Srila Prabhupada Ki Jaya

[Guest guest]

It was Janmastami, the annual celebration of the advent of Lord

Krishna Some five thousand years before. Residents of Calcutta, mostly

Bengalis and other Indians, but also many Muslims and even some

British, were observing the festive day, moving here and there through

the city's streets to visit the temples of Lord Krishna. Devout

Vaisnavas, fasting until midnight, chanted Hare Krishna and heard

about the birth and activities of Lord Krishna from Srimad-Bhagavatam.

They continued fasting, chanting, and worshiping throughout the night.

 

The next day (September 1, 1896), in a little house in the Tollygunge

suburb of Calcutta, a male child was born. Since he was born on

Nandotsava, the day Krishna's father, Nanda Maharaja, had observed a

festival in honor of Krishna's birth, the boy's uncle called him

Nandulal. But his father, Gour Mohan De, and his mother, Rajani, named

him Abhay Charan, "one who is fearless, having taken shelter at Lord

Krishna's lotus feet." In accordance with Bengali tradition, the

mother had gone to the home of her parents for the delivery, and so it

was that on the bank of the Adi Ganga, a few miles from his father's

home, in a small two-room, mud-walled house with a tiled roof,

underneath a jackfruit tree, Abhay Charan was born. A few days later,

Abhay returned with his parents to their home at 151 Harrison Road. An

astrologer did a horoscope for the child, and the family was made

jubilant by the auspicious reading. The astrologer made a specific

prediction: When this child reached the age of seventy, he would cross

the ocean, become a great exponent of religion, and open 108 temples.

 

Srila Prabhupada in ecstasy

 

1) On the third morning after introducing Jaya Radha-Madhava, Srila

Prabhupada again sang it with the devotees responding. Then he began

to explain it further. Radha-Madhava, he said, have Their eternal

loving pastimes in the groves of Vrindavan.

 

He stopped speaking. His closed eyes flooded with tears, and he began

gently rocking his head. His body trembled. Several minutes passed,

and everyone in the room remained completely silent. Finally, he

returned to external consciousness and said, "Now, just chant Hare

Krishna."

 

REF. SPL 33: A Lot of Ground to Be Covered

 

2) ...but devotee means he does not ask anything from God. He simply

wants to give, that is devotee. Just like gopis. They never asked

anything from Krishna.

 

(Srila Prabhupada becomes stunned in ecstasy. Long pause)

 

Hmm. Now chant. (end)

 

REF. Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.3.7 -- Los Angeles, September 13, 1972

(Listen to the tape to hear how Srila Prabhupada is speaking excitedly

in preaching ecstasy then is suddenly paralyzed by thoughts of the

gopis' love for Krishna.)

 

3) Very, very abominable condition in this age of Kali. Very, very. It

is the beginning of Kali. Now we have to pass through 427,000's of

years. Kali-yuga will make progress in that way. And people are now

practicing eating their children, and at the end of Kali there will be

no food available. They'll have to eat the children just like the

snakes do. The snake eat their own children. There are many

animals-they eat their own children.

 

So don't try to repeat your birth again and again in this Kali-yuga.

It will be not very happy life. Better sacrifice everything in this

life and be fully Krishna conscious and go back to home, back to

Godhead. Don't wait for the next life. This is very seriously

repeated, that "This life I shall finish my Krishna consciousness

business," and, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that Krishna

consciousness business means to understand Krishna rightly. And He's

explaining Himself rightly. Where is the difficulty to finish the

Krishna consciousness business? If Krishna is explaining Himself, what

He is, then where is your difficulty? Krishna is explaining Himself in

the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna is sending His representative acarya to

teach you, and Krishna is within yourself trying to teach you if you

are actually serious. Then where is the difficulty? Inside, outside,

always, books, knowledge-He is prepared. So where is the difficulty to

make yourself perfect in Krishna consciousness? There is no difficulty

at all. Provided you are serious, you can become fully Krishna

conscious in this very life. You are all young men. You are not old

man like me. I have no opportunity.

 

(At this point Srila Prabhupada choked in ecstasy and the class ended)

 

REF. CC Adi 1.14 -- Mayapur, April 7, 1975

 

4) One day a record arrived from London. The London devotees, who with

George Harrison's help had already produced an album, had now also

released a new single, "Govinda." The song consisted of verses

Prabhupada had taught them from Brahma-samhita, each verse ending with

the refrain govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami. Prabhup da asked

that the record be played during the morning program in the temple.

The next morning, after he had entered the temple room, bowed down

before the Deity, and taken his seat on the vyasasana to begin the

class, the record began.

 

Suddenly, Prabhupada became stunned with ecstasy. His body shivered,

and tears streamed from his eyes. The devotees, feeling a glimmer of

their spiritual master's emotion, began to chant Hare Krishna as if

chanting japa. The moments seemed to pass slowly. Finally Prabhupada

spoke: "Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami." He was again silent.

Then he asked, "Is everyone all right?" The response was a huge roar:

"Jaya Prabhupada!" And he began the Srimad-Bhagavatam class.