This issue contains a graphic painting (pp. 34–35) of Lord Nrisimha, Krishna’s half-man, half-lion incarnation, ripping apart Hiranyakashipu, an atheistic king hell-bent on killing his own son. Someone seeing a painting of Lord Nrisimha for the first time might react with shock and skepticism. How could God do such a thing?

Krishna’s devotees react differently. This fierce form of Krishna shows how much He loves His servants and will do anything to protect them. And there’s background to the story: Hiranyakashipu was himself a servant of the Lord, playing the role of a wicked king to give Krishna a chance to display some righteous anger.

Appreciating Lord Nrisimha’s actions requires a well-rounded spiritual education. When Srila Prabhupada arrived in America, he carried that education with him in the erudite tradition he embodied. From the moment he landed, he sought opportunities to teach others deep spiritual truths.

In this issue, Sally and Gopal Agarwal tell us something about Prabhupada’s earliest days in America. While their accounts of an elderly Indian swami encountering a foreign culture are charming and sometimes humorous, they also show the dedication with which Prabhupada pursued his mission of bringing to the world devotion to Krishna and His avatars.

Hare Krishna.—Nagaraja Dasa, Editor

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