Glorification session of Srila Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj | Vrindavan

I request you, please don't forget to come to Kargarh on Vijayadashmi day. Srila Prabhupada ji wanted the open office of, you know, office on Vijayadashmi day. He could not do that. But we pray to Krishna Balarama, Radhaswami Sundar, please give us strength that we can open that temple on Vijayadashmi day. And all of you are invited to to participate in that festival. That will be a great tribute to His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj because his heart was always in Kharga Temple. Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna. So next we would like to invite Braja Bilas Prabhu. He will read the offering of Ambarish Prabhu and also on behalf of the TOVP.

Hare Krishna! Shila Prabhupada ke. His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj ke. So I would be reading an offering from Ambrish Prabhu and Swaha Mataji today. This is from Ambrish Prabhu. Swaha and I are heartbroken by your departure. You have been the most loyal servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda for many years. I remember fondly the time we were together in Kurukshetra. I was very comforted by that fact you had taken the project under your guidance. I also remember being in Moscow with you when you were leading the project there.

There.

You have been a stalwart supporter of the TOVP and we are most grateful for your inspiration and support. We will surely miss your able leadership as the shining beacon of Krishna consciousness. This is Ambrish Prabhu and I am reading Swahamataji's offering. As I fight back tears, brokenhearted that although we were fortunate to have seen you in Mayapur and at the Juhu Temple just a few months back, we are now suddenly bereft of your sublime association. I wish to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for your kindness towards me always, dear Maharaj. You treated me like a daughter, And I feel privileged to have had the good fortune of cooking for you when you visited us. At a preaching program in New Delhi, after I spoke, you encouraged me like a loving father by appreciating my contribution. I remember just a few years back in Mayapur, as I was coming down the stairs and you were heading out for your morning walk, you took the trouble to show me your elaborate altar with your worshipable Lords. I remember how you kindly arranged for us to go to Srivindavan Dham when my parents were visiting from Australia one year. You personally gave me a tour of the museum at the Glory of India, Shri Shri Radha Parthasarathy Mandir, which was being completed at that time. I have fond memories of honoring prasadam with you in your apartment along with Prabhu, and the love and affection shown by you and your disciples serving us. You showed us the world's largest Bhagavad Gita that was going to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi ji a few years later during that visit. In fact, it was your personal relationship with Modi ji that brought about the production of the coin commemorating Śrīla Prabhupāda's 125th birth anniversary. Modiji, words honoring your life show how deeply you have touched his heart. You are one of the greatest generals in our senapati achariya Śrīla Prabhupāda's army. Although you closed the chapter of your service here on Mother Bhūmī, you have entered your eternal pastimes with him. Your glories are being sung in all the three worlds for your exemplary devotion and dedication to Śrīla Prabhupāda. And spreading Lord Chaitanya's glories worldwide. We will forever remain indebted to you for your mercy and pray we may be of service to your exalted disciples. Feeling the deep pain of separation, we beg to remind your humble servant Ambrish Das and Swaha Devi Das. I know time is up. All the leaders are waiting. Just a few sentences from the Temple of Vedic Planetarium. As many of you have lost your father, the ISKCON Bureau has lost its chairman. The TOVP has lost everything with the departure of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja. He was so dear to us, great support. Whenever I walked into his room, I always came out with a big bunch of money to construct this temple. Such a great support. So on this occasion, I pray to him to give me the strength and give the members of the TOB the strength To bear this separation, to bear this separation, and also to serve him, we opened, we installed the chakra under his leadership, we opened the pujari floor under his leadership, we opened the Narasimhadev temple under his leadership. And in 2026, I am sure He will lead us in opening the temple of Vedic planetarium for the pleasure of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda. So thank you all so very much. His Holiness Gopal Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja kei. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda kei. Jai Hare Kṛṣṇa.

We have to invite the bureau members because they have to go for the meeting.

Maharaj had expressed in the will that the land which is next to Krishna Balaram Temple, which was purchased by myself and my wife and my godbrothers here, that is next to him, today on this auspicious day, I would like to offer that land back to the authority of Krishna Balaram Temple. We have nothing to do with that, as Maharaj had said that his samadhi would be kept in the samadhis over there. But that land was purchased by us for long back for the samadhi of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj. So he doesn't want to utilize it. Correct, Mahamantra Prabhu? So we'd like to offer it back to the authorities. My desire was that so many sannyasis are coming here and they are staying outside in the ashrams. I wish to see that we create a wonderful sannyas ashram over there and have at least about 30, 40, 50 rooms over there for the young sannyasis because I see so many sannyasis coming. In fact, Ammuvala Swami Maharaj said, "Where do I stay in Vrindavan?" So I would like to— whoever is the right recipient of that paper of the land, I would like to hand over that. Thank you.

