful, and
additionally made me attached to serving you properly under the ISKCON umbrella.
Your last message was, “Don’t leave ISKCON,” and all the devotees with their cooperative and
sympathetic mood between one another, will propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness for ISKCON. I will
learn and abide by the GBC body that you have formed as a final authority. Please bless me so
that I can abide by these three teachings throughout my life, and I can help my Guru Mahārāja to
continue your transcendental preaching in a submissive way.
Your eternal servant of servants,

Bhakti Vilāsa Gauracandra Swami
ISKCON Nāmahaṭṭa, Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma
Bhakti Vinoda Swami

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. All glories to your
amazing devotional service to this world of fools and rascals, to the paramparā, to your dear spiri-
tual master, to Lord Gaurāṅga and the Pañca-tattva, and to Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality,
the Absolute Truth.
As time goes by and as I hear and read your lectures and books, I am able to see the depth of
your message more and more clearly. My appreciation for your clarity, your purity, and humility
simply increases every day. In a Bhagavad-gītā purport about the austerity of the mind, you men-
tion thinking of doing good for others as an austerity of the mind. For you, it was not an austerity
like it is for a sādhaka like me. You loved the people of this world naturally due to your love for
Kṛṣṇa, and hence wanted to do good to them. You gave them your best. Your love is so genuine,
pure, and strong. The power of love and what it can do to humanity can be seen in your selfless
service and the legacy that you left behind for posterity. You wanted your followers to take the
credit for spreading the mission of Lord Caitanya from the branch of ISKCON of the Caitanya
tree. That comes at a cost, though; it’s called cooperation. If humanity, or particularly your fol-
lowers, want to show their love to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, they must learn to cooperate genuinely,
feelingly, with love for you and Kṛṣṇa as the basis.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, our love for you is challenged time and again because we understand
your instructions in different ways. While it’s natural that each one of us is different and individu-

alistic, it is having its repercussions on the mass of devotees and their faith while also eating at our
vitality at times. Issues about guru-tattva, guruship, and its latently mystical concepts evade our
understanding. I know that for me personally this is due to a paucity of purity and bhakti.
There seems to be a lack of leadership, like you would have provided, to decisively direct the
course of the Kṛṣṇa conscious movement at this critical time. This is expected. We pray that by
the strength of mercy from Your Divine Grace, we will tide over these times and come out more
mature and pure to carry forward the precious gift of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Faith in your words,
written and spoken, as they are, is the key.
Faith springs eternal in the human breast. At the present moment, the age-old debate of faith
vs. reason is surfacing, as technology, in the guise of science, takes center stage, flaunting success
with robots and AI while thumbing its nose at religion and pointing at our “unreasonable” faith-
based conclusions. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you taught us both. Faith is fundamental to reason. The
faith-reason combo is at the foundation of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Your books are the basis of
our reasoning in Kṛṣṇa conscious faith. We in ISKCON are not merely faith-based organizations
(FBO) but filled with reason, science, and the best of logic, as well as your mercy. It behooves
us to bring this contribution of yours to the fore of today’s science, philosophy, and governance.
Everything is in your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, as you humbly stated. We need to read them
scrutinizingly again, as you said.
We at the BBT in Kerala have endeavored to bring out all your books in the Malayalam lan-
guage. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta was released during a grand festival where over 1000 devotees
joined together to dedicate it to Your Divine Grace, along with ministers and other VIPS. His
Holiness Jayapatākā Swami, who was present at the release, mentioned that it would create a revo-
lution in Kerala while His Grace Rāmeśvara Prabhu, who learned that in your mission the impos-
sible is possible, gave us his story of the production of the first Caitanya-caritāmṛta volumes. We
are working on a few remaining titles to complete the entire range of your works in this language.
I seek your blessings on all these devotees who are determined to make you feel like “an emperor
who has conquered” with every production.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, as my grand–spiritual father and as the founding spiritual master of
ISKCON and its followers for all times to come, your teachings and life story are a powerful inspi-
ration to me, and I always feel enthused to share it with everyone I meet. I seek your blessings
to be able to present your teaching “as it is” with a full understanding of your purports for the
welfare of humanity.
Many projects that have been planned for this purpose are yet to be completed, and it is by
your mercy and that of your true followers, coupled with our sincere effort, that it will be com-
pleted. We beg for your blessings for the speedy completion and expansion of the outreach in my
assigned areas.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for your association, your books, your temples, devotees, the
holy names, and the whole reality of life with opportunities for devotional service. May your
glories be sung everywhere!
On this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, please bless me to be a humble instrument in your
vast machinery for preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Your servant,
Bhakti Vinoda Swami

Candramauli Swami
My prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to our paramparā line, of which you are
the flower that has spread the sweet fragrance of Lord Caitanya’s cloudlike mercy around the globe.
With your mercy, what is the use of others? And without your mercy, what is the use of others?
Your mercy is your guidance and instructions for us, your disciples, to practice and eventually
spread that mercy to everyone. For that, I am extremely grateful to have this rare opportunity
to attempt to act as one of your aṅgas in assisting you in your mission of compassion. Although
unqualified, I understand that success is to fully take shelter of your lotuslike instructions and
your designed programs for uplifting the miserable living entities.
In these troubled times, your words are proving prophetic:
Civilization will collapse very soon all over the world. It will collapse. Either you may
bring this ism or that ism; this civilization will collapse. People will become mad, being
harassed in so many ways. When one is harassed by so many problems, he commits sui-
cide. So that position is coming. (Morning walk, Delhi, November 29, 1975)
Over the last couple of years we have been witnessing the gradual deterioration of Western civili-
zation, as you predicted 50 years ago. As I travel around, I see that devotees are thereby bettering
their awareness and understanding of how important it is to emphasize your vision for the future
of ISKCON and the world by developing daivi-varṇāśrama centered around Kṛṣṇa conscious farm
communities. We are attempting to achieve this by placing more attention, time, and energy to
help unfold Kṛṣṇa’s way of life, a simple life of cow protection, brahminical culture, chanting the
holy names and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As you said:
Krishna is the Farm Acarya. Baladeva is holding a plow and Krishna is holding the calf.
(Letter to Hari Śauri, Vṛndāvana, August 10, 1977)
Our farm projects are an extremely important part of our movement. We must become
self-sufficient by growing our own grains and producing our own milk, then there will
be no question of poverty. So develop these farm communities as far as possible. They
should be developed as an ideal society depending on natural products not industry.
Industry has simply created godlessness, because they think they can manufacture every-
thing that they need. Our Bhagavad-gita philosophy explains that men and animals must
have food in order to maintain their bodies. And the production of food is dependent on
the rain and the rain of course is dependent on chanting Hare Krsna. Therefore let every-
one chant Hare Krsna, eat nicely and keep their bodies fit and healthy. This is ideal life
style. (Letter to Rūpānuga, Bombay, December 18, 1974)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your mercy is pushing me along despite the increased difficulties that come
with maintaining the body in this time of advanced age. By your mercy alone, which inspires
others to become your mercy-givers, we are trying to serve in this way to please you.
Your servant,
Candramauli Swami

Candraśekhara Swami


There, I just read it again! (below)
Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him
as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.
(Bg. 2.29)
“Amazing,” – what an interesting word to use. (above)
All of this is clearly described, and if we properly utilize the instructions of Bhagavad-gītā,
then our whole life will become purified, and ultimately we will be able to reach the des-
tination which is beyond this material sky … (yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ
mama). (Bg., introduction)
“Beyond this Material Sky.” There is something beyond our Material World! (above)
What, then, is the ultimate truth? The answer is that nondual knowledge is the ultimate
truth. It is devoid of the contamination of material qualities. It gives us liberation. It is
the one without a second, all-pervading and beyond imagination. (SB 5.12.11)
We hear about the “ultimate truth,” about “nondual knowledge.” We hear that it is “one without a
second, all-pervading”; we hear that it is “beyond imagination!” (above) Then … (below)
The first realization of that knowledge is Brahman. Then Paramātmā, the Supersoul, is
realized by the yogīs who try to see Him without grievance. This is the second stage of
realization. Finally, full realization of the same supreme knowledge is realized in the
Supreme Person. All learned scholars describe the Supreme Person as Vāsudeva, the
cause of Brahman, Paramātmā and others. (SB 5.12.11)
Now we hear details of the Supreme’s ontological nature. Who could imagine? (above)
Beyond the region of ignorance [the material cosmic manifestation] lies the realm of
Siddhaloka. The Siddhas reside there, absorbed in the bliss of Brahman. Demons killed
by the Lord also attain that realm. (Cc., Ādi 5.39)
We are told about a world “beyond the region of ignorance.” (above) Then even a higher realm …
(below)
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows,

yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of pur-
pose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of
lakṣmīs or gopīs. (BS 5.29)
Here is a description of this Spiritual World! Everything about this world is strangely familiar yet,
at the same time, not like any that we experience or can remember. (above)
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept in playing on His flute, with bloom-
ing eyes like lotus petals with head decked with peacock’s feather, with the figure of
beauty tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and His unique loveliness charming millions
of Cupids. (BS 5.30)
More about the Supreme – an actual description! (above)
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, only the tip of the toe of whose lotus feet is
approached by the yogīs who aspire after the transcendental and betake themselves
to prāṇāyāma by drilling the respiration; or by the jñānīs who try to find out the non-
differentiated Brahman by the process of elimination of the mundane, extending over
thousands of millions of years. (BS 5.34)
Now we hear about the desirability of the Supreme and the difficulty in achieving audience.
(above)
That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast,

the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited.
(Śrī Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta 2.2.193)
Happiness that increases endlessly – now, that is something! (above)

Throughout the Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and the other literature of the Vaiṣṇavas
are all these superlatives, unabashed dual word compounds and hyperbolic adjectives. “Spiritual
world,” “spiritual food,” “ānanda – (transcendental bliss),” “śuddha-bhakti – (pure devotion).”
IS THERE NOTHING ORDINARY? Yes, the material world seen through material con-
sciousness is ordinary … actually worse than ordinary.
These majestic, flowery, melodramatic, and apparently overblown-sounding phrases, adjectives,
and descriptive passages can leave us with the impression that we have just left Earth’s atmo-
sphere and are in circular flight around a different orb, possibly in another solar system or even
another galaxy.
Maybe like me, some of you readers have just become calloused or inured to all these fantasti-
cal prose passages. And it would indeed be a glaring weak point of our philosophy if this were the
status – that there is nothing behind these outsized eulogies and incredible absolutes.
Yet maybe, also like me, you catch glimpses of that world, only to, a few moments later, be
yanked back, again having your carriage turned back into a pumpkin, your horses back into white
mice.
Sometimes, yes, sometimes, I read and know that these amazing literatures are not concocting
colorful passages to galvanize our imagination or faith, but instead, I feel the painful lack of
depth in my connection with that 4-D world, that very real spiritual world which they represent.
But, I say, “I have seen a few sparkles of it.” “I have heard that strange music.” So I continue
in my worn-out shoes. I will try not to put on airs, because for all I know, you may already be an
internal resident of that internal mysterious place.

These words are my constant reminder that I have a long, long way to go. The journey from
ādau śraddhā to premābhyudañcati is a hike up the mountain. You, Śrīla Prabhupāda, have made
it possible. Thank you … that is all I have to say: thank you. Without you, I would have lost out,
and what is more, I would not have even had the slightest inkling that I had SO MUCH lost out!
Your servant,
Candraśekhara Swami
Dānavīra Goswami
To His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,


Your Divine Grace traveled all over the world, conquering all kinds of opposing forces. For Kṛṣṇa,
Your Divine Grace defeated atheism, impersonalism, voidism, pseudoscience, pseudoreligions,
and every possible opposing element that the material world has to offer. Like the Six Gosvāmīs
of Vṛndāvana, Your Divine Grace is highly respected throughout the three worlds, tri-bhuvane
mānyau. The great politician and moralist Cāṇakya Paṇḍita said:
vidvatāṁ ca nṛpatyāṁ ca naiva tulyaṁ kadācana

sva-deśe pūjyate rājan vidvān sarvatra pūjyate
(Pañcatantra 2.58)
It is not possible to compare a wealthy man or a king with a learned person. Because
the rich man or king may be respected in his own village, town, nation, or planet, but a
learned man, a devotee of God, is honored wherever he goes.
Your Divine Grace exemplified this śloka by receiving honor from all groups of people around the
world. The US Army recognized Your Divine Grace’s movement and deferred devotees from being
drafted. Popular musicians and leaders of the youth who were seeking higher knowledge looked
up to Your Divine Grace. Your Divine Grace met with many intellectuals and inspired some
thoughtful scientists to pursue Your Divine Grace’s mission. Your Divine Grace was respected
amongst scholars and yogīs alike for Your Divine Grace’s depth of Vedic knowledge. After consid-
ering Your Divine Grace’s books, the Supreme Court of the State of New York recognized Hare
Kṛṣṇa as a bona fide religion.
As a matter of fact, all of Your Divine Grace’s intelligence, bhakti, śakti, charm, compassion,
and so many other transcendental qualities are perfectly preserved in Your Divine Grace’s books.
Therefore, wherever Your Divine Grace’s books go, they create the same phenomenon – they

destroy materialism and they bring down the infrastructure of atheism, a Your Divine Grace did
in person. Through Your Divine Grace’s books, Your Divine Grace has reached so many, and if
they repeat something that they’ve learned from Your Divine Grace or Your Divine Grace’s books
and live by it with body, mind, and words, they too become highly respected wherever they go.
I experienced this firsthand the first time I went to India. Some of us would get our heads
shaved by the local barber, who was cutting hair outside in a public area. I was sitting on a rock,
and soon some neighborhood boys came and gathered around. They were having fun at my
expense, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying since I didn’t speak Bengali. Looking
at the fair-skinned Westerner in devotee dress, they likely thought I was some sort of pretender or
something. The barber did not want to take sides. More kids came up, even some teenagers – they
were having quite the time! So in the spur of the moment, I started chanting and reciting all of
the Sanskrit verses I had memorized. I started with Bhagavad-gītā 1.1:
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva kim akurvata sañjaya
I continued and exhausted all of my Gītā verses. Silence. This stopped the children’s prodding
in their tracks. The barber was pleased and impressed that I knew some Sanskrit ślokas, and he
seemed to say, “See, so many verses from the Gītā!?” He chastised them for making fun. This is an
example of Your Divine Grace’s mercy and strength being passed to Your Divine Grace’s disciples.
If anyone had asked whether I understood what the ślokas meant, I would have said “yes.”
This verse means that Lord Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā five thousand years ago at Kurukṣetra.
Kurukṣetra is a real place where sacrifices have been performed for a long time. It is not to be
taken allegorically. You can go and visit there today; it is 150 km north of Delhi. This means
Bhagavad-gītā is to be taken literally, as a historical record. Bhagavad-gītā 2.12:
na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ

na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param
This means that Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna, and all the kings that were assembled at Kurukṣetra were individ-
ual spirit souls in the past, in the present, and in the future, and they will continue to be so. The
individual soul never merges and loses his identity. It means that God and the innumerable living
entities are all eternal individual spiritual persons.
Perhaps then I can go on serving Your Divine Grace for eternity.

Dānavīra Goswami

Gaṇapati Swami

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
In practical human terms, Śrīla Prabhupāda was an idealist, a realist, and an optimist. Let me elu-
cidate: idealist: a person who cherishes or pursues high or noble principles, purposes, goals, etc;
a visionary realist: a person who tends to view or represent things as they really are; optimist: one
who is disposed or tends to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions, and to expect
the most favorable outcome
Śrīla Prabhupāda never entertained compromise, even if it meant he found only one “moon.”
His goal was to make the supreme sādhya of kṛṣṇa-prema available to whomever would accept it in
its authentic form:
I don’t make any compromise with these rascals. No words. No, no. I’ll never make that.
Even if I don’t get any disciple, I’ll be satisfied. But I cannot make any compromise as
these rascals. I cannot make. Ekaś candras tamo hanti na ca tārāḥ sahasraśaḥ. If I create one
moon, that is sufficient. I don’t want many stars. That was my Guru Mahārāja’s principle,
and that is principle. What is the use of having number of fools and rascals? If one man
understands rightly, he can deliver the whole world. (Morning walk, Bombay, March 23,
1974)
Yet, Prabhupāda was realistically aware of how challenging his “impossible mission” would be, as
he confided to the pūjārī at Śrī Advaita Ācārya’s Śāntipur house: “Many years ago my Gurudeva
gave me an impossible mission. He ordered me to go across the ocean and plant Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness on foreign soil.” (Our Śrīla Prabhupāda, a Friend to All)
Decades later, he reminisced:
So when I was seventy years old I decided, “Now I must do and execute the order of my
Guru Mahārāja.” And thus this movement was started in 1965 from New York. And I was
not very much hopeful, because it is very difficult task, just opposite the European and
Western culture. I came … When I first came, I had no money. So I got a free passage
through some Indian steam navigation company. So I came by ship. So when I was on
the ship at Boston port, Commonwealth port, I was thinking that “I have come here. I
do not know what is the purpose, because how the people will accept this movement?
They are differently educated, and as soon as I’ll say, “So, my dear sir, you have to give
up meat-eating and illicit sex and intoxication and gambling,” they will say, “Please go
home.” [laughter]
Because that was the experience of one of my godbrother.… So my godbrother pro-
posed, “Yes, we can make anyone brāhmaṇa provided you follow this principle: no illicit
sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling.” So that Lord Zetland immediately

replied, “Impossible.” (Lecture on Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s Appearance Day, Atlanta,
March 2, 1975)
In spite of that, his innate optimism prevailed:
So I was thinking that “I will propose something which is impossible. Anyway, let me
try.” (Lecture on Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta’s Appearance Day, Atlanta, March 2, 1975)
He knew Kṛṣṇa could make even the “impossible” possible:
tabe jadi taba kṛpā hoy ahaitukī

sakal-i sambhava hoy tumi se kautukī
But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most
expert mystic. (Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma 4)
Fortunately, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s transcendental idealism, realism, and optimism has to some
degree shed upon me. Thus, I now aspire for the highest ideal of bhakti-rasa with Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Rasarāja; and in spite of it not being realistic for countless lifetimes, I maintain a “hope against
hope” that, by his Divine Grace, it may some life come to pass.
Striving to more deeply appreciate my great fortune, I hope to remain his servant eternally,
Gaṇapati Swami
Janānanda Goswami
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda


My obeisances again and again in the dust of your feet.
Love – The Greatest Gift

A Crying Appeal
The root of all divine qualities – absolute love. The constitution of the living being. Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda, you are the personification of this love – your every act, thought, and deed – saturated with
pure love. You gave and continue to give real love to all – the greatest need of every living being.

They say, “love makes the world go round.” This is certainly true of the spiritual world. “Love
makes ISKCON go round.” You have brought that spiritual love into this world of lust, mani-
festing in your endless love for the part-and-parcel living entities, fallen into illusion and seeing
themselves separate from their eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
The unique nature of Your love is that it is purely constitutional (the nature of the soul con-
nected purely with Kṛṣṇa), unlike the relative love of conditioned souls. By your unconditional
love, you are doing the otherwise impossible – awakening love for Kṛṣṇa in the hearts of the
mlecchas and yavanas of this world in this Kali-yuga. Miracle done. By the one switch of loving
Kṛṣṇa, all is achieved.
The Nectar of Devotion teaches us the science of loving every one of the living entities per-
fectly by the easy method of loving Kṛṣṇa. If we learn how to love Kṛṣṇa, then it is very
easy to immediately and simultaneously love every living being. (NOD, preface)
No separate endeavor is needed. The secret of all secrets.

By giving the process – yuga-dharma harināma saṅkīrtana – you uncover the loving propensity
in us all. Just expose ourselves to your association and the holy name and focus on acting and
dealing in the way you would be pleased.
As Haridāsa Ṭhākura showered his loving compassion on his perpetrators, you also showered
the compassion of love for Kṛṣṇa on the world, showing that all living entities are His parts and
parcels. To not love one part is to not love Kṛṣṇa.
Out of love for Kṛṣṇa and His parts and parcels, you fearlessly chastise and hammer to try to
get the point in. Even your seeming chastisements are tsunamis of mercy because that is who you
are – the living embodiment of mercy in its absolute form – no boundaries. It pains you to see
Kṛṣṇa’s parts and parcels trying to defy Kṛṣṇa and denying their own rights.
When Will We Cry Like You?
Your crying is not the sentimental crying of materially frustrated and fearful, traumatized jīvas.
Your crying is the manifestation of your love. The perpetual act of the eternal lovers of the Lord
in separation. In its various forms, you are always crying. There is a crying need for pure Kṛṣṇa
consciousness more now than ever before in this spiritual wilderness. You cry out the message of
Godhead with your every word – “We must not be disappointed that no one is hearing Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness. We will say it to the moon and stars and all directions. We will cry in the wilderness,
because Kṛṣṇa is everywhere.”
It’s a crying shame that people do not take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Yes, the word crying has
many connotations. An inseparable response of true compassion. You also cry to see Kṛṣṇa’s parts
and parcels separated from Kṛṣṇa, not bringing Him pleasure. You cry to see the vehicle meant to
carry this message, for which you labored so hard, not being maintained or being misused. You
cry when your “army of monkeys” fight with one another and lose the thread. You said it is the
Western habit to fight.
You cry when your little helpers fall away (and sometimes your “big guns!”). When Siddha-
svarūpa Mahārāja contacted you after separating himself from the movement, you cried, remem-
bering him with loving affection. When another early and prominent disciple showed such
offensive indifference, you appealed to him, “What did I do to cause you to become like this?” No
response. After he left, you commented what a rascal he has become, “but I still love him.” You
loved each and every follower – every little speck of devotion means so much to you.
You cry when temples are not being maintained, when we put our own vision and perceptions

in the center. When we stop the yuga-dharma. When we compromise the path to genuine love
that you gave us. When we reduce the Deity standards. When we stop following our vows. When
we leave your lotus feet. You cry when we misuse Kṛṣṇa’s energy. I cannot imagine your heart’s
feelings seeing so many occupied in fault-finding and spending countless hours on unproductive
social media. The whole world has been hijacked. You cried in your last days out of concern for
your movement and the risk of its failure.
You cry when you see the state of this world. You cry to see souls lost in the meshes of māyā.
You cry when you see poor little kids starving. “Make sure no one within 10 miles of an ISKCON
property goes hungry.” You cry when you see the mindless butchering of innocent living enti-
ties. You cry when you see your spiritual children suffer, and literally, when the children of your
children are abused. Not only children, but everyone. Who has not been or is not being abused?
This is the material world – the world where we abuse Kṛṣṇa’s energy. Are we not the abuser also?
Only you are teaching us how to become nonabusers.
Your crying is not only out of your compassion but also from joy. You cry when you stand
in front of your beloved Lordships. When you hear the glorious results of the spreading of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When you see the austerities of surrendered disciples. (We hope our little
efforts in France bring some tears of joy to your heart, especially last year, the reprinting of your
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in French and the extensive repairs to the buildings and property at New
Māyāpur. Decades have passed since you were there, and decades of struggle also bringing tears
to your heart seeing the situation of your French chapter).
You cry in remembrance of your Guru Mahārāja. You cry when you sing the songs of the previ-
ous ācāryas. You cry in separation from your beloved.
Your life is one of crying to the Lord. There is no end of causes for crying, but your crying is
different – it is the cry of genuine love.
They say Jesus Christ suffered for our sins, but you suffer for all living beings, whoever they are
and whatever they are doing. All living entities are sinful if they have forgotten their relationship
with the Supreme.
A vision remains etched in my heart. Sitting at your lotus feet in a London airport. Teeming
travelers are running here and there with no real idea where they are going. Tears are rolling down
from your eyes as you gaze over the scene. Is it because you are leaving behind your loving follow-
ers? Or is it because your heart burns upon seeing the pitiful state of the “happy karmīs.” Maybe
both.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, if only I could cry, following in your footsteps. If only I felt genuine
repentance, with tears in my eyes and heart at my insincerity, my feelings of envy, my attachments
to mundane, so-called pleasures, my poor sādhana – let the list stop there, but it is a long one. I
should be crying in regret for my past and present nonsense. I am also guilty, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
of making you cry. If only it were for the right reason.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you taught us how to cry for Kṛṣṇa. Unfortunately, this baby is still crying
for the milk of name, fame, recognition, adoration – for the fulfillment of its whims.
Oh, how much pain it must give you to see so many divisive subjects, by the hand of Kali,
entering our midst, threatening to split the movement. The risk: turning us away from what
you have given, love for Kṛṣṇa, the yuga-dharma. Everything from guru-tattva to the definition
of abuse, from eating habits to perceived changes in your writings, from preaching methods to
gender issues, from modern-day wokeism to how we dress, from this to that. All passing clouds
can occupy our consciousness and can leave a trail of disaster in their wake. Oh, how much you
taught us to come together and preach – to chant with all our hearts. Is this not the unity in
diversity principle? You cry when you see the diversity overwhelming the unity.
Your tears of love have changed the world and continue to do so.
You taught us how to cry for Kṛṣṇa – thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

When, oh when will we cry like you in love of Kṛṣṇa and all that is related to Him.
Your tears of love are the unifying factor of this movement. Let us unitedly cry and cry for the
right purpose. Let us cry to spread the holy names.
Remembering you and your causeless love, I fall, crying at your lotus feet. Crying for a little
spot in the dust at your lotus feet – my only hope.
Janānanda Goswami
Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami
A Beggar or a Giver
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, I beg to offer you respects in the form of these words of appreciation and
praise, along with my obeisances at your blessed lotuslike feet, at which the masters of loving
devotion to the Lord sit.
Recently I was fortunate to spend some days at Govardhana together with a group of devotees
visiting (mainly from Europe) Kṛṣṇa’s holy dhāma. We were blessed to circumambulate Govar-
dhana Hill, inspired by the tradition of respecting Girirāja – the King of Mountains – exempli-
fied by Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī making his daily walks around this rocky emblem of Kṛṣṇa’s
love for the vraja-vāsīs. We remembered your wish – as the final days of your presence with us
approached – to make bullock-cart parikramā of Govardhana, and we prayed for your blessings
that we might feel your presence as we made our way with kīrtana along the sandy path in the
pleasant February sunlight.
And as we proceeded – now south of Jatipur, now through Rādhā-kuṇḍa town – we encoun-
tered and passed by numerous people seeking alms. Some passively sat and patiently waited for a
coin or two to drop in their tin bowls as pilgrims passed by; others approached with outstretched
hands, spreading an upper garment and urging with a strong voice and persistent pace. One has
contrary feelings of wishing there were no beggars to embarrass one with one’s own callousness
and simultaneously wishing to give generously to them all if one possibly could, remembering
Kṛṣṇa’s order to the vraja-vāsīs to distribute food generously after offering it to Govardhana in the
annakūṭa festival.
I also recalled your words, reporting how you had chided some young Indian students at the
University of California in Berkeley:
When I was speaking in Berkeley University sometimes in the year 1966, one Indian
student stood up, and he said, “Swamiji, what this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement will
do? We require now technology.” So I replied, “Yes, you are after technology. So you are
a beggar. I am not a beggar. I have come here to give something. That is the difference.
I have come here to give some culture, and you have come to imitate the Western civiliza-
tion by technology. That is the difference. You’ll remain a beggar, I shall remain a giver.
That is the difference.” (Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.9.48, Māyāpur, June 14, 1973)

Of course, we can understand that you have given so much more than just “some culture”; you
have given the entire expansive and inclusive culture and exacting practice of devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
Your desire, as you once expressed to Bhūrijana Prabhu and Jagattāriṇī Prabhvī (as Bhūrijana
Prabhu shared with us at Govardhana), was nothing less than to enable everyone in the universe to
become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Such is your spirit of giving.
And yet, the humble nature of your giving is such that it appears as begging. You beg every-
one to listen to and accept Lord Kṛṣṇa’s teachings, following Haridāsa Ṭhākura and Nityānanda
Prabhu as they implored everyone they met to accept their priceless gift of kṛṣṇa-bhakti.
My prayer on this day commemorating your appearance is that you grant me the requisite
determination and humility to remain a beggar in your service, to grasp some sense of the expan-
siveness of your giving spirit. I pray to be able to go beyond my own limited comprehension of
your mission and, thus, to at least try to reciprocate your gift in such ways that others will receive
and accept the same. Then I may be blessed to see the Govardhana residents, pilgrims – beggars
and all – as Lord Kṛṣṇa’s blessed associates, and I may be able to share the abundance that is
embodied in Govardhana – the giver of unlimited joy to Kṛṣṇa and His devotees – with everyone
I meet.
Your aspiring, begging servant,

Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami
Lokanātha Swami
My Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble, prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to
Your Divine Grace, to your selfless mercy and priceless philosophy. All glories to Your Divine
Grace on your auspicious 127th Vyāsa-pūjā.
By initiating 5,000 disciples globally, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had already begun the vision for
unity in diversity. These disciples represent a sweeping diversity of nationalities, races, ethnici-
ties, and religious backgrounds. Through your books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, people of all races and
nationalities around the globe have begun to perform devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
as one united family.
There is an ancient verse from Mahopaniṣad (6.71–75) that states:
ayaṁ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghucetasām

udāracaritānāṁ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam
Only men who think small discriminate, saying that one person is a relative and the other
is a stranger. But those people who live magnanimously know that the entire world con-
stitutes their family.
The essential implication of the above statement is that considerations such as “he is mine or
another’s” occur only in the low-minded. To the intellectual minds, the entire world is one family.
Given the number of continents and countries, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you frequently discussed how

this boundless world became artificially divided and continues to be superficially maintained by a
“disunited” United Nations.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your vision of ISKCON was one of the United Nations of the spiritual
world. As I write this dedication, the so-called United Nations, or rather the “Disunited” United
Nations, has failed to unite the people of the world. I recall you noting that whenever you passed
the United Nations organization’s headquarters in New York, you would say, “Another flag.” After
a few months, again, “Another flag.” “Oh! Another flag.” Yet, in spite of the many flags, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, you said that this was a symbol of disunited nations that were constantly “splitting,
splitting, splitting.” The present ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, the Israel-Palestine
crisis, and the many other conflicts around the world, are evidence of this disunity, this splitting,
and this breach of espoused unity.
The Vedic point of view that you propagated is that everybody on this planet is certainly part
of our family – vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam. This is clearly evident in your 14 travels around the globe,
during which you nurtured and guided “the world tendency of going toward one state or one
human society.” You knew there was a need to instill a kinship that engendered world human
brotherhood, wherein the world would be united as one family.
In the preface of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you wrote: “We must know the present need of human
society which is no longer bounded by geographical limits to particular countries or communities.
It is broader than in the middle ages, and the world’s tendency is toward one state or one human
society. The ideals of spiritual communism, according to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, are based more or
less on the oneness of the entire energy of living beings.” Those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they are
broadminded people. They could accommodate the whole world in their heart, and accept every-
body, as part of their family.
In the early 1960s there was a war between India and China. However, India, being friendly
and broadminded, encouraged its school children to chant this slogan – “Hindi Chini bhāi bhāi.”
I was from a village, so what I understood was Hindi is a language and chini is sugar. I was left
wondering how language and sugar could possibly be brothers. When I was older, I realized
that the people of Hindustan (India) are called Hindi, and Chinese people are called Chini. It
dawned on me that this slogan, hindi-chini bhāi bhāi was a call for a brotherhood alliance between
the Hindustanis and the Chinese. Without a common father, children cannot be brothers. I fur-
ther wondered about the common father, which you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, clarified for me. In your
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, I finally learned the underlying truth and fully understood the meaning of
hindi-chini bhāi bhāi. I finally comprehended how the people of India and China are all broth-
ers. It is because Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (14.4): ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: “I am the seed-giving
father.” Kṛṣṇa is the seed-giving father, not the government heads around the world. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the common and Supreme Father of humanity and all creatures who
inhabit this world. You advocated that we are one world, one family having one father.
The concept of vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam, which you instilled as one of the foundational princi-
ples of our movement, has seen the devotees of war-torn countries helping and supporting one
another. These two nations are quarreling and killing each other daily, exchanging bullets and
missiles, yet ISKCON devotees are exchanging gifts and obeisances and exhibiting a “Ukraine
Russian Bhāi Bhāi” ethos in spite of the raging war. This, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is the result of your
philosophy of the interconnectedness of mankind through true knowledge.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have made us to understand that Kṛṣṇa is our common father and head
of the family.
vidyā-vinaya-sampanne
brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle
brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste] (Bg. 5.18)
The true meaning of equal vision extends to all living entities, which reminds me of a song writ-
ten by St. Francis of Assisi, who refers to Brother Sun, Sister Moon and the stars, Brothers Wind
and Air, Sister Water, Brother Fire and Mother Earth, whom he says, “sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”
In your 1974 lecture, you said the following about St. Francis; “This is real God consciousness,
yes, not that ‘I am God conscious, and I kill the animals.’ That is not God conscious. To accept
the trees, plants, lower animals, insignificant ants even, as brothers … Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu. This
is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Samaḥ means equal to all living entities, to see the spirit soul,
anyone … It doesn’t matter whether he is man or cat or dog or tree or ant or insect or big man.
They are all parts and parcel of God. They are simply dressed differently.”
The Ām Ādmī Party is a political party is India that supposedly cares and fights for the
common man, the ādmī. There are many political parties like this one worldwide who care only for
humans, who vote for them. Sadly, they continue with their atrocities toward other living entities.
They encourage slaughterhouses and consuming meat, which unforgivingly, includes the cow.
They strip the forests, which has led to serious environmental concerns for all those living on this
planet. But Śrīla Prabhupāda, your International Society for Krishna Consciousness is the Ām
Ātmā Party. It is a party that cares and is concerned for the welfare of all living entities.
ekaṁ śāstraṁ devakī-putra-gītam

eko devo devakī-putra eva
eko mantras tasya nāmāni yāni
karmāpy ekaṁ tasya devasya sevā
And that one world, one family has one common scripture – ekaṁ śāstraṁ devakī-putra-
gītam – Bhagavad-gītā; we worship one God, eko devo devakī-putra eva – the son of
Devakī, Kṛṣṇa; chant one mantra – eko mantras tasya nāmāni yāni – Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare
Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.
Universally we all have the one and only occupation – karmāpy ekaṁ tasya devasya
sevā – and that is devotional service unto the Supreme worshipable Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
(Bhagavad-gītā-māhātmya 7)
The original world was one village, Bhārata, but marauding invaders came and burnt universities
and libraries and tried to annihilate the ancient Vedic culture. Nālanda was an acclaimed fifth-
century university in the ancient kingdom of Bihar. The knowledge at this university was so colos-
sal that out of jealousy, in 1200 CE, Sultan Khilji set fire to the university’s entire library, burning
millions of books. It took more than three months to burn down this priceless house of knowl-
edge. Then the British came to India with Governor-General Macaulay, who “wanted to break the
very backbone of this nation, which is her heritage and culture.” He minimized the study of San-
skrit and made English the medium of instruction for higher education in India, and shut down
all colleges where only Eastern philosophy and subjects were taught. This is how they splintered
and shrank the original Bhārata.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, when you were asked why you had come to England, you replied, “Your
country, England, ruled over India for many generations, and in the span of that time, you took

so much of our wealth to London, but you forgot to take our greatest wealth, our spiritual culture.
I have come to give you freely what you forgot to take from us.”
Because of your mercy, even after the burning and the shrinking by the invaders, all members
and followers of your Kṛṣṇa conscious movement are united worldwide.
Your Divine Grace made home delivery of Vedic knowledge worldwide. Today all your fol-
lowers are equipped with the swords of knowledge, your books, uniting the world once again.
From the “disunited nations in New York” to the “united spiritual nations in Māyāpur” you have
revived that trend and spirit again. The whole world is reading your books and about Vedic
culture, and that is a cultural conquest.
This worldwide knowledge is available at the Māyāpur and Vṛndāvana Institutes for Higher
Education, which have now become sought-after institutions. Apart from designated educational
institutions globally, every ISKCON mandir is a vidyā-mandir, where the study of Bhāgavatam and
Bhagavad-gītā is regularly undertaken. The Bhaktivedanta College of Education and Culture offers
certificated courses like Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta, and Bhakti-sārvabhauma.
The curriculum is guided by your books and is studied with much enthusiasm globally.
This access to knowledge and higher thinking is all we need to inspire this brotherhood,
fraternity, and the spirit of cooperation of all nations across the globe.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you built a house in which the whole world can live, a sacred shelter that
accommodates all, irrespective of race, language, or nationality. You have advised, “The material
advancement of the Western countries and the spiritual assets of India should combine for the
elevation of all human society.”
Your eternal, grateful servant,

Lokanātha Swami
Mahādyuti Swami


Please accept my obeisances. All glories to you!
First of all, I am so grateful for this opportunity to glorify you! One of my greatest pleasures is
to glorify you and to hear others glorify you.
Among your innumerable transcendental qualities is your ability to maintain a positive attitude
and enthusiasm in spite of what, to most people, would be debilitating disappointments. Here are
just a few of them (among dozens):
• In the early years, hardly anyone you encountered in India was interested in your message.

• Your wife and children also weren’t interested; your wife even traded your Bhāgavatam for tea
biscuits.
• The Indian government made it difficult for you to get the No Objection Certificate to leave
the country.
• After arriving in America, your pleas for help from your godbrothers went unheeded.
A brahmacārī disciple of one of your godbrothers intensely desired to join you, but his guru
wouldn’t allow him.
• In the winter of ’65–’66, someone stole your Gītā manuscript and your tape recorder and
recorded tapes.
• You awarded sannyāsa to some disciples, but several fell down.
• You got disciples married, but many couldn’t keep their vows or stick with one spouse.
• Sometimes, your trusted but naïve lieutenants squandered money on dodgy business deals;
sometimes they embezzled money.
• Some of your closest disciples left Kṛṣṇa consciousness altogether, and some of them even
criticized you. I heard that one of them was even so bold as to ask you to surrender to his new
guru.
• Mr. Nair tried to swindle you out of the Juhu land.
Yet you always kept going, undaunted by such reversals, like the sparrow who vowed to drink the
ocean (mentioned in your purport to Bg. 6.24)! You were, as your dear disciple Jayādvaita Swami
once noted, intrepid – which means resolutely fearless and bold. Yes! That’s you, exactly! Noth-
ing stopped or swayed you, like the “lamp in a windless place” (Bg. 6.19).
This is important for us to see, as life for us in this world is replete with disappointment. It
must be, of course, because everything here is temporary. Your sterling example inspires us to
also keep going in spite of repeatedly devastating setbacks.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for this and innumerable other transcendental examples and
instructions, illustrating your total dependence on Kṛṣṇa and your resolve to fulfill the order
of your spiritual master. Without this, we would be lost once again in this dangerous, cold, and
unforgiving world.
All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda! May I continue to strive to unconditionally serve your
lotus feet forever.

Mahādyuti Swami
Nava Yogendra Swami

Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you Śrīla
Prabhupāda. You are the savior of the whole world by spreading sanātana-dharma and the holy
name of Supreme Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare
Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, all over the world.
Today is your divine appearance day, and yesterday was the appearance day of the Supreme

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who appeared to relieve saintly people and do away with miscreants. But in this
age of Kali-yuga, the Lord appeared in the form of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to save everyone
irrespective of caste, color, and creed and bestow upon them the love of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, which is the
ultimate purpose of this human form of life. Your appearance is to fulfill the mission of Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu – to take the holy name of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to every town and village of the
world. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I sometimes feel like
yadi prabhupāda nā haito, tabe ki haito kemone dharitām de

gaura rādhā-kṛṣṇa mahimā, premarasa-sīmā jagate jānāto ke
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you took so much trouble in your lifetime in this world, which no one can
repay. The whole world is indebted to you for this eternal highest welfare work that shall remain
for ten thousand years to come.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you preserved Vedic knowledge and made it accessible to a fresh new global
audience. You demonstrated by your own example. You also established the sacred arcā-vigraha of
the Supreme Lord, restoring brahminical practices and aiding in free cow protection.
On this day of your appearance, we pray at your lotus feet for blessing and that you empower
us to carry on your mission “as it is.” Without your mercy, I am unqualified to do anything. Your
mercy is the one and only hope for me.
I pledge this day of your divine appearance that by your mercy, I will try my best to become
more serious and work more enthusiastically for the fulfillment of the goal of this human form of
life. A divine way is shown by you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!

Nava Yogendra Swami
ISKCON (Udhampur, J&K)
Pārtha Sārathi Dāsa Goswami

My dear eternal spiritual master Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. All glories to your
sincere followers.
Recently while at Govardhana Hill, Vṛndāvana (where I have been religiously residing every
winter over the last thirty years), I was diagnosed with stage two thyroid cancer. It was a surprise.
And as quickly as it came it also seemingly disappeared. The whole episode lasted three months.
But I can’t help but think that cancer-type-related problems don’t really go away at the age of
seventy. They simply reduce for a while and return.
During that period I intensified my most important activity, which are my prayers and feeble
attempt at bhajana. I experienced what I have always been longing for—a deeper relationship
with Your Divine Grace. And I felt immensely satisfied. As Your Divine Grace has written in
Srimad Bhagavatam (1.9.17, purport):

A devotee’s duty, therefore, is to ungrudgingly accept tribulations from the Lord as a
benediction.
I feel exhilarated and enlivened about the development of my relationship with Your Divine
Grace and your revealing yourself and your moods. It is your causeless mercy.
When will that day come…

When can I actually have some genuine feelings
Of love for Your Divine Grace?
When tears will flow from my eyes
When I think in gratitude
Of everything that you have done for me?
When in my meditation I can understand
Your position in gaura-līlā
You must be a very close and
Intimate associate of Sri Caitanya
When I can understand your personality
Your sentiments and moods?
When I can associate with you?
When I can render some personal service to you?
When I can worship the most important person
In my life with the most important method?
Externally the worship of Your Divine Grace
Means to worship your instructions
And internally, to worship you
Means to worship you with the tears from my eyes
One cannot be separated from the other
Your servant eternally,

Pārtha Sārathi Dāsa Goswami
Durban, South Africa

Rāma Govinda Swami
Parama Pūjya, Param Gurudeva Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Grace on your auspicious Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā, today.
Param Gurudeva! It is said in Śrī Padma Purāṇa, Śrī Bhāgavata-māhātmyam 2.76:
bhāgyodayena bahujanma samarjitena, satsaṅgamam ca labhate puruṣo yada vai

ajñāna hetu kṛta moha-madandhakāra nāsaṁ, vidhaya hi tadoyate vivekaḥ
The accumulated end result of pious activities for many life times that one will come in
contact or association of a Vaiṣṇava, satsaṅga, and as a result he will be freed from the
reaction of activities committed because of ignorance and false ego, and he will get the
wisdom to think of purpose of human form of life.

This is practically experienced in my case. When I first came in contact with ISKCON devotees on
July 4, 1986, in Washington D.C., USA, the devotees blessed me with śrī-kṛṣṇa-prasāda and advised
me (as I was supposed to depart that night for New York) to go to the Brooklyn temple, New
York, for the Sunday love feast program. At that time, I did not know anything about ISKCON,
but somehow I accepted their advice and went to ISKCON Brooklyn on Sunday, July 6, 1986,
and attended the Sunday program, which was wonderful. Now I feel that is how I was blessed by
those wonderful devotees in Washington so that later, I got the frequent and regular association
of devotees in Gaborone, Botswana since 1991. The little association with the devotees changed
my way of life gradually. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.18.13 it is said:
tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ
The value of a moment’s association with the devotees of the Lord cannot even be com-
pared to attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of
worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which is for those who are meant
for death.
Param Gurudeva! You have given us temples to learn devotional service in theory and practice;
association of devotees; spiritual masters; chanting of the holy names of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; kīrtana
to glorify the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; prasāda, the mercy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; and services to
the Supreme Lord. As you said many times in your purports, those engaged in these devotional
activities are transcendentally situated. You have given us all the transcendental knowledge in
your purports, which will help us to advance in spiritual life. Understanding the Absolute Truth
is not easy, but by reading your purports, engaging in devotional services, and hearing Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā from Vaiṣṇavas, one can understand to some extent about the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
You have given us the transcendental treasury of bhakti. Bhakti is the best and easiest process
in comparison to other processes, like karma-kāṇḍa, jñāna-yoga, and aṣṭāṅga-yoga. Lord Brahmā,
while offering prayers to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, says that bhakti is the best process for the realization of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.4). It is said in the Padma Purāṇa,
Bhāgavata-māhātmya, 3.73:
sakala bhuvana madhye nirdhanāstepi dhanya, nivasti hṛdi yeśam śrī harerbhaktir eka
harirapi nijalokam sarvathato vihaya, praviśati hṛdi teṣām bhakti sutropanaddaḥ
Even if one is poverty stricken, but if he has bhakti, loving devotional service in his heart,
he is the richest person in the whole universe, because even though Supreme Lord Śrī
Hari resides in His eternal Abode, Vaikuṇṭha, He comes down to resides in the heart of
the devotee who follows the regulative principles of devotional service, bhakti.
Lord Kapila says:
jarayaty āśu yā kośaṁ

nigīrṇam analo yathā
(SB 3.25.33)

Bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate
effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.
Śrīla Prabhupāda! In the purport you said that “for a devotee, liberation is no problem at all.
Liberation takes place without separate endeavor. Bhakti, therefore is far better than mukti or the
impersonalist position.” As we keep reading your purports, we get more understanding of your
instructions and the glories of bhakti-yoga. As the Lord is ananta, infinite, the transcendental
knowledge given to us in your purports is also ananta.
You have given us so much that we are eternally indebted to Your Divine Grace. To please Your
Divine Grace, we all have to serve ISKCON, your body, with love and in cooperation with all.
Prostrating at your lotus feet, I humbly pray for your blessings so that I can continue to serve
your mission.
Your servant of servant,

Rāma Govinda Swami
Botswana/South Africa
Romapāda Swami


mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī guruṁ dina-tāraṇam
My dear and most respected spiritual master and eternal father,

Please accept my most humble and respectful obeisances in the dust of your most merciful
lotus feet! All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Years are passing quickly. Many of your stalwart leaders have already joined you, entering into
some form of eternal service unto your lotus feet. In the coming decade, many additional senior
disciples and followers will also be joining you – somewhere, also assisting you as your eternal
servants. That day is coming for all of us, sooner or later. “Simply a change of service, that’s all” –
as Kadamba Kānana Swami remarked.
While reflecting on your gifts given so liberally to this dark world in creating and expanding
ISKCON, what was the source of your strength? Unflinching faith in guru, Nāma Prabhu, and
Śrīmad-Bhagāvatam are three sources of your indomitable spiritual strength that I would like to
glorify here.

Faith in Guru
Whenever you spoke of your Guru Mahārāja, one could easily and palpably feel the strength of
your firm dedication to him – displayed abundantly in your life’s work. While fearlessly following
his instruction to you to carry the teachings of Mahāprabhu to the English-speaking parts of the
world, what was your essential message? From the very beginning, “I have simply come to remind
you of that which you have forgotten.” This message was repeated again and again. And yet again.
Your power to awaken conditioned souls to what they have forgotten continues; I experience it
nearly every day in worldly individuals of all descriptions who contact your books long after your
physical departure!
The disciple and spiritual master are never separated because the spiritual master always
keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions
of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vāṇī (words). Physical presence
is called vapuḥ. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should
serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer
physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.
(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.47, purport)
From my early college days, I became acquainted with your Guru Mahārāja, Śrī Śrīmad Bhakti-
siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī, through an article printed in an early Back to Godhead magazine,
which was my first Kṛṣṇa conscious literature. That article elevated me to an experience of con-
sciousness I had never known before in my life. By divine arrangement, events occurred whereby
my affinity for him substantially grew over the passage of time.
However, when I read a letter you had written to Pradyumna Prabhu on October 17, 1967, I
became particularly motivated to deeply study Brahma-saṁhitā and teach its message to others.
Brahma Samhita is the gist of the Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad gita as well as in
the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krishna is accepted as Supreme Lord & everything about him is
nicely described there, similarly in the Brahma-Samhita everything about Krishna is per-
fectly described. In the very beginning of the book, Krishna is accepted as the Supreme
Lord existing eternally in his transcendental form and is the cause of all causes. One
who reads Brahma Samhita very carefully & scrutinizingly can understand everything
of Krishna without any fault. I recommend, therefore that all my students read Brahma
Samhita very carefully–especially because it was translated personally by my spiritual
master Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja.
In the course of acting upon your instruction to “read Brahma-saṁhitā very carefully,” and after
painstakingly teaching it several times, a strong urge has arisen in my heart to provide a rendering
of this awesome book in easily approachable language for today’s reader. Please empower me
to carry out this desire with a proper mood, simply as a tiny assistant within your and Bhakti-
siddhānta Sarasvatī’s greater mission.
Faith in Nāma Prabhu
Once, in your presence, Akiñcana Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Bābājī asked Bon Mahārāja, “You went to the West,
and Swami Mahārāja went to the West. You were both vastly learned scholars, gifted writers, and
eloquent speakers. You presented the teaching of Lord Caitanya, and he presented the teachings

of Lord Caitanya. You did the same things that he did, but he was successful and you could not
do anything. What is the reason?” And then Bābājī Mahārāja himself gave the answer: “Because
he had full faith in the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.”
In your own words, Śrīla Prabhupāda: “I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I
have strong faith in the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. I have been designated as Bhaktivedānta, and now, if
You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedānta.”
Please grant this one benediction: may I, too, come to the stage of chanting the holy name with
full attention and absorption, filled with faith in Nāma Prabhu!
Faith in Śrīmad-Bhagāvatam
In 1961, when provided with your very first opportunity to present the message of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu beyond India to Tokyo, you chose the very theme of Śrīmad-Bhagāvatam itself as
your message: “Light of the Bhāgavata.”
Today, Śrīmad-Bhagāvatam has spread widely and in many languages, and is continuing to
proliferate worldwide – resting upon your strong faith in its spiritually uplifting value, simply by
souls giving submissive oral reception to its message.
Although I am very tiny, I am dedicated to continuing to assist you in this upliftment mission
to my capacity, as I have been doing for decades. As you well know, my life is eternally dedicated
to your service in a feeble yet sincere attempt to assist you in your ongoing mission. By serving
you, may these three sources of your spiritual strength be transmitted also to me, at least to some
degree, so that I may become a better instrument for you to utilize.
Please accept me as your eternal servant.

Your humble servant, Romapāda Swami
Śacīnandana Swami


Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you.

How can I ever express my gratitude to you with my limited words or deeds? You have given
me shelter without fear – even though I am still surrounded by kuṇṭha-loka, the world of anxieties.
Meeting you was the most important event in my material existence in all the millions of life-
times I have spent here. In the Bhāgavatam, Pṛthu Mahārāja expresses his gratitude to the four
Kumāras for coming into his life when they visited him in his palace. He says:

How can such persons, who have rendered unlimited service by explaining the path of
self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whose explana-
tions are given for our enlightenment with complete conviction and Vedic evidence, be
repaid except by folded palms containing water for their satisfaction? Such great person-
alities can be satisfied only by their own activities, which are distributed amongst human
society out of their unlimited mercy. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.22.47)
Before that, Pṛthu Mahārāja had actually met Lord Viṣṇu at the completion of his yajña. At that
time, Viṣṇu showed him His causeless mercy by indicating that the king would meet the Kumāras
in the future.
One might ask, why was it at all necessary for Pṛthu Mahārāja to meet the Kumāras after
he had already seen the Lord face to face? Your beloved disciple His Holiness Gaura Govinda
Mahārāja explained once how the Lord has given the power to distribute the nectar of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness into the hands of His devotee:
If you go to Kṛṣṇa and say, “Oh, You are an ocean of mercy, please give me a drop.” Kṛṣṇa
will say, “You are such a fool, rascal. That ocean is not with Me now. My dear devotee has
taken that ocean and has gone there to distribute … he is now distributing My mercy.”
But alas, there is an illness in me. It requires treatment, and for that, I am turning today sincerely
to you, as only you have the medicine. Being a conditioned soul stuck in a material body and
mind, there are inclinations in me that make me lean toward the material side of life – anxieties,
limited willpower, illusions, etc. These material pulls are still present.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura once remarked that the living entity is somewhere
between Prahlāda and Hiraṇyakaśipu. Sometimes we show our attraction for devotional service,
and then the next moment, we are covered by forgetfulness.
Not so long ago, a dear devotee and friend, His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Mahārāja, left his
body in Vṛndāvana. His last word that he managed to force out of his exhausted lips was “Mis-
sion.” As I thought about this, I leafed through one of his books and found this hope-giving cure
against the illness of material existence: “It is by the desire to serve the Lord that we can control
the desire to enjoy the world.” (Letter from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, December
22, 1927)
Somehow you have instilled in me a desire to serve your mission, and in this way, serve the
Lord. By this gift, you have already given me the medicine to give up material life once and for
all. When one takes a strong medicine, it might not take effect the very same day, but surely it will
work in one or two days. Actually, I feel it’s working already. And I am confident that with your
continued shower of mercy as well as my uninterrupted service to your mission, the disease will
be driven out for good. Please never give up on me.
Thank you for all the gifts that I can already see and also for the gifts I am yet to discover.
Forever begging for your continued mercy upon me.

Śacīnandana Swami

Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you.
We will be telling it again and again … how our glorious spiritual master came from India to
America at age 70, with no financial or institutional support, in weak health, and how you strug-
gled alone for most of the year with little response. Finally, in the spring of 1966, with the help
of a few casual young friends, you opened a storefront at 26 2nd Avenue, NYC. You lectured on
Bhagavad-gītā there and gained your first serious followers. They were very attracted to your lead-
ing them in the melodious chanting of the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa,
Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. The singing of this “transcendental
sound vibration” brought the boys to expanded consciousness, which they compared to their
LSD trips and found that the LSD experience did not come up to the bliss and purity of the
mantra.
You had come to the USA with 200 copies of the three volumes of the First Canto, which you
had completed in India. You proposed to translate and write purports to the entire Bhāgavatam, “a
herculean task.” And you were trying to do it singlehandedly, typing on a small manual typewriter,
etc. It was an incredible task, not possible for a single man. But Śrīla Prabhupāda, you didn’t like
being addressed as “a man”; you referred to Viśvanātha Cakravartī’s prayer, where you describe
the spiritual master as a direct representative of Lord Hari. Despite your translating work, you
continued traveling, opening new centers, and initiating new disciples. You engaged your disci-
ples in helping you produce and print your writing. Time passed, and by your encouraging them,
your disciples learned by themselves how to distribute your books. They started by distributing
your Back to Godhead magazines and grew to distribute your early cantos of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
the oversized, illustrated KṚṢṆA books, etc. You devised a formula by which the profit of 50
percent of your book sales would be reinvested in printing more books, and the other 50 per-
cent would be spent in building grand temples in India, especially in Māyāpur, Vṛndāvana, and
Mumbai.
Your disciples have written many memoirs of their deep reciprocal loving relationship with you.
This includes the BBT’s authorized biography Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta in seven volumes. This
year work is underway on producing an audiobook of all its volumes.
Although difficulties arise in managing and keeping the purity of your movement, the majority
of your followers, both those in official leadership and those who exist as a largely grass-roots
movement, are determined to keep ISKCON on the right path.
All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami

Siddhārtha Swami
I offer my humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Guru Mahārāja, who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and is very dear to the Lord
on this earth.
Guru Mahārāja is the pioneer of spreading this bhakti movement in pāścātya (Western) coun-
tries and uplifting millions of degraded souls. He also showed his causeless mercy to me and
uplifted me to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
My life was completely changed by a stroke of luck that occurred in my early days, when I first
connected with ISKCON and began to offer my service. I once prepared the well-known Indian
foods pakorā and halavā as part of my cooking service. When it is served to Śrīla Prabhupāda
after being offered to Kṛṣṇa, Prabhupāda instantly begins praising the food and requests to
speak with the person who prepared it. Right away, His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami rushed
up to me and asked, “Who cooked the prasāda today? Prabhupāda is very eager to meet you!” I
initially didn’t take it seriously, but when Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja urged me to meet right away,
I realized that Śrīla Prabhupāda was actually the one who wanted to meet me. I went promptly
to meet Śrīla Prabhupāda. He admired me and bestowed spiritual benediction, pleasure, and
auspiciousness upon me so that I could devote my life to serving Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

As a result, by the grace of Guru Mahārāja, I received the bhakti seed of devotion.
That is the day, and as of today, around five decades have passed. I am only able to serve
my spiritual master Śrīla Prabhupāda’s instructions and propagate the message of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu throughout the world because of his compassion.
It is just because of you, Prabhupāda, that I am still in a position to deliver your transcendental
message to the souls who have forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa.
It is just because of your books and your message in numerous forms that we are continu-
ously inspired and able to serve your mission. It is a great fortune for all of us as well as for the
entire creation that they have received this transcendental message through your divine literature
and discovered this divine path, and by following your footsteps, certainly, all will achieve the
ultimate destination of the human form of life.
Your Servant,
Siddhārtha Swami
Temple President, ISKCON Raipur, C.G., India

Śivarāma Swami
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace, and all
glories to your divine appearance day.
Some thirty years ago I wrote a Vyāsa-pūjā offering about a granny in Hungary who, by the
influence of your movement, became a devotee. That story highlighted the transformation you
have brought about in the lives of countless people who may live in even the most far-flung parts
of the world. Many devotees contacted me about that old lady, and even today, I am occasionally
asked about her and how she is.
She has moved on! But her history is not a one-off; it is one of many.
Since that time, I have seen your movement continue to transform the young and the old. And
while every person’s story is unique, they all have one thing in common: you are their savior.
This year I would like to narrate another example of how Kṛṣṇa consciousness is saving people
day by day and how every story of salvation increases your already endless glories. I will tell the
history of Jananī Devī Dāsī. However, I emphasize that her final words are the essence of my nar-
ration, the essence of her life, the essence of the marvel of your influence.
Sometime back in 1991, our book distributors entered a modest ice cream shop in a very remote
part of Hungary. The shop owner, Irene, was in her thirties, a mother of three girls, and her
husband was a simple Christian who worked in the hospitality sector. Irene purchased whatever
Bhāgavatams we had in print, and thereafter, year after year, she purchased every new book that
came out, reading them very carefully. In this way, Irene became a devotee.
She chanted sixteen rounds a day, was a vegetarian, made her little girls vegetarians, and raised
them as devotees by telling them stories from Kṛṣṇa book. After some years, the book distributors
no longer visited, but Irene continued on with her Kṛṣṇa conscious life, even though she never
saw devotees or visited a temple.
Meanwhile, all was not well at home. Irene’s husband was against Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the
changes it was bringing into his house. He tried to burn Irene’s Gītā and forbade her practices.
But Irene would not stop her Kṛṣṇa consciousness, nor would she stop teaching it to her children.
Needless to say, the differences between the parents became a source of ongoing tension in the
household.
Yet Irene remained her serene, sweet, soft-spoken self. A lone devotee in her home, in her
greater family, and in her village, she never faltered, but continued year after year, decade after
decade, following what she read in your books. Her girls grew up, finished their education, and
married, having children of their own.
The middle daughter was named Bea, and she was an economist who worked at a bank as a
financial advisor. As Kṛṣṇa would have it, being a devotee, she used to visit the temple, and in
conversing with some ladies, she became inspired to work for the Budapest temple, organizing
festival programs. We all knew that Bea was a devotee, but it took some time before we came to
know that almost all of her family were devotees, including her mother.
When I heard the story of her elderly, Kṛṣṇa conscious mother, I asked if Irene could come
to the temple. How was someone chanting sixteen rounds and following the principles for thirty
years not initiated? I first met Irene in 2017, and we talked at length. She was such a sweet person,
such a sweet devotee. We agreed that, in time, she would formalize her relationship with Kṛṣṇa
through initiation.
In the spring of 2019, Irene was taken to hospital for what was meant to be a minor colon
operation, only to be told that she had stage-four cancer spread throughout her body. The doc-

tors were amazed that she did not complain of any pain, and they gave her only a few months to
live. Irene took the news gracefully, peacefully, indeed so much so that the doctors sent her to a
psychologist. But there was nothing wrong with Irene; she understood the temporary nature of
the body, and she didn’t complain about her fate. She had full faith that everything was as it was
supposed to be.
Events moved quickly and predictably. With great difficulty, Irene came to see me in August,
and we again spoke of initiation, which then took place the next month during the Rādhāṣṭamī
festival. Irene received the name Jananī Devī Dāsī. She was a real mother. Jananī’s illness swiftly
took its toll, and she was no longer able to travel the distance from home to the temple or to
Kṛṣṇa Valley.
Then came COVID, a period of two years I spent almost exclusively in Kṛṣṇa Valley. It wasn’t a
time of travel. And from that time, March 2021, Jananī’s condition deteriorated rapidly.
In May, I began to call Jananī regularly to help prepare her for the final lesson, her departure
from this world. I would speak to her or read to her while her girls took turns nursing her. Bea
was with her 24/7, and in that time, she witnessed Jananī’s nonstop, intense Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
during which she was either listening to Your Divine Grace or hearing Caitanya-caritāmṛta.
Almost up until her passing, Jananī always chanted sixteen rounds and read your books. Then
the evening before her passing, I called and read Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura’s prayer:
My dear Lord! Please hear me. The day that I give up my body absorbed in thoughts of
You, please give me shelter at Your lotus feet. (Prārthanā, song 57)
I encouraged her to pray to Kṛṣṇa so that she may always think of Him, that He kindly take her
back to Godhead to be either a gopa or gopī. All night your bhajana played as Jananī slept, and in
the morning, Bea asked her if she remembered the prayer we had spoken about. She nodded in
affirmation. Bea and her sister Rita bathed and dressed Jananī, and at 9:46 A.M., while the two
girls were chanting beside her, Jananī Devī Dāsī left this world. It was the 9th of June, 2021.
As I said at the beginning, this story is an introduction to its conclusion, which is a summary
of Jananī’s words, as related by Bea at the ashes immersion ceremony in Kṛṣṇa Valley. Jananī had
said,
From the first day that I began to read Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, I accepted everything
that he said as truth and followed everything that he instructed. Throughout my life, I
never doubted Śrīla Prabhupāda for a moment, for I knew that in him and in his teach-
ings, I had found what I was searching for all my life. I do not lament my imminent
death, for I know everything is as it should be, and Kṛṣṇa will always be with me. Hare
Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I was and continue to be amazed at how this meek housewife had such
unflinching faith in your teachings and how, just by reading your books, she attained such an
elevated state of devotion without any devotee association.
I do not know how many other people in remote parts of the world, unknown to nearby tem-
ples or devotees, have been transformed in the same way. It is the wonder of your books and of
your teachings. However, I do know that you continue to live and guide sincere souls who, like
Jananī, are looking for the truth and want to live by it. Thank you for being so wonderful.
Oh yes! One final thing.
At the conclusion of the ashes ceremony, after having been with his wife all through her ill-
ness, after hearing her words of devotion, and after hearing the remembrances at the ceremony,

Jananī’s husband approached me with tears in his eyes and extended his hand. As we shook hands,
he said in a choked voice, “Thank you! Thank you for all that you did for Jananī.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I didn’t do anything. We just distributed your books.
And another thing!
Ironically, Rita, the other daughter, also married a husband who was against Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness and her devotional practices. While Jananī could still speak, the last instruction that she gave
Rita was that she should make her whole family Kṛṣṇa conscious. And she did! Her husband has
been chanting sixteen rounds for the past year.
And we didn’t do anything other than distribute your books.
Your servant,
Śivarāma Swami
Śukadeva Swami
Please accept my most humble obeisances prostrated at your divine lotus feet. As we spend
more years in ISKCON, year after year, following your instructions of waking up for maṅgala-
ārati, chanting sixteen rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, reading your books, associating
with your disciples, distributing your books, celebrating Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā and other
festivals, and doing some service in ISKCON, I begin to realize how little we know about your
greatness and what a matchless transcendental feat you have performed. By introducing gaura-
kathā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with Lord-inspired commentaries of yours to save the world, and
the kṛṣṇa-prasāda, you have shown us how anyone, irrespective of any background and his past
leanings can envision and experience transcendence.
You have united the world on the real platform of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, as our common
father, and all of us, not just human beings but all living entities, are part of one family. You have
convinced us scientifically and have led us practically. Materialistic leaders, out of their vested
interests for money, power, or prestige, are spoiling their precious lives and ruining the lives of
others wholesale. The saṅkīrtana movement of yours is such a powerful medium, and as we spread
it around, it forces others to listen and attain this good fortune. For sure, any iota of participation
also opens the door for one’s eternal benefit and profit.
This year, as we took part in ILS 2023, your disciples, we saw them, how loyal they are to Your
Divine Grace, and that they are willing to do anything to keep ISKCON together, which was your
ultimate instruction. This instruction of yours is so true that without implementing it, the world
will simply drown in the ocean of ignorance and chaos. Your words and writings are so convinc-
ing and perfect that one is compelled helplessly to attempt devotional service because the process
is so practical and so simple. The idea of ILS is great. It showed the real international flavor.
Everyone, unmindful of nationalities, ethnicities, castes, and other high and low considerations,
came together to pool ideas to fast-track your mission. The devotional eye has shown how we
are all really one family, with Kṛṣṇa in the center. It has shown us how we can help each other to
improve ourselves and improve others.

Human life with Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the greatest fortune and greatest opportunity ever
given to a soul in this material world. There cannot be wealth greater than Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, let me not lose this understanding, let me not become careless, let me
come out of my bodily conditioning and begin genuine service to you and Kṛṣṇa. I know it is
a long, long way, but the guarantee is there, and one day I will make, it provided I do not leave
your mission. Thank you, time and again.
Aspiring servant of your servants,

Śukadeva Swami
Svayaṁ Bhagavān Keśava Swami

Transcendental Occupation
In my early years of monastic life, people would often suggest I leave the āśrama and get a “proper
job.” Sometimes it came from the skeptical and cynical, and other times from well-meaning and
kind friends. I guess that’s what “normal” people in this world do. For me, however, that path
never resonated – to work, earn, save, spend, maintain … and then ultimately lose everything
anyway. Of course, there are exemplary spiritualists who use it all for a higher purpose and make
an incredible contribution to the world. I had (and continue to have) great respect for them, but
personally was looking for something different.
Baffled and confused, I often wondered about the future … what possible alternative could
there be? After all, you have to do something in life. Thankfully, Your Divine Grace miraculously
entered my insignificant existence and flipped it all upside-down. You lent us a different vision, an
alternative approach, an engagement to keep us busy and absorbed, morning to night. You gifted
us a life of devotional service, the opportunity to engage in selfless sacrifices for the betterment of
the world. You showed us how to utilize our abilities and propensities for a higher purpose than
just selfish gain. You taught the world that awakening spiritual love can and should be a full-time
affair. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you write:
Once we had the opportunity to meet Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and on first sight, he requested this humble self to preach his mes-
sage in the Western countries. There was no preparation for this, but somehow or other
he desired it, and by his grace, we are now engaged in executing his order, which has
given us a transcendental occupation and has saved and liberated us from the occupation
of material activities. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.22.5, purport)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you’re my boss, the business of Caitanyadeva has become my occupation, and
the salary is the gradual awakening of divine love. My colleagues are the saintly, overtime is a

pleasure, holidays are unnecessary, and the retirement plan is out of this world. May I be more
determined and driven than the people out there chasing a million bucks. May I be ready to make
more sacrifices than the city sharks who’ll “go to hell and back” to conquer the corporate ladder.
May I joyfully embrace more risks than those willing to jeopardize everything to realize their
greedy ambitions. The words of Śrutidharma Prabhu ring in my heart: “When the alarm clock
goes off, get up, dress up, and show up – this is the most important work in the world.”
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura called his triple-staffed sannyāsīs the “living mṛdaṅgas” of
Śrī Caitanya. He reminded them that their daṇḍas should perpetually give forth “music at the
lotus feet of Śrī Guru.” He revealed the inner aspiration to become a prema-bhikṣu, a beggar of
love. Unqualified and unworthy as I am, by your divine grace and the unlimited mercy of your
followers, I’ve been employed in the transcendental occupation. May I honor the opportunity
with body, mind, and words, holding back nothing and rising to any challenge. Thank you for
allowing us to be alive and active in the greatest movement on earth.
Your small servant,

S. B. Keśava Swami
Swami Bhakti Abhaya Āśrama


I offer my respectful obeisances to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhu-

pāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. My respect-
ful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the
Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

About five hundred years ago, Lord Kṛṣṇa personally appeared as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
in the place of the avatāra for the Age of Kali. Lord Caitanya had two purposes for coming: to
experience first-hand the bliss of serving Kṛṣṇa and to spread pure love for Kṛṣṇa, which is very
rare. Writing about Lord Caitanya’s plan for making His mercy widely available, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa
Kavirāja Gosvāmī says, “śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-dayā karaha vicāra/ vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra:
If you are indeed interested in logic and argument, kindly apply it to the mercy of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. If you do so, you will find it to be strikingly wonderful” (Cc., Ādi 8.15).
Almost sixty years ago, you came, on the order of your spiritual master, His Divine Grace
Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Prabhupāda, to the United States to continue that mission. In the
poems you wrote aboard the Jaladuta, you asserted that your qualification for doing so was
the mercy of the Lord and of your spiritual master. And in 1968, you sent your beloved disciple

Gaurasundara Dāsa here to Hawaii to do the same. This is an expression of your dedication to
your spiritual master’s order and an expression of your mercy. And somehow, through your mercy,
you picked me up, accepted me as one of your own, and made me a member of your mission.
This, despite my obvious lack of qualification for participating in this spiritual revolution begun
by Lord Caitanya and expanded by you. Ignoring that lack, you took a chance and accepted me
anyway, writing that I would be glad to know that you had gladly accepted me. But there was
even more mercy waiting for me. When I moved into the Honolulu temple in March of 1970, I
was soon given the responsibility of caring for the first tulasī plants to be grown in the West, and
when you accepted me for initiation, you expressed your appreciation for that service, writing that
if I follow your instructions, I would make rapid advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by Śrīmatī
Tulasī-devī’s mercy.
Over the last 53 years or more, I have found my faith tested and strengthened only by your
mercy. Now I find myself in what I have to admit are probably the last few years of this life. And,
again, by your mercy only, the only things I have left are the association of devotees and opportu-
nities to serve them. My service here in Hawaii and my travels elsewhere have shown me how your
movement is thriving in so many places. I also have seen how so many sincere devotees’ spiritual
lives are flourishing because of the character, instructions, and mercy of your disciples, which is a
further extension of your mercy. And every day I do my level best to follow your instructions and
share whatever mercy I have received from you with as many souls as I can.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, it’s getting to the point where I can see nothing but your mercy every-
where. So not only am I made entirely of your mercy, but the entire world seems to be constituted
of your mercy. Every day I have to acknowledge that, although I don’t have the capacity to fully
understand this, it’s impossible to deny. It seems appropriate, then, on occasions such as this, to
adapt Kṛṣṇadāsa’s verse: śrīla-prabhupāda-dayā karaha vicāra/ vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra.
Whoever applies logic and reason to your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, must find it strikingly
wonderful.
Your grateful servant,

Swami Bhakti Abhaya Āśrama
Varṣāṇā Swami
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā.
Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s vraja-līlā, forever enacted within the heart of His pure devotee, is revealed by the
ācārya through his pastimes and precepts. Access to Vṛndāvana is granted to jīvas as they advance
their guru-bhakti by serving his vapu while he is present and his vāṇī thereafter. Throughout this
transition, Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā has revealed your appearance in more tangible dimensions and deeper
realms of consciousness with each passing year. Our service to your instructions, vision, and
legacy has thereby uncovered a cyclical path to worlds within.
Once, you were questioned about your desire to build new temples when so many already
existing ones lay neglected, abandoned, and in disrepair. Your response is illuminating. Just
as parents desire to have their own offspring even while so many children are in need of adoption, we too

long to have our own temples. And truly, we have experienced so vividly that the temples you have
established bear the image of your heart and the mood of your presence.
Initially, our neophyte consciousness viewed your directives to develop New Vrindaban primar-
ily as a practical and terrestrial initiative intended to enrich your teachings. Over time, by delving
more fully into your instructions, we have come to understand it as a rich, multifaceted internal
mission that offers an invitation to deepen communion with you. Along this path, you bless us
with the realization that all the holy places and divine pastimes already exist in the core of your
heart. The extraordinary grace accompanying your instructions empowers your servants to trans-
late the spiritual into the visual, to create earthly expressions of celestial archetypes, bringing
forth the sublime theology and subtle cosmology of your vision into earthly manifestation.
Now, at last, for your Vyāsa-pūjā celebration this year, we are pleased to offer the first of the
seven temples as you specifically disclosed in your primary mandates for New Vrindaban, initially
expressed in 1968. Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha Mandir, on the sacred banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, at the
foot of Govardhana Hill, integrates all the elements you mentioned for the development of this
community.
Your 1972 letter exhorting us to begin construction immediately on the seven temples catalyzed
the entire process. You planted the seed and left us with the privilege of bringing it to fruition.
There have been fifty years of challenge, sacrifice, struggle, lessons, adversity, and ecstasy in fulfill-
ing your will since then.
The foundation of this stone temple stands on a solid layer of sandstone. Symbolically, this rep-
resents the enduring bedrock of our faith in you – the representative of Lord Nityānanda, whose
expansion, Ananta Śeṣa, offers additional support from His throne, manifest here as the struc-
ture’s cornerstone. Situated at the northeast point, this cornerstone has a fifty-year history at New
Vrindaban, having been installed at the same time as the one at the Palace of Gold.
The mandir’s entrance arch hosts a doorway fashioned from local timber that frames a vast inner
window, embellished with sylvan imagery etched into the glass. On both sides of the entranceway
are artistic renderings of kalpa-vṛkṣas. Their branches, like outstretched arms, hold two peacocks,
one on each side, who stand as gentle guardians at the portal to the temple’s inner sanctum. These
silent sentinels serve as invitations for qualified souls to enter within.
Passing through the floral design softens our hearts as we approach the altar where Rādhā-
Gopīnātha preside to shower Their blessings upon all. Their darśana bestows eligibility to experi-
ence glimpses of eternity unfolding into the infinite wonders awaiting behind the illusory scenes,
which our conditioned minds have falsely accepted as truth.
Adjacent to your Palace of Gold – where you remain with us in a state of samādhi – the loca-
tion of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha’s temple is intentional. With these two structures side by side, a
potent synergy unfolds to beautifully integrate your vapu and vāṇī forms, offering the crowning
glory to the holy land. An eager anticipation of your next arrival remains prominent here. Being
situated at the foot of Girirāja, the temple grounds offer innumerable opportunities to honor,
accommodate, and fulfill one of your last heartfelt desires for a picnic at Govardhana Hill.
How the landscape is adorned and the temple decorated is informed by your visit to the
ISKCON printing operations in New York City. After graciously acknowledging the services of
devotees working on the printing machines, you then spent the remainder of your time in a room
alone with the artists, guiding them to create windows to the spiritual sky. Those paintings now
adorn your books, which literally serve as the gateway to Goloka.
Contemplating that pastime, I remain here still, like an aspiring artist standing before a vast
easel, waiting on the threshold of a spiritual frontier. We are totally dependent on your guidance
from within to direct our hands as we fashion the terrain with features reminiscent of Vṛndāvana.
Having awakened remembrance of that effulgent abode within our consciousness, how we long to
reveal and share it with others.

Today in the Vyāsa-pūjā kīrtana we feel your presence from a sacred dimension in a most
vibrant form, breathing life into this new temple as we join with you in glorifying the Deities’ holy
name. Śrī Nāma reverberates from the temple walls, rising from the inner sanctum to resound
within the dome, expanding across the landscape, and echoing from seven hills. The song of your
soul is broadcast to all. Hearing its melody, pilgrims, guests, and tourists alike contribute their
voices to the universal hymn of immortality – śrī-nāma-saṅkīrtana.
Feeling reciprocation from Śrī Dhāma and inspiration from seeing your vision come to life,
everyone present for this most blessed event experiences a shared connection. How they dance
with movements and gestures depicting a journey through various realms of time and space!
Through your grace, over the stretch of sevā-filled years, we have touched upon the mysterious
sacrament of Gauḍīya theology – the embracing of vāṇī-sevā, discerning your presence within
the absence and serving you there by means of love in separation. The union in separation devo-
tees experience with you grants parallel insight into the inconceivable vipralambha-bhāva that
the vraja-vāsīs endured during the fifty years Kṛṣṇa spent outside Vṛndāvana. Please bless us to
continue deepening this subtle, sacred, intimate, and transcendent communion. While certainly
ecstatic, it is agonizing as well, for it demands we acknowledge and confront the implications and
repercussions of times our motives have been mixed or our understandings shallow.
Guide us, please, so that we may surrender the easier relationship we cherished with you
during your presence on this earth in pursuit of the deeper realizations inviting us now. Please
support us so that we may assimilate, adjust, and update our earlier beliefs, feelings, and services.
We must come to terms with the loneliness following your departure from this world to enter the
subtler dimension. Surprisingly, there is a comfort to be found in mourning our losses, closing
preliminary chapters with gratitude, and rejoicing in the new story unfolding before our inner
eyes.
Bless us. We pray that our ongoing services pulsate with your heartbeat, convey the ambiance
of your presence, and radiate your prema. Let them be finely embellished with the hues of your
thoughts, flavored with the essence of your feelings, scented with the fragrance of your sweetness,
delicate like the gestures of your kindness and care. May your will guide our hands in weaving
the tapestry of our lives to depict seasons and cycles in a life of the ripening fruit of devotion,
highlighting the central thread of all existence, your sweet Lord of Vṛndāvana. May our lives con-
tribute a tangible expression of your devotion to Him. May we be forever guided by your perfect
example of integrating the worship of Kṛṣṇa with compassion upon His lost parts and parcels.
May our spiritual lives thus continue and expand into a dynamic experience as we progress on
an internal journey of discovery, revealing deeper dimensions of Lord Caitanya’s precepts and Śrī
Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, made accessible by your appearance in this world. May our annual Vyāsa-pūjā
offerings be expressed internally by who we have become over what we have achieved in the
previous year.
Your servant,
Varṣāṇā Swami

Yadunandana Swami
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā celebration, I feel inspired to express my grat-
itude to you for the wonderful gifts you have given me through your Bhaktivedanta translations
and purports and by engaging me in contributing to the preaching mission of spreading the holy
names of the Lord to every town and village. I also like to reflect on how masterfully you attracted
the younger generations, especially in the West, and on the need for receiving your blessings for
attracting the new generations of people to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
One of the services I relish the most is studying your books, especially the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,
and to assist other devotees in studying your books by serving as a Bhakti-vaibhava and Bhakti-
vedānta teacher. Your books have given meaning to my life since I started practicing Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, and, after forty-five years, they keep nourishing my heart with transcendental
knowledge, remembrance of Kṛṣṇa, and loving feelings for Kṛṣṇa and His devotees. In this regard,
you write in one of your Bhaktivedanta purports (1.2.18):
Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart, which are
considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association
of the Bhāgavatas. There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the
devotee Bhāgavata. Both the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or
either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata is as
good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads his life in terms of the
book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full of information about the Personality of
Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhāgavatas.
Thus, by studying and sharing with others the study of your Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam translations and
purports, I’m directly associating with the two Bhāgavatas. I feel your presence very closely, and
by your mercy, my inner spiritual strength, conviction, and enthusiasm grow.
Another manifestation of your mercy comes by engaging me in spreading Kṛṣṇa’s holy names,
Kṛṣṇa’s teachings, and the association of devotees to as many places as possible. My initiating
spiritual master, who is your very dear disciple, Satsvarūpa Dāsa Goswami, has given me the
instruction to focus my preaching and educational services in Spain as my prabhu-datta-deśa. It is
an instruction that really resonates with me and which I also take as your direct instruction. I see
it in connection to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mandate of spreading His message to every town
and village of the world. As you wrote in commenting on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 4.30.37, purport:
There are two kinds of devotees: one is called goṣṭhyānandī and the other bhajanānandī.
The word bhajanānandī refers to the devotee who does not move but remains in one place.
Such a devotee is always engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. He chants the
mahā-mantra as taught by many ācāryas and sometimes goes out for preaching work. The
goṣṭhyānandī is one who desires to increase the number of devotees all over the world. He
travels all over the world just to purify the world and the people residing in it. Caitanya
Mahāprabhu advised:
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma

sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted His followers to move all over the world to preach
in every town and village. In the Caitanya sampradāya, those who strictly follow the
principles of Lord Caitanya must travel all over the world to preach the message of Lord
Caitanya, which is the same as preaching the words of Kṛṣṇa – Bhagavad-gītā – and
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. The more the devotees preach the principles of kṛṣṇa-kathā, the more
people throughout the world will benefit.
The plan we envision on your behalf is that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement becomes present
in the 52 provinces of Spain as quickly as possible. As part of this project, we are giving atten-
tion to improving New Vraja-maṇḍala, with the aim of making it a wonderful place people from
all over Spain would like to come to uplift their spiritual consciousness. In order to do this, we
envision building a new temple for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda-Candra, as part of the master plan for
New Vraja-maṇḍala. Please bless our endeavors and empower us to succeed in this project in all
respects.
One of the main challenges we are finding in our preaching in Spain, which is also presently
happening in many Western countries, is that we are not attracting many new devotees among
the youth. Since you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, were so successful in attracting the younger generations,
whom you sometimes called “the flowers of your country,” I humbly pray for your divine interven-
tion so that we find ways of attracting the younger people to sincerely join your Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness movement.
With heartfelt gratitude,

Yadunandana Swami

Homages from
ISKCON Centers
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
Gratitude is the only sentiment we can express to you for giving us this opportunity to be part
of your vision to change the mundane way of seeing and doing things in this modern world. In
the Bhagavad-gītā (12.16) Kṛṣṇa says:
anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa

udāsīno gata-vyathaḥ
sarvārambha-parityāgī
yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ
My devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure,
expert, without cares … is very dear to Me.
Yes, dear param-guru, your teachings made us realize the importance and the unique privilege of
having this human form and to be engaged on the path of devotional service. Thus we naturally
understand the futility of things in this world when they are not connected to Kṛṣṇa. It is simply a
waste of time and energy.
Of course, some lacking and inexperience in the services are still there, but we take our inspira-
tion from the Bhagavad-gītā (9.30):
api cet su-durācāro

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk
sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ
samyag vyavasito hi saḥ
Even if one commits the most abominable action, if he is engaged in devotional service
he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated in his determination.
So the most important thing for us is to beg you and Kṛṣṇa that we can always remain engaged
in this transcendental devotional service, which is the safest boat to cross this ocean of material
miseries and attain perfection in this human form of life.
We often ask ourselves how the world would have been if you didn’t come. Our debt toward
you is huge, and there is no point for us to try to pay it because it is just impossible. We must
simply continue to show our gratitude to you and wake up and see things with a spiritual
perspective.
Thank you again and again, dear param-guru, jagat-guru, ISKCON founder, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your granddisciples,
ISKCON Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Adelaide, Australia
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the
torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
tvaṁ naḥ sandarśito dhātrā

dustaraṁ nistitīrṣatām
kaliṁ sattva-haraṁ puṁsāṁ
karṇa-dhāra ivārṇavam
We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may
accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali,
which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.22)

On the order of your spiritual master, you began translating and writing Vedic literature in
the English language to take the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa to the Western countries. After decades
of struggle in India, you went to the West and started the International Society for Krishna Con-
sciousness to propagate the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa so that people all over the world may take
advantage of the wisdom and association of a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Establishing the realization that Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme conclusion of the Vedas
was no easy task. You had no place, no funds, no followers or resources, and had to face many
uphill tasks and other struggles, which are all well documented in your Līlāmṛta. However, your
resolute determination and strong conviction began to fructify, and soon Hare Kṛṣṇa became a
household name throughout the world.
ISKCON Adelaide first began in 1975, on the upper floor of a small building on Frome Street,
in the city. The temple has moved around many times since then, until the year 2000, when by the
mercy of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara, our present property at 25 Le Hunte Street, was acquired.
However, the small temple room, often bursting at the seams, posed a challenge to cater to the
needs of the ever-increasing crowds. We decided to extend the temple and, after discussions
with the local council, planners, and builders, we submitted plans to the authorities. The Temple
Extension Project has finally been approved, and the construction has now begun. Upon comple-
tion of the project, we will have a temple room four times the size of the present one.
We would like to offer this as a gift of love to you. With better facilities, we hope to further
disseminate your teachings and draw people’s attention toward Kṛṣṇa and away from māyā. Being
inexperienced and devoid of spiritual integrity, we beseech you to bestow your special blessings
upon us to unfold this dream. Please continue to be merciful to us.
Your servants at ISKCON Adelaide, Australia

(written by Ādi Puruṣa Kṛṣṇa Dāsa)
HOMAGES FROM ISKCON CENTERS 131

Agra, India
We offer our respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master, who is an ocean
of auspicious qualities. You taught us to chant the holy name, dance in ecstasy, and sing. My
words cannot be enough to glorify and show my gratitude for all the things you have given us.
You taught us to serve Kṛṣṇa selflessly; your statements are guiding marks for us.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said, “Anyone who is steady in his determination for the advanced stage
of spiritual realization and can equally tolerate the onslaughts of distress and happiness is cer-
tainly a person eligible for liberation.”
“Religion means to know God and to love Him.”
You also said, “Humility means that you are convinced beyond any doubt that there is nothing
in this world, absolutely nothing in this world, not your money, not your family, not your fame,
not your gun, not your education, nothing that will save you except the mercy of Kṛṣṇa.”
O Gurudeva, your vāṇī (instructions) continues to spread around the world, and your presence
can be felt by us through your books. You gave us harināma with ease. You gave us the real trea-
sure of Śrī Caitanaya Mahāprabhu. You have made a platform across the entire world where in
each country, and so many devotees, with so many mṛdaṅgas and karatālas, are singing Hare Kṛṣṇa
and haribol.
You gave an endless number of lectures to guide us, a monthly magazine, Back to Godhead, and
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. We humbly bow to your lotus feet and pray to you to
bless all of us with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and empower us to share whatever we have learned and
realized.
On this occasion, it is the best chance for all of us to redeem ourselves from all the difficulties
and re-energize spiritually to serve the lotus feet of our spiritual master eternally.
Regards,
ISKCON Agra
Alibag, India

Please accept my humble obeisances. All Glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your lotus feet are the abode of devotional service. Without your mercy, I
can’t express my thanks to you. Your Hare Kṛṣṇa movement is spread all over the world because
of your efforts, dedication, and Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s and your guru’s mercy. I am eternally grateful to
you for showing us the correct path of doing bhakti. We see in the material world that so many

fraud gurus are there but they don’t serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Your mission
is different. You are a great follower of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who is the founder of the
harināma saṅkīrtana movement. Your books are literally the greatest medium to spread the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement. These books help me learn how to serve Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and our guru.
Perfect Questions Perfect Answers is a nice book that shows us the right and perfect path in bhakti as
well as in gṛhastha Life.
You are so kind to give us kṛṣṇa-prasāda distribution, which changes the human mind and gives
divine results to do bhakti to every person. I know you said in one of your lectures to “Distribute
prasāda! Distribute maximum prasāda to each person.” It is really true that you are jagat-guru.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, my desire is that you please give me shelter at your lotus feet and bless us so
that we can spread Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s harināma saṅkīrtana movement to every village and
city.

