Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. On this sacred Vyāsa-pūjā day,
all glories to you and your boundless mercy, which continually guides and nourishes our souls.
Those of us who serve at the Bhaktivedanta College are continually inspired by your profound
teachings and the immense spiritual educational legacy you left us. We are committed to contrib-
uting to this divine mission with deep respect and a strong sense of responsibility.
The essence of our educational endeavor is summed up in your 1974 letter to Acharya Prab-
hakar Mishra: “If we want perfect education, we must follow the principle of the Bhagavad-gita.
Such education will help the whole human society.” Despite its modest size, our college aims to
make a significant spiritual impact throughout the world. Guided by your instructions, we are
working with all our might to create a shining beacon of Vedic education that will illuminate the
path to Kṛṣṇa, not only for our students but for all souls entangled in material existence.
Our students’ spiritual resilience is just as important as their academic performance; thus we
are truly dedicated to both. Our curriculum helps us to equip them as messengers of this time-
less wisdom and nourish them with divine knowledge. By means of this, they represent the ideal
you so clearly expressed: “The result of material education is that the living entity forgets his own
identification […]. According to the Vedic education, one must realize his actual identity as brah-
man or the spirit soul.” (Letter to Hayagrīva Dāsa, 1970).
Our commitment to your teachings has also led us to forge international alliances with
esteemed institutions that respect and value the depth of our Vedic tradition. These partnerships
are not just academic – they are spiritual bridges, bringing together diverse cultures in a shared
quest for transcendental knowledge and understanding.
Your profound vision that human life is especially meant for spiritual education is the
cornerstone of our philosophy at Bhaktivedanta College. We see its transformative impact on the
lives of our students and, through them, on communities around the country. Parents from vari-
ous backgrounds entrust their children to us, drawn not by worldly accreditation but by the spiri-
tual sanctuary our college offers – free from the anxieties of material life, as envisioned in your
letter to Aniruddha Dāsa, March 7, 1972. I recently witnessed the joy of spiritual connection on
the faces of our students during a bhajana that took place during a break between classes. It was a
living testament to the impact of your teachings.
On this sacred day of Vyāsa-pūjā, I pray for your continued guidance and blessings so that we
may carry forward this sacred torch of knowledge, lighting the way for souls yearning for spiritual
emancipation. May our efforts here at the college always serve to glorify your divine mission and
bring us closer to fulfilling your dream of a spiritually enlightened society. May we always remain
faithful to your mission, spreading the light of Kṛṣṇa consciousness far and wide, and may our
efforts here at the college serve as a humble offering at your lotus feet.
Your eternal servants at the Bhaktivedanta College, Budapest, Hungary
(written by Gaurasundara Kṛpāmoya Dāsa)