(Week 33: August 13–19, 2025)
Where I Went and What I Did
The thirty-third week of 2025, I lived at ISKCON Paris in Sarcelles, eighteen minutes by train north of Paris itself. In Paris I chanted Hare Krishna for three hours each afternoon, usually from 3 to 6 p.m., except on Thursday, when we chanted from 12 to 2 p.m. and 6:30 to 8 p.m.
On Vyasa-puja, we chanted from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Sarcelles Market and 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. at Montmartre.
I share quotes from Srila Prabhupada’s Srimad-Bhagavatam, and also a lecture and two letters of his. I share quotes from Sri Caitanya-bhagavata by Vrindavana Dasa Thakura and its commentary by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. I share notes on classes by Janananda Goswami, who spoke in Paris on Janmastami and Srila Prabhupada’s Vyasa-puja Day.
Many thanks to an anonymous donor for his very generous donation. Thanks to Marat for his kind donation.
Itinerary
August 23: Liverpool Ratha-yatra
August 24: Crawley Ratha-yatra
August 25: Crawley harinama and flight to New York
August 26–December 31: NYC Harinam
– September 25–26: Philadelphia harinama
– September 27: Philadelphia Ratha-yatra
– September 28: Delaware Sunday Feast and harinama?
Chanting Hare Krishna in Paris
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Printemps Haussmann in Paris (https://youtu.be/bu2RKKO65gg):
It was a Catholic holiday, and there was a parade on Boulevard Saint-Michel with a statue of Mary, different banners and some Christian chants, so we paused our kirtan for a few minutes.
Premamoya Narottama Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Boulevard Saint-Michel (https://youtu.be/8ZPj4DP4ZlM):
Vidjai Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Boulevard Saint-Michel (https://youtu.be/GBsP6JEEOgg):
Rama Vijaya Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Boulevard Saint-Michel (https://youtu.be/1q7MsXIGPug):
Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on Boulevard Saint-Michel (https://youtu.be/RCi-mjtok0s):
Yashomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna in Saint-Michel Metro Station (https://youtu.be/VULH3WOGCug):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna on Janmastami morning at ISKCON Paris (https://youtu.be/SYqoOzwqA2k):
Devotees do not usually do harinama on Janmastami in Paris, but I encouraged them to chant Hare Krishna from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. by the Indian shops and invite people to the temple for the festival. We brought many Indian language books to give to those who gave donations. We got an amazing response.
First of all we found an abandoned temple to put our books on just where we planned to sing. Sankirtana leader, Dayal Nitai Prabhu, was happy to distribute 8 Gitas and 12 small books in one hour. Beside the book sales, people donated almost 90 euros. One Indian lady bought books, danced in the kirtan, and later came to the temple for Janmastami. On the negative side, one person threw an egg at us which fortunately missed, and two people complained about the chanting, but Rama Vijaya Prabhu explained we were actually praying for the benefit of the whole world and we would be leaving soon. Dayal Nitai Prabhu was happy with the overall positive experience and will include harinama in next year’s observance of Janmastami in Paris.
Here Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna by the Indian shops in Paris on Janmastami (https://youtu.be/w2MNHUMX__0):
Janananda Goswami chants Hare Krishna on Janmastami evening at ISKCON Paris (https://youtu.be/JCoMfpB9G6M):
Jivananda and Yashomatinandana Prabhu led the Hare Krishna chant at Sarcelles Market on Vyasa-puja Day, and many people interacted with us, some by chanting, by dancing, by clapping, or by playing the shakers (https://youtu.be/E3WVt5gyeAY):
Yashomatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna on a suburban train (RER E) in Paris, and passengers play shakers and chant (https://youtu.be/oP0jOHZ8XmI):
Yashomatinandana Prabhu continued chanting Hare Krishna while getting off that train at Haussmann (https://youtu.be/cx8BBtauIxg):
Jivananda Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Rue de Caumartin in Paris (https://youtu.be/ix2PZYZ34jc):
Revatinandana Prabhu chants Hare Krishna at Rue de Caumartin in Paris (https://youtu.be/BToqsrcsBBg):
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Rue de Caumartin in Paris (https://youtu.be/DOPsN-yWsFw):
The last day I did harinama in Paris we were at Les Halles, but we had so few people I could not take videos until Marat came toward the end.
