Recently, while discussing Srila Prabhupada and his glories with a younger devotee, I was surprised to hear him say, “You’re so lucky. You got Srila Prabhupada, but what about us?” Startled by hearing such a despondent remark by a newcomer who should be brimming with hope and enthusiasm in Krsna consciousness, I proceeded to explain that Srila Prabhupada is, in fact, as present now as he has ever been. Throughout his books, letters and conversations, Srila Prabhupada emphasized this point again and again, so there should be no cause for misunderstanding.
In 1975, when asked by a reporter in Berkeley what would happen to the movement after his departure, Srila Prabhupada replied, “I will never die. I will live forever in my books.” In the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi-lila 1.35, purport), Srila Prabhupada explains, “There is no difference between the spiritual master’s instructions and the spiritual master himself.” Further assuring us all, Prabhupada spoke the following words just prior to his departure in 1977: “If I depart, there is no cause for lamentation. I will always be with you through my books and my orders. I will always remain with you in that way.”
I have been reading the Krsna Book lately, and just yesterday we were reading chapter 14 “Prayers Offered by Lord Brahma to Lord Krsna”, and I was reminded this was the last chapter Srila Prabhupada was working on in the Srimad Bhagavatam series before his passing. So I had another look at the Tenth Canto, part 3, and thought it a good idea to share it with all our readers.
This is the final Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam volume translated by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, before his untimely departure. We share it with you as a free PDF download. You can click on the above link to view the complete volume or save it to your computer.
Foward
This is the final Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam volume translated by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder-acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It is smaller than the earlier volumes because it ends where the renowned author stopped translating just before his departure from this mortal world on November 14, 1977, at the Krsna-Balarama Mandira in Vrndavana, India.
The first part of this volume was produced in the usual fashion. Srila Prabhupada would sit and read silently from the Sanskrit text and then speak the translation and commentary into his dictaphone. Later, due to illness, it became necessary for his disciples to assist him personally.
In these last days Srila Prabhupada was gravely ill. Unable to eat for weeks, his health had deteriorated, making even the slightest movement excruciatingly painful.
As he lay still, a devotee would softly read the Sanskrit to him. Another disciple, sitting on his bed, held the microphone to him, nearly touching his mouth. And then Srila Prabhupada would speak, voice sometimes barely audible.
These recordings, made in his quarters at the temple, constitute the balance of this book.
In these final moments, the physician attending His Divine Grace confided that an ordinary man in such critical condition would have been crying out from the intense pain. Srila Prabhupada’s disciples were awestruck as they watched their spiritual master work quietly, undisturbed.
In the last part of the book we find Srila Prabhupada’s usual clarity of thought, constant scriptural references, scrupulous attention to detail, and rigorous philosophical exposition fully intact, just as they were in the preceding twenty-nine volumes of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Srila Prabhpada’s last days and this translation will stands an inspiring reminder that even the severest material circumstances cannot impede the activities of a pure devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
We are currently in Vrindavan, India, at the Krsna Balaram Mandir, with the most beautiful Radha Shyam. All the deities looked so gorgeous this morning, in their black outfits.
Have been doing the parikaram of the twelve forests of Vrindavan, and it has been amazing, and feel exceptional fortune, at being here, and experiencing so much devotional nectar.
I wish to share some from the Preface to the”Nectar of Devotion” By A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami:
The basic principle of the living condition is that we have a general propensity to love someone. No one can live without loving someone else. This propensity is present in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving propensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in the human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can become happy. At the present moment the human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That missing point is Krsna, and The Nectar of Devotion teaches us how to stimulate our original love for Krsna and how to be situated in that position where we can enjoy our blissful life.
“I liked Prabhupada’s humbleness. I always liked his humility and his simplicity. The servant of the servant of the servant is really what it is, you know. None of us are God—just His servants. He just made me feel so comfortable. I always felt very relaxed with him, and I felt more like a friend. I felt that he was a good friend. Even though he was at the time seventy-nine years old, working practically all through the night, day after day, with very little sleep, he still didn’t come through to me as though he was a very highly educated intellectual being, because he had a sort of childlike simplicity. Which is great, fantastic. Even though he was the greatest Sanskrit scholar and a saint, I appreciated the fact that he never made me feel uncomfortable. In fact, he always went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. I always thought of him as sort of a lovely friend, really, and now he’s still a lovely friend.
