Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to your divine appearance
day.
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the
torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are fortunate and blessed as we write down your glories as our annual
Vyāsa-pūjā offering. Though we do not have any qualifications, we beg that your mercy enlighten
us on how to complete this service. We humbly seek your blessings and mercy as we strive to
express our heartfelt devotion through our words. May our offering reflect the depth of our grati-
tude and the desire to serve your mission with sincerity and love. Your glories are unlimited; may
we continue to glorify Your Divine Grace eternally.
Over the past year, ISKCON Scarborough has flourished in various ways. We have a new
saṅkīrtana team that distributes books, spreading the movement far and wide. The new temple
council is efficient and believes in cooperation. We have been putting effort into securing a new
location for Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Gopīvallabha. This great effort is backed by our fundraising team,
which is working relentlessly to gather the required amount for the down payment and more.
Please bless us so we can expand the saṅkīrtana movement of Lord Caitanya through the new loca-
tion. We organized a grand Jagannātha Ratha-yātrā followed by an extensive celebration of Śrī
Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī. Various congregational members have upskilled to perform their services.
The children of the Murari Bhakti School are being nurtured in both devotional arts and
academics, including the recitation of ślokas and the study of sacred scriptures from your books.
They actively participate in major festivals and Sunday feast programs, showcasing their talents
through singing, bhajanas, śloka recitations, and dramatic performances. Their contributions play
a vital role in keeping our traditions vibrant and alive.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you gave us everything we need: the holy name, the Deities, books, temples,
and the list goes on. Without you, we would have been sleeping in the lap of māyā. We express
our heartfelt gratitude to you for giving us this wonderful association of devotees. Thank you for
accepting us to serve you and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Your servants at ISKCON Scarborough
My dear Guru Mahārāja, Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
On behalf of the Saskatoon yātrā, I offer this humble offering with a heart overflowing with
gratitude. We are deeply indebted to you for your boundless compassion in delivering the pure
teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu to this part of the world.
If you had not established ISKCON, if your divine voice had not echoed across the globe,
how different our lives and the world would be! Without your guidance, we would likely remain
trapped in the cycle of material existence, chasing fleeting pleasures and caught in the grip of
illusion. Instead, through your teachings, we found a path to true happiness, a connection to the
Supreme Lord, and a community of loving devotees.
Since embracing your guidance, we have witnessed profound transformations within ourselves
and our community. The purifying power of chanting the holy names has uplifted our hearts,
devotional service has deepened our connection to Kṛṣṇa, and sharing prasādam has brought us
immense joy. Your emphasis on congregational chanting and saṅkīrtana has become a cornerstone
of our practice, inspiring us to cultivate compassion, humility, and a lifelong pursuit of spiritual
wisdom. We have seen how your teachings can transform lives, bringing peace, purpose, and a
sense of belonging.
In Saskatoon, we strive to follow your instructions, chanting the holy names, distributing your
books, and engaging in congregational chanting and prasādam distribution. We are a small but
dedicated group, trying our best to cultivate a community of devotees inspired by your example
of unwavering faith and dedication. We recognize that any positive spiritual advancement we
make is solely due to your mercy.
(yadi) prabhupāda nā haita tabe ki haita
(e) jivana bahita kise?
We acknowledge our shortcomings and humbly pray for your guidance and blessings. Please
empower us to continue spreading your message in Saskatoon, serve the Vaiṣṇavas with heart and
sincerity, and always remember your teachings. We pray that we may always be instruments in
your hands, dedicated to fulfilling your mission. We beg you to kindly accept our sincere prayers
and allow us to remain forever at your lotus feet.
Your aspiring servants from the Saskatoon yātrā
(Written by Rajann Rana)
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
“It is not possible to actually understand the debt of gratitude we owe you, but with each new sup-
posed calamity, we have the opportunity to understand a little better that this material world is
not our home.”
This was the opening line of one of your granddisciples’ offerings to you last year, as you may
remember. She had just lost her home and all her family’s belongings in a dreadful forest fire that
consumed much of our Vaiṣṇava community.
She went on to say, “With what you have given us, we can see Kṛṣṇa’s blessings in devastation,
we can accept our karma, we can feel wrapped up in Kṛṣṇa’s lotus hands, see His expertise in ful-
filling all our desires, and can accept that we are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, not in control. There
is such relief in accepting this and accepting our position of dāsānudāsānudāsa.”
Later that day, I asked a friend of hers, who was visiting from another place, if she and her
husband still wanted to relocate to our community after seeing all the damage done by the recent
forest fire. Much of our 1,800-acre property looked ghostly, charred, and depressing. She replied
that if by living at Śaraṇāgati she could make the spiritual advancement that her godsister had
just experienced after losing everything, “I want to move here more than ever!”
