Homages Non-GBC Sannyasis, VP2026
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
Today marks the 130th anniversary of the appearance of my beloved Gurudeva, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda. I am honored to write this Vyāsa-pūjā offering for my spiritual master’s glorification. It is not possible for a disciple to repay the debt to the spiritual master, yet still the disciple tries by preaching vigorously.
The guru wishes to see that his disciples continue to follow the regulative principles that they promised to keep. In addition to keeping my promises, I am also endeavoring to encourage the worldwide distribution of my Gurudeva’s literature.
The most advantageous methods available for preaching are being used, namely writing. In particular, we are focusing on publishing books, and we have now completed a thirty-volume set of Śrī Garga-saṁhitā, with commentary, dedicated to His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda.
The first duty of a person in the renounced order of life is to contribute some literary work for the benefit of the human being in order to give him realized direction toward self-realization. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.2.5, purport)
Though one may ask, “Who is this Danavir and what is he doing writing commentary on the Śrī Garga-saṁhitā?” Be that as it may, I have humbly taken up this writing as an opportunity to employ what I have learned from Śrīla Prabhupāda. Why was there a need for a commentary to be written? I certainly agree that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the topmost authority on Vedic literature, and what I’ve written is in no way an attempt to surpass or equal it. Rather – we hope – that what I’ve written augments and supplements it.
And we are trying to use the internet in a most effective way for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We have a cinematically rich series based on the Śrī Garga-saṁhitā that will present the topics in a manner that is believable, attractive, and accurate.
Śrīla Prabhupāda has given me more in every field than I could ever imagine. I could not even think of asking for such mercy, but he has given me every possible thing that I wanted in life. In a way, it is far beyond my imagination. So I thank him on this day and pray to always remain his servant and to associate with his sincere followers so that I can go on serving in whatever capacity he and Lord Caitanya feel is best for me.
In the meantime, I will stay here and continue working – preaching through different methods. All the means are available. And if I am able to assist in any way with the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, I am available for that.
In conclusion, I commit myself to ISKCON and will continue to encourage everyone else to do so as well.
Your eternal servant,
Dānavīr Goswami
Homages Non-GBC Sannyasis, 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
I am not much, but I am all that I’ve got.
So let me serve you
So let me work with that
As I am now, let me continue …
The more I go forward, the farther back I am revealed to be
The highest goal, is never close
What should anyone expect?
The heart is deep and restricted
Haunted by broken dreams of past images
All in a line they come to look at me
Like onlookers watch a baby monkey in a zoo
Hard to believe I really lived this life
Fleeting whack-a-doodle experiences hung on a wall
Like paintings in a gallery commissioned without an artistic theme
The heart is deep and restricted
It will not change soon
But I will not worry
This ad-hoc life will beat me on rocks
Like clothes slapped on the bank
Just one thing, let me focus on hearing Kṛṣṇa’s name
The heart is deep and restricted
Kṛṣṇa, I know now there is nowhere else to go
Even though I am nowhere right now
I have left all the familiar lighthouses
I have no regrets
Though Your lighthouse is dim
It is the only one in sight
The heart is deep and restricted
No use in wondering when it will dance
No use in wondering when it will dance
But dance it will, one fine day
I wanted to be great, but I am surely small
Take that, my dear ego
Just do my duty and walk forward one more day
Everything is scientifically arranged for me
The thorn and the rose
The heart is deep and restricted
I know it is in there somewhere
Though I have no real proof
Look, look, stupid mind!
See there are so many simply serving
Can’t you be like them?!
The heart is deep and restricted
If I could find it, I would surely give it to you
One day my heart will find me
And I will give it to you …
Your servant,
Candraśekhara Swami
Homages Non-GBC Sannyasis, VP2026
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,
Please accept my humble obeisances.
Before you, I did not exist, Prabhupāda! And the more I searched for myself, the more I became lost. The longing to possess myself made me ill. It was necessary, therefore, to give myself up, to flee from myself, in order to find the true cure in you.
Whatever Kṛṣṇa consciousness exists in me is because you are Prabhupāda! In me, no Kṛṣṇa consciousness could exist if you were not Prabhupāda! I, the devotee, might not exist, but you, Prabhupāda, would never cease to be Prabhupāda!
