Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances with deep gratitude and utmost humility unto the dust of
your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace on your most auspicious appearance day, being
a pure representative of Śrīla Vyāsadeva and the disciplic succession. Words are not enough to
describe your unlimited mercy and compassion, the immense contribution to the entire human
race, and your achievements offered for the upliftment and salvation of the entire world.
Being the most ideal representative of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, you came into this world to reestablish
that same eternal truth in the darkest time, Kali-yuga. As a result, there will be ten thousand years
of a golden age within Kali-yuga. Deep within your heart, the divine mission of Śrī Caitanya
Mahāprabhu will be fulfilled, despite the many obstacles and challenges, as is prophesied by our
great ācāryas:
pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma
sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma
From the four corners of the globe you spread the glories of the Supreme Lord, reviving the
dormant love and devotion within countless souls. Who else but a pure devotee and empowered
ācārya could have done this?
To establish a new religion is not the purpose for which you appeared in this world; rather, you
came to revive the eternal religion, which is to reestablish the eternal loving relationship every living
entity has with Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It says in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.3.19): dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-
praṇītam – real dharma can only be established by God. The direct instructions come from the
Supreme Lord. You showed us that our true dharma is bhakti-yoga, loving devotional service to
Lord Kṛṣṇa, and you reestablished this understanding in a world lost to māyā.
Your books are the foundation of our movement and will be the lawbooks for humanity for
many thousands of years to come. Your temples are embassies to the spiritual world. Your devo-
tees and followers are the messengers, and the only sublime medicine is the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-
mantra. Therefore this will uplift and inspire the conditioned souls year after year after year.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your most compassionate nature – your feeling for the suffering of all souls –
reveals your inner desire to help them get out of this material world. Even though you were in
bliss serving Kṛṣṇa in Vrindavan, you did not remain there for your own pleasure. Instead, you
took the greatest risk and crossed the ocean, endured hardship, and tolerated rejection – all for
the sake of delivering Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the fallen souls.
Like Prahlāda Mahārāja, you could not bear to see others’ suffering in ignorance. Like Nārada
Muni, you traveled tirelessly, planting seeds of bhakti in every town and village. Like Rūpa
Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī, you gave us the perfect philosophical foundation on which to
base our spiritual lives. Moreover, like Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, you freely distributed the holy
names to one and all without discrimination. This is the symptom of a true paramahaṁsa, a pure
devotee whose only concern is to serve Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga.
The most precious gift you gave the world was the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This transcen-
dental sound vibration is our direct connection to Kṛṣṇa, and its importance cannot be overem-
phasized. “There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa and His name. If we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa without
offense, then we are immediately transported in the spiritual world.”
We are very fortunate to have been introduced to this process of nāma-saṅkīrtana, the very
essence of the yuga-dharma. Through nāma-saṅkīrtana you gave us the means to get out of our
material suffering, awaken our eternal spiritual identity, and reestablish our lost relationship with
Kṛṣṇa.
You said you will live forever as long as your books are being distributed. Your books are
nondifferent from you. They are full of nectarean realizations, saturating us in the knowledge of
tattva-jñāna and lifting us out of ignorance.
You gave us everything:
• Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, the essence of Vedic wisdom.
• Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the spotless Purāṇa and the ripened fruit of Vedic knowledge.
• Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, the heart of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s divine teachings.
• Countless other books, essays, interviews, conversations, and letters, all infused with your
divine realizations.
You assured us, “My books will guide you even after I am gone.” Indeed, they continue to guide
us, generation after generation, leading us back home, back to Godhead.
You can tell a great leader by the greatness of his followers. You transformed mlecchas into dedi-
cated Vaiṣṇavas, purehearted souls willing to sacrifice their lives for Kṛṣṇa’s service. Through your
mercy, people from all backgrounds – hippies, scholars, professionals, artists – became bhakti-
yogis, dedicated to spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Even today, your disciples, granddisciples, and followers continue your work, building temples,
distributing books, chanting the holy name, and serving ISKCON in countless ways. You estab-
lished a society that will carry your mission forward for generations to come.
O Śrīla Prabhupāda, I am a fallen soul and have no qualification to approach your lotus feet.
However, you have guaranteed that even the most unqualified person can achieve perfection
simply by sincerely following your instructions.
On this most auspicious day, with humility, I offer my service and heart to you. With unflinch-
ing faith in your words, please bless me. Please give me the strength not to deviate from following
your teachings. I pray that you may engage me life after life so that I may serve Their Lordships,
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara, Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, and you and your devotees
eternally.
I do not know who you are, but all I know is that I am your insignificant servant. May I always
remain at your feet, hoping to surrender one day. I will always be eager to assist in fulfilling your
divine mission.
Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
Your insignificant servant,
Bhakti Anugraha Janardana Swami
Śrī Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Mandir, Vrindavan-dhāma, India

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