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Srila Prabhupada Pastime "Garib manus ca chinga"

Srila Prabhupada Pastime "Garib manus ca chinga"


PRABHUPADA TELLS A STORY

During Srila Prabhupada's last days in Vrndavana he used to be carried up and down the stairs in a palanquin-chair. His habit was to take rest during the day in his bed on the roof. One day, going up the narrow staircase from the first floor to the roof, Satadhanya Maharaja carried the rear portion of Prabhupada's palanquin by its two handles and another man carried the front. Tamala Krsna Gosvami led the group, and Upendra dasa followed, carrying Prabhupada's drinking lota and quilt. Suddenly Srila Prabhupada began to laugh uncontrollably. The devotees were amazed because Srila Prabhupada was very ill and had been silent and grave.

"Do you want to hear a funny story?" he asked.

They all answered, "Yes, Prabhupada!"

"Let us go upstairs. There I can say."

While Upendra rushed to get his tape recorder, the others brought Srila Prabhupada to the roof, placed him on his bed, and sat at his feet. Srila Prabhupada's body was very gaunt from the months of fasting, and he lay back but continued laughing.

"There is a Bengali proverb," he said. "Garib manus ca chinga khai hakta gelo gauda jaya". Just to say it made Prabhupada laugh more. The devotees remained mystified, and expectant.

"Now I'll explain," said Srila Prabhupada. "Garib manus Garib means 'poor' and manus means 'man'. " Again Srila Prabhupada broke into laughter, his thin body shaking and his whole face smiling. "Ca chinga khai," he continued. "Ca chinga means 'a grasshopper'. Khai 'eats'. So this poor man has nothing to eat except he is finding some grasshoppers and eating them. Garib manus ca chinga khai hakta gelo. But when he goes to pass stool, - gauda jaya he rides on a big white horse." Prabhupada laughed loudly, and all the devotees sat by in amazement. Then Prabhupada turned to Upendra and said, "You understand?" Upendra's face became red in non understanding. Satadhanya Maharaja was thinking, :I hope Prabhupada does not ask me." Satadhanya turned to Tamala Krsna Maharaja and whispered, "Tamala, do you understand?" Tamala Krsna Maharaja gave an unsure nod and said, "Yes". But he remained silent.

Prabhupada said, "Just see. Garib manus. He is a poor man eating only grasshoppers. But when he goes to pass stool, he rides a big white horse." When Prabhupada saw that they could not understand, he explained further. "Similarly, I am a sannyasi. So a sannyasi is a beggar, a poor man. I am a poor man, and yet when I have to go to sleep, then four men must carry me in a palanquin." In this way, they all laughed and enjoyed Prabhupada's story, but not quite as much as did Prabhupada himself.

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