So amongst the bureau members, Revati Raman Prabhu, Mahaman Prabhu, His Holiness Bhaktirasamrita Maharaj, Dayaram Prabhu. So Mahaman Prabhu can speak.

Om Agyan Timirandasya, Jnanan Jana Shalakeya, Chakshuru Militham Jai Na Tasmayi Sri Gurave Namaha. Nityalila pravist jayom Vishnupada. Gopal Krishna Maharaj ki chaar. Nityalila pravist jayom Vishnupada Paramahamsa Privradya Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada ki chaar. The large number of devotees that have assembled here from different parts of the world and many who are viewing this on different social media is evidence of how dear His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj was to everyone and how he touched the hearts of millions of devotees all over the world. And actually, for the first time in my life, when I was offering my last respects to the Vapu of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj, I cried. I cried and I cried. I never cried when my mother left. I never cried when my father left or any other member or dear member of my family left. But I cried. I did not even cry when Śrīla Prabhupāda left because Śrīla Prabhupāda's mercy was coming through His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj. These movements can be stopped, it's disturbing.

Sorry.

Okay. So, excuse me. As I was saying, Śrīla Prabhupāda was not accessible so easily physically because his health was not so good and his secretaries made sure that he was not being disturbed so much. But His Holiness Gopalakṛṣṇa Mahārāja was always available for everyone. He would meet everyone. Hear everyone and try to solve the problems of every— each and every devotee. He was so personal and so caring. This realization came to me very late, after Maharaj had departed, that Maharaj was my best friend, my best advisor, and my best Master, all three at the same time. My best friend, my best advisor, and my best— I forgot what, sorry, there's some disturbances. Okay, master, I forgot that word, most important, my master at the same time, all three at the same time. And As I was saying, so many devotees have joined throughout the world. One of the criteria for the success of our movement is the number of devotees who join. And I would like to share one anecdote regarding Śrīla Prabhupāda. When the beautiful temple, Prabhupāda Palace of Gold, was going to be inaugurated in New Vrindavan. I think everyone has heard of that, Prabhupada's palace of gold. So the devotees were desiring that this, the illumination on this palace for Prabhupada, should be special. And for that, before the opening of the inauguration of the palace, they took Prabhupada to show all the arrangements. And they asked Srila Prabhupada, Prabhupada, we strongly desire that your palace should be illuminated by jewels rather than electricity and all these things, all these gadgets. Is it possible? Can we do that? And Srila Prabhupada said, it will touch everyone's hearts All of my devotees, you are the jewels. My palace will be illuminated by you all, jewel-like devotees. And not only my palace, but the entire world will be illuminated by all you jewel-like devotees. And with generals like His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj, and many others. And now the future generation, as Maharaj was saying, Prabhupada said that his disciples should do even more than the spiritual master. So this movement under the guidance, and we still feel Gopal Krishna Maharaj is guiding us and he will continue to guide us, with the guidance of such generals, Kṛṣṇa consciousness will become a mainstream religion of the world. Shh! Gradually, slowly, but surely, because this is the mahā-sī and this is the prophecy of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Himself. So one more anecdote I would like to share is that Śrīla Prabhupāda was told by someone— I'm skipping the details because I want to express the lesson that we get from this anecdote. Prabhupāda was asked, your movement is going on all right? Everything is okay? Prabhupada in response, yes, but I do have a disease. So the reporter or whoever it was said, maybe, no, Swamiji, what is the disease? And Prabhupada said that my disease is that I can always think only big, I can never think small. This is a very healthy disease. I think Gopal Krishna Maharaj also had this disease. He would always think big, never think small. And I wish all of us contact this disease. We pray that we contact this disease. It's a very healthy disease. To always think big like Śrīla Prabhupāda and like His Holiness Gopalakrishna Mahārāja. I'd like to share one more anecdote happened here in Vrindavan. One Prabhupāda's disciple, I have not taken his permission to mention his name, so I will not mention his name. So he approach Srila Prabhupada. Prabhupada, I think your life is very meaningful, very fruitful, very valuable. Compared to that, my life is not so important, insignificant. Prabhupada, if it is possible, can I donate the balance of my life to you. This is my wish. I would like to donate, if it is possible, the balance of my life to you. So in response to that, we have all heard the famous statement by Srila Prabhupada: Your love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate with each other when I am no longer here. So this was the response which Prabhupada gave. This is a very well-known statement, but many of us do not know the background of why Srila Prabhupada made this statement. He said, okay, it's good sentiment, you want to give the balance of your life to me, but your real love for me will be shown by how much you cooperate with each other when I'm no longer with you. And His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj has always endeavored to reconcile different views, different managements, everything, so everyone comes out with a satisfactory solution. And he is extremely expert in it because of his surrender to Śrīla Prabhupāda because he's always taking guidance from Śrīla Prabhupāda. He came from Goloka Vṛndāvana and he has gone back to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda. Śrīla Prabhupāda needed him someplace, and so he has gone there. To serve him. He was an exceptional devotee, always surrendered to the will of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and we should continue to follow his legacy. On this day of his disappearance, I beg for his mercy. Please always keep an guiding me, guiding all of us. I'd like to thank— stop here because many other speakers are there.

