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As the clear blue skies of Vrndavana turned hazy, a reminder of the approaching monsoons, Srila Prabhupada experienced some hope of recovery. Although his morning walks were a thing of the past, Srila Prabhupada revived his morning drives along Bhaktivedanta Swami Road. In early June, he also started coming down daily to see the Deities, a regular event recently curtailed due to his illness. Srila Prabhupada would sit gravely on his rocking chair, gazing at Krsna-Balarama, as the devotees, fortunate pilgrims and local Vrndavana residents gathered around him. Although apparently sick, Srila Prabhupada remained as alert as ever, and the devotees grew to relish these intimate exchanges.

His close dealings with his disciples continued in his quarters, as Prabhupada's moods and emotions would move and vary transcendentally. He enjoyed daily discussions with Svarupa Damodara, his Bhaktivedanta Institute scientist-disciple. As the monsoon rains thundered down, Prabhupada would encourage him to push on his work of establishing the scientific basis of Krsna consciousness within academic circles.

By July, the rainy season had fully arrived in Vrndavana, and although sudden rainstorms were a botheration, at least the 120-degree heat had broken. Srila Prabhupada's health was neither improving nor at a crisis point. But because he was not eating, his strength was not increasing. Nevertheless, July was a good month for Srila Prabhupada's work on Srimad-Bhagavatam and he continued dictating very early in the morning and in the afternoon, completing the eighth and ninth chapters of the Tenth Canto.

But towards the end of July, Srila Prabhupada's health seemed to be worsening once more and he again started mentioning that the end may come soon. He had no appetite and had scarcely eaten in six weeks. Prabhupada was no longer able to be regular in his times for sleeping, taking massage, or sitting up and translating. He would still be carried, sitting on his rocking chair, to regularly greet the Deities at 7am. Now wearing his dark sunglasses, he would rarely speak and never smile.

It was at this time that devotees all around the world received Prabhupada's permission to pray for his recovery by reciting a simple prayer before the Deities:

"My dear Lord Krsna, if you so desire, please cure Srila Prabhupada."

In Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland, devotees commenced 24-hour kirtanas as they had done in 1974, earnestly praying for Prabhupada's recovery. Most who were conversant with Srila Prabhupada's books knew that the spiritual master becomes ill when his disciples misbehave. He has to suffer the effects of their karma. Otherwise, he has no karma to suffer. He is not diseased due to material contamination. Rather, he becomes ill for the accumulated karma of many, many disciples.


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu