Brahmānanda Svāmī

Vyasa-Puja-the Appearance Day of the Spiritual Master

Sometimes, Srila Prabhupada, you speak about a subject which is very frightening. You did it last year in San Francisco during your Ratha-yatra speech before five thousand assembled American youths. You said, "You are generally young, whereas I am an old man who may die at any moment." You say these things in order to make us take this movement more seriously. But it is unimaginable. How could such a thing ever happen? How can I believe that you, who are my master, my life and my soul would ever depart? Do the oceans ever dry up? Does the air ever blow away? Does the sun die? Then why should I believe that Your Divine Grace will?

Can you see what you have done to me, Srila Prabhupada? You have made me your eternal servitor. You cannot leave me, ever. Without your service there is no existence for me. The moment you leave I will fall down and begin to suffocate like a flapping fish washed up from the sea. I must have your service. Like a pet house dog I will scamper after you, even though you may try to leave me behind. Where you go, so will I. If you die, then so will I. My life is already yours, so there is no loss for me.

I wont let you die. I will block death, and also old age and disease. I will stand in the way and not let them pass. I am guarding your door, and by your grace I have the strength.

At least I can give you my own duration of life. I can offer you my own youthfulness. Just as the son of Yayati agreed to offer his aging father his own youthfulness so that his father could prolong his enjoyment, even though it means the end of the son's, so I also agree. Take my youth, my strength, my health. Give me your agedness. Let all the discomforts come to me. Let all the diseases come to me. Let death come and take me instead. Then there will be some small value to my life. I have no asset other than my death for your life. I am ready.

But Krsna proclaims boldly in the Bhagavad-gita, kaunteya pratijanihi, na me bhaktyaḥ pranasyati. "My devotee never perishes." You Srila Prabhupada, are Krsna's devotee, and as far as I have seen, the only pure devotee in the world. So, Krsna is making this promise to you. Because you are the lord's pure devotee, you are not an ordinary person. When Krsna certifies that nothing can defeat you, that includes death. "Ihaiva tair jitaḥ sargo." You have already conquered over death. Who else in this world has done this? Even Einstein was not able to outsmart death. Just as God does not die, neither does his devotee. "Na jayate mriyate va kadacin." There is no death for the soul. "Na hanyate hanyamane sarire." Only the body dies. You alone Srila Prabhupada, have fully realized what it means to be spirit soul and not this body, and you are now trying to teach this. Because you are free from death, you want to save the rest of the world. You have dedicated your life to this-every moment, every thought, every word we hear and read as your books. And, I think, you will continue to teach anyone who wants to learn, until you are satisfied that at least one of us has understood that I WILL NOT DIE. Then you will depart, having fulfilled your mission.

So what is the purpose of my trying to keep Your Divine Grace from death? It is a foolish illusion for me to think that you will die? At night there is a tendency to think that the sun is no longer in the sky. Actually the sun is shining during the night as brightly as during the day, only I cannot see it. I know the sun is there even though it is out of my sight. It is a question of accepting authority and rejecting limited experiential knowledge.

Some day you will leave me, but now I know that you cannot die. Simply I will not be able to see you. I may not be able to see you, but I will be able to hear you. What you have tirelessly spoken will echo in my heart and I will know that you are there with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the spiritual world. You will still be living and continuing to please Krsna as you are doing in this world. The only thing for me to do after you leave will be to continue to serve you and always do exactly what you have told me to do. Then I will live with you forever,

as your humble servant,

Brahmananda Svami