Recently I got an opportunity to meet one of the prominent religious leaders of India and after meeting him my appreciation for Srila Prabhupada increased.
When I was invited to meet him then I was little tensed thinking that he is such a great figure so I should carry myself properly.
I prepared myself to meet him
I thought that when I will meet him then he will discuss spiritual subject matters. He may ask some questions also. So, I thought that let me prepare myself properly. For that, I read a few pages from Srimad Bhagavatam and one Back to Godhead (BTG) article of Srila Prabhupada.
I was thinking that I should not look like someone who is from Iskcon but is not conversant with spiritual subject matters.
For gift, I took Bhagavad Gita, Lord Narasimhadeva Dev lamination and New Year Calendar which had many pictures of Krishna. Since he is an Indian religious leader, so I took Hindi Bhagavad Gita.
I went to meet him in the late evening. As soon as I entered the room, I bowed down to him. There were few of his disciples and few other guests also in the room.
The person who had invited me to meet him asked me to sit in the front, but I decided to be at the back. I wanted to listen to him.
When I came, he was already speaking to few of the guests. But I was little surprised because what he was speaking was not spiritual subject matter, but it was politics. I thought maybe he might be answering someone’s query, so he is talking politics.
But 10 minutes passed and still he was talking about politics. He was discussing what the previous leaders did, what the present leader is doing and not doing.
Only politics, no bhakti
I do not remember the exact question, but one of the guests asked him how to attain God. And he said God can be attained by bhakti. I was happy to hear it. I thought now he will speak something more on this. He did.
But what he spoke shattered me. He said that you can do anyone’s bhakti – Ram, Krishna, Kali and so on.
Not just that, he further said that someone even becomes chief minister without doing bhakti. I was surprised to hear this. What is the relationship between doing bhakti and becoming chief minister?
And most importantly what was the need of talking about chief minister when someone wants to know bhakti?
While saying this, he took the name of one of the chief ministers of India.
Most of the people like to discuss politics. So, people present there excitedly started talking about the chief minister – what the chief minister does, what he/she says eats, wears and so on. And several minutes were spent discussing about the chief minister.
After that he quoted a verse from Bhagavad Gita 18.78
yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo
yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ
tatra śrīr vijayo bhūtir
dhruvā nītir matir mama
In the translation of this verse, Srila Prabhupada gives the meaning of the word nītiḥ as morality.
But he said that nītiḥ means policies. So, according to him the government should make right policies for the citizens.
Although he spoke about Sanatana dharma, but he hardly spoke about dharma. His discussion was only related to politics.
I thought myself to be fortunate
In Iskcon, we have completely different experience. We only discuss Krishna Conscious philosophy, and all the discussions are centred around Krishna or Supreme Lord like Rama, Narasimhadeva. Devotees most of the time discuss Srimad Bhagavatam, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Bhagavad Gita and other books which takes us closer to Krishna.
But everything was missing here. Without Krishna everything appeared dry.
May be these spiritual leaders want to establish Sanatana dharma, they may have good intention, but they have no interest in bhakti.
At that time, I was thinking that how fortunate we are that we got the shelter of Srila Prabhupada. My appreciation for Srila Prabhupada increased.
Prabhupada talked only bhakti, no politics
Prabhupada never talked politics. He was not interested in it. If ever he spoke about it he talked how politics should help people to become devotees of Krishna.
If we see any conversation of Srila Prabhupada, we never find that he is discussing politics with the guests or with his disciples.
Whether Srila Prabhupada met political leaders, philosophers, businessman, scientists, influential personalities, he only spoke about Krishna. He only speaks about bhakti. He always spoke how it is important to practice devotion to Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada taught us how to completely immerse ourselves in bhakti. Not just Srila Prabhupada but all the vaisnav acharyas have taught us the same.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura had told to Prabhupada, that political leaders and political situations of the country will keep on changing. One will go other will come.
So, we should not be too much engrossed in it. The real problem is lack of Krishna Consciousness. And this is what Prabhupada has given to us. And even Prabhupada’s disciples and many senior devotees of Iskcon are giving Krishna to the people all over the world.
He touched Prabhupada’s books, so his heart will change
I gifted him Bhagavad Gita, Lord Narasimhadeva lamination and New Year calendar which had beautiful pictures of Krishna. He took it. While returning I was thinking I just wasted my time meeting him.
But I remembered that recently, HG Deena Bandhu Prabhu, a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, had come to Iskcon Newtown, Kolkata, temple and in the Srimad Bhagavatam class he had said that even if anyone touches Prabhupada’s books he will be benefitted.
So, this religious leader of India touched Prabhupada’s books, touched Lord Narasimhadeva’s lotus feet and looked at the picture of Krishna, so definitely his heart will change.
He is in such a big position, if he understands the importance of dedicating his life in the service of Krishna then by his influence, he can transform the lives of so many people who look up to him and revere him.
Thanking Srila Prabhupada again and again
In the night, while on the bed again and again I was thinking that how much grateful we should be to Srila Prabhupada for giving us Krishna. After meeting this religious leader, my appreciation for Srila Prabhupada multiplied many times.
We should thank him again and again for the gift which he has given to us. It is because of Srila Prabhupada’s grace that today we understood the purpose of our life.
Although I am still miles away in following Prabhupada’s all guidelines but still theoretically, I am clear that the only purpose of life is to give this life to Krishna and to always serve Krishna every moment with mind, body and words. And instead of thinking about our own happiness, we should always think how to give pleasure to Krishna.
