Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this most auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we offer our most humble and heartfelt obei-
sances at your divine lotus feet. You are one of the most intimate associates of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
tomāra milane bhāi ābāra se sukha pāi,
gocāraṇe ghuri dina bhora
kata vane chuṭāchuṭi, vane khāi luṭāpuṭi,
sei dina kabe habe mora
O dear friend, in Your company I will experience great joy once again. In the early
morning I will wander about the cowherd pastures and fields. Running and frolicking
in the many forests of Vraja, I will roll on the ground in spiritual ecstasy. Oh, when
will that day be mine? (“Prayer to the Lotus Feet of Kṛṣṇa,” onboard the ship Jaladuta,
September 13, 1965)
For all of us, you are the true ācārya, who has illuminated the world with the light of transcenden-
tal knowledge.
The catuḥ-ślokī Bhagavad-gītā (10.8–11) encapsulates the essence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and
through your life’s example you demonstrated how these verses manifest in the world through
the actions of a pure devotee. Today, we meditate on your divine glories through the lens of these
four foundational verses.
Bhagavad-gītā 10.8: You revealed the Supreme Source and our supreme object of love
ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavo mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you gave us the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In a world filled with
impersonalists, atheists, and speculative philosophers, you boldly declared the truth: Kṛṣṇa is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the extended title to the Kṛṣṇa book, you wrote, “The
Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Even during ISKCON’s incorporation, when others were
suggesting you use in the name of your new society “for God Consciousness,” you said, “No! It
should be ‘for Krishna Consciousness.’”
Born in India but far from spiritual life, we hardly cared about gods, and even if sometimes we
went to a temple, it was all confusion. Who was supreme? And do any of these deities have a role
in our lives?
In the purport to Bhagavad-gītā 10.8 you gave a number of references, meant to convince us
that Kṛṣṇa is both our source and our maintainer, and therefore our love should be directed
toward Him: He is the object of our love
“Yes. If we can understand … Just like if you are affectionate to your father, then you naturally
become affectionate to your brother. They are preaching universal brotherhood, but ‘Where is
the father, sir?’ ‘Oh, Father is missing.’ ‘Then where is the question of brotherhood?’ If you don’t
find your father, then how do you select your brother? These are the imperfectness. If you actually
want to do something for your brother in universal brotherhood, first of all establish your rela-
tionship with father which you have lost.” (Lecture, Bhagavad-gītā 5.17–25, Los Angeles, February
8, 1969)
Your simple conclusion is to love God, love all, because He is the origin of all of us. It is He who
is maintaining us. The Kaṭha Upaniṣad (2.2.13) states:
nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām
eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān
It gives so much peace to the heart that at the top is a very sweet, compassionate personality
who is always loving us and caring for us. He is our real suhṛt, our most intimate friend. Śrīla
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura states in this regard that Kṛṣṇa operates bhakti through His pure
devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are the perfect example of this.
iti matvā bhajante māṁ
budhā bhāva-samanvitāḥ
The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me
with all their hearts.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in this regard your own devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa is unparalleled.
pragāḍha-premera ei svabhāva-ācāra
nija-duḥkha-vighnādira nā kare vicāra
This is the natural result of intense love of Godhead. The devotee does not consider
personal inconveniences or impediments. In all circumstances he wants to serve the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 4.186)
In 1965, at the age of 69, you boarded the Jaladuta alone, suffering sea sickness and vomiting and
later two heart attacks at sea, simply to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is possible only out of
intense love for guru and Kṛṣṇa: “The symptom, the prime symptom, most important symptom
of love is that the devotee wants to see that his Lord’s name, fame, etc., become widespread. He
wants to see that ‘My Lord’s name be known everywhere.’ This is love. If I love somebody, I want
to see that his glories are spread all over the world.” (Lecture, New Vrindaban, September 5, 1972)
For us, apart from your own example of devotion, you gave us direct instructions in the pur-
port to this verse 8 from the Gītā’s tenth chapter:
• Redirection of head (budha): “One who understands Kṛṣṇa in such a way from a bona fide
spiritual master, with references from Vedic literature, engages all his energy in Kṛṣṇa con-
sciousness.… A Kṛṣṇa conscious person should not be bewildered by fools; he should avoid
all unauthorized commentaries and interpretations on the Bhagavad-gītā.
• Redirection of heart (bhāva): “[P]roceed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness with determination and
firmness.”
Bhagavad-gītā 10.9: You united devotees in loving service to Lord Kṛṣṇa, giving us the real joy and satisfac-
tion to life.
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 Me, and
they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about
Me.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you transformed scattered, lost individuals (hippies) into a worldwide spiritual
family, where devotees constantly discuss kṛṣṇa-kathā and serve Him together. You made a house
in which the whole world can live.
The messages of the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam were your secret weapon to fight
against Māyā.
bhāgavater kathā se taba avatār dhīra haiyā śune jadi kāne bār bār
The words of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeat-
edly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand
Your message.
In 1966, at 26 Second Avenue in New York City, you personally guided the first devotees, engag-
ing them in kīrtana, kṛṣṇa-kathā, and prasādam distribution. The simple yet powerful life you gave
the devotees united their hearts and focused them on Kṛṣṇa through you. When we see the pic-
tures of devotees from that time, their faces are lit with beautiful smiles and so much joy.
