
Fortnightly Message (17 February – 3 March 2026)
Govinda Māsa, Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa, Pūrṇimā, 539 Gaurābda
My dear dīkṣā, sheltered, aspiring, śikṣā, grand-disciples, and well-wishers,
Please accept my blessings, best wishes, and praṇāms as appropriate.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Written from my Home Base: Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Mandir.
Date: 3 March 2026
Highlights
Happy Gaura Pūrṇimā! So today is the last day of Gaurābda 539.
I gave a class this morning at the Gaura Pūrṇimā festival paṇḍal. I spoke in Bengali and English,
and I was very happy to see so many Vaiṣṇavas and Vaiṣṇavīs.
Last night I gave a talk at the Śrīla Prabhupāda Connect Day. And three days ago was the Śāntipur
festival. So we went there, gave a class, and also had the khicạḍī. Lord Caitanya said that, on this
tithi, anyone who takes prasādam in Śāntipur gets Govinda bhakti.
One of the letters I received from Śrīla Prabhupāda while I was in Śrī Māyāpur was that I should
not just stay in Śrī Māyāpur but also travel and preach. He wanted us to preach all over the world
and bring people to Śrī Māyāpur dhāma. This year, we had more than 16,500 devotees participating
in the Navadvīpa Maṇḍala parikramā in 7 different groups. And on the last day, we had the mahā
milan. So all the devotees from different parikramā parties met, fulfilling the prediction of Śrīla
Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura.
During this festival time, many devotees come to Śrī Māyāpur, and they also request an
audience. Even when my body was not well, despite undergoing dialysis and experiencing
physical pain, I continued to give classes every evening. In this way, I could speak Kṛṣṇa-
kathā, see the devotees personally, encourage them, and address their spiritual questions.
We just completed discussions on the book Śrī Caitanya Śikṣāmṛta by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda
Ṭhākura, and we have started with the diary of Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Journey to America on the
Jaladūta. I was told by Śyāmarasika dāsa that we started the commentary on Śrī Caitanya-
śikṣāmṛta on December 29, 2023, and we completed the whole book in 2 years and 3 months! Of
course, we did not do it daily.
Last week, we received very sad news of my dear Godbrother His Holiness Badrinārāyaṇ Swami
leaving this world. He left his body very suddenly. He was three years younger than me. He was a
long-serving and dedicated member of the GBC since 1987, and also served as GBC chairman. He
was always thinking of how to protect and expand Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission. We will definitely
miss his association.
Śrīla Prabhupāda’s Message
Śrīla Prabhupāda said that dīkṣā-guru is one. But śikṣā-guru can be many.
“There are two kinds of instructing spiritual masters. One is the liberated person fully absorbed in
meditation in devotional service, and the other is he who invokes the disciple’s spiritual
consciousness by means of relevant instructions. Thus, the instructions in the science of devotion
are differentiated in terms of the objective and subjective ways of understanding. The ācārya in
the true sense of the term, who is authorized to deliver Kṛṣṇa, enriches the disciple with full
spiritual knowledge and thus awakens him to the activities of devotional service.” CC Ādi 1.47
purport.
“Sometimes a dīkṣā-guru is not present always. Therefore one can take learning, instruction, from
an advanced devotee. That is called the śikṣā-guru. Śikṣā-guru does not mean he is speaking
something against the teachings of the dīkṣā-guru. He is not a śikṣā-guru. He is a rascal.”
Bhagavad-gītā 17.1-3 Honolulu, July 4, 1974
My Message
Śrīla Prabhupāda asked me to make 50,000 disciples. But making disciples is one thing, and I
also want to see that the initiated disciples advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is why I am
repeatedly requesting everyone to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa Mahā-mantra with attention and follow
the four regulative principles, and also get qualified to receive the Gāyatrī mantra. I am
responsible for the devotees who have accepted initiation from me. Also, I want to care for any
devotees who come to me. But at the same time, I need help from older devotees, senior
devotees, to care for the younger devotees.
Śrīla Prabhupāda said one can have many śikṣā gurus. Śikṣā means instructions that represent
Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accurately, and dīkṣā means getting the mantra. So
the dīkṣā-guru is simultaneously dīkṣā and śikṣā-guru. Śrīla Prabhupāda said, “I am both the
dīkṣā and śikṣā guru for my disciples.” There may be other śikṣā-gurus also who help the dīkṣā-
guru in instructing the devotee to serve guru and Kṛṣṇa. When a śikṣā-guru gives instruction, he
is also obliged to give the instruction that is according to guru, sādhu, and śāstra. If he gives mis-
instruction then he will also be held responsible. So there can be many śikṣā-gurus, but there can
only be one dīkṣā-guru. And the dīkṣā-guru is usually both dīkṣā and śikṣā-guru.
There are two levels of śikṣā gurus. One is on a similar level, like your spiritual guru, and one
who gives relevant instructions to help in your spiritual life.
Some of my disciples are guided by their father and mother (if they are devotees), temple
presidents, their nāmahaṭṭa leaders, counsellors, senior devotees, other gurus, etc. I want all my
disciples to have various śikṣā gurus, as long as they don’t contradict any of my instructions. I
want my disciples to inform me who their śikṣā gurus are. You can click this link and send the
details.
https://www.jayapatakaswami.com/e-care-siksa-guru/
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swāmī Prabhupāda, our Founder-Ācārya, is the pre-
eminent śikṣā-guru for everyone in ISKCON. I give dīkṣā, and I also give instructions. So I am a
dīkṣā and śikṣā guru. But naturally, people have other śikṣā-gurus, so I would like to know who
your śikṣā-gurus are.
Inspirational Stories
I received a very encouraging report from ISKCON Maṅgalagiri about their December book
distribution. They initially had a pledge of 8000 books, but at the end of the month, they
distributed 14,225 books, which was more than double their last year’s book distribution.
I regularly receive preaching reports from devotees, and many of them are from my lady
disciples about how they are doing Bhakti-vṛkṣas, prison preaching, children’s classes, reading
groups, book distribution, cooking and worshiping Deities in temples, doing accounts for the
temples, giving classes, doing Harināma on the streets, prasādam distribution, food for life, and
many other services. It is very encouraging that apart from serving husband and family, they are
also engaged in different services. They are Vaiṣṇavīs, not just ladies!
I have many ideas, and I want to do preaching. Every day, new ideas keep coming up. But now I
am crippled, I am not physically able even to speak very clearly. So, I am trying to create many
videos on different topics. I don’t know how long Kṛṣṇa will keep me in this body, but I want to
use all the time and energy to be Kṛṣṇa conscious and to preach.
We are forming small teams so that we can create many videos rapidly, while maintaining good
quality and correct siddhānta. So far, about 47 devotees have volunteered. But some of them are
completely new to AI video production, and some can only dedicate 2 – 4 hours a week to assist
with different parts of this service – script support, visual creation, editing, lip syncing,
coordination, or review.
I am looking for devotees who are experienced or are willing to learn making videos using the
latest tools like AI, and can help guide the process, as well as devotees who are new but eager to
invest time and energy to learn and contribute steadily. If you would like to participate in this
service, you can fill in the form https://form.jotform.com/260391208286054 and my
coordinators will contact you.
Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda are very merciful. We have to pray to Them for empowerment,
and by Their mercy, everything can be possible.
Our New Year starts tomorrow, so I wish you a happy Gaurābda 540.
Gauranga!
Your well-wisher always,
Jayapatākā Swami
JPS/rrsdb