You are an ocean of mercy, while I am only a microscopic island trying to emerge from the ocean of birth and death. From the deep waters of my ignorance, you lifted me, yet I remain afraid, for I am still in danger. If your potency were to cease holding me above the sinister waters of my own ego, then at that very moment I would fall again into the darkest abyss of existence.
Therefore, I think of you today and always, Prabhupāda.
And the more I do so, the more I forget this fictitious and ephemeral character that covers my soul. The closer I come to your immense fullness, the more I divorce myself from myself – from this fragile and petty emptiness that bears my name. For this reason, I think of you today and always, Prabhupāda. And in doing so, I come closer to my true self. To be with you, Prabhupāda, is the only way to glimpse the possibility of being with myself.
Therefore, I think of you today and always, Prabhupāda.
And the more I do so, the more your gigantic and immaculate reality rises before me. Then this microscopic speck that I mistakenly call “I,” which lives lost in the mists on the horizon of māyā, ceases to torment me.
Therefore, I think of you today and always, Prabhupāda.
And the more I do so, the more I am healed. I understand that revolving around myself – around my small and great grievances – makes me sick, petty, dissatisfied with myself, and therefore with all men. And so I pray to you, Prabhupāda. I pray that your tangential force may seize me ever more, and that, like a rapturous cyclone, it may hurl me into your world – the heroic world of your joyful tempests – where to live, to work, to suffer, to struggle, and to die is sweeter than honey.
Outside of you there is no salvation for me. Therefore I pray: sustain me, strengthen me with your power, illumine me with your light, warm me with your heat, overwhelm me with your infinite happiness, and place me in harmony with the sweet poetry of life. This ineffable poetry is you and your adorable Lord. You are the great dawn after the cold nights of my heart. You are the smiling rainbow above the deluges of my tears. You are the hymn of peace in the midst of the battlefields within me.
Your eternal servant,
Candramukha Swami
Homages Non-GBC Sannyasis, VP2026
Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda,
oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who has opened my eyes, blinded by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge.
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 on this earth, 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 Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
A bright light within the dense darkness of chasing illusionary happiness became the cause of our ultimate good fortune. As the pure devotee representative of the compassionate Supreme Personality of Godhead, you brought hope for a better life along with a halt to our aimless wanderings, which were filled with despair and disappointment. You gave us what we unknowingly were looking for in life: the happiness of service to the Lord of all the Worlds, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Your words about the real purpose of human life carried hope for something better, something sublime, and came in the form of sacred books, spiritual discourses, and instructive lessons on the nature of the Absolute Truth and our eternal relationship with Him. It cut through our ignorance about life’s purpose, lifting our hearts up and as refreshing as a discovery of crystal-clear water is to a weary desert traveler. These words nourished our mind and gave life to our soul while cutting away the ignorance accumulated for countless births in a seemingly never ceasing cycle of birth and death.
Those who heard your words, filled with deep realizations of how to achieve the ultimate goal while simultaneously dismissing any idea for happiness and success other than devotional service to the Lord of our life, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, were most fortunate.
Contrarily were those who received your message, yet could not understand or take advantage of these immortal words. These persons are compared to children who, being immersed in play, were unable to take advantage of their loving mother who is calling them to enjoy a nourishing, tasty meal. Most unfortunate. For the doubting soul there is neither happiness in this life nor in the next.
Even more unfortunate are those who rejected your instructions, benevolent guidance, and words of transcendental knowledge and were eager to broadcast their ignorance openly. Like having come across a great treasure and seeing it as broken pieces of glass.
Yet those who continuously hear your words filled with realization of the Absolute Truth and adopt them as the guide in life and their ultimate treasure are most fortunate, for they will receive the full mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and qualify to again receive your divine association never ending.
I sincerely pray that every conditioned soul will have the opportunity to come in contact with your immortal teachings filled with love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa and make their lives perfect.
With your mercy what is the use of others’? And without your mercy what is the use of others’? For your mercy enclosed in your divine words is the means to achieve life’s ultimate goal, premā-pum-artho mahān – love of God.
We are eternally indebted – eager to try to repay the unrepayable gift of eternal life, knowledge, and bliss.
Your eternally grateful disciple,
Candramauli Swami
Homages Non-GBC Sannyasis, 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, this Vyāsa-pūjā is the most wonderful opportunity bestowed upon a living entity to glorify a dear devotee of the Lord like Your Divine Grace and so perfect his existence. What to speak of any conditioned soul, even Lord Kṛṣṇa loves to glorify His loving devotees. Recently, I came across excerpts from a letter by His Holiness Giriraj Swami to His Holiness Satsvarūpa Mahārāja, dated 20 August 1985:
I had the realization that Krishna is spreading Krishna consciousness all over the world just to glorify Srila Prabhupada. We are doing so little actually, but by Krishna’s grace, that little effort is producing such big results. Why? My realization is that it is only because Krishna wants to glorify Srila Prabhupada, His pure devotee. He is making everything so wonderful and so successful. Krishna is even making us wonderful, us mlecchas and yavanas, just to glorify Srila Prabhupada. And why is Krishna acting only to glorify Srila Prabhupada? Because Srila Prabhupada had no desire other than to glorify Krishna. Reciprocally, at least in terms of the Krishna consciousness movement in this material world (earth) Krishna has no desire other than to glorify Srila Prabhupada – and why? – because Srila Prabhupada had no desire other than to glorify Sri Krishna.
Yes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, you have no other desire than to glorify Kṛṣṇa. This you demonstrated to the whole world by your tireless dedicated efforts. You underwent so many difficulties and tribulations to establish this society single-handedly around the globe, a task unthinkable for any normal living entity. Surely you are an empowered associate of the Lord sent to this material world for fulfilling the mission of Kṛṣṇa.
In your purport to Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.14–15, you very aptly described the situation of a nitya-mukta jīva like Your Divine Grace:
Sometimes an ever-liberated personal associate of the Supreme Personality of Godhead descends into this universe just as the Lord descends. Although working for the liberation of conditioned souls, the messenger of the Supreme Lord remains untouched by the material energy. Generally ever-liberated personalities live in the spiritual world as associates of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and they are known as kṛṣṇa-pāriṣada, associates of the Lord. Their only business is enjoying Lord Kṛṣṇa’s company, and even though such eternally liberated persons come within this material world to serve the Lord’s purpose, they enjoy Lord Kṛṣṇa’s company without stoppage. The ever-liberated person who works on Kṛṣṇa’s behalf enjoys Lord Kṛṣṇa’s company through his engagement. [Emphasis added]
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are truly the eternal well wisher of conditioned souls. You are like a perfect physician treating the bhava-roga of all conditioned souls through your books, lectures, mūrtis, disciples, and granddisciples. Sometimes you cried to think how the living entities were suffering in this world. So many people daily visit your temples throughout the world, bow down before you, offer their obeisances to you, pray before you, and receive wonderful reciprocations from Your Divine Grace.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are so merciful, and I am so fortunate to be having the divine shelter of your lotus feet. Still, due to my impudence and false ego, I maintain all kinds of dirty desires to enjoy in this material world. I sincerely pray that as much attachment as I now have for worldly affairs, a similar degree of attachment may develop for your holy feet. I pray that my love for you may remain undisturbed both in misfortune and in prosperity, and that day after day it may increase by the power and influence of your holy name.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, please bless me so that I can dive deeply into your purports. Kindly reveal these divine purports in my heart so that I can also preach vigorously, selflessly, without being concerned about my little, little comforts.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, your very dear disciple, His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami, mercifully accepted me as his disciple. Two years ago, he departed from this world to join Your Divine Grace in the eternal preaching mission. In his absence, many responsibilities have come upon us. He desired that I accept sannyāsa and take on greater service in your mission. Although I am completely unqualified, I followed his instruction and applied. This year, on his second disappearance day, I was awarded the sannyāsa order by your dear disciple, His Holiness Guru Prasad Swami. He gave me the name Bhaktivedānta Rukmiṇī Kṛṣṇa Goswami. Śrīla Prabhupāda, I feel deeply fortunate to carry Your Divine Grace’s name, though I am entirely unworthy. I am fully dependent on your causeless mercy.
Please always keep me under the shelter of your lotus feet and never reject me. Kindly empower me so that I may boldly preach the mission of Lord Caitanya, strictly following the principles and teachings given by Your Divine Grace.
