What happened during the time when the lights were off ?
Vrndavanesvari : Many people have heard about the famous festival in New Vrindavan in 1972 for Janmastami and Vyasa Puja. But the ending was actually quite different than anyone else has ever told the story. I think people were half asleep. I was a little trained up in New Dwarka how to run up ahead so I could get myself situated so I could be very close to Prabhupada. I ran down the mountain about fifteen minutes early knowing the temple would be very crowded and planted myself very close to the vyasasana. After the midnight arati as everybody knows, Prabhupada said, "Let's read Krishna Book." This went on for about two hours. I remember I was sitting about four feet away from Prabhupada, right dead center, and I was watching him the whole time. He was just so blissfully absorbed and looking around the temple as devotees were falling asleep, and he was just saying, "More, more, keep passing the book." Then suddenly the lights went out, and it was pitch black. I couldn't see my hands in front of my face. All you could hear was the scrambling of the New Vrindavan devotees, and it seemed like a very long time. It could have been five minutes. It could have been ten minutes. I kept thinking that "I want to see Prabhupada's expression when the lights come on." I had my head facing Prabhupada's direction because I couldn't see a thing. I was wondering if he would be angry or what. After some very long period of time the lights finally came on and Prabhupada had this beautiful ear-to-ear grin. He said, "So Krishna is now sitting on the lap of Mother Yasoda. I think you are all tired and we can stop here." Everyone roared, but my hair stood on end because I was listening and just before the lights went out there was a battle going on in the Krishna Book. Krishna wasn't sitting on the lap of Mother Yasoda. I was wondering, "What happened during the time when the lights were off ?" I pictured a little blue boy sitting on his shoulders and it was so ecstatic because Prabhupada said Krishna is now sitting on the lap of Mother Yasoda and we weren't talking about that. I wanted to share that because no one has seemed to mention that in any of the other "Memories" stories and to me it was the most significant thing; that here Prabhupada is seeing Krishna sitting on the lap of Mother Yasoda. It was ecstatic and he was so happy. Prabhupada was so blissful and compassionate just telling the devotees, "Now you can go. Go now. It is okay. Krishna is sitting on the lap of Mother Yasoda."
Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 4 by Siddhanta Dasa
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