Thank you, Mahāmādhprabhu. Now I would like to request Revatīrāmānprabhu, then His Holiness Bhaktīrāsa Mṛta Swāmī, then Dayaram Prabhu, and then Gauranga Prabhu. Time is really constrained now, so you only have half an hour before your meeting, so hurry, hurry.

I'll make it limited, yeah. Hare Krishna. Om Agnyanatman das Shri Gnanajana Shalakaaya Shakshur unmilta manatasmaayi shi guruveena maha. Esoorin as Gopal Krishna Maharaj ki? Shilaprayopada ki? I think this is short, the bhajan?

That's all?

Okay, I'll come forward. Okay, I'll come forward. So what I can say about Gopal Krishna Maharaj? No words to praise him. He is a daksha, an expert. Expert in devotional service. You see his deity worship. What inspired in my life? Many things inspired from many devotees, but one is Gopal Krishna Maharaj. Every day in Mangala Arati, doing arati for the Lord. Is there one more person like him? In the entire world, any temple anywhere, he is there on the altar performing aarti for the deities with so much love and care. That is Gopal Krishna Maharaj. One day, you know, we conducted 3 GBC meetings in Tirupati. 2012 GBC meetings, Maharaj was there, Gopal Krishna Maharaj. And I was anticipating Maharaj will go on altar and worship Radha Govinda, astasakis. This is my favorite pastime, Maharaj's favorite pastime. One day over, second day, third day, Maharaj never entered the altar. So I, that night I went to Maharaj room. Maharaj, Whichever the temple you go, you do arathi. Why not here for Radha Vrinda Ashesakis? How is that, Maharaj, you are not performing arathi? He said, 'No, I am not.' I asked, 'Maharaj, why?' 'No, leave it, Revaitraman. I don't want to perform arathi.' 'Why, Maharaj? A reason for it? In some way can help us serve you?' 'No, I am afraid.' Maharaj, are you afraid? Why Maharaj? Gopis are there. Not Radha and Krishna. Gopis are there. I am afraid. What does it mean? I was shocked actually. He never said Govindji is there, Radharani is there, Lakshmi Narasimhadev is there, Mahaprabhu. No, gopis are there. I thought, my God, what a lesson to me it is actually. When gopi saw there, one should be very careful. He said, 'No, it's not possible for me.' Then later he called me again to his room. He said, 'Since you are asking, since you are desiring, tomorrow I will perform aarti.' And the next day morning Maharaj was there and he said, 'You should be there.' I assisted Maharaj and he asked me how— he knows everything actually— how you start. From Radha Krishna, from Prabhupada. How to start that? Then I told Maharaj, we do this way. Look at that humility. Vaishnavism means humility, humility, humility. He is a Vaishnava. That is Gopal Krishna Maharaj. Though he is a GBC, a big-time guru, Thousands of devotees everywhere following him. He was down to earth, very humble, very sweet. And he used to call me from South, always used to call me. At least once in a month or once in two months he will call me and enquire, 'How are things going on? You want any help? Tell me.' And any temple opening in Delhi, he used to call me, 'Rayatraman, you should come.' I used to come. Once it was— I was already— I had already fixed another program. He said, 'Ravi Tramann, you should come.' I said, 'Maharaj, I have another program, it's already fixed.' 'No, no, I want you here.' Then I came. I just cancelled that program, I came here just to please Maharaj because he is a divine personality, not ordinary person. I came and I was in the program, then Maharaj came and gave me a hug. That is enough. It's like a billion-dollar hug. You know, his hug and his sweetness. And whenever he used to call me and he used to tell— while leaving, he used to give me money. "Take this." "Maharaj, why Maharaj? Not necessary." "No, no, you should keep it." "Maharaj, I am from Tirupati, Balaji. I don't need Maharaj, it's okay." "No, no, you should keep it." So he gave me. Every day, every temple opening, he will give me money. Even rohini, He gave me a chunk of money, keep it. Then I said, what to do? You know, Bahudhagar, the temple opening, he gave me. Then I thought Maharaj is so kind and so sweet. It's not the money, it's love and affection to encourage the managers. So I thought, Maharaj, you are giving me, I want to buy a gift for this money for myself. Whatever you want to do it. Maharaj, I lost my Lord Nrsimhadeva ring. I want to buy one Lord Srimadeva and wear it in your memory. Do that. So this is the ring. You know, I feel this ashtadatu ring of Lord Narasimhadeva, I feel Gopal Krishna Maharaj is with me. You know, when I morning when I get up, I remember my Radha Govinda deities, see them, then see Lord Narasimhadeva, my Guru Maharaj. Now I should remember Gopal Krishna Maharaj all the time as long as the ring is there on me. So, so wonderful. Bhagavatam says, Sadhichino hi hayam loke, panta kshema akutabhaya, susila shadavyatra narayana parayana. One's life becomes very auspicious in this inauspicious world. One's life becomes very wonderful without any fear in this fearful world.

