Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Always Remain Srila Prabhupada's

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Srila Prabhupada NectarAlways Remain Srila

Prabhupada's Dog

 

Almost every morning in Bombay Srila Prabhupada used

to walk on Juhu Beach. One morning I had been feeling

especially wretched and miserable. Although so many

other devotees were present, Srila Prabhupada began to

speak as if he were addressing me personally.

He quoted a Sanskrit verse and said there are two

words - a-natha and sa-natha. Natha means "master,"

so a-natha means "without master" and sa-natha means

"with master." The whole goal of life is to become

sa-natha,"with master."

In the morning on Juhu Beach many gentlemen used to

walk their dogs. Srila Prabhupada pointed to a fat

and fit gentleman walking with an equally fat and fit

dog. The man was walking briskly and confidently with

his dog on his leash, and the dog was walking equally

briskly and confidently with his master by his side.

Srila Prabhupada commented that every dog wants a good

master. If the dog has a good master he is happy. He

holds his head high, he wags his tail. He knows that

his master will maintain and protect him, so he has no

anxiety.

But the street dog. "The poor fellow has no master.

Therefore he is always suffering." Srila Prabhupada

then pointed to some stray dogs. "They have no

master. They do not know where they will sleep, how

they will get food. Other dogs bark at them; children

throw stones at them. They are always in anxiety."

Srila Prabhupada stopped walking. He planted his cane

firmly in the sand of Juhu Beach. Although I stood

behind many of the devotees who moved close around

him, with his eyes laden with love and compassion he

looked in my eyes. "So we should be sanatha,

protected, and not anatha - orphan. We should have

our master and be exclusively devoted to him. Then we

will feel confident in his protection and always be

happy."

Quoting the verse again, Srila Prabhupada explained

each Sanskrit word. Mano-ratha: the chariot of the

mind. Mental concoction is driving us here, there,

here, there. We have no peace. But when we have our

perfect master to serve, we become peaceful, prasanta,

and jubilant that, "I have got my master. I have no

cares and anxiety." This is the ideal of life, to

become sanatha-Jivitam, living with hope that "I have

got my master who will give me protection."

I knew that Srila Prabhupada was speaking directly to

me, addressing my present need in Krsna consciousness.

Without my even asking or saying anything, he knew my

heart and gave the perfect solution through his

instructions.

Thereafter, I always tried to remember and follow

these instructions of Srila Prabhupada's.

Although I had caught some of the words from the verse

and Srila Prabhupada's explanation, I very much wanted

to find the verse - but could not. Then several years

later I came across the same verse quoted in Sri

Caitanya caritamrta (Madhya1.206):

bhavantam evanucaram nirantarah

prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantarah

kadaham aikantika-nitya-knikarah

praharsayisyami sanatha-jivitam

 

"By serving You constantly, one is freed from all

material desires and is completely pacified. When

shall I engage as your permanent eternal servant and

always feel joyful to have such a fitting master?"

Reading the purport, I found the same instructions

Srila Prabhupada had given on Juhu Beach: "Just as a

dog or servant is very satisfied to get a competent,

perfect master, or as a child is completely satisfied

to possess a competent father, so the living entity is

satisfied by completely engaging in the service of the

Supreme Lord. He thereby knows that he has a

competent master to save him from all kinds of

danger."

I realized that Srila Prabhupada is so perfect that he

always spoke on the basis of scriptures. At the same

time, because of his tremendous compassion and

humility, he could say just the right thing in the

right way to deeply touch the heart of the listener.

Now whenever I walk on Juhu Beach and see the

different types of dogs - those with masters and those

without - I remember Srila Prabhupada's instructions

and pray that I will always remain Srila Prabhupada's

dog.

 

- From the "Watering the Seed" by HH Giriraja Swami

Maharaja

 

Please Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna

Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare

Hare And Be Happy

 

 

 

 

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