Girirāja Govardhana Dāsa,
Manager, Hare Kṛṣṇa Nāmahaṭṭa Center, Alibag
Amravati, India
Please accept our most humble and respectful obeisances at your lotus feet.
All Glories to Your Divine Grace!
All Glories to your divine ISKCON!
All Glories to you on your 127th divine appearance day!

sudurlabhā bhāgavatā hi loke
O devotee of the Lord, the purpose of the eyes is fulfilled simply by seeing you, and to
touch your body is the fulfillment of the sense of touch. The tongue is meant for glori-
fying your qualities because in this world it is very difficult to find a pure devotee of the
Lord. (Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya 13.2)
In the words of Lord Kapila, the only way to become free from material bondage is to develop a
strong attachment to the lotus feet of pure devotees. And the way to develop that attachment is to
read their words, hear their words, and serve their words with unflinching devotion.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, as you once rightly said, “Regarding printing our books and literatures,
I may inform you in this connection that I saw one bulletin of Indian Railways in which it was
specifically advised that every railway servant should see to it that the wheels of the carriages or
vehicles must be moving always, which means that the railway is going nicely. Similarly, all of
us should see that our literature is profusely distributed. That means that our missionary work

is going on nicely. Otherwise, we are simply sleeping and eating.” (Letter to Karandhara Dāsa,
October 9, 1971)
The whole world has taken a turn for the better and is now becoming more and more spiritu-
ally favorable, with an unprecedented increase in the distribution of your books everywhere. This
year’s Bhagavad-gītā marathon has broken all previous records. The Indian leadership has also
inaugurated two additional marathons for two different occasions, i.e., the Caitanya-caritāmṛta
marathon during Gaura-Pūrṇimā and Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta marathon during your divine
appearance day.
Especially, the world got a serious wakeup call with the huge pandemic in the past few years.
More and more people are becoming serious on the path of spirituality. The miseries and anxieties
of Kali-yuga have created a colossal demand in people in general for the acceptance of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
Also, now in ISKCON, the next generation is taking up more and more responsibilities for
the mission of Lord Caitanya. This was greatly felt this year during the ILS 2023 at Śrī Māyāpur
Dhāma, which took place after a long, 3-year gap due to restrictions implemented during COVID.
So, in essence, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is exploding everywhere like a wildfire engulfing everyone.
Expansion of preaching also includes the expansion of your divine glories.
Here, at ISKCON Amravati, we are trying our level best to please you by helping your mission
to grow. We need your heartfelt blessings so that we can continue to serve you forever.
Now, the team of brahmacārīs and congregation members are also increasing in quantity and
quality. The preaching on different fronts, whether it is youth, children or congregation, is gradu-
ally becoming more organized now. Congregation training programs, Bhakti-vṛkṣa, is becoming
well established now. Nāmahaṭṭa preaching in all the major towns nearby has also taken good
shape.
After almost a decade, the temple is now renovated and has a completely new look. Śrīla
Prabhupāda, a new temple altar for Your Divine Grace has been offered. The Matchless Gift shop,
BBT stall, and Govindas, all with an enchanting new look, are attracting many people now.
Please bless us and empower us so that we not only continue these services but that they grow
beyond our wildest expectations.
We humbly beg for strength to serve you more, and no matter what happens, we shouldn’t
leave your lotus feet and your ISKCON.
Desiring to serve you with love and trust,

Your humble servants,
ISKCON Amravati, Maharashtra, India
(written by Anantaśeṣa Dāsa)
Antwerp, Belgium
Dear and most respected Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
Please accept our obeisances in the dust at your feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace. Hare
Kṛṣṇa.
All glories to your International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a far- and wide-stretching

branch of Mahāprabhu Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya’s magnanimous tree of transcendental knowledge and
pure devotional service unto Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha, firmly established by you and now bearing
an impressive variety of countless sweet and mature fruits.
It is difficult, or should we say frightening, to imagine what sort of performance we would be
delivering within our lifetime were it not that Your Divine Grace mercifully entered and gave
meaning and substance, a worthwhile, nay, the highest possible goal, and an unshakeable foun-
dation on which we can build the bridge of our commitment out of the confusing world of self-
centeredness and into the eternally brilliant world of decided devotional service for the pleasure
of Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga and the Vaiṣṇavas.
At your ISKCON Antwerp center, Belgium, you will find an interesting blend of very different
people who have at least one thing in common: we all admire your unparalleled contribution of
tangible hope and bright future to this miserable world.
The yātrā, under the compassionate glance of the charmingly beautiful Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gaura
Naṭarāja and your śrī mūrti, diligently works together to put on the yearly Ratha-yātrā festival (the
29th this year), always a joyous, colorful, festive occasion.
Over the years increasing importance has been given to harināma-saṅkīrtana outdoors in the
city as well as indoors at the temple. Various experienced speakers enlighten from your indispens-
able books an expanding crowd of mixed backgrounds every Sunday Love Feast, a weekly occa-
sion on which well-prepared prasāda is served. Smaller groups of devotees are meeting in different
homes on different days days to read, hear, and discuss the deep and powerful books you have
given us, and to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa both japa and kīrtana and develop friendships.
On this very special day of the anniversary of your glorious appearance in this world, we – all
from our different levels of growth in surrendering to the loving guidance of Śrī Śrī Guru and
Gaurāṅga – stand before you as beggars in front of a king, with one sole prayer: if you consider
us worthy, please somehow or other engage us in your service. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you.
Your servants at ISKCON Antwerp, Belgium
Aravade, India

Please accept our most humble obeisances unto your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace on the auspicious occasion of Your Divine Grace’s 127th Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations.
On this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, please bless us so that we can become tools in Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s army and fight against the enemy that has contaminated the whole world
with sinful activities.
As the perfect representative of your spiritual master, you showed us how to make the mis-
sion of the spiritual master one’s life and soul. From the day you met your Guru Mahārāja, you

dedicated yourself completely to following his instructions and fulfilling his desires. You always
carried him in your heart, and as a result, you became the recipient of his mercy and helped fulfill
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s prediction that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement would spread to
every town and village.
On this very auspicious day of your appearance, we would like to express our deepest gratitude
for your causeless mercy and guidance upon us at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopāla temple, Hare Kṛṣṇa
Grām, Aravade, Maharashtra. You have given us mercy beyond our imagination by establishing a
marvelous and enchanting temple at Aravade in the southwest coast of Maharashtra. This temple
affords thousands of villagers the opportunity to get a glimpse into a world of Kṛṣṇa treated by
you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There are festivals for their pleasure of beautiful Lordships, benefit of
bhakta-saṅga, kīrtana and hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā. These activities give us strength and joy at this place.
We have been preaching in more than 15 outpost centers, including 3 extension and one
preaching center, distributing prasāda, holding regular harināmas, ḍinḍī pāda-yātrā, distributing
your books, and preaching in hundreds of villages, schools, and colleges.
ISKCON Aravade offers your divine books, beautiful darśana of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopālajī, your
darśana, kīrtana, prasāda, a beautiful and peaceful place away from hectic landscape of city and
town life.
Please bless us so that we can please you more and more. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we humbly beg
that you kindly always keep us under the protection of your lotus feet.
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Aravade,

Abhirāma Ṭhākura Dāsa
Athens, USA
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet, which are the shelter of the Vaiṣṇava
devotees.
It is a little known fact that in May of 1969, you graced the town of Athens, Ohio, with your
holy presence. The next day, on May 20, 1969, The Post published an article that described how
you had held a kīrtana and addressed a group of about 60 people comprised of “students, faculty,
and members of the Krishna Consciousness Society.”
After chanting with the audience for 20 minutes, the Swami spoke on the importance of
chanting, and what it can do for the human being. With chanting, there is no religious or
sectarian movement, only happiness. Happiness, the swami continued, is man’s nature. It
is one of man’s inherent qualities.
Since that day, this place has never been the same. You turned Athens, Ohio, into a tīrtha, and
Lord Caitanya’s divine influence has been spreading here ever since, by your grace.
Increasingly, after that visit, your disciples and granddisciples became active in Athens with
an aim to water the seed of Kṛṣṇa consciousness that had been planted by Your Divine Grace. In
the fall of 1982, a center was established at 89 Mill Street, near the campus of Ohio University, by

Rādhānāth Swami. The center did not remain in that particular building, but the spirit of bhakti
continued on in different locations over the years. Presently, there is, once again, an Athens Kṛṣṇa
House, which opened its doors and began holding regular programs in November of 2021. We,
the co-managers of Athens Kṛṣṇa House, wish to offer our efforts for your pleasure and seek your
blessings to continue the work that was started by you on your one and only visit here.
Please guide our attempts to serve your mission sincerely and authentically. Please sustain our
enthusiasm and energy for this important service. I pray that my life continues to be a testament
to the transformative power of your amazing spiritual potency, to the chanting of the holy name
of Kṛṣṇa and to the unconditional love that you extend to us, your disciples and followers.
Please allow me to remain in the fire of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, serving you with body, mind, and
spirit, to the best of my ability and in a state of complete humility. May I always remember and
be inspired by your example of selfless service in devotion to the Supreme Soul and all His sepa-
rated parts and parcels.
May the people of Athens, Ohio, become happy by the chanting of the holy name and hearing
about Lord Kṛṣṇa. Only by your grace will any of this be possible!
I remain eternally grateful for your having accepted me as your disciple and daughter. Thank
you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for taking a chance on me and for giving me spiritual shelter within the
ISKCON family.

Rāsa-līlādevī Devī Dāsī
Co-manager with Dr. Ashok Gupta and Prema Vilāsa Dāsa
Attapur, India
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
The ISKCON temple at Attapur, Hyderabad, has come up with your special mercy and with
the full blessings of the management of ISKCON Juhu, ISKCON Abids, and the devotees and
well-wishers of ISKCON Attapur. The temple was completed in a record time of six months and
opened on the auspicious day of Śrī Balarāma Pūrṇimā on August 22, 2021.
From day one since the temple opening, the number of visitors coming to the temple was very
impressive. The current number of visitors per weekday is 800 people on average, and on week-
ends at least 1200 people on average.
Janmāṣṭamī 2022 was celebrated with great pomp. Almost 12,000 people visited ISKCON
Attapur to take darśana of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, Śrī Śrī Jagannātha-
Baladeva-Subhadrā and Sudarśana. It was really a great joy to all the devotees here to see such
a tremendous response from the people coming to your temple. Everyone received prasāda, and
many people purchased your divine books.
The Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā festival 2022 was also celebrated with great joy. Thousands of
people participated and received the blessings of the Lord. One gentleman gave us use of his
function-hall gardens for the festival free of cost.
It is all Your Divine Grace, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You actually planted the seed of Kṛṣṇa

consciousness in Hyderabad in the 1970s, and it fructified and spread everywhere over the years.
Following your divine instructions, devotees at ISKCON Attapur went out daily and distrib-
uted hundreds of your books, like Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta
sets, etc. The people in South India, as you said, are very pious and we have personally seen and
experienced that.
Prasāda distribution is being done very consistently every day, and we distribute to 1,000
people every day on average and during festivals we increase to at least 3,000 people.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are trying to serve the presiding Deities to our best ability. Recently we
made it a standard to cook only in pure coconut oil and also to offer natural organic rice to the
Deities, replacing the refined oil and fertilizer rice. Also, a team of mātājīs make nice garlands for
their Lordships every day with dedication. We decorate the full altar and the whole temple hall
with varieties of flowers during each festival for the pleasure of their Lordships. Kindly bless us to
serve and take care of the Deities more and more nicely.
In youth preaching every week we conduct Bhagavad-gītā class on Saturday, and on Sunday we
show your divine Abhay Charan series and ask students to give presentations on Kṛṣṇa conscious
philosophy. Hundreds of youth participate in these weekly sessions. Many started chanting 16
rounds daily and attending morning programs.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is only by your special mercy that we could acquire the adjacent proper-
ties in the year 2022. This will really help us to expand the current project and facilitate more and
more devotees and the distribution of Kṛṣṇa conscious mercy. Kindly bless us to make this second
phase project at ISKCON Attapur an ideal preaching place and benefit lakhs of people in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, kindly please, please, please keep blessing us to make more and more devo-
tees, to distribute your divine books more and more, to do more and more prasāda distribution,
to conduct all the Vaiṣṇava festivals with great pomp, joy, and devotion, and spread the glories of
the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to thousands and lakhs and crores of people.
Finally, we humbly request you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, please save us from the illusory energy of
māyā and always keep us at your lotus feet. Please engage us in your mission of spreading Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
Thank you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Attapur, Hyderabad
Ayampe, Ecuador
Please accept our humble and respectful obeisances to your lotus feet, All glories to Śrī Śrī
Guru and Gaurāṅga.
On this occasion we want to glorify your infinite qualities. You were the perfect instrument of
Śrī Caitanya Mahaparabhu so that this saṅkīrtana movement is known in every town and village.
Our infinite gratitude, because thanks to your mercy and compassionate gaze we can know
about Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We want to thank you for always being present through your teach-
ings in all your books and principles. We are fortunate to perceive your latent energy with the

presence of your disciples, who are now our spiritual masters who were so lovingly inspired by
you and now guide us through them.
On this day of your appearance, we pray to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to enlighten us and accompany
us in our service so we can live based on your principles. Let us achieve a simple life with high
thinking.
From your eternal servants from a small town in South America,

Devotees of ISKCON Ayampe, Ecuador
Bali, Indonesia
Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your
Divine Grace and all glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga!
We offer our humble obeisances to Your Divine Grace, who dedicated his life for the pleasure
of Your Guru Mahārāja, Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja Prabhupāda, to
spread the teachings of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to all over the world, including Indonesia.
As you often mentioned, “preaching is the essence,” you keep preaching until your last breath,
and at last, you taught us a very important lesson, how to left this body peacefully with full
awareness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The following letter inspires us very much, how you promise
to take us back to Godhead if we sincerely preach the glories of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Indonesia.
You sent the following letter to Amogha Dāsa on December 25, 1971:
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of December 13,
1971, and I am very pleased to note that you are so determined to spread this Krishna
Consciousness movement, that you are remaining alone in Djakarta just to seize the won-
derful opportunity we have got there for preaching. That is the sign of the first-class dev-
otee, that he is always willing to sacrifice everything to please Krishna by preaching His
glories, even under all sorts of difficult conditions. I am very encouraged by your attitude
of sincere Krishna Consciousness. In this way you go on perfecting your life more and
more, and very soon, I promise you, you will go back to Home, back to Godhead. Know
it for certain.
You are very much pleased by the sincerity of your followers, and we can see it through your disci-
ples, how they are very dedicated, offering their life to assist you in spreading the mission of Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu. All glories Your Divine Grace and the followers.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this very auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā 2023, we would
like to offer our humble report of our programs in Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha Mandir. During
covid-19 time is a very difficult time for all people in the whole world, and our devotees in Bali

cannot meet regularly due to restrictions and some problems. However, the daily puja or nitya-
sevā of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha could be performed according to the standard that has been
established. This temple is located in the village named Werdi Bhuana, Badung Regency, Bali,
Indonesia. Because we are living in the village, so not much restriction is given.
In this Gaura-Pūrṇimā 2023, the main mandir is completed. Besides, we have two Balinese
cows here (another three cows have left their body), which do not produce milk, but the cow
dung and cow urine are very helpful for growing our own vegetables and fruits. We have enough
land to produce our food and flowers to offer. Even though it is not the maximum yet to be used,
we are still trying to do our best to grow our own food and flowers.
We also have one yajñā-śālā, where the devotees can perform yajña, and this fire sacrifice is
performed for the purpose of preaching mission, especially the śrāddhā ceremony. Balinese tradi-
tion is identical to ritual, so when the devotee performs this kind of sacrifice, it is easier for them
to accept Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and of course, we keep chanting the holy name during the yajña
ceremony, and at the end, we give class and prasāda. Whenever there is a festival in the temple, we
also distribute some books. Some of our devotees even distribute the books online.
Other programs are training our kids in dancing (Indian and local), chanting ślokas from the
scriptures, extra kīrtana every Ekādaśī day, bhakta training program for new devotees, training
for those who want to take initiation (first and second). That is our educational program which is
continuing till now.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we cannot do an outside program in Bali now because of some prob-
lems. So, what we can do here is to distribute prasāda as much as possible. We distribute prasāda
to the local temples, orphanages, jails, markets, and many other places. Furthermore, we do a
home program, and if possible, we invite nondevotees to join the program so that we can intro-
duce them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we hope that this humble report on the programs will please you so
that you keep inspiring and giving us the intelligence to do more preaching in Bali, Indonesia.
Your insignificant servant at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha Mandir, Werdi Bhuana, Bali, Indonesia
(Written by Gadādhara Prāṇa Dāsa)
Bali (Klungkung), Indonesia

First of all, please kindly allow us to offer our humble obeisances unto your divine lotus feet, O
dear Śrīlā Prabhupāda! Because it is only due to your unlimited and matchless gifts and mercy
that we are able to associate with your books, your disciples. It is by your mercy only that we can
try our best to serve you and try and learn to render service to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Just like Ananta Śeṣa, who as the expansion of lord Viṣṇu himself, with his unlimited mouths,
cannot enough glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa; what to say with this

fallen soul, who is trying to glorify a personality who is very dear to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the dear most
devotee of him, which is Your Divine Grace. We can only repeat what your disciples have said in
glorification of you, and also read some qualities, pastimes of yours, and then try our best to offer
something unto you on this most-auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūja day.
We read from the memories of your disciple in Jakarta, Her Grace Aravindākṣī Dāsī that she
revealed your beautiful reply after she wrote to you, asking you to come to Jakarta. You said:
My blessings are for you and if you have sincerely invited me, if Kṛṣṇa decides I could
stop by for a few days.
How wonderful it is, O Śrīlā Prabhupāda! For us, it is like hope in the middle of an ocean of des-
peration. How much you care for the fallen souls like us. The only requirements are sincerity and
Kṛṣṇa’s blessing. It all started after that letter is sent to you and your wonderful reply. By your
causeless mercy and Kṛṣṇa’s sweet will, you came to Indonesia, Jakarta, in 1973, and it flooded
the whole country with an ocean of mercy since then. One drop of that mercy now has mani-
fested in Klungkung, southeastern area of Bali Island as a small temple for their Lordships Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjavihārī and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. It is the place where the devotees in Klungkung
regency of Bali took shelter and learned how to worship You and Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
We also would like to humbly report to you about our activities here at Klungkung. Since we
opened in 2009, we have now acquired another area of land on the western side of our temple,
and we are planning to build a better and bigger Deity kitchen there to support our daily sevā for
their Lordships. We also have built a new building inside our temple area where the first store is
a sannyāsī room, and then on the second floor, which is still in development, will become a hall
served as a functioning meeting hall, and also a library for your books as well as a place for the
devotees to study your books and śāstras.
O dear Śrīlā Prabhupāda, regarding the Deity worship, we have established a system where
gṛhasthas take turns in doing deity worship for the Deity, it also involves all the family members
doing the supporting activities of Deity worship. We are trying our best to raise our standards
gradually, O Śrīlā Prabhupāda. We also do some small food for life programs for the surrounding
neighborhood by distributing prasāda. One devotee also donated his land as a place for us to cul-
tivate vegetables and fruits for the temple; we are taking turns in maintaining that land and doing
the gardening sevā.
Due to some restrictions from local authorities and some problems, we are now unable to do
public harināma saṅkīrtana, but somehow or other, by your sweet arrangement and Śrī Gaurāṅga
Mahāprabhu’s unlimited compassion, you have sent some devotees from other countries like
Russia and Ukraine, and they arranged some saṅkīrtana programs on the villas where they stayed
and we, the local devotees, were invited to join and do harināma saṅkīrtana together outside the
temple. O Śrīlā Prabhupāda, we also observe festivals of Candana-yātrā boat festival of Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Kuñjavihārī, Puṣyābhiṣeka, Ratha-yātrā of Śrī Jagannātha, Jhulan-yātrā, avirbhāva and
tirobhāva of Vaiṣṇavas and many other significant festivals. These festivals enable the devotee to be
enthusiastic, rejoice, and enlivened by joining these festivals.
O Śrīlā Prabhupāda, O patita-pāvana, O savior of the fallen souls, you have given us the
matchless gift of devotional love to Lord Kṛṣṇa (kṛṣṇa-prema-bhakti). By your mercy, anyone can
attain the perfection of spirituality as divine knowledge rises in his heart, giving prema-bhakti
and destroying the ignorance. You are the karuṇa-sindhu, an ocean of mercy, a friend of the fallen
souls, and you are the guru for everyone and the life of all. O jagat-guru, please give us your mercy
and the shelter of your lotus feet. May your glories be sung throughout the three worlds.
O Prabhupāda, on this auspicious day of your appearance we would like to ask you to always
shower your mercy upon us here in Klungkung, Bali, so that we can always serve your order and

continue to serve your mission. Please shower mercy to your disciples and our gurus so that they
will always give us association and inspiration to strengthen our sādhana-bhakti here, developing
more strong faiths toward guru, Kṛṣṇa and the holy name. Please always inspire, help, and guide
us in order to try to render sevā to our beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjavihārī and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi.
Thank you, Śrīlā Prabhupāda, for all your mercy and for inspiring so many of your disciples
to show so much mercy for us here in Klungkung. May the whole world be at peace and can be
delivered and get the highest spiritual happiness by chanting the mahā-mantra:
Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
Your servants at ISKCON Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjavihārī Āśrama, Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia
(Written by the temple management team, Bhadra Dharma Dāsa, and Giridhārī Dāsa)
Bali (Singaraja), Indonesia

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you, Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
Only by your causeless mercy did we in Indonesia came to know about Kṛṣṇa and learn this
science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In Jakarta on March 2, 1973, Your Divine Grace mentioned,
“…that cultural movement will be interested for everyone in the world. Even those who were not
aware of the Vedic culture, they’re also joining and taking part in this movement.”
Indonesia, especially Bali, was well known for its culture and tradition that is close to Vedic
culture. This year, by your blessing, the Rādhā-Vṛndāvana Candra temple that is located in the
north side of Bali started to develop into a cultural movement where the society welcomes to
accept your teaching.
Vaiṣṇava culture is the ultimate spiritual culture because it is created by Kṛṣṇa to provide
support for our spiritual development. Once we understand the universal underlying principles,
values and wisdom found in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, and apply those foundational principles
in our personal dealings with one another, we can derive tremendous devotional enlivenment and
benefit, no matter where we might be living in this world.
Spiritual culture is Kṛṣṇa’s perfect and sublime system to give us stability and harmony in
this material world so we can wholeheartedly develop our forgotten relationship with Him. Our
disease, however, is that we consider Kṛṣṇa’s system to be outdated, and we think our system
to be better than Kṛṣṇa’s system. And thus we get chaos, instability, neglect and suffering. All
social problems we are facing in these modern days, even things like child abuse, violence toward
women, rape, etc., are global reactions to the fact that we have lost and forgotten Kṛṣṇa’s system.
This practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness isn’t dependent on one’s personal belief. Anyone can
experience the benefits of bhakti-yoga by applying Kṛṣṇa conscious principles in their life. Those
who do so gradually become more interested in eternal, spiritual life and less attracted to

temporary, material pursuits (with their related anxieties). In time, with proper guidance, anyone
can revive their individual relationship with Kṛṣṇa and enjoy genuine, uninterrupted happiness.
Your servant,
Sudāmā Gopa Dāsa
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Vṛndāvana Candra Temple, Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia
Baltimore, USA
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
At ISKCON of Baltimore, we feel intimately connected to you because we are attempting to
follow in your footsteps. In the scriptures, following the footsteps of a Vaiṣṇava ācārya is the
most highly recommended process for progressing in devotional service. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
1.2.25, Sūta Gosvāmī tells the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya that those who follow the footsteps of great
souls become eligible to achieve the same results as achieved by the great souls. Further, in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.18.5 you confirm the “liberation by following” principle. “This Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness movement directly receives instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead via
persons who are strictly following His instructions. Although a follower may not be a liberated
person, if he follows the supreme, liberated Personality of Godhead, his actions are naturally lib-
erated from the contamination of the material nature.” Repeatedly, you have explained that your
own qualification as an ācārya is that you strictly followed the footsteps of your spiritual master.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, all glories to you, the great ācārya, who not only taught the world that by
becoming a humble follower of the great souls one can attain the perfection of life, but who also
gave the exact details how to follow them. You established practical ways in which people all over
the world follow Lord Caitanya’s teaching by way of following the disciplic succession. We feel
that we are the most fortunate because we are following you.
By your influence Śrīla Prabhupāda, this year devotees at ISKCON of Baltimore have
deepened their practice of hearing and chanting, improved the standard of Deity worship, and
expanded their various preaching programs. Devotees are developing sense control, spiritual
knowledge, and compassion for all living beings, qualities that emerge only in those who are
in direct contact with Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. As decades pass by, and our devotees develop careers,
and then retire from them, as our babies grow into adults, and some of us leave our bodies, the
members of the community simply go on following the course you have given.
Śrīla Prabhupāda this year we invested heavily in prasāda distribution, initiated the monthly
saṅkīrtana festival, gave a momentous push to college preaching, scaled new heights in book dis-
tribution, and promulgated education of adults and children alike. To contribute to your desire
of not letting anyone go hungry, devotees cook and distribute fresh and free prasāda to the needy
in the Baltimore area six days a week. Further, to diminish the spiritual hunger of society, we
have initiated a monthly saṅkīrtana festival, wherein we chant the holy name, distribute prasāda
and introduce your transcendental literature to the society at large. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have
been distributing your transcendental literature and prasāda in adjoining university campuses
for many years. This year, we systematically introduced classes for students of a couple of these

universities to educate the youth about how to live a balanced and quality life while pursuing
professional careers. We are also inching toward our goal of attaining a permanent center (Kṛṣṇa
house) where people from diverse backgrounds will practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The September
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and December Bhagavad-gītā marathons were a big success for our commu-
nity. Śrīla Prabhupāda, many devotees have taken up systematic reading of your books in regular
classes, with a number of devotees pursuing Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhava degrees. We are
also investing in your motto of simple living and high thinking by trying to purchase a farmland,
where we will tend to cows for fresh organic ahiṁsā milk for the Deities. We also plan to grow
organic fresh vegetables and flowers in that farmland.
We thank you for bringing us the fragrance of pure devotional service and pray that you con-
tinue to empower us to help you spread it throughout the world. Spiritual poverty is rampant,
and we, devotees of ISKCON of Baltimore, under your guidance, will put every effort to diminish
it. On the day of your divine appearance, we pray to remain forever fixed in your teachings, and
make rapid progress in devotional life.
Your servants at ISKCON of Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Bangkok, Thailand
Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Śrīla Prabhupāda (His Divine Grace A. C Bhaktivedanta Swami)
Please accept our humble obeisances.
On this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we would like to make an offering/report of our
ISKCON Center, Ramkamheng 24, Bangkok’s activities along with affiliated programs.
Weekly Saturday Program: The resident and congregation devotees organize the weekly Sat-
urday evening program. Around 20–30 people join (festivals are generally more, around 40–50).
Our congregation comprises of few local Thais and International devotees/well-wishers. We start
with kīrtana, then a class/discussion on Bhagavad-gītā verse (different initiated devotees take
turns), gaura-ārati, and prasāda. Generally, the festivals falling during the week are celebrated
along with the Saturday program.
Sunday Park kīrtanas, harināma’s and book distribution: Rājamaṅgala Stadium Park nearby
our center. On Sunday late afternoons, devotees gather in the park and sit and chant; interested
people generally inquire and take a few books/pamphlets. Sometimes, we go for harināma and
book distribution to nearby areas and, at times to nearby cities of Bangkok, as per the availability
of the resident/congregation devotees.
Resident devotees: As the vision/mission set by the donors/Thailand GBCs/secretary (His
Holiness Bhakti Vighna-vināśa Narasiṁha Swami, His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami, His Holiness
Kavicandra Swami and His Grace Rūpeśvara Prabhu), several high-school/University students
stay at the center. Yogeśvara Prabhu is a yoga (haṭha) student/instructor; along with his yoga
practices, he is successfully reaching out to local Thai people via park/studio programs. Bhakta
Gopāla is doing his BBA at Abac University; he brings his international/Thai friends to the center,
and they relish the prasāda and kīrtana.
Śrīnivāsa Prabhu (son of His Grace Nimāi Prabhu, Chaam) recently moved in; he is studying
at a nearby high school – Wat Thep Lila, and focusing on IT/Computer. A few other student

devotees are planning to move in from South Thailand as well, but appropriate facilities/infra-
structures need to be arranged, which we are working on. Around 20–30 students have stayed in
the center since the inception of the center, around 15 years back. After acquiring their material
and spiritual education/training, they have settled in different parts of Thailand, India (Māyāpur/
Vṛndāvana), and other parts of the world and are assisting the ISKCON centers/temples in their
respective areas. In the last year, Arcanā Mātājī, who did her Bachelors at Ramkamheng Univer-
sity and later taught at an International School, moved to Delhi, India; she is getting married to
an initiated devotee (disciple of His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja) in Delhi. Nimāi Śacīsuta
Prabhu completed his Master’s studies in IT/Computer from Abac University and moved to Köln,
Germany, for work; he regularly visits the temple (ISKCON Köln) and does varieties of services
(under the guidance of His Grace Vaidyanātha Prabhu, ACBSP). Similarly, Bhaktin Ruksana com-
pleted her Master’s at Mahidol University, BKK, and moved to LA, USA, to continue her Ph.D.
studies at the University of Southern California; she regularly visits the ISKCON LA temple and
does services there. She recently got initiated as Rādhā-Vraja Praṇa Mātājī by His Holiness Jaya-
patākā Swami during his trip to LA, USA. The current/ex-student devotees help financially run
the center and maintain simple morning/evening programs. The activities of the center can be
viewed on Facebook (ISKCON Bangkok, Ramkamheng 24).
Outreach programs:
Bhakti-vṛkṣa (House Programs): Bhaktin. Nippi has been conducting programs (kīrtana,
Bhagavad-gītā class/discussion, Narasiṁha prayers, and prasāda) at her apartment in Siam Man-
sion, Sukumvit 12 (central Bangkok) most Friday evenings for six years. Around 10–20 of her
friends/well-wishers join and relish the program. She says organizing the Friday program gives
her and her family purpose/happiness in life. She relishes kīrtana and adores the practicality of
the Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy. She works at the United Nations (UN) as an IT/Computer Pro-
grammer Quality Inspector and has dovetailed her expertise in assisting Māyāpur Office, the JPS
team, and gośālā, by resolving their IT/App-related issues. She regularly comes to the ISKCON
Ramkamheng Center and helps in different services, and loves to visit Māyāpur Dhāma.
Bhakta. Aakash and Bhaktin. Upasana, who stay in Sathorn, have similarly conducted house
programs (kīrtana, Bhagavad-gītā class/discussions, prasāda). They hold these programs around
once a month, mostly on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Around 30 people generally join the pro-
gram, who are mostly their friends. They like to host/organize spiritual programs, invite/develop
relationships with spiritually inclined people, and are much attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa and kīrtana
(Hare Kṛṣṇa).
These activities can be viewed at: www.facebook.com/BhaktiVriksha.Sukumvit12.Bkk/
University Programs: In the last year, we had two seminars at Abac University: “Addiction Mit-
igation via Yoga and Mantra Meditation” at Huamark Campus and “Nurturing Relationships via
Yoga and Mantra Meditation” at Suvarnabhumi Campus. Around 30–50+ students and lecturers
joined the events.
For these seminars, we generally take a social problem and try to tackle it via Yoga and Mantra
Meditation; in earlier years, we had seminars on Stress Management, Mind Empowerment, Envi-
ronmental Pollutions Solutions, etc. The attendees admired the delicious vegetarian food, benefits
of yoga (haṭha) practices, soothing kīrtanas (mantra meditation), and Kṛṣṇa conscious ways of
tackling social problems. Students, lecturers, brothers/nuns from Buddhist (as Thailand is a Bud-
dhist nation) and Christian (as the University is administered by Brothers of St. Gabriel, Catholic
order) background shared their opinions and highlighted how religious groups should try to
tackle social problems along with their religious/spiritual practices. Since few of our congregation
members/residents are faculty members/students at the University, it is easier to organize such
events. Around once/twice a month, we come together and perform kīrtanas and read/discuss
spiritual books together.

These activities can be viewed at:
https://www.facebook.com/au.bhaktiYoga.mantraMeditation/
Trying to serve,
Sumadhurī Līlā Devī Dāsī and Antaraṅga Gopāla Dāsa
(On behalf of ISKCON Ramkamheng Center, Bangkok, Thailand)
Baramati, India
Our sincerest obeisances at your lotus feet All glories to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
You are the perpetual north star for all Vaiṣṇava qualities that a devotee aspires for. It is
extremely difficult for anyone to fathom how you could always inspire one and all to change
the direction of their lives against the current mainstream civilization. Through your words and
personal example, you have always guided not only those around you but all future generations
of devotees on how to surrender to the Supreme Lord in turbulent times – both internally and
externally.
Today I heard a story that recently, a lady in one European city who had been searching for an
ISKCON temple for many years saw you sitting on a bench and then you guided her to the near-
est ISKCON temple. When she entered the temple, she saw you in a mūrti form and informed the
devotees that it is you who some time back had guided her to the temple. Devotees in the temple
were pleasantly shocked to hear that you had once again expanded the net of your mercy to catch
another lost soul drowning in the material ocean and place her at the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya
and Lord Nityānanda. That lady also took some time to realize what fortune had dawned upon
her. She is truly fortunate to receive your personal audience many years after you have physically
left us on this planet.
This incident again has sparked renewed vigor and hope in us Śrīla Prabhupāda. You have
mentioned on multiple occasions that you are present in your books. This recent incident has
proved that you are always available for any sincere soul, even before that soul reaches your
books. We are startled to understand how you could always be in such an extending mood, Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
Please bless us all so that we also can always learn the art of extending ourselves to increase the
spiritual corpus of the material world.
We wish to remain always the servants of your servants.
Aspiring devotees at ISKCON Baramati

Barcelona, Spain
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Please accept my humble obeisances at your Lotus Feet.
As time goes by and I see how my body is limited by the years, I cannot help but marvel at
your strength and determination in fulfilling the mission that your spiritual master gave you at
such an advanced age.
I see how many devotees retire; many go to live in Vṛndāvana or Māyāpur to spend their last
years. That is what any normal person does, but it is not what you did; at the age of 69, you
undertook an epic mission, a daunting task anyone would say impossible if it were not for the fact
that you carried it out.
Despite all the limitations, without financial resources, in your old age, in a totally different cul-
ture, without support, with an unknown message, and principles that were opposed to the West-
ern culture of that moment, you managed to get thousands of people to follow you and change
their lives 180 degrees.
You managed to inspire that spirit of preaching to so many people, thousands made an effort
to follow your example, but when you left, the momentum was losing strength, and today our
efforts are a pale memory of your mission. As I said before, many seek comfort in the holy dhāma,
the same one that you left to come to the materialistic hell of the West.
At some point, we lost our way, so I beg you to inspire us again, that that spirit of preaching
floods us again.
Just as you said that your spiritual master had sent you so many disciples to help you in your
mission, I beg you to send us sincere and enthusiastic people in the spiritual life to strengthen
your movement, and I pray to Kṛṣṇa to give me intelligence and ability to inspire those people to
follow your instructions without deviation so that this movement is a ray of light for this incredu-
lous and confused world.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving me this wonderful life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Your worthless servant,

Dvārakā Dāsa
Barrie, Canada
Dear beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Thank you for coming to this world to save us in spite of the tremendous difficulties and obsta-
cles which you had to face alone, depending solely on the mercy of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa and
your eternal spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
You are the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead, freely bestowing your causeless mercy
upon the unqualified and ungrateful souls of Kali-yuga. I am amongst the most fallen of living

entities, and yet, by your unlimited compassion, you have given direction to our life through your
books. With the help of them, we are able to give direction to our lives.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you for creating a family of loving devotees, and somehow or other,
you allowed me to join your happy family, and it changed my life forever. You saved us, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, and I am eternally thankful and indebted to you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is so much service to be done in executing your blessed mission of
delivering the conditioned souls in this world, and therefore we need to establish preaching cen-
ters as many as we can. But without your blessings, we can’t even move an inch in this direction.
So I humbly pray at your lotus feet that you will so kindly enter our hearts and inspire us to find
the ways and means of fulfilling your beautiful transcendental vision of a happy and unified world
movement under your leadership and direction. Kindly help us to please you in this way.
Thank you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to your lotus feet.
Your servant,
Nimāi Nitāi Dāsa
Servant Director,
ISKCON Barrie, Ontario, Canada
Beed, India
Please accept my humble obeisances.

Dear Prabhupāda,
I remember what a big evolution you have made to our life and to the lives of people around
the world. The biggest gift you have given to us is doing devotional service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Govinda in the form of daily chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, preaching activities, practical
engagement in various services such as Deity worship, harināma-saṅkīrtana, book distribution,
etc. We know that we can’t repay this debt of yours, but we are trying to follow the path of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness with a sincere desire.
I hope with your mercy I can serve you and this wonderful organization you have created,
ISKCON. With immense pleasure, I would like to share the different services done by ISKCON
Beed for your pleasure, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. Last year in the month of Gītā marathon, Beed
distributed 25 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets, 20 Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets and we successfully organized
Bhagavad-gītā contests in various schools in which 700 students participated. Also, ISKCON Beed
distributed 3000 Bhagavad-gītās around our preaching zone.
Please give us your blessings so we may practice our Kṛṣṇa consciousness nicely, do our

chanting, follow the regulative principles, read your books regularly, always serve, and remain in
the association of devotees and develop sincere love for the Lord in our hearts.
On this upcoming auspicious occasion of Vyāsa-pūjā, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Beed is
offering you the newly constructed function hall and prasāda hall of 1000 seating capacity, festival
kitchen, 5 room guest house, and renovated temple hall of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govindajī under the
guidance and blessings of His Holiness Lokanātha Swami.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, on behalf of ISKCON Beed and all Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, we are
praying at your lotus feet to please give us the strength to engage in your service by making us an
instrument in your divine mission.

Viṭṭhalānanda Dāsa
President, ISKCON Beed
Benin
We in the Republic of Benin in West Africa are so happy to be part of this year’s 2023 celebration
of the wonderful and auspicious appearance day of our jagat-guru, Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupāda.
We are so grateful to His Divine Grace for bringing us Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this age of dis-
cord, quarrels, hypocrisies, strife, and unreasonable conflicts, thus affording us a chance to be
part of his wonderful movement called ISKCON.
Dear most Śrīla Prabhupāda, thanks a million times for the encouragement you give us
not only to be Kṛṣṇa conscious by coming together in your congregational movement called
ISKCON, but also through your books, your lectures and your exemplary spiritual lifestyle, your
unfathomable love, kindness, compassion, tolerance etc.… Thank you very much, our eternal
grandfather and father. Only Kṛṣṇa knows what we might have done to deserve your unlimited
and causeless mercy in this way. We find it difficult to understand. We only implore Your Divine
Grace through the via media of our gurus who are your bona fide representatives to kindly
intercede and plead our case before Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, so that their Lordships can grant us the
following favors:
1. Consistency in our desire to serve Vaiṣṇavas

2. Determination and strength to remain in this wonderful movement.
3. Helping us Develop and keep being enthusiastic in the day-to-day practice of our Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, and that, to the best of our ability.
4. Be blessed with divine mercy, allowing us to have enough strength to follow in the footsteps
of Vaiṣṇava ācāryas like you and also be able to live up to expectation of exemplary life of
service and devotion to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga.
5. To be blessed so that life after life, we could find ourselves in opportune and favorable
situations to serve at the lotus feet of Śrī Guru and Kṛṣṇa.
While praying and hoping that this humble offering reaches the current leaders and managers in

good health, sound and unshaken devotion, we, your lowliest amongst humans in the Republic of
Benin in West Africa beg to remain servants of the servants of Vaiṣṇavas.
Presented by Candraśekhara Dāsa

Chairman, Board of Trustees of ISKCON-AICK, Republic of Benin
Bergamo, Italy
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
If I look back, in these late hours of my life, to the decades that I have traversed in my spiritual
journey, the first things I see are the innumerable reasons for thanking you and being grateful.
What I owe to you, my dear and divine master, I can only know and express by your mercy and
through submission to your holy lotus feet. Actually, the greatest benediction you have bestowed
upon me is that you have taught me to surrender to your holy feet and have kept me bound there,
not allowing me to move away even in front of my persistent attempts to do so. You have made
me aware that this exclusive submission is the only true freedom for the soul. (The freedom from
the pangs of this world, desired by everyone, is a mere secondary result.) Such an act of uncondi-
tional surrender generates in us fruits of sublime sweetness like clearing our vision and purifying
our heart, thus making us capable of receiving through your mouth the eternal mighty current of
transcendental knowledge flowing from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Although each year I promise to improve my service and enhance my devotion, my negligence
in maintaining this resolution becomes more evident when the day of your auspicious Vyāsa-pūjā
is approaching. Then comes the time to sum up the work done during the year and to personally
thank you for all the benedictions you bestowed upon me. I then inevitably realize that what I
gave you is always much less than what I received.
Once you said: “You have gone through millions of lives in this material world, serving innu-
merable masters and innumerable causes. Now just give one life to Kṛṣṇa! Just one!” This is the
instruction I have been trying to follow in the last past decades: to give my life to you, so you can
offer it to Kṛṣṇa. Just like a child buys a gift for the father with the money he got from the father,
I am trying to return to you, my beloved divine father, the life that you gave me by accepting me
as your disciple. Your Divine Grace gave me the gift of a new life enriched with the light of knowl-
edge and devotion, a light that has illuminated every single day of my existence. This very same
existence I offer back to you beautified with whatever little service I was able to offer.
After all, who can say in all honesty that it is difficult to surrender to your lotus feet? You are
the perfect master imparting the perfect teaching and practicing it perfectly. Everything you have
done is a hymn to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, an eternal harmonious hymn that makes us dance in joy
because it reminds us every second how fortunate we are to be able to serve your mission.
Personally, I do not have the talents or qualifications to offer you. Even the desire that I firmly

keep in my heart to be a worthy recipient of your mercy is the evident manifestation of your
compassion toward this insignificant soul.

Ali Kṛṣṇa Devī Dāsī (ACBSP)
Written on behalf of the devotees from Villaggio Hare Kṛṣṇa, Bergamo, Italy
Bergen, Norway
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you on your most auspicious appearance
day.
Your Divine Grace has so mercifully done this service to Kṛṣṇa of spreading Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness all over the world. You came at a time when the whole world was being devoured by atheistic
science and the false propaganda of material happiness. It was most needed – the whole world
was heading toward destruction. You spread this message when you were here, and you are still
doing although you are not physically present. You are directing devotees in your brilliant books
with your deep insight and understanding of spirit and matter and your love for Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
And many devotees report how you appear to them in dreams – compassionately guiding and
directing. You are always there with us.
How fortunate we are that you are amongst us. We can relish the nectarean stories of your life
that are so nicely recorded and available in different books. We can nourish our inquisitive minds
by happily absorbing ourselves in your transcendental and vast purports to the Vaiṣṇava literature.
By the mercy of the Lord, last year we were able to buy a 4-floor building of 400 square meters
in the center of Bergen city in Norway. It is the first building to be owned by the officially regis-
tered organization, ISKCON Norway. The first devotees in Norway came from Bergen, and it is
natural that the first ISKCON-owned temple building should appear here.
We pray that we can work sincerely together in a mood of love and trust so that this temple
and āśrama will attract many visitors and new devotees to take shelter of your lotus feet and your
servants. And if you so desire, please send us some more saṅkīrtana devotees.
We offer our prostrated obeisances to you in gratitude for all you have given us, and we pray
that we may always be sincerely engaged in the service of your servants in spreading this mission.
Your servants of your servants at the ISKCON Bergen temple,

Mahābhāvī Dāsa

Bhaktivedanta Manor, UK
Hare Kṛṣṇa dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
This year at Bhaktivedanta Manor, we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary. We’re deeply grate-
ful to you for installing Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulānanda on Śrī Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī in 1973. You had
the vision of sending your six very loyal devotees to the UK to start a new center; they found
the Manor property and introduced you to George Harrison, who wanted to help you with your
mission and who agreed to buy the Manor for you. Thank you so much because it is due to your
vision that we now have a very beautiful temple in a Tudor building.
We’ve had many challenges over the years: keeping the temple open for public worship, achiev-
ing financial stability, and leaders unexpectedly leaving, but the devotees at Bhaktivedanta Manor
kept strong faith in you and your mission of spreading Lord Caitanya’s message.
The 80s were mainly taken up by fighting the closure of the Manor as a place of worship by
locals and the council. Under the leadership of Akhaṇḍadhī Prabhu, we established a Temple
Defense Movement, and along with our Pāṇḍava Sena youth army, we vigorously fought the clo-
sure. We were determined to buy adjoining land and build an alternate road, and to achieve this;
we lobbied Hindu Temples up and down the country for months. Finally, 30 thousand Hindus
marched to the House of Parliament to protest the closure of our Manor temple. After many
public enquires, we were finally granted permission to remain as a place of public worship, for we
had secured more land and built a new access road to the Manor.
The Manor now occupies 80 acres of land, and we’ve embarked on new projects. Under the
leadership of Gaurī Dāsa, we’ve built a purpose-built gośālā and increased our herd of cows and
bulls to fulfill all the Deities’ milk requirements. Since the Manor has been in the media for many
years, we’ve been attracting far more pilgrims than we can accommodate in the Manor building,
so we require a larger facility. Over a period of eight years, we finally obtained permission to
build a 22 thousand-square-foot building, the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Haveli, which was completed in 2019.
All the above was possible only because of the Bhaktivedanta Manor Foundation, especially
the late Śrutidharma Dāsa as well as Prāṇabandhu Dāsa, both of whom tirelessly raised funds.
Other dedicated teams also served together selflessly for many years to make Bhaktivedanta
Manor successful, including the Manor staff, residents, volunteers, congregation, and the Temple
and Patron Councils.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your Manor rooms are as you last used them when you visited in 1977, and
even today, we strongly feel your presence in those rooms. We are fortunate that your disciples
take great pride in maintaining them.
For your pleasure, we have many plans for the next decade. We want to have better facilities for
the pūjārīs and a new entrance to the temple; we want to provide assisted living accommodations
for our aging devotees; we envision a visitor center at the gośālā, as well as a new bookshop and
gift shop. The list is endless. We pray to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we can fulfill all this for your
large and ever-growing family. Please shower your blessing on all of us to achieve this and more
for the glorification of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulānanda.
On behalf of all the residents, staff, volunteers, congregation and guests of Bhaktivedanta Manor

Bhiwandi, India
Respected Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Your Divine Grace will be happy to know that a new petal was added to the lotus of your
ISKCON, which you affectionately referred to as your body. In November 2021, a new ISKCON
temple was inaugurated in the city of Bhiwandi, which is 35 km from Mumbai. This is a preach-
ing center of ISKCON Juhu, home of your beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rāsabihārī. Deities of Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Mādhava, Gaura-Nitāi, and Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā were installed by your
disciple His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami.
Over the last 12 months, we have been trying our best to increase the core activities that you
propagated in your preaching. Below is an update on the project for your pleasure.
ISKCON Bhiwandi has consistently distributed over 1000 plates of prasāda daily to the under-
privileged section of society as part of your Food for Life program. During festivals like Rāma-
navamī and Janmāṣṭamī, tens of thousands of plates of prasāda are distributed. Our devotees
are distributing over 200 Bhagavad-gītās every day. We are conducting several college preaching
programs in the area. On the weekend, hundreds of people come to the temple to attend classes
and dance in kīrtana in front of the Deities. We have also established a small Govindas restaurant
so that visitors can, as you would say it, get a higher taste.
Also, in the last year, we acquired three adjacent plots and are in the process of acquiring a
fourth one. Once that is done, the project size will increase from 630 sq meters to 2500 sq meters.
We then plan to build a bigger facility to expand preaching, book distribution and prasāda distri-
bution – the main pillars of your movement, thereby spreading your glories further.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you underwent unimaginable austerities to spread Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness all over the world. You gave unconditional love to everyone who you met in a bid to make
them devotees. Your teachings and the way that you lived your life continue to inspire millions
around the world. It is only by your mercy that we have this opportunity to practice and do our
bit to spread your teachings via this project. We humbly beg you to continue to bless us and
guide us so that we can serve you to the best of our ability.
On behalf of the main temple management consisting of

Sīta Rāma Dāsa, Kṛṣṇa Dāsa, Caitanya Avatāra Dāsa and Śrī Sudāmā Dāsa
Your servant,
Narottama Priya Dāsa
ISKCON Bhiwandi
Bhopal, India
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
We are endeavoring to please you by our service of maintaining and expanding your movement
here in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. We have just started our center three years ago,

and by your divine mercy, it is growing in all aspects. We need your constant blessings to keep the
standard in the right direction.
For your pleasure, Śrīla Prabhupāda, here are the highlights for the past year:
• First time we celebrated Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā on a grand scale, and many thousands of
devotees participated.
• Two new Bhaktivedanta Library opened for youth to facilitate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
• Started youth preaching in IISER, NLU, AIIMS, and many other national-level colleges.
• Weekly classes for ISKCON Vaiṣṇavī Forum, ISKCON Girls Forum, and ISKCON Kids
Forum has been going on for the last two years. Many new devotees are coming and taking
on further responsibilities.
• Monthly programs in the heart of the city for around 200 devotees.
• Weekly programs in many satellite centers.
• We were fortunate to welcome ISKCON Pāda-yātrā to our center for three days.
• Organized South India yātrā for a group of 350 devotees; also organized yātrās to Vṛndāvana,
Dvārakā and Haridwar for a group of 100 devotees.
It is our good fortune to be a part of your ISKCON mission, and although we missed the begin-
ning of the Society, we feel that things are still beginning. We have a long way to go to show our
gratitude to you. We want to repay you for all the love you have shown us. You desired that the
entire world would become Kṛṣṇa conscious, and now it is up to us to fulfill your desire.
Please bless us so that all together, as a team, we can expand your movement and create many
centers in nearby places and build a bigger temple and better facilities for all the devotees who
come to visit the temple. Your causeless mercy is our only hope.
We pray that we always stay on the path shown by Your Divine Grace.
Your humble servants at ISKCON Bhopal BYC

(Written by Dharmendra Kṛṣṇa Dāsa)
Bologna, Italy

This is your insignificant disciple who is trying to serve you in some small way. By Kṛṣṇa’s mercy,
you have sent some very nice devotees here in Bologna to serve your mission. They are helping in
realizing your desires which you expressed in letters you wrote to me.

That [Berkeley] is one of our most important branches, especially because it is located
just in a very large university area, well known in your country as a famous seat of learn-
ing. So now it will be very important to flood Berkeley city with our books and literature
because if we can convince the intelligent class of men of our Kṛṣṇa philosophy, then our
success for changing the position of your country and the rest of the world from a very
dangerous condition is assured.
Then when I was in Boston, you gave me the same instructions in 2 parts.
I understand from Karandhara that you are one of the most staunch supporters and
workers for distributing our books, and I assure you that it is the highest service to my
Guru Mahārāja.
Then you gave me your other instructions.
Recruit some educated men from the colleges, schools in Boston, train them up for
preaching mission. In this way, develop the quality of your men to be the most surren-
dered servants of Kṛṣṇa. That will please Kṛṣṇa, and you will feel yourself becoming
more and more happy in perfecting your life.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving me a life of service, and now you have sent so many nice
devotees to help realize your desire. I pray to you that we can fulfill your desire to recruit some
intelligent men and women from the university and flood the city with your books, as this is the
highest service to your Guru Mahārāja.

Trai Dāsa
Brahmapur, India

By your mercy, our center is slowly progressing. In the meanwhile, we are facing many types of
obstacles, but still, we are trying to adjust ourselves by tolerating and staying patient with differ-
ent types of problems.
At present, we have started the Sunday afternoon program, which is slowly progressing. Our
IYF program is also continuing.
Long back, we had purchased a piece of land which we have started to fill with soil now. We

are trying to finish the altar wood carving work. We are planning to start our main gate work too.
We celebrated the Gaura-Pūrṇimā and Rāma-navamī festival.
Slowly we are trying our best to fulfill your desire by distributing your books. While managing
all these things every moment different types of problems/obstacles are coming. Please try to give
your mercy so that by tolerating all those problems we will try to develop this project of Yours.
Devotees of ISKCON Brahmapur, India
Brampton, Canada

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you.
We are absolutely insignificant and unqualified to glorify you; however, this is our humble
attempt to express our gratitude and appreciation for your causeless mercy on fallen souls like us
and the entire humanity. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the most munificent incarnation of the Lord,
gave the incomparable divine nectar of kṛṣṇa-prema to anyone and everyone by the most sublime
process of harināma chanting and inundated everyone’s heart with ecstatic love of Godhead. We
see Mahāprabhu’s instructions in Cc., Madhya 7.128, about spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa
Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the
Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way, become a spiritual master and try to
liberate everyone in this land.
All the ācāryas of our sampradāya have dedicated their life and soul to this instruction of Mahā-
prabhu, and your divine self has so exceptionally carried forward the legacy and teachings of
Mahāprabhu by dedicating your life for this higher cause of spiritual welfare of the people of
Kali-yuga. Your only desire was to fulfill the instructions of your spiritual master to spread the
message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the English language all over the world, as Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness is the greatest need of the world and the only solution to all the problems and sufferings of
mankind. You made this the mission of your life, and with the firm determination of mind and
pure devotion and faith in heart, you embarked on the journey to the West. Your conviction and
zeal to fulfill the instruction of your spiritual master exemplify and teach us the right attitude,
responsibility, and commitment of a disciple toward his/her spiritual master.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you endured the most incredible historical challenges – your life was threat-
ened, you had no money, nobody in India had faith that you could succeed, and your health

deteriorated, but your determination never failed as you had complete faith in the order of your
Guru Mahārāja and in the holy names of Kṛṣṇa. Even at the very beginning, when everything
seemed hopeless, you saw infinite hope. You are a pure devotee empowered by the Lord. It is
extremely inspiring for us to note that you were uncompromising in speaking the highest truth,
yet you spoke and lived in such a way and presented the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with
such deep real concern and compassion for the welfare of others that you transformed people’s
hearts. People who had every disqualification, your compassion and the philosophy you presented
with that compassion created qualification in them. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have touched and
transformed millions of hearts, and within no time, you laid the first stepping stone of your mis-
sion by establishing ISKCON, which has grown into a worldwide confederation of more than 650
temples systematically propagating spiritual knowledge to society at large and creating awareness
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness as it is revealed in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda, you have led such an exemplary life of devotion, determination, surrender, humility, tol-
erance, and compassion. We beg for your divine mercy so that we can imbibe and practice these
qualities in our spiritual endeavors.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are always present with us through your instructions in your books and
lectures. One of the most significant contributions that you have made to mankind is your books.
You used to say, “By reading my books and chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, your life will become perfect.”
While we strive to walk on the path of achieving perfection with our constant endeavors to follow
your instructions, we beg for your mercy and blessings so that we may continue to gain spiritual
wisdom and transcendental knowledge from your books and attain the supreme goal of life. Book
distribution is your dear most service, and it gives us the opportunity to reach out to thousands
of people and distribute your books that contain timeless wisdom. With your mercy and with the
sincere, dedicated efforts of our saṅkīrtana warriors, we were able to distribute 10,350 books which
include 87 Bhāgavatam sets.
You would be pleased to know that this year, 19 devotees graduated in “Bhakti-śāstrī,” from
Bhaktivedanta Academy of Education, Canada – established by ISKCON Brampton. With your
mercy, our Sunday School students are engaging in various services at the temple. Vaikuṇṭha
Yuva group is actively participating in temple affairs and is engaging in book distribution and
also conducting congregation kīrtanas. Śrīla Prabhupāda, your words, “These are Vaikuṇṭha chil-
dren, and we are very fortunate we can give them a chance to advance further in Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness.” immensely inspires us to share your teachings and philosophy with the children to keep
them Kṛṣṇa conscious. With this goal in our minds and hearts, we have started a Bhakti-śāstrī
program for teenagers, which covers all the four books recommended by you. We pray for your
special blessings for the children so that they can live a spiritually surcharged life keeping the
divine couple in the center of all their activities.
With the guidance and leadership of His Holiness Bhaktimārga Swami, we are able to reach
out to a large section of society through various preaching and kīrtana programs, and our con-
gregation is growing. During this year’s Ratha-yātrā, 5000 prasāda plates were served, and many
people have become part of the congregation and have joined the mentorship program of the
temple. More than 3000 devotees participated in Janmāṣṭamī celebrations. With your blessings,
18 devotees from the congregation are initiated this year. To deepen the bonding amongst the dev-
otee community, we organized a Bhakti retreat that included spiritual, fun, and family activities,
and 29 families attended this retreat.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.9.29, you describe how when
Dhruva Mahārāja saw the Supreme Lord face to face, he realized that he had wanted a few parti-
cles of broken glass but instead had received many diamonds. Likewise, in our journey and strug-
gle in material existence, we realize how exceptionally fortunate we are to receive the diamonds
of your teachings and instructions through your books, your disciples who are the warriors of this

movement, a platform of devotee association wherever we are, because of the extensive network of
temples. We were looking for petty and insignificant broken pieces of glass for our existence, and
you gave us the treasure house of diamonds.
We are deeply indebted to you for your compassion and mercy on fallen souls like us. You
wanted all your disciples and followers to work together and cooperate, and you would say, “Your
love for me will be shown by how you cooperate with one another.” With this spirit of cooperation
in our minds and actions, we strive to work together with each other, irrespective of any differ-
ences we may have, for a higher goal of preaching and spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness in different
sections of society, which is so very crucial and necessary in this age and time. We beg for your
mercy to keep us in your shelter and be our constant well-wisher and guide, as you have always
been.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your offerings to Kṛṣṇa and to humanity are like an ocean. We pray at your
lotus feet to empower us to be able to follow your footsteps and engage in unalloyed, uninter-
rupted loving devotional service to the Lord and be an insignificant instrument of Your Divine
Grace to spread the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the introduction to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Canto 7, chapter 7, you mention that “Devotional
service is not dependent on the material activities of austerity, penance, mystic yoga or piety. Even
without such assets, one can achieve devotional service through the mercy of a pure devotee.” We
are on this path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness only because of your grace and mercy, and our humble
submission and request to you are to continue showering your love and blessings on us.
Your insignificant menial servants,

The ISKCON Brampton community, Canada
Brunei
Dearest Respectful Śrīla Prabhupada,

Please accept my humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
I am the most fallen insignificant entity, the most sinful among the sinners. I have no qualifica-
tion whatsoever to pay homage to your most exalted divine self, but I am endeavoring to do this
for my own purification.
While reading Līlāmṛta, tears welled in my eyes numerous times. Your divine self, at the
advanced age of sixty-nine, underwent unimaginable pain and set out to travel to the West on the
instructions of your spiritual master to broadcast and spread the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, thus
fulfilling Mahāprabhu’s prophecy:

(CB Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
In your own divine words you stated that, “‘As many towns and villages are there on the surface of
the globe, everywhere this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or Lord Caitanya’s name, will be celebrated.’ That
is being done.” (Lecture, Hyderabad, November 23, 1972).
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) you established in 1966, in
the most challenging circumstances, has significantly influenced the lives of thousands of people
globally for generations to voluntarily take up the path of devotional service. I was most fortunate
to connect with ISKCON in 2013 through the mercy of devotees, when we were living outside
India. Ever since and in the subsequent years, our lives gradually (my family and mine) have been
completely transformed. I am eternally indebted to you as you have showered me your inconceiv-
able causeless mercy of unlimited profound love of Kṛṣṇa and His dear devotees. I am immeasur-
ably fortunate to be part of this glorious, wonderful family of devotees.
I am ever so indebted to you for the most precious gems, i.e., books on Vedic knowledge, in
English language in the form of Bhaktivedanta purports you have written with painstaking effort,
unambiguous and crystal-clear instructions, invaluable advice in your lectures, room conversa-
tions, etc. These are priceless instructions that you repeat for the benefit of unintelligent and con-
ditioned souls like me to internalize and thus stay resolute.
We are a diverse group of expat devotees from India and Bangladesh living in Brunei. Expats
who have ventured far from their homeland are ripe candidates for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as they
are often more receptive to the transformative power of your wisdom than in their native place.
We are humbled and happy to note that even in this tiny, remote (Islamic) country, Kṛṣṇa
consciousness as taught by you is spreading slowly where we meet periodically for satsaṅgas, sing
kīrtanas, conduct regular Bhagavad-gītā study sessions and chant mahā-mantra.
We beg you for your mercy to give us mercy, strength, and determination to stay steadfast and
improve our sādhana especially to chant attentively, to manage our time to systematically study
your Bhaktivedanta purports and serve you further by pleasing our spiritual masters in your
ISKCON.
Your insignificant eternal servant,

Cakradhārī Kānāi Dāsa and devotees of Brunei Yātrā
Budapest, Hungary
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
The world today is in a state of flux. War is raging, a global recession looms, a climate melt-
down is on the horizon, and violent crime, exploitation, addictions of untold varieties, and mental
health illnesses are all out of control. In the 5000 years since Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas left the
planet, Kali has no doubt taken a grip. On such a troubled planet, discussions are ongoing the
world over as to how to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and even how to practice it. How to navigate

such a complex mix? For us here in Budapest, the key question centers around what Your Divine
Grace has instructed us to do. More specifically, we ask ourselves, “What would Śrīla Prabhupāda
say were he to walk into this temple? Would he be satisfied with what he saw?”
This is the guiding light of our activities because for what else do we live other than to satisfy
you, Śrīla Prabhupāda? And after all, we daily recite these immortal words from Śrī Gurv-aṣṭaka:

By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. 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.
So then the question arises of how best to please you. Svarūpa Prabhu (ACBSP) shares in
Memories – Anecdotes of a Modern-day Saint the following:
When the first wave of devotees went to India, Śrīla Prabhupāda instructed them to go
to his room at the Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple in Vṛndāvana, where he had previously
been staying, and clean it out. One of my godbrothers said that he came across a piece
of paper while cleaning the room. It was folded up like a memo pad, and on that front
page, Prabhupāda had written a to-do list. On the very top, it said, “Save the world from
godlessness.”
Sitting in Vṛndāvana, no support, no funding, no manpower, and yet you wanted to “Save the
world from godlessness.” Such vision, such depth, such faith. It is unfathomable. It is inspira-
tional. And it is this kind of faith that is the bedrock of your mission Śrīla Prabhupāda, one that
allows Kṛṣṇa’s intervention and empowerment in our lives. And this is our inheritance. One we
have to imbibe and pass on for eons to come.
But where to begin with such a mammoth task? We have been given a success formula by our
spiritual leader here in Hungary, your dear disciple, His Holiness Śivarāma Swami, and it goes as
follows:
Do what Prabhupāda said = Success
Thus, for almost 35 years since the Berlin Wall fell, the raison d’être of Budapest Temple has
been to spread your glories far and wide through the profuse distribution of your books. Of
course, we have, amongst other things, beautiful Deity worship, a University giving out state-
accredited Vaiṣṇava degrees, a Food For Life prasāda Program, multiple Govinda’s restaurants,
regular harināma parties, and a Media department that broadcasts our activities to the public in
an attractive and digestible way. But all of these projects are driven toward the goal of one day
having a full set of your books in every household in Hungary.
Some may argue that our approach is simplistic in that we are over-simplifying what is a rather
complex issue, that needs to take into account time, place and circumstance, etc. However, rather
than being simplistic, we see the clarifying simplicity in a verse that you often quote:
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau

tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakāśante mahātmanaḥ

“Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the
imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed.” (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.23)
Let your words always be our guiding light, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Let your faith be our inspira-
tion. By strictly following you, we will be ultimately benefited, and so many others will have an
opportunity for the same. With straw between our teeth and implicit faith in our hearts in you and
our worshipful Lordships Śrī Śrī Dayāla Nitāi Vijaya Gaurāṅga and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara,
we beg you to please empower us to fulfill your mission here in Hungary.
Your servants at ISKCON Budapest, Hungary
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
During the years that Śrīla Prabhupāda was in Vṛndāvana preparing his journey to the West, he
lived simply in a small room at the Rādhā-Dāmodara Temple. After vigorously preaching in the
West for a few years, Śrīla Prabhupāda had access to a lot of opulence, yet he never claimed any-
thing as his own and used every single penny in Kṛṣṇa’s service.
The highest expression of mercy is to offer everyone the opportunity to develop pure love for
God. This is what Śrīla Prabhupāda did by opening over a hundred temples, printing millions of
books, and sending his disciples all over the world to teach the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
His mercy was distributed naturally as a result of his sincere compassion for the suffering condi-
tioned souls. His mercy was spread all over the world like a pleasant rain on the burning hearts of
this age.
Śrīla Prabhupāda never asked for anything in return for himself. He only asked that we refrain
from doing sinful activities, that we would chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and give Kṛṣṇa consciousness to
others. In this way, giving himself up in every step, Śrīla Prabhupāda perfectly exhibited the mag-
nanimous nature of a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s gifts were full of spiritual
values; he gave us a wonderful philosophy to live with, knowledge of our true spiritual self, beau-
tiful Kṛṣṇa Deities for us to worship and decorate, the all auspicious holy name, and delicious
kṛṣṇa-prasāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda also gave us wonderful association with devotees, the opportu-
nity to develop pure love for God, and the blessing of returning back to the spiritual world where
we can live a life of eternity, bliss, and knowledge.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for everything you lovingly and kindly gave us. We are indebted
to you eternally.
Your humble servants at Buenos Aires, Argentina Yātrā

Burlington, Canada
Our dear most ever well-wisher Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Please accept our prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories
to you on this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā and on your 127th anniversary celebration of
your appearance.
‘ācāra’, ‘pracāra’, — nāmera karaha ‘dui’ kārya

tumi — sarva-guru, tumi jagatera ārya
You simultaneously perform both duties in relation to the holy name by your personal
behavior and by your preaching. Therefore, you are the spiritual master of the entire
world, for you are the most advanced devotee in the world. (Cc., Antya 4.103)
In your purport to this verse, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you quote Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī as to his defi-
nition of a bona fide spiritual master. Essentially, he takes the scriptural instructions and applies
them in his life, both in his behavior (ācāra) and in his preaching efforts (pracāra). A genuine guru
always upholds these principles: “practice what you preach” or “walk it like you talk it.”
Your Divine Grace, on this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we beg you to bless
all servants of ISKCON Burlington so that we may never deviate from your instructions in our
humble attempt to please you.
Your topmost priority was to spread Lord Caitanya’s mission to the masses, and we pray that
we can continue your mission.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, last year one of our top priorities was to locate premises for our center in the
Burlington area. By your causeless mercy, we were able to secure rental premises in a local church,
in which we hold our weekly saṅgas.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your grace, since our last Vyāsa-pūjā submission, ISKCON Burlington
has grown in various outreach efforts. Your center held its second Ratha-yātrā. The festival was
well attended by nearly double the number of attendees from 2021. Over 600 plates of prasāda
were distributed, and several books were distributed. Overall, for 2022, over 1080 books (exactly
1091) were distributed and sponsored. With your guidance, we exceeded our December Gītā mara-
thon target by four times the set goal. Further growth occurred in areas of fundraising, in-person
and virtual Vedic classes, initiating devotees for the first time, and our first purchase of a large
order of BBT books from L.A. As well, with your inspiration, now a children’s Vedic fun school
runs parallel to the adult classes at the weekly Love feasts.
We humbly pray, with a straw between our teeth, for your blessings so that we can assist you

in fulfilling the mission of Lord Caitanya. Thank you for the greatest benediction, which is the
opportunity to render service to the ISKCON worldwide family.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Insignificant servants of your servants,

ISKCON Burlington, Canada
Calgary, Canada
Hare Kṛṣṇa Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On behalf of all the Calgary devotees please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you!!
Today as we celebrate Your holy appearance day, we all feel so fortunate and blessed to be a
part of ISKCON – which is one worldwide family, resolute in purpose by having one aim – to
serve Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission under Your divine shelter. You have established the founda-
tion principle – s strong faith that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one will be elevated to the highest per-
fection of life. This is called vyavasāyātmikā intelligence. Thank You very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
for gifting us ISKCON and teaching us how to execute devotional service in the most practical
way.
One year has passed since the restriction of corona pandemic has been revoked. Everyone
expected the world would be a better place now, but the world has witnessed waves of new prob-
lems in form of war and recession. As You rightly explained, our situation is like the “Fish out
of water.” No matter how much we try, we cannot be happy here since the world is designed to
be “duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam.” You have truly opened our darkened eyes and filled our hearts with
transcendental knowledge. We do remember the prayer of Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura:
cakṣudāna dila-yei, janme janme prabhu sei

divya-jñāna hṛde prakāśita
prema-bhakti yāhā haite avidyā vināśa yāte
vede gāya yāṅhāra carita
By carrying out the orders of Your spiritual master, You not only ignited the fire of Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness in every town and village but also gave us the strength and ability to be able to practice
these sublime teachings of Lord Caitanya. If it were not for your causeless mercy, many devotees
would have been rotting in this material world without any goal or purpose for their life. No
matter how bad the situation in this material world is, we always have the supreme shelter of Your
lotus feet that will protect us from the most dangerous calamities.
Today, in this auspicious moment, ISKCON Calgary would like to make a humble attempt to
report its performance over the year.
In Bhagavad-gītā 5.25, You stated – “The sufferings of humanity are due to forgetfulness of
Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme enjoyer, the Supreme proprietor, and the Supreme friend. Therefore, to act
to revive this consciousness within the entire human society is the highest welfare work.”

Accepting Your teaching as our life and soul, we are happy to report that, we have increased
our street harināma saṅkīrtana event in summer and book distribution program in different
parts of Calgary. In continuation of 2021, in 2022, also we have achieved more than a 10 percent
increase in distributing Bhagavad-gītā as part of “Live to Give” campaign and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
as part of “Save Earth now” campaign. Our youth has really contributed heavily to distributing
Your books. Like 2022, we are planning to distribute Bhagavad-gītā in Correction Centre, Hos-
pitals, Libraries, and Motels this year too. We are in discussion with Calgary Central Library to
place Your books in all the libraries.
ISKCON Management is happy to announce that after tireless efforts, they have finally
decided on a new place for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and Śrīnāthajī. The new place is near the
airport in Calgary and has more land to construct a spacious temple with an increased parking
facility. The temple will be modern, functional, and environmentally sustainable, accented with
elements of Vedic architecture. This new temple will accommodate more devotes to participate in
the events and attend Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā classes. We would be able to operate
in a grand way to strengthen our preaching activity. We have seen an overwhelming response
from many devotees and contributions toward the mission. Building a new temple needs money
and hard work. We are confident that if we all work together as a team, we will be able to fulfill
our mission with Your causeless mercy.
Our Calgary Vedic Academy (CVA), an educational initiative of ISKCON Calgary, is really
a great success. As you always say – “Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a Science” – this is the basis of our
CVA teaching principle. We started with 46 students, and in one year, we reached almost 100
students. Many new kids outside ISKCON are joining to learn the timeless wisdom of our Vedic
scripture as presented by You. A new initiative of university preaching started at the University
of Calgary, and it is planned to extend to other colleges of Calgary as well. CVA is also planning
to start Youth Forum to train the youth in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as youth is the foundation of our
future.
Since last year, we have been celebrating all the major festivals in a grand way. We see a huge
increase in the number of people attending festivals as well as our regular Sunday feast program.
Our Deity worship standards are also improving day by day. The deity department is constantly
putting endeavors into improving the Deity worship and decoration standards. We also have regu-
lar Bhagavad-gītā classes on Sundays and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam classes on Saturday mornings. Many
devotees, including youth, have started attending the complete full morning program on Satur-
day before Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class. We have also conducted a complete recitation of Rāmacarita-
mānasa and Bhagavad-gītā verses on the Rāma-navamī and Gītā-jayantī events, respectively. More
than 300 plates of prasāda are being served in every Sunday feast program.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, although we are very inspired to propagate the teaching of Lord Caitanya,
we feel so incompetent and depend on your mercy. We beg for your blessing so that we can
multiply our preaching efforts and attract more and more souls to the path of bhakti.
On this auspicious day, we want to offer our humble prayers that we may all be able to become
an instrument in propagating the message of Lord Caitanya. May we be able to put aside our own
personal agenda aside and become one in the service of the Lord and His devotees. May we get
the strength to say no to the tribulations of this material world, and may our only desire be to
render unmotivated and uninterrupted service unto your lotus feet.
Your insignificant servants of ISKCON Calgary

Caracas, Venezuela
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Dear eternal father,
All Glories to the wonderful day of Your appearance.
As thou thyself proclaimed of the appearance day of thy divine spiritual master:
A day “more blessed than Heaven, sweeter than May.”
You have come as the commander-in-chief of the army of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu by the
order of your divine spiritual master to fulfill the prophecy that the name of the Lord is to be
heard in every town and city.
The beautiful Deities of Śrī Śrī Parama-Karuṇa Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi witnessed your irrepressible
ecstasy when you chanted His glories.
By your example of tireless dedication, you have shown us the way to serve the spiritual master,
by your grace, we will be able to understand more and more how to carry out this movement.
Please grow every day, more and more, in our lives. Please have mercy on these fallen and dis-
qualified servants. Your instructions are our life and soul. You are our eternal guide to the lotus
feet of the Lord. Our eternal aspiration is to be able to serve you birth after birth.
Though disqualified, by your causeless mercy, you will instruct us in all aspects of devotional
service for the pleasure of the Lord. That causeless mercy is the only hope for us; please bathe us
with your grace to have the determination to serve you in all circumstances. Without it, we are like
boats in the ocean of material miseries.
Grant us the warm shelter of your lotus feet. Thy glories expand limitlessly in our hearts and in
the three worlds.
Your eternal servants of Caracas Mandir
Centre County, USA

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Please accept our humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
On this most auspicious day of the 127th anniversary of your appearance day, we offer our
heartfelt Vyāsa-pūjā homage to your lotus feet as an expression of our deepest gratitude and
appreciation for Your Divine Grace.
As your granddisciples, we are forever indebted for the immeasurable mercy you have showered
upon us, guiding us on the path of devotion and self-realization. Your profound wisdom, loving
guidance, and unwavering commitment to spreading the message of Lord Kṛṣṇa have touched
countless lives and transformed the hearts of so many all over the world.
Your divine sanctity is beyond ordinary words. In the śāstras, it is stated that pure Vaiṣṇavas,
like you, are like touchstones that purify everything that comes in contact with them: “My Lord,
saints like your good self are holy places personified. Because you carry the Supreme Personality
of Godhead within your heart, you turn every place into a place of pilgrimage.” (Mahābhārata 2.34
& Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.10)

Śrīla Prabhupāda, through your divine presence on earth, you turned every place you visited
with Lord Kṛṣṇa in your heart into a place of pilgrimage and inspired countless souls to turn
toward a life of devotion and become Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees. Due to the degrading influence
of Kali-yuga, it was not easy to turn mlecchas and yavanas into Kṛṣṇa conscious devotees. However,
your tireless efforts to spread the love of God worldwide in such a short period of only 12 years
have left an indelible mark on humanity. No one in human history has accomplished what you
did.
Today, all over the world, in all these places, we celebrate your Vyāsa-pūjā and your service
to the mission of spreading Kṛṣṇa’s glories. We want to express our deepest admiration for your
noble sacrifice, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your superhuman endeavors, and the burden of trouble you
willingly carried on your humble shoulders to deliver humanity the divine gift of Lord Caitanya
Mahāprabhu in the form of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement.
As one among many śāstric statements reflecting your divine identity, in the eleventh canto of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.26.34), we find Lord Kṛṣṇa’s own statement describing the divine charac-
teristics of His devotees, which perfectly exemplify you:
My devotees bestow divine eyes, whereas the sun allows only external sight, and that only
when it is risen in the sky. My devotees are one’s real worshipable deities and real family;
they are one’s own self, and ultimately they are nondifferent from Me.
Purport: Foolishness is the wealth of the impious, who place great value on their treasure
and firmly make up their minds to remain in the darkness of ignorance. Saintly devotees
of the Lord are just like the sun. By the light of their words, the living entities’ eyes of
knowledge are opened and the darkness of ignorance is destroyed. Thus the saintly devo-
tees are one’s real friends and relatives. They are the proper recipients of service – not the
gross material body, which merely clamors for sense gratification.
With sincere humility, we express our heartfelt gratitude to you, the best well-wisher of all beings,
the genuinely reliable, perfect spiritual guide, and a loving, affectionate spiritual grandpa. We
deeply appreciate everything you have done to save humanity from degradation. We are very
grateful for the establishment of the magnificent spiritual institution of ISKCON, which provides
the opportunity for people worldwide to associate with Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. We are immensely
thankful for the books you have provided us and all the individuals in this mortal world, enabling
us to learn about Lord Kṛṣṇa, our relationship with Him, and the process of reconnecting with
Him. We also express our heartfelt thanks for establishing a spiritual lifestyle that allows us to
practice devotional service for Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction, make spiritual progress in Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness, and awaken our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, as you have previously blessed us to establish an ISKCON temple in Las
Vegas, known as the heart of Kali-yuga on earth, we now humbly request your blessings for our
newly established ISKCON of Centre County in State College, Pennsylvania. We earnestly pray
for its success in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness among the local people, as per your desire. We
also seek your blessings to contribute significantly to the second part of your noble mission,
which is to establish the varṇāśrama system in Gītā-nagarī farm and build a varṇāśrama college
there.
We are diligently working toward fulfilling your desire for self-sufficiency in our ISKCON
society, particularly in the area of natural health care. By your grace and Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, we
are developing a worldwide natural healthcare organization called Healing Herb Wellness, which
is being appreciated and benefiting people in general. We humbly request your blessings to
introduce this Kṛṣṇa conscious self-care system in our ISKCON society, so that devotees can have
simple, natural, and effective remedies for their health needs at their homes and temples.

