Inauguration of the samadhi shrine of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj || Vrindavan

Please give pathway. We may ask you to move a little bit later.

Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Please accept Yes, please, please, all of you and our Gopakrishnamaraj, please, Krishna, Krishna, please know that your love for me has reached my heart and melted my heart many times. We feel greatly honored to come to this bittersweet ceremony. Yes, it is bitter because we put Maharaji into samadhi, but there is a sweet aspect. In this ceremony, which we might be able to recognize when we connect with the spirit that carried the activities of our beloved Gopalakrishna Maharaj. Even the Prime Minister of India and the President and so many were just totally overwhelmed by the many achievements which Maharaj has attained in spreading Krishna consciousness. I think we all have read their messages when they heard the news. Of the sudden departure of our Maharaj. He built 12 temples in Delhi. His last showpiece to the world is the Rohini Temple. You, you please visit. It is amazing. And our Guru Prasad Maharaj has informed us about many more projects and pending projects which just— I mean, if you hear them all, you either become envious if you're a materialistic person, or you faint. In appreciation when you are a devotee. So it is really amazing. But what is the spirit behind it? How could he do it? This is the question, and this should be applauded more than the outward How it is outward manifestations of the spirit. When we look at Śrīla Prabhupāda's worldwide achievements, what is the spirit behind it? It was his desire to serve his own spiritual master. And his entire, complete surrender to that mission. This spirit, my dear devotees, has informed Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja as well. When we think of Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja, we must remember His— I'm sorry, this is made in India and not made in Germany. We must see the spirit of loving surrender. The last time I met Gopakrishna Maharaj, was in the Rohini Temple. It was almost completed. It must have— Krishna, Krishna, Krishna. It is cutting. Krishna, Krishna, Krishna. We will try and somehow, you know, so I would like to read something. Krishna Krishna. Maybe we should have a small microphone, you know. So let us again bring our attention to the point which is, which we try to make. It is the spirit of a man which is the source of all his achievements. This is also something that the person leaves behind for others to follow. Maybe if we can learn this idea of surrender to the, surrender to the mission of the spiritual master and surrender to that mission, then also Krishna can do things through us because we are His willing instruments. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī ṭhākura once gave an exceptionally well-received lecture, and when he came off the stage, one of his leading disciples said, Guru Mahārāja, this was the best lecture. There were high court judges who were nodding in agreement as you spoke. And Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur's comment was, "Gobha Ganesh." What is a Gobha Ganesh? A Gobha Ganesh is a Ganesh made from cow dung, which is used during a specific time when and then he is worshipped as Ganesh and gives the blessings of Ganesh. And after some time, the Goba Ganesh is put into a river or a sea. This idea, Goba Ganesh, is very nice. A human being can actually become divinely inspired and able to do amazing things if he is putting himself into the position where Krishna hears his prayer. Whose prayer does Krishna listen to? It is the prayer of someone who practices The process of śrīdhana-gati. Śrīdhana means shelter and gati means to move. So śrīdhana-gati Vaiṣṇava is someone who, in whatever he does, moves to the shelter of the Lord. Once I asked Gopalakrishna Maharaj, how do you do all this? I mean, 12 temples in— or was it 20 temples in Delhi and Kurukshetra and Russia and here? And he said, I'm not doing anything, it's all Prabhupada. Who's doing it? And yes, you are. Yes, these are keywords in our movement. And do you, but do you think also before when you clap? You must think also, not just clap. So the idea is, in Russia I saw him and we just opened a temple under his care in our Maharaj from Russia's Vladivostok or some esoteric name was there. And then it came time to sleep, and Gopakrishna Maharaj lies down on the floor. He is the founder of the temple. I hope Vladivostok or Novosibirsk or— please, I cannot remember these names so clearly. Every morning, do you know this, he got up to attend Mangal Arati and do the Arati. I think you all know. What drove him to get up? What kept him humble with all these achievements, prime ministers, glorifying him. It was this spirit of surrender. And it is someone who has achieved this spirit of surrender, when he leaves, yes, it is bitter for us, but it is sweet for him, because he goes now to the Lord whom he has served all this time. I will read you at the end a very nice, let me see, yes, song from Śrīla Bhaktivedānta Nāthaḥ. Yes, if you can. It is called Ātmānivedana. Ātmānivedana.

Sing.

Ātmānivedana.

Tu apa dekori, tu apa dekori, hoyinu paramasuki, hoyinu paramasuki. I have submitted my soul at your feet. This is the song of the surrendered soul. I am supremely elated. 'Elated' means happy. 'Sorrow is banished and no anxieties remain. I see only bliss in the four directions. Bliss from east, bliss, bliss from south, bliss from west, bliss from north.' Only happiness. Your two lotus feet are reservoirs of nectar that give freedom from lamentation and fear. Now by taking refuge of them, I have given up the fear of worldly existence. Today we celebrate His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj. Let us not stop our vision or halt our vision at his amazing achievements. Let us go behind the achievements and see what has driven him, what was behind it. It's this mood of absolute surrender, which Krishna takes very serious, and as a result, he answers the prayers of such a soul. It is now a great possibility, opportunity for all of us, disciples, Godbrothers, admirers, to catch this spirit and take it with them, with us, from this wonderful, beautiful life of His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj. Gopalakrishna Maharaj ki jai. Thank you. Hare Krishna.

Just a second, Your Holiness. I have a book here that was compiled by Mother Radhika Kripa and entitled Memoirs with My Spiritual Father. This is like a series of documented letters and instructions and photos— that was long, long time ago and just recently with Mataji and the devotees. So as a token of our appreciation to all the devotees, especially Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples here, we'll be giving this nice gift for them. On behalf, Gurumāhāj, name their group. Wherever I travel all over the world, I will meet a member of this group that is being conducted by Radha Kripa Mataji. Peaceful Devotional Family. Guru Mahārāja named this group as Peaceful Devotional Family. So this is for you, Mahārāja.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hare Kṛṣṇa. Thank you.

Guru Paśātmārāja.

Yes, we will give. One by one. Thank you. And now I would like to have you to have darshan of Gornitai deities.

You can take hand like this.

Yeah, we'll put them near the altar here. Yes, you can show them.

What are they?

Yeah, they're very special because we used to worship this deities in our, used to be the Balaram Hall. Yes. And the brahmacharis, especially the sankirtan devotees headed by His Holiness Prabhupada Sarasvati Swami, we used to have there hundreds of shilas and Gaur Nitai deities. Our gurumas, significance of this is that our Guru Maharaj a little bit in the middle, Maharaj, gave his personal gold chain to make these deities as part of the Ashtadattu. So very significant, very, very valuable deities that Guru Mahārāj gave his personal gold chain to make the deities. And somehow Nandanandan Prabhu, right here, our dear friend. He had the fortune and his family to be having them to be worshiped. Thank you, Nandanandan Prabhu. And some of the shilas also. So thank you, Maharaj. We'll put them over there so at the same time you can have darshan. And next, Would like to request His Holiness Indrajuna Swami. Thank you, Maharaj.

Thank you.

His Holiness Achinanda Swami is very famous, especially in seminars, retreats, and I'm sure there'll be one upcoming this coming November and December in Govardhan Retreat Center in Govardhan. And the next speaker here, His Holiness Indrajuna Swami. I'm sure all of us know him. He's traveling monk, the traveling monk. He travels all over the world, especially big, big festivals all over the world in Poland and Hare Krishna everywhere. You can sit, Maharaj.

If this goes that far. Oh, the lights are bright. Om Agyan Simhadandas Yat, Yat Anjat, Shalakaya, Chak Sunimilitam, Jainatas Mai, Si, Guraveena Maha. Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare.

Technical issue here.

Right there.

Oh, Hare Krishna.

Vanchakalpa turubhyas cha kripasya nubhayi bachau patita nam pavane bhyo vaishnava bhemya namahana maha. At the beginning of this illustrious program, our master of ceremonies, Janardana Maharaj, mentioned that His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj passed away in May. So I counted, that's 6 months from now. And I think it's worthy to mention that his disciples were able to prepare a beautiful edifice, a very beautiful samadhi mandir in that short period of time, so that as Godbrothers, as disciples, friends, and well-wishers of Maharaj, we can go and offer our respects to him, not only on this occasion, but anytime that feeling comes. It's appropriate for those of us who are his Godbrothers to be to be present at such a ceremony, to also visit that Samadhi Mandir from time to time, because we all stand in awe at his great achievements, as will be mentioned many times in this ceremony. And it's appropriate. Śrīpālaḍa, Mahārāja in the Bhāgavatam, 7th canto, goes so far as to say that he sees his elder godbrothers as worshipable, even to the point of seeing them as non-different than the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the sense of being the representative. I'll actually quote that verse here. This is Śrīmad-Bhāgavat-saṁma 4, 7th canto, 4th chapter, verses 31 and 32. Prasad Maharaja, the son of Iranikashipu, are described herewith. He was completely cultured as a qualified Brahmin, having very good character and being determined to understand the Absolute Truth. He had full control of his senses and mind. Like the Super Soul, he was kind to every living entity and was the best friend of everyone. To respectable persons he acted exactly exactly like a menial servant. To the poor, he was like a father. To his equals, he was attached like a sympathetic brother, and he considered his teachers, spiritual masters, and older godbrothers to be as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was completely free from unnatural pride that might have arisen from his good wishes and his education, etc. So I sit here in that mood Today, respecting Gopakrishna Maharaj as my elder godbrother and with great awe and reverence, I bow down to his lotus feet. Sitting here, I perceive a deep sense of separation amongst his disciples, especially his godbrothers, his friends, well-wishers, and I think that that mood of separation will stay with us the rest of our lives. I saw that in my own spiritual master, Śrīla Prabhupāda, our Founder-Ācārya. When he came to Detroit in 1971, he was visiting our temple for 3 or 4 days, and when he left, I ran upstairs as he was getting in the car, and I Wrote a quick letter to him thanking him for coming, etc. And I had, to my name, I had $10, so I put in the envelope and I wrote a letter of thanks. And at the end I said, "P.S., Srila Prabhupada, I'm missing you. I will miss you greatly." So one week later, a handwritten letter from Prabhupada came in the mail and it was addressed to Bhakta Brian. That was me. So in those days when a letter came from Śrīla Prabhupāda to the temple, the person who received the letter would stand amongst the community of devotees and read it out loud. Sometimes it could be embarrassing, sometimes it was really interesting. But anyway, Prabhupāda wrote, "My dear Bhakta Brian, please accept my blessings. I'm in due receipt of your letter dated such and such, and I have information from the temple authorities that you're doing nice in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So continue to chant your 16 rounds, follow the four Vaiṣṇava principles, always engage in sharing your good fortune with others, and in due course of time I'll grant you initiation. I'd only been in the movement a few months. Your ever well-wisher, A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī. And then there was a postscript. P.S. means postscript. I don't I don't know how often Prabhupada did the postscript, but it said, "I can appreciate your feelings of separation because I'm always feeling separation from my Guru Mahārāja, but I always feel that he's watching over and protecting me." So that letter gave me, I mean, at that time it was so relishable to hear that he'd accept me as his disciple, and I was interested to hear that after so many years, Prabhupada was feeling intense separation from his guru maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvatita Thakura. But the last part was very significant. But I always feel that he's watching over and protecting me. And that became a great solace for me when years later Prabhupada left this world. As the disciples of Gopal Krishna Maharaja are experiencing, other disciples in the movement now, their spiritual masters are departing. It's a solace to think, as Prabhupada wrote, that the spiritual master is always watching over and protecting us. So that mood is here. As my dear godbrother Sacinandana Swami was saying, it's a mixed mood. Our loss is some devotee somewhere a source of great happiness. If Maharaja has gone on in his service to Śrīla Prabhupada, either in this world on Prabhupada's request or in the spiritual world. It's all good fortune, but it's a loss for us, but our loss is another group of devotees' happiness. But we'll continue to feel this mood because it's very much the mood of our Gaudiya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, our philosophy. I was thinking that in this regard, this mood of vipralumbha, we talk about it in a very exalted way because we always We think of it in the relationship to the residents of Vrindavan who have the deepest love for Krishna. They love Krishna more than anyone's ever been loved before. So as much as you're attached to something, when you lose it to that degree, you feel the separation. So the separation of the residents of Vrindavan from Krishna is very, very deep. And that hopefully one day we'll enter into that abode and experience it. Experienced that. So he's thinking there's three types of separation to those things that are most dear to us. What is most dear to us? Those personalities who are the source of all our good fortune. Hari, Guru, and Vaishnava. This is our good fortune. This is the source. We have no qualifications. Devotee doesn't feel qualified. We're simply products of their mercy. So, Hadi, Guru, and Vaishnava. And we feel separation in those relationships. To begin with, Vaishnavas, we know Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked Ramananda Roy of all kinds of distress, what's the most painful? And Ramananda Roy replied, apart from separation from the devotee of Krishna, I know of no unbearable unhappiness. So So even at our infancy of spiritual life, we're getting a taste of separation. It's very much part of our culture. And then when the guru departs, hari-guru, the guru departs, we feel another type of separation. And that we can capture in Śrīla Prabhupāda's vyāsapūja offering to his own beloved guru Mahārāja in 1971. It's quite a long beautiful poem that Prabhupada wrote. But there he writes, "On that day, in pain of separation, O Lord, I was grief-stricken, unable to tolerate being apart from my spiritual master." So Vaishnava, departing of the Vaishnavas we feel, departing of the guru. And one day the prospect of Krishna's leaving us will also be before us. And that's also mood of separation. Oh Govinda, feeling your separation, I'm considering a moment to be like 12 years or more. Tears are flowing from my eyes like torrents of rain. I'm feeling all vacant in the world in your absence. Of course, the underlying theme is that separation makes the heart grow fonder. And in all cases, there's sambhog, there's again reunion. We see in Bhāgavatam, that the devotee who's going through all these different stages of Krishna consciousness, going through the different planetary systems, Vaikuntha, etc., all along the way, at different times, appropriate time, he again meets the spiritual master. And we will all be together one day, the Vaiṣṇavas, the guru, and eventually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, because Prabhupāda said so. He said so. He famously said one time, "When we get back to the spiritual world, we'll have our ISKCON. We'll have our little Gana, our little group, International Society for Krishna Consciousness." And most recently I met one of my dear godbrothers, Dhananjaya Prabhu, did so much service in this movement, personal secretary of Prabhupāda. And he told me in a moment of intimacy that Prabhupada told him in a moment of intimacy that when we get back to the spiritual world, we'll recognize each other. I kind of went, could you repeat that? He said, Prabhupada told me when we get back to the spiritual world, we'll recognize each other. That gave me so much solace. You know, kadamba kanana maraj and bhaktisvarup dhamanara maraj, TK, Gī, Viṣṇū-jana, all these personalities who made me whatever devotee I am now by their association, I'll see them again. And then Prabhupāda said, "And I'll also be there." But he said, "You won't see me like this, an old man." And Dhananjaya said, "How?" Prabhupāda said, "I'll be a little boy." So this is the theme of this vipralambha. There's vipralambha, but there's sambhoga. There's always separation. So even in the infancy of our spiritual life, we were beginning to experience it. Just like when a baby is born, first there's the mother's milk, then there's some pudding, and at 6 months he gets the grains. So even at this stage, we're being trained in these higher principles of Krishna consciousness. So There's ways to deal with the separation. Just like again, we can use the exalted example of the gopis at Vrindavan. When Krishna left, Krishna Maharaja left, Akura took them to Mathura. The only way they could handle that separation was talking about Krishna and even reliving some of his pastimes, remembering him, remembering his name, fame, glory, etc.

Exploits.

So it's the same when the guru passes away. How much time do we all spend remembering Prasad RAVAL's life in Vrindavan and going to the West and 12 years of circling the globe? It's one of the favorite subject matters of devotees in Krishna consciousness. In fact, sometimes I ask devotees, what's your favorite shastra? Some will say Bhagavatam. Some will say, "Chetanya-caritāmṛta." The other day I asked a godbrother, "What is your favorite śāstra?" He said, "Śrīla Prabhupāda-līlāmṛta." My heart fluttered a little bit. This is correct. This is how we advance in Kṛṣṇa-kāna. Everything's Prabhupāda's mercy. So I thought today, I don't want to take too much more time, but I thought rather than giving my meager realizations and understandings of this illustrious personality, Gopalakrishna Maharaj. What can I say? Just like, I think the greatest title a devotee can have in the international society for Krishna consciousness, that he was a Prabhupada man. Gopalakrishna Maharaj is Prabhupada man. That's all you need. No big titles, this, that. He's a Prabhupada man. Just like I saw one time in Prabhupada's passport. We were passing through immigration in New York, and I was with Prabhupada taking the flight from New York to London. We got to immigration, and Prabhupada was having trouble suitcase. So I helped him, and then I saw his passport. I took it out, and I opened it up to give it to the officer. And his name was there. He said his home address, he just wrote Vrindavan. And occupation, occupation, you know, personal, right? You know, I'm CEO of this business company, or I'm a famous Prabhupada occupation, servant of Om Vishnu Pad Paramahamsa He was also a Prabhupada man because he saw his spiritual master as Prabhupada. Prabhupada means the master at whose feet all masters. So we're all Prabhupada men and ladies. That is our greatest fortune. So I thought, let me just read a little bit about how Prabhupada saw Gopalakrishna Maharaj. We have our ways of seeing him as his disciples and compatriots and friends and well-wishers. It's all very wonderful, but who could know him better than Śrīla Prabhupāda? Many devotees, Prabhupāda disciples, will tell you that when they sometimes they came in contact with Prabhupāda and Prabhupāda looked at them, it was as if Prabhupāda was looking directly into their hearts. It could be a little bit uncomfortable. Actually, We felt this. Prabhupada looked at us and he knows me better than I know myself. So I just want to make a few quotes to see how Prabhupada saw this amazing devotee, his beloved son, Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja. We know that he came in contact with Kṛṣṇa consciousness in 1967. Many are called, but few are chosen. He came very early while he was working in Montreal. And one day he visited the temple there, but when he left, he wrote his name in the visitor book. So the temple kept writing to him for donations because he was 27 years old working in the country like that. About a year later, he got a letter from the temple in Montreal that Prabhupāda was going to visit the Toronto temple. So Gopal Krishna Mārāja, at that time his name His name was Gopal. Just Gopal. He went and first thing he did when he entered the temple is he said, "Can I do some service?" So they had him clean Prabhupada's room. He was also in the kitchen and doing various services. Anyway, to make a long story short, Prabhupada came to Toronto that visit and he stayed 3 months in the temple. And during that time, he noticed Gopal. And he actually said one time to the temple president, "This Gopal is a very nice boy and he must be encouraged." He could see from the very beginning the potential of this wonderful devotee. So during that time, Prabhupada stayed 3 months, he exchanged letters with Gopal. 3 letters a month for 3 months. That's 9 letters. 9 times they communicated from the very beginning. I was told Prabhupada said one time, when the spirit, as a spiritual master travels life after life in this world preaching Krishna consciousness, he has a contingent of servants, of disciples, both men and women, who accompany him birth after birth after birth. So when I think of Gopal Krishna Maharaj, I think surely he's one of those disciples who's was always with Prabhupada. And he was, he was called at the opportune moment, just like my godbrother Tamal Krishna Maharaj. He was doing fantastic preaching, but Prabhupada felt there was a more important service. We took him from America and brought him here to India. So it's up to the discretion of the spiritual master and when, where, and how we serve. So when my illustrious godsisters, my illustrious godbrothers depart, it's painful, but I'm thinking Prabhupada has a mission somewhere else for them, either in this world or in that world. But one day we'll all be together again. So he saw this in Maharaj. It's a very nice boy, he must be encouraged. So I'll just read two letters he wrote to him during those months, which were a prelude to an amazing career in Krishna consciousness. Dear Gopal, I beg to announce I have a copy in my knowledge receipt of your two letters dated June 7th and June 16th, 1969, and I have noted the contents. I received your presents, a pair of shoes, a bar of soap, and I thank you very much. Please go on with your prescribed duty of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and be happy. I have seen you are a very intelligent boy and faithful to your parents and to dharma. Certainly Kṛṣṇa will be very much pleased upon you as time goes on. Wow. Another letter Papā wrote: Dear Gopāl Kṛṣṇa, please have my blessings. Yes, you can always send me your very long letters. It is very pleasing to me to hear how you are revealing your mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And I'm very glad you want to chant 16 rounds rounds of Hare Krishna mantra every day. But you should do also at the same time follow the principles, avoid the 10 kinds of offenses. It will be quickly effective. I'm very glad to learn that you have vowed to follow these 4 principles as far as you can in your lifetime. And because you are so sincerely trying to push yourself in the matter of Krishna consciousness, Krishna is giving you more and more intelligence also. And you were thinking in so many ways in the matter of serving the Lord here, there, and everywhere. I'm very glad to see that.

