Cessnock, Australia

Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, bestower of jeweled knowledge and causeless mercy,

Today, on this day, the most auspicious day, we reflect on why this is, indeed, the most wondrous day. And we begin the impossible task of trying to explain “auspiciousness,” to try to encapsulate what your presence has meant to all of those mercifully brought into your orbit and influence. A wonder is that, although you are jagat-guru and the three worlds are ringing with your praises, you traveled, at an advanced age and great personal inconvenience, to the most extreme places to save us with the science of devotional service. Us! The wonder and power of true causeless mercy, indeed. And then, wonder of wonders, you, became our stern and loving benefactor, who offers a personal connection to us all.

We each have our own wonders to speak of: your influence and magnanimity ranges from the global to communities to the personal. The miracle for many older followers was that you descended into the desert of our ignorant, dull, suburban lives, humbly opening your arms, speaking of the science of knowing a loving and beautiful God, and then tirelessly committing it all to print for daily reference and posterity. You dispelled our stumbling confusion and softened us with a beautiful mantra that can dance daily on our tongues and cleanse our hearts. You removed the cataracts of materialism from our eyes so we could daily greet the beautiful Deities, both on the altar and in our minds and hearts. We were the recipients of mercy we could not even have envisaged.

And the enduring wonder today is, in all our preaching activities, and indeed in our daily exchanges, we can look to others in every town and village who are distraught and blind, and even to those who are as yet unborn, and open to them all the windows you gave us. And we, who knew the emptiness of a world not yet touched by Your Divine Grace, can follow your example and embrace them and say, “Do not despair! We are blessed by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda with this mahā-mantra balm to revive you.”

We can go out and find them and draw them into the safe spaces of devotion that we are building. Śrīla Prabhupāda, your devotees worked tirelessly over the decades to fulfill your mission, distributing the light of your books in challenging circumstances and emergencies; they continue to do so in book distribution, glorious Deity care, prasādam distribution, farming and cow protection, and by developing preaching facilities – temples and farms, restaurants and rural and city preaching pods.

And a present wonder, growing from your loving example, we are maturing! We are better leaders and community members now; less in the passion required in those urgent times, we are now interacting with greater care. We are working hard to build strong communities in the places we gather to worship; we are endeavoring to develop the Vaiṣṇava qualities, as enunciated in The Nectar of Instruction and exemplified in you, that contribute to deep, appreciative connection. You gave us a perfect behavioral guide of high expectation, compassion, causeless love, and forgiveness. Your devotees are meeting each other with increased compassion and openness, while building and honoring the trust between one another that makes this possible. There is growing respect, cooperation, and reciprocity between areas of service, spiritual guides, ashrams, genders, and ages. And this is further strengthening the foundations you gave us and encouraging the preaching opportunities you wanted for us. Daily appreciation is fueled by exquisite, careful Deity worship and ecstatic kirtan, which is often driven by the enthusiasm of our wonderful youth. Indeed, the wonder is the meticulous attention to their service offered by all your devotees, touched by your example and your grace.

Of course, anything offered springs from our heartfelt gratitude to you and a deep commitment to continue your wonderful mission. That your causeless, loving mercy was bestowed on us is what makes this the most wondrous day. Please bless us to hold on tightly to your gifts and your example.

All glories to you, our wondrous ever well-wishing ISKCON founder-ācārya, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.

Your servants at New Gokula Farm community

Lautoka, Fiji

Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, 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

Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya! All glories to Guru and Gaurāṅga.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are widely recognized for the monumental efforts you made to introduce the wisdom of the Gauḍīya paramparā from India to the global stage. In just over a decade, you transformed a small following of hippies in New York City into a worldwide spiritual movement – from hippies to happies.

Here is a summary of the significant religious and cultural work you accomplished.