With unwavering faith, we earnestly seek your causeless mercy to continue following the path
of bhakti that you have revealed to us, and to wholeheartedly embrace your entire mission for your
full satisfaction. Please empower us to constantly shift our attraction from material sense gratifica-
tion to gratifying the Divine senses of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa for His sweet satisfaction and pleasure.
We pray that you continue to shower your mercy upon us and empower us to follow the path
of bhakti with steadfast dedication and humility. We beg you, please, may we become humble
instruments in your mission to spread Kṛṣṇa’s mercy and help others become Kṛṣṇa conscious
and engage in His loving devotional service.
We sincerely pray for your blessings to be focused on productive activities in devotional service
in your noble mission so that we can faithfully represent you and Kṛṣṇa all over the world.
Your humble and eternally grateful devotees running the Bhakti House as the preaching center
of ISKCON of Centre County,
Surapāla Dāsa and Kṛṣṇa-mayī Devī Dāsī

ISKCON of Centre County, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
Chandigarh, India
Please accept our most humble obeisances unto your lotus feet.
It gives us immense pleasure and joy to celebrate your 127th Vyāsa-pūjā Mahotsava this year.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the senāpati-bhakta in the army of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu who
came to deliver the fallen conditioned souls of Kali-yuga. Under your direction, countless souls
have taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. and many will be taking in the future
due to your unlimited mercy and well-established organization, ISKCON. The whole world
remembers you as a great and stalwart devotee of Śrī Kṛṣṇa who came at the darkest hours of the
human civilisation and rescued it from going to hell.
We all are highly indebted and grateful for your sacrifice and selfless service.
You taught the world how to be the lover of Kṛṣṇa. Your presentation of the science of God is
so simple yet very deep, and even a layman can understand it. By your vision, organization, and
bold steps, the holy names of the Lord are spreading like wildfire.
The waves of your mercy have touched Chandigarh also. This year we have seen a lot of posi-
tive developments in your temple here by your causeless mercy. A few of them are as follows:
• Ten young boys have joined the temple with the vow of serving your mission for their whole
lives.
• Our devotees have distributed nearly 68000 Bhagavad-gītās in the Bhagavad-gītā marathon
2022; and we came first in the North India region and second in the whole India in the Small
Temple category.
• Festivals have seen a great increase in the number of people coming to the temple.
Janmāṣṭamī, Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā, Gaura-Pūrṇimā, and all festivals were celebrated with
great pomp and grandeur.
• Congregation preaching and youth preaching has increased manifolds.

• Renovation work of Devotee Kitchen, Temple Hall, and Gift Shop is going on in full swing.
• Now we have Govinda’s Snack Bar, where locals are getting lip-smacking snacks that have
been first tasted by our Presiding Deities, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava.
• Panchkula and other outposts are growing nicely.
We have a long way to go in order to fulfill your desire of making everyone a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.
Please be merciful to us and shower your incessant mercy so that we can become real
Prabhupādānugas.
Trying to serve,
Your grandchildren at ISKCON Chandigarh and Panchkula
Chile
All the Glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda
Accept our humble and respectful obeisances to your lotus feet.
The arrival of a great ācārya is not frequent, but by observing his activities and appreciating his
qualities, we can realize that they are those that describe a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa, a mahātmā, a
great personality adorned with pure bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had to go through many difficulties. Thanks to your tireless desire to
please your spiritual master, you were able to give millions of people, we included, the possibility
to know and practice this path of bhakti to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and thus give a real and positive meaning to
our lives.
By your compassion, talent, and ability, you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, got thousands of people to
follow you in faith and serve you fully, and in this act of service and love, you brought about a
great change in their lives and hearts.
Even today, thousands of devotees are still inspired by your writings and your purports, which
are adorned with bhakti and all have the final conclusions from the Vedas.
The world suffers from a lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness; they believe they will be happy, but by
being touched by your wise words, they can come out of this illusion and have the opportunity to
engage in devotional activities. This is only by your grace.
Jay Śrīla Prabhupāda, we prostrate ourselves again and again at your lotus feet, humbly implor-
ing your grace. Although we are not qualified, our desire is to remain under your refuge.
Your servants,
Santiago Mandir Temple, ISKCON Chile
Jagad-guru Dāsa, President
Alaṅkṛtī Devī Dāsī, Secretary
Janaka Rāja Dāsa, Vice-president

Chinese Yātrā
Please accept our very humble obeisances, all glories to your lotus feet.
Thank you for translating and commenting on the vast volume of spiritual books so that the
world can be enlightened and perceive the goal and meaning of life. Thank you for dispatching
His Holiness Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami and other spiritual masters to China so that we, Chinese
devotees, have a chance to come in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness and find a new way to be
out of the confusion of material civilization.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, through hearing, Chinese devotees have started to perceive your mis-
sion and vision, and from surrendering to the Spiritual Masters, we have started to practice your
teachings and follow your instructions. Through which, we try all efforts to learn and take action
to follow your steps and fulfill your wishes. Here, please allow me, on behalf of Chinese devotees,
to report to you our efforts on systematic training.
Years ago, by following my Guru Mahārāja, His Holiness Romapāda Swami’s instruction,
I went to India and accepted the training of Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhava (Canto 1–4). And
after came back to China, by the mercy of the GBC and senior devotees, I officially joined the
China Strategic Planning Team and obtained permission to establish the Key Result Area, Edu-
cation, and Training System for sustainable development. Then from scratch, we arranged for a
group of sincere Chinese devotees to work on the areas of curriculum design, training material
compilation, talent discovery and training, rules and regulations set-up, etc. And after more than
four years of unremitting efforts, the training system has made the following phased progress:
1. We established, Bhakti-bindu, Bhakti-sadācāra, Bhakti-śāstrī, “University for the elderly (over

60) and “Special training for devotees,” the Five Ladder Curriculum System, which includes
18 courses and 3 long-term lectures. Only for 2022, there were more than 700 devotees across
China joined these training programs.
2. We compiled seven sets of students’ and teachers’ books for Bhakti-sadācāra and Bhakti-śāstrī
courses, more than ten of them in total. Considering the current situation in China, all the
textbooks are presented in a reproducible way for online training and will be used by the
nāmahaṭṭa groups around the country.
3. We sought out and cultivated more than 20 lecturers (who had no teaching experiences on
spiritual subjects before); they were all Chinese devotees who could not make it to be trained
in the holy dhāma for various reasons.
4. We identified and nurtured over ten managers, who all undertake important managerial
services in the above-mentioned courses. We also provide opportunities for each participant
to practice managerial services from a small team of three. In order to ensure the continuous
development of the training system, more than 40 urban training contacts have been selected
as the liaisons for conveying training information.
4. We formulated and implemented rules and regulations for the ladder courses of the
Education and Training System.
During the past year, the above items were mainly carried out through online platforms due to
the pandemic. Starting this year, we hope to establish more offline training programs and will
endeavor to make efforts in the following aspects:
1. To keep improving the Ladder Course System and develop more advanced, more interesting,

and more suitable courses for offline training, through which to meet the needs of devotees
from different regions, at different ages, and at different spiritual stages.
2. To complete the compilation of the teaching materials for the other four courses of
Bhakti-sadācāra, and continue to formulate and improve the rules and regulations of all
ladder sections. Ensure the education and training system is developed in a legal, reasonable,
standardized, and orderly way.
3. To continue to seek and cultivate talents in teaching, management, and devotional skills. Our
responsibility is to identify, cultivate and dispatch the talents for China’s mission.
4. To Integrate resources and establish a stable offline training base for the ladder courses.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we know we are not qualified. We know without your mercy, we can do
nothing. We sincerely pray to you, as we prayed several years ago, that if the above-presented
plan meets your will, if you think we can do it, please kindly bestow upon us spiritual wisdom,
strength, and virtue, so that we can nicely perform our sādhana, be steady in our service, and
focus on our service objects with a good sense of responsibility, and under the guidance of our
seniors, we can cooperate sincerely, forge ahead, and dedicate ourselves to China mission. In this
way, we hope to please you, please the devotees, please the spiritual masters, and Lord Kṛṣṇa. We
beg you to kindly bless the Chinese devotees.
As conditioned souls born in China who had the great fortune to read and hear about your life
and teachings, we are in full respect and admiration for you, and our hearts are filled with infinite
emotion and gratitude. We admire your devotion and respect for your character. That is the virtue
and gift that we want most from you: to live by the guru’s instructions and follow them with our
lives and souls. Please kindly bless us.
Thank you for hearing this humble appeal. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
On behalf of the Chinese Yātrā,

The little servant of your servant’s servant,
Lalitā Sakhi Devī Dāsī
Cologne, Germany

Your appearance day is always very special to us. With great delight and a sense of gratitude,
we celebrate it every year. This day is also a very special day for us to reflect on how this year has
been in terms of the services we have offered to please you and to confess our shortfalls and ask
for forgiveness.

We strongly believe that all the seven purposes of ISKCON can be served by a spiritually
vibrant temple. Hence, we carefully see to it that our temple is ever flourishing with Kṛṣṇa’s
mercy, and for that purpose, services are attended with great care and devotion to the best of
our abilities. Toward this, we celebrated every festival on a grand scale with the temple and con-
gregational devotees as well as neophyte devotees. We conducted many harināmas, nāmahaṭṭa
programs, Kṛṣṇa festival (a two-day festival of Ratha-yātrā followed by Kīrtana Day), which
made deep impressions in everyone’s heart. Cologne Ratha-yātrā has become one of the largest in
Europe. We also conducted virtual, live sessions based on the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam and other such scriptures.
Gauradeśa has pleased ISKCON German yātrā by serving for many years and is ever commit-
ted to future projects as well. We offered spiritual education through various seminars and courses
conducted. These include Guru-disciple course, Bhakti-śāstrī course, Deity worship course, bhakta
course, saṅkīrtana seminars, Journey of Self Discovery courses, Prasāda cooking courses, etc.
Many distinguished guests, including His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Swami, His Holiness
Mahā-Viṣṇu Swami, His Holiness Bhakti-bhūṣaṇa Swami, His Grace Mahātmā Prabhu, His
Grace Vaiyāsaki Prabhu and other honored guests blessed us with their association and gave an
unforgettable experience for everyone.
With regular harināmas, books, and prasāda distribution on the streets of Cologne, we reached
many people and got them blessed by our all-beautiful Śrī Śrī Vijaya Gaurāṅga Dayāla Nitāi’s
mercy! We distributed over 13,000 books in the last year and gave recommendations for 15
devotees for first or second initiation.
Our endeavor in the last years has been to focus on outreach programs to attract many to
ISKCON. The Deities overwhelm with their beauty and attract more and more visitors to the
temple! The highlight of this time was Janmāṣṭamī, where the temple was jam-packed with
devotees.
We are always coming up with new ways of giving our guests, congregational and temple
devotees Kṛṣṇa conscious knowledge in different ways to preserve the temple and make it the
best place for everyone. It is not only a place for learning and encounter, but on a deeper level,
it is also a part of the spiritual world where everyone can develop, experience, and deepen their
relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
Every year on this day, we gather and offer our prayers at your lotus feet and sincerely pray to
give us strength with which we can serve you and your mission successfully.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please forgive us for failing to meet your expectations. Please shower your
mercy and give us the intelligence and, importantly, opportunities to serve you and your mission.

Sudāmā Dāsa
On behalf of ISKCON Köln Temple

Córdoba, Argentina
jīv jāgo, jīv jāgo, gauracānda bole
kota nidrā jāo māyā-piśācīra kole
Lord Gaurāṅga is calling, “Awake sleeping souls! Awake sleeping souls! How long will
you sleep in the lap of the witch called Māyā? – Song of Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.
Beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept our humble obeisances to the dust of your holy lotus feet.
Today we are presented with a beautiful opportunity to glorify you, although words are not
enough to describe all your magnificent qualities. You are truly the savior of the fallen souls.
You took great risks, faced countless difficulties, overcame all kinds of obstacles, and embarked
on an unprecedented odyssey motivated by infinite mercy and love. With the purpose of rescuing
the suffering souls of the Western world, you made your life an example to follow, fulfilling the
glorious instructions of our Guru Mahārāja. You devoted your days to the mission of system-
atically propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, fulfilling the prophecy that the holy name would be
chanted in every town and village.
In Bhagavad-gītā 7.19 it is stated:
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
After many births and deaths, he who truly has knowledge surrenders to Me, knowing
that I am the cause of all causes and of all that exists. A soul this big is very hard to find.
You are really mahātmā, that great soul that is so difficult to find but that by the grace of Kṛṣṇa
and His devotees we were fortunate to meet. This opportunity is given very rarely. Therefore, it
is our wish that we can actively participate in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the only effective
medicine for the material disease, and thus help you in his mission under the guidance of your
expert disciples.
You have given us complete help: scientific knowledge about the self, about God, and about
the relationship between the two; a new lifestyle under the principle of simple living and high
thinking. You have given us a refuge, a house where the whole world can live, and an opportunity
to prove our worth through cooperation among all members of the congregation.
By your infinite compassion, we have already been blessed. It is now up to us to take advantage
of this unique situation to redirect our lives toward success, which is already guaranteed because
you are our guide, our beacon, showing us the right path.
We are full of gratitude and love for you. We hope to improve so that we can serve you more
every day and help so many people who are perplexed by the material concept of existence. Your
love for us is reflected in the great gift you gave us: your books, your great literary works, so mag-
nificent. You are continually present and speak to us through your books. We are never alone.
Please forgive our offenses, faults, and bad qualities.
Ever yours, your aspiring servants,

Devotees of the yātrā of Córdoba City, Argentina
(Written by Kṛṣṇa Kṛpā Devī Dāsī)

Croatia
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
On this most auspicious occasion of your appearance, let us try to fathom a glimpse of your
amazing personality and your unprecedented achievements. Your causeless mercy touched thou-
sands of people even in this insignificant tract of land where more than a million of your time
bombs have been distributed, waiting for thousands upon thousands of souls to be awakened still.
Your words in those books are sharp swords of knowledge meant to cut the illusion arising from
false bodily identification. Your mercy is unmatched and unparalleled, and that is still an under-
statement. To help us insignificant conditioned souls, you spent gallons of blood undeterred and
resolute to write and publish your books which are standing like monolithic monuments resisting
the deteriorating influence of time. Your books are timeless; every sentence and word and, in fact,
every letter in your writings is surcharged with your burning desire to bring lost souls back home
back to your beloved, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān.
You constructed so many temples and places of worship for your faithful followers and indeed
for the whole world to come and drink the nectar of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: pibata bhāgavataṁ rasam
ālayaṁ. To relish that nectar, one has to get a taste for it, and that’s possible only in the associa-
tion of devotees always chanting the holy names of Kṛṣṇa. You gave us this simple process pro-
mulgated by Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and today everywhere, even in this mleccha-deśa in
the middle of nowhere, there are scores of places where your devotees are regularly congregating
and chanting the holy names of the Lord. That is your glory, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are the
proof of your unending mercy and care. In spite of Kali-yuga madness getting stronger day by
day, there are so many sincere servants of yours who resist the temptation to give it up. The faith
in your words and your mission gives them the solace to remain steady on the path.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are our life support machine, and without you we are lifeless.
When we try to remember and ponder upon your absolute conviction and faith in guru-sādhu-
śāstra we are baffled and mesmerized. You are the embodiment of tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena principle,
and your boldness and conviction in presenting bhakti-siddhānta are incomparable. You came to
give, not to beg like others.
You instructed us to cooperate, and you expect us to do so. Not on the sentimental and sappy
level but with a genuine understanding of the importance of your mood and mission. Every one
of us should feel indebted and obliged to you and your matchless gifts you so kindly bestowed
upon us. We didn’t have an opportunity to serve you personally nor to hear from you directly,
but we serve and hear from your faithful sons and daughters, who are another evidence of your
potency because a potent father can conceive strong and healthy children.
We beg and pray, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda save us from our misconceptions, from lethargy, from
pūjā, lābha, and pratiṣṭhā. Please bless us to progress steadily, to grow and flourish. Bless us to
become your worthy servants and empower us to influence other lost souls and bring them back
home, back to Godhead.
Your servants from Croatia

(in the name of Croatian yātrā written by Divya-prabandha Dāsa,
Chairman of the National Council)

Dahod, India
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, my Prabhupāda,

Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace on the auspicious
occasion of Your Divine Grace’s 127th Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations.
On this auspicious day of your 127th appearance day, we would like to express our greatest grat-
itude for your causeless mercy, without which we would never have been so much lucky to have
this chance to become a servant, an instrument in the hands of Śrī Gaurāṅga.
My Śrīla Prabhupāda, we started a center in Dahod city which is in the tribal belt of Gujarat
state and which connects the borders of two other states. Preaching was going on for many years,
but there was no proper channel by which the divine message of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
could spread in every corner of this city and connected villages. In August 2021, we all took an
initiative and started a center in the city and since then, we have done many house programs and
many other big festivals, where book distribution, harināma, kṛṣṇa-kathā, and kṛṣṇa-prasāda were
the main center of attraction. Since one year we are doing nagara-saṅkīrtana on a daily basis in
which we carry a palanquin of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. During harināma, we enter the residences of
people. We have covered the entire city twice.
Here In the city, there are local ādivāsī areas where we distribute prasāda on a regular basis; we
are also going to soon start Gītā class for children, which would add more devotees our society,
and due to this, we will flourish.
My Prabhupāda, we always had the desire to preach and flourish Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the
entire city, and other connected villages, but somehow, we are unable to fulfill your desire. We
know whatever we have is all due to your causeless mercy, even though we are not so qualified
and are incompetent to preach. Currently, our progress is going well, but there is a lack of insin-
cerity in us, because of which we are yet not able to flourish the movement here.
On this auspicious day, we humbly request you to please always keep us under the shelter of
your divine lotus feet and bless us so that we get rid of all our difficulties due to which we are lag-
ging in preaching and also not able to become devotees of the Lord, which you always expected
from us.
Your insignificant and insincere servant at ISKCON Dahod Center,

Sanātana Kṛpā Dāsa

Delhi, India
Most respected Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most respectful obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
March 19–30 marked the most glorious Silver Jubilee Celebrations of ISKCON Delhi.
Lord Garuḍa appeared on the Lord’s flag that was hoisted at the inauguration of the festival
by His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami and His Holiness Ātma-nivedana Swami . There was
an inspirational Rāma-kathā by His Grace Vrajendranandan Prabhu from March 19–25, which
was followed by the ecstatic Sītā Rāma Śobha-yātrā with enthralling kīrtana reverberating across
South Delhi!
From March 26–28, nearly 5,000 youth, 5,000 Congregation members, and 5.000 patrons had
over three consecutive days of events dedicated to them.
Thousands rocked to the Mādhavas, watched the astonishing award-winning acrobats and
artistes of the Prince Dance Group and the Crazy Hoppers, were Amazed by Rahul Arya’s Sand
Art and rāma-līlā by three different teams, enlightened by the words of wisdom of several senior
Vaiṣṇavas and witnessed the history of ISKCON Delhi, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja’s labor of love for
you, Śrīla Prabhupāda unfold in a drama, on video and photo galleries and tasted prasāda to their
hearts’ content. The entire festival was flagged off by an eminently mystifying Narasiṁha yajña
performed by His Holiness Bhakti Ārjava Prīti Vardhana Swami, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu and
their team from the Māyāpur Gurukula. This yajña of unprecedented proportions was one true
highlight of the entire festival!
On March 29, the enthralling, enchanting, energizing Kīrtana-melā with His Holiness
Lokanātha Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Bṛṅga Govinda Swami, His Grace Vaiyāsakhi Prabhu, His
Holiness Bhakti Anugraha Janārdana Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Kāruṇāmaya Vanamālī Swami
and many other kīrtaniyās was an astounding success with thousands chanting, dancing, and
feasting!
March 30 marked the culmination of 25 annual Rāma-navamī festivals at ISKCON Delhi,
since the inauguration in 1998 by Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee-ji, the former prime minister
of India. The Honorable President of India Smt. Draupadi Murmu-ji and the Honorable Prime
Minister Sri Narendra Modi-ji sent in special messages to congratulate ISKCON Delhi on this
occasion.
His Holiness Lokanātha Swami, His Holiness Badrinārāyaṇa Goswami, His Holiness Bhakti
Bhṛṅga Govinda Swami, His Holiness Siddhārtha Swami, His Grace Pṛthu Prabhu, His Grace
Kratu Prabhu, His Grace Mahāmana Prabhu, His Grace Vaiyāsakhi Prabhu – all your disciples,
His Holiness Bhakti Vijñāna Goswami, His Holiness Ātma-nivedana Swami, His Holiness Bhakti
Anugraha Janārdana Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Rakṣaka Rādhā-Golokānanda Swami, His
Holiness Bhakti Karuṇāmaya Vanamālī Swami, His Holiness Bhakti Ratnākara Ambarīṣa Swami,
His Holiness Bhakti Ārjava Prīti Vardhana Swami, His Grace Devakīnandan Prabhu, His Grace
Śaṅkhadhārī Prabhu, His Grace Braja Hari Prabhu, His Grace Śūra Dāsa Prabhu, His Grace Śākṣi
Gopāla Prabhu and leaders from across Delhi-NCR attended the festival. Union minister Youth
Sri Anurag Singh Thakur, BJP National President, Sri JP Nadda, Smt. Hema Malini, the Member
of Parliament from Mathurā, and many others graced this event.
2023 also marks the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathijī, your prāṇa-
dhana! Much more to come in your service Śrīla Prabhupāda. By your causeless mercy, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, thousands join us daily in person, and a million others join online!
Who would have imagined that a jagat-guru ordering his Gurudāsa to build a temple by getting

down from a train would cause one 3 acre National Tourist destination and Architectural wonder –
The Glory of India and 18 other temples across Delhi-NCR to spring up! “This man is inviting us.
Get down and see what you can do.” Historic words! What a journey it has been by your mercy
Śrīla Prabhupāda! 25 years from the day this temple was inaugurated in 1998. What has followed
in these last 25 years is nothing short of a miracle – your miracle!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, every day we distribute prasāda to more than 7,000 visitors at our temple.
During festivals and your Sunday love feast programs, we feed around 10,000 people. Apart from
this, ISKCON devotees and volunteers go out to old-age homes, leper colonies, orphanages,
etc., to help all the residents by distributing prasāda. We have a massive mid-day meal program
through our sister organization Annamrita Foundation, other than Food For Life (FFL), which
feeds hundreds of thousands, mid-day meals through the central government-aided program, and,
as of now, we have four kitchens in and around Delhi NCR, which are constantly active – serving
midday meals to more than 400,000 children every day in government schools. A very successful
program.
We have been able to develop our congregation by your mercy. We started our counseling
program called Āśraya, which is similar to the Bhakti-vṛkṣa program. Now we have 200 Āśraya
groups existing in the Delhi-NCR area and almost as many Bhakti-vṛkṣa groups! That’s a lot
of people getting lots of mercy! Book distribution, I would say, is our prime activity. And it is
growing every year with the help of all these wonderful devotees! And our whole idea is that the
more we engage your people, Prabhupāda, in book distribution, the more our numbers grow. So
we engage at least 3,000 devotees from your army in book distribution every year. Delhi temple
is one of the toppers in book distribution throughout the ISKCON world, distributing nearly
500,000 Mahā Big books for the last many years – naturally being your only karma-bhūmi for
active book distribution.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for the unending inspirational support, for your sacrifice in
Chippiwada in the early days and the sincere surrender to Lord Kṛṣṇa that you set by your exam-
ple of selfless service to Prabhupāda Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta. There are thousands of youths con-
nected to hundreds of groups in the ISKCON Youth Forum, EVOLVE, Āśraya, and Bhakti-vṛkṣa
groups, nearly 150 BACEs- youth hostels, and nearly 60 colleges are benefitting from the spiritual
inspiration of talented youth volunteers of your ISKCON, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
This year also marks the 50th Anniversary of the installation of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathijī by
Your Divine Grace – on November 21, 1973.
“After the ceremony, Mother Yamunā, so frequently the vocal leader of our community, leaned
toward Śrīla Prabhupāda, asking, “Śrīla Prabhupāda what will be The Names of Their Lordships.
Pensive for a moment, Śrīla Prabhupāda responded: “Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathi” to which one
and all jubilantly responded, “Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya Jaya.”
But what is a Silver Jubilee for yours – Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrīla Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami’s
labor of love for you – this magnificent temple? What is a Golden Jubilee for the Their Supreme
Lordships? Their Lordships are Priceless! “Bhūṣaṇam Bhūṣaṇāṅgam,” the decoration of the orna-
ments themselves!
“I will repeat it: I feel that the time Prabhupāda spent in Delhi is significant,” says Gopāla
Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja. “Because it purified this place. That’s why Kṛṣṇa is giving us all success. It’s not
us; it is Prabhupāda. It has his touch. It has to be him. Only he could accomplish this. Because
the success we are experiencing here is unprecedented. There is no place in the world with so
many temples in one city – and, again, it is only growing. He came here, he showed his mercy to
this area, and it has his stamp on it. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya.”
We seek a wonderful Silver Jubilee of the ISKCON Delhi temple and an even more stupendous

Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathijī for your transcendental pleasure.
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
In service of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Pārtha-sārathijī and Their devotees,

Your servant Mohana Rūpa Dāsa, Temple President, ISKCON Delhi
Detroit, USA
Our ever well-wisher, dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,

On the Golden Jubilee celebration year of the installation of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjabihārī, we
would like to offer our most respectful obeisances at your lotus feet with utmost gratitude. You
instructed in detail, starting with commissioning them from Jaipur to worshiping them most
opulently. Since then, hundreds of dedicated devotees have become fortunate to serve them with
utmost sincerity and love and receive the highest blessings.
Every day at maṅgala-ārati, we pray:

By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes

satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted
to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy
three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.
Our constant desire and efforts are to please you by following your instructions as our lives and
souls. You instructed His Grace Ambarīṣa Prabhu to establish FATE Museum at your Devasadhan
Mandir in Detroit and build the most historic TOVP project in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma. By his
personal example, he is constantly inspiring all the devotees, especially us, the best way how to
please you.
We started the Grand celebration of the Golden Jubilee by establishing the tulā-dāna festival,
books donated by congregation members equal to their weight, a first in North America. We are
continuing this at every major festival. We also did Silver and Gold tulā-dāna for Utsava Deities.
All the festivals we celebrated and plan to celebrate throughout the year in a grand way to attract
the maximum number of souls and connect with you.
We are continuing to upgrade your most beautiful gift – Devasadhan Mandir – with the latest
technology and equipment.

With outreach programs increasing, our congregation has expanded multifold.
O savior of the whole universe, please bless us so that we can continue the progress even after
the 50th-year celebration is over.
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, we beg you to give us the intelligence to remain at your Lotus feet
and our most merciful Deities Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kuñjabihārījī until we are in these bodies. Please
keep holding our hands tight because we have the tendency to run away.
Begging for the forgiveness of our unlimited offenses to Vaiṣṇavas.
Your humble servants at Devasadhan Mandir, Detroit, MI, USA

(Written by Jagad-guru Dāsa)
Dhanbad, India
Dear Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances to your lotus feet. All Glories to Your Divine Grace!
We express our sincere gratitude for the opportunity to glorify you in this book for the first
time.
Today the world has reached a strange condition in which, putting aside the majority of the
population being atheists, most of the passing generation are sentimental religionists and the
new ones following the deviated sect of speculators are finding fascination in mental speculation.
Among this hopeless civilization, O Lord, you have established the spotless principle as:
Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism, while philosophy

without religion is mental speculation” (Bhagavad-gītā 3.3, purport)
In merely ten years of your voyage, Śrīla Prabhupāda, even time missed to note when temples
became Vaikuṇṭhas, devotees became Hare Kṛṣṇas, hippies became happies, Kṛṣṇa consciousness
became a movement, prasāda and kīrtana became weapons (ISKCON Bullets), Bhagavad-gītā
became Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, dharma became constitutional position, Ratha-yātrā became interna-
tional, religion and spirituality became science, India became hope, and ISKCON became shelter
for the modern world.
Who in this world would have taken such hardship of going to and fro, Vṛndāvana-Delhi, to
translate and print literature, traveling in scorching heat, not considering the basic necessities
of the body, of food, clothing, and shelter, walking on foot at such a mature age as if one has
forgotten that he has an external body to maintain, who would have shown unflinching faith in
the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā to take it to the west as it is, who could have
understood the heart of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda as you did?
Nowadays, the world is witnessing an abundance of so-called gurus coming up, preaching the
philosophy of mental speculation, Māyāvāda, and bogus materialism in the name of yoga. Also,
the sacred term has been manipulated by contemporaries as Management Guru, Business Guru,
Love Guru, etc. But you taught us all in the gravity of fortune; one has being blessed by an actual
bona fide Spiritual Master.

In 1932, at the Vyāsa-pūjā of His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura,
Prabhupāda you explained:
There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach you, me and all
others.
This Original Spiritual Master (ādi-guru), in tattva Lord Balarāma, has descended as the deliverer
of the most fallen souls as Lord Nityānanda (balarāma haila nitāi) whose oceanic mercy was deliv-
ered and showered by you, particularly by installing Gaura-Nitāi Deities in temples throughout
the saṁsāra-dāvānala. This mercy has also reached Dhanbad this year, wherein Lord Balarāma
has manifested in the form of the holy land of five acres acquired on the most auspicious day of
Nityānanda Trayodaśī by ISKCON Dhanbad, Dhaiya, which we pray will accommodate a great
divine temple in the coming future, if you desire so, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
You have often quoted in your morning walks:
Aṅgarasya śata-doltena malenatvaṁ na muñcyati.… If you take a piece of coal, you can
wash it hundreds and thousands of times, it never becomes white. And these are material
things, but spiritually you can reform. It doesn’t matter. If one comes to the spiritual
platform then everything is possible. Otherwise not. (Room Conversation – June 26,
1976, New Vrindaban)
Dhanbad is the Coal Capital of India and houses BCCL, which has been harvesting coal since
1972 and has participated in several welfare activities for the city on the material platform, by
your mercy, has now finally provided a bungalow on 0.5 acre land on lease to ISKCON Dhanbad,
Dhaiya, center as a big leap to the spiritual upliftment of the city, which will soon be renovated
and act as the main center of ISKCON Dhanbad until the temple manifests.
Janmāṣṭamī and Ratha-yātrā are the primary festivals celebrated at the grandest level by
ISKCON in Dhanbad attracts crowds of several thousand every year. Adding to this, the city wit-
nessed your overflowing compassion when your disciple, His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami paid a
visit for the first time to the city with four sannyāsīs and 100 foreign devotees as one of the stops of
their Safari yātrā. Thousands attended. It was a memorable sight to watch your age-old conviction
of indirectly distributing bhakti to Indians by letting them imitate it from the Westerners come
true in front of our eyes.
Senior citizens and elderly women are the common crowds of most religious organizations till
date, it is still astonishing to people that you cultivated and made an army out of the hippies – the
youth, the epitome of noncooperation and a sense of enjoyment through the wonderful represen-
tation of the most sublime philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness backed by quotations, analogies,
explanations and examples necessary for the contemporary to accept.
Leveraging these principles, the Second Mega Youth Fest was organized this year in Dhanbad
which saw active participation of over 2,000 youths getting the benefit of being introduced to
spirituality in its best form. The current ISKCON Dhanbad center has also crossed the count of
80 in terms of dedicated youths from IIT, BIT, different companies, and local colleges living in
the center chanting sixteen rounds, following four regulative principles, and participating actively
in services and preaching activities, of which twenty will be receiving their Bhakti-śāstrī degree
this year which was held for the first time offline in Dhanbad at the ISKCON Dhanbad, Dhaiya
center. Every Sunday, a youth program is organized at the center for the local youths facilitated
by regular/frequent Māyāpur trips for new batches.
Thank you so much, Prabhupāda, for engaging us in the service of Their Divine Lordships.
We are very grateful to you for accepting so much pain and struggle to form such a steadfast

movement which is progressing so wonderfully under your blessings and guidance, even after
your apparent departure, which is so rarely seen in any organization.
Your servants at ISKCON Dhanbad, Dhaiya
Edmonton, Canada

Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you!
Once again, we consider ourselves very fortunate to pay our homage to you and be able to
submit a few of our thoughts at your most revered lotus feet. You showered your mercy on mil-
lions of people by founding the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. You were very
knowledgeable yet very humble. You shared Kṛṣṇa with people all over the world without any
prejudice. Because of you, people got inspired to serve Kṛṣṇa irrespective of their background.
Through your utmost exemplary behavior, you demonstrated to all that you were complete in all
twenty-six qualities of a pure devotee.
Your contribution to the world saṅkīrtana movement was phenomenal. No words can describe
your accomplishments. Whatever we can say about you is not enough. It is like holding a small
candle in front of the highly radiant Sun.
Your books are the most precious gems one can have on this earth. They transformed many
lives. Your books are appreciated all over the world. We cannot imagine the world without your
books. You researched many scriptures so widely and put all that knowledge into your amazing
purports so that we have the advantage of reading all those scriptures without actually reading
them. Sometimes we wonder how you managed to put so much transcendental knowledge into
your books. It is all Kṛṣṇa’s unlimited mercy on you. Once people read your books, they are auto-
matically attracted to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This happens to many people.
Through your books, you live forever, guiding millions of people in this material world. To
attract new devotees to our temples, all we need to do is read aloud your wonderful purports.
People are immediately attracted to listening to your words. You wrote a marvelous introduction
to Bhagavad-gītā, and we emphasize to everybody that they should first read your introduction
before reading different chapters.
As the Supreme Lord said in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19):
bahūnāṁ janmanām ante

jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me,
knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
You are the greatest soul who brought Kṛṣṇa’s message from the outer world. You are fully sur-
rendered to Kṛṣṇa, and you showed us the way to serve Kṛṣṇa. You worked tirelessly to promote
loving devotion toward Kṛṣṇa. You sacrificed your entire life for the upliftment of mundane
people like us.
It was Kṛṣṇa’s plan that you came to the Western world to spread His mercy as ordered by your
Guru Mahārāja. You made brāhmaṇas out of many devotees irrespective of race and color, and
those highly exalted devotees proved to be superior to caste brāhmaṇas. This demonstrated con-
clusively how one can be transformed into a great devotee under your guidance.
We should follow your teachings to become better human beings and better devotees and
make our lives Kṛṣṇa conscious and successful. Your ISKCON is forever and for everyone.
Jaya Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your most humble servants,

Bāla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa et al
ISKCON Edmonton Devotees, Canada
Eger, Hungary
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you.
In our morning program lectures here in Eger, we often talk about your legacy and what it
takes to carry it on over the passing years. While vegetarianism, yoga, and meditation have been
increasingly becoming popular, we, as devotees, are still pretty much going against the grain by
proclaiming that the goal of life is not to get comfortable here in the material world but to get out
of it. This is still a revolutionary concept, and even spiritually-inclined people have a hard time
accepting it. Times are changing fast, and while more and more people are looking for spiritual
guidance, skepticism toward organized religions has also been increasing, so we need to be good
examples if we want to give people direction. It is our personal example through which the public
judges ISKCON and its claim to be the spiritual leader for this age we live in. If we don’t walk
the talk, they are not going to believe us.
We are lucky and blessed that you established ISKCON in a way that when devotees sincerely
try to go deeper and deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that satsaṅga will guarantee success. This
was not an ordinary mission. You often said that if just one word had been changed in your teach-
ings, the end result would be spoiled. We need to be sincere at all times. You often stressed that
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is everyone’s original position, and so we should not try to take on some-
thing artificial but should go deeper into purifying our hearts so that our dormant love of God
could manifest. We may cheat the public, we may cheat our friends, we may even cheat ourselves,
but we cannot cheat Kṛṣṇa, who sees everything. When push comes to shove, we should try hard
to let go of our egoistic ways of doing things, and we should pray for guidance from within and
without. From within by Paramātmā and you and from without by the association of devotees.

Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for taking on the extraordinary mission of crossing the Atlantic
to bring Kṛṣṇa’s message to the West. There have been and are many great devotees and spiritual
leaders in India, but your position should always stand out above everyone else’s. No one else
was interested in helping the fallen souls of the West at the cost of sacrificing their personal com-
fort. You knew deep in your heart that pleasing Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī meant pushing
aside all personal comfort and embarking on the mission he wanted you to fulfill. You could have
found so many excuses. You were an old man with failing health; you did not know the Western
way of life, you had no support in the US, and so on. But you showed us what a genuine spiritual
seeker and disciple means: it is someone who pushes aside excuses and steps forward. That is the
example we should follow when we step on the street to do harināma, when we distribute books,
or when we invite people to our centers to take prasāda and chant. We may not know what lies
ahead, and at times it can be intimidating, but you proved that preaching is always rewarded by
some special mercy by Lord Caitanya.
Please bless us to be able to carry on your mission here in Eger for many more years to come.
May all the people in Eger taste kṛṣṇa-prasāda, hear His name, and get one of your most wonder-
ful books.
On behalf of Eger Preaching Center (Hungary),

Your servant,
Avadhūta Rāya Dāsa
El Salvador
All glories Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi!
All glories to the saṅkīrtana movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu!


Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

countries, which are filled with impersonalism or voidism.
The servants of ISKCON El Salvador want to express our gratitude and appreciation for Śrīla
Prabhupāda’s historic world preaching mission.

Truly, there will be no comparison in such missionary work for ten thousand years of the Kali-
yuga era. We consider It an undeserved honor, Indeed, to be part of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s pastimes
in the current saṅkīrtana movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes,
which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim

yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande paramānanda-mādhavam
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, the deliverer of all fallen
souls, whose mercy turns the dumb into eloquent speakers and enables the lame to cross
mountains.
With all the disqualifications in our insignificant service to Śrīla Prabhupāda, we will continue to
pray always for his blessings.
ISKCON Yātrā, El Salvador, Central America
Enugu, Nigeria
Please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet.
You are patita-pāvana, the savior of the fallen souls. Your appearance in this material world has
given the most fallen of all fallen souls like me an opportunity to take part in your glorious move-
ment (ISKCON) and associate with your swan-like Vaiṣṇavas.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, I can only say THANK you a million times for the opportunity given
to me in this lifetime while praying for your causeless mercy to remain in the association of your
devotees.
Your most fallen grandson,

Daśaratha Paṇḍita Dāsa
ISKCON Enugu Yātrā, Nigeria

Fiji

We are eternally indebted to you since, as our jagad-guru, you came to answer our cry dedi-
cating your whole life to save us from the material world. Although you were not in your best of
health, you came to participate in the foundation laying ceremony of Kṛṣṇa Kāliya temple. The
temple was officially opened in 1977. We are also highly indebted to your sincere followers, namely
Bhuvana Mohana Prabhu, Vāsudeva Prabhu, Gaurī Mātājī, and Bhagavatī Mātājī, who worked
tirelessly to build the temple. By your mercy, the temple has made significant progress over the
years.
We also acknowledge the continued guidance given to us by your very humble disciples, His
Holiness Bīr Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Goswami and His Holiness Vedavyāsa Priya Swami.
You are in your books and the Divine holy name that we hear daily from the audio records.
We know Kṛṣṇa has chosen you to serve in more urgent places where fallen souls need
guidance.
The pioneers still remember you doing yajña, taking morning walks, and giving classes in
Lautoka years back. Your blessings will always keep us enthused to preach and maintain the
ISKCON Fiji Yātrā.

Kṛṣṇa Kāliya temple
Lautoka, Fiji
Fredericton, Canada

Please accept our prostrated obeisances in the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we feel unqualified to write of your glories and divine activities. You left

your dear Vṛndāvana just to preach the glories of the holy names in the Western world. You had
no help, no house, or any prior residence before you moved to the Western world, and still, you
came to deliver countless fallen conditioned souls like us by imparting the transcendental science
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had one mission, i.e., “In every town and village, the chanting of My
name will be heard.” You have given your time and soul to make this mission come true. By the
mercy and inspiration of His Holiness Bhaktimārga Swami, the devotees at ISKCON Fredericton
have been striving to fulfill this mission with their hearts.
At ISKCON Fredericton, we are blessed with the association of His Holiness Bhaktimārga
Swami and visiting devotees from ISKCON Halifax and Montreal. Through their instructions
and examples, they are teaching us the ways of loving exchanges among the temple devotees and
the congregation members. Their loving guidance is giving us great strength and inspiration for
understanding and applying your teachings, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
The center has completed three years, and we have focused on community preaching, book dis-
tribution, and Bhagavad-gītā study. We also did official incorporation in the year 2022 and started
to do more community programs like Govardhana Pūjā, Dusshera, and 2nd Ratha-yātrā. We have
also been doing dīpadāna at houses of various people and house programs at many families in
Fredericton,
You have made a huge house where so many devotees with different origins are living and still
maintaining and serving together. At present, we have houses in every city or town that can take
care of us and give us their association. In Fredericton, we get calls from many people who ask

about books and japa beads from very far places. We never met these people, and they just know
about you. Your preaching is strong that till today devotees are living in remote areas and doing
kṛṣṇa-bhakti.
Kindly bless us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so we can please your direct servants through service and
thus please you.
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Gītā-nāgarī, USA
Our Dear Grandfather Spiritual Master, Śrīla Prabhupda,
Please accept our most loving obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace on this most auspicious occasion of the 127th anniversary of your appearance.
The bees are humming, the birds are singing, the deer are dancing across the Gītā-nagarī
forest, and the wonderful cows are grazing and happily enjoying the loving exchanges from the
devotee residents here. As we walk through the gardens of Gītā-nagarī to the beautiful wooden
structured temple, we see Their most glorious Lordships, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara glistening and
smiling upon Their domain through the large windows, after mercifully accompanying their ser-
vants across the USA to spread the glories of the saṅkīrtana movement, by your mercy, They have
desired to play out their pastimes in the dhāma you established.
Śrī Vṛndāvana comes to mind when we see the devotees, the cows, the peacocks, the forest, and
the rivers. All this you brought to us, you left Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara temple in Vṛndāvana only
to manifest it here at Gītā-nagarī. In fact, all the temples in the world today are the manifestation
of your pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, expanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness exponentially across this
planet even after your physical departure, which in itself tells us that “You live forever in your
instructions, and your followers live with you.” You left the servants of your lotus feet behind to
safeguard ISKCON, safeguard your spiritual embassies, and worldwide projects. The powerful
servants have ensured and expanded your mission to further heights and expanded it wider than
ever before. Although most of your grandchildren have never physically met you, we see your
darśana through their hearts, through their minds, and their words… oh the treasures that you left
behind are so priceless that we cannot even begin to count the blessings received.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you stated that on the absolute platform, there is no difference between the
appearance and disappearance of the spiritual master. Both are beautiful, just like the sunrise and
the sunset. ISKCON is a rare lotus you gave us that blooms after sunset; this lotus blooms power-
fully under the benefic rays of the benediction moon – Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Your Divine Grace continues to inspire hundred of thousands of people around the world.
Your books and explanations are becoming clearer through the lens of your devotees. They have
clasped your lotus feet so tightly that it has manifested through a lifetime of service. We pray
that we can clasp their lotus feet. They served Your Divine Grace in separation their entire lives
through the “Decade of Tears” may we also find the strength to serve them in the same way.
Your lotus feet give us shelter; this shelter has manifested through Gītā-nagarī Dhāma, through
the devotees’ association, through the cows, your books, this temple. The transcendental vibration
from your lotus mouth has instilled life into this farm and has given it purpose. Though we are

unable to repay you for our sublime good fortune, we will try and reciprocate by serving your
lotus feet with dedication, care, and commitment.
Thank you Śrīla Prabhupāda!
On behalf of the servants at the Gītā-nagarī Farm Community in Port Royal, Pennsylvania, USA,
Śrī Goloka Dāsa
Glastonbury, USA
Please accept our humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to you Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
An astrologer once foretold that you will build a house in which the whole world can live. You
have built that transcendental house, and that house continues to expand, creating a network of
devotee association all over the world. Everyone is invited to take shelter in your transcendental
house and all the residents have an opportunity to become jubilant by taking up the process of
devotional service under your expert guidance.
In your luminous house, “Books are the Basis, Preaching is the Essence, Utility is the Principle
and Purity is the Force.”
The structure of a building depends on the integrity of its foundation. Since your books are the
basis, this house has a strong, secure, and solid foundation.
The words in your books are sacred and powerful. They are Lord Kṛṣṇa’s personal message on
how to regain our footing in spiritual life and revive our lost love for Him. You live forever in your
books, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and anyone who reads them has the opportunity to associate with you
in a most wonderful way.
When reading your illuminating Bhāgavatam purports, the Absolute Truth rings clear, bringing
light into a dark and dreary world. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for opening our eyes with this
glorious torchlight of knowledge.
You pushed, “Distribute books, distribute books, distribute books,” and by doing so, book by
book, you laid the foundation for your transcendental house, offering accommodations for all
who may seek shelter from the onslaught of material miseries.
Everything we need to know for going back home, back to Godhead, is in your books.
In your house, preaching is the essence, and you set the example for all to follow. Your every
action is preaching; there is no difference between the book bhāgavata and you, the person bhāga-
vata. Imbued with intense love for the Supreme Lord and compassion for all misguided souls, you
are inviting everyone to end their suffering and go back to an eternal life of bliss and knowledge.
By your mercy, many residents of this house are eager to follow in your footsteps and therefore
share the Lord’s message with others. Your desire is the same as Lord Caitanya’s desire.

āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa
(Cc., Madhya 7.128)

Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to
Purport: This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna
Consciousness … (Cc., Madhya 7.128)
In this house, utility is the principle; everything for Kṛṣṇa, nothing for me.
You wrote, “One who knows that everything is Kṛṣṇa’s property is always situated in renuncia-
tion. Since everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, everything should be employed in the service of Kṛṣṇa.”
(Bg. 5.2, purport)
Real renunciation, or using everything in the service of its rightful owner, was perfectly exem-
plified by you. If we live by this principle of dovetailing everything for Kṛṣṇa, a peaceful Vai-
kuṇṭha atmosphere will remain throughout the house you have built.
Everything has its proper utility, and a man who is situated in complete knowledge knows how
and where to apply a thing for its proper utility. (Bg. 2.21, purport)
In your house, purity is the force. Your divine character shines as a sterling example of what
genuine purity is.
“Saints of your caliber are themselves places of pilgrimage. Because of their purity, they are
constant companions of the Lord, and therefore they can purify even the places of pilgrimage.”
(Cc., Ādi 1.63).
Because of your purity, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu empowered you to spread His divine mission
all over the world, and you have inspired those who were impure in many ways to take up the
purificatory process of devotional service.
You established the four regulative principles of freedom to help us avoid the contamination
of Kali-yuga. You gave us the ultimate purifying agent; the chanting of the transcendental holy
names of the Lord, the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu
Himself.
ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaṁ
śreyaḥ-kairava-candrikā-vitaraṇaṁ vidyā-vadhū-jīvanam
ānandāmbudhi-vardhanaṁ prati-padaṁ pūrṇāmṛtāsvādanaṁ
sarvātma-snapanaṁ paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam
Glory to the śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated
for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This
saṅkīrtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads
the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It
increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for
which we are always anxious.
As long as we stick to these principles and cooperate, your house will remain pure and a safe
haven where a blissful life of dedicated service to the Lord and His devotees can be experienced.
We pray that we may become useful servants in your transcendental house and that you
eternally engage us as you like.
Your aspiring servants at ISKCON Glastonbury, CT, USA

Written by Jīvanauṣadhi Devī Dāsī

Goloka Dham, Germany
Let us first offer our most humble obeisances at your wish-fulfilling lotus feet.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes,
jayatāṁ suratau paṅgor mama manda-mater gatī

mat-sarvasva-padāmbhojau rādhā-madana-mohanau
Glory to the all-merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana! I am lame and ill advised, yet
They are my directors, and Their lotus feet are everything to me.
By your mercy only, has our community of wonderful Vaiṣṇavas become able to serve the “all-
merciful Rādhā and Madana-mohana,” but before we say something about our service to our most
beloved Lordships, we should first express our unlimited gratitude to you for transforming us to
Vaiṣṇavas in the first place. There is no greater gift than bringing someone closer to Kṛṣṇa, and you,
Śrīla Prabhupāda, brought the whole world closer to Him. Without you, our community would
most likely not even know each other. You are the person who connects every single one of us.
It is very interesting to consider the fact that without your arrival in the West, many families
would not have become families. Many would lead different lives, most likely the lives of, as Your
Divine Grace would say, “cats and dogs.”
By having a look at ISKCON, one rapidly notices what an immense impact a pure devotee of
your order has on this planet. It is observable from the activities of single individuals up to the
activities of whole communities in the society you bestowed upon us as a blessing to save all our
lives and decorate them with a deep transcendental meaning. In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12) it
is stated:
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet

samit-pāṇiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
In order to realize the truth, one should take gifts in hand and approach a spiritual
master who is learned and fixed in the Absolute Truth.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we would like to offer all the services performed by every single member
of our lovely community of devotees who are serving Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana, from the
small children up to our most senior devotees. Our services are like those gifts mentioned in the
Upaniṣads. May you accept them and hand them over to Lord Śrī Gaurasundara. You are the ideal
picture of the spiritual master completely fixed upon Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu’s soft and charming
lotus feet, and thus we want to proclaim that we worship you with utmost love. Furthermore, we
beg that you don’t consider our blunders but rather purify us from those obstacles preventing us
from attaining higher levels of devotional service.
May you always bless every Goloka Dhāma to always be under your divine shelter and guid-
ance, and in that way, bring joy to the Divine Couple we all serve hand in hand by performing

pañcāṅga-bhakti for Their pleasure according to the instructions of all the magnanimous ācāryas of
the Gauḍīya sampradāya, coming down from Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmīpāda.
he guro jñānada dīna bandho svānanda-dātaḥ karuṇaika-sindho

vṛndāvanāsīna hitāvatāra prasīda rādhā-praṇaya-pracāra
O spiritual master, O giver of divine wisdom, O friend of the fallen, you are the giver of
your own bliss and you are the only ocean of mercy. Although dwelling in Vṛndāvana,
you have descended for the welfare of fallen souls like myself and you are preaching the
divine love of Rādhā for Kṛṣṇa. Please be kind upon me.
Written by Hari Vyāsadeva Dāsa on behalf of all devotees at ISKCON Abentheuer Goloka Dhāma
Gopināth Dhāma, Australia

Please accept my unworthy obeisances to you. I wish to find a way to properly serve and be
with you.
I was asked by a devotee to submit a homage from our small community here in Perth, Western
Australia. In 1975 you were detoured here by your disciples who were rushing to complete their
work on your new Australian headquarters in Melbourne. Thus you spent two weeks in this iso-
lated part of the world.
Your coming here was such a gifted blessing because otherwise, what would this desert-like
place have to offer the world? Your attention was required, and people like ourselves can testify
this place became different through “meeting” you.
I was in 1975 living in Melbourne and caring for my young baby, who was less than a year old.
How I wished at that time that I could have traveled to Perth and shared your quiet moments
there. But as fate would have it, it was not to be.
In 1994, nearly 20 years later, I visited Perth with the invitation of a friendly devotee I had met
in Vṛndāvana. This was my opportunity to spend two weeks there. During that time, I appreciated
especially the mood of the Perth temple, which was simple and modest yet with a strong taste for
hearing. When I left Perth, I felt amply reciprocated by you.
Then as all good things happened, my time living in Vṛndāvana came to an end, and it was
time to carefully manage family responsibilities. At that time, we were quite poor, and the kind
devotees in Perth assisted us in setting up a household there. So we moved from Vṛndāvana,
which is the center of the spiritual world, to Perth, the most isolated city in the world. For me, it
was like being exiled.
I missed Vṛndāvana deeply. It was here that my artwork became a substitute.
Then in 2002, after our children, who were no longer children, had found their own way
forward, we thought of finding a place where we could live and also display the artwork.

And then we found this property. So eight of us moved from the suburbs to a rural 5 acres. We
specifically wanted to create a Vṛndāvana-like atmosphere and gallery.
That was quite a journey.
Yet in 2012, we opened our Sacred India Gallery to the public for free guided tours. Our inten-
tion was not so much to preach directly but rather to educate and delight people with the atmo-
sphere of Vṛndāvana.
Now it is 2023, 11 years later, and I recall something you spoke to me when I first came to meet
you. You knew of my previous career as an actress, and you quickly seized that opportunity to
instruct me to present the culture of Kṛṣṇa consciousness (something I knew nothing about then)
which you stated “would attract a higher class of people.”
Well, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, I have tried in some insignificant way to do that. My family and
our community are all dedicated to giving this opportunity to others. Now we have a group of
dedicated devotee companions and a project meant to offer this culture to whomsoever may be
drawn into our company.
And just to assure us of the perfection of trying to please and serve you, our Sacred India
Gallery was received with appreciation by the prime minister of India. I do not wish to become
involved in political matters, but everyone knows that great is the value of such recognition for
the common people.
In a world that is always torn by conflict and dualities, I wish to offer the solution, on your
behalf, of course. And we all know that the solution is to return to our shelter and the shelter of
Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma is our eternal home.
I beg on behalf of every one of us here that we might all find ourselves drawn forward in a
direction under your divine guidance and protection and that we may make some small difference
to the turmoil of the world on your behalf.
My obeisances to you and all those who are trying to give their lives in your service.
Your servant,
Jagattāriṇī Dāsī
Govardhan Ecovillage, India

It is our immense pleasure and fortune to offer this homage to you. Scriptural principles are
not for information but for assimilation, application, and ultimately heart transformation. Only
when saintly devotees like yourself teach and demonstrate those values, the humanity becomes
inspired to commit to the spiritual path and continue on that path. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.7.44
says:
tapyante loka-tāpena sādhavaḥ prāyaśo janāḥ

paramārādhanaṁ tad dhi puruṣasyākhilātmanaḥ
It is said that great personalities almost always accept voluntary suffering because of the

suffering of people in general. This is considered the highest method of worshiping the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present in everyone’s heart.
The above śloka exactly suits your divine personality since you are an unalloyed representative of
Lord Kṛṣṇa, a dedicated servant of your spiritual master, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sara-
svatī Ṭhākura, and have taken up several hardships to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the
world, and deliver humanity from material suffering.
Our words fall inadequate in praising you. Your writings are very easy to understand, yet they
are so vast and deep. They were like a treasure revealing its worth after hiding in the depths of our
hearts for a long time! Please give us the strength to follow your teachings and serve you with all
our hearts without any reservations. Your message of love, compassion, and service has inspired
countless individuals to lead a more meaningful and fulfilling life, and your emphasis on the
importance of protecting the environment has contributed to the growing awareness of ecological
issues.
ISKCON’s first farm community is in Moundsville, West Virginia. You went there for the first
time on May 21, 1969, and had numerous ideas about how to develop the place as a replica of
Vṛndāvana Dhāma.
In your letter to Hayagrīva Dāsa (March 1968), you mentioned, “I am so glad to learn that one
gentleman is going to open an ashram in the West Virginia, and he has secured a big tract of land,
320 acres, and I wish that this tract of land may be turned into New Vrindaban. You have New
York, New England, and so many “New” duplicates of European countries in the USA; why not
import New Vrindaban in your country?”
In your letters to Hayagrīva, Kīrtanānanda Swami, and others between 1968 and 1973, you had
shared your vision for New Vrindaban and emphasized its vital aspects: cow protection, agricul-
ture, simple village life, a place of pilgrimage (a replica of Vṛndāvana), a place of higher learning,
and ultimately, a place for people to develop their love for Kṛṣṇa.
One of the purposes of ISKCON that you had listed on its founding documents was “To erect
for the members and for society at large, a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedicated to the
personality of Kṛṣṇa.”
Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV) is a product of your far-sighted vision of a farm community that
is meant to create a space for people to connect with the Supreme Lord. We at GEV are bestowed
with the unparalleled good fortune of fulfilling your vision for farm communities under the able
guidance and leadership of your disciple, His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami.
With various developmental activities over a decade, GEV has now become a pilgrimage site
for locals and tourists alike, attracting thousands of visitors every month. ISKCON devotees
from various cities within India and abroad are now making a point to visit GEV frequently.
GEV has become a place where people come to seek solace, peace, and spiritual enlightenment,
and training in diverse fields. The serene atmosphere and picturesque surroundings of GEV, the
beautiful stone temples of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Vṛndāvana Behārī and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana,
the replica of Vṛndāvana with its Yamunā ārati, Girirāja ārati, evening kīrtanas and so on, make
GEV an ideal destination for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and absorb
themselves in a vibrant, spiritually-surcharged atmosphere. Visitors explore the beautiful gardens
and scenic trails, which provide a tranquil setting for contemplation on the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
GEV has significantly impacted the local village communities and tribals as well, with training
in organic farming, and providing jobs and economic opportunities, training in various skills. In
addition, the spiritual teachings and practices of GEV have helped many locals to live more ful-
filling lives. There are a variety of activities offered at GEV for visitors to participate in, including
meditation, yoga, and scriptural education. GEV is also hosting several academic and corporate

conferences, and the residents of GEV are being invited to impart spiritual wisdom in schools,
colleges, and corporates. Many accomplished corporates are coming forward to contribute to
GEV’s rural development and educational initiatives. The retreat center is often filled with spiri-
tual events for children, teens, youth, and congregational devotees who are all rejuvenating their
spirits in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in spiritual association.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had the vision to start Rūpānuga Vidyāpīṭha for higher scrip-
tural learning at New Vrindaban. Desiring to implement this desire of yours, the Bhaktivedānta
Vidyāpīṭha, a scriptural training school at GEV that started in 2012, has been organizing various
residential and online courses for a systematic study of your books, including the Bhagavad-gītā,
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and other scriptures. Several devotees across the
globe are taking benefit of these spiritual courses and studying scriptures systematically through
Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, and Bhakti-vedānta courses that you had envisioned way back in
the forming days of ISKCON.
All this is a part of your vision, blessings, and empowerment. We aspire to continue to be small
instruments of your great vision, and assist you to the best of our capacity in your service to guru
and Kṛṣṇa. On this auspicious occasion, we seek your blessings and empowerment to fulfill your
desire and take your teachings far and wide to humanity, while cultivating the qualities of humil-
ity, tolerance, gratitude, respect, and determination that you have taught and personally demon-
strated in your life.
Thank you very much,

Your servants at ISKCON Govardhan Ecovillage
Govardhan Farm, Argentina


Please accept our humble obeisances. All Glories to you.
On this auspicious day of your glorious appearance on this planet, we want to renew our vow
of commitment to you and your mission.
Our project enters a phase of greater maturity, where the vision and preaching strategy become
increasingly clear. It’s been ten years since we started this effort to further your mission. At first
with your great motto, “Simple Life High Thinking” on the horizon, very enthusiastic but a
bit naive. Today we understand that the purpose of our farm is not a simple life in the sense of
auto-sustainability but rather to show a cultural movement where simplicity, service, and austeri-
ties are appreciated qualities.
You gave us everything: motivation, a method, and a goal. The above is perfectly described in
your books where you said that you will live forever.
We are still refugees in your great house, ISKCON, with the challenges that this entails. We

carefully observe the evolution of your mission, from its beginnings with the hippies, many of
your spiritual children, where to be “serious” the devotees had to live in the temples and become
renunciants, until today, where the secular society has other aspirations and the devotees mostly
live with their families, inserted in the social fabric.
Your disciples are older now; many of them will be leaving soon or are leaving their preaching
service to pursue their own internal bhajana. Fortunately, we observe in the devotees that we call
the third generation – the older disciples of your spiritual children, your older spiritual grand-
children – are taking more responsibility to push on your mission and continue preaching activ-
ities. We feel that they also connect us with your lotus feet, the safe haven for us Latino devotees.
We begin to build good relationships with them, to find guidance and inspiration, knowing also
that you want us to be pioneers and courageous. May we use the strength of the guru-paramparā
to bring innocent souls closer to this wonderful family.
We depend on your mercy Śrīla Prabhupāda. Please give us the strength and intelligence to be
able to study and understand your books, knowing that in this way, we can find common causes
for union and cooperation among devotees.
You saved us, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Although one cannot repay everything that the spiritual
master bestows, we are committed to dedicating our lives to spreading your message, just as you
heard it from your beloved Prabhupāda, and as you told us in your books and to your spiritual
children.
We are trying to serve you with enthusiasm and intelligence.

Congregation of Śrī Govardhana Farm, Land of Kṛṣṇa (Mar del Plata, Argentina)
Govinda Valley, Australia


Years ago the singer Sting wrote a song called Fragile. You may not know that song, but as the
title suggests, it’s about how fragile and vulnerable we are. It has always surprised me how we
take so much risk despite being so fragile. It’s so easy to break a leg or a heart. Still, we go about
life so carelessly and recklessly.
From you, we learn that this is the power of Māyā, of illusion. Making us feel invincible like
we can do anything despite so many limitations. Also, in your society, we see how fragile we are,
being human on the transcendental path. Devotees may fall down, become discouraged, or even
dismayed. We hear of abuse. How to deal with this seems a complex thing.
Do we take the stand of the absolute as you presented it so well, or do we consider the individ-
ual as you showed us so well too? Do we consider gender, body, and age, even though we know
we are not this body?
All of this doesn’t seem easy to deal with; opinions differ and are often diametrically opposed.

Devotees feel unsafe, while others find more shelter. We know shelter is there; in you, in Rādhā
and Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Your teachings tell it all as it is. Everything can be reconciled in guru, sādhu, and śāstra through
a consideration of our humanity and our tendency to fall should also be there. Do we always keep
the absolute perspective, or do we recognize how fragile we are as an organization as well?
You said your movement is based on love and trust. And you also said it could only be
destroyed from the inside.
We pray for your guidance and your loving and kind support, your unfailing trust in sādhu, the
ācāryas, and your ability to apply it now. We pray to come to the abhaya platform; though fragile
in our material form, fearless in the absolute.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for showing us by example how to reconcile also all the apparent
contradictions. How to love and care for each other and be detached as well.
For us to follow properly will be the next big thing.
Your servants at Govinda Valley retreat,

Sydney, Australia
(Written by Padmanābha Dāsa)
Guyana
Please accept our prostrate obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Today, on your auspicious appearance in this world, we express unlimited gratitude to Your
Divine Grace. The ISKCON temples and facilities we have here in Guyana, the books we dis-
tribute, and the powerful philosophy we preach are all but manifestations of your mercy. We,
therefore, present everything we have and do at your lotus feet on this grand occasion of your
Vyāsa-pūjā.
This past year has not been such an invigorating one, marked with many fresh challenges, but
we are determined to face the trials by sincerely applying the standard methods you gave to us.
This year we plan to invest more in our own personal spiritual practices, focus on care for the
devotees and congregation, and use your time-tested preaching initiatives to bolster the effort to
bring back Guyana yātrā to its original glory.
We recognize that the greatest setback would be if we fail to adhere to your instructions, if we
fail to understand your teachings, if we misunderstand you, by getting confused about “details
and principles” or considering details to be more important than the essence of your plans, mis-
sion, goals, and all guidelines you gave.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for saving our lives, for giving us our real purpose, and for
instructing us through your books, lectures, letters, conversations, and divine example. We are
eternally indebted to you for bringing us to this wonderfully beautiful bhakti path. And thank
you for having brought the formula for saving humanity by giving this Kṛṣṇa conscious path. It
is now up to us to continue to follow and serve you by adhering to your clear instructions and
mission.
Today we seek your blessings to remain always faithful, grateful, humble, and inspired in your

service within your ISKCON. We humbly petition you that we may always keep your instructions
and the spirit of service at the forefront of our endeavors and in our meditation.
Again and again, we pray that in your mood, we may carry out the essence of your movement,
which is to preach.
Your humble servants at ISKCON Guyana,

(Written by Paramātmā Dāsa)
Habibpur, India
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for showing us the path of bhakti by which one can perfect the
human form of life.
We began our spiritual journey with the help of your teachings from books and lectures.
Hence, we based all our preaching on your books. Devotees connected to our temple study your
books together regularly to get direction.
While traveling on the path of bhakti, we face many impediments and struggles to go ahead,
but when we read Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, we get the inspiration and strength to go ahead when
we see how many troubles and struggles you went through to establish ISKCON. Hence, every
Sunday class in the temple, we discuss from Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta.
We learned how much you worked hard to write these books and wanted to get them distrib-
uted. We are trying to distribute your books so that everyone can get your mercy.
You have given seven purposes for which ISKCON was created. We are trying to fulfill them
and please you.
We are eternally indebted to you for what we received from you, which we can never pay back.
We are trying to reciprocate in an insignificant way by trying to follow your instructions.
Please bless us so that we can serve your mission the way you want us to serve. Our only goal
in life is to please you.
Your insignificant servant, Sundara Nimāi Dāsa (Temple President)

on behalf of ISKCON Habibpur (Nadia, West Bengal, India)

Halifax, Canada
Please accept our most humble obeisances.
All glories to your lotus feet!
For your transcendental pleasure, we would like to start off by giving you an update on the
progress of ISKCON Halifax. Although we are inadequate servants and have a long way to go
to accomplish any significant service here in Halifax on your behalf, in comparison with all the
amazing accomplishments of ISKCON centers around the world, we can humbly report the
following:
• We are organizing our second annual Halifax Ratha-yātrā festival. Last year’s first-ever festival
was a grand success, and we distributed nearly 2,000 plates of prasāda. We got a lot of expo-
sure for ISKCON Halifax through that event and were able to present Kṛṣṇa consciousness
to thousands of locals.
• We have been consistently organizing a weekly Sunday Feast program, following in your foot-
steps by renting a chapel.
• Although we do not have a permanent center yet, devotees in our community get together
every morning to chant japa together.
• We have been holding a regular study group of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.
• We have been offering a Vaiṣṇava Etiquette seminar for many weeks to help the local devotees
come to the standards you taught in your books and personal example.
• Every Ekādaśī we have been getting together for home programs to have a more intimate
association with one another.
• We have been celebrating all the main Vaiṣṇava festivals.
Through these various activities and cultivating personal relationships with one another, we have
seen our congregation gradually growing, and this makes us hopeful that we will be able to transi-
tion into a permanent center in the near future as our core devotees get more and more serious.
That being said, none of this would be possible without your causeless mercy, the empower-
ment coming through our paramparā, and, ultimately, the will of the Supreme Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. As
mere instruments with no separate desire other than to execute your instructions and propagate
Kṛṣṇa consciousness in our local area, we take no credit for the little accomplishments we have
achieved. By repeating your words, sharing your books, and following your instructions, we stand
in wonder as we witness how you are still spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness long after your depar-
ture, even in a city like Halifax, which you never visited.
As it is said in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya 7.11: kṛṣṇa-śakti vinā nahe tāra pravartana. “Unless
empowered by Kṛṣṇa, one cannot propagate the saṅkīrtana movement.” When we recognize the
magnitude of how far and wide you were able to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness around the
world, it becomes undeniable that you are the most empowered representative of the Lord in our
contemporary time. Indeed, you are the founder-ācārya, setting the standard for how Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness should be propagated henceforward.
You have presented the sophisticated philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and the all-
encompassing practice of devotional service in the most appropriate way to appeal to all walks of
life. From the results of your preaching, we can understand that this process will be successful if
we simply present it as it is without adding or subtracting anything. We have no fear in preaching
Kṛṣṇa consciousness because we feel your presence and empowerment every step of the way, just

as you never felt separation from your spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Prabhupāda.
Although we constantly feel your blessings and empowerment, still, we pray for more and
more of your mercy because we acknowledge that it is the only source of our ability to render any
meaningful service in Halifax. If, somehow or other, we were to become disconnected from that
source, all of our activities would come to a stop, and we would be unable to progress even one
step. Therefore, we sincerely fall at your lotus feet and beg for the unrestricted flow of your mercy
upon our ISKCON Halifax yātrā, that we may be able to change the hearts of the locals and
convince them to accept the loving devotional service of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu as
their very life and soul.
On behalf of ISKCON Halifax,

Maṅgalānanda Dāsa
Ambarīṣa Dāsa
Hare Kṛṣṇa Valley, Australia
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Farm Projects
Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
Your Divine Grace is revered by your followers as the founder-ācārya of ISKCON and as a
beacon of light for those seeking the path of pure devotional service.
One of Your Divine Grace’s key contributions to the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement was your emphasis
on self-sufficiency and sustainability through various farm projects. You recognized that modern
society had become disconnected from the natural world and that this was leading to numerous
problems, including environmental degradation and a loss of spiritual values.
To address these issues, Your Divine Grace established a number of farm communities around
the world where devotees could live a simple, natural lifestyle and grow their own food. These
communities, sometimes known as “Kṛṣṇa Villages,” emphasize sustainable agriculture, renewable
energy, and the use of traditional farming techniques. Through these farm projects, Your Divine
Grace hoped to create a model of sustainable living that would inspire others to live in harmony
with nature and cultivate a deeper connection with the Divine. Today these farm communities
continue to thrive and serve as a testament to your vision and legacy.
On your Vyāsa-pūjā, we express our gratitude for your guidance and leadership and recommit
ourselves to your mission of spreading the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness around the world
through natural living and higher thinking.
Your aspiring servants at Hare Kṛṣṇa Valley (New Nandagrāma)

Bambra, Victoria, Australia

Hawaii, USA
I offer my respectful obeisances to His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhu-

pāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and
delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

You have always taught by instruction and example that progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
hinges on satisfying the spiritual master. You taught us to begin our days with a meditation on
the spiritual master by singing Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s Gurvāṣṭakam, in which he writes,
“yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi”: By satisfaction of the spiritual
master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual
master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Further, we
learn from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta that satisfying the spiritual master is the essential, active prin-
ciple of spiritual life: ācāryera mata yei, sei mata sāra (Cc., Ādi 12.10). And you frequently refer to
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura’s commentary on the vyāvasayātmikā buddhiḥ verse (Bg. 2.44) as
equating the one-pointed intelligence Kṛṣṇa mentions in this verse with determination to follow
the specific instructions given to us by the spiritual master. We see, for example, in your purport
to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.22.7 that
[…] the instruction of the spiritual master and the faithful execution of the instruction
by the disciple, makes the entire process perfect. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura
describes in his explanation of the verse in Bhagavad-gītā, vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ, that
one who wants to be certain to achieve spiritual success must take the instruction from
the spiritual master as to what his particular function is. He should faithfully try to exe-
cute that particular instruction and should consider that his life and soul. The faithful
execution of the instruction which he receives from the spiritual master is the only duty
of a disciple, and that will bring him perfection.
And in your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.13 you write that the disciple’s duty
is to receive orders from Lord Kṛṣṇa or from His bona fide representative and take these
orders as his life and soul, without personal considerations. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī
Ṭhākura states that one should not care very much whether he is going to be liberated or
not, but he should simply execute the direct order received from the spiritual master. If
one sticks to the principle of abiding by the order of the spiritual master, he will always
remain in a liberated position.
But beyond the instructions you share with us so frequently is your own example of carrying
out the instruction your own spiritual master gave to you, which was to share Lord Caitanya’s

teachings with the English-speaking world. You took this instruction on your head with no per-
sonal consideration, and we see your success all around the world. In pursuance of that instruc-
tion, you sent your trusted servant Gaura Sundara Dāsa here to the Hawaiian Islands in the fall
of 1968. Gaura Sundara, along with his wife Govinda Dāsī and the earliest disciples here in the
Islands, worked hard to establish Lord Caitanya’s movement here. In your letters and your com-
ments over those early years, you shared with those devotees how much our efforts pleased you.
You frequently expressed your appreciation for the preaching programs and for the care shown
to Tulasī Devī, whose beginning in the West was here in Honolulu. When you came to install
the Pañca-tattva in May of 1972, you showed us daily how pleased you were with the movement’s
growth here and with Tulasī Devī’s growth, as well.
Now, almost 55 years later, the fruit of their sacrifice and service continues to benefit the
Islands’ residents and visitors. Devotees are active on all the islands, and we continue to hold
public harināma saṅkīrtana regularly and distribute prasāda through our Govinda’s Restaurant,
which also began here.
Gaura Sundara Prabhu left our company very recently, so he is much on our minds here in
New Navadvīpa. Fifty years ago, he wrote in his offering as a member of ISKCON’s Governing
Body Commission:
I have been given this commission to write about the glories of Śrīla Prabhupāda and find
myself unable to adequately fulfill it. Śrīla Prabhupāda stands supremely glorified by all that he is
and all that he radiates. So I feel like a man offering a candle to the sun in that it is not what I can
offer that is as significant as the spirit in which it is done. Whatever I can say has no value that is
not derived from him.
The exuberance in others that prompts them to offer flowing rivers of praise is well enough
done by them. However, if I were to merely echo them, I would not highly esteem my own hon-
esty. For me personally, to offer similarly grand speeches would be to court the estate of flattery.
I do not feel qualified to summarize the qualities of my spiritual master any more than I do to
pass judgment on them. I do not pretend to be able to appreciate everything about him. But still,
I aspire to dedicate myself to his service. I want to cling to that spirit of devotion throughout all
turmoil of worldly existence.
It seems to me that the best form of gratitude is not susceptible to being reduced to a facile
phrase but finds its expression in the sincere desire not to misrepresent the spiritual master. I
see him as the forever-living inspiration of the universal church of humble love of God. I do not
like to see him misrepresented, and yet I cannot feel that I am able to champion the cause of his
representation against the forces of self-righteousness, superficiality, and sectarianism. It is the
responsibility of the disciple not to betray the spiritual master by his insincerity. Devotion to God
is the source of all sincerity. I can only pray to be established in love of Godhead by the mercy of
my spiritual master and to be forgiven for my blundering attempts at his service.
The magnitude of your glorious service seems as self-evident as it is legend. Those of us serving
here in Hawaii aspire to carry that spirit of sincere dedication to serving your mission, following
your instructions and example, as the best way to glorify you. So we take the opportunity of the
127th anniversary of your appearance in this world to recommit our lives to honestly represent
you by working hard to continue growing that mission here. We pray that by your mercy, we may
continue to have progressive success at doing so.
Your grateful servants at New Navadvīpa Dhāma, Honolulu, Hawaii

(Written by Swami B. A. Āśrama)

Hong Kong SAR
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī Śrī Gaura-
Nitāi. All glories to you. All glories to the Vaiṣṇava devotees.
Although you left this planet many years ago, we still feel that you are with us.
Because of your mercy, ISKCON was established and still influences us and the world at
large. It is an international spiritual family and still expanding. You are the captain of this boat –
ISKCON. We are protected and grow up in the path of spiritual practice due to ISKCON. We
are grateful for your disciples Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, Giridhārī Swami, and numerous others
who built up the ISKCON Hong Kong temple and yātrā. The Hong Kong yātrā continues to help
and guide us through the storms of material energy and move us forward on the spiritual path of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
You wanted ISKCON to be a spiritual, educational society. We are the proof of your words, as
it is in ISKCON, where we learn spiritual knowledge. We were all very materialistic people before
we recognized Kṛṣṇa. And now, by your mercy and the mercy of your followers, we are the devo-
tees of Lord Kṛṣṇa engaged in devotional service in ISKCON Hong Kong. Devotional service is
very precious. It requires many lifetimes of effort to receive it, but you have kindly given us the
opportunity to receive and practice it. We were not qualified to be the servants of Lord Kṛṣṇa or
to be engaged in His devotional service. We were all meat eaters and had so many bad qualities
before coming to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By the mercy of your followers, we received spiritual
education in your ISKCON society. We learned the Vaiṣṇava culture and had the opportunity to
associate with the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. We had the fortune to receive initiation. By your mercy,
we were transformed from dedicated materialists to devotees and servants of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
We hope and pray for your blessings and kindness and for the blessings and kindness of Śrī
Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, the presiding Deities of the Hong Kong yātrā. We are very grateful that Lord
Kṛṣṇa sent you to this earth to deliver His message of compassion and love of Kṛṣṇa. How do we
reciprocate? We can try to reciprocate by sharing with others what you have shared with us.
Your unworthy servants at ISKCON Hong Kong SAR

(Written by Kuntī Mahārāṇī Devī Dāsī)
Ibadan, Nigeria
It happened some years back, in a dream which was as clear as a vision; I saw Gurudeva which
I never expected because I had never met him physically while he was on this planet, where he
instructed me to be leading the kīrtana. At that time, I never dreamt of doing so because I was
never near doing that at that time. I was wondering why he should take so much trouble just to
give me only that single instruction. This was about 35 years ago when I was just a neophyte, but
I appreciated everything about the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Compared to Christianity,
where I was coming from, it was like comparing a black-and-white TV to a colored television.
But today, I am serving as a Temple President, which means Prabhupāda has been nurturing

me for a long time for this particular service. I offer my humble obeisances to such a great
spiritual master.
Another reason I will ever be grateful to His Divine Grace is for his presentation of the Vedic
literature, which he has so much simplified for us, the devotees, to easily understand the spiritual
essence to such an extent that other literatures seem not to be very attractive to me anymore. His
writings are indeed addictive. One feels like reading and reading more and more, which gives us
an insight into the ancient Vedic culture, an ideal culture that was long forgotten and the only
culture that can guarantee world peace and spiritual realization.
Therefore, I offer my respectable obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a great spiritual master.
Madhuvana Dāsa
Temple President
ISKCON Ibadan Temple
Iceland
Please accept our prostrated obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet on this most celebrated
day of your appearance in this world.
Although we have heard your story thousands of times, how you came from India to a foreign
country at the age of 70 and started a worldwide movement of pure kṛṣṇa-bhakti, the story still
amazes us, and our amazement grows each year.
In the seventh chapter of the Antya-līlā of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, direct empowerment by
Kṛṣṇa is discussed. The only one who is empowered by Kṛṣṇa, a paramahaṁsa-ṭhākura on the
highest level of Vaiṣṇavism can spread the holy name throughout the world. He is understood
to be the spiritual master of the whole world and an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. This is how,
through your books, you help us understand your elevated position and closeness to Kṛṣṇa.
We are trying to follow your example in our own small way here in Iceland by trying to spread
the holy name locally while at the same time trying to elevate our own Vaiṣṇavism in the hope to
get the empowerment needed to succeed in our mission. Many small and big miracles have hap-
pened along the way, confirming that trying to establish ISKCON in Iceland is something you
want us to do.
Every day, and especially today, we pray through the Śrī Guru-vandana prayers: “hā hā prabhu
kara dayā deha more pada-chāyā” that we may obtain your mercy by taking firm shelter of your
lotus feet by participating in your mission.
May your fame be spread all over the three worlds!
Your servants at ISKCON of Iceland

Ichalkaranji, India
Please accept our humble obeisances on the most auspicious occasion of Your Divine Grace’s
127th Vyāsa-pūjā celebration. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
You are the savior of the entire human society in this world and beyond because the holy
names of the Lord permeate the ether. People were unaware that the ultimate goal of life was
to go back home, back to Godhead. You simplified the most confidential knowledge to such an
extent that even the less intelligent also understood it. By this, together with your mercy, millions
of miserable souls like us have access to and an opportunity to understand the purpose and direc-
tion of life.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have not only blessed us with the divine and pure holy name, deli-
cious prasāda, priceless scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta, holy places
like Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur, festivals like Ratha-yātrā and Gaura-Pūrṇimā, but also blessed us
with your dearmost disciples who are the pillars and backbone of our devotional life. They really
inspire, guide and boost our spiritual life. We feel lost and incomplete without them. These won-
derful souls who are connected to you have become our true mothers and made us aware of your
mission for our wellbeing.
So from the core of our hearts, we are extremely grateful for each and every Prabhupāda disci-
ple and their valuable and selfless contribution to this entire world. It is only because of them that
we are able to understand the true meaning of life.
Only for Your divine pleasure and as per Your instructions and by the blessings of our
guru-paramparā, we successfully conducted one Bhāgavata-kathā and are planning for two more.
We have six Bhakti-vṛkṣa programs; go on nagara-saṅkīrtana; do book distribution; offer Bhakti-
śāstrī courses under Pandharpur Institute of Higher Education (PIHE); distribute prasāda; study
Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta and your books.
On behalf of ISKCON Ichalkaranji congregational devotees, please accept this minuscule
contribution as an offering unto Your divine lotus feet.
We beg forgiveness for our shortcomings and incomplete recollections.
Thanking you,
Your insignificant servants,
Devotees of Ichalkaranji Center
Indore, India
While every word and sentence you spoke is important and nectar, we are most heartened and
enlivened by the below conversation that took place with you and a reporter in the US:
Reporter: What will happen when you die?

Śrīla Prabhupāda: I will never die! I will always live in my books and they will utilize.
Indeed these books are the sañjīvanī for all of humanity. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had said that just
by reading these books one is initiated into Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
bhrama, pramāda, vipralipsā, karaṇāpāṭava

ārṣa-vijña-vākye nāhi doṣa ei saba
Mistakes, illusions, cheating and defective perception do not occur in the sayings of the
authoritative sages. (Cc., Ādi 2.86)
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we would like to thank you for your causeless mercy. We will never be
able to liquidate the debt that we owe you even in a lifetime of Lord Brahmā.
The worship of the spiritual master is worship of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and vice versa.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, our life is only for you. Please always keep us under the shelter of your
lotus feet.
In the Rāmāyaṇa, Lord Rāmacandra praises Hanumān and says to him that there are three
classes of disciples: the first-class disciple does more than what his master asks. The second-class
disciple, even though able, does only what his master asks, and the third-class disciple does not
follow his master.
Our fervent prayer to you is that you bless us so that we may serve you fully to your
satisfaction.
Thanking you,
Your unworthy servants at ISKCON Indore
Ireland
In Ireland, in our tiny way, we have tried to glorify you by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to
the people here. We have been trying to spread it to ourselves also by advancing in Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness on your order and by following instructions in your tapes and books. But living here
for over forty years and seeing the little progress that has been made, we can only marvel at your
incredible determination to spread the mission so deeply and widely around the world.
Recently at a Sunday program, I was feeling a little proud of myself for distributing a dozen or
so Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1 to the congregation. Then I realized, I didn’t translate and comment on
these books, I didn’t print and bind them, I didn’t proofread them, I didn’t transport them. All I
did was encourage people to take them, who were attending the Sunday program, which was also
introduced by you. But you are so encouraging that I felt very enlivened when those books were
taken after I spoke a little about what those books meant to me.

