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 my humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
I was requested to write your Vyāsa-pūjā offering on behalf of the New Dwaraka temple. After
several tries, yesterday, when I went out on book distribution, what I had wanted to say became
clear.
So much becomes clear when there is your book distribution. Having the opportunity to pres-
ent your Bhaktivedanta translations and purports to the Bhagavad-gītā to the students at the col-
leges is a very rich and satisfying experience. They seem to be dismayed about what is going on in
the world. It is very easy to see that the quality of their lives is not the same quality of the lives of
young people fifty years ago.
Everything you predicted is coming true. You predicted that the American people would lose
all their pious merit because they have thrown out God and embraced science for the purpose of
improving sense gratification. You predicted an increasing lack of protection of the weaker citi-
zens, such as old men, women, young people, and animals. Today’s young people cannot expect
stability – not from the economy, their leaders, their employers, not even from the weather. I feel
relieved and grateful when your beautiful Bhagavad-gītā is placed in their hands or it goes into
their homes. Even if they do not look at it for years, there is no better insurance for their future.
Evidently, other distributors feel the same way, because so many, many of your transcendental
books have been distributed. The amount more than triples the amount distributed when you
were physically present! Currently, entire sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Caitanya-caritāmṛta are
received by delighted people every day. Millions of your books are warehoused for this purpose
all over the world. ISKCON educational institutions, teaching Bhakti-śāstrī and Bhakti-vaibhava
classes, as well as massive prasādam distribution programs, serve tens of thousands of people daily
on this planet. All of this is due to the expertise of your disciples and granddisciples in a truly
grand cooperative effort.
When I first became a devotee, just after your departure, I witnessed how the initial enthusiasm
in your Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement fell into some chaos and lack of clarity. Then a fire of
purified and refined feelings of love and undeniable gratitude for Your Divine Grace burned up
all the confusion and hesitancy. The result? In our community we have seen amazing expertise in
handling all forms of deviation with single-minded attention to your instructions, at any cost! I
think this must have happened all over the world, because we see the same result everywhere. This
vyavasāyātmikā-buddhi determination has endowed us with an atmosphere for beautiful, expansive
temple communities and congregations at hundreds of locations.
As you envisioned for your devotees, the quality of our lives is ever increasingly enhanced. In
your ISKCON we are experiencing an ongoing evolution of Vaiṣṇava culture: kīrtana, bhajana,
dance, art and design, architecture, festivals, education in śāstra, a growing enthusiastic congrega-
tion, the implementation of the social divisions of varṇa and āśrama, vegetarian prasādam, and
Vaiṣṇava dress. It should be mentioned that the opportunity in your ISKCON for Deity worship
is unique in the world of bhakti. Your instruction to worship and decorate the Deities with great
attention, as gorgeously as possible, is a great challenge as well as an enthralling pleasure. And
how did we learn all this?
All of this has come to us because your most loyal devotees have spent their lives training us
in the understanding of what they learned from you. For example, over and over again I have
seen your disciples at New Dwaraka train a new person who may fall away, just in the hope that
they will somehow, or someday, become attached to Kṛṣṇa’s devotional service. Do your disciples
turn their attention elsewhere? No. That is because they are fully committed to you. The loyalty
and love your disciples have for you are rarely found anywhere. What is the effect? We get the
shelter of your lotus feet and become sane, and even full of joy. We dance and chant. We are saved
from material suffering. The most fearsome danger of repeated birth and death is avoided if we
can begin to appreciate this loyalty and love coming to us through you and the entire disciplic
succession.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you had no opportunity like we do to pick up a mṛdaṅga and books and go
to a safe, legal location to do harināma-saṅkīrtana. You didn’t have a harmonium or legal status
or strong health or experienced followers. You wrote back to India many letters that reveal your
helplessness to get support and paraphernalia. Yet because you loved Kṛṣṇa and His parts and
parcels more than your own life, because the order of your spiritual master was your only priority,
you did not waver or bend. For an elderly person to be far away from his homeland, surrounded
only by confused young people in the severe New York weather, with scarce finances, often poor
accommodations, and then come out of it absolutely undeterred can only be seen as supernatural.
You are simply Kṛṣṇa-natural.
In your classic Bhaktivedanta purport to Bhagavad-gītā 18.75, you explain the Kṛṣṇa-
supernatural ability that empowered you to directly deliver Kṛṣṇa consciousness to others: “Vyāsa
was the spiritual master of Sañjaya, and Sañjaya admits that it is by Vyāsa’s mercy that he could
understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that one has to understand Kṛṣṇa
not directly but by the medium of the spiritual master. The spiritual master is the transparent
medium, although it is true that the experience is still direct. This is the mystery of the disci-
plic succession.” This explains how you are continuing to give Kṛṣṇa to others to this day and
eternally.
We offer our humble obeisances to Your Divine Grace, who loves Kṛṣṇa so perfectly. We can
only offer our respects to you and try to follow and serve you in constant debt for having gotten
the chance to appreciate your perfect love for Kṛṣṇa.
Your humble servants at New Dwaraka
(written by Karuṇa Dhāriṇī Devī Dāsī)
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
The Power of Purity
We here at New Gokula farming community offer our gratitude for the rare fortune of offering
devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead every day in varieties of ways compat-
ible with our individual capacities.
We offer our praise for the privilege to nurture body and spirit on devotionally imbued kṛṣṇa-
prasādam, prepared devotionally – our devotee cooks being careful and conscious to follow all
standards you have personally taught in order for their offerings to be accepted by Lord Kṛṣṇa
and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.
Full appreciation to you, our dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, for directing your followers to read and
discuss your precisely prepared literatures, which remove the prevalent ignorance of Kali-yuga,
under which we were also fully ensnared; and which lift human lives from despair and drudgery
to genuine realization of the highest spiritual truths, yielding actual contentment.
The association of like-minded devotees, sincerely attempting to raise their consciousness to the
mode of goodness and beyond, is your unique and glorious credit, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Also, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, you have bequeathed a life in the lap of Mother Nature, offering fresh produce and
flowers that can please Their Lordships. Not to forget the loving nature of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s cows and
bulls, whom we are learning to nurture and protect and who epitomize the principles of dharma.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is no small feat of your far-reaching vision that you offered rigorous
training in worshiping the beautiful arcā-vigrahas of Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gokulānanda, Jagannātha-
Balarāma-Subhadrādevī, Gaura-Nitāi, and, of course, your own form, in which the devotees of the
Lord have full faith and confidence that you hear and reciprocate their daily prayers.
And most of all, Śrīla Prabhupāda, may we sincerely glorify you for the wonderful example
you left us, recounted in countless memoirs and recordings, of the qualities of a perfect character
lauded in all scriptures, appreciated by anyone and everyone, including even so-called enemies.
Finally, Śrīla Prabhupāda, thank you for the ISKCON society, which you describe in your
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.26.5 purport: “This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the only means by
which the sinful activities of men in this Kali-yuga can be counteracted.”
Your servant,
Kāliya Kṛṣṇa Dāsa,
on behalf of the devotees at New Gokula Farm
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On this auspicious day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we gather to express our deepest gratitude and
reverence for your unparalleled contributions to the world. Your tireless efforts in spreading the
teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa have illuminated countless hearts and minds, guiding us on the path of
devotion and spiritual enlightenment.
Your life is a testament to unwavering dedication, compassion, and humility. Through your
books, lectures, and personal example, you have shown us the true essence of bhakti-yoga. Your
teachings continue to inspire and transform lives, providing solace and direction in an often tur-
bulent world.
As we reflect on your legacy, we are reminded of the importance of sincere service and unwaver-
ing faith. Your vision of a global community united in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is more relevant today
than ever before. More people are seeking community living where spiritually based support
becomes essential to them.
We are committed to carrying forward your mission, striving to live by your teachings and
share them with others.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we offer our heartfelt obeisances at your lotus feet. May we always remain
steadfast in our devotion and service, seeking your blessings and guidance in every step of our
spiritual journey.
Your humble servants,
New Govardhana Farm, Australia
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances at the divine dust of your lotus feet. All glories to
Your Divine Grace!
We are going through hard times. So much fighting, disagreement, and aggression in this
material world. Cynicism sneaks in, and people begin to doubt whether devotional ideals are
realistic and reachable. We cannot sit idly and accept that the vision of a pure devotee like you
will not fructify. Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, insignificant as we are, please empower us with the intel-
ligence to be part of the solution. Let us together make your movement what it can and should be.
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, your presence, influence, and inspiration has been the one constant
thread throughout our saṅkīrtana journey. We went from transition to transition. Yet almost every
day we try very hard to refer to your teachings and remember your personality, and then to render
some small service to your mission. We try really hard to chant, sing, and even dance for the
Lord’s pleasure. In spite of our efforts, it is during these saṅkīrtana journeys that we witness the
tiniest bit of our efforts manifesting. Still, we know it’s not enough. We need to fulfill your vision
for this movement! We need to do it as soon as possible. We need to do it before it is too late.
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, you envisioned a school – a place to learn the sacred art of recon-
necting with our deepest aspirations. We cannot take the world to a higher place than the place
we are trying to reach internally ourselves. But, you, our dearest, envisioned a mission with an
inspired team of spiritual change-makers who were out to trigger a revolution of consciousness –
the saṅkīrtana-yajña. Nothing less will do, of course. We try and try and try. We try our best to
participate fully in saṅkīrtana – with body, mind, and soul. Almost every week, or at least every
fortnight, we try to organize this great yajña, which has been empowered by the paramparā, in dif-
ferent villages and subvillages, and even in remote places. It is only through your ceaseless mercy
that we are capable of doing so.
One of our recent harināma-saṅkīrtana events inundated and then drowned many souls. While
chanting the glories of the Supreme at the sacred place called Ganga Talao, on the auspicious
occasion of Mahā Śiva-rātri, we witnessed your mercy flowing. Devotees from all over our small
island of Mauritius participated, somehow or other. What was mesmerizing was that Bangladeshi
and Nepalese workers from abroad joined the saṅkīrtana, dancing and singing with us. We did not
have to encourage them to do so. Thrilled, they danced, radiating pleasure and bliss, even if they
claimed it was for the very first time they were witnessing such a thing in their lives! You envi-
sioned a family – not just an official meeting of colleagues, but a community of love. You wanted
us to demonstrate relationships of love and trust. During these saṅkīrtana parties, that is exactly
what we try to show. You envisioned a house for the whole world – a place where everyone, from
every conceivable background, would be welcome and integrated. You called it the United
Nations of the spiritual world.
O ocean of mercy, we beg you to manifest your mercy so that we may produce artists of devo-
tion, individuals who are flying high in the skies of bhakti and becoming living embodiments of
everything we seek to share with the world during saṅkīrtana. May we become vessels that show
how this process changes hearts, turning crows into swans. Śrīla Prabhupāda, may we again
exude that urgency and reignite the spirit of sacrifice required to jolt this world out of its spiritual
amnesia. May we fully embrace that burden of love – going to bed at night in spiritual anxiety,
and waking the next morning enthused to take things to another level.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, may we bring more heart into our homes, seek to deeply understand one
another, care for one another, and resolve differences with maturity and kindness. Let us throw all
harshness by the wayside, fanning the spark in one another, staying united and harmonious.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, may we manifest inclusivity, openness, and a welcoming spirit, empowering
one and all to untap and unleash their spiritual potential. Let us ensure that divisive trends and
polarizing narratives never enter our communities.
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, insignificant as we are, please empower us with the intelligence to
be part of the solution. Let us make your mercy accessible to all.
Your most fallen grandchildren,
The New Māyāpura Dhāma Saṅkīrtana Team, Mauritius
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace. May your lotus
feet spread the greatest benedictions to our souls.
You are the greatest savior of this current modern age, having enlightened us on the pitfalls
of the materialistic way of life and all its dangers. You brought singlehandedly the message of
bhāgavata-dharma, and have now inspired millions and millions of lost souls to take up the sooth-
ing, moonlike chanting of the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we will never be able
to repay you for all you have done and went through to save us from the dangers of this material
world. You have shown us, and everyone, the ultimate path of perfection. What would we have
become if you had not taken so dearly the instructions of your spiritual master?
It is up to us to take your instructions to our hearts and live them. You have insisted on the
importance of vāṇī – your words, your teachings, your instructions, and your orders. You have
laid down the foundations of this preaching work in the Western world, which was initiated by Śrī
Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His followers in the subsequent years and centuries. You said that “the
disciple has to pass the test of the spiritual master,” and it’s now in our hands to be tested in this
way and in whichever sevā we may be doing, and by so doing, try to make you happy and proud.
