Srila Prabhupada’s Concluding Words to Caitanya-caritamrta

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. So, we welcome you all on this most auspicious occasion of Sri Rama-ekādaśī, which has special significance for us followers of Srila Prabhupada because, on this date in 1974, Srila Prabhupada completed his translation of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in Juhu, Bombay. My usual practice when Srila Prabhupada was in Bombay, was to go to his quarters at the back of Hare Krishna land to accompany him on his morning walk on Juhu Beach. And Srila Prabhupada’s quarters at the back, on the one side were his quarters, and on the other side, just adjoining, were his staffs’ quarters. So, as usual, I climbed up the stairs, but this time, quite unusually, both the doors were locked—the door to Srila Prabhupada’s quarters and the door to his staff’s quarters. So, I knocked on both doors, and no one answered. I knocked again, and eventually, Srila Prabhupada’s secretary at the time, Harikesh Prabhu, opened the door to the staffs’ quarters, and he said that Srila Prabhupada had been up all night, translating Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, that he had completed his translation, and that at the end, he had dictated the most beautiful glorification of his spiritual master. And Harikesh Prabhu added that Srila Prabhupada was in a very jubilant mood, and he said that we should celebrate by having a feast.

Now, in the Vedic calendar, Vaishnava calendar, the new day begins with sunrise. So, although Srila Prabhupada had completed the translation before sunrise on the Rama-ekādaśī, when we went upstairs, which would have been the Devadasi, Harikesh said we should have a feast. Now, I will read from Srila Prabhupada’s concluding words:

READING from Srila Prabhupada’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta concluding words

Today, Sunday, November 10, 1974—corresponding to the tenth of Kartik, Chaitanya Era 488, the eleventh day of the dark fortnight, the Rama-ekādaśī — we have now finished the English translation of Sri Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta in accordance with the authorized order of His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Gosvami Maharaja, my beloved eternal spiritual master, guide and friend. Although according to material vision His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada passed away from this material world on the last day of December, 1936, I still consider His Divine Grace to be always present with me by his vāṇī, his words.

COMMENT

And here, Srila Prabhupada is setting the theme for the entire concluding words, which is his spiritual master’s presence.

READING (continued)

There are two ways of association—by vāṇī and by vapuḥ. Vāṇī means words, and vapuḥ means physical presence. Physical presence is sometimes appreciable and sometimes not, but vāṇī continues to exist eternally. Therefore, we must take advantage of the vāṇī, not the physical presence. The Bhagavad-gītā, for example, is the vāṇī of Lord Krishna. Although Krishna was personally present five thousand years ago and is no longer physically present from the materialistic point of view, the Bhagavad-gītā continues.

In this connection we may call to memory the time when I was fortunate enough to meet His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, sometime in the year 1922. Srila Prabhupada had come to Calcutta from Sri Dhāma Mayapur to start the missionary activities of the Gaudiya math. He was sitting in a house at Ultadanga when through the inducement of an intimate friend, the late Sriman Narendranath Mullik, I had the opportunity to meet His Divine Grace for the first time.

COMMENT

So, Srila Prabhupada was the leader of his friends, and his friend, Narendra Nath Malik, a dear friend, wanted Srila Prabhupada, who at the time was called Abhay, to meet Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, to approve of him or disapprove of him. So, they wanted Srila Prabhupada’s a verdict about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

READING (continued)

I do not remember the actual date of the meeting, but at that time I was one of the managers of Dr. Bose’s laboratory in Calcutta. I was a newly married young man, addicted to Gandhi’s movement and dressed in khadi. Fortunately, even at our first meeting His Divine Grace advised me to preach the cult of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in English in the Western countries. Because at that time I was a complete nationalist, a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s, I submitted to His Divine Grace that unless our country were freed from foreign subjugation, no one would hear the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu seriously. Of course, we had some argument on this subject, but at last I was defeated and convinced that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s message is the only panacea for suffering humanity.

COMMENT

Panacea means the cure for everything. And Srila Prabhupada relates that up until that point, he had never been defeated in an argument, but here he was defeated by his guru Maharaja, and as Srila Prabhupada commented, he was happy that he was defeated.

READING (continued)

I was also convinced that the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was then in the hands of a very expert devotee and that surely the message of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would spread all over the world. I could not, however, immediately take up his instructions to preach, but I took his words very seriously and was always thinking of how to execute his order, although I was quite unfit to do so.

