Though I was not in constant contact with Brahmananda Prabhu I always had great affection for him and Gargamuni Prabhu, the “love brothers” because of their unflinching faith in and pure unalloyed love for Srila Prabhupada. Brahmananda Prabhu was archetypal of what it meant to be a “Prabhupada man.” He would take a bullet for Srila Prabhupada and be happy to have had the opportunity.

The dreaded day has come, you have left the planet! In 2002, I was together with you in Sridhama Mayapur outside the main gate on the Bhaktisiddhanta road, we stood there for hours waiting for Tamal Krsna Maharaja, who had left his body in a car accident. You told me then that this is not just the end of Tamal Krsna Maharaja, this is the end of an era. It is like that today, there was only one Brahamanda, a giant among the followers of Srila Prabhupapada, who has no equal, because of the gr...

His grace Brahmananda Prabhu was my 1st temple president on 26 2nd Ave. I am eternally grateful to him as he gave me such spiritual, Krishna conscious protection. I was always moved by his unwavering devotion to Srila Prabhupada. AT the time, a new, young devotee that I was, was not familiar with the term “siksa guru” but in retrospect, can see that he was this to me. At the same time, I felt him to be my older brother, godbrother as I was 16-17 years old and he was in hi...

Regarding the MacMillan Company's printing Srimad-Bhagavatam, we may note herewith that the MacMillan's publication of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and our publication of Teachings of Lord Caitanya is the difference between heaven and hell. In the Bhagavad-gita As It Is, we have cut short the pages under the instruction of the MacMillan Company, without explaining many important verses.

Bruce Scharf had just graduated from New York University and was applying for a job. One day an exroommate told him about the Swami he had visited down on Second Avenue. "They sing there," his friend said, "and they have this far-out thing where they have some dancing. And Allen Ginsberg was there." The Swami was difficult to understand, his friend explained, and besides that, his followers recorded his talks on a tape recorder. "Why should he have a big tape recorder? That's not very spir...

Much can be said about our dear godbrother Bramhananda, but you know some devotees are just special. Just seeing him could make one smile and as one of Prabhupada's original "white elephants" his efforts to serve him "in the day" are legendary. As one of the heavy pullers of our "mule team" for Prabhupada, those early devotees did so much for him. They cleared and paved the way for later devotees and enlivened many. Days were glorious but rigorous, filled with exhaustion and sweet surrender. Time...

Brahmananda prabhu was virtually the first ISKCON devotee—senior to everyone. Actually, we are all here because of his invaluable service to Srila Prabhupada—especially in the early days when he so selflessly assisted Srila Prabhupada in starting ISKCON. For one example, anyone who has ever read Bhagavad-gita As It Is, owes an eternal debt to Brahmananda prabhu, who first arranged to publish it. He was able and willing to do anything Prabhupada wanted, and his personal dedication both sust...

Then I heard a prayer, offered to Lord Caitanya, that seemed to reflect Brahmananda Prabhu’s mood in relation to Srila Prabhupada—and the mood for which I aspire. “Birth after birth, You are our father, mother, son, and master. May we never forget Your lotus feet. O Lord, it does not matter where we take birth, but may we always have loving devotion for Your lotus feet.” Brahmananda Prabhu, please think kindly upon us and keep us close to your lotus feet, that we may engage in everlasti...

I noticed that in the foreword of the book, professor Thomas J Hopkins who started visiting different ISKCON events since its early days makes a very important observation: “There were many young people at these events and it took me a while to get to know them as individuals. It didn’t take long, however to recognize Brahmananda as the most knowledgable among them. Bhaktivedanta must have felt the same way because he increasingly relied on him. Bhaktivedanta soon chose him to be secretary ...