As you wrote, “When a disciple very perfectly makes progress in spiritual life, this gladdens
the spiritual master, who then also smiles in ecstasy, thinking, ‘How successful my disciple has
become!’ He feels so glad that he smiles as he enjoys the progress of the disciple.” (Caitanya-
caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 7.82, purport)
Śrīla Prabhupāda, in keeping with your mission, here at New Mayapura we have, by your
mercy and for your pleasure, increased our Deity worship standards, our book distribution, and
introduced additional preaching activities around our community. As an additional path toward
self-sufficiency, we are progressively increasing the number of cows for our own milk and prop-
erly training the oxen in the fields. Significant repair work has continued to be done, thanks to
the contributions of many sincere souls attached to your mission. These persons are particularly
happy to see that New Mayapura serves as a haven to many – and will be a haven to many more
souls to come.
At the New Orleans farm in 1975, during the morning Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class, you said,
“Make life very simple – and simple living, high thinking, and always conscious to go back to
home, back to Kṛṣṇa. So if you show practical example that how you are living simple life and
how you are advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then people will learn from you.”
As we are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the installation of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi this year,
we, your disciples and granddisciples, pray to Their Lordships to let us strive to continuously
keep the right mentality and humble attitude of showing how it is possible to live simply and
happily in this farm community in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and expand it for the people’s spiritual
benefit and transcendental happiness.
You are that person and that great saint who gave us the means to attain this transcendental
happiness. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.5: “The activities of great saints like you who have
accepted the infallible Lord as their very soul result only in the happiness of all beings.” All glo-
ries to you Śrīla Prabhupāda!
Begging to remain your eternal servants at New Mayapura
(written by Śikṣāṣṭaka Dāsa)
Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2025
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
On this most auspicious occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we, the devotees of Nava Saṅkīrtana Purī
Dhāma in New Orleans, humbly offer our heartfelt homage at your divine lotus feet.
This year, we had the great fortune of celebrating the Golden Jubilee – fifty glorious years – of
Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Rādhākānta’s divine presence in New Orleans (1974–2024). This momentous occa-
sion was marked by grand festivities, inspiring discourses, and deep reflections on the immeasur-
able mercy you bestowed upon us. The temple, which stands as a beacon of your divine mission,
continues to thrive by your causeless mercy, nurturing both devotees and newcomers in their
spiritual journey.
Furthermore, in 2025, we eagerly anticipate commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of your
transcendental visit to New Orleans. From July 31 to August 1, 1975, you graced Nava Saṅkīrtana
Purī Dhāma and New Tālavana with your divine presence, infusing them with spiritual energy
that still resonates today. To honor this sacred occasion, we will recreate your historic two-day
visit, remembering and reliving those priceless moments through kīrtana, discourses, and reflec-
tions from those who were blessed to serve you at that time.
By your mercy, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our devotee community has expanded significantly. Many
householders actively participate in the daily services of the temple, contributing to its continued
growth and stability. Every Sunday, hundreds of people from all walks of life attend our Sunday
Feast program in the evening – a tradition that has been steadfastly upheld in New Orleans since
1971. This spiritual gathering continues to serve as a transformative experience, nourishing souls
with the holy name, prasādam, and kṛṣṇa-kathā. We are deeply grateful to be a small part of this
divine movement that you have inaugurated for the benefit of all humanity.
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.22.35), it is stated:
etāvaj janma-sāphalyaṁ
dehinām iha dehiṣu
prāṇair arthair dhiyā vācā
śreya-ācaraṇaṁ sadā
It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others
with his life, wealth, intelligence, and words.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you exemplified this verse in every way:
• Life: You sacrificed every comfort to fulfill the order of your spiritual master, traveling across
the world to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
• Wealth: You utilized every resource for the service of Kṛṣṇa, establishing temples, printing
transcendental literature, and providing prasādam to millions.
• Intelligence: You masterfully presented Vedic wisdom in a manner accessible to all, authoring
voluminous translations and purports that continue to enlighten generations.
• Words: You tirelessly preached the glories of the holy name, delivering lectures and person-
ally guiding thousands of devotees on the path of bhakti.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we pray to always remain under the shelter of your divine lotus feet. May we
continue to serve your mission with unwavering faith and dedication, striving to share the gift
of Kṛṣṇa consciousness with the world. Please bless us so that we may uphold and expand your
legacy for generations to come.
Your servants at Nava Saṅkīrtana Purī Dhāma