But how to inculcate this Kṛṣṇa consciousness into the lives of the fallen souls of Kali of which
I am one? How to establish the Kṛṣṇa Consciousness Community as an option for people to take
in Ireland? How can we truly influence this hopeless civilization to turn to Kṛṣṇa as their only
hope? How can we practically begin this? You never shied away from this, even at the times of the
greatest difficulty. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please inspire us with that same enthusiasm, determi-
nation, and patience, and may we work cooperatively in goodness so that, by your mercy, we can
bring pleasure to you.
On behalf of your servants in Ireland,

Manu Dāsa
Jos, Nigeria
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, our eternal loving father!


Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our
respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You
are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and are delivering the Western
On behalf of all your grand- and great-grand spiritual children, especially all of us here in
ISKCON Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, West Africa, on this most auspicious day of your auspicious
appearance, we offer our repeated obeisances and gratitude for your love and compassion upon
us. The best way to glorify a great personality is to follow in the footstep of such a great person by
following his instructions.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this day, we pray for your special blessings so we may always remem-
ber and follow your instructions. May your fame continue to spread across the whole universe.

Śālikā Dāsa
ISKCON Jos

Kanhaiyādeśa, Kuwait
Please accept my prostrated obeisances at your lotus feet. All Glories to Your Divine Grace.
Dear Prabhupāda, we are even borrowing words from your teachings to glorify Your Divine
Grace, as palmfuls of Ganges water offered to Ganges only.
You have beautifully quoted a verse from Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (13.2) in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(2.9.39) purport as:

sudurlabhā bhāgavatā hi loke
“O devotee of the Lord, the purpose of the visual sense is fulfilled simply by seeing you, and to
touch your body is the fulfillment of bodily touch. The tongue is meant for glorifying your quali-
ties because in this world a pure devotee of the Lord is very difficult to find.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, although we are not at all qualified to glorify your compassion, the more we
read your books, the more we hear your vāṇī, the more we associate with your disciples and faith-
ful followers and hear from them, then actually we get a glimpse of a drop of realization of your
causeless oceanic compassion for the entire humanity and especially upon Kṛṣṇa conscious prac-
titioners. We realize that whatever is needed for a sincere soul to go back to godhead and embrace
śuddha-bhakti under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, absolutely you have given every-
thing. Your presence in our life is becoming more prominent day by day.
Recently we were reading in Śrīla Prabhupāda Līlāmṛta about your answer to a question asked
to you regarding your previous life, and you answered:
So far I am concerned, I cannot say what I was in my previous life, but one great astrol-
oger calculated that I was previously a physician and my life was sinless. Besides that,
to corroborate the statement of Bhagavad-gita “sucinam srimatam gehe yogabhrasta
’bhijayate,” which means an unfinished yogi takes birth in rich family or born of a suci
or pious father. By the grace of Krishna I got these two opportunities in the present life
to be born of a pious father and brought up in one of the richest, aristocratic families of
Calcutta (Kasinatha Mullik). The Radha Krishna Deity in this family called me to meet
Him, and therefore last time when I was in Calcutta, I stayed in that temple along with
my American disciples. Although I had immense opportunities to indulge in the four
principles of sinful life because I was connected with a very aristocratic family, Krishna
always saved me, and throughout my whole life I do not know what is illicit sex, intoxi-
cation, meat-eating or gambling. So far my present life is concerned, I do not remember
any part of my life when I was forgetful of Krishna. (SPL, chapter 31)
We are extremely fortunate to be connected in some way to such mahā-bhāgavata who always
remembers Kṛṣṇa and never forgets Kṛṣṇa. This aspect we often experience in your unique
Bhaktivedanta purports; almost every purport of Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrī Caitanya-
caritāmṛta, and other books, is filled with your ecstatic love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we
are truly thankful for the instructions that you have so kindly given to us, the application of
which would help us achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness and eternally serve your Lotus feet. I would
like to humbly submit a few of these instructions:

This Kṛṣṇa consciousness is especially meant for understanding the position of the soul
and its relationship with God. (Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Chapter 3)
The conclusion is that as human beings we are meant not simply for solving economic
problems on a tottering platform but for solving all the problems of the material life into
which we have been placed by the laws of nature. (Śrī Īśopaniṣad, Verse 3, purport)
In this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement a chance is given to everyone without discrimina-
tion of caste, creed or color. Everyone is invited to join this movement, sit with us, take
prasāda and hear about Kṛṣṇa. (Nectar of Instruction, Verse 5, purport)
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also recommends that we give up this futile process to measure
the Supreme. We cannot even measure the limitations of space, what to speak of the
Supreme. It is not possible to measure the length and breadth of Kṛṣṇa by one’s minus-
cule knowledge, and one who arrives at this conclusion is considered intelligent by Vedic
literature. (Beyond Birth and Death, Chapter 3)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, only you and your faithful followers who represent you earnestly can have such
overwhelming compassion upon us. Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Kanaiyādeśa, we are sincerely endeav-
oring to study your books on a daily basis in association with devotees. Although this place is
a desert, by your causeless mercy, we have the wonderful soothing shelter of devotees. We are
begging for your causeless mercy to understand the real meaning of your purports, to develop a
strong desire to serve the holy name, Hari, Guru and all the Vaiṣṇava who are trying to please you.
Your Divine Grace, on this most auspicious day of your appearance, I fervently pray at your
lotus feet that we always remain your faithful servant and a useful tool to your faithful followers.
prati janme kori āśā caraṇera dhuli
Always praying to be the servant of your servants

Kanhaiyādeśa Yātrā (Kuwait)
Kanpur, India
Hare Kṛṣṇa. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
It is an honor, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, to give you an offering and express our heartfelt grat-
itude to you. At the beginning of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we always used to hear that it is all
your mercy that we are made up of; your sacrifice is our price in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Over the years, that realization is becoming more ingrained in our hearts. At ISKCON Kanpur,
with all challenges and obstacles and personal anarthas, everything is gradually taking shape
by your divine plan – as you wrote in a letter to His Grace Brahmānanda Prabhu on 1 Feb, 1968
“Kanpur is the next important city after Calcutta and Bombay. Therefore, his decision to start
immediately one center at Kanpur is acceptable.” Also, you wrote to His Grace Akṣayānanda on
29 Jan 1976, “We should certainly have a center in Kanpur. It is the third most important city in
India after Bombay and Calcutta.”
Only You could lead all of us. Your rock-solid philosophy through books, your personal

example, your sacrifice and legacy through empowered disciples is our only qualification in bhakti.
Despite our deficiencies, you have chosen us to serve here at ISKCON Kanpur. This is another
instance of your causeless mercy to make us an instrument of your divine plan. We humbly wish
to present our services here at ISKCON Kanpur.
1. Glorious decoration of Deities every day attracts hundreds of visitors to have the divine
darśana of the Lordships. On Weekends and festivals, the temple is fully packed.
2. Melodious kīrtanas charm the hearts of visitors and give them holy name. Through “Japa
Walk” initiative, hundreds chant one round of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra every day.
3. “Phulo Ki Holi” on March 12, 2023 attracted more than fifteen thousand people to the
temple. We could serve them by giving them holy darśana, holy name, holy abhiṣeka, holy
kathā, and holy prasāda.
4. Temple is blessed with the chance to serve many visiting seniors Vaiṣṇavas like His Grace
Devakīnandan Prabhu, His Holiness Bhakti Pracāra Parivrājaka Swami, His Holiness Bhakti
Anugraha Janārdana Swami, His Grace Amogha-līlā Prabhu, His Grace Sudāma Prabhu, His
Grace Vaṁśī Vadana Prabhu, His Grace Rādhe Śyāma Prabhu, His Grace Dāmodara Prabhu,
etc.
5. “Food for Life” building is on the verge of completion, which will serve hundreds of visitors
coming to the temple with delicious prasāda.
6. Water fountain on both sides of the temple’s main door enriches the beauty of the temple.
7. RO Drinking water facility for visitors has been installed.
8. Govindas Restaurants have been reopened and serving many families to have delicious
prasāda.
9. Last year in Marathon, we could all together distribute over 62,500 books scoring 10th rank
in the world.
10. Bhakti-śāstrī for both brahmacārīs and Congregation has been implemented to study your
books systematically.
11. A beautiful pond with Kāliya Kṛṣṇa Deities has been developed for the pleasure of the
Lordships and for nauka-vihāra pastimes of the Lord.
12. FOLK program, with more than 7.5K families, is connecting more and more families in the
service of the Lordships.
13. VLC and PDC joining programs for more brahmacārīs have been going on. Currently, we
have over 40 brahmacārīs in the āśrama
14. Youth Preaching programs in colleges have been going on steadily in various cities across UP:
Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Bijnore, Sultanpur, Jhansi, Kannauj, Ambedkarnagar, etc. We
have two yearly camps in which over 200 devotees chanting 16 rounds participate.
15. Campus Preaching program is now helping many youths coming to the temple to get
connected to the temple and become solid devotees.
16. ISKCON Kanpur is also extending its help to support and develop many other centers like
Orai, Jhansi, Lakimpur, Sultanpur, Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Gorakhpur, etc.
17. Recently, we had the Xpression Youth festival on April 7, in which over 10,000 college
students participated.
We thank you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us a chance to serve you in this divine mission.
We hope and pray that we may assist you in some way to serve you in your service to your spiri-
tual master.
We look ahead to improving our services and devotion to the Lordships. We plan to have reg-
ular nourishment and training programs for brahmacārīs and congregations through yātrās and
courses. We hope to serve prasāda to the whole Kanpur through the Food for Life program. We

pray to connect more and more youth and families visiting the temple through Campus preaching
and FOLK, respectively.
Finally, we seek your causeless blessings on all the members of our small family at ISKCON
Kanpur who are working hard with devotion to serve here under all circumstances.
We wish to express our deep gratitude for His Grace Devakīnandan Prabhujī and His Holiness
Bhakti Pracāra Parivrājaka Swami, who are constantly showing us the path on your behalf as your
loyal and faithful servants.
We seek forgiveness for not being able to meet your many expectations. Kindly keep us under
your loving shade.
In your service, eternally

Your Servants at ISKCON Kanpur
Kanyakumari, India

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

All glories to you Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Years have gone, but I remain still unable to understand one simple instruction of yours: Kṛṣṇa
is the master and I am His servant.
As I look back from the day I joined ISKCON, enthusiasm and eagerness were there and now
responsibility and carefulness increased.
ISKCON has given me enough to reach back to Kṛṣṇa. The only thing I lack is application.
I am grateful to you for allowing me to engage in your service and wish to complete your
house, a temple dedicated to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava in Kanyakumari district soon, by your
blessings.
On this auspicious Vyāsa-pūjā of yours, I humbly seek your blessings for myself and all
devotees of ISKCON Kanyakumari district to remain enthusiastically in your service.
Your servant,
Vikrama Govinda Dāsa
Manager, ISKCON extension center

Khargar, India

Here at ISKCON Khargar, Navi Mumbai, we, your granddisciples, are attempting to gift you
another temple of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohanajī as a humble offering. We all know you will
bless us so that your name, fame, and mission spread to save as many souls as possible from the
clutches of Māyā.
By your mercy, we again celebrate your blessed appearance on this globe. Our material and
spiritual health is a gift of God, Lord Kṛṣṇa. You taught and showed us, by your example, how

to receive that mercy. You taught us to see the wonders and the tribulations of this world as a gift
of God. With your endless patience, you guided all your disciples on their path, awarded them
service, trained, inspired, and corrected them. In short, you created for all who would hear and
follow you a genuine, eternal, unlimited spiritual life.
It is said that by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, one attains a guru. And by the guru’s mercy, one attains Kṛṣṇa.
In your physical absence, when your presence in this world is not manifest to mundane eyes, once
again, we are receiving you by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. By Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, your faithful, devoted followers
increasingly discover your glories by faithfully serving your mission.
As we do our best to serve you, we can only pray that our efforts will please you and Kṛṣṇa, and
bring the empowerment you boldly offered to us, if we would give ourselves heart and soul to the
Lord’s mission. Let us do that now.
So please bless all of us in our endeavors to wake the sleeping souls here in Navi Mumbai, by
presenting this munificent temple at your divine lotus feet.
Your servants,
Sūradāsa and team
Kharghar, Navi Mumbai
Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa, Qatar

Please accept my humble and respectful obeisances. All glories to Your divine lotus feet.
As your spiritual grandson, I feel extremely honored and happy to write this homage on behalf
of Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa yātrā, even though I am not qualified enough to write a few words.
Whenever at any spiritual congregation, I am told to speak on any verse of my choice from
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without a second thought, I recite verse 41 from Chapter 2 along with the
translation and purport. As many times I read this verse, especially the purport, I become more
and more convinced with a strong conviction to serve my spiritual father in his mission to serve
Your instructions.
In Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa, spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always a challenge. But in front of your
achievement in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world, my challenge in Kṛṣṇa-kathā
Deśa yātrā is nothing. So, I always read Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta to understand and realize Your
successful efforts as a single devotee to enter the United States at an old age when normally one
thinks of leading a comfortable retired life in the company of children and grandchildren.
Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa yātrā is in its 30th year of existence. Because of security concerns, we could
never venture out in organizing Ratha-yātrā, Book Marathon, celebration of different Kṛṣṇa
conscious Festivals for the benefit of people openly as is done in different parts of Europe, Asia,
Australia, and the United States. But after reading the Bhagavad-gītā Verse 2.41 and with the
full support from the Core Committee members of Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa yātrā, I conducted the
1st Kīrtana-melā and Food Festival. The most important point which I would like to tell Your
Grace is that the two days Kīrtana-melā and Food Festival were planned, organized and executed
successfully by the youth with lots of energy and enthusiasm.

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless all the Devotees of Kṛṣṇa-kathā Deśa for putting effort
into bringing more and more fallen souls into the ISKCON society.
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Your servant,
Aniruddha Gopāla Dāsa, JPS (Zonal Supervisor, Qatar)
Kṛṣṇa’s Castle, UK
Our Dear most Śrīla Prabhupāda,
All glories to you, savior of the whole world.
The advent of the Russian invasion of Ukraine led to the exodus of three million people,
mainly across the Polish border. We at “Food For All U.K.” saw it as an excellent opportunity
to distribute prasāda to hungry and needy people. We packed a van and trailer with everything
necessary to feed a multitude of people and drove to Poland. Conditions were grim with minus
ten degrees centigrade temperatures and traumatized people unsure of their and their loved ones’
future. Prasāda was a more than welcome necessity that was received with gratitude.
As only women and children were allowed to leave Ukraine, it left us wondering about the
plight of those left behind but, more specifically, about the situations in the temples near the
fighting zones. We decided we should help by taking equipment and resources to these temples.
We thought we were taking gifts and help, but actually, we gained so much from the devotees
who remained in these dangerous zones. We saw the incredible determination these devotees
have to continue their devotional service in such an adverse situation. Bombs often strike in these
eastern cities, but the devotees continue to feed the people. In Kherson, the temple was occupied
by the Russian army, who used it as barracks, and even now, the devotees are unable to return to
their temple due to snipers. Currently, they have created a kitchen in an empty swimming pool,
thus continuing the prasāda distribution daily. Zapaorizhia, the nuclear power plant, now in the
hands of the Russians, is in danger of a nuclear safety crisis, but temple life goes on. We bow
down to all of these exemplary devotees. They are truly inspiring. It is humbling to associate with
such devotees.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have told us how cooking and feeding everyone lunch in Second
Avenue, New York, helped build up your movement. We pray that we can continue in your foot-
steps and provide people with the opportunity to eat kṛṣṇa-prasāda and help to build up your
movement further.
Your servants at Food For All U.K.

Offering written by Paraśurāma Dāsa and Mokṣalakṣmī Devī Dāsī

Kukatpally, India
Most Respected Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your Lotus feet. All Glories to Śrīla Gurudeva, Śrīla
Gaurāṅga, all Glories all Glories to your Divine Self.
I know that I can’t express my gratitude and feelings of appreciation in words and action; still,
I am trying for my Purification and satisfaction.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your pastimes with your disciples are the sweetest of all; we can experience
your fathomless wisdom, your oceanic compassion, and your unimaginable ability to see the
future. I hear them again and again.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your books are the lighthouse for the whole world on a deep, dark, moon-
less night. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are beyond the conditions of time, place, and circumstances.
Your purports are the manifestation of the innermost feelings of all the ācāryas and Śrī Kṛṣṇa
Himself, the only shelter for this society. I can’t tolerate any comments or corrections some mis-
chievous ignorant people are spreading. However, it gives me purpose in my life; I commit myself
wholeheartedly to stop such blind people.
Please bless me; I want to serve you and glorify you. Thanking you,

Mahāśṛṅga Dāsa
ISKCON Kukatpally
Kumasi, Ghana
What amazes me the most about Śrīla Prabhupāda is his compassion. How he is ever ready to
give Kṛṣṇa consciousness to anyone anywhere, regardless of whether ready or not. Our readiness –
that enthusiasm that propels us in our Kṛṣṇa consciousness is nothing but his divine touch. If not,
how in the world could I, who is geographically and consciously very far from Vraja, ever have a
taste of devotional service? By his causeless mercy and Supreme power, he carried Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa,
Vṛndāvana and all Their divine confidants and installed Them all over the world.
Africans naturally had a taste of Vedic culture through the traditional African religion. In this
path, ancestral worship was quite the process of attaining the Supreme. But the ordinary African
never had any idea who the Supreme Being was. This indirect process is really long and would
have taken us lifetimes to have a chance to the direct path. Seeing this, you empowered your con-
fidential associates to this land not to exploit her like the others, but to implant the seed of bhakti.
And now, this boy from the deepest region of Africa can also chant the holy names of the Lord.

This is how much you have changed our fortune; for this, we are eternally grateful and indebted
to you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Just as the grandfather never takes seriously the childish behavior of his grandchildren,
although they may be radical and a menace sometimes, similarly, O dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, some-
times I act so immature and don’t take the family business you sacrificed so much for. Please, do
not disown me from the family. Please, do not take my inattention and irresponsibility seriously.
Having taken shelter of your dear servant Bhakti Dhīra Dāmodara Swami, this boy will gradually
learn to live, appreciating and taking seriously this divine heritage.
Possessing all symptoms of a Vaikuṇṭha man – your divine hands always carry a walking stick
to clear the way back to Godhead. A japa bag – to vibrate the holy names in all the nooks of the
globe. Your suitcase, which is the personification of the Vedas. An umbrella to give shelter to the
fallen conditioned souls. Being a swanlike devotee, you always hold your head high in the sky,
meditating on Gaura-Nitāi. You are simple yet very opulent. So compassionate, yet so grave. So
humble yet so bold. O you whose glories were foretold; you carried the heavy instructions of your
spiritual master although you appeared very old. You never sought praise and fame; your only
goal was that the glories of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa may unfold. O divine artist, I present my life into your
hands to shape and mold.
My deepest and heartfelt prayer, O great emperor, is that you may engage this wretch in service
in the association of your unalloyed devotees so we may always learn to love and appreciate you
always in consciousness and in action. Thank you so much, dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, for every-
thing, we are and will eternally be grateful and indebted to you for Your Divine Grace.
Your most fallen Servant,

Caitanya Bhāgavata Dāsa
(Temple President)
ISKCON Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa
Lagos, Nigeria
nama om vishnu-padaya krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-pashchatya-desha-tarine.

lotus feet.

Dear grandfather, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Words are not enough to express my gratitude toward you.
You gave us the real meaning of life and a family whose value is beyond our hearts’ desires.

Please, we beg for your mercy so that we can continue to resist against the terrible waves of
māyā. We pray to reciprocate all the love you gave to us, and we surrender all our lives to your
divine lotus feet.
Thank you.
Your most unfortunate grandson,

Acintya Rūpa Dāsa
ISKCON Lagos
Laguna Beach, USA

Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. This year by your grace and with
the expert guidance of His Grace Vaiśeṣika Prabhu, we have been fortunate to expand our book
distribution efforts and engage a lot of our congregation members in the sponsorship and distri-
bution of books at organized events in different cities throughout Southern California. In Decem-
ber of 2022, we ranked #5 in North America, achieving a 37 percent of growth from the previous
year, and ranked number 8 out of 44 based on cumulative scores from January through December.
Between the first and second, we had over 30 devotees take initiation this last year. Our pūjārī
department has expanded along with our weekly programs: Bhagavad-gītā classes in multiple
venues, Saturday night satsaṅga at our satellite temple in Long Beach, California, and our regular
Sunday Feast.
In Your Divine Grace’s purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 8.24.48, you explain:
Even though we may not have the fortune to contact the Supreme Lord personally,
the Lord’s representative is as good as the Lord Himself because such a representative
does not say anything unless it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead […]
The bona fide guru is he who has accepted Kṛṣṇa as guru. This is the guru-paramparā
system. The original guru is Vyāsadeva because he is the speaker of Bhagavad-gītā and
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, wherein everything spoken relates to Kṛṣṇa. Therefore guru-pūjā
is known as Vyāsa-pūjā. In the final analysis, the original guru is Kṛṣṇa, His disciple is
Nārada, whose disciple is Vyāsa. One cannot become a guru if he does not know what the
Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa or His incarnation wants. The mission of the guru is the
mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead: to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over
the world.
This verse explains the do’s and don’ts by which we can become freed of material entanglement,
which are to render service to the Supreme along with giving up contaminating action. But this

formula is incomplete without the main ingredient: the spiritual master; and you expertly high-
light this important point in your purport not only stating it but also by explaining the reasoning
behind it, and how the spiritual master links us to Kṛṣṇa by repeating to us what is spoken by
Kṛṣṇa, and by engaging us in the Lord’s mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world.
By your purport, you make it easy for us to identify a bona fide spiritual master but also to
understand your extraordinary and unique position as ISKCON’s founder-ācārya, and the spe-
cial role you will forever play in the lives of your disciples, granddisciples, and so on. There is
no doubt you have made it possible for anyone in the world to connect with Kṛṣṇa by your bold
and selfless vision of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness everywhere, and by your magical ability to
spearhead that greatest of all missions. Without your brave and decisive action, none of us would
be here in Laguna Beach trying to assist you in this effort, and thereby doing good for ourselves
and others. Your Divine Grace is the primary ingredient in the whole equation, and without it we
would simply be wandering around mission-less, bouncing off the walls of this material creation,
being led and manipulated by the material nature like a pinball is pushed around before being
led by the pins of the machine to its demise, which for us would be the untold suffering from not
knowing our true identity.
Our desire is to dedicate and combine all of our service efforts, offer back to you, and through
you, the greatest gift you have given to us and to the world. We continuously beg for your bless-
ings so we can become better servants, better disciples, and better leaders to better assist you in
the mission of expanding the glories of Śrī Śrī Pañca-tattva far and wide.
With gratitude and love,

Your servant,
Varāṅgī Rādhā Devī Dāsī
On behalf of ISKCON, Laguna Beach
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Please accept my prostrate obeisances. Please accept prostrate obesances of all members of
the management and leadership of New Yoga-pīṭha in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Also, accept mudra of
reference and respect on behalf of all Slovenian devotees thinking of themselves as your followers
and their friends who might have liked you or your work at least once in their life.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, let me begin by quoting a letter to Hayagrīva Dāsa:
Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your two letters dated Janu-
ary 5 and 8 1970 respectively, and I am so much moved from your kind sentiments that
you have expressed for my humble activities. Actually I am not worthy of any one of the
words spoken by you but all of them are due to my Spiritual Master Who was so kind to
me. In fact I am a worthless person because my Spiritual Master ordered me to take up
this work in 1922 but I did not carry his order until 1958, when I was obliged to carry out
His order by His arrangement only.
This means although I was not very enthusiastic to carry out His order He forced me

circumstantially to accept it. So this is His special mercy upon me and I always think
about this with gratitude to this exalted personality coming directly from Vaikuntha
World and we had the great fortune to meet Him. I think that is the only credit on our
part that we happened to meet Him by some “ajnata sukriti” or unknown auspicious
activities.
He is so kind upon me that when I came to your country, where I was completely
unknown, He sent to me some good souls like you unsolicited. So I accept you all as
assistants or representatives of my Guru Maharaja Who is still helping me because I am
so feeble and unworthy. Anyway, the business which we have taken to work together is
neither your business nor my business as far we are personally concerned, but it is the
business of Lord Caitanya and His bona fide servants like my Guru Maharaja. Therefore
it is the duty of all of us to execute it as nicely as far as possible within our capacity. In
other words, we shall just try to discharge our responsible duties faithfully and seriously,
then all facilities will come for our help. (Letter to Hayagrīva, January 14, 1970)
Due to this expression of your utter humility, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is now hard for me to
think of something appropriate to write for the occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
Everyone who has the smallest information about your character and work can tell that you
were not a puppet manipulated by someone else but a dancer who knows exactly how to follow
the lead of his co-dancer. Thus, the credit for responding perfectly to your Guru Mahārāja and
Kṛṣṇa’s will goes to you only. Though you preach in Their name, you deserve the glorification,
gratitude and attention to learn from everyone. You preached Lord Caitanya’s message purely,
and amazingly you are preaching after your disappearance.
In fact, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are still preaching, you are still active on behalf of your param-
parā. In 1977 you had left, but on so many levels, you are still here. From your connection, there
are many good things happening. Good for an individual like myself, for others and for the whole
world.
As you give credit to your Guru Mahārāja, so the leadership of the Slovenian group of devotees
gives credit to you for all success here. Śrīla Prabhupāda, Slovenian devotees and friends give full
credit to you for all good that has been done in your name in our country of only two million.
In 1983 Avadhūta Dāsa registered ISKCON in Slovenia. At that time, there was only one other
Slovenian who had had some association with your disciples and was preaching. Yet in Avadhūta
Dāsa’s mind, there was hope and vision of many Slovenian devotees that would come in time.
They will learn, take advantage of everything you bring and eventually, after leaving their body,
the story of their rebirth will end for good. Five years passed after that inspired moment full of
hope for your mission in Slovenia when devotees finally acquired a place. In 1988 there was first
ISKCON’s location in Slovenia.
Thus, this year Slovenian group of devotees is celebrating 40 years of efforts on your behalf.
In 2023 thousands of Slovenians can show their gratitude by raising their hands to the sky and
exclaiming, Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Every current member can confirm that the vision of Slovenian pioneers has come true. With
no major reports of transgressions, with consistent leadership and management, we are proud
to report that in the past 35 years daily program beginning with maṅgala-ārati has been followed
and attended on average by 30 devotees. Some live in men’s and lady’s āśramas and some travel
to have darśana of gorgeous Śrī Śrī Pañca-tattva and participate in lively kīrtana simultaneously
surcharged with deep silence indicating Kṛṣṇa’s presence. The great moment of Śrī Pañca-tattva’s
installation took place in 2001 at our latest and nicest location.
As Hare Kṛṣṇa names have once been a household name in Slovenia, it seems quite easy to find
new souls to offer a book to or even the japa-mālā. Every week there must be several who show

interest in the movement and from time to time, there is someone who wants to go deep. Every
year, for the past four decades there have been new initiates and some of them got qualified to do
Deity worship and represent ISKCON philosophically.
For the past forty years, more and more dedicated devotees have done so much on your behalf.
But the real symptom of success is seen when some devotee leaves their body. We can see how
even Slovenians who have been engaged in devotional services can get the opportunity that in
their last days, if not before, show such bliss convincing everyone closes their death is not an
ordinary death. Only a few decades ago, this option was not there. There is no doubt of your con-
tinued influence when also the relatives of the departed devotee’s soul possessing nothing more
than a drop of ajñāta-sukṛti testify how their son’s death was accompanied by auspicious visions
and feelings.
You take the credit for every person who, from now on, will leave their body in the bliss of
connection to Kṛṣṇa in devotion.
A close friend of mine and several devotees I knew left this world like this. This would not
be possible without your impactful life. This is real information. Every drama of life ends with
death and devotees born in this land of Slovenia have found eternal shelter in the spiritual world,
just like you had promised to all your followers. If following the principles of bhakti-yoga, even
Slovenian converts go back home back to Godhead.
What gives me the most faith in you, Śrīla Prabhupāda is just this, I witnessed Slovenian
natives attain spiritual goals of esoteric levels of bhakti-yoga before available only to some Indians
born in families surrounded by long-lasting Vaiṣṇava tradition.
Your servant,
Jaya Nitāi Gaura Dāsa (JPS)
on behalf of New Yoga-pīṭha Ljubljana, Slovenia
Luzce, Czech Republic

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda!
As Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s five precepts sum up the process of devotional service, you per-
fectly set them alive for us in your most merciful Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Following is a humble
poem, an attempt to glorify Your Divine Grace, expressing our deepest gratitude to you for saving
us from Māyā’s clutches and directing us toward the true goal of life, unalloyed devotional service.
Sādhu-saṅga
You came as a lightning We were lost and fallen

A lightning of grace Like masterless dogs
Beyond the time You brought the light
And mundane space Emerging from Boston’s docks

Lonely but powerful Destroyed are all foes
Your Grace Divine Foes inner and outer
You created a cosmos Within and without
Of sādhus around Strongly defeated
Alpha and omega of our lives By your lotus mouth
How could we ever be without? Not reading your books
Your temples and centers Is a death indeed
Saving islands But if regularly relished
For us to be free of māyā’s violence
A place to meet
Endless gratitude
Meet you and all sādhus
Indebted forever
And Kṛṣṇa The Lord
Are we
Cutting all attachments
Your followers
Forever and ever With the sharpest sword
Endless gratitude
Nāma-kīrtana
Indebted forever
Chanting the holy name
Are we
In Tompkins Square Park
Your followers
With first devotees
Forever and ever
Dancing around
Yuga-dharma – our shelter Mathurā-vāsa
Oh, when, oh, when that day will be mine
Saving us from living life
To be able
Helter skelter
To reside in the holy dhāma
Flows of nectar
Vṛndāvana, Māyāpur
Boundless bliss
Abodes beyond description
No kīrtana to be missed
You made them accessible to us
Harināma, kīrtana or japa together
As per śāstras prescription
Our bodies just no longer matter
Embassies of Goloka Dhāma
Oh, who would ever think?
Your worldwide temples
So simple yet sublime What a miracle!
Like ones’ eyes blink Spiritual world’s true samples
Leaving all sufferings behind Endless gratitude
Endless gratitude Indebted forever
Indebted forever Are we
Are we Your followers
Your followers Forever and ever
Forever and ever Śrī-mūrtiya-śraddhayā sevana
Bhāgavata-śravaṇa Ah, and your Deities!
You left a treasure chest The perfect forms
Lasting thousands of years Shining resplendently
For all sincere hearts conquering all norms
And eager ears Norms of beauty
Fog of Kali-yuga in a mundane sense
Far away it goes dissipating the darkness
As soon as we hear which is so dense

Without Śrī Mūrtis We can travel that world
Can’t imagine your movement From place to place
To gaze at Their beauties And always have darśana
Every single moment Oh, what a grace!
Is a life’s perfection Endless gratitude
No doubt Indebted forever
Such blissful sevā Are we
Lifting the dark cloud Your followers
Forever and ever
Like full moons
The forms of the Lord
Appearing mercifully
All over the world
Your servants from Śrī Śrī Nitāi Navadvīpacandra Mandir,

ISKCON Luzce and Govinda’s Restaurant Prague, Czech Republic
(Written by Rāsabihārī Devī Dāsī)
Madikeri, India
Our dearest, adoring and merciful spiritual grandfather, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble and respectful obeisances unto your lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace and to your anugas.
You have given us the greatest gift, the vision of transcendence that we are not this body. Never
before has any spiritual teacher or ācārya stressed this transcendental knowledge so much. We
have heard this to a point, where we think we know, but only knowing and understanding is not
enough. We know we have to live with this transcendental knowledge. And to live this kind of life
of significant transformation, you have given us the holy name and your books to read, under-
stand and follow. You have spent sleepless nights writing these books, and we have a duty to
spend time reading and understanding them.
We here in Madikeri, a small hill station tucked inside in the forests of Coorg in South India,
simply love and relish your purports, so immaculate, a holistic approach to the subject matter
down to the last subject matter pertaining to the śloka. Certainly, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has infused
transcendental inputs to make them so rich and relishing.
Your books have changed our lives. We here were well immersed in a life of comfort and igno-
rance of the realities of human life and engrossed with a sense gratificatory staple diet totally
oblivious to spirituality. Your Divine Grace has opened up a whole new treasure house in the form
of your books, sadhu-saṅga, nāma-saṅkīrtana, mahā-prasāda, festivals, Deity sevā, etc.
The other huge gift that Your Divine Grace has given us is the understanding of “BACK TO
GODHEAD.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have opened up the spiritual doors, windows, etc., for everyone irre-
spective of caste, color, creed, nation, etc. Never before had ANYONE shown us nor made us
understand the concept and the urgency to know how to go back home “BACK TO GODHEAD,”

nor even stressed about rejoining Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world. You have given us as
humans a very spiritual blissful, and vibrant life, a more meaningful life separate from animalistic
propensities.
Thank you, Your Divine Grace, for having given to us good followers as your disciples, who are
tirelessly serving to bring more souls “BACK TO GODHEAD.”
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, as the torchbearer, has thus sent Your Divine Grace to reclaim the
fallen souls in this Kali-yuga.
We rededicate ourselves today to be your servitor, even life after life and be happily situated
in ISKCON in spite of the (internal) situations arising now and then. BUT WE LOVE THEE …
ISKCON.
Your insignificant granddisciples,

Sudhīra Caitanya Dāsa & Servitors
ISKCON Madikeri, Coorg, Karnataka, South India
Malaga, Spain
Beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,

We, your dear servants of Malaga Mandir, fervently wish that you be our guide and conductor
on this path of spiritual self-realization.
Currently, the entire world is very far from the Supreme truth, and people are only dedicated
to the search for material enjoyment, thus forgetting the purpose of life, which is the return home,
the return to God.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we humbly ask you to give us enough strength and determination to
continue fighting this battle, where the enemy cannot be seen but exists …
Thank you very much for all the love that you kindly give us always!
Happy day of your Vyāsa-pūjā; Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
On behalf of all the devotees of Malaga Mandir,

Hari Cakra Dāsa (Hernando Landazabal F.)

Malawi
Hare Kṛṣṇa, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Kindly accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
We are serving here in Blantyre, Malawi, on the order of the GBC. We just moved here about a
year ago and are getting to know more and more about this place step by step. It is stated in the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.22.35:
etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ dehinām iha dehiṣu

prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā
It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his
life, wealth, intelligence and words.
We have personally read and heard about you and your glories, that you lived your whole life
on the above principles and that even at such an advanced age, you just gave, gave, and kept
giving. You lived an exemplary life and we’re still far away from making this śloka our life but
little by little, we go on doing what’s to be done in the progress of our movement.
We accomplished a few things this year; we organized our first Śrī Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā in
the main street of our city, we are holding children and adult classes separately on almost every
Saturday and with the acquisition of the new TV screen it is very easy to use the same in spreading
the message.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we’re doing nothing compared to you or your great followers, but we
know for sure that taking baby steps in spreading the movement will be a step toward taking
many, many suffering souls back to Godhead, which was your goal.
We fold our hands and thank you for allowing us to serve in your movement. Kindly bless us to
take it to new heights here in Malawi.
Your servants from ISKCON Blantyre, Malawi
Mangalore, India
Our Dear Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Paramahaṁsa Parivrājakācārya Aṣṭottara-śata Śrī Śrīmad Abhaya

Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Please accept our humble obeisances. All Glories to Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga.
On this auspicious occasion of your 127th Appearance Day, we feel greatly humbled yet fortu-
nate to offer this heartfelt offering at your lotus feet. The way your teachings are transforming the

hearts of millions of suffering souls in this material world is really inconceivable. Every single
person who is living in this material world is actually reaping the fruits of your efforts, knowingly
or unknowingly. The love of Godhead, which you have spread by the mercy of your spiritual
master and ultimately by Lord Gaurāṅga, is inundating the whole planet into kṛṣṇa-prema. The
world is now accepting your teachings more effectively. But as you have said that “Now it’s time
to boil the milk’, we all need to become more sincere in bhakti. We need to read your books regu-
larly and follow your instructions in a more mature way which we confess is lacking.
On this special day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we all should take a vow to follow your footsteps more
sincerely and make our lives perfect.
Thank you.
Your servants,
Congregation of ISKCON Mangalore, Śrī Jagannātha Mandir
Manila, Philippines
Śrīla Prabhupāda traveled the world to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He was a Nārada Muni of
the modern age – a true jet-setter. On his way from the USA to India, he journeyed westward and
stopped by Manila, the capital of the Philippines on October 11, 1972. After less than two days,
he left Manila for New Delhi. In his lecture in Vṛndāvana on October 21, 1972, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
mentioned Manila,
Recently I’m coming from Manila, Philippines. There also, they’re dog-eaters. But still
they took part in Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, chanted, and we were very much
encouraged. In the last meeting … We held our meeting in the hotel, big hall, very nice
hall, and all young men came, and they chanted and danced with us, purchased our
books, and here are … The organizer is Sudāmā-vipra Ma …, Gosvāmī Mahārāja is pres-
ent here. He has gone there only six months, and within six months, he has organized so
nicely that wherever we go, the young generation, especially, they chant, “Hare Kṛṣṇa!”
In another lecture in Vṛndāvana on October 28, 1972, he mentioned Manila again:
Yes. Manila, in Philippines. So this Manila, Philippines, they eat dogs. But still they gave
very patient hearing to kṛṣṇa-kathā. My last meeting was in a big hotel. Our Sudāmā
Vipra Gosvāmī Mahārāja arranged it, and it was very successful meeting. All full of
young men. And they came to hear about Kṛṣṇa. And they responded very nicely. They

purchased books, they danced, they chanted. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is
progressing only on this basis: śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17).
Śrīla Prabhupāda never again had the opportunity to return to Manila.

In June of 1971, Śrīla Prabhupāda visited Russia and it seemed that nothing much was accom-
plished in his four-day stay in Moscow in terms of preaching due to government restrictions.
However, Śrīla Prabhupāda found the real purpose of his visit to Russia by training and initiating
the first Russian devotee, giving him the name Ananta-śānti Dāsa. And from this transformation
of one person as a result of meeting a pure devotee, Russia now has tens of thousands of active
devotees and more than a hundred centers and temples.
A contrasting story may be told about Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Philippines. Although Śrīla
Prabhupāda met dozens of curious souls during his visit to Manila in 1972, to date ISKCON
Philippines only have three temples and two centers and approximately two hundred or even less
active devotees throughout the country.
Despite the slow progress of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Philippines, the devotees of ISKCON
Manila remain hopeful for a brighter future for ISKCON Philippines. We are excited and humbly
report to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda that a permanent ISKCON-owned temple will be built in Manila
very soon. We are expecting that the construction will commence soon after the ground-breaking
ceremony, which is scheduled on April 15, 2023. Once completed, the presiding Deities of
ISKCON Manila Temple, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava will have Their permanent home – a place They
can call Their own. Since Their arrival in 2006, They have been housed in a rented rundown place.
The new temple will become the center for all preaching activities, the Food For Life program
and book distribution for the entire Metro Manila area, which has a population of close to 16
million people.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your mercy, you have given us the opportunity to rise from the level of
being caṇḍālas and mlecchas to the level of becoming Vaiṣṇavas. We know that we can never repay
your kindness to us but we can only make an attempt to please you and remain loyal servants of
ISKCON. With this in mind, we will do whatever it takes to finish the new temple project and
move Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava to Their rightful place.
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your most insignificant servants,

ISKCON Manila (Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava Mandir) Devotees
c/o Indrāvalī Devī Dāsī, Vice President Operation
Manila, Philippines
Manitoba, Canada
All glories to Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga!! All Glories to You!!!
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this 127th anniversary of your appearance, we offer this homage to

you on behalf of your disciples, granddisciples, and uninitiated followers in ISKCON Manitoba,
Canada.
We are eternally grateful to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for pulling us out of this material world and
providing shelter at your lotus feet. If you wouldn’t do that, what would our lives be like? Staying
in this hypocritic, quarrelsome, judgmental, and stressful environment of Kali-yuga is extremely
difficult, but your blessed ISKCON centers and temples are like oases in the desert.
With your mercy, being in devotee association, we don’t feel the heat of this material world at
all. We feel so protected and sheltered when everybody is thinking only about the loving service
to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and their beloved devotees. We can’t thank you enough for bringing
all of us under your divine shelter. You sacrificed your whole life for our ultimate welfare even
though we never met you face to face. This is real compassion, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You fulfilled
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s words when He said:
yadi pāpi chāḍi dharma dūre deśe yāya

mora senāpati-bhakta yāibe tathāya
If some sinful people escape and giving up religious principles go to far off countries,
then My senāpati-bhakta (military commander) will come at that time to give them Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. (Śrī Caitanya-maṅgala, Sūtra-khaṇḍa 565)
We are those fallen, sinful souls, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for whom you came to rescue. Who else can
have this genuine compassion and love for us.
With your mercy Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have a small dedicated center now in Winnipeg to have
our weekly programs and festivals. This place is blessed with Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā
Mahārāṇī, and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi’s divine presence. Please bless us that this place gets converted
into a larger temple where our growing ISKCON Manitoba family can serve their Lordships
together. You also have lovingly sent us many young devotees who serve wholeheartedly on
Temple Planning Team and help a lot to make our festivals more vibrant. They are also helping us
distribute your books.
On your Vyāsa-pūjā, we bow down to your lotus feet and pray to you Śrīla Prabhupāda for
enthusiasm, determination, and patience in bhakti. Please bless us that as we grow larger, we have
loving relationships among devotees, and we cooperate with each other to serve ISKCON (your
body) with love and care. May we all have strong sādhana, taste for the holy name, and dedication
to study and distribute your divine books.
Thank you for engaging us in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

ISKCON Manitoba Congregation
Compiled by Mahāsundarī Rādhikā Devī Dāsī

Mauritius
Dearest and most beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet!
My dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is a day we eagerly wait to wish you a very happy Vyāsa-pūjā
Day and to show our gratitude for the mercy you have bestowed upon us all by giving us the
essence of Vedic literature and making us realize the purpose of our human life. It is also an
opportunity to relate to you every little happening occurring around the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir,
Vedic Farm and try to be the recipient of your utmost favor.
With each passing moment, we are witnessing the greater and greater influence of Kali-yuga,
which is trying to make our preaching less and less productive. People, like elsewhere in the
world, are more and more naturally inclined toward materialism than to spirituality. It is demand-
ing greater and greater effort to push the movement forward. However, when we realize how you
struggled hard to establish Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the 1960s in the midst of materialistic people
in the USA, alone with practically no help, then our difficulty seems so trivial. At that point, you
didn’t even have any literature, no facility, no internet, but yet single-handedly, because you had
complete faith in the instructions of your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, and
Lord Kṛṣṇa, you just accepted to be the instrument in the hands of the Lord. You displayed such
austerities at the advanced age of 70 that Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy started pouring, and the Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement inundated the the world. The prophecy of Lord Caitanya was realized
by you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We have realized the more we put you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the founder-
ācārya, in front of all our undertakings and preaching activities; the more Kṛṣṇa consciousness
will flourish, as rightly pointed out by His Holiness Bhakti-cāru Swami. This serves as a check-
point wherever our preaching suffers.
Mauritius, being a small Hindu-majority country, has full potential to be the first Kṛṣṇa con-
scious island in the world, as predicted by you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. You have already done
the groundwork, and you have kindly left the onus of finishing the work in the hands of all future
generations of devotees so that we can be a part, however small, of Lord Caitanya’s movement
and get enough credit to be eligible to go back to home back to Godhead, our destination. You
have displayed such mercy on us, and we are deeply grateful to you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
All devotees are pushing forward to spread the message of Godhead through book distribution,
and this is changing the lives of people gradually but surely. New temples are being constructed,
new saṅgas are emerging, nāmahaṭṭa programs are being held throughout the country on a regular
basis, harināma is constantly being organized, several Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā festivals are being
held in different regions of the country. Devotees are leaving no stone unturned to spread Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
This is but the miracle of your mercy, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. This would not have been pos-
sible without your personal supervision and guidance. We can feel your presence, dear Śrīla
Prabhupāda, wherever we meet devotees, wherever we read your books, wherever there is a sat-
saṅga going on, wherever we visit any ISKCON temple. Words are not enough to glorify what
you have done for us, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, but still, what to do? We love you so much and we
can’t stop eulogizing your greatness, and the fact that you have been among us and your lotus feet
have sanctified the Mauritian soil. This in itself is a blessing. Yet we always pray to you, dear Śrīla
Prabhupāda, to please continue showering your blessings so that we can continue to preach in a

Kṛṣṇa conscious spirit and keep our enthusiasm so that we always remain attached to your lotus
feet and serve the devotees with utmost humility.
We beg to remain the faithful servants of ISKCON,

Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir
ISKCON Vedic Farm, Mauritius
(Written by Viśvanātha Dāsa)
Mayapur, India

Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Again, and yet again, we pay obei-
sances before you. All glories to you! All glories to you! All glories to you!
Amongst the diversity that is ISKCON today, we all stand united under one banner. And you,
dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, are our founder-ācārya. Your word is the final leading decision in anything
and everything that matters. And your satisfaction is the ultimate goal in all our endeavors. Indi-
vidually and collectively, we submit to your will. We seek your forgiveness for any areas where
our obedience is lacking, and we pray for your guidance to discipline us. Despite inevitable dif-
ferences of opinion, we try to keep your instructions close to heart and to work cooperatively as a
manifestation of our love for you. Please be kind, for without your mercy we are truly lost.
You have personally requested that we all work together to develop the Māyapur Project, your
place of worship. And we strive to bring your vision of ISKCON into reality. Māyāpur is growing
rapidly in size, population, and diversity, accommodating many devotees traveling here from all
around the world. On your behalf, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are welcoming all visiting devotees to
the dhāma.
By establishing a system where each service and sub-service gets its own place in the structure
of management, we have been able to cater to many sevās in Māyāpur, with room for much expan-
sion as our family in Māyāpur grows.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said he wanted 50,000 devotees to live in Māyāpur, and currently, 7,500 live
here. Now countless guests are flooding into Māyāpur, and there is a great need to house them
better since Māyāpur is becoming a more popular destination as the TOVP nears its completion.
Therefore, many Guest house rooms have been transformed into Deluxe rooms. Utilitarian addi-
tions (geysers, ACs, etc.) have been added to other rooms as well to make a more comfortable
experience for the guests. Plans for dedicated restaurants and even new guest houses are in the
works.

Our first-class deity department, with connections all across India and the world for the
making of garments specifically made for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, Śrī Śrī Pañca-tattva, Śrī Śrī
Prahlāda Narasiṁhadeva, is beautiful and outstanding. Nonetheless, we are constantly trying to
improve Deity worship here. There are also several classes on Deity worship and care that devo-
tees attend from various parts of the world.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has always told us to distribute books, as many as physically possible, and
now, because of that, ISKCON Māyāpur has emerged as the International #1 in book distribution,
with over 2.3 million book points scored by our own teams. Harināmas are held daily all around
Māyāpur, with an expansion of traveling saṅkīrtana parties in the works. We also encourage
all the divisions, departments, devotees, and congregations of Māyāpur to take up your book
distribution.
Our Land efforts are seeing agriculture projects grow. As well as establishing new areas for the
Prauḍhā Māyā and Dāmodara Nagar projects, land encroachment is being tackled effectively, and
the newly established Sārasvata Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Association has made progress in forming alli-
ances and connections with other Maṭhas in the area.
You have always said cleanliness is godliness. In the dhāma, waste management has become
a focused goal, although accomplishing it will need your mercy and guidance. Currently, we are
focusing on segregating plastic and non-plastic waste sources for better disposal, although sin-
gle-use plastic has now been banned inside the campus.
Our total herd strength in the gośālā is up to 390 cows, with over 38,000 liters of milk being
produced in the last year. Income from gośālā sales and bullock cart rides is steadily increasing,
while expenditures for the gośālā department are being offset by new fundraising initiatives such
as grass sevā and tulābhāram.
This and so much more is being overseen in your service, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Māyāpur has
become an incredible devotee capital of the world, and we are pushing through many obstacles to
accomplish your vision and dream for a Vaiṣṇava society, with the TOVP as its crown jewel. Even
as we speak, TOVP efforts are charging toward the completion of Śrī Narasiṁhadeva’s Temple
Wing, to be inaugurated later this year in October.
The clarity of your preaching and instructions are the daily medicine that protects us from the
incessant assault of māyā. But unlike ordinary tonics, your books are full of the most exquisite
tastes and experiences. Out of your love for Kṛṣṇa, you have explicitly described His glories and
pastimes, along with everything of our relationship with Him, how to act in that relationship, and
the ultimate goal to be achieved by surrendering fully to His service. Your books and your words,
being full of Kṛṣṇa, are the sweetest of all songs, the destroyer of all misfortune, and the source of
unending spiritual strength.
Yet, despite your daily influence in our lives, it sometimes happens that, due to our poor fund
of knowledge, we misunderstand that you have departed and are no longer present. That you
are no more at the helm of ISKCON. At such times, we become uncertain about how to be your
representatives in leading Srī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s saṅkīrtana movement, and we lament your
absence from amongst us.
Fortunately, you have kindly revealed to us the solution to such lamentation. As you wrote
some 60 years ago about your own spiritual master, “He lives forever by his divine instructions
and the follower lives with him.” Śrīla Prabhupāda, we want nothing more than to follow you and
live with you forever. We are certain that if we can do this, then the flood of Lord Caitanya’s mercy
will cover the world, beginning from the holy land of Śrī Māyapur Dhāma. With all humility, we
pray to remain fixed at your lotus feet. By the mercy of Lord Caitanya, by our service to you, we
hope that everybody in Māyāpur can develop their natural love for Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are our shelter and our support. You are our guide, our instructor, and

our chastiser. You are our inspiration and our ever well-wisher. You are our eternal master, and
together, in one voice, we declare ourselves to be your servants evermore.
Please engage us in your service.
Your servants,
ISKCON Māyāpur Co-directors
Jayapatākā Swami
Braja Vilāsa Dāsa
Śubhekṣana Dāsa
Melbourne, Australia
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Svāmī

lotus feet.


Your goal is to create a society of ideal men. A class of saintly men admired by the world who
inspires others to match their compassion, equanimity, sobriety, discipline, purity, tolerance,
simplicity, mysticism, learning, and wisdom. You envisioned a class of brāhmiṇical men, leaders
of the world. Ācāryas, leading the world by example. Instructors and guides of the administrators
who govern the business community and employees of the world. Who see everyone as equal, as
a servant of God. Whose every deed is for the benefit of all, who control the mind and senses, are
liberal, selfless, advanced in spiritual learning, qualified gurus, and friends of all.
In human society, therefore, there must be an ideal class of men, brāhmaṇas, who can
bestow blessings upon others, namely, upon the kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras, so that
everyone will be happy. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.7.13–15, purport)
You set the example. Your concern and care for others manifested your unbounded compassion.

You have a big heart. Your ISKCON society is an expansion of your heart, meant for the benefit
of all.
ISKCON is the place where ideal men are born. Young and old, transformed by following the
bhakti process as enunciated by the Gosvāmīs and as taught and shown by you. From the ordinary
and mundane arise soft-hearted saints with love and compassion like you.
You also had a realistic approach to this endeavor: Actually, this world is like a hospital.
We are all like sons of rich men running mad in the streets. Our Father, Krishna or God,
is the wealthiest father, and we are all His sons gone mad. (Letter to Balavanta, Calcutta,
February 18, 1972)
On the way to Kṛṣṇa is a path with many twists and turns. Just as in a hospital, a patient may
relapse, similarly those who are aspiring Vaiṣṇavas with the highest of goals may again become
madmen and struggle to identify with their spiritual identity.
Therefore in the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, those who are twice
initiated so as to become brāhmaṇas must bear in mind their great responsibility to be
truthful, control the mind and senses, be tolerant, and so on. Then their life will be
successful. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.7.13–15, purport)
You were in no illusion as to the obstacles and challenges facing us. You gave us the process and
the expert tips for success.
One must be determined. So māyā may check my progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but
I must fight māyā. This determination (is) wanted. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-
vratāḥ. That is wanted … One must be very serious, dṛḍha-vratāḥ. Dṛḍha-vratāḥ, and
firmly convinced. These things are required to revive your Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (Lecture
on The Nectar of Devotion, Bombay, January 5, 1973)
Chanting sixteen rounds, studying the books and attending the temple regularly. I am
glad to hear that you are determined to fight maya and take up this Krishna Conscious-
ness philosophy. So go on reading my books and attending the temple regularly. By this
process your spiritual life will develop. You should also be sure to chant 16 rounds on
your beads if possible. This is the recommended way to become Krishna Conscious in
this Age of Kali. (Letter to Mr. Seibert, Bombay, November 22, 1974)
Otherwise, we shouldn’t be surprised at the consequences. You gave a stern warning. You gave
the solution.
All the devotees connected with the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must read all the
books that have been translated (the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-
gītā and others); otherwise, after some time, they will simply eat, sleep and fall down
from their position. Thus, they will miss the opportunity to attain an eternal, blissful life
of transcendental pleasure. (Cc., Madhya 25.278)
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the Hare Kṛṣṇa Temple in Melbourne, we are fulfilling your vision of
creating saintly men and women who work for the benefit of all. By following your instructions,
we have been successful. When we chant our sixteen rounds, study your books, and regularly
attend the temple, we are no longer in the material world. You advised us to be honest. It is our
business to ensure we are serving Kṛṣṇa for His pleasure. In that mood, we are automatically in

the spiritual world. If we serve for our own pleasure, we are in the material world. You made this
clear in June 1974:
So, you can become in the material world or spiritual world, as you desire. As you desire.
If you want to remain in the spiritual world, this temple is the spiritual world. We are not
living in Melbourne. This temple is not Melbourne. It is Vaikuṇṭha.
Devotees: Jaya!
Prabhupāda: It is Vṛndāvana. So, if you stick to this temple service, Kṛṣṇa’s service, then
you are not in this material world. But as soon as you want to enjoy this material world,
immediately you are in material world. This is your position.
Please bless us to determinedly serve your vision in creating a class of ideal men and women who
chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, study your books and render service in your temple community, so we expand
the spiritual world in Melbourne.
Your servant,
Aniruddha Dāsa
Temple President
Mendoza, Argentina
Song for Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Prabhupāda, a Light Of Humanity!
How much time I wasted And the whole world woke up

How many roads I traveled although to get it
Looking for my complacency will suffer so much pain
Or running from pain Therefore here I will be
I had reasons to love And at his feet I will give myself
But it was never real I don’t understand any other reason
Nothing could show me I don’t want to understand it
True happiness PRABHUPĀDA, PRABHUPĀDA
However something happened A light on the path of all humanity!
Śrīla Prabhupāda arrived The match for your mission
How when you need water and embarks on a ship
And they bring you an ocean Already crossing the 7 seas
Today I would like to understand his heart failed him
and maybe know why How can this be?
And even if there is no answer I could not believe it!
The answer is in your love However it had begun
He showed his weakness His great determination

But Kṛṣṇa appeared with his soldiers of love
And in a dream he spoke to him Being the commander in chief
“Many souls are waiting for you of the army of God
I will heal your heart” Never again be reborn
He finally disembarks you will never be reborn again
And in the new world he found himself If we all carry on together
He never would have imagined worshiping Śrīla Prabhupāda
That total degradation PRABHUPĀDA! PRABHUPĀDA
But little by little he found himself A light on the path of all humanity!
Keśava Rāma Dāsa

New Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara preaching center
Mendoza, Argentina
Miami, USA
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you and your eter-
nal, pure devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Each year when we feebly attempt to compose a suit-
able Vyāsa-pūjā homage for you, it is a great challenge to choose which of your glorious qualities
and achievements we can attempt to describe. As we sing during your guru-pūjā ceremony each
morning, “your fame is spread all over the three worlds.”
After much consideration and feeling inspired by our hope and desire to educate ourselves and
our congregation in the science of bhakti-yoga, we decided to write about your wonderful gift of
transcendental books.
We appreciate that, although you could have given the world any number of Vedic literature
about mundane subjects (since the Vedas mostly deal with such subjects), but you chose to give us
only the most essential books that focus on the Lord’s pure devotional service.
For example, the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, from the very first verse, kicks out any concept of
religion that is materially motivated. The only purpose of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is to guide
the serious student to the point of pure devotional service. You stated in the Preface to the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
The only qualification one needs to study this great book of transcendental knowledge
is to proceed step by step cautiously and not jump forward haphazardly, as with an ordi-
nary book. It should be gone through chapter by chapter, one after another. The reading
matter is arranged with its original Sanskrit text, its English transliteration, synonyms,
translation, and purports so that one is sure to become a God-realized soul at the end of
finishing the first nine cantos.
Years ago, when the mass distribution of your books was reaching new heights, and your disciples
were most eager to sell your books for your transcendental pleasure, they presented a proposal
to you that they be allowed to skip guru-pūjā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class in the mornings just

to get an early start on book distribution. To our surprise, you rejected that proposal. You knew
all too well that for us to be able to continue preaching with conviction, we needed to daily hear
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam philosophy with eagerness and rapt attention, and that by such regular, atten-
tive hearing, we would cleanse our hearts of the desire for material enjoyment. This is confirmed
in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam:
śṛṇvatāṁ sva-kathāḥ kṛṣṇaḥ puṇya-śravaṇa-kīrtanaḥ

hṛdy antaḥ-stho hy abhadrāṇi vidhunoti suhṛt satām
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s
heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment
from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which
are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the
pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and
loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs,
is established as an irrevocable fact. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.17–18)
Another beautiful and amazing experience that we have when studying Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is that
we look forward to the excitement of reading and hearing its message. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is ever
fresh, and your purports are ever fresh. Even if we have read certain passages many times before,
with each new reading, we are excited to associate with Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and you. This is quite
natural because you are the topmost Person Bhāgavata, as you are living the purport of Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam itself is described as the literary incarnation of the Lord.
idaṁ bhāgavataṁ nāma purāṇaṁ brahma-sammitam

uttama-śloka-caritaṁ cakāra bhagavān ṛṣiḥ
niḥśreyasāya lokasya dhanyaṁ svasty-ayanaṁ maha
This scripture named Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of God, and it is com-
piled by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, the incarnation of God. It is meant for the ultimate good of all
people, and it is all-successful, all-blissful and all-perfect. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.40)
When Lord Kṛṣṇa performed His earthly pastimes, those pastimes filled the hearts of everyone
with excitement, bliss, and adventure, causing the devotees to become unlimitedly attracted to
the Lord. Similarly, when we attentively study Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, along with your Bhaktivedanta
Purports, we can experience a small glimpse of the mood and bliss of the Lord’s eternal pastimes.
The real bliss of studying your books comes from discussing them with other devotees. This is
confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā:
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam

kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service,
and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and
conversing about Me. (Bg. 10.9)

We therefore pray, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that you will bless us with an increased taste for Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam and for chanting the Lord’s holy names. We pray that you will also help us to share
this great treasure with more devotees and people in general.
Your humble servants at

ISKCON Miami
Milton, Canada
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our respectful obeisances at your lotus feet, which is
undoubtedly the fastest way to deliver us from material miseries and direct us toward our only
aim of life, kṛṣṇa-prema.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, with your blessings, we were very fortunate to purchase a new temple after
five years of preaching and Sunday feast from a rented Church in downtown Milton.
The new temple inauguration was on Janmāṣṭamī day 2022. On that day, we hosted an unprec-
edented number of attendees; more than 1400 devotees and visitors received the blessings of Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara. Three Regional and Town Councilors attended the event. Also in atten-
dance was a representative of the local member of the provincial parliament, the acting Mayor of
the Town of Milton, and the Consul General of India. They were all on hand to inaugurate your
new temple in Milton, Ontario, Canada.
By your mercy, compassion, and inspiration, we were able to take this bold step to have a place
where devotees can serve you and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara every day. It’s because of you we
can chant and hear the holy names of the Lord as well as read and hear the transcendental Vedic
message you came here to share.
After a couple of months, on Govardhana Pūjā, we were elated to receive you in the form of a
beautiful heart-melting mūrti, to whom ISKCON Milton devotees are performing daily pūjā. On
that day, your beloved disciples (Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Prabhu, Śubhavilāsa Prabhu, Aśalata Mātājī,
and Praharaṇa Mātājī) were on hand to welcome you to ISKCON Milton.
A couple of months before Janmāṣṭamī, the devotees of ISKCON Milton hosted our first ever
Ratha-yātrā on the main street of downtown Milton. Śrī Jagannātha, Śrī Baladeva, and Śrīmatī
Subhadrā Mahārāṇī came out personally to bless the residents of the Town of Milton.
At this event also, Milton Town Councilors and other distinguished guests were present to
honor you and this great society you started. Around 300 devotees and other invitees took part in
the Ratha-yātrā festival. The joy and enthusiasm of devotees during the parade were quite evident.
By Lord Jagannātha’s mercy, the festival was a smashing success.
Following the parade, the festival continued with a variety of cultural programs, including
Indian classical dances and kīrtana topped off with Jagannātha prasāda honored by all. This

Ratha-yātrā gave us the strength and courage needed to make future Ratha-yātrās even bigger and
better. We’ve already started planning for the 2023 Ratha-yātrā.
Because of your mercy, we know about Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and can contribute our tiny
efforts to His mission, which is to distribute harināma saṅkīrtana to all. Otherwise, how is it pos-
sible that on this planet Earth, in a faraway country from Mahāprabhu’s pastimes, Canada, in a
little town called Milton, we could have opened a glorious temple of the Lord? A temple where
devotees can congregate and chant the holy names of the Lord together and honor kṛṣṇa-prasāda.
This is a sampling of some of the programs being offered by your new center:
1. Your world-famous Sunday Love Feasts.

2. A weekly Bhakti-śāstrī program.
3. Daily online morning japa
4. Kīrtana events
5. Dāmodara month home kīrtana programs
6. Regular saṅkīrtana events to distribute your books.
7. Online Saturday morning Bhāgavatam classes.
8. Sunday Fun school for your future saṅkīrtana warriors.
Slowly and gradually, many devotees are taking harināma and brahminical initiations, and with
this, more and more devotees are coming forward to serve in your temple.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.12.12 states:
rahūgaṇaitat tapasā na yāti

na cejyayā nirvapaṇād gṛhād vā
na cchandasā naiva jalāgni-sūryair
vinā mahat-pāda-rajo-’bhiṣekam
My dear King Rahūgaṇa, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with
the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One
cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmācārya], strictly
following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home as a vānaprastha,
accepting sannyāsa, or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself sub-
merged in water or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the
sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute
Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee.
With this Vyāsa-pūjā offering, we, the devotees of ISKCON Milton beg for your mercy, as men-
tioned in the verse above, so that the Absolute Truth can be revealed to us. Your mercy will help
us progress on our spiritual journeys of chanting the holy name, singing in kīrtanas, and reading
and distributing your books, which you have painstakingly translated for us and others.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us so that we can become a tiny instrument to serve in your
mission. Please forgive our offenses and give us strength to carry out this mission of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu, as you have taught.

Your Insignificant Servants,
ISKCON Milton

Monterrey, Mexico

On this most auspicious and important day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, for which we remember you
with great affection, we want to tell you how much we are grateful to you. For us, you are our
greatest inspiration and motivation to continue preaching with enthusiasm. We are very aware of
the example and teachings that you have left us through your books, recorded interviews, classes,
and kīrtanas.
Here in Monterrey, we do programs, we go out on the streets, we do kīrtana-yoga and we do
preaching programs, distribution of books and prasāda in rehabilitation centers, and of course we
also do weekly Food For Life program and distribute prasāda to people on the street and homeless
people and in shelters, we also participate in interfaith events in universities and congresses, we
do all these activities as a sincere offering to you since you inspire us so much and it is a way of
showing you love through continuing your legacy and with your mission, we want to be even
more committed to your mission and your teachings. For us, you are our savior.
Here the devotees are very happy and enthusiastic. We have a lot of fun doing service, and
it is very true that this knowledge is practiced with joy and happiness. Although sometimes we
encounter difficulties, one way or another, we get ahead, and getting out of problems and finding
a solution makes us even stronger. That is thanks to the example that you have left us. You never
gave up on bringing this knowledge to this part of the world and you knew how to execute the
instruction of your spiritual master. You never gave up and that inspires us a lot, and thanks to
your efforts, we treasure all these teachings and instructions in the depths of our hearts.
Sometimes devotees here ask themselves: What would we be doing if we had never known
Kṛṣṇa consciousness? If we had never heard from you? If we had never had a book of yours in our
hands? If we had never heard the mahā-mantra? … what would have happened to our lives?
Perhaps we would never have met each other. We are devotees with different personalities
and from different places, and thanks to you, dear spiritual grandfather, we have met for the sole
purpose of doing devotional service and spreading the holy names as you have taught us through
your teachings. Thanks to you we were fortunate to be in contact with our spiritual teachers who
guide us under your instruction.
On this special day, we want to tell you, that thanks to you we are preaching, and you have
made us the happiest people in this world because you have taught us that there is nothing more
valuable in this world than devotional service, and thanks to that, our lives are complete.
We love you very much, dear spiritual grandfather Śrīla Prabhupāda; thank you very much for
everything; we promise that we will continue spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness here in Monterrey.
Your humble servants at ISKCON Monterrey N.L. Mexico

(Written by Draupadī Devī Dāsī)

Montreal, Canada
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda:
You have blessed the whole world with the greatest gifts of perfect knowledge of God. As poi-
gnantly stated by your own great master, this world has an over-abundance of so many material
assets; yet it is greatly lacking in the most important thing of all: true God-consciousness. Thus
our merciful Lord sends His own true servants to fulfill this greatest need: to fill this darkened
world with the light of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So you have also been sent from above to be
the Lord’s empowered messenger to spread all over the world the greatest blessing of the saṅ-
kīrtana movement. Thus this Kali-yuga world of misery can now become transformed into a
replica of the Lord’s highest abode, the eternal Festival of Love of Vraja-līlā. And this sublime
state of spiritual perfection becomes first manifested in the miraculous lives of the rare mahātmās
such as yourself, pure lovers of the Lord. That we are all allowed to be continuous witnesses to
these divine manifestations is our greatest good fortune. So we pray that you please allow us to
continue fulfilling our lives’ true purpose: to broadcast far and wide the glories of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and
of His perfect servants for suffering mankind’s ultimate salvation.
All Glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your grateful servants of ISKCON Montreal
Moscow, Russia
On this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our most humble obeisances at your
divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!

Lord Caitanya predicted that the holy name would one day be chanted in every town and village
of the world. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had full faith that this prediction would come true, and
he foretold that a powerful senāpati-bhakta would soon appear to realize Lord Caitanya’s predic-
tion. You are that powerful senāpati-bhakta who worked tirelessly to take the holy name to every
corner of the globe. You had full faith in the instructions of your spiritual master. Although you
had to undergo so many difficulties in India and abroad, you were determined to establish Kṛṣṇa
consciousness for the benefit of suffering humanity. You opened ISKCON centers around the
world and translated the Vedic texts.
Due to your divine instructions and the hard work of your followers, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness

movement is continuing to expand in many parts of the world. Once, when someone asked you
if you could do any magic, you said, “No.” But then you said, “One magic I have done is that I
have converted so many mlecchas into brāhmaṇas.” No other preacher could have achieved this in
Kali-yuga.
Because of your purity, you were able to attract thousands of conditioned souls to the path of
pure devotional service. You were always humble and gentle in dealing with others. You gave the
medicine by which the suffering humanity can be cured – the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
In 1971, you visited Moscow for a few days. Visiting USSR was risky and a very difficult task.
Upon learning that you were planning to visit Moscow, the devotees tried to invite you for a
vacation in Hawaii and engage in book translations. Knowing about your plans to visit Moscow,
devotees tried to attract you with the message that the mango season was starting in Hawaii.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you replied, “Preaching in the snows of Russia is sweeter than mangoes!”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your mercy, today we have got over 100 temples/centers in Russia.
Devotees have distributed millions of your transcendental books in Russia. Moscow devotees
are making their efforts to carry on your legacy by spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our temple
activities, book distribution, harināma, and other preaching activities are going well. Last year we
distributed 158,750 of your transcendental books in Moscow, 480 harināmas were performed in
the streets of Moscow, and our Ratha-yātrā festival was attended by tens of thousands of visitors.
Currently, there are 62 Bhakti-vṛkṣa groups in Moscow.
By your mercy, finally, we have got possession to own our building which will eventually be the
home for our Deities and a permanent address of your movement in Moscow. Devotees are work-
ing to reconstruct the building and convert it into a beautiful ISKCON temple.
Moscow is a very important city in the world, and an ISKCON temple should be very well
represented in this capital city. We are sure our preaching activities will enhance by having a nice
Kṛṣṇa temple here in Moscow. This year, ISKCON Moscow is celebrating the 35th anniversary of
its official registration in Russia.
You often stated that as long as book distribution goes on, you would live forever. Through
your Bhaktivedanta purports, you are continuing to preach to the conditional souls. Like Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you have converted so many atheists and impersonalists to the path of
devotional service. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura stated that a Vaiṣṇava is recognized by his preach-
ing work. Your book will continue to preach for the next ten thousand years.
By your personal example, you showed how a devotee should be engaged in serving the Lord.
Once when you were unwell and devotees were advising you to rest and recuperate, you stated,
“Please don’t take away my privilege to struggle for Kṛṣṇa.” Even when doctors advised you to
slow down, you never stopped preaching and translating.
Today we see how many scholars, religious and political leaders of the world honor ISKCON
society’s achievements and your contributions to the humanity of this world.
On this auspicious day, we pray for your causeless mercy so that we may always remain fixed
in executing your divine instructions and helping to propagate Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana
movement.
Your insignificant servants from ISKCON Moscow, Russia

Mumbai (Chowpatty), India
Please accept our humble and grateful obeisances. All Glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga
The city of Bombay, though highly materialistic, has also got the good fortune of being suffi-
ciently sprinkled by the holy dust from your lotus feet and that of your divine Spiritual Master,
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. His Holiness Girirāja Mahārāja, in his recently pub-
lished memoir, I Will Build You a Temple, mentions that among all your centers, you spent the
maximum amount of time in Bombay. Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura visited Mumbai consecutively for
three years from 1933 to 1935, with a view to establishing the Western Headquarters of his Gauḍīya
Maṭha, at that time called Viśva-vaiṣṇava Rājya-sabhā. Incidentally, the year 1933 is also most
significant because you accepted initiation from your eternal Spiritual Master that year. A fact
that was most interesting for all of us at your temple at ISKCON Chowpatty was that Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura stayed just across the place where ISKCON Chowpatty is located.
On his first visit in 1933, Sarasvatī Ṭhākura resided at the Jangoo Villa on Babulnath Road,
close to Babulnath temple; which is just to the right of our temple. Interestingly to the left of our
temple is the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, the place from where you made the prophecy that there
should be a temple in this locality. On October 18, 1973, you attended a conference at the Bhara-
tiya Vidya Bhavan and gave the keynote address. Your secretary at the time, His Grace Śyāma-
sundara Prabhu recalls: “After the lecture, Prabhupāda stood on the steps of the Bharatiya Vidya
Bhavan, pointed down the street, and said, ‘We should have a temple here.’ ” By the inconceivable
power of your merciful glance and desire, at the spot where you pointed, there is now the Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha Mandir, which houses a community of thousands of devotees and attracts
millions of people. It seems that the magical dust from your lotus feet and that of your Spiritual
Master, has made the spiritually barren land of Bombay into a fertile ground for preaching and
spreading Lord Caitanya’s movement. On getting darśana of the Lord, Brahmājī prays to Him as
follows:
yad-yad-dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti

tat-tad-vapuḥ praṇayase sad-anugrahāya
You are so merciful to Your devotees that You manifest Yourself in the particular eternal
form of transcendence in which they always think of You. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.9.11)
Brahmājī is indicating here that the Lord becomes obliged to appear in a particular form based
on the desires of His pure devotees. The desires of Śrīla Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and yourself to
have a temple in the locality of Girgaum Chowpatty have bloomed to produce this community
at ISKCON Chowpatty, under the loving care and shelter of your dear servant, His Holiness
Rādhānāth Swami.
Bombay got the opportunity to serve as the springboard from which you arranged the means
to start your mission by securing a ticket to Boston on the Jaladuta. You also called Bombay
your Office. Hearing about the opposition, contempt, and hurdles you endured to start the Juhu
temple and preaching in India in general fills our heart with gratitude for your compassionate
nature and also with shame for the neglectful or even vicious response of the Indians in those
days to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. How can Kṛṣṇa let the sacrifice of His pure devotee
go in vain? Fast forward 50 years, and now we see that India has been taken by storm by your
movement. While in the 70s, Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees were suspected as either CIA agents or as
depraved hippies, in today’s times, the entire nation looks up to the Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees as

ambassadors of the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, as angels of compassion through the distribu-
tion of prasāda and as archetypes of Indian culture. Several preachers of your ISKCON Chow-
patty temple have earned global acceptance and acclaim as spiritual leaders, while several projects
of the temple, such as the Govardhan Ecovillage, the Bhaktivedanta Hospital, the Prayāga
project, etc., have earned laurels from all quarters, including the United Nations and the Indian
government.
What we are seeing is just a manifestation of your desire, despite all our shortcomings and
impurities. But it seems to us that the airplane is still on the runway, the plane is yet to take
off – your desire for each and every single soul to receive mercy of Lord Caitanya is still a far cry.
You have made it clear to us that you aim for nothing less than rhinos, and it is no time for us to
become complacent. A lot of potential is still untapped, and loads of missionary work is yet to be
done – gallons of blood to be shed. These days the temple is jam-packed with new people, young-
sters, working professionals, etc., for all āratis of the day. Common people look up to ISKCON
for solutions to the problems created by materialistic life. A case in point is that videos of devo-
tees are garnering millions of views on social media platforms. But we need to work hard to trans-
late that interest into involvement and then into a sincere commitment to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Please bestow us with the purity of intention and sincerity of endeavor so that we could become
worthy instruments in your lotus hands and make our lives successful.

Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīnātha Mandir
ISKCON Chowpatty
Mumbai (Juhu), India

Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees at your ISKCON Juhu Hare Kṛṣṇa Land, offer their prostrated
obeisances in the dust of your Lotus Feet.
The active principle in Spiritual life is to please the Spiritual Master by rendering service unto
him. The more service given, the more we come to realize our true position, which is that we are
just a speck of dust at your feet. The misconception that we are “advanced” devotees or “senior”
devotees is like cancer eating up our Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The only remedy for this disease is
humble, submissive service.
It is mentioned in the fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by Lord Kapila to His Mother
Devahūti about the different paths of devotional service. Not that because one wears tilaka auto-
matically, one is performing devotional service in the right way. Your devotional service, which
you performed solely for the pleasure of your Śrīla Prabhupāda and Kṛṣṇa is the perfect example
for everyone to follow. Your devotional service Śrīla Prabhupāda is pure because there is no

demand from your side to be fulfilled by the Lord. Generally, we have so many demands in per-
forming devotional service.
In the Bhagavad-gītā, four types of persons are described that come to devotional service. A
person in distress may come to perform devotional service to get rid of the distress. A person in
need of money approaches the Lord to improve his economic condition. Others who are not in
need of money or distressed sometimes seek knowledge, and they inquire into the nature of the
absolute truth; Bhagavad-gītā 7.16. Devotional service is one without a second, but according to
the devotees’ condition, devotional service appears in different varieties.
In pure devotional service, the only motive should be to please the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. If one has a motive for personal sense gratification, his devotional service is manifested
differently. Such a devotee may be violent, proud, envious, and angry, and his interests are sepa-
rate from the Lord’s Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.9
When one has even a tinge of personal interest, his devotion is mixed with the three modes of
material nature: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.10
There can be no excuse for personal or material interest; Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.10
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your devotional service is free from any desire except to please Kṛṣṇa, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus, you exhibited behavior just like a perfect gentleman. You
related to everyone perfectly because of your constant engagement in devotional service.
We, your followers, request your special mercy on this special day of your appearance. Please
bless us so that we can go beyond the mixed devotional platform and come to the point of not
desiring any material or spiritual prosperity. Bless us so that we simply aspire to serve the Lord. If
we can attain this, we will be in the highest happiness.
Everyone’s prescribed duty is glorious if it is performed in devotional service to the Lord with-
out desire for profit. Such loving service must be performed without reason, without impediment,
and spontaneously. Kṛṣṇa is lovable, and one has to serve Him in whatever capacity one can. That
is pure devotional service. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.15.
Devahūti Kapila’s Mother asked questions related to the well-being of the conditioned souls.
This pleased Lord Kapila, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, very much. In the same way, if
we try our level best to concern ourselves with the upliftment of the conditional souls suffering in
this material world very soon, we may find we are advancing toward that devotional service men-
tioned above.
May this be our fervent hope and only desire.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all you have given, like the holy name, the service of Śacīsuta
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the shelter of Vṛndāvana Dhāma and Māyāpur Dhāma, the association
of the Six Gosvāmī’s of Vṛndāvana, Govardhan Hill, and Rādhā-kuṇḍa. What more could we
want than these precious jewels? Please bless us to be able to hold these gifts and to always appre-
ciate their value.
Thank you for the super excellent gift of service to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rāsabihārī, Nitāi-Gaura, and
Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇa and Hanumān. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we, your servants at Rādhā-Rāsabihārī
Mandir, offer or koṭi daṇḍavat praṇāmas in the dust of your Lotus Feet. Help us offer to perform
pure devotional service free from any inebriety very soon.
Your temple at Juhu distributed over 487,000 Mahā-big books during the Year. Also, over 2800
full sets were distributed. Please, Śrīla Prabhupāda, continue to shower your mercy on your Juhu
Mumbai temple.
Your servants at your temple Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rāsabihārī Mandir, Juhu, Mumbai

Mumbai (Mira Road), India
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.15.43 we see:
tasyāravinda-nayanasya padāravinda-
kiñjalka-miśra-tulasī-makaranda-vāyuḥ
antar-gataḥ sva-vivareṇa cakāra teṣāṁ
saṅkṣobham akṣara-juṣām api citta-tanvoḥ
When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the
Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change
both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman
understanding.
When the Kumāras went to Vaikuṇṭha, just by smelling the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasī
leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, they started worshipping the personal
form of the Lord. Similarly, O Śrīla Prabhupāda, just by smelling the breeze carrying the dust
of your lotus feet, so many hardcore atheists, materialists, impersonalists, drunkards, and drug
addicts had a drastic change in their consciousness, and they totally surrendered to the Lord’s
instructions, and now we have an ocean of devotees who are worshipping the Supreme Lord and
are spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the power of the dust of your lotus feet.
You went behind the Iron Curtain and entered Russia spending only five days in Moscow.
Without being allowed to have any public engagement, you planted the seed of Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness that soon spread throughout the vast territories of the USSR, and you were thus
instrumental in the downfall of the evil empire of communism. In 1981, after your departure, in
the magazine called Communist, an official journal of the communists, it was reported that the
deputy chairman of the KGB wrote that the three threats to the Soviet way of life are Western
culture, rock-and-roll music, and the Hare Kṛṣṇas.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, your offerings to Lord Kṛṣṇa are unlimited like an ocean.
Dol Govind Shastri, your godbrother, used to teach Sanskrit in the same building where you
used to live in Calcutta. One day he expressed that Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura had said that one day
the Russians, Germans, French, etc., would chant the names of Gaurāṅga in saṅkīrtana, and had
a doubt about who will accomplish. At this, you said, “some surrendered fool among Bhakti-
siddhānta Sarasvatī’s disciples will do it,” and “certainly not any of you.” After many years Dol
Govind Shastri met His Grace Bhāgavata Prabhu, one of your disciples, who showed you were his
spiritual master. At this Dol Govind Shastri expressed, “YOU DID IT!”
In this way, you revived Kṛṣṇa consciousness in everyone’s hearts and made the prediction by
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura come true.
Times Magazine brought out an issue about “Successful people who began their career after
70.” Your name came on that list.
• You wrote over 7,000 personal letters to his disciples, published in five volumes of books.
• You went around the world 12 times.
• You created a monthly magazine, Back to Godhead, which at one point was distributed in
excess of one million copies per month.

• You gave completely lucid structured lectures on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā As It
Is, compiled into 18 volumes of books.
• You authored over 140 books
• You started Spiritual Sky incense which in 4 years produced a profit worth 1 million dollars
• Spiritual food distribution – you did not introduce veg sandwiches but all kinds of Indian
Vedic food to destroy people’s material attachments
• In 1969, you started Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā, where 1,000 people were fed
• You created the first network of vegetarian restaurants
All the above in just 11 years’ time, which is impossible by any ordinary being.
Touched millions of hearts: You brought the saṅkīrtana movement throughout the world,
fulfilling Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Prophecy. Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra recording by George
Harrison went around the world to Germany, Japan, Russia, etc., and even reached countries like
Czechoslovakia where nobody could go. You remembered George Harrison’s help and gave your
ring to be given to him as a gift for his help.
Opened Hundreds of centers: As astrology had also predicted, you established 108 temples
in 6 continents and installed Deities all over the world. You trained Westerners who so faithfully
worshipped the Deities. In one year between 1970 and 1971, you opened 32 centers (almost three
every month)
Started gurukula schools to revive the old system of gurukula from which children could be
trained in principles of God consciousness right from an early age and saved from the slaughter-
houses of modern education that slaughter the spiritual aspirations of children.
Founded Bhaktivedanta Institute with the specific aim of addressing the misplaced intellectu-
alism that was misleading the world, especially in the form of atheistic science so your aim was to
demonstrate to people who do not have faith in anything spiritual that even by scientific method-
ology, one can come to the science of self-realization.
Founded Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT). The Encyclopedia Britannica wrote about your
books, “These books have astounded literary and academic communities worldwide.” BBT
became the largest international publisher of Indian religious and philosophical texts. You
completed the entire translation and commentary of Caitanya-caritāmṛta in 17 volumes within
18 months. There was a professor at the Chicago Department of South Asian Studies, Profes-
sor Edwards Deming, who spent a lot of his life working on translations of Caitanya-caritāmṛta
without commentary, just with a few footnotes, and he could not finish it before he died. It was
finished by his successor. O Śrīla Prabhupāda! As soon as you translated the books, you had them
published by the BBT. Seventeen books in two months was considered impossible, but you got it
done!
ISKCON Mira Road Preaching Reports
• Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā was a grand success where 1,008 bhogas were offered to the Lord, and
thousands of visitors partook of Lord Jagannātha’s mercy
• A total of 42,000 Mahā-Big Books were distributed during December Marathon 2022
• 108 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and 50 Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets were distributed
• For Bhādra Pūrṇimā, 300 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3D handmade projects with ślokas were pre-
sented by NICE students trained by NICE teachers. For the Gītā Marathon, NICE conducted
the Glimpses of Gītā spiritual science exhibition at NL Dalmia School, Kapol Vidyanidhi
School, and Shailendra School.

