Deva Didhiti devi dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupada Memories

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Deva Didhiti: I was waiting to get brahman initiation, and I saw that the boy in front of me was sent away. I asked him, “What happened?” He said, “Prabhupada sent me away because my bead bag was dirty.” I thought, “Oh, my God. Oh, Krishna, this is it.” Then it was my turn, and I froze. I was scared. I knocked on Srila Prabhupada’s door, but I didn’t hear anything. I thought, “What’ll I do?” I knocked a couple of times, and then I thought, “Well, I’ll go in.” I went in and paid my obeisances. I thought that I already made an offense. I already started off wrong, because Prabhupada hadn’t allowed me in. When I got up, Prabhupada gestured for me to come closer. I went a couple of baby steps closer, but Prabhupada wanted me still closer. Before I knew it, I was practically on his lap. Prabhupada was sitting at his desk. He had his brahman thread on, and his legs and feet were up on the desk. I felt like I knew him. There was no heavy, “He’s my spiritual master, and I have to . . .” It was intimate, relaxed, and familiar. It was like he was enjoying me being there, and it was wonderful even though I was still nervous. Prabhupada made me relaxed. He showed me how to count the mantras on my fingers, and he said, “You can do this?” I said, “Yes, Prabhupada.” He said, “Are you chanting sixteen rounds?” I said, “Yes, Prabhupada.” Prabhupada gave me the gayatri mantra, but I was too nervous to remember it. He said, “So you will chant this mantra three times a day?” I said “Yes, Prabhupada, yes.” Again he said, “So you will chant this mantra three times a day?” I said “Yes, Prabhupada.” Then he said it for a third time. I thought, “Oh, my God, he is saying it three times. Prabhupada already knows there’s a problem.” I said, “Yes, Prabhupada, I’m going to chant. Yes, yes.” He said, “Okay,” and he was very happy. I was about to leave, when Prabhupada said, “What have you brought me?” and opened up his eyes. Up until that point there was no way I was going to give Srila Prabhupada what I had brought, but when he asked I said, “This, Prabhupada.” He opened the wallet I gave him, looked at the oils, and said, “From Spiritual Sky?” I said, “No, no; from India.” He said, “Oh, India? Nice.” Then he pulled out the twenty dollars and waved it around. I thought, “He’s acting like it’s a million dollars.” He was enjoying the money because he knew I was thinking, “It isn’t enough. All the other devotees are bringing in so much more on sankirtan, and there’s no way that I can bring so much.” Prabhupada was so kind. He knew my heart. He knew what I was feeling, and he made me feel like I gave him a million dollars. I said, “Thank you very much, Prabhupada.” I left, and I was very satisfied. Last year during Prabhupada’s festival, I was in Prabhupada’s quarters telling some of my God-sisters this story. We found the key to a drawer that had been locked for twenty years and in that drawer was the wallet with the three oils that I had given Prabhupada. Prabhupada saved it. That’s how sweet and kind he was—he saved that.” Once in the airport, Prabhupada was sitting by himself at TWA. I thought, “Oh, my God, how could Prabhupada be by himself? Why isn’t anybody here?” I stood there thinking, “Let me guard Prabhupada.” The sannyasis were huddled together because there was a problem with the tickets. I stayed by Prabhupada. He knew that I was worrying, and he said, “Don’t worry, don’t worry, I’m fine,” but I stayed close. I was doing sankirtan too, because I was preaching to the people who were on that flight. I told them how fortunate they were to be with the pure devotee, and I handed out Back to Godheads. I could see that Prabhupada was pleased that I was doing this tiny service. I felt happy to do anything for Prabhupada. And he was so appreciative.

To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 25 - Sama Priya dd, Vrindabaneshvari dd, Kanka dd, Deva Didhiti dd, Bhavat and others

The full Prabhupada Memories Series can be viewed here and also at www.prabhupadamemories.com