How great is Srila Prabhupada?

By: Nandagopal Jivan das
(Narender Nolakha)

tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet
samit-panih srotriyam brahma-nistham

"In order to learn the transcendental science, one must approach the bonafide spiritual master in disciplic succession, who is fixed in the Absolute Truth."

The Vedic knowledge is sometimes compared to a 'jungle of knowledge'. Not just an ordinary jungle but a very dense jungle. In the Vedic literature there are various opinions. In the Visnu Purana it says that Visnu is Supreme. In the Siva Purana it says Siva is the Supreme. In the Markandeya Purana it says that Durga is Supreme. And in the Upanisads it is mentioned 'aham brahmasmi' - 'I am Brahman'. So one may think that there are many Gods, or that there are so many Gods that there is no God at all. We may think that what the Vedas say cannot be true because there are too many apparent contradictions. Or we may take 'aham brahmasmi' as the ultimate conclusion and then conclude that we are all God. This is what happens to persons who study the Vedas without the help of the bona-fide guru.

Srila Vyasadeva after dividing Vedas into four and compiling the Upanishads, Puranas and other literatures, he wrote Vedanta-sutra. Vedanta means the end of knowledge. After he completed Vedanta-sutra however Vyasa still did not feel satisfied. He was not satisfied within himself. He crossed the ocean of knowledge but still he was not satisfied. Then the guru of Vyasadeva, Narada Muni, came and Vyasadeva inquired from his guru why he did not feel satisfied. Then Narada Muni said, "Without directly coming to describe the Lila of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead you have not done justice to truth. Now you have to give the meaning of all these things in one book." Then Vyasadeva wrote the Bhagavata Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam.

Bhagavatam is the natural commentary on Vedanta-sutra (bhasyam brahmasutranam). The message of the Bhagavatam is summarized in the beginning, krsnas tu bhagavan svayam (SB 1.3.28). So that is the meaning. Of all the Devas, of all the incarnations of the Supreme Lord, Krsna is the Supreme and original. Vyasadeva revealed in Bhagavatam that Krsna is the Supreme asraya-tattva. In other Vedic literatures Vyasadeva only revealed the asraya-tattva in part, not in full. If you are a ghost then Siva, who is known as Bhutanatha, is your asraya (shelter). If you are a materialist then Durga is your asraya. But when we are ready for the perfection of life, Vyasadeva revealed, "Narayana is the asraya-tattva, because Narayana resides in Vaikuntha, which is above this material world".

But in Srimad Bhagavatam, Vyasadeva revealed that the highest plane is called Goloka. Goloka Vrndavana is above Vaikuntha and in that place Krsna is the Supreme. Vyasadeva therefore described that the lotus feet of Krsna are the Supreme shelter of all living beings.

So the dearmost representative of Krsna comes to the world to represent this message of Vyasadeva –‘Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’ There have been many gurus in the world since the time of Vyasadeva, but all of them did not represent the ultimate conclusion of Vyasadeva. Someone may ask, "Is there any thing special about your Prabhupada?" Naturally we will say, "Oh of course, about Srila Prabhupada there are many special things".

The common point we will find between all bona fide gurus and bona fide disciples is:

om ajnana-trimirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah

Without guru our eyes are sealed in darkness. We are born into darkness, into ignorance, but our guru opens our eyes with the torch light of knowledge.

But about Srila Prabhupada, Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, we must say that there is a special characteristic found in him that is very rare and to this day we have not seen that it has been duplicated. And what is that? It is that previously what was only known in India and that too only in the most cultured spiritual sections of society -that thing which was only known there, he took that out of India to every town and village in the whole world.

