Non-GBC Sannyäsés

Homages from Non-GBC Sannyāsīs
Bhakti Vighna Vināśa Narasim · ha Mahārāja
My dear spiritual master Çréla Prabhupäda,
Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Your Divine Grace!
Your transcendental feats in distributing the message of Kåñëa consciousness live in our hearts
forever. We can never hope to repay you for everything you have given us, but your Vyäsa-püjä festival
is a small token of our love and appreciation for all you have given us.
Recently I was giving a morning class in your Kolkata center and happened to quote the words you
spoke during a morning walk in Los Angeles in the year 1974. You said that there were two great battles
in history. One was between Räma and Rävaëa, and the other was at Kuru kñetra. The hero in both was
a Vaiñëava. You then went on to say that we are going to produce such Vaiñëavas, not these dull rascals
sitting down. We don’t want these kinds of Vaiñëavas—sitting-down rascals. We want Arjuna or we want
no one. That is a Vaiñëava.
At the end of the class, when I asked for questions, a devotee enquired how we could be expected
to display the qualities of Vaiñëavas such as Arjuna and Hanumän.
In my reply I described how you had perfectly displayed such qualities in your devotional service.
Did Hanumän not leap across the ocean to Laìkä and then, upon nding Mother Sétä, proceed to wreak
havoc on the kingdom of Laìkä single-handedly? In the same way, Çréla Prabhupäda, you crossed the
ocean to the kingdom of many Rävaëas, single-handedly declared war on Mäyä, and brought many
hedonists out of their ignorance.
Just as Hanumän had only weapons of rocks and trees against the sophisticated armory of Rävaëa,
in the same way you enlisted young people with little or no wealth or know-how and engaged them in
preaching against consumerism and sensuality.
Prior to Kåñëa’s speaking the Bhagavad-gétä, Arjuna was unwilling to ght in the Battle of Kuru kñetra.
He was thinking that he would do better to become a beggar. However, after Kåñëa spoke the Bhagavadgétä
to him he changed his mind and took up the task. In the same way, Çréla Prabhupäda, you told us
that you were not willing to take sannyäsa. You were thinking that you would do business and just give
money to your spiritual master. But he came to you in a dream again and again and told you that you
must leave your home. You had to get out and take up his mission of preaching the message of Lord
Caitanya to the world. Just as Arjuna surrendered to the desire of Lord Kåñëa, in the same way you also
surrendered to the desire of Kåñëa and entered onto the eld of battle.
Çréla Prabhupäda, you are both Hanumän and Arjuna, and you are the hero of the battle against
Kali. Thank you for all your mercy.
Please give us your blessings so that we can continue to assist you in your service.
Begging to remain a tiny servant of your servants,
Bhakti Vighna Vinäça Narasiàha Mahäräja
A “never-wind”
electro-mechanical
clock, circa 1970.
(Item courtesy of Çréla
Prabhupäda’s Quarters,
New Dväräkä Temple)
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