Releasing a commemorative coin of Rs 125 on the 125th birth anniversary of ISKCON temple founder Swami Prabhupada, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that it was a happy coincidence. Taking part in the program virtually, PM Modi said that it was Sri Krishna Janmashtami yesterday and today we are celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Srila Prabhupada. It is as if the happiness and contentment of sadhana mix together. This feeling is being felt by millions of followers of Srila Prabhupada Swami and millions of millions of Krishna devotees all over the world today. Prabhupada has established more than 100 temples.
Prime Minister Modi said that today it is a happy coincidence that the 125th birthday of such a great patriot is being celebrated at a time when the country is celebrating the festival of 75 years of its independence, Amrit Mahotsav. He said- “We all know that Prabhupada Swami was not only a supernatural devotee of Krishna, but he was also a great devotee of Bharat. He fought in the freedom struggle of the country. He even refused to take his diploma from the Scottish College in support of the non-cooperation movement.
PM Modi said that in the Amrit Mahotsav, India has made the basis of its journey ahead with such resolutions along with the mantra of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. At the heart of these resolutions, at the core of our goals is the spirit of global well-being. Prime Minister Modi said that how much India can give to the world in the interest of humanity, today a great example of this is our knowledge of Yoga and the tradition of Yoga spread all over the world. The sustainable lifestyle of India, the science like Ayurveda, it is our resolve that the whole world should benefit from it.
He said- Whenever we go to any other country, and when people meet there by chanting ‘Hare Krishna’, then we feel so much belongingness, how much pride is there. PM Modi said that imagine how we will feel when we get this affinity for Make in India products.
He said that today scholars assess that if there was no social revolution of Bhakti period, India would not know where it would have been, in what form. In those difficult times, saints like Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who tied our society with the spirit of devotion, gave the mantra of ‘confidence with faith’. PM Modi said that at one time if sages like Swami Vivekananda came who took Ved-Vedanta to the west, then Srila Prabhupada and ISKCON took the lead in this great work when the responsibility of giving Bhakti Yoga to the world came.
He said that today there are hundreds of ISKCON temples in different countries of the world, how many Gurukuls are keeping Indian culture alive. ISKCON has told the world that for India, faith means zeal, enthusiasm, and gaiety and faith in humanity.