TOUCHING SRILA PRABHUPADA’S FEETBy Isana dasa One evening, as Srila Prabhupada sat in his chair in the courtyard and I sat on the marble floor next to his glorious lotus feet, I asked him to elaborate on a statement he had made earlier while in his sitting room.“When the Indians touch my feet,” he said, “they are simply looking for material benediction. Therefore, do not let anyone touch my feet because I will have to take their sinful reaction and then I will get sick and it will cause more weakness.”“Srila Prabhupada,” I said, “during class, when your disciples touch your lotus feet, they are trying to show respect. They are not interested in material profit.” “Yes, that may be the case,” he knowingly replied. “But, still, I have to suffer. Even they may not be trying to achieve some goal by touching my feet; still, the spiritual master has to suffer by accepting their sinful reactions.” Srutakirti das What Is The Difficulty? #117 ……………I’ve already described how he asked that his disciples should not touch his feet saying, “By their touching I have to suffer. They may not be trying to achieve some goal by touching my feet, still, the spiritual master has to suffer by accepting their sinful reactions. “…Srutakirti das What Is The Difficulty? #112 Adi Lila Chapter 17One day when Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had finished His dancing, a woman, the wife of a brāhmaṇa, came there and caught hold of His lotus feet. TEXT 244
caraṇera dhūli sei laya vāra vāradekhiyā prabhura duḥkha ha-ila apāra SYNONYMScaraṇera—of His lotus feet; dhūli—the dust; sei—that woman; laya—takes; vāravāra—again and again; dekhiyā—seeing this; prabhura—of the Lord; duḥkha—unhappiness; ha–ila—there was; apāra—unlimited.TRANSLATIONAs she took the dust of His lotus feet again and again, the Lord became unlimitedly unhappy.PURPORTThis holding of a great personality’s lotus feet is certainly very good for the person who takes the dust, but this example of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s unhappiness indicates that a Vaiṣṇava should not allow anyone to take dust from his feet. One who takes the dust of a great personality’s lotus feet transfers his sinful activities to that great personality. Unless the person whose dust is taken is very strong, he must suffer the sinful activities of the person who takes the dust. Therefore, ordinarily it should not be allowed. Sometimes in big meetings people come to take the same advantage by touching our feet. On account of this, sometimes we have to suffer from some disease. As far as possible, no outsider should be allowed to touch one’s feet to take dust from them. Śrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu personally showed this by His example, as explained in the next verse. TEXT 245sei-kṣaṇe dhāñā prabhu gaṅgāte paḍilanityānanda-haridāsa dhari’ uṭhāila SYNONYMSsei–kṣaṇe—immediately; dhāñā—running; prabhu—the Lord; gaṅgāte—in the water of the Ganges; paḍila—plunged; nityānanda—Lord Nityānanda; haridāsa—Haridāsa Ṭhākura; dhari‘-catching Him; uṭhāila—raised Him.TRANSLATIONImmediately He ran to the river Ganges and jumped in to counteract the sinful activities of that woman. Lord Nityānanda and Haridāsa Ṭhākura caught Him and raised Him from the river.PURPORTŚrī CaitanyaMahāprabhu is God Himself, but He was playing the part of a preacher. Every preacher should know that being allowed to touch a Vaiṣṇava’s feet and take dust may be good for the person who takes it, but it is not good for the person who allows it to be taken. As far as possible, this practice should ordinarily be avoided. Only initiated disciples should be allowed to take this advantage, not others. Those who are full of sinful activities should generally be avoided.