To all esteemed devotees worldwide,
It is with heavy hearts that the global members of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) express their profound sorrow at the passing of His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami.
His Holiness Gopal Krishna Maharaja was appointed by Srila Prabhupada to serve as a BBT Trustee. In this capacity, Maharaja dedicated himself tirelessly to the expansion of the publication and distribution of Srila Prabhupada’s books.
In his prolific development of new devotional communities and temples, as well as during his travels as a spiritual master and GBC member, Maharaja steadfastly emphasized the importance of book distribution, organizing and inspiring devotees to distribute ever-increasing numbers of Srila Prabhupada’s books wherever he went.
For over five decades, Gopal Krishna Maharaja remained a stalwart champion of Srila Prabhupada’s directive to distribute his books. As Srila Suta Goswami glorified Bhismadeva upon his passing from this mortal realm, we invoke a similar tribute to His Holiness Gopal Krishna Goswami:
“Thereupon that man who spoke on different subjects with thousands of meanings and who fought on thousands of battlefields and protected thousands of men, stopped speaking and, being completely freed from all bondage, withdrew his mind from everything else and fixed his wide-open eyes upon the original Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, who stood before him, four-handed, dressed in yellow garments that glittered and shined.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.9.30)
Srila Prabhupada established the BBT with the vision of ensuring that his books would be distributed in growing numbers, in perpetuity, all over the world. Gopal Krishna Maharaja epitomized this vision and became one of the most successful devotees in ISKCON history in fulfilling this sacred mission. What’s more, Maharaja, in a mood of selfless service and cooperation, helped various BBT divisions around the world to find common ground so that they could work together harmoniously.
We mourn his passing deeply and offer our prayers that we, and generations of devotees to come, may walk in his footsteps.
The global members of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
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