Prabhupada said, “If you don’t want to help, I will help.”
Mahakratu: I cooked every day, but early one morning Shakti Mati, a fierce Punjabi lady and a renowned cook, invaded the kitchen and decided that she was cooking Prabhupada’s breakfast.
I said, “Okay, you can do it,” and I went to the morning program and class. Shakti Mati had a group of brahmacharinis with her, and together they cooked a huge feast.
Later, Niragadeva and I came to the kitchen with two big silver platters and loaded them with the different preparations.
We went into Srila Prabhupada’s room, and Prabhupada’s eyes got really big. I put one plate down in front of him, and he said, “You have cooked all this?”
I said, “Oh, no, Srila Prabhupada, not me.” He looked at Brahmananda and said, “Who has cooked this? Shakti Mati?” and they both started laughing.
Then Prabhupada gave everyone—Chayavana, Brahmananda, Niragadeva, and me—a handful of prasadam.
He said, “You take this, distribute the rest, and then come back, and I’ll tell you what I want for breakfast.” He actually wanted local fruits.
He said, “The fruits in Kenya are excellent,” and that’s what he wanted everyday. He also specifically said that he wanted me to make his breakfast. He said, “I want you to do it.”
Prabhupada got angry when he found out that I was doing all the cooking without any help.
Everybody else wanted to be in his classes and go on his morning walks, so I was alone in the kitchen cooking for the Deities, the devotees, and Srila Prabhupada as well. It was quite a strain.
One day we ran out of gas, and Prabhupada’s offering wasn’t getting cooked. Nothing was getting cooked. By that time I was completely stressed. It was too much for me.
Prabhupada told Harikesh to find out what I was doing. Harikesh told Prabhupada, “The kitchen has run out of gas,” and this and that.
Prabhupada said, “Why? Who is helping Mahakratu?” Harikesh explained that I was doing it all by myself. I had to arrange everything and cook as well.
Srila Prabhupada said to Harikesh, “You help cook. I didn’t realize that Mahakratu was under so much burden.”
Harikesh helped for a while but walked out when some matajis came into the kitchen.
When he went back to Prabhupada’s room, Prabhupada asked him, “Why aren’t you helping in the kitchen?”
Harikesh said, “There’s matajis in there. Mahakratu can manage.” Srila Prabhupada got up and said, “I’ll go and help him then. If you don’t want to help, I will help.” In this way Prabhupada was very merciful.
Some Gaudiya Math brahmacharis were cooking a big feast outside, and I was watching them.
Then, all of a sudden, Prabhupada walked up holding his cane, stood a little behind me, and looked also.
I didn’t realize he was there. I turned around, and there was Prabhupada. I offered my obeisances, and Prabhupada said,
“If you can learn to cook like this, you can win the whole world. These Gaudiya Math cooks are very expert.”
Then he walked off. He was strolling around by himself looking at the different preparations.
—Mahakratu