06/18/98 - 1878

US Tour '98 - Introductory Lecture in Washington, D.C.

USA (VNN) - by Sridam Sakha dasa

Srila Narayana Maharaja's first stop in America was Washington DC, where we all stayed at the house of Agrahya prabhu and his wife Prahladananda didi, and their three children.

Before arriving there, Srila Maharaja was met at the airport by devotees from all over the US. A number of them had either flown or driven from as far as the West coast to be there.

On arriving at the house, Srila Maharaja was seated in the living room in front of the family's beautiful Deities, Sri Sri Radha Vrndavan Natabara. These marble Deities are very large, and stand in a striking and elegant dancing position. The room was crowded, as a foot bathing ceremony was performed by Agrahya prabhu and family, and guru vandana prayers and kirtan was sung.

When this had drawn to a close, everyone sat down, and Srila Maharaja began to speak.

He started by glorifying Srila Prabhupada, talking of their long association with each other. He explained that Srila Prabhupada was the general auditor of the two magazines of Gaudiya Vedanta samiti, namely Gaudiya patrika and Bhagavat Patrika. Srila Prabhupada was given the title Bhaktivedanta in recognition of his great learning. While Srila Prabhupada was doing this service, the greatly learned Sarvapalli Radha Krishnan was the president of India. He was an intellectual giant, but had many philosophical misunderstandings. For instance, he stated in one magazine article that that there was a difference between the body and soul of Krsna. When Srila Prabhupada heard this he became furious and wrote to him defeating his position. In his letter he invited the president to reply to him and to discuss on any point of his choice. However, no reply came.

Srila Prabhupada first came to the Math in either 1955 or 7 in the position of akincana. He was penniless like a beggar and I encouraged him to take the renounced order. At the same time, Srila Bhaktiprajna Keshava Maharaja was just arriving from outside. I went to him and asked him to also ask Srila Maharaja to accept the renounced order, because I knew that Swamiji would obey him. So my guru Maharaja at once suggested strongly to Srila Prabhupada "O prabhu, why don't you enter this renounced order? It will be very good for you". Srila Prabhupada then told us how he had read the sloka in Srimad Bhagavatam: yasyaham anugrhnami tad-dhanam sanaih where Krsna says that those who take shelter of Him will become street beggars. Eventually all of his business failed, and his family rejected him, after which he came to Keshavjee Gaudiya math. It was there that he took sannyasa. I made his danda, kaupins, and performed the yajna. After that he went to live at Radha Damodara. At that time he was penniless, wearing worn and torn cloths. We made chapatis together, he would roll them, and I would cook. Then I would offer it to Radha Damodara, and we would take maha prasada together. I remember all these pastimes.

When he was going to New York, he requested that I should send him many books. They had been in storage for so long that when I took them out, so much dust came in the air that I became ill, but I continued and sent everything. He wrote me about 250 letters, some of which I gave to ISKCON to help them to make a biography. Some of them were in Hindi and Bengali which we have now published with translation. If you read this book, you will be able to see how much he had given his heartly blessings to me. Out of his kindness he said that he was so much indebted to me for the way I had served him that he could not repay me. I sent him pera because he was so fond of it, and many other items: kartals, mrdangas, books, vigrahas and tilak.

At this point Nabin Krsna prabhu (Maharaja's brahmacari servant) remarked that when they had visited Srila Prabhupada's rooms in Los Angeles in 1996, those same books were still there on the bookshelf. Srila Maharaja laughed as he remembered this.

Srila Maharaja continued, saying that he alone had been there at the airport to greet Srila Prabhupada when he arrived with Kirtanananda.

On the evening before the night during which Svami Maharaja departed this world to Goloka Brindaban he called me to his room. I went there, and he began to weep, taking my hands in his, requesting me to sit on the bed next to him. I refused, wanting to sit on the floor. At once he called for Tamal Krsna Maharaja, Brahmananda, Jayapataka Maharaja and others, and told them to bring a chair, which they did. While I sat there he told me so many things, so many things. He told me that I should help his disciples, as well as other things that I cannot utter, they are so secret. He said that only I, with my own hands, should manage his samadhi. There were so many disciples of Srila Prabhupada (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta) there at the time, far, far more qualified than me. I was not qualified then and still am not, but he had so much faith in me that he made these requests. He also asked me to arrange his Viraha Mahotsava, the separation or disappearance festival. He wanted me to give a donation to all the prominent temples in Vrndavan. I promised to do everything, everything that he requested, and I asked him to please sprinkle his lotus foot dust on my head. Except for this, I never thought that I would ever come to Western countries. I always used to think that I should remain in Vrndavan for ever, chanting and hearing, totally absorbed in Krsna. "jayati te 'dhikam janmana vrajah, srayata indira susvad atrahi, tavakathamritam tapta jivanam, kavibhir iditam kalmasapaham" (gopi gita, Srimad Bhagavatam) like this. But he dragged me away: "Oh -- don't sit in Vrndavan now! Otherwise all of my Western activities will be finished, so you should come. I have given some seeds, some have sprouted, some have not. So you should come and help all of the devotees." That is what has brought me here. I never came to make money or disciples, I never wanted this. I want to make an environment where we can all easily chant and remember Krsna without struggling. We will all have to give up this world, at which time you will not be able to take any thing with you, not even this body, what to speak of money or disciples. So we should help each other to please Guru and Krsna. If anyone is preaching Krsna's and Caitanya Mahaprabhu's message in this world then he's our friend, and we should respect him. Just as Rupa Gosvami and all of his associates would respect each other. So I have come today only to fulfil the desire of Srila Prabhupada, and this was his order to me. I was a penniless person, and even today I am penniless. I don't want that any problems should ever come to anyone. I have never wanted that this should happen.

I was so happy when I came to the airport. I could not tell whether I had come to the east coast or the west coast, because so many of the west coast devotees were there! (laughter) Some weeping, some weeping, some doing kirtan. But when I came out of the airport, and I saw her and her husband (indicating an Indian couple) I realised that I had come to the east coast. She is also my darling daughter. I was very worried about how I could send a message to tell you that I had come.

Indian lady: "When you come to India, then I want you to come to my home."

Srila Maharaja: "You are my daughter, so your home is my home."

Then, indicating her husband with an upward tilt of his head he humorously added: "I have donated it to him for some time."

One of the devotees then handed Srila Maharaja a small tray of cookies, which he placed on the table before him. We all laughed, as on picking up an over done cookie, Maharaja was at first unable to break it. He then began to hand them out, while everyone crowded forward to receive one from him.

As Maharaja began to make his way to his room, Puru prabhu, an old disciple of Srila Prabhupada came forward. He showed Srila Maharaja a weathered looking pair of karatals, which had been one of the original sets sent from India by Srila Maharaja. As he saw them Maharaja laughed and tapped them with his index finger saying "Oh yes, I know them!"



If you would like to read more material on or by Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja, then please contact the following sites:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/paul.mcfarland/contents.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/9242