Prabhav das Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Following Srila Prabhupada

Interview DVD 07

Prabhav: Srila Prabhupada wrote this book called Gitar Gan, the Bhagavad-gita Srila Prabhupada wrote in Bengali poetry. It’s a very nice book. Prabhupada wanted the gurukula boys to learn these verses and sing while we are walking to the temple in the line, especially morning time and evening time. He wanted us to actually learn all the verses, and I was one of the boys that knew the whole Gitar Gan by heart. So there was a time when my teachers arranged with Prabhupada that some of our boys sing this to him individually, chapter by chapter. So I studied very hard, and I was called in to sing to him one chapter. I sang to him a whole chapter. There were some other boys as well, but individually we came. So that’s one of the things that pleased Prabhupada very much because Prabhupada would always smile and then he would give us a coconut laddu. His smile made us more happy and enthusiastic to learn more the next time he came.

Interview DVD 08

Prabhav: This is early morning after the morning program. I was very amazed to get initiated on that day, and Prabhupada actually turned to Bhavananda and he said, “This boy actually is too young to be initiated.” I was only 9, and he didn’t say anything. So Prabhupada looked at him and says, “Never mind.” Then he asked what are the principles, and I wanted to tell Prabhupada the regulative principles in English. I was studying them during the initiation ceremony. So I told him two of the principles in English, and the other two I got stuck. My teacher, Prabhas Prabhu, he was behind Prabhupada, he was trying to encourage me. He said, “Don’t worry. Tell him in Bengali the other two.” This is me. If you look carefully, I don’t have a sikha because the barber in Mayapur a couple days before I arrived in Vrindavan, he by mistake cut all the hair off. I didn’t have any sikha. All the devotees have sikha and they were making fun of me, that I look like a Mayavadi, and Bhavananda fired the barber because he forgot to save me a sikha. Anyway, Prabhupada didn’t mind, he didn’t say anything, and Prabhupada was quite pleased at that time. He saw in my face that I was trying to tell him the regulative principles in English to please him, and he smiled and he gave me the beads.