Wow.

Another letter: Dear Gopal, you are returning to India by August of 1970. Do you think that you, uh, will not come back again to Canada? If so, I shall give you some work in which you can nicely perform services there in India, informing them about about this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement in Western countries. The best thing is in this age to propagate the sankirtana movement. So I should be very glad to utilize your energy in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, because I can see you are a most willing volunteer. Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja, gīḥ zaṅgh. May Kṛṣṇa bless you with more and more Kṛṣṇa conscious activities And may you feel a glorious life. May you feel a glorious life by Kṛṣṇa's grace. I wish that all your good desires— So he was getting a lot of mercy in the very beginning because Prabhupāda could see his propensity. In conclusion, one time Prabhupāda said, "I was successful because in the beginning Kṛṣṇa sent me a few good boys and girls." Hare Krishna. Thank you very much.

Thank you, His Holiness. Would like to request the devotees who will be speaking in the next 1 hour and 15 minutes to be very brief because there are many devotees here. I'm sure they would like to speak and we will call you. However, again, would like to request to be very brief so that we'll be able to accommodate as many devotees as possible glorifying our Guru Mahārāja. Is Mother Daivashakti here? She was just here. Where is she now? Mother Daivashakti, is she there? Okay, oh, she walk outside? Okay, so we'd like to call upon Vaisāśika Prabhu, our book distribution minister in ISKCON. He's the guiding force and lots of books that, uh, Badrapurnima, Simhad Bhagavatam book distribution. He was the pioneer of that one. And with, uh, I just want to let you know also that, uh, Badrapurnima, 5,000, over 5,000 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams distributed by the disciples of Guru Mahājānana in North America. That's a great, great achievement. Would you like to sit down? Would you like to sit here?

I offer my respectful obeisances to His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj, to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, His Divine Master, and to all the assembled devotees. Vāñjā-kalpataru-śrī Kṛṣṇa-nubhiye viciḥ, hṛṭitānaṁ pāvanibho vaishnavebhyo namo'namah. In the second canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the caturśloki section, Śrīla Prabhupāda Prabhupāda writes that the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a manifestation of His internal potency, and it is by that particular potency that one comes to see the Lord face to face. And Prabhupāda emphasized This method of remaining always connected to Kṛṣṇa, and that is one-pointed attention, vyavasaya atmakāha-bhūdhīr, eke hakūrṇaṇḍana, on the order of the spiritual master. His Holiness Gopal Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja to me exemplifies that instruction. Especially when I heard his final will and testament. I had to listen to it 3 times, and I thought, "Perfect, perfect, perfect." As Prabhupāda expressed himself, "Everything for Kṛṣṇa, nothing for me." But what Gopal Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja did carry with him was the potency that one carries when one has this mood that, "I'll give everything for my spiritual master. I'll endure any problem, suffering in the matter of carrying out the duty of my spiritual master is my greatest pleasure." And therefore, whenever He spoke or wherever He appeared, devotees felt the current of Kṛṣṇa coming through Guru-paramparā. And that's why wherever He cast His glance, wherever He spoke, devotees felt inclined to perform unusually enthusiastic service to Kṛṣṇa. And I'll give you one example. And also, it indicates the authority that one has when one carries the order of the spiritual master. And that is something that His Holiness Janardana Mahārāja just mentioned. This endeavor that we've all joined together for on every continent to distribute Śrīmad-Bhāgavatams in mass quantity. His Holiness Gopal Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja, in his last visit to North America in Naperville, Illinois, was greeted enthusiastically by the devotees. Devotees there who had pledged to him, "Dear Guru Mahārāja, we've come together and after great consideration amongst ourselves, we've decided that we would like to offer you the distribution or pledging for at least 400 sets of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." And Maharaj looked up at them and he said, "Why not 5,000?" And when they heard that, they felt that potent electricity from the Guru Parampara come from his lotus mouth into their hearts. And simultaneously they thought, I thought, "Well, now we have to do this." But then the next thought was, "Of course we can do it, even though we don't know how to do it, because Maharaj has spoken it." When I heard about this, I thought, "I would like to be in on it." Because anyone who hears an order is free to take it. I contacted His Holiness Janardana Maharaj. He was in the middle of the morning program here at Vrindavan. It was urgent because we had to make preparations to carry out or to assist the devotees who were to carry out this order, his sincere disciples, and When I called Janardan Maharaj, he said, "As soon as I get out of the kirtan, I'll call you." And he did. And I told him what was shaping up, and he immediately said, "Yes, of course we will do it. Yes, of course I will inform everyone that this is Maharaj's desire and that we must do it." And at that time again, I felt the potency of Maharaj, that he had inculcated in the hearts of his closest disciples, the same spirit of doing the right thing and knowing that it can be done by the order of Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master. We're already deeply missing His Holiness Gopalakṛṣṇa Mahārāja, but at the same time, the potency of his Words are still in the air, available for anyone to hold on to, to accept as the internal potency by which one will definitely be successful in devotional service and come to see the Lord face to face. His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj, ki jai.

Hare Krishna. Now I would like to ask His Holiness Giriraj Swami, is here amongst us, just now coming Just would like to remind you, our Guru Mahārāja says that you can measure one's advancement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from a devotee in how much he distribute books, how many books he distributed, and how many devotees he made. So our Guru Mahārāja is the personification of that. Devotee who made— was instrumental in distributing so many millions of books all over the world, Śrīla Prabhupāda's books. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

My dear devotees, please accept my humble obeisances. A glorious All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda and all glories to Śrīmad Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. My first vivid recollection of Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja is from 1973. I had heard about him, how he had studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and then at McGill University in Montreal. And then held responsible positions with Pepsi-Cola and Bristol-Myers, and how he would come to the New York temple every day and was so humble that he would go around the temple room and offer obeisances to all the spiritual paintings on the walls. So I had heard about him before I actually met him.

PRASAD RAVAL.

For some weeks in 1973, Śrīla Prabhupāda was staying at Seth Mogila Patel's palatial home in Walkeshwar, South Bombay, and Gopal Kṛṣṇa, visiting India, came to meet with him. I was struck by the way the two of them related with each other. Śrīla Prabhupāda dealt with him differently than he dealt with the rest of us disciples. I immediately understood that there was something special about Gopal Kṛṣṇa. 2 years later, Tamal Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī, who had been the G.B.C. for India, returned to America and began he began the Rādhā-Dāmodara Party, and Śrīla Prabhupāda asked Gopāla Kṛṣṇa to replace him. Śrīla Prabhupāda had told me that he had worked for a major international company and had his own private office and a car. I was meeting important people in Bombay, and Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to impress upon me Gopākṛṣṇa's competence and status. Soon after he arrived in Juho, he wanted to visit his mother who lived nearby in Santa Cruz, and he invited me to accompany him. Again, I was struck by his polite and gentle manner and how considerate and respectful he was with her. I was impressed. When most of us youths in Europe and America became devotees, it was hard for us to visit our parents because most of them did not understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness and were quite hostile to our becoming devotees.

Devotees.

So it was unusual, unique in fact, for me to see such warmth and mutual respect between a non-devotee, albeit Hindu parent, and a devotee child. Juhu was one of Śrīla Prabhupāda's main projects. And he faced many challenges there. First in getting the land, then in getting the permission to build the temple, and then in actually building the temple. And Gopākṛṣṇa and I, under Śrīla Prabhupāda's guidance, worked together to deal with them. We complemented each other and thus formed an effective team. We had our own individual approaches and strengths and weaknesses, but we were brought together and bound together by Śrīla Prabhupāda's love and mercy and by our common love for and surrender to His divine grace. We dealt with many challenges and intrigues together. I cannot count the times we went together to legal firms, accountants' offices, government departments, and social and political leaders' headquarters to get information and support for our efforts on Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrī Śrī Rādhārāsa on Hisa Bihari's behalf. And eventually, by their grace, things turned around in our favor, and we finally got the permission to build the temple and built it. Śrīla Prabhupāda said that ISKCON was His body, the BBT His heart, and the monies collected were his blood. And he entrusted the most important business of publishing and distributing his books in India to Gopal Krishna Maharaj. He was always asking him, "Where is book? Where is book?" And when he presented him with the new book, he felt great satisfaction in his heart. In 1977, at a most oppressive and repressive time in Soviet history, Gopalakrishna Maharaj brought Śrīla Prabhupāda's books behind the Iron Curtain, very intelligently and resourcefully introducing them through a book fair in Moscow. And just one day before Prabhupāda left this world, Prabhupāda asked for the certificate to read to his brothers, his godbrothers. Quote: Books in the Service of Peace and Progress, a diploma for the Bhakti Bhagavad-gītā Book Trust, Bombay, given by the First Moscow International Book Fair, USSR. How proud and pleased Śrīla Prabhupāda felt. Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja always had a tremendous capacity for managing and doing business. Yet at a certain point, a deep desire formed within his heart that he wanted to preach. In juhu, he kept talking about how he wanted to go out and give lectures, but he was so fully engaged with managerial duties, he hardly had time. Still, It was such a profound desire that eventually it was realized, especially after Śrīla Prabhupāda left. Especially after Śrīla Prabhupāda left, Gopalakṛṣṇa Mahārāja became one of the most enthusiastic and dynamic speakers of Kṛṣṇa-kathā in the movement. After Gopalakrishna Maharaj began to initiate, he was given the honorific Bhagavatpada. Bhagavat has two meanings: the book Bhagavat, Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, and the person Bhagavat, in particular for us Śrīla Prabhupāda. And pada means foot or or at the foot of. Gopalakrishna Maharaj was always at the feet of Śrīla Prabhupāda and was always engaged in the service of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam by publishing it and distributing it and by preaching it and living it.

PRASAD RAVAL.

Much has been said about Gopal Krishna Maharaj's many wonderful qualities and activities. His impeccable sadhana, his love for and service to his Deities, his care for devotees, especially his godbrothers, his expanding book distribution and developing major projects in India and throughout the the world, his cultivating and engaging important and influential people, his tireless traveling and extending himself for the sake of others, his resilience and perseverance in the face of physical illness and challenges, and his staunch and loyal dedication and enthusiastic loving service to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Although Gopāda Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja and I were both attached to Śrīla Prabhupāda and his mission, sometimes we had differences in our understandings or approaches. I tended to be more idealistic and rigid, and he more practical and flexible. So we had differences on the means, what would be the most effective or beneficial, but never on the ultimate goal: to please Śrīla Prabhupāda and spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja commented, "Giri Rāja and I are like a Vedic couple." We may have our differences, but there is no question of divorce. This statement is a testament to his dedication to Śrīla Prabhupāda and his kindness upon me that he tolerated me with all my faults for the sake of keeping me engaged in Śrīla Prabhupāda's service in Bombay. While working on my book about Śrīla Prabhupāda and Juhu, I'll Build You a Temple: The Juhu Story, we came even closer. Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja was kind enough to write a foreword for the book and to offer to encourage the temples in India to distribute it. And nowadays I often say Gopal Krishna Maharaj commented, quote, "Giriraj and I are like a Vedic couple. We may have differences, but there is no question of divorce." End quote. But now we are in love. On this auspicious occasion, I appeal, I appeal to all present, including myself, to imbibe Śrīpa Gosvāmī Mahārāja's spirit, to be prepared to make any sacrifice, go to any extreme, extreme and expend any amount of energy for the sake of serving Śrīla Prabhupāda and Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I'm very honored and humbled to have this opportunity to express some of my appreciation and affection for my dear godbrother. From the beginning, I saw exceptional good qualities in him, and by his service to our spiritual master, his good qualities multiplied and matured. He has been a beacon of light in this dark world of Kali-yuga. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kriṣṇe sadāma-pagataḥ Dharma janadhi-bhi saha, kalo nasta trishim eṣa puranarco tunodhita. Quote: This Bhāgavata Purāṇa is as brilliant as the sun, and it has arisen just after the departure of Lord Kṛṣṇa to His own abode, accompanied by religion, knowledge, etc. Persons who have lost their vision due to the dense darkness of ignorance in the age of Kali shall get light from this Purāṇa. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.43. On this occasion I pray that Gopal Krishna Maharaj and I will continue to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda together even after my leaving my present body. By Śrīla Prabhupāda's and Śrīla Gopal Krishna Maharaja's divine grace. Maharaj bless us all. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Thank you, Maharaj. I'd like to read an offering here from Mahadevi Mataji, and then would like to call upon His Holiness Radhanath Swami. He'll be followed by this Shri asked me to read this on her behalf. Please accept my humble obeisances, Prasada Raṣādhara Mahārāja. All glories to our eternal spiritual master Śrīla Prabhupāda, our ever-well-wisher. To all the assembled devotees, banchakal patarubyāśāki paśindubyāiva ca patitanam pavanebhyo. Vaisnava bhajana mouna maha. Gopal Krishna Maharaj, I feel so grateful and blessed to have had Your saintly association. Whenever I would hear from You, I always experienced the presence of Śrīla Prabhupāda. You always repeated the transcendental knowledge that Prabhupāda so kindly gave us in his books. You also knew how to enliven the assembled devotees by your words and exalted example of devotional service. Here is one of thousands of examples how you enliven all of us. Our gurūmahāds Prasad RAVAL says these following words, 18th of September, the year is unknown. The devotee is fearless like the wind because he knows that the mercy of Krishna will definitely protect him. He knows that the mercy of Krishna can be realized In proportion to the price that one is willing to pay, also based on the service that one renders, one obtains Krishna's protections, the plan to say, to the same degree. May I always follow in the footsteps of great spiritual warriors following Śrīla Prabhupāda, Your servant, with ISKCON Vrindavan Mahadevi Dasi. Jai Guru Mahārāja ke. Śrīla Prabhupāda ke. So now I would like to request His Holiness Rādhānāṭṣvāmī to please say a few words. This is blinding.

Namo 'Ātmanam Pavanebhyo Paishnavebhyo Namo 'Nāma. We have gathered in this most sacred abode of Śrī Vrīndāvana-dhāma to offer for our gratitude, our love, and our worship to Śrīla Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. There are so many who wish to speak. I'm only speaking a few words. Words and respect for you. His accomplishments are unprecedented, unparalleled, and historic. From the very beginning of his relation with Śrīla Prabhupāda in the 1960s, He gave his life and soul. Our beloved godbrother Prajumana Prabhu was in Montreal when he first started coming. He was the most highly educated come from, coming from the most respectful, respected culture, family of India, making a better salary than practically anyone in our movement, in a very professional management position, international corporation. And yet every day he would come to hear Śrīla Prabhupāda speak. He would give honor and obeisances to every devotee. And after everyone completed prasāda, practically every day he would go down to the pot room and wash the pots and plates. And from that time, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave very special attention, affection in him. He gave his heart, his life, his soul unconditionally to serve his Guru Mahārāja Śrīla Prabhupāda and to serve the entire Vaiṣṇava community in Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu's mission. How many magnificent temples he built. The most important temples in India, Mayapur, TOVP, Vrindavan, Radha Raspihari Temple, all the temples in Delhi and Gujarat, the temple in Kurukshetra. He's foundational. His inspiration, his dedication, his vision. As was said, his risking to establish Krishna consciousness consciousness and book distribution in the Soviet Union, to expand it in India, in all the world. As far as I know, anything Śrīla Prabhupāda ever asked from him, whatever the obstacles, whatever the challenges, He gave his life and soul to fulfill that instruction. And he never gave up. His last breath, he went to fulfill his obligation to the Vaiṣṇavas. He called a meeting and prasad raaval. Yet while doing what is extraordinary in every way, still he had such personal respect, affection for each devotee. And how we are seeing today how he has infused such faith, such inspiration, such dedication and surrender in his disciples, in his followers, and in so many devotees in our community throughout the world. By his profound words and the true love and dedication of his example. An ācārya is one who teaches by example. Vaiṣṣaṣika Prabhupāda is speaking vyāvaṣayatmakāpa, abudhir eke hakuru nānana. Śrīla Prabhupāda cited this verse from Bhāgavad-gītā and commentary of Viśvanātha Purvārtī ṭhākura. This means that one should make the instruction of the spiritual master one's life and soul. Unconditionally, unmotivated, very perfect and complete. Gopal Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja will live forever in our hearts and within the hearts of our movement as one. Who truly personified what Śrīla Prabhupāda considered the most sacred quality of a devotee, to make the order of guru life and soul. I've come here today to worship Śrīla Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja's lotus feet. With all the sincerity and gratitude that I have. And I pray for His blessings, which is Śrīla Prabhupāda and our Paramparā's blessings upon all of His followers. Thank you very much.

Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you, Maharaj. Thank you, Your Holiness. Uh, would like to thank everyone who just now came, and many more are still coming. As the— like to call upon Mother Lakshmi Mohini Mataji.

No?

Okay, so now I would like to call upon Bhīmāprabhu. Hare Kṛṣṇa. He's our present chairman of the VEB. On top of the temple day-to-day management, we call them the EC, Executive Committee. We are governed he was returned by the Vṛndāvana Executive Board. It's like the GPC for Vṛndāvana. And he's the newly in that position.

