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Monday, 14 November 1977 - Vrndavana, India

New Govardhana residents were joined by about 40 devotees from Melbourne, Sydney and the travelling sankirtana parties for a two-day celebration of Govardhana-puja. The event had been advertised widely by a poster announcing Festival of the Cows.

A small marquee tent was set up next to the single white house near the river, the only residential building on the property. Devotees and guests, chanting Hare Krsna, followed the single winding path up the hill to a grassy plateau overlooking the picturesque valley. A miniature Govardhana Hill had been built and a sacrificial fire lit. As the kirtana continued, a single cloud slowly moved across the noon sky. It hovered above the little group of devotees. Someone blew a conch, and the cloud sent forth rain -- an auspicious, noon sunshower -- on the spot that would later become the temple site. After honouring Krsna's cows, and feasting on dairy-rich prasadam, devotees held a dancing competition in the tent below.

In a meeting the next day, the leaders further discussed the recent decision to allow the devotees the chance to go to Vrndavana to be with Srila Prabhupada. Then that afternoon and the following morning, the devotees left New Govardhana for the long drive back to their respective temples.

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The Australian and New Zealand devotees still regularly prayed in chant-and-respond fashion before their temple Deities:

My dear Lord Krishna, if You desire, please cure Srila Prabhupada.

The prayer had been personally given by Srila Prabhupada in response to his disciples' request for a supplication to chant on his behalf. Many who chanted the prayer emphasised, both in their meditation and vocally, their strong desire that Lord Krsna cure their beloved spiritual master. Yet Prabhupada's addition of the modifier "if You so desire" was full of meaning. "If You so desire" indicated that Prabhupada did not want the devotees to make inappropriate demands of the Supreme Lord. Prabhupada was therefore teaching that ultimately everything was under Krsna's supreme control. It was possible that the devotees may pray strongly for something that Krsna didn't want. Perhaps Lord Krsna wanted to call Srila Prabhupada back. It was certainly His supreme prerogative to do so. In a sense, the prayer seemed to reflect Prabhupada's own feeling that although he would like to stay with his disciples, Krsna may desire otherwise; then he would accept that wholeheartedly also. Ultimately, the prayer was an expression of Srila Prabhupada's full surrender at the lotus feet of Lord Krsna.


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