Appearance Day of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura – February 11, 1974, Vṛndāvana

740211BA-VRNDAVAN [25:47 Minutes]

Who will hear your cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

[Poor Recording]

Prabhupada: [prema-dhvani prayers] So, all these garlands, the Vaisnava who has come, garland. Hare Krsna. [break]

Dr. Kapoor: Most revered Prabhupada, my brother and sisters of ISKCON and devotees. It's not a, it is not merely an act of formality that I rise to speak on this occasion. The appearance day of Srila Prabhupada. It is a day of great importance to me as with everybody else who has come here today to celebrate this function. I do not know how to explain the importance of this day. Should I say that on this day was laid the very foundation for the beautiful mansion of ISKCON which Prabhupada is building and which promises to be the 'Taj', so to say, of the spiritual world. The greatest wonder of the spiritual world.

Should I say that on this day, fell a seed from the spiritual tree of Krsna prema which was sown by Madhavendra Puri and of which the trunk was Sriman Mahaprabhu and the branches were Advaita, Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu, Rūpa, Sanatana and those.

A seed fell from this tree on this day in the form of Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja. It has sprouted in the form of Gaudiya mission and it is now growing in the form of ISKCON and I hope you will continue to grow until the prophecy of Mahaprabhu is fulfilled. The prophecy, the teachings of Mahaprabhu will be carried to every nook and corner of the world.

But I should like to express the importance of this day in a different way which is more dear to me. I should like to say that on this day was born a great spiritual scientist, a great spiritual alchemist, who worked wonders with the science of spiritual alchemy. You know the science of alchemy changes baser metals into gold and silver. Now this spiritual alchemist had the wonderful power of changing baser men into superior men. Of changing sinners into saints, of changing nonbelievers into believers. Non-Vaisnava's into Vaisnavas and when I say this, I speak from my personal experience. Should I tell you, that I was a very different man some 45 years ago. I was a rank ah, rank ah, I shouldn't say non-believer, but I was a rank Mayavadi. A firm believer in the doctrine of Advaita-ism. As a student of philosophy and as a favorite student of Dr Reddy the head of the philosophy Department of Allahabad University. I had come to believe that there was no philosophy on the face of earth higher than the philosophy of Advaita-ism. The philosophy of Mayavad and there was no end superior to the end of the attainment of nirvikul samadhi in which one realises one's complete identity with Brahma. [break]

This was my firm belief, and it was impossible for anyone to dislodge me from it. But you know..., and you'll not believe what happened one day when I first met my Prabhupada, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja, at Allahabad at the house of one Mr. De, sometime in the month of August 1931. As I went to see him, he stared into my eyes, seemed to be looking deep into me, and it appeared that he had discovered something that nobody had discovered. He had discovered the ghost in me, the ghost of Mayavada, which had possessed me. And at once, you see, he started his alchemy. It was a long and a passionate discourse, which continued for about an hour and a half. I listened to him, spellbound. It was magic. I was charmed. As the words were coming from his mouth, I felt…, I felt that they were cracking the innermost…, penetrating the innermost recesses of my heart and were working a wonderful change in me.

There was a strange ring in his words. There was a magic in it. The words seemed to be rousing me from my dogmatic slumber of Mayavada. I seemed to wake up and see a new light. There was a great commotion in me, you see. All my old beliefs seemed to be dashed into pieces. The strongest arguments on which the edifice Mayavada is raised seemed to have been cut into pieces by the sharp arguments of Prabhupada, and it appeared to me that the edifice of Mayavada, which had stood like a temple in my heart, was crumbling. Pillar after pillar was falling, and I saw that in very little time it was reduced into ashes. There was, as I said, a great commotion in me, a great storm. Old beliefs and new-a tussle went on. And this went on for a very long time. It went on for about a year. And during this period, I followed Prabhupada wherever he went. I went with him from Allahabad to Benares, from Benares to Calcutta, from Calcutta to Darjeeling, from Darjeeling back to Calcutta, and then to Allahabad, and then finally I came along with him here, Vrndavana. That tussle which had been going in my mind, that storm which was raging, had to subside. It did subside, and peace and calm was restored in my mind. But the peace that was restored, the calm that was restored, was not the calm of Mayavada, the still and barren calm of Mayavada, but the delightful and peaceful calm of bhakti. I was now a changed man. I was inclined to bhakti. I was inclined towards Vaisnavism. And so one day in Radha-kunḍa, perhaps in the month of Karttika on the day of Puranmasi, I was duly initiated by Srila Prabhupada.

So I say that this day is a great day of great importance to me, because it has completely changed my life. I was just an insect of the grain. Prabhupada picked me up and made me a different man altogether. Now, Prabhupada is no more. But should I say that Prabhupada is no more when Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Maharaja is with us? I believe that Prabhupada is functioning through him. He is also a great alchemist. He is also working wonders. What my Prabhupada did to me, he is doing to millions and millions of people all the world over. And it will not be an exaggeration if I say that the indomitable spirit with which he is working, the crown of success which he wears, leave no doubt that Srila Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Maharaja is the true successor of Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja. So that we may say on this day of the appearance of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja that although Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja has disappeared, he lives in Prabhupada Bhaktivedanta Maharaja. And so Prabhupada has disappeared, and yet he is alive and active, and long, long live Prabhupada!

Devotees: Jaya.

