Bhaktipadastakam Prayers

Sanskrit and English translations by Kusakratha dasa

 

Narrative comments by bhakta Eric Johanson

 

The following Sanskrit verses represent the pinnacle of zonal acarya hubris, pretense and delusion. Now, some 40 years after their era, many don’t know that thousands of devotees thought that these eleven men were all pure devotees, residents of the absolute spiritual sky. The one with the most believers, however, was Kirtanananda Swami Bhaktipada, Srila Prabhupada’s first sannyasa disciple. Someone versed in Sanskrit actually composed these “prayers” to him. Verses and photo courtesy of henrydoktorski.com.

 

chaitanya-sankirtan-dhama navya-
vrndavanam dhama praksitam tu
yenaiva tam sri-prabhupada-prestham
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

Let me sing about your unlimited transcendental qualities, Srila Bhaktipada! You are very dear to Srila Prabhupada because of your spontaneous love and devotion, the mature fruit of which is the New Vrindaban project, which is boldly preaching the glories of Lord Caitanya all over the world!

 

prajanukarsam prabhupadadeva-
prasadam adhyam vilasantam eva
vaikuntha-dhameva manim tu yasmat
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

This love that you have for Srila Prabhupada has blossomed as the gem of Srila Prabhupada’s Palace, the effulgence of which shines brilliantly throughout the universe. In this way you are attracting every conditioned soul to the spiritual world by manifesting the opulence of Vaikuntha right here on this earth. Let me sing about your unlimited transcendental qualities, Srila Bhaktipada!

 

sri-krsna-varta-cayam aprameyam
ajnapayaj jiva-kulam krpaluh
gurupadesanugatir ya eva
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

Let me offer prayers in worship of you, Srila Bhaktipada. You are delivering the message of the absolute realm to every soul in this world by fulfilling the order of Srila Prabhupada to establish New Vrindaban as a model Krishna Conscious community in the western world.

 

sri-shrila-vrndavanachandradeva-
bhaktam prasantam para-tositam tu
subhotsaham suddha-matim sukham ca
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

You possess all the qualities of a pure devotee, you are always self satisfied and you always carry Sri Sri Radha-Vrindaban Chandra in the core of your heart. In this way you enliven and enthuse us in the blissful service of their Lordships. Let me always glorify your transcendental qualities, Srila Bhaktipada.

 

dharmam param bhagavatam nibodhan
bhaktan sada sasti sutarka-nathah
sri-krsna-padambuja-samsrito yah
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

Let me sing about your unlimited transcendental qualities, Srila Bhaktipada. You fully know the meaning of the scriptures and you always enliven us in the transcendental science of Krishna Consciousness. By your undefeatable logic, you firmly establish the truth of bhagavata dharma and defeat all concocted interpretations of the Absolute Truth.

 

saubhagyavan rupa-sanatanadi-
siksayutatma prabhupada-dasyah
bhaktaih stuto yah paramarjavo vai
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

Let me sing about your unlimited transcendental qualities, Srila Bhaktipada. You appeared in this world simply for the purpose of helping to spread the mission of the gosvamis. From the very beginning, you were the first to help Srila Prabhupada in every aspect of his preaching.

 

samsarinas carvita-carvanan yah
sammajjavaty eva krpambudo vai
sri-krsna-premabdhi-vare ‘mrte tu
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

Let me sing the glories of Your Divine Grace. You are overflooding the dry desert of this world with krsna prema, which is pouring unlimitedly from the ocean of your heart, like the great rain cloud which refreshes all living entities.

 

santis tu yasya prabhupada-siksa-
nisthapi daksyam tapa isa-bhaktih
sarvesu lokesu suhrt-svabhavah
sri-bhaktipadam satatam stumas tam

You are completely fixed in the instructions of Srila Prabhupada, determined to execute them, fully controlled, an ocean of wisdom, always peaceful, expert, grave, effulgent, friendly, and completely detached. All these are simply a drop in the unlimited ocean of your transcendental qualities, Srila Bhaktipada. Please let me remain forever by your side.

 

“Unlimited transcendental qualities,” “your spontaneous love and devotion,” “you possess all the qualities of a pure devotee, you are always self satisfied,” “you fully know the meaning of the scriptures,” “You are overflooding the dry desert of this world with krsna prema, which is pouring unlimitedly from the ocean of your heart,” “fully controlled, an ocean of wisdom, always peaceful, expert, grave, effulgent, friendly, and completely detached. All these are simply a drop in the unlimited ocean of your transcendental qualities.”

 

These are all qualities and descriptions of a devotee on the highest level. However, other information available from historian Henry Doktorski makes clear it is highly unlikely Kirtanananda was even following the 4 regulative principles during all the years these verses were being sung to him.

 

Some devotees still believe the verses above that Kirtanananda (and his ten associate zonals) was spreading real Krishna consciousness. However, the so-called Krishna consciousness they were spreading certainly wasn’t based on obedience to their guru, Srila Prabhupada. In the same May 28^th 1977 conversation that they cited for his supposed appointment of them, he also said, “When I order, ‘You become guru,’ he becomes regular guru. That’s all.” “Regular guru” means under regulation, which is not pretending to be pure devotees in the manner of the above verses or how they otherwise ostentatiously imitated Srila Prabhupada for ten years. Also, regarding their so-called appointment, none of them were ever ordered by him by name. History has also shown that the eleven’s interpretation of the pronouns spoken by Srila Prabhupada that day was basically an exaggeration, a type of deception or lie, which is proven by  how they hid the conversation’s recording from everyone else for 3-4 years.

 

Someone who imitates a devotee on the highest level without having achieved those qualifications is known as a pretender or dharmadhvaji, what to speak of also including being a liar about being appointed guru by his guru. One of our previous acaryas had this to say about such people:

 

“One should give up the association of dharmadvajis, the hypocritically devout, with special care. Those who accept the external signs of dharma but do not actually follow dharma are called dharmadvajis. There are two types of dharmadvajis—the hypocrites and the fools, or the cheaters and the cheated. Such hypocrisy in jnana-kanda and karma-kanda is also condemned. In devotional service this hypocrisy ruins everything. Better associate with sense enjoyers, for in this whole world there is no worse association than the dharmadvaji. The deceitful dharmadvajis accept the signs of dharma with a desire to cheat the world, and to fulfill their crooked desires they cheat the foolish by helping them in their rascaldom.” Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Sri Bhaktyaloka, Six Faults that Destroy Bhakti, Jana Sanga

 

Kirtanananda and his ten associates fall into this abominable category. This means Kirtanananda was hardly doing what is described above: “By your undefeatable logic, you firmly establish the truth of bhagavata dharma and defeat all concocted interpretations of the Absolute Truth.” The eleven were living and spreading their own condemned “concocted interpretation” of so-called Krishna consciousness.

 

Sadly the example of the eleven lives on in what was once Srila Prabhupada’s movement, the ISKCON institution. There four of them are still considered gurus. Almost without exception all the current leaders were among those who bowed to the eleven, who “went along to get along” with the lies and pretense. They were and are too cowardly to stand up for the real “truth of bhagavata dharma.”