Śrīla Prabhupāda, kī jaya!
Your insignificant servant,
Bhaktivedānta Rukmiṇī Kṛṣṇa Goswami
Homages Non-GBC Sannyasis, 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 most respectful obeisances at your lotus feet! All glories to Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Śyāmasundara! All glories unto you!
Please, allow me to express my infinite gratitude to Your Divine Grace. Throughout my life, I increasingly experienced that I did not understand the meaning of human existence nor the goal of human life. Thus, I lived a life that was unhappy, disillusioned, and aimless
The Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 19.151) states:
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva
guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
Once, the smile of great fortune fell upon me: your book, The Science of Self-Realization, found its way into my hands. This single book answered every one of my questions. I had truly believed that there was no authentic source capable of providing answers to my inquiries. When I read your words, they had a most extraordinary effect upon my consciousness.
Before this, I had read many books by various authors, but none could provide a complete picture of the world or the nature of the soul. Nor of the Absolute Truth.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, when I read your books, I understood immediately in my heart that you are that authentic person whom I had been seeking. At the same time, you teach us in your books how to distinguish the authentic spiritual master from the charlatan.
The perspective you opened for me hit me with great surprise; it struck me as a total revelation. It came as a surprise because I did not even expect such clarity. Beside you, other authors – many of them very famous, such as Sri Aurobindo and others who sought to convey enlightenment through their writings – seemed as if they were looking at reality through a cataract. But that which Your Divine Grace conveyed was like pure vision. Such was the profound impact I felt when I came in contact with your books.
On one hand, it felt as if I had known this truth and the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra from somewhere long, long ago. On the other hand, I had never heard it from anyone else before. For me, this was a true mahotsava occurring in my life.
Now, as I write this offering, I am reliving those wonderful, blissful experiences that arose within me at that time. I remember when I read others’ writings on the nature of the soul – why it exists at all and what it seeks in the material world – the authors gave such a blurred image. It was never clear whether the soul is a person or something else. In contrast, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, your stunning explanations are so simply understandable, clear, and perfect. In just a few sentences you presented the knowledge of the soul. Everything fell into place.
Since others were incapable of giving a philosophically clear explanation of the nature of the soul and its relationship with the world, what could they possibly say about the nature of God? But you did not stop at sharing knowledge of the soul, for that is only the beginning of knowledge. You shared knowledge of Kṛṣṇa as well. Moreover, you teach that the ultimate goal is prema pum-artho mahān.
You broadcast Kṛṣṇa perfectly, exactly as He is! To me, this is all crystal clear. Before I began reading the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, as I mentioned, I first read The Science of Self-Realization. In that book you frequently quote ślokas from the Bhagavad-gītā.
When I read those verses, wonderful and startling emotions ignited within me. I thought with amazement: “This is impossible; this cannot be.” The sentences in those verses are so perfect that an ordinary human could not compose such statements. It was so obvious that you brought this knowledge directly from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, exactly as it is. I was utterly enthralled.
Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda, you explained perfectly the soul-tattva, kṛṣṇa-tattva, and the tattva of the relationship between the soul and Kṛṣṇa. And it did not end there. You even gave us the means by which we can build a loving relationship with Rādhā-Śyāma!
For this, I shall never be able to repay you, dear Śrīla Prabhupāda.
I still remember when I bought the first six volumes of the Bhāgavatam and brought them home. I set them down, sat before them, and just stared at the books for hours, blissfully stunned, feeling that I had just received the greatest prize of my life. This experience was exceptionally wonderful.
When special events occur, such as a birthday, it is customary to give blessings. I too wish to take this opportunity and ask for a small blessing from you. So that I may better please you and properly repay my debt, I ask that you empower me to cleanse the anarthas from my heart. I also ask that the fresh, stunning, and wondrous sense of surprise I felt when I first encountered your books remains just as fresh and vivid throughout my entire life. For then I will always be enthusiastic to practice Kṛṣṇa Consciousness! And through that, I will be able to express my gratitude.
Once more, thank you so much for switching on the light in my heart! Now I understand which way to go, what surrounds me, and with whom I should build my relationship. Śrīla Prabhupāda kī jaya!
Your insignificant servant,
Bhaktipāda Goswami
