The disappearance day of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) allows us to meditate on his pastimes and his teachings. Srila Prabhupada had this to say about the disappearance of vaisnavas:
“As Lord Krishna’s appearance and disappearance are all spiritual, transcendental, they are not ordinary things, similarly Lord Krishna’s devotee, His representative, who is sent to this material world for preaching the glories of Lord Krishna’s. Therefore, according to Vaisnava principles, the appearance and disappearance of a Vaisnava are considered all auspicious.”
Srila Prabhupada was a pure devotee of the Lord who appeared to realise Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction. Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is described as the most merciful of all incarnations. He had predicted that the Holy Name would be chanted in every town and village of the world.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur had sent some of his sannyasa disciples to realise Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction. Still, they returned without much success and some thought that although Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had predicted this, it would not come true because of Kali Yuga. However, Srila Prabhupada had complete faith in the instruction of his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur. Srila Prabhupada was the empowered personality who appeared to fulfil Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s prediction.
Even when He was physically not too well, he did not stop his preaching. In his last days, when he was in Vrindavana, he was so weak that he could not even sit down. He could barely speak, but he had a devotee read out Srimad Bhagavatam verses and another devotee read the commentary of the acharyas. Srila Prabhupada was whispering the translation and purport. This shows us how compassionate Srila Prabhupada was and how determined he was to save humanity.
