Blog

Hari-sauri, assisted by newly-initiated Kalasamvara, completed the final packing. Prabhupada slowly paced, chanting almost inaudibly on his beads. He paused, listening for a moment to the sweet kirtana downstairs lead by Hare Rama on guitar. "Who is that chanting?" he asked. "This is very nice," he added, and sang along softly. Hari-sauri applied saffron-coloured sandalwood paste to Prabhupada's forehead. Then it was time to go.

Kalasamvara: As Srila Prabhupada approached the door to his room, he stopped before a painting of Narada Muni that hung on the wall. He placed his head at the feet of Narada, and then left the room. Guru Krpa, following Prabhupada's example, put his head on the picture; then Tusta Krsna Swami did it, and Hari-sauri did it also. I thought, "Wow! I suppose this is what you're supposed to do," and I did it too. We all left the room and headed downstairs to the waiting car.

Jita Girisa: We were all lined up along the driveway as Srila Prabhupada slowly walked down the stairs. I was lamenting that I hadn't taken full advantage of Prabhupada's presence. I felt that I had acted in a puffed-up fashion, thinking that I was one of the senior devotees in the temple just because I had been around a year or two longer than they. "If only my mood had been different," I thought, "maybe then, Prabhupada would have given me some attention". I desperately prayed that Prabhupada would give me some last sign that, despite my flaws, he recognised me as his disciple.

As Prabhupada reached the last step, a female devotee came past with a big basket of garlands. She handed me one, but since it had exposed areas of string, I held it behind my back, considering it unofferable.

Prabhupada appeared to float into the sunlit driveway. Halfway towards the gate, he stopped right in front of me. He bent his head down and indicated with a nod that he wanted me to garland him. I placed the garland around his neck, and he offered namaskaras with two hands.

I realised at that moment that Srila Prabhupada had recognised my change of heart. With great humility and fathomless kindness, he had answered my desperate prayer.


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