30 Oct What A Welcome!

In June 2004, as a new recruit at Accenture (a management consulting firm), I was sent to Chicago for a two-week training at Accenture’s head training center. As a fairly new practicing devotee, I arranged a visit to Sri Sri Kishore Kishori Temple to take Their darshan (viewing of deities) and blessings before heading to the training center. 

When I entered the temple premises, I didn’t expect to see a Swami sitting with some devotees near the entrance of the temple hall. I offered my obeisances and as I looked up, the Swami looked at me and smiled. It was His Holiness Romapada Swami Maharaja, who called me forward and asked me what my name was and where I was from. I stayed on my knees and replied. 

Understanding my situation, Maharaja quickly turned to the little notebook on his lap, scribbled something down, tore off the paper, and handed it to me. “Here! Call them. They will arrange prasadam for you and take care of you!”

Maharaja gazed at me for a moment and then asked directly, “So, how many rounds¹ are you chanting?” “Wow, that’s direct,” I remember thinking, but being an enthusiastic new bhakta (devotee), my response was equally direct: “Sixteen!” I proudly grinned, hiding the great struggle I faced trying to come to the minimum. His eyes widened, somewhat surprised. He accepted my answer with a smile and inquired what brought me to Chicago and how long I would be around. I explained I would be there for just two weeks and would be staying in a suburb outside of the Chicago area. 

Then Romapada Swami Maharaja asked, “So, how will you take prasadam (sanctified food)?” I was instantly embarrassed. I knew I couldn’t really cook, and even if I did, I didn’t expect to have access to any kitchen facilities at the training center. I had resigned that I would have to depend on whatever the company provided. I was also too new of a devotee to consider that honoring only Krishna prasadam is “the fifth regulative principle,”² so I just sat there, unable to answer. Understanding my situation, Maharaja quickly turned to the little notebook on his lap, scribbled something down, tore off the paper, and handed it to me. “Here! Call them. They will arrange prasadam for you and take care of you!”

“Wow. Wait, what? For me?” My mind was completely stunned at the unexpected mercy of this great, great soul who I had just met for the first time about two minutes ago! I grabbed the piece of paper as if it was a ticket back to Godhead! Speechless, I immediately offered my respects and thanked Romapada Swami Maharaja again and again. He just smiled and said, “Go, take darshan.” I stumbled to my feet and proceeded to enter the glorious abode of Sri Sri Kishore Kishori. What a welcome!

As I stood there admiring the beautiful Sri Sri Kishore Kishori deities, still trying to digest Romapada Maharaja’s unlimited kindness that he bestowed upon this insignificant soul, I remembered a verse from the Guruvastakam prayers:

catur-vidha-śrī-bhagavat-prasāda-
svādv-anna-tṛptān hari-bhakta-sańghān
kṛtvaiva tṛptiḿ bhajataḥ sadaiva
vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam

Translation: The spiritual master is always offering Krishna four kinds of delicious food [analyzed as that which is licked, chewed, drunk, and sucked]. When the spiritual master sees that the devotees are satisfied by eating bhagavat-prasada, he is satisfied. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of such a spiritual master.

“He is bona fide!” I thought to myself. “He is a real guru!”

—A Devotee from South Africa

¹A practicing Bhakti-yogi recites a fixed number of ‘rounds’ of the hare krishna mantra on a circular necklace of beads. One round indicates completion of one circle.
²As far as is practically possible, a Bhakti-yogi tries to avoid eating any foodstuff that has not been sanctified by first being offered to Krishna.