• 31st December 2021

​​

His Holiness Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami sent out the following message to his diksa, siksa and aspiring disciples, and it is reproduced here with his kind permission:

​

Dear all,

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace.

Well, it’s time for another well overdue dear all update. :-)

Finally, after three proof hearing marathons, the files have gone to Bland Mahdi for mastering! Bland  has his masters degree in sound engineering and has worked professionally doing sound tracks for theatre and musical groups. He is extremely expert and is a joy to work with. He is also inspired to do this all-important work and has agreed to join the audio book team for the duration of the adventure ahead to record Srila Prabhupada’s major works.

So Krishna is so kind to make all these arrangements.

The platforms that release audio books on iTunes, Amazon, and Audible, such as ACX, which the BBT uses, have protocols. Luckily for us there is no limit on the size of the whole book. But they don’t allow chapters longer that 2 hours of sound. A third of the Cc chapters are more than two hours long. The Adi-lila, chapter 7, for example, is 7 hours of sound! Altogether, the three volumes (Adi-lila, Madhya-lila, and Antya-lila) that will comprise the book total at least 120 hours of sound!

We had a Zoom meeting with the BBT Audio book team. Everyone was very satisfied, especially with Bland’s answers to their questions. So it looks like we have a solid team for doing future audio books. The Gita will be next, and then the Srimad-Bhagavatam, which will be released one Canto at a time.

One of the loose ends that needed tying up was to break the chapters that were more than 2 hours of sound into parts at appropriate places, and to name them. We finished that work before sending the files to Bland.

The mastered files that have come back from Bland so far are of excellent quality and maintain the natural sound of my voice. Rasika and I are both elated. We knew that it would not be easy to master this much sound, especially when the volume levels were recorded so sporadically, especially in the beginning. Bland has done a wonderful service. I can’t wait to hear the reactions of the devotees when the audio book is finally released, which shouldn't be too much longer.

As far as my health goes, it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. I remember mentioning to you that the entire healing process for such degenerated hips as I had will be up to a year, which means around mid-May 2022. In the meantime, I am finding the amount of sleep I require to heal as fast as possible but am still slowed down at times by pain. The main thing is not to spend too much time in a chair, which isn’t easy to do with my service!

But overall, I’m feeling much better and can move more freely. I’m gradually increasing the number of steps I take every day to optimise the healing.

Hare Krishna!

Hoping you are all well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

• 17th December 2021

​​

His Holiness Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami's latest live FB readings of Bhagavad-gita As It Is have been completed and we now have a complete set of recordings, cover to cover readings, on his YouTube Channel, "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books".  Yesterday he commenced another cover to cover reading of Srimad-Bhagavatam, and these are uploaded to YouTube daily.  Do check the channel out and subscribe - everything is listed in different playlists so easy to find if you are looking for something in particular, or watch the daily recordings as they are posted.  There are well over 1,000 hours of live readings now uploaded to his YouTube channel.

​

• 2nd December 2021

​

Message for HH Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami's diksa, siksa and aspiring disciples:  I have emailed out today the latest issue of the Spreadsheet.  If you have not received it and believe you should have, please send me a message via the "Contact Us" on this website, or an email.  Thank you.  Mayapur-sasi Dasa

​

• 28th November 2021

​​

For anyone unaware, please note that His Holiness Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami reads live on Facebook each evening (UK time) on a FB channel called "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books".  You can post your observations or comments live whilst he is reading, and these will be read out and discussed at the end of each evening's read. 

 

This same live recording is uploaded within and hour or two to his YouTube channel, also called "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books".  You can find over 1000 hours of recordings on his YouTube channel, all nicely organised into Playlists.  If you are not already a subscriber please subscribe now!

​

• 23rd September 2021

​​

Dear god-brothers and sisters,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and our dear Gurudeva,

 

Whilst this incident has been intense, with Krsna’s mercy Gurudeva is starting to feel much improved. He is also managing to rest, which is certainly very good news.

 

Rasika-siromani has worked out a way that they can “proof hear” whilst Gurudeva is lying down, and this is enabling him still to make progress with the audio books in a safe way.

 

Gurudeva hopes to re-start the daily readings again in a few days and an announcement will be made.  

 

Hare Krsna,

 

Your servant,

 

Mayapur-sasi Dasa

​

​

• 11th September 2021

​​

Dear all,

 

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace!

 

This is a short update to let you know how I’m doing after another episode of lower back spasms.

 

On 27 August, I was in a chair for more than 7 hours, proof hearing the Cc audio files and attending a two hour ERP Zoom meeting. Two days later, I began having such intense lower back muscle spams that I was forced to stay down. And although the situation has improved since then, I still can’t stand or sit.