You translated and commentated Vedic literature: Śrīla Prabhupāda, your most enduring legacy is your literary contribution. You translated and provided extensive Bhaktivedanta purports (commentaries) for several foundational texts of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition. Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is one of the most widely read and distributed versions of the Gītā in the world and has been translated into seventy languages. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, currently printed in eighteen volumes, is an encyclopedia of spiritual knowledge. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta is a multivolume biography and philosophical study of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s life and teachings.

You established ISKCON: In 1966, at the age of 70, you founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It began in a storefront on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and grew into a global network that today includes over 600 temples and cultural centers, dozens of ecovillages and farm communities, and educational institutions for adults and schools for children.

You developed the Food for Life program: You emphasized that no one within a ten-mile radius of a temple should go hungry. This philosophy led to the creation of Food for Life, which has become the world’s largest vegetarian food relief program, serving millions of free sanctified meals (prasādam) to people regardless of their background.

You inaugurated cultural exchanges and global festivals: You are credited with bringing the Ratha-yātrā (Chariot festival) out of India and into the streets of major Western cities such as London, San Francisco, and New York. This allowed millions of people to experience Vedic culture and music (kirtan) firsthand.

You established the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT): To ensure the continued distribution of spiritual knowledge, you established the BBT in 1972. It is currently the world’s largest publisher of books concerning Indian religion and philosophy.

Summary of your impact: Śrīla Prabhupāda, your work is often praised for its “uncompromising” presentation of our tradition. You did not dilute the teachings to fit Western trends; instead, you invited the world to adapt to the principles of bhakti (devotion), focusing on character, vegetarianism, and the chanting of the mahā-mantra.

I was very fortunate that I had your association sometimes in 1976 in Vrindavan while Tamal Krishna Mahārāja was your personal secretary. I came to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda, with an invitation from Vāsudeva Prabhu to make a beautiful special residence for you in Lautoka, Fiji. We wanted to invite you to stay and complete your Bhāgavatam writing in a very quiet and peaceful atmosphere. I still remember that you sent your blessings to us through Tamal Krishna Mahārāja.

By your blessings, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya temple in Lautoka and all other Fijian temples are expanding. By your blessings, we in Fiji are still continuing our services to you and Kṛṣṇa-Kāliya. Please bless the whole world so that everyone can taste Kṛṣṇa consciousness in this lifetime.

With lots of love to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Your humble servants,

Vāmanadeva Dāsa, Gāndharvikā Devī Dāsī, and the devotees in Lautoka

Melbourne, Australia

Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

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 torchlight of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam

By whose mercy a dumb man can speak eloquently and a lame man can cross mountains, unto that spiritual master, savior of the fallen, I offer my obeisances.

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 Kṛṣṇa, 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 Gaurāṅga and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

All glories unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the founder-ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness who is spreading the mission of Śrī Caitanya, the Pañca-tattva, and the Six Gosvāmīs all over the world.

On this sacred day of Vyāsa-pūjā, we bow at your lotus feet with gratitude and reverence. You are the ever-living guide whose words, books, and example continue to shape our lives and our service. In Melbourne, far from the dust of Vraja, your presence is nonetheless tangible – alive in every kirtan, every offering, every sincere attempt to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Vallabha.

The Six Gosvāmīs of Vrindavan, as glorified in the first verse of the Ṣaḍ-gosvāmy-aṣṭaka, were absorbed in nāma-saṅkīrtana – dancing, singing, and relishing the nectar of divine love, thus glorifying and amplifying the sacred realm of Vrindavan with their presence. Their lives were a continuous current of bhajana and compassion, drawing conditioned souls toward Kṛṣṇa through sound, example, and realization. Their lives were dedicated to the well-being of all.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, you extended and expanded that very current of compassion across oceans and generations. Where the Gosvāmīs revealed Vrindavan, you carried Vrindavan into the cities of the world. Where they sang beneath kadamba trees, you inspired saṅkīrtana in streets, temples, and homes across continents. Their bhajana became your global mission; their renunciation, your fearless preaching; their love for Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa, your gift to all.