How?

Sadhichino hi hayam loke, panta kshema akutabhaya. Sushila sadhavyatra narayana parayana ha. By taking the association of a sadhu like Gopal Krishna Maharaj, a sadhu, sushila, simple, very sweet, not complicated, very simple and very sweet, not complicated. He is a sadhu, you know, and sweetly he can remove the anarthas. Sushila sadhavyatra, because always they are Krishna conscious. Narayana parayana ha. So when we take association of this kind of wonderful devotees, our life becomes very auspicious and akutabhaya, free from fear. That is Gopal Krishna Maharaj. We all should take the association of Gopal Krishna Maharaj through his Vāni. Not that he is not there, he is there. Even now he is present. Because he is such a loving person, you think he will leave us? He is there, he is not there. Achintya-beda-beda tattva. Is there with us. So we follow in his footsteps and serve Srila Prabhupada's movement nicely. Thank you so much. Hare Krishna.

I will be brief since it's very late and many other devotees have to speak. Yesterday I was mentioning to some devotees that there are devotees and devotees— sorry?

PRASAD RAVAL.

So I was just mentioning yesterday to a few devotees that there are devotees and devotees, and then there is Gopal Krishna Maharaj, a very unique personality. And a wonderful example for many of us in many different ways. Too many ways to be able to recount here in the short time that we have at our disposal. A tireless servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda, completely determined to pursue whatever was helpful for that service. He was always mobile, one day here, another day in a completely different part of the world, and he went on and on and on. And from what I remember, it is only in the last few months that I have seen him slow down even a little bit, and even then not that much. He still came for the bureau meetings, he was still participating in the meetings, still active meeting other devotees. So very wonderful example for everyone. His presence lent a lot of stability to the Indian Yatra, it lent unity to many different places. His ever willingness to be of service in any part of the world, if ISKCON so desired it or so needed it, is also an example for all of us. I think his presence will be sorely missed by all of us, regardless of the degree to which we have come in contact with him. His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja ki jai. Gaur Prema Anande.

