Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
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 torchlight of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
By whose mercy a dumb man can speak eloquently and a lame man can cross mountains, unto that spiritual master, savior of the fallen, I offer my obeisances.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Gaurāṅga and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
All glories unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the founder-ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness who is spreading the mission of Śrī Caitanya, the Pañca-tattva, and the Six Gosvāmīs all over the world.
On this sacred day of Vyāsa-pūjā, we bow at your lotus feet with gratitude and reverence. You are the ever-living guide whose words, books, and example continue to shape our lives and our service. In Melbourne, far from the dust of Vraja, your presence is nonetheless tangible – alive in every kirtan, every offering, every sincere attempt to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Vallabha.
The Six Gosvāmīs of Vrindavan, as glorified in the first verse of the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka, were absorbed in nāma-saṅkīrtana – dancing, singing, and relishing the nectar of divine love, thus glorifying and amplifying the sacred realm of Vrindavan with their presence. Their lives were a continuous current of bhajana and compassion, drawing conditioned souls toward Kṛṣṇa through sound, example, and realization. Their lives were dedicated to the well-being of all.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you extended and expanded that very current of compassion across oceans and generations. Where the Gosvāmīs revealed Vrindavan, you carried Vrindavan into the cities of the world. Where they sang beneath kadamba trees, you inspired saṅkīrtana in streets, temples, and homes across continents. Their bhajana became your global mission; their renunciation, your fearless preaching; their love for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, your gift to all.
Here at ISKCON Melbourne, your inspiration is the life-force of every activity. The kirtans resound because you taught us how to chant. The Deities are worshiped with care because you showed us Their eternal reality. The devotees gather in unity because you revealed the culture of Vaiṣṇava association. Your books are studied systematically because in them you share and nourish the heart of a pure devotee. The preparation and distribution of Rādhā-Vallabha’s mahā-prasāda is the perfection of the kitchen religion demonstrated by you in the original love feasts of early ISKCON 62 Second Avenue, in New York City. What we attempt here is but a reflection of your vision – a small but sincere extension of the Gosvāmīs’ mood, as carried by you.
By your mercy, this temple is not experienced as a place of geography, not merely a place on the map, but as a sacred realm of divine consciousness. You declared that this is not Melbourne but Vrindavan – and by your potency, that statement is realized. In the atmosphere of devotion, in the simplicity of service, in the shared aspiration to please Kṛṣṇa, we perceive a nondifference from His spiritual abode. The holy name resounds, hearts soften, and remembrance awakens. This is your miracle.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please continue to engage us in your service. Let ISKCON Melbourne always remain a place where your instructions are lived, where the mood of the Gosvāmīs is honored, and where all who come may feel the presence of Vrindavan. May we never forget that whatever sanctity is here flows from your mercy alone.
We offer this homage with folded hands, praying to be instruments of your compassion.
Your servants at ISKCON Melbourne
(written by Aniruddha Dāsa, president)