• Gujarati congregation devotees conducted ecstatic harināma saṅkīrtana with Śrī Śrī Gaura-
Nitāi Deities in Mira Road streets for 5 Sundays before Gaura-Pūrṇimā
• Bhaktivedanta College conducts Bhakti-śāstrī, and Bhakti-vaibhava courses in English and
Hindi.
• Devotee Care Leaders are trained, and around 200 devotees got initiation this year.
• Youth boys preaching in English and Hindi is in full swing.
• Kīrtana-melā was successful, wherein many stalwart singers came and engrossed Mira Road
people in the holy names.
• Food for Life dept. is distributing prasāda daily to visitors and in schools
• On September 4, 2022, His Grace Vanamālī Prabhujī (senior brahmacārī from ISKCON Mira
Road) got sannyāsa initiation by His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami, and he was named
His Holiness Bhakti Karuṇāmayī Vanamālī Swami.
• Small temple at Thane was built.
• Serving sincerely in the food for life department, His Grace Vijaya Viṣṇu Prabhujī left his
body while serving on the temple premises itself
• His Grace Rāmanātha Prabhujī left his body while doing nagara-saṅkīrtana.
We beg at your lotus feet to have quality in our sādhana and to cooperate with each and every dev-
otee and thus be able to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in our hearts and the hearts of others in our
localities. Please bless us to get a taste of the holy names and to understand your divine books.
Your insignificant servants,

From ISKCON Mira Road

Muskoka, Canada
Please accept my most sincere humble obeisances.
All glories unto you. By the inconceivable mercy and the grace of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, I somehow found the way to your lotus feet; you have inspired all of us,
both individually and collectively, to find ways to serve your ISKCON Mission.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we see our past from where we came from (spiritually) and
where we are today is all because of your mercy which passed on to us through your ambassadors
and followers. Our sincere, humble, and heartfelt desire is to pass on the same love, care, and
protection that we (and our families) have received from you through the preaching activities in
ISKCON, Muskoka.
With time, Your Divine Grace carefully guides us to see this spectacular variegation as an
aspect of the inconceivable wonder of the Supreme Lord. It is a great credit to your teaching that
we are able to perform service through preaching under the shelter of ISKCON Muskoka.
Dear Prabhupāda, as far as the preaching is concerned, we are performing a number of activ-
ities to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness through the teaching of yours and Śrī Caitanya Mahā-
prabhu, the activities such as:
• Weekly Bhagavad-gītā Classes

• Two saṅgas a month
• Book distribution
• All the festivals celebrations, including Lord Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā
• Food for Life program for the local shelter houses
With your divine mercy and the guidance of His Holiness Bhaktimārga Swami, our temple is
going to be opened on September 1, 2023. The Deities of the temple come from Jaipur, India, and
the artistic altar is being built in ISKCON Ujjain, India. The grand celebration of the temple
opening is going to be followed by a grand Ratha-yātrā festival for ISKCON Muskoka.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, from the bottom of my heart and on behalf of ISKCON
Muskoka.

Vyāsācārya Dāsa
Nagpur, India
prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ

mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
(SB 1.1.10)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, being in Kali-yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy, it is just by your com-
passion and mercy that we got this wonderful opportunity to practice devotional service and
get closer to Kṛṣṇa. By your mercy only, the darkness of this age is dissipated by the light of
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And only you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, have given us Kṛṣṇa in so many forms that
we can accept. You have given us Kṛṣṇa in the form of Deities, prasāda, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and
other spiritual literature, and of course, the most merciful form – The holy name. And by your
compassionate glance, we got the opportunity to serve Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose service is quite rare
to get, by conducting various festivals such as Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā, Janmāṣṭamī, and various
other activities.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you were quite happy when you heard your disciples gave your reports of
how they were serving Kṛṣṇa, and here is a small humble report at your lotus feet.
Prabhupāda, by your desire and for your pleasure, the temple construction of ISKCON
Nagpur has started this, and if Kṛṣṇa desires, then the temple construction will be done by the
end of 2025. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you wanted your followers to take care of your movement by
intelligence and organization. Following your instructions, we are not only constructing the new
temple, but we have also made the vision to maintain and expand the temple. You wanted us to
create servant leaders. Thus, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are trying to connect as many living entities to
this movement as we can.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this year we have started 3 BACEs where there are around 50 student devo-
tees who have taken up Kṛṣṇa consciousness and trying to follow the path of devotional service
led by you. They are chanting 16 rounds and are following the whole morning program very
seriously.
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas

tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he
sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues. (Bg. 3.21)
As it is said in Bhagavad-gītā, we are trying to follow these instructions by trying to connect the
elite class of society to the movement, who can not only serve the temple monetarily but also
become servant leaders. We are not only making new life members, but we have also made a plan
to cultivate them and make them an integral part of the movement.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this year thirteen devotees have also joined PDC and are trying to become
your followers and serve your movement. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you might be happy to hear that we
are taking retreats and workshops for our devotees here so that they not only become missionaries
but also go deep in their practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we want to intelli-
gently organize this ISKCON Nagpur yātrā, but we also want to go deep into this yātrā.
Please bless us that we become your missionary servants and practice pure devotional service.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we can only make endeavors, but if they are done for your pleasure, only then
can they please Kṛṣṇa. Always eager to be the recipient of your mercy,
Your servants at ISKCON Nagpur

Nava Vraja Dhāma, Hungary

Please accept our humble obeisances! All glories to You!
This is a jubilee year in the life of Krishna-valley: this wonderful place manifested 30 years
ago and has reflected the spiritual world on earth as the realm of the divine Couple, Srī Srī
Rādhā-Śyāmasundara. A few committed devotees joined to create a farming community under
the guidance of your beloved disciple, Śivarāma Swami, which has Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara
in the center, fulfilling your desire to show a positive example to the world both on the spiritual
and on the material platforms. The few devotees then were joined by others; they built the temple
as well as houses, roads, the gośālā, and the school, and gradually New Vraja Dhāma grew to be
the largest ecovillage community in Europe. The development continues, and Krishna-valley is
enriched and enhanced by new and new projects year by year.
Krishna-valley receives over 35 thousand visitors annually who are enchanted by the beauty
of the Divine Couple, the mood of the dhāma, and the purity and spiritual strength of the com-
munity. In the rat race of the modern world, this wonderful sacred place offers an island of peace,
calmness, and an opportunity for introspection to visitors.
These days one challenge, calamity, follows another in the world: pandemics, war, and climate
change. Nonetheless, whatever difficulty comes our way, the shelter in our lives is your message
which you gave us, Western people, by bringing us the culture of love and devotion. By chanting
the holy name, we purify our hearts and consciousness, which also serves as an example of a
peaceful alternative to the challenges faced by the people of our age.
In our preaching mission, we encounter many young people who are thirsty for real knowledge
that can liberate them from the pangs of this chaotic world. The science and practice of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness is the real solution to all problems: it teaches us how to live properly in the material
world and how we can go back to our original home.
During these thirty years, a new generation has grown up, and the next is following suit. We
would like to see these young people carry forward your message, continue to build Krishna-
valley, keep what works and bring new ideas to enhance them.
Thank you for your mercy and that we can be part of the realization of your dreams! Please,
bless us so that we can cooperate in spreading your message and show an example for more and
more souls to help them go back home, back to Godhead!
Your servants,
the devotees in Nava Vraja Dhāma,
Somogyvámos, Hungary

New Dvārakā, USA

Please accept our most humble obeisances at Your divine lotus feet.
All glories, all glories to you Śrīla Prabhupāda, our eternal lord and master, our only shelter.
We in ISKCON of Los Angeles New Dvārakā community feel extremely fortunate because this
is the temple you spent the most amount of time outside of India; thus we always feel Your pres-
ence here. We are privileged to access the temple room which you have walked in, the quarters
in which you lived, and the Deities you personally installed, Śrī Śrī Rukmiṇī Dvārakānātha. You
have established a little oasis in the big city of Los Angeles. This is Vaikuṇṭha, a holy dhāma, and
it’s all thanks to your magnanimous heart. You decided to leave India at the age of 69, suffering
two heart attacks on the journey made by boat. You, however, did not let that stop you. You left
the holy land of Vṛndāvana so you could share Kṛṣṇa with the world. You truly did build a home
in which everyone could live together happily. You are the jagat-guru, the guru of the whole world
in the true sense. It is truly amazing that although you are not physically present, you are continu-
ing the mission headed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for providing all of us with a family and purpose. Without your
mercy and guidance, most of us would be mindless, useless members of society, living selfish,
materialistic lives blindly engaged in an illusory sense of gratification. You have given us the
secret to surpassing this illusory life by pursuing life’s one true purpose, to love and serve Kṛṣṇa,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On this special occasion, we beg you to always remain true
to your mission and follow your direction for the rest of eternity. No amount of words, no amount
of praise, could ever be enough to glorify you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There is no way we can ever
repay you for what you have done for us; we can only aspire to follow your great example and
serve you hoping to please you one day.
Just like a loving father is ready to provide anything and everything so that his child may
become a successful and respectable person in the society, you have provided all your follow-
ers with everything they would ever need to be successful in their spiritual journey. You have
provided us with abundant spiritual knowledge through your books, favorable facilities in the
form of your temples, and an ample number of real-life examples in the form of your exemplary
disciples. What more could we possibly ask for? You have guided us all on the path of devotional
service, which is usually inconceivable, intricate, and quite cumbersome. You have made it to be
like a walk on soft roses, with your books working as GPS (guru-paramparā system). All we need
to do is just follow your footprints in the form of the instructions that you have left for us, and we
shall not walk but rather dance our way back home back to Godhead.
We pray at your lotus feet that we continue to maintain and utilize the beautiful temple that
you established and that it remains to be the shining beacon for the entire world as long as it
exists.
More effulgent than the sun,

With a smile that would stun…

Your compassion incomparable,
What You have done is truly honorable
Turning us worthless people
Into something regal
You are truly a magician,
You succeeded in the mission,
You made the whole world dance,
Putting us all in a never-ending trance
Now we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa!
With full charisma
Thank you, infinite times over
For bringing us closer…
To our true home above
Full of devotional, spiritual love
Love for the Divine,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, our only lifeline.
Thank you from the heart of our hearts, dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your humble servants in New Dvārakā, Los Angeles, California, USA

(Written by Śyāma Mukunda Dāsa)
New Gokula, Australia

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace
On this auspicious day, we offer our revered appreciation for your directions on how to live a
productive and spiritually progressive life.
A friend of mine, now passed on, hopefully to Vaikuṇṭha, studied carefully your instructions
on farm communities. He quoted you in commenting that farms could prove troublesome in the
beginning but would ultimately prove to be more convenient (in so many ways).
We certainly appreciated the luxury afforded in the sanctity of our spiritual bubble at New
Gokula Farm, when others were more severely locked down during covid restrictions.
But what is the troublesome aspect you indicate?
Anyone who has tried community living would agree that keeping harmonious relationships
for extended periods is the number one challenge.
Therefore, another quotation from your vast wisdom, “Varṇāśrama minus Kṛṣṇa consciousness
will not work.” (again, my friend’s research)
The reality is that these rural projects do require a certain degree of purification for us to be
able to live Lord Caitanya’s philosophy of being always inspired to chant the holy names by being
very humble.

In your Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam purport to 10.13.53 you direct, “Varṇāśrama should be introduced
for the cultivation of sattva-guṇa. Then tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa cannot harm us.”
Śāstra confirms that by performing bhakti-yoga and cultivating our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, our
consciousness level will definitely improve its quality gradually to goodness. According to the
Bhagavad-gītā, goodness improves the discrimination faculty and affords simplicity of heart and
also satisfaction of the mind.
You have clearly stated that, “Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not armchair philosophy, rather it is prac-
tical activity for the upliftment of character.”
By serving the Supreme Lord in devotional service, any human being can experience self-worth
and subsequently experience an inkling of the spiritual plane, where the prejudice and pride aris-
ing from the bodily designations, brāhmaṇa, śūdra, man, woman, human, animal, etc., are not so
important as getting on with the important service of helping to uplift the present degraded state
of society.
Devotees at New Gokula farm are forging ahead with the challenges at hand, and by your grace
and the transformative effect of bhakti-yoga and devotee association, we have been successful in
executing many improvements in the infrastructure of the farm, in improving service to the cows
(although still a lot more to be done in this area), in making the organic gardens more productive
and hosting increasing numbers of visitors.
On behalf of the devotees of New Gokula Farm, we offer our esteemed appreciation for your
far-seeing vision to afford the world these self-sufficiency models to which we can dedicate our
full energy.
Your humble servants at

New Gokula farm, NSW, Australia,
(Written by Kāliya Kṛṣṇa Dāsa)
New Goloka, USA

Dearest beloved founder-ācārya, Your Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
Our most unswerving obeisances to you, O spiritual master! I am dumbfounded that by your
divine will, a personality such as myself can have some understanding of how you took on the
unthinkable mission to save the world. We can all practically see the rapidly degenerating condi-
tion of this planet, and so to alleviate everyone’s suffering, you brought forth the entire Gauḍīya-
Vaiṣṇava-sampradāya to help us understand why we are here and how to approach a representative
of Kṛṣṇa to help us transform our lives and our consciousness.
We have heard from you that by chanting the transcendental mahā-mantra, we can trium-
phantly rise out of our deplorable material conditioning and begin to understand what is beyond
this mortal world. And by your mercy and compassion, we have been gifted all of this unparal-
leled and priceless knowledge. For this and for so much more, we are all greatly in your debt. Very
greatly.
• One way our community shows our continued appreciation for you is by striving to always

work in a spirit of cooperation in your loving service and in the service of New Goloka
Dhāma, your local ISKCON center.
• From you, we can understand that “united nations” actually means all of us lovingly serving
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the very best of our abilities.
• We are all trying our level best to share impactful experiences and distribute your books with
anyone and everyone who might be interested in learning about the practice of bhakti-yoga.
• Hearing about and studying your transformational transcendental teachings and under-
standing how patience and determination to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness on Mother Earth is
how we are all continually astounded and inspired by your brilliant and beautiful personal
example.
• By your compassion, some unimaginable blessing has also come to us: The sublime service
of the arcā-vigraha form of the Lord, Their most magnificent and magnanimous Lordships Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Golokānanda!
O cherished Śrīla Prabhupāda! O patita-pāvana, savior of the fallen! O titikṣava kāruṇika, we are
so happy to be engaged in all of the services of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as you have
given! We are aspiring to serve you lifetime after lifetime and are begging to assist you in your
mission of sharing the holy names and spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others! Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu kī jaya! Śrī Nityānanda Rāma kī jaya!
Your super shining mood of bhakti when caring and serving all the jīva souls of this world is
the best we can strive for, and that mood of love and cooperation is what is required for us to live
harmoniously in this magical, mystical, totally unpredictable material world. We are attempting
to pay down this debt that we all owe to you for your unbelievable sacrifice and struggle to bring
us these truly matchless gifts. We are so very grateful.
Your eternal servants,

Assembled Vaiṣṇavas of New Goloka Dhāma
New Govardhana Hill, USA


lotus feet.


Hare Kṛṣṇa Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
My desire is to write a very nice offering for your Vyāsa-pūjā. Wanting to fulfill that desire as
soon as possible, what comes immediately after this is the unknown of how to do it. What do I
write? How do I start? Lord, please help me; send me a sign.
Having thought in this way, while at the temple’s restaurant, a gentleman enters and orders to
go. When I returned from the kitchen with his order ready, I noticed that he was looking at the
books on display. He took a small one titled “Material problems spiritual solutions.” I told him
to take it. I said, “It is not an expense; it is an investment you are making in knowledge about the
soul.” He took it.
After a few minutes, I understood that this was a sign for me to try to write something relevant
to this offering. It is the enormous gratitude that we feel toward him for giving us his causeless
mercy of having a light that illuminates us so that we can cope with life’s problems and find the
exit at the end of the road.
Thank you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us this knowledge which always has at least
one answer for every question; thank you very much for giving us the holy name which is the anti-
dote to so many viruses that we carry for thousands and thousands of lives; thank you very much
for giving us prasāda, which is the secret weapon that softens hearts; thank you very, very much
for all your efforts in helping us, which indebted us and often motivated us to do service despite
the opposition of our minds.
On this very auspicious day, when we celebrate your divine appearance in this world, we are
very grateful to have at least a very insignificant part of your holy mission. You created ISKCON
to teach all of us fallen and conditioned souls and to give us the opportunity to learn how to glo-
rify Kṛṣṇa and therefore revive our forgotten love for Him. Now Kṛṣṇa, in turn is, using ISKCON
to teach us how to glorify you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, as His most confidential and divine servant. We
can only marvel at the exquisite and beautiful relationship between Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotee.
We humbly request your blessings and your grace so that we may please you with our insignifi-
cant service. This year 2023, Kṛṣṇa willing, we will attempt to begin the reconstruction of the New
Govardhana Hill Temple in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. Please bless us and guide us within our hearts
so that our service pleases Śrī Kṛṣṇa and we can offer him a very nice brand new temple for His
enjoyment and pastimes.
Thank you very much,
Hare Kṛṣṇa
Your Eternally Grateful Aspiring Servants of ISKCON Puerto Rico,

New Govardhana Hill Temple

New Māyāpur, France
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
Here in New Māyāpur, “in this remote village of France,” your devoted followers perceive that
whatever project we strive for, or success we obtain, is dependent on your mercy. This is how Lord
Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself in the realm of loving devotion, through the mercy of His dear devotees
like yourself. There is no other way or explanation for any real success in your New Māyāpur. And
your mercy comes through your well-wishing instructions: simple life through self-sufficiency,
high thinking through love of Kṛṣṇa, and compassion for others through preaching. Your per-
sonal struggle in organizing this ISKCON mission of compassion is an unforgettable example
and inspiration. Like many other Vyāsa-pūjā offerings from New Māyāpur over the years, we
could humbly present to you the difficult challenges that we face and beg for your mercy. But we
can do better this year. After a long period of heroic resistance to at least maintain this fantastic
property and the worship of the powerful Deities, we can offer you a positive report on the signifi-
cant improvements in following your instructions.
For self-sufficiency, we have two new cows with new calves, and the Deities are offered ahiṁsā
milk, pure home-made ghee, butter, and the devotees are relishing these magical nourishing
gifts. Two young male calves have already started their training for future ox power. And this cow
protection program is carefully organized in a sustainable way. For food production, in addition
to the organic vegetable garden, we are learning to grow grains, starting with barley and wheat.
More and more flowers are decorating the landscape and gracing the Deities with beautiful gar-
lands. Having obtained permission for 32 houses from the civil authorities (a sign of improved
relationship), we have built the first nice eco-house with 80 percent local manpower (devotees
and volunteers) and local materials (wood, mud, straw, stone).
For high thinking and developing love of Kṛṣṇa, the worship of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, Śrī Śrī
Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda Mādhava, although simple and reverential as it
should be, is made opulent with our milk products, our beautiful flower garlands and regular new
outfits. The morning program starting with maṅgala-ārati unites an average of 20 devotees with
volunteers. Classes and seminars are followed by both French and international devotees both on
site and online.
For preaching, with the example and inspiration of our spiritual guide and friend, His Holiness
Janānanda Mahārāja, there has been a revival of transcendental book distribution along with
harināma and prasāda. This year, the French Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam has been reprinted after 30 years
and New Māyāpur reappeared in different categories of the Christmas marathon in the top ten
temples. Connected with this great revival, New Māyāpur received more and more volunteers who
found shelter, services to perform, spiritual knowledge, chanting of the mahā-mantra Hare Kṛṣṇa,
prasāda, devotee association, and some became full-time devotees.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are grateful to you for this encouraging revival of New Māyāpur. If
we can ask you for some more blessings, may you guide and protect against unwilling mistakes
our serious and sincere team of young temple presidents – Gāndharvikā Rāi, Locanānanda and
Nāmācārya Prabhus. With faith in you, they have wholeheartedly accepted their difficult and
responsible services, including the big task of upgrading the castle, the guesthouse, and the whole
property. May your beautiful New Māyāpur become a practical and spiritual shelter for many in
this upcoming dark period of the world.
Your servants.

New Orleans, USA
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet.
Many moons have passed now since your appearance and super excellent pastimes on this
earth. Your smile alone illuminated the entire globe as you tirelessly and selflessly traveled and
preached the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Your presence devoured
the eclipse of darkness that afflicted our hearts and minds.
We bow down before you now with a solemn heart as the gravity of recent accounts leaves its
indelible marks. But even as troubled waters convulse the waves of the ocean of material suffering
in the pitiable Age of Kali, you continue to guide us by your grace to the eternal shore, always as
our one true North.
Our hearts continue to be overcome with joy as we witness the vast number of souls who con-
tinue to bloom under the guidance of your teachings – this was your prophecy and your greatest
gift – that your written words would become the law books for the next 10,000 years!
How can we possibly thank you enough for engaging us in Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana move-
ment, for establishing Vaikuṇṭha temples in many thousands of towns and villages, for sharing
the glories of Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma and Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma with the world, and for establishing
pāñcarātrika-vidhi in our many ISKCON temples to help us constantly think of the Lord. Next
year (2024), on the auspicious appearance day of Rādhāṣṭamī, we will celebrate the 50th anniver-
sary of the installation of our beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rādhākānta. They have lovingly bestowed
Their kindness to everyone who approaches and continue to enchant us with Their beauty.
Thank you again and again, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for this wonderful journey on which you con-
tinue to carry us. We only pray to become useful mediaries of your mercy, to spur others to accept
your matchless gifts, and in so doing, to please you in the remaining time allotted to us on this
planet.
Eternally grateful and ever aspiring to be worthy, we remain,

Your servants at Saṅkīrtana Purī Dhāma
(ISKCON’s temple in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
New Ramaṇa Reti, USA

Phalena paricīyate, judge every action by its result.
(Bhagavad-gītā Lecture 3.1–5 – December 20, 1968, Los Angeles)
Question: In 2023, where on earth is the largest concentration of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s directly
initiated disciples?
Answer: Alachua, Florida USA
By a conservative estimate, there are some 100 devotees directly initiated by Śrīla Prabhupāda
living in the Alachua area, and if we consider each one has been performing devotional service

for forty-five years or more, that equals more or less 4,500 years of combined devotional service
(100 × 45).
Many of these bhakti-yogīs have families, which means these disciples’ children are also follow-
ers of Śrīla Prabhupāda… and some of those children also have children, and even some of their
children have children!
There are also countless followers who are not connected by family relationships but have been
drawn like iron filings toward a magnet to worship Śrīla Prabhupāda here by following his teach-
ings and associating with devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya. Such is the congregation of
the New Ramaṇa-reti Alachua Temple.
Śrīla Prabhupāda visited nearby Gainesville, Florida, in July 29, 1971, and stated:
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that in every village, town, country on the sur-
face of the globe, this saṅkīrtana movement would be spreading. So we are very much
obliged to you that in this remote place, which is thousands and thousands of miles away
from Lord Caitanya’s birthplace, Navadvīpa, you are carrying out, to fulfill His desire,
chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra.
Three years after Śrīla Prabhupāda’s visit, in 1974, Gaura-Nitāi Deities were installed in Gainesville
at the Depot Avenue Temple, as Prabhupāda’s disciples continued following his instructions
spreading Lord Caitanya’s message focused mostly on campus at the University of Florida.
As the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement exploded around the globe, Śrīla Prabhupāda encouraged devo-
tees to establish farm projects to complement nearby city temples. His idea was to grow food and
milk cows on the farms, which would, in turn, supply milk, grains, and vegetables to the temples
in nearby cities and large towns.
By serendipity, during the day of November 14, 1977, Amarendra Prabhu closed the deal of pur-
chasing 125 acres of farmland in nearby Alachua, and later that evening, heard the news that Śrīla
Prabhupāda had passed away on that same day in Vṛndāvana.
Early days on the farm were not easy, but day by day, week by week, and year by year, the
group of devotees expanded to the point where Gaura-Nitāi were transferred from Gainesville out
to the farm in 1981, where They were installed in a single-wide mobile trailer with a simple exten-
sion built by devotees.
In 1989–90, several parents of devotee children organized the first schools, which also inspired
other devotee parents from around the United States to check out Alachua, searching for a stable
environment for their Kṛṣṇa consciousness and education for their children.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s program of temple worship, education for children, preaching throughout
North Central Florida, and farming the land nourished Lord Caitanya’s prediction as His tree of
devotion grew strong branches in this remote area thousands and thousands of miles away from
Navadvīpa.
Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 1.7–9 explains Lord Caitanya thought, “My name is Viśvambhara,
‘one who maintains the entire universe.’ Its meaning will be actualized if I can fill the whole uni-
verse with love of Godhead.” Thus the Lord brought the desire tree of devotional service to this
earth and became its gardener. He sowed the seed and sprinkled upon it the water of His will.
As a follower of Lord Caitanya, Śrīla Prabhupāda traveled the globe introducing people to the
methods and teachings of Lord Caitanya … and Śrīla Prabhupāda’s followers continued the same
in and around Alachua.
In 1999, the Alachua Learning Center (a government-subsidized Charter School) was estab-
lished, which encouraged even more parents to move to this remote area. And then along with
that school, the Bhaktivedanta Academy expanded its educational complex on five acres north-
west of the temple. This dynamic growth of schools created a ripe environment for even more

families to move to Alachua and to accommodate their devotional love and desire to worship the
Lord, Deity worship also expanded to facilitate this growing congregation. In 1995, Gaura-Nitāi’s
single-wide trailer was replaced with a beautiful nearly 8,000-square-foot temple, and a few years
later, an attached kitchen had to be added to handle cooking for hundreds of devotees who now
regularly visited the temple.
In 2000, Their Lordships Rādhā-Śyāmasundara were installed, then again in 2010, Kṛṣṇa and
Balarāma blessed this community with Their divine appearance.
Aside from daily temple programs, there are also:
• 8 annual Ratha-yātrās and parades throughout Florida

• Village of Vṛndāvana – a night of Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī
• Festival of the Holy Name – the last weekend of November
• Special department to serve the Indian community
• 12 acre Eco Teaching Farm
In this brief overview, it would be impossible to include the names of all the devotees who con-
tributed to making the Alachua Temple community what it is today. Hundreds and thousands of
people have freely volunteered their time, energy, money, and life’s aspirations to help build this
thriving congregation.
Now replete with gorgeous Deity worship and steady Temple Programs, good schools for chil-
dren, growing opportunities for financial security, increasing preaching programs, and abundant
devotee association, the Alachua congregation represents what the future of Kṛṣṇa consciousness
will look like in the Western world as more infant communities similarly develop their congrega-
tions in years to come.
On this blessed occasion, the celebration of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s 127th birth anniversary, we offer
our collective obeisances unto his lotus feet and pray for his continued guidance and mercy.
Following his instructions now for more than five decades, the growth of this community
proves: “He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the followers live with him.”
“Phalena paricīyate, judge every action by its result.”
Dhruva Mahārāja Dāsa (ACBSP)

On behalf of the New Ramaṇa-reti Alachua Temple
New Tālavana, USA

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to your pure loving devotional service for your
Guru Mahārāja, Gaura-Nitāi, and Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.
We do not know where you are and what you’re doing, but we can imagine you’re someplace
where guru and Gaurāṅga are delivering the poor conditioned souls, although perhaps you’re still
celebrating your great victory on earth while assembling a huge army, as your disciples and line
of followers leave this world for the next. One thing is for sure; we are following you all the way
back home, back to Godhead, as you often declared.

Some of us may not be fit, so perhaps you have different ashrams in different locations,
although you probably do not manage them online. Surely you will be using mystic perfections,
and the training goes on. This way, you maintain a big army of devotees to deliver the fallen
souls. Amazingly you’re growing a great line of disciple succession to serve the mission of Śrīmān
Mahāprabhu.
It must be really nice to be on the front line where you are personally leading the charge. Are
those devotees who were first with you in the mid to latter sixties there with you today? Some
must be, but others may be in your training camps. Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa prepares devotees to join
His līlā through His bona fide representative, similarly, you must be preparing devotees to lead
the charge to bring souls back home back to Godhead.
Could you be simultaneously absorbed in Kṛṣṇa or gaura-līlās or both? What is impossible for
a pure devotee? Certainly not Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Consequently, you may be managing your
āśramas, simultaneously leading preachers on the battlefield and experiencing kṛṣṇa- and gaura-
līlās all at once!
Imagine: you are serving Śrīla Bhatisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura who is serving Śrīla Bhaktivi-
noda Ṭhākura progressing back to Rūpa and Sanātana Gosvāmīs and finally Śrīmān Mahāprabhu
who knows all about tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena and is busy in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness. How can you
be serving your Guru Mahārāja yet possibly taking part in the perfect pastimes of Gaurahari and
Gopāla Kṛṣṇa? How can Lord Viṣṇu in His Paramātmā feature be everywhere at once? Compared
to Śrī Viṣṇu and Lords Kṛṣṇa and Gaurāṅga you are doing very little, but to us, your activities are
inconceivable. All at once, you simultaneously deliver and train conditioned souls to be part of
your great army serving guru and Gaurāṅga while leading the charge on the front line; and experi-
encing both kṛṣṇa-līlā and gaura-līlā!
I do not have any practical experience or revelation of this. These thoughts are only my imagi-
nation, wondering through your wonderful teachings, thinking of the possibilities of your where-
abouts and service. The guru-paramparā is so great and unworldly, yet they fight for the mission
to deliver the fallen souls drowning in the ocean of illusion: Nārada, the great deliverer of Mṛgāri,
the hunter; Vālmīki, the author of Rāmāyaṇa; Vyāsadeva, the literary incarnation of Godhead;
Lord Brahmā, the guṇāvatāra and chief engineer of the universe. Many others until the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa combines with His internal potency to become His
most munificent self, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. Ten more great generations expire before you appear
Śrīla Prabhupāda and take Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement around the world.
Just as the great ācāryas delivered the fallen in the past, you are delivering them now, Śrīla
Prabhupāda. How you do that is sometimes incomprehensible. Other times it is easy to under-
stand how by following your teachings daily, people can overcome the vicious cycle of birth and
death and learn to serve you eternally. We pray to be part and parcel of your great ship traveling
the universe on its way back home back to Godhead.
Your Servants,
at ISKCON New Talavana
Picayune, Mississippi, USA
(Written by Yogīndravandana Dāsa, Temple President)

New Varṣāṇā, New Zealand
On this most auspicious 127th Anniversary of your appearance day Śrīla Prabhupāda, we want to
glorify you to the best of our ability!
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet! All glories, All glories, All glories
to you Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this day, we, your servants of ISKCON Auckland, NZ, are very happy to
offer you this homage on your Vyāsa-pūjā because it gives us a chance to purify ourselves and, at
same time experience the pleasure of glorifying you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you never thought small through ISKCON, crossing the ocean at an
advanced age, cooking and serving prasāda to whoever came to the temple, tirelessly writing,
printing and distributing transcendental literature, establishing a society to educate people in
spiritual life, a society that includes all kinds of people in the most diverse culture – all these
activities and many others constitute a great example of devotion and determination for every
human being.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you showed us the way to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Now it’s our responsi-
bility to continue, to accept the commitment to maintain the house you built for us.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your phenomenal preaching efforts, your tolerance, your patience, your
dedication, and, most of all, your unfathomable and inconceivable compassion toward the fallen
souls like us are incomparable. Although you are no longer with us in your vapu form, because of
your great spiritual potency, your ISKCON is growing every day, and your ISKCON Auckland is
the living example.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our outreach programs are increasing as the years pass. Last year mid-No-
vember till mid-December, we (ISKCON Auckland) traveled around different suburbs in Auck-
land doing Ratha-yātrās, which we couldn’t do during the pandemic. We went out of Auckland,
where we participated in two separate Santa Parades in two different cities for the first time,
performing harināma. People really enjoyed harināma. Thousands of people got the opportunity
to hear the mahā-mantra. In one of the parades, we won the first prize. It was icing on the cake as
we had His Grace Dīna Bandhu Prabhu from Vṛndāvana carrying Vṛndāvana in his heart with us,
mesmerizing us with his devotional kīrtana.
Our fortnightly prasāda distribution during harināma is going well by your mercy. Not only
that, our book distribution scores for last year are as follows:
115 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets
265 Mahā/Big books
315 medium books
533 small Books
3 Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets
1497 Bhagavad-gītās
VOICE – an outreach program is successfully running every Saturday evening at the temple with
great enthusiasm. In addition, the Bhakti-śāstrī course is again running successfully with the new
batch, while the older batch just completed the Teachers Training Course from Māyāpur Institute.

You have given us everything Śrīla Prabhupāda. The best facility for feasting, chanting, and danc-
ing and the greatest wealth of spiritual knowledge. Please bless us that with this profound spir-
itual knowledge, we can attempt to enlighten as many as possible, which is very much urgently
needed in our degrading society.
Moreover, Śrīla Prabhupāda, at our Hare Kṛṣṇa School, we are working hard to continue
improving the school as a place of Kṛṣṇa conscious learning. Our vision is to serve you in faithful
accord with your teachings, mood, and mission. We empower every child to discover their unique
and extraordinary potential, their connection with Kṛṣṇa, and to experience the joy of learning
and devotional service. With your blessings, this year, the school has grown in number from 90
to 125 students. We pray to be able to continue growing the school for our older students so that
they can continue to deepen their understanding of your teachings and appreciate the benefits of
learning in a Kṛṣṇa conscious environment.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, indeed your ISKCON is a great benediction for everyone, for it provides
great protection for those who sincerely accept the shelter of your lotus feet. Please kindly bless
us to distribute this love and mercy to as many as possible.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, anyone who reads your Līlāmṛta, their heart will definitely melt. Through
your pastimes, you have conquered our hearts! You taught us so many things. It not only enlivens
us on our path of devotional service but nourishes us; we always feel your presence in our hearts
through your līlā. Thank you so much for taking so much trouble to teach us by example, to
inspire us, to instruct us, to enliven us, to nourish us, and to never give up. Thank you so much
Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you for sending us your very faithful son, His Grace Kalasaṁvara
Prabhu, to lead the way of ISKCON Auckland. As a true follower of you and your teachings, he
is always standing in front when it comes to harināma, prasāda distribution, and any Ratha-yātrās
or festivals – always encouraging others in their sādhana, and service, setting a great example by
following your footsteps.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our prayer to your lotus feet is, please, let us not fall into the trap of bewil-
derment, that “I am the Doer.” This ISKCON Auckland yātrā is very vibrant. It is because of your
potency that it is maintained in such a way; it is because of your potency that we are enjoying
the fruits of your hard work; you have provided all the facilities like a loving father and are still
providing us everything, maintaining everything, widening our congregation by sending your lost
children. Who are we to take the credit? Please save us from this entrapment of Māyā, and always
remind us that we are your children/servants trying to please you. Please, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
kindly give us this protection that sincerely pleasing you as your mere servants is our safest and
blissful position. You are our protection and shelter. Please keep us always under your wing, our
dear loving spiritual Father/Grandfather.
ISKCON Auckland is eternally indebted to you for all that you have done for us and are doing
for us through your unfading love and mercy.
Praying and begging to always remain at your lotus feet,

Your servants,
New Varṣāṇā
ISKCON Auckland, NZ

New Vrindaban, USA
As I am repeatedly placing before you with all humbleness that this movement is very,
very much essential, not only at the present moment, but also all the time. (Paṇḍāl
lecture at Cross Maidan, Bombay, March 26, 1971)
To you, our beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,

gurave citti- ceṣṭābhyam mahātmā prabhave sadā
tat prabhu bhāva rūpaya kīrtana-hlada-dāyine
namas tattva-prakāśaya bhaktānam tat-parayā ca
Ever-pervasive time acts on us all … In this lecture, you mention the duality of this material world.
Dvaita. “This is good, this is bad. This is nice; this is not nice.” The seasons change, and leaves fall.
What begins must come to a finish. You were always forward-thinking, Śrīla Prabhupāda, urgently
pushing us to acknowledge the reality of our situation. As our well-wisher, you were always
reminding us that this is not where we belong. However, sometimes it is not until we deeply
experience suffering that we start to understand. As one of your dear disciples has called it, we are
realizing what it means to be living in the “decade of tears.”
New Vrindaban has been no stranger to tears in recent times. The pain of loss is so easy to
philosophize as a knee-jerk defense: “We’re not this body! Don’t mourn for what is not worthy of
your grief!’ Kṛṣṇa’s own words may ring in our head, but the reality of loss is that the emptiness it
leaves within our hearts is oftentimes much more difficult to come to terms with.
The loss of our own dear Līlāśuka and Līlā Morrow left an indent in our community that we
could not have braced ourselves for. Your disciple, Līlāśuka, was a bright reflection of your com-
passion. She was an expert teacher and prioritized and valued devotee care. Just as her presence
brought joy, her sudden and startling passing left behind the same amount of pain.
Līlā Morrow too, although her departure may have been more foreseeable in the last few years
of her life, imagining not only the New Vrindaban community but even the world without the
selfless dedication she offered to your movement still seems impossible. But you have given your
priceless insight – that the līlā of love is highest in separation. The throbbing pain in our hearts
is a testament to that. The world also faced the heart-wrenching passing of your granddisciple,
His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Swami, who embodied the art of living and dying. A Vaiṣṇava
who, following in the perfect footsteps of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, took complete shelter of Kṛṣṇa in Śrī
Vṛndāvana Dhāma before his departure.
Kadamba Kānana Mahārāja was special not only because of his unique and endearing per-
sonality or his tremendous service to ISKCON but also because he has made it clear now more
than ever the necessity of the second generation of devotees to take responsibility for fulfilling
your instructions and vision for ISKCON. You did not speak for only your disciples to hear, just
like Kṛṣṇa did not speak only for Arjuna to hear! “As I am repeatedly placing before you with all
humbleness that this movement is very, very much essential, not only at the present moment, but

also all the time.” You blessed this world with your vapuḥ, and now we can take advantage of this
glorious Vyāsa-pūjā celebration as an opportunity to meditate on what it means to receive your
blessings via your vāṇī. You were not only present in 1971, but you are present all the time.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are constantly feeling conflicted by the scarcity of time. But we know
that time can ripen the fruit, heal the wounds, and turn the disciples into teachers. Forty-two years
passed before the seed of your Guru Mahārāja’s instruction began to take form. Here in New
Vrindaban, we are experiencing many 50-year anniversaries – of New Vrindaban itself, your Palace
of Gold ground-breaking, your bhāgavata-dharma discourses, the installation of different Deities,
etc. We know deep in our hearts that it is time for us to get serious and be bold in taking up
Kṛṣṇa’s service. Equipped with maturity, we will carry the torch lit by our predecessors, becoming
instruments of the wisdom that time and experience have granted us.
Although the seemingly insurmountable mountain of heartbreak faces us, we will still come
together and continue to climb. This is our offering to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Thank you very
much. Please empower us through your vāṇī to know how to be glorious servants and to rise to
the occasion.
We include Līlāśuka’s last offering to you as the reality of her passing slowly sinks in. May her
love for you expressed in this beautifully composed poem join the hundreds of other beautiful
offerings from around the globe.
“Antya-līlā tells of empowered souls

Only THEY can give Kṛṣṇa in this age of woes.
You, Śrīla Prabhupāda, are the best of such givers.
Your missionary spirit shook the world into quivers
You gave us so much.
Indeed everything.
I’ll mention a few that helped in severing
Our ties to that which got us into trouble.
You came like a soldier and burst our mundane bubble.
You opened the door to true liberation
By gifting the holy name to people in every nation.
You opened up windows to the spiritual realm
By guiding your artists; you were at the helm.
You created our pious credits from our useless deeds
Some of us smoked cigarettes, which you rationed just to tease out our bhakti.
And it worked!
We developed a higher taste.
We became less and less irked
By māyā’s tight embrace.
You gave us Tulasī devī
Great devotee as a plant.
We danced around her
And we joyously would chant.
You gave us more magic that took us by storm
Kṛṣṇa Himself in Deity form!

We had no clue
Who would have thought
God could have come and stayed in one spot
Just so we could offer our love
These were miracles we became so fond of.
You gifted us stories of Caitanya Mahāprabhu
And all His followers and their families too.
Their devotion, their anguish, their separation
You served us up the nectar – we plunged into that ocean.
Your special mercy bypassed all the rules.
The fast path back to God – you provided the tools.
You left sweet Vṛndāvana on a selfless mission
You underwent tapasya to bring to fruition
Your goal of saving us wretched souls
From birth and death with loud HARIBOLS!
You let us meet gurus from days of yore
You followed their path and brought us to their door.
You gave me new life when there was no hope.
My old life just filled with nonsense and dope.
I wanted much more and you saved the day
Śrīla Prabhupāda, there are really no words to say
How much gratitude and appreciation I feel.
You transformed my fake life and made it real.
You let us build temples
Shelters for our soul
Which you then empowered
Fulfilling life’s goal.
You gave special protection to us, your daughters
Even when your sons were sunk deep in the waters
Of misunderstanding. Man – woman in one sense the same.
“You’re not the body” became a slogan of fame.
You freely gave the king of education,
Knowledge of the soul, with no hesitation.
You revealed the most confidential of secrets
How else could we ever have come to all this?!
You taught us to cook and then to offer
Our food first to Kṛṣṇa. Our hearts became softer.
You bestowed upon me a new set of friends.
Loyal and uplifting right to near the end.
I’m rapidly approaching that moment and yet
I know what to do to get out of this debt.

You made it crystal clear;
Chant, read and serve.
No remorse, no fear.
Stay fixed. Don’t swerve
From the path straight and true
You’ll take us back home.
Prabhupāda, all thanks to you.
I’ll follow truly, don’t roam.
As old age, disease
Wait at my door
without ego and envy
I pray to serve you evermore.”
Līlāśuka Dāsī
Your hopeful, aspiring servants at ISKCON New Vrindaban

Moundsville, USA
New York, USA

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace!
All of your servants at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda temple, ISKCON New York City, on this auspi-
cious occasion of the 127th anniversary of your appearance in this world, offer you our unalloyed
respect, gratitude, and appreciation. We pray that Your Divine Grace will be pleased by our
sincere offerings of harināma saṅkīrtana and book distribution in the most important city in the
world and the place where you first conceived and demonstrated these activities in your munifi-
cent role as the yuga-dharma ācārya. We are enthusiastically, if imperfectly, following in your lotus
footprints and reminded daily by your original shoes that tell the story of your struggle in your
first year here; lined with cardboard, secured by scotch tape, and creased by your lotus feet as
you walked the New York City streets. It is an indescribable and undeserved honor to be a part of
your New York Pastimes and to continue to serve you, and your beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and
Rādhā-Govinda Deities, the iṣṭadevatas for many of your sincere disciples and granddisciples as
these pastimes continue to expand.
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda and ISKCON New York City Yātrā Dhāma kī jaya!
With all the love, respect, and humility at our command, we remain,
Your servants at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda Temple, ISKCON New York City

New Vrajamaṇḍala, Spain
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories unto you.
We like to begin by thanking you for saving our lives from the danger in this material world
and for giving us a real spiritual life, transcendental knowledge, and many other gifts to cure the
disease of material existence.
In your words, we find no cheating, no mistakes, no imperfection. We have come to learn that
this is because your desire is to actually benefit the people, not personal benefit. Therefore, you
have delivered the real substance, the unchanged message of your Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
In order to do this, you made an inconceivable amount of personal sacrifice and dedication.
When we read about your struggles during the early years of your preaching mission, we see
you as the most noble, heroic, and empowered soul who was uncompromising and fearless, even
when facing the greatest adversities.
All the devotees from this farm, New Vraja-maṇḍala, in Spain, feel forever very grateful for your
kindness.
Your humble servants at New Vraja-maṇḍala, Spain

(Written by Karuṇamaya Dāsa, ACBSP)
Newcastle, UK

Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

By your causeless mercy, your ISKCON Newcastle is growing in every direction. Attendance
in temple programs doubled over the past year, and many new people have started serving in the
temple. We are also pleased to welcome many young students to our regular programs.
Please guide us so that we can serve very effectively and seriously to support, respect, and serve
all the new souls coming to join your movement and your ISKCON Newcastle.
Many students who joined ISKCON Newcastle, received training, and served during their
studies, are now initiated and actively preaching in various parts of the world.

Please continue to guide us so we can take ISKCON Newcastle to a whole new level, in the
way that you envision for its growth and expansion in the North East of the UK, as well as in
supporting your global operation of ISKCON.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you so much!
On behalf of ISKCON Newcastle,

Your spiritual grandson,
Satyamedhā Gaurāṅga Dāsa
Niagara, Canada
Our dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this most auspicious 127th anniversary of your appearance day, please accept our most
humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories, all glories, all glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
We, your servants at ISKCON of Niagara, are extremely grateful for giving us the opportu-
nity to serve this divine mission. We started preaching activities in 2021. However, due to the
pandemic, the reach was limited. As soon as the restrictions were lifted in the summer of 2022,
we rented a place in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and started hosting weekly Sunday feast
programs. By Your mercy, we have seen an enthusiastic response.
When we first started, we used to be one or two families for the initial few weeks. We continued
to conduct the Sunday program based on the structure established by you, and today we have
over 35 devotees who consistently show up for the program.
This year, we also started Sunday school and are seeing enthusiastic participation from kids.
We are also conducting mṛdaṅga classes, and the interest is growing. We are also hosting a weekly
Bhakti-vṛkṣa program over Zoom, and increasingly more devotees are joining that program. We
set up a book stall during the Sunday feast program, and the sale of books is slowly but steadily
growing.
With Your blessings, we also intend to soon start harmonium classes, dedicated Bhakti-vṛkṣa
in Hindi language and another one focused on corporate preaching. We also plan to go out for
book distribution and harināma saṅkīrtana during the summer months to attract more souls to Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. Ultimately, our vision is to have a grand temple here in Niagara
Falls, for the pleasure of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi and Your Divine Grace. Please bless us, Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda, so we can become an instrument for realizing this vision.
Your servants at ISKCON Niagara, Ontario, Canada

Nicaragua

You are personally in your books. Your mercy is like a breeze to us, stopping the material time.
You are giving us a chance to go and present Kṛṣṇa consciousness endlessly if we follow your
order that we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and we spread your books.
saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka-
trāṇāya kāruṇya-ghanāghanatvam
prāptasya kalyāṇa-guṇārṇavasya
Thanks, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and thanks to Kṛṣṇa for allowing us his beloved cowherd boy.
Your servants at ISKCON Nicaragua
Noida, India

Happy Vyāsa-pūjā Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on the auspicious day of Nandotsava, in the year 1896, your divine grace
was chosen and empowered by Lord Caitanya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to appear to
inundate the entire universe with the chanting of the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa and give Kṛṣṇa
consciousness to the people in the West. We are the proud grandchildren of Your Divine Grace,
relishing the personification of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. This was indeed Kṛṣṇa’s highest level of kindness
in orchestrating you to deliver us from the miseries of this world and take us to the spiritual realm,
where we can directly serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Śrīla Prabhupāda exhibited all the tell-tale symptoms of a nitya-siddha saktyaveśa-avatāra. Such
divine personalities are specially empowered by the Lord and sent to deliver mankind.
In 1922, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī,

naturally recognized the true saktyaveśa identity of his new disciple. He indicated that Abhaya
Caraṇa’s assigned mission was to be the vehicle by which the transcendental message of Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was to be taken to the Western world. Today, Śrīla Prabhupāda’s success is
evident not only in the West but in nearly every place on the planet where the mahā-mantra, Hare
Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare is
chanted by the Vaiṣṇavas who have taken up our Prabhupāda’s mission.
titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ
suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām
ajāta-śatravaḥ śāntāḥ
sādhavaḥ sādhu-bhūṣaṇāḥ
The symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living
entities. He has no enemies. He is peaceful, he abides by the scriptures, and all his
characteristics are sublime. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.21)
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for boarding the Jaladuta to spread Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and for
giving us the mahā-mantra.
You have given us primarily three programs to ensure success: book distribution, prasāda
distribution, and harināma saṅkīrtana. The ISKCON NOIDA congregation is participating more
enthusiastically in all three programs. With your mercy, here are some of the activities and devel-
opments we would like to offer at your lotus feet, Śrīla Prabhupāda:
Infrastructure developments: Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are constructing two new floors of the
brahmacārī aśrama. Our brahmacārīs will have more open space to live and study. In order to
make our temple accessible and inclusive to elderly people and persons with disabilities, we are
constructing a second new lift in our temple. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are so incompetent that even
installing this second lift is a project for us. We remember how you gave a project to your disci-
ples to publish and print the Caitanya-caritāmṛta set in just two months. That project manifested
because you empowered your disciples to complete the task within the projected timeline. Śrīla
Prabhupāda, we pray to you – please empower us all so that we can also operationalize this
second lift by the time of your Vyāsa-pūjā this year. This year, we also plan to construct a ramp to
allow persons on wheelchairs to access our Govinda’s restaurant.
Deity worship standards: We are grateful to share that various senior leaders have compli-
mented the deity worship standards of our temple. Noida residents and visitors adore our beauti-
ful Śrī Śrī Rādhā Govindadeva. The daily footfall of visitors has increased manifold to the extent
that we fall short of space to accommodate the overwhelming crowd.
Pāda-yātrā: Janmāṣṭamī 2022 was all the more special because the All India Pāda-yātrā (AIP)
arrived at the Noida temple three days before Janmāṣṭamī. A special attraction was the majestic
pāda-yātrā oxen; the public being amazed to see such huge and powerful creatures. These oxen
are not ordinary because they serve Śrī Śrī Nitāi-Gaurasundara directly, taking Them on their
shoulders. Whoever sees these oxen also get benefits.
Taking inspiration from the AIP, our temple continues to drive our annual Noida Pāda-yātrā,
starting from Noida and concluding at Vṛndāvana, stopping each night at neighboring towns and
villages in between. At each stop, devotees enthusiastically perform Harināma and distribute your
books which are full of Vedic wisdom and experiential knowledge.
Book distribution: ISKCON NOIDA continues to drive BBT sales via both 1–1 selling and
online marketing through Flipkart and Amazon. Buy Śrīla Prabhupāda, a Facebook page driven
by ISKCON Noida youths, daily dispatches over 500 packages containing Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
books across India.

Food for Life program: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you always emphasized, “We have to see that
nobody goes hungry within a 10-mile radius. The temple is the house of God. God is everyone’s
father; Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s father. So, in the presence of the father, the son doesn’t go hungry. So,
we have to make an arrangement that people get fed.”
There are over 60 villages in Noida, which are home to many needy and poor families.
ISKCON Noida continues to feed kṛṣṇa-prasāda to the Noida localities.
Bhakti-vṛkṣa: In line with the ISKCON Ministry of Congregational Development, we con-
tinue to drive congregational growth. Leveraging online communication platforms, over 30 new
Bhakti-vṛkṣa servant-leaders have been developed, mentored, and trained on how to hone their
communication skills and interpersonal skills and thus attract newcomers to our programs. We
have seen steady growth in the number of physical Bhakti-vṛkṣas and a 100 percent year-on-year
increase in online Bhakti-vṛkṣas.
ISKCON Noida keeps pursuing many exalted senior devotees, including sannyāsīs and disci-
ples of your Divine Grace, to visit the temple. By their darśana, the congregation is nourished.
Children Program (Prahlāda School): Along with the weekly children program, every year,
Prahlāda School organizes a summer vacation kids camp. This year, we saw 200 children aged
5–12 years who participated in fun-based learning workshops centered around kṛṣṇa-līlā through
various activities such as quizzes, cooking lessons, outdoor games, indoor team-building activities.
As a result, the parents of the participating children have also been attracted to join congrega-
tional programs.
ISKCON Youth Forum (IYF): Noida is a bustling city with a dynamic 69 percent of the youth
population aged 16–30 years. With over 150 colleges and several prominent MNCs spanning the
city, it is a gold mine for preaching to the youth. IYF is key to tapping that gold mine through
several initiatives such as weekly programs and the quarterly youth festival – UMANG, which
features iconic youth speakers from ISKCON. Thousands of young, educated boys and girls are
taking advantage by attending this program, and many of them take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
ISKCON Girls Forum (IGF): The IGF is a weekly program that provides a platform for young
unmarried girls aged 20–35 years to connect, discuss Śātra and nurture their talents. IGF also
has a wing called Mañjarīs for younger girls (12–19 years of age) to train them to grow as high-
charactered Vaiṣṇavīs.
Ladies Program: ISKCON Noida has a weekly program for gṛhastha ladies that organizes sys-
tematic study classes for the participants. Once a year, tours are organized for visits to nearby holy
places such as Vṛndāvana dhāma.
Govinda’s Restaurant, Guest House, and Auditorium: We have scaled up the operations of
our restaurant, which has moved up the rankings of Noida’s top vegetarian restaurants. We have
hired new talented chefs from Māyāpur and added new delicacies to our menu. As a result, with
your blessings, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have nearly doubled our sales.
Various members of the society utilize our guest house and auditorium facilities. 2022 was our
ever-best year, as we hosted the highest number of weddings in our auditorium.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by opening such amenities to the public, a spiritual environment is created,
which we capitalize on for preaching purposes. Not only that, these amenities also provide sub-
stantial revenue to our temple.
Bhaktivedanta Academy: As ISKCON’s only 100 percent live online academic institution,
Bhaktivedanta Academy is on its way to completing its third Bhakti-śāstrī batch. Along with
Bhakti-śāstrī, the Academy conducts pre-Bhakti-śāstrī courses: Vaiṣṇava Etiquette, Deity Wor-
ship Level 1, Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, and ISKCON Founder-Ācārya (IFA). This year, with your
blessings Śrīla Prabhupāda, we aspire to add more courses to our curriculum, such as the Teacher
Training Course (TTC), music classes, leadership development program, etc. In the three years
since its inception, Bhaktivedanta Academy has graduated 150 Bhakti-śāstrī students who go

through a rigorous 1-year program. Bhaktivedanta Academy loves to take exceptional care of its
student’s progress by checking the homework of all students on a weekly basis and providing
them with weekly feedback. The teachers and staff of Bhaktivedanta Academy are committed to
delivering results to students within 24 hours of their exams. One day after the exam, when stu-
dents receive their results, whether good/bad, it helps the students truly know where they stand
on the subject matter before their next module/subject starts. That way, they can improve their
self-study and buckle themselves up before commencing their next module/subject. Fortnightly
Energy Classes are conducted as a special treat exclusively for Bhakti-śāstrī students. In each
Energy Class, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we invite your disciples to connect personally with the students.
In the last batch, 18 of your disciples graced this Energy Class platform, providing students with
international exposure to the ISKCON world at large.
New Temple Project on Noida Expressway: Śrīla Prabhupāda, you will be pleased to know
that in Sec-151, we have now acquired a third piece of land, along with the adjacent previous two
plots so that now there is a total area of 1100 sq. yards. On this land, we have the desire to develop
the second temple in Noida, and for this, we definitely beg for your guidance and blessings. We
have engaged a team of professional architects to prepare the blueprints and plans for this project.
Devotees in the vicinity of this land have commenced community programs to develop awareness
in the area about the upcoming project, including kīrtana, rock shows in nearby societies, book
distribution drives, and harināma saṅkīrtanas.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this momentous occasion, we pray to you to please grant us more service
to your lotus feet so that we may be able to make rapid progress in our endeavors in spiritual life.
We pray that as surrendered souls, we will eventually join you in the spiritual world to serve you
and Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Vyāsa-pūjā mahotsava kī jaya!
Your insignificant servants from ISKCON Noida (India)
North Florida, USA

Dear Beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept our humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace.
On this most glorious occasion of your appearance, we are eager to present our offering unto
you for your pleasure. On behalf of many devotees from the North Florida communities of Tampa,
Tallahassee, Orlando, and Deland, we submit this offering.
You are opening our eyes and those of everyone we preach to with your storehouse of knowl-
edge. As we read your books and discuss them more and more, then Kṛṣṇa is pleased, and we
awaken our dormant love for Kṛṣṇa, which is the ultimate goal of our life. We are so grateful for

your gifts to us which are saving us from a hellish life and worse future lives. Gradually by follow-
ing your instructions, prema, which seems so far away, comes closer to our grasp.
You have a very great expansive vision of saving the fallen souls of Kali-yuga for the next
10,000 years. The world desperately needs this as all standards of behavior and all knowledge of
God becomes lip service at best as they plunge into ignorance. You have shown us the real knowl-
edge of our spiritual existence and how to remain absorbed in it. Such kindness is rare to see in
this material world. Help us to take steps to train the newer devotees to carefully follow you and
preserve your instructions and standards and remain focused on fulfilling your desires.
Your mercy is so great that not only can your disciples take shelter of it, but by carefully follow-
ing everyone can gain that shelter as well.
I personally am quite insignificant and struggling to keep my eyes on the goal. Māyā is ever
vigilant and never gives us a moment’s peace unless we are fully engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service. We
underestimate her power due to our conditioned nature. From time immemorial, we have been
accepting all her offers with great eagerness. Now, let our face be turned away from her alluring
charm and be directed to service to Kṛṣṇa at your lotus feet. Your mercy is all that we are made of.
Thank you for bestowing that mercy on us without considering our qualifications.
We hope that this offering is pleasing to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They are the combined efforts
of the devotees in the North Florida communities.
We continue to beg for your mercy so that we can continue to expand the glories of the
Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa and bring more and more conditioned souls to surrender at your lotus feet.

Rāmīya Dāsa,
Zonal Supervisor, North Florida, USA
Nuremberg, Germany
Hare Kṛṣṇa, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please accept my humble obeisances at Your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
In 1991, in Minsk, I met Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees for the first time and received from them your
Kṛṣṇa book – a book about the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa. This was my first acquaintance with you,
and actually, this became the beginning of my spiritual path, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. I started
reading your books, meeting with devotees, attending temple programs and soon began chanting
the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra on beads. I am unspeakably grateful to you for this.
More than 100 years ago, writer John Reed wrote the book Ten Days that Shook the World (about
the revolution in Russia in 1917). My meeting with you is in the form of your books, lectures,
kīrtanas, instructions, and communications with devotees. During the same ten days it also shook
the world – the world of my former material illusions.
Looking back, I still can’t even imagine how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t come
into contact with Your devotees and Your books. I will never be able to express to You all the
gratitude that I feel for the fact that you entered my life and showed me its purpose. I am in an
irreplaceable debt to you and will never be able to repay it to you. You give everyone, whoever

they are, the sacred gift of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. Your love for devotees, for all people,
and for all living beings has always been manifested in a special way.
One day you received a letter from one of your disciples in which he described his difficulties
in ending his addiction to drugs once and for all. He had already stopped taking them for some
time, but after a while, he returned to the old habit. When this letter was read to you, tears rolled
down your cheeks, and you said to everyone in the room: “Just see how he is struggling for Kṛṣṇa.”
You saw in this disciple a spiritual warrior, not a sinner indulging his weaknesses. You have always
seen a spiritual spark in every person.
Through this love, you taught Your disciples how to find love for Kṛṣṇa. This is your mission –
to teach everyone how to serve Kṛṣṇa and become happy by finding our true constitutional posi-
tion, our spiritual nature, and our spiritual identity. We are the devotees of the second and third
generations of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement – the movement that you started. We have the
opportunity to develop this divine knowledge and pure love for Kṛṣṇa in our hearts by the mercy
of your disciples and other senior devotees.
Therefore, the devotees of the Nuremberg yātrā make great efforts in devotional service to Lord
Kṛṣṇa. With this, we want to satisfy and please you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda. We regularly conduct
Vaiṣṇava programs, organize harināmas, which are also accompanied by the distribution of your
books and sweet balls (prasāda). We organize Vaiṣṇava training programs, take care of the Deities,
and host visiting preachers and even whole harināma groups from various countries. We also try
to develop personal relationships with each other and learn how together faithfully serve your
mission and how to support each other in difficult life situations.
Thank you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda!
On behalf of the members of our Nuremberg Yātrā,

Your servant, Nāmāmṛta Dāsa
Oakville, Canada
Please accept our humble obeisance from ISKCON Oakville center on this auspicious day of
your divine grace’s appearance.
We are very happy to report that, by your mercy, we continue to conduct our Sunday Feast
program at the Gītā Yoga Studio in Oakville. Every week we meet on Sunday from 4:15 pm. The
attendance is consistently increasing, and on average, 40 to 50 devotees are attending every
Sunday!
Our program format is as follows:
• We start with your ārati and opening kīrtana, followed by Narasiṁha prayers
• Every week one family presents two Bhagavad-gītā ślokas
• Followed by reading your memories or instructions
• After that, we have Vedic discourse, where we invite speakers from across the GTA
• Closing kīrtana
• We end with prasāda

With your blessings, our Sunday school of kids is also increasing in number, and they study
during the time of Vedic discourse in a separate room.
Our Sunday school kids have also now started to serve Kṛṣṇa by doing kīrtana, drama, and
playing instruments during kīrtana. We have mixed-age group kids that we have grouped into two
based on their level of learning.
In addition to the above, once a month, we have started a special program called spiritual
fitness, tailored to suit the yoga community. The attendance is not great, but we will continue our
efforts; please bless us.
Please bless us so that we can follow in your footsteps and somehow be instrumental in
bringing some more lost children back to Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants at ISKCON Oakville Centre, Ontario, Canada
Okinawa, Japan
It’s been ten years since I met your teachings and ISKCON. No temples and no devotees on
this small island of Okinawa. It’s been eight and a half years since I started preaching. Finally,
this year, a new initiation devotee from Okinawa appeared. This is your mercy. She was always
reading your books.
I was reading too, and of course, others are also reading. I am in contact with you through the
books, through your association, faith in Kṛṣṇa, courage to distribute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I get
encouragement when things aren’t going well.
I touch your mercy through the mercy of all gurus and devotees. Through Your mercy, I am
touched by the mercy of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and at the end of this mercy, I feel
the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
I always receive a lot of mercy from you. I also want to distribute the mercy that I have
received with this feeling of gratitude from many people. I want to give out a lot. By distributing
Kṛṣṇa consciousness to many people, I show my gratitude to you. I like your prayers (Mārkine
Bhāgavata-dharma 14):
āniyācho jadi prabhu āmāre nācāte

nācāo nācāo prabhu nācāo se-mate
kāṣṭhera puttali jathā nācāo se-mate
I am also a puppet manipulated by your hands. Please let me dance, Lord; let me dance as you
please. May I share the teachings of the Lord wherever I go and with whomever I meet. May I
serve everyone with humility. May my desire and belief to serve Kṛṣṇa grow.
Dear Prabhupāda, please continue to be merciful to us. When we think of Kṛṣṇa when we are
preaching, you are on our side.
Your servant,
Kairava Devī Dāsī

Osaka, Japan
Dear His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
By your mercy, the Osaka yātrā is growing now. Nowadays, new Japanese people are interested
in Bhagavad-gītā and yoga and kīrtana. Our movement in Osaka is just starting to spread one by
one.
Since we started Bhagavad-gītā class, we have seen many people are interested in Bhagavad-gītā.
Many people are interested in kīrtana also. This is because His Holiness Kavicandra Mahārāja had
put many seeds in this area of Osaka for many years.
Not only Japanese but Indian devotees are also increasing. The number of devotees who come
to the ISKCON Osaka center is also increasing. All these developments are happening by your
mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Your glories are well known in the Osaka and Kansai area. When I gave
your Bhagavad-gītā to a young man, he said, “Wow! This book is very famous! I wanted to get
this!” These days we feel people are hankering for real spiritual knowledge.
Please kindly empower us so that we can distribute more books written by you.
Osaka devotees are also praying for cleaning the Yamunā project, which is led by one Indian
devotee with Japanese engineers. We hope the Yamunā River will be cleaned. So we beg your
mercy so that we can serve the Lord and Yamunā River.
Again, we beg your mercy to all Osaka devotees so that more of your books will be distributed
and Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Osaka will grow.
Your servants,
Osaka devotees
Osijek, Croatia
All glories to Your Divine Grace. Please accept our humble obeisances.
In this world, almost everyone is conditioned.

Therefore most of the time, we think of ourselves or our family
as big and very important. Something substantial and immutable.
Priority.
That is an illusion, of course.
Still, you taught as that we are actually important to Śrī Kṛṣṇa,
and even more,
you yourself showed us
that we are important to you.
Sometimes we feel ourselves as some kind of experts,
genuine spiritual seekers, knowledgeable jñānīs, experienced yogīs,
yet without contact with you,

today we would hardly
become vegetarians.
Truthfulness in the Age of Kali
is only one remaining principle of dharma.
Today this principle exists only
as the fruit of your austerity
and austerity of your sincere disciples.
By your mercy
anyone who is interested in the truth
can find it in your books,
and in your life
and in the life of your society.
And the truth is that we are not big nor important,
but loved we are.
We are only fools, yet you love as,
even more than Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself.
You came and made us qualified
for accepting truth by your desire only.
Your love lives eternally in the heart of anyone
who read at least one word from your books,
anyone who listened to your bhajana even for a second,
anyone who was blessed to see Your Divine Grace directly,
anyone who followed your desire at least a little,
anyone who cherished at least one small bit of prasāda
and witnessed ways of loving reciprocation between your disciples.
We used to speak about guru-paramparā, disciplic succession,
as some kind of river of knowledge that flows continually
from Kṛṣṇa to every soul in the material world.
We can speak much of that,
yet only sometimes can we really taste a few drops
of this river of mercy and love
and realize the real nature of the spirit.
These rare moments in our lives,
when we somehow align ourselves with the flow of Your mercy,
present to us more beauty, more understanding
and wonder than millions of sleepless nights
of study and discussions about God
and the meaning of life.
As a child, I spent many nights
in thinking about death as
something foreign, unacceptable,
unimaginable, terrible….
I feared it very much.

I prayed to Jesus to show me way....
to answer me whatever answer might be …
…and the way becomes evident
through the selfless service of ISKCON devotees,
Your spiritual children.
Who can better instill fearlessness
and the vision that goes far, far beyond death than you,
our ācārya and spiritual master
Śrīla Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
Who can give as Kṛṣṇa’s association as easy as you,
teach us to see Kṛṣṇa as Prahlāda Mahārāja….
in the heart and outside as well.
To see Kṛṣṇa everywhere, in everyone.
ISKCON Center Osijek, Croatia
exists in different forms uninterruptedly
for some 30 years.
Directly or by the merciful expansions of yours
We in Osijek, Croatia
also had and still have
everyday darśana
with the numerous charming
results of your unique endeavor.
You feed us,
you teach us reality, the goal of life,
you left us instructions,
you left us challenges,
you left us family to take care of,
to stay together no matter what,
you are giving us strength and peace.
You are giving us courage,
you are giving us compassion for others,
you left for us eternal life,
you left us in beauty,
forever.
There is no more fear or darkness.
We are not alone.
We will never be alone again.
We will live with you!
Your servants from

ISKCON Osijek Center

Ottawa, Canada

We feel greatly privileged to offer our humble obeisances at your lotus feet on this very auspi-
cious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā. This is the occasion for us to glorify you, to remember all the
transcendental gifts you have given us, rather to humanity at large, and to convey our gratitude to
you. In this regard, we beg you to kindly accept our words of glorification and gratitude, even if
expressed inadequately or incorrectly.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, there are hundreds and thousands of people all over the world who are
connected with you as disciples, granddisciples, great-granddisciples, and as your followers and
admirers. You made all of us very fortunate by bestowing upon us the same “prema-dhana,” as
Śrīmān Mahāprabhu did centuries ago.
Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura conveys in his song (hari hari biphale janama goṅāinu…):
“golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana.”
The harināma saṅkīrtana process is a gift from Goloka. It is very simple and easy for everyone to
participate, but the benefit of this process far exceeds our tiny efforts and is beyond comparison
with anything else we can think of. This process, when properly carried out, can take us back to
Goloka, our eternal home, the topmost transcendental realm, where every word is like a song,
every step is like a dance, and every day is a day of festivities. The existence there is eternally bliss-
ful, with all kinds of sweet exchanges taking place with our most beloved Lord, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Another point in connection with harināma is you are that senāpati-bhakta, the empowered
leader of the devotees, who appeared at the right time to fulfill the prediction of Śrīmān
Mahāprabhu, which is:

In every town and village on this Earth, everywhere my (harināma) will be sung.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you reached out to human society in different ways: through harināma kīrtana
parties, books/magazines, and electronic media. You established over 100 Temples, Centers,
Restaurants, Farming communities, etc., within 12 years of your arrival in NY city in 1965. At the
age when most people are already retired, you traveled around the world several times to firmly
establish ISKCON for the spiritual benefit of people at large, irrespective of their background,
going beyond the conventional divisions in human society like color, language, nationality, race,
religion, etc.
These are not simple tasks, even for established organizations already having money, facilities,
and Human Resources. However, without any such resources and only with your strong desire
to carry out the order of your Guru Mahārāja, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura, and to fulfill the desire cum order of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu, you accomplished so much
in such a short time. In the process of doing so, you created organizations like BBT, ISKCON,

etc., for the continuation of the mission of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu for centuries to come.
What you did accomplish is truly astounding, even to scholars and business entrepreneurs, what
to say about the general public. Reflecting your words in your poetry, “Adore, adore ye all…”,
a tribute to your Guru Mahārāja, all we can say is “Miracle Done Your Divine Grace.”
A scholarly disciple of Your Divine Grace once stated that one of the most significant events of
the twentieth century is your creation of ISKCON in NY city. Looking from a historical perspec-
tive, the most significant event in human society is the Appearance of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya,
the incarnation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, taking the role of a true kṛṣṇa-bhakta. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, a
great ācārya of gauḍīya-siddhānta glorifies Śrīmān Mahāprabhu as the most munificent incarnation
of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, for distributing kṛṣṇa-prema (or pure divine love), so freely to the masses what no
other incarnations ever did so far. In the same sense, we can assert that your coming to North
America or the establishment of ISKCON is THE most significant event of the twentieth century.
The role of ISKCON, for all time, is to bring the true spiritual process to the masses and guide
them to achieve the highest goal of kṛṣṇa-prema.
We at the Ottawa temple reflect fondly on how we came to connect with you and eventually to
admire you and to be part of your ISKCON through our service in the association of like-minded
devotees. Many of us were born after your visible presence in this world. However, we remember
your words that you live in your books and in your instructions. We try to follow your instruc-
tions and read your books. In this way and with the guidance of your senior servants, we feel your
presence.
We all took up the devotional practices being inspired by your gifts, be it harināma kīrtana,
hari-kathā, great philosophy, prasāda, the association of devotees, etc. As we got engaged in devo-
tional service regularly at home and at the temple, we felt some kind of reciprocation which rein-
forced our faith in you and in the process of devotional service as given by you.
Some devotees earnestly prayed to you for initiation by a dīkṣā-guru and had their desire ful-
filled soon. Some, after listening to the talks by senior and experienced devotees, felt inspired to
visit the temple regularly and to engage in the services at the temple, notwithstanding the usual
problems of domestic life and sad personal events. Some who had tried different other processes,
not feeling any personal or spiritual growth, came to our temple. Just after a few visits and partic-
ipation in the Sunday program, they felt something right about the kīrtana, talks, and prasāda and
now attend all the events regularly.
We often ponder where we would have been had we continued with our old lifestyle. Śrīla
Prabhupāda, you are certainly the captain of the ship where we feel safe crossing over the treach-
erous ocean of material existence on our journey Back home, Back to Godhead.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for your continued presence in our lives.
Aspiring servants of your servants

in Ottawa, Canada

Pachora, India
I offer my humble obeisances unto His Divine Grace Prabhupāda A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
In this world, there are still many, many people who have failed to take your mercy. I feel pity
for them. At the same time, I feel though I was one of them, out of compassion toward me, you
gave me your mercy by picking me from that suffering world to your ISKCON world through
your loving devotees.
I am grateful to you and your followers (devotees) all over the world for spreading Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness through which souls like me can benefit and uplift our consciousness.
You have always taken the words of your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
Ṭhākura as your life and soul. Despite having several discomforts, you have fulfilled the desire
of your spiritual master. The words meditated by you were that when you have received the
crest jewel of harināma, it has to be distributed far and wide. Just as the great Vaiṣṇava ācārya
Śrī Rāmānujācārya who had distributed the Nārāyaṇa mantra to all, so have you spread the holy
name throughout the world. In the same way, your dear disciples are taking part in spreading the
holy name. Please grant me the benediction that I never forget the mood and mission of yours
and always strive to achieve it through the instructions of Guru Mahārāja and senior Vaiṣṇavas.
Prabhupāda, due to your grace this year, a beautiful temple has been built in Pachora city.
Pachora is in the northern part of Maharashtra state. I feel that you are actually present there in
the form of your vigraha and are sitting there to grace all the devotees. I beg for the association of
devotees and be under the guidance of senior Vaiṣṇavas and be the servant of your servants.
Your servant of servant,

Caitanya Jīvana Dāsa
ISKCON Pachora (Maharashtra, India)
Panama
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
All the devotees of ISKCON Panama join in glorifying you on this special day. Although you
never personally visited Panama still, your presence is strong in the form of your books, your
mūrti, your instructions on Deity worship, and your words. The years roll on, but you continue to
make an impact on not only Panamanian people but people all over the world. You have empow-
ered your disciples and future generations to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and we continue to do

it in our best capacity. Your personality of being dynamic and determined inspires us to follow
in your footsteps and do whatever little we can. We hope our actions are pleasing to you. In
ISKCON Panama, by keeping you in the center, we feel your protection. We pray for your contin-
ued mercy, guidance, and illumination for practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness as you intended for us.
Your servants of ISKCON Panama
Pandharpur, India

Please accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace
on this most auspicious occasion of your 127th Anniversary.
We, the devotees at ISKCON Pandharpur, would like to humbly submit a report on the major
activities we performed during the year 2022 and about future developments.
Daily a lot of pilgrims visit the ancient Viṭṭhala Rukmiṇī temple, and on special occasions,
thousands of pilgrims come. Many of them are also visiting our temple. In this way, we are get-
ting the opportunity to preach to them, and simultaneously book distribution and harināma are
also going on. When they come, they also visit your Prabhupāda Ghāṭa at the Chandrabhaga
river. This ghāṭa has become very popular among the pilgrims and the local village people. The
ghāṭa also hosts our Annakṣetra Food For Life activity where monthly about 15,000 visitors are
getting full prasāda.
The gośālā has about 60 cows. All the cows are being taken care of nicely, and we are getting
daily milk from them. Recently a new cow shed has been built to provide proper shelter to the
cows.
Devotees are being taken care of nicely, and we are preaching in about 15 villages and towns
around Pandharpur. The devotees of these places visit the temple regularly. Especially on festival
days, they come with hundreds or thousands.
We also have a very special offering for you. For your pleasure, we are very happy to mention
the following development regarding our Bhū-Vaikuṇṭha New Temple Project:
• The Masterplan has almost been completed by the architect.

• The height of the temple will be 125 feet, and there will be about two lakhs feet of
construction.
• Last year in June, we did the bhūmi-pūjā in the presence of His Holiness Lokanātha Swami
and the honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Ekanath Shinde. Many senior devo-
tees and dignitaries attended this event.
• The land layout has been marked.
• In June, we are starting with the installation of Ananta-śeṣa, whereby again we will invite the

honorable Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Ekanath Shinde, as well as many senior devo-
tees and dignitaries.
• The temple will have many features, like a Śrīla Prabhupāda museum, Multi-media exhibition,
diorama, Vṛndāvana garden, International Guest House, Gurukula, Medical center, Varkari
Bhavan, etc.
At present, we are also working on the following constructions:
• Expanding our Chandrabhaga Guest House with one more floor, which will have twenty
more rooms to accommodate the guests.
• Expanding our brahmacārī āśrama with one more floor to improve the accommodation of the
brahmacārīs.
• Building a Fundraising Office for the Bhū-Vaikuṇṭha New Temple Project with all modern
facilities where we can receive our (potential) donors in a pleasant environment.
We are also planning to acquire more land for future expansion and also for accommodating the
congregational devotees.
The Central and State Governments have approved the development of the Pandharpur Cor-
ridor. Our temple falls within the zone of the corridor. The government will provide better infra-
structure, wider roads, sewer lines, improve the electricity supplies as well as the telephone and
Internet connections. We have proposed to the government to also build a bridge for pedestrians
across the Chandrabhaga River, like the Lakṣmaṇa Jhula in Haridwar so that we can be easily
connected with the ancient Viṭṭhala Rukmiṇī temple.
All these new developments will result in more people, pilgrims, and devotees visiting our
temple. The future seems to be very bright for expanding the preaching of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in
and from Pandharpur.
We will certainly need your special blessings to complete this great service for the pleasure of
Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Pāṇḍarīnātha and Your Divine Grace!
Thank you very much for giving us this precious gift of service to Their Lordships Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Paṇḍarīnātha, Śrī Paṇḍarapura Dhāma, and devotees all over the world.
Remaining the servants of the servants at your lotus feet,

ISKCON Pandharpur devotees
Maharashtra, India

Panihati, India
Most respected and worshipable Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Kindly accept our most respectful and humble obeisances at the dust of your divine lotus feet
on the most auspicious occasion of Your appearance day.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are not just the authorized but the perfect representative of Lord
Nityānanda, the primeval spiritual master as you embody many of His transcendental qualities
impeccably. When Lord Caitanya instructed Lord Nityānanda not to come to Jagannātha Purī
every year (to see Him) but stay in Bengal for preaching work, Lord Nityānanda, despite feeling
extreme separation from Mahāprabhu, came to Pānihāṭi with His associates and revived the
saṅkīrtana movement in Bengal. In the same way, following the instructions of Your spiritual
master, you went to the West, leaving the peaceful ambience of Vṛndāvana, embracing all kinds of
hurdles and challenges voluntarily, and flooding the entire world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Like
Lord Nityānanda, Your heart brimmed with extreme mercy for the fallen servants of Kṛṣṇa, and
you delivered and are still delivering countless Jagāis and Mādhāis.
You were so eager to establish an ISKCON temple in the holy dhāma of Pānihāṭi, which
became the nerve center of Lord Nityānanda’s spiritual movement in Bengal and where Lord
Nityānanda organized the most famous Daṇḍa-mahotsava, popularly known as ciḍā-dadhi-
mahotsava, the festival of chipped rice and yogurt, to deliver Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī. You
also predicted Śrīla Prabhupāda that this ISKCON center at the bank of the Ganges in Pānihāṭi
would become a very important center as it is connected through waterways. We, your insignifi-
cant servants at ISKCON Pānihāṭi, are endeavoring to transform Your prediction into reality and
please you and, thereby, Lord Nityānanda, who is eternally residing in this dhāma.
You will be pleased to know Śrīla Prabhupāda that the devotees and well-wishers of ISKCON
Pānihāṭi temple are extending their generous and whole-hearted support for getting the temple
land registered. By your causeless mercy and that of Their Lordships, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, we
expect to get the registration done very soon and thereby gain a stronger foothold in Pānihāṭi.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, the gṛhastha devotees, despite their busy schedule, are also becoming very
much involved in temple administration, especially festival and tour management, as well as
donor cultivation which has been appreciated by everyone as a very positive outcome of our
preaching work. Our temple is an extension center that needs the support and serious involve-
ment of both brahmacārīs and especially the gṛhasthas to grow and prosper, and all the efforts of
temple management are now being utilized in creating maximum involvement of the gṛhastha
devotees in various temple activities. It is with their cooperation, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we have
been able to distribute 728 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam during the Bhādra Pūrṇimā Campaign,
which is two times more than what we did the previous year.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your causeless mercy, we have been able to publish the Bengali book
Śrīpāṭ Pānihāṭīr Itikathā and through the wide circulation of this book, we have been able to dis-
seminate the glories of Pānihāṭi Dhāma to the Bengali people who are unfortunately aware of the
extreme spiritual significance of this place. Already we have the English book, The Glorious History
of Pānihāṭi and now we also intend to publish the Hindi version of this book.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have also got a dedicated team of 20 young devotees, and this team is

so diligently endeavoring to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness through social media where half of the
world sits. Recently, our boys have opened a YouTube channel, “VISTAR, Expanding values,
nourishing love,” through which they are propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness very nicely. They are
also very much active in distributing your books, and they are also taking nice care of the newly
joined boys.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you will be overjoyed to hear that we have also opened the GOVINDA’S
restaurant and are distributing the Lord’s mercy in the form of delicious kṛṣṇa-prasāda to the
devotees and other people. It is very nice to see that not just the devotees but even those outside
ISKCON are thronging our restaurant and appreciating the taste of prasāda.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless and empower us with the ability to dedicate the last drop of
our blood to assisting you in your mission of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness and thereby express
our gratitude to you for your immensely glorious deed of saving us from the bottomless well of
material existence. May your mercy and glory be distributed in every nook and corner of this
globe! All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your beggars for mercy at ISKCON Pānihāṭi
Perth, Australia

Please accept our respectful obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī Guru
and Gaurāṅga. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your first meeting with your Spiritual Master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saras-
vatī Ṭhākura, in 1922 was a real turning point in Your life. On that day, your friend Naren told
you about his family relatives having met Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and that he
would like to take you to him. Whilst you were a bit reluctant in the beginning, Naren managed
to convince you. After paying your obeisances, and as you were both still rising and preparing
to sit, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura spoke: “You are educated young men. Why don’t
you preach Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message throughout the entire world?” At that time,
you were amazed that you had not even spoken to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura or
exchanged words before, but you were straightaway given instructions to preach all over the
world. The seed had been planted.
After your initiation, you spent thirty-two years preparing for this great preaching mission, and
in 1965, at the age of sixty-nine, you left for the United States. You were fully aware of the colossal
task at hand, but this did not deter you from going ahead as you had full faith in the instruction
of your spiritual master, and you were fully dependent on Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
When you set foot on the Commonwealth Pier in Boston, you were all alone with no one to

receive you; no one knew at that time that you were going to change the lives of so many. No one
knew that you would soon create a worldwide spiritual revolution in the years to come.
However, this was no easy task. You had come to preach in the land of unlimited sinful activi-
ties – the United States of America, where sense gratification knew no bounds.
Through your unconditional faith in the instruction of your spiritual master and your unending
dependence on the mercy of Lord Kṛṣṇa, you managed to gather a few sincere followers. They, in
turn, had complete faith in you, and through their dedication, they helped found this wonderful
International Society for Krishna Consciousness – ISKCON.
Today, O Śrīla Prabhupāda, when we look back, we can see what a monumental achievement
you have accomplished in a short span of twelve years. You never considered this to be a personal
feat. But instead, you attributed this great success to the mercy of your spiritual master and to the
grace of Lord Kṛṣṇa as well as to your sincere followers who, at that time, were completely new to
the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We are all so grateful to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Through your struggle, perseverance, and
determination, you have laid the foundation and provided the necessary ingredients for us fallen
souls to now digest and try to save ourselves from this ocean of ignorance. We will eternally be
indebted to you.
Here at ISKCON Perth, we have seen our congregation grow over the years, with new mem-
bers joining in through an increase in our preaching and outreach programs. Our Bhagavad-gītā
Intro Courses have also been contributing to this growth. Your books have always been instru-
mental in guiding the new generation. We have been motivating our congregation members to
participate in the “Be a Gardener”, “Bhadra” and “Live to Give” campaigns. We have also been
targeting various outdoor events by having book tables set up to get more and more people to
know about Lord Kṛṣṇa. We know very well that distributing your books pleases you the most;
we, therefore, pray at your lotus feet for your blessings so that we can push further in this area.
Our new Temple project is also taking shape, with construction planned to commence by the
end of this year. We are all trying our best to contribute to making it materialize and to be ready
for you and Their Lordships. Please bless us, dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, so that we can achieve this
goal.
Always praying at the dust of your lotus feet to serve you and your wonderful ISKCON to the
best of our ability.
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Perth, Australia
Philadelphia, USA
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you, our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this
most auspicious day when you appeared on this Earth in 1896, 127 years ago. May Lord Kṛṣṇa
kindly give us the words to properly glorify Your Divine Grace in order to show our sincere and
deep appreciation for the transcendental gifts you brought to this world.
On behalf of ISKCON Philadelphia’s administration, our sincere temple residents, and our

devoted congregational members, we are enthusiastic to report to you that we have been working
hard this past year to increase our various services at your lotus feet.
To begin, knowing your instruction was, “Deity worship runs on two tracks: cleanliness and
punctuality,” our pūjārīs have been encouraged to raise the standard of Deity Worship in this
regard. We are pleased to tell you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that offerings and āratis are now prompt,
and the standard of cleanliness has greatly improved. During darśana of Their Lordships, devo-
tees have become more inspired to serve the Deities and to return more often to see the Lord.
We pray this pleases you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
In addition, our book distribution and harināma services have grown through the hard work of
our dedicated saṅkīrtana team. These sincere families, along with some of their children, distribute
your transcendental books door-to-door, often distributing whole sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams and
Caitanya-caritāmṛtas.
Our Saṅkīrtana Party has devotees ranging in age from 8 years to almost 80 years. In a park
within the city of downtown Philadelphia, ISKCON Philadelphia’s Saṅkīrtana Team places your
books into the eager hands of residents and passersby, young and old, while the Harināma Party,
seated on the grass, blissfully chant the holy names.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you once told the saṅkīrtana devotees in the Los Angeles temple, “Even if
they just TOUCH the book, they will make (spiritual) advancement.”
With that statement, you gave us a glimpse into the potency of your transcendental books! We
humbly pray that the sincere efforts of the ISKCON Philadelphia Saṅkīrtana Team please you
very much. Please bless these special devotees to continue distributing your literature so your
books will plant seeds of devotion within the hearts of all who touch them; what to speak of,
purchase them, and read them. Please bless those who accept your books to be the continuous
recipients of your causeless mercy.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, recently the “Kṛṣṇa House” Program at ISKCON Philadelphia, began. We
are all looking forward to having University Students stay at the temple and learn the practices of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness as taught by Your Divine Grace. Just as you showed the example of preach-
ing due to time and circumstance in the 1960s, this program has shown to be very successful
due to its significance in preaching to the youth who are now attending Universities but are also
seeking spirituality.
We pray this thriving preaching program for college students pleases you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Please bless us so we can all be a positive influence on these sincere students.
This past year, our Vaiṣṇavas CARE – Philadelphia Team organized our 1st Annual Holistic
Health Fair to increase our Neighbor Relations. We hope to continue to have this Fair on the first
Saturday of every October, making our neighbors feel more welcome at the temple. Our team per-
sonally distributed 250 invitations asking families to visit ISKCON Philadelphia for this special
event so we could get to know one another. Many came and expressed their appreciation; some
returned to the temple.
The 1st Annual Holistic Health Fair consisted of 14 decorated pandals, each one offering
various activities such as:
• We taught mantra meditation/chanting japa. We also distributed copies of Chant and Be

Happy.
• We had a Cooking Demonstration and taught visitors how to make samosas and distributed
copies of Higher Taste.
• Our Devotee Physician Gave Free Check-ups and medical advice.
• Another Devotee Physician Taught basic concepts from the Ayurvedas.
• Our Devotee Youth had a sweet kīrtana, inviting guests to join in.
• We had a Children’s “Arts and Crafts for Kṛṣṇa” Booth.

