Vyasa Puja Offerings 2026: Daivi Sakti Devi Dasi

The following is the Vyasa Puja offering of Her Grace Daivi Sakti Devi Dasi.

Dear Śrīla Prabhupāda,

Please accept my most humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

Today, on the auspicious day of your appearance, is the perfect day to remember the extraordinary mercy you have given to the world.

One prayer that beautifully expresses the position of the spiritual master is: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi

'By the mercy of the spiritual master, the mercy of Kṛṣṇa is received, and without his mercy, there is no way to make spiritual advancement.'

Śrīla Prabhupāda, you showed the meaning of these words through your own life. You became the bridge between countless conditioned souls and the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. You carried the teachings of the previous ācāryas across the ocean and brought them to people who had never even heard of Kṛṣṇa before. You had no army, no great wealth and no worldly power behind you. You simply had your books, your determination, your faith in your spiritual master and the holy name of Kṛṣṇa. And with these things, you changed the world.

The Supreme Lord is not easily approached by someone who is simply curious or materially motivated. Kṛṣṇa reveals Himself to those who approach Him through genuine devotion. Yet you went everywhere looking for those very souls who had forgotten Him. You did not wait for people to become qualified before giving them Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You gave them the opportunity to become qualified. This is one of the greatest expressions of your mercy. The scriptures describe great devotees whose devotion and determination brought them directly before the Supreme Lord. Their lives demonstrate the extraordinary power of pure devotional service. But when I look at your life, I see that same determination expressed in a completely different way. You travelled when you were transcendentally elderly. You transcendentally endured hardship. You lived simply. You wrote, translated, lectured, cooked, travelled and preached without giving up. You established temples, trained devotees and established a movement that continues to carry the message of Lord Caitanya throughout the world.

Everything you did was for Kṛṣṇa. You could have remained peacefully in Vṛndāvana, absorbed in your own bhajana, but instead you accepted to endure transcendental austerities to preach to the hippies for the sake of giving Kṛṣṇa to others. That is your greatness. You were not satisfied by simply loving Krishna unconditionally. You wanted and still want the whole world to have the opportunity to return to Kṛṣṇa. This is why your instructions continue to challenge us even today. You did not come to make our material lives more comfortable. You came to wake us up. Your books expose the illusion of material life and remind us of our actual identity as eternal servants of Kṛṣṇa. Your teachings continue to push us beyond temporary happiness, bodily identification and selfish desires. In this way, your mercy can sometimes feel very strong. You do not allow us to remain comfortably asleep in māyā.

Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared to deliver the fallen souls and to spread the chanting of the holy name. You took up that same mission with extraordinary determination. You carried the message of Caitanya Mahāprabhu from India to the Western world and gave people the process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, studying Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, serving the devotees and developing a relationship with Kṛṣṇa. You created opportunities for people from every background to become servants of the Lord. This is why your presence in this world cannot be measured simply by the number of temples you established or books you published. You changed the direction of people’s lives. You gave people the holy name. You gave people Kṛṣṇa. And you gave us the opportunity to serve. Caitanya-caritāmṛta teaches that the spiritual master is the representative of Kṛṣṇa and that Kṛṣṇa, through the spiritual master, delivers His devotees.

Śrīla Prabhupāda, you are such a powerful instrument of that mercy. You remained completely faithful to your own spiritual master, and through that faithfulness, you carried the message of the disciplic succession forward without changing its essential teachings. You never presented yourself as the owner of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. You presented yourself as its servant and representative. That humility makes your accomplishments even more astonishing.

So today, I bow down to the ācārya who travelled across the world to give Kṛṣṇa consciousness to people who had forgotten Him. I bow down to the servant who worked tirelessly for his spiritual master’s mission. I bow down to the preacher who fearlessly spoke the truth of Bhagavad-gītā. I bow down to the author who left behind an ocean of transcendental knowledge. I bow down to the devotee who wanted nothing for himself except to serve Śrī Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa and spread the glories of Lord Caitanya. Śrīla Prabhupāda, your appearance in this world was a tremendous blessing. May your teachings continue to spread everywhere.

May more and more people discover the holy name through your books and your movement. And may those of us who have received your mercy never become careless with such a priceless gift.

All glories to you, Śrīla Prabhupāda. All glories to your service to Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. All glories to your preaching of the holy name. All glories to your unlimited mercy upon the fallen souls.