Verse: Pastimes of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada
Gaura-premānande hari-haribol!
namaḥ oṁ viṣṇupādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣthāya bhūtale
svāmi-śrī-bhaktivedānta-prabhupādāya te namaḥ
gurvājñāṁ śirasi-dharyan śaktyāveṣa-sva-rūpiṇe
hare-kṛṣṇeti-mantreṇa pāścātya-prācya-tāriṇe
Śrīla Prabhupāda ki Jaya!
Hare Kṛṣṇa,
So this evening had been asked to speak on Śrīla Prabhupāda. And although, everyone knows Śrīla Prabhupāda, everyone would love to hear Śrīla Prabhupāda more and more. Prabhupada’s personality is a such, such a wonderful personality with so many wonderful achievements and he bestowed his mercy upon all of us in such a wonderful way that it naturally makes him very close to us and we feel extremely indebted to him for all that he has done for us.
Isn't it? How many of you feel grateful to Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Audience: Haribol!
Bhakti Charu Swami: and if I ask you why you feel this gratitude for Śrīla Prabhupāda? Because what he has given to all of us. ever since you started to practice Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings and mould your lives, according to Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings did the quality of your life improve? How many of you think that the quality of life has improved ? And due for more happy? Do you feel more satisfied within yourself? Why is that ? In simple words I would say because Śrīla Prabhupāda solved all our problems and the way he saw the problems is very simple. He Gave us a very wonderful shelter. The first shelter that Śrīla Prabhupāda created for us is his temples and his institution, the International Society for Krishna consciousness. And when we become situated in ISKCON we feel sheltered, we feel protected and on top of everything. It comes with a wonderful realization and that is the real shelter that we found. the shelter of Krishna's Lotus feet.
Now these are all not some imaginary sentimental concept. Its real. Is Krishna taking care of us? Like, okay, just let's consider all the food that we are eating, who is providing all those fruit food, foodstuff? Are you sure? Not the supermarket? Like, let's consider what a wonderful arrangement Krishna made. The a seed falls on the ground. A seed of an apple and what happens a tree comes out from that in course of time. Then in the tree we get apples. Then in the apples there are fruits, there are seeds. And these those seeds fall on the ground, tree come up. And in those seeds there are apples and in those apples that are seeds in those seeds there are trees, in those trees there are apples.
What an amazing arrangement? And it applies to every single aspect of our food. Like, whether it's, fruits, grains, nuts, they all are Krishna’s arrangement. Water, like next to food is what is more important ? Actually more important than food is actually water, without food we can go for few days without water, we cannot. Now, just consider. Although this planet. Three fourth of this planet is actually water, but that water is not potable that water is not drinkable. Or we cannot even use that water for cultivation of land: growing food. But see what wonderful arrangement He made, the sun makes the water evaporate. Then, then it forms the cloud the wind disperses the cloud all over and then the cloud comes down in the form of rain, distilled water right pure water distilled water and that fills up all the water bodies. As a source of supply of water.
What is even more important than water ? Right, oxygen. We are taking oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide. If this process continued what would have happened? the whole atmosphere would have been filled with carbon dioxide. But did it ever happen? The trees and plants are taking carbon dioxide and giving us oxygen back. Now are all these someone's arrangement or just some accidental happening? who thinks that all these are just accidental happening? who thinks that they are all someone's divine arrangement. Who is that ? Krishna. Now simple consideration, just these are some simple, three simple consideration, but doesn't it actually prove the fact that Krishna is taking care of anything that we need? We need with is actually Krishna's divine arrangement, just consider if the sun was not there. Can you imagine what would have happened? just the presence of one sun had the sun not been there? There wouldn't have been any light.
the whole world would have been in darkness, not only it would have been in darkness thre wouldn’t have been any vegetation. The vegetables are growing, the plants are growing because of the presence of the sun. And if the vegetation was not there and we wouldn’t have we wouldn’t have been survive. Like as I said like, how we are much would depend upon the trees and plants. Our whose existence. Like this is the thing like we can see that our existence is dependent upon the presence of the trees and plants. Had not been there don't have been any transformation of carbon dioxide into oxygen. Had there been no trees there wont have any food for us. Somebody could say ok I mean we could eat meat, but those animals that we are eating, they are eating. They also wouldn’t have been there if the trees and plants were not there. So this is how Krishna is taking care of us and this is actually a display of Krishna's love for us. Why, Krishna is taking, going out of his way to make all these arrangements, because he loves us. Can they be any doubt about that? And Srila Prabhupada made us aware of it.
Okay. Like before you came in contact with Srila Prabhupada's teachings, how many of you are aware of all these facts? You were aware of it? Some extent. Yeah to some yet to some extent may be, but not in a real extent. I mean if I ask to some extent to go into it. what extent, like did you ever consider that all these arrangements were made by Krishna? That’s why I mean, like we may have read in the books of biology that the trees and plants are transforming the carbon dioxide into oxygen and so forth. But we never really considered that how wonderful it is that the seed falls on the ground a tree comes up in the tree there are fruits in the fruit their seeds in the seeds there are trees. At least I don't think I ever considered that although I have seen it, but it never occurred to me. so that's why yes, to some extent the awareness was there but that awareness was not really complete or appropriate. Srila Prabhupada came us and made us aware that these are all Krishna's arrangement, they are Krishna's arrangement. I came across Srila Prabhupada I would say that I came across Srila Prabhupada through his book the nectar of devotion. The first book that I got from Srila Prabhupada and the thing that I understood from that book.
So the first thing that I understood from that book was God is a person and that is Krishna and that came to me with such a profound realization I knew, Krishna, I considered Krishna to be the hero you know, my role model so and so forth. But no one
Ever told me that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme personality of Godhead. He is the supreme personality of Godhead. God is a person prior to that, at least my understanding was that God is some light so and so forth. But that He is a person that happened just by coming across Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books.
Another realisation that came at the time while reading Śrīla Prabhupāda’a books was , I was thinking that the goal of life. Although it became influenced by the Vedic literatures and vedic scriptures to some extent, but the understanding was impersonal and the understanding was the goal of life is actually to achieve liberation. Moksha Mukti liberation. But when I started to read the nectar of devotion… the first thing is that occurred to me or rather became aware made me aware. I became aware of — there are five kinds of liberation. That really struck me with an amazing how profound realization: five kinds of liberation and out of those five kinds of liberation four are positive one is negative. And I realized that the course of liberation that I was pursuing is the negative course of liberation because that impersonalism just leads to that sāyujya mukti, the impersonal liberation. And, So that is how Prabhupāda’s books actually comes with a amazing awareness and a profound realization, gives, straight away it gives you a very clear understanding.
There was no awareness of the soul. What to speak of the awareness of the so we didn't have any understanding of this material body having two types of material bodies gross body and subtle body. Although, I heard at the time of when they perform the Śrāddha ceremony, they do mention about the subtle body and even say that the subtle body is being assisted in his journey to the other world, and so forth. But there was no clear understanding what that subtle body actually was, and it is through Prabhupāda’s books Prabhupāda’s explanations, it became aware that yes, we have two types of bodies one is gross body and the other is the subtle body.
The gross body is made of five gross elements earth, water fire, air and ether and subtle body is made of three subtle elements mind, intelligence and false ego. And also the gross body dies at the time of death, we actually become free from the gross body’s bondage, but the subtle body doesn't die. Another awareness how do you we recognize that we have a subtle body? A simple understanding when you are sleeping your gross body is inactive you are not at all aware of your gross body but you're dreaming. In your dream you are present right? And in what kind of body you are present in your dream? That’s the subtle body.
Further understanding — the gross body dies subtle body doesn't die. Subtle body after death actually carries one, to the next body. According to the shape of the subtle body, and the subtle body takes the shape according to the activities of an individual. Every single action leaves its imprint on the subtle body. For example, when you do something good, how do you feel? Good you feel elated right? When you do something wrong? Even though no one saw you were doing that. How do you feel? You feel heavy. You feel guilty. So this is how our actions leave their impressions on the subtle body. Don't you sometimes say that oh, that person is like an angel? Why do we say that? Because its actions are like that of an angel and those actions of that individual in effects of subtle body and gets a shape of an angelic body his subtle body takes the shape of an angelic body. And sometimes we show that person is like an animal. Why do we say that? Because his activities are like that of an animal. And as a result of that his actions makes his subtle body, take the shape of an animal’s. And when one dies by the arrangement of the mother nature that individual subtle body at the subtle body carries the soul into an appropriate body. The person who live.. acted like an angel whose body has taken the shape of an angel’s he gets into an appropriate womb by the arrangement of mother nature and there he develops a gross body. And he comes out. Similarly, when somebody … has developed the subtle somebody’s subtle body has taken the shape of an animal's. Accordingly, he'll be placed in an animal womb and get an animal body.
So this is how our actions are leading ourselves. This is how our actions are leading us into our next destination and that principle is called karma as you sow, so shall you reap. And again this leads to the next consideration. We have the subtle body subtle body doesn't die. Then how to become free from the bondage of subtle body? The subtle body consists of mind intelligence and false ego. Kṛṣṇa is saying that with your mind you constantly think of me. man-manā bhava (Bg. 9.34). So, in this way when the mind is engaged in thinking about Kṛṣṇa all the time, then what happens? The mind. The apparently material mind is spiritualized the subtle body doesn't die at the subtle body can be transformed the mind becomes spiritualized. When one is constantly engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa through devotional service. Then Kṛṣṇa gives dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ tam (Bg. 10.10) and in this way buddhi or the intelligence of the spiritualized. And when one becomes engaged in serving Kṛṣṇa then he becomes situated in his actual identity svarūpa his from his he becomes free from his false ego — mistaken identity and becomes situated in his actual identity. And that is jīvera 'svarūpa' haya-kṛṣṇera 'nitya-dāsa' (Cc. Madhya 20.108) so now that person doesn't have a subtle body that state
This stage is called jīvan mukta stage or svarūpa siddhi
īhā yasya harer dāsye
karmaṇā manasā girā
nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu
jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.187)
Although he situated in his gross body, but he doesn't have a subtle body. In that apparently gross body there is a pure spirit. svarūpa-siddhi achievement of the spiritual perfection. He is situated in his body apparently I said apparently because that gross body is not gross material body anymore. It is spiritualized. Therefore, Prabhupāda gives the example you remember? Iron and fire when iron is on fire and it becomes red hot is it iron or fire? Its fire. Somebody kind of reacted responded by saying Prabhupāda, still iron. Prabhupāda said touch it.
So, what an amazing clarity clarification of our spiritual perfection. Devotional service frees us from the bondage of our subtle material body and situates us in our spiritual identity pure spiritual identity — as a servant of Kṛṣṇa and that's pure state our mind is constantly engaged in thinking about Kṛṣṇa in that pure stage our intelligence is applied perfectly in serving Kṛṣṇa and that is the spiritual perfection.
Another realization from Prabhupāda's teachings, the process of a aṣṭāṅga-yoga and the difference between that process and the process of devotional service. Process of a aṣṭāṅga-yoga is gradually taking a yogi from making him ri.. making him rise his spiritual energy from the base of the source of that energy, which is situated at the base of the spinal column called mūlādhāra. And because that energy is kind of uh… in a kind of a coiled up stage it is called kundalini kundalini means coiled up. And the yoga aṣṭāṅga-yoga makes one rise that energy from the base or muladhara to higher and higher chakras. Like first chakra is svadhisthana, then manipura (?) then anahata, ajnah and so forth and finally, sahasrara the brain centre. And it's a very, very difficult process, very difficult process, like the process was meant for the living entities in the satya yuga who used late for thousands of years and they could practice this process for a long long time to achieve perfection. And even then they used to have difficulties.
Like we know Visvamitra a great sage was practicing this process for 64,000 years and then he just happened to ankle bell of a celestial damsel, Menaka — fell down his meditation broke. Sakuntala was born so these are all historical facts so we can see that such qualified individuals after so many thousands of years of practice could not really achieve perfection. Eventually did achieve perfection. But these are some very rare individuals and this process ascending process is a very very arduous and difficult process.
But there is another process that Prabhupāda gave us the descending process. The mercy is coming down whether we are qualified or not the mercy is coming down and perfection is achieved. We don't have to practice this are aṣṭāṅga-yoga and trying to make the kundalini rise through susumna penetrating through different chakras and coming into the sahasrara the brain centre. We don't have to strive that simply depend upon the Lord's mercy. Now here also another important point. According to the aṣṭāṅga-yoga the ultimate consideration is sahasrara — the thousand pettaled lotus. Now let us consider the Brahma Samhita, how is the Brahma Samhita describing the spiritual world?
sahasra-patra-kamalaṁ
gokulākhyaṁ mahat padam
tat-karṇikāraṁ tad-dhāma
tad-anantāṁśa-sambhavam
Bs. 5.2
tat-kiñjalkaṁ tad-aṁśānāṁ
tat-patrāṇi śriyām api
Bs. 5.4
Spiritual world is a thousand, thousand petaled lotus. So the achievement of yogic perfection that is taking a yogi to the point of this thousand petaled lotus but what is there on the thousand petalled lotus? That thousand petaled lotus is actually the abode of Radha-Kṛṣṇa.
So we have got a direct elevation to that spiritual world where Radha-Kṛṣṇa are situated on the thousand petaled lotus like what the yogis is try to achieve after thousands of years of practicing as a devotee by receiving the mercy of a bona fide spiritual master. We got, we have been elevated to that point, which is beyond the yogi’s perfected understanding. So, that is the Srila Prabhupāda’s mercy. Again brahma samhita:
panthās tu koṭi-śata-vatsara-sampragamyo
vāyor athāpi manaso muni-puṅgavānām
so 'py asti yat-prapada-sīmny avicintya-tattve
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
Bs. 5.34
muni pungavanam, muni means sage and pungava means the best of the sages. muni pungava the word pungava means the crest jewel of that person, the crest jewel of the personalities or sages, moving with the speed their mind can move with the speed I mean their consciousness can move with the speed of wind vayor athapi . Even faster than the movement of wind. Travelling for millions of years for millions of years cannot even attain the toenail of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. See how rare it is to achieve the Supreme Lord, but by Prabhupāda's mercy, we have the opportunity to become situated at the Lotus feet of the Lord directly. But the munis the best of the munis yogis cannot achieve by millions of years of spiritual practice that there practicing they cannot achieve the toenail of the Supreme personality of Godhead, we get a direct access to the supreme personality of Godhead by the mercy of Śrīla Prabhupāda. And mind you these are not just some sentimental presentations. These are factual. They are authentic facts. This is what Śrīla Prabhupāda has given us. There is no need to speculate anything, the way he has given simply by practicing the process, we can achieve our spiritual perfection. We can go on and on like that. Like, these are the gifts of Śrīla Prabhupāda.
I came to Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement quite late, I joined the movement in ‘76, that also quite accidentally I went to Mayapur after reading the Nectar of Devotion. When I was reading the Nectar of Devotion, I realized that this is what I was actually searching for. This is the way. It came to me with perfect clarity and I got the book I started to read it when I went home in the evening. I fell asleep while reading the book and in the morning when I woke up, the first thing I did is just pick up the book and started reading it. I was so fascinated by the, the Nectar of Devotion and the second night I had a dream of Śrīla Prabhupāda. I saw Śrīla Prabhupāda sitting on a which seem to me like a throne because in India the sadhus generally don’t sit on elaborate thrones. At the most, the sit on a tiger skin. But Śrīla Prabhupāda was sitting on a throne what looked like a throne for like a king and there was a brilliant light around him and just that sight made me realize that this is my spiritual master.
Actually, I was searching for a spiritual master for over a year in India, I went to the Himalayas and then started to travel down through the holy places on the bank of the Ganges. I almost ended up joining one āśrama. I mean these are all I described in the Ocean of Mercy. Fortunately, Kṛṣṇa saved me than joined. I don't know what will happen if would’ve joined that āśrama and then I after about a years search I gave up. Thinking that if at all I have a guru then let him come and pick me up. I have been searching for him for so long and I couldn’t find him. So, if at all. I have a guru then let him come and pick me up and in a way that's what actually happened.
Soon after that, at that time. Actually what happened. I one English friend of mine came to India and together went up trekking in the Himalayas. Anyways, so then we just when I had almost gave my give up my search, I just happen to get this Nectar of Devotion and it totally transformed from the very first page actually I felt that this is what I was looking for an then I inquired about Śrīla Prabhupāda in Calcutta temple and they told me that Prabhupāda was in America and he would come after about a few months. So I felt that okay then let me go to the different places where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu performed his pastimes and then I would go to Vṛndāvana, because Nectar of Devotion actually gives you the life of a devotee in the holy dhama especially in Vṛndāvana.
So, I though after visiting some places of CM’s pastimes I will go to Vṛndāvana and the first place I went to was Māyāpura. I arrived there in the evening and whoever I spoke to were inviting me. Why don't you stay with us, why don't you ? Because those things hardly anybody went to Māyāpura and because of Māyāpura was quite remote and quite unknown and you know how enthusiastic the devotees are. When they get an object to preach to. So, and it was quite, quite fascinating and quite, quite touching actually like everybody's asking that why don’t you come and stay? And I attended the Bhagavad-gītā class in the evening and one Canadian devotee he was is a brahmachari at the time rāghava Pandita Prabhu was giving the class. Who is now Bhakti Rāghava Maharaja. So, and I was so fascinated I think oh.. these Americans are reciting the Sanskrit verses. It seemed like he knows the entire Bhagavad-gītā by heart.
The next morning I attended the maṅgala-ārati and somebody me the bead and I was chanting and then I went to. (aside) maybe you can do one thing this is a problem they do, like they take it to the end so it becomes top-heavy and natural it slides down. Best is to take it to the mid of it . So, the next morning the Bhāgavatam class and that was even more impressive one young son, the American sannyāsī was giving the class, it was so, I mean he was quoting verses like nobody's business. And it was very impressive and like because we generally… I never really tried to memorize verses and when somebody recited some Sanskrit verses like it was very, very impressive. And then right after the class that person that devotee sannyāsī, he was Śatadhanya Maharaja he just came up to me just came up to me and started to talk to me. And I was very touched by his concern and then what did I do? I went to a barber, got my head shaved. Prior to that, actually I got a dhoti and kurta then I went to Ganga, threw away my old clothes took a bath put on the dhoti kurta, came back. All the devotees were requesting me to join and now this saw in this way, they were completely shocked! They never thought that the preaching would have such a potent potent effect on me.
So that's how my spiritual life started and very soon I got absorbed in various activities, mainly those days lots of things were happening in Māyāpura. Anyway, so then I got the news that Prabhupāda came to Bombay. So, I told Bhavānanda Maharaja who, Bhavānanda Maharaja and Jayapataka maharaja were co-directors of Māyāpura those days and Bhavānanda Maharaja told me that look in Bombay nobody knows you besides that Prabhupāda is quite sick. So even if you go to Bombay.
You won’t be able to see, Śrīla Prabhupāda. So just wait here and he will come when the he comes here you will be able to see him and after all, you have so many things to do here. It won’t be right for you to just leave and because those days, there were very few Indian devotees and practically very few kind of educated and cultured Indian devotees those days.
So, anyway, when I got the news that Prabhupāda went to Kumbha Mela, in Allahabad elaborate and the group of devotees travelled and I was also included in the team. So we went to Kumbha, Allahabad and right after leaving my backpack in the tent which was assigned for us. I wanted to meet Śrīla Prabhupāda. I went to Prabhupāda’s tent but one big Western devotee was guarding the gate and he told me that I should go and if I wanted to see, Śrīla Prabhupāda I can come to the program in the evening Prabhupāda will give the darshan and lecture. So, I kind of left when I was walking back to the tent. I saw Bhavānanda Maharaja he was carrying a basket of vegetables that he was he took from Mayapura to offer to Śrīla Prabhupāda and he saw me and he said, come I'm going to Śrīla Prabhupāda. So I just followed him. He was practically running so I also ran after him, and we went straight to Prabhupāda’s tent.
I saw from outside that Prabhupāda was sitting behind a desk. So seeing that I just offered obeisances then when I got up and tried to move in to Prabhupāda’s tent in the meantime Bhavānanda Maharaja already went inside and Rameshvar Maharaja was Prabhupāda’s secretary at the time he was sitting outside in a chair. So he told me not to because Prabhupāda was taking prasada and I really started cursing myself why did I have to offer of obeisances from the successful outside if I went Bhavānanda Maharaja, then no one would have stopped me.
Anyway, so again dejected, but I realised one thing at that time the Prabhupāda at that time had about 10,000 followers and who I was? Just an insignificant new bhakta you know, what right did I have to go to Śrīla Prabhupāda. So I gave up the idea of meeting Śrīla Prabhupāda and Sridhar Maharaja was organising the book distribution there so I also got into that. Hence, went out and started to distribute books that was another exciting experience, because in Kumbha Mela people are so pious they are very eager to take books and so I started to distribute the books, the hindi books then in the evening I came back and I saw Śrīla Prabhupāda was giving darshan that was another very wonderful experience. just to see, Śrīla Prabhupāda.
I mean I'm sure many of you have heard from different devotees, their experiences of seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda so you know it's the sight of Śrīla Prabhupāda is something very, very special. And in simple words, I can say for the first time not for the first time but for the second time I experienced what ecstasy actually meant. Just the sight of, Śrīla Prabhupāda you know, made my heart beat so fast and so loud as if I could… and there was only that awareness that wonderful feeling of just that overwhelm my consciousness. Just seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda and for a moment for a while. I was not aware of what was going on. It was just that overwhelming feeling of joy ecstasy of seeing Śrīla Prabhupāda.
Then Prabhupāda was giving darshan in the morning and giving, we were doing Guru Puja, Bhagavatam class Prabhupāda was giving and then in the evening Prabhupāda gave darshan. Then one morning I got to know that Śrīla Prabhupāda decided to leave, Kumbha Mela, all of a sudden.
Jay Shri Shri Gaura Nitai Ki…
Jay Shri Shri Radha Madhava Ki…
Jay Shri Shri Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman Ki Jaya
And then I just heard, and I thought, okay, didn’t really think much of it that ok Prabhupāda wanted to leave and but then Bhavānanda Maharaja came to me and told me — Prabhupāda is leaving today for Calcutta and I said yes. I heard then he said, one small group of devotees will be travelling with Śrīla Prabhupāda in this train one first-class carriage has been hooked on to Srila.. hooked onto Calcutta bound train and Prabhupāda will be travelling in that carriage, with his devotees and you have been included in the team.
I mean, I literally started to jump in joy. And so the train left at night so soon after that we took rest then next morning hours I was chanting sitting in my compartment and Bhavānanda Maharaja came and told me. Come, I’ll take you to Śrīla Prabhupāda and now all this while I was dying to meet Prabhupāda and when he said, come, I will take you to Śrīla Prabhupāda I didn’t know what happened. Like I just kind of stuck in a kind of daze I just kept sitting there. May be with the overwhelming feeling that I cannot really go to Śrīla Prabhupāda and am not qualified. So, Bhavānanda Maharjaa really could understand what was going on in my mind. So he took me by my hand and dragged me through the corridor and opened Śrīla Prabhupāda’s compartment door pushed me and I fell flat offering obeisances.
When I got up at Śrīla Prabhupāda looking at me and Prabhupāda with motion told me to sit here. In first class compartment there are two seats facing each other and the other one, there was Bhavānanda Maharaja Rameshvar, Jayapatākā Maharaja and Rāmeśvara Maharaja . And Abhirāma Prabhu who was the temple president, the temple president of the the Calcutta temple at the time. He was sitting on the floor and Prabhupāda was sitting on this other seat. Prabhupāda asked me to sit next to him and I said Prabhupāda I would rather sit on the floor Prabhupāda said no sit here. And there was a blanket that was spread over the seats I rolled the edge of the blanket and sit on one corner and after some initial exchange Śrīla Prabhupāda told you to translate my books into Bengali. And, and that service actually open the gate of my good fortune. That now I have access to Śrīla Prabhupāda whenever I wanted to go to him, beacause I have I have the excuse that I have to show what I translated to Śrīla Prabhupāda. Of course, nobody ever questioned me anywhere and I had a real easy access in Calcutta Prabhupāda stayed for___
___ I think three days and then Prabhupāda went to Bhubaneswar and I could have gone with Śrīla Prabhupāda, but I decided to stay back in Calcutta because I was printing a book to present to Śrīla Prabhupāda. I collected Prabhupāda’s Bengali writings from a Gaudiya Math Magazine called Gaudiya Patrika from 1948 onwards ’48 to about 51, I collected quite a few articles that came out in those magazines and I was printing that in a book and so I stayed back in Calcutta to take care of the printing.
Then Prabhupāda came to Māyāpura and so I used to show the translations to Śrīla Prabhupāda and one day Śrīla Prabhupāda gave me a stack of Bengali letters to reply. That way I used to reply I used to read the letters out to Śrīla Prabhupāda and Prabhupāda used to give me the points. Like what to reply what to write and then I would write the letter and read out the draft to Śrīla. Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda would then again correct them. And then I used to handwrite them on Prabhupāda’s letterhead and then Prabhupāda used to sigh. Those days there was no Bengali typewriter so, I used to handwrite them. So when I finish the Bengali stack of letters Prabhupāda gave me a stack of Hindi letters. And he wanted me to answer them. And so then one day Śrīla Prabhupāda told me that he was making me his secretary for Indian affairs. And he called Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja and Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja was Prabhupāda’s secretary at that time and he told him that he was appointing me as his Secretary for Indian Affairs and he wanted me to move into the room with Tamāl Kṛṣṇa, which has assigned for his Secretary and Prabhupāda wanted me to move in there. With Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja
That gave me another good fortune like I had a wonderful opportunity to be in the same room with Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja for. From then on wherever we went Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja always wanted me also to stay with him in the same room. Like from Māyāpura Prabhupāda went to Bombay. Prabhupāda’s quarters were in that tower. The right hand side tower on the sixth floor. And when I went there, I decided to stay with Upendra Prabhu, he was Prabhupāda’s servant at that time. But then Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja asked where are you things I told him that I kept them in the room where Upendra Prabhu was staying. Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja said, no, you move in into this room where he was staying there was just next to Śrīla Prabhupāda’s room.
Anyway, that was another wonderful good fortune because he was such a wonderful devotee. And I learned so much from him. So he was so dedicated to serve Śrīla Prabhupāda and take care of him. And he was so disciplined and so organized and on top of everything. So intelligent. Anyway, this is how I had the good fortune to be with Śrīla Prabhupāda from then onwards.
When Prabhupāda was in Bombay his health condition was not so good. One day two very important persons came to see, Śrīla Prabhupāda one, was Sriman Narayan he was the ex-governor of Madras and his brother-in-law Ram Kṛṣṇa Bajaj, he was the chairman of the Bajaj Industries. And they were quite close to Śrīla Prabhupāda they used to come from time to time to see, Śrīla Prabhupāda and this time when they saw that Prabhupāda’s health condition was not so good. They suggested that opened went, for a change. They used the expression change and they suggested that Prabhupāda went to Rishikesh at the foothills of the Himalayas. And Prabhupāda like the idea proper, said he never went to Rishikesh before and so Prabhupāda decided to go and they actually arranged a house there, which was the most beautiful house those days in Rishikesh called Ganga Darshan, right on the bank of the Ganges. So some of us just moved in and travelled with Śrīla Prabhupāda a small group. Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharja, Upendra Prabhu and Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja’s servant Gauridas Prabhu and myself.
And there after a few days actually one night at night also one of used to be with Śrīla Prabhupāda and my shift was from two from 12 to 2 o'clock in the morning. And one night Śrīla Prabhupāda called me and and then he told me, the time has come for me to leave my body. I want to live my body in Vṛndāvana please take me to Vṛndāvana immediately. That what Prabhupāda said was so shocking practically trembling all over I just ran down the stairs. Woke up Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja and told him what Prabhupāda said, Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja came also came running upstairs and Prabhupāda told him the same thing. And that night only we packed everything and left for Delhi. We stopped in Delhi for that night. The next morning we went to Vṛndāvana and in the devotees of Vṛndāvana were so happy that all of a sudden Prabhupāda decided to come to Vṛndāvana. And after the darshan of the deities Prabhupāda went to his room all the devotees followed him and there Prabhupāda told why he came to Vṛndāvana. And we could literally see how ecstasy could turn into agony. The joy of the devotees that were literally bouncing with ecstasy and all of a sudden turned into an intense agony. And then Prabhupāda started to pacify them by saying, quoting a verse from Bhagavad Gita
dehino 'smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati
(Bg. 2.13)
And Prabhupāda said that is the reality. The body changes from childhood to youth to old age and then one day one has to leave the body and go to another, dehāntara one body to another body.
The change of the body doesn't really effect us. We are beyond the existence of the body. So ,when we realize that then we don’t lament for this matter of changing of the body. dhīras tatra na muhyati the person situated in knowledge doesn't become bewildered and then when everyone left Prabhupāda told me from now on, you don't cook for me those days I was cooking for Śrīla Prabhupāda. Prabhupāda said you don't cook for me anymore and don't force me to eat anything. What’s____
__- the use of eating when there is no appetite. And I could feel that now Prabhupāda would stop eating and in this way, Prabhupāda would give up his body. I went and told Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja what Prabhupāda said and Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja just sat there silently thinking very deeply and then he told me at a time like this, we don't really know what to.
