VYASA-PUJA OFFERING
2024
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhu-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svaminn iti namine
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sunyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
My dearest Srila Prabhupada,
Please accept millions of my heartfelt obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet on this 128th anniversary of Your Divine Grace’s appearance. How can one properly praise you, who accomplished a feat that no one else in history has been able to do––write, publish, and distribute transcendental literature in such quantity, in such simple, accessible, and digestible language, so as to cross the barriers that separate conditioned souls from the Absolute Truth. You touched and uplifted people from all nations, all races, all religious faiths, all educational levels, and every social status. And you convinced them that there is an Absolute Truth––and that He’s a person named Krishna. You broke down all the barriers, Srila Prabhupada, and for that the whole world will eventually be eternally grateful.
In the very beginning of your mission, you taught the people of the West that they could become better Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and so on by becoming Krishna conscious. What creative genius! You then showed everyone by your saintly character that you embody the perfection of all the major spiritual and religious teachings of the world––and that therefore spiritual perfection is achievable in this life.
And what did you give, precisely, to help them achieve it? You gave the holy name of God, Krishna––or whatever name they had––and taught the whole world through your transcendental writings and behavior how to chant that holy name purely.
“…There is no knowledge as pure as the name; there is no vow as powerful as the name. There is no meditation more effective than the name nor is there any fruit greater than that attained by the name. There is no greater renunciation than the name; there is no greater peace than the name. In this world there is no greater pious activity than taking the name, nor is there any quicker progress than in the name. The name is the highest liberation, the highest freedom, the highest destination, the highest peace, the point of no more searching. The name is the highest devotion, the name is the purest inclination of the soul. The name is the highest love, and direct remembrance of the Lord. The name is the cause of all causes, the Supreme Lord––most worship-able––and is a form of guru to bring one to the Lord.” (HNC, chapter 8)
Once a reporter asked you what will happen when you die. Your response? “I will never die, I shall live for[ever in] my books and you will utilize.”
In this way, Srila Prabhupada, you delivered the whole world. It’s just a matter of time.
Hare Krishna!
Your eternal servant,
Kesava Bharati Dasa Goswami