Srila Prabhupada involved in a car accident.
Pusta Krishna das: This photograph was taken in Mauritius in 1975, just after Srila Prabhupada’s South African tour. The President of Mauritius sent a Citroen car and a driver to bring him to visit, but Srila Prabhupada, hearing about a recent decision by the government to support chicken slaughter houses, he decided to merely take a ride and then return to the place where we were all staying.
On getting into the auto, I requested Srila Prabhupad to sit on the left in the back seat because it was safer. He complied. We drove for about a half an hour and stopped at a site overlooking the ocean with an inscribed plaque about a historic event that took place there.
When we went back to the car, Srila Prabhupada said, “that side is safer”, the one which I suggested previously. I was sitting next to the government driver (British style, drives on the left side of the road), with the driver on the right, and me on the left, Srila Prabhupada directly behind me, and Brahmananda Maharaj beside Srila Prabhupada on the right back seat.
We were driving through the sugar cane fields on a two lane road, curving to the left. To my horror, a VW beetle car was coming directly at us head on. It was only visible for about two seconds since the sugar cane fields blocked the wider view. Neither car had any opportunity to slow down. I had been chanting Sri Krishna Chaitanya in my mind when this occurred, but I was horrified that this was taking place with Srila Prabhupada in the vehicle. The two cars came together at full speed, with combined speed about 80 miles per hour. I placed my hands before me to brace on the dashboard, and at impact my head went into the windshield on the forehead and my elbow struck the windshield as well. As I looked to my right I saw the government driver with blood coming from his head as his head went into the windshield leaving the impression of his head in the windshield. As I continued to look right and back over my shoulder, I saw Brahmananda with his left arm around Srila Prabhupada’s shoulder and the look of terror in Brahmananda’s face. Srila Prabhupada remained completely silent and grave. He had been sitting cross-legged in the back seat with his cane between his knees. At the time of the accident, his face, especially his lower lip struck the back of the seat I was sitting in. Fortunately, these are well-padded cars. He developed a blood blister in his thumb and as I recall, some swelling in his lip, with no other injuries amazingly. The female passenger of the VW went through the window and out of the car. The government driver of our car with bloodied head got out to attend to the injured in the VW.
I got out of the car and went to Srila Prabhupada seated behind me. He had multiple pieces of broken glass around his feet, which I removed so that he would not be cut. I asked him if he was alright. He remained completely silent, detached and very grave, as much as I had ever experienced of him.
Brahmananda got out to try to flag a car down to take us back to our bungalow. We remained at the accident site for about 15 minutes. A car stopped and took the three of us, but in the wrong direction. We drove for about 15 minutes and then they turned around and took us back past the accident site, and then back to the bungalow.
When we arrived, Harikesa was there. Srila Prabhupad made up a mixture or poultice to apply to any painful areas we might have. He personally applied it to my forehead and elbow (which I thought might be fractured, but it wasn’t). We had a kirtan at Srila Prabhupada’s request which I led, then Srila Prabhupada asked to hear something from the Chaitanya Charitamrita. Harikesa opened the book and it opened spontaneously to the Disappearance of Haridas Thakur, which he read for some time.
The next morning Srila Prabhupad, Brahmananda Maharaj and myself took a walk on the beach outside the bungalow. Srila Prabhupad never mentioned the accident. He did ask us where we thought he should go to next, since there was some program arranged for Nairobi, Kenya. I suggested that he might be shook up from the car accident and perhaps he might like to return to Bombay to rest. Srila Prabhupada said, “we shall go to preach in Nairobi. I knew at that time that I could not second guess His Divine Grace. This all took place before any temple had been established in Mauritius which came about later, and I believe that Srila Prabhupada made a second trip to Mauritius later. He had flown to Mauritius prior to entering South Africa, and again after leaving South Africa.
Apparently, because Brahmananda could not enter South Africa, I performed the duties of Srila Prabhupad’s secretary during his two-week tour. He liked me and he liked my style as his secretary. In February of 1976 when I arrived in Mayapur with a Mercedes we purchased him in Stuttgart, Germany (at his request), Srila Prabhupad personally asked me to be his permanent secretary. I, like some others before me, lasted until July 1976 throughout his last world tour. Indeed, I have many fond memories and also some regrets. All is in Krishna’s Hands. No further questions about that.
Hoping that you will forgive the detail of this true episode in our lives at that time. Hare Krishna. Pusta Krishna das
Source: http://m.dandavats.com/?p=19087
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