By Damodharlila Dasa (Padayatra Leader)
Let me share some experiences of Padayatra. The Lord is so merciful, showering His mercy on devotees. Once, Padayatra was in Khamgaon, where a devotee’s father was suffering from heart disease and living on machines in a coma for the last two to three years. The accommodation was arranged by that devotee for us. It was Gaura Arati time, and we performed Gaura Arati. The devotee invited us to the hospital where his father was for a kirtana program. We took Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundar with some Padyatra devotees and performed a grand kirtana in his room. His father opened his eyes, saw the Lordships nodded his head like he was offering obeisances to Them and then slowly closed his eyes, passing away peacefully. By Lord’s mercy, he was freed from the pain and went back home happily. .
There are many experiences like this, showing Lord’s mercy. Book distribution is another significant part of our mission. We walk year-round, in summer, winter, and rain. In big cities, we see many meat shops and beer shops, showing the increasing effects of Kaliyuga. However, we devotees show them these books by Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada says that their deliverance is certain if someone buys a book and reads even one line from it.
Once, I was distributing the Bhagavad Gita in Andhra Pradesh. This book, though it looks ordinary, is not; it is the voice of Lord and very powerful. Once, I went to a grocery shop where a lady, around 40-50 years old, was sitting. At first, she refused, saying she didn’t need anything and asked me to leave. I asked if she had a Bhagavad Gita. She said no. I told her this is our religious scripture, and she should take one for her family to read. She mentioned her son was in 10th grade and not studying well. She asked if reading the Bhagavad Gita would help him. I said yes, Lord will give him wisdom, and he will study well and pass with good marks. She touched the Bhagavad Gita, and her hand felt a vibration. I asked what happened. She said, “The Lord within me is telling me to take this Bhagavad Gita.” I asked which Lord. She showed a Shiva Lingam and said, “This is my Lord. He is telling me to take the Bhagavad Gita.” There are many such experiences.The Bhagavad Gita is not an ordinary book.
Nowadays, we see many ISKCON programs on YouTube. Some people have been waiting for years to get a Bhagavad Gita, and when they do, they feel immense joy. Seeing their joy makes us happy too. Meeting even one such devotee in a day removes all our tiredness, and we feel our day has been worthwhile. There are many souls wandering away from Lord. By giving them the Bhagavad Gita, we ensure their well-being. We take this joy and move to the next village the next day. There are many such experiences. To experience them, you can join the Padyatra for a few days.
Therefore, Srila Prabhupada said, we have given many lives to maya. Give one life to Krishna. You can also join us in preaching. We have been traveling across Maharashtra for the past five years.