Hare Hare. Thank you, Mahārāja. Dayaramprabhu. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Vāṇchakal patrū bheṣṭhakrūpās indubhāyevacchau. Patitāṇām pavanaibhyo veshnubhibhyo namo namaḥ. Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare. Hare Ram, Hare Ram, Ram, Ram, Hare Hare. His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj ki chai. So Surdas Prabhu reminded me my first meeting with Maharaj. I was not in chaddis, I was in full pants. Me, Madhu Pandit, Mahasundar, and Jagadchandra. Radha Charan probably. 5 of us from Hostel 4 of IIT Bombay, we visiting temple and of course we met Giriraj Maharaj, Siddhartha Maharaj and also Gopal Krishna Maharaj. But that time the person in charge, that was Dzonglacharya system was there. So the lacharya for Jew temple. That was Kṛṭananda Swāmī. So he was shown to us as the guru or the ācārya of ISKCON. So we met with him. So my memories of Gopalakṛṣṇa Mahārāja are not that strong of that time, but I remember one incident. Basu Gosvāmī was that time very fired up brahmachari in Jihū Temple. He is not here. So we are sitting and he was telling us to Drop out, don't complete your education and join ISKCON immediately. That was the mood that time. Now it's changed thanks to our Pune president, Radhe Shyam Prabhu, and it's good. But that time it was not like that. And if you don't join, then you know something is wrong with you. You have not understood the philosophy. So Gopal Krishna Maharaj came to our rescue. That I remember. He came and told Vāsudeva Gosvāmī, "Don't disturb them. Don't scare them." And he said so strongly, although he is a very soft person, Vāsudeva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda didn't disturb us after that. Nor did Yashomodinānanda Prabhupāda. So that's my memory. And after that, zonal ācārya system was there, so I went to Māyāpur. And some interactions, but not really deep. But then in '99, when the GBC expelled Adridharan Das, the president of Calcutta Temple, and I was in Mayapur that time, and Madhu Pandit and others from ISKCON, although Gopal Krishna Maharaj is not a person who likes to fight, he likes to make, you know, some kind of a settlement, he likes to get everybody with him. He is against, so he was not in favor of this fight. But it, you know, he tried also. He came to Calcutta. He was begging in front of me. I was not interested in taking up the fight on behalf of GBC, although I was told, because I felt that there is some— they have got some point about Guru issue, and I still feel that way. So I was not But then I was with Maharaj and we went to— he took me with him to meet Adiudaran and he was begging them literally on his knees, "Please don't file the case. Don't file the case." And they were not treating him nicely and that really affected my heart. I told Maharaj, you know, "Don't let them humiliate you. If problem comes, I'll fight the case. This is where me and Maharaj's bond started growing. And then he was there to help me in every possible way. Although he was not zonal secretary of Kolkata or Mayapur that time, he failed— and he was not in favor of their expulsion. But if once this decision was made, he was there to defend it, although he was not very happy with it. And he tried to make a settlement, it did not work out. Then he felt that it is duty to protect GBC and ISKCON. And I remember he called me, said, I'm going to go to get admitted in the hospital. He had some operation that time in 2000 or 2001, gallbladder or some operation. He was going to be taken to operation theater. So he's on the stretcher and he calls me. I said, Maharaj, why are you calling me? He said, no, no, please go and speak to Shaktinath Mukherjee. I said, Maharaj, don't worry, I have spoken to him. He doesn't even know who Shaktinath Mukherjee is. I only told him that he's a top-notch lawyer in Calcutta High Court. No, no, you please speak to him and make sure he comes there in time, you know. I said, Maharaj, I'm taking care, you don't take, relax, let your operation go peacefully. Up to last minute he was calling and after operation is over he called me back again. So I found this tremendous sense of responsibility in him which I see unfortunately lacking in most of the leaders of ISKCON. One of the qualities of Gopal Krishna Maharaj which really impressed me. Then after that When we got the temple back, it was little dicey because the order was only interim injunction. We were in Kalkata temple and I think I was there and my wife called Maharaj and he was laughing and he was so happy. So he said he wanted to come. I said, Maharaj, don't come, it's still, you know, dicey. He said, no, no, I must come. I must come and visit. And he came. Before any other leader of G.B.C., Maharaj is the first one to come to Calcutta. I mean, we are still in daisya situation. He met with all the devotees, he encouraged them, no, you should work. Even those who were with Adiudhara and Prabhu, he preached to them, you stay back with ISKCON, you know, whatever problems we resolve. Very nice, very— not that I have won now, I smash you. No mood at all. The mood was all right. Things you have done wrong, now you come and be with us. So, and then his trust in me, I think, grew after, because in between there was some problem and we got arrested and he got very angry with me. Why you did this? Why you, without court order, why you entered? Me and along, me plus 50, 60 dudes got arrested and put in jail in Calcutta. So he called, he was very upset. Why you did this? Why you didn't take my permission? I said, 'Maharaj, I can't take your permission for every small thing I do.' Then, 'You can't win the fight, otherwise you come and fight.' I am not interested, I have no fight with him. 