Bogus Story

[Guest guest]

The following story it floating around the internet, but I met Gargamuni in

Vrindavan two days ago and he told me that it is completely bogus.

 

[begin]

I recently heard an amazing pastime of Srila Prabhupada from a lecture

given by (late) HG Tribhuvanath prabhu in 1999 at Bhaktivedanta Manor:

 

In the early days (late 60s), once Prabhupada became very sick and he was

taken to a hospital in New york. He was assisted by Gargamuni prabhu and

a few other devotees. He had some serious problem in the heart.

Inside the hospital room, Srila Prabhupada was constantly chanting the

mahamantra. The doctor who came to diagnose him was frustrated and

complained to the devotees,"This man is always praying. We are finding it

difficul! t to diagnose. Please ask him to stop chanting."

 

Then they figured out that they need to operate Srila Prabhupada to cure

the problem and hence wanted to put him on anasthese. They gave him a

shot of injection. It didn't work. Prabhupada was awake and chanting.

Then they gave a second injection of anasthese. Still Prabhupada did not

lose consciousness and was still chanting. And then they gave a third one.

Still nothing happened.

 

The doctors were astounded. They came to Gargamuni prabhu and said, "We

have given enough anasthe to knock out an elephant!. We are completely

bewildered.

We don't know what to do! We cannot operate him until he goes

unconscious."

 

Gargamuni prabhu said,"Ok! let me ask Prabhupada what to do!"

 

As he went near him, Prabhupada asked, "Is there any problem ?"

 

Gargamuni said, "Yes prabhupada, they want you to go unconscious."

(laughter)

 

Prabhupada said, "Why didn't they tell me before! ?"

 

And then he went unconscious.

[END]

 

Gargamuni told me what actually happened was that they wanted to do some tests.

Prabhupada made them promise no needles. Then the nurse shows up with an

enormous needle for doing a spinal tap. Prabhupada refused and told Gargamuni

to take him back to his room.

 

Then Prabhupada told the devotees to take him out of the hospital. They left

with all the doctors shouting, "You're going to kill the old man! This man is

condemned to death and it's going to be all your fault!" Scaring the devotees

like anything, but they were determined to get him out of their hands.

 

You can read the actual story in the Lilamrita.

 

Gargamuni told that Srila Prabhupada said that he understood they wanted to

experiment on his brain. Prabhupada told him that the Hospital was of a

particular community, the doctors were of the same community, as were many of

his students, so they were going to experiment with his brain.

 

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa