Pujari from Sri Adwaita Acaryas house in Santipura, West Bengal

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>"Prabhupada Lila" <prabhupadalila (AT) perfectionofyoga (DOT) com>>To:

vaidika1008 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>Pujari from Sri Adwaita Acaryas house in

Santipura, West BengalPrabhupada Lila is a spiritual ezine highlighting the

life and>teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami,

Srila>Prabhupada, who delivered the non-sectarian spiritual science

of>bhakti-yoga to the Western countries from India. This ezine assumes>the

reader has some familiarity with and appreciation for Srila>Prabhupada and his

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Prabhupada Lila - Volume I: Issue No. 2>[Prabhupada Lila Ezine Editor Note: In

the following story many>non-English words are used that may be unfamiliar to

some of our>readers. Here is a brief key: mandira - temple, pujari -

priest,>sevaite - one rendering devotional service, grhasta - married

person,>khadi - hand-made cotton, dhoti - traditional devotional cloth

worn>instead of pants, kurta - devotional shirt, harinama - Hare Krsna>mantra,

mantra - a prayer, mala - prayer beads, dandavat pranama ->the epitome of

bowing where one fully lies face down on the floor in>deeply respectful and

humble prayer, seva - service, sankirtana ->congregational chanting/singing of

the Hare Krsna mantra, sannyasi ->traveling mendicant renunciate, gurudeva -

guru or spiritual master,>vaisnava - devotee of Sri Radha and Sri Krsna.]>>In

this issue we take another excerpt from:>> Our Srila Prabhupada – A Friend To

All – Early Contemporaries>Remember Him>– Compiled by Mulaprakrti devi dasi.

2004 Gopavrindapal>dasa.>> Pujari from Sri Adwaita Acarya’s house

in Santipura, West Bengal>>This story was heard in Mayapura in 1980. A man came

to the ISKCON’s>Caitanya Candrodoya Mandira carrying with him a copy of the Back

of>Godhead article about Srila Prabhupada, entitled A Lifetime

in>Preparation.>>“Just recently an amazing realization occurred to me that I

wanted to>share with devotees everywhere. I have been the pujari and sevaite

at>the house of Adwaita Acarya for many years. I was also there back in>the

1940’s and 50’s. At that time, I noticed that one grhasta Bengali>devotee used

to come to the temple quite regularly. He was dressed in>a white khadidhoti and

kurta and he always came alone. He would sit>in the back of the Mandira without

speaking, and would chant harinama>on his mala very quietly and deeply. I

noticed that he came on the>weekends, usually once every month or two in

regular way. After>chanting there for many hours, he would always thank me when

he left.>His presence was profound and I became attracted to him. Since

his>devotions were solitary, I never spoke to disturb him. Sometimes I>happened

to notice that while he was chanting, his eyes would be full>of tears and his

voice would be choked up.”>>“Then, for a very long time he did not come.

However, I distinctly>recall that in August of 1965, I saw a saffron-clothed

sannyasi>sitting in the back of the Mandira. In a moment I recognized him to>be

my old friend from before. Again he sat for a long time chanting>Hare Krsna. I

could see his beads moving, his eyes closed in>concentrated devotion. He was

weeping unabashedly even more than he>used to while he took the Holy Name.

Finally, as evening came, he>paid his dandavat pranama for long time. When he

arose he came up to>me and again thanked me for my seva here at Adwaita Bhavan.

I asked>him. Who are you? I remember you from so long ago.’”>>“He replied, ‘My

name is Abaya Caranaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami>Maharaja. I am an unworthy

disciple of His Divine Grace Srila>Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, Srila

Prabhupada, my divine>master. I have been coming here for such a long time

because my>Gurudeva has given me an impossible mission. His desire was for me

to>go across the ocean to the Western countries and spread the

sublime>teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There are countless souls

there>who have never heard of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna and so they are

suffering>greatly. I have not known how this mission of his will be

successful,>so I have been coming here to this special house of Adwaita

Acarya,>where he, Nityananda Prabhu, and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would

gather>together to plan the sankirtana movement. It was here that they>launched

the inundation of love of God that swept India and continues>to this day. Thus,

I have been praying very earnestly here that they>will all give me their mercy

that somehow they will empower me and>guide me. I want to satisfy my gurudeva’s

desire, but I am feeling>unqualified to do this.’”>>“As he was speaking to me, I

saw tears falling down on his cheeks>again. Then he continued, ‘Tomorrow I am

leaving for Calcutta to go>upon a ship across the ocean to America. I do no

know what will>befall me there, but I am praying most earnestly here for help.’

Then>he very humbly asked me for my blessings. I was indeed moved by

this>Vaisnava’s sincerity and determination was I watched him depart upon>his

journey.”>>“It was a few years later that I began noticing, for the first

time,>white Vaisnavas coming to Adwaita Bhavan. They were wearing dhotis>and

saris and chanting on tulasi-mala. I never spoke to any of them>but then one of

them gave me this “Back to Godhead” magazine from>America. As I looked at the

photographs, suddenly I recognized a>painting of the Founder-Acarya who had

brought Krsna consciousness to>the West. It was a picture of my friend,

Bhaktivedanta Swami, who had>come and prayed here so many times before. Then I

realized that he>has actually accomplished that impossible mission of his

Gurudeva. I>saw that it was indeed he, starting alone and without pretense,

who>had accomplished this glorious miracle against all odds.”>>“As soon as I

saw this, I came here to his temple in Mayapura to tell>you this information. I

know that he has gone from this world now,>but I though perhaps you might want

to know this story about you and>my beloved Srila Prabhupada.”>>End of excerpt

from Our Srila Prabhupada – A Friend To All – Early>Contemporaries Remember Him

– Compiled by Mulaprakrti devi dasi.> 2004 Gopavrindapal

dasa.>>----------------------->SPONSORED BY: PerfectionOfYoga.com>Due to high

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