53. His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda

53. His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda:

Nārada Muni, the great mahājana, foretold Śrīla Prabhupāda’s extraordinary worldwide preaching in the Padma Purāṇa, Bhāgavat Mahātmyam (ch. 2.5-7), ‘O Bhakti devī, beautiful faced one, there is no other age like Kali-yuga, because you will be established in every house as well as in the heart of every person. Hear my vow. If I do not preach your message, subdue all other religions, and make devotional festivals predominant then I shall not be considered the servant of Lord Hari. In Kali-yuga, those people who follow you, even if they are sinful, will attain the abode of Lord Kṛṣṇa without fear.’

Nārada Muni’s saying that he will establish bhakti, means that it will be done through a devotee. This important Purāṇic verse predicts the phenomenal worldwide preaching activities of Śrīla Prabhupāda who fulfilled the prophecies of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nārada Muni.

On at least two occasions, Śrīla Prabhupāda told us that Nārada Muni was attending his programs. In London at Bury Place, Śrīla Prabhupāda told the devotees to put a small āsana on the altar to properly honor Nārada Muni who was regularly attending the kīrtans. In America, Śrīla Prabhupāda once held a program which a very few people attended. When a disciple commented on the small turn out, Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “That’s not true. The great sage Nārada Muni was present.” (Bhāg. Mahātmya trans. and tīka by Satya Nārāyaṇa Dāsa)

In the Caitanya-maṅgala and Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Lord Caitanya said, ‘I want to flood the whole world with the chanting of the holy names. I will personally preach and flood India with hari nāma- saṅkīrtana. A great, especially empowered devotee, a seṅapati, (commander-in-chief) would introduce the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s holy names in every town and village, preach in distant countries, and flood the world with the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. (Caitanya Mangala)

Unlike anyone else, Śrīla Prabhupāda fulfilled the prediction of Lord Caitanya, pṛthivīte āche yata nagarādi grāma, sarvatra pracāra haibe more nāma: “In every town and village in the world, My name will be heard.” (Caitanya Bhagavata Antya 4.126)

In the 1800’s, Ṭhākura Bhaktivinoda published an article “Nityānanda Suryodoya” in his magazine Sajjana-toṣanī. “Soon there will be a time,” he said, “when the chanting of Kṛṣṇa’s name will be heard in England, France, Russia, Germany, and America.”

From these passages one can easily see that Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His empowered devotees have precisely predicted the phenomenal preaching success of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa told Gaṅgā devī that a pure devotee with absolute faith in His holy name would spread the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa all over the world. The Supreme Lord said, as did Śrīla Prabhupāda, that this chanting would continue for 10,000 years. 

Just as Śrīla Prabhupāda’s glorious activities were foretold and practically seen, his appearance and disappearance were also glorious. 

Śrīla Prabhupāda appeared on Nandotsava, a day which millions of pious Indians happily celebrate every year. Nandotsava means “Nanda Mahārāja’s birth festival for Kṛṣṇa.” 500 years ago, Lord Kṛṣṇa appeared in Vṛndāvana at midnight on Janmaṣṭami while all the Vrajavāsīs were sleeping.

The next day, which became known as Nandotsava, Nanda Mahārāja, dressed in luxuriant garments, held a huge festival to honour the auspicious appearance of his divine son. Overwhelmed with ecstasy, Nanda Bābā distributed profuse charity to everyone in his kingdom. He gave away opulent cloth, ornaments, and 2 million richly decorated cows to the brāhmaṇas. Nanda Mahārāja satisfied everyone’s desires with his abundant gifts.

The atmosphere of Vrajabhūmi was alive with the vibration of auspicious Vedic hymns. Everything was lavishly decorated to create happiness. Bursting with bliss, the Vrajavāsīs expressed their joy by throwing butter, yogurt, and ghee all around and on each other. In Vṛndāvana and all over India, Nandotsava is still joyously celebrated. 100 years ago, on this most auspicious spiritual occasion, His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda appeared in this world to fulfil the mission of the Supreme Lord.

Śrīla Prabhupāda appeared on Nandotsava amidst an atmosphere surcharged with thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. He grew up as a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa, and distributed Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world. After fulfilling all the divine predictions, Prabhupāda came to Vṛndāvana to leave his body during Kārtika, the most auspicious month of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

November 14, 1977, 7:20 p.m - At that time in the heavens, the constellations were uniting to form the āmṛta-yoga, which is the most auspicious time to embark on a journey. It also indicates the successful completion of any endeavour. While surrounded by loving disciples singing their hearts out in kīrtana, Śrīla Prabhupāda chanted Hare Kṛṣṇa and entered the eternal pastimes of Rādhā-Govinda.

Śrīla Prabhupāda was the best example of a perfect appearance, a perfect life, and a perfect disappearance. Śrīla Prabhupāda said Vṛndāvana was his home and Māyāpur (Navadvīpa Dhāma) was where he worshiped Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrīla Prabhupāda lives forever in his books worshiping Lord Caitanya by teaching everyone to serve Śrī Kṛṣṇa and always chant Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. The Māyāpur City will manifest, and the golden lotus of Navadvīpa dhāma will fully unfold when the world is flooded with Prabhupāda’s books. When everyone is swimming and floating in Mahāprabhu’s mercy by assisting Prabhupāda in his worship of Māyāpur, then the golden age of Gaurāṅga will illuminate the world and fill everyone’s hearts with blissful prema.

Śrīla Prabhupāda ki jai!

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ki jai!

Śrī Navadvīpa Dhāma ki jai!

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare

Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare