The Hare Krishna Movement

Reading Srimad Bhagavatam

By Gauridas Pandita Prabhu

Vrndavan India June 1977. I used to take Srila Prabhupada’s paraphernalia to translate his books up to the rooftop before sundown every evening. Part of the roof was covered and part was open and there is an inside room also and a bathroom. Srila Prabhupada would come up just at about sunset to start his translation work for the night.

My duty was to set up everything at Srila Prabhupada’s desk and then guard it so the monkeys wouldn’t run off with anything. The monkeys in Vrndavan are notorious for stealing things and going to the market place to trade their goods for bananas. They toss things to the vendors who toss back some fruits. These things are still going on! One evening as I was waiting for Srila Prabhupada’s arrival I sat there reading the Srimad Bhagavatam. All of the sudden Srila Prabhupada entered so I put the book on his desk and offered my obeisances. When I rose up Srila Prabhupada asked me what I was reading. I replied that it is your Srimad Bhagavatam 4th Canto part 4. Srila Prabhupada then smiled bigger than any other time the whole 4 months I was with him. He turned to his secretary and said, “He’s reading in his spare time; this is very good!” I was elated. Such a simple thing was so pleasing to His Divine Grace. Simple living and high thinking – ki jai! All the times when I watered his window mats with a low presure hose in the scorching heat and did so many menial services I never got such a smile as when he caught me reading in my spare time. All glories to the book Bhagavata and the person Bhagavata! Now that we don’t have the physical presence of Srila Prabhupada we can still serve the books; and thus make him, ourselves, and others, supremely happy.