Planet ISKCON

Yesterday we were very pleased when the monks and staff of the Bakonybél Bench monastery visited us in the Krisna Valley. In total, seventeen arrived to get to know our community and share our culture and traditions with each other. 🏞️ During their visit, we showed them our farm, our beautiful gardening and our cow.
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To see notes, click here

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Bhugarbha Goswami was a disciple of Gadadhara Pandita. Sri Kavikarnapura writes in his Gaura-ganodesa-dipika that Bhugarbha Goswami was formerly the gopi named Prema Manjari in Vrindavana.

While in Vrindavana, Bhugarbha Goswami passed away and entered into the unmanifest pastimes of the Lord on the fourteenth day of the full moon in the month of Kartika. 

Lokanatha Goswami and Bhugarbha Goswami lived together in Vrindavana as one. Srila Narahari Cakravarti Thakura writes about them in his Bhakti-ratnakara: “Bhugarbha Goswami and Lokanatha Goswami were world-preachers; they were so close and affectionate to one another that they were like one body.” 

Today is the disappearance day of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a great devotee—a maha-bhagavata. He was a disciple of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and was very renounced. Earlier, he lived for many years in Vrindavan, roaming the twelve forests, chanting the holy names of Krishna, begging alms, and sleeping under trees. Later, after Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura discovered Lord Chaitanya’s birthplace in Mayapur, Srila Jagannatha dasa Babaji Maharaja, the siksa-guru of Bhaktivinoda Thakura and parama-guru of Gaurakisora dasa Babaji, instructed Gaurakisora to move to Navadvipa-dhama.

In Navadvipa Gaurakisora resided on the banks of the Ganges and practiced devotional service with intense devotion and renunciation. Because materialistic men would come and disturb him with their desires for mundane blessings (asirvada), the babaji began to stay by a municipal lavatory, where the filth and noxious smells would discourage unwanted visitors. There he would chant in peace—in ecstasy. He would beg alms and cook in discarded clay pots, or eat parched rice with green chilies, or even ingest Ganges mud. Sometimes he would collect the discarded cloth from the crematorium, wash it in Ganges water, and use it to cover himself. His only desire was to be absorbed in the mellow of the holy name—in Krishna consciousness.

Gaurakisora was a siksa disciple and intimate friend of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. The Thakura arranged a bhajana-kutira for him on the same property as his own house in Godruma-dvipa. When the time came for Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura to take diksa, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura advised him to approach Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was the father of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati and his first instructor in the spiritual science, but the etiquette was that one would not take diksa from one’s biological father. So Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura sent him to Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was highly literate. By the age of seven, he had memorized the entire Bhagavad-gita and could even explain its verses. He had a photographic memory, and in school he read all the books in the library. Just by reading them once, he could remember every word, and so the library purchased new books just for him. By the age of twenty-five, he had written numerous articles and published one book, Surya-siddhanta, for which he was awarded the title Siddhanta Sarasvati. So, he was highly educated and literate, and Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja was hardly educated or literate at all.

The first time Siddhanta Sarasvati approached Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, the babaji refused to accept him. He didn’t directly say no, but he said, “I will ask Mahaprabhu.” When Siddhanta Sarasvati returned and told his father what had happened, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura encouraged him to persevere: “You must go back and beg him with all humility and earnestness to accept you.” So, he went back, but Gaurakisora dasa Babaji again refused, saying, “Oh, I forgot to ask Mahaprabhu. I am so sorry.” When Siddhanta Sarasvati returned home, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was most upset. He knew that Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was a pure devotee, a maha-bhagavata, and he urged Siddhanta Sarasvati to persist. He again instructed his son to beg Gaurakisora for his mercy, and he added, “If you fail this time, don’t bother to come back home.”

So, Siddhanta Sarasvati left the house and went to the Ganges. He felt so hopeless, he thought he might as well just drown himself in the river. Just then, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja appeared; he knew what was in his future disciple’s heart. Siddhanta Sarasvati just threw himself at Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s lotus feet in abject humility and complete surrender. Finally, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji accepted him. Siddhanta Sarasvati had shown that he was free from any tinge of false pride for being so learned and literate when his guru was uneducated.

