Haripuja devi dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 03

Haripuja: We were always told that Srila Prabhupada’s favorite flower was a yellow rose. So I brought one to the airport to give to him. So he steps off of the mover and comes to the firm ground, and I’m standing there right in front of him. He looks at me right in the eyes and I hand him the rose, he takes the rose and gently nods his head and walks on. And for that one moment also, the kirtan, all the devotees and chanting, it seemed to just be a moment of silence that I got to share with Srila Prabhupada. And just one moment in time that Srila Prabhupada accepting a gift from me lasts a lifetime.

Interview DVD 10

Haripuja: Srila Prabhupada gave cookies as usual. When there were extra cookies, then the men up front would start reaching out. Prabhupada would give out as many cookies as he had, and Manmohini brought a gallon glass jar of gulabjamons. So then Srila Prabhupada, after he ran out of cookies, he handed out all the gulabjamons. And he was looking on both sides of the steps on his vyasasana for whatever edible items people had brought him, and he handed them out. And the excitement in the temple room was just growing and growing because Prabhupada was really reciprocating with everyone’s desire to receive something. So then he handed all the flowers out that were on the vyasasana, and then he started to pull the flowers that were pinned as decorations on the vyasasana and he handed those flowers out. He was even throwing things up toward the balcony, where most of the women were standing. To me it was like a transcendental ballgame, and Srila Prabhupada was using the flowers as little balls to play with his friends. And little did I know that actually that would be the last visit and the last time that we would have that personal reciprocation with Srila Prabhupada.