Goloka and Montreal
By:
Govinda Dasi
- the 1008 Ways to Remember Srila Prabhupada by Govinda dasi.
Gaurasundara and I remained in
Montreal for the duration of time that Swamiji was in India; that was
about six months. During that time we drew many pictures for early Back
to Godhead magazines and daily we worked in our small art studio while
hearing Chaitanya Charitamrita and Srimad Bhagavatam.
During that time I began working on a drawing of Krishna and Balarama
returning home with their cows, millions of cows. It became a kind of
meditation. Daily I worked on this drawing and although we had little
information of how Vrindavana looked, it seemed to manifest from within
the heart. Though we did many other pictures, this picture was the most
dear to me. Even when I close my eyes I would still see an ocean of cows
with Krishna and Balarama prancing before them and in my view, over to
the right, that cowherd boy was clearly meant to be Srila Prabhupada.
After all Swamiji had requested me to paint his portrait in San
Francisco, and it was one of the first pictures I painted for him. Now I
felt I was painting his spiritual portrait in Goloka. It was an
innocent offering. I sent a copy of the drawing to Swamiji in
Vrindavana, saying, 'This cowherd boy is my portrait of you'. Thank you,
Srila Prabhupada for giving me that glimpse of Goloka. It spurred me on
in my desire to serve you; even now when I see this picture, my
original drawing has been colored in and hangs behind the Deities of
Krishna Balarama, I think of you as I see you walking besides Krishna
and Balarama, herding the cows home in the evening and I think that this
is no accident that this very picture that I had offered to you so many
years before is your portrait walking beside your beloved Krishna
Balarama and you are there nearby. Thank you, Srila Prabhupada.
Jai Srila Prabhupada :)
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