Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Our dearest ever well-wisher, 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 our humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you on this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, the 130th anniversary celebration of your appearance.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we stand before you with no qualification. We have no good qualities, no strength, and no ability to serve you properly. Still, by your causeless mercy, you have given us a place in your mission, and that alone gives us hope.
In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.10.18), it is said that the symptoms of a sādhu are that he is tolerant, merciful, and friendly to all living entities. When we think of this, we can only think of you. You showed these qualities perfectly in your life.
Another verse describes how a tree gives everything to others without expecting anything in return. Even when cut or neglected, it continues to give shade, fruit, and shelter. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are like that tree. You tolerated so many difficulties, traveled across the world at an advanced age, and gave Kṛṣṇa to everyone without discrimination. In fact, you built a house (ISKCON) in which the whole world can live, the true definition of vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam.
From Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Ādi 11.59):
anargala prema sabāra, ceṣṭā anargala
prema dite, kṛṣṇa dite dhare mahābala
All these devotees had unlimited strength to deliver unobstructed, unceasing love of Kṛṣṇa. By their own strength they could offer anyone Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa.
Purport: Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung, kṛṣṇa se tomāra, kṛṣṇa dite pāra, tomāra śakati āche. In this song, Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura describes that a pure Vaiṣṇava, as the proprietor of Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa, can deliver both to anyone and everyone he likes. Therefore, to get Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa one must seek the mercy of pure devotees. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura also says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi: ‘By the mercy of the spiritual master one is blessed by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement.’ By the grace of a Vaiṣṇava or bona fide spiritual master one can get both love of Godhead, and Kṛṣṇa Himself.
It is described that a pure devotee has the power to give Kṛṣṇa and love of Kṛṣṇa to anyone. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have done exactly that. You have given Kṛṣṇa to the whole world. Because of you, even in a small city like Burlington we are able to chant, hear, and try to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Home away from home – just because of your causeless mercy.
We know that without the mercy of the spiritual master, we cannot get Kṛṣṇa. So today, we simply pray to you: please shower us with your bhakti-śakti (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 7.99). Please give us even a small drop of your faith, your determination, so that we, your followers, are able to preach this message of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to everyone.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we also remember how Lord Kṛṣṇa embraced Sudāmā and the leper Vāsudeva with great compassion (Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 7.143). In the same way, we pray that you kindly embrace us also at ISKCON Burlington, even though we are unqualified and full of faults.
By your mercy, this past year has been very special for ISKCON Burlington. We started Bhakti Vriksha programs in devotees’ homes, where we gather in a simple and informal way to hear, chant, and associate. These programs have helped us come closer as a community and stay connected in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
With your blessings, we were also able to conduct our fourth Ratha-yātrā at Spencer Smith Park. It is one of the most beautiful places in our city, and many people came, took prasādam, had darshan of Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, and Subhadrā, and received Their causeless mercy. We could feel that this is your movement, and you are bringing people to ISKCON step by step.
Our small community has also grown. More devotees are regularly coming, and for the first time at ISKCON Burlington, two devotees have received first initiation. This has given us great hope that many more will come forward in the future to take up Kṛṣṇa consciousness seriously.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, whatever little we have been able to do is only by your mercy. We cannot claim anything as our own.
Looking forward, we have one strong desire: to establish a permanent home for your mission here in Burlington. We are searching for a place where devotees can come together regularly, where your books can be distributed, where kirtan can go on, and where new people can be introduced to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Please bless us so that we can collect the required lakṣmī and resources to make this happen for your pleasure, if you so desire.
We also pray that we can continue and expand our temple and Bhakti Vriksha programs and focus more on making devotees and engaging them in your mission. Please give us the intelligence, cooperation, and sincerity to work together and serve you nicely.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you said that your mission is to give Kṛṣṇa to everyone. We are very small and weak, but if you bless us, even we can become instruments in your hands.
So today, on your Vyāsa-pūjā day, this is our simple prayer:
Please engage us in your service.
Please keep us together.
Please keep us under your shelter.
Let us never forget that everything depends on your mercy.
Thank you for giving us Kṛṣṇa. Thank you for giving us your books. Thank you for giving us a place in your movement.
