Juhu Book Reading—Srila Prabhupada’s Final Pastimes and How We Continued after His Departure

Giriraj Swami: We are going to discuss Srila Prabhupada’s final pastimes. I will begin from his last day, which was November 14th, 1977.

[READING from the Juhu Book draft]

By afternoon, Prabhupada had fallen into an internal state of consciousness, and devotees placed tulasi leaves and Yamuna water by his head. The room resounded with kirtan, and the doors were opened to everyone. The room was packed: young, old, men, women—all were allowed in to be with Prabhupada and express their love.

Several times, Pishima, Srila Prabhupada’s sister, asked, “Prabhupada, have you eaten anything?” but he did not respond. She poured a few drops of Ganges water in his mouth.

Srila Prabhupada’s godbrothers, Bon Maharaja, Krishna dasa Babaji, Ananda Prabhu, and Prabhupada’s godnephew Narayana Maharaja soon arrived and sat on benches on either side of the bed, observing his consciousness. When Narayana Maharaja spoke in Prabhupada’s ear, Prabhupada did not respond, but when Bhakti Charu told him that Maharaja and others were present, he slowly raised his left hand to his head in salutation and started crying.

Prabhupada’s godbrothers ventured that his attacks were simply the moving of the airs in the body. He was in perfect consciousness, they said; his time for departure had not yet come. After a while, all of them except Ananda Prabhu left, promising to return the minute the devotees called.

The kavirāja, the ayurvedic physician, said that Prabhupada had only two or three hours left. Pujaris brought tulasi flower garlands from Krishna-Balarama and placed them on the pillow around Prabhupada’s head. The devotees continued chanting and praying—there was nothing else we could do.

When a final attack came, at 3:00 p.m., Prabhupada rubbed his hand quickly back and forth across his heart. Upendra massaged his heart, Tamal Krishna sat holding his feet, and for the next four hours, Prabhupada was peaceful.

I was at the head of the bed, wishing I could have one last chance to serve Prabhupada in his bodily form. Suddenly he threw back his arm, and I was able to touch his hand and squeeze it gently. He had fulfilled my desire. I was grateful, satisfied, even amidst the overwhelming sorrow.

As Prabhupada’s departure drew closer, the kirtan, led by Baradraj, became more and more intense, sung, as Shaktimata later recalled, “in a kind of unusual chorus of two parts in a way that we never sang before. Some devotees were singing ‘Jaya Prabhupada! Jaya Prabhupada!’ while others were chanting the maha-mantra, and somehow the two blended together in the most perfectly beautiful way. We don’t sound like this, I thought. This isn’t coming from us. It was like the room had no ceiling, like all the bricks and beams had dissolved and the whole room was open in a direct current to the spiritual world as Krishna’s messengers came for Srila Prabhupada.”

At 7:25 Prabhupada opened his eyes and moved his lips, as if speaking—Hare Krishna. Then his jaw dropped, his complexion darkened, and he went still.

The kaviräja took Prabhupada’s pulse and held a cotton swab to his nostrils. There was no breath.

Tamal Krishna wrote in his diary, “Our beloved Srila Prabhupada had departed.” He had been surrounded by loving disciples chanting the holy names of Krishna, lying peacefully on his bed in Raman Reti, Vrindavan, the sacred land where Krishna and His friends used to sport. His head was pointing toward the Deities of Krishna-Balarama, his forehead decorated with candana and a large tulasi leaf, with photos of Krishna-Balarama and Radha-Krishna and pictures of Lord Nåsiàhadeva and Prabhupada’s guru maharaja nearby. A volume of Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta laid beside his pillow. Holding tulasi in his right hand, he had departed and returned to the lotus feet of Krishna, from whence he had come. It was 7:25 p.m. on Gaura-caturthi-tithi, the fourth day of the light half of the month of Kartik—five minutes after the beginning of amåta-yoga, the most auspicious time of the day.

Baradraj wrote in his journal, “Seven twenty-five, Prabhupada enters my heart in a flood of tears. The sun of the world has set. The shelter of the world has entered Vaikuntha. Hari-nāma continues on and on.”

The room was filled with crying and wailing. The kirtan was going wild, with devotees chanting Hare Krishna and “Jaya Prabhupada!” Pishima, weeping piteously, went to the foot of Prabhupada’s bed, lifted the chaddar, and placed his feet on her head. Then she took dust from them and smeared it on her head and her eyes. Other devotees followed, clutching Prabhupada’s lotus feet.

Most of the devotees were then asked to leave, and Upendra wiped Prabhupada’s body, decorated it with Vaishnava tilak markings, and dressed him in fresh clothes. Devotees sat Prabhupada up, crossed his legs, and secured him to his palanquin. Bhavananda closed his jaw, which had remained open, and devotees tied it shut with a cloth around his head.

Narayana Maharaja came, garlanded Prabhupada, and discussed with Tamal Krishna and Bhavananda what should be done. Then we carried Prabhupada on his palanquin into the temple amidst the blowing of conch shells and beating of mridangas and kartals. He was brought before each Deity, then around the temple three times, and again before Krishna and Balarama. Then we circumambulated his body four times with kirtan and finally placed the whole palanquin on his vyāsāsana.

By Prabhupada’s grace, even amidst the overwhelming feeling of sorrow, I was surprised to find myself experiencing a sort of ecstasy.

Narayana Maharaja, Krishna dasa Babaji, Ananda Prabhu, and many of Prabhupada’s disciples led kirtan and prayers throughout the night, while we sat, as we had so often, at Srila Prabhupada’s lotus feet, gazing at his divine form. Narayana Maharaja began with je ānilo prema dhana, Narottama dasa Thakura’s song for departed Vaishnavas, while Omkara performed ārati and devotees offered Prabhupada flowers. Krishna dasa Babaji sang in the middle of the night, and Ananda Prabhu led maṅgala-ārati.

