Biographical poem about Srila Prabhupada

[Guest guest]

Manah Siksa 1+2 (Astaratha Das)

 

 

O mind, if you want to be my friend,

Then please don't go away

Even for a moment, from the memory

That maintains a sisya's life

 

Let me dwell at the doorstep of my master's house

Let me serve him without stopping, without end

Let me feel the safety of being in his lotus hand

O mind, run swiftly towards Srila Prabhupad

To you, o carriage of the soul, distance is of no importance

 

Please run back to 1896,

And see the mud-walled house under the jackfruit tree

Remember mother Rajani and Gour Mohan De

The humble cloth merchant, the most fortunate one

Begging the sadhus to pray to Radha for his son

 

O mind, bring me to Radha-Govinda at Harrison Road,

To the small garden at his grandmother's house

Let me see his tiny hands learning to play the mrdanga

And let me follow his father walking with him for miles

To the bank of the Ganga

Yes, you can think of eating

If this brings about sweet memories

Of little Abhay and kacoris, kacoris

 

O mind, go back to school

And see him sitting amongst four others in a row

At the long wooden desks at Motilal's

Remember him ride his bicycle down the busy Calcutta streets

And never forget his childhood Ratha-yatra

Distributing prasadam to whomever he meets

 

O mind, soon the bell rings for Scottish Churches' College

The priestly teachers, the Bible,

the challenge on karma, the role of Advaita Acarya

Rehearsing more for one year

The Britishers, Gandhi, khadi and swaraj,

The end of college, the beginning of business

And family career

 

O mind, bring me up to the rooftop of Ultadanga 1

Where the very nice saintly person is sitting straight

Defeating Abhay with sastra and reason

Telling him in an instance what he should do:

"Go, all over the world and preach

The divine message of Mahaprabhu"

 

O mind, just calm down and reflect for a moment

On this highly significant meeting

And consider the outcome, after so many years

"Somehow, by the will of Krishna we met;

Who knew," Srila Prabhupada used to say,

"Of Krishna's arrangement,

His inconceivable way?"

 

O mind, you can never fathom these ways of destiny

Why was he tied up with family duties

Changing locations and business affairs

Why could he not go then

And fulfill his master's order,

Lord Caitanya's prophecy

 

O mind, let's go on to Allahabad's Prayag Pharmacy

Remember the photo after Gour Mohan passed away

Remember the brahmacaris of nearby Gaudiya Math

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, the initiation fire

And remember why to him he was so dear

Remember his remark: "Yes, he likes to hear"

 

O mind, please run towards Srila Prabhupad

He has gone to Bombay now

Trying to develop his own business there

Don't be bewildered by this worldly sight

Soon you will see Krishna's plan behind

 

Who could say it was an accident,

That he saw again the Gaudiya Math sannyasis

Now they made a team to preach

Recall the poem and the Vyasa-puja speech

And the order of his Guru Maharaj:

"Whatever he writes - print it!"

 

O mind, carry me into the November of 1935

To Vrindavan, the sacred bank of Radha-kund

Where Abhay hears these prophetic words:

"Amar iccha jila, kichu bai karana" -

"If you ever get money, print books!"

What is the use of bricks and buildings,

What is the use of fighting over rooms?

 

O mind, "Godhead is light - nescience is darkness"

Was the greeting to the readers

Of his Back to Godhead magazine

And Back to Godhead was the forum for Abhay

The preacher, the writer, the philosopher

 

Remember the world in 1944

The starvation, the war, the crisis

So many efforts gone in vain

And remember Abhay writing and hoping

At 6 Sita-kanta Banerjee Lane

 

O mind, listen to his preaching to the leaders

Who were too far gone to hear his voice

The letter to Gandhi was of no avail

India set out to make its place among the nations

Hindu-Muslim riots, confusion at every place

Little did they care about his saving grace

 

Destiny took him to the small town of Jhansi

A new hope for Abhay and new attempt

"The League of Devotees" painted in big letters

outside the Radha Memorial ambitiously

There was an inauguration ceremony, a disciple made

But Jhansi - no, it was not supposed to be

 

"Yasyaham anugrhnami" - Abhay began to laugh

Seven thousand rupees lost

The final end to business struggle

The "tea-or-me" story took place

May the family survive somehow

He is ready for vanaprastha now

 

O mind, let us pass through New Delhi's wilderness

The difficult years, as Prabhupad called them later

The Gaudiya sangha wasn't meant for him

Although he tried his best to get the place together

His plans for printing were called "too big and lofty"

His ideas attractive but no money was inside

And his assistants all too neophyte

 

Homeless, he moved around in Delhi

No, he did not give up

He made a list of books to publish

Looking for donors here and there

He stayed at the houses of Hindu gentlemen

Gradually bringing back to life his BTG

 

Now he had a voice again

To call into Kali-yuga's dark

The world is in need of the brilliant sun

How much could he accomplish with a glowing spark?

