Meet HG Prabhupada dasa and his wife, HG Rajni devi dasi.
Prabhupada dasa and his wife, Rajni devi dasi, moved to London in the early 1960s to study: Rajni in Education and Prabhupada dasa to do Law. They first came in contact with Srila Prabhupada in 1969.
Prabhupada dasa recalls, “At first I was not so keen, as so many people from India had come in pursuit of disciples and money. I soon realized that Srila Prabhupada was a proper sannyasi, representing Krishna, and he had a plan founded in Krishna.”
Later, he was called to render important service. “As a lawyer, I was approached by Mukunda dasa (now Goswami) in 1971, to speak with Prabhupada, who explained, ‘As you are from a Vaishnava family and a brahmana, I would like you to do whatever you can do in Krishna’s service in the UK, as we want to have a very strong presence here.’ ”
Over the next two decades, Prabhupada dasa was involved in major ISKCON struggles: saving Bury Place, the purchase of the Soho Street Temple, and helping to secure Bhaktivedanta Manor, George Harrison’s gift to ISKCON.
In the early 1980s, ISKCON was targeted in an anti-cult campaign, fueled by uninformed speculation and rumor. Prabhupada dasa helped Mukunda Goswami to persuade ITV, London’s most popular TV station, to investigate ISKCON objectively. When the prime time TV show aired, it revised public perception of ISKCON from suspicion to respect for its ancient traditions.
Of course, behind every powerful man is a powerful woman. “My wife,” says Prabhupada dasa, “has always been the moral strength of the family and its binding force was our children.”
Rajni explains, “Every evening after school, we would worship, cook and make offerings together. We wanted our girls to take the best of Western life, particularly in education, but to not get lost in it.” Prabhupada nods, adding, “Much of our success comes from our shared values. ISKCON was our ‘anchor’ and our home was an extension of the temple.”
Their shared hope for ISKCON’s future is that, as long as we keep Srila Prabhupada in the center, the movement will continue to grow and expand: “It is something that is unstoppable,” concludes Rajni.