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Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavana

Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada appeared in this world in Calcutta on 1 September 1896. Srila Prabhupada made his first trip to Vrindavana in 1925 while on a business trip. In 1932 he returned to Vrindavana and heard a lecture from Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, his future spiritual master. In 1935 Srila Prabhupada came to Radha Kunda during Kartika to associate with Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja, who told him then, “If you ever get money print books.”
Srila Prabhupada returned to Vrindavana in September 1956, two years after retiring from family life. He stayed at the Vamsi Gopal Temple, in a room on the roof of the temple. Srila Prabhupada wrote a poem in 1958 called Vrindavana-bhajan.

“I am sitting alone in Vrindavan-dhama
In this mood I am getting many realizations.
I have wife, sons, daughters, grandsons, everything, But I have no money, so they are a fruitless glory. Krishna has shown me the naked form of material nature, By His strength it has all become tasteless to me today.”

When he was 58 years old, Srila Prabhupada entered the vanaprastha ashram and he moved to Vrindavana. As a vanaprastha dressed in white Srila Prabhupada would daily take darshan of Radha-Raman and Radha Damodara. He would often sit in front of Gopala Bhatta Goswami’s samadhi.

Srila Prabhupada accepted sannyasa on September 17, 1959, at the Keshava Gaudiya Math temple in Mathura, from Srila Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Gosvami Maharaja, his godbrother. He moved to an upstairs room at the Radha Damodara temple. He spent much of his time there translating the Srimad Bhagavatam into English and writing purports to the verses. Srila Prabhupada spent his first six sannyasa years at the Radha Damodara temple. In the fall of 1960 Srila Prabhupada printed his first book, East Journey to Other Planets. Srila Prabhupada moved into the rooms on the ground floor of the Radha Damodara temple in July 1962.

At one in the morning, Srila Prabhupada would translate and write his purports to the Srimad Bhagavatam. After working for a few hours Srila Prabhupada would chant japa, either in his room, sitting in front of Rupa Goswami’s samadhi, or pacing the eighteen feet long verandah connecting his bedroom and kitchen. Srila Prabhupada would circumambulate the temple and offer obeisances at four samadhis: Rupa Goswami, Jiva Goswami, Krishna Dasa Kaviraja, and Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati. He would visit the neighboring temples at 10 am and purchase vegetables. At 11 am he would begin cooking. He would eat once a day at noon and take a cup of hot milk at night. Srila Prabhupada would honor the maha-prasada of Radha Damodara when he could not cook himself. After lunch he would take rest for 15 minutes and then get up and write. In the evening Srila Prabhupada would occasionally talk with friends while sitting on the verandah.

Srila Prabhupada organized a successful Janmastami celebration at the Radha Damodara temple on August 31, 1964. Srila Prabhupada left Vrindavana in January 1965 to prepare to go to America. He printed Volume three of Srimad Bhagavatam in January and eventually left to go to America in August 1965.

Srila Prabhupada returned to Vrindavana in August 1967, to recuperate his health. He returned to the Radha Damodara Temple and stayed in his old rooms there. On August 28, 1967 Srila Prabhupada gave sannyasa to Kirtananda, who was his first disciple to enter the renounced order. On this day Srila Prabhupada donated new dresses and jewelry for all the Deities at the Radha Damodara temple.

Srila Prabhupada returned to Vrindavana for ten days in December 1971 with forty Western disciples. The Vrindavana municipality honored Srila Prabhupada and his disciples with a formal reception at the town hall. The mayor publicly proclaimed that Srila Prabhupada had done something wonderful. During this visit Prabhupada went with his disciples to different places where Krishna performed His pastimes. They went to Radha Kunda, Govardhana Hill, Varsana, Nandagram, Mathura and Gokula. Srila Prabhupada also showed his disciples his rooms at the Radha Damodara temple.

“In 1971 Srila Prabhupada took his disciples to Brahmanda ghata, a bathing place and site of Krishna-lila on the Yamuna. Touching the water, Srila Prabhupada said, ‘It is too cold for an old man like me. But you take bath. I’ll put a few drops on my head.’ While the devotees were sporting in the water, Srila Prabhupada suddenly entered and began bathing and splashing with them in the Yamuna.” (Prabhupada Lilamrita, Vol 5)

Srila Prabhupada returned to Vrindavana in October 1972. One of the reasons that he came was to begin construction of the Krishna Balarama temple on the new property that he recently acquired. He regularly lectured to his fifty disciples at the Radha Damodara temple. The devotees had completely renovated Prabhupada’s rooms.

Yamuna dasi would cook for Srila Prabhupada. Sometimes Prabhupada would cook for himself. He would sit on a low seat and prepare a complete meal without moving from his seat.
In Vrindavana, Srila Prabhupada was easily accessible to the devotees. After morning and evening classes, the devotees gathered at the Radha Damodara Temple and he would often give a one or two hour darshan in his rooms. These classes included a series of lectures on the Nectar of Devotion. There were also some evening programs in local Brijabasi’s homes.
Srila Prabhupada again came to Vrindavana to preside over the opening of the Krishna Balarama Temple in April, 1975. He returned in August 1975, and on Radhastami laid the cornerstone for the Gurukula building. At that time he got into the management of the temple. He made sure the temple bell rung on time, even all through the night.

Srila Prabhupada resided in Vrindavana from May to August 28, 1977 during a period of declining health. Though his health was extremely poor, he set out for America via England in late August. With his health declining further, he returned to Vrindavana at the end of September. He stayed in his rooms at the Krishna Balarama Mandir in Vrindavana until he left his body on November 14, 1977 at 7.25 pm, at which time he entered samadhi.

Copyright ©2001 John Howley and Spiritual Guides