Vidya devi dasi Remembers Srila Prabhupada

Prabhupada Memories

Interview 01

Vidya: In New Vrindavan in 1976, there were a lot of women with one or twomonth- old babies, and we took turns watching them during Prabhupada’s classes. We had them lay in little seats. On my morning, I decided it would be cute to line them up so when Prabhupada came out he would look at them, and they would have that contact with him. So I got the five or six babies lined up. When Prabhupada came out of the temple, I stepped aside so that he wouldn’t see me. I didn’t know what a woman’s relationship should be around Srila Prabhupada, and I didn’t want to be too close. I could still see him, but he couldn’t see me. Prabhupada was shocked. He turned to Kirtanananda, “Where are the mothers? What is going on?” Kirtanananda didn’t know where they were, but he said, “They must be around. I’m sure they’re not far away.” Kirtanananda assured Prabhupada enough so that Prabhupada moved on, but Prabhupada was very concerned that the children were watched and taken care of.

To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 25 - Sama Priya dd, Vrindabaneshvari dd, Kanka dd, Deva Didhiti dd, Bhavat and others

Interview 02

Vidya: In his last days, when he was sick, the devotees would take Prabhupada in front of Gaura-Nitai and then Krishna-Balaram and then Radha- Shyamasundar and then bring his rocking chair in front of the tamal tree. There, under the tamal tree in the courtyard of the Krishna-Balaram Temple in Vrindavan, Prabhupada would give silent darshans. During that time, I felt he was training us to communicate with him after he left the planet. A gurukula boy would play kartals, two or three boys would dance, and one boy would sing for Prabhupada. Prabhupada would at most nod his head. All of us vied to sit in front of him. Usually I was in the back because I was one of the newest devotees and I felt I didn’t have a right to push forward. But one day, everybody was pushing and shoving and I was about to get a seat in front of Srila Prabhupada. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. When I sat down, there was a retarded girl, who was a daughter of one of the devotees, who was about to sit down where I was sitting. The devotee next to me pushed that little girl out of the way. I thought, “She shouldn’t have pushed that child.” Then I saw that Prabhupada was looking at us. I thought, “Prabhupada, I didn’t do it! I didn’t push the child! She did it!” But Prabhupada was looking as intently at me as he was at the woman who had pushed the child. I realized that I was just as responsible as she was because I hadn’t done anything. I hadn’t placated the child or found her a seat. My heart had not shown the compassion that it should have. So ever since, I’ve been trying to develop that quality. My lesson was that simultaneously we have to be humble and we also have to be compassionate toward everyone.

The other quality I admired in Prabhupada was how he comprehended the person he was speaking to. He spoke to that person exactly where that person’s philosophical understanding and self-realization was. It was as if Prabhupada came directly inside the other person and then convinced him stepby- step that Krishna is real. Prabhupada did that in my life and I think he did that with everyone. He had that ability. I pray for even a small part of that ability. I pray not be at all threatened by the other person and to somehow open their heart a little bit to be able to see Krishna and accept Krishna consciousness the way Prabhupada did and is still doing so expertly.

In the very old days, grihastha couples, like Govinda dasi and Gaurasundar, were allowed to be Prabhupada’s personal servants. My husband and I both desired to do that too. Perhaps that’s why I was given tulasi service—I couldn’t serve Prabhupada, but I could serve her. That personal service helped me a lot. When Prabhupada was in L.A., I was always in the back. The managers had promised that whoever worked thirteen hours (I did service thirteen hours a day) could take Prabhupada’s personal darshan or at least go on a morning walk. But I didn’t belong to any particular club or department, so I didn’t get to do that. Then, one day we were standing outside the door, waiting for Prabhupada to leave for his morning walk. We were in the back because we were unimportant new devotees. We were scuffling around feeling sorry that we’d come to the movement so late and could not be with Prabhupada much. Prabhupada got in his car, and started to drive off. And somehow as the car came forward we ended up being at the edge of the driveway and Srila Prabhupada was looking right at us. All I could see were these red orbs like suns piercing through me. And in my heart and also in my husband’s heart we felt as if Prabhupada said, “So, what do you want to say? What do you want?” Instantly we both reeled back from that sidewalk. Obviously we weren’t ready for his association. His eyes were like suns that pierced into our hearts and cleansed our minds and us as well.

To view the entire unedited video go to Memories 32 - Jagadatri dd, Giriraj Swami and 6 others.

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