Here at ISKCON Melbourne, your inspiration is the life-force of every activity. The kirtans resound because you taught us how to chant. The Deities are worshiped with care because you showed us Their eternal reality. The devotees gather in unity because you revealed the culture of Vaiṣṇava association. Your books are studied systematically because in them you share and nourish the heart of a pure devotee. The preparation and distribution of Rādhā-Vallabha’s mahā-prasāda is the perfection of the kitchen religion demonstrated by you in the original love feasts of early ISKCON 62 Second Avenue, in New York City. What we attempt here is but a reflection of your vision – a small but sincere extension of the Gosvāmīs’ mood, as carried by you.

By your mercy, this temple is not experienced as a place of geography, not merely a place on the map, but as a sacred realm of divine consciousness. You declared that this is not Melbourne but Vrindavan – and by your potency, that statement is realized. In the atmosphere of devotion, in the simplicity of service, in the shared aspiration to please Kṛṣṇa, we perceive a nondifference from His spiritual abode. The holy name resounds, hearts soften, and remembrance awakens. This is your miracle.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, please continue to engage us in your service. Let ISKCON Melbourne always remain a place where your instructions are lived, where the mood of the Gosvāmīs is honored, and where all who come may feel the presence of Vrindavan. May we never forget that whatever sanctity is here flows from your mercy alone.

We offer this homage with folded hands, praying to be instruments of your compassion.

Your servants at ISKCON Melbourne

(written by Aniruddha Dāsa, president)

Perth, Australia

Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept my respectful obeisances. All glories to your Divine Grace.

Your glories are unlimited, so how can we glorify you with our tiny brains and inadequate words? We can only do this by your mercy, just as one can offer Ganges water to the Ganges!

Please accept our prostrated obeisances on this, your divine 130th Appearance Day. It has been sixty years since you established ISKCON, your transcendental body. This movement is going very strongly, with many new temples coming up, more books being distributed, and more and more devotees taking to the process of devotional service.

At the same time many of your direct disciples and stalwart devotees are leaving this material world and joining you to serve you and preach in other worlds under your guidance. In the last two months, we have seen the departure of three of your dedicated disciples, each of whom inspired many souls. We are now deprived of their association and can only cherish the sweet memories of their association and their exalted and dedicated service to your movement. This is a fact: as time progresses, we will see many, and then all, of your direct disciples gradually leaving this world. As one of your senior disciples said, “This is a decade of tears,” referring to the departure of so many senior devotees and leaders. So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless us and give us the intelligence to control our minds and take this process seriously, and to do something significant for your pleasure.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, you put your lotus foot on the soil of this place called Perth, which is so far from other cities. Only out of your causeless mercy did you choose to visit Perth. You stayed for ten days, thus making Perth a holy place (tīrtha). The devotees here are trying to do some insignificant service to please you and Lord Caitanya Mahaaprabhu by spreading the saṅkīrtana movement.

Our book distributors are distributing regularly by innovating new ways, such as creating street libraries, distributing to community libraries, doing street distribution, and distributing books from Govinda’s restaurant and the temple. Last year we distributed 42 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 8 Caitanya-caritāmṛta sets, and 1,952 Bhagavad-gītās. This is very, very small, but please bless us so we can improve and distribute more this year. We need your mercy.

Our devotees go out on harināma-saṅkīrtana every Friday into the streets of Perth, and we also take opportunities to participate in other events and spread the holy name. Yes, we agree we need to reach out to more and more people, as the holy name is the panacea for all the problems of this world. But Śrīla Prabhupāda, when will we be able to understand this and become convinced first so we can convince others? We need your mercy.

You said when you were in Australia that we should distribute prasādam, so we are endeavoring to distribute prasādam from our Govinda’s restaurant, the temple, and we are also making home deliveries. We have a well-wisher who is very dedicated to this service. He enthusiastically collects the extra prasādam, packs it up, and delivers it to the needy in our local area. This activity is creating a good impression of your society in our local community.

