Description
Lotus Imprints is proud to launch Hari-Sauri Prabhu’s riveting, poignant account of Srila Prabhupada’s last weeks in Vrindavan in his latest book “Back to Vrindavan”From the Author: Srila Prabhupada spent his last few weeks on the planet in Vrindavan and I was fortunate enough to spend some of those weeks serving him while chronicling every event, detail, and pastime I witnessed. Back to Vrindavan is based on the diary I kept during that time and my hope in making it available is to give devotees who were not present the opportunity to gain insight into Srila Prabhupada’s character and learn the valuable lessons he imparted.
The narration begins on September 29, 1977, when Hari-Sauri landed at the Bombay airport, in India for his one-month stint as Prabhupada’s visiting GBC. When Hari-Sauri arrived in Juhu, he found Srila Prabhupada in his quarters, emaciated and bedridden. Even in that condition, however, Prabhupada inquired about Hari-Sauri’s health and how his books were selling in Australia, where Hari-Sauri was GBC.
Hari-Sauri Prabhu served Srila Prabhupada in Vrindavan from October 2 to 27, and in Back to Vrindavana he describes the events of each day, based on the detailed diary he kept during that period.
The title Back to Vrindavana has great significance. Srila Prabhupada went back to Vrindavan to spend his last days, Hari-Sauri went back to Vrindavan to serve His Divine Grace there, and after Srila Prabhupada’s departure, Hari-Sauri went back to Vrindavan for Srila Prabhupada’s disappearance festival. And beyond the events described in the book Back To Vrindavana, Prabhupada went back to Vrindavan after having lived there from 1960 to 1965, translating Srimad-Bhagavatam and preparing to go to the West, and in 1975 Hari-Sauri went back to Vrindavan, where he first became Srila Prabhupada’s personal servant. By his preaching, Srila Prabhupada brought us all back to Vrindavan, and now we want to follow him back to Goloka Vrindavan, the Vrindavan in the spiritual world.
“Reading Hari-Sauri’s book brought me closer to Srila Prabhupada’s and to him, Srila Prabhupada’s dear, devoted servant. And I imagine the book will have the same effect on every reader, making us all feel closer to Srila Prabhupada and more committed to his service, his mission, and his followers. – Giriraja Swami