My dear dīkṣā, sheltered, aspiring, śikṣā, grand-disciples, and well-wishers,
Please accept my blessings and best wishes as appropriate.
All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Written from my Home base: Śrī Māyāpur Candrodaya Maṇḍir
Date: 7 September 2025
I wanted to go to the US to renew my re-entry permit before 24th August, but my health team advised that I travel on a later date. I was looking forward to meeting the devotees in the US and also preaching. There would be Christians and it would have been a good time to preach to the Christians.
Lord Jesus Christ, in his 10 commandments, in the first one, he told everyone to love God with all their life and soul. In the bible, it reveals something about Jesus Christ, but very little about God, so Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are the ideal references.
I feel very fortunate that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me many instructions. One of the instructions was to travel and preach, while another was to stay in Māyāpur and preach. So, I am trying to find different ways to do both simultaneously. My travel has been restricted, so I am thinking of virtually visiting my zones and also places where my disciples are, and in that way, I can stay in Māyāpur and at the same time travel to all the places.
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura said, prāṇa āche yāra, sei hetu pracāra — “Those who have life, they preach.” So as long as I am alive, I preach, and I want to fulfill all the instructions that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me.
Today, on the auspicious Pūrṇimā tithi of Bhādra month, we had a very nice program in Māyāpur. There was Bhāgavatam kathā for the last 6 days and today was the last day. If we donate Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on this day, we go back to Godhead. Many devotees have sponsored Bhāgavatam sets and I am eager to receive the report.
So, this month we had many festivals: Janmāṣṭamī, Śrīla Prabhupāda Vyāsa-pūjā, Rādhāṣṭamī and also the appearance day of Tuṅgavidyā, Viśākhā, and Indulekhā. In Māyāpur, we celebrate the appearance days of all the sakhis with various programs like dance, drama etc., and devotees participate very enthusiastically. After Balarāma Pūrṇimā, every day we had different devotees observing the Vyāsa-pūjā festival. Brahmacārīs, Māyāpur Community devotees, children from school etc. had their different celebrations in honor of Śrīla Prabhupāda. I attended all of them.
We have a very big community in Māyāpur. So on the actual Vyāsa-pūjā day, which is the day after Janmāṣṭamī, everyone does not get an opportunity to glorify Śrīla Prabhupāda. That is why right from Balarāma Pūrṇimā onwards, every day the different divisions and schools organize Vyāsa-pūjā celebrations. I am very grateful to the devotees for organizing this. Śrīla Prabhupāda’s vision was that everyone — men and women, boys and girls — all will take part in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
Śrīla Prabhupāda had predicted that many people would come to Māyāpur, and at that time, we had no guests. Now we have thousands of people coming daily, and on Janmāṣṭamī, we had 1,04,130 visitors, and on Vyāsa-pūjā, there were 61,105 people. So there is so much opportunity to preach.
On Rādhāṣṭamī, in the morning, there was abhiṣeka ceremony for Rādhā Mādhava and a nice festival. In 1970, on Rādhāṣṭamī day, Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me sannyāsa. So in the evening, my disciples organized a program. Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me a lot of instructions, a lot of very absorbing services. And so that kept me busy, out of māyā. So I have been able to maintain sannyāsa for 55 years because of all these services.
Also, on the same day, we launched a program called “Compassionate Medical Fund,” which is to help those who are not able to pay for the whole treatment in Śrī Māyāpur Community Hospital. This will be a perpetual fund and it will be put in a bank fixed deposit, and the interest will be used for the payment. I said that I can do a matching fund. So, if you pay 100 rupees, I will also pay 100 rupees. And I can match the donation up to 20 million (2 crores) rupees. I wish I could do more. You can also do the same thing and you can make your contributions at this link ~ https://mayapur.hospital/donate/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=23 and for international payments, you can contact Harilila das at +91 84366 21172.
This month, I received some very inspiring preaching reports from India and other places. One devotee shared how, in Kerala, during the “Rāmāyaṇa month” (mid-July to mid-August), they are conducting a special program for children called the “Arrow of Knowledge.” It has been very successful in engaging the children and inspiring them in devotional life. Another devotee wrote about their preaching efforts during Janmāṣṭamī in the Chennai temple. They set up a booth called “1000 Problems 1 Solution.” They presented solutions for different problems as mentioned in Bhagavad-gītā, along with the verse numbers, and people could pick any topic and read the verse. And they were able to collect over 500 contacts for further cultivation. Also, one young devotee, only 13 years old, is giving a 30-minute class every day on Bhagavad-gītā and other topics to 30–40 children. He has even completed the Bhakti-śāstrī course. I am very happy to receive such reports.
In Māyāpur, the Nāma-haṭṭa department arranged a saṁmelan for different Nāma-haṭṭa groups. Thousands of devotees from West Midnapore, Jhargram, and Nadia district came to participate in the saṁmelan. Though I was not very well at that time, I went to meet them and addressed them. It is very nice to see preaching expanding.
Sometimes people ask me how I can still preach with all the physical illnesses that I have. But I always think about how Śrīla Prabhupāda did so much for us, took many risks, traveling to America at the age of 70, falling sick, traveling tirelessly. So I am always indebted to Śrīla Prabhupāda, and I can never repay that debt.
I feel very much responsible for all the disciples who have taken initiation because they have taken vows, and they should follow their initiation vows throughout their lives. At the same time, I also need help from my senior disciples to take care of the juniors.
I give the process of devotional service, I give initiation, and each disciple has to personally practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, follow the four regulative principles, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and help me fulfill the instructions that Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me. But each devotee has to fly their own plane. How you do devotional service is your own creative, loving interest. You have to develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that is your responsibility.
Of course, you can inquire from me, you can inquire from senior devotees. But somehow, you have to be like a bird—each bird has to fly its own flight in a flock, although the lead bird is there. Or like flying an airplane—everyone has to fly their own plane, despite the help available from the ground. Ultimately, you have to practice your own Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lord Caitanya is very merciful, and anyone can get the mercy of Lord Caitanya. And we are meant to be constantly thinking how to expand Lord Caitanya’s saṅkīrtana movement all over the world.
Hare Krsna!
Your well-wisher always,
Jayapatākā Swami
JPS/ssdb
*Note from secretary*:
Śrīla Guru Mahārāja wanted to send the monthly message on Bhadra Pūrṇimā day, but due to his health situation, we could not get the full message from Guru Mahārāja. Although Guru Mahārāja is still in the hospital in Malaysia, His Holiness wanted to complete and send this now.
