Gauridasa Pandita Dasa: “Srila Prabhupada’s Departure Pastime”

Srila Prabhupada’s Final Pastime ~ Hrsihikesh to Sri Vrindavan Dham

One of my favorite places I got to personally serve Srila Prabhupada in India was Hrishikesh. Srila Prabhupada was sick in Mayapur at the 1977 Sri Goura Pournima Festival. He started canceling his much anticipated lectures by the visiting devotees from all over the world. Srila Prabhupada went to Bombay from Mayapur and his health declined even more. He was advised by a good friend and devotee life member, Kartikeyia Mahadeviya, to go to Hrishikesh to improve his health. So Srila Prabhupada decided to go. He and a party of about five flew up while I took a train. At that time I was the guard at the door so I had to make my own way if i wanted to continue to serve His Divine Grace, which i did more than anything.
When I arrived in Hrishikesh, there was a darshan of Srila Prabhupada with the public going on. I was told to stand by the door with a box of Prasadam sweets and give all of the departing guests some as they left the room. Srila Prabhupada was always the topmost gracious host and he always made sure that all the guests got Prasadam.

Srila Prabhupada looked out behind me and saw a man waiting to come in outside the screen door and he told me to let him in. I didnt think anyone else could fit into the already packed room; but Indian’s are use to crowds and make room. I opened the door and let him in just as another man went out. Srila Prabhupada asked me if I had given the man who left Prasadam. I said I did not because he crossed paths with the other guest and I didn’t get a chance. Srila Prabhupada looked to his secretary, Tamal Krishna Maharaja and said, “This boy is incompetant.” Tamal Krishna Maharaja then told me to go downstairs and he would talk to me later. I just arrived and was torn apart! I had given my life to Srila Prabhupada and his mission and now I had displeased him. I felt useless.

I went down to the Holy Ganges and waded out waist deep and began to think of my mentor Visnujana Swami, who I joined with. I thought if I couldn’t serve Srila Prabhupada anymore my life was wasted and I should drown myself to attone for my incompetance to serve. Just then Tamal KG came down to the side of the Holy river and called me back. He laughed a little seeing how serious I was reacting and said not to take it so seriously. He told me to go up and clean Srila Prabhupada’s room. I was shocked that I was going to get another chance to serve His Divine Grace personally. I washed myself with the Holy Ganges water and then went upstairs to the front darshan room where Srila Prabhupada was still sitting behind his coffee table desk. I felt embarrassed and kept my head down. Upendra Prabhu handed me a broom and asked me to sweep the room so I started. I felt like Srila Prabhupada was looking at me, so I took a quick look over at him and he smiled very nicely at me, as if nothing happened. All of the sudden all of my anxiety flew out of me like a bunch of butterflies. I said, “Jai Srila Prabhupada” and started sweeping happily. It is said that ‘guru’ means heavy. I found that out the hard way.
Things were very blissful in Hrshikesh, with His Divine Grace. He had a darshan every afternoon and even though it was not advertised the house on the banks of the Ganges, donated for our use by a Life Member, would always be packed. Srila Prabhupada saw some mis-quotes from the Bhagavad Gita on one of the town walls and said that the people should not misintreptret and misunderstand the Bhagavad Gita. This became a theme for the two weeks and he said this most every darshan there. There are many recordings of these talks.
Although Srila Prabhupada did not like his devotees to go to restaurants, he recommended one to us, the Choti Wala. The cooks were first class brahmanas and you felt real good after honoring the Prasadam there. I liked the Rice Palou, a rice cooked with curds and vegie’s a lot.
There was the ‘world’s best’ jalebei maker across from our house and Srila Prabhupada said that hot jalebei’s could cure the common cold. So we happily had them for breakfast each day with fruit and yogurt.

