Markine Bhagavata-Dharma
Preaching Bhagavata-dharma in America

Srila Prabhupada on Board the Jaladuta Ship
Srila Prabhupada on Board the Jaladuta Ship


by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness

[On September 17, 1965, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in Boston on board the ship Jaladuta. He carried within his heart the orders of his spiritual master to spread the teachings of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the entire world. The following poem, originally written in Bengali, perfectly illustrates Srila Prabhupada's complete humility and dependence on the Supreme Lord for the success of his great mission.]

My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now you can do whatever You like with me.

But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?

Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.

But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.

How will they undersand the mellows of devotional service? O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.

All living entities have become under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.

I wish that You may deliver them. Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.

The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.

It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17-21):

"Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma [Supersoul] in everyone's heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who has developed the urge to hear His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regularly hearing the Bhagavatam and by rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas), and lust and desire (kama) disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness, and he becomes happy. Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from material association (mukti) and comes to know scientifically of the Personality of Godhead. Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions (karma) is terminated when one sees the self as master."

He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core of the heart will disappear.

How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking Your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.

Somehow or other, O Lord, You have brought me here to speak about You. Now, my Lord, it is up to You to make me a success or failure as You like.

O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat Your message, so if You like You can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.

Only by Your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly feel engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.

O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if You have brought me here to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord, make me dance as You like.

I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krsna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now, if You like, You can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.

Signed - the most unfortunate, insignificant beggar
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,
on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier,
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
dated 18th of September, 1965



The poem, markinebhagavata-dharma, Srila Prabhupada writes after arriving in Boston at Common Wealth pier on September 18th 1965. Seeing the Boston skyline and rampant materialism prevalent in the lives of people there, Srila Prabhupada realizes the difficulties in his mission. He sees the hellish city life where people are dedicated to the illusion of material happiness. He feels weak, lowly and unable to help them on his own. He is penniless, has barely survived the two heart attacks at sea, speaks a different language and dresses strangely, at least according to American standards. He has come to tell people to giveup sinful habits which are inseparable part of their lives. He has come to teach Americans worship of Lord Krishna, who to them is just a mythical Hindu god. What would he be able to accomplish! Helplessly he speaks his heart to Lord Krishna in this poem.

(1)

boŕo-krpā koile kŗşŋa adhamer prati
ki lāgiyānile hethā koro ebegati

My dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this unless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me.

(2)

āche kichu kārja  taba ei anumāne
nahe keno āniben ei urgu-sthāne

But I guess You have some business here, otherwise why would You bring me to this terrible place?

(3)

rajas tamo gune erā sabāi ācchanna
vāsudeb-kathā ruci nahe se prasanna

Most of the population here is covered by the material modes of ignorance and passion. Absorbed in material life, they think themselves very happy and satisfied, and therefore they have no taste for the transcendental message of Vasudeva. I do not know how they will be able to understand it.

(4)

tabe jadi taba kŗpā hoy ahaitukī
sakal-i sambhava hoy tumi se  kautukī

But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic.

(5)

ki bhāve bujhāle tārābujhe sei rasa
eta kŗpā koro prabhu kori nija–baśa

How will they understand the mellows of devotional service?
O Lord, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I will be able to convince them about Your message.

(6)

tomā ra icchā ya saba hoy mā yā -baśa
tomā ra icchā ya nā śa mā yā r paraśa

All living entities have come under the control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.

(7)

taba icchā hoy jadi tādera uddhār
bujhibe niścai tabe kathā se tomār

I wish that You may deliver them.  Therefore if You so desire their deliverance, then only will they be able to understand Your message.

(8)

bhāgavater kathā se taba avatār
dhīra hoiyā śune jadi kāne bār bār

The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if a sober person repeatedly receives it with submissive aural reception, then he will be able to understand Your message.

(9)

     sŗŋvatām sva-kathāh kŗşņah
puņya-śravaņa-kīrtanah
hŗdy antah-stho hy abhadrāņi
vidhunoti suhŗt satām

   naşţa-prāyeşv abhadreşu
nityam bhāgavata-sevyā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naişţhikī

tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāh
kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye
ceta etair anāviddham
sthitam sattve prasīdati

evam prasanna-manaso
bhagvad-bhakti-yogatah
bhagavat-tattva-vijʼnānam
mukta-sańgasya jāyate

bhidyate hŗdaya-granthiś
chidyante sarva-samśayāh
kşīyante cāsya  karmāŋi
dŗşţa evātmanīśvare

It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.17-21): “Sri Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma (Supersoul)  in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted. By regularly hearing the Bhagavatam and rendering service unto the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is practically destroyed, and loving service unto the glorious Lord, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

At the time loving service is established in the heart, the modes of passion (rajas) and ignorance (tamas) and lust and desire (kama) disappear from the heart. Then the devotee is established in goodness and he becomes happy. Thus established in the mode of goodness, the man rejuvenated by loving service to the Lord gains liberation from  material association[mukti] and comes to know scientifically of the personality of Godhead.  Thus the knots of the heart and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions [karma] is terminated when one sees the self as master.”

(10)

rajas tamo hate tabe pāibe nistār
hŗdoyer abhadra sab ghucibe tāhār

He will become liberated from the influence of the modes of ignorance and passion and thus all inauspicious things accumulated in the core  of the heart will disappear.

(11)

ki ko’ re bujhābo kathā bara sei cāhi
khudra āmi dīna hīna kono śakti nāhi

How will I make them understand this message of Krsna consciousness? I am very unfortunate, unqualified, and the most fallen. Therefore I am seeking your benediction so that I can convince them, for I am powerless to do so on my own.

(12)

athaca eneho prabhu kathā bolibāre
je tomār icchā prabhu koro ei bāre

Somehow or other, O Lord you have brought me here to speak about you. Now, my Lord, it is up to you to make me a success or failure as you like.

(13)

akhila jagat-guru! bacana se āmār
alańkŗta koribār khamatā tomār

O spiritual master of all the worlds! I can simply repeat your message, so if you like you can make my power of speaking suitable for their understanding.

(14)

taba kŗpā ha’le mor kathā śuddha habe
śuniya sabāra  śoka  duhkha je ghucibe

Only by your causeless mercy will my words become pure. I am sure that when this tr transcendental message penetrates their hearts they will certainly fell engladdened and thus become liberated from all unhappy conditions of life.

(15)

āniyācho jadi prabhu āmāre nācāte
nācāo nācāo prabhu nācāo se-mate
kaşţhera puttali jathā nācāo se-mate

O Lord, I am just like a puppet in Your hands. So if you have brought me her to dance, then make me dance, make me dance, O Lord make me dance as you like.

(16)

bhakti nāi beda nāi nāme khub daŕo
“bhaktivedānta” nām ebe sārthak koro

I have no devotion, nor do I have any knowledge, but I have strong faith in the holy name of Krshna. I have been designated as Bhaktivedanta, and now if You  like you can fulfill the real purport of Bhaktivedanta.

Signed.
A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami,
on board the ship Jaladuta, Commonwealth Pier, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A
Dated 18th September, 1965