By Patita Pavana das Adhikary
One evening back in ’69 at Boston’s ISKCON Press, about a dozen of us devotees were honoring lunchtime left-overs of dal and chapattis in the prasadam room. Discussion naturally centered upon the most outstanding personality any of us would ever meet, Shrila Prabhupada. Who could be more remarkable than a pure devotee who had come from Vaikuntha to drag us one and all back to home, back to Godhead? Suddenly, a bearded intellectual who had followed us back from sankirtan at the Commons obliquely interjected into our conversation, “I don’t think your Swami would appreciate you constantly going on about him like this.” There was a sudden cold hush as a dozen sets of eyes turned to rivet upon the newcomer, now fidgeting restlessly. Then a Mataji returned her attention to the guru-katha and, as though nothing had happened, continued transcendental narrations as though there had been no interruption. Mildly chastised, the bearded fellow fell silent, and learned to accept for the first time the pleasure felt by devotees when they hear the glorification of the spiritual master.
Today, forty years later, conversations and recollections honoring the pure devotee are as relevant as they were then, perhaps even more so. As the Bhagavatam warns us, with each rising and setting of the sun, we find ourselves one day closer to our last moment on this earth. At that time, our faith in Shri Guru alone will save us. Indeed, conversation concerning the merits of the pure devotee is as good as discussions regarding the glories of the Lord, because the Lord is pleased when His devotee is honored. Our faith in Shri Guru as master and savior is honed and strengthened through katha.
I recently dedicated two blissful weeks catching up with dozens of my old Prabhus and fellow sankirtan devotees via the wonderful “Memories of Shrila Prabhupada” series produced by Shriman Siddhanta das Prabhu. Knowledge is gained via submissive aural reception, Prabhupada often told us, and hearing from devotees about their love for Shri Guru is no different.. Just as each soul is an individual part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna, so the “Memories” series reveals each devotee’s distinctive connection to Shri Guru. Far-sighted to the point of being visionary, Siddhanta Prabhu’s “Memories” videos have preserved for posterity thousands of little episodes in the pure devotee’s manifest appearance that might have been otherwise lost to time. Like Lord Matsya who saved the Vedas, Siddhanta’s technical skill used in Krishna’s service is a Godsend.
What wealth of this Earth can for a moment equal a single word that glorifies Krishna’s most confident eternal servant? So far, over four dozen CDs—averaging about an hour and a half each—have been produced, and the collection keeps expanding. In one interview, my old GBC Shyamsundar shook uncontrollably as tears shot from his eyes as he remembered how Shrila Prabhupada nearly breathed his last in his arms, then within a few hours miraculously arose to take a walk as though nothing happened. The interview with Transcendental Diary author Hari Sauri answers the question, “After a year and a half of constant association, which episodes would the personal servant of the paramhamsa find most noteworthy? And once again I touched bases with my old Prabhus like Indradyumna Swami and Jayadwaita Swami who, when asked to narrate topics the pure devotee’s unlimited glories, find it difficult to stop speaking.
From the street humor of Guru Kripa and Brahmananda, to the heart-warming and intimate narrations of Gurudas about Prabhupada’s hippie days of the Haight, these glorifications reaffirm our commitments to forever remain a part of the great transcendental family created by a pure devotee of Krishna. In Vrindavana, Daivishakti devi takes us on a tour Prabhupada’s of quarters from where His Divine Grace left the planet, and she shares her experience of dedicating her entire life—in vapu and in vani—as the maidservant at the personal quarters of Shri Gurui. The late lamented Mother Mulaprakriti, author of the superbly research Shrila Prabhupada: A Friend to All, shares with humor and loving detail her revelations about the real position of Shrila Prabhupada’s mission. Arjuna, Malati, Bahushiras, Dhananjaya and many others each recall hisorical events that demonstrate Shrila Prabhupada’s hidden supernatural abilities or mystic siddhis. Jayapataka Maharaja describes a little known episode of helping Shrila Prabhupada when he was being attacked by a venomous snake.
Find out what a little boy felt when Prabhupada gave him a cookie, now that he’s old enough to relate that experience. Listen while Suereshwara tells why Prabhupada preferred American Airlines to flying on a pigeon. Learn why Prabhupada hung up the phone on Tamal Krishna Goswami. Whether he was curing devotees of warts, pimples, indigestion or boils; or accepting flowers from a poor laborer in front of Bombay’s wealthiest men, Shrila Prabhupada’s taught us a new lesson with every word that came from his lotus lips. Since each devotee has a different relationship with Shri Guru, we find that some stories are heart rendering while others are sidesplitting. For Shrutakirti, Vamana Jana and Kuladri narrations of the spiritual master’s sense of humor take on the tone of New York stand-up. The “Memories” series even brings us the memories of devotees who never met Shrila Prabhupada, but are sure they have.
Devotees’ narrations of their interaction with the acharya are so instructive that they easily teach us many lessons that augment our advancement in Krishna consciousness. It is sadhu-sangha pure and simple. Siddhanta’s work is of the highest professional quality, and as a video editor he has worked with many celebrities and has won a number of prestigious awards. To learn about the professional aspect of Siddhanta’s work, goto: www.itvproductions.com. To learn about the “Memories of Shrila Prabhupada” series, goto: www.itvproductions.org. Or dial 1800.310-VIDEO.
If I was as eloquent and articulate as Sri Patita Pavana das I would have written a similar entry as he. Srila Prabhupad was (is) such a huge spiritual gem that none of us could view all his amazing facets. But Siddhanta prabhus “Memories” allows us to view SO MUCH more than any of us has seen–through the descriptions of his disciples who were present in all the various places he visited. And the words of love from some of his grand disciples, who did not have his vapu association further expands the view of his greatness.Anyone who wants to spend some intimate time with Srila Prabhupada will relish these dvd’s.
We all owe Siddhanta prabhu a debt of gratitude for taking the time and energy to record all those recollections.
My dear Madhusudan das Prabhuji,
Dandavats to you. And speaking of Memories, you were one of the first devotees I met when I first walked into the Magic Vaikunthha created by Shrila Prabhupada at 26 2nd Ave. in 1967 and 1968. I remember the old mimeographed Back to Godheads, with articles by “Michael Blumert (Madhusudan das Brahmachari).” I did see your interview on the “Memory” series, and mentioned it, too, in one word of thye article “pimples”. You told the humorous story about Prabhupada telling you to put tilak on your teen-age face, but you couldn’t fathom how you could walk the crowded streets of NYW with yellow dots all over your face. Maybe you did not consider then that a dhoti and tilak on the forehead was out of place,but tillaked dots were, but as you know New Yorkers, will tolerate anything.
My meeting with yourself, and Brahmananada, Purushottama, Devananada, Balai, Adwaita, Ekayani, Indira, Lilasukha and the “Hobgoblin” Bhaktajana was recalled in an epic poem I sent to Prabhupada which His Divine Grace sent to BTG for publication. That verse went like this.
Dark and dirty, cold and dreary were the city”s streets that year,
And I walked them lost and lonely knowing not salvations’s near.
I remember, too, meeting your Dad at the temple. The late Mr. Blumert was very nice and supportive of his son whom he obviously loved and was proud of. We are now the age he was then, so our next meeting will either be in Shridham Mayapur or in Vaikuntha, either place is holy. It is wonderful we have remained brothers this long by the grace of the eternal father, Shrila Prabhupada. Please offer my obeisances to Mother Kannchanbala, too, she has always been a quiet and humble support by her example to us new bhaktas.
Your eternal servant,
Patita Pavana das Adhikary