Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Our dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to you and your ever-expanding International Society for Krishna Consciousness. All glories to your all-divine disciples who continuously purify the whole world with their lotus feet.
This year we would like to offer the humble new temple of our most beautiful Divine Couple, Their Lordships Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava.
It is only through Your Divine Grace’s causeless mercy and the instructions of your most faithful disciples, who are still continuing the try to fulfill the prophecy that the holy name of Lord Kṛṣṇa will be heard in every town and village, including our lowly country, the Philippines, that this temple has been built.
This year, with the guidance of His Holiness Janānanda Goswami, we were able to celebrate the grand opening of the new temple on January 31. We also added a tag name to out temple: The Temple of Unity, where everyone from all levels of society, faiths, and affiliations are most welcome to offer worship to the absolute forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa and His eternal consort Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
With the blessings of the Vaiṣṇavas, we also plan to install Deities of Gaura-Nitāi on the left side of Rādhā-Mādhava, and Jagannātha-Baladeva-Subhadrā on Rādhā-Mādhava’s right side. We will do this when we become qualified to have Them.
We would like to take the opportunity to express our most sincere gratitude to all the members of the Indian community, which contributed more than 90 percent of the financial requirements to secure the property ten years ago and for the successful building of the temple thereafter.
A special mention goes to the architect His Grace Śachitanuja Prabhu, who painstakingly guided the design phase of the project in accordance to established Vedic architectural understanding, without demanding anything in return.
Now we are still in the transition phase of transferring everything from a rented old house to a space six times larger, and learning to cope with the ballooning expenses that come with such a large space.
At this turn we would like to beg Your Divine Grace to bestow your causeless mercy and blessings to all who have contributed to the success of the temple construction project.
But most of all, please accept our sincere thanks to Your Divine Grace, who set your lotus feet on this lowly country on 11 October 1972, and from then on, the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement slowly spread to the many islands that make up this country.
Our most fervent prayer is for all the hindrances, like politics, petty bickering, and unfounded philosophies to be most far away from us, as Your Divine Grace has expressed that real danger and damage will not come from outside but from within: “The greatest danger to our movement will come when we manufacture and create our own process for worshiping the Deities. So don’t ask any more new questions, whatever is going on, follow it just to the exact standard as I have given you, that’s all.” (Letter to Dhruvananda, Bombay, 4 January 1973)
May Your Divine Grace and our Śrīla Gurudeva, Tamal Krishna Goswami, be eternally together in spreading the glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in the various universes of this material manifestation.
Your unqualified grand-servant,
Mahendra Dāsa, president
And the devotees of the Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava Mandir
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Most worshipable and beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda,
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept my most humble obeisances again and again at your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace, who mercifully opened my blinded eyes with the torchlight of transcendental knowledge and delivered this fallen soul from the darkest regions of ignorance.
I am completely unqualified to glorify your unlimited divine qualities, for even the greatest personalities cannot fully describe your transcendental glories. Still, for my own purification and spiritual benefit, I am making this insignificant attempt to offer a few words at your lotus feet.
Just as Śrīla Nārada Muni traveled throughout the universe creating exalted devotees such as Prahlāda Mahārāja, Dhruva Mahārāja, and countless other shining jewels of devotion, similarly, O Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your unparalleled compassion you have created innumerable purehearted devotees throughout the world and offered them as a gift to suffering humanity. Through them, conditioned souls like myself have received hope, shelter, and a path back to Godhead. All glories unto you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, by the blessings of the senior Vaiṣṇavas of ISKCON Hyderabad temple management, three years ago we began Bhakti Kuteer, a humble nāma-haṭṭa center, in our residence at Manikonda, Hyderabad.
By your divine mercy, this small effort has gradually grown, and now every week more than seventy-five devotees gather regularly to hear the Bhagavad-gītā. They are chanting sixteen rounds of japa regularly and sincerely practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In addition, more than twenty-five children are also learning to chant the holy name and memorize Bhagavad-gītā ślokas from a young age.
