Bhakti Vikäsa Swami
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
Srila Prabhupäda, only a fool would consider you anything less than a topmost perfect paramahaàsa, an ambassador from the spiritual world, a personal representative of Kåñëa. For one blessed with the eyes to see, everything about you evidences your extraordinary love for Kåñëa. As is profusely and lovingly described in this Vyäsa-püjä book, you are abundantly decorated with all the symptoms of a pure devotee.
Yet you defy the pathetic, disgusting stereotype of a saintly person who wears a dreamy smile and is perpetually “nice.” Your unfathomable love for Kåñëa is manifest not simply by talking of love, compassion, and other such exalted virtues, but more realistically in your down-to-earth, service-oriented example—which defies the listlessness of so-called premé-bhaktas, whose reputations rest on their narrating of gopé-léläs, bathing in Rädhä-kuëòa, and other such esoterica. You demonstrated in practice how a devotee who loves Kåñëa strives against all opposition to establish His glories in this world. You did not care for reputation; you simply wanted to serve the order of your guru. Anyone who reads your books can readily understand that you are not at all sentimental, vague, or wishy-washy. You are a natural, unaffected saint, not an actor dancing according to the expectations of mindless people. Indeed, your profound compassion for the rebellious jévas often manifested as extraordinarily forceful attacks upon their foolishness and rascaldom.
Among the many transcendental characteristics that distinguish you as the jagad-guru (Kåñëa’s selected emissary to this world), in my mind one towers above all: your unmitigated, uncompromisable commitment to defeat the enemies of your beloved Kåñëa. You especially targeted the nirviçeña-vädés, who attempt to belittle Kåñëa by denying that He is categorically superior, in every respect, to all other living beings (nirviçeña literally means “not special”), who claim latent or already attained parity with Kåñëa, and whose mystic-sounding ambiguities are extolled as realized spirituality by persons so overwhelmingly insincere as to be attracted to such charlatans.
Srila Prabhupäda, that you left Våndävana to contest Mäyäväda amid the nastiness of America is a more convincing testimony to your love for Kåñëa than had you stayed in Våndävana. Your praëäma-mantra, composed by yourself,
describes what you considered to be the essence of your mission: service to Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté (särasvate deve) on this plane (bhü-tale) by preaching the message of Caitanya Mahäprabhu (gaura-väëé) and thus saving (täriëe) the Western countries (päçcätya-deça) from impersonalism and voidism (nirviçeña-çünyaväda). Such extraordinary activities could be performed only by a devotee who is exceptionally dear to Kåñëa (kåñëa-preñöha).
In accord with your mission, and pertinent to the arena and ethos of your service, you emphasized and exemplified more the need to fight for Kåñëa than to discuss His räsa-lélä. For me, one particular anecdote (narrated by Hayagréva Däsa in The Hare Krishna Explosion) encapsulates your intense devotion to Kåñëa as manifested in véra-rasa.
In 1966, during one of your classes at 26 Second Avenue, after you had criticized Dr. Radhakrishnan’s comment that it is not to the personal Kåñëa that we must surrender but to “the unborn, beginningless, eternal who speaks through Kåñëa,” you added, “This Mäyävädé philosophy is worse than atheism.” Thereupon Keith, the Mott Street denim-clad “guru” (later initiated as Kértanänanda Däsa), launched a long spiel in defense of Dr. Radhakrishnan and Mäyäväda. He rambled on about the “Self and the One Mind,” quoting Çaìkara and Huang Po, Buddha and Christ, Spinoza and St. Paul, while you, “Swamiji,” sat on the dais, your complexion turning red. After Keith finally wound down, you asked him:
“So, you have understood what we have been saying—that Kåñëa is God?”
“Yes,” Keith says.
“And that worship is due God?”
“Yes,” Keith says.