• We distributed a special Prasāda Lunch, Healthy Drinks, and Snacks.
• Devotees gave tours of our “Prabhupāda Museum” in the Temple Lobby depicting the Life
and Mission of Your Divine Grace. This led to a tour of the Temple Room and introductions
to Their Lordships on the altar. Many of our guests commented on how “Beautiful” the
Deities and temple looked.
• Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and other books by Your Divine Grace were distributed at our Book
Table by a member of our Saṅkīrtana Party.
We had other activities that were also well-received.

In October 2023, we hope to present our second Holistic Health Fair. We plan on adding two
more pandals to teach the concepts of The Material Body and the Spirit Soul and Reincarnation and
Karma. We will distribute copies of Coming Back, Beyond Birth and Death and Bhagavad-gītā As It Is.
One of our main projects this past year was to enhance the property of ISKCON Philadelphia,
including the interior and exterior of the buildings and the landscaping of the grounds. Our team
for organizing the preservation and beautification of the exterior of the buildings successfully
completed the outside of our Victorian-style gṛhastha building built in 1856, with the temple build-
ing from 1905 being next in line.
We pray this revitalization project to beautify the Temple for Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-
Śaradbihārī; Lord Jagannātha, Lord Balarāma, and Śrīmatī Subhadrā; and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi,
pleases Your Divine Grace.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our successful Ratha-yātrā Festival continues, with over 5,000 people in
attendance each year. By Your Grace, we pray we can continue to present this festival for the
people of this city of Philadelphia so they may receive the blessings of Lord Jagannātha.
We pray this endeavor by the Ratha-yātrā Team will please you year after year, Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
Finally, our preaching program at ISKCON Philadelphia has grown with morning Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam classes regularly given now seven days per week. This has increased our congrega-
tional participation, who watch it every day online. Within our congregation, we are seeing an
upsurge in enthusiasm to study your Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
In addition, we have “Happy Hour” three evenings per week which is a reading of
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is with a summary study by the Speaker, plus questions from our listeners in
the community. Attendance is steadily increasing, which then increases our guests at the Sunday
“Love” Feast!
One evening per week, we have readings and class from the Caitanya-caritāmṛta as well as
“Prabhupāda Night” which includes reading your pastimes written by your disciples and depicting
the history of ISKCON.
We pray that these preaching programs please you very much, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
We humbly thank you for allowing us, your aspiring devotees at ISKCON Philadelphia, to
engage in devotional service at your lotus feet. It is only by your Divine Mercy that we came to
know you in this lifetime. It is only by Your Grace that we have been able to assist you in some
small way with your transcendental mission to your Spiritual Master.
Here at ISKCON Philadelphia, we are begging you to please help us to continue serving you,
now and always. Please give us the spiritual strength and determination to remain at your lotus
feet, serving you however you desire for all of eternity.

On behalf of ISKCON Philadelphia,
Saṅgītā Devī Dāsī

Phoenix, USA
Hare Kṛṣṇa!


Please accept our deepest respects as we bow down at your lotus feet.
All glories to you! All glories to your endless inspiration!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, the more we see the situation of the world around us, the more we are
forever indebted to you for bringing the holy name of Kṛṣṇa to us. At your advanced age, you
were determined to accomplish the mission given to you by your spiritual master. Your faith in
your guru and in the saṅkīrtana movement of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the utmost love for
Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa were your guiding motor. You always had the proper vision. You saw everything
before it manifested because it had already been manifested in your heart.
Your mercy knew no boundaries. You welcomed everyone and were an ideal example of respect,
tolerance, and humility, qualities required to relish and surrender to the holy name. When will
we get such an attraction? When will we develop sincere love and attachment to Kṛṣṇa? When
will we really develop full faith in the holy name? When will our eyes, ears, and minds be focused
on the All-Attractive Couple without deviation? When will we surrender our egos and personal
ambitions, even in the name of service? Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu inaugurated the saṅkīrtana
movement, indicating that we were all in this together. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu gave this gift
to all, not just a few. When will we understand that it is about us and not about me? When will we
understand that it is not about converting but about inspiring?
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are a relatively young yātrā in an arid place, but the nectar coming from
your books is the oasis in the middle of the desert. Your mercy is the blue blanket full of stars
that cover us and extend to the entire earth. You were soft and bold like Prahlāda Mahārāja
when instructing with love and care, but you took no time to be strong and determined like Lord
Narasiṁhadeva to protect those under your care.
Upon your arrival in the USA at the Boston pier (Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma), you wrote: “How
will they understand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your
mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.” It was truly your humility
speaking; fast forward 58 years and see how the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has gone to every
corner of the world! Only a special soul could do this job. You are that special personality who
was sent to this material world to awaken the souls that were sleeping, and by the mercy of Lord
Kṛṣṇa, through your medium, you are still instructing, you are still inspiring, you are still guiding.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please guide our steps so that we may be one of those spiritual embassies
that you envisioned. A place where devotees of all ages can come together and serve together in
an environment conducive to the advancement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please forgive our shortcomings, and once again, we beg your guidance so

that we can inspire others. Please guide our endeavors and protect our right intention: Serving
you for the pleasure of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa for the benefit of all.
With much love and respect,

Your aspiring servants at ISKCON Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Prabhupāda Village, USA

All glories to you! We offer our humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
We don’t know how to thank you for sharing with us the love and devotion for Kṛṣṇa that you
brought to our country despite great risks and challenges. With grateful arms raised to the sky,
we praise you. We offer you our life and soul, birth after birth. Even the next 1,000 reincarnations
would not be sufficient to repay our debt that we owe Your Grace. You have taught us not only
the truths of God and the universe, but by your personal example, you have given us all the tools
we need to become restored to our original higher selves and return to that love we so foolishly
abandoned.
You said that you would be satisfied after leaving this realm if we would all love Kṛṣṇa and
cooperate together. We have therefore come together and tried to encourage and inspire each
other to please you, even to the point of spiritual competition.
Through all the struggles and difficulties, we are still pursuing our goals, and each time we fall
short, we pick ourselves up. We may be lacking and making mistakes, but we have faith in your
words and deeds that we will be successful.
You who have lived an exemplary life of purity, spiritual strength, compassion, and humility
have bestowed on us the greatest gift. We simply pray that we may continually endeavor to not
only please you but to share everything you gave us with the rest of the world. We pray for your
blessings that we who live on this land called Prabhupāda Village can transform this place and
ourselves into a model for the world. Our goal is to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and encourage
others to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and take up your mission for the next 10,000 generations
(beyond your expectations) as we wish to please you and make you proud.
These words we have written are insufficient. Perhaps our actions and behavior will say more.
Please forgive us as we still are so unqualified, and please bless us that we may continue to grow
and be the devotees you would have us be.
Only by your mercy and the mercy of the paramparā and that of Lord Caitanya do we still
breathe and move. Please always be with us and constantly remind us of the most important
thing: that with all our body, heart and will, we glorify Kṛṣṇa and respect one another.
We are so grateful and appreciate you and every moment you are with us. Thank you Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
I, Cakrapāṇi Dāsa, humbly write these words on behalf of your servants of the
Temple of the Holy Name in Prabhupāda Village, Sandy Ridge, NC, USA

Prayagraj, India
All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu,
All glories to Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī,
All glories to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura,
All glories to Śrī Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya guru-śiṣya sampradāya,
Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he first met Lord Caitanya at Prayāga, Allahabad, offered his respects by
composing one verse in Sanskrit:
namo mahā-vadanyaya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradaya te

kṛṣṇaya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-namne gaura-tvise namah
(Cc., Madhya 19.53)
O most munificent incarnation! You are Kṛṣṇa Himself appearing as Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, and You are
widely distributing pure love of Kṛṣṇa. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you mention Prayagraj, “Allahabad or Prayāga is the birthplace of the seeds of
transcendental Love of Godhead as they were implemented here first in the heart of Śrīla Rūpa
Gosvāmī.” I also wish to remind you of the below quotations about Prayagraj:
• June 6, 1970, in a letter to Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava Śaraṇa of Vṛndāvana, you wrote, “Besides that,
next year I am contemplating to send a World Samkirtan Party, therefore I wish to have a
nice place in India either in Vrindavan or at Prayag Sangam. So I shall be glad to know if you
can help us in this connection.”
• January 18, 1971, you shared with someone in a letter, “Please accept my greetings. We are
staying at the Magh Mela, at the Prayag pilgrimage. The program here is going on very nicely.
It will be a great pleasure for us if you visit and stay with us in this sacred pilgrimage.”
• March 17, 1974, you wrote to Dr. Ghosh, “Sometimes I think of going to Allahabad. So
whenever I shall get the opportunity I may go, as I like the place. I am obliged to you for
your remembering me even after so many years passed when we were together in Prayag
Pharmacy.”
• December 13, 1974, you wrote in a letter to Dr. Reddy, “So at the present moment there is
great need of rajarsis on the head of the ruling government. So I am glad to see you on the
throne of Uttar Pradesh as Governor, and I expect your administration should be as ideal as
the former rajarsis. At least I expect that you should try to give an example of an ideal Gov-
ernor from the holy place of Uttar Pradesh where is situated such holy places as Ayodhaya,
Varanasi, Prayag, Mathra, Vrindaban, Hardwar, etc.”
• In 1971 at New York, in an initiation ceremony, you named a disciple Prayāga Dāsī and you
said to her, “Prayāga. Prayāga Dāsī. Prayāga is the chief holy place in India, where we held
our … That is Allahabad. That is Prayāga. Another name is Prayāga. Real name is Prayāga.
Tīrtha-rāja, the king of pilgrimage.”
• July 15, 1974, your disciple Rāmeśvara Dāsa wrote to Rādhā-Vallabha, “Regarding Pariksit’s
drawings, we did not even show Him the picture for Chapter 1 because His Divine Grace was
already so annoyed that we were not including the picture of Rupa and Sanatan Gosvami
offering obeisances to Lord Caitanya’s kirtana party at Prayaga.”

Śrīla Prabhupāda, we all are serving here at ISKCON Prayagraj temple under the divine inspira-
tion and able leadership of your dear devotees His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, His Grace
Devakīnandana Prabhu, His Holiness Bhakti Pracāra Parivrājaka Mahārāja and His Holiness
Bhakti Prema Mahārāja. This is the place of your dikṣa (1933), and Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s śīkṣā
(by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu). This is the very place where you stayed 13 years (1923–1935), and
where Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura also visited. This is the place where, since millen-
niums, great sages, saints and devotees have been visiting for the holy Kumbha-melā. This is the
place where you visited for preaching, even after establishing ISKCON, in 1977 Kumbha-melā,
and taught all the devotees by your own example of how to happily accept austerities for a pure
and missionary life of a Vaiṣṇava.
We had heard several years ago how everything at one of our ISKCON communities in the
west started turning back to life even after a decade of failures and almost closure when they fol-
lowed your teachings of taking good care of the Deities, cows, and devotees, and focused on unit-
edly spreading the mission of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. We tried to apply the same formula
and literally saw miracles happen in the last two years or so. Together the team of devotees began
working upon the following and saw great transformations at ISKCON Prayagraj in a short time
of 2–2.5 years:
• Deity care – Renovating the altar, wardrobe, kitchen, storage facilities, bhoga standards, wor-
ship and festival standards of Deities, and engaging more devotees in sevā of Deities
• Cow care – Making new gośālā, fodder house, better grazing grounds, better shade and
medical care for the cows; daily cleansing and massaging of cows, and sufficient allowance of
mother’s milk for new calves
• Devotee care – Renovating ashram facilities, washroom, kitchen, offices, and daily usage facil-
ities for temple devotees
• Missionary spirit (saṅkīrtana and sādhana facility) – morning program, weekly harināma
saṅkīrtanas, śāstric courses and Bhāgavatam study circles, books for distribution, new youth
centers, temple IYF, boys’ and girls’ wings, vehicles for preaching, etc.
• Relationships and Unity (Team spirit and a culture of love and trust) – devotees regularly
coming together for sādhana sevā and meetings, celebrating festivals together
• Organization and Intelligence in the culture of sevā – organized accounts department,
management systems, devotee care, communication channels, preaching systems etc.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our heart swells with pride when we share with you that in this last year, we
were fortunate to be instrumental in setting up an official stall for the sale of your divine books
right at the Prayagraj Junction Railway Station, a very prominent site, where every single day
hundreds of thousands of passengers see “Hare Kṛṣṇa” and several of them get to touch and get
your books. And yes, in the last two years, we ourselves surprised each other by the total number
of books that were distributed by the team. Thank you for inspiring the book distributors, Śrīla
Prabhupāda.
In the last two years, I have seen our Prayagraj devotees happily take up pains and troubles to
establish a new gośālā, a systematically renovated kitchen, improvised offices, a garden, neat and
clean āśrama and compound, etc. This is the power of bhakti beginning with the chanting of the
holy names that directly revive the spirit of selfless voluntary service attitude in the heart of condi-
tioned souls.
Every evening after the gaura-ārati, a group of mātājīs including the ones who make beautiful
garlands every single day in the early morning hours for the Deities, walk up to the Yamunā banks
and with a joyful chorus, offer Yamunā ārati, worship and few minutes of saṅkīrtana as a prayer to

Śrīmatī Yamunā Maiyā. It is one of the most ecstatic and devotional moments of our existence at
Prayagraj.
Also, you would be very pleased to know that during the last few months, our ISKCON
Prayagraj devotees have been doing five harināma saṅkīrtanas every month on average. Many a
time these harināma parties are able to receive several bags of vegetables and grains to offer in
service of Deities and devotees. I must even share with you that in the last few months, there have
been devotees offering live kīrtanas during almost every ārati time on most days. And morning
program itself has become more consistent, though there is still a long way to go in meeting the
standards of all the āratis and programs throughout the day.
We are also happy to report to you that the youth outreach team is doing very good service in
transforming the hearts of many, many youths from the local colleges, especially with the help
of our newly established youth centers and facilities at Jhalwa, Govindpur and within the temple
campus itself. The two new youth center facilities near MNNIT and IIIT colleges are a great boon
to have, and we can never thank you enough for the same. We are confident that shortly in a few
years, we shall be able to report to you a very good expansion of the saṅgam of dedicated devotees
in our temple, just like the grand saṅgam of holy rivers at Prayagraj.
One more feature which we must particularly mention to you is that the annual festivals like
the Ratha-yātrā, Janmāṣṭamī, Kārtika festivals, etc., are continued to be celebrated gorgeously.
The participation of people in general and the commitment and quality of service rendered by
devotees has also been increasing. Even our annual youth festival, “Impressions,” has become
quite a brand amongst the local schools and colleges, with the participation of approximately
1,000 youths every year.
Now, as youth preaching has picked up nicely and as the team of devotees has taken up your
mission with a spirit of enthusiasm and unity, our immediate next plan is to begin the first phase
of a new temple project somewhere around Oct 2023 in the form of a guest house to be com-
pleted by Kārtika 2024 so that the Vaiṣṇavas coming for Mahā-Kumbha in January-February 2025
are facilitated within our ISKCON family. We are very confident that if we can come up with this
new guest house in the planned time, we will be able to lay the foundation of the new temple in
Kārtika 2025 because Vaiṣṇavas and guests visiting during Mahā-Kumbha will definitely extend a
helping hand for that glorious cause.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you once shared with devotees how you helped your godbrothers, the
Gauḍīya Maṭha devotees, in establishing a Maṭha at Prayagraj, when they came to Prayāga in
1928. Now we are requesting you, Prabhupāda, kindly you only lead us here in your own city of
Prayagraj. From our side, we can offer you the commitment and dedication of our team of devo-
tees that we shall make a nice temple for you and your beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Veṇi Mādhava, Śrī
Śrī Gaura-Nitāi and Śrī Śrī Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā.
One of our TMC leaders, His Grace Prema Rūpa Prabhu, has written an excellent poem
offering the same resolve of our team of Prayagraj devotees – Mandir yahin banāyeṅge (we shall
definitely make a temple here itself). We are sharing the poem at the end of this offering. In fact,
some of our IYF devotees have made a nice 3–4 minutes musical rendition of the same. We offer
that, too, at your lotus feet. Kindly bless us just like you blessed the entire Juhu project of your
prāṇadhana, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rāsabihārī. Many-many thanks to His Holiness Girirāja Mahārāja for
sharing that classic masterpiece in the form of the book The Juhu Story and inspiring all of us and
devotees across the entire world.
We know, Prabhupāda, that we are yet to come up even to the standards of being called your
good devotees, or gentlemen as you liked to call. And we have definitely made many mistakes in
doing our sādhana and sevā even in this “historically and spiritually important place” as His Holi-
ness Bhakti Pracāra Parivrājaka Mahārāja often likes to call Prayagraj as, but we are also sure that
by your causeless mercy, soon we shall be able to cross over our own limitations and challenges,

to be individually pure and collectively united. We beg at your lotus feet to continue to keep all
of us in your service with our hearts united, intelligence enlightened, minds absorbed, and senses
engaged. And please do kindly protect us from sins and offenses which are so prevalent in this
iron Age of Kali-yuga. We wish to remain humble servants in assisting you and our superiors.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants,
(on behalf of His Grace Devakīnandana Prabhu and the entire zonal team)
Acyuta Mohana Dāsa (Temple President),
the TMC leaders and all devotees at ISKCON Prayagraj, India
SONG WRITTEN BY HIS GRACE PREMA RŪPA PRABHU (TMC, ISKCON PRAYAGRAJ)
REPRESENTING THE SPIRIT OF DEVOTEES TO MAKE A TEMPLE FOR YOU
आपसे ये वादा िनभाएं गे… और मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे समाज के अच्छे भिवष्य हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे
जान पर बन आए तो जान भी गवाएं गे, जननी को समाज में फै लते दसु ं गत से बचाएं गे
गीता भागवत का सं देश घर घर तक पहुंचाएं गे सभी को एकजुट कर भिक्त में पिरवार का पाठ पढ़ाएं गे
आपकी सेवा में हम तन मन धन लगाएं गे वैष्णवी सं घ से सभी के घरों को गोलोक बनाएं गे
वैिदक सं स्कृ ित और मूल्यों को जन-जन अपनाएं गे घर-घर भिक्त प्रचार हेतु मं िदर यही बनाएं गे
मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे। शुद्ध साित्वक कृ ष्ण प्रसाद की मिहमा सबको बताएं गे
शास्त्रों की लुप्त होती िशक्षाओं को जन-जन तक पहुंचाएं गे शाकाहारी भोजन बनाने की उत्तम कला िसखाएं गे
भागवत और गीता को िवशुद्ध ढंग से पढ़ाएं गे भोजशाला से पेट मन एवं आत्मा को सं तुिष्ट िदलाएं गे
िवद्यापीठ से इस दिु नया के भौितक अंधकार को िमटायेंगे िनदोर्ष जानवरों को बचाने हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे
अध्यात्म के प्रचार हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे नशे और व्यसनों से हारते युवा को िजताएं गे
कीतर्न की मधुर ध्विन नगर-नगर सुनाएं गे आध्याित्मक िशक्षा और प्रिशक्षण युवा पीढ़ी तक पहुंचाएं गे
मनमोहक कृ ष्ण सं कीतर्न से जीवन प्रफु िल्लत बनाएं गे युवा क्षेत्र से हर युवा को अजुनर् बनाएं गे
स्वर ब्रह्म से वातावरण को सुं दर-पिवत्र बनाएं गे पथ भ्रिमत को सही पथ िदखलाने हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे
युगधमर् की स्थापना हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे दू िषत मनोरंजन मीिडया इं टरनेट से भटकते िकशोरों को बेबसता से बचाएं गे
लिलत कला से भारतीय सं स्कृ ित को पुनः उदय कराएं गे भिक्त के शुभम िवकल्प से जीवन सफल बनाएं गे
िचत्रकला से आध्याित्मक जगत का दशर्न अवश्य कराएं गे िवद्याश्रम से िकशोरों को जीवन का मूल्य बताएं गे
कलािनके तन से प्रितभाशाली युवाओं को अवसर िदलाएं गे अच्छे आदशर् स्थापना हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे
अध्यात्म के सुं दर दशर्न हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे जीवन के सं घषर् को हारते वृद्धों को सच्ची आशा िदलाएं गे
नािटकाओं से श्रीकृ ष्ण की लीलाओं को दशार्एँगे मृत्यु के भय में भिक्त का अमृत िपलाएं गे
बच्चे बूढ़े तथा जवान सभी का मन लुभायेंगे िवदरु सं घ में भीष्म जैसे आदशर् िदखाएं गे
नृत्य वािटका के मं च पर अलौिकक नृत्य िदखाएँ गे विरष्ठों के आशीवार्द हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे
शुद्ध मं चन स्थापना हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे सच्चे भारत को पुनः उदय कराएं गे
सभी मं िदरों के पुजािरयों को एक सं ग में लाएं गे सबके जीवन में आध्याित्मक क्रांित लाएं गे
शुद्धता साक्षरता और सहायता हर उपासक तक पहुंचाएं गे दख ु दोषों को दू र भगा शुद्ध जीवन और आनं दमयी शैली लाएं गे
धमर् कें द्र से पुनः पुजािरयों को उनका उिचत दजार् िदलाएं गे हमारा यह वादा है आपसे मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे
धमर् की रक्षा करने हेतु मं िदर यहीं बनाएं गे आनं द की खत्म हुई तलाश, जीवन में पुनः जागृत हुई आस
अच्छे चिरत्र का बीजारोपण बचपन से कराएं गे भटकते-भटकते प्राप्त हुई भिक्त सवोर्त्तम अनायास
मीिडया और इं टरनेट से दू िषत होते नन्हों को बचाएं गे जब आया मैं इस मं िदर में तेरे पास
सं स्कृ ित से गली-गली में ध्रुव और प्रहलाद बनाएं गे हाथ जोड़े करुणा की कामना करे तुच्छ भक्त प्रेम रूप दास

Pune (Camp), India
All glories to you on this most auspicious occasion of your 127th Vyāsa-pūjā.
The Vedic scriptures enjoin, tad vijñānārthaḥ sa gurum evābhigacchet: “To understand the goal of
life, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master.”
In this day and age of so many cheaters and unscrupulous “gurus,” we are so lucky to have
found you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You are the true jagad-guru – your fame is spread all over the three
worlds. You have brought the eternal religious principles within the reach of everyone, and you
have set the pace for the spiritual advancement of the entire universe.
We can never come close to repaying our unlimited debt to you. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
Prahlāda Mahārāja has said, “How can I leave the service of my spiritual master, who has brought
me to the transcendental position of direct association with the Lord? My duty is to serve Him.”
We beg you to accept our insignificant and worthless attempts at trying to spread your divine
mission and propagate this saṅkīrtana movement. We pray that by Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s grace our desire to
render service unto you will become pure and unmotivated.
Your divine association continues in the form of your eternal instructions. In your purports in
the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, you have said that when the spiritual master appears, he brings order to
chaos, and when he leaves, the chaos returns. But as long as we constantly look to your instruc-
tions and always remain faithful to you; you will always remain with us and by your presence in
the form of your vāṇī, the order you have established will continue for thousands of years.
Thanks to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the prophecy of Lord Caitanya is being fulfilled: the world
is now dotted with ISKCON temples, farms, and communities, and the name of Lord Caitanya is
being heard in every corner of the world.
Thanks to your mercy, a wonderful future is unfolding for every devotee.
For your pleasure, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we would like you to know that ISKCON Pune stood
Number 1 (once again) in the book distribution marathon last year. Temple residents and congre-
gation members have been jointly making painstaking efforts to bring your books to the general
public so they are able to take shelter of your eternal instructions and thereby deliver themselves.
Your insignificant grandchildren at the ISKCON temple of Camp, Pune
Pune (Ravet), India

Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving up everything to come to the West despite the condi-
tions you had faced and the hardships you endured, all so we could be saved from this material
world. You opened our eyes with the light of knowledge and have given us the most precious gift
anyone could receive in all three worlds. No words can express our gratitude to you, as you have
truly given us purpose in life.

Although we had thousands of flaws, still Śrīla Prabhupāda kindly ignored all of that. Śrīla
Prabhupāda built a house in which the whole world can nicely live in harmony. And that house
is surely known as ISKCON with Śrīla Prabhupāda in the center. Prabhupāda, please give us
strength so that we can spread the message of Lord Caitanya and try to please you.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us and everybody else the priceless gift of Kṛṣṇa
consciousness.
Your servants,
Gopati Dāsa
Jagadīśa Gaurāṅga Dāsa
On behalf of ISKCON Ravet Temple Management
Punjabi Bagh, India

We offer our most respectful obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. As we celebrate the most
auspicious occasion of the 127th Vyāsa-pūjā ceremony, we are filled with joy and gratitude for the
most precious connection with you and for your gift of ISKCON to this world.
Delhi is the political capital of India, and in many ways, you began your mission from this
place. After leaving family life, you moved to Delhi practically without any support. You served
in the Maṭhas of your godbrothers, organizing them and simultaneously working on Gauḍīya
Patrikā and Sajjana-toṣaṇī. You would spend your time preparing a Hindi translation of Caitanya-
caritāmṛta to preach to the Hindi-speaking audience.
The funds were so scarce that you did not even have a decent dhoti to wear, and yet you always
envisioned a glorious future of the Sajjana-toṣaṇī.
In a letter to your godbrother, Bhaktisāraṅga Gosvāmī, you wrote:
I wish to see this paper just to the standard of “Illustrated Weekly” with numerous pic-
tures in order to make it a very popular literature and for this I wish to move myself to
secure subscribers as well as advertisers.
After being removed from the Maṭha and without income or institutional shelter, you stayed in
various homes from week to week, wherever you would get an invitation. Even in such a situation
of personal difficulty where you had no income, shelter, or support, you were fixed on printing
transcendental literature to establish a pure, powerful movement of spreading Lord Caitanya’s
teachings.
You started publishing Back to Godhead magazines here. You translated and published
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto One, while staying at the humble location of Chippiwada. You were
specifically absorbed in contemplating how magazines and books can reach the thoughtful
people and leaders of society.
After making a historic journey to the West and establishing the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement
there, you expanded and developed preaching in Delhi through huge pandal programs, meeting
dignitaries, and installing Deities. Your dear disciples were so surrendered to you that they got

down at Delhi Station upon request of an acquaintance to you. You and your selfless disciples have
worked tirelessly over the last 50 years to share all the transcendental gifts with modern society.
ISKCON Punjabi Bagh (situated in West Delhi) is one such invaluable gift of yours to all of
us and to the people of Delhi which is flourishing under the leadership of your disciple His Holi-
ness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami. Devotees have now gone to six other locations from this temple to
manage and increase preaching. 3,50,000 Books were distributed in last year’s Gītā marathon. By
the mercy of Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma and Śrī Rādhā-Rādhikāramaṇa, a new plot has been acquired
adjacent to the temple, and a new temple project is coming up.
ISKCON Punjabi Bagh collaborated with the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate
Change (Government of India), UN-Environment Program, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Direc-
torate of Delhi to organize Value Education Olympiad for 2,50,000 students on the basis of
Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. A new mobile app for the temple has been launched, which contains all of
your recorded media. A new Dramatics team has been formed, which is presenting the message
and pastimes from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta to the society. Different forums for
youth, children, and congregation are being developed along with farms and gośālās.
On this auspicious day, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we beg at your lotus feet for your blessings and
guidance to be able to preserve your mood and mission and carry forward the missionary activi-
ties for your pleasure. There are more than 15 temples now in Delhi-NCR, and we aspire to indi-
vidually and collectively take your mission forward in the mood of mutual love, cooperation, and
one big family. We aspire to find ways and means to keep the message pure, relevant, and inclu-
sive for all sections of society. Each member of the community has a personal relationship and
connection with you, and on this day, we pray for deepening that connection.
With gratitude,
Your servant(s) at ISKCON Punjabi Bagh, West Delhi
Muralī Kṛṣṇa Dāsa
Temple Co-President
Puri, India
My beloved Prabhupāda,
With prostrated daṇḍavat praṇāmas, all glories to your eternal service and to Guru and
Gaurāṅga’s teachings which you distributed around the globe by sacrificing your life to help this
earthly planet from famine, war, and strife.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you inspired the Western world to accept Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s doctrine
of “premā pumārtho mahān.” Lord Caitanya, 534 years ago, gave pure love of Kṛṣṇa without any
difference between the saints and the crooks; therefore, your powerful invitation toward degraded
conditioned souls to accept kṛṣṇa-prema to deliver all of them from this material world. Today the
whole world can see this reality.
I beg to remain your insignificant granddisciple,

Gaura-Nitāi Dāsa
Temple president of ISKCON Silchar and Bhakti-kuṭīra Puri branch, India

Radhadesh, Belgium
We, the residents of Radhadesh, Belgium, who are fortunate by your mercy, are delighted to
again have the opportunity to glorify Your Divine Grace on this most auspicious day of your
glorious appearance in the world of illusion. There are no means to measure either your surrender
to your beloved Guru Mahārāja and Lord Kṛṣṇa or your limitless compassion on us, who are so
confronted with the bewildering influence of Kali-yuga. Nevertheless, we wish to try to express
our gratitude to you, who undertook so many hardships, even at the risk of your health and life,
for our deliverance.
Even in your unmanifest form, you continue to attract so many souls from so many different
situations and backgrounds and engage us in the exalted activities of bhakti-yoga: chanting the
Lord’s holy names, hearing and conversing about His glories, worshiping Him as His sublime
arcā-mūrti, sharing this sacred knowledge with others, raising children in Kṛṣṇa consciousness,
protecting cows and farming, to name a few – who could have imagined that any of this was
possible?
Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu knows that you are the perfect instrument to carry out His divine plan
and that the temporary nature of a body in this world has simply enhanced your service to Him
and His entourage in the mood of absolute loving surrender. Of course, your body was never
of this world, but as part of the transcendental līlā, you agreed to appear here and walk among
us just to show us how a perfectly surrendered lover of God speaks, dances, and interacts with
others. Because the Lord could no longer bear your separation, we now have the opportunity to
try to learn how to serve you in the most cherished mood of love in separation.
Because of this, we are becoming increasingly aware of how the Lord is faultlessly manifesting
the material energy just for our deliverance. As much as the spirit of enjoyment tries to eclipse
the spiritual vision you have revealed to us – that much, and more – the torchlight of knowledge
you bestowed upon us continues to reveal Kṛṣṇa’s unflawed blueprint to aid us in reviving our
dormant love for Him via the mercy of Your Divine Grace.
We have witnessed such astounding transformations and transitions in the last years – not the
least of them has been that of His Holiness Kadamba Kānana Swami. We are confident that you
are well aware of how he lived, served, and departed with so much devotional enthusiasm, humor,
and dignity. As you have said, “The test of a yogī, devotee, or self-realized soul is that he is able to
control the senses according to his plan.” (Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 2.58, purport)
We are simply astonished at how he accomplished such a brilliant departure, just as he had
planned. So not only have you perfectly demonstrated the life and parting of a pure devotee,
but you have provided us further proof that those who give their everything in your service also
transcend the limitations of matter, thus further cementing our faith in the process of bhakti.
Furthermore, in Radhadesh, many residents are advancing rapidly in the development of their
bhakti practices, fine-tuning their sādhana and deeply absorbing themselves in your books and
those of the previous ācāryas, whom you so heartily recommend in your Bhaktivedanta purports.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our indebtedness to you is growing exponentially moment-to-moment. Our
only hope and prayer is that we may spend eternity assisting you in your service to the Lord,
wherever that may take us, for you have seen the “naked truth” of material existence and revealed
to us the nature of the absolute reality.
oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ

divīva cakṣur ātatam

tad viprāso vipanyava jāgṛvaṁsaḥ samindhate viṣṇor
yat paramaṁ padam
Just as the sun’s rays in the sky are extended to the mundane vision, so in the same way,
the wise and learned devotees always see the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu. Because
those highly praiseworthy and spiritually awake brāhmaṇas are able to see the spiritual
world, they are also able to reveal the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu. (Ṛg Veda 1.22.20–21)
The servants of your servants,

From Radhadesh, Belgium
Red Deer, Canada

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you!
Caitanya Mahāprabhu predicted that the holy name of Kṛṣṇa will be heard in every town and
village. By the mercy of your beloved son, His Holiness Bhaktimārga Swami, a center was opened
here in Red Deer, Canada. It could be said that it is somewhat surprising that an ISKCON center
managed to sprout in this part of the country. Alberta, the province in which Red Deer is located,
is known for its exportation of beef-related products. Being a land saturated with sin, the likeli-
hood of spirituality finding its way here was rather nil. And yet, here we are. This miracle proves
that roses can grow even from concrete.
Of course, the miracle stems from your mercy and how farsighted you were. You saw Kṛṣṇa
everywhere! There was a time when, on a breezy Chicago morning, you decided to venture out on
a walk. On that particular morning, your disciple forgot to bring you a jacket, an act for which
they felt apologetic. Unperturbed, you replied that the breeze “is the cold embrace of Kṛṣṇa.”
Even in the midst of the bothersome threefold miseries of material existence, never did you forget
your beloved Kṛṣṇa.
Thankfully, it is always somewhat cold here in Red Deer. With a bit of faith and a lot of mercy,
we will be able to follow in your footsteps and remember Kṛṣṇa in every aspect of our lives.
Alberta is known as the “Wild Rose Country.” We offer this rose at your lotuslike feet.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Your servants,
The Red Deer ISKCON congregation

Regina, Canada
Please accept our heartfelt and most humble obeisances on this auspicious occasion of your
Vyāsa-pūjā.
Through your mercy and spiritual guidance, we have endeavored, over the past 40 years, to
establish and maintain ISKCON Regina. This is the first ISKCON temple established in the vast
and beautiful Canadian prairies. Your teachings have inspired us to maintain our dedication and
persevere, even during the harshest of challenges. Through your lectures and books, you have
instructed us that the ultimate purpose in life is to understand Kṛṣṇa and to love Him. This is
the purest and most valuable guidance which has inspired and informed our life purpose. Please
give us the strength to continue in our bhakti and to serve you and ISKCON with pure hearts and
without ulterior motives. We are forever grateful for these opportunities to serve you, ISKCON,
and Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Your loving servants,

ISKCON Regina
Richmond, USA
Please accept our most respectful obesiances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī
Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu and all glories to Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. All glories to Your Divine
Grace. All glories to your divine appearance day.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, You gave us a magnificent home in the form of ISKCON, where people from
all over the world can find shelter. We feel deeply grateful and secure within the folds of this
beautiful Home.
Your firm faith in your guru, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura
Mahārāja, your conviction in the power of the holy name, your boundless compassion, and
causeless mercy led you to the Western world, where no sādhu would venture, but you traveled
just to uplift fallen souls like us. You lovingly taught us everything from cooking for Kṛṣṇa, Deity

worship, how to chant, how to manage the temple, how to pray, organizing festivals, raising chil-
dren, living according to varṇāśrama, and serving cooperatively. Your teachings were delivered
with the same care and tenderness with which a loving father teaches his young child.
Through your teachings, especially from the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.8.22 where
Queen Sunīti tells her son Dhruva – “Kṛṣṇa is so kind to His devotees that if you go to Him, then
the combined kindness of millions of mothers like me will be surpassed by His affectionate and
tender dealings. When everyone else fails to mitigate one’s misery, Kṛṣṇa is able to help the devo-
tee” – we learned about Kṛṣṇa’s love for us, and you deeply ingrained this in our hearts through
your teachings, which continue to resonate within us, reminding us of how fortunate we are, and
this helps us keep going.
Over time, our appreciation for your teachings has grown significantly, and we are ever more
grateful for the profound impact they have had on our lives. Despite facing numerous challenges
and setbacks, we have been able to persevere with unwavering determination, and it is solely
because of the invaluable insights and wisdom you have given through your books. We cannot
express enough how deeply we are indebted to Your Divine Grace.
To share your compassion with the world, especially here in Richmond, Virginia, we are trying
to be your humble instrument to give and share this knowledge with the people of this important
city and nearby regions. In this effort, by the causeless mercy of Your Divine Grace, last year on
your auspicious disappearance day, we acquired 20 acres of beautiful farmland for ISKCON of
Richmond. As Your Divine Grace instructed that every temple should be like a hospital and Vai-
kuṇṭha at the same time, we are trying to develop this project to treat ourselves in this hospital by
cultivating Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and also to help others. As you envisioned, our small community
is now growing with many Bhakti-vṛkṣas, Sunday school, Festivals, outreach programs, kīrtana
programs, etc. In the past year, many devotees sincerely accepted the vows of harināma and
brāhmaṇa initiations, many devotees invited Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi vigraha in their homes, and many
devotees took and started studying Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Many sincere families
and residents of Richmond got introduced to the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness through our
outreach programs, or festivals, and now they are happily and sincerely practicing.
On this most auspicious appearance day of Your Divine Grace, we bow down at your lotus
feet and sincerely beg your blessings so that we can all work together as a family, your family,
ISKCON family, Gauḍīya family, Kṛṣṇa’s family, Rādhārāṇī’s family. We all can develop the same
objective of pleasing all present guru-vargas, Your Divine Grace, and all the ācāryas. Also, give us
the intelligence, so we can completely stop committing offenses, especially Vaiṣṇava, and nāma-
aparādhas, and we can nicely grow as a strong and supportive community that stands together
through all challenges.
kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dīte pāro,

tomāra śakati āche
Kṛṣṇa is yours, and you have the ability to bestow him upon us through the holy name. Please
bless us with the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the nectar of the holy name and experience
the ultimate bliss of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Your eternal and humble servants of your servants,

ISKCON Richmond, Virginia, USA

Romania
Please accept my humble obeisances onto your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace!

We never thought we’d feel separation from someone we didn’t ever meet, but then again, you are
renowned for making the impossible possible, for turning tenth-class men into first-class men, and
for distributing the most precious gift of love of Godhead in the form of Lord Caitanya’s mission.
Your words, masterfully broadcasted by your books and the instruction you left for us, make
me feel like you’re always by our side, guiding us like a forgiving father through failure and fall-
down, service and bliss.
You gave us the most precious gift of Kṛṣṇa, but how can we repay you? We are not even intel-
ligent enough to comprehend the value of your sacrifice; the wealth of the treasure you dropped
mercifully and graciously in our laps is yet to be properly estimated.
But by your mercy, we understand that it is what we need, what we have been looking for all
the time. Your mercy is not a vague philosophical concept or some sentimental phantasmagoria.
Your mercy is alive in the form of your disciples and granddisciples, who are handing down
with great care the ripened fruit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even if you are absent from material
vision, we can see you clear as day when the devotees are cooperating beautifully.
So many people have been transformed just by a slight glance of your merciful look or just
a few words. Being bereft of your physical glance, we must pay twice as much attention to your
words and example. And what a powerful example you left us.
By studying your life, we can easily understand how a pure devotee acts, speaks, and thinks.
Making the spiritual master’s instruction one’s heart and soul is your legacy, the biggest lesson
you shared with us, and we pray that one day we will be able to reflect a small fraction of its light.
When Sanātana Gosvāmī was in jail, Rūpa Gosvāmī wrote him a cryptic note, saying, “Where
has the Ayodhyā of Raghupati gone? Where has the Mathurā of Kṛṣṇa gone? When you are in
anxiety, keep the mind steady!” In the material world, even the holy dhāmas are disappearing if
not maintained, and thus we pray with all our heart that we may not forget about your beautiful
example and pastimes.
May your example and instructions always be relished and maintained in our minds, thus
allowing us to have your guidance and mercy.
Bowing down at your feet with great reverence and love, we ask you to please bless us so that
we can put our desires aside, serve you free from pride, always carry out your instructions given
through the medium of our spiritual master so that we will study and distribute your books very
rigorously, and that we will develop a profound taste for the holy names of Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants at the ISKCON Romania

(Written by Bāla Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Adhikārī)

Rome, Italy
Please accept my most humble and respectful obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to the
divine day of your transcendental avirbhāva.
You state in a letter to Upendra on August 6, 1970:
Now all my disciples must work combinedly and with cooperation to spread this San-
kirtana Movement. If you cannot work together then my work is stopped up. Our Soci-
ety is like one big family and our relationships should be based on love and trust. We
must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to push ahead.
We are here for you with our attempt of love, which we are aware will never be able to extinguish
the debt of gratitude contracted with Your Divine Grace, a debt that is therefore destined to last
forever.
You are the efficient cause of our being here trying to render the best possible service to you,
but you are not the final cause, that is, the cause of how we will respond to this transcendental call
of yours: it is up to us to fully express that necessary determination to deserve to be recognized by
you.
The Domus Hare Kṛṣṇa temple is one of your homes and our sacred and solemn commitment
consists in offering it to you, day after day, breath after breath, and defending its foundation, con-
sisting of the spirit of cooperative love, the spirit of a true family.
Whoever is welcomed into this house of yours (for a day, a few months, or for a lifetime) has
the right to experience what you teach: what it is to love and to be loved back with a full, serene,
eternal love, without limitation, suspicions or remorse. Where love is the composer and your ser-
vants are individuals united in the perfect harmony of thoughts, feelings, and desires. Where each
devotee, without losing his or her personality, experiences, the full joy of being a note of caring
affection in the loving harmony of your family.
Your useless servant,

Hari-kīrtana Dāsa
Saltillo, Mexico
Adorable and dear Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please accept our respectful obeisances.
You constantly ordered all of your followers not to change or allow the four principles to be
diluted, nor to allow behaviors against dharma; otherwise, everything will be ruined. All your
statements if one searches the śāstras, one finds that they are totally correct. At the same time,
you asked us to be creative in making or developing new means to attract fallen souls to the ser-
vice of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. But maintaining purity, not accepting ideas to please fashion. You
never compromised dharma in the name of preaching according to deśa, kāla, pātra. Everyone is

welcome to the holy ISKCON Saṅga as long as they agree to change their sinful habits and not
vice versa, that ISKCON must change its dharmic principles in order for sinful people to accept
us.
We pray that we can always follow your same lines without deviations and thus be successful
and expand the movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
Falling at your lotus feet,

Your servants of ISKCON Saltillo Rādhā-Govinda Mandir
San Diego, USA

namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namaste sārasvate-deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādī pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
This material world is, as your Gurudeva once said, not fit for any gentleman. It is a nasty, imper-
sonal, disease-ridden pit. Nonetheless, as pigs enamored with eating stool, the living entities in
this world are blind to its evils, bewildered by the prospect of indulging their senses. The inhabi-
tants of San Diego are certainly no exception. Most are satisfied, laid-back, and become uptight if
“disturbed.” Some are thoughtful but battered by thousands of moronic philosophies battling to
the death in their heads. All are certainly lost, looking desperately for the happiness they hear so
much about but never experience.
The only good thing that ever happened to San Diego was that you visited here, Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda. Anywhere you mercifully place your lotus feet is verily purified, a tīrtha on par with the
spiritual world. One such place is Balboa Park, where thousands of your books are being distrib-
uted every month. Balboa Park was developed for a cultural exhibition in 1915, meant to showcase
“man’s progress and achievements.” Since then, it has been considered the cultural heart of San
Diego. That heart now beats with the bṛhat-mṛdaṅga, which dismisses all of their progress and
achievement as śrama eva hi kevalam and establishes bhāgavata-dharma beyond a shred of doubt.
That place which, on a morning walk, you lovingly compared to Dvārakā has now become that
due to the mercy of the dust of your lotus feet.
Speaking through Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu declares to the
conditioned souls: āmi binā bandhu āra ke āche tomāra, “Other than Myself you have no friend in
this world!” Where is friendship other than in you, Śrīla Prabhupāda? In this world, friendship
is empty, meaningless. It is based on mutual exploitation and ends only in misery. You, however,
have been empowered to introduce everyone to the Supreme friend, Lord Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu,
whose friendship is unconditional and eternal. In this way, you are the truest friend of anyone in
this world, and only you can actually bring substance and meaning to the world.
It is an absurd task to try to glorify you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. What can an ant understand of the

intricacies of human culture and behavior? Or a frog of the expanse of the ocean? How much can
we really appreciate you or what you have given us? Not enough, surely. We do, however, know
you as the founder-ācārya of ISKCON, of the BBT, and as the one who cared to come to save
us. We also know that anything is possible by your mercy. Thus, with the hope of obtaining but
a drop of that divine mercy, we pray to continue and expand our feeble attempts to spread your
glories and the glories of the Lord in San Diego and throughout the world.
Your servants at New Govardhana Dhāma, San Diego, CA
San Juan, Argentina

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda Patita-pāvana,
Hare Kṛṣṇa. Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you.
Considering what the world is going through at this moment, there are no other words than
“thank you” to express the feeling that overflows our hearts. Thank you for coming to the West
and being so determined to carry out the order of your spiritual master.
Thank you for showing us Kṛṣṇa in all his splendor and beauty. Thank you for following the
path of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Thank you for your books, your time, your words, your gravity,
your looks, your gestures, your walk, your patience, your love, and your causeless mercy for us so
fallen souls.
Thank you for giving us our spiritual masters, our temples, and the senior devotees. Thank
you for continuing to be our inspiration. And infinite thanks for showing us the sublime love in
separation. Although there is sadness in that, the greater the happiness that remembrance causes,
remembrance of your divine person. Thank you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your eternal and happy servant,

Aditi Devī Dāsī
Coordinator San Juan Yātrā, Argentina
Sandton, South Africa

Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our humble respects to you, our
beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda, and express our deepest gratitude for everything you have done to
spread Lord Caitanya’s mercy. Your teachings have transformed countless lives and continue to
inspire generations of devotees.

Through your guidance and inspiration, ISKCON Sandton has managed to hold countless,
well-attended temple programs and an extremely successful Ratha-yātrā festival.
A key part of our offering to you has been the university preaching programs – the main goal
of which is to share Kṛṣṇa consciousness with the youth of South Africa and help them realize
their highest potential.
Whether through lectures or kīrtanas, universities have become a fertile ground for the seeds
of devotional service to take root and flourish. Students who may have never heard of Kṛṣṇa or
the Bhagavad-gītā before are now eagerly seeking answers to life’s most profound questions and
discovering the joy of spiritual life.
Your vision of a world united in love of God is coming to fruition as young devotees from dif-
ferent cultural backgrounds and walks of life come together. The university preaching movement
is a shining example of the power of your teachings to transform individuals and society as a
whole.
When so many people love the same person, they can do whatever it takes to please that
person. This is our only desire at ISKCON Sandton to continuously serve you.
So on this occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, our dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, we offer you our humble
efforts to continue your preaching mission. May your blessings be with us always as we strive to
follow in your footsteps and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every living entity!
May we serve you eternally, our beloved grandfather!
Your servants,
ISKCON Sandton
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda, Our Eternal Master, Our Eternal Father,

To our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus
feet. He is always immersed in a feeling of separation in intense love for Kṛṣṇa – that is our dear
jagat-guru Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Our country, the Dominican Republic, has been blessed, thanks to you. By your causeless
mercy, we have our ISKCON movement of the Dominican Republic, with our Deities, Their Lord-
ships Parama-Karuṇa Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi and Śrī Śrī Prahlāda-Narasiṁhadeva. Due to your merci-
ful instruction, the Lord lives personally with us in our country. We have been eternally graced by
Kṛṣṇa consciousness arriving in our country fifty years ago, due to which so many souls have been
cultivated, and the message has been propagated to so many cities. Our good fortune is such that
we also have here with us Their Lordships Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā. Thanks to your
causeless mercy, too, They are with us, showering thousands of blessings every day and year after

year as we celebrate the beautiful Ratha-yātrā, Festival of the Chariots. We cannot imagine what
would have become of us if it had not been for the causeless mercy of divine grace coming from
you. In this way, we offer our humble obeisances to you.
On behalf of your devoted servants in ISKCON of the Dominican Republic
Śaraṇāgati Village, Canada

I first met you in a small quiet room. The voice of your Bhagavad-gītā spoke with clarity and
certainty, imparting joy to a lonely soul. Your temple, however, was not at all like the quiet room
where we met. It was full of singing and smiling faces. The new friends there introduced me to the
gentle speech of the Vaiṣṇavas. I gave everything away and became a street soldier on the western
front of your saṅkīrtana army, collecting money and selling books, a shy introvert approaching
strangers trying earnestly to please you.
It is now nearly 50 years later. I am the same age you were when you first arrived in America.
I keep myself busy by caring for a few cows, chanting rounds, and reading the same book(s) from
that quiet room. I have a question, how did you do it? How did you give up sleeping in favor of
service to your Lord? Is it the exclusive power of the pure enlightened Vaiṣṇava ācārya? In my
experience, people our age require so much sleep. All of the unimportant fleshy heroes of my
youth, the musicians, the actors, and the athletes, are withering away into obscurity, but you, who
hardly even slept, remain vibrant, alive, relevant, and as “fresh as morning dew.”
Here in Śaraṇāgati, we lead a fairly simple life; I think that you would approve. It is an isolated
Canadian outpost with nearly 2000 acres of fields and forests and home to about 60 of your
followers. The winters are cold, and we use wood from the forest to heat our homes. During the
coldest months, the fire burns all day. In the evening, we fill our wood heaters and “lock” them.
With no air, the fire will not burn hot, but it stays alive until the morning. At that time, it quickly
ignites, warms the house, and drives away the cold from the night.
The fire of your mercy warms the heart and reignites the jīva’s smoldering Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
It is a blazing hot fire that can burn away cynicism and lethargy. The bright glow from that fire
illuminates the path to freedom, a path made smooth and clear by the blessings of our five initia-
tion vows. It is a fire that can purify the sensuality, the pretense, and the taste for cheap adoration
from the hearts of those thieves like myself who would dare try to rob your movement of its inno-
cence, its virtue, and its credibility. When we warm our old bones next to that fire, we imagine
you visiting our village someday. Perhaps you would beam with pride for all that we have done for
you and for Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
But there are thousands of things we would have to arrange in order to prepare for your visit.
When we finish, if our valley is a true reflection of your vision, it will be a beautiful place; indeed,
it will look a little bit like your Goloka Vṛndāvana. Oh, it will be so much fun to see your smile of
approval.
Yogīnātha Dāsa,
on behalf of the Śaraṇāgati Village project

Saskatoon, Canada
We offer you our most humble obeisances!
The growing group of devotees, the children that demand their parents bring them to Sunday
programs, their eagerness to lead kīrtana, perform ślokas, and offer bhoga – You are the reason that
our small center on the prairies is growing!
While we would very much love to tell you that we are a thriving center, we face many chal-
lenges, but these are minor in comparison to what you have endured for us. We here at Saskatoon
remain in awe of your humbled nature and the sacrifices that you have made, all for us and gener-
ations to come.
We are now in preparation for our 8th Annual Ratha-yātrā and pray that with your continued
blessings, we continue to be, albeit small, instrumental in bringing awareness, dedication, and
love to you and Kṛṣṇa.
Please bless our efforts, our motivation, activities, and service so that we be able to serve you
and follow in your footsteps and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We are forever indebted to you.
Your humble servants, the devotees at ISKCON Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Scarborough, Canada
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda!


Please accept my sincere and humble obeisances at your lotus feet and best wishes on this most
auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā celebration. I am fortunate and thankful to be given the
opportunity to write this offering. I, therefore, seek your permission to say a few humble words of
praise and heartfelt thank you.
I am very grateful to you for introducing and making this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so
simple that any fool like myself can make some advancement in spiritual life and be given the
opportunity to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thank you for all the books you have written and all the recorded classes you have taken. This
makes it easy for anyone to continuously listen, chant and remember the glories of the Lord,
which are the first three processes of bhakti.
All glories to you Śrīla Prabhupāda, for having so many great and learned disciples like my

spiritual master who guide us along the way so that we can also help others and make this world
more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us your mercy, and the opportunity to serve at one of
your smaller temples, ISKCON Scarborough, which is helping many devotees like myself to get
the opportunity to be trained up and serve this Kṛṣṇa conscious mission. We have great, lovely,
and cooperative devotees to work with, but unfortunately, presently, we are in need of a Temple
President. We need someone who is enthusiastic about managing new projects that can make us
more financially stable and grow and be able to have a place of our own. This will help us attract
more newcomers and spread this mission.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray at your lotus feet to please be merciful on us and grace us with
what is best for us, bless us so that we can remain engaged in your eternal service always.
Thank you, Hare Kṛṣṇa
Your eternal and grateful servant,

Gaṇapati Dāsa and all at ISKCON Scarborough
Seattle, USA
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
When you first arrived in Seattle in 1968, you planted the initial seed of the saṅkīrtana move-
ment that has touched all of us personally. Without this seed, we are unable to comprehend where
many of us would be today. The roots and the trunk of a tree are the most important elements.
Without a strong foundation, the tree will be knocked over by some wind. You have gracefully
established strong roots that support the growth of various limbs and branches of the Hare Kṛṣṇa
movement. Through the leadership of His Grace Harivilāsa Prabhu during the past 32 years, new
initiatives, such as operating free prasāda food trucks and organizing Ānanda-melā – the largest
Indian festival in the Pacific Northwest, attracting over 30,000 people – have brought the Wash-
ington State community closer to bhakti. Now, as your granddisciples, we are trying in our own
small ways to continue to nourish and water the seed you initially planted to grow the saṅkīrtana
movement in Seattle and spread to new communities through innovative outreach that resonates
with changing youth culture.
Earlier this year, we started quarterly kīrtana events downtown. Our past event drew over 100
diverse students and young adults – most of whom had never gone to a temple or participated
in a kīrtana. In addition, a few students at the University of Washington have re-established the
Bhakti-yoga Club. Bi-weekly they meet and gather with up to 15 other students to chant and sing –
ending by honoring prasāda. Finally, the youth have made it a point to participate in the weekly
saṅkīrtana in the University District of Seattle. Some youth play instruments or lead kīrtana,
others distribute cookies and burritos, and some distribute books and preach to those willing to
listen. Without a doubt, you have been blessing us all with knowledge and inspiration, as none of
this seems remotely possible for us alone to achieve.
Please take this update as one of many in the years to follow as we continue to persevere on
this mission. Through your inspiration and guidance, we are encouraged to continue growing the

Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement outside of Sammamish, where we have an established temple and
strong Indian congregation. We hope that you continue to guide us on the right path of our own
bhakti trail but also carry forward the movement to help more souls re-ignite their inner love for
Kṛṣṇa and attain the ultimate goal of going back to Goloka Vṛndāvana.
Your forever insignificant servants,

ISKCON Seattle Youth
(Written by Bhakta Ayan Gupta)

Silicon Valley, USA
Please accept our humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
We are gathered at ISKCON of Silicon Valley to remember your glories on your divine appear-
ance day.
The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam states that by serving great souls, one develops an affinity for hearing
about Kṛṣṇa. In Bhagavad-gītā 9.13, Kṛṣṇa says that a great soul is one who has taken full shelter
of Him. Your exclusive dependence on Kṛṣṇa is legendary and especially evident in your prayers
aboard the Jaladuta. While on your voyage to America, apparently alone and without resources,
you humbly prayed to the Lord that He may empower you to fulfill the orders of your guru to
spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Western world:
How will I make them understand this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I am very unfor-
tunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore, I am seeking Your benediction so that
I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.
Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my
Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.
O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You
can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.
Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this tran-
scendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus
become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.
O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance,
then make me dance, make me dance. O Lord, make me dance as You like.
I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy
name of Kṛṣṇa. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can
fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.
Signed – the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar.
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier,
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
dated 18th of September, 1965
The Lord answered your prayers, and your mission was a success. In your success, you have given
us, the recipients of your mercy, service. Your special mercy to us is your instruction to spread the
saṅkīrtana movement, which the personified Vedas say is Lord’s most glorious pastime; that is, His
deliverance of the conditioned souls from the material world. And at Gītā 18.69, Kṛṣṇa says that
there is no servant in this world dearer to Him than one who imparts His teachings to others.
You’ve not only taught us how to practically follow Lord Caitanya’s teachings, but you’ve also
shown us how we may bring others to the path. Distributing your books, for example, in the var-
ious languages of the world, is a practical way to give Kṛṣṇa’s teachings to people in every town
and village. You also introduced Deity worship so that people who enter our temple, even in the
dead center of Silicon Valley, may feel relief from the pangs arising from their ongoing material
struggles. In your purport at Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.25.36, you write:

When one is trained to become conscious of his position, he understands that he is the servitor
of the Lord. “Brahman” refers to a state of self-realization. Even the third-class devotee – who is
not advanced in knowledge of the Absolute Truth but simply offers obeisances with great devo-
tion, thinks of the Lord, sees the Lord in the temple, and brings forth flowers and fruits to offer to
the Deity – becomes imperceptibly liberated. Śraddhayānvitāḥ: with great devotion, the devotees
offer worshipful respects and paraphernalia to the Deity. The Deities of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, Lakṣmī
and Nārāyaṇa, and Rāma and Sītā are very attractive to devotees, so much so that when they see
the statue decorated in the temple of the Lord, they become fully absorbed in thought of the
Lord. That is the state of liberation. In other words, it is confirmed herewith that even a third-class
devotee is in the transcendental position, above those who are trying for liberation by speculation
or by other methods. Even great impersonalists like Śukadeva Gosvāmī and the four Kumāras
were attracted by the beauty of the Deities in the temple, by the decorations, and by the aroma of
tulasī offered to the Lord, and they became devotees. Even though they were in the liberated state,
instead of remaining impersonalists they were attracted by the beauty of the Lord and became
devotees.
You’ve given us these services and many more.
In a room conversation in Bombay in 1976, you tell how you your success came from accepting
the services given to you by your guru:
Because this is my life and soul according to the order of my Guru Mahārāja. And by his
grace it [the spreading of the saṅkīrtana movement] is to some extent successful. And I
took it seriously. I take it seriously still now. That is my life and soul.
You also give the details of how this mercy unfolded in your life as you persevered in following
your Guru Mahārāja’s instructions:
I was manager in a big chemical factory. I started my own factory, the business was very
successful. But everything was dismantled. I was forced to come to this position to carry
out my order of my Guru Mahārāja … I executed his order at the age of seventy years,
not at the age of twenty-five. So actually I wasted so much time, I can understand that.
From twenty … The message was there when I was twenty-five years old, but I began at
the age of seventy years. But I did not forget the message. Otherwise, how could I do?
That was, that is a fact. I was simply finding out the opportunity, how to do it. So anyway,
although I began very late, at the age of seventy years, so by the help of my disciples this
movement is gaining ground and is spreading all over the world. So therefore I have to
thank you. It is all due to you. It is not my credit, but it is your credit that you are help-
ing me in executing the order of my Guru Mahārāja.
Anyone can now see by your example how by following the divine order, the instructions received
through disciplic succession, one may perform wonders in the service of Lord Caitanya!
In your purport at Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.34, you explain how this order of the Lord, carried
through disciplic succession, is so potent that by adhering to it, one will come “face to face” with
the Lord:
According to the Padma Purāṇa, within the material compass, there are innumerable material
universes, and all of them are full of darkness. Any living being, beginning from the Brahmās
(there are innumerable Brahmās in innumerable universes) to the insignificant ant, are all born
in darkness, and they require factual light from the Lord to see Him directly, just as the sun can
be seen only by the direct light of the sun. No lamp or man-made torchlight, however powerful it
may be, can help one see the sun. The sun reveals itself. Therefore the action of different energies

of the Lord, or the Personality of Godhead Himself, can be realized by the light manifested by the
causeless mercy of the Lord. The impersonalists say that God cannot be seen. God can be seen by
the light of God and not by man-made speculations. Here this light is specifically mentioned as
vidyāt, which is an order by the Lord to Brahmā. This direct order of the Lord is a manifestation
of His internal energy, and this particular energy is the means of seeing the Lord face to face.
Not only Brahmā but anyone who may be graced by the Lord to see such merciful direct internal
energy can also realize the Personality of Godhead without any mental speculation.
Amazingly, a conditioned soul may not only be saved from the material world by following the
order of the Lord; they will also come to see the Lord face to face.
With your guidance, we have received many potent instructions. For example, in the Śrī
Caitanya-caritāmṛta 7.128, Lord Caitanya gives the following order to Kūrma Brāhmaṇa:

āmāra ājṣāya guru haṣā tāra’ ei deśa
Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to
You have repeatedly offered us the opportunity to take up this order.

At Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.16.53, the Nāgapatnīs give more evidence of the power of following
the orders of the Lord when they pray to Kṛṣṇa that they may fully accept his instructions: vidhehi
te kiṅkarīṇām anuṣṭheyaṁ tavājnayā: “Now please tell us, Your maidservants, what we should do.”
They then say that anyone who accepts Kṛṣṇa’s order automatically becomes freed from fear:
yac-chraddhayānutiṣṭhan vai mucyate sarvato bhayāt – “Certainly anyone who faithfully executes
Your order is automatically freed from all fear.” In this verse, ājñayā means “by the command.” In
other words, when one accepts the command of the Lord, they become fearless. In this connec-
tion, it is noteworthy that the “A. C.” in your name, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Prabhupāda, means “fearless.” How could you not be fearless when you are a perfect follower of
Kṛṣṇa’s commands? We aspire to similarly follow your instructions, so we may become fearless.
Vyāsa-pūjā day is a day to remember how fortunate we are to have your association: through
your books, your lectures, your followers, and by following your orders. In fact, even a
beleaguered soul floating in the ocean of the material world be saved by grabbing onto your
instructions.
We, the devotees at ISKCON of Silicon Valley, pray, therefore, to adhere to your instructions
by working together to carry on your movement. By the potency of your instructions, we are
certain of our success.
(Written by Vaiśeṣika Dāsa)

Solapur, India

I consider myself very disqualified to write this offering on this auspicious 127th appearance day
of Your Divine Grace, but this is a great opportunity for me to purify myself as well as show grati-
tude toward this priceless society you so selflessly gave us.
With your mercy, on the auspicious day of Utthānā Ekādaśī (4 November 2022), we celebrated
the first Brahmotsava of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara at ISKCON Solapur. During the festival, we
distributed around two thousand plates of prasāda.
With your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we organized a mega youth festival UTSAVA, entitled “A
Festival of Joy and Happiness,” in which our main guest, His Grace Amogha-līlā Prabhu, talked
on “Googly with God.” In this event, 3500 students from around 15 colleges took part, and we
distributed 3000 transcendental books. It is only possible with your blessings that we distributed
around 21300 books on the auspicious occasion of Gītā-jayantī.
2023 was a great book distribution year for ISKCON Solapur. We managed to distribute
50,000 books this year. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you showed by example how to guide and care for
devotees. Inspired by your teachings, we have implemented the Anugatya system, which is for
counseling and in which around 1000 devotees are connected. Without the shelter of your com-
passion and sheltering words of wisdom, we cannot do anything.
We are very thankful to you and your dear disciples who are consistently “doing as you did,”
showing us the path to come out of this miserable situation. You have created this society not
only to impart knowledge but it has also brought a lot of transformation within us. We are most
indebted to you for the pain you have taken to create this society for us.
When people finally get to the point of understanding the need to reevaluate and formulate
new goals, and they become serious about searching for the truth, they meet you, the founder-
ācārya of ISKCON, and you show them the way out of the material world by giving them true
knowledge and real guidance.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had no desire other than to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, and He, in reciprocation –
obvious to us all – worshiped you by fully empowering you to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness all
over the world for many generations to come.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.2.31 the demigods and saints, headed by Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva,
offer Kṛṣṇa the following prayer:
svayaṁ samuttīrya sudustaraṁ dyuman

bhavārṇavaṁ bhīmam adabhra-sauhṛdāḥ
bhavat-padāmbhoruha-nāvam atra te
nidhāya yātāḥ sad-anugraho bhavān
O Lord, who resemble the shining sun, You are always ready to fulfill the desire of
Your devotee, and therefore You are known as a desire tree [vāñchā-kalpataru]. When
ācāryas completely take shelter under Your lotus feet in order to cross the fierce ocean of

nescience, they leave behind on earth the method by which they cross, and because You
are very merciful to Your other devotees, You accept this method to help them.
This verse also expresses the relationship and reciprocation between a pure devotee, that is, you,
Śrīla Prabhupāda, and God. You left behind a process for our benefit. By that great fortune, you
enabled us to cross the fierce ocean of nescience. Kṛṣṇa worships you by fully accepting and certi-
fying your process. For that, we are eternally indebted to you.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us that in this present situation, when the whole world is
reevaluating, when people are thinking about finding a new basis for their lives, setting new goals,
being open to new ways of life and new value systems, by following in your footsteps, we will be
able to successfully preach to them, knowing well, that it is all your glory and merit. Please allow
us to worship you by preaching and making your movement even more successful.
My dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you came to this world to fulfill Kṛṣṇa’s mission, and because of
your glories and compassion, you continue to bestow mercy freely on us all. We pray to Kṛṣṇa
that He gives us the strength to continue to serve you and your mission. You said that ISKCON
is your body and that the one who serves ISKCON serves you. We take your instruction to serve
ISKCON as our foremost mission in life, and we pray to you to empower us to serve wholeheart-
edly with body, mind, and words.
As I pass my days serving in ISKCON, more and more I see your desire for what ISKCON
could become, and I see that fulfilling your desire is a challenge for all ISKCON leaders. I feel
the same challenge in my own service. So, I pray at your lotus feet that by your mercy, I can
overcome these challenges. Please continue to enlighten us through your instructions and give
us more and more strength to carry out our tasks. I am trying to surrender to you more and more.
Please pull me up! Please always engage me in your service.
Your Divine Grace, you are a Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura; only you can give us Kṛṣṇa. We are fallen souls,
simply running behind you, crying and trying to grab hold of your dhoti.
Your servants,
Kṛṣṇa-bhakta Dāsa and the devotees at ISKCON Solapur
Split, Croatia
Please accept our obeisances
All glories to You Śrīla Prabhupāda
Saṅkīrtana mission kī jaya!
Our respect to all devotees around the world!
You are our dear Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder-Ācārya of the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
You gave us the gift of your personal presence, your example, and your translations and expla-
nations of the greatest literature ever given and revealed to humankind for next 10,000 years.
You gave us meaning and purpose and invited us to the highest goal of human life, reawak-
ening our dormant love of God, Kṛṣṇa, with the open invitation to return to the self-effulgent
Kingdom of God after exiting.

This gift that you imparted to us impacts every moment, every breath, and every life decision
for your sincere followers, us.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the science of self-realization and transcends all popular religions and
faiths in the common definition.
You wanted us to re-establish the Vedic culture which existed on this planet for millions of
years. Vedic refers to the highly advanced, traditional culture based on instilling real knowledge of
the soul into every living being so that the perfection of life may be achieved.
This Vedic culture respects all living entities, not just humans.
You gave us knowledge. Everything that we have comes from you.
In our yātrā Split, Croatia, we have been doing for 30+ years every Sunday Feast and all festi-
vals, distributing your books, following your steps 100 percent, and inviting your disciples. We
open our doors to all souls.
Your presence is helping us all the time all these years.
We just want you to know that we will go on with your mission of saving souls in this dark age
of Kali-yuga in Split.
We are loyal to tou. You gave us everything that we needed to stop this birth and death in our
lives.
All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Bless our souls that we can continue to follow your
footsteps and mission in all ways.
Your servants,
devotees from Hare Kṛṣṇa Split, Croatia
(written by Nandarāṇī Devī Dāsī)
Srinagar, India

Please accept our humble obeisances at the dust of your Lotus feet. All glories to you for
spreading sanātana-dharma and holy name all over the world.
You are, in the real sense, the savior of the whole world. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you used to say,
“One who preaches to Muslims, I will take the dust of that devotee on my head.” Since Srinagar
(Kashmir) is a Muslim-majority place, we are coming across Muslims and under the able guid-
ance of your dear most disciple, His Holiness Nava Yogendra Swami, we are trying to preach to
Muslims, and people are becoming receptive.
It is only through your causeless mercy that we are surviving in this Age of Kali, there are so
many impediments, but your instructions are the source of inspiration to us. Your books are the
basis of our preaching. Your purity process is our strength; the way you have shown how to utilize
all sources in the service of Kṛṣṇa and preaching is the essence. Your preaching methods are our

guidelines to preach to everyone and anyone without discrimination of caste, color, creed, and
nationality.
On the day of your appearance, we please you by spreading the mission of the holy name of
the Lord:

Prasāda distribution and transcendental book distribution you have given us, putting your full
lifetime into translate all our Vedic literature in different languages, easily understandable to
common man so that it can be applied in our day-to-day life.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your glories may spread all over the three worlds. Your name can save the
world because you are the yuga-puruṣa chosen by Mahāprabhu and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa for this age.
Your servant of servants,

Sudarśana Dāsa and all devotees at ISKCON Srinagar, J&K, India
Srirangam, India
Please accept our most humble and respectful obeisances unto your lotus feet.
The past year in ISKCON Srirangam has been one of exhilarating highs and debilitating lows.
We experienced the cooling grace of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus hand and also of Kali’s iron fist. Whenever
we were overwhelmed by external circumstances, your powerful words rang loudly in our ears:
“You mentioned that your pathway has become filled with stumbling blocks, but there are no
stumbling blocks, I can kick out all those stumbling blocks immediately, provided you accept my
guidance. With one stroke of my kick, I can kick out all stumbling blocks.”
Please give us the determination to accept Your Divine Grace’s guidance always. You always
signed off every letter as “Your Ever Well-Wisher.” Let us realize the true purport of these signif-
icant words: ever and well-wisher. We wish to create something of value here at Srirangam that
would glorify Your Divine Grace and spread your glories far and wide, for people from far corners
of this world visit here with devotional fervor.
Your Divine Grace’s disciple, His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami has reminded us time and again
of the special significance of Srirangam, that it is a very important place on the face of this planet,
so much so that it is addressed as Bhuloka Vaikuṇṭha or “the spiritual world on earth.” It is Lord
Caitanya’s spiritual headquarters in southern India. He proved that by staying here for the lon-
gest period outside of Navadvīpa and Jagannātha Purī. In fact, Lord Caitanya recruited one of
His foremost commanders, Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, from here.
As an insignificant beginning, we established SIHE (Srirangam Institute for Higher Education)
with a vision of helping devotees read your books scrutinizingly. We want to preach. Your Divine
Grace had written in a letter: “Preaching means to increase our family members.” This is possible
only by studying your books honestly with a humble state of mind and without interpreting

your words. Tattva-vicāra will lead to ācāra. Ācāra is what will give effectiveness to pracāra. Con-
sequently, our end objective of preaching can be fulfilled only if devotees read your books thor-
oughly and also mold their lives according to your instructions.
Last year, we also conducted the very first Śrī Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā in Srirangam. Hundreds
of devotees from many parts of South India participated blissfully in the festival. Common
people were blessed by Their Lordships Śrī Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā in a magnificent ratha,
winding its way through the streets of Trichy (Srirangam is part of this city). We staged a grand
play on Śrī Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, and people were moved by the intensity of the play. Most vis-
iting devotees congratulated the devotees of ISKCON Srirangam for successfully organizing the
festival in a grand fashion.
For the very first time, we organized six Janmāṣṭamī celebrations across Trichy-Srirangam. One
each happened in the ISKCON Temples in Srirangam and Trichy. We also had celebrations in
BHEL Township, OFT Township, and Woraiyur. The grand culmination of these celebrations
happened in the National College grounds, where nearly two thousand people, including over six
hundred children, participated in the events.
We wish to grow from strength to strength from these humble beginnings. We desire to set up
excellent pilgrim service facilities. We wish to produce vibrant, serious, and non-duplicitous devo-
tees by preaching and training through a wide network of Bhakti-vṛkṣas. We long to see all these
devotees firmly fixed up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by offering spiritual training programs through
SIHE. All these and more are possible only by your grace. Kindly bless us and guide us to make
Srirangam a special ISKCON center.
All glories to Your Divine Grace!
Seeking your mercy always.
Your unworthy servants,

Members of ISKCON Srirangam
Suriname
Please accept our respectful obeisances. All glories to you!
ISKCON Suriname Yātrā is the yātrā I have seen from my early childhood. Vaguely I can
remember the harināmas in town, the Sunday Feasts in the previous place we were, the trip to
Nickerie district to do harināma and book distribution there. People call us “Hare Rāma, Hare
Kṛṣṇa” by seeing us in dhoti, kurta, sari, and tilaka.
Now with your mercy, most of the people here know ISKCON (International Society for
Krishna Consciousness). This has only been possible by your books and guidance, by the dedi-
cated devotees who have been compassionate to come and preach in Suriname. Ultimately it is by
your effort that we can now be in the devotional service of the Lord.
We consider ourselves very fortunate that with your causeless mercy, you came in your life-
sized mūrti from India to Suriname, a historic moment for the yātrā. After a long waiting time due
to COVID we could do the installation on August 28, 2022, by your disciple, His Holiness Guru
Prasāda Swami.

Your mercy did not stop there, and in February 2023, with great success, we had another his-
torical moment, our very first bhāgavata-saptāḥ with seven days of kathā, kīrtana and prasāda. New
people got attracted to the mahā-mantra, received a Bhagavad-gītā, and got in touch with devotees.
Because of you all those new people now have heard the best literature, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
They could drink the nectar of bhāgavata-kathā.
This all is your blessing. We are nothing without your mercy and guidance. Please keep bless-
ing the ISKCON Suriname Yātrā so it can grow and bring Kṛṣṇa consciousness to all homes.
On behalf of the devotees of Mārkine Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma,

Your servant,
Mādhurya-līlā Devī Dāsī
Taichung, Taiwan
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
I am happy to be given the opportunity to write the Vyāsa-pūjā homage to you on behalf of
the Taichung yātrā. I will try to express my deep gratitude to Your Divine Grace. However, I feel
nervous because I am totally unqualified for such an honor.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, in this turbulent and degrading age, people are suffering so much,
but they don’t know what to do. Many are seeking all kinds of ways of liberation. The pandemic
over the last three years has created deep fear in people’s hearts and made them reflect upon their
life more seriously. As a result, various spiritual practices have sprung up. Unfortunately, people
are generally not equipped with real knowledge. By spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout
the world, you shattered people’s unrealistic expectations and ignorance of the material world.
You brought the light of knowledge into our lives through the spiritual revolution you started
in modern civilization. You freed us from material suffering and awakened our spiritual con-
sciousness. You have shown us that only by engaging in devotional services can we reduce sinful
activities.
I used to be a mental speculator and atheist. When I began to study the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is,
I did so over and over again with a speculative mind. After reading it, however, you eradicated my
speculative habits and made me realize that there is no better process of practice. You have clearly
shown us the way to enlightenment, to see our true position in relation to the Supreme Lord
Kṛṣṇa, to act without any motivation and offer everything to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.
By receiving your mercy through your books and by putting your instructions into practice,
I have now realized the purpose of my existence. I was suffering from anxiety due to the various
implications of the material body. I can’t imagine ever living such a depraved life, not even real-
izing that I was going to the depths of hell; I would still be struggling without the mercy of your
followers.
You gave us a powerful personal example by practicing what you’re teaching, showing us a
simple and elegant way of living. You have shown us that even in a state of extreme physical
weakness, you did not forget the mission given by your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. I was amazed because, except for the pure devotee, who else would make
someone’s words his lifelong mission?
I don’t think there is anything more impressive than your teachings during your last days. You
personally taught us, by your example, how to transcend the pain of the body and become more
deeply aware of the presence of Lord Kṛṣṇa. I think this is the most profound lesson, the lesson
about how to die in full remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Your affection for your disciples and your personal teachings have helped me to realize what
transcendental relationships are and should be like. As I listen to the daily Śrīla Prabhupāda-
līlāmṛta reading by the devotees of Taichung, I feel very touched and purified, as do others. I have
a longing in my heart for a relationship like this, and I can feel the love behind your sometimes
harsh rebuking of your disciples. You were eager for all your disciples to learn quickly, to become
mature under your training, because you knew you didn’t have much time and your beloved dis-
ciples were young. What I appreciate even more is the mood of the surrender of all these disciples
toward you. I am eager to receive such mercy myself and become a faithful servant of the servant
of the servant.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, I really can’t imagine what I would be like now if I didn’t meet your
followers. In fact, I am incapable and very weak inside. Therefore, I pray that you will strengthen
my heart to help me and empower me to help those around me and that my heart will be enlight-
ened by the teachings of your beloved disciples.
You are the well-wisher of all devotees, so please empower us, your followers, to share with
people that the body exists not for sense gratification but for self-realization. How can we fallen
souls be saved without your mercy? We don’t have piety. You created our piety. What you have
given us is something we can never repay, and we are eternally indebted to you. The only way
I can reciprocate your mercy and express my gratitude is by sharing your teachings with more
people and by engaging in devotional services.
Your unqualified servants of the servant of the servant,

Taichung Yātrā (Written by Mādhava Mohinī Devī Dāsī)
Taipei, Tawain
On your Vyāsa-pūjā day, I offer my heartfelt obeisances and deepest reverence to you. All glo-
ries to you.
Your teachings have transformed my life and the lives of countless others around the world.
Your wisdom and devotion have illuminated the path of bhakti for all of us.
One of your teachings that has had a profound impact on me is your emphasis on the impor-
tance of devotee cooperation. You said, “Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself wanted our cooperation.
He is God, Kṛṣṇa. And therefore, cooperation is a very important thing… It is simply by coop-
eration we can do very big things. “United we stand; divided we fall.” …So be strong in pushing
on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and Kṛṣṇa will help. He is the strongest. Still, we must be combined
together.”

During the relatively tense period of the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees in Taiwan never
stopped harināma on the streets. With the easing of the pandemic, we have also begun actively
engaging in preaching activities. We held the Ratha-yātrā festival again in Taipei and led the
public in kīrtana during the Indian Cultural Festival in 2022. After three years of being largely
closed to the outside world, senior overseas devotees were able to begin visiting Taiwan, gener-
ously bestowing their mercy upon us. Behind the success of every speech, harināma saṅkīrtana,
and missionary activity is the adherence to your instruction – service, and cooperation.
You have taught us that cooperation is essential for success in any endeavor; it is the basic
principle of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Without devotee cooperation, we cannot do
anything. Just like in a machine, every part of the machine is necessary for its functioning. If one
part is missing, then the machine cannot work. Similarly, every devotee is a part of the Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness movement, and without cooperation, the movement cannot progress.
Therefore, we should continue to cooperate with one another, love and respect, and work
together for the common goal of spreading the message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the way to
make progress in spiritual life.
We can only pray that our efforts will please both you and Lord Kṛṣṇa. Please allow us to
humbly request your blessings so that we may unite and cooperate in offering our sincerest efforts
to your preaching mission. May more people in Taiwan become happier through the power of the
holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa and your teachings.