 

I went through a similar episode in Houston not long before I came to Hythe, UK. That time it took about four weeks before I could begin working again. The audio book proof hearing has been set back, of course, but Rasika-siromani has been soldiering on, using the software to make needed corrections we’ve found during the proof hearing. So we’re still confident that we’ll still be able to finish the work in time for the BBT to release the audio book before the end of Srila Prabhupada’s 125th anniversary year. 

 

Abhaya is taking excellent care of me, and I have the best medical counsel one could hope for in the form of Pundarik Prabhu (SRS). Both he and his better half, Hare Krishna Devi Dasi, recently retired from illustrious 30+ year careers as NHS General Practitioners. Plus, all three of their sons are presently NHS doctors. It’s a doctor dynasty!

 

So Pundarik Prabhu is guiding me, plus I’ve been able to get the proper muscle relaxant he recommended from our local NHS GP clinic, simply by phoning them.

 

Krishna is so kind, isn’t He?

 

He takes care of anyone who simply tries sincerely to give one’s life to Him in service.

 

I look forward to being able to start up the daily readings again soon. Meanwhile, I’m doing what I can to keep in touch while laying down.

 

Hare Krishna!

 

Feeling separation and praying you are all well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

 

Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada

 

Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

• 10th August 2021

​​

Dear, dear devotees,

​

I pray that you are all having an ecstatic Sr Krishna Janmastami wherever you are and whomever you’re with.

As for me, apparently my lower back didn’t approve of my spending 7.5 hours in a chair Friday, because this morning I woke up with a muscle spasm in my lower back that is not allowing me to move and make the same mistake again.

To be honest, because I become so happy hearing and chanting about the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s pastimes with His pure devotees that I forget about my body.

​

But I have these important services to do, and so I’m going to adjust the way I do them. Mainly this will affect the way I do the proof hearing, not the daily readings.

​

But until the spasms relax, I’m being told by my doctor consultants to stay down, which could for at least three days, or perhap less.

​

During these days I’ll be feeling separation from all of you, but at least I’m comforted by the fact that we now we are only two or three videos from reaching the milestone of 1000 videos of reading Srila Prabhupada’s books cover to cover posted on the You Tube Channel of the same name as the Facebook page we use.

​

So until we see each other again shortly, I remain always yours in service to Srila Prabhupada,

​

Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

• 26th August 2021

​​

Video recordings from Guru Maharaja's Vyasapuja have been uploaded to the "Mayapur-sasi Dasa" YouTube channel:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJFfOHgyxOQ

​

• 22nd August 2021

​​

Guru Maharaja sent the following email out to all his disciples:-​

​

Dear all,

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace.

It’s time for another update. This one will be short.

Today Rasika-siromani and I have embarked on the last proof hearing of the audio files before the are mastered by Bhakta Bland and sent to the BBT for release. This is very exciting because it means that the BBT audio book of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, purports included, should be available to the devotees this year. Because I’ll be adding another 4 or 5 hours of proof hearing to my schedule, I may not be as available as I normally have been lately. I beg forgiveness for that and ask for your understanding and patience. From what I heard today, the end result will be well worth the wait!

My convalescence from the second surgery is going very well, but according to the doctor consultants it will be another 4 to 8 months before I’ll feel the new normal, which will still be 75 years of age, even with the new hips. :-)

Because I don’t have time now to answer all the lovely offerings that were sent to me, here I want to express by deepest gratitude for the maturity and grace of all these offerings. Srila Prabhupada told us that the yearly Vyasa-puja offerings to one’s spiritual master, diksa or siksa, serve as a barometer of our advancement in Krishna consciousness. And I can honestly say that all of you are advancing so nicely. The cup of my gratitude runneth over. You all expressed the increased attachment you are feeling from hearing Srila Prabhupada’s books, and nothing could make me happier!

For you pleasure, attached please find a folder of all the offerings I received this year.

Hare Krisna

Hoping you are well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

• 7th June 2021

​

Guru Maharaja sent the following email out to all his disciples and with his kind permission it is reproduced here:

​​

Dear all,

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace.

Sorry for this late notice, but I’ll be starting up the"Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada’s Books" tonight at 7:15 pm (19:15) UK time. I’m excited to read the Krsna Book from cover to cover and archive it on FaceBook and YouTube for posterity. Obviously I’m feeling strong separation from the readings and from all of your association.

This is also meant to be a short update on my recovery from the second hip replacement surgery done on 12 May. The worst is over, thankfully. The pain I had to go through has drastically reduced over the past week. I can’t walk without crutches as yet, but I’m using them more for balance now rather than having to put my full weight on them. Because of the severe degeneration of both my hips over many, many years, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even the pelvic structure are all having to make adjustments, which means that it will take more time to come back to as fully normal as they can be will be. But looking at how different I feel already, I’m looking forward to being more mobile and freer from pain and discomfort than I have been for perhaps the past 10 years. The full results will be well worth the wait according to my surgeon Chakradhari Prabhu.

