Gauridasa Pandita Dasa | Life in India can be pretty austere at times. It can be very hot or cold and very crowded. Although it has it’s ups and downs like everywhere, most devotees find it well worth spending time there especially in the Holy places like Sri Vrindavan Dhama.
One morning during his Srimad Bhagavatam class I heard Srila Prabhupada say that he wanted all of the devotees to come to Vrindavan for at least two years and get trained up. Then go out and preach for fifty years, and then return to Vrindavan to retire and go back to Godhead in the end. He said we make at least seven times the advancement there and more at Kartika time.
Upendra Prabhu and I had just observed Nirjala Ekadasi in Sri Vrindavan Dhama. That’s when you fast all day from everything, even water. Nirjala means without water. This was in June of 1977. The temperature was over 100 degrees.
One of my services in that summer was to spray the mats on the windows every hour to keep Srila Prabhupada’s house cool. Even though we were young, I was 23, we became very weak with the heat and fasting and could hardly stand up by the end of the day.
Srila Prabhupada had been sick and he actually came to Vrindavan as he himself said on May 17th 1977, ‘to leave his body’. Even though Upendra worked so hard to prepare the foods he liked, Srila Prabhupada had been declining to eat. For the previous few weeks when the plate was brought to Srila Prabhupada he didn’t eat and said to distribute the Prasadam to the devotees.
After fasting the day before and becoming so weak Upendra got frustrated when Srila Prabhupada declined to eat again. Upendra asked Srila Prabhupada how it was that we young boys could barely survive one day of fasting in the Vrindavan heat and he had been fasting for weeks now. Upendra asked him how he did it. Srila Prabhupada replied, “I am living proof that the soul is not dependant on the body for subsistance; but rather the body is dependant on the soul”!
Srila Prabhupada was totally Krsna conscious and above the bodily concept of life. Time and time again he showed his complete Krsna Consciousness. He showed us how to perfect our lives by fully taking shelter of Krsna. Although his body was old he was transcendental and full of energy. He always showed us how to act on the spiritual platform and rise above the material body.
George Harrison said that Srila Prabhupada was the best musician he ever heard. That is a great compliment coming from the world famous Beatle. He and John listened to Srila Prabhupada’s record for two years before meeting him. George met Srila Prabhupada often and took his teachings to heart.
He even donated the London Bhaktivedanta Manor and paid for the first printing of the Krsna book. George wrote a very potent introduction to the Krsna book that made me buy the book and become a devotee of Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada started his worldwide nonstop preaching tour at the advanced age of 69 when most people are retired! Although he had a few heart attacks, Krsna always protected him and guided Srila Prabhupada at every step. He appeared to him in his dreams and Srila Prabhupada could see Krsna in the Deities in all the Temples.
He gazed at the Deities with tears of love on many occasions. He also saw Krsna in his books and told us in the garden that actually Krsna wrote the books. He said Krsna used him as His instrument. Srila Prabhupada also said the books were his highest ecstacies! That’s Krsna!
To personally serve Srila Prabhupada in Sri Vrindavan Dhama was a dream come true for me. I counted my blessings as I gazed out my window overlooking Srila Prabhupada’s rooftop where he was translating his books all night long. He would translate and comment most of the night, then sleep only two or three hours.
I could hardly sleep at times anxious for the next morning when I could do my daily services for Srila Prabhupada, first getting his garden ready for him and fanning him all the while he was there, then in the Temple courtyard as he sat in his rocking chair under the Tamal tree. He was always a pleasure and inspiration to be around and the devotees were always excited to be in his presence.
All glories to our Jagat Guru, our Founder, our Acharya, our Srila Prabhupada, our LIVING PROOF!
“He lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him”
Hoping this meets you well and Happy in Krsna Consciousness
Your eternal friend and servant
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
BHAKTI SHAKTI
Please check out my songs!
‘THE SWAMI SONG’
Speak Your Mind