Srila Prabhupada was chanting the Brahma-samhita in deep, soft
Sureshvar: There were initiations going on at the time, before the actual inaugural arati, and Srila Prabhupada was sitting on the vyasasana. I was sitting to the left of His Divine Grace. While the initiation ceremony was going on he was moving his lips. I wanted to hear what he was saying, so I snuck up behind the vyasasana and put my ear behind Srila Prabhupada. He was chanting the Brahma-samhita in deep, soft, resonant tones. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena . . . On and on, it was just wonderful. Then I went back to my place. During the initiation, all of a sudden Srila Prabhupada wanted something, but neither Shyamasundar nor Pradyumna could understand what he wanted. Srila Prabhupada was looking all over the room to see if anybody could understand what he wanted. Finally his eyes fell on me. It's the only time I remember Srila Prabhupada looking directly at me, except for my initiation. He looked at me with such compassion while I was sitting there with a stupid grin on my face. His look said to me that I was an idiot but he still loved me. I thought, "That's right, Srila Prabhupada, I'm an idiot. You love me, and I'm an idiot." I was blissful. Anyway, finally somebody understood what he wanted, and the ceremony continued. Then at some point Srila Prabhupada got off the vyasasana and left the room. But the ceremony still went on. Finally it was time for the inaugural arati of Radha-Kalachandji, and when the curtains opened, there was Srila Prabhupada on the stage doing achaman, with Sri Sri Radha-Kalachandji in front of a very spartan background. I thought, "What a treat. I've never seen Srila Prabhupada do arati." I watched him perform this arati, and it made a strong impression on me. It was deliberate and meditative, with deep bhakti. It wasn't quick circles. After Srila Prabhupada offered the water in the conch to the Deities, he turned to us, put the water in his hand, and started flinging drops of water out at the congregation. I was leaping up in the air to catch these droplets of water and thinking how the spiritual master extinguishes the blazing fire of material existence. That was wonderful.
Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 1 by Siddhanta Dasa
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