(Srila Prabhupada and Patita Pavana das, London Rathayatra, 1973)
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Sacred Recollections of Shri Guru
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by Patita Pavana das Adhikary
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One evening back in ’69 at Boston’s ISKCON Press, about a dozen of us devotees were honoring lunchtime left-overs of dahl and chapattis in the prasadam room. Discussion naturally centered upon the most outstanding personality any of us would ever meet, Shrila Prabhupada. Who could be more remarkable than a pure devotee who had come from Vaikuntha to drag us one and all back to home, back to Godhead? Suddenly, a bearded intellectual who had followed us back from sankirtan at the Commons obliquely interjected into our conversation, “I don’t think your Swami would appreciate you constantly going on about him like this.” There was a sudden cold hush as a dozen sets of eyes turned to rivet upon the newcomer, now fidgeting restlessly. Then a Mataji returned her attention to the guru-katha and, as though nothing had happened, continued transcendental narrations as though there had been no interruption. Mildly chastised, the bearded fellow fell silent, and learned to accept for the first time the pleasure felt by devotees when they hear the glorification of the spiritual master.
Today, forty years later, conversations and recollections honoring the pure devotee are as relevant as they were then, perhaps even more so. As the Bhagavatam warns us, with each rising and setting of the sun, we find ourselves one day closer to our last moment on this earth. At that time, our faith in Shri Guru alone will save us. Indeed, conversation concerning the merits of the pure devotee is as good as discussions regarding the glories of the Lord, because the Lord is pleased when His devotee is honored. Our faith in Shri Guru as master and savior is honed and strengthened through katha.
I recently dedicated two blissful weeks catching up with dozens of my old Prabhus and fellow sankirtan devotees via the wonderful “Memories of Shrila Prabhupada” series produced by Shriman Siddhanta das Prabhu. Knowledge is gained via submissive aural reception, Prabhupada often told us, and hearing from devotees about their love for Shri Guru is no different.. Just as each soul is an individual part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishna, so the “Memories” series reveals each devotee’s distinctive connection to Shri Guru. Far-sighted to the point of being visionary, Siddhanta Prabhu’s “Memories” videos have preserved for posterity thousands of little episodes in the pure devotee’s manifest appearance that might have been otherwise lost to time. Like Lord Matsya who saved the Vedas, Siddhanta’s technical skill used in Krishna’s service is a Godsend.
What wealth of this Earth can for a moment equal a single word that glorifies Krishna’s most confident eternal servant? So far, over four dozen CDs -- averaging about an hour and a half each -- have been produced, and the collection keeps expanding. In one interview, my old GBC Shyamsundar shook uncontrollably as tears shot from his eyes as he remembered how Shrila Prabhupada nearly breathed his last in his arms, then within a few hours miraculously arose to take a walk as though nothing happened. The interview with Transcendental Diary author Hari Sauri answers the question, “After a year and a half of constant association, which episodes would the personal servant of the paramhamsa find most noteworthy? And once again I touched bases with my old Prabhus like Indradyumna Swami and Jayadwaita Swami who, when asked to narrate topics the pure devotee’s unlimited glories, find it difficult to stop speaking.
From the street humor of Guru Kripa and Brahmananda, to the heart-warming and intimate narrations of Gurudas about Prabhupada’s hippie days of the Haight, these glorifications reaffirm our commitments to forever remain a part of the great transcendental family created by a pure devotee of Krishna. In Vrindavana, Daivishakti devi takes us on a tour of Prabhupada’s quarters from where His Divine Grace left the planet, and she shares her experience of dedicating her entire life -- in vapu and in vani -- as the maidservant at the personal quarters of Shri Guru. The late lamented Mother Mulaprakriti, author of the superbly research Shrila Prabhupada: A Friend to All, shares with humor and loving detail her revelations about the real position of Shrila Prabhupada’s mission. Arjuna, Malati, Bahushiras, Dhananjaya and many others each recall hisorical events that demonstrate Shrila Prabhupada’s hidden supernatural abilities or mystic siddhis. Jayapataka Maharaja describes a little known episode of helping Shrila Prabhupada when he was being attacked by a venomous snake.
Find out what a little boy felt when Prabhupada gave him a cookie, now that he’s old enough to relate that experience. Listen while Suereshwara tells why Prabhupada preferred American Airlines to flying on a pigeon. Learn why Prabhupada hung up the phone on Tamal Krishna Goswami. Whether he was curing devotees of warts, pimples, indigestion or boils; or accepting flowers from a poor laborer in front of Bombay’s wealthiest men, Shrila Prabhupada taught us a new lesson with every word that came from his lotus lips. Since each devotee has a different relationship with Shri Guru, we find that some stories are heart rendering while others are sidesplitting. For Shrutakirti, Vamana Jana and Kuladri narrations of the spiritual master’s sense of humor take on the tone of New York stand-up. The “Memories” series even brings us the memories of devotees who never met Shrila Prabhupada, but are sure they have.
Devotees’ narrations of their interaction with the acharya are so instructive that they easily teach us many lessons that augment our advancement in Krishna consciousness. It is sadhu-sangha pure and simple. Siddhanta’s work is of the highest professional quality, and as a video editor he has worked with many celebrities and has won a number of prestigious awards. To learn about the professional aspect of Siddhanta’s work, goto: www.itvproductions.com. To learn about the “Memories of Shrila Prabhupada” series, goto: www.itvproductions.org. Or dial 1800.310-VIDEO.
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