On the return journey to the temple, Prabhupada chanted half-audibly in the back seat of the car, looking out the window in a way as quiet and unassuming as a child. His demeanour gave no indication that just a few minutes before he had been cheered and applauded by thousands. For all the fanfare, he remained untouched, aloof and innocent, while at the same time appearing grave and ancient.
The devotees present were moved to recall Prabhupada's own words: "Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honoured by others .. Unless one is humble and meek, one cannot qualify to sit at the lotus feet of the Lord."
Prabhupada entered his room accompanied by an exhilarated group of devotees. Judging by the response that night, he told them, it augured well for spreading Krsna consciousness in Melbourne.
Prabhupada sat down on a mat before a small marble table. Upendra brought a bowl of puffed rice and peanuts, and a cup of hot milk. Srila Prabhupada took a few peanuts and deftly popped them into his mouth, chewing meditatively. He asked Syamasundara to play the tape recording of the lecture. Prabhupada listened to the whole class, including questions and answers from start to finish, as the devotees sat quietly listening with him. It was now approaching midnight. Srila Prabhupada stood up. The devotees rose and, as if on cue, offered their obeisances and left the room.
In a couple of hours, while the whole of Melbourne slept, our jagat-guru would be awake, dictating his revolutionary Bhaktivedanta purports to the beautiful Srimad-Bhagavatam -- a cultural presentation for the re-spiritualisation of the entire human society.
- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu
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