But then it was already spread all over the world. Those days, the telephone system in India was terrible to get through to international calls was practically impossible. But Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja managed to contact Adi Kesava Maharaja in New York and he told him to inform all the devotees, senior devotees about Prabhupāda's decision to go to the Vṛndāvana to leave his body. Then the devotees, many devotees came to Vṛndāvana and they all had a meeting and in that meeting that decided that they can't let Śrīla Prabhupāda go now like the meeting in consideration was that Prabhupāda is a pure devotee so if Prabhupāda desires something then Kṛṣṇa would fulfill that desire.
So, when they present that request to Śrīla Prabhupāda and Prabhupāda said okay if that's what you want I will stay. And it was so ecstatic when Prabhupāda everybody shouted Jaya Śrīla Prabhupāda I used to keep always a glass of fruit juice, just in case Prabhupāda wanted to drink something sometime. And Prabhupāda sat up he couldn’t sit up himself like he needed the support so he sat up. And I just gave him a glass juice and he drank it. It was a glass of pomegranate juice. He just drank it and I went straight to the kitchen and started to cook for Śrīla Prabhuapda without even asking him. And I served Prabhupāda was hardly able to eat anything. Because when you don't eat for such a long time can't eat. But still because I was making the prasāda for him, Prabhupāda was coming and sitting down to take prasāda. Then one day think the second day or third day after that Prabhupāda asked me, “do you know where is Gopinath Bazar?”. I said Prabhupāda I don’t know anything about Vṛndāvana this is the first time and I didn't even step out of the temple premises. Please tell me what you want. I can find out and Prabhupāda said go to Gopinath Bazar there is an Ayurvedic doctor his name is Vanamālī Kavirāja. So you tell him about me. He knows me and tell him that I wanted him to treat me.
I found this Vanamālī Kavirāja, he was very, very old person. I think he was in his nineties. But still he used to come and sit in his clinic small little shop front. And when I told him then he told me that then Prabhupāda has to come here. I said no, there's no way Prabhupāda can come here you have to come. Then he said, look, I don't go anywhere I am too old to go anywhere. And I said no while take you in a rickshaw. He said rickshaw? With every jerk my whole, my bones will crack, but I begged and begged and begged then finally he agreed.
So he came and he checked Śrīla Prabhupāda and then he told me that there is a problem that he has, he has to make the medicine himself. Because the medicine that he would give has to be freshly made. So, I told him that in our guest house we will make some arrangement for you to stay here. He said no, no, I can't say I have to go. Then I told him, Then why don't you show me how to make it? So he liked the idea so he took me to the field. Those days, just behind our temple there was all open field and he showed two artists that grows wild actually and one is punarnava and other is called pātharkuci, and he showed me how to make the extract of the leaves from those two leaves and he gave two salts. And he showed the proportion to mix it, and to give the medicine three times to Śrīla Prabhupāda.
And then Prabhupāda’s health condition improved. And when his health condition improved. He wanted to go abroad. So, his plant was to first go to London from London to New York, New York to Gita Nagari. Gita Nagari, to Los Los Angeles and Los Angeles to Hawaii. And he wanted to stay in Hawaii and complete Srimad Bhagavatam. Translation of Bhagavatam. So, I told Vanamālī Kavirāja, Vanamālī Kavirāja said, please don't let him go now, the medicine is working and with the coming of winter I will give him makara-dhvaja, its a very powerful medicine that will build him up, but I have to wait for him to become stronger and also the wint.. the cold of the winter would help him retain that strong medicine.
I told Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja, Tamāl Kṛṣṇa Maharaja said, look, when Prabhupāda decides something. Its impossible to make him change his mind. And one day he jokingly told Prabhupāda, Prabhupāda, Bhakti Charu Maharaja wants you to stay here and I want you to take out of here. So let's see who wins. He said this jokingly but I said no, whatever Prabhupāda wants tthat'll be but now, I actually lament that I should have actually told the other, there were many GBCs and sannyasis there is Vṛndāvana at that time. And if Prabhupāda went to London and his health condition deteriorated and he went back to Vṛndāvana again but to us Śrīla Prabhupāda is always there. A personality like Śrīla Prabhupāda like the Supersoul he remains and he helps and guides the sincere souls who have surrendered to his lotus feet.
Śrīla Prabhupāda ki Jaya!
Gaura Premānande Hari Haribol!