20250831 55th Sannyāsa Āśrama Address

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: I am very glad to be here. I was seeing the Rādhāṣṭamī festival, and it was very nice! Unfortunately, I am a little sick! My legs are infected! 

I took first initiation in 1968 in Canada, Montreal. And then I took second initiation in New York in 1969. Śrīla Prabhupāda told me to go to India. Then in Calcutta I stayed in the Gauḍīya Maṭha for a few months. Then, we got a house in South Calcutta, free for some time. So, in 1970, Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me if I wanted to take sannyāsa. So under Śrīla Prabhupāda’s guidance, I said, “Yes!” Then in Calcutta in 1970, I took sannyāsa in South Calcutta. So two people took sannyāsa that day – one Śrīla Prabhupāda said was the tenth and I was the eleventh. So, I got the daṇḍa and I was carrying that for many years. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me Māyāpur and said that, “Develop it!” Till now I am trying to still develop Māyāpur!

In 1977, Śrīla Prabhupāda appointed me to the GBC. The same year, he put me as one of the executors of his Will. And he also made the Bhaktivedanta Charity Trust and made me the lifelong Chairman. So there are many things that Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me to do. That is why I have many services, and these services have saved me! So I have been able to maintain sannyāsa for 55 years because of all this sevā! We are meant to be constantly thinking how to expand Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement all over the world! I travelled around the world how many times, my office has yet to tell me! So Śrīla Prabhupāda told me that I can stay in Māyāpur most of the time and people will come from all over the world to here!

So, I have a few programs that I am starting today. One is Compassionate Medical Fund. Many devotees don’t have enough money to pay for all the operations, medicines, etc. Like, they checked the price in Krishnanagar, it was Rs. 1.5 lakhs and our hospital said they will do it for Rs. 55,000! But, the person only had Rs. 35,000. So, the idea is that people like this, who are trying to pay for their treatment, but don’t have the money, so the remaining money will come from this “Compassionate Fund”. I am matching up to 20 million rupees i.e. you give 20 million, I match with 20 million. This will be put in a bank fixed deposit, and the interest will be the one that will be spent. So it will be a perpetual fund. So, I am starting with a 2-crore fund. I will match with any of your donation up to two crores. But anyone can also do the same thing [HariBol]. I wish I could give more!

In Bombay, in their hospital in Mira Road they have the system that the Deity goes around and sees the patients. Here in Māyāpur, in our hospital we will also have that kind of Deity! That Deity is being worshiped now, the name I gave was Dayāla Nitāi Gaura Hari! So, Lord Nityānanda, who is most merciful, Dayāla Nitāi and Lord Caitanya is known as Gaura Hari! So, those are the two things that I wanted to tell you. So, I see a big cake, but I cannot eat it, you all will have to eat it!