“That was the thing about Prabhupada, you see. He didn’t just talk about loving Krishna and getting out of this place, but he was the perfect example. He talked about always chanting, and he was always chanting. I think that that in itself was perhaps the most encouraging thing for me. It was enough to make me try harder, to be just a little bit better. He was a perfect example of everything he preached.
Remembering Jayananda by Vyasasan das __________________
There are some things about becoming a devotee I will never forget, for instance; receiving my first book, relishing my first plate of prasadam, seeing the deities in the temple for the first time, meeting Srila Prabhupada, Visnujhana Swami and Jayananda das bramachari.
The first time I meet Jayananda, was in 1975 in San Diego. I had been traveling with the RDTSKP for the last few months, since I joined. I was very much enjoying being a devotee, and traveling and putting on festivals, distributing prasadam, books and the Holy Name. By this time I had meet a number of Sannyasis; including Tamal Krsna Goswami, Gurudas Swami, Tripuari Swami, Vishnujana Swami, etc. and was very impressed by their character, and position.
One morning after Bhagavatam class we were all sitting down on the floor taking our breakfast. I was looking over at all the assembled sannyasis; there must have been seven of them eating together. They all had on nice orange clothing, and were eating off beautiful silver plates, and I was thinking, “Ya, that’s what I want. I want to be a Hare Krishna Sannyasa. Devotees will offer me respectful obeisances when they see me, and I will always get the best accommodations and best prasadam”. So I was thinking like this… when in walks in this guy in a greasy hooded sweatshirt, ripped doti, hands and face covered with dirt and grease, (it turns out he just changed the oil in 6 sankirtan vans), and he walks over to the prasadam table and starts filling a plate.
So I ask the devotee sitting next to me, “Who is that guy, is he supposed to be here?” I thought it was some bum wearing a dhoti. But the devotee replied; “Oh, that’s Jayananda Prabhu, he’s a really advanced devotee”. Well I was looking at Jayananda who was eagerly feasting on the morning prasadam, and I was looking over at the sannyasis who were carefully moving the prasadam around the silver plates, and I just wasn’t that sure?
Today we visited Radha Kund, as well as many other places of pilgrimage in Vraja; the district of Vrindavan. We were greatly surprised at how everything around Krishna Balarama Mandir, has grown and changed. So much construction, so many more people, and worst, so many motorized vehicile’s. I took some pictures of Radha Kund today, which I will share at bottom of post.
Rādhā-kuṇḍa
It is stated that a devotee will at once develope pure love of Kṛṣṇa in the wake of the gopīs if he once takes a bath in Rādhā-kuṇḍa.
jaya–all glories to: rādhā-mādhava–Rādhā and the Lord of sweetness; kuñja-bihārī–He who enjoys loving pastimes in the groves of Vṛndāvana; gopī-jana-vallabha–the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja; giri-vara-dhārī–the holder of the great hill named Govardhana;
Krsna is the lover of Radha. He displays many amorous pastimes in the groves of Vrndavana, He is the lover of the cowherd maidens of Vraja, and the holder of the great hill named Govardhana.
yaśodā-nandana–the beloved son of mother Yaśodā; vraja-jana-rañjana–the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja; yāmuna-tīra-vana-cārī–who wanders in the forests along the banks of the river Yamunā
He is the beloved son of mother Yasoda, the delighter of the inhabitants of Vraja, and He wanders in the forests along the banks of the River Yamuna!
Srila Prabhupada said that this song is “a picture of Vrndavana. Everything is there–Srimati Radharani, Vrndavana, Govardhana, Yasoda, and all the cowherd boys.
So this is the original nature of Kṛṣṇa, original nature of Kṛṣṇa. He is Rādhā-Mādhava. He is the lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī. And kuñja-vihārī, always enjoying the company of the gopīs within the bushes of Vrndavana forest. Rādhā-mādhava kuñja-vihārī. So He’s not only lover of Rādhārāṇī, but braja-jana-vallabha. The whole residents of Vṛndāvana, they love Kṛṣṇa.(from Srila Prabhupada Lecture NY July 20, 1971)
We spent the last week at the Sri Sri Radha Madhava Temple in Mayapur. It was an incredible week! Bathing Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu on His Appearance Day, attending aroti at Srila Prabhupada’s Samadhi, Guru-puja at temple, etc. but the take away for me was the Radha Madhava altar. To see Radha and Krishna surrounded by the beautiful Ashtasakhi’s (the 8 principle gopis) was a sight to behold. And I wanted to know more about these beautiful personality’s.
The list of Ashtasakhi include: Lalita, Vishaka, Champaklata, Chitra, Tungavidhya, Induleka, Rangadevi, and Sudevi. All of these eight prominent gopis are regarded to be an expansion of Radha, the chief consort of Krishna.
Srimati Radharani is considered the topmost devotee of Lord Krishna, His eternal consort, and the root of pure, selfless devotion, embodying the supreme devotional Bliss of seeking Krishna’s pleasure.
Well today we are in Mayapura Dham, at the Shri Shri Radha Madhava Temple, celebrating the Appearance Day of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. It is a full day fast, followed by a nice Vegetarian feast at Sunset. The devotees here have been so kind and accommodating. And of course the deities are all spectacularly beautiful, and the prasadam is first class.We feel very grateful, and blessed to be here on such an auspicious occasion.
We are leaving for India next week. First stop Kolkota. We want to visit the birthplace of Srila Prabhupada, so I went to the webpage: Birthplace Temple and found this nice Biography which we share today with you.
A Short Biography of Srila Prabhupada
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada is the Founder-Acharya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) which brought a spiritual dimension to the lives of thousands of his followers. He was a rare personality who appeared on the earth and dedicated his life to spreading God consciousness all over the world.
The scriptures recommend the chanting of the holy name of Lord Krishna (Harinama sankirtan) as the devotional practice best suited for the present age for spiritual perfection. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared over 500 years ago in West Bengal, India was the greatest exponent of this method. He predicted that His message will be carried to every town and village of this world by a powerful spiritual ambassador. The life and activities of Srila Prabhupada prove beyond doubt that he was the empowered personality who appeared to fulfil this prediction.
When His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada entered the port of New York City on September 17, 1965 few Americans took notice — but he was not merely another immigrant. He was on a mission to introduce the ancient teachings of Vedic India into mainstream America. Before Srila Prabhupada passed away on November 14, 1977 at the age of 81, his mission proved successful. He had founded the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and saw it grow into a worldwide confederation of more than 100 temples, ashrams and cultural centers.
This is a very nice song composed by Narottama dasa Thakura, which is sung daily in all of the Hare Krishna Temples around the world. What is interesting about transcendental sound vibration, is that it never gets old. This song is as relishable today, as it was 50 years ago. Actually even more relishable, as the meaning of the words become more and more realized.
The lotus feet of our spiritual master are the only way by which we can attain pure devotional service. I bow to his lotus feet with great awe and reverence. By his grace one can cross the ocean of material suffering and obtain the mercy of Krsna
. My only wish is to have my consciousness purified by the words emanating from his lotus mouth. Attachment to his lotus feet is the perfection that fulfills all desires.
He opens my darkened eyes and fills my heart with transcendental knowledge. He is my Lord birth after birth. From him ecstatic prema emanates; by him ignorance is destroyed. The Vedic scriptures sing of his character.
Our spiritual master is the ocean of mercy, the friend of the poor, and the lord and master of the devotees. O master! Be merciful unto me. Give me the shade of your lotus feet. Your fame is spread all over the three worlds.
…”Your time is so valuable that you cannot get back your life, one day of your life or one moment of your life, by paying millions of dollars. (Srila Prabhupada lectureSB 1.2.19 New Vrindaban)
I have been thinking lately about about my life. I am 70 years old, or to break it down; 25,550 days, 613,200 hours, 36,792,000 minutes, 2,207,520.000 seconds. How much of my life have I wasted? When I wasn’t thinking about Krsna, when I was not engaged in devotional service. How many hours did I spend sleeping, or engaged in fruitive labor, intoxication or sense gratification? Really, I have wasted so much valuable time, and can never get that back.
