the devotees of the Lord who are called the Mahatmas.

Ref. VedaBase => 1.11.36

the devotees of the Lord who are called the Mahatmas.

Ref. VedaBase => 1.11.36

the devotees of the Lord who are called the Mahatmas.

Ref. VedaBase => 1.11.36

Those who are therefore on the path of salvation, for going back to home and back to Godhead, are specially advised by all scriptural instruction to become free from such different paraphernalia of material attraction. And that is possible only by the association of the devotees of the Lord who are called the Mahatmas. SB 1.11.36

This picture by Yadavendra Das (acbsp1) in ISKCON BRISBANE’s new temple room, April 2026, AUSTRALIA. (HH Indradyumna Maharaja kindly agreed to look at camera.)

In the late 70ties, I had the privilege to be HH Jayapataka Maharaja’s dress adviser as he stopped over in Frankfurt on the way to USA and came to rented Schloss Rettershoff and wanted to go shopping for karmi cloth. I took him to a relevant department store in Frankfurt City, about 40 minute drive. I was awarded this very personal service. JAYAPATAKA means the victory flag a bit like the flag planted by American soldiers at the end of world war two at IWO JIMA. “the Battle of Iwo Jima between February 1945 and March 1945 was some of the fiercest fighting of the Pacific War, with Imperial Japan and the United States both suffering over 20,000 casualties.”  Wikipedia

Rettershof literally means the court of the saviour or the place of the saviour. At least during these years the Schloss was properly used according to its nomenclature, as our business is the save fallen souls. May be we should buy this castle. It’s never too late. Later in the 80ties, HH Suhotra Maharaja was also residing there. In fact he was TP. and we have quite some fun together. All glories to departed HH Suhotra Maharaja. From Wikipedia we learn that Schloss Rettershof was a monastery previously, and it became a Hare Krishna monastery again in the 70ies and 80ies. Jay Sri Krishna

And this is the back of the Schloss where Srila Prabhupada kindly initiated me on the recommendation of HG Hansadutta Prabhu. This happened on the lawn to the right of the picture in June 1974 and there is a video about it. In the Prabhupada records it says there are 3 Yadavendras, all in Germany, but this is highly improbable, and must be some kind of a mistake. This is also the place where I experienced the only ghost attack ever and many other experienced it too.

These glorifications are not sentimental. These glorifications are based on Shri Krishna’s own words and verdict in the Bhagavad Gita As It Is NOT by Jayadvaita 9.13:

Ref. VedaBase => Bg 9.13

mahatmanas tu mam partha
daivim prakrtim asritah
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jnatva bhutadim avyayam

Word for word translation
maha-atmanah — the great souls; tu — but; mam — unto Me; partha — O son of Prtha; daivim — divine; prakrtim — nature; asritah — having taken shelter of; bhajanti — render service; ananya-manasah — without deviation of the mind; jnatva — knowing; bhuta — of creation; adim — the origin; avyayam — inexhaustible.

TRANSLATION

O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.

PURPORT

In this verse the description of the mahatma is clearly given. The first sign of the mahatma is that he is already situated in the divine nature. He is not under the control of material nature. And how is this effected? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter: one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, at once becomes freed from the control of material nature. That is the qualification. One can become free from the control of material nature as soon as he surrenders his soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the preliminary formula. Being marginal potency, as soon as the living entity is freed from the control of material nature, he is put under the guidance of the spiritual nature. The guidance of the spiritual nature is called daivi prakrti, divine nature. So when one is promoted in that way — by surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead — one attains to the stage of great soul, mahatma.
The mahatma does not divert his attention to anything outside Krsna, because he knows perfectly well that Krsna is the original Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. There is no doubt about it. Such a mahatma, or great soul, develops through association with other mahatmas, pure devotees. Pure devotees are not even attracted by Krsna’s other features, such as the four-armed Maha-Visnu. They are simply attracted by the two-armed form of Krsna. They are not attracted to other features of Krsna, nor are they concerned with any form of a demigod or of a human being. They meditate only upon Krsna in Krsna consciousness. They are always engaged in the unswerving service of the Lord in Krsna consciousness.