COMMENT

Here, Srila Prabhupada enunciates a very important principle of devotional service, which is that if we receive an instruction from the spiritual master but are due to circumstances unable to execute the order, we should keep the instructions within our heart and always think of when we can get the opportunity to execute the order. I had my own experience with that principle with Srila Prabhupada. In India, Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to write. He said that I should take up writing as my first business. So, in those days, we didn’t have computers, and in India, even typewriters were very rare. So, I bought some pens and paper to follow Srila Prabhu’s instruction that I should write. But soon thereafter, we received a telegram saying that we should come to Bombay because Srila Prabhupada was organizing the first big Bombay pandal program.

So, I went to Bombay, and Shyamasundara Prabhu was the temple president. He wanted me to collect ads to be published in a souvenir magazine to be released on the occasion of the pandal to raise funds. So, I told him that Srila Prabhupada had instructed me to write, and Shyamasundara Prabhu replied that you can do that anytime, but this is one opportunity we have. We can walk into any businessman’s office and ask him to give an advertisement for our souvenir, and it will be very easy for them to give from their businesses, the advertisement would be taken as a tax deduction. So, I should collect for the pandal program, and then I could take up writing. So, what he said made sense, and Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, so I agreed. Then, a little before the pandal program was scheduled to begin, Srila Prabhupada arrived in Bombay. At that time, we were staying in the Akash Ganga building on Warden Road, just overlooking the ocean. As usual, when Srila Prabhupada arrived, he went into his room, and all the devotees followed, and he glanced lovingly at all the disciples and reciprocated with them in little ways. And then he asked me, “So Giriraj, how is your writing going?” I was flustered. I didn’t know what to say. And Srila Prabhupada, appreciating my mental condition, so he said, “Alright, we will discuss later.”

So shortly thereafter, after all the devotees had left the room, Srila Prabhupada called me back. And again, he asked, “So what about your writing?” And I told him what Shyamasundara Prabhu had said that, “This is one opportunity we have to walk into any man’s office and ask for an advertisement.” And I added that I knew that Srila Prabhupada wanted us to cooperate with our authorities, and so that is what I had done. But still, I was nervous, I was anxious. I didn’t know what Srila Prabhupada would think of my answer. And Srila Prabhupada replied, “Yes, you can suspend the order of the spiritual master, but you can never neglect it.” And he said, “Just like me. My spiritual master instructed me to write, but I have been so busy traveling and preaching in India that I also have hardly had any time to write. But when the circumstances allow, then I will take up the writing. And, so similarly with you.” I was very relieved how understanding and, practical, Srila Prabhupada was. So now we come back to the concluding words.

READING (continued)

In this way I passed my life as a householder until 1950, when I retired from family life as a vanaprastha. With no companion, I loitered here and there until 1958, when I took sannyasa. Then I was completely ready to discharge the order of my spiritual master. Previously, in 1936, just before His Divine Grace passed away at Jagannatha Puri, I wrote him a letter asking what I could do to serve him. In reply, he wrote me a letter, dated 13th December 1936, ordering me, in the same way, to preach in English the cult of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as I had heard it from him.

After he passed away, I started the fortnightly magazine Back to Godhead sometime in 1944 and tried to spread the cult of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu through this magazine. After I took sannyasa, a well-wishing friend suggested that I write books instead of magazines. Magazines, he said, might be thrown away, but books remain perpetually.

COMMENT

Now here is another important point: that Srila Prabhupada was ready to accept suggestions from well-wishing friends, as long as the suggestions were in keeping with the instructions of his spiritual master. And there was a similar instance in Bombay. Srila Prabhupada had a well-wishing friend named Mr. Brij Ratan Mohta. He was a life member and supporter. And Mr. Mohta had suggested that Srila Prabhupada serialize the Bhagavad-gītā in Back to Godhead magazine, and Srila Prabhupada accepted the suggestion, although he adjusted it, and made it Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that was serialized in Back to Godhead, rather than the Bhagavad-gītā. So, we should be prepared to accept good advice from well-wishing friends, which advice furthers our service to our spiritual master.

READING (continued)

Then I attempted to write Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Before that, when I was a householder, I had written on Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā and had completed about eleven hundred pages, but somehow or other the manuscript was stolen.

COMMENT

So, that is a lot to have eleven hundred pages of work stolen, but Srila Prabhupada persevered in his service to his spiritual master and in his mission to save the fallen conditioned souls.

READING (continued)

In any case, when I had published Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto, in three volumes in India, I thought of going to the U.S.A. By the mercy of His Divine Grace, I was able to come to New York on September 17, 1965. Since then, I have translated many books, including Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya (A Summary), and many others.

In the meantime, I was induced to translate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and publish it in an elaborate version. In his leisure time in later life, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura would simply read Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. It was his favorite book. He used to say that there would be a time when foreigners would learn the Bengali language to read the Caitanya-caritāmṛta. The work on this translation began about eighteen months ago. Now, by the grace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, it is finished. In this connection I have to thank my American disciples, especially Sriman Pradyumna dasa Adhikari, Sriman Nitai dasa Adhikari, Sriman Jaya Advaita dasa Brahmachari, and many other boys and girls who are sincerely helping me in writing, editing, and publishing all these literatures.

COMMENT

So, Srila Prabhupada has been giving the credit to his guru Maharaja, you could say, passing the credit upwards, and now he is giving credit to his disciples who were helping him, and you could say, passing the credit down to them. But he is not taking the credit for himself at any stage. Now, in the next paragraph, Srila Prabhupada makes a very revolutionary statement, or very illuminating statement

READING (continued)

I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1].

COMMENT

So that we can all understand that we receive an instruction from the spiritual master, and that instruction is in our heart, and it inspires us. But here, Srila Prabhupada says something more.

READING (continued)

Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.

COMMENT

So yes, Srila Prabhupada got inspiration from the Super soul within the heart, but the Super soul within the heart is not alone. He is accompanied by all His devotees, including in this case, we can say, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. So, in a very personal way, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was guiding Srila Prabhupada in his work of translation, from within the heart, where Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was sitting along with the Paramātmā.

READING (continued)

It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace.

COMMENT

And it is said that when the spiritual master gives an order, he gives the potency to execute the order. So here, Srila Prabhupada is saying, “I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.”

READING (continued)

Certainly, if His Divine Grace were physically present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very much pleased by this work of translation.

COMMENT

So yes, even though he is not physically present, he is spiritually present, and he is pleased. Srila Prabhupada is confident that he is pleased by this work of translation. And I have no doubt that His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura was immensely pleased with Srila Prabhupada for his translation and for everything else Srila Prabhupada did in his service.

READING (continued)

He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Krishna consciousness movement. Therefore, our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been formed to execute the order of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His Divine Grace Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.

COMMENT

So basically, Srila Prabhupada is saying that ISKCON is meant to execute the order of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, in the matter of publishing and distributing books to spread Krishna consciousness.

READING (continued)

It is my wish that devotees of Lord Chaitanya all over the world enjoy this translation,

COMMENT

In other words, Srila Prabhupada wanted us to read his books. As he once said of his disciples, “distributing my books will keep them happy, but reading my books will keep them,” meaning keep them in Krishna consciousness. And yes, we should make all the efforts that Srila Prabhupada put into writing his books fruitful by ourselves reading the books, studying the books, and applying what we read in our lives.

READING (continued)

and I am glad to express my gratitude to the learned men in the Western countries who are so pleased with my work that they are ordering in advance all my books that will be published in the future.

COMMENT

Yes, Srila Prabhupada had disciples who went to universities and got standing orders for Srila Prabhupada’s books. In other words, orders not only for the books that were published but for the books that would be published in the future. And His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami Maharaja was a leader in that effort.

READING (continued)

On this occasion, therefore, I request my disciples who are determined to help me in this work to continue their cooperation fully, so that philosophers, scholars, religionists, and people in general all over the world will benefit by reading our transcendental literatures, such as Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, dated November 10, 1974, at the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, Hare Krishna Land, Juhu, Bombay.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta ki jaya!

Sri Rama-ekādaśī ki jaya!

COMMENT

So now, if there is time, I would be open to hearing comments or questions from the devotees who have gathered here on this auspicious occasion.

Host: Thank you, Maharaja, for this wonderful class. Hare Krishna! So, if you have any questions, either type it in the chat or raise your hand. I will unmute you, and you can ask Maharaja your question directly. Keep your video on in that case.

Giriraj Swami: Well, I prefer everyone to have their videos on anyway. Siddhi Lalsa raised her hand. Please unmute yourself. Okay, can you unmute her? She doesn’t seem to know how to unmute. Oh, there she is. Yes, okay, thank you very much.

Siddhi Lalsa Mataji: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. I just remembered one nice incident when we were doing the Hare Krishna, the ISKCON World Review. And it is just a comment. It is when we were collecting advertisement for the ISKCON World Review,

Giriraj Swami: When and where was this?

Siddhi Lalsa Mataji: Mauritius.

Giriraj Swami: I know it was Mauritius but just so the others can get a sense of the context.

Siddhi Lalsa Mataji: And you increased the rate of the advertisement. It was a very small rate, and you increased it really a lot. And I thought, I can’t collect this. But you just sent me out to collect the advertisement, and people gave. So, that was like following the instruction. By myself, I thought, No way I can’t collect this much. It was from a small amount to one thousand rupees, which was a lot. But you sent me out, and it was an instruction, and I have to do it, and took courage and approach people, and they gave. So, that was a very nice memory for me.

Giriraj Swami: So, this is on the point that when the spiritual master gives an instruction, he gives the potency to execute it. Yes, well, that was certainly true when Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instructed Srila Prabhupada to write. And I suppose the same principle continues through paramparā. Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. Thank you for your class, and thank you for reading. I just want to say thank you for highlighting this sentence. I am still digesting it that: “Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His paramparā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates.” I think previously I have been envisioning more paramparā in the heart and not paramparā and all the associates. It makes sense on some level, and I just was wondering if you would elaborate a little bit more on that because I think that is a pretty profound statement.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, well, I often feel that Srila Prabhupada is in my heart, giving me guidance and inspiration. But I thought of it in a more figurative sense, like yes, Prabhupada said if you think of someone, they are in your heart. But this makes it more literal, which is fine with me. I am happy to have them all in my heart. I just pray that I can be pure enough to access their guidance and direction and inspiration. But I think that is good news.

Devotee: I found it very encouraging.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, thank you. Hare Krishna!

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. I would want to ask a question if you so desire.

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: Maharaja, when guru Maharaja is not physically present on this planet, the instruction that he has given, or if I am not so confident that the instruction, whether that was an instruction or a comment, and how to know that it is not coming from my mind and senses, but the direction that I am getting is from my spiritual master and feeling his potency, not out of a mental platform.

Giriraj Swami: Are you referring to an instruction that he gave you in person or in writing?

Devotee: Yes. so when I feel to execute it, how do I know whether I am actually following the instruction or is something coming out of my mind and senses while executing the instruction at every step?

Giriraj Swami: In other words, you feel that you might not be following the instruction as he would want? You might be following it according to some mental whimsy. How do you know? And this is when the spiritual master is no longer available.

I would suggest two things. One: pray very sincerely to the spiritual master and Srila Prabhupada to guide you. Say you are helpless and completely dependent on their mercy. That was Srila Prabhupada’s mood. He used the word “insignificant” in his concluding words here, referring to himself, and he used the same word “insignificant” in the poem that he wrote when he arrived in America. “Signed, the most insignificant beggar.”

So, first of all, we are insignificant, although we do get puffed up with false ego, but we actually are insignificant, and our service is very much facilitated when we realize how insignificant we are and how dependent we are on mercy from our superiors. So, that would be the one thing, to pray. And then the other thing would be to consult senior devotees, experienced devotees, especially those who know your spiritual master’s mood and methods. Because that is also a very important element in devotional service, to consult and not just assume that what we are doing is fine as it is and just carry on in our own way. So, Srila Prabhupada said that when a group of well-wishing Vaishnavas come to a consensus about us, we should take it as Krishna speaking through them, so that is also an important principle.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna. Any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Hare Krishna Maharaja. My most humble obeisances to you all. Glorious to you all, all glorious to Srila Prabhupada. I was wondering if you could shed light on how we can become tolerant and patient while we are waiting to be able to fulfill the spiritual master’s instructions?

Giriraj Swami: There are two things: patience and enthusiasm. And Srila Prabhupada said that enthusiasm without patience can lead to a desire to control. And patience without enthusiasm can lead to lethargy. So we really need to have both. And again, prayer is a very important element, that we are praying for the opportunity to execute the order and patiently waiting for that opportunity. There could be different reasons, different types of circumstances that are preventing us. Some could be related to our other service and commitments, and some could be related to circumstances. And we just have to pray for the opportunity to execute that order. Devotional service is a privilege, and receiving a direct instruction from the spiritual master is a blessing. So if we are fortunate enough to receive such direct instruction, we should look for every opportunity to execute it.

Once, fairly recently, I met Srila Prabhupada’s disciple, Rameshwar Prabhu. He was a very prominent figure in the BBT and book distribution, and at the Ratha-yatra, we were just sitting down on the grass and talking. And he said, “Maharaja, you and I are very fortunate because we have received direct instructions from Srila Prabhupada about what he wants us to do. So there can be no ambiguity in our minds.” But not every disciple had that good fortune of receiving a direct instruction. So I took that to heart, what he said. And so we are so fortunate to have a direct instruction, and we should certainly give our best to execute it. Nice to see you.

Devotee: Such an awesome. . . Thank you, Maharaja. I am so happy. Thank you, Maharaja.

Host: We have two more questions. Prema Mañjarī Mataji, you can go ahead.

Prema Mañjarī Mataji: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. I wanted to ask the same question: What about for those who don’t receive any direct instruction from the spiritual master? So how do we get the direction of where we want to serve? We just follow our heart. Whatever inspirations we get from the heart, from the caitya-guru, which is not different from the spiritual master. But still, if we don’t have that good fortune of having any direct instruction, is it just fine if you just follow whatever inspires us from the heart?

Giriraj Swami: Well, there are general instructions: chant a minimum of sixteen rounds, follow the four regulative principles, study Srila Prabhupada’s books, and in general, to taste Krishna consciousness and distribute Krishna consciousness. And some of Prabhupada’s disciples didn’t have that much personal association with him, but they really tuned into his heart and have done wonderful service. So yes, I think similar to my other answer, pray and consult. Consult devotees who could guide you as to what would be your best service, or how to do your service in the best way. But you are not asking for yourself, you are asking for others, I assume.

Prema Mañjarī, did you want to respond to that comment?

Prema Mañjarī Mataji: No, in general, I am asking for myself also, guru Maharaja, because I just do the needful, but I don’t have a specific direction where I should utilize my services, energies.

Giriraj Swami: I think you are doing well. Your whole family are devotees, and you have brought many other people into Krishna consciousness and encouraged them in Krishna consciousness. You cook well, and that is very important. We have a devotee in our community here named Kandarpa Mañjarī, who was instructed by His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami to stay with a family of Maharaja’s disciples in Calcutta, who were expert cooks. And he told her that she should learn how to cook from them because cooking nicely is a very good way to please Vaishnavas, and that is our process, to please Vaishnavas. So, you are able to do that with your cooking. Yes, I think you are doing all right. I think you are doing well.

Prema Mañjarī Mataji: Thank you guru Maharaja.

Host: Sita Thakurani Mataji, you can go ahead.

Sita Thakurani Mataji: Hare Krishna guru Maharaja. I am inspired to practice Krishna consciousness in my best possible way, in my best capacity. Actually, I don’t feel the presence of my guru Maharaja all the time. What can I do to improve so that I can feel his presence all the time?

Giriraj Swami: Why do you want to feel his presence all the time?

Sita Thakurani Mataji: Because how you feel the presence of Srila Prabhupada all the time. Srila Prabhupada says that he feel the presence of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Thakura all the time. So, I know it will be nice to be guided by you at the time. But I don’t feel the presence.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, well, many times when I would pray for an answer to a question, I would pray before the deities, which includes the pictures on the altar also. And I wasn’t getting an answer, I would ask myself, am I really ready to execute any instruction they give me? Maybe they are not giving me an instruction because they know I won’t follow it. So I would have to look into myself, how surrendered am I, actually? Am I really ready to follow whatever they say? So I think that is a question that we have to ask ourselves. But certainly, to the degree that we are ready to execute any order they give us, they will give us instructions. But if we are afraid, well, what if he asks this, then what am I going to do? Well, maybe I shouldn’t ask what he wants. It could be dangerous for me. So, they have these different promotions, and then at the end of the promotion, they often have a little disclaimer: conditions may apply. So it is like that. “I am fully surrendered to you; I am ready to do whatever you want. Conditions may apply.”

Hare Krishna, any other questions or comments?

Alright, well, if there are no more questions, we can end. And I suggest — so, ISKCON New York City, are we about ready to conclude?

Host: Yes Maharaja. So, Hare Krishna. That is a small announcement.

So we have Jaya Advaita Maharaja joining us on Diwali, Bhakti Prabhas Swami on Govardhana-puja. Next week, we have Lokanath Swami Maharaja and Devamrita Swami Maharaja in Kartik-kathā series. So, please stay tuned. The congregation of ISKCON New York City and all our lectures will be live-streamed on ISKCON New York TV channel. I am very sorry today there was some issue with the internet connection, so we lost the first few minutes, but it is recorded, and I will upload it later. So thank you Giriraj Maharaja so much for this wonderful lecture, and we hope to have you in the future too.

Giriraj Swami: Sure. So if we are concluding now, I suggest we end with the Vaishnava praṇāma.

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca 

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