“If such valuable time you simply waste, then just estimate it what is your loss, practically, from monetary point. One moment of your life cannot be returned by millions of dollars.
Therefore our Rūpa Gosvāmī also teaches, avyartha-kālatvam (CC Madhya 23.18). A Kṛṣṇa conscious person should see, “Whether my time has become wasted? Whether I am utilizing my time, the short duration of my life, properly?” All Kṛṣṇa conscious persons should be vigilant to see that the time is not wasted. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advises, kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ.
tṛṇād api sunīcenataror api sahiṣṇunāamāninā mānadenakīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ (CC Adi 17.31)
We have therefore introduced chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours. I am glad to see all the devotees, they are carrying the beads, that this is nice practice. It must be. Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, for twenty-four hours: while working, even in sleeping. If you practice, in sleep also you will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. That is possible. It is not impossible, it is fact.” (lecture SB 1.2.19 New Vrindaban)
..”So we should be very much careful in discharging the duty. The devotee should be so much careful that he’ll always see, “Whether this moment is spoiled or utilized?”Avyartha-kālatvam (CC Madhya 23.18). Avyartha-kālatvam, that “My time may not be wasted.” He should be so careful, “Whether my time is being wasted?” And time wasted, the time we engage for our bodily necessities, that is wasted. Generally, conditioned souls, they are simply wasting their time. Only the period which we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that is utilized. So we should be very much careful whether time is being wasted or being utilized.”… (Morning walk San Francisco, 1968)
This morning as I was looking at a picture of Srila Prabhupada, this verse from the Bhagavad-gita just came into my mind:
O Kṛṣṇa, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality. (Bg 10.14)
And I was thinking, that is exactly how I think of Srila Prabhupada’s instructions, to us. “I totally accept as truth all that You have told me“. Ever since I picked up my first book by Srila Prabhupada, I have just accepted every thing he has written as truth. I didn’t always believe my school teachers, or the nuns, or my parents for that matter. Sure they knew some things, and much of it true, but they didn’t know everything.
For some reason I just accepted as truth everything Prabhupada told us. He told us who was God (Krsna), then he told us what God looked like, what God was doing, where God lived, who’s Gods friends were, and much much more. There wasn’t a question he couldn’t answer, and he backed it up with sastric evidence.These were questions I asked of the nuns and priests, of parents and college professors, but I never got a reasonable answer from anyone when I asked; ‘Who is God, who am I, what is my relationship with Him?’
“Be patient and return home. Don’t be a crazy fellow. By and by you will be able to cross the ocean of material existence. You should not make yourself a showbottle devotee and become a false renunciant. For the time being, enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued: “Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man. Thus Kṛṣṇa will soon be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of māyā.” (Sri Caitanya-caritamrta: Madhya-lila Chapter 16, Text 237-239)
I have always liked this verse, it is sage advise for anyone practicing spiritual life (self-realization), in this age. “Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man.” It is not that everyone who is interested in practicing Krishna Consciousness must artificially renounce the world, shave their head, put on robes, become a nun or monk, and live in a temple. No the instruction is here; “enjoy the material world in a befitting way and do not become attached to it.”
The peace and happiness for which we are all hankering for life after life, moment after moment, we will get when our desires become purified, and dovetailed with the Lord. One who desires sense gratification, the enjoyment of material satisfaction, will never be happy. That is not possible. If you want peace, if you want happiness, if you want perfection in your life, then just begin to dovetail your desires, activities, and potentials with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then you will see what real happiness is, and can tell who is really crazy.
Yesterday was the Appearance Day of Lord Nityananda, but this morning I was still thinking about some of His pastimes. One was the story of the deliverance of Jagai and Madhai. Nityananda Prabhu reminded Lord Caitanya of His mission to deliver the hopelessly fallen souls of the age, of whom Jagai and Madhai were typical examples. Ninety-nine percent of the population of the age resemble these brothers, despite high birth and apparent respectability. We also include the story of the Lord Caitanya “Inspiring the Jungle Animals”to chant the holy names of the Lord.
The Special Kindness of Lord Caitanya
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, appeared in India in the fifteenth century. His mission was to freely distribute pure love of God to everyone without considering who was qualified or unqualified. He predicted that the whole world would one day hear the chanting of the Lord’s holy names. The first of the following two narratives is excerpted from Srila Prabhupada’s introduction to Srimad-Bhagavatam. The second taken from his English translation of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, an extensive account of Lord Caitanya’s life and teachings.