Taipei Yātrā
(Written by Rasarani Priya Devī Dāsī)
Tartu, Estonia

All glories to you, on this very special day of your transcendental appearance. You have kindly
come into our lives and given us valuable instructions and guidance. Our deepest gratitude, espe-
cially for the chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious and solve all our problems. The Vedic literature
indicates that we should follow the footprints of great personalities, devotees who are very dear to
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and it is clear to all our minds that following your footprints is the highest perfection.
By reading your personal letters to disciples and followers, it is clear that the most urgent need
of the whole human society is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore the most important service to
Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga is to spread this message throughout the world. One of the require-
ments is to take knowledge, such as the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, without any mal interpretation,
without exercising our brains to manufacture something out of Bhagavad-gītā. Only then can

we revive our natural constitution and become Kṛṣṇa conscious. Despite this seemingly simple
instruction, we face several obstacles and don’t benefit from the knowledge and blessings from the
guru.
All glories to the harināma saṅkīrtana movement of Mahāprabhu under your supervision! This
harināma saṅkīrtana makes the heart enthusiastic and blissful, and with this thought in mind, we
make humble attempts to glorify you. Despite our disqualification, we shall continue to meditate
on you and confidently carry on with our duties. Please kindly shower us with your blessing. Your
mercy is our only hope.

Tartu Bhakti Yoga Center, Estonia
Teluk Intan, Malaysia

All Glories to Guru and Gaurāṅga! All glories to your lotus feet!
On this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, all the devotees from ISKCON Teluk Intan “Śrī
Māyāpur Baru” would like to seek your forever mercy and blessings upon us. Dear Prabhupāda,
you visited Teluk Intan, our hometown, back in 1971. Since then, we have considered our place
as a holy dhāma as your lotus feet had been printed on our land. Coinciding with its name,
“Māyāpur Baru”, which translates into New Māyāpur, we hope these fallen souls will forever be
able to help to spread the holy names in order to assist Lord Caitanya’s mission to spread the holy
names to every town and village.
You are forever living among us through your books in our homes and temples and everywhere
else throughout the world. Kindly bless us to be able to purify our minds from the clutches of
māyā and constantly be steady to render our devotional services. We are forever grateful for every-
thing you have done and given us – a home in which the whole world could live in – ISKCON.
We are not qualified, nor have we enough words to describe your glories. Kindly accept these
humble servants’ wishes and desire to assist your army of ācāryas and devotees to practice Kṛṣṇa
consciousness. Lastly, we just want to say, “Thank you for everything, and we love you, Śrīla
Prabhupāda.” May You guide each and every moment of ours into thoughts of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Your Servants,
ISKCON Teluk Intan, Malaysia

Tenerife, Spain

On this day of your Vyāsa-pūjā we reflect on the amazing gift you gave us through the paramparā.
Our lives become auspicious and fortunate as we act as humble instruments of your divine mercy.
This paramparā system is so powerful and effective. As long as we keep ourselves connected,
Kṛṣṇa’s mercy keeps flowing and gets distributed to everyone who comes in contact.
You made this connection very simple:
My simple request is that you remain in association of devotees and continue to chant
your 16 rounds daily and follow strictly the four regulative principles and read our books
daily with great care. In this way your Krsna Conscious advancement will be assured suc-
cess and at the end of this life you will go back to Godhead, back to home, and live with
Krsna eternally. (Letter to: Bhakta Lance – December. 16, 1974 –Bombay)
This simple method empowers us to do wonderful service for the benefit of all living entities.
Please keep us blessed under the protection of your dear disciples.
Your servants at ISKCON Tenerife, Spain
Thunder Bay, Canada


All glories, All glories, All glories to you.
With your divine blessings, we now have a beautiful temple in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This
is the biggest ISKCON/Hindu temple across 3,000 km of northwestern Ontario. The temple is
built on a one-acre lot with construction of about 10,000 sq feet. On the altar we have beautiful
Deities of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Vraja-vatsala, Śrī Śrī Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇa Hanumānjī, Śrī Śrī Jagannātha,
Baladeva, and Subhadrā. Facing the Deities is a beautiful 6-foot high portrait of yourself. The

temple was inaugurated on August 30, 2021, in the presence of His Holiness Bhaktimārga Swami
and the health minister of Canada, Hon. Patty Haidju. Some of your senior disciples who traveled
to Thunder Bay from the USA and Canada attended the opening ceremony.
During the pandemic, we organized a Drive-in Festival of India with Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā.
With the current COVID-19 pandemic subsiding and restrictions being lifted, we have started
organizing Kṛṣṇa conscious festivals in person. Recently, we organized outreach events in two of
the major cities of northwestern Ontario.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we need your blessings and mercy so that we can continue to serve you and
expand ISKCON activities all across the northern communities in Canada.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all your wonderful teachings. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants,
Prema Kiśora Dāsa
Sunīti Devī Dāsī
Vedic Cultural Centre, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada

Togo
I bow down to your lotus feet. Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
Your noble commitment to pursue on earth the mission of Gaurāṅga, that of spreading Kṛṣṇa
consciousness throughout the world, is of great benefit to Togo. You have saved us from the dark-
ness of ignorance to the light through knowledge.
Togo is very fortunate to receive this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and that a center has
been established here. Your books pierce our hearts and change our lives gradually.
The only word we can say for all of this is gratitude; we are grateful.
Your humble servant, on behalf of the devotees of Togo,

Akiñcana Dāsa
Tokyo, Japan
Please accept my humble daṇḍavat praṇāmas. All Glories to Your Divine Grace.


When we read the episode of Your Divine Grace’s preparation to come to Japan before your
plan to come to the US, we feel so obliged that the Land of Rising Sun was already in your plan
to start Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are a lot of fond stories about Your Divine Grace’s visits to
Japan to meet Dai Nippon for publishing the first Kṛṣṇa book and establishing Kṛṣṇa conscious-
ness in Japan.
Your Divine Grace stayed in Tokorozawa, Shibuya, and the first temple in Japan was estab-
lished in 1972 at Shibuya. We see how proudly you sent letters from this temple to your disciples
that “I am staying here in Japan, Shibuya, and correspond with me at this address.”
We visit the mountain Tokorozawa as it became a sacred place for all of us that we visit with
your disciples and hear the pastimes. These inspire us so much.
Your Divine Grace’s mercy, which flows through your books, purports, letters, and personal
conversations, is our life and soul. Japanese devotees and expats are working together to spread
Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Japan. Similar to other centers of ISKCON, we are also rallying against
some unpleasant situations; we seek your empowerment and blessings so that we can understand
the purpose of ISKCON and manage the activities without deviations, not take things cheaply
and overcome power and prestige-related issues.

Your Divine Grace mentioned that
We are in very good, prestigious position. That is sure. Don’t spoil it. So much hard labor.
I started with very humble condition. Now it has come to this, such exalted position. You
don’t spoil it. That is my request. Increase. That will depend on your character, behavior,
preaching. (Room conversation in Bombay, April 10, 1977)
We pray unto your lotus feet that we tolerate the provocations and cooperate to spread the mis-
sion of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in Japan.
We seek blessings and empowerment from Your Divine Grace that we all continue our devo-
tional practices and preach in the Land of Rising Sun uninterruptedly with all enthusiasm and no
personal motives.
Your servants,
ISKCON Tokyo
Sudāma Dāsa
(Temple President)
Toronto, Canada

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga. All glories to the
saṅkīrtana mission.
Today we remain fortunate once again to make this offering on your auspicious and glorious
appearance day.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, your contributions to establish your movement are unparalleled, and
you remain our true inspiration to expand Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the Greater Toronto Area. You
took on the herculean task of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. You came to the
West and transformed people from being Hippy to Happy. You gave us ISKCON, a medium to
practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness; you distributed love for Kṛṣṇa, you gave us books, and you made
devotees of materialistic people and gave us devotee association. You gave us New Remuṇā
Dhāma, you walked the hallowed corridors of this temple, your presence is felt and will be for
generations to come, and this continues to inspire us to serve with dedication and devotion.
Whilst the COVID-19 pandemic has finally ceased and normalcy has returned, its impact has
been significant. There has been a loss of lives across our communities and the world in general,

and we would like to take a moment to acknowledge the contributions of the many devotees who
are no longer with us.
Temple Operations remain smooth, strong, and robust. The lifting of the pandemic and return
to normal programming has meant that New Remuṇā Dhāma has seen record visitors for the past
many months. Powered by a strong student youth population, our Sunday programs and festivals
have seen unprecedented attendance, and our crew of devotees in the kitchen has done a remark-
able job in keeping up with this and serving blissful prasāda.
We continue to move forward with various initiatives, and one of the biggest ones has been the
establishment of the Bhakti Academy, which has recently completed one full year. The academy
fosters spiritual growth through strong foundational practices. Living in simple, humble, but
comfortable settings, students practice bhakti-yoga and read the wonderful texts you have given
us. Mantra meditation, japa, kīrtana, and book distribution is the cornerstone of the academy’s
activities, and we are delighted to report that there is unprecedented interest from the community
to join the academy. With your blessings, we hope to take this initiative to even greater heights in
the coming year.
Lord Jagannātha (the Lord of the Universe) was back on Yonge Street as the Ratha-yātrā made
its journey to Centre Island with a huge turnout. Around 25,000 plates of prasāda were distrib-
uted over two days, along with throngs of visitors enjoying kīrtana, presentations, and taking
darśana.
Our saṅkīrtana (book distribution team) continues to break fresh ground and has found
myriads of avenues to distribute your wonderful books.
Our Western Outreach continues to grow, with regular programs being held by our Russian-
speaking Community. Our Deity Department has gone beyond having ensured that Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Kṣīracorā Gopīnātha’s service has continued uninterrupted. Our Kṛṣṇa Fun School con-
tinues to attract newer children who are learning various spiritual concepts. Our Govinda’s dining
room has been going full throttle and has surpassed many heights with prasāda distribution and
Food for Life Initiatives. The boutique continues to serve visitors, has gotten more storage area,
and is in the process of revitalizing, including more operational hours. Our Toronto Vaiṣṇava
Care Team continues to serve our community with great distinction by providing personal and
holistic care. The Building Improvement Committee continues to move forward with the refur-
bishment of New Remuṇā Dhāma, with the next big initiative being the installation of the acces-
sibility elevator, which will benefit many elderly members of our community. With your blessings,
we hope to make this a wonderful offering to our glorious Deities.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray at your lotus feet to give us the strength to take your mission
far and wide. Please bless us so that we can continue to serve you with faith and be an instrument
in taking this movement forward.
On this auspicious and momentous occasion, we beg for pure devotional service.
We remain your humble servants at

ISKCON Toronto (New Remuṇā)

Toronto, Canada
(Russian-speaking devotees)

On behalf of the Russian-speaking community of ISKCON Toronto, let us offer our most
humble and respectful obeisances to you and our divine paramparā. Kṛṣṇa sent you to save the
world from the immense sufferings people are going through in this Kali-yuga. One psychic
person told me he knew a man who passed away from COVID and was born recently in a dog’s
body. Where would we be if we didn’t meet the devotees and join Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
When you came to America, you predicted that this civilization would not sustain for long,
and we can see it now, your words come true. There cannot be artha without dharma, and without
artha, a healthy economy, people cannot enjoy human life and progress to liberation. Principles
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are the basis of dharma which you entrusted us to build on this planet.
Every one of us can do something little or big as per our capacity and be creative and sincere.
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu has a plan; we just need to be a part of it.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to take part in your mission and giving us intelligence
on how to act, what to say, and where to go to advance our own Kṛṣṇa consciousness and help
others to grow on the spiritual path.
Your servant,
Ācārya Ṭhākura Dāsa,
on behalf of Russian-speaking community of ISKCON Toronto
Tres Arroyos, Argentina

To speak of Śrīla Prabhupāda is to speak of the clearest example of the concept of saintliness. He
was, and still to this day is, a saint in modern times.
Renunciation is one of the words that best defines him. He crossed the ocean from East to
West, leaving everything behind. There, in that gesture, is the confirmation of his authentic sanc-
tity, and in the success of his purpose, the ratification that Śrīla Prabhupāda was driven by an
authentic force of spiritual origin.
For that treasure of transcendental wisdom distributed by Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mis-
sion, which he offered to the West and from the West to the rest of the world, we cannot but be
eternally and lovingly grateful.
In his renunciation, he stripped himself of his material world (his wife and children, his
country, his culture) and demonstrated empathy in relating to the people he encountered on his
mission while enduring, on more than one occasion, physical deterioration, inclement weather,
and lack of resources. Yet he never gave up. And the proof is in his writings. His books help and
will forever help us and others to find peace and understand the reasons for our moments of true
happiness.

Prabhupāda is our great friend; he has given us the key, the manual, and the relationships to
be free.
Without being asked, he has given us the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the holy scriptures, and not
least, the association with people who seek in themselves the love for God. A love that we all have
latent but often veiled by our desires.
Prabhupāda is our example to follow; he is the daily motivation; he is the expression of beauty,
goodness, and consciousness; he is the ambassador of Goloka Vṛndāvana who, with humility and
tolerance, visits the lands of our conditioning and limitations, to show us that we must return
home together with Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. He gives us every day the passport to return.
Prabhupāda, in turn, has enabled us to be better in our prescribed duties, whether as citizens,
as parents, children, neighbors, professionals, friends, disciples, etc.
Prabhupāda is Kṛṣṇa sending us the love we have been so reluctant to feel.
Prabhupāda means the blissful end of a great quest. He is a transcendental hero who bravely,
courageously set out to face any obstacle on the path to Kṛṣṇa.
Why all glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Because his work is nothing but a work of devotion, dedication, effort, tolerance, patience, sim-
plicity, cleanliness, among others.
Also because without him, we would not be able to read and, above all, understand the
scriptures.
Also because without him there would be no ISKCON, the family where we find the associa-
tion and transcendental bonds.
“All glories” are for him because he is, was, and will be a coherent teacher of voice and thought,
humble, faithful, strong of conviction, trustworthy, eloquent, capable, educative, and an example
to follow.
We thank Śrīla Prabhupāda for giving us the gift of inspiration and educating us. We will carry
his torch of knowledge and devotion to every heart.
Devotees of ISKCON Tres Arroyos, Argentina
Trinidad
Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken full shelter at His
lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanya and
delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Celebration of another year of your Vyāsa-pūjā is yet another opportunity to put into words
our immense appreciation to you. Your life, love, dedication, compassion, and patience to your
own guru and paramparā are limitless and all-encompassing and are still flowing down to us, your
granddisciples and great-granddisciples to this day.
You are indeed jagat-guru, the savior of the world as simply by your words in your books long
after your physical presence, you have drastically touched and saved the lives of numerous souls
and continue to do so. Your books, your greatest gifts to us, are indeed ticking “time bombs”
patiently waiting and then detonating the materialistic mentality from the minds of anyone who
comes into contact with them. You have been the most well-wishing father, teacher, friend, and
guide to all who came into contact with you, so much so that they gave up everything and ded-
icated their lives to serve and assist you. They are now our torchbearers, our gurus, shining the
same light of your instructions and teachings to guide us out of this material existence.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are simply the best as you were able to take all the teachings of
the previous ācāryas and Vedic scriptures and structure and present them to us in such a practical
way of life for all, incorporating everything needed to get free from the sufferings of this world.
You gave us everything, absolutely everything necessary to get free of this blazing fire of material
existence. Thank you for your books, ISKCON, temples, beautiful Deities, your disciples, kīrtanas,
prasāda, association, endless opportunities to serve, your love, care, and guidance. In short, you
have given us life – REAL life! You are our one and only life link back to Kṛṣṇa.
You have said that the love of the disciple for the guru is demonstrated by his following the
instructions of the guru. You, being the perfect ācārya, have demonstrated this in your own life.
Many disciples and granddisciples have dedicated their lives to serving you and have passed on
from this world. On this most auspicious day, please bless us so that we can do the same. All
glories to you, our most beloved, eternal well-wisher!
Your insignificant servants at

Śrī Śrī Nitāi Gauracandra Mandir
ISKCON South, Trinidad
Tucson, USA
Prabhupāda, you never settled for second best,
Always first class, unlike the rest
You put the devotees to the test,
Serving Kṛṣṇa, always blessed.
You struggled without much aid
Alone in New York, but were never plagued
Challenges came, but you weren’t afraid
Strict Vaiṣṇava principles, you always displayed.

With Kṛṣṇa by your side,
Success came when you tried
Remaining humble, not a shred of pride
Gurus’ orders, willing to abide.
Traveling the world, always on the move
Encouraging devotees – try and improve
Anarthas in our heart removed
By serving you it is proved.
India projects caused you stress
Politics & cheating, what a mess
To give to all the dhāma’s access
Our shortcomings you did redress.
Early morning rising, purports to write
Day for sādhus, for the karmīs its night
Lord Caitanya’s message, bringing the light
Defending Lord Kṛṣṇa, such a good fight.
Circling the globe, putting health aside
You entered the airport, and just seemed to glide
The devotees struggled to keep with your stride
To the world you were guru, friend & guide.
Our good fortune is beyond compare
Mahā-mantra our daily prayer
Such opportunity indeed most rare
To veer from you, we wouldn’t dare.
Just at your lotus feet we stay
Some may defect, but we never stray
With your instructions everyday
To follow with loyalty ever we pray.
Written by Sandaminī Devī Dāsī

ISKCON of Arizona, Tucson
Dear Śrīla Prabhuapda,

We fall at your lotus feet. Please give us your mercy to continue on this path of bhakti, and not
deviate from your instructions. Empower us to build a new temple complex for you and spread
your glories and the teaching of Bhagavad-gītā far and wide in the desert southwest. Your mercy is
all that is keeping us engaged in this wonderful movement of ISKCON.
Your dedicated servants at Tucson ISKCON Yātrā

Udhampur, India

Please accept our humble obeisances at the dust of your Lotus feet. All glories to you for
spreading sanātana-dharma and holy name all over the world.
You are, in the real sense, the savior of the whole world. On this day of your divine appearance,
we, your granddisciples, are trying to follow your instructions as it is under the able spiritual
guidance of your dear most disciple, His Holiness Nava Yogendra Swamiji Mahārāja. Whenever
he passes any instruction to us, he says to pray to Śrīla Prabhupāda because he is the yuga-puruṣa
and he empowers anyone to carry on the mission of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
We are trying to fulfill your cherished desire to have the varṇāśrama system established
in ISKCON centers. Now we have a gurukula where 90 students, gṛhasthas, brahmacārīs and
vānaprasthas are trying to follow Your Divine Grace as it without paying any salaries but provid-
ing them all living facilities so that in later days, they develop vairāgya and preach this mission of
Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu all over.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray at the dust of your lotus feet, please give us strength so that we can
increase the strength of gurukula inmates and temple devotees and please you. We are trying to
open nāmahaṭṭa centers in nearby villages so that everyone will receive the mercy of the holy name
of Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Your insignificant servants of servants at ISKCON Udhampur, J&K, INDIA

Kuntī Devī Dāsī, Temple President with all Devotees
Ujjain, India
Please accept our most humble and respectful obeisances unto the dust of your divine lotus
feet.
All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Your Divine Grace mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.8.5 Purport “When the entire popula-
tion, or part of it, becomes forgetful of its own duty, Kṛṣṇa comes. When Kṛṣṇa is not present,
the devotee is present, but the mission is the same: to free the poor conditioned souls from the
clutches of the māyā that chastises them.” He has done so through His representative, Your Divine
Grace. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you, blessed the world with the love of God. Even the gopīs, 5,000 years
ago, glorified Your Divine Grace as bhūri-dā janāḥ. Your glories are sweet like ripened fruit. They

become even more relishable when sung from the mouths of great devotees. Recently, we had
the inconceivable good fortune to get blessings and association of more than 70 senior devotees,
including some of your disciples, during the last year.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you become most happy with the book distribution scores. For your plea-
sure, we managed to have both of our saṅkīrtana buses going out for book distribution. Last
year we distributed 327 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets, 42 Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets, 43 Śrīla Prabhupāda-
līlāmṛta sets, 32,036 Mahā-big books, 1,575 big books, 2,706 medium books, and 16,808 small
books. In August 2022, your ISKCON Ujjain temple was ranked fifth in the world in the large
temples category, and during that time, it marked the biggest increase of 641 percent and 20,245
book points.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your mercy ISKCON Ujjain had the following notable achievements last
year:
1. NIDC meeting was held in Ujjain, in which more than 60 senior devotees participated.
2. Śrīla Prabhupāda Memorial Festival was a great success. 12 senior devotees, including your
disciples, came, and over 2000 devotees participated.
3. A mega youth event for MANIT, Bhopal, entitled UDDIPAN was organized in which more
than 2000 students participated. His Grace Amogha-līlā Prabhu was the speaker.
4. Gītā Leadership Contest (GLC) was organized with the participation of around 1200
candidates.
5. ISKCON Ujjain is certified under the “Blissful Hygienic Offering to God” (BHOG), as per
benchmarks established by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
6. We have begun the process of renovating Govindas.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this is our insignificant offering. With faltering words and folded hands, we
pray Your Divine Grace to be merciful unto us. Please benedict us with the eternal shelter of your
lotus feet so that we can engage in your service.
We beg to remain,
The humble servants of your servants,
Devotees at ISKCON Ujjain
Vadodara, India
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All Glories to you.
I am honored to write on behalf of ISKCON Vadodara, and I am humbled by the opportunity
to offer my thoughts on this auspicious day of Vyāsa-pūjā. As I reflected on what would be the
most pleasing offering, I recalled a question asked to you by Nirantara Prabhu during a Sunday
Feast Lecture in Atlanta on March 2, 1975 “Prabhupāda, what pleases you the most?” Your
response was simple yet profound: “If you love Kṛṣṇa.” Similarly, in other instances, you have
advised us to express our love for Kṛṣṇa through chanting to please you. As humble devotees, we
are inspired by these answers and thought of putting our offering in this connection.

The most sublime way to express our love and devotion to Kṛṣṇa is by sharing how we strive to
serve Him through various endeavors, all of which are in alignment with the purpose of ISKCON.
With this in mind, we humbly present to you our report on how ISKCON Vadodara and its con-
gregation have endeavored to fulfill the seven purposes of ISKCON, along with our plans (Kṛṣṇa
willing) for the upcoming year. It is my sincerest hope that by perusing this report, you will be
satisfied by our efforts and bestow upon us your blessings so that we may continue to serve with
unwavering enthusiasm and dedication throughout the year.
1. To systematically propagate spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all people
in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to
achieve real unity and peace in the world.
At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of mass outreach to
society at large through various activities. These activities are briefly mentioned below for your
kind perusal.
Activity Impact Life Next year

impacted plan
in a year
Monthly Youth Large numbers of students are called across var- Over 1500 Over 1800
Festival ious colleges of Vadodara and various spiritually students students
inspiring lectures are offered from distinct and
exemplary invited speakers.
Jagannātha One of the unique festivals where people from Over 2 lakh Over 2 lakh
Ratha-yātrā various religious beliefs (even Islam) also par- people people
ticipate in welcoming Jagannāthajī and it really
achieve the purpose of unity and peace
Janmāṣṭamī Temple has the largest Janmāṣṭamī festival gath- Over 1.5 Over 1.5
ering in Vadodara, where the temple facilitated Lakh Lakh
darśana timing in max 30 min from start to end people People
Govardhana It’s the festival of main attraction post-Diwali Over 40 Over 40
Pūjā where huge numbers of people gather to see thousand thousand
Govardhanajī made out of rice and various people people
preparations offered to him. Also, feast prasāda is
offered to each and every visitor
YouTube We are broadcasting daily Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad- Over 2600 Over 3000
Channel gītā and also special lectures live on YouTube due subscribers subscribers
to which able to approach people digitally and
increase our outreach span.
Next year a Mega Annual Youth Festival will be organized where over 1,500 students are expected
to participate from all the colleges in and around Vadodara City ex Halol, Surat, Anand, etc.
Need your blessing, Prabhupāda, that we should able to organize this successfully for your
pleasure.

2. To propagate a consciousness of Kṛṣṇa (God), as it is revealed in the great scriptures of India,
Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of systematic educa-
tion of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam through various activities. These activities are briefly
mentioned below for your kind perusal.

impacted plan
in a year
6 Session Systematic classes are given to build the base Over 800 Over 1000
Program for of spiritual understanding covering thematic
Congregation understanding most important subjects
mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā.
Discover Yourself Systematic sessions for modern Youth to Over 500 Over 600
and One time provide scientific understanding of Vedic culture
programs for col- and science to build fundamental spiritual
lege students understanding.
Bhakti Śāstrī To provide a systematic understanding of 20 Over 22
Course 4 fundamental books – NOI, ISO, BG and NOD
3. To bring the members of the Society together with each other and nearer to Kṛṣṇa, the prime
entity, thus developing the idea within the members, and humanity at large, that each soul is
part and parcel of the quality of Godhead (Kṛṣṇa).
At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of bringing belonging-
ness with our movement through various activities. These activities are briefly mentioned below
for your kind perusal.
Activity Impact Life impacted Next year

in a year plan
Bhakti-Vṛkṣa Here senior congregation members leading 7 Bhakti-vṛkṣa Over 8
Programs for these program where group of members come Programs Bhakti-vṛkṣa
congregation together for giving and taking guidance, over 200 Programs
inspiration and care from other members participants over 300
participants
Snāna-yātrā The congregation comes together to prepare 1151 items, Over 1300
Festival humongous items for the pleasure of Jagan- around 70 items, Around
nātha Baladeva Subhadrā. Whole congregation Families 80 Families
works late night and early morning and help in
organize bhoga for their Lordships on this day.
Bhakti-śāstrī To provide a systematic understanding of 20 20
Course 4 fundamental books – NOI, ISO, BG and NOD
4. To teach and encourage the saṅkīrtana movement, congregational chanting of the holy name
of God, as revealed in the teachings of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of spreading the holy
names wide across through various activities. These activities are briefly mentioned below for your
kind perusal.
Activity Impact Life impacted Next year

in a year plan
Sunday Every Sunday there are 5 different parties On an average On an average
Saṅkīrtana carry out saṅkīrtana at 5 different places in 50 devotees go 50 devotees go
Vadodara. on saṅkīrtana on saṅkīrtana
Saṅkīrtana Every afternoon and evening prasāda On an average On an average
with Prasad distribution along with saṅkīrtana is carried 400 people 400 people
Distribution out which brings many people to Temple daily daily
and help them participate in the same
Makara- On this special day, January 14, tremendous Over 4000 Over 4400
saṅkrānti amount of prasāda is distributed going to people people
Distribution various locations in the city and saṅkīrtana
tape is played while distributing prasāda.
Japa Medita- During Janmāṣṭamī where we attract huge Over 2000 Over 2200
tion experi- crowd, a lot of people are inspired to chant mālā chanted mālā to get
ence Stall one round of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra chanted
5. To erect for the members and for society at large a holy place of transcendental pastimes dedi-
cated to the personality of Kṛṣṇa.
At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of erecting holy places
through various activities. These activities are briefly mentioned below for your kind perusal.
Activity Impact
Solar Panels Electricity needed for temple is partially produced by solar panels,
due to which over 25 percent of the electricity bill was reduced
Brahmacārī āśrama With increasing devotees joining temple full time there was a need to
Expansion create more and better facility and thus 14 rooms and 2 conference
room were built and existing rooms were upgraded
Deity Kitchen To provide better storage facility for the dresses of the Deity and
enhancement and larger place for cooking during festival days expansion of the deity
expansion kitchen was carried out. Also main Deity kitchen itself was upgraded
to provide better cleanliness, facilities and aesthetics.
Guest House 9 new rooms are getting build over and above existing facility to
Expansion facilitate more guests during big events carried out during temple
premises
First Lift in temple To provide access to elderly people to Govinda’s Thali Restaurant
hydraulic lift was installed

For next year following construction activity is planned:
Activity Impact
Gośālā Expansion New land for gośālā is in search and we will be buying bigger land to
better take care of increased number of cows.
Temple Garbha-gṛha Renovation of the chandeliers and expansion of the existing space of
Renovation the garbha-gṛha is planned
6. To bring the members closer together for the purpose of teaching a simpler, more natural way
of life.
At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of simple living and
high thinking through various activities. These activities are briefly mentioned below for your
kind perusal.

impacted in plan
a year
BACE There are over 5 BACE centers in Vadodara 65 students 80 students
which facilitated a simple living lifestyle
training, nurturing and care to college students
so that even though studying, they get a taste
and training of simple temple life
GOVINDAS Govindas’ provides simple, sāttvika and pure Around Around
vegetarian option for prasāda to people and 60000 70000 thalis
members thalis & & 10,000
3600 snacks snacks
GOŚĀLĀ Cows are maintained, fed and their milk is used 115 Cows 120 Cows
for their Lordships’ service
FARM ISKCON Vadodara congregation supports No number No number
COMMUNITY financially farm community members at Raj- details here details here
pipala (Nandagrāma) by purchasing the farm
output and donations
7. With a view toward achieving the aforementioned purposes, to publish and distribute period-
icals, magazines, books and other writings.
At ISKCON Vadodara, we humbly strive to contribute toward the purpose of book distribution
through various activities. These activities are briefly mentioned below for your kind perusal.

impacted plan
in a year
Regular Every Sunday, when the 5 groups of devotees 34478 40000
saṅkīrtana go out for saṅkīrtana, book distribution is also books books
time book carried out. Also within temple, Matchless Gift
distribution stalls and various other places books are regularly
distributed.
December December marathon all congregation comes 16703 25000
Marathon together to especially distribute more books than books books
other months
Bhādra Pūrṇimā, Special festival which is celebrated to distribute Approx. 200
Śrīmad- complete Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets and devotees 30
Bhāgavatam Set enthusiastically participate for the same
Distribution
Dear Prabhupāda, we humbly offer our prayers at your lotus feet. Although we understand that
our activities may seem insignificant in your grand mission, we aspire to assist you in your service
to your spiritual master with sincerity and devotion. May we be blessed with your empowerment
as we carry out these activities, and may we put forth our utmost effort to achieve the desired
results.
With your guidance and blessings, we will strive to organize these activities with efficiency,
effectiveness, and purity. We pray that we may maintain a mood of humility and servitude, rec-
ognizing ourselves as mere instruments in the service of the Lord, in the mood of dāsānudāsa.
May these activities ultimately please Kṛṣṇa and inspire a deeper love for Him within our hearts,
allowing us to please you in the truest sense.
Your humble servants at ISKCON Vadodara, Gujarat, India
Vallabhvidhyanagar, India
Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the year 1985 all-India padayatra was on its first yātrā and during Jan-
māṣṭamī the Pāda-yātrā was in Anand, Gujarat. A grand welcome and huge program were orga-
nized in B&B polytechnic college, and at the end of the program, your disciple, His Holiness
Lokanātha Swami, pointed toward a hostel and said here there should be a center of ISKCON.
After the event, His Grace Rāma Mūrti Prabhu approached the owner to offer the land for
rent to organize ISKCON programs. Initially, the owner, Fulabhai, had refused, but later in his
dream, he saw kīrtana happening in this place, and the Lord instructed him to gift the property to
ISKCON.

In the year 1986, the hostel was modified into a small temple, and since then till now the Lord
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārījī has accepted our services in this small location, a hostel converted into a
temple. Now as the number of visitors and devotees is increasing we are not able to accommodate
visitors, and it becomes very difficult to manage during festivals as it’s an old building, there is a
lot of damage.
We demolished the present temple on 21 February 2023 with the approval of the ISKCON
Bureau, and the Deities Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārījī and Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā are
temporarily shifted to the adjacent guest house building. Now we are planning to build a huge
two-story stone temple for the pleasure of the Lordships. This stone temple shall last for more
than 1000 years, and Their Lordships shall keep giving darśana. Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us
so that we can build a great palace for Their Lordships within a time span of three years, and by
your mercy, we can expand our preaching activities. So on this year’s Vyāsa-pūjā, this is our small
endeavor to please you. Please accept our loving offering.
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda,

ISKCON Vallabhvidhyanagar
Vancouver, Canada
Our Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. All glories to Śrī Śrī
Rādhā-Madana-mohana! All glories to Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi!
It is our undeservingly great fortune to get this opportunity to write an offering for your Vyāsa-
pūjā celebration. Writing this offering mainly serves as a process to meditate upon your glories
and derive inspiration more than glorification itself, for your glories are limitless and cannot be
fathomed by our mere mundane, contaminated consciousness. Dear jagat-guru Śrīla Prabhupāda,
you appeared in this material world during this most inauspicious Kali-yuga as the one and only
Commander-in-chief of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to give His teachings and to spread
the congregational chanting of the holy name all over the globe. There was no ācārya either in
the past or in the future that humanity will ever witness as great as Your Divine Grace. This is
a loosely paraphrased statement of an exalted and senior mahā-bhāgavata from Madhvācārya
paramparā.
How fortunate we are to be able to associate with Your Divine Grace through your direct
disciples, recorded videos, lectures, and, most importantly, the life-transforming Bhaktivedanta
Purports! Śrīpād Rāmānujācārya appeared to defeat nirviśeṣa (impersonalism) and establish
Vaiṣṇavism. Before that Śrīpād Śaṅkarācārya appeared to eradicate śūnyavāda (voidism) and re-
establish the Vedas. But you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, came to chase away both nirviśeṣa and śūnyavāda

together, which were rampant in the English-speaking world and brought a global revival of
Personalism (Vaiṣṇavism). You tactfully exploited the attitude of the “East following the West”
and thus successfully revived Lord Caitanya’s teachings in India as well. Today, lots of youths
from bhārata-bhūmi are embracing Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism and chanting the holy name with great
enthusiasm.
Here, in Vancouver, New Gokula Dhāma, also we have an insurgence of many young devotees
who have been enthusiastically serving Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana and Their devotees. The
temple management understands the importance of nurturing and developing strong devotional
principles in these young devotees and striving to develop programs to keep them inspired in
their devotional life. This is a very challenging task, and with your blessings and mercy, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, we hope to accomplish this goal.
Another major task facing us in New Gokula Dhāma is to build a strong, vibrant community
of devotees who are cooperative, loving, and caring to each other and serving Their Lordships
and your lotus feet. Thus, we become a shelter for many more new devotees to come. Coopera-
tion is the only way by which we can express our commitment and love for you. As the ācārya of
the worldwide movement, you put cooperation as the most important attribute above all other
qualities because the spirit of cooperation is THE antidote for this age of quarrel and hypocrisy.
This single quality of cooperation encompasses many other qualities, such as sacrifice, tolerance,
respect, humility, gratitude, service, and many more. Cooperation is the functional façade of
those above-mentioned qualities. Above all, only through cooperative spirit can we truly show
our love for you and become eligible to go back home back to Godhead. The lack of cooperation,
on the other hand, distinctly puts us on the opposite end of the spectrum. Yet, it pains to see that
there is a constant threat to that very life-sustaining air (cooperation) of our global movement. It
is the responsibility of every individual to do their part toward the local community and eventu-
ally to the global community.
As our congregation is growing, the existing temple is shrinking in size. So, we are fervently
working toward building a new temple for Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana-mohana and
for your pleasure. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that if we were sincere, Kṛṣṇa would help us. Since
everything belongs to Him, He can provide. So please make us sincere so that Kṛṣṇa will help
with whatever is needed to build a new temple.
You boldly declared to Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rāsabihārī in Juhu, Mumbai, “I shall
build you a temple.” You did it despite so many difficulties. Prabhupāda, please grant us the cour-
age and determination to build a new temple as soon as possible. On this auspicious occasion, we
seek your blessings to be engaged in your service more and more in a cooperative spirit.
Sincerely,
Your servants,
Manu Dāsa (Temple President)
Mathurā-līlā Devī Dāsī (Council member)
Jānakī Jīvana Dāsa (Council member)
Nanda Gopāla Dāsa (Council member)
New Gokula Dhāma
Vancouver, BC, Canada

Varanasi, India
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī Caitanya Mahā-
prabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu. All glories to Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. All glories to Śrī Brahma-Madhva-Gauḍīya
guru-śiṣya-sampradāya.
We are serving here at ISKCON Varanasi temple under the able leadership and inspiration of
His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, His Grace Devakīnandana Prabhu, His Holiness Bhakti
Pracāra Parivrājaka Mahārāja and His Holiness Bhakti Prema Mahārāja. Right at the outset of
this offering, we wish to express our gratitude with moistened eyes that you have blessed us so
much that in the last 1–2 years, the family of Vaiṣṇavas here has swelled so nicely and so many
senior devotees have been giving their association frequently, and we also have got so many
opportunities to serve. All beyond anything we ever deserved. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
In our few years of experience here at Varanasi, the activities we love the most are coming
together to study your books and coming together to participate in harināma saṅkīrtana and
prasāda distribution. Your vāṇī contains the wisdom and the sūtras for an eternal life of knowl-
edge and bliss in the same spirit as originally given by Śrī Vyāsadeva and as taught by Gauḍīya
Vaiṣṇava ācāryas. Each chapter and each purport of your classical Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is like a
special diamond. Even each of your small and medium-sized books, like Śrī Īśopaniṣad, is like a
masterpiece of a lifetime. We wonder how will we ever be able to thank you for your eternal gifts
of books, the holy name, the association of devotees, and the opportunities to render sevā.
I also wish to submit to you that the devotees in our little yātrā are doing very nicely in their
Kṛṣṇa consciousness, putting their heart and sweat in sādhana as well as sevā. Seeing them, I truly
feel that you have created a house in which the entire world can live.
Words fail me when I especially think of those devotees who are selflessly contributing to your
mission with responsibility, dedication, and innumerable sacrifices. Your example and the blue-
print which you have given in service to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu
are their beacon lights. I wish you bless all of them thoroughly with your causeless mercy so that
they are able to drown in the nectar of kṛṣṇa-prema, resulting in their forever loving service to Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Gopāla.
I saw here amongst the devotee leaders the power of purity and sincerity, the power of orga-
nization and intelligence, the power of faithfulness and loyalty. I observed the strength which
comes from the willingness of devotees to unite in friendship with mutual love and trust despite
having differences and reasons to distance themselves. I saw the power of faith and the power of
good relationships. I was amazed by their ability to smile while working hard and facing struggles
together, as if they were saying, “As long as we are together in service of guru and Kṛṣṇa, where is
any inconvenience? It’s all ecstasy!” I witnessed in the last three years the effect of spiritual inspi-
ration, well-organized teamwork, focused endeavors and visionary leadership.
On behalf of our community leaders, preachers, mātājīs, youths, kids and supporters, I once
again offer our gratitude to you for teaching us and leading us into loving Kṛṣṇa, into doing
harināma saṅkīrtana as taught by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and for giving us ISKCON and
each other. Śrīla Prabhupāda thank you for disseminating such pure values of life which turn any
situation into a blessed one.
His Grace Devakīnandana Prabhu had always told us that at Varanasi and Prayagraj, he wants
the focus to be on Vaiṣṇava hospitality and youth outreach, so that beautiful temples and commu-
nities grow here and the devotees visiting on pilgrimage tours get nicely facilitated. And then after

a few years when temples are established and communities are stable, Kṛṣṇa consciousness should
spread onto the unlimited number of villages around these cities.
Toward that purpose, we now have two big youth centers for BHU & IIT students. Devotees
are preaching very enthusiastically.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in the last two marathons, Varanasi devotees could distribute more books
than were ever distributed in Varanasi over two decades.
By the special dedication of our core team for a new temple project called “Vedic India Cul-
tural Centre” (VICC), we could also begin temple construction, and the foundation has already
been cast. It is a mammoth task for our small, inexperienced and young team but simply based on
our faith and camaraderie, we have taken it up with confidence in the mercy of your lotus feet and
Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. We do not know how the funds wil come and how the project will be com-
pleted, but we know it will definitely happen.
So we seek your special blessings, especially on those devotees who are taking serious responsi-
bilities in the sevā. This is a place of Lord Śiva, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, Śrīla
Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrī Bindu Mādhava, Śrī Gaṅgā Maiyā, Śrī Yamunā Maiyā and Śrī
Tapana Miśra. Surely some miracles will be planned by you to help in this temple project. While
being helpless ourselves in front of this herculean task, we also stand confident, enthusiastic and
patient of your mercy.
We must also share with you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that this winter season, we also tried to do
preaching to some foreigners who come as visitors to Varanasi. We had the presence and associa-
tion of His Grace Devavrata Prabhu from Los Angeles, USA, for almost three months, who would
go out with young brahmacārīs to Ganges ghāṭas and foreigners’ alleys to distribute books, do
harināma and recruit some spiritual seekers. Though we do not have any concrete results to offer
to you yet, we are happy that we are trying to serve.
You would also be pleased to know, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that a team of our congregation devo-
tees regularly go on weekly harināma saṅkīrtanas in various parts of Varanasi city and share
Mahāprabhu’s mercy with everyone in the form of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and the opportunity
to serve (donations for temple project). And in the temple campus, every day, prasāda distribution
goes on for everyone. In fact, by your grace, we have recently also got a dedicated and customized
vehicle for prasāda distribution and book distribution. Haribol!
I also feel very happy to inform you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that during the last one year, involve-
ment of children and young girls has also increased very much in our ISKCON Varanasi commu-
nity especially due to the efforts of some young couples from the congregation. It gives so much
joy to see that the future can be so bright and that everyone in society can be engaged in service
to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopālajī.
One of the best things in our Varanasi temple community are regular Vṛndāvana and Māyāpur
yātrās for devotees and also first-class festivals. Again this year, we had excellent Janmāṣṭamī and
Rādhāṣṭamī festivals, Gaura-Pūrṇimā flower festival, Jagannātha Ānanda bazaar festival, New
Year festival, Edufiesta with 300 teenagers and especially our annual youth festival “Impressions”
(saṁskāra) with the participation of 1800 youths. These festivals bring great joy to the devotees,
gives them a platform to utilize their talents in Kṛṣṇa’s service, and provides colorful experience
and opportunities to hundreds of people to come closer to Kṛṣṇa in one shot.
This year we also had a special art gallery exhibition for a few days at the best local auditorium
as well as at BHU, displaying hand-made canvas paintings with depictions of your pastimes,
achievements, and your beloved disciples. We all felt proud to be sharing your legacy with one
and all.
You would also be pleased to know that we all got the wonderful opportunity to assist and
serve all the youth leaders of ISKCON North India by getting to host, organizing, and facilitate
IIYC North India Convention 2023 at Śrī Govardhana Dhāma.

Last but not least, I wish to specifically thank our fundraising team – for regular temple
expenses, for youth outreach as well as for the temple VICC project – for showing an excellent
character of selflessness, responsibility, resilience and faith. Hats off to them for taking your mis-
sion on their shoulders!
Finally, we thank our zonal team for their blessings and vision, and also our TMC leaders and
general manager for their continued responsible services in their domains, their support to all the
departments, their united and friendly relationships, their enthusiasm and loyalty to ISKCON
movement.
When we think of your own sacrifices, dedication and love for Kṛṣṇa, we feel completely insig-
nificant and, at the same time blissful. Therefore, O merciful Vaiṣṇava ācārya, kindly forgive us
for our mistakes and offenses in our tiny little endeavors to assist you and your representatives.
At the same time, we wish to be committed to improving ourselves in our sadhana-bhakti, loyalty
to guru-paramparā, our śāstric study, our services and contributions, and especially in our mutual
unity based on love and trust. We wish to not offend Vaiṣṇavas and be engaged in pure devotional
service with our body, mind, and words throughout our lives.
Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants,
(on behalf of His Grace Devakīnandan Prabhu and the entire zonal team)
Acyuta Mohana Dāsa (Temple President),
the TMC leaders & all Varanasi devotees
THE ELEVEN VEDIC ACADEMIES AT THE UPCOMING VICC, ISKCON VĀRĀṆASĪ
1 Vidyāpīṭha – for Systematic study of śāstras (literary)

2 Svara-brahma – kīrtana academy (music)
3 Nṛtya-vāṭikā – theatrics (dance & drama)
4 Bhojaśālā – culinary arts (sāttvika food)
5 Kalā-niketana – natural arts like painting, sketching, rangoli, etc. (general arts)
6 Dharma-kendra – training pūjārīs into philosophy & practice (to make every temple a place to
disseminate dharma)
7 Saṁskṛti – value education through culture of activities, games, ślokas, etc. (for kids of
age 5–12)
8 Vidyāśrama – value education through śāstric stories, activities, festivals, etc. (for teenagers of
age 13–17)
9 Yuva-kṣetra – gurukula training of discipline, philosophy, lifestyle, selfless service, and nava-
vidhā bhakti (for youths of age 18–25)
10 Vaiṣṇavī-saṅga – for young college girls and ladies to spiritualize their life, relationships,
talents, activities, and gatherings
11 Vidura-saṅga – spiritual shelter, engagements, and association for retired men in society

Visakhapatnam, India
Please accept our most respectful obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī Guru and
Gaurāṅga!
The essence of the guru-disciple relationship is based upon the disciple’s sincere service mentality,
the pinnacle of which is experienced in separation. You exemplified that from the very beginning!
When you first incorporated ISKCON, it was thirty years after your spiritual master had departed
this mortal world, yet you acted in pursuance of the instructions he had personally given you, and
therefore you always felt his presence in your heart and his empowering approval.

By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. Without the
grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, one should
always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day one should
offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.
In this light, we want to submit to you our Annual report of our humble efforts to serve your
mission:
Your Divine Grace visited Vishakhapatnam in the year 1972, February month and it became a
holy dhāma with the touch of your lotus feet since then. In line with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s
wish, your pure desire for the propagation of Kṛṣṇa conscious movement in every town and
village has manifested in Vishakhapatnam in the form of one of biggest Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temples in
South India. It directly faces the Bay of Bengal among the serene atmosphere of green hills of the
city of Vishakhapatnam.
By your causeless mercy, preaching activities are going on in full swing at ISKCON
Vishakhapatnam. So far, more than a few hundred devotees have taken initiation, 500 congrega-
tion families and 5,000 life members have been enrolled since May 1999 when me and my wife
together started a preaching center here in Vishakhapatnam.
In order to help these devotees to progress in the path of bhakti life with unwavering enthusi-
asm, online Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam classes have been organized every single day since the last three
years after the hit of COVID pandemic. They are being trained in different types of devotional
service such as Deity worship, preaching, book distribution, kīrtana, etc. Also, they are regularly
taken to different holy dhāmas such as Māyāpur, Vṛndāvana, and Dvārakā, every year.
Currently, Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara along with Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā Mahārāṇī
Deities, Sītā Rāma Lakṣmaṇa Hanumān, Gaura-Nitāi, and Narasiṁhadeva are being worshipped
in a temporary temple hall. We observe all the major annual festivals and frequently offer them

new outfits. Our Sunday Feast programs have been steadily improving, with frequent participa-
tion of congregational members. The children’s Sunday school program has been very effective in
occupying the young Vaiṣṇavas with constructive educational and creative projects and cultural
presentations such as drama and singing. This is increasing their devotional sentiments while
simultaneously allowing their parents to dive deeply into the temple program!
Major Festivals such as Janmāṣṭamī, Ratha-yātrā, Rāma-navamī, Narasiṁha Caturdaśī etc
are being celebrated at a grand scale here at ISKCON Vishakhapatnam. Especially during Jan-
māṣṭamī time, a three-day ISKCON Utsava is organized every year, and more than 1 lakh visitors
take darśana of the Lord on those days. This is all happening because of the empowerment given
by you and your disciples and the support being extended by GBC. We always remain indebted
to you for the same.
As far as the construction is concerned, three new floors were added to the existing 2-floor
guest house, and it has been connected with the main temple structure by a concrete bridge.
Kalyāṇa maṇḍapam marble floor work has been completed and the marble work of the temple hall
and temple altar is almost completed along with your siṁhāsana structure. Currently, the wood-
work of main altars is in progress. We are working hard with an aim to complete the main temple
construction and inaugurate the new temple at the earliest, and we seek your blessings to achieve
the same.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, the size of our congregation has increased, and they are taking up various
responsible services at the temple. Youth preaching has also increased, reaching more colleges
than last year.
On the educational front, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have recently started a Bhakti-sāstrī course in
Telugu and English for congregation devotees. Social media is the predominant means of commu-
nication in the modern age, and so we are striving to follow your instruction of yukta-vairāgya by
employing this medium in the service of the Lord, from posting daily darśana photos and spiritual
message videos on a daily basis in outreach devotee Whatsapp groups.
In order to fulfill the order of your Guru Mahārāja, thousands of Bhagavad-gītās being distrib-
uted in schools, colleges, and the Central Prison of Vizag every year. We are happy to inform you
that as an extension to the ISKCON Vishakhapatnam project, another ISKCON temple is being
constructed in the city of Vizianagaram, which is 50 km away from Vishakhapatnam. In Vizia-
nagaram we have also developed a small organic farm. Both temples maintain gośālās and more
than 100 cows are being protected in these gośālās.
We are delighted to inform you that ISKCON Vishakhapatnam has become a central hub for
online Kṛṣṇa consciousness preaching in Telegu-speaking states both in Andhra Pradesh and
Telangana and around the world now.
It is our greatest fortune, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that we received shelter and mercy at your lotus
feet, although we don’t have any qualifications. Your mercy is all that we possess. You have given
us the priceless gem of Kṛṣṇa’s service. It is incumbent upon us to care for the devotees as well
as train them to cooperate with one another. Please bless us so that we may take full advantage
of this precious opportunity and strive with utsaha, niścayā, and dhairya on this journey toward
Kṛṣṇa. May we always assist you in fulfilling the instruction of your spiritual master. Happy
Vyāsa-pūjā, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Please have mercy on us, Śrīla Prabhupāda, so that we may continue to work together to
expand your ISKCON and take full shelter in the oasis you established.
Your eternal insignificant servants,

Sāmba Dāsa, Nitāi-sevinī Devī Dāsī
and devotees of ISKCON Vishakhapatnam

Vita Rama, Bulgaria
Please accept our humble obeisances!
On this special day of your Vyāsa-pūjā we would like to offer you our deepest gratitude and
love with these humble verses:
A lonely figure on the deck So here we are by your sweet grace,

Crossing the Atlantic ocean Hearing, remembering and chanting,
With few belongings on his back We’ve taken up the holy names
And fearless heart full of devotion. And bound to serving and advancing.
You took the path of the greatest sage We try to follow and serve,
By following your master’s orders We’ve opened yet another center
You brought the salvation of this age Where programs, courses, gatherings occur,
And crossed all worldly borders. And where we share the Lord’s all splendors.
A lonely soldier of the Lord We serve prasādam and we preach,
You brought with you the holy names, We print your books and distribute,
And had them spread throughout the world We study śāstra and we teach,
To burn the ignorance away. We try our best to contribute.
You started solo; then you were joined With gratitude are full our hearts
By many souls who hurt and sought We bow down to your great example.
You taught them all so they could grow, Your causeless mercy never stops,
So they could carry on your word. And helps us even when we stumble.
Among the beggars of East End Your life is our guiding light,
You praised the glories of the Lord A journey of pure devotion,
Just like a puppet in His hands We pray to serve for your delight,
You danced and pierced all with love. And always being Kṛṣṇa conscious.
You never stopped, so brave and strong, A lonely figure on the deck,
And always so determined, A message, mantra and a Swami,
You wanted all to sing along With all the saints behind his back –
In every village, every country. The General of Kṛṣṇa’s army.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, kindly guide us and protect us in our humble attempts to please you.
Your insignificant servants at

ISKCON Vita Rama Center,
Bulgaria

Vṛndāvana, India

On this most blessed day of your appearance, along with devotees throughout the world, we,
the residents of your Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, offer our most humble prostrated obeisances
in the holy dust of your divine lotus feet!
One time, you were circumambulating Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, and your dear disci-
ple, Viśāla Prabhu, was excitedly exclaiming over and over, “Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma kī jaya! Śrī
Vṛndāvana Dhāma kī jaya!” You stopped walking and planted your cane on the ground, and
asked, “So, you like this place?” “O Prabhupāda, it’s wonderful!” Then with a flick of your wrist,
you replied, “Then take it, it’s yours!” This is your amazing power that, simply with a flick of your
wrist, you can bestow Vṛndāvana to anyone.
We often marvel at how you left such a wonderful place at the fag end of your life and crossed
the great ocean to spread the divine message of Śrīmān Mahāprabhu to the Western world. We
are unable to fathom the great compassion for the fallen souls that impelled you on this most
merciful mission to a foreign land where you had not a penny or a friend. You struggled alone
and mentioned, “Here I am sitting in New York, the world’s greatest city, such a magnificent
city, but my heart is always hankering after Vṛndāvana… I should be very happy to return to my
Vṛndāvana, that sacred place.” Gradually, some persons began to listen to your message and take
up the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
You gave Vṛndāvana to the world and then returned to establish the most beautiful temple in
ISKCON, Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, and brought the whole world to Vṛndāvana. It was on
an empty plot far from the center of town, and people asked why you built a temple so far away;
who would go there? But now, everyone sees that this is one of the most important and visited
temples of Vṛndāvana. In fact, we are amazed by the throngs of pilgrims that visit your temple all
year long. Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir must be the most visited temple in all of ISKCON!
We, the most fortunate residents of Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, are striving to fulfill your
great desires for this temple. We are most happy to report to you that, without going anywhere,
just from the temple alone, we are sometimes distributing more than two thousand of your books
every day. We get more than a thousand people a day to chant one full round of the Hare Kṛṣṇa
mantra in your Samādhi Mandir. Not only that, but we travel every day to various villages of Vraja
and get more than a hundred people in each village to chant one round of Hare Kṛṣṇa.
You were always fond of prasāda distribution, so we are extremely happy to report to you that
daily sometimes more than twenty thousand cups of khicuḍi prasāda are distributed to the pilgrims
visiting your temple. For one year, all visiting devotees can take full breakfast and lunch prasāda
for free in our large prasāda hall.
You were always concerned about Deity worship, and we are happy to report to you that the
standard here is one of the highest in the world. You will be glad to know that, as per your desire,
all the garlands are lovingly strung by the devotees themselves. Every morning, we’re astounded
by the incredible beauty of the garlands and flower ornaments they so carefully fashion.
Your desire was that twenty-four-hour kīrtana goes on in the temple room. We are very pleased

to inform you that for decades, kīrtana is constantly going on very successfully. The visiting pil-
grims love to chant and dance with us and be introduced to the bliss of Hare Kṛṣṇa kīrtana.
Concerned that even in the holy land of Vṛndāvana, your disciples could not get pure cow milk,
you established the Bhaktivedanta Swami Gośālā with just a few cows and a small piece of land.
Now, we have almost five hundred animals, and you will be very happy to know that to fulfill your
last desire, we have acquired a large tract of land not far from the temple. There we established the
Bhaktivedanta Eco Farm to produce our own food and provide more area for the cows.
Like a loving grandfather, you always looked after the health of your devotees. Our Devotee
Care Department very efficiently and carefully takes care of all the medical needs of your
followers.
In your Samādhi Mandir, we have replaced your āsana with a solid carved marble āsana that
looks glorious. Your devotees have completely remodeled the Samādhi Museum with gorgeous,
colorful dioramas, including the guru-paramparā on down to yourself receiving initiation from
your Divine Master Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda.
Now devotees from all over the world take part in our temple programs, āratis, and classes,
both in English as well as Hindi, broadcast live online by Vṛndāvana TV twenty-four hours a day.
Not only do we have Prabhupāda Vāṇī Āśrama, very close to the temple, but we have also
expanded with a Jagannātha Mandir in Caitanya Vihāra, where many brahmacārīs reside. Just
recently, we acquired an extension center in Rukmiṇī Vihāra to accommodate the crowds of devo-
tees who come to visit. It has two floors and a basement with twenty-four guest rooms, a large
temple room where Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda preside, and a first-class festival kitchen and prasāda
hall.
Very soon, we will embark on the most ambitious plan of construction of an ashram, guest-
house, prasāda hall, conference rooms, and other new amenities on the land next to your temple.
This will expand our shrinking facilities and provide more services for the resident devotees, as
well as visiting pilgrims. We seek your kind blessings on us for the success of this project.
It is our sincere hope that when you look down from Goloka, you will be pleased with our
endeavors to beautify and expand that place you affectionately referred to as your home. Please
continue to shower your unlimited mercy on the devotees of Śrī Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir who
are striving to please Your Divine Grace!
Your loving servants of ISKCON Vṛndāvana
Warangal, India
You have shown by your example how a missionary should be in ISKCON. You toured the
world 14 times and established 108 temples.
We cannot even think of giving or doing something for you in return for what you have given
us. But nonetheless, I want to mention some endeavors that devotees here in ISKCON Warangal
have been keeping.

We are happy to say the ISKCON Warangal temple, which was constructed in 1999 by His
Grace Nanda Gopāla Prabhu, is doing well and expanding in all the temple activities.
We have been doing Sunday Feast Program consistently, where tens and hundreds of congre-
gation devotees attend and nourish their bhakti-latā. We have conducted and organized all the
Vaiṣṇava festivals where hundreds of devotees attend the ceremony and take darśana of Their
Lordships.
We started the new IYS preaching in the year 2021. You have always focused on recruiting
young intelligent brains who can lead and manage our temple while expanding preaching
activities.
Every year we conduct several regular youth yātrās and camps where several boys from local
colleges are taking benefit and getting a taste of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
We conducted grand Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā in 2022, where thousands of Warangal residents
got a chance to take darśana of Śrī Śrī Jagannātha Baladeva Subhadrā and Sudarśana.
During COVID we did Food for Life prasāda distribution to several needy people in Warangal.
Our next plan is to expand preaching and temple renovation so that many new people can get
connected to the temple and get benefitted.
Dear Prabhupāda, please bless us in this endeavor so that we can continue and expand this
temple in outreach and training devotees, which His Grace Nanda Gopāla Prabhujī has done till
he departed from this world in the year 2021.
On behalf of the Warangal management committee, headed by His Grace Sītārāma Prabhu and
His Grace Varada Kṛṣṇa Prabhu,
Your servant,
Ṣaḍbhuja Gaurāṅga Dāsa
Washington, D.C., USA

Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories unto you.
You were, and still are,

Like a rare and wondrous bird
Who flew in and swept us away
With your critique of this world and
Your vision of the spiritual sky
We are still in awe of the
Wingspan of your devotion
Your confidence in the teachings
Of Lord Caitanya and Kṛṣṇa
Was unfaltering, soaring high
Into the rocky crevices of our hearts
Swooping low to bring light to the
Darkest valleys of our minds

You flew from shore to shore
Stopping here and there
With the song of devotional service
To help us look up and away from our despair
You were real and honest and cared
And were also strong and fearless, and bold
You built communities one by one
Like the sparrow facing the daunting task
Of draining the ocean drop by drop
And you were also like the cātaka bird
Drinking the raindrops of hari-kathā
In the early morning hours when
All the world was asleep
The quiet and deep work of sealing
Devotion into the pages of your books.
But most of all, you were
A kind and compassionate human
A learned and wise spiritual guide
Who held our feet to the fire
Wake up, you said earnestly
Don’t think birth, death,
Disease and old age won’t happen to you
Remember who you are, remember
Kṛṣṇa, your dear friend, and go home.
Ānanda Vṛndāvaneśvarī Devī Dāsī

Temple President
ISKCON of Washington D.C.
Wiesbaden, Germany
Please accept our humble obeisances at your Divine Lotus Feet. All glories to you on this most
auspicious appearance day of your divine Vyāsa-pūjā!
You are the most fearless ācārya in this world!

You are fearless and have strong faith in the holy name of Kṛṣṇa.
That made you succeed over great hardship.
You left behind being a respected sādhu in Vṛndāvana,
You headed for the world to the most influenceable city New York,
You became homeless, sharing a room with a crazy and dangerous drug addict and
finally you succeeded over birth. disease, old age, death,
spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world.

With your oceanic smile and laughter you made the Supreme Personality of Godhead available
to modern society, for all next young generations to come,
by introducing bhakti-yoga education and make very ecstatic devotees out of them.
Anyone who knows about the qualifications of a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa can see that You
are this wonderful personality who got empowered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Himself to execute His Supreme Will.
Indeed, it is a great fortune for all of us younger disciples to
be able to follow the instructions of such a Personality and to
recognize that without your grace we are unable.
We are relying on your endless compassion and
We pray in the hope of attaining shelter in the shade of your lotus feet.
You have given us Kṛṣṇa, our gurus and a whole new life.
Without your guidance and the care of your students,
we do not know how we would have gotten through this year.
You say that this knowledge gives freedom. Yes, that is a fact.
We see how those who do not study spiritual literature suffer. Of course, we also suffer,
but in the hearts of the devotees there is an unshakable understanding that
there is something more – a relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
And we know that the day will come when we will be able to fully understand this knowledge.
Thanks to You, we have found a quiet harbor under the shelter of your disciples –
M. Dina Śaraṇa Devī Dāsī and Cakravartī Prabhu. They are amazing.
We continue our services. Thank you for opening up a new, beautiful world for us.
We wanted to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the opportunity to be in your Kṛṣṇa
conscious society. We are immensely fortunate souls to know about Kṛṣṇa and His associates.
And definitely, only by your grace we still practice and hold on with all our strength to this won-
derful ISKCON society, no matter how difficult it is in life.
Your words in the holy scriptures are always inspiring, and we are very glad to be in the param-
parā of students, to accept refuge with Your disciple.
And we always pray to You to be useful in the mission of our Gurudeva, in Your Mission and
the mission of Lord Caitanya Himself. Thank you! Thank you! All glory to you!
You showed us the true path back to God and led us along this path! Your compassion for us
fallen souls, and Your endless devotion to the mission of your gurudeva is so great that we can
conceive the purity of the human spirit.
Forgive our stupidity! Out of habit, we try to understand with our head, forgetting that a great
soul can only be known with a loving heart.
Since time immemorial, we have forgotten about God; with the help of your disciples who love
you and are infinitely devoted to you and your mission and by your grace and the grace of Kṛṣṇa,
we have access to the holy dhāma. This is another form of life where the light of the loving heart is
poured everywhere.
We grew up in countries where it is believed that God is to be feared and we should not anger
Him. It is still hard for us to accept that He loves us. And in the holy dhāma the air consists of this
love. Gurudeva, please help us overcome the hardness of our hearts. Help us to hear Kṛṣṇa every-
where and in everyone! You are trying to give us something huge and beautiful!
Just don’t leave us, please! We try our best, and we will continue to try. We will persist and be
patient. Just be with us always!
When we first read your books, we are deeply affected by the depth of knowledge about the sci-
ence of God. There is a strong desire to follow your instructions, no matter what. And by continu-
ing to read, we received a lot of instructions that changed our life completely. After some time, we

try to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Coming to meet with ISKCON devotees, we begin to feel the
purity of your mercy. We are most impressed by your books and your disciples who are spreading
the mercy of Lord Caitanya. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank you for this grace
that has changed our lives completely. So much time later, we notice how many people you saved
from the hands of material energy. All we can give you in return is our life, which we are trying to
put in the service of your mission.
Every day, and once a year especially, comes the opportunity to praise You in some very special
way. We thank you for giving us a spiritual teacher so faithful to your path and the teachings of
Lord Caitanya. Your teachings through the memories of your disciples and recordings of your
walks give us hope that we are also among your disciples and can follow your teachings. Your
words excite and soothe the heart, all at the same time. They are always true and simple. Please
bless us to be able to see Kṛṣṇa always and in everything and to be able to follow your instruc-
tions under the guidance of our dear spiritual masters.
We are very grateful to You for being very merciful to us; you gave us Vedic knowledge and
showed us by Your example how to serve the Lord and teach us that the Lord is a person and how
to build relationships with Him correctly. Our material life would have been much more difficult
and useless if it weren’t for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. You teach us not to be attached to material
things and to look at life in a much easier manner.
Your Divine Grace saved our life with your knowledge and devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord
Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. It took some time, but after so many years of
dealing with Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we became serious devotees that follow the regulations given
by you, the spiritual master. Because of you, we happily chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra daily
and experience transcendental bliss. We cannot thank You enough for Your devotees, disciples,
and for all Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas for presenting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
We admire Your exceptional endeavor in spreading and making Kṛṣṇa consciousness known
worldwide in such a short time. During the past years, we could learn very important things from
your classes. Thank you for the multiple opportunities to increase spiritual knowledge worldwide.
Some instructions sound austere, and we have to think about them longer in order to be able to
understand and be able to follow them.
Our most demoniac misery is left far behind, for you keep saving us from being blind, and you
keep putting us in our right place again and again, Your Divine Grace. Fearless in the protection
of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, you withstood all attacks by the materialists’ greed. You speak to us through
all Your vāṇī, that bhakti is real vedānta.
At your feet, more and more jīvas come to sit, for as Caitanya’s messenger, you are so fit.
You duly fulfilled your master’s desire to preach in the West, where all minds are dire.
Thank you for giving us service and instructions, which make us happy and free of obstruc-
tions. Eternally grateful, aspiring servants of your servants, of your servants’ servants bow to your
lotus feet.
Vyāsa-pūjā offering to His Divine Grace Abhaya Caraṇāravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhu-
pāda, Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness kī jaya!
Your unworthy servants,

ISKCON Wiesbaden Hari Nāma Deśa devotee community, Germany

Yamunanagar, India
Śrīla Prabhupāda, the founder of ISKCON, was (rather is) a great visionary and spiritual leader
who dedicated his life to spreading the teachings of ancient Vedic wisdom throughout the world.
His tireless efforts, determination, and unwavering faith in the power of devotion inspired count-
less individuals to embrace the path of bhakti-yoga and transform their lives.
As ISKCON members, we are forever grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda for his unparalleled contri-
bution to our organization and to the world at large. His selfless service, compassion, and deep
understanding of the human condition have left an indelible mark on our hearts and minds.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s teachings emphasize the importance of spiritual realization, which can
be attained through the practice of bhakti-yoga, the path of devotion to the Supreme Lord. He
stressed the need for individuals to cultivate a deep love and reverence for God and to understand
that the ultimate goal of life is to attain His eternal service.
Śrīla Prabhupāda also emphasized the importance of living a simple, austere lifestyle in har-
mony with nature and of recognizing the interconnectedness of all living beings. He encouraged
us to follow a vegetarian diet, which is not only healthy for our bodies but also reduces harm to
animals and the environment.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s legacy lives on through ISKCON, which has grown to become a global
organization with thousands of dedicated members and followers. His teachings continue to
inspire people from all walks of life to embrace a more spiritual and meaningful existence and to
work toward a better world for all.
As ISKCON members, we strive to follow in Śrīla Prabhupāda’s footsteps and to embody the
principles of bhakti-yoga in our daily life. We are deeply grateful for his life and teachings, which
have touched so many hearts and transformed so many lives. Hare Kṛṣṇa!
Regards,
ISKCON Yamunanagar bhakta-vṛnda
Zambia

lotus feet.



Please accept our most humble obeisances at the dust of your divine lotus feet. All glories to
you! All glories to Śrī Śrī Gaura Hari Dayāla Nitāi!
It is very difficult to express in words what you mean to us – it is not possible. You saved us
and gave us a purpose of life. You have taught us everything. You are our “life saver.” How can a
drop of ocean water properly reciprocate with the vast ocean? This is what we feel about writing
this offering to you. All we can do is express our sincere and deepest gratitude for an excellent
program of Kṛṣṇa consciousness you have given to us to develop our love for Kṛṣṇa. There is no
day when we do not remember you for this most amazing gift you have given to us. Just remem-
bering this gives us strength and enthusiasm to walk and progress on the path of devotional
service.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all the unlimited ways and means by which we can serve you
and your dynamic mission. Daily temple programs (maṅgala-ārati, nityam-bhāgavata-sevā, serving
Deities with love and devotion), kīrtana, harināma, book distribution, Food for Life, Sunday Love
Feast and many more and thus engaging our specific abilities in your service. Otherwise, what else
would we be doing? Our time would be wasted satisfying our senses and searching for happiness
where it doesn’t exist. You have shown us the ways and means by which we can attain the goal of
meaningful human life. You are always with us through your books, lectures, etc., without which
we would be completely lost and live in ignorance.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you for the great compassion you are showing to all conditioned
souls, even after your departure from this material world. The potency of the words shown in your
books and lectures are wonderful and extraordinary. “Books are the basis and preaching is the
essence.” These words give us the opportunity to purify ourselves to reach the highest goal – love
for Kṛṣṇa.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your ISKCON Zambia yātrā is eight years old on paper but Kṛṣṇa conscious
activities started in Zambia when you first sent Brahmānanda Prabhu here in the early seventies.
We are making our best effort to run the ISKCON center and its various activities from a humble
beginning (temple programs, festivals, Ratha-yātrā, Govindas, book distribution, Food for Life,
etc.).
We are fully guided and supported by the regional GBC through regular Zoom meetings, and
informed about global and regional activities.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are highly indebted to you for the sacrifice you undertook for the mission
for the benefit of us all. We feel that we owe our lives to you as you have stolen our hearts. We
pray that this relationship progresses eternally and immensely so that we serve you better every
day.
Your humble and grateful servants at ISKCON Zambia

Homages from
Other Sources
Back to Godhead Magazine
When we worship Śrīmatī Tulasī Devī daily as part of the temple morning program you gave
us, we sing the phrase sevā-adhikāra diye: “Please give me the privilege of devotional service.” By
reciting this prayer as part of our daily practice, we are regularly reminded of the unsurpassable
value of devotional service to Lord Kṛṣṇa. You faithfully passed on to us this conclusion of the
voluminous Vedic literature, whose followers often consider other goals to be of the highest value.
Despite our being completely unqualified to come to the right conclusion about life’s highest goal,
you have mercifully blessed us with that knowledge.
You launched Back to Godhead magazine to inform readers that Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and that pure devotional service to Him is the purpose of everyone’s
existence. You, therefore, wrote articles that dealt primarily with topics within the categories of
sambandha and abhidheya, and later instructed BTG’s editors to publish similar articles.
You taught that sambandha-jñāna awakens and nourishes appreciation for Lord Kṛṣṇa, which
naturally inspires gratitude toward Him and the desire to serve Him with love. Because the writ-
ers, editors, and others who serve your Back to Godhead align with that aim, we are confident that
readers are benefiting from the magazine and making progress toward the true realization of sevā-
adhikāra, the privilege of devotional service. We pray that our humble efforts will result in a mag-
azine that inspires its readers in their devotional convictions. And we pray that you are pleased
with our efforts and will bless us with an ever-increasing appreciation for your engaging us in this
way.
You have written that prema-bhakti is the stage of relishing and sādhana-bhakti the stage of
improving. Our service to your magazine, which you founded under the order of your Guru
Mahārāja and was thus an expression of your devotional commitment to him, can surely assist us
in our attempts to improve our fledgling devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa, so that one day we may achieve
the stage of relishing mature love of Godhead.
Please continue to bless us to be engaged in this service to your exalted mission.
Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants at Back to Godhead magazine
Bhaktivedanta Archives
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, all glories to you and your divine mission.
We lie prostrate at your Lotus Feet and offer our humble obeisances and offer these insufficient
words honoring your appearance day.
Forty-six times, this planet has circumambulated around Vivasvān since you transcended the
mortal coil. While us disciples’ vision is fading in our advanced years, our memory of you remains
visceral.

The Bhaktivedanta Archives exists as the repository of your teachings. Your mission is our mis-
sion in so far as to keep safe and disperse those words, writings, and images so others now and in
the future can embrace and absorb them by seeing your smile and grace, hearing your voice, vāṇī
and reading the unbroken truth brought down through the ages from Vivasvān.
You once said:
Yes. My Guru Mahārāja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years
after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vāṇī. Even the guru is not physically
present, if you follow the vāṇī, then you are getting help.
Your vāṇī is alive and fulfilling the mission imparted to you by your Guru Mahārāja.
We remain your most humble servants,

Bhaktivedanta Archives Staff
The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust

(North America)


Grace!
In your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.19 you state:
So the preliminary qualification for entering into the devotional service of the Lord is
that one become a willing cooperator, and as such, one should voluntarily cooperate with
persons who are already engaged in the transcendental devotional service of the Lord.
The devotees serving in your North America BBT office strive to cooperate with one another and
with other devotees (headed by ISKCON North America’s leaders). In 2022, that internal and
external cooperation resulted in sales of 1,297,575 books, including 3,511 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam sets
and 649 Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets.
Please bless us with ever-increasing success in our attempts to please you by producing and
distributing your transcendental literature.
Your servants at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Los Angeles, California.
HOMAGES FROM OTHER SOURCES 377

The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
(Northern Europe)
I offer my humble obeisances to you.
Glorifying the spiritual master is not only a duty but also a wonderful meditation. Although it
requires effort, it is one of the most uplifting experiences for a devotee. Thank you for the oppor-
tunity to speak to you.
I wish to glorify you for your direction, teachings, surrender, and generosity. You understand
the spiritual world and the material world. You know the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī
Kṛṣṇa.
Currently, I am in the serene and devotional atmosphere of the temple room at New Rādhā-
kuṇḍa dhāma, in front of you, Śrī Śrī Gāndharvikā-Giridhārī, and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. I am
reflecting on the great fortune you recently bestowed upon me: a visit to Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma
and Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma. It was an important journey for me, and I constantly thought of your
struggles and achievements. I was able to visit the places where you walked, worshiped, and made
plans to save the world.
I tried to visualize what you had encountered, what the land looked like, how nature sounded,
how the air felt, how Mother Gaṅgā flowed, and how the locals engaged. I meditated on your cre-
ativity, positivity, integrity, determination, and enthusiasm. No impediment was too great for you.
You chanted, prayed, and took enormous risks for Kṛṣṇa and your spiritual master.
I have listened to many of your morning walks, room conversations, lectures, and car rides.
It is overwhelming to see how genuinely interested you were in every person who came to you.
Thank you for putting each one of us on an amazing journey of realizing our true identity.
Thank you for inspiring us to follow in your footsteps, to meditate on you and devotees like
Prahlāda, and to seek the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thank you for your
explanations, instructions, and ecstasies.
I recall your statement that Kali-yuga progresses day by day, relentlessly, and that everything
bad escalates at an ever-increasing pace. Sadly, I can see that happening all around me. I am
stunned by the enormous amount of abuse and neglect in this world. Unfortunately, not even
spiritual groups seem to be immune to the infiltration of narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths.
This realization is not an easy one, but it is a necessary step.
Luckily, there are your deep and detailed purports to the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam. I am beginning to understand that the term “demon” equates to “psychopath,” and
that “sinful” is equivalent to “abusive.” I am starting to understand why Kṛṣṇa teaches Arjuna
about divine and demonic qualities. We need to be aware of these fundamental realities.
Our recent study of the Seventh Canto has brought so many epiphanies and realizations. Every
morning program is an adventure. In one of your purports, you wrote that “demons are ordinary
human beings.” What an eye-opener!
Thank you for your expert guidance and for not shying away from presenting things as they
are. You never present things sentimentally, and you do not sugarcoat the stark realities of life in
the material world.
With your help, we can see the material world for what it is: a virtual-reality rollercoaster, a
gigantic sandbox, a dream in which we can live out our fantasies until we become tired of it, until,
by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, we come in contact with a real teacher, an ācārya, a guide like you.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for your appearance. Kṛṣṇa has established you as the healer

of our time. Without you, we’d be like the gazillions of lost souls, unaware of their real home,
unaware of how lost and lonely they are. Thank you for pulling us from the maelstrom of material
life, of this nightmare, toward a life of sincere devotion.
In April 1975, during your visit to Māyāpur, you declared that “Vaiṣṇavas are the best friend of
society, the very best friend.” Undoubtedly, you are that best friend to all of us. You teach us to
listen, demonstrate how to serve, inspire us to preach, encourage us to be helpful, and instill in us
a culture of respect and service.
There is a great deal of work to be done in terms of publishing, book distribution, and preach-
ing. It is incumbent upon us to deeply study your teachings, wholeheartedly engage in your
mission, ensure that no one is hurt or abused, and increase our support for those who have been
harmed.
May the challenges of life inspire us to listen to you more attentively, follow you more closely,
learn more from you, and become more compassionate and honest with one another and our-
selves. May we be of help to you, Kṛṣṇa, and your devotees.
Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself in many forms, and so do you. You are forever present in your books.
It is remarkable how black glyphs printed on paper precisely convey the transcendental words,
thoughts, realizations, and instructions that you had while translating the best of the best of
transcendental literature.
Your books are deities, non-different from Kṛṣṇa, non-different from your devotion to Him.
May we succeed in translating your books into many more languages. May they be distributed by
the billions, so they can be read and heard in every home. Vṛndāvana is where you are. Vṛndāvana
is where your books are.
Please bless us so that we may continue to follow you and your mission toward a healthy future.
May we never lose sight of you.
With respect and gratitude,

On behalf of your servants at the North European BBT,
Your aspiring follower Viśākhā
(with a bit of help from my father)
Bhaktivedanta College, Hungary

On this most auspicious day of Your Divine Grace’s Vyāsa-pūjā I beg to offer you my prostrate
obeisances unlimited times.
Here at the College named after you, we try to follow your instructions from the heart, and
I can say on behalf of all of us that we feel and understand your divine presence and grace every
day. Per your instructions, we are trying our best to propagate the movement of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu. This is both the greatest inspiration and an unimaginable responsibility.
You often mention in your lectures or your conversations with devotees that real education is
not jaḍa-avidyā, that which teaches material knowledge; real education is brahma-vidyā: to under-
stand what is living force within our body, what is our constitutional position. That is called brah-

ma-jijñāsā, to enquire about the spirit. And this education is lacking. You have revealed to us that
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the perfection of life and have also shown us the methods to achieve it.
Human life is especially meant for spiritual education or Krsna Conscious education.
[…] If we want perfect education then we must follow the principle of Bhagavad gita.
Such education will help the whole human society. (Letter to Acarya Prabhakar Mishra,
Bombay, May 1, 1974)
Here at the College, we are trying our best to live up to these principles that you have set; to
develop, to grow, and to bring the message of Bhagavad-gītā to as many people as possible.
At the moment, the focus of everything we do is to start a doctoral school so that we can
become a university in accordance with the requirements of the law. Bhaktivedanta University.
When I say these two words, I get goosebumps, and tears appear in the corners of my eyes. The
day will be wonderful when what is now just a plan becomes a reality. But in the meantime, we
have a lot of work to do, a lot of effort to make, and for this, we need unlimited mercy.
A few months ago, when I was standing at your samādhi in the Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, I was
looking at your mūrti and praying with all my heart that our efforts would be successful. Suddenly
the pūjārī appeared, took a rose from your lotus feet, and threw it to me. I felt that this was an
auspicious sign. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please continue to shower us with your ocean of mercy
because if you do so, there is no doubt that we will succeed.
Meditating on your divine person and deeds, making these offerings, I pray that we may
remain steadfastly under the shelter of your divine lotus feet forever. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
please grant us the humility to always turn to you and the inspiration to hear your divine
response. May the result of the efforts we make to please you proclaim your glory, which never
fades.
Your unqualified servant, who is always anxious for your causeless mercy,
Gaurasundara Kṛpāmaya Dāsa
Bhaktivedanta College, Budapest, Hungary
Child Protection Office
2023 Vyāsa-pūjā offering – 25th anniversary of the Child Protection Office

Please accept our obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Thank you for the immense sacrifices you made and the hard work you put in to create this
society of devotees. Serving your mission is easy and blissful due to the beauty, wonder, and
sweetness of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We feel your love through your devotees, your teachings, and
your wonderful ways of being. Simultaneously, serving your mission can be quite difficult, even
painful, because of the deeply entrenched conditioning so many of us have.

This year commemorates the 25th anniversary of ISKCON’s Child Protection Office. The estab-
lishment of this office was necessary due to the abuse Vaiṣṇava children experienced by members
of ISKCON. Lack of organization and cooperation plagues our efforts to make the protection of
children a standard part of how we operate. With a good policy in place as ISKCON law, the path
to consistent implementation has been unclear. Missteps regularly surface, while the children bear
the brunt of our shortcomings.
The precious souls taking shelter in this movement from childhood look to us to rectify the
problems, and to make safe choices in order to avoid further vaiṣṇava-aparādha in the form of
child abuse. Your words resound in our ears and hearts with integrity, truth, and compassion.
Your example is our guiding light through the haze of discord and disappointment that we
navigate in the regular course of child protection services. Your clear and unequivocal teaching
that children must be protected compels us forward, bringing hope that we can get this right.
In your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.5 you wrote, “The protection of children gives the
human form of life its best chance to prepare the way of liberty from material bondage.” Children
depend on adults throughout our society to make choices with their safety and well-being in
mind. The 25th anniversary of ISKCON’s Child Protection Office is an opportunity for us indi-
vidually and as a society to take a moral inventory of our values and priorities; to recommit to the
care and protection of those picking up their spiritual path from childhood.
Our hope and work for your culturally diverse, worldwide mission are that this year be a
turning point for ISKCON to be what you intended – exemplary as to how a simple living, the
high-thinking society conducts itself. There is hardly anything more simple for human society
than to protect its children which is the very foundation of a high-thinking society to function.
On the auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we glorify your teaching by example and pray
ISKCON can follow accordingly. Śrīla Prabhupāda, kindly bless us with the intelligence to orga-
nize ourselves to hold the basic principle of protecting children at the core of our management of
your society and as a value of every community. Please help us live up to the legacy you intended
by protecting those coming to your shelter on their path home.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for being the father, grandfather, and guru that we all need.
Your love reaches us in so many ways. It is an honor to serve your society.
Sincerely,
Your aspiring servants with the Child Protection Office
(Written by Līlāśuka Dāsī)
ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry

Please accept our humble obeisances at the dust of Your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your
Divine Grace on this most auspicious day of Your Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, here at the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry (IDWM), your words and
desires for Deity Worship within ISKCON are our life and soul!