That morning, the residents of Vrindavan awaited their last darshan of the great acharya of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas, who had spread Vrindavan’s glories throughout the world. At 6:30 the goswamis of the seven main temples arrived to escort Prabhupada’s divine form to their respective Deities. He was sitting straight up, legs crossed, wearing his hat and chaddar, in his flower-decorated palanquin, covered with garlands offered by disciples the night before.

Narayana Maharaja led kirtan as we brought Prabhupada into the courtyard, again circumambulated his body four times, and began our procession with uproarious chanting, mahā-saṅkīrtana.

Vrajavāsīs came out from their homes and shops to watch, standing on steps and balconies and alongside the road, calling out “Jaya Prabhupada!” to honor Vrindavan’s favorite son, most famous saint, and international ambassador. “All these hundreds of people came from nowhere,” Rajasekhara recalled. “I couldn’t figure how everyone had heard about the procession or even how they had heard that Prabhupada had left. I had never seen Vrindavan in such a mood—everyone came out to pay homage. Wherever we went, the rooftops were packed.”

Bhagavata remembered “As we went from one place to the other, people were performing ārati, offering flowers, and offering prasāda. All of Vrindavan was displaying their love and affection for Srila Prabhupada. Tamal Krishna—along with many of us—was openly weeping.”

As we approached each temple, the head pujari would come out to receive Prabhupada and the kirtan would rise to a crescendo, with Narayana Maharaja singing, “Jaya Madana-mohana! Jaya Radha-Damodar! Jaya Radha-Ramana!” glorifying each Deity, and then “Jaya Prabhupada!” Even submerged in an ocean of grief, we devotees also felt proud to be disciples of such an illustrious, exalted, empowered guru.

The parikramā lasted three hours, concluding when we returned to the Krishna-Balaram temple. We brought Prabhupada to the samadhi site, near the front of the property, and Upendra and Bhavananda undressed him, leaving only his kaupina (loincloth), and placed him on banana leaves. First Narayana Maharaja, then Krishna dasa Babaji, and then Ananda Prabhu poured Yamuna water over him, and Tamal Krishna then took the conch shell and, allowing all the devotees to touch it, poured water over Prabhupada’s body many times.

The personal servants dressed Prabhupada in new silks and a new sacred thread. Narayana Maharaja took a tulasi-mañjarī and with candana wrote the samadhi mantra on Prabhupada’s chest. He, Ananda Prabhu, Tamal Krishna, and Bhakti Charu descended the eight feet into the samadhi pit, at the bottom of which lay a pure-white marble slab. They performed pujas, with Ananda Prabhu chanting the mantras while guiding the movements of Tamal Krishna’s hands. Bhavananda and Upendra lifted Prabhupada into Tamal Krishna’s arms, and they placed him in a sitting position and offered ārati. The devotees above, who had been chanting and blowing conch shells, then offered puṣpāñjali, throwing thousands of flowers upon Prabhupada’s form, and, as Prabhupada had instructed, Tamal Krishna kept some to be taken to Mayapur for his puṣpa-samādhi.

Devotees lowered brass buckets of salt, and we watched as Prabhupada’s form disappeared under the salt being placed around his body, until all we could see was a golden patch that was the top of his head—and then nothing.

As we passed buckets of earth to fill the rest of the samadhi and, with tears in my eyes and my arms trembling I lifted each shovelful of soil, I reflected that this might be the last personal service I offered to Srila Prabhupada’s vapuḥ.

So many people had joined together in their love and respect for Srila Prabhupada, but even after his departure, the controversy over the Govardhana parikramā continued and the feelings remained strong on both sides. When Srila Prabhupada expressed his desire to go on a bullock-cart to Govardhan hill to do Govardhan-puja, his disciples broke into two groups. One group led by Srila Prabhupada’s personal servants Tamal Krishna, Bhavananda, Bhakti Charu, Bhakti Svarupa Damodar who at the time was Svarupa Damodara brahmachari, all felt that Srila Prabhupada should not make that journey. They were concerned that even if we put a mattress on the bullock-cart, there were so many potholes in the road, he would be jostled on the bullock-cart and he would feel pain. It was even possible that he could give up his body on the way. But, another group led by Hansaduta and Baradraj felt that it was not our position to question the spiritual master’s desire but we should just execute it without trying to impose our own wishes or conceptions. So, even after his departure, the controversy over the Govardhana parikramā continued and the feelings remained strong on both sides. I still couldn’t determine who had been right, and the question persisted in my mind.

My usual practice had been to chant japa in Prabhupada’s rooms when he was out, and the day after he was placed in samadhi I was chanting behind his bed, in a small corner by a bookshelf, when my eyes fell upon the new volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam—Canto Ten, Part Two—that had been made for Prabhupada with gold embossing. When I opened it, I happened to land upon Chapter Nine: “Mother Yasoda Binds Krishna.” I read a few verses and purports, and then I came to a verse that I felt answered my question: 

evaṁ sandarśitā hy aṅga

hariṇā bhṛtya-vaśyatā

sva-vaśenāpi kṛṣṇena

yasyedaṁ seśvaraṁ vaśe

“O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord Śiva, Lord Brahmā and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Kṛṣṇa in this pastime.”

The pastime was encapsulated in the previous verse:

sva-mātuḥ svinna-gātrāyā

visrasta-kabara-srajaḥ

dṛṣṭvā pariśramaṁ kṛṣṇaḥ

kṛpayāsīt sva-bandhane

“Because of mother Yaśodā’s hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Kṛṣṇa saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound.”

When I read the verses, I thought, This is what happened. The spiritual master was the transparent medium through which Krishna manifested Himself. Of course, in vraja-bhakti the relationship with Krishna was different—Krishna exhibited nara-līlā, humanlike pastimes, in which there was complete intimacy and freedom between the devotees and the Lord, whereas in the relationship between disciple and spiritual master, there was always an element of awe and reverence, and duty. Still, duty was meant to lead to love. Prabhupada had said to Babaji Maharaja, “Just see how much they love me.” And during the incident a month before, when the disciples had appealed to Prabhupada to stay longer (which meant him drinking) and he had accepted their plea, he had said, “This is real affection.”

