Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
By reading the books and letters you wrote, we are amazed at how you still had time to visit your different centers and deal with the local devotees wherever you happened to be in the world. You gave classes wherever you went, you helped manage each temple you visited, you answered numerous questions, and taught how to keep Kṛṣṇa in the center, how to take shelter of Kṛṣṇa, and how to depend on Kṛṣṇa for everything. You simultaneously managed the rest of the world centers by writing letters to devotees in managerial positions as well as to rank and file devotees who just had some personal questions. Many of your managers were inexperienced and made mistakes, some of which were serious mistakes that caused you anxiety, but you wrote to them and explained what they should do, while depending on Kṛṣṇa and never letting the problems discourage you from pushing on this movement. You had full faith and confidence in guru and Kṛṣṇa. You had the patience of a saint because you are a saint. You never gave up; you set the perfect example for your disciples and for future devotees as well.
There is no way any person, other than someone empowered directly by Kṛṣṇa, could do what you did day in and day out. In order to do it you had to sacrifice your sleep, and therefore you slept only a few hours a night, yet devotees who lived with you admitted that you never really slept; you were always conscious.
You would meet with dignitaries, the press, scholars, parents, religious leaders, and others at the many temples you traveled to. You also found time to do outside programs at universities, churches, pandals, or anywhere devotees made arrangements for you to speak.
With such a busy schedule, you also always found time to translate and write purports to the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and other Vedic literature. Even though you have physically departed, we can still have your association because you are present in your books. This helps us to keep you in our hearts and love and serve you with our body, mind, and words. As you said about your Guru Mahārāja, “He lives forever by his divine instructions, and the follower lives with him.” You were living in the present and simultaneously thinking of the future as you left behind a way for others to go back home, back to Godhead through your transcendental books. Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for all your sacrifices.
There aren’t enough words to glorify you sufficiently, but we are hoping to satisfy you in some small way.
Aspiring to follow in your divine footsteps,
Your servants at ISKCON East Hartford
(written by Pyāri Mohan Dāsa)
Canada & USA, 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 our most humble and respectful obeisances at your most revered lotus feet. All glories to you!
On this day, we consider ourselves very fortunate to write a few lines to glorify you. We are extremely fortunate to offer our humble homage at your most revered lotus feet on the occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā. You are the empowered ācārya who carried the message of Lord Caitanya to the entire world. At an age when most people would like to take rest, you crossed the ocean alone, with no money and no support, simply carrying your faith in Kṛṣṇa along with the order of your spiritual master.
Through your compassion, purity, and unwavering dedication, you gave us Kṛṣṇa consciousness in its original, unbroken form. Your books are not ordinary books – they are living guides that continue to awaken devotion in millions of hearts.
We are eternally indebted to you for granting us the holy name, devotional service, and a clear path back to Kṛṣṇa. On this day, we pray for the intelligence and sincerity to follow your instructions and serve your mission with humility and gratitude.
With extraordinary determination, unwavering faith, and deep compassion, you introduced pure devotional service to every part of the society. Despite immense challenges, you remained fully dependent on Kṛṣṇa, translating and presenting the Vedic scriptures with clarity, authority, and devotion. Your literary contributions stand as an enduring testament to your realization and unlimited mercy.
Through your personal example and divine instructions, you have given humanity the priceless gift of the holy name and a clear path to spiritual life. We remain eternally indebted to you and pray for the sincerity, humility, and strength required to faithfully serve your mission and follow your teachings.
The scriptures declare that the spiritual master is the transparent representative of the Supreme Lord: ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān navamanyeta karhicit, na martya-buddhyāsūyeta sarva-deva-mayo guruḥ (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.17.27 – “One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.”
In the purport to the above śloka, where it is quoted in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 1.46) – a verse spoken by Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa to Uddhava– you write, “Only out of His immense compassion does the Personality of Godhead reveal Himself as the spiritual master. Therefore, in the dealings of an ācārya there are no activities but those of transcendental loving service to the Lord. He is the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead. It is worthwhile to take shelter of such a steady devotee, who is called āśraya-vigraha, or the manifestation or form of the Lord of whom one must take shelter.”
You are the Supreme Personality of Servitor Godhead, and we should all take shelter of your lotus feet.
