Answer
Now, if the question is, "Why didn't Srila Prabhupada appoint a single successor?" then the answer lies in the principles that he consistently taught throughout his life.
Srila Prabhupada always emphasized cooperative effort in carrying out the mission of spreading Krishna consciousness according to the instructions of the previous acharyas.
Prabhupada established an institution, just as his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, had established an institution for systematically teaching Vedic knowledge and disseminating Krishna consciousness. While such institutions are spiritual in purpose, they also require practical administration and organization.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura instructed his disciples that there should not be a single individual who would succeed him as the sole head of the institution after his departure. Instead, he directed that a governing body composed of qualified senior disciples should collectively manage and guide the institution.
According to Srila Prabhupada's understanding, this instruction was not properly followed after the departure of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. As a result, the Gaudiya Math eventually divided into many separate factions. Different groups developed under different leaders, each functioning independently. Over time, these groups adopted distinct names, administrations, temples, and organizational structures.
Thus, the unified institution that Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had established no longer remained as a single organized body.
Learning from this history and following the example of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada also did not appoint a single successor to take exclusive charge of his movement after his departure. Instead, he established a system of collective leadership and instructed his disciples to work cooperatively in managing and expanding the mission.
His desire was that the members of the institution work together harmoniously, guided by his teachings and instructions, and continue spreading Krishna consciousness throughout the world exactly as he had taught.
Therefore, rather than placing authority in one individual, Srila Prabhupada established a framework in which responsibility would be shared by qualified leaders working collectively for the service of the mission and the preservation of his teachings.