Your insignificant servants of your servants,
ISKCON Burlington, Canada
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Hare Kṛṣṇa, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On behalf of all Calgary devotees, please accept our humble obeisances at the dust of your
lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
As we gather on this sacred day of your divine appearance beneath the same stars that wit-
nessed your arrival in this world 129 years ago, our hearts overflow with gratitude. In the harsh
Canadian winters, where temperatures plunge to -30°C, your teachings burn like a spiritual fire
that warms our souls and illuminates our path back to Kṛṣṇa – our eternal home.
You transformed what seemed impossible into divine reality – bringing Caitanya
Mahāprabhu’s teachings from the ancient streets of Vrindavan to the modern skylines of cities
worldwide. When you arrived at Boston Harbor in 1965 with only forty rupees and your unwav-
ering faith, who could have imagined that your movement would one day flourish even in the
remote western provinces of Canada? Yet here we stand, living proof of your spiritual vision mani-
fested against all material odds.
Learning about your struggles, including rejection, multiple setbacks, and suffering heart
attacks provides us with immeasurable strength. When we face challenges in our spiritual
practices amid the distractions of modern Calgary, we remember how you typed or dictated your
manuscripts through the night despite all obstacles, and our resolve is renewed.
An ancient Sanskrit verse perfectly describes your divine compassion:
mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ
paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande
paramānanda-mādhavam
By the mercy of the guru, the dumb can speak eloquently and the lame can cross mountains. Just
as you transformed hippies into happies, you continue to transform ordinary Calgarians from
diverse backgrounds – engineers in the oil industry, students at the universities, families in the
suburbs – into devotees seeking Kṛṣṇa’s love.
On this auspicious occasion marking your appearance in this world, ISKCON Calgary humbly
presents our annual offerings at your lotus feet:
The bitter cold of Alberta winters does not deter our book distributors, who have increased
their distribution by 10 percent each year. Your transcendental literature is now distributed in
corporate towers and rural communities alike. We’ve placed your books in unique locations,
including major hospitals, provincial correctional facilities, senior care facilities, and university
campuses.
Following your explicit instruction that “books are the basis,” we have established many new
study circles focused on systematic reading. During the darkest winter nights, when the sun sets
before 5 p.m., devotees gather in homes across the city to illuminate their consciousness with your
words, creating islands of spiritual light in the snow.
As promised during last year’s Vyāsa-pūjā celebration, ISKCON management has secured a
spectacular property for our new temple of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and Śrīnāthjī. We are happy
to report that we have seen overwhelmingly positive response from the local congregation and
received support from local organizations. There is still a long way to go, but we are confident
that through your boundless mercy, we will succeed in this most important project that will
ensure that ISKCON Calgary’s vision is realized and we will continue to nourish the souls of
countless current and future generations.
The Calgary Vedic Academy has become recognized for excellence even among nondevotee
educators. Our six concurrent programs now serve devotees from toddlerhood through adult-
hood, with specialized curricula for each age group. The 130 current students represent various
nationalities, reflecting your vision of a spiritual movement transcending all material designations.
Our outreach has expanded to include weekly saṅkīrtana parties, where hundreds witness the
Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra resounding among the downtown skyscrapers – creating scenes reminiscent of
your first public kīrtana at Tompkins Square Park.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam classes now regularly attract many attendees weekly, with online viewers
occasionally joining from across the globe. We’ve welcomed distinguished speakers, including
senior disciples who share memories of you, creating a living connection between generations of
devotees.
Our Janmāṣṭamī festivities last year drew over 5,000 attendees, many of whom were experienc-
ing Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the first time. The annual twenty-four-hour and monthly six-hour
kīrtanas have continued without pause, with devotees participating with utmost enthusiasm and
devotion to maintain the unbroken chain of divine sound vibration – a testament to the dedica-
tion you inspired.
As taught in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.27), “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer
or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to
Me.” In this spirit, ISKCON Calgary remains steadfastly dedicated to offering all our activities in
service to your divine mission.
tvaṁ gopikā vṛṣaraves tanayāntike ’si
sevādhikāriṇi guro nija-pāda-padme
dāsyaṁ pradāya kuru māṁ vraja-kānane śrī-
rādhāṅghri-sevana-rase sukhinīṁ sukhābdhau
O beloved spiritual master, ever present with Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, daughter of King
Vṛṣabhānu, please grant us service at your lotus feet, the bestowers of devotional
service. Place us in the ocean of transcendental joy through the nectar of serving Śrī
Rādhā in the groves of Vraja-dhāma. (Guru-stuti)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, when the first snowfall blankets our city each year, transforming it into a glis-
tening white landscape, we are reminded of your pure devotion, which transforms hearts. Like
those snowflakes – each unique, yet part of a beautifully unified display – we are individual souls
united in your service.
We are mere pebbles carried by time’s current. Without you, we have no shelter, no capacity,
and would be utterly lost in this world of darkness and ignorance. Though separated by time and
space, we feel your presence guiding our community with each sunrise. Please keep us at your
lotus feet and bless us to continue serving your mission for generations to come.
Your most fallen servants,
The devotees at ISKCON Calgary
Canada & USA, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Hare Kṛṣṇa, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances unto your lotus feet.
ISKCON Calgary offers this small offering as a humble tribute to your inconceivable contribution toward humanity on this Vyāsa-pūjā. Śrīla Prabhupāda, a few words or a few pages cannot fully express the deep gratitude in the hearts of your devotees at ISKCON Calgary. Just as Vaikuṇṭha ever expands, so the devotion and gratitude of the devotees here continue to grow for you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are an ocean of mercy. Just as Śrī Kṛṣṇa happily accepted the banana peel offered with great love and devotion by Vidurāṇī, so we pray that you kindly accept this offering as a token of gratitude, devotion, and love on behalf of the ISKCON Calgary congregation.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you established so many temples across the world that serve as powerful gateways to propagating spiritual knowledge and wisdom. Inspired by your vision, ISKCON Calgary, to the best of its ability, is striving hard to spread this mission. To meaningfully carry forward your divine purpose, the temple places a strong emphasis on nurturing devotees from within and without. With this understanding, by providing internal nourishment, a devotee naturally becomes an instrument for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others. In this way, dear Prabhupāda, internal cultivation and external outreach go hand in hand, forming a balanced and sustainable approach to fulfilling your mission in the Western world.
Focused on providing spiritual nourishment to the devotees, temple efforts involve organizing spiritual courses, devotional discussions, and outreach programs. These also include book distribution, which is the heart of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
With the involvement of youth and other volunteers in the temple services, the temple also takes care of these devotees by providing them spiritual nourishment. Rendering services in the right mood and consciousness is very important for quick elevation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore we have more than forty devotees who have taken courses like Discover Yourself and Positive Thinkers, taught by His Grace Rādheśhyāma Prabhu form ISKCON Pune. These courses have not only helped devotees to grow in their spiritual wisdom but have helped them over time to preach this transcendental knowledge to new devotees during outdoor activities.
ISKCON Calgary now has more than twenty dedicated youth who attend the full morning program, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class. For many devotees, the Saturday maṅgala-ārati programs have become a powerful source of spiritual support. Regularly joining these early morning gatherings has helped people strengthen their bhakti and build more consistency, sincerity, and enthusiasm in their devotional lives.
As a result, many have made real progress in their spiritual journey by regularly chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra and slowly bringing their lives in line with the four regulative principles. These programs encourage discipline and devotion while building a sense of community, accountability, and shared spiritual growth among everyone who takes part.
ISKCON Calgary has always prioritized high standards of cleanliness. Temple management recognizes that the regular cleaning of the temple on weekdays, festivals, and Sunday feast programs requires a large number of dedicated devotees. In your letter dated 2 January 1972, you explained the most practical way to engage our skills in Kṛṣṇa’s service: “In the material dealings, there is always something undesirable, but even so, you cannot give up your occupation. Just like fire is very pure, there is still some smoke. You cannot avoid it. All these things can be rectified when the result is offered to Kṛṣṇa.” Taking this instruction as a guiding principle, devotees at ISKCON Calgary, including our more than forty young people, are wholeheartedly engaged in cleaning services, trusting that it will please you and our Lordships. This service is performed not merely as a duty, dear Prabhupāda, but as an offering imbued with devotion.
To further cultivate and help them grow, a dedicated initiative known as Pāṇḍava Sena of Calgary has been established under the guidance of His Grace Kanāi Ṭhākura Prabhu. This is a dedicated team focused on youth outreach. Pāṇḍava Sena of Calgary organized various courses for the youth, including retreats, kirtans, and other youth-oriented activities to provide them holistic and nurturing care. This team’s efforts aim to create a supportive and inspiring environment where young devotees can connect deeply with Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Currently, Pāṇḍava Sena is actively involved in university outreach, conducting regular monthly programs at the University of Calgary to introduce students to Vedic philosophy and devotional practices. These sessions include interactive discussion, kirtans, and the practical application of spiritual principles, creating a welcoming platform for students to explore Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a structured and relatable manner. Thanks to the dedication of our faithful devotees, it has been possible for us to participate in many of the events at the university level, where not only were the students connected, but also books like Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Elevation to Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, Beyond Birth and Death, and many others have been distributed. Not only that, but Pāṇḍava Sena also has plans to conduct its very first retreat in May 2026. This retreat is aimed at anchoring the existing devotees and new devotees of the temple.
CVA in Calgary is also expanding rapidly. With an initial enrollment of forty-five students, CVA now has more than 150 students, who participate in understanding the fundamentals of the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, along with śloka recitation. CVA is diligently working to train the next generation of warriors for your mission, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Calgary bows at your lotus feet again and again and offers its obeisances to you on the auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā. You crossed oceans, endured two heart attacks, and had nothing in your hands simply to deliver generations and generations of this world. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you did not have material riches, but you were full of the mercy of the Supreme. Śrīla Prabhupāda, how will we – rather, how will this whole world – be able to repay our debt to for your immense mercy?
With you in our hearts, Śrīla Prabhupāda, the devotees are constantly elevating themselves on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda, there is no moment when the devotees of Calgary forget you. Śrīla Prabhupāda, ISKCON Calgary may not have achieved the best of everything it’s capable of, but we promise that, being warriors in your army, we will keep growing every day, every moment, and make sure that Lord Caitanya’s message and glories are heard in every street of the city.
With this, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, we beg forgiveness if in any way we are lacking in our service to your mission. Please accept each of us and keep us under your shelter. All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to you.
Your servants at ISKCON Calgary
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda! Dear father, only refuge of fallen souls,
Your divine appearance is a new hope, a great wave in the flood of gaura-prema that will cover
the entire universe.
O ocean of mercy, thanks to you we have met Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Nityānanda Prabhu, and all
Their associates. It is thanks to you that we have met Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
You have come from the divine land of Vrindavan to these Western countries to fulfill the wish
of your divine spiritual master. You dazzled us with your absolute and beautiful devotion to his
instructions, uniting each of your breaths with Lord Caitanya’s relief mission to the fallen souls.
Please hear our prayer and forgive our offenses. Lead us to purely chant the holy name of
the Lord. Your Divine Grace is like a drop of nectar upon our dry hearts, a lightning bolt that
illuminates our dark consciousness, a balm upon our wounds. You accept our insignificant and
unworthy offerings and bring them to the feet of the Lord. Purify our hearts so that we may be
better instruments in your mission. Grant that we may serve you birth after birth. Turn your gaze
upon us and accept the humble offering of those of us who aspire to be your eternal servants at
the Caracas mandira.
Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda. Your fame extends throughout the three worlds.
Your servants in Caracas
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo
yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi
By the mercy of the spiritual master one is benedicted by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa. Without
the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement.
On this most auspicious occasion of your Śrī Vyāsa-pūjā, we, your humble servants at the
ISKCON Cebu yātrā, offer our humble obeisances unto your divine lotus feet. It is by your mercy
alone that we have come in contact with this most rare and precious gift: Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are our jagad-guru, the savior of the fallen, the expert and merciful
captain who has guided the fallen souls of this world across the ocean of material existence. You
have fulfilled the prophecy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu that the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra would
be heard in every town and village. By your divine grace, even in this distant land of Cebu, the
glorious saṅkīrtana movement has taken root. Your mercy is unfathomable, and our debt to you is
beyond measure.
When you set foot in the Philippines in the 1970s, you planted the seeds of bhakti that have
flourished slowly but never dissipated. It is evident that the influence of Kali-yuga is very strong
in our region. However, your disciples, imbued with your spirit of compassion and unwavering
dedication, have tirelessly carried your mission forward. Through their service, we – unworthy
and fallen as we are – have found our connection to the guru-paramparā and been given the
opportunity to serve in Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana mission. It is only by your divine mercy that a
region such as ours, a land of mlecchas, could receive such immense great fortune.
As I reflect on my childhood, having been born and raised at ISKCON Philippines I have seen
the struggles, growth, and development of our yātrā. The Cebu yātrā is where ISKCON was first
established by your disciples after meeting two locals. One of these was my mother, Jayaśrī Devī
Dāsī. Having witnessed the Philippine yātrā’s history, I am extremely humbled and grateful for
having been given the opportunity to grow up in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Through four decades of
trying to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, I have fallen countless times and gone astray. But by the
mercy of your faithful disciples and other local senior Vaiṣṇavas, your loving society has contin-
ued to give me and many similar individuals at the Cebu yātrā countless chances to rectify and
continue to serve you and ISKCON. Through these years I have developed such a deep respect
and appreciation for what you have established for our yātrā and feel eternally indebted, like so
many individuals in our region.
