It was two o’clock in the morning. My airplane from Frankfurt had arrived in Delhi one hour late. Would my taxi still be waiting? Going through customs was quick, so I rushed out through the main gate and saw a man motioning toward me. He recognized Prabhupada’s white elephant! Within minutes, we were on our way to Sri Vrindavana Dhama.
Five thousand years ago, when Akrura traveled from Mathura to Vrindavana, he felt unqualified to see the Lord, even though he brimmed with devotion to Krishna. He was also sure that his sinful reactions would be erased after offering obeisances to Him. Akrura even saw an auspicious omen—a deer passing on his right. Immersed in thoughts of Krishna, he reached the outskirts of Vrindavana and saw the Lord’s footprints. Akrura was overwhelmed with ecstasy—his hairs stood on end, and tears bulged from his eyes. He leaped down from the chariot and rolled in the sand, grabbing those sacred footprints. This, Srila Prabhupada said, is an exemplary way to enter the holy Dhama. We, the aspiring devotees, ought to follow Akrura’s example: to constantly think of Krishna, cast off all material identification and prestige, and humbly roll in the sacred sand.
Eventually, my taxi entered the Vraja area, soaring at one hundred kilometers per hour. Jumping out at that speed to roll in the dust would be dangerous. Besides, the only visible dust was a leftover mixture of cement from a nearby building site. I had to change my strategy. In my mind, I sprang into thick sand marked by Krishna’s footprints and rolled frantically. Outwardly, I shouted, “Jaya Krishna Balaram! Jaya Radha Shyamasundar!” The driver reciprocated, “Jaya Shri Krishna!” When the car stopped, I got out and bowed my head to a small heap of dirt between the pavement and the concrete sidewalk. Vrindavana dhuli, ki jaya!
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