Remembering Srila Prabhupada - I Have Already Given the Example

[Guest guest]

I Have Already Given the Example Several Times ..

 

 

Anyone who has heard Srila Prabhupada knows that he

quoted many Sanskrit verses while preaching, but

sometimes after preaching, he would murmur a verse or

a portion of a verse which might serve as a final

comment, a footnote, or merely a sign that His Divine

Grace was absorbed in a chain of Krsna conscious

thought. Hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam ... Srila

Prabhupada might be dealing with someone's personal

problems, ISKCON management or whatever, and the

quotation could be viewed as a reminder; whatever

Srila Prabhupada did or said, he was always mindful

that he was acting as the servant of Krsna and the

acaryas in Krsna's disciplic chain.

 

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami recalls being present during

one of Srila Prabhupada's ecstatic Sanskrit

murmurings. It was in Dallas in 1971 and Srila

Prabhupada had been reprimanding Satsvarupa for

different mistakes he had made in the management. They

then left the room together to go look at the Deities

of Radha-Kalachandji, which were being prepared for

installation. As they walked through the hall,

Prabhupada murmured grhesu grha-medinam ... This was

the verse he had lectured on in that morning's

Bhagavatam class, but by Prabhupada's murmuring it

like a little song, Satsvarupa felt assured that

Prabhupada was completely pure and transcendental and

that his anger was simply meant for his disciple's

benefit.

 

Srila Prabhupada also took genuine pleasure in quoting

Sanskrit verses. Jayadvaita Swami recalls one time

being with Prabhupada in his room in Brooklyn when

Prabhupada quoted a verse by Rupa Gosvami. It was a

verse that Prabhupada quoted often, but as he quoted

it yet again, the devotees could see Prabhupada was

relishing a deep, fresh pleasure. To Srila Prabhupada

it seemed to be another opportunity to associate with

Rupa Gosvami and serve him by passing on his teachings

to others.

 

Prabhupada used to say, "I have already given the

example several times .." Several! This phrase

invariably introduced an example that devotees had

heard so many times they had long ago lost count. But

for Srila Prabhupada there was no need to invent

anything new. "The same example .... " was still

serviceable, still perfect, still worth quoting yet

again.

 

Satsvarupa dasa Goswami Maharaj

 

 

 

 

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