48. A Memorable Moment

48. A Memorable Moment:

Mayapur Festival 1975 - “Each morning after giving the class, Śrīla Prabhupāda would circumambulate the temple room, followed by his disciples. A brass bell hung from the ceiling on either side of Rādhā-Mādhava’s altar, and Prabhupāda, while circumambulating the deities, would go up to one of the bells and ring it several times, pulling the rope while the kīrtana continued wildly. Then with cane in hand, Śrīla Prabhupāda would walk around the back of the deity altar and emerge on the other side to ring the other bell.

“The devotees would jump up and down close around him, singing Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Smiling with great pleasure, Prabhupāda would continue the length of the temple room, past the pictures of Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī, Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī, and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, then come around and up the other side of the temple room to the first bell again and strongly ring it. After half a dozen such blissful circumambulations, Prabhupāda would leave the temple, while the kīrtana continued to roar. Coming out into the bright sunlight, he would continue to walk up the broad staircase to his room.

“On at least two occasions during that festival, Prabhupāda became stunned in trance while delivering the morning lecture. One time he was speaking in appreciation of the sacrifice of his disciples, who had spent so much money to come so far from their homes in America, Europe and Australia to render service and attend the festival in Māyāpur. ‘You are all young,’ he was saying. ‘You have a good opportunity. But I am an old man. I have no opportunity....’

“And with these words he suddenly fell completely silent. Such silence before 500 disciples produced a feeling of suspended time. Everyone waited. Finally, one of the devotees began chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, and Śrīla Prabhupāda returned to external consciousness, uttering ‘Hare Kṛṣṇa.’ He told the devotees, ‘Have kīrtana,’ and went to his room.” (Prabhupada Lilamrta)