Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Was Precise

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Little Drops of Nectar: Prabhupada Was Precise

 

Once Srila Prabhupada held a preaching program at the Partha-sarathi temple in

Madras. In that temple there is a murti of Krsna on the Battlefield of

Kuruksetra. The murti wears a little mustache. After the program, Srila

Prabhupada went to the home of a Mr. Mahesuri, who asked Prabhupada how it was

that Krsna was wearing a mustache. Prabhupada explained that this was bogus. He

said that Krsna is nava-yauvanam, ever-youthful, and never has a mustache. Then

Prabhupada took his finger and began very gently touching the area above his

lip. He began searching for a word to describe Krsna's upper lip. One of his

disciples said, "Like peach fuzz, Prabhupada?" indicating the very soft hair

that grows on a young boy's lip as he reaches puberty. Prabhupada said yes.

 

 

 

A senior devotee once advised that BTG editors should specialize in different

areas of material knowledge, like psychology, economics, and politics, and

write articles about these topics for BTG.

 

Jayadvaita Swami reported the idea to Prabhupada and Jayadvaita Swami added

that he did not like the idea. He said he felt that the devotees who write for

BTG should simply read Prabhupada's books. Prabhupada agreed that this was the

right idea. He said the other idea was useless.

 

On another occasion, Jayadvaita Swami approached Prabhupada with the First

Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam which he had re-edited. Jayadvaita Swami read

several translations which he had changed. Prabhupada asked him to explain what

it was he had done. Jayadvaita Swami said he had revised the text to bring it

closer to what Prabhupada originally said. "Closer to what I have said?"

Prabhupada said, "Then it is all right."

 

On yet another occasion, Jayadvaita Swami was traveling with Prabhupada. As

they waited to board their Pan Am jet, Jayadvaita Swami noticed that the plane

had a name -- the Clipper Intrepid. He told Prabhupada that this was a suitable

name because Prabhupada was such an intrepid preacher. Prabhupada then asked

Jayadvaita Swami what the word "intrepid" meant. Jayadvaita Swami told him.

Prabhupada then thought for a moment and asked how it was spelled. Jayadvaita

Swami spelled the word, and reasoned that Prabhupada thought it was a good word

and that he might have a use for it sometime.

 

Giriraja Swami, interview; Guru Gauranga dasa, interview; Sravanananda dasa,

interview; Jayadvaita Swami, interview.

 

 

- From the Prabhupada Nectar by HH Satsvarupa dasa Goswami Maharaj

 

 

 

 

 

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