Acting solely as a servant of your spiritual master and the disciplic succession, you carried the message of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to every corner of the world, fulfilling the prophecy: pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracāra haibe mora nāma – “In every town and village of the world, My holy name will be preached.” (Caitanya-bhāgavata, Antya-khaṇḍa 4.126)
You fulfilled the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by spreading the holy name throughout this mundane world. You are the direct mercy of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi, dhyāyan stuvaḿs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaḿ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam – “By the mercy of the spiritual master, one receives the benediction of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.” (Śrī Guru Praṇāma)
Your tireless preaching, profound literary contributions, and spotless devotion demonstrate the symptom of a mahā-bhāgavata. By translating and commentating the Vedic scriptures, you fulfilled the divine injunction: yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra’ ei deśa – “Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 7.128)
In the purport to the above śloka you explain: “This is the sublime mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain comfortably in his residence. We simply request everyone to chant the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.”
You are one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. As the founder-ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), you accomplished what many once thought impossible: you transmitted the ancient wisdom of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism beyond India and firmly established it as a global spiritual movement. Your accomplishments span religious, cultural, literary, and organizational fields, leaving a legacy that continues to shape millions of lives worldwide.
Your most visible accomplishment was the founding of ISKCON in 1966 in New York City. At the age of sixty-nine, with no financial support and little institutional backing, you began teaching the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the West. Within just eleven years, your ISKCON expanded to hundreds of centers, temples, and rural communities across six continents. This remarkable growth demonstrated not only your spiritual depth but also your organizational vision, leadership, and unwavering faith in the mission entrusted to you by your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Through ISKCON you successfully introduced devotional practices such as kirtan, Deity worship, vegetarianism, and Vedic festivals to a global audience. ISKCON provided a structured system for spiritual practice based on chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, ethical living, and devotional service.
Another monumental accomplishment was your translation and commentary on sacred Vedic texts. You translated more than sixty volumes, including Bhagavad gītā As It Is, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya caritāmṛta, and numerous other works. Unlike many academic translations, your writings preserved the devotional intent of the texts while presenting them in clear, accessible English.
These works became foundational scriptures for ISKCON and are studied by scholars, practitioners, and seekers worldwide. Your insistence on philosophical fidelity ensured that Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism was transmitted authentically rather than diluted to suit popular trends. Through these books, you ensured that ancient Vedic wisdom would be preserved for future generations.
You emphasized practical spirituality, teaching that spiritual life should transform individual behavior and society. You promoted ethical living through principles such as nonviolence, truthfulness, cleanliness, and compassion. Your encouragement of vegetarianism was grounded not merely in health or environmental concerns but in reverence for all living beings.
You also advocated for simple living and high thinking, criticizing excessive materialism and encouraging sustainable lifestyles. Through farm communities, educational initiatives, and prasādam distribution, ISKCON addressed social and humanitarian concerns while maintaining spiritual integrity.
Perhaps your greatest accomplishment was your role as a spiritual master. You personally guided thousands of disciples from diverse backgrounds, transmitting not just philosophical knowledge but a lived example of devotion, humility, discipline, and compassion. Despite your advanced age and fragile health, you traveled continuously, lectured daily, wrote extensively, and engaged personally with your followers.
Your life embodied the principle of complete surrender to divine service. By your personal example, you demonstrated that sincere devotion, guided by guru, scripture, and tradition, can transcend barriers of culture, language, and history.
Your accomplishments continue to resonate decades after your departure. ISKCON remains an active global movement, your books are translated into dozens of languages, and your teachings continue to inspire spiritual inquiry worldwide. More than institutions or texts, your enduring legacy lies in the lives transformed by your message of loving devotion to Kṛṣṇa.
In summary, your accomplishments were not limited to external achievements; they represented a successful reawakening of timeless spiritual wisdom in the modern world. Through truth, compassion, and tireless dedication, you fulfilled the mission of carrying Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every corner of the globe.
On this most sacred occasion, we humbly acknowledge our eternal debt to you and pray for the qualification to serve your mission with sincerity, obedience, and devotion. All glories to you and all glories to your ISKCON! Jaya, jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Your most humble servants,
Bala Kṛṣṇa Dāsa and the devotees of ISKCON Edmonton
Canada & USA, 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
Beloved Śrīla Prabhupāda, you uplift countless souls in Kali-yuga, offering a direct path to Kṛṣṇa’s abode for sincere aspirants over the next ten thousand years. Your greatness was known since Kṛṣṇa’s departure from this world, though it remained hidden like the channa-avatāra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is remarkable that Kṛṣṇa Himself appointed you and prepared the way for you to spread the holy names throughout the Western world.