You should only do what I tell you and show you in regard to Deity worship, and never
make anything up or copy something you see somewhere else. (Personal instruction to
Nanda Kumāra Dāsa)
As the years pass and we get further and further away from Your manifest pastimes on this
material planet, we are finding a drift away from the standards that you have unequivocally estab-
lished in Deity worship. Devotees are becoming increasingly creative in Deity worship, introduc-
ing new festivals, new ways of dressing the Deities as well as ways of interacting with the Deities.
The IDWM feels it is of vital importance to establish clear standards regarding your mood of
worship within ISKCON.
The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our
own process for worshiping the deities. So don’t ask any more new questions, whatever
is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that’s all. (Letter to
Dhruvānanda, January 4, 1973.
It is clear that Deity worship is not a forum for free expression where devotees are able to offer
service according to their own idea or whims but it must be offered according to the direction of
guru, sadhu, and śāstra.
Lord Caitanya explained the mood of worship to Sanātana Gosvāmī as that of awe and
reverence.
sādhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana, bhāgavata-śravaṇa

mathurā-vāsa, śrī-mūrtira śraddhāya sevana
One should associate with devotees, chant the holy name of the Lord, hear Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam, reside at Mathurā and worship the Deity with faith and veneration.
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, You imbibed Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mood of awe and reverence
in Deity worship within your ISKCON.
Please continue to increase the deity worship and teach others to become a very good
pujari like you. When I see my disciples doing deity worship nicely that engladdens me.
‘Sevonmukhe hi jivadau/ svayam eva sphuraty adah’, God realization is possible only by
service. That is the only way.
He is adhoksaja. ‘Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajantam priti purvakam/ dadami buddhi-
yogam tam yena mam upayanti te’, When one engages in devotional service, Krishna
gives intelligence from within. Otherwise, how the unlimited can be served by the lim-
ited? So please continue to make the worship more and more beautiful. (Letter to Turya-
das, February 27, 1977)
As you mentioned to Tūrya Dāsa 46 years ago, we, your servants at the IDWM, are trying to
increase Deity worship and are teaching others to become good pujaris by imbibing the greatest
mood of awe and reverence in worshiping the Deities as this is what is pleasing to you – and
pleasing you Śrīla Prabhupāda is our mission!
We are not capable of doing anything tangible without Your mercy and guidance; we are com-
pletely dependent on You in order to achieve success. There are so many of your sincere followers

around the world that are worshipping Deities and doing devotional service as You prescribed;
we are trying to encourage these devotees and keep them connected to Your lotus feet, as per your
glorious mood of worship. We are sincerely trying for your pleasure, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
On Your Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā day, we come begging at your divine lotus feet for you to please give us
your mercy so that we can continue in our services at the IDWM to establish the proper mood of
worship in ISKCON as per your desire.
Your servants at the ISKCON Deity Worship Ministry
Festival of India
We offer our respectful obeisances unto you, our spiritual master, who has opened our eyes,
We offer our respectful obeisances unto Your Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhu-
pāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Goswami. You
are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries,
which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
From dusk to dawn and then again, the service never ends
It’s coast to coast, town to town with devotees we call our friends
The lessons abound, the hammers sound ready to go to task
Without your knowledge of the self, whose mercy could we ask
Oh Prabhupāda, we parade as fools in your centers here and there
Still accepted as your sons, your mercy so fair
There are pots to wash and people to greet to continue your mission pure
A smile from you or encouraging nod would be worth it for sure
You’ve given prasāda to curb our lust and sevā that satisfies greed
Yet only time will tell if our faith is enough to cure the soul’s need
With shows and displays and tents so bright we honor the prophesied wish
For every one to know the sounds of kīrtana’s true bliss
A program designed to bring in the new, you’ve given us quite a taste
For once a man has joined the crew, real destiny he will face
From head to toe it transforms us all leaving behind the ways
Of the illusion we all knew and loved before knowing Your Divine Grace
We are praying now to continue to serve in capacities that please
Chanting and dancing and feasting each day, your cure for our skin disease

The best we can do to muster a thanks for what you still give
Sharing what we learn at each fest and pursuing the way that you live
But we know in our hearts we can never repay the sacrifices from you
With heartfelt desires, we prostrate ourselves asking permission to continue
To give of our lives that which is ours, our freedom minute
And join the crew eternally and experience each day absolute
And finally with language inept, we simply say, “Thank you”
On behalf of Festival of India’s 2023 crew,

Written by Jagannātha Purī Dhāma Dāsa
Food for Life, Argentina


śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
On this special day, we, the Food for Life Argentina Foundation, want to express our profound
debt to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The ever-increasing service of prasāda distribution that we do is
simply to serve you through service to your disciples, who are our teachers. We know that spiritu-
ally what we do is insignificant compared to the eternal debt we owe you, since you illuminated us
with the torchlight of knowledge and made us warriors, true spiritual warriors, in this Age of Kali
where everything is turned upside down.
Doing a service constantly can be very difficult at times; it even happens to a great soul like
Lord Brahmā. As you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, stated in the purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.10.5:
The material world is called illusory because it is a place of forgetfulness of the tran-
scendental service of the Lord. Thus one engaged in the Lord’s devotional service in the
material world may sometimes be very much disturbed by awkward circumstances. There
is a declaration of war between the two parties, the illusory energy and the devotee, and
sometimes the weak devotees fall victim to the onslaught of the powerful illusory energy.
Lord Brahmā, however, was sufficiently strong, by the causeless mercy of the Lord, and

he could not be victimized by the material energy, although it gave him cause for anxiety
when it managed to totter the existence of his position.
Due to his strength and Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, Lord Brahmā did not fall. Similarly, we ask you, dear
Śrīla Prabhupāda, to enlighten and give us strength so that we remain fixed and can enlighten
and strengthen others, maintaining the paramparā. We thank you infinitely, and we pray for your
blessings so we can remain strong and in your mission by serving our gurus (your disciples) with
respect and love, and that through the distribution of kṛṣṇa-prasāda we may reach many souls.
We cannot stop saying THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Infinite obeisances, all
glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, today and always.
(Written by Viṣṇurāta Dāsa)
Food for Life, Hungary

Please accept my humble obeisances!
All glories to you, all glories to your preaching mission!

You once said, “What is the use of a temple if there is no prasadam distribution?” (Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda’s letter to Tamāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja January 11, 1974). We have learned from Your blessing that
the human being without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is worth just as much as a day without devotional
service, as much as a prayer without the holy name, as much as a life without the company of
devotees, or as much as existing without the mercy of the guru and Kṛṣṇa, that is nothing. prasāda
distribution is the form of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s and Your mercy that can be received even
by those souls who have apparently chosen a different spiritual path for themselves or in their
current state do not want to get close to Kṛṣṇa or even those who are enemies to Kṛṣṇa.
The many years of food distribution service provide clear evidence that what we have received
from you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the guidance and the possibility of prasāda distribution service, is
truly limitless spiritual potential. It has a powerful preaching effect as a charitable activity, to
which more and more people want to join every year, feeling what an uplifting thing they are
doing. There is no safe place in the material world except the shelter of the guru and Kṛṣṇa; there-
fore nowadays, countless people suffer from minor or even major disasters. As your follower, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, at such times, the gratitude especially awakens in the heart that there is a method by
which we can give real help to these people who have suffered in these difficult days. A help that
goes beyond their material, current suffering, a help that they may not even understand, and yet
they get closer to their real situation as souls. However one joins this form of devotional service, it
will truly serve spiritual development.
You saved us all Śrīla Prabhupāda, by giving us your personal example and teaching. Follow-
ing you through the path of devotional service proves what Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavat-gītā Chapter 9
Verse 2: “This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest
knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection

of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.” Indeed, distributing prasāda even in a
war situation or in a disaster situation, can be done with joy, as the result is sure to bring spiritual
wealth to all those who receive prasāda and to those who give it. If we asked the devotees whose
daily service is to distribute food why they do it every day, most of them would say that it is out
of gratitude to Śrīla Prabhupāda. This is what we often feel about people in need. The gratitude.
Gratitude, which means humble love coming from the heart. You also taught the villains of the
Kali-yuga how to help others selflessly like a gentleman. This behavior creates gratitude, thanks to
you, even if they don’t know it, but you are the source of this very gratitude.
Thank you again and again Śrīla Prabhupāda for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful
mission! It cost you so many sacrifices to save us, you took on so many problems, and you put
yourself completely in the background while you sacrificed your time, energy, and health to plant
the seed of bhakti in our hearts so that the weak little plant that grew from this seed could gain
strength and continue to develop. Now it’s our turn. It is our turn to be committed, thinking of
you with a grateful heart, with your guidance and spiritual passion in our hearts, to guide our
lives as you did, helping the unfortunate souls figure out the maze of the material world.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, all glory to you who protect us like a shield from the filth of Kali-yuga.
I humbly request to keep this protective shield of yours out of your gratuitous grace over the
sincere service-minded devotees driven by devotion, who every day enthusiastically take their own
comfort aside to give prasāda to the poor souls anywhere in any crisis situation in the world. As
you asked, “…In the hospital, in charitable societies, in industrial places, everywhere, distribute
this prasāda and chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa. Just see what is the result. You want peace? These are the
process of peace …” (Lecture on Bhagavad-gītā 9.26–27, New York, December 16, 1966)
Please bless them with spiritual strength and perseverance so that they can successfully solve
the difficulties that arise during their service and offer you even more service on the altar of the
heart that you raised for us and bless our prasāda mission so that we can help and guide as many
fallen souls as possible and to give service opportunities to more and more devotees.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is difficult to put into words the gratitude we feel toward you, that
is why we try to live our life, our spiritual life, and do our service in such way that when we
leave this world, what we have achieved in this life can be a true sincere offering to you and your
wonderful disciples, our spiritual masters.
Your servant, on behalf of the Hungarian Food for Life devotees, Bhakta-vatsala Dāsa
GBC College for Leadership Development

Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
Please accept this humble offering at your lotus feet from the GBC College trustees, advisors,
faculty, course coordinators, administrators, and staff. We pray that it brings you pleasure and
invokes your blessings for the continued success of the College.
It is undoubtedly your vision, mercy, and empowerment that we are able to carry out your
divine plans of leadership education in ISKCON as you instructed in your letter:

There is need for intelligent young men to train them up as future leaders and preachers
to go all over the world for spreading the message of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Letter
to Satsvarūpa and Hṛdayānanda, January 9, 1973)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are honored to report that last year we continued training Zonal Supervi-
sors in three different languages and in four locations around the world – Central Asia, China,
India, and North America. We graduated over 70 leaders from these programs last year.
The eighth international batch of Zonal Supervisor training in English starts on April 18, 2023.
There are 30 participants from far and wide – United Kingdom, Indonesia, Mauritius, Holland,
Nigeria, India, South Africa, and the Middle East. They will attend over 70 Zoom lessons taught
by various instructors from around the world, a residential session of 10 days in Ujjain, India, and
they will complete a dozen online courses.
In China, we started training the second batch of Servant Leaders in March 2023. There are
about 30 students in this batch too. They are so enthusiastic about learning and leading so they
may expand Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission as per your vision.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, last year we also printed with an ISBN your book called Being Śrīla
Prabhupāda-Anugas: A Handbook for Spiritual Leadership. It is based on your quotes, letters, and
instructions on management and leadership, which we have sorted and presented into 51 themes.
The book is also available on Amazon (India). When your very close disciple, His Holiness
Bhakti-cāru Swami, whom you have called back to assist you in the spiritual world, first saw this
book, he exclaimed: “Every leader of ISKCON should have this book and read it. And not only
read it, but study it.”
To fulfill Mahārāja’s desire and instruction, and to share the gems of leadership lessons from
Your Divine Grace, we are trying to publish this book through the BBT next year so it may easily
reach all ISKCON leaders.
On this auspicious day of your divine appearance, we pray to Your Divine Grace to please
continue to engage us in this service. As per your vision and empowerment, we hope to expand
our course offerings to the next level of leadership in ISKCON – temple presidents and project
leaders.
Thank you very much for allowing us to assist you in your mission.
Your servants at the GBC College for Leadership Development,

(Submitted by Rūpānuga Dāsa, President)
ISKCON Germany Austria Liechtenstein

National Council
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to You and Your dedication to Your spiritual
master.
You are like the sun, shining through the darkness of our ignorance. You are like a crystal,
reflecting purely your previous teachers as well as the ancient teachings of the Vedic literature.

You are a missionary from the land of wisdom; you came to awaken people, to give them love
and care, to relieve them from their sufferings, to tell them about their true eternal and blissful
nature, to make them sing and dance and to forget their fears and sorrows. You are truly compas-
sion personified. Some say You are an expansion of Lord Nityānanda; however, you are definitely
a sincere and very dear servant of Him, and Your mission is to distribute unconditional love of
Godhead amongst people all over the world. You do not see friends or enemies, but only condi-
tioned souls who have forgotten about their loving relationship with the Supreme Lord, and Your
sole endeavor is to help us all remember our true origin, our eternal home. You are a selfless ser-
vant of the Lord with no ambitions whatsoever. Success or failure doesn’t mean anything to you
if you can only serve, with true humility and devotion, unconditionally, for the pleasure of your
beloved Lord.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is much more to say about you; this all is only a fraction of your
real greatness, you are a divine gift for all humanity, and we feel grateful from the bottom of our
hearts to have been allowed to get in contact with your sons and daughters. Your spirit is kept
alive through them, and by associating with them, we can perceive a little of that immensely trans-
forming power You mercifully installed in them to carry Your mission further, always to increase
and reach out to the farthest corners of the world.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, our only desire is to become a useful instrument in the hands of Your
disciples and thus assist You in Your mission to transform the world, inclusive of our own selves!
On this day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, let us make a humble attempt to glorify You and thank You.
You became a disciple of your Divine Spiritual Master Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura
Prabhupāda. You described Him as Your greatest fortune. You said: “I learned everything in
Kṛṣṇa consciousness at home. However, I learned how to print and distribute books from my
spiritual teacher.” The distribution of books is the essence of the guru-paramparā message, and
You, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, received this message from your guru and have always been faithful
to it. Glory to Your lotus feet!
Your spiritual master gave instructions to his disciples before leaving this world: “After my
departure, no one should head the Gauḍīya Maṭha alone, but it is necessary to create a GBC
council, which will lead the preaching organization.”
This instruction was not heard and accepted by Your godbrothers and as a result of the dis-
agreements between the disciples of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, his preaching organization split
apart and greatly reduced its preaching.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you told your disciples that in 1953 yet another group of preachers
returned from outside India with an unsuccessful result. Then there was a famous meeting of Your
godbrothers, at which they decided to stop trying to preach outside of India. You were there too.
You said: “But our spiritual master instructed us to preach all over the world! How can we stop
following his instruction?” To which you received the following response: “Perhaps these words
should not be taken literally, but simply as an analogy.” You didn’t give up and said, “No it’s
possible! But it has to be done by some fool who will literally follow the instructions of his guru!”
You continued to tell this story with the following words: “Time has passed and I have turned out
to be this fool!” Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Glory to Your lotus feet!
You organized a prototype of ISKCON – The League of Devotees. This was your response to
the refusal of your godbrothers to preach in the West. The League of Devotees did not last long,
but you formulated the seven purposes of this organization, which later became the seven pur-
poses of ISKCON. You started preparing for international preaching. Then You started making
plans regarding preaching in the West.
It is known that after unsuccessful preaching in the 30s in Europe, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī
said: “We went to the wrong place. Germany and England are too busy with their political affairs

to hear the message of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Next time we need to go to America, to New
York. I would like to go to New York and preach pure devotional service there for 10 years.”
Someone may say that Your guru failed. But Your godbrother Śrīdhara Swami said that in his
opinion, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī managed to do it: he preached pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness in
America for ten years through You, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Glory to Your lotus feet!
You began to prepare for preaching in the West. You said that in Your dreams, over and
over again, Your spiritual master came to you and called you to follow him. Your godbrothers
explained to you that this is how your guru inspires you to accept sannyāsa. They said, “Bhaktive-
danta Prabhu, without accepting sannyāsa, it is impossible to preach all over the world!” And You
followed Your spiritual master – You accepted sannyāsa. This year we are celebrating the 64th anni-
versary of Your acceptance of sannyāsa. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Glory to Your lotus feet!
After that, You decided to publish the first few books of Your translation of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
with purports, just as Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī also did not send his disciples to preach to the
West until he finished his book on the philosophy of Lord Caitanya and the practice of pure
devotional service. Here, too, you have precisely followed in the footsteps of your spiritual master.
After all, how can you teach people spiritual knowledge if there are no textbooks? It was also you
following the direct instruction of Your guru: “If there is money, print books!” Dear Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda! Glory to your lotus feet!
Having printed the first canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in three volumes, you went to America
to preach to please Your spiritual master. You preached pure devotion to Kṛṣṇa. You started the
movement of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the West. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Glory to Your
lotus feet!
You not only brought Hare Kṛṣṇa chanting and the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to America,
you very mercifully began to feed your disciples and all those in need with Śrī Bhagavat-prasāda;
thus following Lord Caitanya, who chanted the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa every day, discussed
with devotees the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa described on the pages of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa, and
distributed Śrī Bhagavat-prasāda to the devotees! And you have mercifully taught all Your follow-
ers and disciples these three great methods. Now every devotee in ISKCON fills every day with
these three great bhakti practices given to us by Lord Caitanya Himself. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Glory to Your lotus feet!
You started the movement of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the West. And you organized it exactly as
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda taught. You have organized everything so
that the movement is headed by the GBC Governing Commission. This is how you attracted the
grace of your divine spiritual master into this movement, which became the next attempt to revive
his preaching mission throughout the world. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, Glory to Your lotus feet!
Therefore, after all these glorifications, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, let us thank you for strictly
following Your spiritual master, for coming to the West and beginning to preach pure devotional
service in America and all over the world, allowing conditioned souls like us to come into contact
with the infinite mercy of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, for teaching us these amazingly powerful
and at the same time very simple devotional service practices: chanting the holy name, reading
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and honoring Śrī Bhagavat-prasāda, for the fact that you organized a collegial
leadership in our movement, which allows us to closely cooperate with each other in our humble
service to Your preaching mission, for having renounced this world 64 years ago, completely
immersing yourself and eventually all of us in the process of pure devotional service of Lord
Kṛṣṇa. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda! Glory to Your lotus feet!
Trying to be Your humble servants,

ISKCON Germany Austria Liechtenstein National Council Members

ISKCON Resolve
On the external level, I’m getting some success in my service. In the past two weeks I gave the
keynote address at a major conflict resolution conference and was able to talk about ISKCON
Resolve and the principles from the Bhagavad-gītā that I apply in my service as a mediator and
ombuds. Then I flew to India and spoke twice at a conference that included the Chief Justice
of India’s Supreme Court, India’s Attorney General, and many Supreme Court and High Court
judges and lawyers. Both were well received. In the program in India, I received many invitations
to various High Courts in India.
Internally, there is a different story. My spiritual progress after so many years of effort needs
a serious boost. I want to be of service to you and to your devotees, and I know that starts with
serving your instructions around serious and sincere hearing and chanting. You labored tremen-
dously to write your Bhaktivedanta Purports. I wish to reciprocate by studying your books more
diligently and finding ways others can read them and apply the instructions in their lives.
As for the conflicts in your ISKCON, they are not that difficult to deal with. They aren’t much
different than the conflicts we find in other organizations, both secular and religious.
Your requests to us are clear:
So please spare me from such disturbance by cooperating all together Godbrothers and
Godsisters. (Letter to: Mālatī, January 7, 1974)
Stop this fighting, tolerate. (Letter to Trivikrama, May 1, 1974)
So if there is sometimes slight disagreements between devotees … such disagreements

should not be taken very seriously.… You should consider that anyone engaged in
Kṛṣṇa’s service is always the best person. (Letter to Atreya Rsi, February 4, 1972)
Of course, some of your devotees will say: “This is different! This is about siddhānta. You can’t
negotiate on this topic.”
Rarely that is true. You showed that example by not compromising with Māyāvādis. But I don’t
think most of the conflicts that are arising now are of that black-and-white nature. Rather I’d
suggest your request to your godbrothers in 1961 is the need of the day:
If everyone sat down together and carefully considered, then what nice preaching there
could be. After all, that is Prabhupāda’s command – for all to join together. To do this
preaching work, merged in your instructions.
And in your purport to Bhagavad-gītā 10.32 you discuss the need for vāda, and avoiding the other
choices born of lower modes of nature (and seen in our ISKCON discourses sometimes): jalpa
and vitaṇḍā.
The need is to “sit down together” and hear each other’s concerns in a dispassionate way.

If there is any service for me in this or any other realm, please, please engage me. Any
opportunity for service to you is what I live for.
Your servant,
Vraja Vihārī Dāsa
ISKCON Resolve (Brazil)



On this special day, I pray that I have always declared his service. The Guru lives in Vṛndāvana.
He is the friend of fallen people. Every time I stop to observe your actions of love, compassion,
affection, mercy, spiritual assistance toward everyone, I have no doubt of your unconditional love
for all souls.
You are a spiritual revolutionary, and your stated purpose is to introduce blissful Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness and raise everyone to the original stage.
It is said in Bhagavad-gītā that one who simply surrenders to the lotus feet of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead can overcome the strict laws of material nature. We know that you expe-
rienced great difficulties, but you overcame all problems to carry out the orders of your spiritual
master because you were surrendered (nitya-siddha).
Please let me be under your shelter in this life, and may I contribute to your mission.
sei bhakta dhanya, ye nā chāḍe prabhura caraṇa

sei prabhu dhanya, ye nā chāḍe nija-jana
durdaive sevaka yadi yāya anya sthāne

sei ṭhākura dhanya tāre cule dhari’ āne
Glorious is that devotee who does not give up the shelter of his Lord, and glorious is that
Lord who does not forsake His servant. If by chance a servant falls and goes elsewhere,
glorious is that master who catches him and brings him back by the hair. (Cc., Antya-līlā
4.46–47)
Your servant,
Mathurā Nātha Dāsa,
(Porto Alegre, Brazil)

Kīrtana Ministry
Please accept our most humble obeisances your lotus feet. All glories to you! All glories to your
most auspicious Vyāsa-pūjā celebration.
Our ISKCON Kīrtana Ministry has been blessed with the opportunity to serve your mission.
We are so grateful to Your Divine Grace. By service unto your lotus feet, we become fortunate.
Similarly, we pray at your lotus feet that we can become empowered by your mercy to help more
and more conditioned souls fortunate.
If you engage yourself in pure devotional service incessantly, without any stop, then
you always remain transcendental, above these three guṇas. So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness
movement is to keep the devotee above the three guṇas. Just like in the ocean, if you are
fallen in the ocean, it is very dangerous position. But if somebody helps you to lift you
from the ocean water and keep you one inch above the ocean water, there is no danger.
Your life is saved. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Lecture, 27 July 1975, San Diego)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, this year, we have become fortunate to offer the following achievements at your
lotus feet:
• World Holy Name Festival (September 17–23)
Celebrated online and locally. The online program included educational seminars on Kīrtana
Standards, Sanskrit pronunciation, and Improving japa. A global Japathon was conducted. We
encouraged outdoor harināma saṅkīrtana by introducing the “Fresh Air Kīrtana” concept. Reports
were received from 72 centers.
• Kīrtana Standards
Based on the previous work of the Kīrtana Standards Committee and in consultation with their
former Chairman, Janānanda Goswami, we submitted a proposal to the GBC for a Kīrtana Stan-
dards Infographic to be posted in or near all ISKCON centers. The infographic is to be accompa-
nied by a document containing supporting details.
• Sanskrit Pronunciation
Sanskrit Pronunciation for ISKCON, a free online course by Nityānanda Dāsa, had over 300
enrolments in 2022. https://sanskritsense.thinkific.com/courses/sanskrit-pronunciation-for-iskcon
IKM SHLOKARSHIP UNLIMITED with Sakhya-rasa Prema Dāsa conducted 163 online śloka
classes for 36 students. http://w ww.shlokacourse4all.com/
• Fortunate People Campaign – A unique program where videos are made of people chanting
the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra one time, and uploaded to a website. This gives us the capacity
to begin to measure the amount of people in the world that have chanted at least once. Our
goal is to achieve 1 percent of the world’s population. The scores measure how many videos
and how many people were chanting in the video. An Ambassador is someone who has

created a profile on our site, downloaded our app, and regularly uploads videos of people
chanting. Here is a video that shows our program:
Mahā-mantra Miracle worldwide
Scores till today…
Chants: 617,944
Videos: 242,838
Ambassadors: 1,024
Countries: 23
https://fortunate-people.com/
https://fp-ambassadors.com/
• Global Excellence Award
Our first Global Excellence Award was offered to His Grace Rāma Rāya Prabhu and the Yuga
Dharma Āśrama at Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Govinda Mandir, ISKCON, New York.
• Offering assistance for acoustical and sound system concerns for temple construction projects.
• Developing our world headquarters in LOK.STUDIO, Śrī Pāṇḍarapura Dhāma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our greatest heartfelt desire is that you please continue to shower your mercy
upon us by granting us the opportunity to serve the dust of your lotus feet and the dust of the
lotus feet of your devotees. Please bestow upon us ever increasing enthusiasm and determination
to spread the glories of the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa all over the world.

Your servants,
Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Swami
and your servants at the ISKCON Kīrtana Ministry
www.iskconkirtanministry.com
Ministry of Cow Protection & Agriculture

Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to your divine personality!
On this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations, I’m taking the opportunity to
express a few words in the form of an offering. I’m submitting this offering on behalf of all those
who work with Mother Earth to you, dear spiritual master. You are a recipient who can purify all
these services to be offered to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa and Lord Gaurāṅga.
For the last eight years, I have fully dedicated myself to broadcasting your mission by serving
the ISKCON GBC body by spreading the glories and position of cow protection and agriculture
within the movement of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

In one of your transcendental ecstasies, your Bhaktivedanta purport of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
2.5.37, you give an encompassing picture of how your mission of glorifying the Lord is inter-
dependent with the mission of the different parts of the social body:
To speak for the Supreme Lord means to glorify the Lord by means of propagating the
knowledge of the Lord as it is, broadcasting the factual nature of the Lord and the factual
position of all other parts of the whole body… the living being must know his relation-
ship with the Lord. The human life is especially meant for this purpose, namely to know
the factual relationship of every living being with the Supreme Lord.
You further elaborate on the function and consciousness of each part of this social body. There
you reveal, among many foundational concepts, the interconnection between the economic
entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurs of spreading knowledge, which is beneficial for the whole of
human society. You continue:
The mercantile class is also required to give protection to the cows in order to get suffi-
cient milk and milk products, which alone can give the proper health and intelligence to
maintain a civilization perfectly meant for knowledge of the ultimate truth.
We can grasp part of your visionary blueprint. You started with Kāliyā, the first cow to join the
Hare Kṛṣṇa movement in New Vrindaban and today there are more than 5000 cows, bulls, oxen,
and calves being protected in your farms and centers, and all this can be visualized with one click.
So early on, ahead of most thinkers in the 60s, you could anticipate the many crises we face
today. We have lived through the food-chain supply and the environmental crises generated by
violating the balance in nature created by the ecological services that each and every species con-
tribute to this planet. This naturally led to an ethical crisis on how to relate to animals and ecosys-
tems; today many millions of citizens of this planet think that the meat industry poses a threat to
ecosystems and to the consciousness of man. This thought process has also escalated to an ethical
crisis in the dairy industry and thus, in some emerging trends, the bovines are considered respon-
sible for the important aspects of the environmental crisis, like global warming and deforestation.
However, milk is an essential ingredient in the practice and rituals of bhakti-yoga. The Vedas
propose that the proper attitude toward cows and bulls is the basis for an advanced civilization.
They are the representatives of dharma. You have many times defined dharma as occupational duty,
constitutional duty, and functional duty.
The Vedas, revealed to us by your benevolent personality, also bring the notion of dharma as the
innate characteristics of a being or a thing and how the sum of all the elements functioning under
their innate characteristic produces balance.
Given the benefits of such milk for the upliftment of consciousness, Vaiṣṇava practitioners are
posed with a challenge: it is our prerogative to show a functional system for producing milk that
protects cows and the environment. The production of cruelty-free milk is inserted in a whole
system design where the sustainable production of grains, fruits, vegetables and forestry are inte-
grated in a balanced agro-system.
One of your beloved disciples, His Holiness Nirañjana Swami, representing many of your
first-class sons, became compassionate to the efforts of a small sparrow trying to accomplish the
impossible at the shore of the vast ocean. On a short two-hour flight, he inspired an entrepreneur
of a major multinational company to build a platform where all your gośālās could receive help, to
improve their care and service to Kṛṣṇa’s cows. This platform has been tested and is now being
launched widely.
Another of your stalwart disciples, His Holiness Kṛṣṇa Kṣetra Swami, has been guiding the

mission of cow protection and agriculture in Europe with great wisdom. He has produced a book,
“Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics,” which was ordered by the Palgrave Macmillan Press, the
same Macmillan that printed your first Bhagavad-gītā. Now he is working on a sequel for the series.
Dear A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, you have been very kindly sending your first-
class disciples to encourage me in this mission, which is so urgent, needed and timely. You have
said that a grandfather is much more merciful to the grandson and I am hoping for your benevo-
lence. I have met so many of your new admirers who would love to tell you how much love they
have for you. They would love to express to you their love of taking care of Kṛṣṇa’s cows and
serving the land in an intelligent way, according to your teachings. They encompass the full coop-
eration between all members of the system to please the soul of the Universe, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Recently you called His Holiness Bhakti Cāru Swami back to your company. He personally
told me that you had to first establish the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in very arid lands for
higher consciousness and so, despite your intense desire to do so, there was no time to fully estab-
lish the cow protection and agriculture movement. Therefore, just before leaving for your next
destination, you proposed to sit at Gītā-nāgarī and teach your disciples how to live off the land.
This was a similar perception of your beloved disciple and personal servant, who, despite being
discouraged to travel to Deland, felt the urgency to go there. He made consistent efforts to assist
the cow protection and agriculture mission and was determined to make it happen.
Now, it is time to contemplate your wise and grounded instructions about the natural economy
which can sustain our Kṛṣṇa consciousness for generations.
For this reason, dear A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, for the next four years, myself
and a legion of your loyal disciples who are protecting Kṛṣṇa’s cows and his forests are getting
ready to learn and teach the members of ISKCON how to live off the land.
Your hopeful servant,

Kalakaṇṭha Dāsa (KrKS)
Ministry of Justice
Grace on the divine occasion of your appearance in this world.
The Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā festival offers a wonderful opportunity for disciples to pay homage to the
guru and obtain his blessings for success in their spiritual endeavors. Celebrating your appearance,
however, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is even more widespread and glorious as you are the Founder-Ācārya
of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) with multiple generations
of followers connected to you via the guru-paramparā system. Moreover, you are “Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda” – the master at whose feet all other masters sit. It is, therefore a very special day in the
Vaiṣṇava calendar, and I wish to seize this moment to grab as much mercy as I can from you in my
feeble endeavors to serve your mission via ISKCON’s Ministry of Justice.
Whilst this Ministry has existed for a few decades, it still remains in a fledgling state with scope
for so much to be done.

In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.46, you state, “So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to
educate some brāhmaṇas.” These brāhmaṇas are meant to be the intellectual class of society, guid-
ing the other varṇas. However, as Kali-yuga progresses, we notice that quarrel and hypocrisy
has become more rampant. We find that even devotees have disputes amongst themselves. The
credibility and integrity of those in leadership within ISKCON are also coming under the micro-
scope. In a conversation with Śyāmasundara Dāsa, you said, “Just like there is an English proverb,
‘Caesar’s wife must be above suspicion.’ So anyone who is on the position of teacher, he must be
above suspicion. That is our first acceptance of teacher. We don’t accept any teacher who is under
suspicion. How he can be teacher if he’s under suspicion?”
In this way, Śrīla Prabhupāda, as you expect all of us to become teachers, spreading the
teachings of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which you kindly gave to us, we need to be beyond suspi-
cion – to practice what we preach, to become free from the four defects of conditioned life, i.e., to
commit mistakes, become illusioned, to cheat and to have imperfect senses.
Once Hṛdayānanda Mahārāja said to you, “Sometimes people come and join our movement
and follow the four principles, but there appears to be a fault in their character” and you replied
that “if a man comes and follows the regulative principles even for some time and again he falls
down, so long as he has followed, that asset is permanent. Anything spiritual asset is never lost.
So little, little, little, when it is complete cent percent then you become liberated. Spiritual asset is
never lost. Even if a person comes to the temple, follows the regulative principles for some time,
and again falls down, he is not a loser – he is a gainer. Others, who do not take this lesson, who
keep outside and perform their so-called material duties very perfectly, they are losers.” (Śrīla
Prabhupāda Līlāmṛta Vol.2 Ch.65)
This is indicative, Śrīla Prabhupāda, that even when you were physically present, it was
acknowledged that it was a challenge to overcome these defects, but you mercifully gave a reassur-
ance that any attempt in practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness will always be to one’s eternal credit.
The need for the Justice Ministry to play a more active role in addressing complaints amongst
devotees is becoming more urgent. It is for this reason that I am trying to map out a worldwide
judicial system. This Ministry’s immediate objective is to develop, implement and ensure the
ongoing operation of a complaint and dispute resolution mechanism serving the needs of the
ISKCON community.
Since my appointment as the Justice Minister, I have already developed a foundational training
course for “judges” and am pleased to say that I presented the course, training the first set of dis-
ciplinary committee members for the Prevention of Leadership Misconduct office, thereby capaci-
tating it to execute its function of addressing complaints of leadership sexual misconduct. I hope
to continue with such training across the globe and establish continental committees which will
serve the mandate of the Justice Ministry and that this Ministry will expand its reach to serve the
devotees worldwide so that they have a platform to express their complaints and also deter others
from inflicting pain, hurt and engaging in any wrongdoings.
Only by your blessings will this seemingly insurmountable task become achievable. So, I pray
to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on this day when your mercy especially flows, to capacitate this Minis-
try to execute its very important responsibilities in a way that will serve the devotee community to
ensure that ISKCON provides a safe, trusting, and harmonious environment for their practice of
devotional service.
Your servant,
Campakalatā Dāsī
ISKCON Ministry of Justice

North America Regional Governing Body
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
You are the exclusive property in the service for Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, Śrīla
Rūpa Gosvāmī, and Lord Caitanya.
A beloved associate of Kṛṣṇa, you descended to this mundane place from Goloka.
Some say you are the personification of Lord Nityānanda’s mercy.
You traveled the global 14 times to distribute the holy name to the Eastern and Western worlds,
delivering the fallen souls of this world…. like us.
Some say you are the empowered mercy of Lord Nityānanda, śaktyāveśa.
How else could you spread hundreds of millions of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams, Kṛṣṇa’s līlā, and the
transcendental knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā to all parts of this earth? A jagat-guru in every sense of
the term, like no other.
We offer our humble obeisances unto you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our eternal Spiritual master,
always at the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Govinda.
Your servants,
North America Regional Governing Body
International Society for Cow Protection



Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our beloved spiri-
tual master. All glories to you on this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā.
Due to your teachings, cow protection has become our life’s mission for the past 33 years.
During those years, the cows you have blessed us to protect gave us many joys and sorrows. Some
may ask, “Do the joys outweigh the sorrows?” We would answer, “Should they? Is there not joy
within the sorrow when protecting cows?”
The sorrow curtails contemplating mundane pleasures and forces us to meditate on our reason
for living, the purpose of our lives. Each time a cow becomes old and ill, we must reflect on how
every soul must trade their youthful and healthy body for an aging and frail body. There is no
escape from that truth. Every time a cow passes away, we must consider our mortality. During
those experiences, we pray harder and briefly become closer to you and Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Peace and joy

come to us, a gift from you, to ease the pain of a beloved soul leaving us for greener pastures. Is
that not joyous?
Last summer, in the early morning of August 6, Mādhavī passed away. Bālājī (our 13-year old
grandson) found her under the trees struggling to sit up. We had just seen her the evening before
roaming the front pasture.
Bālājī was petting Mādhavī’s face and trying to console her while we waited for more help.
Then Mādhavī calmed down. However, Bālājī was afraid she would pass away. We told him that
whether Mādhavī is passing on to another place or staying here, it is best to keep her as calm as
possible by touching her and chanting the holy names. Then within a few minutes, we sensed she
had passed on. As we waited for signs of life, there were none.
Bālājī was upset. We explained to Bālājī that Mādhavī was a very fortunate cow; she had him
talk to and pet her, and she heard the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in the last moments of her life. She was
also fortunate to be saved from the dairy industry by ISCOWP members.
She lost several children to the dairy industry, had her tail cut off, and she gave 95,000 pounds
of milk, something like 11,000 gallons! Her demeanor was always sober. But she spent 11 years
having calm and peaceful moments roaming the pastures of ISCOWP West Virginia and ISCOWP
Florida. She was 17 when she passed away; in human years, she would have been 78.
When we put a Narasiṁha pavitra around her head, sprinkled holy water from the Sarasvatī
river on her tongue and body, and covered her with harināma cādaras, the cows came to pay their
homage. We buried her that afternoon.
Every time we rescue a calf from a future of abuse and ultimate slaughter, we experience a
refreshing renewal of hopeful joy. Mixed with the joy is thankfulness for the financial support and
facility to care for another Mother Cow or Father Bull. Sometimes we can rescue an older cow
headed for slaughter after years spent in a dairy. Our hearts fill with joy to watch her relax and
make friends with the other rescued cows in our herd. Every rescued cow, young or old, brings
renewed hope and joy.
We received a text message on March 1, 2022, from a breeder that he had just found the mother
of a month-old bull calf dead in the field. He figured he should start bottle-feeding the calf, but
he saw the calf eating some hay and grain. The short of it was the breeder wanted to sell the bull
calf quickly.
Since the calf was very young, he was at the right age to develop a relationship with a human.
So we decided to hook up the trailer and go take a look at him. On the way to the breeders, we
got another text message.
The second message was from a young man who services our trees and breeds cows on his large
acreage. A female calf was born that day on his farm. The calf’s mother was an old cow (16 years
old) and did not have enough milk to feed the baby she had before this one. So he took the calf
from her mother because he knew she would not have enough milk. He also wanted to sell the
calf as soon as possible.
Soon we arrived at the first breeder’s place. He was waiting for us with the calf in a livestock
trailer with two other cows. In a nearby corral were five more cows. All the cows were agitated and
fearful. It is not unusual for most breeders to look at their cows as dollar signs and not handle
them or develop relationships. Therefore the cows are fearful of humans.
Since the calf was a little more than a month old, the youngest of the cows there, we thought
he could eventually become friendly with some effort on our part. So we took the male calf and
drove to the other breeder with the newborn female calf. She was immediately friendly as she was
only a few hours old and had no time to become fearful. So we drove away with both calves in the
trailer. They are now known as Baladeva Dāujī and Subhadrā due to the generosity of ISCOWP
donors.

Some may say cow protection is burdensome because the cow protector must work hard, and
there is little financial reward. But in addition, cows can live 25 or more years and must be pro-
tected and cared for their entire lives. Thus, the cow protector must commit to the lifestyle of cow
protection for a good part of their lives.
But a hidden reward is unveiled to the cow protector immersed in cow protection. Through the
spirituality of Mother Cow and Father Bull, the cow protector’s mind transcends material con-
sciousness. The world becomes Goloka Vṛndāvana, where the reality is the sweet blue boy Kṛṣṇa
and his friends frolicking with the cows through the forest.
You, Śrīla Prabhupāda, have described Goloka Vṛndāvana in the Kṛṣṇa Book, Volume 1, page 77:
At this time Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were given charge of the calves. The first responsibility
of the cowherd boys was to take care of the little calves. The boys are trained in this from
the very beginning of their childhood. So along with other little cowherd boys, Kṛṣṇa
and Balarāma went into the pasturing ground and took charge of the calves and played
with Their playmates. While taking charge of the calves, sometimes the two brothers
played on Their flutes. And sometimes They played with āmalakī fruits and bael fruits,
just like small children play with balls. Sometimes They danced and made tinkling
sounds with Their ankle bells. Sometimes They made Themselves into bulls and cows by
covering Themselves with blankets. Thus Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma played. The two brothers
also used to imitate the sounds of bulls and cows and play at bullfighting. Sometimes
They used to imitate the sounds of various animals and birds. In this way, They enjoyed
Their childhood pastimes apparently like ordinary, mundane children.
Unfortunately, the mind wanders, envy, and material desires have deep roots in our souls, and we
are not always profoundly mindful of the cows. But those moments that we are only thinking of
the cows are most treasured and remembered, motivating us to continue to serve them.
That’s the reward, the joy within the sorrow, that those dedicated to cow protection begin to
glimpse. Materially, some may view cow protection as burdensome and difficult, but the spiritual
reward overcomes the material considerations.
As our ever well-wisher, teacher, and spiritual master, you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, knew of this
reward and wanted your disciples to experience it. You knew if you could inspire us, teach us,
convince us to take up cow protection and work through the difficulties, we would eventually
begin to taste and relish the transcendental spirituality of Mother Cow and Father Bull.
For the cowherd men and the cows, Kṛṣṇa is the supreme friend. Therefore, He is
worshiped by the prayer namo brahmaṇya-devāya go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca. His pastimes
in Gokula, His dhāma, are always favorable to the brāhmaṇas and the cows. His first
business is to give all comfort to the cows and the brāhmaṇas. In fact, comfort for the
brahmanas is secondary, and comfort for the cows is His first concern. Because of His
presence, all people would overcome all difficulties and always be situated in transcen-
dental bliss. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.8.16, purport)
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for gifting us with this reward, which frees us, however briefly, from
material anxieties. Because of you, we cannot envision life without cows. Therefore, we pray for
your blessings to continue caring for and protecting cows until the day we leave our bodies and
this material world.
Your aspiring servants at ISCOWP,

International Society for Cow Protection, Inc., Gainesville, Florida, USA

ISKCON Pāda-yātrā Ministry
Our dear most Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our prostrated obeisances at your glorious lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine
Grace.
We hope you’ll smile at us with great pleasure as you did way back then in Kumbha-melā when
you see the list of what the Pāda-yātrā Ministry is achieving:
We have six Pāda-yātrās walking continuously:
1. All India Pāda-yātrā, on the road since September 2, 1984

2. Maharashtra Pāda-yātrā, walking since July 16, 2019
3. Uttar Pradesh Pāda-yātrā since September 6, 2019
4. Andhra Pradesh Pāda-yātrā since October 17, 2019
5. Nepal Pāda-yātrā since January 19, 2021
6. Utkal-Banga Pāda-yātrā since September 16, 2021
Once again, All India Pāda-yātrā, the mother of all Pāda-yātrās, completed its Char Dhāma
yātrā (Yamunotri, Gaṅgotri, Kedāranātha, and Badrinātha, nestled high in the Himalayas). The
statewide Pāda-yātrās cover their respective states and preach in each and every village they come
across, thus reaching every nook and corner and introducing them all to your ISKCON. All are
spreading the glories of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Caitanya, and Your Divine Grace, Their faithful and
supremely empowered servant, Their senāpati-bhakta.
In 2022, besides these six ongoing Pāda-yātrās, there were a total of seventy-eight additional
walks. The majority were conducted in India. There were two in Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Sixty Pāda-yātrās were one-day events, and a few lasted longer than that, like the eighteen-day
Pāda-yātrā from Noida to Vṛndāvana, the eight-day walk from Aravade to Pāndharpur in Maha-
rashtra (an annual occurrence for the past twenty years), and the three-day Pāda-yātrā in Surat,
Gujarat.
ISKCON Amravati in Maharashtra has made Vaiṣṇavī Pāda-yātrā an annual event. There was
also one Little Vaiṣṇavas Pāda-yātrā, and four one-day Vaiṣṇavī Pāda-yātrās.
During the month of Āṣāḍha (June-July), there were four Pāda-yātrās to Pāṇḍarapura, all of
which reached their destination in time to celebrate the festival of Āṣāḍha Ekādaśī.
Besides the Pāda-yātrā, three annual parikramās took place: the thirty-day Vraja-maṇḍala
Parikramā, the five-day Gaura-maṇḍala Parikramā, and the four-day Jagannātha Purī Parikramā.
May the combined book scores for all these 2022 Pāda-yātrās fill your heart with satisfaction,
Śrīla Prabhupāda: 71,725 small books; 931 medium ones, 3030 big books, and a phenomenal 27,312
Mahā-big books. Devotees also distributed 89 Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets, 180 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
sets and 168 Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta sets.
It is only by your mercy that the number of sets distributed has doubled since last year. The
grand total is thus a phenomenal 102,988 transcendental books.
Book distribution while on the road certainly contributes to the education and training
of the devotees and the public. Wherever Pāda-yātrā goes, the pāda-yātrīs hold a full-fledged
morning program – ārati, guru-pūjā, kīrtana, kathā and discourses on the Bhagavad-gītā and the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
The Pāda-yātrā Ministry has made Lokanātha Mahārāja’s book Pāda-yātrā Worldwide “On the
road with Lord Caitanya” available online. A team is now assisting him in publishing his second
volume, which depicts the Pāda-yātrās that took place from 1986 to 1996 in 105 countries around

the world. We will once again be reliving the glorious Centennial celebrations through this
second volume.
All Pāda-yātrā sevā is done on a voluntary basis. A small team takes care of the website, social
networking, and publicity. We have frontline pāda-yātrīs around the world. Some are committed
to doing Pāda-yātrā as a full-time engagement; some are “weekend warriors”, and some are only
occasional participants. With the industrial society growing, it is sometimes difficult to practically
perform Pāda-yātrā in some parts of the world, but we will never stop.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we ask for your blessings and pray at your lotus feet that Volume 2, The
Pāda-yātrā Explosion, will get devotees in all corners of this planet transcendentally excited to
take to the road, despite all obstacles, challenges and austerities, under the banner of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu.
May 2023 see an enthusiastic revival of Pāda-yātrā and fulfill your desire of millions of Pāda-
yātrā carts all over the world.
Your servants Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Swami, Gaurāṅgī Devī Dāsī

with your servants at ISKCON Pāda-yātrā Ministry.
Pāda-yātrā Press
Please accept my respectful and sincere obeisances at your lotus feet. All glory to you and to
the saṅkīrtana mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, which you have preached and expanded all
over the world. This is undoubtedly the largest ever-growing mission that is awakening the con-
sciousness of millions of people in this material world. Also, that too is happening through your
instructions by the books in which you have invested your heart.
Though we have hundreds and thousands of reasons to glorify you, we are always short of
words to do that. Glorifying the founder-ācārya is never an easy task for their grandchildren, but
with your blessing and mercy, we may endeavor toward eulogizing your significance in serving
you through ISKCON Pāda-yātrā Press (IPP).
In a letter to Rūpānuga dated 19 October 1974, you mentioned that Book distribution is also
chanting. Those books you have recorded and chanted and later are transcribed. All of them are
nothing less than a spoken kīrtana. So, from you, we are enlightened to know that book distri-
bution is also chanting. Those books were not ordinary books, but they were recorded chanting.
For anyone who reads it is nothing but hearing the glory of the Lord. With this context, you have
removed the covering of darkness in our hearts by realizing the fact that book distribution must
not be neglected. Yes, indeed, books are the basis. Inscribing these words of wisdom in our hearts,
we have embarked on a journey to materialize your dream of printing books as much as possible
and whenever possible. With your mercy, we are able to publish a number of different books both
in Hindi, English, Marathi, and various other versions, which are now the torch bearer in society
for a sustainable future and empowered society.
Since the inception of IPP, your instructions are fueling the rocket of book printing and dis-
tribution. You have a dream of preaching the message of Lord Caitanya by walking through the
roads of villages and remote places of the country. Initially, it looked very challenging, but with

your mercy, it became simple and successful. This explains why you always keep reminding the
success of our preaching will be substantiated by how many books are sold. At the time of trou-
ble, we keep reading your Jaladuta Diary, which brings an ocean of enthusiasm and energy for us
to fight the difficult times and keep us in the learning loop, always in the process. It gives us a
feeling of what dedication and devotion one should grow within to break the barriers and keep
watering the seed of bhakti while inclined to the orders of one’s spiritual master.
Every day in the temple hall, we keep praying unto you for your mercy as our spiritual awak-
ening is the product of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s dedication. This further has rooted a seed in the heart
of your disciples and followers to carry the mission ignoring their own personal discomfort. Pre-
suming the perfect assistance and shelter under your lotus feet, we have continued our effort of
following the thumb rule of each one, preach one.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we wholeheartedly offer the fruit of our youth preaching unto your
lotus feet. This year we have set up the BACE in Noida with the name “Prabhupāda Kuṭīra” where
our very dear “Adbhuta Gaura” and “Avadhuta Nitāi” are present as our eternal guardians and
instructors and to ensure a safe passage to all the energetic youths, giving them an opportunity
to come back to their original consciousness by following the sublime process of bhakti. We know
that we have the best interest at our heart even though there are difficulties at times in order to
establish the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu through Bhaktivedanta Academy for Cultural
Excellence (BACE). Going forward, we are verily dependent on you, and we know you will con-
tinue to empower and embrace us.
Expanding the horizon of preaching, the Pāda-yātrā Press mission is setting up an example of
the legacy that future generations will continue. All the Pāda-yātrā Press devotees are sweating
day in and day out for your pleasure of distributing these books at every possible corner of the
society, district, state, or even at times in different parts of the country. This brings in the purity,
which in turn generates the force that helps us fight all the challenges of the modern world. IPP
is getting stronger day by day in its operation. We are very confident that His Divine Grace will
bestow mercy on the IPP devotees for the expansion of the mission. Most recently, we have been
able to gather some confidence in the extended Noida area for opening a new preaching center,
thereby gradually inducing them to Kṛṣṇa. We offer this initiative unto you for your pleasure.
Further a step forward with the utility as the principle, IPP has begun a new initiative under
the brand name of “selfcare-school” which will act as the one-stop shop for the assisted and
assorted learning and guidance of the practicing devotees in the package of motivated counseling
and thrived spiritual desires. This will help devotees to gain knowledge through different certifi-
cate courses and learning paths. With an aim to develop a spiritually cultured society and healthy
well-being for citizens, we have started seminars for schools, colleges, and corporates. As your
Guru Mahārāja has given you the power to empower the fallen and uplift the downtrodden, we
seek your mercy all the way.
Engaging the devotees in continuous learning, we have invested our intelligence in arranging
“5 Days, 5 Lessons” from Bhagavad-gītā where we have received enormous responses, which leads
us to set up regular reading sessions. As a part of the spiritually enlivening environment, we have
put up our sincere effort to organize camps for youths and congregation devotees so that they
know what you wanted the world to know about the holy dhāmas.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are so indebted to you that every little barrier makes us remind
and revisit your instructions and series of struggles. Even when we feel helpless, our prayers and
tears are answered just by glancing at your loving smile. Nothing else we can think of more than
this. With all these responsibilities on our shoulders, we can sense protection by your mercy. As
Bg. 18.68–69 explains, “For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional
service is guaranteed, and at the end, he will come back to Me. There is no servant in this world

dearer to Me than he, nor will there ever be one dearer.” This is our anthem for the IPP and the
formula to please Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga.
On a closure note, for this offering, we would like to please and represent you by the depth of
Kṛṣṇa consciousness and all virtues developed under your guidance. Kindly guide us in your ser-
vice and allow us to capture the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please shower your blessings in
the capacity of being loved and collaborative with one another while the intelligence is required
to spread your message widely and efficiently regardless of geographical boundaries. Please hold
our hand, and help us to stand for becoming steady, mighty, and extraordinary.
Jagat-guru Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!

Your servant, Puṇḍarīka Vidyānidhi Dāsa
ISKCON Pāda-yātrā Press, Noida, U.P., India
All India Pāda-yātrā

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.


Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the deliverer of fallen souls. You have preached the holy names of Lord
Kṛṣṇa in the entire world. Just like the rivers are flowing for the benefit of others, cows are giving
milk for the benefit of others, trees are giving fruits for the benefit of others – in this way, you
are giving kṛṣṇa-prema to all fallen souls for their ultimate benefit. You all appear in this material
world for this purpose only. Your life is for the ultimate benefit of all humanity.
You have ordered your disciple, His Holiness Lokanātha Swami, to preach harināma (holy
names of the Lord) through Pāda-yātrā – yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa (Cc., Madhya 7.128).
By your mercy and the mercy of my Guru Mahārāja, I am able to serve in All India Pāda-yātrā for
the last fourteen years. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are distributing your books in every town and village.
There is no difference between your Deity and Your Divine Grace. When we go to any village
during Pāda-yātrā, everyone becomes attracted to your presence on the cart. It seems that Your
Divine Grace is driving the chariot. You are the “sārathi” of our Pāda-yātrā. We do not have any
capacity to lead the chariot of the Lord.
We feel your presence in your books. By reading them, we are able to get your association.
Your greatest gifts to humanity are your books.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am eternally indebted to you for everything.
Your servant of the servant, Ācārya Dāsa

All India Pāda-yātrā

Maharashtra Pāda-yātrā
On the occasion of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s 127th Vyāsa-pūjā, we bow down at his lotus feet.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has been preaching in the world since his master instructed him to go to
the Western world and preach, and he has done so until his last breath. He faced challenges and
struggled a lot, but he didn’t stop. Due to the mercy of his master and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, he succeeded in
his mission. He founded ISKCON, where anyone can come, join, and practice bhakti-yoga.
He has given the best gift to mankind: his books. These books protect us from māyā and help
us reach Kṛṣṇa. Each book is full of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy. Anyone who reads his book can develop
Kṛṣṇa consciousness in themselves; his teachings are so powerful. One can benefit by touching
these books. I have experienced this. One day, Pāda-yātrā was in Kāñcīpuram, Andhra Pradesh.
I was distributing books. I gave a book to a mātājī. As soon as she took that book, her inner voice
said to purchase the book. And she bought that one and also gave a generous donation.
Prabhupāda says he also reads his books regularly because he has just written whatever
Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa has told him. These books help us elevate this devotional service.
Under the guidance of His Holiness Lokanātha Swami, Maharashtra Pāda-yātrā has been
going on for four years. We are pāda-yātrīs, reaching out to cities and villages and distributing
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books. As a result, many more people are reading these books, connecting
with ISKCON, and becoming Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Our debt to Śrīla Prabhupāda can never be repaid. I bow at his lotus feet and ask for his mercy
to serve him in his mission.
Your Servant of the Servant of the Servant,

Dāmodara-līlā Dāsa,
Maharashtra Pāda-yātrā
Pune Congregation
Please accept our prostrated, humble obeisances at your holy lotus feet.
All glories to entire guru-śiṣya-paramparā
You said, “I will never die! I will remain in two places – i) in my books (The book Bhāgavata)
and ii) in the hearts of my sincere followers (The person Bhāgavata)”
In Bg. 18.78 Sañjaya says, “Yātrā yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo yātrā pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ, tatra śrīr vijayo
bhūtir dhruvā nītir matir mama. Wherever there is Kṛṣṇa, the master of all mystics, and wherever
there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary
power, and morality. That is my opinion.”
Wherever there are the Lord and His devotee, all prosperity takes place. As Kṛṣṇa eternally
resides in your heart, Śrīla Prabhupāda, wherever you are, all prosperity is guaranteed!
So by the inspiration of our Pune Temple GBCs – His Holiness Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Goswami and
His Holiness Rādhānāth Swami and our Temple President His Grace Rādhe Śyāma Prabhu,

(1) your books (in which you are always present!) are being taught to hundreds of devotees every
year through courses like Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, Bhakti-vedānta and also distributed to
6–8 lakh people every year by all the enthusiastic congregation members of all 3 Pune temples,
and (2) 30–40 senior devotees (including ISKCON Gurus, Sannyāsīs and senior devotees) every
year visit ISKCON Pune temples and inspire all the brahmacārīs, students and gṛhasthas to prac-
tice their devotional service sincerely, seriously, enthusiastically and without any ulterior motives.
The result of the preaching of yourself (in the form of this book-bhāgavata and person-bhāga-
vata) speaks for itself – simply marvelous! Every year, lakhs of visitors are inspired to chant one
round of Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra when they visit the temple, thousands are systematically intro-
duced to begin their devotional service through various courses, and hundreds of devotees get
initiated by tens of ISKCON Gurus, thus dedicating their lives to further your mission to one and
all!
Just a matter of a decade or two, and dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are confident that we can make
for our Pune city the statement come true, “He built a house in which the whole world can live –
peacefully!” This means, “In ISKCON Pune’s three temples, all the Pune city people can live
peacefully!”, as Pune is our “prabhu-datta deśa,’ the place awarded to us to preach by Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu and yourself.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all your unlimited blessings upon us all!
Your servants,
Pune Congregation and devotees
Radio Kṛṣṇa Centrale


Most dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our humble and respectful obeisances.
All glories to Your Divine Grace!
All glories to your divine lotus feet, beneath whose shade every fallen soul can find shelter from
the scorching heat of the fire-like material senses’ gratification.
Even the great souls, who derive their uttermost joy from the uncontaminated devotional
service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, sit at your lotus feet in great ecstasy.
Reading from Your Divine Grace’s “Vṛndāvane-Bhajana”, even those who are very fallen can
have a hint of what it really means to be Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Your realizations penetrate profoundly within our consciousness, making us appreciate how
undeservedly fortunate we are to have met Your Divine Grace.
You are the embodiment of Lord Gaurāṅga’s mercy.
You are an exalted mahā-bhāgavata.
You can truly see Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma manifested within your heart.

Never forgetting your inner relationship with Śrī Kṛṣṇa, you waged war against material
illusion, going right into the heart of its realm. Free from all material attachments, you bravely
defeated the hosts of Māyā, turning against them their own weapons, using it to broadcast the
Supreme Mantra – Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s holy names.
Based on Śrīla Prabhupāda’s “Vṛndāvane-Bhajana”

And I’m here, sitting alone, now retired in Vṛndāvana,
Getting deep realizations by this mood in the holy dhāma.
Yes, my wife, my sons and daughters, my grandsons, I’ve got them all,
But they are now just fruitless glory, for I have got no bankroll.
Today Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has shown me the real māyā’s naked form.
By His strength, that all now appears to me just tasteless and worn.
“All, one thing after another, swiftly, I am taking away
From all those upon whom, fully, My real mercy I’m going to lay.”
And I think: how is it possible? How is that? What have I done,
To understand this gracious mercy of the All-Merciful One?
Now, being penniless, gone broke like this, as everyone can see,
Wife, relatives, friends, brothers, they have all abandoned me.
Misery! But makes me laugh. And I’m here, laughing alone.
In this endless saṁsāra, where my so-called “loved” have gone?
Where have they, my loving father and dear mother, gone to now?
And my elders, my own folks, how to find them? Tell me. How?
Who can give me news about them? Tell me who? Now what remains
Of my life with my dear family? No more than a list of names.
Like the froth on the seawater again blends into the sea,
Māyā’s trick is just like that. “Saṁsāra’s play.” No one can flee.
No one here is “mother”, “father”, nor a relative as well.
Like the sea-foam, they remain for just the time to say farewell.
As that foam over the water, it dissolves and fades away,
Bodies, made of five ingredients, very rapidly decay.
The soul changes, in succession, hordes of bodies, more and more.
Kinship changes with the body, and differs from the one before.
But, oh brother, everybody is your relative as well
On the real spiritual plane, with no tinge of māyā’s smell.
Of the eternal living creatures, the Supreme Lord is the Soul;
All your kin! An infinity of jīvas as a whole.
All is harmony when Kṛṣṇa is the center of their life,
But when Kṛṣṇa is forgotten, all becomes unending strife.

Then, drawn into selfish actions, when reactions become ripe,
Each soul wears a different body; each engrossed in its own type.
Thus, continuing being forgetful of Śrī Hari, the Supreme,
Māyā gives them many afflictions, and their suffering is extreme.
Although bobbing up and down in that ocean of misery,
He still thinks, “I’m very happy! What a great felicity!”
Sick in bed, troubled by pain, he laughs and says, “I’m feeling well!”
And I laugh at his “I’m well.” He is raving under māyā’s spell.
But their plans to remain “well”, Kṛṣṇa’s māyā will destroy.
And no matter how or where, there is no way for them to enjoy.
Understand their “feeling well”! None is well in the whole world!
Māyā forces them to say, “I’m feeling well” so loud and bold.
Unaware that he is being cheated, with his false aim to pursue,
Although māyā kicks and beats him, he will keep his point of view.
Making plans, over and over, that still māyā will pervert,
He sometimes falls in the mud and sometimes on the dry earth.
And this is the Giant Cosmos, filled with lost, wandering souls
Who, by guru and Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, can regain their missed roles.
Gaining this, if they can give up all the other so-called wealth,
They can simply conquer birth and death and gain spiritual health.
Far, beyond this sorrows’ ocean, are divine varieties.
There, they’ll find eternal bliss, free from all anxieties.
Who’s mad says, “all there, is formless, like a kind of nothingness.”
But the Lord is full of “tastes”, more than what we can assess.
Connoisseurs of divine flavors serve Him as subordinates.
In awe, servants, friends, or parents, love Him as His associates.
With its flavors that sweet nectar, all pure bhaktas will enthrall,
And the best, the lover’s love, is the essence of them all.
But such flavors can be relished in the spiritual domain,
While their vile material umbra is an awful source of pain.
One who worships Kṛṣṇa is clever, but who worships māyā is not;
Being a pauper without knowledge, he’s bound up in māyā’s knot.
Unaware of how all things are related to their Source,
He is busy with many “pastimes” doomed to a temporary course.
Duryodhana and Arjuna, in the same warfare they vied,
But Arjuna was the best devotee, and Duryodhana died.
Both on the same battlefield, the detestable and the dear.
To the one who is intelligent, the understanding is very clear.

One who knows his true relationship as he fights the war of life,
He will see everyone perish, while he will remain alive.
One who is blind to his connection and takes up some other path,
Never reaches the love of God, wasting his life in the aftermath.
Your relationship with Kṛṣṇa, first make sure you’ve understood,
And then, tied to that relation, against māyā fight for good.
By not following that path, all those jñāna and karma’s “heroes”,
Never reached true liberation, they just earned a bunch of zeroes.
Their so-called sobriety and detachment from this world,
It existed in name only, all unsettled and disturbed.
Longing for mystical powers, liberation, and gross joy,
All had uncontrolled senses running after a decoy.
When the senses are unchecked, they are deaf to yoga’s skill.
Munis, yogīs, they have failed to bend their senses to their will.
Without serving Ṛṣikeśa, fighting lust as best they can,
They resume working for māyā after only a short time span.

As the Veda and the Purāṇa have extensively explained,
Following that process of yoga, sense control cannot be attained.
Viśvāmitra to beget Śakuntalā, the pure beauty,
Though sitting in yogāsana, for Menakā he left his duty.
What to say about the jñānīs, if yogīs also fall down,
And the karmīs are all asses bound by suffering all around.
Those who follow Kṛṣṇa’s order, thereby attaining the Lord’s grace,
Will become just like Arjuna, with the same fortune to embrace.
One who fights the war of life for his own happiness’ sake,
He will die, like Duryodhana, with those who with him partake.
Fighting on behalf of Kṛṣṇa with steadfast determination,
You bring power, wealth, and knowledge right beneath your domination.
Understand the Gītā’s message, and of false comments, be wary!
You’ll attain Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s service and will worship the Lord Hari.
The devotees are endowed with all the qualities of the Lord,
So “non-violence”, “no-anger”, by them these can be ignored.
Śrī Hari teaches living beings by means of His devotees.
One such helper is Arjuna, for his right proclivities.
Him, as if tied to his kin in a knot, so strong and tight,
Was so grieved and bewildered that was not ready to fight.
“Violence against my relatives, just to enjoy this earthly kingdom?”
“How could this sin make me happy?” “How could that be an act of wisdom?”
Only due to his false ego, doubts rang loudly in his heart.
Kṣatriyas, when they go to a battlefield, keep family’s ties apart.
When Arjuna set himself up as a śiṣya, earnestly,
Kṛṣṇa, seeing his delusion, scolded him vehemently.
Then he heard Bhagavad-gītā, the most sacred “Song of God”
and got free from all ignorance, free from all that was flawed.
He severed his material bonds but did not ape a renunciate.
And this is how the Gītā’s meaning, family men will appreciate.
“kariṣye vacanaṁ tava,” “I will do everything You say,”
That’s why the war he fought is glorious and why his fame is here to stay.
“The Vaiṣṇavas have no desire. They chant japa on their beads.
So what kind of a Vaiṣṇava is Arjuna with his deeds?
Free from all duality, as endorsed in the Purāṇa,
The Vaiṣṇava simply chants!”, says who eats the mind’s bananas.
The Vaiṣṇava is amicable, craves not for material things.
But he is not a forceless weakling, as the ignorant fool thinks.

In two famous Indian wars, two great personalities
So exalted and victorious! Leaders among devotees!
Because he wants to please his senses, he doesn’t want to go to war,
But he is known as a Vaiṣṇava, someone whom many folks adore.
Those who have no eyes to see, say Vaiṣṇavas are inactive.
But to serve and please the Lord, the Vaiṣṇava is always active!
Lifeless kaniṣṭha-adhikārīs perform no service at all.
For cheap fame, money, and worship, they dwell in their lonely hole.
Nityānanda Prabhu was worshiped by Vaiṣṇavas and devout men,
Suffered blows but still went on to give God’s love ever again.
Gaura Hari came with cakra in His hand, in a fierce mood,
So those vile Vaiṣṇava haters were immediately subdued.
Lord Gaurāṅga taught the jīvas, showing by His own example,
Pretentious nirjana-bhajana, it’s no more than ornamental.
The world has now become loaded with Jagāis and Mādhāis.
And the Nityānanda-vaṁśa is growing up with those who are wise.
Eating, sleeping, wearing robes, but remaining unconcerned,
Is not proper for Vaiṣṇavas, who compassion have learned.
In Mādhurya-kadambiṇī, Śrīla Cakravartī writes
His conclusion and clear judgment through his transcendental sights.
Loving service in devotion is self-showing and causeless,
But the Eternal Perfect Substance is veiled up by godlessness.
In His acts, the Supreme Lord follows the Vaiṣṇavas’ will,
Then the mercy of a Vaiṣṇava can bring the illusion to nil.
The Vaiṣṇavas have the power to wake up the sleeping world.
By their mercy, sinful men become devotees of the Lord.
Therefore, they do not perform nirjana-bhajana for Śrī Hari,
Which is the world’s cheating process of the kaniṣṭha-adhikārī.
When those great, famous Vaiṣṇavas were together in assembly,
Padri Saheb went to meet them asking, rather critically,
Questions about Vṛndāvana and Kṛṣṇa’s līlā in His youth.
But the assembly was unable to bring him to the pure truth.
Lacking śāstric understanding, such neophytes, unpurified,
They just hunt chapati and dal, while “being lonely” is their pride.
“These devotees are all kaniṣṭha”, our spiritual master said,
Now I can understand well. What he said can’t be misread.
One well-versed in the Scriptures, an unflinching devotee,
He is an uttama-adhikārī and can make the whole world free.

He delivers the most fallen and is famous throughout the world.
Now please save this fallen one. Let your fame expand, unfurled.
Everyone in Kali-yuga is the lowest of mankind.
Unaware of what is happening, they de facto are all blind.
But the Lord, Śrī Gaurasundara, the fallen souls’ Protector,
The most merciful and forgiving gives instructions filled with nectar.
Anyone who has taken birth within this Bharata’s land,
Should act for the world’s well-being and respond to His command.
Was the līlā of the Lord, relish the nirjana mellow,
But is not to be imitated by a true Vaiṣṇava fellow.
Nondevotees have no taste for serving God with pure devotion.
Being mundane, they don’t experience such sublime love and emotion.
One who thinks “I am this body”, being immersed in deep illusion,
Cannot taste spiritual mellows and will miss the right conclusion.
But, those who have the conception of Vaiṣṇavas in terms of birth,
Are very bold in trying to taste Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s līlās on this earth.
Like the clerk in the post office, that caste-goswami one;
To pay him so many obeisances, all the bābājīs will run.
The Gosāñī Ṭhākura zealot in his birthright has false pride,
Which Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu broke in pieces and denied.
I see what happens in Vṛndāvana. The plight is utterly severe.
Therefore, I can understand that there is work to be done here.
The prākṛta-sahajiyās all commit adultery,
Taking someone else’s wife their “līlā” relish, vulgarly.
“This is not Śrī Vṛndāvana!” let my mind always repeat.
Just remember, without fail, the Six-Gosvāmīs’ lotus feet.
The Gosvāmīs saved pure bhakti from degraded situations,
and by Śrī Caitanya’s order, they removed all deviations.
They are Kṛṣṇa’s associates. Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa is on their mind.
Just by thinking about them, one will leave his sins behind.
But if one tries to imitate them, feigning their dress and devotion,
He becomes the toy of māyā; lost in the material ocean.
Always preach! Go out and preach! Go from jīva’s door to door!
Then your life will be a success as an employee in God’s love store.
Śrī Dayita Dāsa Prabhu warned and gave this orientation:
“Chant out loudly Hare Kṛṣṇa! This is my real initiation.”
Kīrtana is not just “drums and karatālas” as the only rule.
That kīrtana sound is not this modern system and its tools.

What is favorable for service in devotion is all Mādhava,
And the only true enjoyer of the world is Śrī Yādava.
Māyā’s flashy pride and joy, broadcasting through the radio’s sound,
Destroy them all, by strongly spreading this kīrtana all around.
Māyā’s is all these newspapers. Growing illusion, everywhere.
Preach that boldly to the world. Get up and fight. It is warfare!
Sitting lonely in your room shouting, maybe you’ll increase your bile,
Countless births will not be enough to please Śrī Hari and see His smile.
Come out of your little cage! Stop objecting! Get things done!
Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, Who belongs to everyone.
Chant this “Hare Kṛṣṇa” loudly, while going out in saṅkīrtana,
Then you’ll find within your heart, “nirjana-bhajana has begun!”
***
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, now, by your mercy, we know the real meaning of “nirjana-bhajana.”
Your exhortation “Go out and preach!” is the life-motif of your ISKCON movement.
Please, allow us to remain eternally with Your Divine Grace as part of your great transcendental
army.
Your humble and respectful servants,

Radio Kṛṣṇa Centrale, Terni, Italy, Narakantaka Dāsa
Temple of the Vedic Planetarium

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to your global
mission to save the most fallen souls of Kali-yuga.
I am writing on behalf of the worldwide TOVP team from the far corners of the planet. We
have members from India, America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and all the worlds between. We
have united with global donors to assist you in fulfilling your aspiration of a Vedic Planetarium
and ISKCON World Headquarters in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma. You told me in 1976 that you want
to bring the whole world to Māyāpur to be introduced to the most munificent incarnation of
Caitanya Mahāprabhu!
This year we are especially pleased to announce to you the opening of the TOVP wing dedi-
cated to Śrī Śrī Prahlāda-Narasiṁha, scheduled for October. This will be the fourth major mile-
stone after the Cakra installation, pūjārī floor opening, and welcoming your mūrti to serve and
worship. This historic Narasiṁhadeva wing opening will herald the Grand Opening of the TOVP
in late 2024 during a three-month festival from December to Gaura-Pūrṇimā, 2025.
Although we were still affected by setbacks due to the COVID pandemic, I am happy to pres-
ent to you below our major accomplishments in 2022 and a 2022 Construction Progress Report

from our Project Management Consultancy, Cushman & Wakefield, who have been working
diligently to complete the temple on time.
Major Accomplishments
1. Rādhā-Mādhava Golden Jubilee Festival, March 2–5, 2022

This festival celebrated the 50th Anniversary of some important historical occasions in Māyāpur
and ISKCON history: the installation of choṭa Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava, and the Perfect Questions,
Perfect Answers conversation in your bhajana-kuṭīra (the original Māyāpur temple), the 100th
Anniversary of your receiving Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī’s order to preach in the West, and
the honoring of Vaiṣṇavas who helped to develop your Māyāpur project.
2. The TOVP Brazil Tour

Jananivāsa and Braja Vilāsa Prabhus went to Brazil and raised over $100,000 in pledges for
temple construction.
3. Marble Purchasing
Braja Vilāsa went to Brazil and Spain to purchase marble for use in the Narasiṁhadeva Wing.
Cushman & Wakefield 2022 Progress Report
Achievements – 2022
Designed & procured wall & column cladding marble for Narasiṁha Wing
Processed marble for Narasiṁha Wing
Designed & originated metalwork for Narasiṁha Wing
Completed seamless ceiling of Narasiṁha Wing
Six lifts/elevators installed and approved
Completed interior dome services
Woodwork in Narasiṁha Wing in progress
Installed GRG Glass reinforced gypsum) panels in Narasiṁha Wing dome
Erected sub-frame of the main dome
Hydro-chroming work on Narasiṁha Wing dome GRG panels
Expansion joint work at +28mtrs level in-between main dome and Narasiṁha dome
External services (drainage, etc.) work completed
Design & procurement of sewage treatment plant
HT electric panel (electricity distribution panel) delivery
As you can see, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your dedicated team of workers and donors, have been ear-
nestly and painstakingly trying to prepare for the Grand Opening very soon, despite pandemics
and other distractions thrown in the path. We are eternally grateful to you for giving us such a
challenge. We pray for your continued blessings and guidance in creating a wonderous attraction
in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma to glorify yourself, the previous ācāryas, and Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi.
On behalf of the worldwide TOVP Team,

Your servant,
Ambarīṣa Dāsa

Vaiṣṇavī Ministry

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda:

Grace!
By your mercy, we again celebrate your appearance in this world. It is said that by Kṛṣṇa’s
mercy, one attains a guru, and by the mercy of the guru, one can attain Kṛṣṇa. The spiritual master
is the representative of Vyāsa because he delivers knowledge flowing by disciplic succession from
Vyāsa Himself, the empowered literary incarnation of Kṛṣṇa.
Your Vyāsa-pūjā day is a time when your grateful followers feel the unbridled need to shout
from the rooftops that you, our Śrīla Prabhupāda, is not simply a bona fide ācārya in the Brahma-
Gauḍīya-sampradāya. You are the “senāpati-bhakta” predicted by Śrīla Bhaktivinode Ṭhākura. Your
achievement – your ISKCON – is the pinnacle of unadulterated mercy and love.
All bona fide spiritual masters are meant to transmit the highest of spiritual secrets intact
according to time, place, and circumstance. This is where you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, stand out in
all your glory as the unparalleled ācārya amongst ācāryas. You are the chosen one, the super-
empowered Vaiṣṇava qualified to share this topmost knowledge of the love of God across the
globe so the dull-minded, lust and envy-maddened denizens of Kali-yuga are inspired to take up
the process of rejecting nefarious and hopeless pursuits to surrender everything for the shelter of
Kṛṣṇa’s love.
You did this on the order of your beloved Guru Mahārāja, taking up that which your peers
could not, spreading Śrī Caitanya’s mission around the world. You accomplished this profound
glory by dint of full faith in Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga. You left the beautiful shelter of Vṛndāvana-
līlā, gripping tightly to the shelter of the message you were tasked to deliver – a message which is
no less than the holy grail of mercy.
You masterfully delivered audārya all over the world. This altered the floundering, miserable
lives of countless two-legged Kali-yuga animals who, no matter what their material birthright,
are all, as you informed us, lower than śudras. Such is the nature of your gargantuan mercy! You
provided the mechanism to bring us to human life, then pulled your followers upward toward the
most exquisite exchanges of loving devotion with Svayaṁ Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Your mercy is still in place, still producing joyful Vaiṣṇavas. A recipient only needs to add the
slightest of intention, opening the door for you and your beloved Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava to pro-
vide the rest. The paths you cleared, first to the west, then all over the globe, are still open, still
being taken advantage of, still facilitating an endless flow of ever-expanding audārya.
Emulating Lord Caitanya, who captured the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the topmost foun-
tainhead of all devotion, love, and compassion, you distribute this greatest gift freely. Śrīmatī
Rādhikā is the most perfected mahā-bhāgavata who sees everyone as superior to Her. Śrīla Prabhu-
pāda, you are also unable to consider “who is a fit candidate and who is not, nor where such dis-
tribution should or should not take place.” You possess such mercy, distributing the holy names
to all, seeing only the spiritual potential in everyone. In this way, you have ensured the Lord’s
holy names are heard everywhere in the world. Your books are found even in Antarctica!

Your mission, your teachings, the power of Kṛṣṇa’s holy names – the complete bhakti process is
all contained within your books which carry the secret of harmony between seemingly dissimilar
races and cultures. This phenomenon is evident within the grand, spiritual city you built for all of
us in Śrī Māyāpur Dhāma, where so many races and cultures practice living together in harmony,
disregarding trivial bodily-based differences. By your mercy, we realize that we are of the same
family with the supreme father, Kṛṣṇa, as our eternal commonality.
You taught us to seek unity in diversity, to be one in purpose, honoring each other’s unique-
ness. “In the material world there are varieties, but there is no agreement. In the spiritual world
there are varieties, but there is agreement. That is the difference. The materialist without being
able to adjust the varieties and the disagreements makes everything zero. They cannot come into
agreement with varieties, but if we keep Krsna in the center, then there will be agreement in vari-
eties. This is called unity in diversity.” (Letter to Kīrtanānanda Oct. 18, 1973)
On this auspicious day of your appearance, considering all you have done to relieve our suf-
fering and knowing it is impossible to repay this gift, still your Vaiṣṇava Ministry, on behalf of all
the soft-hearted mothers and their families within your greater ISKCON family, feel the need to
beg yet another favor from Your Divine Grace. We beg you to continue showering all members
of our spiritual family with the intelligence and devotion to maintain your nurturing mood of

tolerance and unity in diversity and to increase this mindset eternally. As your wayward daughters
and granddaughters, we pray for this mood to engulf and protect your spectacular, expanding
movement forever so the doors remain wide open, providing shelter from the material storm for
all within the warmth of your fatherly glance and radiant smile.
With great love and gratitude,

Rādhā Devī Dāsī
On behalf of your servants at the Vaiṣṇavī Ministry

Our Obeisances
to You for Your
Transcendental
Instructions
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine

Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda,
who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa on this earth,
having taken shelter at His lotus feet.

Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual

master, servant of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta
Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching
the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and
delivering the Western countries, which are
filled with impersonalism and voidism.
When one’s mind is attached to Kṛṣṇa, one can
fulfill the mission of life in one human birth. If
one misses this opportunity, one does not know
where he is going, how long he will remain in
the cycle of birth and death, and when he will
achieve the human form of life and the chance
to return home, back to Godhead. The most
intelligent person, therefore, uses every moment
of his life to render loving service to the Lord.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.9.42, purport

If one regularly sees the Supreme Personality
of Godhead in the temple, one will gradually
be disinfected of all material desires simply
by visiting the temple and seeing the deity.
When one is freed from all the results of sinful
activities, one will be purified, and with a healthy
mind, completely cleansed, he will increasingly
make progress in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

A pure devotee of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead is always thinking of how fallen,
conditioned souls can be delivered. The
Supreme Personality of Godhead, influenced
by the merciful devotees’ attempt to deliver
fallen souls, enlightens the people in general
from within by His causeless mercy.

We should always keep Kṛṣṇa within our minds,
for Kṛṣṇa is like the sun. This is the motto of our
Back to Godhead magazine: Kṛṣṇa is just like the
brilliant sun, and māyā, ignorance, is just like
darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot
be darkness. So if we keep ourselves in Kṛṣṇa
consciousness always, we cannot be influenced by
the darkness of ignorance; rather, we shall always
walk very freely in the bright sunshine of Kṛṣṇa.
Teachings of Queen Kuntī, p. 163

Spiritual rasa [taste], which is relished even in
the liberated stage, can be experienced in the
literature of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam due to its
being the ripened fruit of all Vedic knowledge. By
submissively hearing this transcendental literature,
one can attain the full pleasure of his heart’s desire.

In the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, the chanting of the
Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, the dancing in ecstasy,
and the eating of the remnants of food offered
to the Lord are very, very important. One may
be illiterate or incapable of understanding the
philosophy, but if he partakes of these three items,
he will certainly be liberated without delay.
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 15.237, purport

There is nothing in the world with which the
Lord is disconnected. The only thing we must
learn is to excavate the source of connection
and thus be linked with Him by offenseless
service. We can be connected with Him by the
transcendental sound representation of the Lord.
The holy name of the Lord and the Lord Himself
are identical, and one who chants the holy name
of the Lord in an offenseless manner can at once
realize that the Lord is present before him.

A pure devotee always engages in the service of the Lord, taking
shelter of His lotus feet, and therefore he has a direct connection
with the saffron mercy-particles that are strewn over the lotus feet of
the Lord. Although when a pure devotee speaks the articulation
of his voice may resemble the sound of this material sky, the voice is
spiritually very powerful because it touches the particles of saffron
dust on the lotus feet of the Lord. As soon as a sleeping living
entity hears the powerful voice emanating from the mouth of a pure
devotee, he immediately remembers his eternal relationship with the
Lord, although up until that moment he had forgotten everything.
– Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.25, purport

Vyaspuja Offerings 2023

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Sri Vyasa-puja The Most Blessed Event – September 8, 2023

The Appearance Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master

A. C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPĀDA

Published by ISKCON GBC

Text design and layout

The Appearance Day of Our Beloved Spiritual Master

His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda

Homages from the GBC, 13

Homages from GBC Emereti, 57

Homages from Non-GBC Sannyāsīs, 67

Homages from ISKCON Centers, 129

Homages from Other Sources, 375

Our Obeisances to You for Your Transcendental Instructions, 421

akṣṇoḥ phalaṁ tvādṛśa-darśanaṁ hi

ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 1

Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jai!

Your servants on the new Vyāsa-pūjā book team,

2 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 3

Trapped within saṁsāra’s all-devouring, blazing fire,

Patiently you taught us how to chant the holy name,

Prasādam was your special weapon, no one could resist;

The books you showered down upon the masses and on us

4 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

I pray that my small hymn, though lacking literary worth,

ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 5

tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet

ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 7

yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau

8 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā

uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata

ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 9

yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke

bhūmir āpo ’nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca

10 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

labdhvā sudurlabham idaṁ bahu-sambhavānte

anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ

ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023 11

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ

ABHAY CHARAN DAS

12 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

bhaktir utpadyate puṁsaḥ śoka-moha-bhayāpahā

An insignificant servant of your servants,

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe

14 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

HOMAGES FROM THE GBC 15

16 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu orders:

HOMAGES FROM THE GBC 17

Your insignificant servant,

Bhakti Caitanya Swami

18 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

Your lowly servant,

HOMAGES FROM THE GBC 19

Your humble servant,

20 ŚRĪ VYĀSA-PŪJĀ 2023

Śrīla Prabhupāda’s servant,

nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale

namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe

You Are Near

It does occasionally come to mind