Despite the challenges of establishing Kṛṣṇa consciousness in a land steeped in material
struggle, your mercy is a ray of hope that helps us to persevere, helped by your beloved disciples,
who reflect your expertise and training and who faithfully execute your instructions. The path to
perfection is not easy. The forces of māyā constantly test our resolve, and the burden of low birth
and past conditioning weighs heavily upon us. But through your divine guidance, and by the
strength of your instructions, we take shelter in guru, sādhu, and śāstra, finding solace and cour-
age to continue this sacred spiritual journey. Your books are our eternal lighthouse, illuminating
the darkness of ignorance and guiding us toward the ultimate goal of life: pure devotional service
to Kṛṣṇa.
As we offer this homage, we reflect on the unimaginable grace you bestowed upon us. Who
could have thought that Kṛṣṇa consciousness would reach a place like Cebu? That temples,
nāmahaṭṭa groups, and devotee communities would emerge here, enabling so many souls to chant
the holy names of the Lord? This is your miracle, Śrīla Prabhupāda. And we, as your children,
pray that we may remain forever engaged in serving your ISKCON family, never faltering in our
determination to advance in spiritual life and follow your instructions.
On this auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we humbly beg for your continued bless-
ings and offer two humble projects. The first, is the acquisition of a 7,600-sqare-meter property
donated by Ācārya Dāsa, a disciple of Tamal Krishna Goswami, to develop a Kṛṣṇa conscious
farm community in Bogo, Northern Cebu Province, where we worship our former padayātrā Dei-
ties, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi. The second is a newly established preaching center in Mandaue City,
Cebu, where devotees and guests worship newly installed twelve-inch brass Deities of Śrī Śrī
Gaura-Nitāi.
We have also established harināmas and bhajanas two or three times a week at the Plaza Inde-
pendencia Park and Fort San Pedro, with the official support of the local authorities and the inter-
faith organization of Cebu City, inspired by the most glorious story of how you began to preach
Kṛṣṇa consciousness in Tompkins Square Park in New York City. We are humbled to see how
much sacrifice you underwent just to save all of us. Please give us the same strength, inspiration,
and impetus to bear all trials and tribulations that come with practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness and
developing these projects. Please allow us to remain steadfast in our sādhana, unwavering in our
faith, fearless in spreading the glories of the holy name, and confident in distributing your books,
for without your mercy and guidance we cannot succeed due to our very unfortunate material
conditioning.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are forever indebted to you. From the depths of our hearts we offer you
our sincerest gratitude, our most heartfelt and humble obeisances, and our unwavering pledge
to serve your divine mission. We beg you to use us as instruments in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s
saṅkīrtana movement.
All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to the eternal servant of Śrī Guru and Śrī
Gaurāṅga!
Aspiring to always be in your service,
Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Dāsa
Cebu, Philippines
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept our humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to our param-guru,
Śrīla Prabhupāda.
guru kṛṣṇa-rūpa hana śāstrera pramāṇe
guru-rūpe kṛṣṇa kṛpā karena bhakta-gaṇe
According to the deliberate opinion of all revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is
nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa in the form of the spiritual master delivers His
devotees. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 1.45)
śikṣā-guruke ta’ jāni kṛṣṇera svarūpa
antaryāmī, bhakta-śreṣṭha, – ei dui rūpa
One should know the instructing spiritual master to be the Personality of Kṛṣṇa. Lord
Kṛṣṇa manifests Himself as the Supersoul and as the greatest devotee of the Lord.
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi 1.47)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, as the founder-ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKCON) and the preeminent teacher (śikṣā-guru) and ultimate authority in our Society, you
have a unique relationship with every ISKCON devotee. You left a legacy of instructions through
your books, lectures, and letters on each and every aspect of devotional service to the Supreme
Lord and the practical aspects of running an organization.
You left behind key systems of spiritual practice, governance, and community engagement,
emphasizing bhakti-yoga, or devotion to Kṛṣṇa, performed through profound and clear processes
of chanting, temple worship, and the distribution of literature.
