Relishing service for Prabhupada

Jagajivan Dasa: The ecstasy, the electricity, the empowerment of the moment, 'Srila Prabhupada is coming, Srila Prabhupada is coming.' At the time, I don't think I appreciated enough the service of washing the stairs and decorating them with flower petals. The stairs that Srila Prabhupada himself would ascend to his apartment. My dhoti got all wet as I scurried to find a replacement.

I almost missed the trip to the airport and the indescribably ecstatic kirtan led by Lokanath Prabhu (now Maharaj) to welcome His Divine Grace as he returned to the Bombay temple from a recent trip to Mauritius, I believe. One hundred and fifty devotees, accompanied by mrdangas and karatals, were all chanting 'Jaya Prabhupada, Jaya Prabhupada' at the top of their lungs.

I had been working with Murti Dasa and Surabh (Maharaj) in the architecture shack, and the latter introduced me to Srila Prabhupada as a bhakta from Canada. Srila Prabhupada replied, "That is very nice." I only wish that I had relished this service and moment longer.