Today we celebrate the Appearance of Lord Nityananda with a few select verses from the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi Lila Chapter 5, entitled “The Glories of Lord Nityananda Balarama”.
“Let me offer my obeisances to Lord Śrī Nityānanda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose opulence is wonderful and unlimited. By His will, even a fool can understand His identity.” (Adi 5.1) “The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is the fountainhead of all incarnations. Lord Balarāma is His second body.” (Adi 5.4) “That original Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in Navadvīpa as Lord Caitanya, and Balarāma appeared with Him as Lord Nityānanda.” (Adi 5.6)
Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Ādi-līlā, Chapter 5, Text 1-12
…The process of meditation recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is not to fix one’s attention on something impersonal or void.
The process of meditation should begin from the lotus feet of the Lord and progress to His smiling face. The meditation should be concentrated upon the lotus feet, then the calves, then the thighs, and in this way higher and higher. The more the mind becomes fixed upon the different parts of the limbs, one after another, the more the intelligence becomes purified. (SB 2.2.13)
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda Canto Two, Chapter 2, Text 13-14
Sometimes I think if only I could take a picture with my mind, and recall it at any time, this would be one of the images I would like to hold on to. And of course one of Srila Prabhupada as well.
We share with you a song by Narottama Das Thakur entitled “Gaurangera Duti Pada”, with a purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami.
Gaurangera Duti Pada by Narottama Dasa Thakura
” Anyone who has accepted the two lotus feet of Lord Caitanya can understand the true essence of devotional service. If one is captivated by the pleasing pastimes of Lord Caitanya, the dirty things in his heart will all become cleansed.“
…Gauranga refers to Lord Caitanya, who has a fair complexion. One who has a fair complexion is called gaura, and since Lord Caitanya was very fair, just like molten gold, He was also named Gaurasundara. Narottama dasa Thakura says, gaurangera duti pada, jar dhana-sampada, se jane bhakati-rasa-sar. Anyone who has accepted the two lotus feet of Lord Caitanya can understand the true essence of devotional service. Devotional service is very difficult. It cannot be understood by any ordinary man. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, out of many thousands of persons who are trying to achieve the perfection of human life, only some actually become perfect and realize the self. And out of many thousands of such self-realized persons, only one can understand Krsna. Without understanding Krsna, how can one engage himself in the service of Krsna? Therefore, the devotional service of Krsna is not an ordinary thing. But fortunately, if one follows in the footsteps of Lord Caitanya (gaurangera duti pada) by following the path shown by Lord Caitanya-the process of simply chanting Hare Krsna-he can very easily understand what devotional service is. (from purport to the song “Gaurangera Duti Pada”)
Full song with Bengali Lyrics, English translation, and purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
I remember years ago when I was just a young new devotee, and we were asked to go out and distribute books, we were asked so many questions by people we met. One question I will never forget; “What does the mantra mean?” How to explain this to someone who has never heard of Krishna? So I replied; “O Lord please engage me in Your loving devotional service”. Even as a new devotee I knew there was more I could have said, but I left it at that.
But that basic question always stayed with me.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Another definition I discovered is;
Hare– Srimati Radharini (the divine energy of the Lord)
Krishna– The All Attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead
Rama– Name of Lord Krishna who is the reservoir of pleasure. (as in Radha-Ramana, the giver of pleasure to Srimati Radharani) The name Rama also means Lord Ramacandra, and Lord Balarama.
But for me, I like this verse I discovered in my reading;
“O Srimati Radharani, O All Attractive Reservoir of Pleasure, Lord Sri Krishna, please engage me in your loving devotional service”
This morning I was reading through one of my old devotional journals. And there was one page I titled “Destiny”. I was asking myself ‘is it preordained, or is it free choice?’ So I had looked through Srila Prabhupada’s books to find the answer.
…Free choice makes destiny. If I act in goodness, then my future is good. And if I act badly, my future is bad. That is destiny. Man is the Architect of his own destiny. Future destiny depends on present action. -SP
The Hare Krishna Movement 
