continue from part 1

An interview recorded in Singapore on 7 January 1995

Devotee: This initiation was conducted with full fire sacrifice?

Srila Sripada: Yeah so we went upstairs and Ramananda introduced me to Prabhupada saying that I am such and such, come from Manipur, and I’m a student at the university, doing my PhD. in chemistry. When Prabhupada heard that I am from Manipur, then he started saying about the temples in Navadvipa by the kings of Manipur, Vrndavana, Jagannatha Puri, Radha Kunda, that are established by the kings of Manipur, and he started saying about BabHruvahana. Babhruvahana was the son of Arjuna. When Arjuna came to Manipur, he  married Citrangada, the Princess of Manipur. He said that Manipur had been a Vaisnava kingdom for thousands of years – more than 5000 years ago when the Pandavas ruled the planet, the Vaisnavas existed. He said that all Manipuris are descendents of Babhruvahana. Prabhupada knew about the temples in Navadvipa built by the Kings of Manipur. In the process of talking with Prabhupada, who was asking about my background, my family, who my parents were, devotees, he said, “why did you come here to the United States? A Vaisnava,” Prabhupada was humorously saying “A Vaisnava generally is not supposed to cross the ocean. Why did you come here?”

(Interruption).

So to wind my narration, I came up to, yeah, Prabhupada asked me, told me that that all the people in Manipur are descendants from Babhruvahana.

Devotee: How do you spell that name – Arjuna’s son?

Srila Sripada: B.a.b.h.r.u.v.a.h.a.n.a. It is there in the Srimad Bhagavatam in the 9^th canto, see the index for “Manipur”. There are about two slokas. Prabhupada also writes about Manipur in the Srimad Bhagavatam, in the 9^th canto.

Devotee: 9^th canto, Manipur. Srimad Bhagavatam?

Srila Sripada: Yes. In two slokas, Prabhupada explained about Manipur and also about Babhruvahana. What happened is that Arjuna came to Manipur…must be Mahabharat time…during the Asvamedha Yajna being performed by Yudhistira Maharaja. Arjuna was going that side, and when he reached Manipur, and the King of Manipur at that time he did not have any sons, but he had a daughter, this princess, that Citranganda. So the King of Manipur, since he was old, he could not combat with or challenge Arjuna. So he tried to surrender to Arjuna. But his daughter, Citrangada, wanted to fight with Arjuna (laughter). She wanted to challenge, she wanted to challenge. So Arjuna got very inspired. So somehow he got married to Citrangada (laughter). So this Babhruvahana was born between Citrangada and Arjuna. Prabhupada wrote in the Bhagavatam that when he was 15 or 16 years old, he became the King of Manipur. And later on when Arjuna again visited (Manipur), there was a challenge between his son Babhruvahana and Arjuna. When Babhruvahana was told that Arjuna was his father, he didn’t want to fight—didn’t want to challenge. Then Arjuna told him, “If you are the King of the country, and a ksatriya, .whether it’s your father or a relatve, if you don’t respond to the challenge of the other person, then you are not worth it.” So then Babhruvahana decided to fight. In fact Arjuna was defeated by his son in Manipur. He became unconscious. So Krishna had to come and revive Arjuna again…so that is Mahabharata. [inaudible] chapter. That’s how Babhruvahana became very famous. So Prabhupada was narrating that story from Mahabharat.

In the process of discussion he said all the Indian young scholars and students are coming to the United States for either begging money, dollars, or begging science and technology. Prabhupada was saying like that. “So you are all coming like that,” Prabhupada said, “But I did not come like that. I came here to give something. I came here to give, not to take. Why don’t you give something? Why are you simply taking? Why don’t you give something?” (laughter). This was his conclusion. Prabhupada was saying that we should give something. Why should we take? Just give something or do something like that, Prabhupada said…like preaching. And so I got very inspired by that…(Interruption). So basically that’s how I met Prabhupada.

Devotee: And he asked you to come?

Srila Sripada: Since then I had been going almost every day. Whenever Prabhupada comes, I used to go to Los Angeles. It was almost one hour’s drive.

Devotee: That was the time when the morning talks started? And…

Srila Sripada: Yes. That was in ’69, ’70. The talks were mostly, let’s see, around ’72, ’73.

Devotee: After initiation?

Srila Sripada: Yes, yes. Whenever I used to go, Prabhupada would always want to talk about something about different aspects of science.

Devotee: So when did you get your initiation? Which year was it that you got initiated by Prabhupada?

Srila Sripada: I got formal initiation in ’71. And I was just about to be initiated within one week after (first) meeting Prabhupada. But then Prabhupada was leaving for India and he gave me this mala, and he said it was as good as initiation…because that was a rush period, with Prabhupada’s plans for India. 1970, he came back. You see that year, 1969, yes 1970 there was a ratha yatra in San Francisco, and for the Ratha Yatra, Prabhupada invited me and Ramananda to come and participate in the festival in San Francisco. So we went. We were with Prabhupada in the ratha yatra in 1970 in San Francisco. Oh yes, after the ratha yatra, Prabhupada left for India. I was supposed to be initiated at that time. Then when he came back the next year, 1971, I think it was ’71, that’s correct, a proper initiation was done in Los Angeles temple. Whenever Prabhupada came to LA, I used to work in the university, trying to finish my Ph.D. and one time I told Prabhupada that this Ph.D. is taking too much time for me, and I should stop. But Prabhupada said, “No, no. you should finish it, and use that for preaching.”

~The End~

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