CONTENTS:
- There is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way;
- Srila Prabhupada's Appreciation; and
- Guru Maharaja’s instructions.
1. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY, THERE IS NO OTHER WAY
Although the standard is 64 rounds but Prabhupada seeing our condition mercifully reduced it to 16. Mahaprabhu’s standard is 64 rounds but Prabhupada brough it down to 16.
I don’t know whether you all were here at that time during Prabhupada’s Vyasa puja, I heard one godbrother of ours honestly admitted that he did not chant for many years. Its an honest admission which is fine but it shouldn’t be.
We should remember that we took a vow. Taking a vow and breaking that vow is very very serious. So, when we have taken a vow to chant 16 rounds every day, please make it a point to chant 16 rounds every day. Don’t neglect your chanting. Always remember that the chanting is the most important thing. Your entire spiritual life is depending on chanting. Not by any other means are you going back to Godhead. In this age especially, astanga yoga mediation is not the way. Meditational chanting is meditation. Actually, chanting should be meditative chanting. Hearing means meditation mantra. The mind should be absorbed in the mantra, that is real meditation. But I am talking about dhyana yoga and astanga yoga which is the process for Satya yuga, is not applicable in this age. Fire sacrifice which is the process for Tretra yuga is also not the process for this age. Deity worship which is the process for Dwapar yuga is not the process for this age.
The process for this age is:
harer nama harer nama
harer namaiva kevalam
kalau nasty eva nasty eva
nasty eva gatir anyatha
(CC, Adi 17.21)
In the age of Kali besides chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord, there is no other way, there is no other way, there is no other way. Please make it a point to chant very nicely.
2. SRILA PRABHUPADA’S APPRECIATION
That was soon after the Mangal Aartik around 5:15am, Damodar Prasad said that Prabhupada had about 14 hours and we can see how accurate his statement was. We opened up all the doors. Now Prabhupada’s room was completely locked, only a few devotees were allowed to come and chant for Prabhupada, that also very softly. Those who chanted nicely, only they were allowed to come in because many many devotees were there at that time in Vrindavan. We opened the door, the devotees filled in the room, those who could not come in they started to watch from the French window in Prabhupada’s room. I do not know how the time went as all the time I was by Prabhupada’s bedside by the head and I don’t how those 14 hours went by. I didn’t feel any urge to even attend to nature’s call. I was giving Yamuna water in Prabhupada’s mouth at that time. At around 7:15pm Damodar Prasad mentioned that Prabhupada was not breathing. I said, “Please check.” So, he took a cotton and placed it in front of Prabhupada’s nose, it was not moving. I said, “Please use the stethoscope.” Damodar Prasad just told me, “Let him go, don’t call him back, don’t pull him down, let him go.” By that time everyone understood what happened. I remember there was one of our godbrothers, he just started to cry loudly, he was the first one to start crying. Prabhupada’s sister Phisima was there sitting next to Prabhupada’s bed and there was no expression on her face. Just tears started to flow from her eyes as if a water pot just broke. Devotees started to chant. Before that, one thing I would also like to mention that Prabhupada was opening his mouth from time to time and I was pouring water, Babaji Maharaja said, “See he is still chanting.” We could not hear anything but Babaji Maharaja noticed that his tongue was vibrating, that’s how he could see that Prabhupada was still chanting and in this way Prabhupada left his body. That night we took Prabhupada to his Vyasasan in the temple room. Throughout the night devotees chanted kirtan. Actually, some devotees (I don’t know who) decided to put Prabhupada in samadhi that night only.
The news reached other temples in Vrindavan and the prominent temple heads sent a message that please have Prabhupada come and give darshan to all the deities in the temples of Vrindavan. They didn’t say that let Prabhupada come and have darshan, they actually sent the message that let all the deities of Vrindavan have darshan of Srila Prabhupada. We did that and took a parikrama and then brought Prabhupada to the temple.
This is how Prabhupada entered into his samdhi and we can see till the last moment Prabhupada was completely Krishna Conscious. His absorption was only at Krishna’s lotus feet, that was his only thought. The last drop of his energy he just used in serving Krishna translating Srimad Bhagavatam. In that condition, what to speak of holding the microphone in his hand, he didn’t even have the strength to turn to his side, we had to actually help him turn to his side. In that condition he just continued to give his Bhaktivedanta purports and translate Srimad Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!
namo om visnu-padaya krsna-presthaya bhutale
srimate bhaktivedantasvamin iti namine
namaste sarasvate deve gaura-vanipracarine
nirvisesasunyavadi-pascatedesa-tarine
Srila Prabhupada ki Jai!
3. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS
So, when we have taken a vow to chant 16 rounds every day, please make it a point to chant 16 rounds every day. Don’t neglect your chanting. Always remember that the chanting is the most important thing. Your entire spiritual life is depending on chanting. Not by any other means are you going back to Godhead; and
Please make it a point to chant very nicely.
(The content of this E-magazine was based on HH Bhakti Charu Swami YouTube channel videos entitled “Are you taking your vows seriously” on 1 October 2022 and “The day you left to return to Krishna” on 29 October 2022)
(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Dasi)