Marat chants Hare Krishna at Les Halles in Paris (https://youtu.be/Edz-JH2GsW8):
Insights
Srila Prabhupada:
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.34, purport:
“The happiness which the living beings are hankering for is not to be found within any corner of the innumerable universes and material planets. The eternal happiness which the living being wants is obtainable in the kingdom of God, but the forgetful living beings under the influence of the material modes have no information of the kingdom of God. The Lord, therefore, comes to propagate the message of the kingdom of God, either personally as an incarnation or through His bona fide representative as the good son of God. Such incarnations or sons of God are not making propaganda for going back to Godhead only within the human society. Their work is also going on in all types of societies, amongst demigods and those other than human beings.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.24, purport:
“Unless one is sufficiently protected by the Lord, he may fall down from his spiritual position; therefore one has to pray constantly to the Lord for protection and the blessing to carry out one’s duty. Lord Caitanya also entrusted His missionary work to His devotees and assured them of His protection against the onslaught of material influence. The path of spiritual life is stated in the Vedas to be like the edge of a sharpened razor. A little inattentiveness may at once create havoc and bloodshed, but one who is a completely surrendered soul, always seeking protection from the Lord in the discharge of his entrusted duties, has no fear of falling into material contamination.”
From Srimad-Bhagavatam 3.9.25, purport:
“The typical example of such a transcendental exchange between the predominator and the predominated is the Lord’s rasa-lila with the gopis. The gopis are predominated expansions of the internal potency, and therefore the Lord’s participation in the rasa-lila dance is never to be considered like the mundane relationship of man and woman. It is, rather, the highest perfectional stage of the exchange of feelings between the Lord and the living entities. The Lord gives the fallen souls the chance for this highest perfection of life.”
From a class on Bhagavad-gita 6.41–63 in New York in 1966:
“So there are chances of failure. There are chances of failure. Just like a great sage like Visvamitra Muni, he also failed, failed for the time being. But Krishna says that this failure is not, I mean to say, unsuccessful. As we have sometimes the proverb that ‘Failure is the pillar of success,’ especially in the spiritual life, this failure is not discouraging. This failure is not discouraging.
“So Krishna says that ‘Even one fails in completing his spiritual course, still, there is no loss on his part.’ Partha naiva iha. Iha means in this world. Na amutra. Amutra means next world. Vinasas tasya vidyate: ‘He will never vanquish.’ Vinasas tasya vidyate, na hi kalyana-krt: ‘Anyone who takes this auspicious line of spiritual culture,’ kascid durgatim tata gacchati, ‘he’ll never fall down.’ Yes.”
“The Lord is always prepared to give us facility. Simply He wants to see that we are sincere. That’s all.”
“So these things are sanctioned by Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita and all Vedic literature, that there is no harm even one is not able to fulfill his mission properly.”
“So in the pious family or in the rich family, there is chance of degradation. But one who takes his birth in a family of yogi, devotee, oh, he has got better chance for cultivating the same spiritual culture from which in his past life he had fallen. Therefore Krishna says, etad dhi durlabhataram: ‘This is very rare, that a man gets his birth, a parent, a yogi.’ This is very rare.”
“I may tell you that those who have taken this Society, Krishna consciousness, very seriously, they are not ordinary person. They must have had such culture in their previous life. Now they are again trying to revive that thing.”
“‘Now, in my past life I could not finish the job some way or other, but that doesn't matter. Now this life I shall not allow to miss this opportunity.’ That should be our determination as soon as we begin some spiritual culture.”
“So this is such a place. Lord Jesus Christ, his only fault was that he was preaching God’s message. He was crucified. You see? So these things are... This place is like that. Even if you are innocent, still, you'll be put into danger. Therefore this place should be avoided.”
“My Guru Maharaja used to say that ‘This place is not fit for any gentleman’s living.’”
From a letter to devotees written in Los Angeles on August 26, 1972:
“My Spiritual Master knew it that alone I could not do this great work. Therefore He has very kindly sent you all to help me in this task. I accept you therefore as representatives of my Guru Maharaja playing as my affectionate disciples.”
From a letter to Devananda on November 23, 1968:
“Simply our prayer should be, My dear Krishna, please remind me to always chant Your Holy Name, please do not put me into forgetfulness. You are sitting within me as Supersoul, so you can put me into forgetfulness or into remembering You. So please do not put me into forgetfulness. Please always remind me to chant, even You send me into the hell, it doesn't matter, just so long as I can always chant Hare Krishna.”
Vrindavana Dasa Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.204:
[Advaita Acarya said to Lord Caitanya:] “Worshiping the demigods headed by Shiva while disregarding You is like watering the leaves of a tree after cutting its root.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.209–210:
[Lord Caitanya said:] “My wish-fulfilling holy names destroy one who blasphemes My servant. All living entities in the innumerable universes are My servants, so anyone
who blasphemes any living entity is ruined.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.212:
[Lord Caitanya said:] “If even a sannyasi blasphemes an innocent person, he goes to hell and all his religious principles are destroyed.”
Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.113, purport:
“Sri Gaurasundara's preaching of devotional service is meant to deliver everyone in the world, but Mahaprabhu did not display any compassion for delivering the sinful Mayavadis who indulge in blaspheming Vaiṣnavas. Rather, He enacted the pastime of accepting the hospitality of a drunken debauchee. Yet He did not award the Mayavadi Vedantists who were envious of Vaiṣnavas the good fortune of attaining His darsana.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.207–208, purport:
“One who worships Lord Govinda but fails to worship His devotees should be understood to be not a devotee of the Lord but simply a victim of false pride.”
From Caitanya-bhagavata, Madhya 19.213, purport:
“To attribute faults when faults are not present is called ninda, or ‘blasphemy.’”
Janananda Goswami:
From a class on Janmastami at ISKCON on August 16, 2025:
Krishna descends to remove our materialist conceptions of seeing things without relationship with Krishna and to seeing ourselves as the enjoyer.
Krishna appears to attract people to spiritual enjoyment.
Subhaga Swami said Srila Prabhupada said that Bhagavad-gita 4.9 is the essence of Bhagavad-gita.
Srila Prabhupada said the Lord appeared as Nrsimha so the atheists would conclude there is no God.
From a lecture on Vyasa-puja:
Krishna arranged that His dear devotee, His senapati bhakta, appeared the day after His own appearance.
90% of Srila Prabhupada’s disciples never spoke a word with him.
Although in the 1970s we did not have personal computers and mobile phones, still we communicated much better.
Different devotees present Krishna consciousness differently so different people can assimilate it.
Love of God means simply to exist for the pleasure of Krishna.
The temple is facilitate the hearing of pure Krishna-katha in the association of devotees.
Some think that kirtan should not go on at night because the deities are asleep. That is nonsense. Srila Prabhupada wanted kirtan to always go on. It can be toned down at night as to not wake up the sleeping devotees.
Initiation is the beginning. It is the acceptance of the spiritual master as one’s life and soul.
It is Srila Prabhupada’s mercy and the mercy of the devotees that we are here today.
One of the best checks is “Would I do this if Srila Prabhupada was sitting next to me?”
The words of the spiritual master are the pride of the disciple.
Study the books. Don’t just put them on their shelves.