When I read the verse, I thought of the two incidents and put them together. In both cases, when the disciples had expressed themselves—“We want you to stay”—Prabhupada had approved, saying, “This is real affection” and “Just see how much my disciples love me.”

All the devotees in the controversy had been acting on the basis of their realization, of their devotion for Prabhupada, and Prabhupada had been drawing out our loving feelings—and encouraging us to go beyond just following his orders. Following the order was a given; there was no question—to follow the order of the spiritual master was a basic principle of spiritual life, and to disobey his order would be an offense against him and the holy name. So it was not a question of disobeying the order of the spiritual master; it was about developing loving feelings for the spiritual master and expressing them to him. Relating the verse to what Prabhupada had done with us, I saw a parallel between the dāmodara-līlā and that principle of spontaneous love. Every night during the month of Dāmodara, Kartik, we recited the Dāmodarāṣṭakam, including

itīdṛk sva-līlābhir ānanda-kuṇḍe

sva-ghoṣaḿ nimajjantam ākhyāpayantam

tadīyeṣita-jñeṣu bhaktair jitatvaḿ

punaḥ prematas taḿ śatāvṛtti vande

“By such pastimes He is drowning the inhabitants of Gokula in pools of ecstasy and revealing to those devotees who are absorbed in knowledge of His supreme majesty and opulence that He is conquered only by devotees whose pure love is imbued with intimacy and is free from all conceptions of awe and reverence. To this Supreme Lord, Sri Dāmodara, whose belly is bound not with ropes but with His devotee’s pure love, I offer my humble obeisances hundreds and hundreds of times.”

Four days after Prabhupada’s disappearance—on November 18, Gopastami, the date when Krishna came of age and was given charge of the cows—to fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s desire to go on parikramā and to have his association along the way, the devotees took a small brass deity of him to Govardhana Hill. We all felt Srila Prabhupada’s presence.

After the exhilaration of the outing to Govardhana, during which we had felt Prabhupada’s presence so strongly, I was again beset by deep feelings of separation. I was constantly on the verge of tears, and any slight remembrance of him could set me off. I was also concerned about our future without Prabhupada’s personal presence. What would happen to us individually, as devotees? What would happen to the movement? How would we function? I recalled an exchange almost six years earlier, when we had been living in the chātāi hut in Juhu. One of the devotees had mentioned Prabhupada’s ultimately leaving us, and Srimati had responded, “ISKCON without Prabhupada—it’s hard to imagine.”

Looking for solace and guidance in Prabhupada’s books, I came across a section that addressed the disappearance of the spiritual master: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.28.45–55. Some passages encouraged me that my lamentation over Prabhupada’s departure was justified—some that I could regain his association by serving his instructions. Text 47 stated, “Being now alone and a widow in that forest, the daughter of Vidarbha began to lament, incessantly shedding tears, which soaked her breasts, and crying very loudly.” In his purport, Prabhupada had written, “Figuratively the queen is supposed to be the disciple of the king; thus, when the mortal body of the spiritual master expires, his disciples should cry exactly as the queen cries when the king leaves his body. However, the disciple and spiritual master are never separated, because the spiritual master always keeps company with the disciple as long as the disciple follows strictly the instructions of the spiritual master. This is called the association of vāṇī (words). Physical presence is called vapuḥ. As long as the spiritual master is physically present, the disciple should serve the physical body of the spiritual master, and when the spiritual master is no longer physically existing, the disciple should serve the instructions of the spiritual master.”

I was astonished. Srila Prabhupada was telling me exactly what I needed to know. Still, I had some apprehensions. How would I get detailed guidance from Prabhupada when there was a question regarding which of his instructions to apply in a particular, complex situation? And what would be my qualification to receive such guidance? His answers began in his purport to Text 50: “It is the long-standing tradition of the Vedic system that a faithful wife dies along with her husband. This is called saha-māraṇa. . .. The wife used to enter the fire voluntarily. . .. [W]hen Maharaja Pandu died, he was survived by two wives—Madri and Kunti. The question was whether both should die or one should die. After the death of Maharaja Pandu, his wives settled that one should remain and the other should go. Madri would perish with her husband in the fire, and Kunti would remain to take charge of the five Pandava children. . ..

“This indicates that a devotee’s wife must be prepared to act in such a way. Similarly, a devoted disciple of the spiritual master would rather die with the spiritual master than fail to execute the spiritual master’s mission. As the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down upon this earth to reestablish the principles of religion, so His representative, the spiritual master, also comes to reestablish religious principles. It is the duty of the disciples to take charge of the mission of the spiritual master and execute it properly. Otherwise the disciple should decide to die along with the spiritual master. In other words, to execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations.”

The last sentence was my assignment, my challenge: “[T]o execute the will of the spiritual master, the disciple should be prepared to lay down his life and abandon all personal considerations.” And the next two purports explained how that detailed guidance would come:

I felt purified and exhilarated—I had gotten the guidance, the answers, I needed, in a most encouraging and empowering way. I went to share my discovery with Tamal Krishna and other friends, who agreed that Srila Prabhupada was so perfect that he could provide all necessary instruction even after his departure.

COMMENT

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

So, now, there is still some time left, and I would like to give the participants a chance to ask questions or share reflections. So, if you wish to speak, please raise your hand, your physical hand or your virtual hand. Oh, I see two participants have raised their hands. Nagapatni Mataji, would you like to call on one of them?

Nagapatni dasi: Alright, I am looking for them. Can you tell me their names?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, there is Anarpita Kripamoyi dasa and Chandan Sahu.

Nagapatni dasi: Okay, Chandan, please, go ahead and ask your question.

Chandan Sahu: Thank you, Mataji. Hare Krishna Maharaja. Dandavat pranam. Thank you for this kathā, it was very nectarean. Now, with some causeless mercy, I have come in contact with ISKCON, Prabhupada and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement.

So, could you please tell, how to fall in love with this guru-paramparā, with Prabhupada, and guru-varga. And how can we make this life successful by loving a sadhu in this life? What are some personal advice or instructions, which you would like to share?