Srila Prabhupada remarked that Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was illiterate and could not even sign his name, yet he became the spiritual master of Sarasvati Thakura, the best scholar of his time. And thus he proved the statement of the Vedas:

yasya deve para bhaktir
  yatha-deve tatha gurau
tasyaite kathita hy arthah
  prakasante mahatmanah

“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)

Although Gaurakisora dasa Babaji was hardly educated or literate, learned scholars and public servants would approach him with their questions on Srimad-Bhagavatam and other shastras, and with his realized knowledge he would answer their questions to their full satisfaction. Sometimes devotees would read various scriptures for him and he would comment on them from his deep spiritual realization.

Still, out of his great humility Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja refused to accept any disciples; Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura proved to be the only exception.

Gaurakisora dasa Babaji enjoined Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati never to go to Calcutta, which he considered “a bastion of Kali-yuga.” So Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati remained in Mayapur. In 1905 he took a vow to chant the Hare Krishna mantra a billion times. Residing in a grass hut near the birthplace of Lord Chaitanya, he chanted the Hare Krishna mantra day and night. He cooked rice once a day in an earthen pot (or just parched the rice in the sun) and ate nothing more. He slept on the ground, and when rainwater leaked through his grass ceiling, he sat beneath an umbrella, chanting. Locked in a small room, he chanted japa day and night, day after day, month after month, year after year. Finally, when he had completed his quota, he felt that he was ready to come out and preach. And to preach he went to Calcutta.

In a talk at the Ardha-kumbha-mela in Allahabad, Srila Prabhupada raised the point that Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji had instructed Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati never to go to Calcutta but that everyone knows he went to Calcutta. So, Srila Prabhupada questioned whether Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had disobeyed the orders of his spiritual master. “No!” Prabhupada declared. “He was never in Calcutta; he was always in Vaikuntha!”

We pray to Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji:

namo gaura-kisoraya
  saksad-vairagya-murtaye
vipralambha-rasambodhe
  padambhujaya te namah

He is saksad-vairagya-murtaye, the personification of renunciation (vairagya); and vipralambha-rasambodhe, always merged in the ocean of the mellow of separation from Krishna (vipralambha-rasa). Padambhujaya te namah: “I offer my respectful obeisances unto his lotus feet.”

That was the mood of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja: he was always merged in that nectarean ocean of devotion in separation, and he had no care for his body or for anything material—just hari-nama.

He wrote a beautiful song that is completely in the mood of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. It is said that of the Six Gosvamis, Raghunatha dasa was the most attached to the service of Srimati Radharani—that he had the most intense desire to serve Srimati Radharani—and Gaurakisora dasa Babaji wrote a beautiful song in that mood. He begins with a refrain: kotai go premamayi, radhe radhe, radhe radhe—“Where is Radha, so full of love? Radhe, Radhe, Radhe, Radhe!” Then he proceeds to express the mood of Raghunatha dasa Gosvami in separation from Radharani, desiring and aspiring for Her service.

When Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja left this world, there was some dispute over what would happen to his body. His samadhi would become an important place of pilgrimage, and some of the heads of the local Vaishnava centers saw this as an opportunity to raise money—for their mathas and even for their own sense gratification. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati ran to the site, but when he arrived, some of the local babajis objected: “You are not a sannyasi; how can you give samadhi to such an exalted and renounced personality?” But Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati responded forcefully: “I am the only disciple of Babaji Maharaja, and although I have not accepted sannyasa, I am a celibate brahmachari, not secretly addicted to abominable habits or involved with illicit activities. Who among you can say that in the last year he has had no sex or illicit contact with a woman? Please step forward.” Everyone was silent. Then he challenged, “Who has refrained for the last six months?” Everyone was silent. Next, “For the last three months?” Again, silence. “For the last one month?” Silence. “The last three days?” Still silence. They had been exposed and humbled. Not one of the babajis was fit to even touch the transcendental form of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja, and one by one they walked away.

But even then, there remained some question about how to handle the body, which was still lying on the ground. Out of his great humility, Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja had instructed that when he departed, his body should be dragged through the streets of Navadvipa so that it would be bathed in the dust from the feet of the Vaishnavas who had walked the holy ground of the dhama. So some of the townspeople proposed to take the body and drag it through the streets of Navadvipa. Such fools! Such rascals! But Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura stopped them. “Although we are fools and offenders,” he said, “still we can try to understand the true meaning of Babaji Maharaja’s humble request. After the departure of Thakura Haridasa, Lord Chaitanya Himself took the spiritually blissful body of the Thakura on His lap and danced. Following the divine example of Mahaprabhu, let us also bear Babaji Maharaja’s blissful body on our own heads.”

So, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati took charge of the body and placed it in samadhi on the western side of the Ganges, across from Mayapur. In time, the course of the Ganges changed and its waters threatened the area of the samadhi. So Srila Bhaktisiddhanta brought the samadhi to Mayapur, to his matha. There he had created a replica of Vrindavan, with tamala trees and kadamba trees, with Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda, and with a small Govardhana Hill made of govardhana-silas. Most appropriately, he placed the new samadhi by the side of Radha-kunda, and that is where the transcendental remains of Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji still rest today. One can go there and pray to him and feel his presence and get his mercy.

Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji Maharaja is an ocean of mercy (all pure Vaishnavas are). I pray that he will help me to chant the holy name, to chant with taste. When I prayed to him earlier—and this may just be my speculation—I imagined that he said, “You must give up your offenses.” Then I was thinking, “What offenses? What offenses?” And then I imagined that he answered, “You must chant with attention.”

Of course, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura does state that inattentive chanting is the root of all other offenses and that, conversely, attentive chanting will destroy all the other offenses. “But how do I do that?” I asked. And the answer came: “You must try. You just have to make the effort.” And I suppose that is always the process—that we make our honest effort and depend on the mercy of the acharyas and Krishna.

In my case, however, my chanting sometimes becomes such a routine that I do not even make the effort to hear every word or every mantra. I just do it. I just go through the motions. So, I guess that is my challenge, my special order—to chant with attention.

Devotees often raise the question of chanting with quality. When on a morning walk a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “How can we chant with quality?” His Divine Grace replied, “The quality will come. For now, just chant as a matter of duty; chant your sixteen rounds. When the quality comes, there will be no force. You will have taste, and spontaneously you will desire, ‘Why sixteen rounds? Why not sixteen thousand rounds?’ Rupa Gosvami desired, ‘How shall I chant with one tongue and hear with two ears? Had I billions of tongues and trillions of ears, then I could enjoy it.’ ”

Srila Prabhupada said that quality means asakti, attachment, and that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu showed that quality: “Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me: ‘Oh, I do not see Govinda. The whole world is vacant.’ Sunyayitam jagat sarvam govinda-virahena me. This is quality.” When one feels viraha-bhava, when one feels separation from Radha and Krishna, one is chanting with quality.

Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji is an ocean of mercy, and we pray for his grace.

Hare Krishna.

[A talk by Giriraj Swami on Srila Gaurakisora dasa Babaji’s disappearance day, November 22, 2004, Dallas]

To see notes, click here

The post Dealing with negative past karma – 3 ways– Karma Philosophy for a Brighter Future part 2 of 5 appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin in February 2025. Following the ISKCON GBC Society’s Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by two GBC members, to be submitted by December 31, 2024. Please note that no proposals will be entertained after this date. To submit a proposal, […]

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Sri Krishna, along with His elder brother Balarama, passed the childhood age known as kaumara and stepped into the age of pauganda, from the sixth year up to the tenth. At that time, all the cowherd men conferred and agreed to give those boys who had passed their fifth year charge of the cows in the pasturing ground.

Given charge of the cows, Krishna and Balarama traversed Vrindavana, purifying the land with Their lotus footprints.

Krsna said at that time that the cows are worshiped even by the demigods, and He practically demonstrated how to protect the cows. At least people who are in Krsna consciousness should follow in His footsteps and give all protection to the cows.

Cows are worshiped not only by the demigods. Krsna Himself worshiped the cows on several occasions, especially on the days of Gopasthami and Govardhana-puja.

