Here is Srila Prabhupada sitting deep in the red cushions of the grand vyasasana at Mayapura Candrodaya Mandira. He represents Vyasadeva—thus this red and gold grandeur. He is garlanded with fresh, large marigolds, and there are petals strewn around his feet. He looks inward as he plays karatalas. Above him is a portrait of white-bearded Gaura-kisora dasa Babaji. The young disciples are fanning Srila Prabhupada and clearing flies with the camaras and a peacock fan.

The book Bhagavata rests on a bolster next to the folded wooden bookstand and his eye glasses in a case. These will be called for after the guru-puja kirtana.

Dear spiritual master, please continue to speak the Bhagavata message to us. Let us always acknowledge the loving debt we have to you for your charitable acts done on our behalf in the past, at present, and in the future. I know you are strong and demanding and your intelligence is always sharper than mine. If I minimize you for even a moment, I invite my own spiritual doom. Therefore, I am afraid of you—afraid that I may make many mistakes in my relationship with you as I live in this world after your departure. I beg forgiveness and wish to be righted. I want to be submissive and creative and bold on your behalf. This is what you want from me.

This picture is worshipable, one that devotees would keep on an altar. I have been hankering to see a photo of only Srila Prabhupada—no disciples’ faces surrounding him. Here I see only Prabhupada and the moving camara whisks and fan. At the center of the photo I see his inward gaze as he listens to the kirtana of three hundred disciples. Srila Prabhupada, you hear your dearmost friend, Lord Krishna, Lord Caitanya, telling you what to do and expressing His pleasure at your activities. To such a spiritual master, I offer my humble obeisances and dedicate all my works.

(_Begging for the Nectar of the Holy Name_)
JAPA POEM

This is a practice of posting a photo of Prabhupada
and posting some lines of a poem describing
the photo inwardly and outwardly.
I say that Prabhupada represents Vyasadeva. I
say that I am afraid of you—
afraid that I may make many mistakes
in my relationship with you—I beg
forgiveness and wish to be righted.

This picture is worshipable, one that
devotees would keep on an altar.
I have been hankering to see a photo of only Srila Prabhupada—no disciples’ faces surrounding him.
I see his inward gaze as he listens to
the kirtana of three hundred disciples.
Srila Prabhupada, you hear your dearmost friend,
Lord Krishna, telling you what to do and
expressing His pleasure at your activities.
To such a spiritual master,
I offer my humble obeisances
and dedicate all my works.