Remembering Srila Prabhupada - I Must be Strict With Her

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I Must be Strict With Her.

 

 

Prabhupada's sister Pisima was a great favorite of his

and also of his disciples as they witnessed her

devotion to Srila Prabhupada and his transcendental

relationship with her. The devotees first heard of her

when she sent Srila Prabhupada some papadums in the

mail in 1967. When Prabhupada said these things had

been sent by his sister, the devotees became curious

and asked more about her.

 

"Yes," said Srila Prabhupada, "she always attacks me."

 

The devotees were shocked and asked, "What do you

mean, Srila Prabhupada?"

 

Prabhupada laughed heartily and said, "She attacks me

with her tears. Sometimes when she sees me, she cries.

That is a woman's weapon." When they asked more,

Prabhupada told a little more about Pisima.

 

He said that when he was a young boy, he used to beat

her once a day. When she got married, he once went to

her house and was beating her there, but their mother

told him, "You don't have to beat her now because she

has a husband. If she does something wrong, her

husband can beat her." Prabhupada objected and said,

"No, this is my relationship with my sister. I must be

strict with her."

 

One day in Vrndavana, Prabhupada entered the sewing

room where his female disciples were working. His

sister had been there, distributing sweets to the

girls, but she had momentarily gone off to the

bathroom.

 

"Where is the fat one?" asked Prabhupada.

 

"The fat one?" asked one of his disciples.

 

"My sister, where is she?"

 

"Oh, she stepped out to the ladies' room, Srila

Prabhupada."

 

"When she comes back," said Srila Prabhupada, "tell

her I want to see her."

 

By intimate dealings like this, devotees enjoyed

associating with Prabhupada and Pisima.

 

One time in Mayapur, the lights went out and

Prabhupada called over his sannyasi disciple

Pancadravida Swami.

 

"Please take my sister downstairs," Prabhupada

requested. On Prabhupada's order, Pancadravida led

Pisima downstairs, appreciating the relationship of

Prabhupada and his sister.

 

Sometimes Prabhupada would mock his sister in his

disciples' presence. She could not understand the

language, but enjoyed the attention from her wonderful

brother.

 

"Look at her," said Prabhupada, "how fat she is." When

the devotees started laughing, Pisima looked up and

started laughing also. "Do you know any person who is

fat without eating?" Prabhupada asked.

 

"No, Prabhupada," a disciple replied. "I don't think

that is possible."

 

"Yes," Prabhupada laughed, "but she tells me she is

eating very little, yet she keeps on gaining weight.

But I know she is eating."

 

Sometimes devotees working on Prabhupada's personal

staff were bewildered how to deal with her. One

servant complained to Prabhupada that Pisima was

sleeping in the servants' quarters and the men

couldn't use the room. Although they had spoken to

her, she would not listen. Prabhupada said that he

would tell her that she cannot do that. Even after

talking with Prabhupada, however, she was determined

and continued to loiter around the servants' quarters,

just in order to be near to Prabhupada.

 

When the devotees tried to explain to Pisima that her

cooking was not good for Prabhupada's digestion, she

replied that if he wanted to, Prabhupada could eat

nails and digest them.

 

One night at a pandal attended by tens of thousands of

people, Pisima joined in the ecstasy of worshiping

Prabhupada. Indians were rushing to the stage to touch

Prabhupada's feet. Pisima herself went up, touched

Prabhupada's feet, and then returned to the audience

and touched many persons. She began to go back and

forth, touching Prabhupada's feet and then touching

persons in the audience. Prabhupada stopped her

angrily. "Tell her to sit down!" Srila Prabhupada

ordered. "Stop this!" Pisima realized that she had

made a blunder, and so she went home and returned the

next day with a big feast for Prabhupada.

 

Mukunda Goswami, interview; Nandarani-devi dasi,

interview; Manjvali-devi dasi, interview; Pancadravida

Swami, interview; Srutakirti dasa, interview;

Citralekha-devi dasi, interview.

 

 

- From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa

GoswamiMaharaj

 

 

 

 

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