Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Prabhupada Got Up from Behind His

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Tamala Krsna Goswami was the first disciple in ISKCON

to receive sannyasa while he was a member of the GBC.

Srila Prabhupada awarded it to him in Jaipur in 1971,

and the initial concept was that Tamala Krsna Goswami

would renounce his managerial responsibilities and

simply travel and preach. After a brief, successful

tour in Gujarat, he returned to see Srila Prabhupada

in Bombay. Because his ex-wife was a devotee in

Bombay, Tamala Krsna Goswami thought that he could not

actually go in person to the temple, so he sent his

assistant, while he himself waited at the train

station. When Prabhupada heard, however, that he was

waiting at the train station, he sent a devotee to

pick him up and bring him to him.

 

As soon as Tamala Krsna Goswami entered Srila

Prabhupada's room and began to bow before his

spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada said, "There is no

difficulty in this regard."

 

Prabhupada explained, "The temple is a neutral place

where they come in any case, in any situation. So

there is no wrong."

 

Prabhupada was pleased that his sannyasi disciple was

strict in his vow, but he reassured him that there was

no harm in being in the same temple as his ex-wife.

The sannyasa initiation had been very humbling to

Tamala Krsna Goswami, and since he was no longer a

leading manager, he took his seat near the rear of the

room. Prabhupada had been talking to a roomful of

devotees, but now he asked that everyone leave the

room. He then asked Tamala Krsna Goswami to privately

give his report on the recent preaching. The fact that

Prabhupada had asked the others to leave was unusual

and indicated his special feeling about the sannyasa

preaching.

 

Tamala Krsna Goswami reported that they had enrolled

eight members in about seven days. They held a big

pandal lecture program that five thousand people had

attended, and the governor of Gujarat, Narasingha

Narayan, had been the chief guest. Prabhupada was

pleased to see photographs of these events as well as

the newspaper clippings. He leaned back, satisfied,

and said, "Now I can retire without any anxiety.

Kirtanananda and Brahmananda and yourself are all

preaching nicely. Everything will go on."

 

"Srila Prabhupada," said Tamala Krsna Goswami, "I

think I have to go now, because I want to go ahead of

you to Madras, so I can be there to receive you in

your next program."

 

"Yes, go now."

 

After Tamala Krsna Goswami offered his obeisances,

Prabhupada got up from behind his desk and embraced

his disciple. Resting his head on one shoulder and

then on the other shoulder of his disciple, Prabhupada

then released him from his embrace and said, "Now take

this sannyasa-mantra in your heart. Go everywhere and

preach."

 

Tamala Krsna Goswami, interview.

 

- From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa

Goswami Maharaj

 

 

 

 

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