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Rtadhvaja Swami, Gunagrahi das Goswami, Hanumat Presaka Swami, Radha Raman Swami, and Giriraj Swami spoke at the ceremony. Prabha Ajmani became Krishna Priya dasi, David Garvin became Dayal Nitai dasa, Ravi Jadhaw became Radha Vinod dasa, Ganesh Pillai became Gauranga Chandra dasa, Anish Pillai became Nilamadhava dasa, and Mohini Patel became Madhuri Radha dasi—and Kalpataru dasi received second initiation.
“Regarding being inattentive while chanting the holy name, Srila Prabhupada, in an initiation lecture in Los Angeles, said, ‘While you chant, you hear also. You don’t turn your attention to anything else—mechanically chanting and thinking of something. Thinking of Krishna is all right, but if I think something which is not in Krishna consciousness . . . Best thing is that I shall chant Hare Krishna and each word I shall hear; then it will be very much effective. Yes.’ These instructions are very simple. There is nothing that Srila Prabhupada said or that I have said that a child cannot understand. But the challenge is the application, and that requires good association. It is up to us to seek that association and place ourselves in such association that is favorable for always remembering Krishna and never forgetting Him—for speaking only about Krishna and nothing else, for tasting only Krishna prasada and nothing else.” —Giriraj Swami
Rtadhvaja Swami
Gunagrahi das Goswami
Hanumat Presaka Swami
Radha Raman Swami
Giriraj Swami