ISKCON—Philadelphia

ISKCON-Philadelphia
VYAS PuJA OFFERING TO SRĪLA PRABHUPADA

"A Family of Love, A Society of Trust"
Presented unto the holy lotus feet of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
As servants of Your Divine Grace located at your ISKCON branch in Philadelphia, we as a transcendental family beg to offer our most humble obeisances unto you.
nama om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhū-tale
srimate bhaktivedanta-svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve gaura-vani-pracarine
nirvisesa-sūnyavadi-pascatya-desa-tarine
jaya om visnu-pada paramahamsa parivrajakacarya astottara-sata sri srimad bhaktivedanta gosvami maharaja ki jaya
Gaura premananda hari haribol
ALL GLORIES TO SRĪ GURU AND GAURAHGA!
These one hundred and eight lines of praise of your Krsna consciousness movement are being offered unto the lotus feet of Your Divine Grace for your pleasure. Our poem is a plea that all men become Krsna conscious. You are the seed-giving father of our spiritual family. You fulfill the most confidential and cherished desires, for the greatest yearning of the soul is unalloyed devotion to Krsna. We offer all homage and respects unto you again and again because your movement of Krsna consciousness is so sublime.
Sri Sri Vyas Pūja Day.
I.
For millions of years of recycled births,
In heavens and hells and in-between earths,
In the bodies of creatures I've been forced to appear,
To be struck down by nature vanquished in fear!
II.
In what shape will it be that my desires dictate
That I must come again, O what is my fate?
In which concocted material form
Shall I pretend to enjoy till by death I am torn!
III.
A lion, a bedbug, a she-ass, a snake,
Which body will Nature desire me to take,
If I pass thinking of dog, I get dog body next,
All due to lust, anger and greed (and addiction to sex).
IV.
After eight millions of births did Nature send
This spirit soul human birth to return once again
To that natural state of God consciousness
If but to service to Krsna I can but say, "Yes!"
V.
So in the womb of some mother trapped by gasses and urine
I am forced to accept bites from my brothers, the worms,
Uncomfortable am I, feet over head,
If I assumed that position now I'd be dead!
VI.
I pray, O God, free me from this awkward position,
I'll serve You forever without any condition.
Once I appear I receive only slaps,
With tears into the nurse's arms I collapse.
VII.
And then surrounded by uncles and aunts,
False impressions within my wee mind they implant.
They are thinking they own this poor little boy;
They lead me from God with their desire to enjoy.
VIII.
As a poet or artist or litterateur,
A stereotyped man I become doomed for sure.
Full of polish and gold but false prestige of a dog,
Accepting rewards like the ass or food like the hog.
IX.
O what are my chances: a billion to one-
That I'll gain freedom from false forms of fun?
O, now Srila Prabhupada's come for fallen men's sake,
And just by His calling all sleeping men wake!
X.
Sweet satisfaction and bliss emanate from His soul;
And the effects of His remedy shall never let go.
"Just be thou absorbed in Krsna bhakti," He asks.
No price but devotion the fee for His holy task.
XI.
Poor fools who think of this body's one hundred year span,
As all in all take Him to be an ordinary man,
No cessation achieved from pleasure and pain,
An ordinary man forever to them He remains.
XII.
But those avowed to submission, and pure,
Eternal nectar from the Guru secure,
Freedom from vengeance, anger and hate;
The wise turn from delusion before it's too late.
XIII
A hungry karmi was I, but He gave me prasad-
From devotee of maya I became devotee of God!
To crows such as this has appeared Krsna's swan;
Back to home! Back to Godhead very soon I'll be gone!
XIV
Awake, world of Maya! The Acarya-a prophet-has come,
With a heart a million times more bright than the sun.
"Who is crazy?" He asks, "my disciples are sane."
Back to the original home without any pain.
XV.
Become addicted to the strong drug of love,
That descends from the Heavens Transcendent Above
Do not mock, laugh or scoff at moon-struck devotees,
"Just chant Hare Krsna," we beg of you please!
XVI.
Around thy neck the tulasi seed garland please tie,
So that you may be protected from having to die.
Death's agents are ordered, "Leave Vaisnavas alone-
Such devotees are pure: Let them all go back Home."
XVII.
Decorate your body with the gopi-candana-tilaka clay,
Let others know that unto Krsna you pray.
The devotee of Krsna purifies any foul place,
Marked with lotus flower, disc, conch shell and mace.
XVIII.
Wear flower garlands which Lord Krsna's worn first,
By sanctifying your body you're engaged in His service.
Such a soul becomes unconquerable by material energy,
No longer does nature act as his enemy.
IX.
No man has fallen to such degradation and sin
That one utterance of the name "Krsna" cannot purify him.
And one who displays symptoms of bliss such as tears
Burns to ashes sins stocked up for hundreds of thousands of years.
XX.
Wanting our natural duty is called lalasa-mayi,
Fulfillment is in becoming the Lord's pure devotee.
In worshiping Krsna we must learn to cry,
For tickets back to Godhead, loving tears are our price.
XXI.
The prayers of Acaryas can free us from sin,
Trips to the spiritual sky does the pure devotee win.
O, the tongue decorated with prayers of the Gita!
Daring the soul who worships the Deity.
XXII.
When coming to the temple please bring something nice;
If you have no money, then why not flowers, fruit or rice?
If when you come, the Spiritual Sky scents enter your nose,
Then Lord Krsna's Divine form He will from your heart disclose.
XXIII.
The four Kumaras-Sanatana, Sananda, Sanaka and Sanat-
Were liberated simply by smelling flowers and incense that
Were first offered to the Deity, who their scent enjoyed.
They changed their minds about the Ultimate being impersonal or void.
XXIV.
Rūpa Gosvami promises that to see the Mūrti of Govindadeva
From the courthouse of Yamaraja the lucky viewer is saved.
Even if he is not promoted to Vaikuntha, still his future's nice,
For viewing Govinda's Deity form he is elevated in pious life.
XXV.
Adopt the ways of Vaisnava men,
A spiritual group of true-hearted friends,
Become blessed by Vrndavana's land's holy dust,
Join in our family of love and of trust.
XXVI.
Bruce, Bhugarbha, Bill, Steve, Jerry, Elliot and Tom
Michael, Michael, Michael, Michael, Nayana Bhiram
Mangala Maya., Maha Purusha, Patit Uddharan
All request your blessings as Prabhupada's sons.
XXVII.
Cathy, Connie and I and II Emily
Pray most heartily as Srila Prabhupada's family
Rafael, Gabriel, Bedangi and Daivishakti.
One and all offer prayer to the Deliverer of Bhakti!!!
P.S. Our dearmost Srila Prabhupada, please accept
our prayers that we may become pure
devotees of Lord Caitanya's Sahkirtana Movement
simply by taking shelter of You, His representative,
in eternal serving mood.
Your eternal servants in Krsna consciousness,

Your devotees
ISKCON-Philadelphia June 20, 1971
 

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