Havi das Remembers Srila Prabhupada
Prabhupada Memories
Interview 01
Havi: In 1975, Srila Prabhupada came from Mexico to Caracas, Venezuela. In those years we had buses and we were distributing lots of books. When Prabhupada arrived, another devotee and I were asked to wash Prabhupada’s feet. Our hearts were joyful. I jumped so high I almost touched the ceiling. Srila Prabhupada came, sat down, and a devotee told me, “Havi, go and wash his feet.” But I was not trained in how to do it. I was in front of Srila Prabhupada along with the honey, milk, water, yogurt—but what was I supposed to do? I concluded that I should offer it from thick to thin. Prabhupada had his socks on, and I waited for him to spread his legs, which he did. I took his socks off and I touched his feet, which were warm. I understood that the principle behind washing a saint’s feet was that in traveling from one town to another, walking long distances, the host refreshes the holy man by bathing his feet with nice ingredients. So, although I was very nervous, I started to pour honey on Prabhupada’s right foot while the devotees chanted sri-gurucarana- padma. Then I poured the yogurt, then the milk, and with my fingers I started to massage his feet and toes. Behind me a devotee said, “Havi, what are you doing?” and Nitai kicked my behind to tell me that I was doing something wrong. I stopped and slowly lifted my head towards Prabhupada. Prabhupada smiled at me and nodded his head as if to say, “Don’t listen to them. Go on.” I went on with enthusiasm. Tamoha was supposed to wash Prabhupada’s other foot, so I called him. But Prabhupada said, “No, no, no. You.” Then I did something childish. I showed off. I lifted Prabhupada’s feet and he had to brace himself by putting his hands behind him. Anyway, after I washed both his feet, I had a big bowl with yogurt, honey, milk, and ghee. I thought, “Let me distribute it,” and I started to sprinkle it on the devotees while they were chanting Nitai-Gaura haribol. After everybody was wet, what was I supposed to do with the rest? There was still a lot left and I wasn’t going to throw it away. So I drank it. |
To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 31 - LA Reunion, Guru Krpa, Nanda Kishore
The full Prabhupada Memories Series can be viewed here and also at www.prabhupadamemories.com
Following Srila Prabhupada
Interview DVD 07
Havi: When Prabhupada arrived in Caracas, we were extremely happy. We greeted him with flowers. We escorted him to his vyasasana, and I had the task to wash his feet. Nobody had instructed me how to do this. I just saw the ingredients, the yogurt and the milk and the ghee and honey and so on and water. So I concluded that I should go from thick to thin, and I started with the honey. The first thing I did was I took Prabhupada’s socks off and I touched his feet, and it was really, really soft. This is the softest skin I have ever touched. I started to pour the honey and then the yogurt and then the ghee and milk, like that. Then I started to massage his feet, even between his toes. Consciously I wanted to alleviate his tensions, but that was not accepted. Nitai Prabhu and Paramahamsa and other devotees were shouting at me, “Havi, Havi, what are you doing?” This is not what I was supposed to do. I was a little afraid that I was committing some offense or some mistake, and I slowly lifted my head towards Srila Prabhupada and Srila Prabhupada nodded his head as if to say, “You go on, you go on, no problem.” In any case, all the ingredients were there in this stainless steel bowl, and I started to spray everybody with caranamrita, with this nectar of Prabhupada’s feet. Everybody was in ecstasy. We were jumping up and down. I did four or five rounds of this, everybody was practically wet, and I took the remnants to the kitchen. Then a wild idea came into my mind and I drank the whole thing, two glasses of that blessed liquid. I remember I jumped up and down just by myself at the kitchen, nobody saw me. I was the happiest soul alive. |