Homages from ISKCON Centers

Çré Vyäsa-püjä 2012
Las Vegas
Dearest Çréla Prabhupäda, divine savior of the world!
Please accept our humble obeisances in the dust of your lotus feet.
On this most auspicious day of your Vyäsa-püjä, please allow me to express my deepest gratitude
and appreciation of your divine mercy, which you are bestowing upon all conditioned souls, including
my worthless self.
Çréla Prabhupäda, if it were not for you there would be no Hare Kåñëa movement spreading to every
town and village all over the world. The Hare Kåñëa mantra would not be known on every continent.
There would be no Vedic scriptures transmitting spiritual wisdom in the languages of nearly every country
of the world. There would be no possibility for conditioned souls in all corners of the world to render
devotional service to the Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa, service that purifies the heart of any contamination
and qualifies us to go back to Godhead in this lifetime.
Because of your divine mercy, Çréla Prabhupäda, not only this insignificant soul but all humanity
is getting a chance for the ultimate reformation of their lives, a chance to achieve spiritual perfection
culminating in pure love of God, love of Kåñëa. In the Bhagavad-gétä (18.57) Lord Kåñëa gives clear
directions on how one can achieve this spiritual perfection: “In all activities just depend upon Me and
work always under My protection. In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.” In your purport
you encourage those who may doubt that such perfection is possible even in today’s world:
Now, one may argue that Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Kåñëa but when Kåñëa
is not present how should one act? If one acts according to the direction of Kåñëa in this book,
as well as under the guidance of the representative of Kåñëa, then the result will be the same.
Çréla Prabhupäda, those who experience how full of spiritual potency your message is are naturally
eager to follow your guidance and will undoubtedly achieve ultimate success. You elaborate on this
intimate subject in your purport to Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya-lélä 25.9:
In this Age of Kali, real religious propaganda should induce people to chant the Hare Kåñëa mahämantra.
This is possible for someone who is especially empowered by Kåñëa. No one can do this
without being especially favored by Kåñëa. Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura comments
in this regard in his Anubhäñya, wherein he quotes a verse from the Näräyaëa-saàhitä:
dväparéyair janair viñëuù païcarätrais tu kevalaiù
kalau tu näma-mätreëa püjyate bhagavän hariù
“In Dväpara-yuga, devotees of Lord Viñëu and Kåñëa rendered devotional service according to
the principles of Päïcarätra. In this Age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshiped
simply by the chanting of His holy names.” Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura then comments,
“Without being empowered by the direct potency of Lord Kåñëa to fulfill His desire and without
being specifically favored by the Lord, no human being can become the spiritual master of the
whole world. He certainly cannot succeed by mental concoction, which is not meant for devotees
or religious people. Only an empowered personality can distribute the holy name of the Lord and
enjoin all fallen souls to worship Kåñëa. By distributing the holy name of the Lord, he cleanses the
hearts of the most fallen people; therefore he extinguishes the blazing fire of the material world.
Not only that, he broadcasts the shining brightness of Kåñëa’s effulgence throughout the world.
Such an äcärya, or spiritual master, should be considered nondifferent from Kåñëa—that is, he
should be considered the incarnation of Lord Kåñëa’s potency. Such a personality is kåñëäliìgitavigraha—that
is, he is always embraced by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa. Such
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