Blog

Later, Ganesa's mother and sister arrived, and Prabhupada spoke to them in a kindly manner. Ganesa's mother, apparently worried that Krsna consciousness was a challenge to her beliefs, asked Srila Prabhupada a question: "What about the Hebrew religion?" Srila Prabhupada assured her that any religion by which one could know God was good. She asked again, and Prabhupada reassured her. Then, when she felt less defensive, he humbly asked her: "Do you know God? Can you tell me about God?" She said she couldn't, and, red-faced, fell silent. Srila Prabhupada did know God, and shared his realisations by quoting Lord Brahma's revelations of Krsna from his Brahma-samhita:

He is the original person, He is the origin, the oldest person from whom we are all born, but He is always young. God is eternally youthful. He is the most opulent and attractive. He is beyond our sense perception, but we can see Him by devotional service.

At the conclusion of the cordial conversation, Prabhupada spoke encouragingly with Ganesa. "So try and bring your mother and sister to Krsna consciousness. That is your duty, and Krsna will help you. Because they are in a relationship with you, your family, Krsna will help them. Krsna will think of your family, yes, just like a soldier fighting, the government takes care of his family. That is special prerogative. If he dies in the fighting, the government gives a pension to the family members."

Prabhupada turned his attention back to Ganesa's mother. "So you are fortunate in that way because your son is fighting with maya. So you take advantage of it. You read the books, and try to become Krsna conscious. Your own son is there, you can take instruction from him. So take advantage -- don't lose this opportunity."

After accepting prasadam directly from Prabhupada, they left.

Ganesa: I was happy that my mother and sister had taken my advice to meet Srila Prabhupada that day. I had no doubts that just by receiving his darsana, they had both been immeasurably blessed, and by his association the seed of future devotional life had been planted.


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