20241106 Day Six Message to the ISKCON Chowpaty Kārtika Yātrā 2024

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram
Harihi oṁ tat sat

Jayapatākā Swami: Dear Vaiṣṇavas and Vaiṣṇavīs,

Please accept my best wishes. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.

I desired to attend the Yātrā every night, but I was only able to do so the first three nights. I have been suffering from high fever due to a severe bacterial infection and confined to bed most of the time. With very little energy to speak, pleases forgive me! For not being able to be there with all of you. It was truly inspiring to see you all gathered here along with His Holiness Rādhānātha Swami and many of my godbrothers and godsisters. I hope all of you had a wonderful time here in Māyāpur, associating with His Holiness Rādhānātha Swami, His Holiness Candramouli Swami and other disciples of Śrīla Prabhupāda! On behalf of Māyāpur Management, I would like to thank His Holiness Rādhānātha Swami and the organizers of the Yātrā for choosing Māyāpur dhāma, the holy abode of Lord Caitanya!

I don’t know how many of the nine islands you were able to visit? Each island has many holy places. We have a number of parikramā parties during the annual Gaura Pūrṇimā festival. There we have walking parikramā of all the nine islands. Some people go by bus or car and stay in Māyāpur and some stay in the campsites. So we have around ten thousand participants every year consisting of an International party, Hindi party, Bengali party, Russian party and South Indian party. We welcome you all to make your own party and relish the complete Navadvīpa-maṇḍala parikramā experience!

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura predicted that the Russians, Europeans, Westerners will come to Māyāpur and hug their Āryan brothers and chant, “Jaya Śacīnandana! Jaya Śacīnandana! Jaya Śacīnandana!” He envisioned this in 1800 and by the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are able to see this with our own eyes. You all can be part of this prediction by taking part in the annual Navadvīpa-maṇḍala parikramā – if you want you can make a Maharashtra parikramā party!

Every step in Māyāpur dhāma is considered doing more than an aśvamedha-yajña – even if you sleep it is considered as you are offering obeisances! Here, whatever devotional service you render, is multiplied a thousand times and those who live within a two-mile distance of the Ganges, gain a thousand times benefit! So together, one gets ten thousand times benefit for all your devotional activities. This dhāma is called audārya-dhāma – mercy personified, Śrīla Prabhupāda said this is the Spiritual United Nations!

All around the world, devotees come here to recharge their batteries and go back to your preaching field and spread the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and expand the preaching unlimitedly for the pleasure of Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Please forgive us for any shortcomings or any offences that may have occurred during your stay here. Thanks to all the Bhaktivedanta Hospital doctors who came to assist me. We warmly invite you to return, especially for the opening of the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium!

Hare Kṛṣṇa!

Yours in the service of Śrīla Prabhupāda!

Jayapatākā Swami