'No, no, no, no, you fight.' I said, 'Maharaj, you have to give me some freedom if you want me to fight. You are a chairman, I respect you.' That time I was not a bureau member. But if you want me to fight, I have to have certain freedom. And then we won, then he came. After that we won the case, then he came. Then after that his faith in me increased. Every time he had any issues about legal, he would call me. And even if he had some opinion and if I give contrary opinion, he would respect my opinion more than his own opinion. That I have experienced throughout the time. Even in Bangalore case, although he's not a zonal secretary of Bangalore, he was not responsible for the issues we have in Bangalore or even Calcutta for that. But he is one bureau member or one GBC leader among all who felt the most responsibility for both. Anytime I have any issues, whether it's requirement of funds or any other support, I only would call him, nobody else. You know, so apart from chairman being lost, as somebody said, it's also somebody who's like Harikeswara stood behind me in getting land in Mayapur. Gopalakrishna Maharaj, some, not exactly the same, but somewhat that role he played in the legal issues facing ISKCON India. Other quality which I was really most impressed with about Gopal Krishna Maharaj is his sense of responsibility for whole of India, not just for his own. I'll give two examples, not to undermine others, but to show the person for which I got extremely touched and impressed was Mayapur. There was a big problem, big uprising against GBC took place. It's a big long story and GBC members had to run away from Mayapur and I was not involved in Mayapur. I had my own problems with GBC so I was in Calcutta. So everybody called me to come to Mayapur. So I came and then we tried to solve the problem. And you can't solve problem in one day. It takes you months and months, you know, to get it resolved. So we made some decisions together. The bureau made decision how to resolve the problem. And after one make a resolution, it is most difficult to implement it. You know, that has to be kept in mind. We have to implement that resolution. So he told me to stay back and, you know, help get it done. So I and Maharaj were there. No other zonal secretary of Mayapur would come for that meeting. Continuously meeting and meeting with devotees, meeting among ourselves. They came, they left. For Japa Takam Maharaj, health was not good, but other two zonal secretaries were not always there. Gopal Krishna Maharaj did not leave Mayapur for almost month and a half or two months till the problem was completely solved. The peace was completely established. And he asked me, "You think now we are safe? All the properties are safe? Deputies are okay? Can I go?" I say, "Maharaj, definitely." And I keep telling everybody, this quality leadership lack. Hyderabad, another problem in Hyderabad. Maharaj is not zonal secretary of Hyderabad. He has no involvement in Hyderabad. Problem came. Big problem, fights literally coming in the media, going to the police. No zonal secretary of Hyderabad came. Maharaj went there personally. He sat there, tried to speak to all concerned parties, put in all his efforts to resolve. So person's, these qualities, these acts inspires respect and confidence. So all his disciples, followers, devotees, bureau members, GBC members, I would humbly request this shining example of Maharaja, filling responsibility, applying himself. He may not be very charismatic like some other G.B.C. members. It's a fact. But his commitment, his steadfast desire and dedication to get the problem solved and keep ISKCON safe is worth illuminating for every devotee of ISKCON from top to bottom. With this, I close my offering. I have many other things to say, but our chairman of this program has told us not to take time. So thank you very much. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to His Holiness Gopalakrishna Mahārāja.

Thank you, Dayaram Prabhu.

Now, Gauranga Prabhuji.

Hare Krishna. Hizorenaz Gopal Krishna Gosvami Maharaj ki— there are leaders who have integrity and therefore they are very inspirational. There are devotees or leaders who are very influential because they have clarity. But there are very few leaders who are truly impactful because they have both integrity in their personal character and clarity in their vision for what they want their followers to do. And I consider His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj to be such an impactful leader who has both integrity and clarity. In terms of his personal practices, I think the whole of ISKCON should look up to him as a shining example of demonstrating faith and dedication in the panchanga bhakti process given by Srila Rupa Goswami, whether chanting of the holy names or deep faith in Srila Prabhupada's words, sticking to Srila Prabhupada's bhaktivedanta purports in his own teachings and his personal life, especially because Delhi is so close to Vrindavan and over the years there has been always tendency of different devotees, to get attracted to various kinds of philosophies which may be little different from what Srila Prabhupada has taught us. But His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvami Maharaj has always stuck to the very, very strict line of Srila Prabhupada.

Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.

Krishna, Krishna, Hare Krishna.