Five thousand years ago, after Kṛṣṇa departed, Bhakti Devī grieved as her sons, Jñāna and Vairāgya, faded due to the declining interest in spiritual knowledge and renunciation during Kali-yuga. Nārada heard Bhakti’s distress, recognizing that as Kali-yuga worsens, Bhakti, along with her sons, will gradually vanish. Nārada Muni boldly took a vow: “If I do not preach your message of bhakti, I shall not be considered the servant of Lord Hari.”
Five hundred ago, as bhakta-vatsala and to uphold Nārada Muni’s vow, Kṛṣṇa personally appeared as Caitanya Mahāprabhu, embodying the compassionate heart and complexion of his greatest devotee, Śrī Rādhā, in order to showcase bhakti, the simplest means to attain perfection in Kali-yuga.
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu performed lots of pastimes in India and provided lots of evidence for the glories of bhakti by spreading the chanting of the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare / Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Nevertheless, He did not venture out of India. In the Caitanya-maṅgala He says: “Taking the sharp sword of the congregational chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, I will root out and destroy the demoniac mentality in the hearts of all conditioned souls. If some sinful people escape, going to far-off countries, then my senāpati-bhakta will come at that time to give them Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”
This means Caitanya Mahāprabhu left the most important task in Kali-yuga to somebody else. Lord Nityānanda, His brother and companion, told Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī that after Mahāprabhu leaves, Gaṅgā will flood the whole area for a hundred years. Then for the next three hundred years, she will move around and all the pastime places will be washed away. After that, He said, again the task of revealing the dhāma will begin in earnest. So this corresponds to exactly the time when Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura was present and rediscovered the birthplace of Lord Caitanya.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura made several predictions: (1) A personality would soon appear and travel all over the world to spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya; and (2) Very soon the chanting of hari-nāma saṅkīrtana would spread all over the world. Oh, when will that day come when people from America, England, France, Germany, and Russia will take up karatālas and mṛdaṅgas and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa in their towns and villages? When will that day come when the fair-skinned foreigners will come to Śrī Māyāpur-dhāma and join with the Bengali Vaiṣṇavas to chant Jaya Śacīnandana! Jaya Śacīnandana! When will that day be?
Śrīla Prabhupāda noted the spiritual significance of his birth in 1896, coinciding with the year Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura sent his book Sri Chaitanya – His Life and Precepts abroad. The will of Lord Caitanya, the aspiration of Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda, and the guidance of his spiritual master Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura enabled Śrīla Prabhupāda to disseminate Śrī Caitanya’s teachings and promote the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa globally.
Fifty years ago, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you successfully accomplished the three predictions made by Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you left this world with a legacy second to none, fulfilling the prediction of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that the holy name of Kṛṣṇa would be chanted in every town and village. You arrived in the USA in 1965. You founded ISKCON – the International Society for Krishna Consciousness – in 1966 in New York City in a storefront. You circled the global fourteen times to preach the mission of Lord Caitanya. You established 108 temples and several farm communities. You published over sixty books, which are accepted by leading scholars and universities. You departed this world on 14 November 1977, returning to Kṛṣṇa, as you were before you came to this world.
We know that Kṛṣṇa personally visited you on Janmāṣṭamī 1954, as related by Acharya Prabhakara. Kṛṣṇa gave you His kadamba flower garland that went all the way to your feet. Kadamba flowers are rare in Jhansi, and when they are available, they are usually the size of golf balls, but the ones you were given, Śrīla Prabhupāda, were the size of tennis balls, and their aroma was from the heavenly planets.
To encourage you to go to the West, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī also personally visited you while you were living at the Rādhā-Dāmodara temple in Vrindavan.
Closing the circle of the vow Nārada Muni made to Bhakti Devī, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you traveled in our world in the mood of Nārada Muni, the eternally wandering devotee. Nārada also visited you several times while you were doing your preaching work in the West. Several times you asked your disciples to bring him a chair. You also said that your spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, sent you devotees from Vaikuṇṭha to help you to fulfill Lord Caitanya’s mission.
