From Dānavīr Goswami to Çréla Prabhupäda

nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine

namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe

I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, who is very dear to Lord Kåñëa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Caitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.

Çré Garga-saàhitä 1.1.6 states:

çré-çaunaka uväca
satäà paryaöanaà dhanyaà gåhinäà çäntaye småtam
nåëäm antas tamo-häré sädhur eva na bhäskaraù

“Çré Çaunaka said: The auspicious travels of saintly devotees bring peace to those who stay at home. It is a saintly devotee, and not the sun, that removes the darkness in people’s hearts.”

Householders (gåhinäm) are generally enshrouded by thoughts of body, home, family, community, and national affairs. In this forgetfulness of life’s ultimate goal, they are sentenced to rebirth in the cycle of saàsära through 8,400,000 species of material bodies. It is indeed fortunate for them when a saintly person (satäm) pays an unexpected visit, because this association may deliver the family members from this material world.

As Lord Åñabhadeva explains, mahat-seväà dväram ähur vimuktes. One can attain the path of
liberation from material bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced spiritual personalities (mahätmäs—great souls).

Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu confirms this:

‘sädhu-saìga’, ‘sädhu-saìga’—sarva-çästre kaya
lava-mätra sädhu-saìge sarva-siddhi haya

“The verdict of all revealed scriptures is that by even a moment’s association with a pure devotee, one can attain all success.” (Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya 22.54)

Sädhus (pure devotees) are very rare in this world, yet all the more valuable for that rarity. Anyone blessed by the inconceivable causeless mercy of the Lord and His pure devotees gains the highest perfection of life, namely, the chance to serve Çré Çré Rädhä and Kåñëa and then return to the transcendental abode called Goloka-dhäma. This opportunity descended upon the world recently when His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, a true mahätmä, sailed to the shores of the United States in 1965. Though uninvited and externally foreign, he brought a spiritual message that resonated with America’s youth. This joyful mission continues today as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, which is expanding the spiritual ocean of bhakti-yoga to every town and village of the world.
Mahäräja Yudhiñöhira said to Vidura:

bhavad-vidhä bhägavatäs tértha-bhütäù svayaà vibho
térthé-kurvanti térthäni sväntaù-sthena gadäbhåtä

“My Lord, devotees like your good self are verily holy places personified. Because you carry the Personality of Godhead within your heart, you turn all places into places of pilgrimage.” (Çrémad-Bhägavatam, 1.13.10)

Since Çréla Prabhupäda’s arrival, dozens of holy places of pilgrimage have emerged because saints make every place they walk a tértha, or holy place. Not only that, but saints bring Kåñëa in different forms, such as the Deity form (arcä-vigraha), the holy name (näma-rüpa), and the scriptures (Vedas). Thus there are now holy temples of Kåñëa and places where His pastimes have been enacted, such as those of Lord Jagannätha riding on His Ratha-yäträ carts in cities like San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto.

çré-bhagavän uväca
ahaà bhakta-parädhéno hy asvatantra iva dvija
sädhubhir grasta-hådayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priyaù

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said to the brähmaëa: I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me.”
(Çrémad-Bhägavatam 9.4.63)

This assurance given by Lord Näräyaëa—“What to speak of My devotee, even those who are devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me”—should be especially pleasing to the followers of Çréla Prabhupäda because of his impeccable character and devotion.

By studying His Divine Grace’s commentary on Çrémad-Bhägavatam, we get the light (puräëa-arkaù) by which we can comprehend other Vedic scriptures. It is only by his causeless mercy, which includes the combined kindness of Brahmä himself as well as the äcäryas in his line, that we are proceeding with this work of presenting Kåñëa consciousness throughout the world by a cooperative venture among many devotees.

This grateful servant humbly takes the lotus feet of his beloved spiritual master upon his head.

Dänavér Goswami

DG ServantVyasa Puja Offerings to Srila PrabhupadaFrom Dānavīr Goswami to Çréla Prabhupäda nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda, who is very dear to Lord Kåñëa on this earth, having taken shelter at His lotus feet. Our respectful...Disciple of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada