Hon’ble Governor of Kerala Shri Arif Mohammad Khan Ji, Princess of Travancore Her Highness Smt. Aswathi Thirunal Gowri Lakshmi Bayi Ji, Author and Historian Dr. Hindol Sengupta, Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa - Senior Vice President of ISKCON Bangalore and Vice Chairman of Akshaya Patra, devotees, ladies and gentlemen,

Firstly, I invoke the blessings of Sree Anantha Padmanabha Swamy, the presiding deity, for the success of this important initiative.

I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammad Khan Ji, a distinguished scholar, thinker, reformer and administrator, for being the Chief Guest at today’s book launch.

I would also like to thank Her Highness, a surrendered devotee of Sree Padmanabha, respected scholar, writer and philosopher, for kindly consenting to be the Guest of Honour.

Tomorrow is India’s 75 th year of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, and I am happy that we are releasing the book Sing, Dance and Pray on this joyous occasion.

Our motherland, India, is not just a geographical tract of land but a great civilisation of spiritual culture and heritage. Srimad Bhagavatam describes the glories of Bharat as follows:

etad eva hi devā gāyanti

All the devatas in heaven speak in this way

aho amīṣāṁ kim akāri śobhanaṁ
prasanna eṣāṁ svid uta svayaṁ hariḥ
yair janma labdhaṁ nṛṣu bhāratājire
mukunda-sevaupayikaṁ spṛhā hi naḥ

How wonderful it is for these human beings to have been born in the land of Bhārata-varṣa? They must have executed pious acts of austerity in the past, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself must have been pleased with them. Otherwise, how could they engage in devotional service in so many ways? We devatas can only aspire to achieve human births in Bhārata-varṣa to execute devotional service, but these human beings are already engaged there.

As this punyabhumi is so conducive to spiritual realisation, even the denizens of heaven desire to be born here.

India has been the fountainhead of spiritual thought and a leading light of the world for millennia. This has been the home of many philosophers, thinkers, saints and Acharyas who have appeared to enlighten humanity with their sublime teachings. Whenever there is a moral decline in collective human consciousness, these great personalities have checked such imbalances in the values of life.

In modern times, we have made tremendous progress in science, technology, and other fields. These advancements have provided material comforts, education and economic development throughout the world. However, there is also constant strife and discord in society. We see the rising graph of crime, corruption, and inequities and these pressing issues seem to eclipse the progress we have achieved in other areas. Due to the influence of this Iron Age and lack of principles, there is a disparity and despondency in human society.

As a compassionate saint and Acharya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada felt a strong need for re- spiritualisation to correct this situation. He wanted to bring about a janatāgha-viplavah, or a spiritual revolution, and unite human society with the Vedic ideals of universal love and compassion for every living being. He wanted to demonstrate that all of us could become one in peace, friendship and prosperity. He desired to spread Lord Krishna’s teachings and attract the world’s thinkers, leaders, and other enquiring minds to know more about His soothing and healing message for a harried world.

Srila Prabhupada travelled to New York City aboard a cargo ship in 1965 at the advanced age of 69 to fulfil his mission. Arriving in America with just a few rupees and his translations of Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Prabhupada began to share the timeless wisdom of Krishna Consciousness. In the eleven years that followed, Srila Prabhupada circled the globe 14 times, bringing the teachings of Lord Krishna to millions of people throughout the world. He established more than 100 ISKCON temples on six continents.

Srila Prabhupada rationally and authoritatively preached that there is God or the Almighty One, from whom everything emanates, by whom everything is maintained and in whom everything is merged to rest - as codified in the Vedic aphorism janmādyasya yataḥ. Based on the Gita, he taught - sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā - God is the original father of all living entities, and we are all His children. He gave us the knowledge that our ultimate goal is to return home to the spiritual world, where we can experience eternal freedom.

He introduced the simple yet most potent method of self- realisation of this yuga - Singing, Dancing and Praying the Holy Names of God as recommended in the revealed scriptures. Thus, he helped millions of souls achieve peace and happiness. A newspaper of those times even published an article on how Srila Prabhupada is making people chant blissfully and helping them ‘Stay High Forever’.

