Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to your glorious mission of spreading harināma-saṅkīrtana all over the world, which is the only means by which one can attain pure love of Godhead.
In the Caitanya-maṅgala (Sūtra-khaṇḍa, song 12, verses 562–65), Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu says:
ebe nāma-saṅkīrtana tikṣṇa-khaḍga laiyā
antara asura jīvera phelibe kāṭiyā
yadi pāpi chāḍi dharma dūre deśe yāya
mora senāpati-bhakta yāibe tathāya
Taking the sharp sword of nāma-saṅkīrtana, I will root out and destroy the demoniac mentality in the hearts of all the conditioned souls. And if some sinful people escape, giving up dharma and going to far-off countries, My senāpati-bhakta will go there to deliver them.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are that senāpati-bhakta, the divine commander of Lord Caitanya’s army, who has fearlessly spread the holy name of Kṛṣṇa across the globe. Your tireless efforts to establish ISKCON, to give the world the mercy of the holy name, and to deliver the souls entrapped in ignorance have inspired millions and will inspire millions more in the years to come. Through your books, your disciples, and your personal example, you have fulfilled this glorious prophecy of Lord Caitanya.
As Lord Caitanya Himself foretold, His senāpati-bhakta would go wherever necessary to deliver the conditioned souls. You went to the distant lands of the West, where the most fallen souls were immersed in materialism, and revived the great tradition of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You took the sharp sword of nāma-saṅkīrtana and by its power chopped out the misconceptions and material desires from the hearts of countless souls.
It is through your direct instructions and personal example that we, the devotees of ISKCON Ottawa, Ontario, continue to engage in the mission you so expertly guided us toward. In your own words, the secret of success in spiritual life is satisfying the spiritual master and thereby getting his sincere blessings; by not satisfying him, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We know that the perfection of our lives lies in satisfying you and fulfilling the mission you started with your purity and grace. Following in your footsteps, ISKCON Ottawa endeavors to uphold your teachings by spreading the holy name, performing service, and expanding the loving outreach to our community.
Every Sunday, we host a Love Feast, a celebration of love for our beloved Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, where we welcome guests from all walks of life to take in prasādam and connect with the holy name. As you instructed us in your purport to Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 9.50, “In every center of our institution, ISKCON, we have arranged for a love feast every Sunday, and when we actually see people come to our center, chant, dance, take prasādam, become jubilant and purchase books, we know that certainly Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always present in such transcendental activities and He is very pleased and satisfied.”
In this humble offering, we strive to create a community where everyone can feel the warmth of the holy name, the love of Kṛṣṇa, and the harmony of service to you.
Each month, we gather for a Monthly Saṅkīrtana Festival, where devotees go out onto the streets and door to door, distributing books and prasādam, and sharing the mercy of the holy name with anyone willing to listen. You have constantly reminded us that this saṅkīrtana movement is our most important program, and by chanting the holy name, the consciousness of the world can be revived. We are humbled and honored to follow your instruction and attempt to share this sacred gift with the world.
On Friday evenings, we host a vibrant kirtan event that has become a beacon of joy, where devotees connect with newcomers, students, and the wider community. You stated, “The Lord’s holy name is called śravana-maṅgala. This means that one receives everything auspicious simply by hearing the holy name.” (Bhāgavatam 2.7.15, purport). Every week we are blessed to see the transformation in the hearts of those who come to hear the sacred sound vibrations of the holy name. Through kirtan we connect with the divine and one another, just as you envisioned.
We recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the installation of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, a beautiful milestone in the history of ISKCON Ottawa. We are eternally grateful to you for bringing these divine forms to our lives and for inspiring us to always serve with love and enthusiasm. You said, “Without the mercy of Nitāi-Gaura, there is no way to come out of this dark well of ignorance.” (Bhāgavatam 7.15.46, purport). It is by the mercy of Your Divine Grace that we are able to serve Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi in this special year and in the many years to come.
You emphasized that hearing from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the association of devotees is considered the most important process of hearing. Our morning Bhāgavatam classes on Zoom allow us to stay connected to devotees worldwide. Utilizing technology in Kṛṣṇa’s service, just as you instructed us, we have also established social media platforms and websites to further broadcast the glories of the holy name and your mission. You emphasized the value of yukta-vairāgya: “everything can be used to the extent that it can be engaged in Kṛṣṇa’s service.” By your mercy, we are able to reach countless souls and discuss the valuable Bhaktivedanta purports as a community.
You also emphasized training children, the future of the movement, in these codes of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Every week we hold children’s classes where we teach the young ones the eternal wisdom of the Vedic scriptures, ensuring that they grow up with the values you instilled in us. With the wonderful stories and explanations, you have eloquently described, we are attempting to nurture them to become devotees who will carry on your legacy.
You once said: “Observe many festivals, that will keep both public and devotees alive. Temple means festivals and Festivals means chanting and distribution of Prasadam.” (Letter to Tamal Krishna, 8 August 1973). By your mercy, we are able to organize festivals and serve prasādam to thousands. Each year we host more than thirty festivals, providing about 2,500 meals per festival to the local community. The Ratha-yātrā festival is one of the highlights of our year, where we unite the community for the Lord’s divine procession with joyous singing and dancing. We are inspired by your words: “Taking part in these festivals means a step forward for our self-realization. Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate. Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.” (Ratha-yātrā address, London, 16 July 1972)
O Vaiṣṇava Ṭhākura, O personified mercy-shower of Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His associates! O Śrīla Prabhupāda, we simply pray that you please accept our humble offerings of service and allow us to continue spreading the light of the holy name, following your instructions and example. We are your humble servants, and we beg for the strength to never deviate from the path you set before us.
We are forever indebted to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and we offer our prayers for your continued blessings on ISKCON Ottawa and all your followers around the world. Jaya jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!
With eternal gratitude,
Your insignificant servants
(written by Gopālānanda Dāsa)