Way of Creation and Annihilation
Kurma Dasa: Just before sunrise, Prabhupada left for his morning walk at Bondi Beach. This time the devotees had chosen the cliff-top walk at South Bondi as their venue. Mercifully, the wind, which carried the faint salty, ocean smell, wasn't so chilly. In the distance, the craggy cliffs of North Bondi were topped by the orange glow of approaching sunrise. Below, a few surfers paddled out to where the waves were building up in grey, heavy swells.The path led through scraggly bushes and shrubs with an occasional smooth rounded sandstone boulder. Prabhupada turned to Bali-mardana, pointing to the boulder with his cane. 'The shape of the stone indicates that there was once water.' Bali-mardana was surprised. 'At one time the ocean was this high?' Yes. Actually, the whole planet was covered with water. Pralaya-prayodhi-jaledhritavan asi vedam. It is going down, the water. Now it is one-fourth dried up and gradually the remaining three-fourths will be dried up. There will be no more water. Is that when Krishna reincarnated as a fish? asked Bali-mardana. Yes. When there is pralaya. This is the way of creation and annihilation. Srila Prabhupada paused and looked out to sea. The pale-green shallow water below stretched to aquamarine then to dark blue as it deepened. Dark ominous waves, topped with frothing spume broke over the craggy rocks below. The swirling, roaring ocean was a backdrop to Srila Prabhupada's speech. Gradually the ocean water is being dried up. It is evident that water was there. Suppose when the water was here. Here there was water, that's a fact. Then, so much water reduced, again reduced, again reduced, again reduced. Many thousands of years. His short explanation over, Srila Prabhupada resumed his brisk walk, and spoke little more. By the time the party arrived at the car, the whole crescent of the beach was aglow and shimmering in the first rays of the sun. Prabhupada and the devotees returned to the temple for morning class.
Reference: The Great Transcendental Adventure by Kurma Dasa
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