By your mercy, we have also been blessed to organize Lord Jagannātha’s Ratha-yātrā for the past two years, wherein more than two thousand devotees have participated in glorifying the Lord through saṅkīrtana.
We are also feeling most fortunate and deeply blessed to participate in the fiftieth anniversary celebrations of Śrī Śrī Rādhā Madana-mohana of ISKCON Hyderabad. Only by your causeless mercy have we received this rare and auspicious opportunity to render service in such a historic and glorious celebration in your divine mission.
Furthermore, under the instructions of my spiritual master, your beloved disciple His Holiness Bhakti Rāghava Swami, we have begun village preaching every week at Narasimhapalli Vedic Village while also cultivating agricultural service there in the mood of simple living and high thinking.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, as children happily enjoy the fruits of their father’s labor and sacrifice, in the very same way we are daily relishing the nectarean fruits of your unimaginable sacrifices. You crossed oceans, tolerated endless hardships, and sacrificed every breath of your life simply to deliver Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the fallen souls of this age. We are simply enjoying the sweetness of the spiritual treasure you mercifully brought to this world.
You are truly our eternal spiritual grandfather, and whatever little Kṛṣṇa consciousness we possess today is only due to your causeless mercy and immeasurable sacrifice.
You dedicated your entire life to fulfilling the heartfelt order of your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, and fearlessly carried Mahāprabhu’s mission to every corner of the world. Therefore, I beg at your lotus feet with folded hands – please bless me that I may always serve my spiritual master as my very life and soul, birth after birth.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, please shower your causeless mercy upon this most fallen and insignificant soul so that I may develop the spiritual strength, purity of heart, unwavering determination, and selfless devotion required to assist in spreading your mission throughout the world. Only when I become an instrument in your divine mission will my life attain perfection.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for everything. Begging eternally for a particle of dust from your lotus feet.
Your insignificant servant of the servant of the servant,
Śrīpati Dāsa
On behalf of Bhakti Kuteer, Manikonda
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace, the founder-ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we, your insignificant servants in Malaysia, offer our heartfelt gratitude for your boundless mercy in bringing the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā As It Is and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam to the entire world. Currently, ISKCON Malaysia has twenty-four branches/temples across the country, and many nāma-haṭṭas. All of these are carrying out your preaching efforts.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, by your causeless mercy, the Malaysian yātrā has continued to make steady progress over the past year. Whatever little has been accomplished is solely due to your inspiration and blessings.
Temple and congregational development: Regular spiritual programs across Malaysia have been strengthened, including Bhāgavatam classes, Bhagavad-gītā study groups, and vibrant kirtan gatherings. Congregational preaching has expanded, with more families embracing Kṛṣṇa consciousness in their daily lives.
Major events and spiritual gatherings: By your mercy, several large-scale devotional events were successfully organized this year. The annual Hare Kṛṣṇa Convention, held in September 2025, brought together devotees across the country for association, classes, and kirtan. The Kirtan-melā, in June 2025, created a spiritually surcharged atmosphere, immersing participants in continuous chanting of the holy names.
The Vaiṣṇavī retreat, in May 2025, provided a dedicated platform for Vaiṣṇavīs to deepen their spiritual practices and association. In addition, house programs during the Dāmodara month were conducted extensively, allowing many families to host the Lord and engage in devotional service within their homes.
During the Deepavali carnivals, devotees actively participated in outreach efforts, sharing prasādam, kirtan, and spiritual literature with the wider community and introducing many newcomers to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Book distribution and outreach: Your transcendental books continue to be distributed throughout Malaysia, both physically and through online efforts. Many conditioned souls have had the opportunity to connect with your teachings through these initiatives.
Festival celebrations: Major festivals such as Janmāṣṭamī, Ratha-yātrā, and Gaura-Pūrṇimā were celebrated with great enthusiasm, drawing large crowds and inspiring many to take up devotional service. It is especially noteworthy that in Malaysia, more than twenty Ratha-yātrās are held annually.
Youth and educational programs: Youth engagement remains a priority, with regular youth gatherings, study sessions, and camps being conducted. Children’s spiritual education programs have also continued to develop steadily.
Prasādam distribution: Prasādam distribution has expanded significantly during festivals, outreach programs, and special events, benefiting many people and spreading your message of mercy.
Deity worship and standards: Efforts have been made to maintain and enhance the standards of Deity worship, ensuring that temple worship remains pure and uplifting. We finally managed to install Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulacandra in the capital of Malaysia.
Challenges and aspirations: Despite these efforts, we remain aware of our many shortcomings. We sincerely pray for your mercy to improve our cooperation, humility, and dedication. Our aspiration is to expand your mission further across Malaysia and bring more souls to your lotus feet.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have no qualification to serve you, yet we beg to become instruments in your divine mission. Thank you for giving us Kṛṣṇa, your books, and a life of purpose in devotional service.
Your insignificant servants,
The devotees in the Malaysia yātrā
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to you Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Although my connection to you started in 1989, of late I am realizing it to be from previous lives, and I want it to be eternal. I am ambitious and passionate, but through your connection I have received proper direction to proceed.
We devotees at ISKCON Kanyakumari humbly seek your mercy, blessings, and that you please forgive our mistakes, protect us from deviations, direct us toward devotion, instruct us to keep away from māyā, and inspire us to fulfill Lord Caitanya’s plan.
Kanyakumari district is very unique in that there are five places here that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited, as mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. We are fortunate to be here and also preaching in four places.
At ISKCON Kanyakumari, this year we are inaugurating your memorial – a dedicated area of 1,000 square feet – where we want to introduce you to all the visitors first and tell them about your glorious activities.
We in the ISKCON Kanyakumari district have big plans, as per your desire and remembering your words: “Shoot for the rhinoceros.”
We in the ISKCON Kanyakumari district have a great desire to turn 1 percent of the population to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following your statement that if 1 percent of the population becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, the whole world will become peaceful.
We in the ISKCON Kanyakumari district have a great desire to reach every town and village to fulfill your statement, “Because he wanted me to do it.” We have weekly gatherings at nine different places.
We are willing to become instrumental in what you want us to do. Kindly make us better instruments in the hands of the guru-paramparā.
Though incapable, though sometimes I think, “Have we gone mad?” – we desire to do more and more in your service. By your mercy, many magical things are happening, and still more will happen. Ebe jaśa ghuṣuk tribhuvana …
Your servant,
Vikrama Govinda Dāsa
And the devotees at ISKCON Kanyakumari
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Śrīla Prabhupāda, The Power of Actual Hearing
(He Heard, He Obeyed, and He Transformed the World)
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the crest jewel of all scriptures and vaiṣṇavānāṁ priyam, emphatically proclaims the power of actual hearing. Actual hearing means hearing with a desire to follow at any cost. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.17) states:
naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramātmā [Supersoul] in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.
Once transcendental sound enters the heart, it cleans the heart of all dirty things and makes the Lord appear in the heart. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.8.4–5) states:
śṛṇvataḥ śraddhayā nityaṁ gṛṇataś ca sva-ceṣṭitam
kālena nātidīrgheṇa bhagavān viśate hṛdi
praviṣṭaḥ karṇa-randhreṇa svānāṁ bhāva-saroruham
dhunoti śamalaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ salilasya yathā śarat
Persons who hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam regularly and are always taking the matter very seriously will have the Personality of Godhead Śrī Kṛṣṇa manifested in their hearts within a short time. [Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam,] the sound incarnation of Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Soul, enters into the heart of a self-realized devotee, sits on the lotus flower of his loving relationship, and thus cleanses the dust of material association, such as lust, anger and hankering. Thus it acts like autumnal rains upon pools of muddy water.