Giriraj Swami: Well, the basic principle is that we should follow the instructions of the spiritual master, and when we follow his instructions, we get the result, and we experience his mercy. And when we have that reciprocation with the spiritual master, we develop faith in him, and that faith, when it matures, becomes love.

There are nine stages, as described by Srila Rupa Gosvami, ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgaḥ atha bhajana-kriyā. So, it begins with faith, ādau śraddhā. Actually, all the different stages are further developments of faith, all the way up to bhāva and prema. So, we just have to stick to the process, stick to the order of the spiritual master, remain in the association of devotees, chant sincerely and attentively, study Srila Prabhupada’s books, and ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, your heart will be cleansed.

And nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema ‘sādhya’ kabhu naya, kṛṣṇa-prema is eternally situated in the heart, it is not something to be gained from another source. And when the heart, the consciousness is purified by hearing and chanting, that natural love awakens. So, it is not artificial, but rather it is natural, and that love will awaken by following the instructions of the spiritual master, following the process of bhakti-yoga.

Chandan Sahu: Thank you, Maharaja. Thank you for that answer. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: So, there are some more hands, of course, there is Anarpita Kripamoyi, who I mentioned, then there is Yajie Xle, Annamrita Agarwal.

Anarpita Kripamoyi dasa: Hare Krishna, Maharaja.

Nagapatni dasi: Go ahead.

Anarpita Kripamoyi dasa: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Daṇḍavat praṇāma. So, thank you so much for your nectarean words. I am so fortunate that I got the opportunity for getting your very auspicious and inspiring association. So, it is like a dream for me. I read Līlāmṛta, and I heard from the devotees, I watched the Abhay Charan also, how the great contribution of yours towards Srila Prabhupada. So, it is inspired a lot to me. So, I am very, very thankful for your opportunity given to all of us.

So, Maharaja, my question is, we are not having the association of Srila Prabhupada physically like vapuḥ, vāṇī is available. When I see that someone is having the association of the vapuḥ, then he comes with the association of the vāṇī. So, somehow the vapuḥ helps a lot to follow the vāṇī, but we are having only association of the vāṇī. So, we can say that that opportunity we have missed, or it was not our fortune, but we want to develop such an affection and intense love for Srila Prabhupada, and that way we can serve more and more to Srila Prabhupada.

How we can develop the same love like Srila Prabhupada’s disciples, to serve Srila Prabhupada, to serve our Guru, to serve this ISKCON moment? How this intensity and deep intensity come in our heart to serve Srila Prabhupada, and Srila Prabhupada’s warrior? This is my first question, and if Maharaja please you allow, I can ask more questions also.

Giriraj Swami: Well, what is your other question?

Anarpita Kripamoyi dasa: My other question is that, how, Maharaja, when you come in the ISKCON, what thing inspired you a lot to give your life to Srila Prabhupada? Just nothing I see that Srila Prabhupada’s disciples are like that, it is beyond my understanding and imagination. Whatever they have done, it is not possible easily for an ordinary man. How you have done so much miracles, extraordinary things? So, that thing will inspire me to do something for Srila Prabhupada, I can do something in this life, my life can become meaningful for Srila Prabhupada. And Maharaja, please, bless me for this also.

Giriraj Swami: Right, nice. Well, it is said that with the order of the spiritual master comes the potency executed. So, if you take to heart Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, without ulterior motive, that is very important, if you take Srila Prabhupada’s instructions to heart without any personal interest, then Srila Prabhupada will bless you, and he will empower you. And in that reciprocation, your affection and appreciation for Srila Prabhupada will grow and grow. So, you should not hesitate, but you should give yourself fully to Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, to Srila Prabhupada’s mission, and be happy eternally.

Nagapatni dasi: Yajie, do you have a question for Maharaja?

Yajie Xle: I thought Prabhu had another question, has he finished?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, we combined the two questions.

Yajie Xle: Okay. So, Maharaja, Hare Krishna. What about Srila Prabhupada do you think made him successful expanding the Krishna conscious movement in the West? I know we read the books, but I never had any firsthand experience with him, so I just want to hear it from your perspective.

Nagapatni dasi: Yajie is from China.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, nice. So, what exactly was the question?

Nagapatni dasi: So, what do you think Srila Prabhupada, what kind of qualities of him that you think made his expansion of the Krishna conscious movement so successful in the West? I just want to hear it from your side.

Giriraj Swami: Well, one is he was humble. When we read the early accounts of him at 26 2nd Avenue, he would cook for the devotees, he would even clean up after them. I mean, eventually the devotees understood that he shouldn’t have to be doing that, and they began to help, but he was so humble, that he did everything to the devotees himself.

And he was tolerant, he faced a lot of opposition, especially in Juhu, Bombay, when he was trying to establish the temple there, he faced a lot of opposition, and because he spent a lot of time in Bombay, and he was speaking on the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam every evening, and he spoke on a very important verse describing the qualities of a devotee, titikṣavaḥ kāruṇikāḥ suhṛdaḥ sarva-dehinām, and he related those qualities to our efforts in Juhu, how he was appealing to us to manifest those qualities, but actually, he himself was manifesting those qualities, and all of them came to play in that struggle in Juhu.

So, if you read that verse, you’ll get an idea of what Srila Prabhupada’s qualities were, Sādhu-bhūṣaṇām, the qualities of a sadhu, and specifically, Srila Prabhupada exhibited those always, but he exhibited them, as he explained in his talk, in the struggles in Juhu, Bombay.

Yajie Xle: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Harshita Sharma: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please kindly accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. Thank you for this experience of today’s class, it was like we were there.

Maharaja, I wanted to ask that, as you said that we must give completely to Srila Prabhupada, without Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, without any inhibitions. So, we see his disciples were so surrendered at one point, we read in Līlāmṛta that at an unknown station in a train, Prabhupada told his disciples to get off the train and start preaching in that unknown city, and disciples got off. And so, I wanted to ask how we can develop that kind of surrender to our spiritual master? How can we give up all inhibitions? I don’t even recognize what the inhibitions are or maybe we don’t want to acknowledge. What is it? Please, can you help? How can we surrender completely to the spiritual master?