Hare Kṛṣṇa. Om agyāne tibhirāndaśya jñānanjana śalākaya. Cakṣur unmilitaṁ jena tasmai śrī-gurave namah. So, The saintly persons, they're decorated with so many qualities like tolerance, humility. And for many years I've worked with Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja. In the BBT, in Juhu, and in Vrindavan. So I think it's one of the testimonies of His tolerance that He tolerated me all these years. Almost 47 years we worked together. The other day, one of his disciples— we were coming back from— in the pastime of when Nārada Muni was describing to Maharaja Praścinnabharatiṣāṭ about the allegory story of King Praṣancana. And in one of the purports there is explained that when the spiritual master leaves, in the lives of the disciples it becomes chaos. So undoubtedly There will be difficult times in the absence of Gopalakrishna Maharaj, but the purport also explains that those disciples who understand the mission and who are— and try their best to follow, they will prevail in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So that's one thing.— the disciples can keep in mind. But also, Gopal Kṛṣṇa Mahārāja imbibed in all of his followers the importance of being in ISKCON and serving ISKCON and serving the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda. And that also is a kind of shelter for all of them. We see the love and affection that his godbrothers have for Gopalakrishna Maharaj, and that goes out to all of you also for your success in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

And that was—

that's Gopalakrishna Maharaj's main desire is that you all participate in the process of devotional service, serve the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda, and develop love for Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Thank you, Vīmaprabhu. We would like to call our president, His Grace Panchagoda Prabhu to say a few words. He's like our father here. He's like the glue that— I felt like the grandfather or great-grandfather. He's like the glue that puts us all together here. He is like an inspiration. We have been working for so many years now. Hare Krishna.

Gopal Krishna Maharaja keeja. So my respectful obeisance to all the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord. Vanchakalpa turubhyas cha kripas indubhyeva cha. Namo 'Ātitanam pavane bhyo vaishnave bhyo namo namaḥ. So being with Mahārāja and seeing his personal relationship with his devotees and how he sacrifices time, always gave time, and was very, very patient. And I thank him because he encouraged me to come and stay in Vrindāvana. That was in '93. So to have that privilege to come and serve in Śrī Vrindāvana and seeing how Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja was so caring to nurture all the devotees, to develop the projects. Just see how many projects have developed, not only in Delhi, but all over the world.

All over the world.

So this is wonderful that we can appreciate the shakti, the potency of Prabhupāda when he sees that someone wants to hear, someone wants to help with book publication and management throughout India. There was so much difficulty in establishing the International Society for Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And Śrīla Prabhupāda gave inspiration and encouragement even during difficult times. He said, "No, others cannot do like Gopal is doing, doing wonderful service in the form of printing books, inspiring devotees, and carrying out the mission of Caitanya Mahāprabhu." So we're all very thankful at anything and everything Everything that's prospering and developing in Vrindavan is due to his inspiration. He was always very concerned, very caring, and this is a wonderful Vaishnava quality. So I thank all the devotees for coming with their enthusiasm to glorify a most worthy and dedicated disciple of His Divine Grace. Gopal Krishna Maharaj, jaki.

Hare Krishna.

Thank you, Panchaguru Prabhu.

Only a few words.

Short and sweet. Would like to call upon His Holiness Lokanath Swami. I just want to let you know again, we're having 11:30 the abhishek. So approximately we only have like 40 minutes. So would like to request to be very brief. Be mindful, we have many more speakers. And we have our Guru Maharaj's book stall outside. Usually he doesn't like promoting his own books, but today is a special day, so we're doing it. Yes, 11:30, Abhishek. Here, Abhishek and Pushpanjali. And then around 11:50, we proceed towards the Gosala or the samadhis of the Vaisnavas. We'll do the last arthik over there. And around 12:30 or so, we'll proceed towards the temple. For Śrīla Gourkī ṣrīdas, Baba Jī Mahārāja's puṣpāñjali, as today is his disappearance day, tirubāb titi mahotsāb. Please be very brief. That's the mic. You want to stand up? It'll be quick then.

Hari Bhagavan, Hari Bhagavan.

Hardest task for me is to speak briefly. And then on the occasion of our Krishnamaharaj, Some are the inauguration celebrations, ke? It is even more difficult to speak. Anyway, I am not well and I don't know, there is some— from the time Maharaj has departed, My health is down. I don't know what the connection is, but, uh, I don't know, I should say this, or I had been debating, but let me The day I also attended the samadhi ceremony, months ago, I had a, or desire, well, will you could say, of if I am deserved to be put into samadhi. I was thinking of some other place, but the day Maharaj was put into samadhi, being there and all that, that day I changed my mind and I thought to be near Gopalakrishna Maharaj, next to Gopalakrishna Maharaj's samadhi forever. Well, such was The bond and relationship, brotherly, friendly, and we were not just being together, but we associated and We worked together for beginning with '74 till 2024, and I had association of all of you, my gaur brothers, gaur sisters, and I worked with all of you also, but, uh, I think I associated with Gopalakrishna Maharaj and worked with Gopalakrishna Maharaj more than anyone else. 'You do as I did,' Prabhupāda said. And he's also glaring example of who did as Prabhupāda did. 'You do as I did.' Book distribution is most pleasing to me, or Book distribution is preaching. That's preaching. And who could match Gopal Krishna Maharaj in that regard? All lifelong he was, he was trustee of BBT, publishing books of Prabhupāda, responsible for that one. And he inspired the whole world distributing Prabhupāda's books. And not just by the talks, but he walked the talks. He was personally be out there. I remember He used to bring me out there also to distribute books. This, this boy, a boy who will build more than 100 temples around the world. Prabhupada did call Maharaj to India and one other task task he was given was build a temple. For a long time there had been no new temple or big temple built in entire Delhi. You build it. I thought he— Prabhupada had asked him to build one temple, but he ended up building 18 temples. Who amongst us have built— well, not only 18 in Delhi NCR, but we just heard all over India, all over the world. Well, make devotees. Someone said the progress is measured in how many books distributed, how many temples opened, how many devotees made. And making devotees, Maharaj also as a leading leader who made so many devotees. And, well, I mean, he also made us devotee. So Maharaj was— there's one— there are two ways the age is measured, when it's called Vayovraddha, by years. How many years and who is older by how many more years. So Maharaj was certainly Vayovraddha for me. He was in his 80s and I have just crossed 75, He was older, but that's nothing. There's another way to really measure the age is called jnana vraddha, by knowledge and realization and responsibility-wise, who is more older. So, and that was Gopal Kṛṣṇa for me and for most of us. I think. So Maharaj was mashless, and when Caitanya Mahāprabhu had heard Gopī Gīt from— who was that king? King Pratāprudra during Rathayatra festival. So reciting and reciting as Pratāprudra rīṣṭhava-kathā-amṛtam tapta-jī-vanam ended with: bhūbhi-grhānanti bhūridā-janah. Those who share this kathā, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, with others. They are purida, they are magnanimous, they are magnanimous. And you have shared this Katha with me, or this Gīt with me. And Caitanya Mahāprabhu, while saying this, said, "I am very grateful to you." He did not even know who is this person reciting gopi-gītī, because his eyes had been closed. So, "I'm grateful to you. I want to give you something in return. But I'm just sannyāsi, renounced. I have nothing to give you. But if you do not mind saying this." Chaitanya Mahāprabhu gradually started getting up. And he said, "Could you please embrace, accept my embrace?" And by saying, he embraced King Pratāhara Rudra. I was thinking that Prabhupāda also would say, address Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, "You are būḍhida, you Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvām, you are būḍhida, you are magnanimous." You have shared Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness with so many, and I'm grateful. Śrīla Prabhupāda was always grateful. Hari, hari. And Prabhupāda would say, would you please accept my embrace, Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja? He must be keeping Gopākāśrīnivāraja in his tight embrace for all that he has done to the world, to his disciples, to all of us. So that example is before all of us, for all his disciples also. So let's continue Maharaj's legacy also. And let's, let's let you all double everything. Why 18 temples? Are you going to stop there? Double the number of temples. Double the number of books to be distributed. Double, triple, quadruple number of devotees made. And like that, I think that Doing that would be our offering unto Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So I, again, I'm confident that he is with us in spirit. How could he not be there when Kṛṣṇa's glories were being chanted by By gopis, Kṛṣṇa appeared. And so Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja is very much here. And who says the Ācāryas die? They never die. Those who think they die, are evil. Their thinking is sickness, that's an ill thought. So he is here and has continued to preach through us, through you!

Taur Prabhanandi!

Jāna maha-kṛṣṇa-gosvāmī maharaj ki—

With you Maharajs, with us still around we'll be able to do it. I would like to read An offering of glorification from His Holiness Jayapataka Swami. This was sent by His Holiness on this special occasion. Dear devotees, today we gather to honor the life and legacy of His Holiness Gopalakrishna Goswami Maharaj as we inaugurate his Samadhi. Maharaj was a pure ISKCON man, fully dedicated to Srila Prabhupada and his mission. Throughout his life, Maharaj served Srila Prabhupada in so many ways: as a G.B.C. member, chairman of the ISKCON India Bureau, and as a trustee of the M.V.T. and also B.B.T. He was member also of the BBT, BBT trustee. I have been fortunate to know Maharaj since 1969. Śrīla Prabhupāda personally appointed him as the G.B.C. for all of India, a position that Maharaj carried out with great dedication. Maharaj followed both the Bhāgavata Mārg and Pancha-rātra Mārg. Setting a wonderful example for all of us. He worshiped his deities with deep devotion, always carrying them with him wherever he went. At the same time, he tirelessly distributed Śrīla Prabhupāda's books and preached extensively. By his dedicated efforts, he developed many magnanimous magnificent temples in his zones. In 2016, during a difficult period in Mayapur, Maharaj chose to stay and support the leaders here until stability returned. His presence was a great blessing. Maharaj's contribution to Mayapur were substantial. Whether it was the TOVP, the Mayapur Community Hospital, the hospital, or many other aspects of the Mayapur project. He helped bring Śrīla Prabhupāda's vision closer to reality. Mahājāna also expanded the Food for Life program in Delhi, serving prasādam to many people in need. His lectures were powerful and faithful to Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings. Bringing the message of Krishna consciousness in its pure form. I feel truly blessed to have shared over 50 years of association with Maharaj. These are countless things to say, or there are countless things to say about his life and service, but words fall short. His disciples now carry forward his great legacy And I am confident that they will continue his mission with the same devotion. Today, let us remember Maharaj with deep gratitude and honor his dedication to Śrīla Prabhupāda and ISKCON. Your servant, Jayapataka Swāmī. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Hare Kṛṣṇa! I'd like to request Dīnābandhu Prabhu, one of our most senior disciple of Śrīla Prabhupāda here in Kṛṣṇa-Balarām Mandir. And then it'll be followed by Mother Narayani Mataji. And then it'll be followed by Devakinandan Prabhu, one of the members of our VEB board. And again, We don't have much time. Yes, yes. Would like to have everyone ready.