Bhakti is meant for anyone and everyone. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, it has been pointed out that lowest classes of people are also eligible for devotion. Irrespective of one's background, when one accepts devotional service and becomes a devotee of Sri Krsna, he becomes the highest class person, the best of all. Devotion to Krsna was limited only to India but Srila Prabhupada took this devotion out of India and distributed it to anyone and everyone all over the world. That's why today we can see that people from all over the world are accepting devotional service and becoming devotees of Krsna. In this way, they are becoming the best of humans.
The river Ganga is famous for her purifying effect. At one time, however, this Ganga did not flow through the earth planet. It is Bhagiratha who brought the Ganga from the celestial planets down to the earth planet. That is why Bhagiratha is celebrated. Srila Prabhupada, like Bhagiratha, spread this devotion, the bhakti-ganga, all over the world. In this way, Srila Prabhupada has done something which is much better than what Bhagiratha had done.

A guru or a great acarya may spread Krsna Consciousness in a village or even in a state or a country but to spread Krsna consciousness throughout the whole world that indeed is very rare. For example, Sripad Ramanujacarya, a very great Vaisnava saint, spread Visnu-bhakti in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra. When Ramanuja went to Kerala he tried to start there but they told him to leave. Ramanuja is considered to be the sakti of Ananta, still when he preached in Kerala they did not accept, they told him to go. Who can speak better than Ananta, who has a thousand mouths, and knows all the Vedas? But still Ramanuja was not successful in Kerala. So Ramanuja was indeed a very great personality, yet he could only spread his mission successfully in three states, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra.

Another very great saint in India was Srila Madhvacarya. He is considered to have been an incarnation of Bhima and Vayu. He was a very great philosopher, very learned and highly elevated spiritually. But Madhvacarya was only able to spread his mission successfully in Karnataka. Practically speaking, outside of Karnataka nobody has heard of Madhvacarya. Of course, on occasion he preached in Varanasi, but the people of Varanasi never became the followers of Madhvacarya. Varanasi remained what it had always been, a place of Mayavadi philosophers.

When the mission of Ramanuja, who held the sakti of Ananta, was successful in only three states and the mission of Madhvacarya, who is Bhima and Vayu combined, was successful in only one state then what is the power and greatness of that person who spread Krsna Consciousness throughout the whole world? How great is Srila Prabhupada?

Both Ramanuja and Madhvacarya were indeed very great personalities, but their spiritual influence was more or less regional. However, in the time of Srila Prabhupada he not only had an influence in a few states in India but he traveled around the world fourteen times, visiting twenty-four countries, preaching, inspiring his followers. He successfully spread his mission very widely simply through letters and personal meetings, virtually without the use of a telephone and Because of his preaching work the name of Krsna and Vaisnavism is known in almost every country in the world. With this consideration we may ask, "How great is Srila Prabhupada?"

Ramanuja and Madhvacarya had to contend with the opposing elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, the materialists, and the Mayavadi's. But when Srila Prabhupada went out into the world to spread Krsna consciousness he had to contend with all of the above and more. Especially the scientists, who hold a grip on the whole world, were a formidable opposition to Krsna consciousness, but Srila Prabhupada defeated them and many of them surrendered and became his disciples.

Nowadays we may meet a big svami or a guru (especially in India) who has many disciples and when asked, "Who are you?" he will say, "I am Bhagavan, I am God!" or he may say "I am the Jagat-guru (the spiritual master of the universe), even if they never went outside the village in which they were born." But Srila Prabhupada is Jagat Guru in its real sense. But when Srila Prabhupada was asked "Who are you?" he would say, "I am the humble servant of my gurudeva. My only credit is that I am the obedient servant to the order of my guru. All the success that I have is due to the grace of my guru."

Although it is the opinion of many great devotees that our Srila Prabhupada was a saktyavesa-avatara, Which means that he was empowered with the sakti of the Lord to spread Krsna consciousness throughout the world, still by his own words he considered himself to be the humble servant of his guru. Srila Prabhupada had such a vision that he could see that the whole world could become God conscious, Krsna conscious, but still he considered himself the humble servant of his guru.

Even Lord Nityananda himself, during his appearance in India 500 years ago, didn’t saved as many souls or didn’t preached in so degraded places of the world as Srila Prabhupada but he was now doing it through his representative, his dearmost servitor, Srila Prabhupada!!!