Giriraj Swami: Well, surrender means to follow the instructions, and, the way to follow the instructions is to follow them, but Srila Prabhupada also explained that there are three, you can say, levels of disciples, first class, second class, third class. And first class, he knows what the spiritual master wants, and he does it even without being asked by the spiritual master. The second class, he does what the spiritual master asks, perfectly. And the third class, he receives an instruction from the spiritual master, but then he begrudges it, or he forgets. So, we want to, at least, be in the second class to perfectly execute the order of the spiritual master but ideally, we want to come to the first class, where we anticipate what the spiritual master wants, and even without his telling us, we do it. And in Srila Prabhupada’s absence, we have to understand what he would want, and do it. And then, when we do so, we get his mercy.

Harshita Sharma: Thank you, Maharaja. Thank you.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Namrata Agarwal: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, are you there?

Giriraj Swami: Very much, very much.

Namrata Agarwal: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances, Maharaja. I feel so fortunate to get your wonderful association, and thank you for nectarean kathā. It is really inspiring to see, just like Mataji said, the dedication and surrender that all the disciples had, like, Maharaja and your contemporaries for Srila Prabhupada.

So, my question was, we know that our spiritual masters and gurus, they are on a divine transcendental platform, but sometimes this thought comes when so much of management hierarchy is there and there are thousands of disciples, we pray to him at his lotus feet every day, and when we hear about their health issues, we really feel so bad we always pray for their well-being, but sometimes it feels that we are so insignificant, I don’t know whether my voice will ever be heard by my spiritual master or not. So, how do I understand this and get a proper mood for that, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: When you say you wonder whether your voice will be heard by your spiritual master, what do you mean?

Namrata Agarwal: Personally, I can say some years, I have been waiting for his shelter but somehow, I could not through management, so I have been praying every day that he accepts me under a shelter. So, I don’t know, I don’t think he is on a divine platform he can hear my voice, but then again, I feel maybe management and all these, I need to get my voice heard. That is it.

Giriraj Swami: Well, do you have anyone who is connected with him, who could recommend you to him?

Namrata Agarwal: Yes, Maharaja, our name is already given for the initiation list but, it has been many years, we are just waiting for his blessings.

Giriraj Swami: And do you have any idea why it is taking so long?

Namrata Agarwal: Maharaja, actually, we were earlier in a different congregation so that was not so well connected to Maharaja, but now we are connected to proper temple so now this process has speeded up, but right now Maharaja is not in India so maybe once he comes down to India, he will surely bless us because, that anticipation is growing so much on us, we really wanted desperately every day, I am just praying and crying at his lotus feet to accept a fallen soul like me.

Giriraj Swami: Well, sounds like he will, it is just a matter of time. So, you have to be patient and chant very sincerely, cleanse your heart, prepare yourself. It is not a joke to be initiated so you can take it, then maybe you have to prepare yourself more to become more purified so that you are not a burden on the spiritual master, but rather more of a help to the spiritual master. I am sure you wouldn’t be a burden but yes, I would suggest take it as an opportunity to purify yourself some more and become more qualified before you are initiated. But it sounds like it is just a matter of time and you will be.

Namrata Agarwal: Thank you, Maharaja. Please bless us, Maharaja. Surely, your blessings and prayers will work for me, Maharaja. Thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: I wish you all the best.

Nagapatni dasi: Rasala dasa, please unmute and ask.

Rasala dasa: Please accept my humble obeisances. I want to ask this question, what difference do you find in ISKCON, which was in Prabhupada’s presence and ISKCON now, Maharaja. So, I just want to make figure out, what was the energy when Prabhupada was there personally? So, what difference do you find at ISKCON with Prabhupada. I mean, obviously, Prabhupada is physically there, and after Prabhupada departed to spiritual world.

Giriraj Swami: Well, when Srila Prabhupada was present, there was tremendous enthusiasm in the devotees to serve him, and now there may be, but not always, but that also depends on the individual. Srila Prabhupada said that that enthusiasm comes from following the regulative principles, so if we follow the regulative principles, chanting and, of course, the four regulative principles and reading, then we will be enthusiastic. And sometimes I see devotees who have that enthusiasm like we did when Srila Prabhupada was present. So, it is possible, and one thing that Srila Prabhupada emphasized was that we should cooperate. You might have heard Srila Prabhupada say that, “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate to keep this institution after I depart.” And so, we always have that chance, to show our love for Srila Prabhupada by cooperating with our authorities, with our peers, even with our juniors, that is a very important instruction. Where did that devotee go?

Rasala dasa: Could I ask another question, Maharaja? I am very happy with the answer, Maharaja. Maharaja, just like now we see, we have a spiritual master, he has a spiritual role, and many spiritual masters, they are also playing the role as a manager, GBC, some administrative role as well. So, what we hear there could be a conflict of interest. I mean, sometimes we may be getting instruction from spiritual master through a managerial role, and institution also has its own institutional needs. So, one is doing that needful and finding your own nature, there is always a conflict in that. So, Maharaja, how do we resolve that? Is it coming from spiritual master to a special inspiration or is it coming from manager?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I remember after initially, Srila Prabhupada named eleven gurus, and then gradually, more devotees were given that responsibility to initiate.

So, His Holiness Sivarama Swami asked His Holiness Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, what advice he has for him as a new spiritual master to be, and Satsvarupa Maharaja replied that he sometimes gave instructions to disciples to fulfill managerial need, and he regretted that. And so, his advice to Sivarama Swami was, he should not give instructions to disciples to fulfill some managerial necessity if there is a chance that that instruction could go against the disciple’s spiritual welfare. So, that is a very tricky situation when the guru is also a manager for a disciple, but I think that the guru should be very careful in that situation, not to give an instruction to a disciple for the sake of managerial experience if the instruction could have an adverse effect on the disciple’s spiritual life. But it is hard to say.

Srila Prabhupada, he gave me a lot of instructions that were very difficult, that were not really congenial to my nature, so to speak, but I had faith in Srila Prabhupada that whatever he did was the best for all concerned, and so, even though following those instructions was a struggle sometimes, it was worth it.

Rasala dasa: Thank you for your wonderful answer. I just wanted to have one clarification. I think Prabhupada personally told you this movement would grow if you organize intelligently. Maharaja, what is this meaning of organization? Because organization means so much rules and manages set up also, and there is a repercussion of organized religion, as suggested by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. So, how do you define this organization, intelligently designing or organizing things so that ISKCON will grow? What is meant by Prabhupada to say that is Maharaja? Would you explain this?

Giriraj Swami: What did you say about Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura? I missed that.

Rasala dasa: He suggested this idea, organized religion. I mean, there are repercussions of organizing things in religion, because that comes to institutional needs and finding one’s own nature, which you just mentioned. Things may not be congenital to your nature, but you are forced to do it.

Giriraj Swami: Yes. So, to give the background of the incident to which you alluded, in Srila Prabhupada’s last days, maybe three days before he left, I was taking rest on the rooftop of the gurukula building, and a devotee came and woke me up and said that Srila Prabhupada was calling for me. So, I went into his room, he was lying on his bed, and he asked me, “So, what do you think? After I am gone, do you think this movement will go on?” And I replied, “If the devotees are sincere and chant their rounds and follow the regulative principles, it will go on.” And then Srila Prabhupada, and he was very weak, and his voice was very soft, but with great difficulty he said, “Organization. Intelligence and organization.”

And I understood that yes, for our own spiritual lives, we have to be sincere and chant our rounds and follow the regulative principles, but Prabhupada wanted us to think beyond our own spiritual well-being, for the spiritual well-being of others, to spread Krishna consciousness. And to do so, we need organization, intelligence and organization. And that involves planning.

Like my dear godbrother His Holiness Sridhara Swami Maharaja used to quote, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” So, we need to plan how to spread Krishna consciousness, how to attract new people, how to engage them, and how to nourish them. Srila Prabhupada also said on occasion, “It is more important to maintain a devotee than to try to make new devotees.” So, that is very much part of our responsibility, to maintain the devotees. So, does this address your concern?

Rasala dasa: Yes, Maharaja. Thank you so much, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Nagapatni dasi: Somnath Nandy, please unmute and ask your question.

Somnath Nandy: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Maharaja, my question is, [Unintelligible 01:25:35]?

Giriraj Swami: The sound wasn’t so good, I mean, I got the first part, which is true that in the next decade or so, most of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples will be gone, but then, what was the next part? What was your question?

Somnath Nandy: My next part was that, how do we prepare ourselves for that, and what do we do now to ensure that we don’t feel the gap and we are able to have enough faith on the paramparā and everything that goes on so that we can push on the movement?

Giriraj Swami: Well, you should take advantage of the association of Prabhupada’s disciples who are here with us now, and learn from them about Srila Prabhupada and his mood, and also learn from them, the mood of surrender and service to Srila Prabhupada so that you can continue that line. I mean, certainly, it is hard to imagine the planet without any direct disciples of Srila Prabhupada, but that day will come, and then it will depend on the next generation to maintain Srila Prabhupada’s spirit and mood and desires and instructions.

Nagapatni dasi: Ambika devi dasi, please unmute and ask your question.

Ambika devi dasi: Hare Krishna, thank you very much Maharaja and Nagapatni Mataji, please accept my humble obeisances, and thank you for this wonderful class. I wanted to ask a simple question about the time of leaving the body, if we are present when another person, a family member or a devotee leaves the body, what should we actually do?

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Of course, the goal is, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ, to remember Narayana or Krishna at the end, at the time of death, and generally, the best way is with chanting, and in practically every tradition, the family members are advised to chant the holy names when their family member or loved one is in the process of leaving the body.

I would preach in Pakistan, and there, I came across a book, called The 99 Names of Allah. Just like we have the thousand names of Vishnu, so they have The 99 Names of Allah, and in that book, it says that the best thing that a Muslim can do when a loved one is leaving the world, is to sing the names of God, and somehow or other, help the person remember God at the time of death.

And there are other things in relation to Srila Prabhupada to give them Tulasi, to give them Ganges water, Yamuna water. It is a very sacred time, very important time.

I am friends with a Jewish Rabbi in Santa Barbara, and once, he told me, “You might be surprised, but I find when I am ministering to someone who is leaving the body, that I enter into a sacred space.” I said, “I am not surprised, I also have the same experience.”

And there are books that can give you guidance. Gita dasi wrote a nice book called, I think, The Final Journey, and I wrote a book called Life’s Final Exam: Death and Dying from the Vedic perspective, and those will give you an idea of what best you can do for someone, a devotee or a family member, who is leaving the body.

Nagapatni dasi: Alright, thank you, Maharaja. Simran, please unmute and ask your question.

Simran Kansal: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances. Thank you so much for such a wonderful class, it was such a heart-moving experience hearing about Srila Prabhupada’s final pastimes. My question was that, at the time of Srila Prabhupada’s departure, you mentioned that the devotees were chanting jaya Prabhupada and they were chanting the maha-mantra, and the two of them blended together. So, in what way does Srila Prabhupada inspire your personal japa practice? And do you often find yourself meditating upon the time that you had in his physical presence while you chant?

Giriraj Swami: Well everything we do in bhakti, by definition is to please Krishna, including our japa. Personally, I chant in front of Tulasi-devi, and when I am at my ashram, I chant in front of my deities, which includes the deity of Srila Prabhupada. And so, we should be in the mood of chanting to please our spiritual authorities.

Tamal Krishna Goswami told me that Vishnujana Maharaja, he had a large photo of Srila Prabhupada’s ear, and when he would chant his japa, he would chant into Srila Prabhupada’s ear, and then in the mood that he is chanting for Srila Prabhupada, to give him pleasure. So, I know that Prabhupada is pleased when we chant, that in and of itself gives him pleasure, and, of course, if we can chant with more attention, with more feeling, then he will be more pleased.