 

O mind, please run towards Srila Prabhupad

Distributing his Back to Godhead

In that boiling summer city

Remember how he starts reeling

Because of the heat

How he was charged by a stray cow

In a secluded street

 

O mind, take me to Vrindavan

Take me to his room near Kesi-ghat

Take me to the sounds of temple bells and kirtan

Take me to his early morning hours

His japa and his writing

Take me to his meditation at Pri-dhan

 

"I am sitting alone in Vrindavan-dham;

In this mood I'm getting many realizations.

I have my wife, sons, daughters, grandsons, everything

but I have no money, so they are a fruitless glory.

Krishna has shown me the naked form of material nature.

By His strength it has all became tasteless to me today."

 

Remember that morning of September 17, 1959

The second floor of Mathura's Kesavaji Math

He was reluctant to do it, "unwillingly," he said

But his Godbrother convinced him with force:

"Take sannyas" - that was the will of his master

That was the will of the spiritual world

 

Remember him standing with danda in hand

Meant to spread Krishna's words to every land

Remember him going Vrindavan-Delhi, back and forth

The brilliant sun for the world began to rise

Srila Prabhupad prepared his work on the Bhagavatam

 

The Gosvamis gave him a place at Radha-Damodar

And soon he got a place in Delhi too

The best location for printing volume one

Still, he was alone, all by himself

And so much needed to be done

 

O mind, little did these simple printers know

Why this Swami worked so hard

To get his books done speedily

What did they know of Swami's dream

The driving force behind his actions

How could they know how treasured his books would be

And that he would take them soon across the sea

 

Yes, New York - that was his cherished dream

Just think of the struggle that was in-between

Think of Sumati Morarji's Jaladuta,

The P-form and the sponsorship

Think of his lifelong preparation,

His determination beyond bounds

Until finally he goes on-board

Fully protected by the Lord

 

O mind, glorify him day and night

Remember him at every sight

Renounce that fear of worldly blame

Your hankering for prestige and fame

Forever flow, just like a river

Towards this great mercy-giver

Bow down, bow down, recite his name

Bow down, bow down, recall his love

For all the living entities

For all of them, for all of them he came

 

O mind, o mind, deliver me

Deliver me to his lotus feet

Bring me across this mighty ocean

No matter how long the journey takes

Bring me to my eternal master

Despite countless allurements on the way

Please don't deceive me, please hear what I say

 

O mind, bring me to Scindia office in Bombay

Remember Srila Prabhupada's determination

To obtain free passage on the Jaladuta

Sumati Morarji and her deep concern:

"O Swamiji, stay here in India, you are too old.

How will you endure America and its winter cold?"

 

O mind, think of his words full of prophecy

While he lifted his hands in reassurance: "It is all right"

Dispelling the doubts of the wondering Scindia crew

Who couldn't understand Bhaktivedanta's case

Who thought he was going there to die

At this far-off Western place

 

Still, he had to get the P-form

And he didn't have his U.S. visa yet

Think of Srila Prabhupad waiting patiently

In an empty apartment, only with his trunk,

His typewriter, and the order of his Guru Maharaj

 

Think of him being honored at the Scindia colony

Receiving rice, subji, fruits in plenty

Think of the reply to... [unclear]

The time is still not right, the time is still not right

 

"My mission was printed on a flyer page

To convince some influential businessman

Of the remedy for this fallen age

Of Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam

Convince him of Prabhupad's brilliant scope

To spread India's real glory all over the globe."

 

O mind, remember his encounter with the bank

And that P-form drama there

Let me wait with Prabhupad for Mr Rao

Sparing no anxiety at this last Maya test

But behind it all was Krishna's grace

Mr Rao came to tell him personally:

"Swamiji, don't worry, I have passed your case."

 

Departure's final date was set for 13th August

Blackish Jaladuta waiting at Calcutta's pier

For the Vrindavan sadhu who had no fear

Little did Mrs Morarji know

What her cargo ship would set to motion

O mind, thank her for this pious act

Meant to make the world again intact

 

The few days left before departure

He arrived in the city of his youthful times

Gone were his loving father, sisters, sons

A homeless sannyasi, a mendicant, socially dead

Was getting ready to cross the ocean

To show to the world Lord Gauranga's glory

A small Bengali newspaper printed his story

 

O mind, hold on forever to this empowered soul

Be with him on the way to Mayapur

Where he bows down before his eternal master

To obtain reassurance and exchange of love

A final blessing and permission

And last confirmation of his irreversible decision

 

O mind, please help me to dive deep

Into that most precious moment

Help me to fathom in confidence

their spiritually sweet relationship

The servant and his order-giver

Making him the world deliver

 

O mind, bow down to him, bow down to him

Who took Bhaktisiddhanta's order to his heart

Who broke all ties of mundane bondage

Who had Krishna as his companion at his side

Yes, he was ready now to preach worldwide

 

Remember his small suitcase,

His umbrella and his supply of cereal

That how he walked on-board, alone

Carrying with him Caitanya-caritamrta

There were no supporters, disciples, relatives

Waving their hands from the shore

No one knew how the crossing would end

Except Lord Krishna, his most dear friend

 

Take me on-board to him, o mind

Let the fusty Jaladuta cabin be the foundation

For my attempt of Prabhupad meditation

Let me leave behind the shore of sense illusion

Crossing over the ocean, free of all confusion

Let me be there with captain Pandia and his wife

O mind, for that memory I strive

 

Take me to Srila Prabhupad as he endures pain

Of sea-sickness, dizziness and stomach trouble

As he encounter heavy rains over Bengal's Bay

Till he arrives at Sri Lanka to get relief

Taken around Colombo by the captain in a car

Far from Vrindavan, far from Radha-Damodar

 

If I could only taste the prasad he cooked

On that 20th of August, Janmastami day

If I could hear him speaking to the crew

About Sri Krishna's teachings, eternally new

If I could just reverse the wheel of time

Be near him as his seventieth birthday passes,

Uncelebrated, not at all attention drawing

If I could feel a fraction only

Of the unshakable faith in his Lord's divine will

Could any doubt be remaining with me still?