If we have love for someone then we may naturally exaggerate their qualities, because that is the natural way of love. But even without any exaggeration due to our love for Srila Prabhupada if we say that Srila Prabhupada was one of the greatest saints to have ever come to this Earth, it cannot be taken as an exaggeration - his life and achievements stand as evidence for his greatness.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!!

The Life of Srila Prabhupada

By: Vrindavana Vinode das

Abhay Caran, later know as A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada was born in 1896 in Calcutta. His father paid great attention to Abhay’s spiritual and material education. While Abhay attended university, the independence movement in India gained strength, and he considered himself a follower of Gandhi.

He met his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in 1922. Abhay was asked at their first meeting to help spread the mission of Lord Caitanya in the English language. His Spiritual master convinced him that the greatest needs in society are self-realization and Krishna Consciousness, no matter what social force or government rules. Krsna consciousness, he said has so much spiritual potency that it can unite the world in loving devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. From that time on Abhay beagan to prepare for this extraordinary work.

Since he already had a small family and a pharmaceutical business, he used his extra time to study and plan the spreading of these teaching as his spiritual master had requested. In the 1950s, he lived in Vrindavana and accepted the renounced order of life. He began translating the most important Vedic scripture from Sanskrit into English and writing commentaries on it.

He felt that his real mission could be accomplished only outside India, so in August 1965 he took the instruction of his beloved spiritual master to heart and left for America to teach Krsna consciousness. He traveled on a complimentary ticket as the only passenger on the freighter Jaladuta. He carried a suitcase, an umbrella, a supply of dry cereal, seven dollars’ worth of just fourty Indian rupees and a few trunks of his books. During the journey he suffered two severe heart attacks. After thirty-seven days the jaladuta arrived in New York , where Bhaktivedanta Swami had only on or two connections. He had no followers yet, and no guarantee that he would fulfill his Guru’s instruction to preach in the West. Despite fragile health, a foreign culture,a dn a materialistic audience, he persevered with resolute purpose, and soon Krsna Rewarded him with astonishing success.

He found the younger generation of Americans disappointed with the establishment and frustrated with life. Searching for solutions, many young people had taken to drugn and pseudo-spiritual processes . they were both challenging and receptive. Srila Prabhupada lived simply and gave talks wherever he had an opportunity. His first followers came from the regular visitors to his classes on the Lower East Side. In july 1966 he founded ISKCON, International Society For Krishna Consciousness. Beginning in January 1967, he opened more branches of ISKCON in North America and by this intense preaching soon started centers in Euorpe.

Srila Prabhupada’s effect on his disciples was certain. His patience, peacefulness, kind severity, humor, and philosophical knowledge enthralled them. They were not blind followers but thoughtful young people who appreciated Prabhupada’s deeply satisfying explanations to questions that others could not answer. Is there life after death? What is the purpose of life? Can we know God? Among thousands of Srila Prabhupada’s supporters and admirers were Allen Ginsberg and George Harrison.

In his preaching, Srila Prabhupada neither emphasized the difference between religions not tried to merge them. He taught that every living entity’s nature is to be the servant of God and as long as they serve others instead, they cannot be happy nor satisfy anyone else. Krsna consciousness however is more that philosophy. It is a way of life and it spiritualize all aspects of life. It has special ceremonies and rituals, its own style of clothing, music and cuisine, even its own particular fragrances. Anyone visiting a Hare Krsna temple and smells the aromas of sandalwood incense or vegetables fried in ghee experiences this ancient culture.

Twelve years after arriving in America, Bhaktivedanta Swami left this world (on November 14th, 1977) at the age on 81. His sincere efforts wer crowned with extraordinary success. The message of Lord Caitanya was established in the West and throughout the world beyond his expectations. Srila Prabhupada spread the teachings of Krsna consciousness in most major cities of the world. He initiated several thousand disciples, started 108 temples, farm communities & gurukulas and traveled around the globe fourteen times, guiding the members of his movement. He authored more that eighty volumes of translations with commentaries, now published in every major language of the world.