My dear friend and expert doctor Pudarika Prabhu and his wonderful better half Hare Krishna Devi Dasi (also a doctor) have promised to come see me sometime soon after I arrive back in Hythe on this Thursday, 10 June, and to set me up with a exercise regimen to maximize the benefits from the hip surgeries.

I can’t thank enough Chakradhari Prabhu and his better half Rajalaksmni Devi Dasi and their wonderful son and daughter Gauranga Madhava and Hari Priya for their hospitality and tender loving care. Also, Syamakisora Dasa Brahmacary has stepped up and take wonderful care of me. Krishna is so kind!

OK That’s it for now. I’ll see you all starting tonight at the Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada’s books when we’ll begin reading Srila Prabhupada’s classic summary of the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam he named “Krsna: the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” Affectionately called the Krishna Book by all of us.

Hare Krishna!

Hoping you are all well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada,

Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

• 7th June 2021

​

Wonderful news - Gurudeva's live "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books" will recommence on FB on Monday, 7th June, at 7:15pm (19:15) UK time. 

 

I believe that is 8:15pm (20:15) in Amsterdam, 2:15pm (14:15) in New York, 11:15am in San Francisco, and 02:15am in Hong Kong/Taiwan, but please double-check for your own time zones.

 

As usual, the recordings will be uploaded to Gurudeva's YouTube channel, "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books", and this is usually done within 2 to 3 hours of the end of the reading. 

 

The reading will be THE KRISHNA BOOK, cover to cover!  A new "Krishna Book" Playlist will be opened on the Youtube channel.

 

Spread the word!

​

​

• 4th June 2021

​​

Post-Op Report (5):  Gurudeva has walked outside and is experiencing less pain, getting gradually back to his usual routine, and is gaining more strength and rest. Guru Maharaja is confident that his recovery is heading in the right direction.

​

• 30th May 2021

​

Post-Op Report (4):  Gurudeva is progressing well with his convalescence, although still with some pain.  He is managing to move around using crutches, walking more, doing his rehabilitation exercises daily, and his sleep is less disturbed than before.

​

• 20th May 2021

​

Post Op Report (3):  Gurudeva remains in pain, as should be expected, but he is now able to lift up and move his legs and even walk. Understandably however, the pain is interfering with his ability to rest properly, so please remain patient.  However, the great news is that overall Gurudeva is reported to be recovering well and considerably more quickly than after the first operation.

 

• 15th May 2021

​​

Post-Op Report (2):  Guru Maharaja has been released from hospital following his hip replacement operation.  He is suffering more pain now, as expected, but he is eating well and resting.

​

• 12th May 2021

 

Post-Op Report (1):  Guru Maharaja had a hip replacement (planned) operation today in UK.  The operation took longer than expected due to how severely the joints were damaged.  It was successful, however, and Guru Maharaja seems to be responding better than after the first operation.  He is in good spirits and Chakradhari prabhu, the surgeon, is very happy with the result.  

Understandably Gurudeva is not accessible for the time being due to the demanding and tiring nature of the operation. 

Further updates will be sent out as and when received.

Thanks to Syamakisora prabhu for sharing this news. 

Your servant,

Mayapur-sasi Dasa

​

• 12th May 2021

​

Shortly before traveling to the hospital for his hip replacement operation, Guru Maharaja sent an email out to his disciples and friends, and with his kind permission it is reproduced here:

​

Dear all,

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace.

This will be a very short update to let you know that I’ll be admitted into the hospital tomorrow morning at 7:00 am (Weds. the 12th) and that the operation will begin sometime between 8;30 and 9;30 am.

I’ve received beautiful prayers and good will messages, for which I’m eternally grateful. I feel very confident about the success of this operation. Chakradhari Prabhu, who will be doing the procedure thinks that this one will be easier than the last, mainly because when the right hip was replaced the left hip also need replacing and therefore, being extremely weak, couldn’t take up the slack. But this time the right hip is normal, which should make the recovery easier. Of course, everything depends on Krishna’s will, upon which we are all completely dependent.

Anyway, I’ll be in touch as soon as I can during the convalescence. I will miss everyone, and especially the daily readings, which have become my life and soul.

Hare Krishna!

Hoping you are all well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

​

• 25th April 2021

​

On 25th April 2021, Guru Maharaja sent out the following email to his disciples and friends.  With his kind permission it is reproduced here.

​

Dear all,

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace!

It’s time for another update.

For those who don’t already know, our dear Abhaya Dasa Brahmacari had to leave us because his visa ran out. He’s in Houston now performing devotional service for Sri Sri Radha-Nilamadhava, Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai, Sri Giriraja Govardhana, and Their lovely devotees. We are planning to bring him back with a longer visa as soon as we can.

