Sripada B. V. Narayana Maharaja, a prominent Vaishnava leader, passed away on December 29 in the holy city of Jagannath Puri. He was eighty-nine years old. The executive committee of ISKCON’s governing body commission has issued the following statement:
Dear Disciples and Followers of Sripada B.V. Narayana Maharaja,
Please accept our humble obeisances, all glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga.
We, the Executive Committee of ISKCON’s Governing Body Commission, wish to express our bereavement on hearing of the passing of Sripada Narayana Maharaja.
As a disciple of His Divine Grace Bhaktiprajñana Kesava Goswami Maharaja, the Godbrother and sannyasa guru of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founderacarya of ISKCON, Sripada Narayana Maharaja had been a longtime acquaintance of our Srila Prabhupada. Maharaja assisted Prabhupada in his early days in the United States, assistance for which Srila Prabhupada had expressed his appreciation.
At this time we remember Narayana Maharaja as a dedicated and powerful preacher. He traveled around the world to deliver the message of Srimad- Bhagavatam and spread Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. He also translated important Vaishnava texts.
Sripada Narayana Maharaja lived a long and fruitful life in devotional service and was an inspiration to many. We pray the Lord will give comfort to his disciples and followers in this difficult time.
On behalf of all the members of ISKCON, we offer him our respectful obeisances.
vancha-kalpa-tarubhyas ca
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo
vaisnavebhyo namo nama?
[“I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaishnava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.”]