Śrīmān Mahāprabhu chose you to be an ambassador of His mission and vision (mora senāpati)
because you are an ocean of fine Vaiṣṇava qualities. We can experience these good qualities in
your personal interactions with your disciples, followers, and the people in general. By coming
in touch with your transcendental books, your vapu, we became very fortunate. In Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam (1.1.15), Śaunaka and other sages glorify Sūta Gosvāmī by describing the potency of a
pure devotee:
yat-pāda-saṁśrayāḥ sūta
munayaḥ praśamāyanāḥ
sadyaḥ punanty upaspṛṣṭāḥ
svardhuny-āpo ’nusevayā
O Sūta, those great sages who have completely taken shelter of the lotus feet of the
Lord can at once sanctify those who come in touch with them, whereas the waters of
the Ganges can sanctify only after prolonged use.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are very proud of being your warriors. Recently, at the Kumbha Mela, the
sannyāsī community gave you the title jagad-guru – the one and only spiritual master for the whole
world – seeing how you have changed the entire world, and no other guru had ever done this
before. Even Rāmānujācārya, the most renowned spiritual master recorded in history, couldn’t
achieve what you achieved within such a short time.
Your glories are unlimited. Your divine BBT purports – your transcendental ecstasies –
touched my heart, and many millions of living entities are being transformed by them. These
purports and your divine classes on the Gītā, Nectar of Devotion, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and Caitanya-
caritāmṛta are so electrifying that they propel us deeper and deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Your words make us more surrendered and give us much renewed energy to serve your mission
in the association of your disciples, granddisciples, great-granddisciples, and other Vaiṣṇavas in
loving, humble cooperation. We are learning so much from your personal letters and the purports
of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Your concern that devotees work cooperatively
to serve the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is touching to our heart and soul. We experience
that without cooperation, neither we nor the community grows. That is the success of disciplic
succession. As you wrote, “There is only one guru, who appears in an infinity of forms to teach
you, me, and all others.”
In the Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (1.2.12) it is said:
tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet
samit-pāṇiḥ srotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham
In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bona fide spiritual
master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth.
A few lines from your homage to your spiritual master are reflective:
Absolute is sentient
Thou hast proved.
Impersonal calamity
Thou hast removed…
Had you not come,
Who had told
The message of Krishna
Forceful and bold?…
The line of service
As drawn by you,
Is pleasing and healthy
Like morning dew.
The oldest of all,
But in new dress.
Miracle done,
Your Divine Grace.
At ISKCON of Central New Jersey, as a humble offering to you and our spiritual masters, we
started our center in 2004 – from a once-a-week rental facility to a full-fledged temple by 2015.
This year on Balarāma Pūrṇimā we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of the installation of Śrī
Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara. We are blessed with the manifestation of the most beautiful Deities of
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara, Śrī Śrī Jagannātha-Baladeva-Subhadrā, Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, choṭa
Śrī Śrī Rādhe-Śyāma, and choṭa Śrī Pañca-tattva.
We are a vibrant community with more than one hundred initiated disciples. We celebrate all
major festivals, including three Ratha-yātrās each year; have weekend warriors, who go out on
book distribution, with an offering of more than five thousand hardbound books distributed in
2024. More than ten bhakti-vrikshas cultivate two hundred congregants each week. We have daily
morning and evening virtual śāstric saṅgas, a vibrant Sunday school consisting of five classes, with
more than one hundred students taking advantage of spiritual education from their childhood.
The youth coordinate kīrtana events, and there is a Bhakti club at the university that attracts
thousands. Govinda’s catering and restaurant provides sanctified food to hundreds; fully installed
solar panels support the temple’s Go Green initiative; and an upcoming tulasī room will be built
later this year. These are some of the humble offerings at your lotus feet.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you taught us about the four pillars of our Society: “Purity is the force,”
“Utility is the principle,” “Books are the basis,” and “Preaching is the essence.” Every day we try
to strengthen these pillars. However, due to our inability and weakness, our progress is very slow.
Our preaching activities attract many new devotees to our center. We distribute books in new
venues. We finish our rounds in the morning and utilize our facility to serve communities. We are
eagerly seeking your mercy. Please guide us, bless us, show us the path. We just want to follow
you – only you – your words, your instructions, your standards, and your footsteps. Without your
mercy, nothing is possible. But with your mercy, everything is possible.
The savior of the whole world, Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
The devotees at ISKCON of Central New Jersey