And there is more! The local government agencies employed some citizens to come to our com-
munity to offer both emotional support and helping hands. Before they came, they were given a
two-week training on how to deal with those whose lives and property have gone through devas-
tating calamity. Often, victims of calamities can be harsh and full of blame. The lady sent to help
my friend reported that she was so moved by her gratitude and attitude that it changed her own
life forever!
This is the power of your teachings, the association of your followers, and the effects of chant-
ing the holy name. Such gifts you have given us, Śrīla Prabhupāda!
This material world is no place for an honorable person, as you have stated. I long to become
more absorbed in meditation on the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in His holy dhāma and to follow in the
footsteps of His eternal associates as described in our Vaiṣṇava literature. I pray for your blessings,
pray to offer sevā to your followers, and pray to live my life in such a way that you will notice me
and take me to wherever you are so that I may serve you life after life.
Your eternal servant,
Uttama Devī Dāsī
on behalf of the devotees of Śaraṇāgati Dhāma
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our humble obeisances at your divine lotus feet.
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
Śrīla Prabhupāda, many of us here at Prabhupāda Village in North Carolina are now older than
you were when you first courageously crossed the ocean on a cargo ship and endured immeasur-
able hardships to bring Kṛṣṇa consciousness to us drowning souls of Kali-yuga. Yet although
we are older, we still have done so little in comparison to Your Divine Grace. We are now more
embarrassed than ever at how little we have accomplished to further your mission. Some of us
still struggle to maintain the vows we made to you when you initiated us, yet you have been
supremely patient, as patient as Mother Earth. You have been unconditionally loving, as loving
as a Bengali mother, as loyal, watchful and protective as the Supersoul in our hearts. Kindly con-
tinue to be patient with us, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Please don’t give up on us.
There are also some bright jewels among us here at Prabhupāda Village who are younger than
we are, Śrīla Prabhupāda. They have joined your mission and are enthusiastic to please Your
Divine Grace in every way. They are taxing their brains about how to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness
to other souls, and we are grateful to have their enlivening association. Some of them are farmers
and gardeners, some of them are businessmen and women, some of them are book distributors
and preachers, some of them are pūjārīs and cooks, some of them are kīrtanīyas. Some of them
are all of the above! Kindly bless them with determination to carry on this movement after we
are gone, Śrīla Prabhupāda. Your spiritual grandchildren need your guidance, inspiration, and
unconditional love, just as we seniors, your spiritual children, do. Please help them to understand
that you are always here, guiding and supporting them in their efforts to serve and glorify and
please Your Divine Grace and Śrī Śrī Parama Karuṇa Nitāi-Gaurasundara.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for saving all of us, young and old, from the dangerous pitfalls
of Kali-yuga. You gave us more than eighty books and hundreds of lectures to keep us enthused.
You gave us the four regulative principles and the instruction to chant at least sixteen rounds of
the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra daily on our beads. Help us follow your instructions, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Help us to please Your Divine Grace and make this village of yours a true legacy in your honor
for generations to come. All glories to Your Divine Grace! All glories to Śrī Śrī Parama Karuṇa
Nitāi-Gaurasundara!
Your servants at Prabhupāda Village
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Kindly accept our most humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace,
the fearless general of Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana army.
On this sacred day of your Vyāsa-pūjā, we gather as your children, holding your instructions
close to our hearts. You gave us Kṛṣṇa. You gave us meaning. And in return, we want to give you
our lives.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you once stood alone in New York, armed only with the holy name and
unshakable faith in your spiritual master. From that place of surrender, you built a global move-
ment. Today, from the southern tip of Africa, in the city of Sandton, we try to carry your mission
forward.
This year marked our fourth Ratha-yātrā, and it was glorious. With the theme “Culturally
Many, Spiritually One,” Lord Jagannātha’s chariot rolled through the heart of Johannesburg – a
city marked by diversity, struggle, and searching. People from every background danced together,
sang together, and honored prasādam together. That day, the boundaries of race, language, and
nationality dissolved in the ocean of your mercy.
Preaching breathes life into our community. We’ve seen it firsthand. When we go out, distrib-
ute your books, share kīrtana, speak the Gītā, and offer prasādam – something lights up in the
hearts of devotees. We remember who we are. We remember why we’re here. Without preaching,
we wither. With it, we grow bold, joyful, and united.
You taught us that spiritual life is not meant to be hidden. We are your saṅkīrtana movement.
We are meant to sing in the streets, speak in the universities, stand in the fire – and bring Kṛṣṇa
consciousness to every corner of society.
This past year, we continued our outreach to universities through our Bhakti Yoga Society. We
distributed books, hosted Sunday programs, celebrated major festivals, and did our best to care
for each other. And still, we know we are just scratching the surface of what’s possible.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, for your pleasure, we aspire to:
• Establish a permanent home – where the holy name resounds day and night.
• Expand our outreach across Johannesburg to awaken more hearts.
• Grow Ratha-yātrā into a nationally recognized celebration of spiritual unity.