We have many examples of powerful hearing in developing love of Godhead in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Mother Rukmiṇī heard from Nārada Muni; the brāhmaṇa patnīs heard from the gopīs; Prahlāda Mahārāja heard in the womb from Nārada Muni. And therefore great devotees pray only to hear kṛṣṇa-kathā in the association of devotees. For example, Pṛthu Mahārāja states in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.20.24,
na kāmaye nātha tad apy ahaṁ kvacin
na yatra yuṣmac-caraṇāmbujāsavaḥ
mahattamāntar-hṛdayān mukha-cyuto
vidhatsva karṇāyutam eṣa me varaḥ
My dear Lord, I therefore do not wish to have the benediction of merging into Your existence, a benediction in which there is no existence of the nectarean beverage of Your lotus feet. I want the benediction of at least one million ears, for thus I may be able to hear about the glories of Your lotus feet from the mouths of Your pure devotees.
Among all the transcendental messages, the instructions of the spiritual master are most powerful. As Śrīla Prabhupāda repeats the commentary of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura on Bhagavad-gītā 2.41, one should make the instructions of the spiritual master one’s life and soul.
He heard … Our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda is teaching us to hear in this way by his personal example. It was 1922 when Śrīla Prabhupāda received the seeds of transcendental instruction from his eternal spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, that were to grow into the whole tree called ISKCON: “You are educated young men. Why don’t you preach Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s message throughout the whole world?” Many were listening, but he heard.
Again, on the banks of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, his spiritual master told him that if you ever get money, print books. Again, many were listening, but he heard.
On the last day of the parikramā it was announced that devotees could either go for darshan of Śeṣaśāyī Viṣṇu, or they could remain in camp and hear from Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. Although Śrīla Prabhupāda admitted that it was tough to understand his guru’s words, he loved to hear him speak. Later, when Abhay was put forward for initiation, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura said, “Yes, he likes to hear. He does not go away. I have marked him. I will accept him as my disciple.”
In his final letter to his spiritual master, Śrīla Prabhupāda asked him, “Is there any particular service I can do?” Śrīla Prabhupāda received the same instruction he had been meditating on since 1922: “I am fully confident that you can explain in English our thoughts and arguments to the people who are not conversant with the languages of the other members. This will do much good to yourself as well as your audience. I have every hope that you can turn yourself into a very good English preacher if you serve the mission to inculcate the novel impression of Lord Chaitanya’s teachings in the people in general as well as philosophers and religionists.” (Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, chapter 4). Many were listening, but he heard.
He obeyed … After the departure of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura in 1936, the Gauḍīya Math disintegrated. Śrīla Prabhupāda tried to encourage his godbrothers to keep Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s desire to preach in the center, but it couldn’t happen. Others fought, but he obeyed.
Now it was completely on his shoulder to obey and follow the desire and instructions of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura and preach all over the world. Everyone thought they were right, but he obeyed.
Śrīla Prabhupāda began preparing his manuscript for the Bhagavad-gītā, but it was lost. Yet he wasn’t disappointed, wasn’t discouraged. Undeterred, he started Back to Godhead magazine, even though he had no funds for printing it. He sought support from his godbrothers, but received little encouragement. Still, he pressed on. He then went to Jhansi and founded the League of Devotees, striving to establish Lord Caitanya’s mission. However, circumstances forced him to leave, and financial difficulties made printing increasingly challenging. Despite repeated obstacles, his determination to serve his spiritual master never wavered. Others stepped back, but he obeyed his spiritual master and carried on.
Finally, in 1965, he decided to give a final try to wholeheartedly obeying his spiritual master’s instruction to go to the West and preach the cult of Caitanya Mahāprabhu in the English language. After great struggle he got a ticket to America aboard a cargo ship with the help of Sumati Morarji. Despite seasickness and then two heart attacks, he arrived in the United States. Everyone else looked on while he obeyed.