Om Agyanatma Rande Saganandana Shalaka Chakravarthi. So today we have gathered together in a very, very special place, Śrībrindāvana-dhāma, the most sacred and highest abode, where Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are still going on.

Huh?

And in that Śrī-randhāvana-dāma in Ramanreti, there's a very beautiful Gosvāla, Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Gosvāla and Gardens. And in that place, in the Kṛṣṇa Hall, we're gathered together to glorify one of the commanding generals of Śrīla Prabhupāda's sankīrtana army. We can't even begin to imagine. We're hearing the magnitude of the service that he did. I don't think there's anybody who has distributed more books or inspired the distribution of more books than Śrīla Gopāda Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And we heard how— Lokanāṭhasvāmī said 18, somebody told me the other day 22 temples if we consider the whole Delhi metropolitan area. I don't know any other place in the world where there's even half of that. Is there any place where there's 11 temples? Is there any place even a third of that? Even a quarter of that? Maybe Bombay, that's also Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja. Nobody has opened, and not just little temples. We were just at the Rohini Temple, amazing beautiful place. We can't imagine. So many beautiful temples he's inspired. And despite— and we always, we kept hearing over and over all the speakers that even though he was so— he was one of the commanding generals of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Sankirtana army, but he was so very humble. Recently After COVID, I was very sick and I had to spend about a month in Delhi going to different hospitals and seeing different doctors. And Gopalakrishna Maharaj was so kind, he gave me a nice room to stay. He would call every day to see if everything was all right. I'm just a little cockroach in comparison to him, but he would call every day, "Everything is all right, they're taking care of you." You know, he's inspired the devotees. They took so nice care. He's inspired them how they should care for Prabhupada disciples. And he was so helpful when I was president. Vrindavan Temple is not easy place to be president. I'm amazed. Panchagota Prabhu is katha. He's the longest running temple president ever in Vrindavan. And he helped me in so many ways. In fact, he was the one who inspired those beautiful, incredibly intricate carved singhasongs that we have for the Deities. That was all inspired by Gopal Krishna Maharaj. So this is the person that we've come to inaugurate his samadhi today, and we pray that Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja will shower His blessings upon us and upon— blessings upon all of you to, as Gauḍḍhānāsāmī Mahārāja, double it, triple it, quadruple it. I see that He's inspired so many wonderful disciples, so I'm sure the Kṛṣṇa consciousness will grow on, go on and on and on in this area. That is all the wonderful grace of His Holiness Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja. Krishna Maharaj, so we pray for His merciful glance upon us on this day. Hare Krishna.

Thank you, Deena Bandhu Prabhu.

Hare, hare.

You can manage.

Narayani Mataji and then Devakinandan Prabhu. And then I would like to call upon, after Devakinandan Prabhu, His Holiness Bhaktivijayan Gosvami Maharaj from Russia. Our representative from Russia. And if we have time, we would like to call Vedavyās Prabhu, who was also very instrumental in building so many temples, helping our Guru Mahārāja to establish many temples in Delhi. Oh yes, and One of his last wills, our Guru Mahāprabhu says, "And my watch that was given by His Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda to him can be given or should be given to one of my disciples who did the most in serving Śrīla Prabhupāda's mission." Okay, so that could be it. I'm so sorry because we are It's here like 11:30.

Okay. Go ahead. When I first came to India in 1972, there were no books here, and I was very attached to reading Prabhupada's books. Hare Krishna. Okay, so I came in '72, there were no books. So by '74, the festival started, and I saw devotees carrying books under their arm, and I would beg all the books, and I got a full set. But Maharaj, he was the one who was printing the books, and the first book he printed was Gītār-gāṇa, and we got it in Calcutta in Bengali, and then Hindi and so many languages followed, and finally English. It was the last, I think. And also, one thing I really appreciate about Maharaj is he had the same mood as Śrīla Prabhupāda did. To the lady disciples, to the Vaiṣṇavis. This morning we heard a class by Śrīla Prabhupāda on a prayer of Queen Kuntī, where she was saying, "You come for the sannyāsis, so how can we women understand?" So Prabhupāda said, "If a woman becomes a Vaiṣṇavi, then she is also elevated to the spiritual platform." Maharaj had that attitude towards us. He was protecting us, he was encouraging us. He encouraged me in my service as Guru, and I hope he's still protecting us now. And not only that, he was protecting the foreigners too. So sometimes we're not so much appreciated in India, and they, they, you know, they say you can't come back again or something to kick you out. And but he always made sure we got back. So, uh, the third thing I appreciate is, um, his, uh, last instructions. 5 out of 10 of his instructions, he was saying, um, follow the GBC, don't leave ISKCON, stay in ISKCON. And, uh, and the, and the next thing was his will, where he had, um, he had nothing except the deities. That was his only possession and his watch from Prabhupada. So that is, that is sannyāsa. And so we pray for his protection still, and we pray for his blessings that we can continue in our service to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Jai! Thank you. Devakinandan Prabhu, please say a few words, maximum, I don't know. In India, when you say 2 minutes, that is half an hour.

Hare Krishna! So Janardhan Maharaj had tied me for 2 minutes. Thank God he didn't say 2 words, he said 2 minutes. Well, His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj was, is, and will remain everything for me. His Holiness Giraswami Maharaj ji witnessed. When I came to Bombay, His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj brought me, a young boy. He taught me everything. More than anything else, He taught me how to become devotee. And the qualification of becoming devotee is by being simple-hearted and humble. Aar Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja hai unlimited quality. As Lord Kāpila talks to Mother Tehuti in 25th chapter of Third Canto, titikśava-kāronika śrīrdha-sarvadehinām ajāsātrava-sādhava-sādhū-bhuṣṇa. His Holiness Gopalakrishna Mahārāja was the personification of all these qualities. I can go on talking. I can go on talking on all those qualifications and citing examples. His Holiness Gopalakrishna Mahārāja was totally renounced inside as well as outside. I remember one instance, it was somewhere 1985 or 1986. I was the vice president of Juhu. Maharaj was our G.B.C. His mother was living in Jhānkī Kutir. So one afternoon he called me and he said, "My mother is not feeling well and she wants to see me." 'You come with me.' So I went with Maharaj and Giriraj Swami driver Raghunandan was there, he drove us there. We went there. Maharaj was hardly 2 minutes, 'Varjanadhar Maharaj said speak only 2 minutes.' Hardly 2 to 3 minutes he was there.. And he got up. I mean, I left him to talk alone, but he said, "No, no, stand here, stand here." So he was talking and then after 2-3 minutes he said, "No, I have to go, I have to go." And she kept calling, "Gopal, Gopal, Gopal, stay, stay, I want to talk some more." And he walked out. When he We came in the lift, I had tear in my eyes and I said, Maharaj, she was sick and she wanted you to stay. He said, no, no, no, no, if I stay little more, the Maya will catch me. Maya will catch me means I will become mother and son relationship kind of, I will get infected by that. So he was so renounced. His belonging, we all know. His life, everything, everything he had was for Śrīla Prabhupāda. Once I asked Mahārāja that, "Why don't you also write book? Everybody writing book. You should also write some books." Prabhupāda wanted. He said, "No, Prabhupāda's book is there." Why do I need to write any book? Prabhupāda book is for 10,000 years. So we don't need to write any book. He has unalloyed faith in Śrīla Prabhupāda teaching and Śrīla Prabhupāda. That always he encouraged, not only encouraged, but he practiced in his life a book distribution.

Distribution.

He always said, double it, double it, double it. And he talked such a way that devotee really took it very seriously. As you know, I heard that how in America he told his disciple that they have to do 5,000 Bhagavatam set. They have not reached the goal when I was were there this time, they all said, "Guru Mahārāja ordered us, please request all the godbrothers so that we can do 5,000 Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam." So he also empowered his disciple to follow Śrīla Prabhupāda's instruction of book distribution. Other thing, 2 more things I will tell you, Ananda Mahārāja, then I will stop. Other was, I remembering, that how Gopalakrishna Maharaj was never offensive. He was very careful of baiśṇa uparāda. He never committed baiśṇa uparāda purposely. Even somebody try to hurt him or say something, he will not take it offense. We had a G.B.C. meeting in 2018 in Kanpur. He wanted to say something and towards the end he couldn't raise his hand fully, so he was raising only this much. And one who was chairing the meeting, he saw that he was raising his hand, he want to say something, but he ignored him. I mean he didn't call him. So I told Bhakti Charu Maharaj that Gopalakrishna Maharaj want to say something. But our chairman is not calling him. And then Bhakti Charu Maharaj spoke very strongly to chairman that he is senior most, he wants to say something and you are not calling, why you are not calling him? And then Maharaj said, no, no, no, I am okay, I am okay, I am okay, let others speak. He was so humble and after the meeting, after the meeting, he called me and he said, 'You should have not told Bhaktiswarup Maharaj. This is not good.' So he was very, very careful with the Vaishnava prasad. Kṛṣṇānanda Mahārāja used to say, once we were in his room and he said, 'I am offensive and Gopāla is defensive.' So he will always win. And that's true. His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj win in every aspect in his life. Even the way he passed away, that was also a victory. So thank you, His Holiness Gopalakrishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja. You are everything for me. Please keep me in service Thank you, Devakinandan Prabhu.