By the grace of Dayal Mora Prabhu, the newly appointed Vice-President of IKSCON London at Soho St, my disciple from the ashram, Syamakisora Dasa Brahmacari, is now assisting me and Rasika-siromani Prabhu. We have finished the first proof-hearing of the Cc audio files, by Krishna’s grace. It was an extremely intense service, listening to every single word so carefully as to to spot any mistakes or additional polish edits that have been done to the text. It’s amazing how many words I mispronounced or skipped or changed (an “a” for a “the,” a “this" for a “that,” and so many others, some of them less common. But the intensity of this hearing is also bringing beautiful devotional feelings as we become more and more familiar with this wonderful scripture, which from what I’ve learned is not read by many devotees because they think it is the post graduate study of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and that they are therefore not qualified to read it. Hopefully more devotees will be inspired to hear it and they will learn, especially through Srila Prabhupada’s magnificent and protective purports, that it’s more than safe to read and hear––plus it’s essential to attain pure devotional service to Sri Sri Radha and Krishna.

Rasika-siromani will be returning to Houston in just five days. Dayal Mora Prabhu has applied for certificates from the UK Home Office for ISKCON London to be able to bring in devotees on Religious Worker visas. So far so good! From conversation he’s had with the Home Office people, he feels confident that the application will be be accepted. Then we will be able to bring Rasika-siromani Prabhu and Abhaya Dasa Brahmacary back to the UK with extendable visas that could result in permission to stay without restrictions.

I feel confident from the inexplicable turns of event over this past year that Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu want this audio book project to be successfully completed.

It’s taking longer than expected but as we become more experienced it’s obvious that to do an audio book of this size and importance, we have to get it right. Once all the corrections have been made and Bhakta Bland, who has his Masters Degree in sound engineering, does his magic on the sound, standardizing it throughout and marking the chapters or perhaps even the verses so as to be searchable for the hearer, we’ll have to do a final proof hearing of the whole book again. It’s all very exciting. We hope to be able to release it before Srila Prabhupada’s 125th Vyasa-puja later this year.

I’ll be traveling up to Hereford, about four hours Northwest of Hythe, on 6 May. I’ll have the pre-op exam on the 7th, a COVID test on the 9th, and the surgery on the 12th. Unlike my first hip replacement, I know what I’m getting into. So it’s simultaneously daunting and comforting to know that with two healthy hips I’ll be able to move  much more naturally without so much discomfort. So I’m looking forward to this harrowing experience! :-)

Hare Krishna!

Hoping everyone is well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

​

• 31st October 2020

​

On the 31st October 2020, Guru Maharaja sent out the following email to his disciples and friends.  It is reproduced here with his kind permission:

​

Dear all,

 

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace.

 

Once again, it’s time for another long-overdue update letter. And this one may be the most significant yet. In my last update I mentioned the possibility of my staying longer in the UK, at least until the cancelled surgeries were rescheduled, completed, and I’d fully recuperated. Some of you may already know that I’ve also been thinking about staying here in the UK longer, at least until the BBT audio book project is completed. Please bear with me as I share with you the events and thoughts that brought me to my final decision. I know I tend to get absorbed in details, but this time I beg you to tolerate reading things you might have heard before so that I can share with you what I’ve finally decided in consultation with my closest god brothers.

 

Krishna knows everything, of course, past, present, and future. Looking back on my journey from Houston to Hythe, it’s clear that He moved me here. By that I mean I didn’t plan to come to the UK as early as I did. True, I have a NHS number and a permanent residency visa, which allows me free healthcare. It was only logical, then, to choose the UK as the place to have my hips replaced. But my first surgery in the UK was originally scheduled for 22nd April, and I had booked a flight for 6th April. In Houston, however, on 24th Feb, just as the pandemic started heating up, my back went out (probably from pushing myself too hard to finish the Cc recordings), and I was forced to stop my daily readings. A few days later, on 3rd March, I had a hard fall and was bedridden. Then, without warning, the US banned its citizens from traveling to the EU, and a few days later to the UK. Thus I was forced to book a flight, literally the last one at that time out of Houston. Hardly in a condition to travel, somehow I got on that flight to London at 10:25 pm on 16th March.

 

After the two and a half hour drive from London Heathrow, I finally arrived in Hythe on the afternoon of  March 17th at the flat of my old friend Radha Raman Prabhu, whom I had met in London in 1990, and whom I’d helped join ISKCON that year. For a full month I was bedridden and forced to stop the daily readings. Meanwhile, the surgeon who was to perform the hip replacements brought forward the first operation to 8th April out of fear that the COVID situation would cancel the scheduled operation on 22nd April. But again, as always, Krishna saved the day! The hospital was forced to cancel the first operation on both dates. And the reality was that I was physically unprepared for major surgery at that time.