He transformed the world … After arriving in America, his struggle intensified. He had no help, the winter was freezing cold, he had no money, no fixed residence, and was living for some time with a Māyāvādī. Later, someone broke into his room and stole his typewriter. All of this, and he was facing old age. At least in India he knew how to function and people respected sādhus. He had been living in Vrindavan at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple, but in America he was externally alone. Internally, of course, he had full faith in the instructions of his spiritual master and the power of his words and desires. As he wrote in his famous poem aboard the Jaladuta:
śrī-siddhānta saraswatī śacī-suta priya ati
kṛṣṇa-sebāya jāra tula nāi
sei se mohānta-guru jagater madhe uru
kṛṣṇa-bhakti dey ṭhāi ṭhāi
tāra icchā balavān pāścātyete ṭhān ṭhān
hoy jāte gaurāńger nām
pṛthivīte nagarādi āsamudra nada nadī
sakalei loy kṛṣṇa nām
Miracles began to happen on Second Avenue. There were many other yogis and swamis in America, and they also spoke, but Śrīla Prabhupāda was different. Others spoke to people’s heads, but he transformed the heart.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s love for and care of the hippies transformed them into “happies.” He gradually began to organize big Ratha-yātrās in all the major cities of the world. He established 108 ISKCON temples around the world. He traveled the globe fourteen times. Wherever he went, his compassion transformed the hearts of millions of people and drew them to love and serve Kṛṣṇa. His Bhaktivedanta purports transformed men and women into gentlemen and gentlewomen. His words are still transforming generations of hearers. While others spoke, he transformed us and made us love Kṛṣṇa and become dear to Him.
O most merciful Śrīla Prabhupāda, our eternal guide and ever well-wisher, today we bow at your lotus feet with a simple prayer born from our hearts. You taught us that real life begins when we learn to follow not our whims or our restless minds but the pure instructions descending from guru and Kṛṣṇa.
In a world that glorifies independence, you showed the beauty of surrender. In an age of confusion, you gave the clarity of obedience. To obey you is not a burden but our greatest fortune, our only shelter, our path back home, back to Godhead.
Yet, O Prabhupāda, we admit with humility that our obedience is often weak and mixed with hesitation, distraction, and pride. We hear but do not always follow. We promise but do not always act. Still, your compassion is causeless. You do not reject us; rather, you patiently guide us again and again.
Please bless us with the strength to accept your words as our very life and soul. Let us not interpret, dilute, or delay, but hear attentively and obey with faith, simplicity, and determination to be transformed. May we remember: perfection is not in great ability but in sincere obedience.
Your insignificant servants, who are trying to follow,
The devotees at ISKCON Kanpur
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept my obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
It is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21) that if we wish to seriously achieve real happiness, we must approach a bona fide spiritual master:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
Therefore, any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.
You mentioned in your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.12.3: “The student must approach a spiritual master and surrender unto him fully (praṇipātena).” So, that surrender process is not very easy. It takes great effort and a deep desire for attaining the perfection of surrender. Actually, it must be based on love. Once, a devotee was typing for you and it became mechanical. One day, you told him, “If you love me, I will love you.” So it is a matter of love that we are trying to develop for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. If we serve you for some other purpose, the time will come when we will be diverted by some material thing. We are not meant to come to you for any material benefit, but to learn from you how to love Kṛṣṇa by serving Him. However, to do that, we need to learn how to love you first.
You, Śrīla Prabhupāda, are fully situated in transcendental knowledge, and unless we approach you, we will remain in ignorance. There is no question of your ability to deliver us from material existence through your instructions, which are clear and lead us step by step to Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have this rare human form of life, and we need your loving guidance to make it successful. In so many lives, we failed to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. But this time, we are holding tightly to your lotus feet, with the great hope that we will pass the test at the time of death, when all our devotional activities will be tested.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we submit ourselves to you and hope that you will accept us with all our imperfections, for it is only by your special causeless mercy that we can hope to understand the science of bhakti and thus raise ourselves to being accepted by Lord Kṛṣṇa.
On this very special day of your appearance, when we worship you as the representative of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, we ask you to continue showering your blessings on us so that we may serve you and please you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
Your servants at ISKCON Juhu
(written by Bhīma Dāsa)