Srila Prabhupada said devotees should not just buy deities at the shop in India, and wotship them as they feel like. They should learn from the temple devotees the proper standard of worship.
Often Vyasa-puja offerings are written in the mood you are in the day you write the offering.
Srila Prabhupada explains the offerings go up the parampara to Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada Vyasa-puja Offerings
Janananda Goswami:
This is fiftieth anniversary of your coming to New Mayapur.
We have failed to maintain and expand your project there, but we are making progress in different areas.
There is a popular new outreach program a young devotee is doing in a nearby city.
We are completing the French Srimad-Bhagavatam which was never done.
You wrote in an offering to your own guru: The one who serves the message of the guru really worships him.
The word “obeisances” derives from the word “obey.”
You said once in Paris, “In all circumstances and in all trails do not give up.”
Chatelat means “fortified gate” so Chatelat-Les Halles, we are at the gates to hell, but by our Ratha-yatra and book distribution there we are making it to the gates to Vaikuntha.
You have given us the means of purification: Chant, dance, distribute books, and prasadam.
In the temple, some people may make an offering and some just come. It is the same on the street. Some people take a book. Others not.
Siksastakam Prabhu:
[Initiated in Amsterdam in 1976. Helped us get tax-free religious status in France.]
You have stressed concern for all of humanity.
You have shown us how to use whatever Krishna gives us in His service.
It is important for us to cooperate together to give society a real alternative.
Pranesvara Prabhu:
My life outside the temple is horrible not haribol.
I want to leave my two houses and my arguing wife behind and come to the temple and do harinama-sankirtana.
Outside the association of the devotees there is only falldown after falldown.
Once I was chaukidar for Srila Prabhupada, and I saw him through the curtains doing his translating at 2:00 a.m.
Because I served you then, I am here today.
Harivilasa knew I worked for a limousine company. We explained to the owner, who was Russian Orthodox and had pictures of Mary all over, that Prabhupada was great devotee of God. We asked how much it would cost to use a limousine for a week. He said, “For such a person, just pay for petrol and use our best limosine, the one we use for weddings.”
Nitai Gaursundara Prabhu:
I want to read an offering by Parvati Devi Dasi TKG, my godsister:
By your mercy, your have changed the course of this planet.
Without your mercy I would have no chance of a spiritual metamorphosis.
You are the pond where I can quench my thirst after wandering through desert regions.
You are the blade cutting off our material attachments.
Your house is so big that it covers the world.
Gaura Bhakta Prabhu:
Srila Prabhupada brought the spiritual world to Paris in 1973.
He liked the French because they like to eat, they are intellectual, and they are revolutionary.
He said Paris is the king’s city.
Wherever he went, he was like the sun, dissapating darkness.
When he came to Paris, he met impotent leaders. He spoke with knowledge and humility.
His guru realized that Srila Prabhupada could speak so nicely that he could attract people in the west.
He attracted children. He attracted respectable people. He was attractive because of his love of God.
I regularly hear his lectures, and I can understand he is from another world. I can see he only wants to deliver people.
Srila Prabhupada gave so much knowledge about Krishna, what He looks like, what He does.
Srila Prabhupada said that it is impossible to know Krishna completely, but whatever we know about Krishna will benefit us.
We are protected by Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Prabhupada said that chanting, following the rules, reading the books, and associating with devotees is sufficient to attain perfection.
Video of Prabhupada in Paris:
Dayamriga carved the Jagannatha deities in Paris.
Indradyumna Swami: “I wanted to get a personal instruction, and I asked Srila Prabhupada, and he leaned over and said, ‘Preach boldly and have faith in the holy names.’ He gave me a dhoti.”
Srila Prabhupada would listen to each people’s level of spiritual consciousness and speak accordingly. He would be firm with people, out of compassion, concerned about the effects of their philosophies on society.
Srila Prabhupada was the only religious leader who was official honored by the city of Paris. Otherwise it was only political leaders who were honored.
