20211015 Prabhupada is Coming - Festival Address

oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaṁ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ

nāma oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine
namas te sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe
nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi-pāścātya-deśa-tāriṇe

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
hariḥ oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: So we heard from Braja Vilāsa Prabhu that we want to offer one million dollars dakṣiṇā to Śrīla Prabhupāda, and that we have already collected 800,000, we are short of 200,000, that is a little more than a crore of rupees. So, I am sure that you can take advantage, to think how you can at present or in the next pledge you can give out, so we can offer this dakṣiṇā to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Actually, this is the first big public program in the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, with so many people. We can see that this temple room is very huge, very sufficient and a very ecstatic assembly of devotees. Although I think it will still be crowded. So many people will come to worship the Deities. Actually, Lord Nityānanda, as said by Svāhā dāsī, He took Jīva Gosvāmī on parikramā and He predicted that an adbhuta mandir hoibe prakāśa, gaurāṅger nitya-sevā hoibe vikāsa. We hope that this temple is a fulfillment of that prediction. In any case we are very grateful to Ambarīṣa Prabhu and Svāhā devī dāsī. Actually, in gṛhasthas, husband and wife, they become one. So, today we have both of them together, we have a full unit! And so this temple how beautiful it is although it is partially completed.

Śrīla Prabhupāda had the desire to spread the saṅkīrtana movement of Lord Caitanya all over the world. He told the people in Vṛndāvana that he wanted to go to the West. Lord Caitanya had predicted that his message would be spread all over the world. But the other sādhus of Vṛndāvana said, oh, that is not for civilized world, this is for India. They did not believe that it could be spread all over the world. Pṛthivite means, all over the globe. How Śrīla Prabhupāda he had this thing about Lord Caitanya’s message, and he went to the West and took up this great sacrifice. That time he did not have this huge devotee population – he only had some Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams and himself. One person asked, “Are you going to the West?” He said, “Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is going, I am accompanying.” We all know that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is the literary incarnation of Kṛṣṇa. When I came to the temple in 1968, the first day I was sold a copy of the first canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. So that way I had the blessing. And Śrīla Prabhupāda went on of course to translate all the Bhāgavatam till the 10^th Canto. Then he had his disciples to finish the 10^th canto and do the 11^th and 12^th. He also did the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, also the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is. And many other small books. Kṛṣṇa Book, which is the condensed veṛṣion of the 10^th canto.

He came here to Māyāpur many times, about twice a year. He would come at Gaura Pūrṇimā time and he said that devotees from all over the world they should assemble here in Māyāpur during Gaura Pūrṇimā time. He also came at this time. Just before Kārtika, or after Kārtika, usually he would spend Kārtika month in Vṛndāvana. But it is a historical fact that he would come to Māyāpur in September or October before and we would have people look out of the Lotus building, and when saw his car, from a distance, we blew the siren. It was such an excitement! “All glories! Śrīla Prabhupāda is coming!” Thanks to Braja Vilāsa Prabhu, Ambarīṣa Prabhu and Svāhā dāsī, we are having a taste of that Śrīla Prabhupāda is Coming ecstasy again! At that time, we did not have much to offer to Śrīla Prabhupāda. The building was incomplete, under his presence the building was completed. And then here the TOVP, the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, under Śrīla Prabhupāda’s presence, we hope it will be quickly finished. We hope that the one million dollars’ pledge will be fulfilled in the next hour or two. Hope you are all thinking about that.

So this is a great opportunity we have to serve and thank Śrīla Prabhupāda to help Śrīla Prabhupāda fulfill his dream of building this Temple of Vedic Planetarium. I want to thank all the devotees, Ambarīṣa Prabhu, Svāhā dāsī, and all the team that worked so hard to bring the temple up to this stage. We are also working on the West Wing on how to make the exhibits of the museum of the Temple of Vedic Planetarium. So this is our jewel on the head, Śiromaṇi, of our preaching Lord Caitanya’s crown. Jewel on that crown is this temple. So Śrīla Prabhupāda he tirelessly went all over the world, personally established 108 temples. Then he told us that he was very concerned that after he left, at least we don’t sell off his properties. That somehow, we maintain at least what he did. And that if possible, we could increase. But today I think we have around 800 temples, thousands of Bhakti-vṛkṣa groups, Nāmahaṭṭa groups, and Gītā-cakras, and so on. So, by Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mercy everybody is inspired to preach the message of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu and the Pañca-tattva. So, please continue with that and Śrīla Prabhupāda will be very happy. I won’t speak for too long because there may be other programs.