Prabhupāda’s Mood of Humbly Begging Others to Serve Kṛṣṇa
When we read the phrase "I beg to" in the letters of Śrīla Prabhupāda, we are given a profound glimpse into the pure humility and perfect etiquette of a genuinely realized Vaiṣṇava. Although he was the revered founder and supreme authority of a worldwide spiritual movement, he consistently addressed his disciples, guests, and the public with deep respect and gentle persuasion. He did not operate with the arrogance of a mundane leader, but rather saw himself as a humble servant carrying out the divine orders of his Guru. This polite and endearing language was not merely a formal convention of his era; it reflected his genuine, heartfelt mood of begging conditioned souls to wake up from māyā and take to the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa. By reading these intimate exchanges, we can deeply feel his immense compassion and patience. Understanding this gentle mood inspires us to strip away our own false prestige and adopt a similarly humble, cooperative spirit in our daily devotional lives.
Acknowledging Service and Offerings
Śrīla Prabhupāda never took the service of his disciples for granted. He responded to their donations, letters, and gifts with formal grace, graciously "begging" to acknowledge their efforts and encouraging their continued advancement on the path back to Godhead.
- I beg to acknowledge receipt of the following presentation for my Lord Sri Sri Radha Krsna. One handkerchief cloth finely embroidered in colors for offering with Aratrik, one set of clothes for the Deities, and ISKCON bullets - sweetballs.
- I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter recommending new Brahmin initiates. Perform a fire ceremony and have a feast. Sacred threads are enclosed.
- I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the contribution made by my beloved disciple Sriman Jayananda brahmacari. My thanks are due as well to the directors of ISKCON Press, who have taken so much care in publishing this great literature. Hare Krsna.
- I beg to thank you for your kindly improving our mission in Western world by the hard work of all my students there, and for keeping my apartments and gardens nicely.
Introducing the Mission and Himself
When communicating with new acquaintances, government officials, or the general public, Śrīla Prabhupāda presented himself simply as an Indian monk or sannyāsī. His polite introductions disarmed his readers, allowing him to boldly present the urgent necessity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- I (Prabhupada) beg to introduce myself as an Indian monk, following the Vedic principles of religious life, and at the present, I am in the renounced order of Sannyas (aged 72 years) and preaching God consciousness all over the world.
- I beg to introduce myself as the founder-acharya of the above institution. Our mission is to preach Krishna Consciousness (God-Consciousness) all over the world and in your country alone we have got about 40 branches in all the important towns of America.
- I beg to inform you that it is now high time to revive the divine consciousness of mankind, the people in general, modern leaders, philosophers, and religionists - considering the deteriorated world situation in every respect.
- Regarding my personal history I beg to state it shortly as follows....
Managing the Expanding Society
As his movement grew into a global institution, Śrīla Prabhupāda oversaw countless logistical details, from visas to property acquisitions. He utilized this formal, polite language to manage his leaders and instruct authorities, keeping everything operating on a standard of high respect.
- I beg to inform you that all my temples and centers here in India are being managed by my foreign disciples. I want that they should be admitted as immigrants.
- I beg to inform you that many of my American disciples have become seriously interested in the philosophy of Krishna Conscious. They want to come to Vrindaban to study the Krishna philosophy as authorized and explained by the Gosvamis.
- In connection with our ISKCON project in Fiji, I beg to inform you that we are managing our Krishna Consciousness Movement by the Governing Body Commission, GBC.
- I beg to inquire whether you have taken possession of the house at 5th Avenue, and if not please let me know why it is delayed. Please send Bali Mardan with detailed information and necessary documents.
The Humble Mood of Preaching
The essence of Lord Caitanya's movement is to approach others with a blade of grass between one's teeth. Śrīla Prabhupāda embodied this completely, literally begging his students, friends, and the public to take up the chanting of the holy names and aid his preaching mission.
- Our only request is, with folded hands and begging you, so many flatterings, we simply request... Dante nidhaya trnakam padayor nipatya. This is our process. We are not very violent pushing.
- So on the occasion of the Lord's 463rd advent day, I beg to suggest that in the guru-mandala some such preaching method as was adopted by Lord Caitanya, may also be adopted for the benefit of the general people.
- Regarding your unstable condition of mind, I beg to request you to always remember that you have all gone to London with a great mission and responsibility. I am so much pleased with you all six boys and girls who are doing so much for my missionary work.
- I beg to thank you very much for your kind feelings of appreciation of my humble service unto you. You are all helping me in pushing forward this mission of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu coming down by disciplic succession to my guru Maharaj.
Conclusion
The etiquette of a Vaiṣṇava is a reflection of their internal spiritual advancement. Through his consistent use of phrases like "I beg to," Śrīla Prabhupāda taught us that true spiritual leadership is rooted in profound humility, not dictatorial control. He begged us to accept the mercy of Lord Caitanya, he begged authorities to allow his disciples to preach, and he begged his spiritual children to remain steady in their vows. By meditating on this humble, deeply personal mood of our spiritual master, we are given a clear standard of behavior. If we wish to effectively push forward this movement and please Śrīla Prabhupāda, we must also learn to approach others with folded hands, begging them to take shelter of the holy name.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category I Beg To (Prabhupada). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.