May 13


Today was Ekadasi, but we committed the grievous error
of eating grains. We found out too late. Srila
Prabhupada chastised Pradyumna, "What is the use of
having you come with us? Is this not your duty?" We
were ordered to observe Ekadasi tomorrow and to go on
preparing grains today. Prabhupada commented, "Big,
big monkeys; big, big belly."

May 17
This morning, we journeyed to Vrndavana- Srila
Prabhupada, Upendra, Gopinatha, and I, with Damodara
Pandita driving. When we were near, Gunarnava, who was
waiting on a motorcycle, hurried ahead to ready
everyone. As we turned off the Delhi-Agra Road,
Prabhupada saw the new sign, "Bhaktivedanta Swami
Marg." We were greeted at the Krsna-Balarama Mandir by
all the devotees, who were out in the road performing
a huge kirtana. There were Yasodanandana Maharaja,
Aksayananda Maharaja, and many others. Prabhupada was
carried to the darsana mandap, where he offered his
respects to the two Lords, Krsna and Balarama. The
Transcendental Brothers were smiling to see Their
beloved devotee. Prabhupada was then carried to his
darsana room and all the devotees came in. The
gurukula boys offered Sanskrit prayers of praise,
Yasodanandana Maharaja performed the foot bathing
ceremony, and arati was offered. Srila Prabhupada
spoke briefly about the deterioration of his health.
He said he had come to Vrndavana because if he were to
die, he wanted to die here. Many devotees were crying
because they could see how weak Prabhupada was.
Prabhupada ate only a little cheese for lunch.
Afterwards, the conversation came surprisingly to
ghosts. I asked Prabhupada in which Mullik house the
ghost had appeared. He replied it was that of Lokanath
Mullik. "The house was known a ghost house. Lokanath
died, and his wife's stepson gradually ruined the
estate. But the wife approached the High Court, saying
that 'I am coming from the respectable Mullik family;
now I have nothing.' The court took her seriously and
ruled that the Marwaris, who had acquired the house,
must allow her half the estate as long as she lived.
Later, this stepson haunted the house as a ghost."
Then, Prabhupada told us about a ghost house he had
rented in Lucknow. "I am not afraid of ghosts; I am
ghost proof. In England there are also many ghosts.
Ghosts are generally evil, and sometimes they even
kill. They can be seen sometimes, entering a latrine,
sitting on a pillar. By offering pinda, one can free
one's forefathers from ghostly bodies. In mayapur
there were Muhammadan ghosts, but not any more. By
chanting Hare Krsna, ghosts go away."

- From the TKG's Diary by HH Tamal Krishna Goswami
Maharaj



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