You introduced the morning program with daily Bhāgavatam classes, Bhagavad-gītā classes, and
harināma-saṅkīrtana on the streets, ensuring that devotees would always remain engaged in glo-
rifying Kṛṣṇa. You showed by your own example that we should always be engaged in glorifying
Kṛṣṇa.
Read Kṛṣṇa book regularly. Why these books are written? Only for selling? Taking
statistics, “How many books you have sold?” You learn, read. Always read, twenty-four
hours. As soon as you get time, read. I do that. I do that. Reading, writing or chant-
ing. But when there is no other way, you sleep little. Not to enjoy sleep, but because it
is not possible to continue, all right, sleep one hour, two hour, three hour, four hour,
five hour. Not more than that. (Lecture on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.1–8, Tokyo, April 25,
1972)
You always made Kṛṣṇa the center of every conversation; you inspired devotees to discuss Kṛṣṇa
at every moment. Whether in temple halls, street harināmas, or press interviews, you always
brought the discussion back to Kṛṣṇa. Even during casual morning walks you engaged devotees
in profound discussions on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, answering every philosophical question with
scriptural evidence.
Bhagavad-gītā 10.10: You gave us the divine intelligence to choose Kṛṣṇa over Māyā.
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te
To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding
by which they can come to Me.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your books provided millions with spiritual intelligence, awakening them to
Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Home to home, place to place, man to man, this literature must go there. If he … If
one takes one book, at least one day he’ll read it: “Let me see what is this book I have
purchased the other day.” And if he reads one line his life will be successful, if he reads
one line only, carefully. This is such literature. (Lecture on Bhagavad-gītā 16.9, Hawaii,
February 5, 1975)
Example: Many devotees, such as His Holiness Bhakti Tīrtha Swami Mahārāja and His Holiness
Jayādvaita Swami Mahārāja, were transformed simply by reading your books, realizing that Kṛṣṇa
consciousness was the ultimate goal of life. Your books leave no doubt that we should make the
spiritual world the goal of our lives. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for giving us a real goal of life.
“The ultimate goal of progress is Kṛṣṇa. People do not know this; therefore the association
of devotees and a bona fide spiritual master are important. One should know that the goal is
Kṛṣṇa, and when the goal is assigned, then the path is slowly but progressively traversed, and the
ultimate goal is achieved.” (Bhagavad-gītā 10.10, purport)
Bhagavad-gītā 10.11: You removed our ignorance.
teṣām evānukampārtham aham ajñāna-jaṁ tamaḥ
nāśayāmy ātma-bhāva-stho jñāna-dīpena bhāsvatā
To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp
of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in this Age of Kali, where the darkness of ignorance is everywhere, you showed
us Vaikuṇṭha living – simple living and high thinking. Dhoti, kurta, sari, and tilaka, kaṇṭhi-mālā
and a beadbag in hand – your devotees look just like Vaikuṇṭha men and women.
With the shining lamp of knowledge, you destroyed our misconceptions about what is right
and what is wrong. What we perceived as normal in a life of intoxication, meat eating, gambling,
and illicit relationships, you showed as a sinful life. It was your great compassion on us that you
spent sleepless nights under lamplight translating your books in order to show us the lamp of a
true life of devotion and joy.
Even in Soviet Russia, where there was the dense darkness of having no clue about God con-
sciousness, those who read your books secretly developed unshakable faith in Kṛṣṇa, proving that
your knowledge continues to enlighten souls.
Your glories, Śrīla Prabhupāda, are unlimited. It is impossible for conditioned souls to even
begin to describe the unlimited glories of a pure devotee.
Here, at ISKCON Kanpur, by your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are trying to assist you in
your service to your spiritual master. Preaching has been growing steadily. Youth preaching,
preaching to children, congregational preaching, and preaching on campuses are all increasing
under the direction of your beloved disciples. Recently, we held a youth camp with over 250
students attending, chanting sixteen rounds. The temple is vibrant with energized morning and
evening programs and many visitors coming. Deities, kīrtanas, devotees, prasādam, and festivals
are special attractions for all. Recently, we held a Holi Milan festival with over 40,000 people
hearing and chanting the holy names. It was the biggest in the history of Kanpur. Book distribu-
tion has reached a new height by the hard endeavors of all the devotees – 1.08 lakhs of books
distributed. ISKCON Kanpur won sixth place worldwide in book distribution. The congregation
team is trying to develop a Kṛṣṇa conscious school. Many devotees are dedicating their full time
to serving your mission. Kanpur has always been an important center for you. We seek your kind
blessings so that we may eternally assist you in your service. We pray that we may become humble
instruments of compassion in the hands of our superiors in service to you.
Our prayer at your lotus feet: Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you perfectly embodied the teachings of
the Bhagavad-gītā. On this Vyāsa-pūjā day, we humbly pray for your mercy so that we may serve
you sincerely. May we always engage in spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as you so tirelessly did.
May we always remain faithful to your teachings, submissive to your beloved disciples, and carry
forward your mission with determination.
Your humble servants,
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava’s family at ISKCON Kanpur

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