Suddenly Swamiji, red and furious, stands up. “Then why do you want to take it away from Kåñëa?” he roars, shaking the small storefront. “It’s Kåñëa! It’s Kåñëa!” He slams his hand down on the lectern. “It’s no unborn within Kåñëa! It’s Kåñëa!” We all sit stunned, as if a lion had pounced on the dais. “Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is directly telling Arjuna, ‘To Me. Worship Me.’ And Dr. Radhakrishnan says that it is not to the person Kåñëa but to some void. Just see what a nonsense rascal! Do you want to worship some unborn void instead of Kåñëa? Kåñëa is the Absolute Truth. His body, mind, and self are absolute. And He says, ‘Think of Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me.’ And even Çaìkara says, bhaja govindaà, bhaja govindaà, bhaja govindam: ‘Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda. Your nonsense will not save you at death!’ And yet this rascal wants to take it away from Kåñëa. Do you want to follow such a rascal? Kåñëa says, ‘Worship Me.’ Do you not understand? Then why are you saying it is not to Kåñëa? Why? Why not to Kåñëa?” . . . .
(Next morning) “We are declaring war,” Swamiji says. “War on mäyä.”
Srila Prabhupäda, by declaring war in the storefront, you risked losing your fledgling flock, the only followers (if at that stage they could be considered followers) that you had after several months in America. But you could not brook Mäyäväda. And for that reason Kåñëa was to bless you most extraordinarily.
Srila Prabhupäda, please enlist me in your army, without an option to retire. I beg for the benediction to be eternally engaged in your mission. May I be prepared to go anywhere throughout the universe—tolerating the difficulties of heat, cold, hunger, thirst, unpopularity, persecution, or whatever the material energy may throw at me—always happy to follow your orders, knowing that by doing so, Kåñëa will be pleased, and that hence there is nothing better for me to do. Of course, words like these are easy to state yet difficult to fulfill. If I could actually pray in that way from within my heart and be unhesitatingly ready to do anything and everything to serve you under all circumstances, then I might qualify as your genuine servant.
Srila Prabhupäda, my words are insufficient to praise you or to in any way approximate a sufficient portrayal of your innumerable divine qualities. Even if I were millions of times more pure and intelligent, I could not sufficiently extol you, for your glories are immeasurable. Nonetheless, I offer this with love—which also is a gift that you nurtured within us. So kindly accept it. Please uplift me and bestow upon me the qualification to finally be accepted as your eternal servant.
The foolish
Bhakti Vikäsa Swami
nama oà viñëu-pädäya kåñëa-preñöhäya bhü-tale
çrémate bhaktivedänta-sväminn iti nämine
namas te särasvate deve gaura-väëé-pracäriëe
nirviçeña-çünyavädi-päçcätya-deça-täriëe
Srila Prabhupäda, only a fool would consider you anything less than a topmost perfect paramahaàsa, an ambassador from the spiritual world, a personal representative of Kåñëa. For one blessed with the eyes to see, everything about you evidences your extraordinary love for Kåñëa. As is profusely and lovingly described in this Vyäsa-püjä book, you are abundantly decorated with all the symptoms of a pure devotee.
Yet you defy the pathetic, disgusting stereotype of a saintly person who wears a dreamy smile and is perpetually “nice.” Your unfathomable love for Kåñëa is manifest not simply by talking of love, compassion, and other such exalted virtues, but more realistically in your down-to-earth, service-oriented example—which defies the listlessness of so-called premé-bhaktas, whose reputations rest on their narrating of gopé-léläs, bathing in Rädhä-kuëòa, and other such esoterica. You demonstrated in practice how a devotee who loves Kåñëa strives against all opposition to establish His glories in this world. You did not care for reputation; you simply wanted to serve the order of your guru. Anyone who reads your books can readily understand that you are not at all sentimental, vague, or wishy-washy. You are a natural, unaffected saint, not an actor dancing according to the expectations of mindless people. Indeed, your profound compassion for the rebellious jévas often manifested as extraordinarily forceful attacks upon their foolishness and rascaldom.
Among the many transcendental characteristics that distinguish you as the jagad-guru (Kåñëa’s selected emissary to this world), in my mind one towers above all: your unmitigated, uncompromisable commitment to defeat the enemies of your beloved Kåñëa. You especially targeted the nirviçeña-vädés, who attempt to belittle Kåñëa by denying that He is categorically superior, in every respect, to all other living beings (nirviçeña literally means “not special”), who claim latent or already attained parity with Kåñëa, and whose mystic-sounding ambiguities are extolled as realized spirituality by persons so overwhelmingly insincere as to be attracted to such charlatans.
Srila Prabhupäda, that you left Våndävana to contest Mäyäväda amid the nastiness of America is a more convincing testimony to your love for Kåñëa than had you stayed in Våndävana. Your praëäma-mantra, composed by yourself,
describes what you considered to be the essence of your mission: service to Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté (särasvate deve) on this plane (bhü-tale) by preaching the message of Caitanya Mahäprabhu (gaura-väëé) and thus saving (täriëe) the Western countries (päçcätya-deça) from impersonalism and voidism (nirviçeña-çünyaväda). Such extraordinary activities could be performed only by a devotee who is exceptionally dear to Kåñëa (kåñëa-preñöha).
In accord with your mission, and pertinent to the arena and ethos of your service, you emphasized and exemplified more the need to fight for Kåñëa than to discuss His räsa-lélä. For me, one particular anecdote (narrated by Hayagréva Däsa in The Hare Krishna Explosion) encapsulates your intense devotion to Kåñëa as manifested in véra-rasa.
In 1966, during one of your classes at 26 Second Avenue, after you had criticized Dr. Radhakrishnan’s comment that it is not to the personal Kåñëa that we must surrender but to “the unborn, beginningless, eternal who speaks through Kåñëa,” you added, “This Mäyävädé philosophy is worse than atheism.” Thereupon Keith, the Mott Street denim-clad “guru” (later initiated as Kértanänanda Däsa), launched a long spiel in defense of Dr. Radhakrishnan and Mäyäväda. He rambled on about the “Self and the One Mind,” quoting Çaìkara and Huang Po, Buddha and Christ, Spinoza and St. Paul, while you, “Swamiji,” sat on the dais, your complexion turning red. After Keith finally wound down, you asked him:
“So, you have understood what we have been saying—that Kåñëa is God?”
“Yes,” Keith says.
“And that worship is due God?”
“Yes,” Keith says.
Suddenly Swamiji, red and furious, stands up. “Then why do you want to take it away from Kåñëa?” he roars, shaking the small storefront. “It’s Kåñëa! It’s Kåñëa!” He slams his hand down on the lectern. “It’s no unborn within Kåñëa! It’s Kåñëa!” We all sit stunned, as if a lion had pounced on the dais. “Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is directly telling Arjuna, ‘To Me. Worship Me.’ And Dr. Radhakrishnan says that it is not to the person Kåñëa but to some void. Just see what a nonsense rascal! Do you want to worship some unborn void instead of Kåñëa? Kåñëa is the Absolute Truth. His body, mind, and self are absolute. And He says, ‘Think of Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me.’ And even Çaìkara says, bhaja govindaà, bhaja govindaà, bhaja govindam: ‘Worship Govinda, worship Govinda, worship Govinda. Your nonsense will not save you at death!’ And yet this rascal wants to take it away from Kåñëa. Do you want to follow such a rascal? Kåñëa says, ‘Worship Me.’ Do you not understand? Then why are you saying it is not to Kåñëa? Why? Why not to Kåñëa?” . . . .
(Next morning) “We are declaring war,” Swamiji says. “War on mäyä.”
Srila Prabhupäda, by declaring war in the storefront, you risked losing your fledgling flock, the only followers (if at that stage they could be considered followers) that you had after several months in America. But you could not brook Mäyäväda. And for that reason Kåñëa was to bless you most extraordinarily.
Srila Prabhupäda, please enlist me in your army, without an option to retire. I beg for the benediction to be eternally engaged in your mission. May I be prepared to go anywhere throughout the universe—tolerating the difficulties of heat, cold, hunger, thirst, unpopularity, persecution, or whatever the material energy may throw at me—always happy to follow your orders, knowing that by doing so, Kåñëa will be pleased, and that hence there is nothing better for me to do. Of course, words like these are easy to state yet difficult to fulfill. If I could actually pray in that way from within my heart and be unhesitatingly ready to do anything and everything to serve you under all circumstances, then I might qualify as your genuine servant.
Srila Prabhupäda, my words are insufficient to praise you or to in any way approximate a sufficient portrayal of your innumerable divine qualities. Even if I were millions of times more pure and intelligent, I could not sufficiently extol you, for your glories are immeasurable. Nonetheless, I offer this with love—which also is a gift that you nurtured within us. So kindly accept it. Please uplift me and bestow upon me the qualification to finally be accepted as your eternal servant.
The foolish
Bhakti Vikäsa Swami
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