His Sweet Jokes During Prasād Distribution Pastimes

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When I first came in late 2008, darśanas were in the evening. I would come every day and stand in the doorway, seeing how Śrīla Gurudeva would sweetly distribute prasād to everyone. I would go last in the queue.

One day Śrīla Gurudeva looked at me smilingly and asked, “Did you take prasād?” I said, “No, I will take it after everyone else has taken it.” Then he called me inside and gave me prasād. That was so sweet; sweeter than the sweetest.

In the afternoon, Śrīla Gurudeva would come out to worship Tulasī Devi after most devotees had taken prasād. All the devotees present there were paying their obeisances to him before he would go inside his room. I also went to pay obeisances and after that, he asked me, "Prasād pawa hoeche?" Did you take prasād?

I would reply, “No, Gurudeva, I will take it now,” and immediately he would get worried and would say, “If you do not go now, you will not get anything; everything will be finished.” It would captivate my heart to see Gurudeva's love and affection. Like a mother would get worried if her child would not get food, Śrīla Gurudeva is the same as that. His love and affection cannot even be compared with millions of mothers.

During one evening's darśana, Guru Mahārāja was giving orange prasād to everyone. As I did during other darśanas, I went last to take my prasād from him. While giving the prasād into my hand and looking at me, he said to one of his sevākas, “This is insufficient for him. It will not cover his whole body. He is very tall. He needs another one.” That was so funny! I just started laughing, and even Śrīla Gurudeva also started laughing. I had never seen Gurudeva joking like this, so that was so special for me.


—Sundara Gopāla Dāsa




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