Hare Krishna Prabhus and Matajis,
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Today marks the day of Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in the USA. I want to express my deep gratitude and reverence for all that he has bestowed upon us in the realm of Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada’s determination and his dedication in spreading the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu have touched countless lives. His ability to share the conclusions of the Vedic scriptures with such compassion and clarity truly transformed many hearts.
In the human history, there has never been a greater servant of Krishna’s Holy Name than Srila Prabhupada. His profound realizations and unwavering faith in the Holy Name allowed him to spread its light all over the world. As a result, he stands as one of the greatest acharyas to have ever existed.
If we closely examine how Srila Prabhupada was able to achieve great degree of success in implementing Lord Catanya’s mission, we can uncover many valuable lessons. His unwavering faith in the teachings of his Guru, Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur, was a foundation of his success in preaching.
The Svetasvatara Upanishad says:
yasya deve para bhaktir
yatha deve tatha guru
This means, that only those great souls who have unwavering faith in both the Lord and their spiritual master will have the depths of transcendental knowledge become revealed to them.
Srila Prabhupada summarized the essence of this verse as “having equal faith in guru and Krishna.” This highlights the integral connection between devotion to the Supreme Lord and reverence for one’s spiritual master.
Srila Prabhupada writes in one of his purports that he received a specific instruction from his guru, Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur. That is to preach the message of Lord Caitanya and engage conditioned souls in the Lord’s loving service throughout the world, particularly in English-speaking countries.
When Srila Prabhupada spoke about chanting the holy name and spreading the movement of Krishna consciousness to every town and village, he did so by following his guru’s words. His guru’s instructions nourished and fueled his meditation, making it impossible for him to think of anything apart from fulfilling the orders. In this way, he lived in constant connection with Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur.
Therefore, the remarkable results achieved by Srila Prabhupada demonstrate the great mercy he received from his guru. Srila Prabhupada not only understood the essence of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur’s instructions but also followed them with dedication and purity, leading to great blessings!
In the same way, we can honor Srila Prabhupada by remembering and following his teachings purely. By doing so, what may seem impossible can become very possible in our life!
Srila Prabhupada ki jai!
Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarawati Thakur ki jai!
Your servant,
Satya Sara das
September 23, 2024