Chinese devotee:
Thank for coming west at age 69 to please your guru. Now people all over the world are able to get spiritual blessings.
Your mercy is higher than the sky and deeper than the ocean.
Dayal Nitai Prabhu:
Only by your service can I engage in the service of Krishna.
If feel indebted for life, I wish to distribute books.
I hope to share the message of Krishna which is an absolute necessity to save them from the disease of materialism.
I hope my service my reduces the tears of compassion in your eyes.
Jiva Prana Prabhu:
You awaken sleeping souls and make us dance.
You planted the seed of devotion in every corner of the world, especially in France.
You have given a generation of disciples who carry you in their hearts.
You have given us everything.
Please let me share these book deities.
Everywhere is blessed by invoking your presence.
Please help me to engage everything in Krishna’s service.
Put me in whatever position you like.
Allow me to keep the association and keep me engaged in your mission.
Revatinandana Prabhu:
You killed the demons of impersonalism and voidism.
You have taken the burden of delivering the world.
You have lifted us from material ocean to the spiritual ocean.
Like Vamana, you took the land that was misappropriated, but not from one king, rather from many kings.
Krishna Kripa Das:
I read from these notes I took while I was proofreading Srila Prabhupada Tributes:
https://krishnamonk.blogspot.com/2025/08/notes-on-srila-prabhupada-tributes-2025.html
I advise devotees to read the whole book: https://sptributes.com/downloads/
Gopal Krishna Goswami Appearance Day Offerings
Rasa Parayana Prabhu:
He was an expert manager. He was always ten steps ahead of you. He was a great advocate of book publication and distribution. Of the two Delhi temples, Sant Nagar Main Road was top in book distribution in the large temples category and Punjabi Bagh was top in the medium temples.
He was very personal. He always had time for people not matter how busy he was.
One devotee stole money. Before kicking him out, they asked Gopal Krishna Goswami. Gopal Krishna Goswami asked the devotee why he stole the money, and he replied that the stipend he got was not enough to maintain his family. Gopal Krishna Goswami sent him to another center with an increased stipend.
He would deal with people not to banish them.
One dog had puppies in the Delhi temple compound, and Gopal Krishna Goswami said having the puppies all over the place was not good for keeping the cleanliness standard, so the leaders through them threw them out. When Gopal Krishna Goswami learnec they were thrown out, he protested and made the leaders go out and find them. He felt that any entity who has taken shelter of Krishna must be protected.
During the Srila Prabhupada disappearance festival in Vrindavan, he would make sure every Srila Prabhupada disciple was properly accommodated.
He was expert in dealing with devotees who could not get along.
He always thanked people for their service.
Adinath Govind Prabhu:
He was known as “trouble shooter.” He would go to places where there were problems so he could solve them.
He had concern for two temples, Kharghar and another.
Once he told a disciple, “I brought you hear to solve the problems not to complain.”
When a preacher did not take the opportunity to massage him because of an engagement, he said, “Message is more important than massage.”
He would hear from other acaryas in the line, but he would exactly repeat what Srila Prabhupada said.
His favorite pastime was Madhavendra Puri and Ksira-cora Gopinatha.
Once he went to Remuna. The temple was closed. But somehow the pujari had spontaneously saved out two pots of sweet rice that day, and they were then given to him. He told his disciples not to tell people about it, but now it is known widely.
He once said, “I don’t want to be the cause of anyone’s spiritual death.”
The devotees cooking breakfast were from Mauritius and had friends and relatives who were disciples of Gopal Krishna Goswami, and thus they cooked a breakfast feast in his honor.
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When we share Krishna consciousness, we have a guaranteed audience – those who performed acts of Krishna consciousness in their past lives, and therefore there will always be some people who are interested in what we are offering. Krishna explained this in Bhagavad-gita 6.43–44:
“On taking such a birth, he revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he again tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru. By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles—even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.”