Many disadvantaged people who have no shelter come to our restaurant, and we happily give them a free meal so they can start their spiritual journey by honoring kṛṣṇa-prasādam. Because of the current situation in the world, these numbers are increasing every day, and as many as 150 people are taking advantage of this service every week.

As you have kindly visited this place, and we want to offer a nice temple for the pleasure of you and Their Lordships, we are working on the new temple project, having acquired another block of land. We are trying to finalize the plans and then submit them to the council by the end of June. Hopefully, by the time of your Vyāsa-pūjā day, we will have some more news about the progress.

We are also trying to reach various groups and different political leaders so that they can appreciate your contribution to humanity and recognize your greatness. Śrīla Prabhupāda, you always remained at the back and put Kṛṣṇa in front. Now it is our duty to bring awareness of your contribution to humankind and let society know how you are saving them from all bad vices.

We are trying to reach newcomers through programs like Ratha-yātrā and other outreach programs and cultural festivals. We know there are many out there who do not know about Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His teachings, so we have a lot of work to do. We need your mercy.

Through our Bhagavad-gītā Intro courses, we’re finding that people are showing interest in Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. So after completing the five-week course, they join our bhakti-vṛkṣa programs. Many devotees are studying your books through various programs, like IDC, Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti Vaibhava, and other such courses.

Many of our youth are coming forward and making a serious commitment to the process of bhakti by taking shelter and initiation and surrendering to the spiritual master. Recently, many of our youth participated in a bhakti festival in the eastern states, and their performance of kirtan, drama, and dance were well appreciated by many. These youth have so many talents – we need to nurture their devotion. Please give us the intelligence to help and encourage them to serve your mission so that they can take responsibility and lead your movement in the coming years. We need your mercy.

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have a lot of work ahead of us as this world needs a lot of guidance and your books and teachings are the only saving grace. This we can only do if we convince ourselves first. So please give us the intelligence so we can work cooperatively by putting all our selfish motives aside.

Your servants,

The devotees at ISKCON Perth

Sydney, Australia

Homages ISKCON Centers, Oceania, VP2026

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

You started this movement from small and humble beginnings. The residents of your own hometown did not care to support you, and very few in your home country believed in your mission of bringing Kṛṣṇa consciousness to the West. Yet despite this and all other setbacks, you persisted and fulfilled your spiritual master’s request to its fullest potential.

And now here we are, against all odds: there are millions all over the world, not just in the West, celebrating your Vyāsa-pūjā 2026 with you residing in their hearts.

Your devotees at Govinda Valley, near Sydney, Australia, are holding you close today. The majority of us have never had the chance to meet you, yet somehow, each one of us has reserved an eternal space for you in our hearts and minds. Our minds are saturated with thoughts of you. Should you enter that space, you would surely hear “Prabhupāda once said,” “Prabhupāda used to,” “Prabhupāda instructed,” “Prabhupāda this,” “Prabhupāda that.” One can never leave a conversation, no matter the topic, mundane or spiritual, long or brief, without hearing your name at least once from our mouths. Parrots we are, always uttering your name.

So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, on those nights when you were writing alone, struggling to personally fund and distribute Back to Godhead on the streets of Calcutta, were you already scheming to steal our unassuming hearts? Did you plan to inundate our minds and change the entire course of our lives? Were you already preparing to become the subject of our thoughts, the topic on our tongues, and the guiding force behind our days?

Somehow, we have happily declared ourselves your puppet boys and girls, ready to offer you love and service without a single reservation in our hearts.

And yet, in truth, it is not that you have taken anything from us, but that you have given us everything. You have given us purpose where there was once wandering, clarity where there was once confusion, and devotion where there was once emptiness.

So, on this day, we simply pray to remain instruments in your hands. To remember your instructions, to carry your mood, and to serve your mission with sincerity and steadiness. Please keep us always engaged in your service, lifetime after lifetime.

On behalf of all the devotees at Govinda Valley,

Your humble servant,

Bhaktin Christine