 

So there I was in Hythe with the prospect of having to wait as much as six months or more before the first hip replacement. Priya-kunda Prabhu, who usually arranges accommodations for my stay in Kent during the normal course of my yearly travel from the US to India and back, had arranged for me to stay at the cottage I usually stay in and be ferried back and forth between there and Hereford (a four hour drive from Hythe, where the operation would take place) and Radha Raman Prabhu’s flat during the course of the surgeries and convalescence. But upon arriving in the flat in Hythe, it very soon became apparent that ferrying back and forth would be out of the question, both financially and health-wise. Plus, the situation of the flat and the room I’m staying felt compatible and conducive to my health and spiritual well-being. It seemed the perfect place to socially distance during the pandemic, and so I decided to stay in Radha Raman’s flat until the surgeries could be rescheduled. For Radha Raman's hospitality and well-wishing, I will be eternally indebted.

 

During that first month in Hythe I was bedridden, but gradually my sleep pattern changed and I was able to get the deep sleep I needed to heal. As a result, my health drastically improved, and I felt like I was strong enough to go through with the surgeries. I can only thank Lord Krishna and Srila Prabhupada for arranging this sequence of events. I also began to think that since I have an NHS number from the years I stayed in London before, and since I have maintained a residential visa status ever since, why not consider staying in the UK, if for nothing more than the security of health care as I go deeper into old age. After all, I'll be 75 next year. Just since I arrived in Hythe I’ve been able to get a long-standing precancerous lesion removed from my forehead through the NHS system.

 

But I was also wondering how I would be able to keep my recording service going during the time I was forced to stay in the UK. As my mind was turning in this direction, an old friend called me and suggested (without my asking) that I consider setting up a recording studio here in the UK as long as I had to stay here for at least six months anyway by force of circumstances. I hadn’t even considered that possibility. Then my friend spontaneously volunteered to pay for the studio. This turned out to be far more then a normal well-intentioned offer. Within a month the needed electronic equipment started arriving at the flat and I was able to order a first class sound recording booth. The whole studio turned out to be worth more than 12,000 Pounds Sterling (photos are attached at the end of this message for your pleasure!). I was gobsmacked! I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. But we still needed more space to house the devotees needed to set up "Team BBT Audio Book” in Hythe. Then, as if I didn’t already have enough evidence to convince me I should stay, Krishna arranged for another dear friend to agree to buy a second flat nearby, a flat that just happened to come onto the market during my birthday Zoom party. He offered to buy the flat as an investment for us to use. Now it seemed as if Krishna was directly talking to me. It was surreal.

 

But that wasn’t all that Krishna had to say! :-)

 

I received a call from the BBT Global Trustees asking me to sit on the newly established RRP (Revisions Review Panel) with six other senior devotees, including four PhDs and other experienced authors and editors. The Panel’s mandate is to made an unbiased review of the edits made to Srila Prabhupada’s books since his departure. Considering my lifelong dedication to Srila Prabhupada’s books and reading them out loud to others, it should be obvious to those who know me well how this opportunity alone would be enough to seal the deal for me to stay in Hythe, which is a bit remote from the bustle of ISKCON's large temple communities I’m accustomed to. Living here in Hythe affords me a rare opportunity to be undistracted, so that my attention and intelligence can be focused and clear. Hythe is a small village on the Southeast Coast of England, just on the English Channel, with perhaps the freshest air to be found in England. I can see the Channel from my window. :-) Not only that, but the local NHS GPs have an office just a few blocks away. These may all seem at first to be mundane considerations, but taken together this situation offers a unique facility to do such extremely important and intimate legacy services to Srila Prabhupada, especially as I move deeper into old age. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, Hythe remains one of the least affected places in the UK. Plus, for me it's natural and logical to be fully engaged in service to Srila Prabhupada’s BBT, recording Srila Prabhupada’s major works as audio books for the rest of my life and participating in the effort of the RRP. It was as if the decision was being made for me.

 

Finally, I wrote to Syamasunadara, the TP of Houston, to ask his opinion. He graciously accepted and agreed that as much as he wanted me to stay in Houston, to him it also seemed that Krishna had arranged the situation and services for me. And finally, all of my closest god brothers agreed that it was a no-brainer for me to stay in the UK.

 

The day finally arrived on 23 Sept for the hip replacement. Nothing could prepare one for the intensity of the pain and trauma caused to the whole body. I spent 5 days in the hospital numbed by anesthesia and other cocktails of drugs. It was truly hellish. But by Srila Prabhupada’s mercy I was able to keep up my daily vow of 32 rounds per day, except for one day when I could only do 16. The nurses and hospital staff were so wonderful. The surgeon, Dr Chandra Rao, an initiated disciple of my dear friend HH Radhanatha Swami, is extremely expert. He was able to use the least invasive method called Superpath, in which no muscles, tendons or ligaments are cut. Still, the state of my hip joint was worse that the X-Rays showed. He almost reverted to the normal procedure, but by Krishna’s grace he was able to complete the Superpath and the operation was a success. Now my right leg is 3/4” longer than the left. He kindly arranged for my left shoe to be elevated. My eternal gratitude goes to him and his wonderful family, Raja-Laxmi and their two children Gauranga Madhava and Hari-priya. They welcomed me into their home and took such good cafe of me for three weeks after I left the hospital. We were able to read a chapter of the Gita every night together for a few days before I was able to travel back down to Hythe on October 20th.