Srila Prabhupada came from an unbroken, authentic disciplic succession originating from Bhagavan Krishna Himself. About 500 years ago, Sri Krishna appeared on this planet to distribute the love of God in His golden incarnation as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

He inaugurated the Sankirtan movement through the chanting of:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

He revealed the glories of chanting the Holy Name and said:

God has millions of names. And He has invested all His transcendental energies in His Holy Names. These names can be chanted without any hard and fast rules.

He predicted that Krishna’s Holy Names would be heard in every town and village. Srila Prabhupada fulfilled this divine prophecy by undertaking his voyage of compassion to the West.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s teachings were based on the principles of spiritual equality, brotherhood and freedom. In fact, He started the first Civil Disobedience Movement in a peaceful manner in the 15 th century against oppression and injustice. He united people regardless of caste, creed or social status and engaged them in His Sankirtan movement.

Lord Chaitanya travelled extensively across the country, and during His tour in South India, He came to the city of Thiruvananthapuram. He had the ecstatic darshan of Sree Padmanabha Swamy. He also visited the Adi Keshava Perumal temple in Thiruvattar nearby. This magnificent temple is closely connected to the Royal family. There, He discovered the ancient scripture Brahma Samhita which summarises the science of God and His transcendental activities.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted every Indian to take up the responsibility of preaching this science of self-realisation and benefit humanity.

He said,

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra
janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people without any discrimination. Srila Prabhupada took up this order and built a home where the whole world could live together harmoniously.

I would like to narrate an incident describing the universal vision of Srila Prabhupada. As a part of his world tour, Srila Prabhupada visited Tehran in 1976. One evening, he heard the chanting of holy prayers from a nearby mosque. He enquired about the meaning of the chants from his followers, who informed him that the prayer is an invitation to sing and glorify God. Srila Prabhupada was very pleased that the people of Tehran were devotedly engaged in chanting the names of God. In this way, Srila Prabhupada presented the essential knowledge of the Absolute Truth in a non-sectarian manner relevant to the entire human society.

I appreciate Dr.Hindol Sengupta for capturing all the important aspects of Srila Prabhupada’s life in his book. His vivid description of Srila Prabhupada’s exemplary life and character is sure to move the hearts of the readers. This book will be a source of inspiration that kindles the spiritual consciousness in people through the life sketch of Srila Prabhupada.

The Srimad Bhagavatam states

tvaṁ naḥ sandarśito dhātrā
dustaraṁ nistitīrṣatām
kaliṁ sattva-haraṁ puṁsāṁ
karṇa-dhāra ivārṇavam

‘We think that we have met Your Goodness by the will of providence, just so that we may accept you as captain of the ship for those who desire to cross the difficult ocean of Kali, which deteriorates all the good qualities of a human being.’

Srila Prabhupada’s biography will create awareness about his divine personality so that people can accept him as their spiritual guide.

It is mentioned in the Vedic literature:

mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ

One should always accept the progressive path of the mahājanas like Srila Prabhupada and follow in their footsteps. This sacred land is the place of saints like Adi Shankaracharya, Sri Bilvamangala Swamy and Sri Poonthanam, and mahājanas like Bali Maharaj. The members of the Royal Family of Travancore are examples of Rajarishis in the current era. It is important that we follow in the footsteps of these great personalities to create a happier, healthier and God-conscious society.

In pursuance of Srila Prabhupada’s directions, we have been involved in various spiritual and humanitarian services. I am happy that we were able to serve the people of Kerala during the floods and the pandemic through our feeding initiatives. I thank the Government of Kerala for supporting us, and we look forward to increasing our services.

I am very grateful to Shri Arif Mohammad Khan Ji and Her Highness for gracing the event. Your support will help us to present the spiritual vision, exemplary life and achievements of Srila Prabhupada to a global audience. I am confident that your presence will inspire everyone, especially youth, to read this life-changing biography and work enthusiastically for a better society.

I once again thank everyone assembled here and invite you to join us in spreading the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

Hare Krishna!