Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
If there was an integral formula behind the success of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s campaign, it certainly
consisted of the chanting of the holy names, the dissemination of spiritual knowledge, and the
distribution of kṛṣṇa-prasādam.
Most devotees will attest that reading Prabhupāda’s books played a pivotal role in their ini-
tially embracing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that it remains central to their ability to hold firm to
the process. And who will argue about prasādam? “You go on simply eating, that’s all. And all of
my devotees, they have come to me simply by eating prasādam.” (Līlāmṛta) My personal convic-
tion, however, is that the transcendental sound vibration emanating from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s
lotus lips was (and still should be) the overriding inspiration behind his movement. Ralph
W. Emerson visualized an institution as “the lengthened shadow of one man”; in a similar way,
ISKCON could be seen as the expansive manifestation of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s pretenseless kṛṣṇa-
prema-viraha kīrtana – his pining to once again “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.”
(Jaladuta Diary). His kīrtana “raised God from the dead” for the brain-dead of Kali-yuga and
revealed Kṛṣṇa’s presence as śuddha-nāma (’bhinnatvan nama-naminoh). No one chants like Śrīla
Prabhupāda! He affirmed his secret in his purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.25:
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.
Such sound is not of this mundane realm (golokera prema-dhana, hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana), and when
it remains readily available to all via recordings, only a fool will not take advantage of it on a
regular basis!
I’ll close with two more quotations from Śrīla Prabhupāda, the first from a purport to Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (3.26.32), the second from a lecture:
It is understood from this verse that by agitation of the element of egoism in ignorance,
the first thing produced was sound, which is the subtle form of ether. It is stated also in
the Vedānta-sūtra that sound is the origin of all objects of material possession and that
by sound one can also dissolve this material existence. Anāvṛttiḥ śabdāt means “libera-
tion by sound.” The entire material manifestation began from sound, and sound can also
end material entanglement, if it has a particular potency. The particular sound capable
of doing this is the transcendental vibration Hare Kṛṣṇa. Our entanglement in material
affairs has begun from material sound. Now we must purify that sound in spiritual
understanding. There is sound in the spiritual world also. If we approach that sound,
then our spiritual life begins, and the other requirements for spiritual advancement can
be supplied. We have to understand very clearly that sound is the beginning of the cre-
ation of all material objects for our sense gratification. Similarly, if sound is purified, our
spiritual necessities also are produced from sound.
From a lecture dated January 10, 1968:
Now, the whole material world is produced from sound. That is scientific fact. Scientists
are researching the importance of sound, physical science. Sound, light, and transmis-
sion of sound and light. There are so many things, electronics. So this sound vibration,
this is material sound. They have got so much wonderful power. And just try to under-
stand what is the power of the spiritual sound. Real sound is coming from the spiritual
world. It is simply just like gramophone. The sound is coming originally from the person;
the gramophone is reproducing. That is not the original source of the sound. Similarly,
whatever sound is there in this material world, the original sound is produced by God.
Just like in your Bible it is said, “Let there be creation.” It is, simply it was sound and
there was creation. So spiritual sound is so powerful. And we are trying to catch you
directly from that sound vibration, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and I am sure it is acting. Simply, śabdād
anāvṛttiḥ.
Seeking the blessings of all those who have been blessed by His Divine Grace,
Your dāsānudāsa,
Ganapati Swami

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