I will always remember the soul of Aprakrita Dasa Prabhu, whose devotion illuminated every place he entered with the warmth of Krishna Consciousness. Though he has departed from this earthly plane, his presence lives on through his devotional service, forever woven into the hearts of all who were blessed to know him — myself included.

He was not only a practicing devotee; but he was devotion in motion also. In his work, there was sincerity. In his service, humility. In his silence, depth. His faith was never loud, yet it was powerful; never ostentatious, yet deeply transformative. Through simple acts of kindness, steadfast dedication, and unwavering faith in divine service, he showed us what it truly means to walk the spiritual path with integrity and grace.

Like our beloved Guru Maharaja, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada, in his profound love for Krishna, this dear devotee lived with a heart anchored in the eternal. His life stood as a gentle yet powerful offering in service to HDG Srila Prabhupada’s sacred mission. He did not seek recognition; he sought only to serve.

Although his physical form has returned to the elements, his spirit continues its sacred journey — back Home, back to Godhead. We trust that the Lord he worshiped with such faith and dedication has embraced him with boundless mercy. The seeds he planted through his preaching — compassion, devotion, patience, and love — will continue to blossom in the lives of those he touched.

May we honor his memory not only with words, but with renewed commitment: to pray a little deeper, to serve a little more selflessly, and to love a little more purely — just as he so beautifully exemplified.

I met him at Govinda’s restaurant, More than twenty years ago, so long. A meek and humble soul so kind, With gentle heart and peaceful mind. He’d greet me with a smiling face, “Hare Krishna,” hands joined in grace. He came to serve Panca-tattva’s name, And draw us all into that flame. In every moment, he would see A chance to serve, a chance to be. He’d ask me kindly, time to time, For cakes or bars for service divine. Simple offerings, made with care, To nourish hearts in love and prayer. He even built a humble space, A website filled with Krishna’s grace, So French-speaking souls could come and find The path of love to the Lord divine. To make us all Lord Krishna’s friends, And share the truth that never ends. With words of light, both clear and pure, A path of service strong and sure. He walked alone through streets each day, To give Prabhupada’s words away. With books and pamphlets in his hand, He spread the truth across the land. And what to speak of Ratha Yatra’s day, When Lord Jagannath comes out to play. For His own joy, and all mankind, To bless each heart, to free the mind. To see the Lord upon the street, Is mercy rare, and grace complete. And he would serve with love so deep, In sacred joy the soul can keep. So humble, faithful, pure and true, In all he said, in all he’d do. A soul aligned, sincere and bright, Walking always in sacred light. He left us on a holy day, As if he gently slipped away. No doubt Prabhupada came to guide And take him home, right by his side. Back to Godhead, free at last, Beyond all future, present, past. As promised to the ones who live With hearts that serve, and hands that give. O dear Aprakrita Prabhu, I pray, Please guide me gently on my way. That I may serve, both firm and true, And follow in the steps of you.

Hare Krishna,

I came into contact with His Grace Aprakrita Prabhu in October 2010. I still remember our first meeting—he came to meet me at my hotel as soon as I landed in Montreal, bringing two beautiful deities of Nitai Gauranga. That was the beginning of our long journey together, which continues even after his departure from this mortal world.

I was introduced to Aprakrita Prabhu by my devotee friend, Agrani Krishna Das. My friend came across a group called Prabhupadanugas—a small group of devotees in Montreal who strictly follow and accept His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada as the sole spiritual master. Aprakrita Prabhu was a main member of this group.

As the days went by, Aprakrita Prabhu and I grew very close to each other. We became so close that he flew all the way to Bangalore to attend my wedding. Prabhu was a special guest at my wedding. He actively participated and enjoyed all the new experiences that an Indian wedding has to offer, fell in love with Indian food, and made many friends.

We used to meet regularly and have small programs. Then came our Ratha Yatra. I fondly remember building the cart for the first time with the help of Aprakrita Prabhu’s brother. We were very few during the 2011 Ratha Yatra, but Prabhu was enthusiastic and happy as always. It showed his commitment and desire to serve the spiritual master with whatever means were available. Prabhu continued to conduct Ratha Yatra every year without fail.

Prabhu’s association was something I always longed for. He would share his experiences from his spiritual journey, which were very inspiring. He never deviated from his goal, regardless of the situation, and always remained focused on preaching. He was constantly thinking about different projects. Prabhu was very strict with his sadhana—I remember him waking up early every morning around 2:30 AM to complete his rounds and other practices.

Prabhu gifted me many things, but one special book—Jaladuta, the personal diary of Srila Prabhupada written during his sea voyage—brought me closer to Srila Prabhupada.

I became somewhat of a “yes-man” for Prabhu because of his dedication and sincerity toward Srila Prabhupada. We used to come up with different ideas and strategies for preaching. I remember we printed many pamphlets and used postal services to distribute them to various villages and towns all at once. One of my fond memories is how we regularly visited villages and small towns to distribute books, leaflets and pamphlets and meet his devotee friends.

In Sri Sri Shikshashtaka by Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, there is a verse:

trinad api sunicena
taror api sahishnuna
amanina manadena
kirtaniyah sada harihi

“One should chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking oneself lower than a straw in the street; one should be more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all false prestige, and ready to offer all respect to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.”

Prabhu was exactly like this—very humble, tolerant, always kind and caring, and always focused on his service to Srila Prabhupada. In this regard, Prabhu ran one of the biggest websites preaching Krishna consciousness in the French-speaking community.

Everyone liked Prabhu, and he equally liked everyone. I have learned a lot from him. Many times, I used to wonder if the Lord brought me to Montreal mainly to meet and associate with Aprakrita Prabhu. I will always remain indebted to him. I will never forget him. Not a single day goes by without remembering him. Whenever I see beautiful Jagannath at my home, I remember Prabhu, as it was gifted by him. Prabhu is the sole reason I have remained in Krishna consciousness after moving to Montreal. He introduced me to many wonderful devotees, helping me continue my spiritual journey.

My humble request to you, Aprakrita Prabhu: I know you are with my sweet Lord Krishna. Please convey our prayers and our desire to serve Srila Prabhupada.

Yours sincerely,
Surya (as you used to call me 😊)goes here

Ramananda Raya dasa m’a gentiment proposé d’écrire un petit texte à la mémoire de mon ami Aprakrita Prabhu qui a quitté ce monde le 27 août 2024. Je le remercie de me donner cette occasion de rendre hommage à la mémoire de mon très cher ami.

La première fois que je suis rentré en contact avec Aprakrita Prabhu c’était en 1999, peu de temps après le lancement de son site web vedaveda.com.

Je m’intéressais à la Conscience de Krishna et nous avons commencé à communiquer régulièrement. Son parcours de vie m’avait beaucoup impressionné ainsi que le fait qu’il ait décidé de consacrer sa vie entièrement au service de son maître spirituel Srila Prabhupada.

Aprakrita Prabhu parlait tout le temps de Krishna. Il voyait le Seigneur Krishna partout et voulait sincèrement que chaque seconde de sa vie en ce monde lui soit consacrée et soit imprégnée de sa dévotion pour son maître spirituel Srila Prabhupada.

Son site web vedaveda.com était son principal moyen de prédication. Il y a consacré beaucoup de temps et d’énergie. En quelques années il a réussi à faire de son site la plus grande référence mondiale en français sur la Conscience de Krishna.

Ce fut en 2005 que j’ai rencontré Aprakrita Prabhu en personne pour la première fois. Il m’invita chez lui au Canada. J’ai eu le bonheur de l’aider à organiser un joli festival près de Montréal. Il était débordant d’énergie et était capable de trouver constamment de nouvelles idées pour prêcher la Conscience de Krishna. Lors de ce séjour, j’ai pu mesurer l’étendue de sa dévotion et son envie intarissable de plaire à Srila Prabhupada par son engagement dans la prédication.

Par la suite j’ai eu l’occasion de voyager à quelques reprises avec Aprakrita Prabhu en Suisse, en France et en Inde. Il prenait toujours le temps de m’expliquer de nouveaux aspects de la Conscience de Krishna. Son enthousiasme, sa dévotion et sa bonne humeur ont toujours été pour moi une source d’inspiration constante.

Quand il cuisinait, quand il parlait, quand il priait, quand il travaillait et même quand il dormait, l’ambiance autour de lui était entièrement imprégnée de sa dévotion pour Srila Prabhupada et le Seigneur Krishna. Il m’a tellement donné, il m’a tellement appris sur la Conscience de Krishna que jamais je ne pourrai lui rendre ne serait-ce qu’une infime partie de ce que j’ai reçu de lui.

C’est à toi que va, mon cher ami, ma gratitude la plus sincère. Puisse le Seigneur Krishna nous permettre de L’aimer comme tu nous l’as montré et nous aider à te remercier dignement.

Je prie pour pour ton bonheur éternel au service de notre Seigneur Krishna.

Alberto, ton ami le petit Suisse