Patita Pavana, now Patita Uddharan
Patita Pavana : At my initiation ceremony there was no fire sacrifice and I was the only one getting initiated. We had a nice vyasasana for Prabhupada and nice Jagannatha Deities in the temple. I had those big blue beads that we had in those days. Anyway, he gave me my beads and said, "Your name is Patita Pavana." I did not understand what he said, so when he was going out that day, I went over and stood right next to him and he told me, "Your name means fallen deliverer." After Prabhupada left Santa Fe, I asked Harinama how to spell my name. He said, "I think your name is Pati-pama." I said, "You didn't write it down?" He said, "No, but why don't you write to Srila Prabhupada? He's in L.A. and we'll find out what your name is." Srila Prabhupada wrote back, "My dear Patita Uddharan... My dear Patita Pavana, now Patita Uddharan. The meaning is practically the same. It was deliverer of fallen souls, and now it is up-lifter of fallen souls." Because there had been another devotee initiated, I think in New York, Patita Pavana, who became kitchen Patita to separate him from me because he was a good cook. It's interesting that I had asked Srila Prabhupada about astrology the day before my initiation. I was to find out later my Moon sign, pa po pi pa. So he gave me a name, which they do in India, according to my rasi or nakshatra without even knowing what my rasi was. This is one of those things where Srila Prabhupada displayed that sense of all knowing that just leaves devotees flabbergasted.
Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 4 by Siddhanta Dasa
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