Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this most auspicious day of your divine appearance, we offer our most respectful and
humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
In your books, you explain how the process of devotional service is passed down through the
paramparā system – from one spiritual master to the next – and how it is through this chain that
the conditioned souls receive the opportunity to connect with Kṛṣṇa. You are our living link in
this disciplic succession, guiding us in the present age. It takes great spiritual qualification to
bring conditioned souls back to Kṛṣṇa, and by your mercy, you are doing just that.
At your storefront temple at 26 Second Avenue, you gave many beautiful lectures, including
a series on Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. In one of those classes you spoke about the meeting between
Lord Caitanya and Sanātana Gosvāmī. Lord Caitanya shared the story of the astrologer who
revealed that a priceless treasure – kṛṣṇa-prema – lies hidden in every heart. That treasure is our
dormant love for Kṛṣṇa in one of the five rasas: neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental affection,
or conjugal love.
You taught that the only way to awaken that love is through the process of sādhana-bhakti, but
even this process required your mercy and guidance. By coming into your association, souls like
us began to develop faith in the path of devotional service.
The fact that even the most unqualified souls can take to devotional life is further illustrated in
the next story: In the biography about you called Let There Be a Temple, the author shares a touch-
ing story:
The devotees were working hard to get a permit to build a temple in Mumbai, but
even after a full year of effort, seven or eight of them couldn’t succeed. Then, a Hindu
friend of one of the devotees mentioned that the only way to get the permit was to
offer a bribe to the government official.
The devotees informed Śrīla Prabhupāda, and he gave them the money. It took a
few attempts, but finally, the permit was approved. When Prabhupāda heard the news,
he was so joyful that he told the man who helped, “You will go back home, back to
Godhead – Goloka Vrindavan.”
The man humbly replied, “No, Prabhupāda. I’m not qualified. I’m too sinful.”
But Prabhupāda reassured him with deep compassion, saying, “Don’t worry – I will
take care of it.”
This story illustrates the power of your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Another story that shows how even new but sincere devotees can get Kṛṣṇa’s mercy by pleas-
ing you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, is the one about the group you sent to Japan. They didn’t have much
experience, but they wanted to serve you. You asked them to help collect money to build the
Krishna-Balaram temple in Vrindavan. They worked very hard, selling books and doing business,
and by your mercy, they were able to send the money.
You were so happy with their effort; and because they pleased you, the beautiful Krishna-
Balaram temple was built. This shows that when we try to serve you with a sincere heart, even if
we are not very advanced, Kṛṣṇa is pleased with us.
Just like these other devotees, we at the Festival of India are also aspiring to please you
with our humble service of assisting the temples in North America to set up their Ratha-yātrā
festivals – introducing the conditioned souls all over North America to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and
the chanting of the holy names: Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare / Hare Rāma
Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.
Your servants on the 2025 Hare Kṛṣṇa Festival of India Tour
(written by Gosh Ṭhākura Dāsa)