Address on Vyasa-puja Day

Place: Sri Gaudiya Matha, Ultadanga, Kolkata
Time: Thursday, 12th February, 1925
(This is Srila Prabhupada's speech in response to the speech a disciple gave on Prabhupada's fifty-first appearance day)

The exalted acarya's teaching of trnad api sunicena:

I have very little connection with whatever my spiritual masters have said about me today, but one thing is very true: they are mercifully trying to deliver me from any propensity I may have to do anything not related to Krishna, and for that I am indebted. I am hopeful that I will be able to constantly chant the holy name of Gaurasundara. My long-cherished hope and desire is that I may remain engaged in the service of Lord Krishna and His devotees twenty-four hours a day in the association of a pure devotee. May the last days of my life be spent in their service.

Realizing that such a long-cherished hope is today being fulfilled, there is no end to my happiness. Therefore I offer millions of obeisances at the feet of Sri Gaurasundara and His devotees. My humble request to my spiritual masters is that they forgive me because of their own good qualities. They are purifying my wicked heart by constantly allowing me to hear topics of Hari and by revealing their ideal character before my eyes. My life can become glorious if I obtain even a particle of the unlimited attachment they have for the lotus feet of Sri Gaura Krishna. I have fallen into danger, and they are always protecting me.

The association of the Lord's devotees is always desirable in all circumstances:

I have an indirect connection with the nectarean words of Sri Gaura-sundara. My spiritual masters fulfill my desires by spreading those nectarean words to many people in the world. I have nothing worth coveting, desiring, or cherishing other than to surrender myself at Sri Gaurasundara's lotus feet. I am very, very weak, but Sri Gaurasundara is so compassionate that he has given me the opportunity to constantly hear hari-katha. May I leave this world remembering all of my spiritual masters, who have provided me the opportunity to constantly hear hari-katha. When I discuss their pure characteristics I feel it's my duty to return to this world of three material miseries birth after birth, because so many exalted devotees are also living in this world. I never thought I would meet with so many devotees of ideal character at once. When I was searching for a spiritual master, I thought there would be very few devotees of Gaura who had the exemplary character displayed during Sri Gaurasundara's time. But I was astonished to see I was wrong. Today I conclude my speech by offering millions of obeisances at the feet of Gaura's devotees.

vanchca-kalpa-tarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

As published in the
VAKTRTAVALI - GARLAND OF DIVINE DISCOURSES
By His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada
Reproduced with permission of Touchstone Media.