[12:30]

Prabhupada: So, ladies and gentlemen, this is my spiritual master's appearance anniversary day. So as Dr. Kapoor has explained to you that Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura changed his life, similarly my life was also changed by this great saintly person. I was inclined to nationalist movement, follower of Mahatma Gandhi. So in 1922, at that time I was manager in Dr. Bose's Laboratory. I was young man, and just three or four years before, I was married, and I got a son also. But one my friend, Mr. Mullik-he's no more existing-he informed me that "One sadhu has come to Calcutta, Gauḍiya Matha sadhu. So would you like to see him?" At that time I was nationalist, and I had no very good experience, so I denied: "Oh, I have seen so many swamis. What is the use of going there, wasting time?" But he insisted and took me to Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And immediately after seeing us, he changed my life. He immediately said that "You are all educated young men. Why don't you preach the cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu in the Western world?" I said, "Who will hear your cult of Caitanya Mahaprabhu? You are dependent nation, and who will hear? First of all you must have independence." Because I was inclined to independence movement. I left my educational career in 1920, joined this movement. So he argued, and he defeated me, and there was long talk. Then after coming down on the street, my friend Mr. Mullik asked me, "What do you think of this sadhu?" So I appreciated. I said, "Yes, now Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cult is in the hands of an able personality. Now it will be spread all over the world, I think."

Then I was transferred from Calcutta to Allahabad for business concern, but I was always thinking of this sadhu-I am giving a short history-but my life was changed. Of course, I was born in a Vaisnava family, Caitanya cult was my life and soul, but due to education and bad association, or the modern association, I was declined. Now this Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura again revived my consciousness. In this way, in 1933, I became regularly a disciple of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. And then in 1936, before his passing away, I wrote one letter to my Guru Maharaja, that "You have got many disciples. They are giving you direct service-they are very fortunate. But I am a grhastha, so I could not do anything for you. So if you kindly order me something to do, then I can try for it." So again he said the same thing, that "Whatever you have learned from us, try to preach in English."

Then I started this Back to Godhead magazine in 1944, on this very birthday of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, and I was looking forward for the opportunity how to implement this order of my Guru Maharaja. Then in 1965-before that I was translating Bhagavatam-and when three books were published, then I prepared myself to go to America, singlehanded. Not for getting any material reputation, but simply to try, because I knew my Guru Maharaja was very, very anxious to preach this cult. So when I saw that there were other, my big Godbrothers-I cannot say that they could not do anything; at least there was no any tangible result-then at the age of seventy years, I thought, "Let me try if I can do something." So I left India in 1965 and went to New York, thinking, "What shall I do? I do not know what for Krsna has brought me in this place without any friend, without any money." I had only forty rupees with me, and a return ticket in the Scindia Navigation Companies. So for two, three months, six months, there was no response. I was simply maintaining myself by selling my books. But these young boys, American boys, gradually they joined me in 1966. I was chanting in a park-what is that, Tompkinson [sic] Square?

Devotee: Yes.

Prabhupada: Yes, and these boys, gradually they came and joined and danced with me. Then, the New York Times they published first of all. I think our Brahmananda-Bruce-and our Acyutananda-what is... Bernard?

Devotee: Charles.

Prabhupada: Charles, yes. They were dancing first, hand to hand. Then this news was spread very nicely. One paper, Voice, they printed that "We understood that God is dead, but now I see," the reporter said, "that Swami Bhaktivedanta has brought back God in his sahkirtana." This was the remark. Then gradually we developed, and next branch was established in San Francisco. First in New York; then in Canada, Montreal; and Boston. Here is one my student, old student, is present, Satsvarūpa Maharaja. This boy was very enthusiastic from the very beginning.

So by the grace of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and my Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, we have made a ground, at least. We have got now one hundred branches all over the world, and especially in Europe and America, Australia, and Japan-everywhere-from Scandinavia down to Melbourne, north and south, and all over the world. So these boys are now present here. They have learned how to chant, how to dance, how to offer aratrik to the Deity. We have got Radha-Krsna, Jagannatha Deity in all our temples, besides Guru-Gauranga. So it is…, it was the desire of Bhaktivinoda Thakura and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. So although my kind Godbrothers like Dr. Kapoor, he said that I am doing wonderful, actually I do not know any magic art to do this wonderful, but just I am trying to follow the footsteps of my Guru Maharaja. That's all. But in the sastras we see that,

So I can speak you frankly that I have no asset except that I wanted to please my Guru Maharaja. That's all. That little strength, whatever success I have got, it is due to his blessing. Similarly, the sastra is also there. If we follow actually the order, as it is described by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, that "The order of Guru Maharaja is my life and soul," jivatma he has mentioned… So in this way, if we try to follow our acarya, bona fide acarya,

Then, to have bona fide acarya means like this, that's all. Simply you have to follow. So today is this auspicious day. My disciples, I request you that I have tried to follow, and you also try to follow. There is great responsibility in your hands because you have to preach. I am now old man of seventy-eight years. I do not expect to live many years more. But you simply follow the footsteps of the acarya, tadera carana-seva-bhakta-sane.

This is the secret of success. You have to follow the Gosvamis.

You have to follow this principle. Ei chay gosai yara tara mui dasa. Rūpanuga-viruddha-apasiddhanta-dhvanta-harine. Ei chay rūpa-sanatana gosvami. If we desire to serve them, they are the sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam [Sri Rūpa Pranama], these Gosvamis. The Vrndavana-dhama is discovered by the Gosvamis, ei chay gosai yara tara mui dasa. Don't deviate from the instruction. Caitanya Mahaprabhu…, Narottama dasa Thakura said,

We should hanker after to understand what is that jugala-piriti. Don't jump over. Don't jump over, that "I have understood Radha-Krsna prema." No. It is not so easy. Radha-Krsna prema… To understand radha krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladinisaktir asmad , this is not ordinary affair, dealing of a young boy and a young girl. It is the expansion of the hladini-sakti of Sri Krsna. So in this way, in Vrndavana, if we want to understand, then,

This should be the motto of life. Then you are success. Thank you very much. Hare Krsna. [end]