Remembering Srila Prabhupada - Book printing

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Srila Prabhupada NectarBook printing

 

While Srila Prabhupada lived in Mayapur, his routine

was punctuated by visits and news from the various

fronts in his world-wide campaign against maya.

Particularly welcome moments occurred when Prabhupada

received advance copies of his books. However, when

he received a copy of Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 6,

Volume 3, with its cover portrait of Lord Sankarsana

receiving worship from Citraketu and the four Kumaras,

Prabhupada looked at it only briefly and then went on

with his routine. He went to the roof, where he sat

on a straw mat in the sunshine. There his servant

massaged him with mustard oil, and then Prabhupada

bathed, took prasadam, and rested for an hour in his

upstairs room. According to his regular habit, he

came down from his room on the roof at about four o'

clock in the afternoon and then received guests in his

main sitting room on the second floor.

Anakadundubhi dasa had a small part to play in Srila

Prabhupada's daily routine, as each afternoon he

brought Prabhupada a fresh garland of flowers and

applied candana paste to Prabhupada's forehead. On

the day that the Sixth Canto of the Bhagavatam

arrived, Prabhupada took it up again when he came down

to his room. While his disciple stood by waiting with

the garland and candana paste, Prabhupada began to

peruse the book in his usual manner, looking first at

the illustrations. Prabhupada suddenly noticed

Anakadundubhi and signified with a glance that he

could go ahead and put on the garland and the paste.

Then Prabhupada continued to look through the book.

"Who has painted this?" asked Prabhupada as he looked

at the painting of Lord Sankarsana.

"That was done by Pariksit", said Anakadundubhi, who

stood looking over Prabhupada's shoulder at the open

book in Prabhupada's hands. Prabhupada then turned

the page to a plate reproduction of Maha-Visnu lying

in the Causal Ocean, manifesting all the universes

from His gigantic form.

"Who has painted this one?" asked Prabhupada.

"That's by Rancora dasa," began Anakadundubhi.

Prabhupada then began quoting from the Brahma-samita.

yasyaika-nisvasita kalam athavalambya

jivanti loma-vilaja jagad-anda-nathah

visnur mahan sa iha yasya kala-viseso

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

Prabhupada was just about to turn to the next page,

when suddenly a drop of wet candana paste fell from

Prabhupada's forehead onto the page. Anakadundubhi

became frightened, expecting Prabhupada to reprimand

him for making the paste so runny that it had dripped

onto the book. But Prabhupada only touched it with

his thumbnail and asked, "What is this?"

Anakadundubhi explained what it was, but Prabhupada

said nothing. Ordinarily the runny paste might have

been enough to draw a word of disapproval from Srila

Prabhupada, but he was drawn so much into the

Bhagavatam that he continued his study of the book,

overlooking the spot of sandalwood paste that now

adorned the page.

- From the Nectar by HH Satsvarupa Dasa Goswami

 

Please Chant: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna

Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare

Hare And Be Happy

 

 

 

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