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Amogha's offering Prabhupada an opulent rose garland after his morning walk was becoming part of the daily routine. After his bath, Prabhupada wore the garland as he sat in a chair with his back to the sun.

Srutakirti: The devotees asked me whether Prabhupada chanted sixteen rounds a day. I related to them the story of when I was once with Prabhupada and he was chanting japa. He put his beads down and joked with me, playing the role of a novice devotee glad to have completed his daily chanting quota. "Now I've finished my rounds," he said, "I can do any damn thing I want." He explained to me on that same occasion that as a householder he had also always chanted sixteen rounds a day -- four early in the morning and four after each meal. I was impressed that everything Prabhupada told us to do, he also did. He set a perfect example.

After lunch, Prabhupada came out of his sitting room -- it adjoined the walkway behind the house -- and walked to and fro, peacefully chanting japa. He did not chant very loudly, but devotees heard Prabhupada's beads shake inside their bag, and occasionally the words Rama, Rama. Once he spontaneously uttered the words Hare Krsna, and harer nama, harer nama, harer namaiva kevalam with great feeling and expression. The devotees took it that Prabhupada's statements about his own chanting of prescribed rounds was for their own benefit, as an encouragement for their own regulation.

Amogha: As Prabhupada was strolling, chanting his japa in the backyard, I came out of the side door of the kitchen and paid my obeisances. Srila Prabhupada looked at me. "You have taken your lunch?" "Yes, just finished," I replied. Prabhupada said, "Oh, very nice." It was little instances like this that revealed to me some of the wonderful features of Srila Prabhupada.

When Prabhupada preached Krsna's message, he was bold like thunder and sharp like blazing fire. Although a world-renowned author, spiritual teacher and great, elevated soul, however, Prabhupada remained meek and humble, and genuinely concerned with the daily well-being of his disciples.


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