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Leave immediately for somewhere?anywhere?and preach.

After guru-puja, Prabhupada presided over a combined Deity installation and sannyasa initiation ceremony. The head pujari, Jananivasa, assisted by newly arrived GBC Jagadisa dasa, performed the abhishekha of Sri Sri Gaura-Nitai. The beautiful twenty-inch high neem-wood Deities were installed as the proprietors of the ocean-going boat "Nitai Pada Kamala." 

Sudama Maharaja plans to sail up and down the Ganges with Their Lordships and other Mayapur devotees, preaching from village to village. After the Deities were installed, Harikesa and Viraha were awarded sannyasa. Mahavira will wait until Gaura Purnima. Srila Prabhupada had the mantra and purport from Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Madhya-lila 3.6 read aloud: "[As a brahmana from Avanti-desa said] I shall cross over the insurmountable ocean of nescience by being firmly fixed in the service of the lotus feet of Krishna. This was approved by the previous acaryas, who were fixed in firm devotion to the Lord, Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead." 

Prabhupada gave a short talk explaining that sannyasa is simply a facility to preach and spread Krishna consciousness. He awarded the two men their new cloth and tridandas, the traditional monk's staffs. Then he told Harikesa to "simply add Swami" to his name. He renamed Viraha as Viraha Prakasa Swami. Then he returned to his room while the devotees conducted the fire ceremony. As soon as he settled in his room Prabhupada asked Hridayananda Maharaja how the two new sannyasis would be engaged. He was informed that Viraha Prakasa Swami plans to stay in Mayapur for a few weeks to get Prabhupada's association before returning to South America. But Srila Prabhupada said that was not good. He should immediately go out and preach. 

Hridayananda Maharaja explained that Viraha Prakasa only speaks Spanish, so it would be difficult for him to preach in India. But Prabhupada promptly called for the two new sannyasis and told them, "Leave immediately for somewhere?anywhere?and preach. When there is a fire, if you don't know the language, somehow you communicate and the message gets through. Even if you cannot speak the language properly it doesn't matter. Preaching must be done." He said that the best use of intelligence is to accept sannyasa and go preach. It is also the best way to associate with the guru. Personal association is not so important, but to associate with the teachings of the guru is essential. 

Prabhupada said that he had not seen his Guru Maharaja for more than ten or fifteen days in fourteen years. Thus his words were of personal encouragement and comfort to Harikesa Swami as well, since he is now leaving Srila Prabhupada's personal service. The two new swamis left for Calcutta this morning. Harikesa Maharaja will go to the USA. via London. I gave him my quilted cotton jacket, a bagalbundi from Vrindavana, because he had no clothes for colder climates. 

Before he left he gave me a three page, handwritten list of instructions on how to cook for Srila Prabhupada: HOW TO COOK FOR SRILA PRABHUPADA 1. Take bottom section of cooker and put perhaps 3 or 4 heaping tablespoons of yellow split mung or toor-dal which has been well washed and immediately let it boil so that you can regulate the temperature to a small rolling boil. Water level should be 5/8 full. Add turmeric (till nice deep color) and salt. In 2nd section put 4-6 oz rice (nice basmati) and clean and wash 1 or 2 times (not too much) then add twice as much water or slightly less. In 3rd section whatever vegetables you want to steam should be placed here and do not cover the holes. Cover with lid and wait 45 minutes. Vegetables (typical steaming schedule): Cauliflower potato zucchini loki eggplant tomato (beans or peas) portals etc. Dahl should be completely merged, not solid, not liquid, chaunched with chili, cumin, asafoetida, either methi or dhanya but never at the same time, sometimes ginger in chaunch is nice. 

Paneer cheese: Boil milk, curdle with yogurt, take out and put in cloth. Press under cloth with heavy weight by forcing out all water. Cut cheese into chunks and deep fry brown. Meantime make masala (as you like) put in water and tomato then cheese and boil till cheese is very soft. 

Wet veg: Masala, add water, turmeric, salt, sometimes yoghurt, then steamed veg ? heat and serve. Dry veg. masala, add steamed veg, turmeric, salt, fry for short while. Some masalas- Cumin anise chili (hing) Cumin anise methi chili mustard (hing) Ginger cumin anise hingmethi anise (hing) Coriander powder, turmeric, salt, sweet neem (curry leaves) are also used. As you change the ratios of one spice to another in the masalas you get an infinite variety of tastes. 

Recipe for Sukta: Wok on very low heat with sufficient ghee to fry the vegetables first. Use whatever you like of the below list but kerala (bitter melon) is absolutely essential: kerala, radish, potato, green banana (plantain), pepper, green tomato, carrots, beets, beans (string beans), mooli. When little soft add salt spice by pushing aside vegetables and in the middle cooking cumin, anise, green chili, methi, not very dark, continue frying. When finished add water and boil down. Add turmeric. Mash poppy seeds (white) to paste-add-dry fry methi, anise, cumin, chili and grind-add to top after putting off the heat, serve liquid. 

Sak: Masala with methi, chili, cumin, anise and add spinach leaves, cover and cook. In the meantime deep fry to brown, badi, and break up into prep with salt finished (do not add extra water). Rice cooks automatically in the cooker-just keep it hot. He went in to take a final leave of Srila Prabhupada and then he was gone. Dayananda and Nandarani prabhus, who are both excited at the unexpected turn of events, were familiarized with their new duties. They began immediately.


Reference: Transcendental Diary Volume 1 by Hari Sauri Dasa





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