yena kena prakarena...

[Guest guest]

Haridas Prabhu first came to Bombay from Bangalore looking out for a job.

When he failed, he started picking pockets. THis landed him in Arthur Road

Jail. There in a dust-bin he found a copy of BTG. While going through the

magazine he say a photograph of Srila Prabhupada and he was immediately

attracted - not to Srila Prabhupada but to his golden wrist-watch. He vowed

that when he was released he'd steal the watch. On release he walked all

the way to Akash Ganga, that was the address given in BTG. There he was told

that they had shifted to Juhu. He walked all the way to Juhu, since he had

no money. Krishna was actually purifying him before meeting a pure devotee.

In Juhu he met Giriraj Maharaj. Maharaj told him that Srila Prabhupada was

in Hyderabad and was expected to be in Bombay very soon. Maharaj then

invited him to stay in the temple. He would get free prasad and staying

facilities. He did not mind shaving also. After a few days he was

exasperated and he asked Giriraj Maharaj if he could go to Hyderabad.

Maharaj said okay. He then asked if he would get ticket money or would he

have to steal it? Giriraj Maharaj gave him the money and told him to return

soon. In Hyderabad Srila Prabhupada was giving darshan when Haridas prabhu

entered. Srila Prabhupada saw him and called him forward. On being asked

Haridas Prabhu said that, he had got attracted to Srila Prabhupada's watch

and that he wanted to steal it. Srila Prabhupada said " You want this

watch?" and he immediately removed it. Haridas prabhu said no, now he had

lost interest in the watch, but Prabhupada insisted he keep the watch.

Prabhupada said how long he was staying. Haridas prabhu said that he had

promised Giriraj Maharaj that he'd return as soon as he had met Prabhupada.

Srila Prabhupada replied "You must keep a promise, never to break it".

Haridas prabhu liked this instruction. After some time Prabhupada came to

Bombay. One day he was helping a devotee in the kitchen and he saw that

other devotees were missing. On inquiry he came to know that Prabhupada is

initiating devotees. He asked permission to watch. THe devotee told him to

return immediately since there were no devotees to help him. When he

reached the temple hall, Srila Prabhupada noticed him standing in a corner.

"Why are you not taking intiation?" Prabhupada asked. Haridas Prabhu said

"I don't know". "Would you like to take?" "Okay". "Where are your beads?"

I don't have any". Immediately, Srila Prabhupada took his own personal

beads and and gave it to Haridas Prabhupada. Meanwhile a very shocked GBC

Sanyasi asked Srila Prabhupada "I'm sure you are not going to initiate him".

Srila Prabhupada looked at him and said "I know what I'm doing". Giriraj

Maharaj, who was standing nearby, was about to say something to support the

sanyasi. But when he heard Prabhupada's reply, he decided to keep quiet.

Srila Prabhupada asked "What is your name?Giriraj Prabhu calls me

HaridasSo your initiated name is Haridas. What are the four regulative

principles?" He didn't know. Srila Prabhupada looked at Giriraj Maharaj.

Giriraj Maharaj looked at Haridas Prabhu and said "Haridas, 4 regulative

principles, I have told you this". Immediately it struck Haridas prabhu and

he told Srila Prabhupada. He then rushed to the kitchen, where a very

exasperated devotee was waiting for him. "Where'd you been?Oh, I got

inititatedWhat you got initiated? What are you doing here, go sit for the

yagna". Now Haridas Prabhu had a weakness, he liked chocolates. Due to his

old habits, he would retain some of the money given to him to purchase

flowers. With this money he would buy chocolates. One day he decided to buy

chocolates for Srila Prabhupada. So he purchased two 5-star cadbury

chocolates, keeping it in his bead bag, he went to Srila Prabhupada's room.

As soon as he entered he offered dandavats and the chocolates fell out of

the bag. Srila Prabhupada picked one up and peeling it was about to eat it,

then he read on the cover and told Haridas Prabhu "Haridas we don't eat such

things, you like to eat sweets, then come with me". They went to the

kitchen and Srila Prabhupada make halawa for Haridas Prabhu. Haridas prabhu

reminices today "I am now running Govinda restaurant and having prasad

cooked by so many devotees, but I have yet to taste halava like the one

Srila Prabhupada made for me".