• Foster a strong devotee community, where cooperation, care, and service thrive.
We fall short in many ways, but one thing is certain: we are yours. And we will not give up.
You reminded us that real gratitude is shown through action. So let our offering be our effort –
imperfect, but sincere. Let it be our commitment to preach, to serve, to grow, and to follow in
your footsteps.
Thank you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, for everything. Please bless us to remain faithful instruments of
your will.
Your servants at the feet of Your Divine Grace,
The devotees of ISKCON Sandton
(written by Vibhu Caitanya Dāsa)
nama om viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhūtale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
I pray to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Giridhārī, who mercifully cast Their loving smiles on the devotees here at
New Govardhana Dhāma, so that I may write something worthwhile in appreciation of Their glo-
rious servant, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
I pray to the Six Gosvāmīs – Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha
Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, and Śrīla Gopāla Bhaṭṭa
Gosvāmī – that I can complete this task on behalf of everyone at New Govardhana and express
some of what we all feel.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my most respectful obeisances. All glories to you!
In writing a glorification of you, I really don’t know where to start. I wouldn’t even have
known of the existence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness if not for you and all the trouble you took to bring
it to the West. And now I’m going to write something about you, as if I could even slightly begin
to understand what you went through to save us and how difficult it was? As if I have any idea
how much you always depend on Kṛṣṇa, how much you simply want us all to surrender so we can
be blissful in Kṛṣṇa consciousness? I don’t even have a clue.
Then again, I’m complicating things, as is my tendency as a fallen, conditioned soul. Really, it
isn’t that complicated. The essence of what you gave us has always been to “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa
and be happy,” though it isn’t that we don’t have to do anything else. Our uncultured Western
ways have filled our lives with impurities that we would never have recognized if you hadn’t
shown us another way. The four regulative principles are just the beginning of living a human life,
and we struggle even with that. And still, you never let us off the hook. To have said that we could
“Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy” while still eating meat, gambling, taking intoxication, and
engaging in illicit sex would have been to cheat us, and you love us too much for that.
Instead, you tell us, as Kṛṣṇa teaches in the Bhagavad-gītā, to simply give up everything else
and surrender to Him. That’s all we have to do. But it’s exactly what we don’t want to do. We
want to be in charge, and everything in the culture that surrounds us tells us that we should be in
charge. We should control and we should enjoy. This is especially the mood in Southern Califor-
nia, where the weather is so beautiful that people come from around the world just to gratify their
senses (with no regard for how that affects anyone else).
An uncomplicated process is difficult for us, but you worked to make it so much easier. You
gave us prasādam so delicious that we would forget all about food not offered to Kṛṣṇa. You gave
us kīrtana, where we can use our musical talents to directly connect with Kṛṣṇa instead of falling
further into ignorance. You gave us Deity worship, where we can use our artistic talents to care
for the beautiful forms of the Deities and share that beauty with everyone who visits Their temple.
And you also gave us your books, volumes upon volumes of instruction on how to live spiritually
and how to interact with one another and the world around us in such a way that we and every-
one we meet can advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. All these gifts are practical examples of how
everything in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is lovelier and more joyful than anything outside it.
So now we must spread your gifts as far as we can. We clean and maintain Kṛṣṇa’s temple, a
Vaikuṇṭha realm on the beach, as a haven where some devotees live and serve full-time and others
come regularly for service and spiritual upliftment. Both temple residents and nonresidents dis-
tribute your books in parks (and parking lots) almost every day. Those fortunate enough to take a
book might then visit a Krishna Lounge program, which we hold multiple times a week at several
locations in San Diego, giving the people of this city an introduction to your teachings through
kīrtana, prasādam, basic lectures on Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and, of course, your books. We also
hold weekly Sunday Feast programs and major temple festivals, where we invite all for kīrtana, a
lecture, and sumptuous prasādam, giving old-timers and newcomers alike a taste of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy.
All of this activity is blissful, but to the extent that we have not yet fully surrendered, we are
still struggling in the material world. As we contend with circumstances and with our own minds,
we can derive great inspiration by remembering how you yourself sacrificed so much to give us
a chance to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You left your beloved Vṛndāvana and came to the
benighted USA just to give us this once-in-many-lifetimes chance to “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be
happy.”
We can barely comprehend our good fortune. We can never repay our debt to you, Śrīla
Prabhupāda, and yet you want us to try by giving up all our bad habits so that we can fully
experience the joy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and give others a chance to experience it too. So we
willingly accept difficulties in the service of you and Kṛṣṇa, and there is so much sweetness to our
efforts. We ever find encouragement by remembering your sacrifices and your promise that if we
follow your instructions we will “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and be happy.”
Praying daily for your mercy so that we may continue on the blessed path you showed us.
Your servants at New Govardhana Dhāma
(written by Jalatalā Devī Dāsī)