Would like to request His Holiness Bhaktivedanta Gosvāmī. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Okay, are you sure? Instead, Veda Vyāsma would like to call on Braja Bilas Prabhu representing Śrīdhamaīya Pura. He is one of the chief executives in Śrīdhamaīya Pura.

Vāñchakalpatāro dēśākṛpaḥ patitānām pavanaibhyo vaishnave byo 'namo namaḥ. It's very difficult to speak on this on this occasion because Gopal Krishna Maharaj is very dear to my heart and to the heart of all Russian devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave him this mission to preach in the former Soviet Union, in Russia, and Śrīla Gopal exemplary did it. Somebody already mentioned, Giriraj Maharaj mentioned that he went in '77 to Moscow during Śrīla Prabhupāda's presence. And his report about preaching in Moscow was most dear to Śrīla Prabhupāda's heart. And then after that, Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaj has become G.B.C. For parts of Russia and very diligently was performing his duties as G.B.C., going through sometimes unimaginable difficulties. Russia, once Śrīla Prabhupāda said that preaching in the snows of Russia is sweet as the mango and sweeter than than the mango in Hawaii in mango season. But I would say that preaching in the former Soviet Union, in Russia, is like chutney. It's sometimes sweet and very bitter too. So, His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj, he went through all the difficulties there with his usual detached attitude. Nothing really touched him, although sometimes devotees would offend him, sometimes there were some difficulties, but he was dutiful. He was sold-out servant of Śrīla Prabhupāda. That was his occupation, as His Holiness Indra Dīyamna Mahārāja mentioned. In regard to Śrīla Prabhupāda. I want to tell little story in this regard which shows his glorious qualities, how he, how he could overcome all the difficulties because of his humility. Devakinānda Prabhupāda just said that he was always victorious because of his humble attitude. And this little story is about this. This story took place in 1989 in Moscow, and at that time, uh, one of the big leaders of our movement had some difficulties. And, uh, in Russia, the majority of disciples were his disciples, and there was a big turmoil in Moscow. There were fighting and so many death threats, whatnot. It was extremely difficult time. Actually, the whole problem started on Janmashtami day, and we all know that couple of days after Janmashtami is His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj's birthday. Mārāja Svyaṣapuja. But despite this, he came to Moscow practically immediately after Janmashtami, knowing how difficult it is, just to give support to those, his Kṛṣṇa loyal devotees who were still there, to his disciples and disciples of his godbrothers. And as I said, the situation was extremely extremely volatile. It was explosive. Any careless word would create some explosion. So, and of course we know Gopal Krishna Maharaj, one of his glorious qualities was that he was very straightforward and very innocently straightforward.

Prasad Raaval.

So in one of the lectures he said something which really offended the opposing party and the situation became really grave. There was, you know, it's very difficult to explain to those who was not there at that time how explosive the whole thing was. So this Just few little careless words which he mentioned started spreading around and, you know, the explosion was brewing. So Gopal Krishna Maharaj came back to the apartment of one of his disciples and the apartment of his disciple Sadhu Priyaprabhu was the headquarter of ISKCON loyalists and all the godbrothers of Gopal Krishna Maharaj were there and of course the news came and all the godbrothers of Gopal Krishna Maharaj started pushing him, "You have to apologize, you have to apologize, you have to do it, you have to do it." And I saw how difficult it was for Gopal Krishna Maharaj to— he didn't say anything wrong, he said everything He spoke in a very straightforward way and he said what is supposed to be said. But as a servant and as a very detached person, he accepted the order of his godbrothers as the order of his spiritual master. And next morning for Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class he came and in front of the big Audience, 200 people, 300 people was there which were waiting for something to be exploded. He humbly folded his hands and he bowed down to those devotees who were, I mean, unbelievably junior than him. He sincerely bowed down and and he offered his apologies and everyone was relieved. And he did it with such a genuine humility, with such a genuine mood that everything was immediately forgotten and the whole situation was saved. So he was the savior of many, many devotees. He was the savior of Wisconsin, numberless occasions due to his genuine qualities of Vaiṣṇava. So he will still be the inspiration in the lives of thousands and thousands of devotees. Let's follow his footsteps.

Thank you, Maharaj.

His Holiness Gopalakṛṣṇa Mahārāja ki jai.

Jai.

So now I'm really like pressured here. What to do? I'm gonna call 3 more devotees. That's it. Then we're gonna do the abhishek, which will be done by the sannyasi disciples only of Guru Maharaj. And then, yes, would like to call upon Brajabhilās Prabhu. He'll be offering something very special here.

Here.

This is from Jagannath Puri. Gīrā-govinda shawl. Very rare to have this shawl on special occasion like this for our Guru Mahārāja. Yeah, then it'll be followed by one of our G.B.C. members of ISKCON, Gauranga Prabhu. And then Sruta Kirti Prabhu, one of our senior Srila Prabhupada's disciples who also residing here, part of our executive committee managing the temple. And then the last will be His Holiness Bhakti Vringha Govinda Swami Maharaj. I'm really sorry, I— you have so many of you, it's very difficult difficult to do this because we still have to do the temple program, which is Gorki Sword as Babaji Maharaj's Tirubhavtiti Mautsa Puspanjali. Everyone should go there at 12:45, but before that we'll be doing the last arthik for Guru Mahārāja for his samadhi inauguration. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna.

Śrīla Prabhupāda ki His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

Kei?

Prasad Raaval.

I will be very, very short. His Divine Grace A.C.

Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Śrīla Prabhupāda, he formed the Society in 1966.

In 1969, he wrote a letter to His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja saying that you have a desire to build temple, please establish a center at the birthplace of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu in 1969. So the Temple of Vedic Planetarium, the seed he had planted in His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja. And to honor, to honor His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja, His Grace Ambrish Prabhu has dedicated one of the the largest pillar next to Śrīla Prabhupāda Vyāsāsan in the name of His Holiness Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. So for the next 10,000 years, all devotees would see such a sacrifice of His Holiness Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja.

Thank you.

His Holiness Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, kei!

Thank you, Braja Bilās Prabhu. Now Gauranga Prabhu. Hari Hari. Then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and then His Holiness Bhakti Bringa Govinda Swami Maharaj. Just, I would like to let you know, just one minute, Hare Krishna, that this will be the last time unless you go to Moscow, the most beautiful most merciful deities of our Guru Maharaj Ji Shri Gour Nitai will be traveling to Moscow.

Rebo.

Because many of the temples already we have allocated. This is one of the last will of Guru Maharaj to have his deities in Punjabi Bagh and in ISKCON East of Kailash. And it It could be— there is a clause— it could be distributed to any of his temples under his zones. But we already made a decision. This is not just one man's decision because they— he says, Guru Mahārāja says, should not be— they should not be worshipped by one person but the temple. So we already made a decision. The executors of the will. This is not one man's decision. I just want to let you know, after a great deliberation, a few deities will be going to Mumbai, to Nairobi, to Toronto, to Detroit, and Kurukshetra. And what else? Yes, after that, Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna.

Hare Krishna. His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja ki— the one word which I can think of when I remember His Holiness Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja's qualities is the ability to harmonize. Unity in diversity. So many difficulties so many challenges, but he had the ability to harmonize between conflict and contemplation. He could bring together devotees from diverse backgrounds having lots of conflicts and challenges, but inspire them to engage in Śrīla Prabhupāda's service and continue on in such a way that their strengths could be harnessed. He was also like a honeybee where he could see some of the best practices happening within ISKCON in different other zones and then bring that to his temples and make sure that those practices are followed. A good example is When he saw that in Pune, Rādhārṣām Prabhu is doing very nice youth preaching, so he sent a few devotees to get trained. And then when he unleashed the youth preaching in Delhi, and as a result of that, not only the youth preaching in other parts of India grew, but also an ISKCON India Youth Council was formed. And today we have 10,000 4,000 students across colleges in India chanting 16 rounds. In the recently concluded youth festival Udgaaar, I was so impressed that there was a time where we would be thrown out of the colleges and university campuses for coming in saffron and preaching. But here was a festival where it was funded by the Ministry of Culture And the co-collaborator for the organizing of the event was Delhi University itself, which was a historic event. And all of this was possible because Gopal Krishna Maharaj, being staunchly loyal to Śrīla Prabhupāda, but right from the early 1970s till date, he has built such amazing relationships with people in all walks of life in society, including the government, and being one of the few leaders in ISKCON who has practically met and gifted Śrīla Prabhupāda's Bhāgavad-gītā to every prime minister and president of India for the last 50 to 60 years. I offer my obeisances to Maharāja, and as a member of the next generation of ISKCON, I pray at his lotus feet that he empowers us with the strength to harmonize and have unity in diversity. Hare Krishna.

Jai.

Thank you, Gauranga Prabhu. Now, Sutakirti Prabhu, and then His Holiness Bhakti Vringa Govindam Maharaj, and then we'll request Vedavyasa Prabhu to say the last vote of thanks on behalf of the disciples of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaj.