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, I, your grandchild Śārṅga Dāsa along with all the devotees from the Fort Lauderdale community fall in the dust of your lotus feet and thank you millions and millions of times for agreeing to take on the challenge of fulfilling Nārada Muni’s vow and serving as Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s senāpati-bhakta. If you had not, we would be nothing. Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Jaya Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga.
Your servant,
Śārṅga Dāsa
On behalf of the devotees in Fort Lauderdale
Canada & USA, 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
Devotees at ISKCON Fredericton, in New Brunswick, Canada offer our most sincere and humble obeisances at the lotus feet of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda on his 2026 Vyāsa-pūjā day.
It is impossible for us to find the appropriate words to thank you properly for what you taught us, the example you set for us, and the wonderful ISKCON organization you created for us. We can only try, in our humble ways, to honor you and attempt to follow your perfect example of sharing Kṛṣṇa consciousness with those we meet.
As Canadians, we are fond of reading accounts of your visits to our country, particularly during the summer of 1968, when you spent several weeks in Montreal. You celebrated ISKCON’s second Janmāṣṭamī festival there, and it is a glorious memory, not only for those who were in Montreal at the time, but for those of us who have read accounts of that wonderful event.
Our 2025 Ratha-yātrā festival was a historic milestone for New Brunswick, drawing a record-breaking crowd of over 600 participants. While celebrating this success, we felt a deep calling to cultivate more committed practitioners. This inspired the launch of Spiritual Sparks, a dedicated youth preaching initiative. To provide a solid foundation, we have implemented a disciplined daily sādhana that includes:
- Morning: 30 minutes of japa followed by 15 minutes reading your books together.
- Evening: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class.
- Weekly: In-depth Bhagavad-gītā study sessions.
Additionally, our Kirtan Concert was a grand success, attracting 250 people and serving as a powerful outreach tool. This event allowed many new souls to chant the holy names for the first time and significantly broadened our community footprint.
The Gopal Krishna Children’s School has undergone a professional transformation to become more interactive and structured. We currently have 23 enthusiastic children enrolled, all eager to learn the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Our curriculum now integrates multimedia storytelling and hands-on Vaiṣṇava arts, ensuring that the philosophy is accessible and engaging. We have also introduced a merit-based system to encourage memorization of verses and the development of devotional character.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, our vision for the coming year is bold. We are currently working to move our Ratha-yātrā downtown, bringing the Lord of the universe to the very heart of Fredericton’s public eye. We also continue to draw immense inspiration from your disciple, Bhaktimārga Swami and the steady support of our sister temples in Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto.
We beg for your blessings and empowerment so that we may remain sincere in our efforts to expand this movement and bring the peace of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every town and village in New Brunswick.
But it is you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, who continue to be the driving force that allows ISKCON Fredericton to grow and succeed. Devotees here and around the world are inspired by your books, your recorded lectures, and the legacy you have gifted everyone in the movement you created. Your love of Kṛṣṇa and unbelievable achievements inspire us to do our best to expand your movement. It is our wish that in some small way we can continue to be servants of the servants of the servants of you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, and of Kṛṣṇa!
On September 1, 1896, you arrived on Kṛṣṇa’s earthly planet. Well over a hundred years later, your disciples and devotees are honored to continue building on the foundation you created and serve you as best we can in your mission to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness to every town and village.
Your insignificant servants at ISKCON Fredericton
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
What a privilege to serve you in this life. Whenever we please you, our hearts fill with joy and satisfaction. Your precious and potent gifts, the “techniques of spiritual life,” always uplift our hearts and minds. Reading your books, chanting japa, discussing Kṛṣṇa with your followers, honoring prasādam – anyone, anywhere, now and for all time, can learn these simple practices and transform their lives. As your service to your spiritual master, you gave these miraculous gifts so freely, and at so much personal sacrifice.
As you have given these gifts to us, we pray to share them with others on your behalf. Doing so, we please you and enrich our lives with Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over again.
In his song, Vaiṣṇava Vijñapti, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura wonderfully expresses our appreciation for you.
(1) Dear merciful Vaiṣṇav master, be kind to us, please.
Other than you, who can wash out our impurities?
(2) To simply be in your presence, all sins go away.
Where could we find someone else with mercy you display?
(3) To bathe in the Gaṅgā’s waters cleanses over time,
yet simply to see you, one is instantly refined.
(4) Offenses to Kṛṣṇa better chanting will resolve.
Offenses to you cannot be washed away at all.
(5) In your sacred heart Govinda endlessly resides.
Govinda declares, “Vaiṣṇavas are My very life.”
(6) Birth after birth, we shall beg for the dust from your feet.
Please think of your Gainesville servants as your property.
Your servants at ISKCON Gainesville, Florida, USA
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, who is very dear to Lord Krsna on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvatī Gosvāmī. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
Beginning in the early days of your newly established International Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, you spoke in your lectures and wrote in your books about the impersonalists and the dangerous effects of impersonalism and voidism. Generally, especially in the United States, we did not understand the significance of your words. We assumed that your reference to impersonalism and voidism was some far-fetched philosophy that could only be found in India and that it was irrelevant to the Western world. Still, it seemed odd that in your second praṇām–mantra we regularly glorify you for delivering the Western world from the effects of impersonalism and voidism.
Gradually we understood that impersonalism and voidism had already infiltrated our lives in many ways, perhaps not with the presentation of the deep, misleading philosophical arguments of the Māyāvādīs, but with the general concepts that God does not exist, or that He is impersonal and that real knowledge can only be attained by man’s personal endeavor, speculation, and experimentation. In general, Western civilization had been brainwashed with the assumption that real knowledge can only be attained through the material sciences and other means of direct sensual perception, and not simply from the perfect source: God.
You preached very heavily against the materialistic, atheistic scientists. You did not preach against science per se, because the Vedas are full of science. You preached against two particular goals of science. First was the idea that life has come about as the result of material interactions. The second was the idea that the material cosmic manifestation came about accidentally and without any intelligent direction, in spite of our practical experience that there is great order in the movements of the planets, stars, and nature, and we never find order anywhere without intelligent intervention.
Why did you take the trouble to preach in this way, even though many people held the material scientists in high esteem? You preached this way because your goal was to give the world the real science. You did not criticize science, but rather you showed the world what real science is. You pointed out that what is generally taught as science in the textbooks and scientific papers is largely speculation, because many of the ideas that are presented as facts are later proven to be false. On the other hand, the Vedic science is never wrong and never changes because it comes from the Lord Himself. Lord Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.1) “I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.”
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you preached that real science never changes. It comes from the Supreme Lord, and He is not a cheater, nor does He have imperfect senses, nor is He in illusion, nor does He make mistakes. You also, as the Lord’s pure representative, do not have these imperfections, and therefore you have presented this science as it is without deviation.
It is also very significant and to your eternal credit that you had full faith in the Vedic knowledge and also that you had the determination to present the Vedic knowledge as Lord Kṛṣṇa gave it without making changes just to satisfy the local population. In other words, you were not a politician who would lie to and cheat the people to secure votes just to be elected to some public office. You always spoke the truth as it is, regardless of whether it was popular or not.
Often, the scientific community has downplayed or dismissed discoveries that challenge widely accepted theories, such as Darwin’s evolution or concepts of gradual universal development, rather than unsettling the public consensus. Your glory was that you did not come into this world to find many followers. You came to remind the people in general of what they had forgotten: their eternal relationship with the Lord.
To address the materialistic and atheistic concepts found in the material sciences, you very intelligently engaged and empowered some of your disciples who had scientific credentials in using their scientific knowledge and also their understanding of the Vedic conclusions, in preaching to the scientific community. You knew that the normal rank and file of devotees, even though they accepted the Vedic principles, would have a difficult time preaching to the material scientists without being able to relate to the scientists in their own language and with reference to their own discoveries and conclusions. Therefore, you established the Bhaktivedanta Institute which continues to present the conclusions of our teachings to the material scientific community. You always taught us that we should preach according to time, place, and the particular circumstances and audiences.
Therefore, Śrīla Prabhupāda, your life is always glorious because you have boldly preached the absolute truth without deviation.
Here at ISKCON Miami, we are also trying our best to present the same conclusions to the people in general. We do not presently have devotees who can preach to the material scientific community in their own language, but we are trying our best to find the ways and means to present Kṛṣṇa consciousness to everyone according to their means. We pray that you will continue to guide us and empower us to expertly present the eternal Vedic principles to our variegated community according to their own areas of understanding.
Your humble servants at ISKCON Miami
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