I use to wash Srila Prabhupada’s clothes in the Ganges which was nice. I liked the feel and smell of his clothe. It was a saffron sandlewood and rose scent.
I liked to take japa walks along the Ganges banks. I would go up the shore and then go out and float back on a log.
Taking a japa walk in any direction was always an interesting adventure. From seeing real yogi’s living in caves to beautiful temples it was always inspiring. One temple has alot of statues of various incarnations with Lord Krishna in the center in the courtyard gardens, all nicely situated witinin the plants and flowers. I mentioned this to Srila Prabhupada, and his secretary, Tamal KG and Srila Prabhupada said that we should do like that in our temples.
We had Harinam everyday after lunch. That was always very sweet because we and the locals and soul seaching tourists appreciated it alot. Some would follow us back to the house and we would chant more on the rooftop with the view of the Ganges flowing by and the Temples and trees and people walking by. It was such a nice atmosphere. We Chanted until Darshan time at about 5:30pm then went down to be with His Divine Grace, Srila Prabhupada.
All was heaven on earth in Hrishikesh with Srila Prabhupada. The weather was great, the Ganges was there, yogi’s filled the town and the Temples and Ashram’s are beautiful. It is in the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains and has a very healing and energizing atmosphere.
Srila Prabhupada also taught each one of us in Hrishikesh, how to cook rice, dahl, subji and chapati’s.
All was great until one stormy night. It seemed like the story of the beginning of Kali Yuga in the Srimad Bhagavatam when Lord Krishna left the planet. There was thunder and lightening and the power was going off and on all night long. At about 2:30am Upendra Prabhu came downstairs and woke us up. He told us that Srila Prabhupada had stayed up all night and just said to him, “Tomorrow we will go to Vrindavan; better to die in Vrindavan.” We were shocked to hear these terrible words from the lotus mouth of our spiritual master.
Pradyumna Prabhu and I were sent ahead to prepare for Srila Prabhupada’s arrival in Sri Vrindavan Dham. We arrived the next day just before Mangala Aritika. We told the temple president, Akshayananda Maharaja, that Srila Prabhupada was coming so he arranged for many devotees to start cleaning his quarters. They were like a bunch of excited bumble bees working together to please Srila Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada arrived in Sri Vrindavan Dhama on May 17th 77, at just before 7am. He asked to see his beloved Deities, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama, Sri Sri Goura-Nitai and Sri Sri Radha and Shyamasundara, Sri Lalita and Sri Vishaka. He could not walk on his own due to his health at this point, so we carried him around in a rocking chair. We carried him in and he gazed at all of Their Lordships were tears of love in his eyes and running down his cheeks.
Srila Prabhupada then turned to the devotees and said that he wanted to see all of us in his room. When the devotees had packed into the room and every doorway and window Srila Prabhupada began to speak. Here is a transcription:
“So I cannot speak. I am feeling weak. I was to go to other places like Chandigarh, but I canceled the program because the condition of my health is very deteriorating. So I preferred to come to Vrindavan. If death takes place, let it take here. So there is nothing new to be said. Whatever I have to speak, I have spoken in my books. Now you try to understand it and continue your endeavor. Whether I am present or not present, it doesn’t matter. As Krishna is living eternally, similarly, the living being also lives eternally. But kirtiryasya sa jivah: ‘One who has done service for the Lord lives forever.’ So you have been taught to serve Krishna, and with Krishna we’ll live eternally. Our life is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamane sarire. A temporary disappearance of this body, it doesn’t matter. Body is meant for disappearance. Tatha dehantara-praptih. So live forever by serving Krishna. Thank you very much.”
He also said that he had come to Vrindavan to leave his body, but that we should not lament because he was in his books. Most of the devotees were shocked and began to cry. I never heard so many people crying at once and was also overwhelmed with emotion. The devotees began to beg Srila Prabhupada not to leave and he kept saying that he was in his books and if we read his books and cooperated with our Godbrothers and sisters, everything would go on nicely.
Srila Prabhupada did not actually leave until November a few months later. One of his last desires was to go on Sri Goverdhan Parikrama. There was a debate among the devotees whether he should go or not. It was decided that he should not go because it would be too hard on him. Srila Prabhupada’s last commentaries on The Srimad Bhagavatam was on the tenth canto wherein the story of Lord Brahma stealing the Cowherd Boys and Calves is told. Even to his last days Srila Prabhupada was translating his transcendental books for our benefit now and on into this Golden Age of Lord Chaitanya. He said his books would be the spiritual lawbooks for the next 10,000 years!
He said we would show our love for him by cooperating. So let us take a vow to him today to try to follow him through his books and cooperate with the other devotees as much as possible. Let us be happy that we have such a great Spiritual Master and serve him by reading and following his books and Chanting Hare Krishna. Then we will perfect our lives and go back home, back to Godhead! And be with him and The Supreme Lord Krishna and all the lovely Devotees headed by Srimati Radharani.

He reasons ill,
Who says that Vaisnava’s die,
When thou art living,
Still in Sound,
The Vaisnava’s die to live,
And living try,
To spread the Holy life around!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada who lives on in his books.
All glories to you
oh Lord of the true
Glories, Glories
to jagat guru!

Hoping this meets you in best ofhealth and happiness in KC!
Your friend and servant,
Gauridasa Pandita Dasa
Chant Hare KRISHNA
and your life will
be Sublime!
~=>; )