Hare Krishna. My obeisances. Of course, it's an honor to be able to say even for a few minutes amongst so many wonderful devotees here. Bhīmāprabhu mentioned something to me that I was not involved in, but I was there at the time. 1975, Gopāl Kṛṣṇa Dāsa Ādakārī, he was made G.B.C. of India. At that time, here in India, you had so many sannyasis. Jaya Pataka Maharaj, there was Bhavananda Prabhu, Garga Muni, another half a dozen very big personalities. And he came here on Śrīla Prabhupāda's order to be G.B.C. And we can see, following his instructions, Prabhupāda's instructions, instructions. At that time, I remember one day by the vyāsa-saṇḍa, Prabhupāda was leading kīrtana and devotee was playing kartals, not in time with Śrīla Prabhupāda. And Prabhupāda looked at him in between mantras and stopped him and said, "First learn to follow, then you can lead." This was Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja. Two years later, I was in front of Śrīla Prabhupada. It was September 1977. When I arrived from Hawaii, I was managing and offered obeisances. Next to me was Mother Vīsa Prabhu. And Prabhupada looked at me and he said, "So you're married again?" "Yes, Prabhupada." Then he looked at Mother Vīsa, who was now I said, "No, I'm married." And he said, "So now you're a grahastha like Sruta Kirti." He said, "Just carry on with your service." It was about 15 years ago, no, 14 years ago, I met Gopal Krishna Maharaj right in front of the Deities. And I came, I hadn't seen him for some time, and as soon as he saw me, His first words were, "So you're married again?" You all know. And I thought, it was just like Śrīla Prabhupāda talking to me all over again. So there's not a lot of time, but I can tell you, Gopākṛṣṇa Mahārāja was just like dealing with Prabhupāda. As he said, straightforward, humble. He wasn't afraid to say, "You're lazy." Do something. This was Gopalakrishna Maharaj. We love him. We miss him. And just by doing as he did, we can all become Krishna conscious. Hare Krishna. Thank you very much.

Hare.

Solenes Gopalakrishna Gosvām Mahārāja ke.

Hare.

Thank you, Śrīla T.Kīrti Mahāprabhu. Again, we don't need a lot of disciples here of Guru Mahārāja. During the abhishek, only the sannyasis, disciples, including Bhakti Kevala Gopendra Krishna Maharaj, because he took sannyas from our Guru Mahārāja.

Om Agyāntimrandaśya jñānānjanāsalaḥ, chaḥkṣūraṇ melitaṇ jaynaḥ, tasmai śrī-guraveṇa-mahā, vanchākopa Hare Krishna, dear Vaishnavas. It is a great honor to be in your midst today. So many wonderful devotees. And so many of my exalted godbrothers and exalted senior servants of Śrīla Gopāla Kṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja. The last time we gathered like this, we were all in shock and mourning with Mahārāja's passing from this world. And today we come together and there has been a wonderful celebration of his life and his accomplishments. I can only echo what all of these wonderful devotees have said. The Gopal Krishna Maharaj was the epitome of the yasya devi para bhakti. "Tasya iti katita hyarthā prakashanti mahatmanā." Verse. For one who worships with equal faith the lotus feet of his spiritual master and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all things will be revealed to him. Gopalakrishna Maharaj sincerely worshiped Śrīla Prabhupāda. And by his worship of Prabhupāda, and by his taking every instruction of Śrīla Prabhupāda to his heart, you can see the results that were given. Millions and millions of books, translated in different languages, and thousands and thousands of devotees made to distribute those books, temples built, joyous festivals being conducted, and the inspiration for all of us to carry on with this service to Śrīla Prabhupāda, service to the the feet of Gopal Krishna Gosvāmī Mahārāja. We are old people now, and we have been around for some time, and we have seen many people in our lives. Gopal Krishna Mahārāja was a genuine Vaiṣṇava. He was such a sincere devotee. Whenever I would meet him, he would always tell me two things. He would say, "I am your servant. Please allow me to serve you." And he would tell me, "I am afraid of Vaishnava parāda. I never wish to commit Vaishnava parāda." So dear devotees, let's all carry this remembrance the glorious life of His Holiness Gopalakrishna Maharaj very strongly within our hearts. Let's carry the mood of his faith and devotion to the lotus feet of our spiritual masters. And let's always keep as a guiding light in our practice of devotional service, "I am your servant. Please allow allow me to serve You and always be fearful of Vaiṣṇava Prasāda. His Holiness Gopalakṛṣṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja ki Śrīla Prabhupāda ki Gauraprāma-nandī.

Jai! Thank you, Mahārāja. Bhakti-binga Govinda Mahārāja. Govinda Mahārāja.

Yes.

So now, this is abhijeet time. We would like to request Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Prabhu, or Caitanya, Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, yes, to guide us only. Ambarīs Mahārāja, Bhaktirātmakāra Ambarīs Mahārāja. So Veda Vyāsava will come here. He wanted me to say the thanks, even though I would like to tell him. You should do it.

Heartfelt, I say thanks to all the GBC, all the Maharajis, and all the gurus, all the great Vaishnavas, senior devotees, all the matajis.

We all have great association for last 50 years of my Guru Mahārāja.

You have more association of Guru Maharaj than us.

Now, once he has disappeared before us, I pray, I request for your mercy for all our disciples, Maharaj's disciples, all the Godbrothers. I pray to you that you continue to shower your mercy on all the Godbrothers and take care of us so that we continue the mission of Śrīla Prabhupāda. Our Guru Mahārāja has instructed us that follow ISKCON, don't leave ISKCON, and follow the G.B.C. and follow all the Guru-paramparā. So we will like that you all participate. Don't think that we are separate from you. We are part of you and will continue to be part of ISKCON. So therefore, to please Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj, we have to please you now. So please take care of us and thank you very much for coming and saying so good words for Gopal Krishna Goswami Maharaj. We heard so many experiences and we get enrichened! Thank you very much!

Hare Krishna!

Hare Krishna!

Asram na gopala-krsna-gosvami guru-maharaja ki jai! We have the footprints of our beloved Guru Maharaj made with astha-tattu . And we will have all the sannyasi disciples of Guru Maharaj performing abhishek with panchamrita. Hare Krishna.

Kirtan. Muralikrishna Prabhu.

You can chant the nama'om.

Śrīmatī Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, Gosvāminete nama ne. Om bishno padaya kṛṣṇa prestaaya bhūtale śrīmat-e bhaktivedānta swāmen epe nāmene.

Namaste, Sarasvata Devi, Gauravarni Prasadini, Nirvishesha Shunyavadi, Pascha tea deshata de ne.

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

Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare.

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

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

Ramarama, Hare Hare.

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

Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

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

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

We request everybody to please stand up.

We will chant the entire Mangala Charan. Together, and at the last, we'll have Guru Maharaj's Pranam Mantra chanted out 3 times and offer Pushpanjali. So we can chant the entire Mangala Charan together. Om Agyanatemi Randhasya Gyananjaneshala Kaya Chakshoran Melitam Yena Tasmei Shri Gurave Namaha Shri Chaitanya Manobhishtams Shri Radha Krishna Padan Sahaganalalita Shri Vishakhan Vitamshcha. Nama Om Vishnu Padaya Krishna Prashtaya Bhutale. Shri Mata Bhaktivedanta Swaminidinamine. Namaste Saraswati Devi Gauravani Pracharine. Nere Vishisha Shunya Vadi Pashchati Adishatarine. Nāma'om viśṇupādaya kṛṣṇa-prishtāya bhūtali. Śrīmatte bhaktisiddhānta saraśvatīti nāmine. Śrīvarṣabhānavidevidāitāya kripābdhaye. Kṛṣṇa-sambandhavidyāna dayine pravabhena māha. Mādhurya-jvala-primaṭya śrī-rūpa-nuga-bhaktida. Śrī-gaura-karunaśakti-vigraha'ya navaṣute. Namaste Gauravani Shri Murthayi Deenarayane, Rupanuga Veda Dapa Siddhanta Dvandaharane. So we shall chant Guru Maharaj's Pranam Mantra 3 times and offer Pushpanjali 3 times. Nama'o Vishnu Badaaya Krishna Prashtaya Hothale. Shri Matai Gopalakrishna Gosvaminete Namine. Prabhupada Siya Sahityam Yav Pragasya Vidyaya Cha. Pracharam Greta Vana Sadhu Parbat Paraya Te Namaha.

So now we'll proceed towards the samadhi area. Arjuna Hari Prabhu will carry Gauri Nitai. I will carry Prabhupada, and Guru Mahārāja's charan will be carried by Atitprīya Prabhu. No palakin, we'll go straight right there.

Be healthy, wealthy, and—

Kardia.

Hey, Mahamantya.

Stand there. I know.

Mike, Mike, Mike.

Mike, how you Everybody, please listen.

He's letting us know what's going on right now.

We are placing the footprints of Guru Maharaj together with his picture and his Japamālā in the Samādhi Mandir. Huzūr-e-Misqatul Anwar, the service of the Mahārāj, the lead of the kīrtan, and His Grace Veda Vyāsa Prabhu, His Grace Mahāmāndra Prabhu, A fight.

Is that for him?

Yeah. Hi!

No, I'm just doing like— Listen, first, no one should touch the Mahāprasāda. This will be distributed equally. No one should touch Maha Prasada.

No one except me.

Now everyone go to the temple for Gauri Saur Das Baba Ji Maharaj's sponsoring, and you can do the parikrama after, later on in the evening.

Ready?

I don't want to see you. I have cameraman here.