Dear Srila Prabhupada,
Almost every day, whenever I don’t have altar service, at 5:15 am, I enter your darshan room. The table light on your desk is on, illuminating the rest of the room. I’m alone with you, face-to-face with a pure devotee of Krishna, a Jagat guru, saviour of the whole world. In those few intimate moments with you, before other devotees come in, I offer prayers and reveal my heart to you.
Prayers vary, depending on the state of my consciousness. Sometimes I seek your help in my service, while at other times I give you a report of my achievements. Any significant moment in my life, I first share it with you.
As I sit down and prepare to chant japa in front of you, I hear your soft chanting, which mystically transforms the room into the spiritual world.
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
After each round of japa, I look at your face, hoping to receive feedback on the quality of my chanting. Sometimes you appear satisfied with me, but more frequently you are nudging me to improve.
Srila Prabhupada, your room for me is a confession room, a prayer room, and a room of truth. The moment I enter your quarters, I feel naked in front of you, but simultaneously safe. You overlook my faults, ignore my mistakes, and encourage me to serve.
Daily I come to your rooms for Krishna-Prema tonic. You freely share it with everyone; both Krishna-Prema tonic, and the formula for making the tonic.
Back to Godhead magazine 32-02,1988: Hari Sauri Dasa: Can you say something about how Śrīla Prabhupāda conducted his household affairs while he was also developing his spiritual life.
Dr. Kapoor: I didn’t know much about his household affairs, because we met mostly at the maṭha in the evening. He had a shop. He sold medicines, and he also manufactured them. Once he manufactured a tonic, and he gave it to me.
I said, “That’s nice, this gift of yours. I must accept it. But I wish you would give me the tonic which you yourself take—the tonic of Kṛṣṇa-prema [love of Kṛṣṇa].”
He said, “I don’t have that tonic. But I have the formula.”
I said, “Oh, wonderful! If it is not a secret, tell me what the formula is.”
He said, “No, it is not a secret at all:
tṛṇād api sunīcena
taror api sahiṣṇunā
amāninā mānadena
kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ
This is the formula, and I am going to preach it all over the world.”
Ananta Gopal Das
04.08.2024
Bhakti Wisdom 