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The post US elections & the defeat of cultural Marxism – Monk’s Podcast 208 with Govinda Prabhu appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Dear Devotees,   Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.   The Annual General Meeting of the ISKCON GBC Society will begin in February 2025. Following the ISKCON GBC Society’s Rules of Order, the GBC Secretariat requests proposals, duly sponsored by two GBC members, to be submitted by December 31, 2024. Note
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Today is Gopastami, the day on which Krishna and Balarama and other boys Their age, who previously had tended the calves, were given charge of the cows. This event is described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.15.1):

tatas ca pauganda-vayah-sritau vraje
  babhuvatus tau pasu-pala-sammatau
gas carayantau sakhibhih samam padair
  vrndavanam punyam ativa cakratuh

“When Lord Rama and Lord Krsna attained the age of pauganda [six to ten] while living in Vrndavana, the cowherd men allowed Them to take up the task of tending the cows. Engaging thus in the company of Their friends, the two boys rendered the land of Vrndavana most auspicious by imprinting upon it the marks of Their lotus feet.”

As stated in the purport, “Since Lord Krsna’s spiritual body had apparently grown slightly in age and strength, the senior men of Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, decided to promote Krsna from the task of herding calves to the status of a regular cowherd boy. He would now take care of the full-grown cows, bulls, and oxen. Out of great affection, Nanda Maharaja had previously considered Krsna too small and immature to take care of full-grown cows and bulls. It is stated in the Karttika-mahatmya section of the Padma Purana:

suklastami karttike tu
  smrta gopastami budhaih
tad-dinad vasudevo ’bhud
  gopah purvam tu vatsapah

‘The eighth lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of Karttika is known by authorities as Gopastami. From that day, Lord Vasudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.’

“The word padaih indicates that Lord Krsna blessed the earth by walking on her surface with His lotus feet. The Lord wore no shoes or other footgear but walked barefoot in the forest, giving great anxiety to the girls of Vrndavana, who feared that His soft lotus feet would be injured.”

The celebration was meant for only the cowherd men and boys, but Srimati Radharani also wanted to enjoy the fun, and so, because of Her resemblance to Subala-sakha, she donned his dhoti and other garments and joined Krishna. Thus, on this occasion, in temples in Vrindavan and elsewhere, Srimati Radharani is dressed as a cowherd boy.

The Lord is very kindly disposed toward the cows and the brahmans (go-brahmana-hitaya), and whoever serves them becomes dear to Him, too. Knowing this, devotees observe a special festival on the Gopastami day, dedicated to the worship of cows. In Vrindavan especially, but also the world over, devotees begin the festival by brushing the cows, painting their horns and bodies with artistic designs, and hanging flower garlands around their necks. Then a cow and her calf are selected, and an arati is offered to them. During the arati, devotees sing the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, and then they feed the cow, her calf, and indeed the entire herd, bananas, balls of gur (jaggery), and fresh grasses. Some devotees also recite the following mantra (Hari-bhakti-vilasa 16.252):

agratah santu me gavo
  gavo me santu prsthatah
gavo me parsvatah santu
  gavam madhye vasamyaham

“May cows stay in front of me. May cows stay behind me. May cows stay on both sides of me. May I always reside in the midst of cows.”

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

 

 

 

In recent years, blockchain technology has emerged as a powerful tool in the fight against money laundering, offering unprecedented transparency and security in financial transactions. This revolutionary technology is transforming how financial institutions and regulatory bodies approach anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and enforcement.

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In today's digital age, having access to your favorite online content offline has become increasingly important. A YouTube video downloader serves as an essential tool for users who want to save and enjoy videos without an internet connection. Whether you're a student, professional, or casual viewer, understanding how to effectively use these tools can significantly enhance your video consumption experience.

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By Kaisori dasi

The North European BBT is alive and well in its service to book distributors around Europe. Here's our May 2022-May 2023 Annual Report. Continue reading "The Glorious Annual Report from the North European BBT
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In this heartfelt talk on Prabhupada’s Disappearance Day, Mahatma Prabhu reflects on the profound impact of Srila Prabhupada’s passing on the devotees and the movement. He shares that the intense sense of loss in 1977 left many feeling traumatized, likening it to PTSD, and reflects that this trauma might still affect the movement today. He
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By Vijaya Das

So far, September turned out to be one of the most successful months of the year. Ten temples reported over a 999% increase--amazing! ISV was the #1 temple in the world--incredible! Mayapur is so huge nobody was even getting close to them, so quite a surprise. Continue reading "WSN September 2024 – World Sankirtan Newsletter
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Hare Krishna! I hope this report finds you well. We are pleased to share the highlights and achievements of the ISKCON Russian-speaking Yatra in London the month of October, filled with spiritually uplifting events and dedicated devotional activities: 1. Kirtan Mela Organized by Vasanta Prabhu • The Kirtan Mela brought together devotees for an intensive
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Final cooking by Maharaj and Braj Vilas Prabhu during Last day of Yatra | Mayapur Kartik Yatra 2024#mayapurkartikyatra2024 #kartikyatra2024 #radhanathswami Final cooking by Maharaj and Braj Vilas Prabhu during Last day of Yatra | Mayapur Kartik Yatra 2024
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**Snake Drama – Lessons from Nature** *By HH Sacinandana Swami* — Welcome to today’s inspiration. I’m excited to share a recent encounter that illuminated for me some profound lessons about life’s journey and how our inner transformation unfolds through the path of bhakti. It all began with an unexpected visitor near my chanting hut. For
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November 14, 1977, at 7:30 p.m., in his room at the Krishna-Balaram Mandir in Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada gave his final instruction by leaving this mortal world and going back to Godhead.

Ācārya means one who knows the purport of the sāstra, and he behaves himself according to the shastric regulative principle and teaches his disciple in that way. Ācārya means whose behavior, whose activities should be followed. That is called ācārya. Being the founder acarya of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada continued teaching us with his own example.

“His departure was exemplary because his whole life was exemplary. His departure marked the completion of a lifetime of pure devotional service to Krishna. A few days before the end, Srila Prabhupada had said he was instructing as far as he could, and his secretary had added, “You are the inspiration.” “Yes,” Srila Prabhupada had replied, “that I shall do until the last breathing.”

Srila Prabhupada’s departure was glorious because he remained in perfect Krishna consciousness, chanting and hearing the holy names of Krishna.” 

Dear Srila Prabhupada: Please accept my most humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet. All glories to you!

Today, we observe the day you departed from this world, leaving us experiencing deep pangs of separation—an ache that only intensifies with each passing year. Although your teachings, your presence within your books, and the shelter of the holy name continue to nurture us, the pain of separation from you burns ever more strongly in our hearts.

You yourself expressed this same sentiment in your 1961 Vyasa Puja offering to your spiritual master, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Referring to his departure back home back to Godhead, you wrote most poignantly:

“On that day, in pain of separation, O Lord, I was grief-stricken, unable to tolerate being apart from my spiritual master.”

Though 47 years have gone by since you left us, Srila Prabhupada, we carry those same sentiments in our own hearts to this very day.

In a loving mood, you once said, “I do not know who is Krsna. I only know my Guru Maharaja.”

And so it is with us. Thus, separation from you takes on a special mood.

In separation from Krishna, the devotee says:

saṅgama-viraha-vikalpe
varam iha viraho na saṅgamas tasya
ekaḥ sa eva saṅge
tri-bhuvanam api tan-mayaṁ virahe

“Separation from Krishna is better than meeting Him. When I meet Him there is only one Krishna, but when I am separated from Him the three worlds become filled with Krishnas.”
(Padyāvalī, 240)

And so it is for me in my relationship with you, Srila Prabhupada. Since you departed, my world is filled only with memories of you. Yet, I still hanker to meet you again in person and to hear your loving words—as on the occasion in London when you slapped me on my back in firm appreciation, or even the chastisement you gave me when I fell asleep during your lecture in Hyderabad! No matter how deeply I desire to relive these moments, I know it is not possible to do so. This heartfelt longing reminds me of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī’s plaintive appeal:

sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam

“Will Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ever become the object of my vision again?” (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā, 4.51)

In that mood I humbly pray:

sa prabhupadah kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam

“Will my beloved spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada, ever become the object of my vision again?”

Each year, especially on this occasion, remembrances of you flood my mind: the unyielding determination in your eyes, the compassion in your voice as you called us to Krishna’s service, and the countless hours you spent guiding us towards pure love of Krishna. You embody that platform of pure love and absolute surrender to Krishna, and in your presence, we felt as if we were sheltered within an impenetrable fortress. Now, in this world without you, we are left to navigate the darkness of Kali-yuga, holding fast to your words as our guiding torch. That very torch you kindly handed me in the infancy of my spiritual life when you replied to a letter I wrote to you saying I missed you after your visit to our temple in Detroit in 1971. You replied, “I very much appreciate your feelings of separation from me. I also feel separation from my Guru Maharaja, but I always feel he is watching over and protecting me.” Srila Prabhupada, those words have given me solace since the day you departed this planet.

Once, in Paris, you invited me into your room, allowing me to watch in awe as you dictated the Srimad Bhagavatam with remarkable clarity and resolve. Now, in your absence, those words linger only as a whisper, leaving me longing for those few precious moments in your association once again. How vividly I remember sitting at your lotus feet in numerous cities around the world—Detroit, London, Paris, Geneva, and Rome—captivated by the timeless wisdom that flowed from your lips like nectar.

In my service to you, Srila Prabhupada, I continue to reach out to the lost souls of this world. Daily, I remember your plea to me: to preach boldly and have faith in the holy names. You spoke those words to me directly and in your absence, they have become my heartbeat, my mission statement, and my solace. To fulfill that plea requires immense spiritual strength, and I draw that strength from the promise you made to me one day in London—that we shall meet again in the spiritual world, and I will have the chance to serve you eternally in that realm of love and bliss.

Though I presently carry on my service in separation from you, I know that each step taken in your service brings me nearer to you. I feel your presence beside me, even in silence; I see your gentle smile reflected in the mirror of my heart. Every prayer I offer, every round I chant, every service I perform is dedicated to you, in the hope of honoring your name and the priceless teachings you imparted. The void left by your departure has only deepened my resolve to walk the path you so brilliantly illuminated.

Your divine presence left an indelible mark upon this world and upon our hearts—a mark that no force of time or tide will ever erase. Even now, your love and mercy reach across this vast distance of separation, giving me the strength to persevere. Your vision of a world transformed by Krishna consciousness fills my mind, and with each effort I make in your service, I strive to fulfill even a fraction of that dream. Yet, the weight of your mission rests heavily on my shoulders, constantly reminding me of the unwavering dedication with which you labored, despite every obstacle, to establish this movement for the salvation of all.

As I travel this world, speaking on the glories of Krishna and His service, it is your voice that speaks through me. I feel your love in every kirtan I lead, in every festival I arrange, and in every life that is touched by Krishna consciousness. Though my words may fall short and my efforts may be imperfect, I know that in each heart that turns toward Krishna, your legacy lives on. Your kindness and determination have become my guiding star, illuminating the path ahead. And in the moments when the path feels lonely in your absence, I remember that your transcendental presence remains with every single one of us who labors for your mission—just as you promised.

Srila Prabhupada, as I reflect on the years of my life, I am humbled by all you have so freely bestowed upon me. You have blessed me with a family in the form of countless disciples, friends, godbrothers, and godsisters — each one a precious gift on this path. Through them, I witness Krishna’s mercy and see how your mission continues to expand, bringing new hope to hearts once lost. From these devotees, I draw strength and inspiration, and I pray to serve them with the same love and patience that you so generously showed me.

My dear spiritual master, I pray once again for the good fortune of having your vapu as the object of my constant vision. Whether you bless me again, or chastise me again, I will consider both as equal expressions of your mercy. When your Guru Maharaja, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, was preaching, his disciples would say that “prabhupādera dāl” (his remnants of dāl) and “prabhupādera gāl” (his sharp words of chastisement) have the same effect. They both lead to Krishna-prema.

Dearest Śrīla Prabhupāda, in Sanskrit, one of the terms used to denote a disciple is ante-vāsī. The term means that the student is at the door of his guru, waiting outside his home (ante), standing (vāsī) and holding paraphernalia for the service of his guru. I pray that you make me an ante-vāsī standing outside your door now and forevermore.

So, on this sacred day, I once again lay my heart, my soul, and my life at your lotus feet. I bow before you, offering my tears of separation as a homage to your infinite kindness. May I continue to carry your mission forward with courage, may I honor your teachings with purity, and may I one day be worthy to stand before you again—finally reunited—in the service of the Supreme Lord.

Srila Prabhupada, may I always reside in your heart, both in meeting and separation.

yatrāpi vasati śrīla
prabhupādo jagad-guruḥ
mamāpi vasatiḥ saiva
bhavatv ity arthitā mama

“My cherished desire is that wherever Prabhupāda is currently residing — may that place become my place of residence.”

Your eternal servant,
Indradyumna Swami


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