 

At Kochin harbor the trunks were waiting

Shipped as a special cargo load

Two hundred sets of his three-volume Canto One

Thinking of the books gave him confidence

Of all sastras - the one of topmost prominence

Now setting out for the mleccha reader,

Along with Prabhupad to make them eager

 

O mind, think of blackish Jaladuta as it puts out to the Red Sea,

Carrying Srila Prabhupad to those crucial days

That made him encounter the unbearable

Pains in his chest - he thought he would die

Two heart attacks in two days

He survived somehow, alone in the endless sea

The pure devotee's tolerance - the great mystery

 

On the night of the second day Krishna showed him His many forms

Rowing in a boat, reassurance giving that he needn't have any fear

"Come along, fulfill your mission, under My protection you won't fail."

This was the dream he had that night -

Of Krishna rowing the boat on the sea

Relieving the miseries of His dear devotee

 

When Jaladuta entered the Suez Canal

He slowly recovered his health

And was eating for the first time in two weeks

Kichari and puris, cooked by himself

His report in the diary speaks of renewed strength

As the crossing continues, shortening its length

 

O mind, reflect forever on his voyage's struggle

Go deep inside its meaning

Hearing of the seeming obstacles

Is a most intense and thorough cleaning

 

O mind, take away those clouds of sense desire

For the nectarean life of Caitanya-caritamrta

The source of Prabhupad's vitality

For that inspiration only I aspire

 

Let there be pains of bodily existence

My success or failure in this world

What does it matter, let there be calamities

But bring me close to Srila Prabhupad

Who takes away all my anxieties

 

Friday, September 10th, 1965:

"Today the ship is plying very smoothly,"

He comments with humility, "today I feel better

But I'm feeling separation from Sri Vrindavan

And my Lords - Sri Govinda, Gopinath, Radha-Damodar"

 

O mind, let that day come when I shall fathom

What feeling separation means

When I will step over Maya's border

To execute his transcendental order

Just as he did to show us all the way

To depend fully on Their mercy

In every situation, day after day

 

Remember how he stood at the ship's rail

Watching the ocean and the sky

Remember how his mind was dwelling

On preaching to the so-called human beings

With their advanced technology,

Their speeding cars, non-stop TV

 

Take lessons, again and again, from his unshakable faith

He kept deep in his heart

The goodwill of Lord Krishna was on his side

Who caused the Atlantic's rough face to hide

Who had taken charge of the ship

Allowing His empowered servant to complete the trip

Even now we can read that prayer poem

Disclosing his thoughts to his dearmost companion

Lord Krishna, the benefactor of all

 

O mind, allow me o reach such absorption

Though I am still distant, most unqualified

I beg you to surrender, please fix the direction

Don't go astray any longer

Let me feel helpless at his feet

There is nothing else I need

 

Thirty five days on sea have passed

5:30 AM on September 17th

The ship stopped briefly at Commonwealth Pier

Painted large on a warehouse wall: A and P

Among America's first things

To greet the pure devotee

 

>From the grey waterfront down the harbor's ships and lobster stands

The drab buildings, the skyscrapers of the New World appear

And Srila Prabhupad praying to his dearmost Lord:

"I do not know why you have brought me here"

 

He passes though customs and U.S. Immigration

His visa allows him a three-month stay, stand officially

Captain Pandia walks with him into Boston

To show him what American life will be

And Srila Prabhupad praying to his dearmost Lord:

"Now you can do whatever you like with me"

 

Helplessly he spoke his heart to God:

"I wish that you may deliver them;

By Your will they can be released

>From the clutches of illusion"

 

He has come to plant the seed

Telling them to stop illicit sex, intoxication,

Gambling, fish eating, eggs and meat

As an eternal Vrindavan resident

He has come to give them what they need

He has come to preach real love, not lust

And what it really means "In God We Trust"

 

O mind, follow this sannyasi

Who set his foot into New York, alone

Wondering whether to turn left or right

Carrying forty rupees in his pocket

"The few hours spending," as he later says

 

O mind, remember forever these historical days

Dwell in his footprints, big enough for all

They are my only shelter

Not narrow but wide, all-accommodating

No need for going outside

 

O mind, don't drag me away from his mercy

Help me to make his instructions the solid base for my life

Folding my hands before you like a beggar

I go on pleading till the end of my years:

Let me be with Srila Prabhupad

Let me be with him - wherever he appears