October 15, 1972 : Radha-Damodara Temple, Vrindavan
Srutakirti: At this time I had been cooking for Srila Prabhupada and daily massaging his transcendental body for five weeks, but today something new occurred to change my service to His Divine Grace. Yamuna Devi was in Srila Prabhupada's kitchen preparing his lunch. I made my way to Srila Prabhupada's kitchen. Upon entering, I offered my obeisances. Srila Prabhupada was sitting there taking prasadam. He was in the very spot where he had spent years devising his plan to conquer the world with Krishna consciousness. He looked up with a beautiful glance and asked, "So, you have taken prasadam?"
"No," I replied. "I have just taken bath."
"Oh, so you haven't taken prasadam," Srila Prabhupada responded charmingly. "Yamuna, fix him a plate of prasadam."
"No, that's all right," I said. "I will wait until you are finished."
"No. Sit down and take prasadam," he told me.
It was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I was taking prasadam with Srila Prabhupada. Just the two of us. In Vrindavan. At Radha-Damodara Temple.
I wasn't prepared for what followed. After tasting Yamuna Devi's cooking, I realized I had never before tasted prasadam. Also, I realized I had never cooked anything fit to be offered. Yamuna Devi was an empowered devotee of the Lord, sent here to sumptuously feed Srila Prabhupada. Each and every preparation tasted incredible. She made perfect chapatis. The subjis tasted as if they came from the spiritual world. Seated with Srila Prabhupada I realized what a disservice I had performed by cooking for him. He sometimes said I cooked "nice American prasadam." Now I understood what he meant. Yamuna's cooking was so transcendental that it seemed like I had never eaten before.
"So, you like?" Srila Prabhupada asked as we were finishing.
"Yes, Srila Prabhupada," I enthusiastically said. "Very much."
He smiled and said, "So, today she has fixed your lunch. Now, tomorrow you cook for her. This is the Vedic custom. Today she has done some service for you, now tomorrow you must serve her."
"Oh, yes Prabhupada," I said.
At other times Srila Prabhupada said, "One has to always be ready to serve a person, not simply you are always accepting service. You call someone 'Prabhu'. Prabhu means master. What is the question of you accepting service from your master? You are servant. So, I am calling you 'Prabhu.' It means I must render service. This attitude must be there, that I am everyone's servant because I am calling everyone 'Prabhu'."
"No," I replied. "I have just taken bath."
"Oh, so you haven't taken prasadam," Srila Prabhupada responded charmingly. "Yamuna, fix him a plate of prasadam."
"No, that's all right," I said. "I will wait until you are finished."
"No. Sit down and take prasadam," he told me.
It was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I was taking prasadam with Srila Prabhupada. Just the two of us. In Vrindavan. At Radha-Damodara Temple.
I wasn't prepared for what followed. After tasting Yamuna Devi's cooking, I realized I had never before tasted prasadam. Also, I realized I had never cooked anything fit to be offered. Yamuna Devi was an empowered devotee of the Lord, sent here to sumptuously feed Srila Prabhupada. Each and every preparation tasted incredible. She made perfect chapatis. The subjis tasted as if they came from the spiritual world. Seated with Srila Prabhupada I realized what a disservice I had performed by cooking for him. He sometimes said I cooked "nice American prasadam." Now I understood what he meant. Yamuna's cooking was so transcendental that it seemed like I had never eaten before.
"So, you like?" Srila Prabhupada asked as we were finishing.
"Yes, Srila Prabhupada," I enthusiastically said. "Very much."
He smiled and said, "So, today she has fixed your lunch. Now, tomorrow you cook for her. This is the Vedic custom. Today she has done some service for you, now tomorrow you must serve her."
"Oh, yes Prabhupada," I said.
At other times Srila Prabhupada said, "One has to always be ready to serve a person, not simply you are always accepting service. You call someone 'Prabhu'. Prabhu means master. What is the question of you accepting service from your master? You are servant. So, I am calling you 'Prabhu.' It means I must render service. This attitude must be there, that I am everyone's servant because I am calling everyone 'Prabhu'."
Reference: What is the Difficulty - Srutakirti Dasa
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