He was respected by prominent academics and well known people, who expressed their appreaciation for his achievements in the culture. Harvey cox, the world famour professor of religion at Harvard Described how th gradually recognized the importance of Srila Prabhupada:
“ I remember I was quite astonished when I first met the devotees. I was wondering who they were. Their clothes, their singing, and their shaved heads were somewhat strange to me. Later, when I got to know the movement, I realized that essence of its teachings and the original roots of Christianity bear some striking resemblances. These are simple living, not collecting too many mundane goods and acting our of compassion and love for all living entities. I think what Srila Prabhupada wrote and did was important and lasting.”

Ambassador of the Spiritual World

By Nandagopal Jivan das
(Narender Nolakha)

In the Brahma-vaivarta Purana, in a conversation with Ganga Devi, Lord Krishna describes that after 5,000 years of Kali-yuga have passed, His mantra upasaka, the great sage and worshiper of Krishna's holy names, will appear and spread the chanting of Krishna's names (in the form of the Hare Krishna mantra) not only in India but throughout the world. Lord Krishna explains that by the chanting of His holy names the world will become spiritualized and everyone will be hari-bhaktas, engaged in the process of devotion to the Supreme. The purified devotees will visit the holy places and holy rivers of India and will purify them. They will also purify those with whom they come in contact.

Lord Caitanya predicted that:

prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama
sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama

“In every town and village, the chanting of my name will be heard.”

Lord Caitanya also foretold in Sri Caitanya Mangala:

"I want to flood the whole world with the chanting of the holy names. I will personally preach and flood India with harinama sankirtana. And My senapati bhakta (great devotee commander) will come, preach in different countries and flood the world with the chanting of Hare Krishna.”

Later, in the 1896, Bhaktivinode Thakura predicted that “A great personality will soon appear to preach the Holy Names of Hari all over the whole world.”

Recently, it is found that a hint of the appearance of such great personality is also given in the Yajur-Veda and the Holy Bible too!!!!!

As an answer to these predictions, on Nandotsava, the annual festival day celebrating Krishna's birth, Srila Prabhupada blessed this planet with his presence on Sept. 1, 1896. His horoscope predicted that, “At seventy this man will go outside India and establish so many temples.” It was Srila Prabhupada who grew up as a pure devotee of Krishna who took the chanting of "Hare Krishna" around the world and made it a household word.

His father was also a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. He would always invite sadhus, to his house for meals and always asked them to bless his son to become a great devotee of Radharani, Lord Krishna's most beloved devotee and consort. He also bought him a small cart to pull the Deity of Lord Jagannatha; So Prabhupada would organize little Rathayatra festivals in his neighborhood. Prabhupada's father also taught him how to play mridunga. But nobody knew that his mridunga playing, that he would use to accompany his public chanting, would become famous around the world!!

Even in 1922 when Srila Prabhupada met Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, his to be Spiritual Master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta told Srila Prabhupada that, "You are a nice young man, you know English; therefore, you should preach this mission of Lord Caitanya specifically to the English-speaking countries in the Western world." Srila Prabhupada always remembered this. In 1933, Srila Prabhupada took formal initiation from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, accepting him as his spiritual master. Then, just two weeks before Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati left this world on December 31, 1936, he sent one letter to Srila Prabhupada, instructing him again to take this message and spread it to the Western countries.

Following the desire of his spiritual master, Prabhupada began publishing his Back to Godhead magazine in 1944. It was difficult in the beginning. He wrote them himself, edited them, had them printed, and even road into town on the bus to distribute these one page sheets. But he never stopped. He had also started his League of Devotees, a small organization of Krishna conscious people. This was a forerunner of what was to be The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which he founded after he came to America.

Prabhupada showed extreme patience and steadfastness, with only one goal to achieve, the mission given to him by his Guru Maharaj. Srila Prabhupada came to America in 1965 on the steamship Jaladuta with only 40 rupees, a pair of hand cymbals, a few books and his invincible bravery and will to carry out his guru's desire to bring the message of Lord Chaitanyadev to these Western countries, without knowing anyone and with complete dependence on Krishna. He faced the severe obstacles of two heart attacks while crossing the ocean on the Jaladuta, but his compassion for the suffering of humanity, and his guru's blessings gave him the courage to reach the American shore.

He maintained himself by selling just enough books to get by, and staying here and there. It was finally in 1966 when Prabhupada officially founded The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Srila Prabhupada had to fight with many opposing elements and in countries where the culture was not at all favorable for spiritual advancement in Krsna consciousness. Yet he established over one hundred temples, asramas, and Krsna conscious communities throughout the world. He inaugurated the Rathayatra Festival of Lord Jagannatha in major cities around the globe, in effect, bringing the temple to the people.

With our mind we might try to imagine who he was, what power stood behind him, what is his eternal spiritual identity? Prabhupada is also much more than just a great man, he is the shaktyavesa avatar sent to save the whole world from impersonalism and voidism and to revive the world's Krishna consciousness. He is the ambassador of the spiritual world. He is more than just a saint or sadhu; he is Jagat Guru, the one at who's feet all gurus and saints are sitting.
Indeed, Srila Prabhupada was this planets true guardian, the real compassionate refuge and spiritual strength for all of earth's creatures. But due to the modes of passion and ignorance, so many did not recognize him. Those who were fortunate to recognize him could not keep themselves from loving him and wanting to selflessly follow his teachings. The day his lotus feet stepped down upon this planet, everyone became immediately spiritually benefited whether they knew it or not. And that is the shakti (power) of the pure devotee of Radharani. That is the inconceivable achintya shakti of Lord Krishna's beloved emissary, Srila Prabhupada.

Today Srila Prabhupada may not be present between us physically but his blessings are experienced even by people who never met Prabhupada personally (like me). Therefore people need not think they are missing out on his mercy. They should know also that Prabhupada's vani is the transcendental vibration that is meant for them personally, and when they hear it on CD's or tapes, or read his words from his books, that he is directly talking to them. He is still with us and we can feel his presence through his representative, Sri Guru. He came to save everyone, past, present or future, not just a few thousand souls that happened to be here and get initiated while he was here in his physical body. This is the amazing spiritual potency of the pure devotee.

No one can ever take his place as the Founder Acharya of ISKCON and the one and original initiator of the pure chanting of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra around the world! No one had ever before on such a grand scale delivered the mercy of Sri Chaitanya and Sri Krishna to the entire world through books, his harinama sankirtan movement, profuse prasadam distribution, deity worship and the establishment of hundreds of beautiful temples worldwide! He was the first in all these transcendental aspects.

Any one of the feats mentioned above would be a significant feather in anyone's cap, even if it were the only thing a person accomplished in a lifetime. That Srila Prabhupada did all these things in just ten years, and fulfilled so many predictions of sastras, great devotees, acaryas and astrologers, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, is patent validation of his inimitable role in Vaisnava history. By his efforts, uncountable millions have read about Krsna, honored Krsna prasadam, and heard and chanted the maha mantra. Through his teachings, he continues to relieve humanity from the maladies spawned by doctrines of monism and voidism, while holding open the door of Krsna bhakti for many generations to come. Let us recognize and remember his unprecedented contributions and strive to bring him honor throughout the world.

Although he got millions of dollars and many opulent properties but he always kept the spirit of vairagya. Everything belonged to his guru maharaj and to Krishna, including his own self. He saw everything as Krishna’s Property and used everything in Krishna’s Service.

Prabhupada continues to dispel the darkness around us with his torch light of pure bhakti.

“cakhu-dan dilo jei, janme janme prabhu sei, divya jnan hrde prakasito"

Prabhupada, you opened our darkened eyes and fill our hearts with transcendental knowledge. You are our lord and master for all our births to come.

Thank you very much Srila Prabhupada for all your gifts. Your mercy is an unfathomable ocean and we are so fortunate to obtain even a drop of that ocean. Thank you again and again.

All glories to Om Visnu-pada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya Astottara-Sata Sri Srimad
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!