Narataka Gopal devi dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupada Memories

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Narataka Gopal: We were in Vrindavan and I got to clean his quarters everyday. After lunch Prabhupada would rest and when he got up at four o’clock we’d bring him fresh juice, a fresh garland and sandalwood pulp. I got to make the garland one day with marigolds and roses and being less intelligent, I put some water on that garland before I put it in the fridge. When the devotees put it on Prabhupada he took it off immediately because it was wet. That was a chastisement that went deep into my heart because he didn’t accept my garland. I realized we have to use our intelligence and the best of everything for the guru. Otherwise he might not accept our service. That was a deep realization. While in Miami, Prabhupada said that the vegetation and weather reminded him of India. With his sense of humor he pronounced Miami as “Maya-ami.” I remember a couple of devotees had thought, “What could we get Prabhupada? We want to give him something different than anybody else ever gave him.” In Miami they have a lot of coconuts that you can drink the juice out of so they said, “Let’s give him a straw made out of gold.” They actually got a solid gold straw like a thin pipe and gave it to Prabhupada. Prabhupada started to use it but some piece of the coconut must have got caught in the straw and I remember Prabhupada took the gold straw and threw it down. I realized from that, to the guru anything material, no matter how expensive, doesn’t matter unless it could be used in Krishna’s service.

To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 53 - The Alachua Clan 2

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