Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept my obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
It is explained in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.3.21) that if we wish to seriously achieve real happiness, we must approach a bona fide spiritual master:
tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam
śābde pare ca niṣṇātaṁ brahmaṇy upaśamāśrayam
Therefore, any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.
You mentioned in your purport to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.12.3: “The student must approach a spiritual master and surrender unto him fully (praṇipātena).” So, that surrender process is not very easy. It takes great effort and a deep desire for attaining the perfection of surrender. Actually, it must be based on love. Once, a devotee was typing for you and it became mechanical. One day, you told him, “If you love me, I will love you.” So it is a matter of love that we are trying to develop for you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. If we serve you for some other purpose, the time will come when we will be diverted by some material thing. We are not meant to come to you for any material benefit, but to learn from you how to love Kṛṣṇa by serving Him. However, to do that, we need to learn how to love you first.
You, Śrīla Prabhupāda, are fully situated in transcendental knowledge, and unless we approach you, we will remain in ignorance. There is no question of your ability to deliver us from material existence through your instructions, which are clear and lead us step by step to Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have this rare human form of life, and we need your loving guidance to make it successful. In so many lives, we failed to remember Kṛṣṇa at the time of death. But this time, we are holding tightly to your lotus feet, with the great hope that we will pass the test at the time of death, when all our devotional activities will be tested.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we submit ourselves to you and hope that you will accept us with all our imperfections, for it is only by your special causeless mercy that we can hope to understand the science of bhakti and thus raise ourselves to being accepted by Lord Kṛṣṇa.
On this very special day of your appearance, when we worship you as the representative of Śrīla Vyāsadeva, we ask you to continue showering your blessings on us so that we may serve you and please you.
Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
Your servants at ISKCON Juhu
(written by Bhīma Dāsa)
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my most sincere and humble obeisances at your lotus feet.
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
On behalf of ISKCON Hong Kong, I am writing your Vyāsa-pūjā offering for this year. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to write for the official ISKCON Vyāsa-pūjā book for Your Divine Grace. Your glories are unlimited, and therefore by your mercy, please allow me to write something in your glorification.
The Vyāsa-pūjā of Your Divine Grace is the most auspicious event and a blessing to all of us. You appeared just to save the fallen souls of Kali-yuga and ultimately bring us to the lotus feet of Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa.
The whole world is in complete ignorance and bereft of spiritual knowledge. Hong Kong is an example of that. In this concrete jungle of buildings, there is barely even a place to sit down peacefully. People here are simply busy working day and night, without any spiritual purpose. It is so sad to see the condition of the people here. Without your kindness, teachings, and ISKCON society, we ourselves would be in this group of spiritually aimless people.
In the midst of all this māyā and forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa, we have your ISKCON temple and the most beautiful Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi Deities presiding over it. Their presence brings glory to this city. This is your mercy and kindness on all of us. Your lotus feet touched down and blessed this part of China in the 1970s. Your ISKCON society has continued to develop and expand since that time.
You live forever in your instructions. We can still associate with you through these instructions by staying fixed in our devotional sādhana, serving our beautiful Gaura-Nitāi Deities, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and also going out for harināma-saṅkīrtana to share the holy names of Lord Kṛṣṇa with the public.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your mercy is overflowing continuously. There is no room for complacency in our endeavors to reach out for your mercy.
I heard a lecture of yours. The point you made inspired me so much that I wanted to mention it in this Vyāsa-pūjā offering to Your Divine Grace. In this lecture, you gave the example of a rocking chair, with a person simply sitting on it but not making an effort to get up. Similarly, one may have a lot of knowledge, but if that knowledge is not used in practical services to Kṛṣṇa, that knowledge is stagnant and useless.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, my humble request is that you please continue to shower your blessings on us in the ISKCON Hong Kong community. We pray for your encouragement and compassion that your movement in Hong Kong will continue to develop and become more and more successful in every way. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Your insignificant servant,
Devarishi Dāsa
On behalf of ISKCON Hong Kong
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga.
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
As you always emphasized simple living and high thinking, a lifestyle based on agriculture and cow protection, we here at ISKCON Hebri, a farm project near Udupi, in Karnataka, try to follow your words. We have around sixty beautiful gau sampada: cows, bulls, and calves.
This year, for the pleasure of Śrī Śrī Gaura-Nitāi, we cultivated rice fields twice and produced eight quintals of rice. Spices like turmeric, black pepper, some varieties of vegetables, and different varieties of flowers are grown for the pleasure of the Deities. We also offer ghee and milk from our cows to the Deities. We go around to the different villages to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness and conduct programs. A small team of devotees is trying to live the vision given by Your Divine Grace. Our inspiration and strength come from your dear disciple, His Holiness Bhakti Raghava Swami.
We seek blessings from your lotus feet so that we may continue our sevā and preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in as many villages as possible.
Happy cows and happy devotees.
your humble servant,
Smitha Krishna Dāsa,
for the devotees of ISKCON Hebri
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept our most humble obeisances. All glories to Your Divine Grace.
You showed us that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not separate from life, but meant to be lived fully, through every stage, and in every moment of life. It is not confined to temples or limited to specific spiritual moments, but is meant to permeate our thoughts, shape our relationships, guide our responsibilities, and purify our intentions.
In The Nectar of Devotion, you explain that devotional service means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord. In this way, you taught us that spiritual life is not an escape from the world, but a transformation of how we live within it, where even ordinary activities, when performed for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure, become spiritualized.
At Govardhan Ecovillage, we are trying, in our small and humble way, to follow this instruction practically – under the compassionate guidance of His Holiness Radhanath Swami, who is sincerely striving to carry forward your desire. Over the past year, we have seen this effort gradually take tangible shape in several meaningful ways.
You have also given us a complete vision for a spiritually balanced society. In your purports to Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.16.10 and other verses), you described how five categories of creatures – brāhmaṇas, cows, women, children, and the elderly – must be properly cared for and protected.
Inspired by this vision, a variṣṭha-vaiṣṇava-āśrama has recently been established for elderly devotees who have dedicated their lives to your service. Here, they are lovingly cared for in a devotional environment enriched with kirtan, sādhana, and sacred association. Their lives continue in the same spirit of service, now deepened by reflection and absorption. It reminds us that devotional life does not diminish with age but matures. As you taught us, “In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no retirement.”
At the same time, a new residential facility, Govardhana Kuñj, has been developed for devotees who wish to live within the Govardhan Ecovillage campus and participate more closely in its variety of services. For many devotees, especially Vaiṣṇavīs, this has become a meaningful support. Freed from long commutes and urban challenges, they are able to engage more naturally in temple services and community life. Gradually, what begins as a place of residence transforms into a place of belonging, where daily life revolves around sevā – in the temple, at the gośālā, and in other areas of service.
In alignment with your instructions, efforts are also expanding in the areas of cow protection and education. The gośālā is steadily growing, providing loving care for the cows. And, the Govardhan English Medium School (GEMS) is nurturing students in both academic learning and Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have also developed a children’s play area inspired by Kṛṣṇa’s bālya-līlās, providing a space where children can engage in joyful activity while being spiritually nourished. Through seasonal camps during the summer, monsoon, and winter, we further help in educating and inspiring young minds in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In addition, the scope of spiritual education at GEV has been expanded in the form of the “Govardhan School of Education and Culture (GSEC),” which includes the Bhaktivedanta Vidyāpīṭha, and which continues to serve as a center for systematic scriptural education, offering course like Bhakti-śāstrī, Bhakti-vaibhava, and Bhakti-vedānta to help devotees become firmly grounded in philosophy and brahminical character. And several courses on traditional arts and sciences, such as music, dance, yajña, and Deity worship are also part of GSEC.
A Navadvīpa-ghāṭa is also being developed along the Vaitaraṇā river, a tributary of the Godāvarī. This simple yet sacred place offers devotees an opportunity for quiet remembrance and purification. A dip in these waters becomes more than a ritual – it becomes a pause for inner reflection and reconnection with Kṛṣṇa. As you repeatedly emphasized that remembrance of Kṛṣṇa is the essence of all spiritual practices, we are trying to facilitate such remembrance in natural and accessible ways.
Along with these developments, we are witnessing a steady increase in visitors. Many arrive without a specific intention – some out of curiosity, others seeking a brief respite from their routine lives. Yet something in the atmosphere touches their hearts. Through the darshan of the Deities, the sound of kirtan, the warmth of devotee interactions, and the simplicity of the surroundings, they experience a sense of peace and connection. Even if they cannot fully express it, they carry something meaningful back with them.
You taught us, “Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and your life will be sublime.” Here, we see how even a brief exposure to kirtan or prasādam can plant a seed of devotion in the heart – a seed that may quietly grow over time.
Under your instructions, prasādam distribution continues extensively through the Govardhan Annakṣetra. Every day, large numbers of people are lovingly served sanctified food, both within the Ecovillage and in surrounding rural villages, where devotees personally go to serve. For many, this becomes their first genuine encounter with devotional life. What appears to be a simple meal often leaves a deep and lasting impression. As you beautifully explained, “If you simply take kṛṣṇa-prasādam, your spiritual life begins.” We see this truth unfolding again and again.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, through all these efforts, we are beginning to understand that your vision is reflected not only in visible projects but also in subtle transformations – hearts becoming softer, relationships growing more respectful, and lives gradually aligning toward devotion.
As we look ahead, the next phase of development, GEV Madhya, is emerging, with expanded facilities for education, healthcare, and community living. The purpose is not merely expansion, but integration: to create an environment where devotees can harmoniously balance their practical responsibilities and spiritual aspirations. You emphasized this ideal in your instruction, “Simple living and high thinking.” We are trying to create a setting where this principle can be experienced in daily life.
Ultimately, the success of these initiatives is not measured in structures or numbers, but in whether they help us become better sādhakas – with greater sincerity, humility, and steadiness in our practice. You taught us that the essence of spiritual life lies in attentive chanting, humble service, and genuine compassion – as you explain in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.14), where Kṛṣṇa says satataṁ kīrtayanto mām – always chant My glories. This consistency is what we aspire to cultivate.
You also instructed, “Do not try to see God, but act in such a way that God will see you.” This reminds us that our focus should not be on recognition but on sincerity.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are simply trying to assist in your mission in whatever small way we can. Whatever is happening here is only by your mercy and the blessings of the previous ācāryas. We have no qualification of our own.
We pray for your continued guidance and blessings that we may remain instruments in your service, that we may not lose sight of the true purpose behind all these efforts, and that we may develop the sincerity and steadiness required to serve your desire.
May we always remember that everything we do is meant for Kṛṣṇa’s pleasure.
Your insignificant servants,
ISKCON Govardhan Ecovillage
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
It is our great fortune that we are in touch with such a divine personality as yourself. You first came into my life in form of your Bhagavad-gītā purports, and by your mercy I then got contact with ISKCON and your devotees.
If one reads about your life struggles and the milestones you achieved, then definitely one will accept you as the jagat-guru, because what you did, no one else could do past, present, or future. You are a Vaikuṇṭha man and true spiritual human being, who came of your own free will into this world to deliver the three worlds by giving us Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotees, your books, a morning sādhana program, prasādam to honor, and so many other gifts. All of this was done when you were at the advanced age of seventy, when you went abroad to preach. Within twelve years you had circled the earth fourteen times and translated and commentated so many books. You also wrote thousands of letters and established over one hundred temples. You slept only two hours a day. All of this is proof that you are a divine human being.
Now, because of you, we have more than seven hundred temples around the world and Ratha-yātrā festivals in so many places. You also introduced us to the divine Vṛndāvana and taught us how to do parikramās.
On this special occasion of your Vyāsa-pūjā day, Śrīla Prabhupāda, I pray that you please forgive me and bless me and all the devotees serving here at ISKCON Ghaziabad so that by your mercy, we will strictly follow the authentic guru-śiṣya paramparā, under your guidance and shelter.
Your servant,
Mahābhāva Gaura Dāsa
and the devotees of the Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Madana Mohana temple
Asia-Eurasia, Homages ISKCON Centers, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
nama oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāminn iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe
Please accept this humble attempt to glorify and please you, along with a few words of gratitude from your eternal and hopelessly indebted servants. As you have repeatedly pointed out, true glorification and expression of gratitude to the spiritual teacher lies not only in speaking refined words and expressing deep emotions during Vyāsa-pūjā ceremonies and similar events, but first and foremost in the daily sincere efforts to follow his instructions and example, no matter how difficult or inconvenient it may be.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have given us everything – your invaluable books, numerous temples, beautiful Deities, an extraordinary example of a selfless and sacrificial life, and many practical and wise instructions for all aspects of life. One could go on listing endlessly. But especially, I would like to thank you for your two most important and wonderful gifts. About twenty years ago, I heard words from His Holiness Radhanath Swami that became engraved on my heart, hopefully forever: “Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we can do without temples – we can do without everything. We don’t need money. If we can get it, we will use it. We don’t need property. If we get it, we will use it. We don’t need vehicles. If we get them, we will use them. We don’t need good public relations. If we get it, we will use it. But one thing we always need, at all times, for our spiritual survival, and that is the association of the devotees and the regular chanting of the holy names. If we lose either of these two, which are actually one in essence, then we lose our connection to Kṛṣṇa.
In this small country of Georgia, we are trying as best we can to serve the holy name and the Vaiṣṇavas. And you are reciprocating by sending more and more sincere souls and by sustaining the inspiration of those who are already practicing Vaiṣṇavas and Vaiṣṇavīs. Just a few years ago the situation was not so simple or optimistic. But now devotees hold harināmas each week on the streets of Tbilisi and Batumi, distribute your books, and with each passing year, the December marathon becomes more and more successful and inspiring. Educational programs for interested people and new devotees are constantly being held, and the beautiful Deities of Gaurāṅga and Nityānanda are worshiped with great love. This has become possible largely due to your steadfast and faithful follower, His Holiness Dayānanda Swami, as well as other senior Vaiṣṇavas and Vaiṣṇavīs who selflessly dedicate themselves to serving your mission. This is undoubtedly your special gift to our yātrā.
Please allow us to continue serving you more and more and better and better by spreading the harināma-saṅkīrtana of Lord Caitanya both externally and internally. In particular, we beg for your mercy so that your instructions and life example do not remain merely a magnificent monument that we admire from afar, but become the true essence of our lives, merging with our consciousness: guru-mukha-padma-vākya cittete koriyā aikya, ār nā koriho mane āśā.
We will try to make our community a truly united and loving family, where everyone cares for and worries about others more than themselves. But only by your mercy will we be able to obtain the necessary purity and strength for this. And finally, please bless us so that more and more local young people come to Kṛṣṇa and that we may care for them and help them become serious devotees so that Kṛṣṇa consciousness may take deep roots in this land and bear the desired fruits. Please engage us without obstruction in your eternal service to Śrī Guru and Śrī Gaurāṅga.
The devotees at ISKCON Georgia
