Vishalini devi dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 08

Vishalini: The procession, it was like something out of the Bhagavatam – decorated cows and bulls, brass bands, drums, kirtan parties, thousands of people. Residents came out of their homes, their businesses as Prabhupada walked by, offering him water, flowers and similar gifts. I remember that day I heard that Prabhupada wasn’t well. The devotees wanted him to sit on a palanquin, it was a very long procession, but he refused. He walked the whole way. He was carried on a chair, sat under the tamal tree for darshan of the Deities, and we could all tell it wouldn’t be long. This one day Prabhupada had this magnificent garland on, and for a moment I looked at him and I thought, “Oh, I wish I had that garland,” and immediately I felt so horrible. I felt, “Here is your spiritual master and look at him, and you’re wanting something from him?” And I started crying, I was so ashamed. I went to the corner of the courtyard, and I couldn’t stop crying. At that moment, Vrindavanesvari, my daughter who was 2, she went over to Prabhupada spontaneously, paid her obeisances. And as she was getting up, Prabhupada took the garland off and placed it on her. She ran over to me and immediately put it on me. I have that garland today. I’ve dried it, I’ve sewn cloth around it, and that garland is being used when we’re in the company of different individuals who are leaving their body. They wear that garland. So Prabhupada’s mercy is very far-reaching.