 

The frontline health care workers in the hospital, the nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, and so on, are true heroes. A few of them told me that my voice was calming to their minds and that they could listen to it all day! :-) And one nurse accepted a Science of Self Realization and agreed to read it. I’ve never been in a situation in which the need for Krishna Consciousness was more apparent. And with the spread of this pandemic, the need is only becoming more acute.

 

Now I’m back in Hythe, going through the process of recovery, resisting the temptation to try to do too much too soon, which has already caused a couple of setbacks. But the daily readings of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta has restarted and now my life feels revived thanks to all the wonderful devotees who tune in to hear and discuss Srila Prabhupada’s books together. Now winter is coming and the UK is entering another month of national lockdown. In America the lines of conflict among the citizens have been drawn and the personality of Kali is dancing in the wings.

 

Let us all pull together and read Srila Prabhupada’s books out loud to each other to get the strength to tolerate the unprecedented degree of suffering the vast majority of the the world’s population are going through right now. There’s so much talk about "fake news,” there’s so much suspicion toward those of different ideologies, cultures and political systems. But the truth matters and can be found without compromise in the Bhaktivedanta purports where the solutions to all the world’s problems, individual and collective, are to found.

 

I beg the blessings of all the Vaisnavas who are surrendered to Srila Prabhupada’s message so that I may be able to complete my vows to read his books out loud to as many devotees as possible, to record Srila Prabhupada’s major works for the official BBT audio books of the same, and do assist the BBT in its effort to bring devotees together in their faith and conviction of Srila Prabhupada’s writings.

 

Hare Krishna!

 

Hoping you are all well and safe and happy in all respects, I remain as always

 

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada

 

Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami​

​

​

• 5th October 2020

 

Guru Maharaja's Health Update

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and dear Gurudeva,

 

I received an email from Gurudeva the day before yesterday and thought I should share part of it with you all, by means of an update.

 

Gurudeva tells me that the operation was a success in the sense that he now has a new hip. For various reasons the operation was considerably more complicated than what had been expected from the pre-op x-rays.  Without going into all the detail, the result is that the pain was very intense and it will take longer to fully recuperate than previously hoped.

 

Hare Krishna!

 

Your servant,

 

Mayapur-sasi Dasa

 

​

• 1 May 2020

​​

Please be aware that:You can watch Gurudeva's live readings on:​

​​

• Facebook channel:  "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books"

• YouTube channel:  "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books"

These include separate Playlists for BG, CC, SB, organised by Canto/Chapter.  You may choose to "Order by" on the YouTube channel which will then show you in order of date added all the Playlists and videos.

• You can listen to other recordings, not on Facebook, from Gurudeva on:YouTube channel:  "Mayapur-sasi Dasa".These include: 

  • Audio recordings of Gurudeva reading from the Ramayana.

  • Gurudeva reciting Sri Namastaka Prayer and japa recording.

  • Earlier audio recordings not on FB.

  • Some video clips you might not have seen before.

​

• 26 March 2020 - Update​

​

Gurudeva is now safely in UK, and hopefully all his disciples recently an update email from him a couple of days ago.  A follow up email will be sent out, probably on Friday.  

​

Please note that because of all the restrictions imposed around the world with the the Coronavirus situation, Gurudeva's travel plans for the rest of this year are currently unclear.  He will certainly be staying in UK for some time now.  Sadly, as Gurudeva mentioned in his email, he is currently unable to restart the Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's books on FaceBook, but please don't forget that he now has a YouTube channel with the same name, "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books", where you can find clearly organised the full catalogue of his previous FB readings.

​

As many parts of the world are on lockdown, what better time can there be to immerse ourselves in the nectar of Srila Prabhupada's books!

​

​

• 17 March 2020 - Update​

​

Because of flights from the US to Europe being cancelled due to the current coronavirus situation, and with Gurudeva having fixed appointments with the National Health Service in UK for his forthcoming operations, and understandably not wishing to postpone those, he has urgently re-scheduled his flight from the US to UK.  At the time of writing this he will be en route to UK (departing 10:25pm flight, Monday).

​​

​

• 1 March 2020, a letter from Mayapur-sasi Dasa:

​

Dear all, Hare Krishna!

 

Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada and to dear Gurudeva,

 

Please be aware that Gurudeva has injured his back and has been suffering intensely painful spasms. Typically Gurudeva tried to ignore the pain but on doctor’s orders he has now, thankfully, agreed to take some rest. Consequently Gurudeva has not done any public readings on FaceBook over the weekend. I hope I speak on behalf of us all – I have assured Gurudeva that we are all fine and that his good health and well-being are most important to us all, and I have urged him to take as much rest as his body needs.

​

Gurudeva’s YouTube channel, “Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada’s Books” is now up to date with his current readings. In total 570 videos have been uploaded. If you click on Playlists you will see that the videos have been filed by Canto for SB, and BG in sections. If you are wishing to find a particular video it might help if you “Sort by” latest created – then the Cantos and BG will all appear in order.

 

Gurudeva only wants his FB videos to appear on this Youtube Channel, so please be aware that other videos (including the audio recordings from a couple of years ago) plus some you may not have seen before, have been uploaded to the YouTube channel, “Mayapur-sasi Dasa”. 52 videos have been uploaded to this channel so far.

 

There is still another YouTube channel called “Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada’s Books” live, although last time I checked the content has been deleted. Nevertheless, a couple of devotees have contacted me because it is still causing confusion. If anyone knows who owns this other channel with the same name, may I humbly request that they delete or rename it. I hope the reason for this is understandable. It would be greatly appreciated.

​

Your servant,

 

Mayapur-sasi Dasa

​​

​

• 22 February 2020

 

Guru Maharaja's YouTube channel now has over 560 videos uploaded.  They provide a complete set of his FaceBook channel readings to date, including a complete reading of Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam currently Cantos 1 - 11.  The channel is updated daily with that day's FaceBook reading.  It is very user friendly, with the SB videos divided into one Playlist per Canto, and videos ordered within the Playlist.  BG is sub-divided into 5 Playlists.  Following some feedback received that the titles are too long when viewed on a smart-phone, we are currently in the process of abbreviating the video titles to "SB", "BG" etc.  If you have not yet visited the channel do please consider doing so, and subscribing, and if you find it a useful resource please tell your friends!   Both the Facebook page and YouTube channel have the same name:  Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books. 

​​

​

• 9th January 2020

 

The following is an email which Guru Maharaja sent out to his devotees and friends on 9th January 2020:

​

Dear all,

May Srila Prabhupada shower his blessings on you. All glories to His Divine Grace.

It’s time for another long-overdue update on developments since the last one I sent you in April of 2019.

I mainly want to bring you up to date on my health and on the progress of the recordings I’ve been making to be published as the official BBT audio books of the same.

During my last trip to the UK and Govardhana, an old friend of mine, Pundarika Prabhu, who spent decades as an NHS (National Health Service) doctor and administrator, noticed how I was struggling to walk. He asked me to get X-Rays and MRIs taken in India and send the digital files to him and Chakradhari Prabhu, a friend of his who is a consultant and orthopedic specialist. When I returned to the UK on my way back to Houston, these two devotees, both expert Doctors came to see me. They examined me thoroughly and explained my condition in depth. Both of them highly recommended that I have both my hips replaced. It turns out that Chakradhari Prabhu, who will be doing the surgery, is the brother of Srivatsa Pandita Prabhu of ISV fame, who is also a dear friend of mine. Isn’t it amazing how Krishna makes such incredible special arrangements to protect us through His pure devotees? Srila Prabhupada transcendental family ki jaya!!

On 4 December, just before I returned to Houston, Chakradhari gave me cortisone injections directly into my hip joints, partly to relieve the severe pain I was in and partly to confirm that the main source of the pain was in the hips. The injections reduced the pain by about 60 to 70%, which further confirmed the diagnosis. The length of time the injections’ effect lasts varies from person to person, the average being 3 months. In my case, now, a little more than a months later, the effects are already starting to reduce. The operation cannot be performed before 3 months after the injections.

The NHS system in the UK can take time to work through its protocols, but luckily (by Krishna’s grace) my GP (NHS General Practitioner), who must refer me to the specialist before the process can go forward, at once responded positively to Chakradhari Prabhu’s letter detailing my condition, suggesting the hip replacement procedures, and requesting that it be done in Hereford where my carers stay.

So now the date of the first operation is set at 22 April, and the second operation will take place 6 to 8 weeks after that, depending on how my body recovers.

The airline tickets are booked, both mine and Abhaya’s. He will accompany me, as he did on my last trip. As a result of all this, here is my itinerary for 2020:

06 April: Fly from Houston to London Heathrow and drive onwards to Folkestone, Kent, about a two hour drive from the airport.
10 April: Drive to Hereford for a mandatory pre-op examination, return to Folkestone.
22 April: The first hip replacement will be done at Chakradhari’s Hospital in Hereford.

I’ll have to stay in the hospital for a few days. Chakradhari Prabhu and his family insisted that Abhaya and I stay with them after coming out out of the hospital until I’m strong enough to make the 4 hour drive back to Folkestone. They are such a wonderful Vaisnava family. I’m eternally indebted to them for their kindness.

At this point I’d also like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Priya-kunda Prabhu, who is organizing the accommodations in Folkestone, which isn’t an easy task, considering that I’ll be coming and going for such awkward periods of time. He will also take care of me while I’m in Folkestone. I’ve never met anyone so attentive to detail and willing to go out of his way to make sure everything is as perfect as possible. And a special thanks to Priya-kunda’s better half, Syama Gauri Devi Dasi, who may be the best cook in the world! Just ask any devotee who has honored her cooking!

I should be healed from the second operation no later than mid-August. Still, I’ll stay in Folkestone until Sept 8th to be on the safe side.

This year Kartika is very late, ending on 30 Nov. Since Vaisesika Prabhu would not have enough time to get back to the West do the things he needs to do to push Srila Prabhupada’s book distribution marathon, we decided together to have our yearly hearing and chanting vrata in Govardhana during Purusottama Masa instead. It begins on 18 Sept and ends on 17 Oct.

So the rest of the year’s itinerary looks like this:

08 Sept: We fly to Delhi from London.
22 Oct: We fly back to London after the Purusottama Masa vrata.
29 Oct: We fly back to Houston from London.

I intend to stay in Houston continuously from the end of Oct 2020 until time to travel to the UK and Govardhana for Kartika 2021. I’ll give those dates later.

That beings me to the progress we’ve made on the official audio books for the BBT.

Since Rasika-siromani came down to Houston from Denver and took up the recording service and the sound editing, the quality and the pace of the work has increased dramatically. He’s fully engaged in this service now and it seems like he’s made for service––hand in glove! :-) Rasika is fully committed to the task of editing all of Srila Prabhupada's major works, with full purports, we plan to record as the official BBT audio books: Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krishna Book, and Nectar of Devotion.

Before I left for Karttika in 2018, I donated funds to construct a small recording booth, completely sound proof, plus a new computer. These are set up in Gaura’s house just next door to the Sannyasi quarters where I stay. This is also Krishna’s mercy because it’s hard for me to walk any distance now. Hopefully that will change after the hip replacements! :-) By Gaura’s and his wife Govardhana Devi Dasi’s mercy, they allow us to record whenever we want. Usually we record early in the morning from 4:30 to 7:30 or 8:00 am

Here’s a summary of what we’ve done so far with Sri Caitanya-caritamrta since January of 2019.

We’ve finished recording the following:

The front matter; that is, the Dedication and Foreword, Preface, and Introduction.
All 17 chapters of the Adi-lila.
All 25 chapters of the Madhya-lila.
Chapter 1 of Antra-lila, plus 60 verses of Chapter 2. (There are 20 chapters in Antra-lila) 

Of those 46 raw (unedited) files, one is completed: The Dedication and Foreword. By completed I mean edited, proofread, corrected and ready for release:

The Preface, Introduction, first 6 chapters of the Adi-lila, and first 2 chapters of Madhya-lila are edited but not proofread and corrected.

At the pace we are going now, we should be able to finish the recording of the Antra-lila before I leave for the UK on 6 April. We also may be able to do some of the dub-in corrections.

Our plan is to finish Caitanya-caritamrta and publish it by mid 2021.

In the meantime, we’ll start on Bhagavad-gita As It Is, which won’t take nearly as long because of its size.

Then we’ll tackle the Srimad-Bhagavatam. It’s such a mammoth task, we can’t begin to estimate how long that will take. :-)

We beg the mercy of all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord and, of course, the blessings of Srila Prabhupada for the strength to complete this very important service. Many devotees are asking when these audio books will be available. They are anxious to hear. This is a profound intimate legacy service for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada and generations of Vaisnavas to come.

Hare Krishna

Hoping you are all well and happy in all respects, I remain as always

Your well-wisher in service to Srila Prabhupada,
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami

​

​

• 7 January 2020

 

Please be aware that we now have successfully uploaded to Gurudeva's Youtube channel a complete set of his videos reading Bhagavad-gita and also the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.  We are currently uploading the Second Canto.  New videos are added daily, including the FB reading of each current day.  Please note that the videos are catalogued in different playlists, "Srimad-Bhagavatam" and "Bhagavad-gita" with Chapter and verse title, so hopefully it will be easier to find a particular reading you may wish to hear.  Please search in Youtube for "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's books" and subscribe to the channel. 

​​

​

• 2 January 2020

 

Please be aware that we are now actively downloading Guru Maharaja's videos from FB and uploading to a new YouTube channel every day. The new YouTube channel has been transferred over to an account with the same name as the FB account:  "Daily Readings of Srila Prabhupada's Books".  Please do check it out, and subscribe.  We already have a complete set of Gurudeva reading Bhagavad-gita loaded, and we are now working on the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.  Each is filed in order, and in separate Playlists, so hopefully this will make it easy to find the particular video you wish to watch.  ​