Karanodakasayi Visnu das Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 01

Karanodakasayi Visnu: Srila Prabhupada's saying not to cross over the Krishna bead. There's 108 beads plus one Krishna bead. So we chant on the Gopi beads, and just showing my father not to cross over the Krishna bead but to go in opposite directions. This is Jai Hari also getting initiated. After many visits at the Conway Hall lectures, and at Srila Prabhupada's flat in Baker Street, and Ascot—John Lennon's estate —finally my father and mother are initiated in Bury Place. This particular film was taken by Gurudas Prabhu. We were initiated—both my brothers—at the same time on this occasion. In addition, my father and mother had second initiation given to them. About six other devotees, including Dhananjaya Prabhu were initiated for their second initiation. It's a week after Sri Sri Radha London-isvara were installed. Shyamasundar Prabhu had the wonderful vision of bringing the California Redwood from America to build this Bury Place temple. Srila Prabhupada did comment that once we moved to Soho Street we were to keep that wood and we did keep it at Chaitanya College. Later on I had the privilege of working with Mayesvara Prabhu to build the Rath cart which we still have today— the same Rath cart that has that California Redwood. The wood was so solid and it had a transcendental aroma. I remember when we were cutting it up and building the pieces for the Rath cart, it was a transcendental experience just working with that wood. Srila Prabhupada is very pleased. This was his first Indian disciple that he’d made in London. Of course not many Indian disciples came forward in those times. He wrote about 50 letters to my father about what was going on in the movement. My father felt Srila Prabhupada confided in him a lot.

Interview DVD 11

Karanodaksayi Visnu: This is Srila Prabhupada sitting down on the vyasasana. He spoke a little while, and then he felt that he would like to take a little rest and bath in our place. So my father arranged all the bathing arrangements and he took massage, and then he took prasadam. It was at that time where Srila Prabhupada asked the whole family to come into his room, and Srila Prabhupada gave my father the instruction that “I want you to establish daiva varnasrama dharma by practical example.” What he said at this time was that “First I came to Ksirodakasayi Visnu’s house as a friend. Then I came to Ksirodaksayi’s house as a spiritual master. And now I’m coming to his house with Radha and Krishna.” Srila Prabhupada had conquered the whole world, but he was still happy to come to an ordinary house like this and bless us with his blessings. It was amazing how Srila Prabhupada hadn’t changed one iota, in spite of all the opulence and the great wealth that he had acquired. But still he was always fixed in his love for his disciples.