Husband and wife fight

[Vijayakamala jps]

Husband and wife fight

Prabhupada sat on the vyasasana, which had been placed with the Deity room to his right. He commented to Mohanananda that it should have been placed on the opposite wall, keeping the Deities to his left, and later he requested that they move it.

As Prabhupada sat on the pink and gold paisley vyasasana, under a gold canopy, he smiled brightly, and turned to Syamasundara. "Look how nicely they're taking care of Radha and Krsna." The temple quickly filled as devotees filed in, taking their seats on the floor before Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada turned to Caru. "Who is taking care?" he said, indicating the Deities with his eyes.

"Vaibhavi," Caru answered.

Prabhupada spoke affectionately: "When I last left, I prayed to Lord Krsna: "You please give help to these boys and girls, all mlecchas, to worship you nicely." Now I am very happy to see that He has given you such good intelligence. Everything is very nice.

"Where's Upendra?" he asked. Someone answered that he was at the house preparing Srila Prabhupada's lunch.

Srila Prabhupada seemed extremely relaxed, and, surrounded by the devotees, appeared like a king amongst adoring subjects, a father of a family of 50 sons and daughters. He was witnessing first-hand the success of the sankirtana movement. He had planted the seeds of bhakti one year previously, and now those seeds were sprouting.

Prabhupada's bliss and satisfaction increased to see that his disciples, by sincerely following his orders, were advancing in Krsna consciousness -- the power of Krsna kirtana was transforming the fallen souls of Australia. His approving smiles increased the ecstasy of the assembled devotees.

When Prabhupada had first entered the temple, Jagattarini had quickly removed a pair of Prabhupada's slippers from the footstool before his vyasasana. She now sat crying before Prabhupada, still clutching the slippers. Prabhupada turned to Mohanananda. "Who is that?"

"That's Bhurijana's wife," replied Mohanananda.

Prabhupada's eyes opened wide, and his face lit up as he looked around the room. "Oh, is Bhurijana here?"

Mohanananda explained that although Bhurijana could not make it, he had sent his wife instead. Prabhupada smiled affectionately at Jagattarini. He spoke to her in a semi-serious, soft voice. "Oh, you haven't been fighting, have you?"

Jagattarini had the feeling that Prabhupada knew her mind. But she couldn't admit that she did, indeed, fight regularly with her husband. She felt like a cheat as she answered him. "Oh, no, Prabhupada. He sent me here for some association." Prabhupada's face displayed a playful, mock seriousness. "Good. A husband and wife should not fight." Prabhupada appeared to wait a few moments to let the point sink in. He continued, with a slight twinkle in his eye, his finger raised in a caricature of chastisement.

"Actually, when husband and wife fight, it shouldn't be taken very seriously. It is just like sometimes in the morning there will be thundering in the clouds, but everybody knows there will be no rain."

He gave the example of how Mahatma Gandhi, after an argument, had thrown his wife out of the house saying: "Get out! Get out!" She had gone, but sat outside the house for the full day. Because she had nowhere else to go, she simply remained there. Towards the evening, Gandhi had come out. Seeing that his wife was still sitting there, he called her back inside. Prabhupada concluded: "In this way, when husband and wife fight, it should not be taken seriously."

Prabhupada continued to speak encouragingly to the assembled devotees, expressing his pleasure at how much effort they had expended in decorating the temple. Finally, Pradyumna led a short kirtana, then Prabhupada rose and left the temple room, closely followed by Radha Ramana, who was still clutching his little pink flag. Prabhupada left via the front door, and departed for his place of residence


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu