Sp Reception in Vrindavan

We are not interested in attracting millions of men to see some show. Better we attract one sincere soul to join us in ecstatic chanting and hearing. That will be of real value. [Letter to Sudama - November 25, 1972] Today the Radha-Damodara Mandir is alive with activity. A large crowd has assembled to honor their local son. Srila Prabhupada will receive a hero's reception, having returned from a triumphant global preaching tour. Surrounded by his forty Western disciples, he is greeted with a magnificent welcoming celebration in the courtyard of the Radha-Damodara temple. Only one of his godbrothers is present to honor his achievement. His old friend, Dr. O.B.L. Kapoor initiated as Adi Keshava Das, opens the program with a short address. He had also left the mission of Sarasvati Goswami due to the politics that overtook the Gaudiya Math. Now, however, Dr Kapoor is Prabhupada's staunch supporter. In his address, he begins by describing how Prabhupada left the shelter of Vrindavan and Radha-Damodara to inaugurate the worldwide sankirtan movement prophesied by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. "This return back to the homeland of Srila Prabhupada is particularly significant," he continues, "because this time he comes back with a host of his Western disciples. This signifies to me the meeting of the East and the West, or at least the beginning of such a meeting. This signifies the victory of spiritualism over materialism, of good over evil. " This is really a rare moment in history because for the first time in the history of the world, for the first time at least in living memory, Vaishnavism, the message of Vaishnavism, the message of Mahaprabhu, the message of pure devotion, has been carried to the West, and carried so successfully. "I am sure that historians of the future will have a lot to say about Prabhupada and his movement. And they will be even envious of us for living in a time when this movement was begun, and for our participating in it."

Many locals continue to crowd into the courtyard, jostling one another in front of Sri-Sri Radha-Damodara, causing a minor disturbance. Everyone is anxious to catch a glimpse of the successful hometown Swami. Many don't understand English, but they want to be present at a gathering they are being told is historic. "I have a secret realization," Dr. Kapoor concludes, "that at this moment, while we are welcoming Prabhupada, Sri Rupa Goswami, Sri Jiva Goswami, and Sri Krishnadas Kaviraja, whose samadhis signify their eternal presence in the sacred precincts of this temple, are also joining us in welcoming Prabhupada, and they are showering their choicest blessings upon him. I can hear them saying, 'Long live Prabhupada, long live Prabhupada.'  I am sure as a result of their presence, Prabhupada will live long, for many, many more years, to broadcast the message of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu all the world over and to inspire us with a special zeal in our hearts." Bringing his grand introduction to a close, Dr. Kapoor offers his pranama to Prabhupada and requests him to speak.

The audience buzzes with anticipation as Srila Prabhupada approaches the podium. He begins by thanking Dr. Kapoor and offers his own praise in return. He informs the audience that they have been godbrothers for forty years. "So his association is a great blessing for us. But this reception is actually not my reception. It is the reception of my foreign students. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted that His message should be broadcast all over the world, in every village and every town, and my guru maharaja attempted this." Prabhupada explains that Bhaktivinoda Thakur was the first to distribute Gaudiya Vaishnava literature abroad. In 1896, he had sent his first book, Sree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, His Life and Precepts, to McGill University in Montreal. Almost a century later, one of Prabhupada's Canadian disciples found that very volume in the University library. Next, Prabhupada gives a brief history of his meeting with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja in 1922. He relates how Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja asked him to preach Lord Chaitanya's message to the English speaking world during their very first meeting. "So I was a little surprised, especially at that time. I was a very young man and newly married. I had one son also. So it was my mistake that I did not take up the words of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Goswami Maharaja immediately. I thought that, I am now married. Let me settle down. Perhaps if I would have joined from 1922, by the blessings of Guru Maharaja, I could do more preaching work. Anyway, it is better late than never. "

After my retirement, I was living in the Kesi-ghat Radha-Krishna Temple. But Gaurachand Gosaiji asked me, 'Why don't you come here?' So I left that place and came here. And with some arrangement, I took this room. But I was always thinking that Guru Maharaja asked me, and he asked also some of my other godbrothers, but up till now nothing has been done. So let me try, at least, at the fag end of my life. "So I left Vrindavan in 1965 and went to New York at the age of 70 years. But for one year I had no place to live. I took some of my books, Srimad Bhagavatam, printed here, up to three parts, First Canto, and I was personally selling these books. With great difficulty I was pulling on.  New York is a very expensive city, a great city, a great forest, and I am a poor man." Prabhupada chuckles to himself as he recalls his early days in the Bowery. "Then I began chanting in Tompkins Square Park, and I think in the first day this boy ' Acyutananda Maharaja now ' he and another boy, Brahmananda Maharaja ' who is also preaching in Africa ' these two boys danced, and a photograph was published in the New York Times with great detail. That was the first encouragement. " "After chanting in the park, many young men and girls used to come to my apartment, my meeting place. In this way I started, first in New York, then in San Francisco, then Montreal, then Boston." Prabhupada holds up several books he has published in the West: Nectar of Devotion, Bhagavad-gita As It Is, and the Krishna Book. Out of the corner of his eye he sees many pots ready for prasadam distribution and he ends his talk. "So by the grace of Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, whichever book we are publishing, that is being accepted. Thank you very much."

During this 1972 Kartik celebration, Prabhupada spends the entire month lecturing on Nectar of Devotion. He stays in his original rooms at Radha-Damodara Mandir, while his disciples stay at Vasanti Dharmasala near the sabji market in Loi Bazaar. But his stay is not without controversy. Soon, the Vrindavan residents begin finding faults with the Western Vaishnavas.

Gopal Chandra Ghosh: Particular persons criticized him saying that his Western disciples were CIA. But he did not take offense and behaved with humility. I heard him say to his disciples, "All of you, it seems the Vrajavasis may dislike you but you should offer them pranamas. Because they are Vaishnava, if you do this you can get their mercy. If you want to get any of Radharani's or Lord Krishna's mercy, then do seva of the Vaishnavas." He was always so kind. Small boys could talk with him and old men could talk with him. English persons and Indian persons; he did not differentiate between anyone. When he was at the Radha-Damodara temple a few people knew that he was great, but not many people knew about him. Nowadays, so many know of him. Even riksha-wallas and beggars know his glories. All over Vrindavan the houses and shops have his photo. Even small children recognize his picture. He was the hero of our Vrindavan and will always remain so in many of our hearts. One gentleman, Sri Banwari Lal Pathak, becomes close to Prabhupada and desires to help him propagate his mission. Prabhupada reveals that his desire is to build a beautiful temple and guest house especially for the international Vaishnavas, who, he says, will soon come by the thousands. Mr Pathak pledges to do his utmost to assist him in this project. He has a friendly relationship with a householder couple, Mr and Mrs Saraf, who own land in the Raman Reti district on the outskirts of Vrindavan town. He approaches them with a proposal to donate their land so a beautiful temple can be built by the foreign Vaishnavas. This will spread the glories of Sri Vrindavan dhama around the world. And it will not only be a great service to Vrindavan, it will facilitate the spreading of the sankirtan movement worldwide as prophesied by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mr. Pathak convinces the Sarafs that Bhaktivedanta Swami is the most worthy and proper person to build this temple and bring the foreign Vaishnavas to India. Full of enthusiasm, the couple donate their land so that Srila Prabhupada can build this temple. All over Vrindavan, Mr. Pathak promotes the new temple project and helps collect donations. He makes loan arrangements for the construction. He assists in the negotiations and legalities involved in acquiring the land, as well as making many important arrangements during the building phase of the temple. Due to his untiring devotion for the project, Srila Prabhupada will invite him to speak during the temple inauguration in 1975. His wife remembers those early days.

Srimati Pathak: When Srila Prabhupada was first coming to Vrindavan with Westerners, many of the Vrajavasis, and others, were worried about what he was doing. They were thinking that he had brought those who were not qualified and didn't have good habits. Maybe they would spoil our Krishna conscious society. Many people were thinking like that. But because my husband had such a close relationship with Srila Prabhupada, he was firmly convinced about what Prabhupada was doing. He stood up for Srila Prabhupada in numerous assemblies and private meetings among many people. He explained that what Srila Prabhupada was doing was correct and it was glorious that he was trying to initiate these Westerners, as this would help Vrindavan.