Lokanath Swami Maharaj’s Golden Jubilee Initiation Festival

Giriraj Swami: My association with His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaja goes back to the early days of his association with Krishna consciousness. He had attended our pandal program with Srila Prabhupada at Cross Maidan in Bombay. And we recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of that event. And after attending the pandal program, he went to a typing school to get a letter typed, which what would be an application to join ISKCON Juhu. And in his letter, he quoted different elements from our publicity for the pandal program, such as dazzling deity worship, ecstatic kirtan, and sumptuous prasāda. So, he came to Juhu with his letter of application, and asked for the temple president so he could personally deliver it. And I was the temple president. I read the letter, I held it over my head, and I announced to the other devotees, “Prabhus, we have a new bhakta.” [applause]

So, Maharaja joined, but his family wanted to bring him back home. They said they didn’t want to keep him, but they just wanted him to visit. And I was a little concerned because the family attachment in India is very strong, but I gave him permission to go for a certain amount of time. But he didn’t come back in that specified time, so I was concerned. But eventually, he came back. [applause] But he was so humble he asked, given the fact that he came late, whether he would still be welcome. He was so humble that he asked if he would still be welcome even though he came back late. I said, “Yes, you are more than welcome.” So then, in due course, I recommended him for initiation. And on the basis of my humble recommendation, Srila Prabhupada was pleased to initiate His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaja in Vrindavan. [applause]

So, many years passed and we had many opportunities to serve Srila Prabhupada together, especially in Bombay at the Maha Khumba-mela in 1977 in Allahabad. Lokanath Swami Maharaja, in my presence, asked Srila Prabhupada a question. He said that Gopal Krishna Maharaja wanted him to stay in Bombay to be the new bhakta leader, but Lokanath Swami wanted to do the bullock carts saṅkīrtana. And Srila Prabhupada really encouraged the bullock cart saṅkīrtana. And he said, “If any of the new bhaktas are very much attached to you, then they can travel with you. Our whole program is for new bhaktas. We have no different program for new bhaktas and old bhaktas.” So, Lokanath Swami took the bullock cart around India, to many holy places also, and then he came to Vrindavan during Srila Prabhupada’s last days.

And at that time, Srila Prabhupada expressed a desire to go to Govardhana Hill in a bullock cart, but there was some controversy amongst Prabhupada’s disciples. Some disciples, headed by Tamal Krishna Goswami and Bhakti Charu Swami and others who were personally serving Srila Prabhupada, all had the opinion that Srila Prabhupada’s frail health would not be able to withstand that arduous journey. And other disciples, such as a Hansadutta Prabhu, were of the opinion that it is not our duty to question the spiritual master’s order, it is our duty only to execute it. So, this controversy was going on, and in the end, Srila Prabhupada agreed not to go. And I personally was not sure where I stood on the issue. But after Srila Prabhupada left, I went into his room, and behind his bed, he has books, and the latest volume of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam had come, and it related the dāmodara-līlā of Krishna being bound by the ropes of Mother Yasoda. And in that pastime, Krishna comes under the control of the love of His devotees. And I thought that in agreeing not to go, Srila Prabhupada was in a way, coming under the control of the love of his devotees who were concerned about his well-being. But still, he had expressed his desire to go to Govardhana by bullock cart. And now, His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaja, the most faithful and loyal servant of Srila Prabhupada has brought Srila Prabhupada to Govardhana by bullock cart. [applause] Fulfilling Srila Prabhupada’s expressed desire.

So, it has been my greatest good fortune, of course, first and foremost to be associated with Srila Prabhupada, and also to be associated with His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaja. And I pray that we will be able to continue to serve Srila Prabhupada together for many more years. [applause] During this lifetime and even after this lifetime. [applause] Because our relationship with Srila Prabhupada is eternal, and consequently, our relationships with one another are eternal. [applause] Srila Prabhupada said, “We will have another IKSCON in the spiritual sky.” [applause] Srila Prabhupada wrote a letter to Tushta Krishna Prabhu, in which he said about going back to Godhead that, “You will go, Shyamasundara,” who was his GBC, “will go, Siddha Svarupa will go,” he was like a śikṣā-guru for Tushta Krishna Prabhu. And he said, “Everyone will go.” [applause] “We will have another ISKCON in the spiritual sky. Only Mr. Nair, he will not go.” [laughter]

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

His Holiness Lokanath Swami Maharaja ki jaya!

ISKCON here and in the spiritual sky ki jaya!

Gaura-bhakta-vṛnda ki jaya!

Hare Krishna. [applause]

Devotee: Giriraj Swami Maharaja ki jaya!