Nagapatni Dasi: Jaya! Iryna, please unmute and ask your question.

Iryna Ziborova: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Thank you so much for this great opportunity and to bring us to that auspicious moment like we were there with you. And thank you Mataji Nagapatni for bringing such an auspicious speaker to us, to give us such mercy.

My question is kind of inspired by the previous question, because I was thinking about that today as well. When Srila Prabhupada’s direct disciples leave this planet, how do we not get lost in instructions? Because from what I have observed after Srila Prabhupada’s departure, everyone would look into the lectures and scriptures written by Srila Prabhupada, which was the golden standards of structures and everything, but there was a second part of his mood, in a personal connection he would feel everyone’s heart, therefore he knew accept or say it is okay to do this or actually, push the gas and say, “No, that is what you are supposed to be doing.”

So, this flexibility of feeling each other’s hearts, I think that part was kind of a little bit lost after Srila Prabhupada’s departure, that is why it was very kind of all these strict rules, and everyone was chaotic. So, I am afraid that history will repeat itself again. So, how do we avoid that and keep that sweetness? And, as you said, we need to maintain the existing devotees, that is our main goal. I don’t know, I am just worried. If you have some insights, something from you right now. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Yes, we want to, as far as possible, maintain that family mood that we had with Srila Prabhupada, and the friendly relation that we had with one another, and there is a wonderful purport in the Seventh Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in which Srila Prabhupada displays what should be our mood. I think I will read a little from that, it is so instructive, and it also suggests what we should do now and in the future. Just one moment.

Nagapatni Dasi: Where is this from, Maharaja?

Giriraj Swami: It is Seventh Canto. Okay, so this is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.5.12. It is a long purport, but the last paragraph is especially instructive and relevant.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Everyone should be friendly for the service of the Lord. Everyone should praise another’s service to the Lord and not be proud of his own service. This is the way of Vaiṣṇava thinking, Vaikuṇṭha thinking. There may be rivalries and apparent competition between servants in performing service, but in the Vaikuṇṭha planets the service of another servant is appreciated, not condemned. This is Vaikuṇṭha competition. There is no question of enmity between servants. Everyone should be allowed to render service to the Lord to the best of his ability, and everyone should appreciate the service of others. Such are the activities of Vaikuṇṭha. Since everyone is a servant, everyone is on the same platform and is allowed to serve the Lord according to his ability.

COMMENT

And Srila Prabhupada elaborates, but I find that to be a very important instruction for all of us, about how we should relate to one another in Krishna consciousness. And as I discussed, after Srila Prabhupada left, the instructions I needed were there in his books, and I am sure that in the future, the next generations will find the same to be true. Hare Krishna.

Iryna Ziborova: Hare Krishna, thank you so much.

Nagapatni dasi: Vihe, please unmute and ask your question.

Vihe Ratnam: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances. Maharaja, I have questions, like, you said that when Prabhupada was there, you had a personal guidance, whatever questions you had or whatever decisions you had, you could interact with Prabhupada, but after he left the planet, how actually you are getting guidance, Maharaja? And it is applicable for all of us, like now Prabhupada is all of us śikṣā-guru, and he is not present in our planet, how do we have to get guidance, Maharaja? Please advise, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: On a number of occasions, Srila Prabhupada recommended offenseless chanting. Satsvarupa Maharaja asked Srila Prabhupada, “Now you are here so we can approach you with our questions, but what about when you are not here? How will we get answers?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “The holy name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are the same. Do you understand this fact?” And in other contexts also, Srila Prabhupada gave similar answers, that we can get our questions answered by offenseless chanting but, beyond that, we can also consult devotees. Srila Prabhupada said that when there is an assembly of devotees who are our well-wishers and they give us some advice. . . not just well-wishers but also wise and experienced, and if they give us some advice, we should take it as Krishna.

So, yes, I would say those two things, we can get answers from the chanting and from other devotees, the right devotees in the right context.

Vihe Ratman: Thank you, Maharaja, thank you. Hare Krishna.

Nagapatni dasi: Srivani, please unmute and ask your question.

Srivani: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet, Maharaja. Thank you so much for your inspiring lecture and your enchanting kirtan, Maharaja. So, Maharaja, I feel so blessed just by having your darshan, Maharaja, and I am so, so, so thankful and indebted to Nagapatni Mataji for arranging this, Maharaja.

But my question is that I am into this movement for past five, six years, Maharaja, and I have done two courses from VIHE, and, by my spiritual master’s advice and by his advice, I am also doing a little bit of preaching, Maharaja, just a little bit, but very little of course, Maharaja, but still, I understand many facts, like, I am not this body and I am the soul, I understand, but I am not able to practically put it, Maharaja. I feel I am still so much of materially attached, Maharaja. So, how do I get out of it, Maharaja? I know that I want to progress but still, I am, still clinging to this material things, Maharaja. So, how do I come out of this, Maharaja? Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Well, when you say you are clinging to material things, what do you mean?

Srivani: Maybe I want to buy more things for myself and so, I am still, like, the material thinking, I have it.

Giriraj Swami: And those material things or so-called material things, can they be used in Krishna’s service?

Srivani: I want to buy dresses for myself and look good, and also, I am very much attached to Krishna, at the same time I feel I am still attached to myself.

Giriraj Swami: Maybe you should give yourself a quota of how much you buy for yourself. One of Srila Prabhupada’s early disciples was Shyamasundara Prabhu, and he used to smoke cigarettes, maybe two packs a day. And Srila Prabhupada told him to reduce by one cigarette every day, and then, eventually, he stopped smoking, by reducing one cigarette a day. So, maybe you can set some quota for yourself and reduce this addiction to buying things for yourself unnecessarily.

Yes, I mean, it is an offense against the holy name to maintain material attachments, even after understanding so many instructions in the matter. So, when you chant, you should be in the mood of getting free from these attachments. It is not an offense to have the attachments, it is an anartha, but it is not an offense. But by chanting, you are meant to become free from these attachments. And so, if you maintain those attachments while chanting, it is contradictory and offensive to the holy name. So, yes, I mean, when you think about it, these are petty things, it is not worth indulging in them when it is coming in the way of your spiritual progress.

Srivani: Thank you so much, Maharaja. So, with your words, maybe if they enter my heart and change me, Maharaja. Maharaja, kindly bless us, bless all of us, and that we progress in the right path.

Giriraj Swami: I will.

Srivani: Thank you, Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Nagapatni dasi: Pratik Agarwal, would you like to ask your question now?

Pratik Agarwal: Hare Krishna. Yes, If I am allowed, that would be nice.

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Nagapatni dasi: Your sound is not that good, so be careful, we are getting a lot of background noise.

Pratik Agarwal: Should I ask now?

Nagapatni dasi: Yes, please ask.

Pratik Agarwal: Thank you so much, Maharaja, for the enlivening lecture [Unintelligible 01:50:38]. I was reading your book, I’ll Build You a Temple. Thank you so much. My question, actually, was regarding a previous question that was asked in regards to surrender to guru.

Giriraj Swami: Can you turn on your video? Is there any reason. . .?

Pratik Agarwal: I am actually in the car, Maharaja, I am driving.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, that is okay, that is okay.

Pratik Agarwal: I am sorry, Maharaja. So, my question was regarding surrender and shelter for guru. There are external acts of service that we do that help us connect to our guru, but what should be our internal mood when we want to connect to guru and the paramparā? How do we do it internally? Externally we do it two ways. I feel at many times those are mechanical services because we don’t have the proper attitude. How shall we develop our internal mood and attitude? What we can shelter for ourselves?

Giriraj Swami: Well, our internal mood should be that to be an instrument in their hands. As Srila Prabhupada wrote in his beautiful prayer, when he arrived in America, Mārkine Bhāgavata-dharma, he prayed to be a puppet in the hands of the Lord, a puppet in the hands of our spiritual master, and he said, “O Lord, make me dance, make me dance, o Lord, make me dance as you wish.” So, that should be our internal mood, that we want to be a puppet in the hands of our superiors, and be an instrument to execute their will. Yes, and pray, pray to be a good instrument in their hands.

Nagapatni dasi: All right, we are down to our last question. Nilambari Radhika devi dasi, please unmute and ask your question.

Nilambari Radhika devi dasi: Hare Krishna, please accept my humble obeisances, Giriraj Swami Maharaja and Nagapatni Mataji. Maharaja, I wanted to ask, before Srila Prabhupada, he left this world, did he have any kind of dreams or anything or premonitions, as we say? And were there any last instructions before he left?

Giriraj Swami: Did who have any dreams or premonitions?

Nilambari Radhika devi dasi: Srila Prabhupada himself.

Giriraj Swami: Oh, I never heard that in relation to his last days, but medically, it was quite clear that he would be leaving soon, and as far as his last instructions, he gave many in those days. I mean, he gave me that personal instruction about organization, intelligence and organization, and he gave many instructions when his god nephew, Narayana Maharaja came, he requested Srila Prabhupada to instruct his disciples not to fight, and Srila Prabhupada said something like, “I have given directions in my books and in my will, so everything is there, and don’t fight.” And again, that instruction, “Your love for me will be shown by how you cooperate after I leave.”

Well, you have been reading Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta, and you have come to the end, and that is the occasion upon which Nagapatni Desi invited me. And so, yes, study the Līlāmṛta and my book, much of what I said tonight came from my book, I’ll Build you a Temple, The Juhu Story. Although the focus is Juhu, but it really covers everything about Srila Prabhupada during that period. There are some nice accounts of his visit to the mahā Kumbhamela at Allahabad in 1977, and also, about his last days in Vrindavan.

And as I mentioned, a lot of what he did at the end, was to draw out our love for him. It was there, and as Tamal Krishna Goswami said that one night when Srila Prabhupada was proposing to go on the bullock cart to go to Govardhana Hill, so, Tamal Krishna and Bhavananda were meeting upstairs, it is a whole story, meanwhile, Krishna dasa Babaji Maharaja came and Bhakti Charu Swami arranged to give him prasāda in another room so he could speak with him and request him to prevail upon Srila Prabhupada not to go on bullock cart to Govardhana Hill, and when Tamal Krishna Goswami and Bhavananda came down to Srila Prabhupada, they said, “Srila Prabhupada, the way you are dealing with us is drawing out our love for you at every moment.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “That is my duty.”

So, I mean, we have rules and regulations and varieties of devotional service, but our ultimate goal is to develop love.

Nagapatni dasi: Jaya! Alright, Maharaja, thank you so much, it is so wonderful to see you, I haven’t seen you for so long, I hope to see more.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you for arranging it and inviting me.

Prasanta dasi: Hare Krishna, Giriraj Maharaja, this is Prasanta dasi speaking here, accept my obeisances.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Prasanta dasi: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. I am smiling now but I wasn’t smiling in the beginning when you were doing the narration of Prabhupada’s passing. I think thank you is a very small world, and the narration was so poignant and filled with instructions and how to understand, how to proceed with the Hare Krishna movement and with our personal life, without the presence of Srila Prabhupada. So, we make an appeal on this day that you may come back again and again at the VIHE, to instruct us, and we appreciate your association very much, Maharaja, it was absolutely wonderful, and we learned a lot, and, as you see, there were many practical questions. So, I am very grateful, thank you so much for coming, and please do come again. I hope you can make some time. We have students, people who are very eager to learn on different levels, all the way from the Bhakti-sadachara to the Bhaktivedanta, and soon the Sarvabhauma. So, we need the association of the leaders of our society.

Giriraj Swami: Good to serve you.

Prasanta dasi: Hare Hare Haribol, Maharaja. Thank you so much, thank you so much, Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: His Holiness Giriraj Maharaja ki jaya. 

Giriraj Swami: If we are going to end now, I suggest we conclude with Vaishnava praṇāma. Well, I will say it in English first.

Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto all the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord. They are just like desire trees who can fulfill the desires of everyone, they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ 

ananta koṭi vaiṣṇava-vṛnda—kī jaya
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya.