(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 27 May 2015, Sydney, Australia, Srimad Bhagavatam 7.10.23)
Trivikrama Maharaj tells the story of when Prabhupada said, “My spiritual master made in into a diamond!” A diamond, as we know, is completely transparent – light comes through a diamond and reflects in every direction. When Prabhupada said that his spiritual master made him into a diamond, it means that his spiritual master made him completely transparent to Krsna’s instructions, to Krsna upadeśa.
The sankirtan devotees from Germany went to meet Srila Prabhupada; it was the last time that Srila Prabhupada came to Europe. He was not well at all and he was staying at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. He was carried in a palanquin and was wearing dark sunglasses. He was very skinny and weak and was in his room. The whole Manor was quiet. Everyone was tiptoeing because no one wanted to disturb Prabhupada, in case he needed to rest.
Then the German sankirtan devotees came in. They were the top book distributors at the time, number one in the world! They came in and made so much noise and all the devotees went, “Sshhh, Prabhupada is resting!” They wanted to see Srila Prabhupada but the devotees said, “Nobody is going to see Srila Prabhupada as he is not well. He doesn’t see anybody.”
But they said, “No, no… He will see us because we are sankirtan devotees.” They insisted and so someone went to ask Srila Prabhupada and he immediately said, “Oh yes, sankirtan devotees, let them in.” One of those devotees, Manidhar, has told the story many times and I have heard it many times. He said that when they entered the room, they saw Prabhupada sitting there and seeing Prabhupada sitting was like looking over the walls of Vaikunta into the spiritual world. They saw Prabhupada sitting there and emanating this incredible transcendental consciousness and they were just shocked.
Anyway, all the sankirtan devotees went in and Srila Prabhupada asked, “So, are you distributing my books?”
“Yes, yes, yes, Srila Prabhupada, we are distributing your books!”
Prabhupada said, “Okay, are you reading my books?”
They did not expect that kind of question! So they did not know what to say to that. Prabhupada again asked, “Are you reading my books? What is the most important verse in my books?”
And then Pritu said, “Yāre dekha, tāre kaha ‘kṛṣṇa’-upadeśa,” (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 7.128). Whomever you meet, instruct them about Krsna and in this way, become a spiritual master and deliver the entire country. And then Prabhupada asked, “What does it mean?”
It means so many things. It means that it is Krsna’s desire to deliver every living being, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.3.19). Krsna is the original spiritual master. Krsna is the origin of all transcendental knowledge. Krsna is full of love for all living beings and cares for every single one of them and wants to see them go back to Godhead. A devotee who is a diamond, who is transparent, he becomes the via media and through him, so many will be delivered. This is most pleasing to the Lord. That is what he desires!
